Media and the Idea of Beauty Essay Example for Free

Media and the Idea of Beauty Essay Elizabeth Rosales Cultural Anthropology-A18: Yi,Zhou April 21, 2011 Response Paper: Killing Us Softly Who are we? Who am I? With the average American exposed to approximately 3,000 ads a day they all remind us of who we are not and who we should be. The images we are constantly bombarded with by the mass media don’t just sell products they â€Å"sell values, images, concepts of love, sex, and normativity†, standards to which we so often compare ourselves to. Ads reinforce gender binaries, all making a statement about what it means to be a woman in this culture of thinness stressing a particular importance on physical beauty. Jean Kilbourne’s film Killing Us Softly explores and exposes the detrimental effects of the objectification and dehumanization in the representation of women in the popular culture, specifically advertisements. With only less than five percent of women of the entire population that reflect the images of the women advertised, the majority of women are left to feel ashamed for not trying hard enough. Women’s bodies are increasingly subjected to strict scrutiny under a magnifying glass by our superficial culture, these actions bring forth and further feed the shame and embarrassment women associate with their bodies, their sexuality, their size, and their weight. Spending self-conscious days, weeks, months, and even years in front of a mirror and scale, inspecting our bodies in front of a mirror comparing ourselves to the images spread over magazine covers as women we are repeatedly reminded that our bodies are home to imperfections and there is always room for improvement whether that be through exercise, plastic surgery, dieting, or over the counter â€Å"beauty and health† products. Rosales 2 Is this self-improvement or self-destruction? Today, 1 in 5 women are likely to develop an eating disorder and cosmetic surgery is more popular than ever before. More and more women each day are going under the knife for breast enhancements losing all sensation in their breasts. Such procedures dehumanize and objectify women transforming them from â€Å"subjects to objects†, all because as women we are conditioned by the dominant culture to want to feel desirable and seek the approval of men. The breasts, therefore, become a source of pleasure for the men and not the women who undergo the procedure. These internalized feelings drive many to strive to obtain an unattainable beauty and live up to certain impossible expectations whether it’s consciously or not. We fail to recognize that most of the images we are exposed to are computer generated, they are not real women they have been photo shopped and manipulated to look like that and yet we continue to perpetuate these images as the standards for beauty. Much more, the standards that women are expected to live up to is a paradox of ideas, we are to be both â€Å"innocent and sexy, virgin and experienced† child/doll-like and sex objects simultaneously. Can that be any more absurd? Gender is a performance that the mass media is largely responsible for defining, if we are not thin or beautiful enough then we are not feminine enough. The oppression and misrepresentation of women is not limited to gender though, race plays an active role in the representation of women. Asian women for example, are depicted as docile and passive lovers, whereas black and Hispanic women are hyper sexualized and portrayed as exotic promiscuous â€Å"creatures† dressed in animal prints. The perfect ideal woman was manufactured and it’s time we recognize this, she is an illusion that doesn’t exist outside of caricature. Instead of altering our Rosales 3 bodies to fit those Barbie doll like measurements we need to start portraying the large diversity of women accurately and stop condemning those who are not thin enough, tall enough, light enough, as not being beautiful because they aren’t trying hard enough to fit those categories.

