toinfinityandbeyondrc
toinfinityandbeyondrc
To Infinity and Beyond!
45 posts
I am Energetic, Productive, Results-driven, experienced but most of all, passionate. These traits coincide with Buzz Light-year's personality as he continues to accomplish his goals but also works to reassure others when events go unexpected. 
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Diversifying Heteronormative Relationships, Race Discrepancies and Slavery in Get Out
Get Out begins with an interracial couple, Rose Armitage and Chris Washington, who initially seem to have a perfect heteronormative relationship, however over time racial dynamics of their relationship subvert. Rose and Chris’ relationship deviates from the standard heteronormative romance narrative, which generalizes that males are dominant and that females are passive. In Get Out, actions and decisions by Rose Armitage and Chris Washington present alternative gender roles, as seen through Rose’s dominant traits and female masculinity in addition to Chris’s lack of dominance, demonstrated by his sense of male fluidity. While changes in gender roles are particularly evident in Get Out, these roles are also racialized as Rose’s white privilege allows her more power in various aspects of their relationship. In Get Out, racialized views of gender identity become present as Rose, the Caucasian female holds dominance over Chris, the African American male. While many often associate males in a relationship to be dominant and in control, it becomes more complicated within interracial relationships as race might also be a determinant in who is dominant. Despite Rose being female, she represents the dominant figure in terms of race throughout the film.
In relatively recent times, society has become more accepting to changes in gender roles, with women gaining control becoming increasingly common. As seen in today’s society, for example the number of “stay-at-home” fathers who care for their children continues to increase, while the number of wives or significant others that financially provide for the family follows this same rising trend. Given the previous standard of a man’s role as the financial provider and a woman’s role as the caregiver, this shows one of the many ways in which our society and its once common gender roles have changed. The shift in gender roles has led to women beginning to find jobs in many areas, especially in areas that were once male-dominated. As mentioned by Pew Research Center, “While most stay-at-home parents are mothers, fathers represent a growing share of all at-home parents – 16% in 2012, up from 10% in 1989” (Livingston). The number of fathers who are at home with their children has risen by over one million from 1989 to 2012.  
We have also seen cultural changes in heteronormative relationships, primarily due to the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. As explained by Richard Lewis Jr. and Joanne Ford-Robertson’s article on understanding the occurrence of interracial marriage in the United States through differential assimilation, “As the United States becomes more diverse, both racially and ethically…there has been a tremendous increase in interracial dating and marriage over the past several decades.” (Lewis).
           At first, Rose and Christopher’s relationship seems to fit the standard pattern of young romance. In the beginning of Get Out, when Rose meets Chris, a successful photographer at his quite sophisticated apartment, it is clear that they show affection for one another and fit under the typical generalized heternormative relationship. For example, at the very moment that Chris opens his door, they show love and affection for each other by kissing and communicating with gentle tones. Additionally, Rose asks Chris if he is prepared for the weekend, running down a list of essentials. Rose’s ability in ensuring that Chris has packed all of the essential items follows with the typical female role in a heternormative relationship. During this scene in which Rose helps Chris pack, the viewer is made aware that Chris has not yet met Rose’s parents when he asks Rose if her parents were made aware of his African American ethnicity. The fact that Chris is hesitant in meeting Rose’s Caucasian parents, shows that interracial couples are not widely supported during the movie’s time period, reflecting what is seen today in the 21st century.
           During Rose and Chris’ drive to Rose’s parents home, they unexpectedly hit a deer, yet what is found by others to be most surprising about this event is not the unfortunate roadkill, however the fact that Rose is driving. In a typical heteronormative relationship, the man is viewed to be the dominant figure, as he has controlling status and handles issues that may arise. In addition to rose driving, she also takes a cigarette out of Chris’s hand, showing her ability to assert dominance over his decision making as an adult. As Rose begins to take the cigarette out of Chris’ hand and throws it out the window, Chris states that he is a grown man, although this doesn’t change how Rose reacts in the particular situation, demonstrating her female masculinity and ability to influence his actions. In addition to Rose being in control of the vehicle and Chris’s personal decisions, she also takes charge when speaking to the arriving officer on the scene.
