Drake's "Started From the Bottom" Makes a Dishonest Argument

Drake has gained a significant amount of praise in the past few years as the aftermath of his album titled Nothing was the Same, which many believe to be even more honest and groundbreaking than his previous acclaimed album Take Care. But not every track on this album is extremely thoughtful.

"Started from the Bottom," likely the most popular track on the record, chooses to steer away, conceptually, from Drake's usual lyrics about love, loss and competition in the rap world towards more of a rap anthem celebrating how Drake and the people he's surrounded by all worked their way to the top from nothing. This track sounds very clean, even if the instrumental uses samples we've all heard before, but what sours the track for me is the fact that Drake is telling it.

A good argument is personal and honest and Drake saying that he "Started from the Bottom" is known by most to be a lie. Drake shows no knowledge of his audience which consists of people that know about his acting on Degrassi. Drake also misses the mark when trying to defend his argument by saying that he had to work and grind and that he had "traffic on the way home."

The life Drake describes is not "the bottom." Even without the addition of his acting career, Drake's single comes off as shallow and hard to believe.

The Generic Story of "The General"

The typical American war story tends to go something like this: a man gets drafted to go to war, is reluctant at first to go but eventually accepts his fate, spends some time learning the truths of war and life, then dies a hero. According to Tim O'Brien, in his novel The Things They Carried, a war story that follows these lines is most likely false. O'Brien argues that if a war story is moral and leaves one feeling uplifted, there is a high possibility that the story isn't true. 

At first glance, the song "The General" by Dispatch seems to tell a unique story about a general who "tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning" and then decides to send all of his men home because of his vision about the upcoming battle. Upon further examination, however, it is clear that this story is just another generic war tale.

For starters, the song starts out by describing the general as a "seasoned veteran" and "with a heart of gold", which hints that the song is false because the general is painted as a man who has been at war for a long time and has learned and accepted the truths of war. According to O'Brien, this would make the story false because the word "seasoned" implies positivity, which is not an aspect of a true war story. 

The song then goes on to paint the general as a hero because he saves the innocence of the boys that he is commanding. The general tells his men that they "have no time to lose" and that they're "young men you must be living", which hints at the underlying falseness of the story because the general is saving the boys' lives and putting his own on the line at the same time. The song concludes with the general "preparing to fight" all on his own, the typical American war hero. Although this song appears unique from the outside, after digging deeper it is obvious that the story is yet another take on the stereotypical war story.

Tim O'Brien and Alabama Shakes' "Don't Wanna Fight"

The song “Don’t Wanna Fight” from the band Alabama Shakes' hit album Sound and Color runs surprisingly parallel to the plight of the soldiers that Tim O’Brien describes in his book The Things They Carried.

Brittany Howard, the band’s singer, belts out “Living ain't no fun/ The constant dedication/ Keeping the water and power on/ There ain't nobody left/ Why can't I catch my breath?/ I'm gonna work myself to death”. Just like the soldiers in Vietnam, there seems to be no end to the monotony and pain for Brittany. Tim O’Brien mentions in his book how Vietnam’s calm was never really calm, because at any point you could go from an relaxing day to being shot at out of nowhere by the Vietnamese. Constant stress and weariness seem to be a theme in both works.

Ms. Howard and Tim O’Brien both also have trouble standing up from the crowd and doing what they really want. Brittany explains how “Lying down ain't easy/ When everyone is pleasing”. It’s hard for her to stop and give up, even though it seems to be what’s best for her. O’Brien faces a very similar problem. He describes how him and all of his fellow soldiers “Carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to” (20). Both Howard and O’Brien do something that they are against because they think it goes with the crowd, or dominant ideology. Additionally, the name of the song, "Don't Wanna Fight" is almost the exact same thing as the sentiment expressed in many of O'Briens stories. I think this is an important lesson for all of us, especially at time when fitting in is supposed to be of great importance.

