Picnicking in the Plains of Darfur.
AnnaLouise on I'm done.
sholtmann on I'm done.
AnnaLouise on I'm done.
sholtmann on I'm done.
visited *loading* times
One vote
two votes,
red vote,
blue vote.
McCain, Hillary,
Edwards, Obama
that one mormon guy,
Guliani, yo mama
soon enough the media
will be dripping with polls,
with numbers of names
who have sold their souls
to be president here
in the United States,
to have a say in the war,
in thousands of fates
to create more policies
that will eventually fail,
this shitty process
has gotten stale.
Who is the one
who truly pays the price
of these fucked up bills
that only sound nice
red fish,
blue fish,
small fish...
You, fish.
I am Saddam,
Saddam I am.
I do not like you,
Uncle Sam.
Would you like
to bomb Iran?
We'll sell you weapons
despite the ban
No! I would NOT like
to bomb Iran!
Praise be to Allah
and the Koran.
Those weapons are
against convention
Nevermind Geneva!
Pay no attention.
We hate Iran,
its our contention,
we have no qualm
no apprehension.
Hm. I'll give this task
to Ibrahim,
He'll make a plan
he'll plot a scheme
Business as usual
with your regime
My inner circle
is full of turds,
is it any surprise
that we'd gas the Kurds?
We knew you gassed them
in '88
we weren't concerned
'til you raided Kuwait.
You caused my invasion
to be abated,
now I'm on
your list of most hated.
Alright, you win
I'll withdraw.
I'll also kill
my son-in-law
With so little blood
spilled on your soil
your plot was far
too easy to foil
..... Could this war
have been for oil??
What is this sound?
What is this treason?
Don't mind me
I'm the voice of Reason.
Now you've started
another war
in time for the
election of 2004
We won this war
without a hitch
You hippies have
no right to bitch!
But won't this war
make Bechtel rich?
Who would you hire
to rebuild Iraq?
Germany? Russia?
or Jacques Chirac?
This debate
is tedious
and can go
on forever
To document it in Rhyme
is a tremendous endeavor
Perhaps its best
to let it die
justification is in
the beholder's eye.
But what will the media
report without a war?
Real news is such
a dreadful chore.
Shark attacks! SARS
Invasion from Mars
Terrorism, Sports cars,
dying b-list movie stars.
Until we declare war
on North Korea,
we'll have to settle for this
journalistic diarrhea
This discourse can go on
but what's the use?
Its just a tribute
to Dr. Seuss.
I'll update on it later.
Responding to the rather rude blogs about the extensive reading... perhaps this should be available to purchase in the Poli. Sci. section of the Bookie:
.... just a suggestion.
"...A media culture has emerged in which images, sounds, and spectacles help produce the fabric of every day life, dominating leisure time, shaping political views and social behavior, and providing the materials out of which people forge their very identities.".... Douglas Kellner, Media Culture.
*****
Coming from a prodominantly Italian family and culture, I have been exposed to a completely different set of cultural expectations and guidelines than that of the typical American Gen X'er. Having the privelage of growing up in the states with all the freedoms and glory that my family worked hard to give me, I have had a double view point on life as we know it.
I have taken note that most American families, while they share in traditions around the holidays such as splitting the turkey wishbone together or decorating the tree in popcorn strings put together annually as a sign of yearly family stability. But all together, it seems, that there is a lack of deep tradition, symbolism, and realization of family ties.
In the states, priorities normally go something like:
1. Go to grade school
2. Go to High school
3. Move out at 18.
4. Start college.
5. Meet someone in college who is interesting.
6. Get married.
7. Move away and indulge in each other.
8. Have kids and hope they turn out better than you did.
There is little to no real emphasis on a family tie. Partly, I think, due to the individualist agenda pushed by our society and culture. While we haven't been around that long as a country, we've been around long enough to establish a definite pattern of growth and behavior.
