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Feature 4: Grindr w/ Reflection

By: Timothy Heath

“Grindr is one of the most popular dating apps for gay and bisexual men. The app was launched in 2009, making it older than Tinder. Since then, Grindr has changed the gay scene completely. Grindr’s goal is to provide men from the LGBT community with a safe (dating) platform. With the app users can check out [the] profiles of people in their neighborhood, exchange messages, and look for a date.”

VPN Overview

When it comes to the world of dating apps, the most talked about one in the LGBTQ community is Grindr. This app lets you view and interact with other men in the area and tells you approximately how many feet or miles away they are from your current location. This app is different from apps like Tinder because Grindr shows if you are currently online or the last time you were active. To people not using this app, this may seem dangerous, because if you are being constantly harassed by a user, you would have to block them and hope that they do not create another anonymous account to continue. Situations like these have happened in my experiences through this app and it continues to happen throughout the world, with little to no support from Grindr to minimize such actions. Is the issue the app? Or could it just be the people using this app?

PUBLIC SAFETY:

Being aware of your surroundings is a safety precaution one should always be considering. Although you do have the option to turn off location tracking on Grindr, it is unsettling to experience other men messaging you about what you are wearing or looking like without your knowledge. Throughout this article, I will be including personal screenshots from my own messages and links to other cases concerning the Grindr app. For example, messages about seeing my “sexy ass” around school and later anonymously telling me about it makes me feel unsafe attending school publically. As seen in the first screenshot, a stranger has been watching me numerous times around campus, which makes me uncomfortable and change routes to class. Others have had similar experiences at their job, local grocery stores, and other public places. This can also be a way to encourage users to make their profile anonymous and send personal pictures, including a simple headshot, upon request only. What would be the point for the option to post pictures then?

CONSTANT STANDARDS:

Grindr can be associated with the diminishing phrase which describes how shallow and uptight members of the app can seem: “No fats, no fems!” What exactly does this mean? In a literal sense, this indicated to other users that another user does not want to engage in any interaction with anyone who they consider “fat” or “fem,” short for feminine. There are many other terms on this app that are displayed by thousands of profiles without punishment. Are people offended by these words? Absolutely. Is there much action from the app? In the past year, Grindr has provided diversity advertisements once enough negative feedback reached the creators, but the vast majority of users have claimed these actions should have been taken a long time ago.  When you are signing up for any dating app, you record all of your personal information like how tall you are, weight, hobbies, etc. in order for other viewers to catch interest in you rather than scold you for being online in the area. One could begin to think “when and where can I be on this app that is for anyone?”

HARASSMENT

The amount of times I have been threatened through this app is embarrassing and most of the cyber bullying comes from me refusing consent to do sexual activities with others. This can be especially concerning, since these men have the power through this app to screenshot my pictures, have an idea of my everyday location(s), and even create more than one profile to message me, even though I’ve blocked them multiple times before. I was under the impression that this app would be a helpful way to hopefully speak to other men who share similar interests as me, sexually or not. Others have had the same assumption but had their confidence harmed in the process. The image to the left shows Christopher Valdez’s summary of his Grindr experience. He has been using this app for two years hoping it would be a “positive experience,” but instead he was instantly degraded for how he looks. Valdez also states that an issue that people of color face through these apps are being treated poorly compared to other races and being “fetishized.” For example, black males of the LGBTQ community are fetishized with sexually abrasive questions like “you are obviously a top, aren’t you?” In this article, Andre-Naquian Wheeler explains how he is tired of this happening in his community with more explicit examples of what is still occuring. 

This last featured assignment taught me to use lots of sources in order to read as media rich. I only completed up to 4 pictures with each relating to my topic on harassment on a dating app. I learned that it is harder to find other sources that aren’t specifically court cases where Grindr has won the lawsuit. I also learned that I should definitely do more research prior and have my screenshots ready beforehand so my paper can flow better.  

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Feature 3: My Struggle With Being In Two Minority Groups w/ Reflection

By Timothy Heath

Hypothetically speaking, let’s say you first have this thought to yourself: “What is it like to be openly gay?” If you ask a general audience, depending on the area, some of the common answers would be along the lines of “being different,” “gay means happy,” or (this is my personal favorite) “sassy.” Now let’s say your next hypothetical question is, “What is it like to be African American in everyday society?” Most of those common answers contain negative historical context. Imagine if you had to combine these two thought processes together and you have not a clue when these thoughts will occur to you in your everyday life. In short, this is just a start of what can be described as living in society having to worry about being part of more than one minority group.

Because of these thoughts, people in the African American LGBTQ community will find it difficult to come out as homosexual. According to an article featured in The Guardian, many gay men and women speak on their life adjustments due to feeling more accepted with their community as opening gay. In one section, a couple explains how they had to move to Atlanta so they could feel safer. I could agree with Mercedez Delaney, 27 year old, when she says that “unless you are in the gay community, people aren’t open about it.” 

