Teens Talk Back: Reflection

After learning and seeing images/videos/articles about teens in the media and the negative stigma around them in the media I think it was interesting and almost a full circle to be able to Google and research about how teens resist and talks back to the dominant images in society. After my Google search(which was very difficult), I came across an article that discusses the opportunity a recreational center was having to allow teens to talk back and discuss the common stereotypes they find themselves in. The article provided students in high school ages 14-18 to talk about the negative stereotypes they commonly are associated with and represent their selves.  I then changed my search to YouTube after being unsuccessful. I came across this video and teens are talking about the common stereotypes that are associated with them, usually always being on their phone or too busy on Facebook. The audience asks the teens questions, one of the questions was something about being constantly on Facebook. One of the teens replied back with parents not understanding because they didn't have Facebook and times have changed. I think that's 100% true teens are being judged for what's common in society today, such as using the internet when parents use the internet just as much. Teens talk back reminds me of Cinderella Ate My daughter and how society isn't letting teens experience and be normal 14 year olds but rather enforcing common stereotypes like Cinderella and finding a prince, when in reality its not going to happen like that! Teens need to be able to explore and socialize with their friends in order to  really grow up. After searching for articles and videos on teens talking back it was so difficult, it makes me think why don't teens talk back as much as they should? what could we do to change this?      

Hip Hop: Free Write

Free Write:

After reading about Dr. Rose and learning about her work, it was evident that her goal is to inspire through speaking. Her work is focused on hip hop, and why it matters. Dr. Rose is internationally known for her respected work on post-civil rights culture, sexuality, and hip hop culture. Reading about and listening to her work it is evident about how passionate she is regarding her work and creating justice. She talks about how difficult and complex it is to discuss race and gender.
 


            In her work she discusses hip hop and how hip hop artist commercialize black culture, in a powerful way which shapes gender images and perceptions. I think her thoughts regarding hip hop to not be dead is such a great thought, I think there’s a lot of commercially made music today and there needs to be authentic music in her words found “underground ” to help hip-hop culture. Today artists basically sing about whatever and whenever to make money, I can think about a bunch of hip hop songs that basically mean nothing and are just catchy phrases.
            I think work is really focused on the youth and the importance of pop culture and society.  I found this great article  about hip cop controversy and how music has became to be nasty and threatening especially to females. I think Dr. Rose touches on racial stereotypes and how music has really changed.  


In the attached article, I found some interesting pictures of common /popular artists today that are recognized for ghetto culture present in mainstream American culture.

 

Queer Representation: In the Media

 

All of the articles provided an insight on the evolution of queer representation in the media, but makes it clear that there is still negative stereotyping in the media. The article I was interested by, Queer Representation in the Media discusses how things have changed in the media in the past 30 years and how we have now seen gay and lesbians in TV and mainstream. However, many challenges exist. The article mentions how the criticism of gay and lesbians began in the 1960s-80s and the negative portrayal of gays and lesbians as being “sissys” and “drag queens.”
Those portrayals brought me back to last week’s reading, Cinderella Ate My Daughter. It reminded me of the reading because of the labeling and stereotypical ways of being a princess and being pretty or skinny. I think this relates so well to this week’s articles because of the stereotyping that is placed on gay and lesbians in the media and society.
            I think Hollywood puts a big pedestal on celebrities and make it a big deal if they are lesbian or gay. However, more celebrities are using their story as a good representation to tell people its okay and that homosexuality shouldn’t be cruel and shunned upon. I think there still remains the negative stereotyping that remains and how gay characters in movies are depicted as being evil or dangerous, it’s important that there is public figures who can influence others to be comfortable in their skin and be examples for others. I remember seeing this video a month ago and when I read these articles it reminded me of this…I think its a great representation that although major struggles remain in society regarding gay and lesbians criticism and stereotyping, come good examples and role models are present in society.


And then I found this picture, which is a great representation of this weeks text and last week in one picture, evidence that stereotyping exists.
 

Reflection: Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Reflection: 

“She is everything I would imagine my daughter would reject, would not in fact, ever encounter or even understand if she did, let alone embrace: the passive, personality-free princess swept off by a prince (who is enchanted solely by her beauty) to live in a happily-ever-after that he ultimately controls. Yet here was my girl, somehow having learned the pot line anyway, blissfully lying in wait for loves first kiss.” I think this quote is a great representation of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, and I thought it was important to include in my reflection of the article because it exemplifies that the story of snow white for example or any well-known fairy tale will be out there for every child to learn regardless if their parents try and stop them. This mother didn’t want her daughter to be just like every other kid who was sworn over by the stereotype that a handsome man will kiss you and sweep you off your feet.

         

This quote reminds me of the reading Unlearning the Myths that Bind us by Chritensen’s and how all of these myths blind us. Our society teaches us that learning about Cinderella or Snow White and this idea of a fairytale is so common and how society tells us what to believe or how to act. I think these two texts are so similar because Unlearning the Myths explains how society’s influence both adults and children in many ways even when we are unaware of it. Cinderella Ate My Daughter is a great example of how society sucks you in regardless if you do everything to protect your child from the common stereotypes (which is sad).