A Hard River to Cross

In Tim O'Brien's collection of multiple war stories, The Things They Carried, many stories stick out as very bold and not really holding anything back. My favorite of these stories is named "On the Rainy River." This story details O'Brien's actions after receiving his draft notice and thinking about what to do.

I really enjoyed reading this story because of the brutal amount of emotion put into how it was written. O'Brien did a really good job of taking his emotions and precisely as well as meticulously forming them into words on paper. For example, here's a short excerpt from the story:

I remember opening up the letter, scanning the few lines, feeling the blood go thick behind my eyes. I remember a sound in my head. It wasn't thinking, just a silent howl.

O'Brien's story, while very tragic, captures the perfect representation of the "typical" person's reactions to a war draft. He didn't read it, tell himself "OOH RAH, LET'S KILL SOME GOOKS", and face the war with sheer force. He was terrified. He wondered how running away would go, how he would survive in Canada, how the Government would hunt him down and prosecute him for dodging the draft. He didn't consider himself the bad-ass warfighter, he was a scared young man. The truthfulness and sheer amount of emotion in his words and the story itself really entrapped me in it, and I really recommend that you read the entire book if you haven't already.

Somewhere After the War

The song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is a song that was very popular when it came out, and continues to be popular now. The song is extremely beautiful, performed only on the ukulele, and talks a lot about finding a great place "somewhere over the rainbow." Pretty much, that means that Israel wants to find somewhere away from the crummy place that he lives in now.

This can connect to the idea of the Vietnamese war and the people who fight and suffer without a true cause. Those soldiers, who are often young hopeful men, are often hopeful of salvation and freedom from the fighting and discomfort. "Someday I'll wish upon a star / Wake up where the clouds are far behind me," are lines within the song that express a longing to leave, to break free. The star to be wished upon by the singer could be considered God, being prayed to for guidance. The clouds could symbolize the struggles of the war. Shooting and grenades and carrying burdens and homesickness all contribute to this storm that they wish is far behind them. Somewhere, over the rainbow, peace supposedly exists.

A Serial Impersonator Becomes a Psychological Experiment: The Story of Frédéric Bourdin

I recently watched a documentary on Netflix called The Imposter which told the true story of a 23 year old Spaniard posing as a missing 16 year old from Texas. Seems impossible to believe, right? How could a brown-haired, brown-eyed, Spanish-speaking man named Frédéric Bourdin convince a family that he was their blonde-haired, blue-eyed son, Nicholas Barclay?

The Imposter not only tells the incredible true story of the serial impersonator Frédéric Bourdin, but the documentary also explores the psychological effects of losing a family member. Although Bourdin did dye his hair blonde to appear more like Nicholas, the Barclay family was so ecstatic at the return of "Nicholas" that they did not dare to question his eye color change. The Barclay family desired a truth so profoundly that logic did not dare interfere with the return of a loved one.

The story of Nicholas Barclay proposed a daunting question: How often do I idealized people because that is the truth I want? Obviously I would never go as far as accidentally adopting an adult from Spain, but on a daily basis I glorify people with more-than-human qualities. The Imposter revealed an underlying human truth: in order to cope with pain and loss, humans tell themselves false stories that eventually become their reality.

Katy Perry, Firework- cultural analysis

The song firework by Katy perry is about a girl who really doesn't find any worth in herself and doesn't feel important or useful. She tries to say that you are worth something and that ¨Youŕe original¨ and ¨Cannot be replaced.¨ Even though this is uplifting sparks self-confidence, the Chorus of the song goes, ¨You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night, like the fourth of July. ‘Cause baby you’re a firework. Come and show’em what you’re worth. Make them go ¨oh, oh, oh!¨ As you shoot across the sky-y-y¨ This means that she needs to show everyone who she is as a person and prove to them that she is worth something and that she shouldn't been seen the way she is in her society. Instead of proving to herself that she is who she is and there's nothing she can do about it, the song shows the need for approval from others, specifically those of the other gender or whom you are attracted to. I see the intention of the song, but the words ring of approval. The quote "Come and show them what you're worth," really dries my point home. Even if she knows she is as a person, she needs to show everyone that she's a "firework."