“Fag,” “queer,” and “fruity,” are only a few derogatory terms used to bring down our community. According to the Center for American Progress, 47% of LGBTQ students hear racial slurs during one school day and 85% hear homophoic words such as “dyke.”

Going to school is not every child’s favorite thing to do, but for me it was a matter of if I was going to be chosen last, made fun of for the way I speak, or anything I felt was normal and natural to do. For example, I was called “oreo,” which is slang used to describe a black person who acts or speaks proper or “preppy” instead of speaking with other slang words and dialect. According to StopBullying.gov’s Youth section, about 10% more openly LGBTQ students are reportedly missing school due to safety concerns than heterosexual students. No child should have to worry about any type of harm while in an educational building, especially at younger ages. The same websitesays 33% of LGBTQ students being bullied on campus and 27.1% cyber bullied. 

With this being said, it has also been calculated that about a quarter of black LGBTQ students have missed one full school day in a month due to safety concerns compared to 6.3% of the black youth. This means these students are expected to have an average GPA drop of at least .5 of a point compared to students that do not experience harassment at school.��

I grew up with two very different sides of my family; my dad originates from South Dallas and my mom’s side moved to Texas from California. Both of my parents taught me to always follow the rules and learn as much as I want, so I always talked proper. To other kids your color, you get looked at as weird, trying to be better than them, or just not spoken to. On the other hand, I also grew up with three sisters and one brother, me being the youngest sibling. My brother is the oldest out of us all, so I did not live with him as much growing up, which could probably explain why I am so in touch with my feminine side. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying this is “the reason I am gay,” as that is a very unexplainable human trait. Because of this, I am not interested in monster trucks, sports, or even Legos. I enjoyed female characters as a child and believed they were much more cooler and stronger than the central characters whom were always men unless you watched all female cartoons. 

Another trait a lot of men try to hide is the ability to cry. I say this is a “trait” because most men act as if they were born without the ability to. My point is that it is seen as a feminine quality to have any emotions that would lead to tears, disempowering the man. According to the UK website “The Independent,”about 55% of men say that they are afraid to cry in front of others because it would “make them feel like less of a man.” Hiding your emotions is not healthy at all. I have unfortunately learned how to do this, but I have never felt like I have mastered this. Actions such as these can lead to suicidal thoughts, insecurity, and any other action that would be seen as a reason to get help from therapy.

We see these facts as early as our toddler years. When a boy gets hurt, their father will more than likely talk him through the pain and explain to his son that he needs to “be tough” in order to get through this while if it was the daughter, she would be coddled and reassured that everything would be okay because their father was there to “be tough” for his daughter. 

I will admit that I have always been afraid to cry or be drastically upset in front of my dad and brother. They have both universally been assigned the job of teaching me how to “be a man” which means to stand up for myself, be assertive to prove dominance, and to “man up” when life gets difficult. I have hidden my emotions from them for most of my life to avoid further conflict and as a result, I am closed off when it comes to discussing my personal issues. According to The Independent, about 53 percent of men surveyed agreed that they do not expect members of society to come to them for emotional support.

It is unfortunate that based on the information above, people like me and others feel the need to relocate ourselves into a safe space whereas public places like school should be a universal safe space for all students. While students are missing school due to concerns of safety, they are also missing opportunities to be in a safe space where they can be free to express their emotions and actions. When I joined theatre arts, I finally felt like I could be my feminine, weird self and unexpectedly, people loved it! I used theatre to break out of my shell and in my own way become a voice for the kids that feel like they cannot speak. No one should have to feel worried about being who they were born to become.

For the third featured writing assignment, my biggest struggle was figuring out how to tie in my main topic with the research of others to help describe the concern. I was thinking about the assignment too directly by feeling like I always needed to include sources that has both the black and gay discrimination cases. Once I broke out of that process, I gained more sources that helped me learn more about the topic I chose. I definitely could have included more quotes from the sources. Overall, the assignment helped me gain more knowledge beyond my personal experiences. 

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Feature #2, Origin of Christmas Caroling: Another Thing American Didn’t Create w/ Reflection

By Timothy Heath

December 10, 2019

Some traditional activities in the winter time might include making gingerbread houses, decorating your christmas tree, and, if you are a real die-hard Christmas fan, then you can probably run out into the streets with a group of loved ones or strangers and sing about Christmas! Christmas caroling  is not just singing traditional holiday tunes such as “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” but more so “Amazing Grace,” as this choice is more likely to be sung in church as a hymn. 

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Caroling originated in Europe, but the term “caroling” was not used. The act of singing these hymns in public was classified as a part of a celebration for the Winter Solstice (Dec. 22) and the celebration of the birth of Jesus (Dec. 25). Back in the year 129, this would be the more traditional holiday hobby for early Christians in Europe. As the years went on, many people expressed a dislike for these hymns as they were all written in Latin, a language that a majority of people could not understand! Around the 1200s, most people lost interest in the celebration of Christmas altogether.