The article mentions how the word “Princess” is so broadly constructed that it actually has no meaning. I think girls associate the word princess to everything society displays it to be. I found it interesting how the article says that parents cannot resist these myths, I think the stereotype of princesses will forever be in your daughters head because of the world (sad). And it’s also important to remember that it’s not just girls falling into the categories of being brainwashed by Cinderella, but also boys are being exposed as well. 

Teen Popstars

Group members: Jenna Rebello and Jennifer Crandall
Topic: Teen Popstars

Popular teen stars
Rising of pop stars
100 Favorite Artists
History of pop stars
Timeline of Music

A cycle of outrage: 3 quotes

The first quote I found explains a lot about how society works, even in the 1950s. “Look focused on this visual confusion, claiming that the new adolescent subculture of the 1950s looked aggressive, even if not all the youngsters were on the way to becoming criminals( pg.12).” The article focused on how teenagers lived by primarily focusing on a visual picture and then describing the adolescents to look aggressive, and on their way to become “criminals.” Even today there is a constant stereotype that distinguishes people from being aggressive or being sweet. I remember one of the first weeks of class we discussed how within every generation things will differ such as experiences that individuals encounter, but I think the stigma or visual around pictures of teenagers being “gothic” or “preppy” will always remain. Stereotypes remain present within society today; people are characterized by how they look and what their wearing constantly and usually judged just as Look describes them to be on their way to becoming a criminal (which is crazy to even say). I think it’s important for teens to experiment with their looks and can come to a place and be happy with who they are, so if that means looking not as the other kids, then who cares. I found this article that is great that describes a male teen who understands the misconceptions of teens.  
                                                               

 
“Cosmopolitan put it another way in a special issue devoted to explaining teenage behavior: We’ve stop trying to teach them how to live, but were asking them how they think we should live (pg. 13).” I found this quote to be so interesting because at this time in the late 1950s society was realizing how much of an impact that teenagers have on shaping culture today. The public only interprets the problem of teen behaviors rather than negatively stereotype teens. This quote reminded me of last week and Raby’s 5 discourses. The discourses categorized teens and what we perceive by them, rather than understand what an influence they have on culture today.  

My final quote describes music culture, “Although older American grew up jitterbugging in the 1930s, and then lost their hearts to Frank Sinatra during the war- and although there were countless efforts to soften and disguise the raw edges of the new music of the 1950s- somehow, the new music appeared hostile, and aggressive.” (pg. 15) After that quote the article explains how Elvis Presley’s music appeared to be lower class, and aggressive because of what he was singing. I think within every generation there are new styles or new fads, different experiences and different languages that we can talk about and sing about. Music now isn’t going to be the same as the 1950s post war for example, because of the different experiences and environment. Parents blamed rock and roll music as corrupting teens and making them misbehave because of the changing American culture. In the 1930s the music was a support during the war and in the 1950s the music became more edgy but all because of the heartbreaking and many different experiences America was encountering. Today music is going to be different because of the changing culture.

A Tangle of Discources

Reflection:

A tangle of discourses discusses the dominant discourses in North American culture: the storm, becoming, at-risk, social problem, and pleasurable consumption. The material was drawn from young girls and their grandmothers to better explain the discourses through experience. After reading the text I could relate to some of the discourses throughout my teenage years.  I think parents and society are way too hard on teens, usually calling them immature, or having an attitude, when being a teen should be about being independent and learning/ being comfortable with you are and who your becoming. When I was 13 or 14 all I really wanted to do was be left alone and hangout with my friends. But it’s so typical today to be called moody or cranky. I found this text from the reading that is so common today,
 “On the one hand, Jess accepts the definition of her as moody and sees this as inevitable to teenage hood. Then she experiences herself being punished for it (moodiness as a social problem?)” pg.441
 I think parents are too quick to judge… I don’t think when they were in their teenage years they were the happiest to be around 24/7. I thought it was interesting how most of the teens could cite the negative stereotypes held on teens and how they are usually “bad, rude, or trouble makers.” The at-risk category I think for me didn’t happen so young, I think that teens may be exposed to drugs and alcohol much earlier today then I experienced it because I was so young that I didn’t really understand it. One of the grandmothers explains how children are at risk, “Jan was concerned that there is more stress and pressure on teens today than there was in the past.” I think the media has a lot to do with the pressure children face such as being skinny and pretty or drinking to fit it. The social problem reminded me of myself being a teen because it’s a time of trying to fit in and find our own identities, see who our friends our, when parents and society brand and stereotype children who have nose rings or that are dressed differently to be troublemakers and are bad kids. All five discourses are present in society today  and people generalize teens as being irresponsible and rude. I think the pressure on teens is just way too much, I would like to talk about in class how teens experience a great deal of pressure from parents, society, and the media.