Back in the Loop

Spring Break was just underway and it got me thinking about getting back into the groove of things and i need to find a couple documentaries that i can write and compare about. The thing i would like to stray away from is the usual race stereotypes. Only reason is because it seems like that is all people talk about when it comes to the word "stereotyping".

Maybe go along the lines with something i went with on the last one which was rich vs. poor. Or even compare different countries or state stereotypes. The categories are endless and so could the access of what i could say in this blog. Any way i plan to hurry and do it as well as plan the sources out in time so that i am not waiting till the last minute...

Documentary Essay

I had a documentary in mind to write about until i watched another one last night that was directed by a guy named Jamie Johnson. He is the great grandson of the founder of Johnson and Johnson. Ironically what did he do his documentary about? The Difference gap between the rich and the poor. 1% of the USA are filthy rich and average $1,000,000 per year. The other 99% only average $35,000 per year. Huge gap. Very intresting how he does use stereotypes to utilize the point of his story as well. He has interviews with the top rich people and their family members. One of which was the grand daughter of Warren Buffet (the second most wealthy person in the nation). Because Mr. Buffet was so against doing the interview himself, he was so enraged his granddaughter did it that he legally and emotionally undeclared her to be related to him. Crazy stuff. Then he went to probably the 2 most poverty stricken areas in America: New Orleans and Southside Chicago. He didn't really hit the middleclass i guess to hit a point, but still that left alot out of the mix. Good documentary and entertaining overall. My take on it showed a great eye-opener to what i prepare to write about and present on Wednesday... Guess we'll wait to see what comes of it.

Manipulation

I remember last semester, i took a class that talked about whether a documentary was still a documentary if it was manipulated to having scenes re acted out for the purpose of the film. Now im not talking about Borat where the whole Pam Anderson incident happened, clearly fake. Funny though. Its really i think in the best judgement of the person watching. If they are passonate about that certain subject and the representation does not seem to meet their standards or seems too fake, then shame on that filmmaker in their eyes. African Documentaries can be portrayed that way by how Western Society wants us to think of Africa. From their perspective, all i really get out of it is that they do not know of alot of the technology that we use in our great coveted nation. Which i know isn't true because many cities in South Africa are very commercial based and good in the trade world. Anyway manipulating with a documentary that has to do with African customs and ways, is all alot of us know of. Doesn't sound to funny to people in that extent and probably ticks people off who know the truth of how it really is. Imagine a documentary about Texas shown to people in Africa. It would be a joke! Ye haw!

The Gods Must Be Crazy and discussion

After watching, The Gods Must be Crazy, our discussion in class made me realize alot of things in our governed society that are different from alot of the different third world.

The whole concept of time seems like it is only for the use of documentation and economy purposes. We use time to know how old we are, what holidays are worth celebrating, and when things should need to reach their deadline. Time pretty much infatuates people with more than what is really going on with living, but in our governed society it is perhaps the most important tool we can rely on. In other societies like the tribe in the movie, every day is just another day and every coincidence is just a new adventure. There is no end of the earth as technology and science has discovered, but the tribe in the movie belives there is so on such a planet. They of course do not need to know when a holiday is or how old someone is exactly or what kind of deadlines need to be met. Pretty much just how are they going to live the next day.

This eye opener lets us explore the many tools that we use that are valuable to us, and why it is so "weird" that other societies don't use the same ones. There are other countries with other beliefs and governments. Americans only believe our way is the best way and that is why alot of other countries can see us as cocky and unlikeable. On the contrary, that is also because they are infatuated with how they are raised to what they believe is the right way to live. This has caused many wars and conquest. The only conclusion is that the world is different, but no one is willing to change and that is how the world will forever be. Why change others, when you are content with your self is the real question...

Stereotypes, Good or Evil?

I am not going to lie, when i see certain things in life i automatically use prejudices to put my own puzzle together about the person. For Example: Someone wears cowboy boots i automatically assume they drive a truck and listen to country. When in fact its a stupid way to think because 1) we live in TEXAS (boots are common)
2) Some of my closest friends wear them and they dont own a truck and mostly listen to rock
3) Im a hypocrit now for owning a pair and not fitting the "stereotype" either

Now if i was wearing my boots and someone came up and asked me who my favorite country band was, i would answer the question, laugh, and make fun of the person for asking (in a joking way). See thats where stereotyping isn't such a bad thing because i am proud to wear the boots and i enjoy watching society be nieve.

I actually have a funny stereotype story: Me and my buddy are in a band. We play alot of 90's rock covers, but the majority of what we play is comedy. So our first gig ever was supposed to be a little acoustic set at a coffee house in Dallas. We literally learned 5 songs a hour or two before we went up there and literally picked the name of our band on the porch of the coffee shop. Our band name is Sconald by the way (middlenames: Scott + Donald). So we walk in and talk to the manager and joke with him and tell him what kind of stuff we play. The guy looks us up and down at how we were dressed and literally says "Well by the looks and sound of you guys, i just want to tell you that I dont want to hear any cussing or nasty songs up on stage." Me and my buddy nodded our head, walked off and looked at each other, and laughed at how bad we were just stereotyped by the manager. Just for that we went on stage and played the most perverted song we knew on the last song (after dedicating it to the manager). haha

Those are examples of how stereotypes can not be such a bad thing. Now most are true even if not for everyone in that group. But alot can be offensive, like if you tell a asain person to go eat some rice or a black person to go eat chicken. Depending on the tone and person it can either be taken as a joke or offensive.

Stereotypes in conclusion are stupid and amusing to people like me who fall into the trap of realizing when you do make such a prejudice. Even though there are people out there that fall into those stereotypes and remind us of why we make those judgements. Stereotypes are stupid overall, but we all do it sometime or another. If you dont think you do... Walk down a dark alley and tell me what runs through your mind...

Mike Hammans Rtvf4415

From the lecture on the 16th of January, i picked up on how information needs to be represented by some sort of object, character, sound, or ect. This makes since because anybody these days can be skeptical about any little detail in some kind of description that may not make since in their head. I know if i hear somebody saying something negative about something i would like them to have reasonable knowledge or a way to back up there comment. (Usually hippocrites dont) For example if Dan (made up name) said, "Hey Mike Your grilling sucks" i would really like to know "compared to what" or simply "why"? I think my grilling is progressively better as the world continues to spin. Thats why there are things like taste tests. Put two different products with the same concept next to each other and have the testee give em a whirl.

We need meaning to why we do what we do or are who we are. Thats the science of information. There is always more information to back up anything. Data just helps us recognize just what it is.