Shakespeare Night Live

Live from New York, it's Shakespeare? Every saturday night millions of people tune into NBC to watch the famed sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live. The show has stood the test of time for decades even in our rapid paced society.  Their secret is one for the network manuals. Similarly, the works of William Shakespeare have lasted for hundreds of years. At some points, he was writing a new play everyday to unfortunately have only a few dozen last. Why those plays? Why that show?

Readers often struggle to find the relation of Shakespeare to the 'real' world. Most of his plays, even the tragedies, can be considered comedic if you look at them in a certain way. Because they're unreasonable. They are absolutely ridiculous. The characters find themselves in crazy scenarios, dressing up in the opposite sex, fooling their friends or lovers, are emotionally unstable, and their is always a jester as the mastermind behind the chaos. Most of the disconnect from the works is due to language struggles and barriers but, once put into modern pretense they can be understood by many with little defect.  Once you get the hang of the language, they are some of the best and most true pieces written.

For decades, Saturday Night Live has been the best resource for sketch comedy, the dream for comedians everywhere. Sketch comedy takes ordinary tales, public figures, and anything else you can think of and put it into the most unreasonable terms. They speak truth through extremes, bringing laughter and knowledge. The same goes for Shakespeare, he (indirectly) made fun of monarchs, the various classes, and made the world his stage. They are so relatable because they are both so ridiculous. It's truth through chaos.

Twenty One Pilots: The Violence of Silence

Twenty One Pilots is a relatively new hit band and they are becoming more and more of a household name with hits like "House of Gold" and "Stressed Out". One of their most loved songs is "Car Radio".

"Car Radio" at first glance is about a man whose car radio was stolen, but that simply isn’t the case when the lyrics are truly broken down. “I ponder of something great… I know it’s dire my time today, I have these thoughts, so often I ought to replace that slot with what I once bought cause somebody stole my car radio and now I just sit in silence”. The band is truly trying to shed light on a very serious problem in American society, suicide.

When Tyler Joseph, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, is talking about his car radio he really means it as a metaphor for the things in life you use to distract yourself from life’s big questions. “I hate this car that I'm driving there's no hiding for me…I ponder of something terrifying cause this time there's no sound to hide behind”, Joseph expresses the fear of dealing with life’s problems and how that now without his distractions there is nowhere to hide from these questions in life. A feeling that can be matched by almost any young person in America. “I could pull the steering wheel” this line reveals a sad truth how some might see suicide as a way out for these situations, a way out of the harsh reality.

Suicide has become more and more of a phenomenon in America. In 2000 the suicide rate in America was 10.4 people per 100,000 Suicide is now the 3rd leading cause of death among people ages 17- 12, and Joseph is showing how the hard questions in life can lead to those kind of thoughts.

Later in the song it is stated that “There are things we can do, but from the things that work there are only two, and from the two that we choose to do, peace will win and fear will lose, it is faith and there's sleep, we need to pick one please, because faith is to be awake, and to be awake is for us to think, and for us to think is to be alive, and I will try with every rhyme, to come across like I am dying, to let you know you need to try to think”.

Joseph is stating that faith represents life and sleep represents suicide or death. The point is made that life is important, but it isn’t easy. Life makes you ponder these decisions, makes you think, and when all your distractions are gone you need the faith that things will work out in the end.

Joseph uses this song to capture a snapshot in life that everyone goes through and tries to help guide them though this silent moment.

Modern Family: Promoting or Defying Stereotypes?