A rather clear example of Rose’s dominance can be observed through her conversation with an officer, who assists Rose and Chris following the roadkill. The officer speaks with Rose, while Chris remains reserved and chooses not to interact with the officer. Rose’s ability to address the issue with an officer without having to consult Chris, shows her female masculinity and dominance. While some black masculinity may be observed through Chris’s actions (as later examined), white masculinity seems to be more present. Genders are also racialized in Get Out, as white privilege seem to be evident throughout actions by both Rose and her family.
While analyzing race discrepancies in Get Out, we look specifically at the scene in which Rose is talking to the officer. During Rose’s talk with the officer, the officer requests that Chris presents his license. Before Chris is able to locate and present his state ID to the officer, Rose immediately takes action by questioning the officer’s authority. Rose asserts that Chris had not been driving the vehicle and that he had clearly done nothing wrong. Rose states, “No, he wasn’t driving…you don’t have to give him your ID because you haven’t done anything wrong”. (Get Out). While Rose proceeds to question the officer further, the officer states that in the event of any incident, law enforcement has the right to request to see the license of every passenger. Although officers have every right to demand that passengers involved in an accident present their identification and that it is common for insurance purposes, in a situation such as a road kill, we would imagine that the driver would be the primary individual to present their identification, and not the passengers. As made clear in this scene through Chris’s facial expressions, he becomes uncomfortable and remains silent, ultimately showing his fear towards Rose’s dominance in preventing him from obeying the officer’s request.
One last example of Rose’s dominance in Get Out, is observed during the scene in which Chris realizes that the Armitage family is corrupted and must escape their home. While attempting to leave, Chris demands that Rose gives him the keys, which she at first cannot find. Rose pretends to have misplaced the keys as part of the Armitage’s plan to intentionally imprison Chris and hypnotize him into becoming a slave. As soon as Chris is surrounded by Dean, Missy and Jeremy, Rose pulls out the keys and informs Chris that she will not be giving them to him. Dominance is especially clear in this scene as Rose has access to Chris’s only means of quickly escaping the corrupted environment, ultimately holding dominance over Chris.
As examined earlier, both female masculinity and male fluidity can be observed in Get Out, however race discrepancies also play a role in the film. While comparing observations from the movie to that of real life, we can see similarities. In comparison to times of today, race inequalities continue to be a problem, along with toxic relationships between the police and various minority populations. It is no mystery that various groups have been treated differently based on their race. In the final scene of Get Out, Rod Williams, Chris’s best friend and member of the TSA, arrives to a horrific scene where Rose and Georgina are both dead, however rescues Chris because he is well aware that Chris killed Rose and Georgina out of self defense. In an alternative ending considered for the film, several white police officers arrive and immediately take Chris into custody, while also treating him as a criminal. As seen in Figure A, a fragment of the alternative scene is shown, where one of the Caucasian police officers approaches Chris with a gun. Shortly thereafter, Chris is sent to prison and it becomes clear that there is little hope for his future. As the police car arrives in this scene, Rose users the reaming life in her to play victim. Rose says, “help….help….help me” (Get Out). Even though Rose had been clearly in the wrong all along, it shows that in a particular situation like this, the officers will favor what a Caucasian female might state rather than a black male. Additionally, this scene represents a way in which Rose uses white privilege as an advantage. Figure C shows Chris being taken into custody, where he feels a sense of helplessness, as there is little reason to believe that he will see a day in which he is viewed as innocent. Satisfying enough, Chris seems to accept that he will spend many of his years in prison, however is glad to have put a stop to the evil tendencies of the Armitage family.
 Although race discrepancies play a role in the film, we also see traits of black masculinity by Chris, observed through his actions. Before the final cop scene, Chris makes several choices that contribute to male masculinity in order to escape the Armitage’s home and their evil tendencies in attempting to hypnotize him into becoming a slave. In one of the scenes where Chris uses his male masculinity to fight back and get out, Rose’s father, Dean, asks Chris a question that makes him uncomfortable. While Chris senses that he is in danger and must leave their home, Dean asks, “What is your purpose, Chris…In life…What is your purpose…” (Get Out). At this point, Chris ignores the question and statements made by Dean, while beginning to become hostile. Chris shouts at Rose, demanding her to give him the keys to the car. At this point, we observe Chris’s male masculinity as he becomes assertive and makes demands of Rose. In regards to the question that Dean asks, one might view the question as racist, implying that African Americans do not have a “purpose in life”, which might explain why the  Armitage family enslaves African Americans, such as Georgina and Walter. In a following scene, where Chris has been held captive for extended periods of time, he eventually uses his masculinity in order to fight back and ultimately escape the home.
