Blog Entry#11 Goodbye

First of all, I would like to say, to my one reader, Professor Nielson, you were awesome (English 102 readers, where you be at?). I'll actually miss this project. It was fun coming up with topics to write about and figuring out how to apply the things I love to this blog. And not going to lie, once I realized in English 102 that no one was reading, I had a lot more fun with my blog because I was able to put up the stupidest posts and put the jelly gummy on the side of my blog (click it if you haven't yet).

all hail the jelly gummies

One thing I learned from blogging was that it really makes you analyze the things you love. When I was researching all my video game, art, and fashion entries, I learned so many new things (like how expensive Amiibos can be) and found myself wishing I could write a whole essay about these entries. My only problem is that it loses appeal if you have no readers. In English 101, I had a whole bunch of readers, so I had a lot of motivation to continue my blog. I was lacking that in 102. Motivation went down by each entry, and I kept frantically checking to see if I had any comments. There were none. It was disappointing really, but after reading my classmates' blogs, I can see why. Unlike English 101, I had nothing in common with any of my classmates. I didn't find any of their entries interesting either (sorry if that sounds rude, I'm just trying to say we have different interests) and it was a chore trying to figure out what blog entries to comment on. 

Maybe I just have a one track mind?

Blogging did affect my writing for the better though. I learned to analyze subjects I thought were small and didn't deserve much research. I soon found out it was quite the contrary. Most of my topics would have been better fit for an essay than a blog entry, so I couldn't quite go into full detail. Obviously, this excludes the game reviews, which were done for my entertainment and to share the games I love. 

art by shayaragal

As a student, I learned that timeliness is also very important. If you don't pay attention to deadline, it's easy for your work to catch up to you and get the better of you. I know I sat there 10 minutes before the deadline rushing to get entries in. Not very fun, but an extremely bad habit that I need to quit.

Not to mention, while in my boredom, I figured out how to make that jelly gummy website on the side of my blog and how to add it to there. Congrats for technology and hopelessness (I gave up on readers at that point in time). I personally think blogging helped me a lot, but I wish I had more feedback from my peers. It was fun while it lasted, and I especially loved searching for visuals for my blog (believe it or not, I was looking for pictures of birds when I found my jelly gummy pic). I believe visuals can make or break a blog, so I tried to make the ones I used as interesting and relevant to my interests as possible (and free of memes). I wish I could do this for another class, because I love writing about my interests. It gave me something to do. 

Also, I do have an update. I got a wonderful kitty this weekend her name is Max and I love her and I wanted to post pictures of her here. Thanks for reading!

Extra Credit Entry- Capitalism: A Love Story

There is a lot that can be said about filmmaker Michael Moore. Some People are fans, others, not as much. But if there is one thing everyone can agree on, his films bring strong points. 

Capitalism: A Love Story focuses on how Capitalism has changed in America and become a country for the rich and exclusively the rich. It's topic is that Capitalism is hurting each and every one of us in various ways.

It may sound like an unconvincing topic, but he delivers. His documentary is filled to the brim with stunning visual, anecdotes, analogies, statistics, humor, tragic imagery and personal testimonies.

Unfortunately, very little footage or screenshots exist outside of the movie, but it is filled to the brim with American spirit. It begins with a short story about Ancient Rome, and uses American imagery to tell his audience what his theme is. He admits that at first, capitalism worked at first, and it was a happy period in American history. That is until it all began to collapse. 

Soon this became 

this.

For those who haven't seen Capitalism, regardless of your political party, it is worth the effort to watch it. Filled to the brim with amazing visuals, Michael Moore makes a solid point and gives his audience a shocking view of America.

Blog Entry #10 Give Me Those Amii"bros"

Amiibo. If you're a gamer, you may have heard this term. They're one of Nintendo's most successful products in years. In the time period between November 2014 and March 2015, Amiibos had sold an outstanding 10.5 million units. Some amiibos, on release date cost only $13, while others start at $50. They sell out within a day of coming out, and what is considered a rare amiibo can cost up to $200 to buy online.  Here is what comes up if you type in amiibo on ebay.