CELEBRATING OR COLLECTING?

I should also compare our purpose for caroling now versus then. Today, we carol for the enjoyment of the holidays, bonding with our families by making memories, etc. Back around the 1640s when the Puritans took over England, citizens who sang hymns in groups in the public eye were to be charged with being “beggars” after the Puritans stopped the acts of celebrating Christmas and singing carols. Caroling became popular again once people in England wanted Christmas music to be sung at their orchestras. Today, people in many areas Christmas carol in exchange for donations for their local churches or even for treats such as hot chocolate or eggnog rather than to feed their families at night and be labeled poor. Another key point of note is the fact some churches did not even allow people to carol, which forced people to go door-to-door singing about The Holy Family. Seems like a lot of rules to follow just to celebrate a holiday if you ask me!

HOW CAN YOU START CAROLING?

As I have mentioned before, people typically go caroling in groups at church. In most cases this would also mean your family members will automatically be legendary founding members of your neighborhood singing group. All you really need to start your own caroling group is people who share the same amount of Christmas spirit as yourself, and this can fluctuate. I mean, if you really want to WOW your local residents and earn that possible free eggnog or hot cocoa, then it is expected that your group:

KNOWS THE WORDS TO THE SONGS

For the sake of the audience...try to know your lyrics. If a member needs some additional assistance, you could bring printed off sheet music for those who need it.

Do not expect a donation every time (out of respect)

You could try handing out flyers to your nearby neighborhoods that you plan on attending to get their attention!

Do not stay late

Caroling means you will be out in the cold. You could get started around 6:30 p.m. making your round in the neighborhood(s) and back home before your group freezes.

Find someone who harmonizes well

This can be your secret weapon of Christmas caroling! With a lead vocalist you will be memorable and receive praise.

Don’t forget your Christmas spirit!

Have you ever heard the story about when they took Scrooge caroling? Me neither. If you want to impress your audience, you have to enjoy what you’re doing while you are performing. People will see your enthusiasm and maybe even want to throw on their coat and join you! (Keynote: YES! PEOPLE SOMETIMES WILL JOIN YOU! HOW FUN!)

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AT HOME!

If you are not a fan of going door-to-door as a group, then you can try all of these steps out by renting a recreational hall or a church for a Christmas caroling event! You can still make flyers with the information provided and also focus on other things you wouldn’t want to carry around with you outside, like decorations.

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT GIVING

Another location to consider going to Christmas carol would be an elderly home. Many homes decorate for every holiday and not all of them are fortunate enough to have a school come and perform Christmas songs for them. Performing for the elderly is a great act for the community. To warm their hearts with joy, you could even prepare some holiday treats like cookies, brownies, and candy for the homes that you plan to attend. Be mindful of common allergies such as peanuts. You could also include items such as Christmas cards with meaningful messages, ornaments, or any small gift ideas you might think of.

ONCE THE NIGHT IS OVER

Now that you are done with your caroling route(s), you and your group can continue to celebrate Christmas cheer in the comfort of somebody else’s home that agreed to be the meeting location. You can conclude the night with other Christmas traditions you can do at home until everybody has a little too much eggnog. Also don’t forget to have snacks and drinks for this portion of the night too!

Working on the second featured writing was probably one of my favorites to write and learn about. Going through the process, I improved my ability to do research on a topic I was highly interested in but a field that I was still not all the way sure about so I could learn and inform others. I had some GSP errors and found it difficult at times to refer to research without the information being completely plagiarized. I also found it easy to include humor while teaching readers. Overall, I found this was one of my easiest assignments and if I had to write another feature, it would be a seasonal.

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Feature #1: Animation With Foundation w/ Reflection

Timothy Geard is discovered by Walt Disney Concert Hall for his character inspiration makeup looks.

By Timothy Heath

When you grow up watching cartoon versions of heroes, you tend to start to look up to them and replicate their character. Timothy Geard’s main source of makeup inspiration came from his interest in animation. Instead of trying to be more like another live action figure, he tried connecting to the vision of animations and how the hues correspond the mood of each show and character to deeply understand that character. 

His concept of taking a regular person and morphing the basic base with many other exaggerated features for visual illusions takes you more in depth into Geard’s fantasy world. The transformations can range from a kawaii perspective of becoming “Sailor Moon” to the exaggerated evil in transforming a human face into a more modern version of Hades from Hercules. 

The makeup community has a comedic phrase “beating your face” that can also be described as “painting,” more generally used in the drag queen community to describe the process of applying your makeup, that would also be compared to the arts of famous painters. “My face is a canvas so that I can make my look a masterpiece. I’m driven by the story of these fictional characters,” Geard said.

