The Catfish Epidemic

James Riley, Matthew Perry, Shane King, Dawn Stump, Kolleen Whitford, Kourtney Cooper

Video Games & Real World Problems

In today's class, we talked about how video games can have a tremendous influence on the lives of gamers and on society as well. Within the article “Wii Shall Overcome,” Dave Gilson discusses Jane McGonigal and why she believes that playing video games can be used in order to solve real world problems. McGonigal stresses the idea that video games can give people “ a sense of accomplishment, meaning, and productivity, gamers are creating a new breed of 'super-empowered hopeful individuals,' poised to transition from saving virtual worlds to saving the real one” (Gilson). Even though McGonigal supports her theory with many valid points, it is hard to believe that playing video games can solve real problems that the world faces today, such as climate change, health problems, violence, and war.

Even though I am skeptical to believe that video games can solve all of the real world's problems, I do believe that video games can indeed have a positive influence on those who play them. There are different kinds of video games that can each affect gamers in various ways. Multi-player video games can encourage cooperation and build teamwork skills among players. Educational video games can encourage and make learning fun. Video games can also prove to enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills.

McGonigal believes that these skills, that can be acquired through playing video games, are important in solving problems. I would agree that these types of skills are crucial in problem solving. However, instead of promoting people to spend thousands and even millions of hours gaming, I think that we should encourage people to actually strive to solve these problems in reality versus in the fantasy world of video games.  

Earth Fare & Food Culture

Last Wednesday, Earth Fare, a healthy supermarket, had its grand opening at Hamilton Town Center in Noblesville, Indiana. On Saturday, I went with my sister and brother-in-law to the new store. As I was walking around the very busy store, I noticed the abundance of organic foods and products, encouraging people to make healthier choices when it comes to the foods they eat and the products they use. According to their website, Earth Fare strives to provide its customers with more healthier food choices. “As one of the largest natural food retailers in the nation, Earth Fare makes healthy eating convenient, affordable, fun and – of course – delicious! With 28 stores in eight states, we offer everything from ready-to-go meal options, local and organic farm fresh fruits and vegetables, and full service meat, poultry and seafood departments.”

With the grand opening of Earth Fare, which is the company's first location in Indiana, I was reminded of the issues that we discussed earlier in the semester. The popularity of the new location proved the “food movement,” which Michael Pollan discusses in his article “The Food Movement, Rising,” continues to grow across the country. Pollan states that “the food movement's strongest claim on public attention today is the fact that the American diet of highly processed food laced with added fats and sugars is responsible for the epidemic of chronic diseases that threatens to bankrupt the healthcare system.” The cheap, fast, and highly processed food that remains dominates the food industry threatens our health. In contrast to stores like Walmart and Meijer, Earth Fare does not offer products that have artificial trans fats and sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and synthetic growth hormones.

However, even though Earth Fare offers its customers much more healthy products, I also noticed just how expensive a lot of those items can be. I think that more people would be encouraged to eat healthier if the prices were cheaper. Furthermore, much like the readings and Food Inc. emphasized, the cycle of fast and cheap food has in return made food “big” business and has dominated our society. I believe that the domination of big business within the food industry has put the profits of corporations over the health and well-being of society.

Earth Fare, the Healthy Supermarket. <http://www.earthfare.com/>

"Who's Your Hoosier? Earth Fare Comes to Noblesville, Indiana." Who's Your Hoosier? Earth Fare Comes to Noblesville, Indiana. 7 Nov. 2012. Web. <http://tomatotalk.earthfare.com/2012/11/07/whos-your-hoosier-earth-fare-comes-to-noblesville-indiana/>. 

Social Media and Politics

Earlier on in the semester, we spent over a week discussing social media and activism. The readings and discussions truly urged me to think more about the relationship between social media and politics, a relationship which has tremendously grown as of recently. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, have given many people a platform in which to publish their own thoughts and to share their opinions and beliefs with others.

