Saints vs. roughnecks

This week, we read about saints and roughnecks.  Basically, Saints were students who always got good grades and were deeply involved in school activities who went out of their way to cause trouble.  Roughnecks, were the ones who were seen as trouble makers and usually were hardly punished by their rebel acts.  Saints were always excused from their bad acts, and were almost always ignored when it came to pay back what they had done. Roughnecks, were expected to cause trouble in school and outside of school.  No one was surprised.  It doesn't seem too fair.  In school, saints were benefited and usually got straight As and Bs.  Roughnecks got straight Cs usually.  Growing up, they always had the same label: Saints and Roughnecks.  That made them who they were.  At the end, almost all saints were incredibly successful in life, and roughnecks ended up in jail or in trouble.  But if you think about it, that makes a lot of sense.  If roughnecks never were labelled that way, no one would look at them differently and perhaps they would have a chance to do better throughout the years.  Saints had a huge advantage over them.  Just because they were always seen as good kids.  However, usually Saints rebel acts were the same or greater degree as roughnecks' acts.  They didn't get in much trouble.  No one expected them to get into trouble and when they did, it was an accident and it would never happen again.  They had more money, so they had cars to get out of their ways to cause trouble, drink, and use drugs.  Roughnecks, however, were poor and way less respected by the cops.  They had less money, so usually when they caused trouble it was around the town.  Also, they had a reputation of fighting a lot and always got into trouble with the police for gang activities.  I believe that if you are labelled something you are not, you turn into that label.  It doesn't really matter what you do or say, people judge and you will become what you are labelled.  That is the problem.  Imagine if all roughnecks were treated the same as saints.  Maybe they would do better and succeed too in their late life.  At least, they would have a better chance than what they did.  In our school too it happens.  I know people who do cause trouble but doesn't get into trouble because society respect them.  They have more money and can get away from trouble easily.  And of course, there are the less fortunate kids with less money, that cause trouble (as all teens do) and do get into major trouble.  It just ins't fair.  We fought for equality for many years, and still to this day, we find major inequality.  Just not fair. 

Men

As well as women the media also explores men. Men are seen as good looking, abnormally strong, and sexy.  Often, men are involved in violent sites and fighting with other men.  This week we saw Tough Men, that documentary showed how men are seen in the media and how they are used to promote a product.  According to the documentary, men are more violent because of the media.  They are responsible for most of violent actions that happen in America and all the schools shootings.  That is because people around them are often pressured by this idea of masculinity and harm others either physically and/ verbally.  That causes others to react.  To prove their masculinity and set a point.  Bad things happen as a result such as school shootings.  However, in my opinion don’t think all of it is true.  Yes, it is true that men provoked other men and that causes bad situations.  But do they do that because of the media?  I don’t believe so.  I was never influenced in that way by the media.  I never acted in a violent way because movies or toys or whatever it was.  I sometimes acted with violence because of other people attitude towards me.  Now did they do that to prove something?  Their masculinity?  I’m not sure, but the media didn’t and doesn’t play a big role in those aspects.   

Agents of socialization

We never think about it.  We do our things and hang out with our friends and groups, but we never realize that those people and groups are the ones who mostly influence us in our lives.  Every one of us is part of what we call “Agents of socialization.”  Family, friends, school, religion, sports, etc.  These are all groups we are part of and most influence us in our lives.  Think about it.  We dress the way we dress because of our friends.  Then we go play our sports and have fun.  They become your family. You are the same as your family and friends.  Of course that, within the family you can be different things: cousin, son, husband, dad, etc.  And those make you have different roles.  So as you change your roles, you change over time.  You are being influenced and influencing others throughout your whole life every single day.  I love my friends and family.  I would never change for anyone else because I am who I am and I’m in the groups I am for a reason.  I love them.  I do believe that some people don’t accept that.  They don’t think they belong in a group or think they are completely different than anyone else.  But chances are that if you are in a group for a long time, you are the same as they are.

Tuesday with Morrie

Tuesday with Morrie was a great example of how much one could influence one’s lives.  We don’t realize it, but things we do now are influencing people all around us.  Take Morrie as an example.  He was just a teacher.  Taught what he was required to taught in his own way and did things a bit different.  Many might not seem him as influential just as a teacher.  However, when Morrie was dying, there were so many people that wanted to thank him and listen to him for the stuff he taught.  He influenced the world in one way – his world.  Mitch, for example was someone who was greatly impacted by this man.  He tried his best to reconnect with his former professor.  Tried taking care of him every Tuesday – and in the beginning was hard because of his busy life- but then, he started to realize what life was all about.  He started to live in one way.  The whole movie was a great example how one person can influence one so much to the point where their whole life was changed.  Mitch would always ask for help, would always listen to Morrie talk and listen carefully.  He would always respect the man.  He learned so much from one person.  He learned how to value the things in life he never thought was important before.  It was a great change in his life.  I have never seen a thing like that before.  Sure in movies it happens, but I never seen it before.  Of course things like that aren’t expected.  And that’s when it happens.  Don’t expect things to happen.  Just live the life and let it happen.

God Grew Tired of Us (late)

God Grew Tired of Us was an incredible story about many refugees that left a war in Africa for a better life in America.  Their struggles and challenges were abnormal.  They went through things that no one can ever imagine.  They starved for days and weeks, didn’t shower for long period of times, and went without water for a huge amount of time.  However, for some reason they stayed together.  They grew as a family and together.  How is that?  The movie showed how human power goes beyond material things.  Beyond what we can buy.  These days, especially in America, we value money too much and we almost forget the power of love.  In God Grew Tired of Us, love was a great example of ho people can stick together and live as one.  When people are desperate and trying to survive, they help each other.  That’s what’s missing in our lives these days.  We take for granted the smallest things.  We never appreciate for what we have and not many of us say thank you for what we got.  Those refugees were just happy for being alive and in a better place.  They never complained about anything.  They looked at things in a whole different prospective.  Instead of looking at what we don’t have, we should look at what we do already have.  That’s the difference.  I’m very thankful for the things I do have and I try not complaining too much, because I have seen people starving and stealing just to get by the day.  I’m thankful for all I have and I think everyone should too.

Women

Throughout the years women has been explored for their bodies and looks for ads and marketing reasons.  The movie we watched this week in class, specifically showed how those ads changed over time and how women in those ads changed over time.  Everyday new ads come up and they all illustrate the perfect girl.  A perfect body and a perfect face.  That influences little girls and young women.  They get the message that they need to be perfect as well to fit in.  They need to be skinny as the models are to be sexy and hot.  The truth is, however, that only 5% of the American girls is actually like that. Companies now are making girls perfect by using Photoshop. Barely anyone is born that way, and so they try to be the perfect girl.  Eating disorder is caused as a result and many other diseases too.  It’s no good, but girls keep on getting pressured and keep on trying to be the perfect girl.  Since these ads have been around for such a long time, many of us might think it is normal.  That it is completely harmless and is there to promote the product.  It isn’t.  The ads lately, have been without a doubt; far away from the products companies are trying to sell.  Women lose their clothes faster and faster.  Sex now is okay on TVs or on Ads.  It’s getting to point where someone will have to step in and say enough.  I never thought of ads as something more than ads.  Women have been always used to do that.  But after the movie I wonder:  how did they feel when they were growing up?  Was that pressure really there?  And I believe that it was because around our own school we can see how some girls dress and eat.  Skinny girls are trying to get even skinnier.  And from a guy’s prospective it is disgusting.