In his young adult years, Geard had always been the vibrant figure in his group of friends. He knew all about the top skin care, makeup reviews, and anything cosmetic and in his field of play. “Just like theatre, if you want to be good at something you enjoy a lot, you have to practice.” 

Geard said he has always been inspired by animated television shows, as he explains, “I’ve always grown up watching shows like Teen Titans and I was intrigued by the distinction of colors associated with character. It gives each character their own story if you ask me.”

He learned a lot of information from social media like Instagram and YouTube. Many other aspiring makeup artists share their unique skills on these apps in hope of business inquires or strictly for entertainment.

After quickly learning how to apply a basic coat of base foundation through attending courses at Stephen F. Austin State University, Geard’s makeup inspiration led his potential straight to California soon after he graduated in 2008. While attending courses as a graduate student at UCLA, Geard continued to expand his makeup abilities by matching corresponding makeup with different themes for school events (i.e. Homecoming, awareness months, etc.). 

Growing up in the suburbs of north Texas near the DFW area is only a part of the colorful personality of Geard. He always dreamed of moving away from his hometown in hope to move somewhere with more open views and opportunities for men who do makeup.

“I mean come on, we all know Texas is mostly a conservative state and I am a man doing my makeup … but that’s why we have ‘H-Town hotties’ like Megan Thee Stallion to inspire ‘hot girls/boys’ like me to do what I want to do with my life and grind my way to the top! She has always inspired me to never stop trying to achieve my goals,” Geard said.

Megan Thee Stallion is a rising new female rap artist that also does her own makeup and has her own trademark, “Hot Girl Summer” where those followers are known as “hot girls/hot boys.” Being a “hot girl/boy” is all about empowerment, confidence, and dedication.

Moving to the west coast for Geard has been a dream he is always awake for. The change of scenery, the vibes, even the possibilities to encounter another one of his idols. “Being in this state just allows me to open up more than I could in the past.” 

Geard opens up about his experiences with bullying for being considered more feminine than most of the other men in his life. He has always felt isolated from social norms and lived a private life, as he was afraid of any forms of criticism. “To add the cherry on top, I am also in love with theatre, so I am training myself to take that criticism and run with it!” Geard expresses. His theatre experiences through high school give him his charismatic and creative drive. His high school theatre teacher, Mrs. Brittany Gonzalez, has been one of his personal connections in his career. “She should definitely be taking this position for the concert hall in my opinion. She’s the best one to push my creative boundaries when projects seem too easy.” 

Geard eventually got his name out to cosmetic companies such as Sephora and Mac, holding at least three to four years of experience from each position held. Many people in the L.A. area request Geard by popular demand.

“I absolutely LOVE seeing all of my regulars. It’s like another one of my friends coming to talk about your day with. I love what I do and so do they!” 

- Timothy Geard

As his experience grew, Geard felt more at home with his fellow aspiring makeup artists around him, but he also began to miss the theatre. “L.A. has a lot of opportunities inside of it. I can do as many of them as I really want,” Geard explains as he then broadens his job field out to bigger companies.

Geard expresses his happiness upon the offer from Walt Disney Concert Hall as the Head MUA (makeup artist) as “the biggest achievement [he’s] made,” working his way up in his career. Geard is excited to someday work on some of his favorite musicals while employed, including “Aladdin,” and he hopes that he can “do a bomb cherry blossom eye shadow look to convince the production team to choose Mulan!”

Geard continues to regularly post more of his animation inspired makeup looks. His great imagination has taken him across states and given him a source of income with an activity he enjoys. His one wish that he hopes to keep is that he will have enough time to catch up with his animated television shows because “how else am I supposed to be inspired without a little creativity time? I also want to simply watch TV.”

As I worked on the first feature assignment from the rough draft to the final draft, I have learned that my writing can include many patted words to ensure word count, failure to fully connect the flow of my paragraphs, and GSP errors. Reading the many handouts we received in class definitely helped inspire my writing since this assignment was to be made up of our future career. I ran into issues prior to the due date of the rough draft from having far too many ideas. I did not know how to naturally connect all of my similar ideas without sounding too repetitive. My corrections were mainly GSP related, but I also think I can work on separating my paragraphs without causing confusion.

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Feature #4

Grindr: The Gay Harassment Experiences

By: Timothy Heath

“Grindr is one of the most popular dating apps for gay and bisexual men. The app was launched in 2009, making it older than Tinder. Since then, Grindr has changed the gay scene completely. Grindr’s goal is to provide men from the LGBT community with a safe (dating) platform. With the app users can check out [the] profiles of people in their neighborhood, exchange messages, and look for a date.” 