The 2012 Presidential Election, for example, further shows the growing popularity of social media in the world of politics. Within the months, days, and hours leading up to election day, I noticed a large amount of twitter users tweeting their political opinions in one hundred and forty characters or less. Through the sharing of these political opinions, people can become more aware of the different issues present in society and what attitudes that people have towards those issues.Twitter users not only voiced their opinions, but they also shared their support as well as their discontent towards the candidates running for office. An article in the Detroit Free Press entitled “Voters Document Election on Social Media” stated that “the first national election in which social media went mainstream unfolded Tuesday” (Bello). The article also went on to state that there were nearly eleven thousand election related tweets per minute and eleven million tweets with the hashtag, #election2012. Even the Presidential candidates, including President Obama, Governor Mitt Romney, and Gary Johnson, used twitter as a means of campaigning and communicating with voters.

I think that the growing relationship between social media and politics has both its advantages as well as its disadvantages. On a positive note, social media allows people to express their beliefs and thoughts with others. It allows people to voice their opinions and to stand up for what they believe in. However, I have also noticed how it can lead to arguments, drama, and hateful comments between users. It amazes how little respect people have towards others who have differences in opinions and beliefs. However, even though it has its disadvantages, social media proves to be a means in which many people from across the country and across the world can share their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs with others.

Bello, Marisol. "Voters Document Election on Social Media." Detroit Free Press. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. <http://www.freep.com/article/20121107/NEWS15/121107005/Presidential-election-social-media-Twitter-Facebook-YouTube>.

Women, Men, and Comedy

Within the last couple of weeks, we have explored the different relationships between popular culture and gender, including the “princess culture,” feminism and masculinity, gender stereotypes, and now women in comedy. Within one particular article entitled “Why Women Aren't Funny,” Christopher Hitchens' presented his argument of why women, in general, are not funny. The key points of Hitchens' argument included the beliefs that women do not have to be funny, humor is more masculine, men do not want women to be funny, and that women are too serious. Hitchens' does admit that there are funny women in comedy. However, he rather quickly stereotyped these successful, female comedians as either “hefty or dykey or Jewish.” Even though there do seem to be more funny men in the entertainment business, I would have to disagree with Hitchens' argument, which appears to be largely rooted in his own biased, and even sexist, opinion.

I believe that Hitchens' overlooked an important idea concerning women in comedy and even men in comedy. What people, male or female, classify as “funny” is rather subjective in nature. Different factors influence one's sense of humor, including the way that one is raised, one's experiences in life, one's culture and even one's beliefs. One person may find something funny, whether it be a comedian, a joke, or movie, while another person might not. Furthermore, the subjectivity of comedy in return affects how people perceive both male and female comedians and actors. For example, I personally believe that women can be just as funny as men. Are women always as funny as men? No. Are men always funnier than women? No. In conclusion, I believe that a lot of people have the ability to be funny, including both men and women.  

"Princess Mania"

Disney movies about princesses, fairy tales, and happily ever afters have been popular among children for quite some time. I remember the joys of watching movies like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Cinderella as a child. Unlike the majority of young girls, I was never really consumed by the princess culture while growing up. Therefore, it is important to note that not every child becomes consumed by the idea of one day being a princess. However, the twentieth century, a time of rising consumerism and capitalism, has ushered in a “princess culture” that dominates both popular culture and the lives of many children.

Prior to this week's subject matter, I had not really considered the full extent of how the princess culture affects the attitudes and development of children. However, after reading the articles and listening to Wednesday's discussion, it has become much more apparent that the princess culture can have a tremendous impact on children, especially girls.

The articles for this week, including “Princess Culture Turning Girls into Overspending Narcissists” and “Is Pink Necessary,” discuss the implications of a princess culture and its affect on society. In addition to those articles, I also found an article on NPR, which discusses this rather interesting topic. Within the article “Branding 'Brave': The Cultural Capital of Princesses,” Neda Ulaby defines this culture consumed with princesses as “princess mania.” I think that Neda Ulaby perfectly describes this growing obsession that can have a negative influence on young girls. 

I think that it is interesting how the qualities attributed to princesses, such as having a sense of entitlement, being ultra-feminine, and believing one is in charge, can carry over into adulthood. This princess mentality goes beyond the realm of Disney princesses, it encompasses reality television, the lives of celebrities, and the Internet. The effect that the princess culture can potentially have on childhood development, which also affects adulthood, reinforces the idea that media and popular culture can have a significant impact on our lives, whether we always realize it or not.

Ulaby, Neda. "Branding 'Brave': The Cultural Capital of Princesses." NPR. NPR, 21 June 2012. Web. <http://www.npr.org/2012/06/21/155501245/branding-brave-the-cultural-capital-of-princesses>.