The Evolution Of Animation

The Evolution Of Animation Ever since the beginning of photography, people learned that pictures taken in quick series, of a moving object, could be flipped through, in succession, to create the illusion of a moving picture. For many years Animation has been used. Animation was done in black and white such as cartoons and movies in the early 1900s. The backgrounds and the cartoon drawings were made simple. Animation technology has come a long way since the early days of hand-drawn cartoons. The tools have changed dramatically. Animation is a graphic representation of drawings to show movement within those drawings. A series of drawings are linked together and usually photographed by a camera. The drawings have been slightly changed between individualized frames so when they are played back in rapid succession (24 frames per second) there appears to be seamless movement within the drawings. Early animations, which started appearing before 1910, consisted of simple drawings photographed one at a time. It was extremely labor intensive, as there were literally hundreds of drawings per minute of film. Early animators used an animation technique known as stop action. With the camera stopped, items would be rearranged, removed, or added to the shot then the director would start rolling again. Live action films using this procedure were called Trick Plays. American studios soon turned to flat animation as opposed to dimensional animation, finding it much more efficient for their assembly-line techniques of making animated films. To illustrate the difference between the two, picture Gumby (a dimensional character) as opposed to Tweety Bird, a drawing. The development of celluloid around 1913 quickly made animation easier to manage. Instead of numerous drawings, the animator now could make a complex background and/or foreground and squeeze in moving characters in between several other pieces of celluloid, which is transparent except for where drawings are painted on it. This made it unnecessary to repeatedly draw the background, as it remained static and only the characters moved. It also created an illusion of depth, especially if foreground elements were placed in the frames. The first animated cartoon was created in 1910 by pioneers such as Emile Cohl and Winsor McCay. The animation timeline then starts to progress with several films being produced during the next twenty years; Gertie the Dinosaur, produced by Winsor McCay and distributed to commercial movie theaters in 1914 being a land mark during this period. In the 1920s and 1930s Warners, MGM and Disney studios developed cartoon techniques, producing more and more sophisticated cartoons using traditional animation techniques of producing complex backgrounds and then imposing moving figures on them with celluloid, a transparent film. Walt Disney took animation to a new level adding sound in 1928 and producing the first full length animated film in 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Since the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Disney in 1937, animated films have become one of the most commonly enjoyed forms of entertainment. Disney has a long history of developing, producing, and distributing films such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. The stories and characters of these popular animated feature films have become part of our modern traditions, enjoyed by every generation. Traditionally, these popular animated feature films have been created using the time-consuming and labor-intensive process of two-dimensional, hand-drawn cel animation. Today animation is rarely done on cel (Cel is a sheet of transparent cellulose acetate used as a medium for painting animation frames. It is transparent so that it can be laid over other celluloid and/or a painted background, then photographed.) Cel animation is extremely time consuming and requires incredible organization and concentration to detail. The way of doing animation today is different an d is more effective and it majorly depends on the new advanced computer technology. Remarkable animated films wouldnt have been possible without the new advances in computer technology. On the other hand even the computer technology itself is not new. Films like Toy Story, Madagascar, Finding Nemo, Up etc are the magnificent pieces of work done by Disney and they wouldnt have been possible without the computer technology. In the past the animators used to work very hard just to make a small video, but now its all computerized and one can easily see the evolution of animation that how significantly it has improved and made a special place for itself in the industry. According to Buffy Naillon, Computer animation changed the animated film industry. Animation today is based more on math formulas than the ability to draw According to Library.ThinkQuest.org, computer animation began about 40 years ago by General Motors. The company created a design system called DAC (Design Augmented by Computers). With it, they could look at 3D models of their cars from every angle. Consistent with PIXAR where films go through four stages: development, creating storyline; pre-production, addressing technical challenges; production, making the film; and post-production, polishing the final product. Today animation is done in a very effective manner, its a complete process with various steps which includes the idea of the film development, then to create a story line in which pre-production is done and dealing with all the technical challenges are also done in this step, later comes the production and the making of the film and then with the final touches the polishing is done. Today we have 3 dimensional animated films, which give the impression of being more realistic. Everyone today is fond of animated films. When that sledgehammer comes down on Sylvester the Cats big toe and it grows to the size of a watermelon theres no trick photography involved. The stories are very beautiful yet simple. And the most important the quality of the animated films today is way different then what we had in past. Animated films today when played in rapid succession appear to have seamless movements within the layouts. Seeing the old methods of animation and the methods used today really shows how the animating process has evolved and how it is getting better and better. The animation timeline carry on in the new millennium with movies like How to train your Dragon, Toy Story 3, Shrek The Final Chapter, and many more to follow.

Zoos Should be Banned :: Zoo Animals

Zoos are an unsuitable environment for wild animals and should, therefore, be abolished. Firstly, zoo animals are kept in a very confined area compared with their vast natural habitat. Secondly, breeding programmes are far less successful than zoos claim. Thirdly, zoo animals are exposed to many diseases and other dangers. Zoo animals are usually kept in very cramped enclosures and do not behave like their wild counterparts. Polar bears, for example, are given about 10 metres of walking space whereas in their Arctic home they roam for many hundreds of kilometres. Similarly, primates, big cats and birds are often confined in cages where they lack exercise and stimulation. Many animals develop unnatural habits such as pacing back and forth or swaying from side to side. Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Even the world famous panda-breeding programme has been very costly and unsuccessful. Also, zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynx’s natural prey. The zoo is an unnatural environment that exposes animals to numerous dangers. Diseases often spread between species that would never live together naturally. For example, many Asian elephants have died in US zoos after catching herpes from African elephants. Furthermore, zoo animals are often exposed to chemicals, solvents and other toxic substances. Finally, it is common for visitors to tease and provoke caged animals. In conclusion, therefore, it is not true to say that zoos are educational or they help to protect endangered species.