- VPN Overview

When it comes to the world of dating apps, the most talked about one in the LGBTQ community is Grindr. This app lets you view and interact with other men in the area and tells you approximately how many feet or miles away they are from your current location. This app is different from apps like Tinder because Grindr shows if you are currently online or the last time you were active. To people not using this app, this may seem more dangerous because if you are being constantly harassed by a user, you would have to block them and hope that they do not create another anonymous account to continue. Actions like these have happened to me many times through this app and it continues to happen throughout the world with little to no support from Grindr to minimize such accusations. Is the issue the app? Or could it just be the people using this app?

PUBLIC SAFETY:

Being aware of your surroundings is a safety precaution one should always be considering. Although you do have the option to turn off location tracking on Grindr, it is unsettling to experience other men messaging you about what you are wearing or looking like without your knowledge. Throughout this article, I will be including personal screenshots from my own messages and links to other safety concerning cases concerning the Grindr app. Messages about seeing my “sexy ass” around school and later anonymously telling me about it makes me feel unsafe attending school publically. As seen in the first screenshot, a stranger has been watching me numerous times around campus which makes me uncomfortable and change routes to class. Others have had similar experiences at their job, local grocery stores, and other public places. This can also be a way to encourage users to make their profile anonymous and send personal pictures, including a simple headshot, upon request only. What would be the point for the option to post pictures then?

CONSTANT STANDARDS:

Grindr can be associated with the diminishing phrase which describes how shallow and uptight members of the app can seem: “No fats, no fems!” What exactly does this mean? In a literal sense, this indicated to other users that another user does not want to engage in any interaction with anyone who they consider “fat” or “fem,” short for feminine. There are many other terms on this app that are displayed by thousands of profiles without punishment. Are people offended by these words? Absolutely. Is there much action from the app? In the past year, Grindr has provided diversity advertisements once enough negative feedback reached the creators, but the vast majority of users have claimed these actions should have been taken a long time ago.  When you are signing up for any dating app, you record all of your personal information like how tall you are, weight, hobbies, etc. in order for other viewers to catch interest in you rather than scold you for being online in the area. One could begin to think “when and where can I be on this app that is for anyone?”

HARASSMENT

The amount of times I have been threatened through this app is embarrassing and most of the cyber bullying comes from me refusing consent to do sexual activities with others. This can be especially concerning since these men have the power through this app to screenshot my pictures, have an idea of my everyday location(s), and even create more than one profile to message me on even though I’ve blocked them multiple times before. To me, I was under the impression that this app would be a helpful way to hopefully speak to other men that share similar interests as me, sexually or not. Others have had the same assumption but had their confidence harmed in the process. The image to the left shows Christopher Valdez’s Grindr experience summarized. He has been using this app for two years hoping it would be a “positive experience” but instead he was instantly degraded for how he looks. Valdez also states that an issue that people of color face through these apps are being treated poorly compared to other races and being “fetishized.” For example, black males of the LGBTQ community are fetishized with sexually abrasive questions like “you are obviously a top, aren’t you?” In this article, Andre-Naquian Wheeler explains how he is tired of this happening in his community with more explicit examples of what is still occuring. 

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Feature #3

My Struggle With Being In Two Minority Groups

By Timothy Heath

Hypothetically speaking, let’s say you first have this thought to yourself: “What is it like to be openly gay?” If you ask a general audience, depending on the area, some of the common answers would be along the lines of “being different,” “gay means happy,” or (this is my personal favorite) “sassy” Now let’s say your next hypothetical question is “What is it like to be African American in everyday society?” Most of those common answers contain negative historical context. Imagine if you had to combine these two thought processes together and you have not a clue of when these thoughts will occur to you in your everyday lifestyle. In short, this is just a start of what can be described as living in society having to worry about being apart of more than one minority group.

Because of these thoughts, people in the African American LGBTQ community will find it difficult to come out as homosexual. According to an article featured in The Guardian, many gay men and women speak on their life adjustments due to feeling more accepted with their community as opening gay. In one section, a couple explains how they had to move to Atlanta so they could feel safer. I could agree with Delaney when she says that “unless you are in the gay community, people aren’t open about it.” 

“Fag,” “queer,” and “fruity,” are only a few derogatory terms used to bring down our community. According to the Center for American Progress, they reported that 47% of LGBTQ students hear racial slurs during one school day and 85% hear specific words such as “dyke.”

Going to school is not every child’s favorite thing to do, but for me it was a matter of if I was going to be chosen last, made fun of for the way I speak, or anything I felt was normal and natural to do. For example, I was called “oreo” which is slang used to describe a black person who acts or speaks proper or “preppy” instead of speaking with other slang words and dialect. According to StopBullying.gov included in their LGBTQ Youth section, about 10% more openly LGBTQ students are reportedly missing school due to safety concerns than heterosexual students. No child should have to worry about any type of harm while in an educational building, especially at younger ages. The same website also states 33% of LGBTQ students being bullied on campus and 27.1% cyber bullied. 