Modern Family was groundbreaking when it first aired in 2009, depicting two of the main characters as gay and in a committed relationship. Since then, it has become one of the most popular shows on television. The show has won numerous awards for its unique and humorous take on the family of today. Modern Family has become more relevant in today’s culture with the recent Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage. Mitchell and Cam, the gay couple featured on the show, recently got married on-screen. Although Modern Family promotes some gay stereotypes, the show presents Mitchell and Cam as just another American couple with the same interests and aspirations for a happy family life.

Modern Family, however, does feed off of the stereotype that gay men are feminine and style-conscious. Many of Mitchell and Cam’s friends are other gay couples, many of whom have unusual names, such as Pepper, Longines, and Crispin. Pepper throws theme parties for their gay couple friends, which Mitch and Cam frequently attend. Many of their friends are fashionable, and have great taste, like Mitch and Cam. As a sub context of many story lines, they seem to be always obsessing over the newest art piece or fashion trend.

Following another stereotype, Cam is a flamboyant and extroverted character. His appearance, along with his personality, highlight a common misconception about gay men. Cam wears daring fashion pieces and has an interest in the arts while also taking on the role as a “stay-at-home dad." While Cam is portrayed as the typical gay man, there are layers to his character that defy his stereotype.

Cam grew up on a farm in a conservative family in Missouri. He frequently talks about his life before moving to California, and how he would have to “rough it out” living on his farm. Cam also has a strong interest in sports and is a high school gym teacher and football coach. He also was a football player at the University of Illinois.

Modern Family displays Mitch and Cam as any other American couple, struggling with financial issues while raising a daughter and balancing work and family life. While Modern Family does depict the couple in a light of stereotypes, it also shows them as the new ‘normal’ family of today.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442437/

Friday Night Lights: Truth or Stereotypes?

The television show Friday Night Lights follows the lives of young, high school students in a small town in southern Texas, known as Dillon. The community revolves around the sport of football and thrives on the commotion of the Friday night games. While the show portrays realistic struggles that small towns may have, especially those in the southern portion of the United States, and focuses on the average life of a teenager, it is much too stereotypical. The idea that a small, southern town would experience poverty and racial issues is far too predictable.


In Season 1, Episode 15, all is going well in the football game until race issues become a problem. It seems as though the plot itself is not enough to be its own show. The idea of the high schoolers and the hype about the town’s football team becomes repetitive. Naturally, dilemmas are needed to make the show more interesting. Being that it takes place in the deep south, the show experiences a handful of problems with different races on and off of the field coming together in a civil way.

While race is definitely still the cause of a lot of conflict throughout the United States, specifically in the south, it seems as though the show adds to the stereotypes of the south being a selection of small, run-down, poor, racist towns. There is also the relationship between the coach’s daughter and the star quarterback that seems far too much like a fairytale.

Pretty Little Liars: Promoting or Breaking Down Stereotypes

Pretty Little Liars is a popular television show that is watched by many around the world, especially by teenage girls. It focuses on the lives of the four main characters, Emily, Spencer, Hannah, and Aria as they deal with their friend Alison’s kidnapping. On top of that they are trying to find out who the person is that is targeting and stalking them over text. The show is them trying to reveal the identity of that person. Pretty Little Liars is a show that simultaneously breaks and promotes the ideologies and stereotypes of today's society.

Pretty Little Liars breaks down the ideology and stereotypes of society because the show target the idea that girls need a guy to come and save them when they are in trouble. The show also has characters who face many issues and topics that are relevant in teen lives today such as sexuality and body image. There are multiple occurrences in the show in which one of the four main characters has to defend themselves. There is a situation in which the characters are on a Halloween train and Spencer is attacked by a masked figure while walking in a deserted part of the train. She has to defend herself in order to escape the situation. There are multiple issues and topics that emerge throughout the course of the show that pertain to many teen issues today. One of the biggest topics that is addressed is sexuality. One of the main characters Emily is struggling with the fact that she is a lesbian. The shows portrays her journey and how her relationships evolve. Body image is another issue that is seen through Hannah who struggles with image throughout the seasons of the show. Hannah loses weight because she was bullied for being over weight.  Hannah’s story focuses on body image and striving to be the "perfect size" which affects many teenagers today.