Fashsion Statement :: essays research papers

Fashion Statement There are many reasons why we choose to wear a particular article or style of clothing. Many of us consider our choice in clothing as an extension of our identity; while many others pick items from their wardrobe that reflect their current mood. There are also many times when we choose to dress a certain way in anticipation of being in a particular social setting. When someone decides what to wear they need to keep in mind what messages will they be sending to the gazing eyes. Sometimes we forget or don’t realize, that we are sending both true and false message through our clothes. I am a calm, casual, musician however my clothes do not reflect this. To start, I am wearing skateboard shoes, fat toe-end and fat tongue, rather bulky. They are black except for the gum sole, and the logo on the tongue is golden. The golden logo is hidden by the cuffs of my black, neatly creased Dickies work pants. My pants fit nicely, not tight and not baggy. Holding my pants up is a black casual clamp belt, about an inch tall, with a small rectangular silver buckle. My belt is occasionally being revealed by my un-tucked, youth large, blue, button-up, collared t-shirt. The shirt is a basic plaid design, with a thin vertical line for every thick horizontal line and visa versa. Resting on parts of my shoulders and back is my surfer, guitarist length (about 8 inches long), brown, wavy hair parted down the center. Lastly, sitting backwards on my head, are my sleek, solid black Spy sunglasses. Spy is a company that makes sunglasses for the surfer, coastal alike. These clothes were not acquired in any special way, nothing more or less ordinary than anyone else. I tend to shop at stores that sell surf and skate brand clothing. These brands include Billabong, Quicksilver, Split, Osiris, Dickies, and many similar brands. Stores that sell these brands are found almost everywhere, but I tend to spend most of money at Tilly’s and Chick’s. When others decide what outfit to wear, they are making a statement on how they feel or how they would like to feel. For example, they may wear clothes that make them feel sexy, strong, smart, professional, relaxed, or powerful. The ways I feel in my clothes are relaxed and casual. I don’t feel either over or under dressed for any particular occasion.

What would Jesus Do? Canteberry Tales Essay :: essays research papers

What Would Jesus Do?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between 1951 and 1991, forty-one Catholic priests in Chicago alone were charged with sexual misconduct (Philip Jenkins). This number has only increased over the past ten years, with the recent valiancy among Catholic women and children to come forth about sexual indecencies committed against them. But while the charges against the priests may be relatively new, the corruption within the clergy is certainly not. Priests’ abuse of their position can be traced back to the origin of the church itself through both stories and historical documents. In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer exposes immorality in the church (both sexually and otherwise) through his introduction of various fictional characters. Together, these characters demonstrate the ways in which the church has fallen away from its original purpose and design—to make disciples of God through church members’ imitation of Jesus’ character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In efforts to inspire Christians to act righteously, as well as instill a sense of religious pride among young people, Christians have cleverly coined the phrase, â€Å"What Would Jesus Do† or simply, â€Å"WWJD.† Although the expression may be overused and somewhat childish, in the meaning behind the phrase lies the entire mission statement of Christian dome. The apostle Peter describes it by saying, â€Å"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps,† (1 Peter 2:21). The message is simple; try to live as Christ lived. Of all people, most would expect the leaders of the church to strive the hardest for this level of Godliness. Quite ironically, however, Chaucer points out that the clergy possesses qualities opposite to those of Jesus—namely impurity, selfishness, and greed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dictionary defines the word ‘pure’ as being free of dirt, defilement, or pollution, and most Christians would agree that when the term is used in the bible, it means just that: being free of the dirt, scum, corruption, and sin in the world. According to Paul, the grace of God and the teachings of Jesus â€Å"teach us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives,† (Titus 2:12). In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer shows that the clergy is doing anything but seeking after purity. The Friar is the best example of this defilement of Christianity with his fulfillment of worldly pleasures in the areas of women and alcohol. Because of the attachment humans have to sex and their sexual partners, the Catholic Church is structured so that the leaders of the church remain celibate their entire lives.