With this being said, it has also been calculated that about a quarter of black LGBTQ students have missed one full school day in a month due to safety concerns compared to 6.3% of the black youth. This means that these students are expected to have an average GPA drop of at least .5 of a point compared to students that do not experience harassment at school. 

I grew up with two very different sides of my family; my dad originates from South Dallas and my mom’s side moved to Texas from California. Both of my parents taught me to always follow the rules and learn as much as I want, so I always talked proper. To other kids your color, you get looked at as weird, trying to be better than them, or just not spoken to. On the other hand, I also grew up with three sisters and one brother, me being the youngest sibling. My brother is the oldest out of us all, so I did not live with him as much growing up, which could probably explain why I am so in touch with my feminine side. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying this is “the reason I am gay,” as that is a very unexplainable human trait. Because of this, I am not interested in monster trucks, sports, or even Legos. I enjoyed female characters as a child and believed they were much more cooler and stronger than the central characters whom were always men unless you watched all female cartoons. 

Another trait a lot of men try to hide is the ability to cry. I say this is a “trait” because most men act as if they were born without the ability to. My point is that it is seen as a feminine quality to have any emotions that would lead to tears, disempowering the man. According to the UK website “The Independent” on masculinity, about 55% of men say that they are afraid to cry in front of others because it would “make them feel like less of a man.” Hiding your emotions is not healthy at all. I have unfortunately learned how to do this, but I have never felt like I have mastered this. Actions such as these can lead to suicidal thoughts, insecurity, and any other action that would be seen as a reason to get help from therapy.

We see these facts as early as our toddler years. When a boy gets hurt, their father will more than likely talk him through the pain and explain to his son that he needs to “be tough” in order to get through this while if it was the daughter, she would be coddled and reassured that everything would be okay because their father was their to “be tough” for his daughter. 

I will admit that I have always been afraid to cry or be drastically upset in front of my dad and brother. They have both universally been assigned the job of teaching me how to “be a man” which means to stand up for myself, be assertive to prove dominance, and to “man up” when life gets difficult. I have hidden my emotions from them for most of my life to avoid further conflict and as a result, I am closed off when it comes to discussing my personal issues. According to The Independent, about 53 percent of men surveyed agreed that they do not expect members of society to come to them for emotional support.

It is unfortunate that based on the information above, people like me and others feel the need to relocate ourselves into a safe space whereas public places like school should be a universal safe space for all students. While students are missing school due to concerns of safety, they are also missing opportunities to be in a safe space where they can be free to express their emotions and actions. When I joined theatre arts, I finally felt like I could be my feminine, weird self and unexpectedly, people loved it! I used theatre to break out of my shell and in my own way become a voice for the kids that feel like they cannot speak. No one should have to feel worried about being who they were born to become.

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Feature Writing Portfolio Rough Draft Questions

1. A feature story is considered “soft news” because it eliminates the immediacy in “hard news” and usually is speaking on human interest. Some details that are focused on would be sensory details, scene setting, personification, quotes, characterization, etc. about such topics (food, shelter, health, love, etc.). Feature writings are apart of journalism writing because it is the area of journalism where you have more leighway to share your humorous side while also providing information with your story. Also, you can more easily share your viewpoint on a topic without defaming.

2. A personality profile feature is a newspaper article that explores the background and character of a particular person or group. The way it is written is almost like a script at some points because it mainly focuses on the details of the interview between the person/group being written about and the reporter. Readers may want one because they really enjoy that particular person or group already and would like to know more about their personal life or maybe because they do not know who they are and would like to have an idea of that. My favorite feature writing so far would have to be “The Challenge of Going Off Psychiatric Drugs” by Rachel Aviv.

3. A feature lead differs from a news lead by being more descriptive and several sentences long while news leads get to the main topic quickly. Feature leads overall lures the reader in by using a narrative that also leads into the overall topic. Here is an example of a feature lead that I would like to write:

“Winners never quit—they get fired from their TV show.  You may not be as vital to your organization as you think you are.”

4. Heavily-researched stories tend to format themselves like feature stories because like feature stories, there is a lot of information being provided to the reader. So to make it easier to retain, the topics are usually grouped up into paragraphs that relate to the topic being discussed. Also, like features, researched stories must include many details on the topic(s) being covered along with the sources. Researched stories characterize certain topics rather than people.

5. A seasonal feature is a type of feature writing that is about a certain season/holiday and usually explains to the reader how to make or do something. Readers could be interested in these types of stories so that they can learn more culturally about traditions that are different from theirs. Readers could also learn how to more efficiently practice a holiday they celebrate annually. Some views on certain holidays and traditions can be shared from the reporter to their given audience and those who share those traits will most likely enjoy that certain seasonal writing.

6. Libel is written/printed defamation. To “defame” someone is to attack their reputation to the public, harm their income, safety, etc. In the case of a private person, meaning a typical everyday citizen with no official title or position, it is easier to win a libel case in the court once your prove that you have been defamed. In the case of a public figure/official, you would have to prove actual malice in order to prove defamation.