While Pretty Little Liars does a nice job of focusing on breaking down stereotypes,  it also portrays unrealistic situations and the stereotypical mean girl. There are many situations throughout the show that are simply unrealistic, one being the premise of the show that four girls are targeted by an anonymous stalker who knows everything about them. Also the main characters often commit crimes in their quest to find out who is stalking them without getting caught. The way that they avoid the law in some situations seems unrealistic. The show also portrays the stereotypical mean girl that is seen in many movies and television shows. Alison was the mean girl and the leader of the group. Alison had the stereotypical influence over her friends that mean girl in movies and television show often do. Overall Pretty Little Liars is a work that portrays some elements of society in a way that breaks down the traditional ideology but in some cases it tends to conform as well.

Wreck-It Ralph: Fun-Loving, Animated Movie or Eye-Opening PSA?

Wreck-It Ralph is a Disney-animated movie that was released in 2012. This movie takes place in an old-school arcade world where the protagonist, Ralph, is tired of being the bad guy in the video game Fix-It Felix Jr.. Though the movie appears fun-loving and a stereotypical animated film, further observation reveals the effect and issue of America’s obsession with materialism and aestheticism.

In the film Ralph is depicted as aesthetically disappointing according to America’s standards. Ralph is tall, stalky, has big hands and feet, tattered hair, a protruding nose and buck teeth. Also Ralph is not wealthy; he is “homeless” and lives in a dump full of bricks and sleeps on a tree stump. The hero in the game Fix-It Felix Jr., is a skinny, well-dressed guy with perfect teeth, a button nose, and full hair. Not only is Felix the hero of the game, he also lives in the penthouse suite of an apartment and carries around a golden hammer from his father that fixes anything it touches. The townspeople in the game praise Felix and demean Ralph not only because Felix is the hero and Ralph is the villain but also because Felix is “pretty” and wealthy and Ralph is “ugly” and poor. The townspeople are depicted as ditsy and fake, blindly following Felix and praising him unconditionally no matter what he does. The townspeople mirror the American people, who blindly follow beauty and consumer trends and praise the ideas of materialism and aestheticism.

The actions of Felix and Ralph during the course of the movie also accentuates and pokes fun at America’s obsession with money, power, and beauty. Tired of being seen as the bad guy, Ralph goes to other games within the arcade in search of a gold medal - which he believes will validate him as a hero. When he returns from another videogame with a medal, he is surprised to find that he receives no heroic praise but instead is presented with an abandoned, out of order game. Ralph relied on material things for approval and success and he ended up coming up confused and short. Americans often rely on material things to bring happiness and use material objects to monitor success. However, material things don’t necessarily fulfil self-satisfaction or validate actions and American’s often end up still depressed and confused why their material excursions came up short.

Felix relies on his golden hammer to accomplish tasks and without it he has little developed skills and success. Disney uses Felix’s reliance on his hammer to poke fun at America's reliance on quick and effective material objects. Not many of today’s teenagers can live without their phones, calculators or other electronics for assistance, which are products of wealth and entitlement. These products once again fuel the large flame of materialism and aesthetics that has spread among the U.S.

The characters and ideas in the movie Wreck-It Ralph may seem fun-loving on the surface and maybe that’s what Disney intended. If Americans take a simple break from gawking over pretty pictures and material possessions, they can look under the surface of the animated film and observe a mirror, reflecting the faults of Americans, right back at them.

Wreck-It Ralph Trailer:

"Animals" by Maroon 5 Cultural Analysis

I wrote my analysis on the song Animals by Maroon 5. It’s a current pop song that came out some time last
year and was nominated for MAD Video Music Award Song of the Year.

