Reality Television in Actuality

THESIS: Reality television is a solely profit-driven spectacle that exploits its subjects by promoting itself as "reality" when it is, in fact, fictional.

Facebook...the end.

Why do we love Facebook so much? It’s like the Wal-Mart of social media; everything all in one place. I’m a very selfish Facebook user. I literally only post movie and music posts, I never look at my News Feed, and I never “Like” anything unless I specifically seek it out myself. There are people who spend their whole day “Liking” things and exploring the vast online universe of Facebook. Some people literally think they understand the world by living in it vicariously through social media. This is disheartening to me.

Hipsters & The Society That Bred Them

Hipsters get a bad rap. As I think about it more and more I believe that the only thing wrong with a hipster is the connotation that’s associated with the label. I have not earned the title “Hipster,” nor am I trying to. My wife hasn’t either, even though we both find their fashion, home décor, music, etc, quite appealing. I believe in being who you are; let the inside shine, blah blah. I have a lot of friends many would consider hipsters, but I assure you they are the most genuine, loving people you would ever meet. They just like the way they dress and the life style they’ve chosen to live.

The Food Dilemma...

Food is troubling. What do we eat? What should we eat? It’s all a bit of a headache if you ask me. I know I lived off of Banquet Chicken Tenders, blue box Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Totinos Pepperoni Pizzas, and Mountain Dew for years as a teenager. Being 27-years-old, with a wife and 1-year-old daughter, one starts thinking about one’s habits and one’s future.

I have an issue with the production of a lot of the food I eat, but I don’t stop eating it. I’m a living paradox when it comes to food and I don’t really know what to do about it. I believe in being a vegetarian if you feel truly convicted about the treatment (or mistreatment) of animals, or if it is a medical condition that makes the vegetarian lifestyle more conducive to one’s good health. One thing I hate is vegetarianism/veganism as a fad. I actually believe it’s wrong, but I digress.

Where do I fit in? I don’t feel convicted enough to change my eating habits, but I disagree with the way animals are treated for consumption. Food Inc. is a documentary I’ve seen multiple times, and afterwards I feel like revolting and fighting to end the irresponsible and immoral treatment of animals. However, my dilemma resides in my lack of motivation and passion for the subject. Hopefully this is allowed on these blogs, but can anyone comment with a solution for someone like me? I’m not looking for advice, because I already know how I feel, but I’m curious what other people would say to someone in my predicament. I think there is a large population of people who fall into my category, but they lack the proper motivation to do anything about it. And typically we hear from various media that the food industry is either good or bad. But I believe there is a middle ground, and I think those people are the ones to reach before changes will ever be made. I would love the feedback.

Masculinity in Cinema: Rambo, Bond, and the Goofballs

Being a passionate lover of film, it pains me to admit that mainstream cinema predominately showcases genders and their individual traits poorly. There are many different portrayals of men, but I shall discuss three: The hyper-masculine approach (ie. Rambo); the suave ladies’ man (ie. James Bond); and the goofball (ie. 90% of males in comedy...I’ll choose Kevin James for now).

NOTE: There are good films out there that portray men in a realistic light, and I want to make it clear that I believe stereotypes can be used for good, but for the purposes of this entry I would like to focus on what film is doing to perpetuate what Byron Hurt calls “the box.” I will be opening Hurt’s “box” up to a wider inclusion of more than hyper-masculine hip-hop culture, but to the other ways in which we trap men into a socially acceptable presentation of masculinity.

Video Games: Good or Bad for Society?

Video Games are becoming quite the complex "art form." Many users may describe gaming as 1) a leisure activity, or as something that simply produces interactive entertainment. 2) Jane McGonigal essentially says it’s the future of humanity -- she wants it to be “as easy to save the world in real life as it is in online games,” and that “if we want to solve problems like hunger, poverty, climate change, global conflict, obesity,” (watch McGonical TEDtalk) etc, we need to play more, and better games. Lastly, 3) there are others among us that believe video games are actually hurting society. That they’re making us lazy, ignorant, and unproductive; subjecting us to stereotypes, gender codes, violence, sex, and inappropriate behavior. All of these sides can be argued, and there are valid points all around. But where do I stand?