Below is one of the most expensive amiibos. His name is Shulk, and he is the main character of the first Xenoblade Chronicles game. His amiibo was only available as a GameStop preorder exclusive. His amiibo now sells for $197.99.

There is an immense craving for these products, but some of you may be wondering, what is an amiibo? Upon googling this, the first explanation that comes up is the wiki page,

These mass produced figures, for just $12 can be used in DLC in over 21 different games. When applied in Super Smash Brothers, Amiibos are an incredibly intelligent Artificial Intelligence player that learn how to fight when entering fights and analyzing them. They grow as you grow. Their intelligence and convenience makes them a must have for Nintendo gamers. But there has to be another reason? Why would people collect all 91 current amiibos (not including cards/upcoming releases) and never use them? Because for many, they are a collector's item. For many characters and franchises, especially the ones represented in Super Smash Bros, this is the only collectible they can get, or the only other ones are rare and cost hundreds of dollars and must be imported from Japan.

$12.95

or

$165?

Now I admit, I have given into the craze myself and my amii"bro" collection consists of
Princess Peach
Ness
Duck Hunt Dog
Pink Yarn Yoshi
Splatoon Squid, Inkling boy & Inkling Girl
Animal Crossing Cryrus, Reese & KK Slider
60+ Animal Crossing Amiibo Cards

It's easy to give in with all the fun benefits and collector status amiibos have. I still find myself searching for Villager, the rest of the Animal Crossing amiibos, Palutena, Jigglypuff and Robin. 

Blog Entry #9 Did Nostalgia Make It Better?

To the left, the image you see is one of the first google results for 90's kid. Why did I bring up this image? One reason. Have you ever said, "Man, cartoons were so much better in my day. Kids these days watch such crap." All ages have said this, regardless of what generation they are from? Why? Because of a thing called nostalgia goggles. Urban Dictionary defines Nostalgia Goggles as

Someone's tunnel vision when it comes to objects from their past, such as cartoons, video games, even books.

"The new Transformers movie sucks! The original cartoon was the best!" 
In this case the commenter is wearing Nostalgia Goggles, as the new movies/cartoons may be geared towards a new audience, instead of the old one

But why is this relevant? Because we're all guilty of this. As we grow up, it's easy for us to imagine things were better than they actually were. For example, do you remember how great your cartoons were? They were all so amazing, right?

Any of these ringing a bell? If not, there's a good reason. They were awful. 

But it sure is easy to say that modern cartoons are awful. Those shows we loved like Spongebob are no different than modern shows like Uncle Grandpa.

In a way, these will be the shows our children will be the shows our children will remember and say "Man, modern shows are so horrible. I remember the shows we used to watch, they were awesome!" Perhaps it's being a kid that makes everything look better, or maybe it's when you're an adult and no longer understand what children like. After all, there are plenty of amazing shows that are airing right now.

These are all quality shows that adults enjoy and have large fanbases despite airing on children's channels. In fact, children's shows may be at a higher quality than ever, with many focusing on rights, high quality art/animation, deep stories, and accurate voice acting (no white people voicing black characters). Quality is higher than ever for children's cartoons. Take a look at this gif from Steven Universe. Now imagine a whole episode looking this gorgeous, with beautiful lighting and fluid movement. 

Take a look at online series Bee and Puppycat

Cartoons are just as glorious as we remember them. We just need to take a break and stop trying to relive our glory. As adults, we often forget this, and social media website are often filled to the brim with "like if 90's cartoons are better" or "Like if you watched good cartoons and not the stupid crap kids watch now" images. Nostalgia makes us believe so many things are better, when in reality, it was what made us happy when we were young, just as modern cartoons do for kids now. We should relax and let children have their fun. We are not superior for liking an older show. Sit back and enjoy some cartoons. You'll come out feeling a much more relaxed person.