Brief Summary of Daniel Willingham †Why Don’t Student Like School Essay

The answer to the question ‘why don’t students like school’ was explained very clearly on the first chapter. It was made clear that our brains are slow and unrealiable. Our brains tend to avoid thinking, which makes it unlikely for us to like thinking. But apparently our brains release some amount of dopamine when there are cases of ‘successful thinking’. So the trick is to give students problems that are challenging but also solvable. There are 3 types of memory stated in the book; the ‘environment’ memory, working memory and also long-term memory. For us to remember things better, we can trick our working memory with techniques such as ‘chunking’ since things can only get to the long-term memory through working memory. Emotion and interest also play a part in the remembering process. Things that grab our interest would trigger our mind to think, and memory is believed as the residue of thought while emotional events will be better remembered–unrelated to repetition–such as weddings, 9/11 tragedy or birthday parties. Sometimes we go on ‘auto-pilot’ on stuff that we regularly do, this is caused by repetition or practice, it can help us focus on other important things while still doing our regular activities such as chewing food, driving, reading and etc. The working memory has a very limited capacity, our brain can’t take too much information, if we do, it could lose track of what we’re doing and thinking fails. As an example, that’s what actually happened to me when I was reading the book, the first chapters really crowded my brain and it was actually hurting. Putting the material in a story form can also help students remember because stories are easy to comprehend, interesting and somehow easy to remember. Background knowledge is crucial during learning process as it helps new information to stay in our memory as it was stated that ‘Understanding new ideas is mostly a matter of getting the right old ideas into working memory and then rearranging them–making comparisons we hadn’t made before’ (Willingham, 2009). As I get to the 4th chapter, reading the book was much more easier to understand as I already have the background knowledge. The author explained how important it is to practi ce or drilling. The bad image of how practice is tiring and hard has made students often avoid practicing. However, it is not necessary to learn for a few hours in a row, in fact, doing so with ‘space’ will make  learning more effective, I believe this method wouldn’t feel so tiring and hard. In the 6th chapter, Willingham explained how experts have extensive organized experience, which makes them think in deep structure. Experts work on their subject for several hours a day, to get students to think like experts, learning should be done for several hours. There is a perception that experts would solve puzzles faster, however experts often take more time to think as they dig into more depth than novices. I personally agree with all the content in the book. I think the book basically covered all the aspects that could help students learn cognitive subjects efficiently. Proving Willingham’s theory on background knowledge and remembering, I read the book while relating to y our teachings and found that the content of the book was much easier to understand since some of them were also taught in your lessons. I guess you’re the living proof that the book is effective. I can see clearly how the writer actually performs his theory on chapter on through the book such as how he chose a question instead of a statement for the book’s title to grab attention. Often repetitions of definitions come up in different chapters of the book, which I believe is to help readers remember things. Some theories that are in the book are actually from our daily life that I haven’t noticed before. Stories have been used to help me learn, unconsciously, by teachers before but I did not really acknowledge how using stories for effective learning is actually a thing. The same with the emotional and interest theory on forgetting. What I did not expect was how we actually get satisfaction from learning, my perception towards learning has always been about something that is tiring and that it is important but wouldn’t give you any pleasure. Although I would add some things that might have been left behind by Willingham from his point of view. I would deli berate over a few things from a student’s perspective. It’s the ‘whom’ that I think he might’ve left out. Teachers aren’t all the same and each has their different styles of teaching. One teacher might have been basing his teaching on your book but the other doesn’t. I think this might affect how the students study at home. The materials–such as books or presentation slides–might just be insufficient or students might have got used to the ‘Willingham style’, students might not be able to keep up with the other subjects. If Willingham would add another chapter on changing student’s learning style permanently or something. That would be perfect. He  actually did mention how to treat the students in chapter 8 but I don’t think showing that the teacher has confidence in the student would change how the student thinks permanently. Another thing is just a method that I often use in memorizing process. I try to ‘act’ the theory in order for me to remember the matter. This is just an additional method that I think could have a space in the book. After reading the book, I realized that having read the book had somehow changed my perspective about some few things such as practice can be done in a more effective–less tiring–way, how to grab atte ntion–in case I have to teach–and few other things. Well, I guess that is all. I really think this is an outstanding book by how I actually enjoyed reading it. I really hope that teachers would use this book as their basis. But afterall a student’s performance does not only depend on the teachers but also the student. I think the book itself is applicable for students with some change of perspective and behavior.

Criminology and victimology Essay

Criminology Law & Legal Definition Criminology is defined as the scientific study of crime, criminal behavior and law enforcement. Criminology studies crime, how society responds to crimes and how crime can be prevented. Criminology examines the psychological, hereditary and environmental causes of crime. It also examines the modes of criminal investigation and conviction. The study also analyses the effectiveness of punishment or correction methods as compared with forms of treatment or rehabilitation. In short it is the scientific study of the non-legal aspects of crime, including its causes and prevention. A very famous deflation of criminology is as follows: â€Å"the study of the making of laws, the breaking of laws, and reactions to the breaking of laws. † Criminology Law & Legal Definition Criminology is defined as the scientific study of crime, criminal behavior and law methods as compared with forms of treatment or rehabilitation, In short it Is the A very famous definition of criminology is as follows: â€Å"the study of the making of laws, the breaking of laws. And reactions to the breaking of laws. † the breaking of laws, and reactions to the breaking of laws. † Criminology Is defined as the scientific study of crime, criminal behavior and law