7. I think that it is bad that ethics codes for most organizations do not carry legal penalties because there are many cases where people’s personal information is being shared without proper permission and consent. Negligence can be used in the court and is a known action to occur. I believe that if you perform any actions knowing the possible consequences then you should receive proper punishment. On the other hand, I understand that sometimes the fault is not that serious, but the punishment should still be a possibility to bring up in topic of the action.

8. I signed up for this class because out of all of the extra Mass Communications courses I could have chosen, this one seemed like it would improve my creativity and writing skills. I feel as though I am getting what I want from this class because I am getting better at working on how I write and paying close attention to details by not running on a tangent. I am not sure what about feature writing I am curious about or feel that hasn’t been covered. I would like to know more about the different categories of features as we go on in class. 

[madethisforclasstim-blog]

Feature Writing #2

Origin of Christmas Caroling: Another Thing Americans Didn’t Create

By Timothy Heath

October 10, 2019

Some traditional activities in the winter time might include making gingerbread houses, decorating your Christmas tree, and, if you are a real die hard Christmas fan, then you can probably run out into the streets with a group of loved ones or strangers and sing about Christmas! Christmas caroling  is not just singing traditional holiday tunes such as “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” but more so “Amazing Grace,” as this choice is more likely to be sung in church as a hymn. 

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Caroling originated in Europe, but the term “caroling” was not used. The act of singing these hymns in public was classified as a part of a celebration for the Winter Solstice (Dec. 22) and the celebration of the birth of Jesus (Dec. 25). Back in the year 129, this would be the more traditional holiday hobby for early Christians in Europe. As the years went on, many people expressed a dislike for these hymns as they were all written in Latin, a language that a majority of people could not understand! Around the 1200s, most people lost interest in the celebration of Christmas altogether.

CELEBRATING OR COLLECTING?

I should also compare our purpose for caroling now versus then. Today, we carol for the enjoyment of the holidays, bonding with our families by making memories, etc. Back around the 1640s when the Puritans took over England, citizens who sang hymns in groups in the public eye were to be charged with being “beggars” after the Puritans stopped the acts of celebrating Christmas and singing carols. Caroling became popular again once people in England wanted Christmas music to be sung at their orchestras. Today, people in many areas Christmas carol in exchange for donations for their local churches or even for treats such as hot chocolate or eggnog rather than to feed their families at night and be labeled poor. Another key point of note is the fact that some churches did not even allow people to carol, which forced people to go door-to-door singing about The Holy Family. Seems like a lot of rules to follow just to celebrate a holiday if you ask me!

HOW CAN YOU START CAROLING?

As I have mentioned before, people typically go caroling in groups at church. In most cases this would also mean that your family members will automatically be legendary founding members of your neighborhood singing group. All you really need to start your own caroling group is people that share the same amount of Christmas spirit as yourself, and this can fluctuate. I mean, if you really want to WOW your local residents and earn that possible free eggnog/hot cocoa, then it is expected that your group:

KNOWS THE WORDS TO THE SONGS

For the sake of the audience...try to know your lyrics. If a member needs some additional assistance, you could bring printed off sheet music for those who need it.

Do not expect a donation every time (out of respect)

You could try handing out flyers to your nearby neighborhoods that you plan on attending to get their attention!

Do not stay late

Caroling means you will be out in the cold. You could get started around 6:30 p.m. making your round in the neighborhood(s) and back home before your group freezes.

Find someone who harmonizes well

This can be your secret weapon of Christmas caroling! With a lead vocalist you will be memorable and receive praise.

Don’t forget your Christmas spirit!

Have you ever heard the story about when they took Scrooge caroling? Me neither. If you want to impress your audience you have to enjoy what you’re doing while you are performing. People will see your enthusiasm and maybe even want to throw on their coat and join you! (Keynote: YES! PEOPLE SOMETIMES WILL JOIN YOU! HOW FUN!)

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AT HOME!

If you are not a fan of going door-to-door as a group, then you can try all of these steps out by renting a recreational hall or a church for a Christmas caroling event! You can still make flyers with the information provided and also focus on other things you wouldn’t want to carry around with you outside like decorations.

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT GIVING

Some other locations to consider going to Christmas carol would also be an elderly home. Many homes decorate for every holiday and not all of them are fortunate enough to have a school come and perform Christmas songs for them. Performing for the elderly is a great act of the community. To warm their hearts with joy, you could even prepare some holiday treats like cookies, brownies, and candy for the homes that you plan to attend. Be mindful of common allergies such as peanuts. You could also include items such as Christmas cards with meaningful messages, ornaments, or any small gift ideas you might think of.