Blog Entry #8 Can I Wear This Tiara?

We've all seen it. We've all been on the Internet in our leisure time, and we've all seen pictures with over a thousand shares that say something alone the lines of "I'm not like those other girls. She likes shopping, spray tans, and sex. I like anime, hugs, and sneakers". For those of you who have had the grace to never comes across an image like this, I'll show you.

Is there something about this image that annoys you? If so, you're not alone. Pictures like these are common on social media, with the urge to be unique in a day and age where most people are far from it. Woman often resort to defining what makes up the right woman and why they are better than others. This is an extremely harmful view that is developing in society. It's not uncommon to hear other woman talk about how fake they think another is, or to call another a woman a whore.

Woman need to learn to acknowledge each other's rights to express themselves. You'll often see this type of behavior on Facebook, where an image will often be "like if you agree" or "like if you're a whore, comment if you're a normal girl". First off, what does it matter what other girls like? They have every right to express their selves as you do. You are not a special snowflake for liking MCR or some other emo band. Just because she likes a pop idol/boy band does not make her inferior. No one is joining in and celebrating your "weirdness" because every person is unique and has their own individual likes or dislikes, some more common than others. 

yay for female positivity

There is a word for when woman do this to it. It's called slut shaming: determining that a woman has less worth than you because she appears to show sexuality or enjoy it. It's a common problem that our sex driven society faces. You don't have sex, and you're a prude. You have sex, and now you're a slut. There is no solving this problem, but the first step is understanding this notion. Below is a video talking about the concept and explaining more about it.

Woman should know that it's okay to be girly and have respect for each other's interests. If I want to wear a tiara, I will. If I want to wear sweatpants, I will do the same. There is nothing wrong with being girly or a tomboy as long as we accept that we're all different.

It's okay to be girly

Blog Entry #7 Dumb Men

Before you jump to conclusions, this entry is not about a woman's hatred of men, or an extreme feminist's male fueled rant. It's about a website focusing on the stereotypes surrounding men in media and advertising. You can check it out yourself here. The purpose comes from a feminist point of view, but not in the way you expect. Feminist as in those who believe that both men and women suffer from these male created stereotypes. Women are put in danger thanks to the stereotype that men have to be aggressive and dangerous, and men often face physical harm when they are not considered manly enough or are feminine. They are forced to live with this and it is expected in society, creating a harmful and toxic society for both males and females alike.

It's not uncommon to see advertisements like these. Or even on like this.

Men are expected to be strong and dimwitted, yet they are also expected that they have to have power of women. Dumb Men is a website that focuses on videos and other visual media forms to explain why this happens. For example, one of the featured videos on Dumb Men is this Minute Maid commercial.

While there is no actual commentary, there is a simple translation beneath each of the media examples they provide. 

Women: "I think you're the father of one of my kids."

Bad guy: Thinks he slept with the woman in Cancun on spring break in 99' and fathered her child.

Do over.  Sips juice. Brain is nourished..

Women: "I think you're the father of one of my kids."

Good guy: Is actually a father as in a priest.

Just this translation alone is enough to get the point Dumb Men is making. Men are often given this stereotype as a form of humor. It's funny to make fun of men, or so the media thinks. The wide gallery Dumb Men has is enough to prove its point of exposing the stereotypes of men in advertising.  Look at this advertisement from Suit Supply.

This isn't the same stereotype, but it's a common one. Men are given the power of strength but are portrayed to be sex driven objects who can't control their lust and must act aggressively towards woman. When images like this are plastered on billboards, Facebook, magazines, malls, and television, it's no wonder that we become immune to it. It becomes the norm, and there is no one to stop it. Maybe one day this trend will go away, and we can abolish the stereotypes that both men and woman face. Maybe it's time for men to get in touch with their feminine side without being called a pussy.