The American dream states "Work more, more money to buy more, to be more, more more." In a sense, we obviously associate our amount of money with our success in life. Where are we taking our cues? In television, do we often find ourselves indulging in documentaries of poverty, or pretending to live lavishly like the girls in "Sex and the City?"
Which problems do we prefer as an American public? Entertainment suggests we prefer the inner turmoil and financial stability over emotional stability and possible financial collapse.
America, being a very individualistic country, raises their youth to stand out. If an American were to asked to draw a circle that represented themselves, it would most likely look like this:
As well as an Italian model, Japanese, or otherwise.
When an American asked to add a circle that represented their mother, you would most likely end up with this:
As compared to someone from Italy, Japan, China, or any collectively based culture, who would produce this:
Keep in mind, these are rather typical responses, not necessarily representing everyone in America and their approach. I learned this when I looked up the President's response to the request and it looked like this:
My point is, that for such an individualistic state of mind that we think we have as a country, the influence of pop culture seems pretty grave.
On the flip side, coming home from my day in the typical American life, I retreat into, what seems sometimes, a different world.
In my culture, while you are encouraged to be an individual, you never choose yourself over your family. While that ideal in America would be considered a sacrifice of personal success, in our culture, it is simply- not considered at all. It is the way it is.
Our way of life falls something like this:
1. Go to grade school.
2. Go to high school and hope to God that the preceding 14 siblings/cousins/family members did not give you a bad name so when a teacher sees your name on a roster, their immediate reaction is to make your life Hell.
3. Go to college.
4. Go to college.
5. Go to college and try not to lose your temper when your elders are reminding you daily that they came over here to give you this opportunity.
6. Get married.
7. Move next door.
8. Share the wealth.
I think that due to this strong inner family connection, Italy survived the Fascist movement. They were able, as families and strongly connected support systems, to make it through the dark times and emerge as a beautiful country.
And though America has yet to see something of that magnitude, I believe that the influence of this individualistic aganda, (IE- "An Army of One," or the image of being lonely at the top of the corporate ladder) should we be faced with an utter political movement flying in our faces, we would divide according to our own beliefs; and by not willing to sacrifice our own views which have been built up as being of so much more value than that of our own blood.
I believe that knowing what is truly important is the key to successfully navigating the world of media and politics.
However, in today's world, while Mom and Dad are working hard at achieving the adolescent-culturally hyped "American Dream," their bank accounts are filling with dollar signs,their unattended children are stationed directly in front of the television, absorbing messages that contradict eachother, producing a confused, angry, either overly zealous or cynical generation of our country.
Who do we take our political cues from? Our family or our favorite TV show or actor? What do we belive in and why? Do we belive in Pro-Choice because Jane Fonda said so and she has nice hair? Do we begin preaching to bring the troops home because Paris Hilton in all her pantiless glory flashed a peace sign?
Who defines our morals and why? And at the end of the day, who do we have to support us in our convictions? Why do we preach what we do? And what of our non-political youth? Those that are completely kept out of the loop, and refuse to comment on their own beliefs for fear of social rejection.
"I don't care if you think I'm politically illiterate, I just want you to think I'm thin."
Few or many, they are voters. And they are listening to the voices of MTV, the National Enquirer, and John Stewart.
And with that, I ask, is Pop Culture a definite political actor?
- AnnaLouise
"......People directly know only tiny regions of social life; Their beliefs and loyalties lack deep tradition. The modern situation is precisely the common vulnerability to rumor, news, trend, and fashion. Lacking the assurances of tradition, or of shared political power, people are pressed to rely on media for barings in an obscure and shifting world." - Todd Gitlin, The Whole World is Watching
Why do we keep putting ourselves through this love/hate relationship with the media and politics? It's wonderful, and then it's heartbreaking. It raises hope, only to realize in the end, that you were doomed from the beginning. Like that guy that everyone said was bad news, but you (I) went with anyway because you (I) being the silly girl you were (I was) thought that all you needed to do was to love him, and then, he would change for the better.
Wake up. It doesn't work that way.