 Although the song is extremely catchy, the lyrics and video are extremely demeaning, and disturbing. In the video, Adam Levine is stalking a woman, and has scenes of him dancing around in a meat locker and rubbing himself with blood as he fantasizes about her. Songs like this unconsciously make people accept the objectification of women in society. It portrays the idea that the woman he is after is a piece of meat to him, something he wants to satisfy his hunger.

There’s also an underlying theme that the woman has no choice but to be with him when he says, “Maybe you think that you can hide, I can smell your scent from miles”. and “Yeah, you can start over, you can run free, You can find other fish in the sea, You can pretend it's meant to be, But you can't stay away from me.” Also in the video, it shows him following her down a street, and watching her from outside her window, and taking pictures of her and hanging them in his house. This, to me, is making a statement that this is acceptable. That women should expect to deal with completely inappropriate behavior from men.

Ethnic Stereotypes within Disney's Pocahontas

Pocahontas, a film produced by Disney in 1995, tells the story of a young Native American woman in the 1600’s who falls in love with British colonizer, John Smith. The film is supposedly based off of real historical events, however, the film’s depiction of these events is extremely inaccurate, and reinforces a broader trend of ethnic stereotypes toward Native American people.

Many other films and stories today contribute to the stereotypes of Native American people in the 1600’s, such as the DreamWorks production of Spirit, and the American Girl Doll “Kaya” series. Disney’s Pocahontas perpetuates these stereotypes while presenting a both conventional and comfortable, yet inaccurate, version of the early colonization of the Americas.

One example of the stereotypes depicted in Pocahontas is that all Native American people were “one with nature” and were entirely unsupportive of the manipulation of their environment. The movie’s iconic song “Colors of the Wind” is about how important it is to preserve nature: “How high will the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know.” However, prior to Columbus’s “discovery” of the Americas, the land was already thoroughly dominated by mankind-- much of the land had already been manipulated and changed by the people living in it in order to improve living conditions. For example, forests were cut down into plains in order to make hunting easier. Also within the film, the Native American tribe is portrayed as a small, nomadic group living in small huts in the wilderness. However, research has shown that the Native American people had actually developed large and highly advanced cities prior to European colonization.

Pocahontas is not the only work of culture that perpetuates racist stereotypes; these types of generalizations are made often throughout American culture, and it is important for them to be noticed in order to help pave the way towards a deeper understanding of the role that people of color play in American history.

“Not Your Way” Hits Every Target But One

“Not Your Way” is a song by the up and coming band MisterWives that deals with the issue of gender equality and society’s standards for women. This song is very relevant at this point in time because a third wave of feminism is gaining strength and will soon be fully underway. Although the song “Not Your Way” by MisterWives promotes one false stereotype about women, it is overall a true piece of work that rejects most accepted truths about women in American society. While the song’s second verse perpetuates the dominant ideology that a woman’s worth is determined by the way she looks, the first verse and chorus of the song break down the common misconceptions about women’s roles in society.

In the second verse, the song makes the argument that large corporations and businesses have lowered girl’s standards and therefore created a larger gap in inequality. The lyrics are “Lower and lower our standards go as your money grows”. This argument, however, can be countered by the fact that a woman’s physical appearance does not determine her worth. The way a woman looks should not be a factor in whether or not she is deemed equal to men, and whether or not she decides to wear short skirts or turtlenecks does not affect the fact that she is entitled to an equal opportunity to everyone around her. 

The first true issue discussed in the song is the way women are expected to behave in society. The songwriter explains that women are expected to look pretty and keep quiet, instead of actually voicing their opinions and creating change. She says that women are only supposed to “look their best” and that girls’ voices are often suppressed. There is truth to this statement, especially the point about girls being valued more for their looks than their brains. Often in American society, women are judged primarily on the way they look, rather than on their opinions or the way they think. This argument may be a bit exaggerated, though, because in recent years women have started to speak up and get their voices heard more and more often. Unfortunately, many women in American society still feel that they do not have a voice and are only worth as much as their clothes are.