ONCE THE NIGHT IS OVER

Now that you are done with your caroling route(s), you and your group can continue to celebrate Christmas cheer in the comfort of somebody else’s home that agreed to be the meeting location. You can conclude the night with other Christmas traditions you can do at home until everybody has a little too much eggnog. Also don’t forget to have snacks and drinks for this portion of the night too!

[madethisforclasstim-blog]

Feature Writing #1

Animation With Foundation

Timothy Geard is discovered by Walt Disney Concert Hall for his character inspiration makeup looks.

By Timothy Heath

When you grow up watching cartoon version of heroes, you tend to start to look up to them and replicate their character. Timothy Geard’s main source of makeup inspiration came from his interest in animation. Instead of trying to be more like another fictional figure, he tried with connecting to the vision of animations and how the hues correspond the mood of each show and character to deeply understand that character. 

His concept of taking a regular person and morphing the basic base with many other exaggerated features for visual illusions takes you more in depth into Geard’s fantasy world. The transformations can range from a kawaii perspective of becoming “Sailor Moon” to the exaggerated evil in transforming a human face into a more modern version of Hades from Hercules. 

The makeup community has a comedic phrase “beating your face” that can also be described as “painting,” more generally used in the drag queen community to describe the process of applying your makeup, that would also be compared to the arts of famous painters. “My face is a canvas so that I can make my look a masterpiece. I’m driven by the story of these fictional characters…” Geard said.

In his young adult years, Geard had always been the vibrant figure in the group of friends that knew all about the top skin care, makeup reviews, and anything cosmetic and in his field of play. “Just like theatre, if you want to be good at something you enjoy a lot, you have to practice.” 

Geard said to have always been inspired by animated television shows, as he explains “I’ve always grown up watching shows like Teen Titans and I was intrigued by the distinction of colors associated with character. It gives each character their own story if you ask me … “

Social media has a big influence to the discovery of Geard’s talents toward capturing the true aesthetic of an individual.  

After quickly learning how to apply a basic coat of base foundation through attending courses at Stephen F. Austin State University, Geard’s makeup inspiration led his potential straight to California soon after he graduated in 2008. While attending courses as a graduate student at the University of California (Los Angeles), Geard continued to expand his makeup abilities by matching corresponding makeup with different themes for school events (i.e. Homecoming, awareness months, etc.). 

Growing up in the suburbs of north Texas near the DFW area is only a part of the colorful personality of Geard. He always dreamed of moving away from his hometown, but it is not as much of a negative though as perceived. 

“I mean come on, we all know Texas is mostly a conservative state and I am a man doing my makeup … but that’s why we have ‘H-Town hotties’ like Megan Thee Stallion to inspire ‘hot girls/boys’ like me to do what I want to do with my life and grind my way to the top!” Geard said.

Megan Thee Stallion is a rising new female rap artist that also does her own makeup and has her own trademark, “Hot Girl Summer” where those followers are known as “hot girls/hot boys”. Being a “hot girl/boy” is all about empowerment, confidence, and dedication.

Moving to the west coast for Geard has been a dream he is always awake for. The change of scenery, the vibes, even the possibilities to encounter another one of his idols. “Being in this state just allows me to open up more than I could ever explain in the past.” 

Geard opens up about his experiences with bullying for being considered more feminine than most of the other men in his life. He has always felt isolated from social norms and lived a private life as he was afraid of any forms of criticism. “To add the cherry on top, I am also in love with theatre so I am training myself to take that criticism and run with it!” Geard expresses. His theatre experiences through high school gives him his charismatic and creative drive. His high school theatre teacher, Mrs. Brittany Gonzalez, has been one of his personal connections in his career. “She should definitely be taking this position for the concert hall in my opinion. She’s the best one to push my creative boundaries when projects seem too easy.” 

Geard eventually got his name out to cosmetic companies such as Sephora and Mac, holding at least three to four years of experience from each position held. Many people in the L.A. area request Geard by popular demand.

“I absolutely LOVE seeing all of my regulars. It’s like another one of my friends coming to talk about your day with. I love what I do and so do they!” 

- Timothy Geard

As his experience grew, Geard felt more at home with his fellow aspiring makeup artists around him, but he also began to miss the theatre. “L.A. has a lot of opportunities inside of it. I can do as many of them as I really want,” Geard explains as he then broadens his job field out to bigger companies.

Geard expresses his happiness upon the offer from Walt Disney Concert Hall as the Head MUA (makeup artist) as “the biggest achievement [he’s] made” working his way up in his career. Geard is excited to someday work on some of his favorite musicals while employed including “Aladdin” and he hopes that he can “do a bomb cherry blossom eye shadow look to convince the production team to choose Mulan!”

Geard continues to regularly post more of his animated inspired makeup looks as his career extends. His great imagination has taken him across states and given him a source of income with an activity he enjoys. Geard’s one wish that he hopes to keep is that he will “have enough time to catch up” with his animated television because “how else am I supposed to be inspired without a little creativity time? I also want to simply watch TV.”