In the world of media and politics, one thing is for sure; We are all prone to getting royally screwed.
Debate. Why is it that political conversation, without the correct guidance, always leads to it? Its a constant lovers' quarrel unfolding within the confines of this lovely country. When one spouse says something, the other will retaliate, and it will be this way, we hope, in this dysfunctional marriage of bi partisan civil war until death, (or mutiny) do us part.
For people who strive to be politically correct, it stands to spend an enormous amount of energy not to jump right on out there and say "You're wrong because I disagree with you!"
For those who don't worry so much about the courtesies, state their opinion as they have the right to do- it stands that someone out there will inevitably spend an enormous amount of energy in both vocabulary selection and in self restraint to politely and in (most likely) an academically polite way to say "No, you're wrong. And I have this quote to prove it, and this one and this one all, that were all stated by like minded people whom I respect very much. And because they have a degree or some sort of official title, it just so happens that their opinion is better than your's. So there. Oh yeah, and $#%# you."
I suppose that one thing that turns me off so rapidly about media and politics is the predictably inevitable hypocricy that will ensue.
I can't telll you how many times, in my girly voice, I would loved to have spent hours on the phone in the dark with President Bush, giggling about inuendos, and asking so sweetly and sincerely, as girls do, "What'cha thinkin'?" And then to hear, as all girls wish to hear, words dripping with sheer adoration and thoughts filled with only me and my dreams and fulfillment of goals in mind.
After all, who doesn't want to be adored?
Who doesn't want a government that utterly adores them?
But, like the bastard he is, he's working all the time. I swear he's hiding things from me, and in any relationship, that shit simply doesn't fly.
Which brings us to my next point.
What do you do if the bastard cheats?
Normally, voodoo on the bitch he's with would do the trick for me, but at a time like this, what choice do we have? He's already moved in, and dammit, I'm not letting that 50" flat screen go, and besides, he's already on the lease... how do we manipulate him to get what we want?
Its not like our other choices for romance are that much better. I mean, Tito at the Jiffy mart is hot, but I'm not really into his thinking about the Vietnam war and the Geneva convention. Kind of a pussy if you ask me. And we all know that that Italian hottie across the tracks did a good job of putting his neighborhood back together, but I don't think he's been around enough to truly satisfy my needs.
So we're stuck. What do we do?
The answer is:
Hold out on him.
Sooner or later, he's gonna want it, and if we're not willing to give it, he's going to realize that something's got to change.
That- and nagging. Either he'll leave, he'll change, or- the lease will be up before we know it, and we'll be on the hunt once again for the right one.
Come election time, just as peacocks flash their colorful tails for attraction of a mate, the candidates expose promises of a life we all desire. Surely the politicians have caught on by now that the American people are more than the mere damsel in distrress they wish we were. And, it seems, that in attempt to 'get with the times,' they've begun flashing instead hot, passionate, easily lusted after promises our way.
As grown ups here, we all know, (ok, well, I've learned) that the concequences of hot flings are not always the best. They don't exactly work out the best for the long term.Sure, they're fun and I'm sure that these wonderful promises of bringing troops home, tax cuts, and free breast implants (just hoping) are enough for one to engage in a courtship with such promise maker- At some point we have to confront our suitor with those famous words "We need to talk," and almost always followed up with "What are we?" and then, "Where is this going?" And sometimes "Can you see us working in the future?" And of course "Nice shoes..... wanna vote?"
And so, the official courtship begins with new one. Exciting, isn't it? Again, hours and hours on the phone, (or glued to the news) listening to promises of happiness that are to be fulfilled. They have plenty of time to hype themselves up. I see it time and time again...
And finally- We're here! I cannot believe we're actually here... Ok, we got them into bed! Oh my God, its wonderful, its exciting, oh my God, and oh my God, oh my God...Oh ......
Was that it?
Really?
Well.
ok.
Its ok.
Really.
It happens.
I need a cigarette.
VOTE.
-AnnaLouise