                

The next argument the songwriter makes is that in America,some people believe that women have already made enough progress in the fight for equal rights, and shouldn’t be asking for more. She mocks these people when she says “but look how very far we have come/ cast a vote, wear pants, and prop up a gun”. She is pointing out the fact that just because women can vote or wear pants does not mean that they have equal rights with men. This is a very valid point, as many women in America do not realize the severeness of the inequality that they face every day. Lots of people in America are simply unaware of the problem, therefore this part of the story is true. The song continues to point out that women can and should have control over their own lives and are capable of doing more than simply being a “trophy wife”. This is another slight exaggeration, as some women have become very successful on their own and are already beginning to tear down the stereotype, but is all in all a true story because lots of women in America do not realize their own worth.

  This song is a step in the right direction for women’s rights. Not only does it attack stereotypical ideologies regarding females in America, but also blames other parts of American culture such as big corporations that create misleading advertisements and TV shows for the gap in equality. Even better, this song sends a message to women, both young and old, that they do not have to conform to these stereotypes and are capable of forging their own paths.

Dark Knight Rises: You Think Stereotypes Are Your Ally?

The Dark Knight Rises is a blockbuster movie premiering in 2012, embracing America's true love for superhero/action movies. This movie is the last of Christopher Nolan's Batman series, therefore the events from the previous movies have affected Batman in this one. In this concluding movie, Gotham City faces terrorist attacks waiting for their hero to arise and save them, only for Batman to have been self-exiled for too long, thus creating more problems for himself.

But America just can't seem to get enough male dominance and overly sexualized female "sidekicks" aka attractive females who can fight but still needs to be rescued by the main male character at some point. The Dark Knight Rises reinforces gender stereotypes with its interactions and assumptions of the main characters, but also shines a light on the fragility of our world.

The main female character, Catwoman, is played as a stereotype in many ways. She's seen as a conceited, beautiful woman who will do anything to get herself ahead. In one scene where she and Batman team up, Catwoman leads Batman straight to Bane, the lead terrorist, to save herself from them. Her actions cause Batman to be tossed into a prison at the bottom of a hole outside of the country.

Catwoman is also portrayed as a sexual object who becomes the love interest. Throughout the movie, the female characters always look their best, fighting crime in makeup, perfect hair, skin tight and constricting bodysuits, and heels. Meanwhile, their male counterparts wear flashy yet comfortable and movement-allowing costumes.

Not only are the female characters stereotyped but the male ones too. Batman is supposed to be deemed as heroic and brave, yet he comes off as having a god-complex and being selfish. He feels the need to be the savior, be the one who rights all the wrongs. But at the same time, he has next to zero regards for the outcomes of his actions such as economical damage.

Through all of the stereotypes, the movie does depict a true aspect of human nature. It portrays how fragile the world is, how quickly America is to result in war and fighting, especially when there is a reward for us in the end.

Blank Space Defying Gender Stereotypes

Taylor Swift’s famous song, Blank Space, is continuously at the top of the billboard charts week after week. However, after the music video came out, the song caused quite the controversy. 

The music video starts off with Taylor Swift in the perfect fairytale relationship; riding on horses, eating in fancy dining rooms, and carving initials into a tree. Halfway through the video, Taylor Swift turns crazy and is seen wrecking her boyfriends clothes, phone, car and more. Some would say this is a reference to Taylor Swift’s clinginess, however, some would say she is mocking how society views her.

Taylor Swift receives much criticism for singing about her feelings, however in the Blank Space music video, Taylor Swift is able to make the point that women are all portrayed as “crazy” by their exes, and ultimately how feminine emotions are equated with craziness.

In the music video, Taylor is seen ruining all of her boyfriends stuff. In one repeated line of the song, Taylor says, “Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane.” In today’s culture, men will talk about their exes by saying, “they’re crazy” and Taylor is able to make fun of this culture stereotype through her video. She also uses the line “Boys only want love if it’s torture” to display how men martyr themselves in the relationship. In the Blank Space video, Taylor portrays the idea that women are oppressed in today's culture because men force women into seeming like the crazy one in the relationship.

The Blank Space music video tells a true story because it tells a truth about American culture today, and although it portrays stereotypes, it uses these stereotypes to make fun of America’s misogynistic culture.

Gossip Girl: Unrealistic Virtual World

Gossip Girl, a TV show trendy years ago among the teenage population, and now popular on Netflix, provides for one to be a critic of American culture. Taken place in the Upper East Side of New York, the show follows eight teenagers, Dan, Jenny, Vanessa (the ‘outsiders’), Serena, Chuck, Blair, Nate, and Eric as they navigate their life in New York. All are absorbed in the wealthy, dramatized society. The show’s plotlines are over-exaggerated and usually result in betrayal and feuds. However, when observed closely, the show may convey an underlying truth. Therefore, Gossip Girl demonstrates the stereotypical lifestyle of the wealthy through the portrayal and actions of its characters, and yet the show provides little deeper and meaningful truths. 

Gossip Girl displays a small level of truthfulness, and also shows overused, fabricated scenes. For example, when Vanessa finds Dan’s secret book about his personal relations with his wealthy friends, Dan confesses how he will never be able or want to fit into their society. Dan does not care about the repercussions, but would rather share the truth about his friends’ world. However, Gossip Girl represents a more fictitious society. The characters in the show often flash their wealth, wearing high designer fashion, riding in limos, and attending prestigious gala parties every week. Additionally, Blair, the ‘queen bee,’ requires that no one sits above her while she sits on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art before school. Blair often acts and treats people as though she rules New York. Moreover, the tips Gossip Girl receives through her website contain harmful information, showing how these group of ‘friends’ can be very manipulative and damaging towards each other. 

Gossip Girl reflects the cliched behavior of rich and spoiled teenagers, but still delivers a sort of authenticity. Gossip Girl portrays a potentially prominent society to be tawdry. In Gossip Girl’s world, most problematic situations result in ideal ways. The romanticization of this ‘perfect’ materialistic world seems to intrigue most Americans, leading to its great popularity. The effect of Gossip Girl may be overwhelming, making one question the similarity of today’s modern society.

A Song About "You"

A Song About “You”

The song You was made by an artist named Cam Meekins. The song is about a girl he was close with who he loved and how she took her own life. it connects with people being self conscious about themselves and how someone’s it leads to suicide, how it affects other people in your life, how much they will miss you and how much they cared for you.

In the song You, by Cam Meekins, he talks about a girl who took her life and how it impacted him and the people around him. He talked about the girl he cared about who took her life and because she did so many people were sad and it affected them. This song supports society because some people i know have dealt with this and i was there for them to help them through it.

I have only one argument and that is about hiding depression and how many people go through it not wanting to tell anyone and sometimes they don’t tell people about it and it leads to them departing this world and them leaving behind people hurt and broken. This is in the news a good amount and it’s sad to see because many people care about people who have died. This whole songs explains what she meant to Cam Meekins ad how it was impacting to his whole life.

I’ve grown up knowing some people who went through a situation like this and it was hard for them and even for me. I have know a few people who took their life because of a situation the felt like they couldn’t handle or not even finding out the reason. Cam Meekins in the song said “ Remember I was just a trapped kid and forgotten, but you believed in me, that’ll never be forgotten”. In these quotes you can tell how close Cam Meekins was with the girl he was talking about because he felt like she saved him and lifted him up. This is a quote supporting his thoughts about after she died and how much he cared for her. This whole story also breaks stereotypes because she was a beautiful girl who seemed to enjoy life and looked forwards to having a good future to just suddenly killing herself and not saying why. This was a sad song but a great one that I would recommend to everyone