In addition to both Diversifying Heteronormative Relationships and Race Discrepancies in Get Out, slavery also seems to play a role through the evil actions of the Armitage family. From the very moment that Chris arrives to the Armitage residence, he notices something quite unusual about the family. Chris observes that the family has several African Americans working for them, in which they both have contingent personalities. Chris meets Walter, the landscaper and Georgina, the servant and as he stays at the Armitage’s residence for several days, he notices their behaviors as unnatural. Later, Chris discovers that both Walter and Georgina had not been hired by the family, but rather hypnotized into a metal state, known as the sunken place. Chris realized that the family was attempting to turn him into a slave and began investigating them more. In addition to Chris discovering that Walter and Georgina were slaves, he also meets Logan King at one of the family parties, another African American man, who also seems to have been hypnotized. Chris approaches Logan and mentions that he feels more comfortable with his presence. Logan has an unusual personality and is confused to why his presence would have resulted in Chris feeling more comfortable. This is made clear when he asks Chris if everything is okay. Chris approaches Logan and says, “Good to see another brother around here…” (Get Out). Logan then responds by saying, “Hi, yes of course it is…is there something wrong?” (Get Out). As Chris begins to put the pieces together, he begins to realize that Logan had also been manipulated by the family, just like Walter, the landscaper and Georgina, the servant.
When Hiroki Tanaka, a Japanese family member asks Chris, “Do you find being African-American has more advantage or disadvantage in the modern world?” (Get Out), Chris asks Logan to answer the question. While Logan responds to the question stating that he does not have much of a desire to leave the house, Chris captures a flash photo of Logan, causing him to likely undergo a transformation from his sunken place to the individual he once was. As soon as Chris uses the flash, Logan has the urge to attack him and screams “Get out!” (Get Out). The Armitage family classifies Logan’s aggressive behaviors and meltdown as a seizure, however Chris becomes very suspicious and believes that there is more behind Logan’s sudden acts of aggression. Chris also observes several unusual behaviors between Walter and Georgina, however primarily in a particular scene in which Georgina becomes emotionally unstable. In this scene, Chris makes a few statements questioning the Armitages, causing Georginia to tear up, however she quickly regains control and smiles, stating that the Armitages have been great and treat her as if she is family.
           During the Armitage families party, it appears that many of the family members seem to appreciate Chris’s presence, however this is likely to convince him to stay with the family in order to hypnotize him into his sunken place. For example, one of the family members states that “Fairer skin has been in favor for the past, what, couple of hundreds of years… But now the pendulum has swung back… Black is in fashion …” (Get Out). Chris found comments like these strange, however what was most striking to him was the way in which Logan interacted with him prior to going insane. Even though this movie take place in the modern world and slavery has been abolished, Chris realizes that the family has evil like tendencies, especially with Rose’s mother’s hypnotizing service.
Throughout Get Out, diversifying heteronormative relationships are observed through dominance by Rose and Chris’ passive traits. Racialized views of gender are also present as the race of both Rose and Chris determines who holds dominance in particular tasks, such as driving and taking care of problems. Along with diversifying heteronormative relationships and race discrepancies, slavery is also present through the Armitage family’s ability to hypnotize African Americans into becoming servants. In Get Out, it is clear that Walter, Georgina and Logan are unnatural and exhibit traits that might correlate to the hypnotizing by Missy Armitage. Diversidying heternormative relationships and race discrepancies happen to be present in today’s 21st century, as the typical roles of man and women are changing in addition to greater race equality due to the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. Get Out puts into perspective how our society has changed in recent times and what a heternormative relationship of today might look like.
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Emerging Heteronormative Relationships and Race Discrepancies in Get Out
In Get Out, actions and decisions by Rose Armitage and Chris Washington present alternative gender roles as Rose tends to present dominant traits and female masculinity, while Chris lacks dominance and demonstrates a sense of male fluidity. While changes in gender roles are particularly evident in Get Out, genders have also become racialized, leading to gender discrepancies, a problem occurring among many in the society that we live in today.
Get Out begins with an interracial couple, Rose Armitage and Chris Washington.  On their drive to Rose’s parents home, they unexpectedly hit a deer, however what tends to be most surprising to some is the fact that Rose is driving. In addition to Rose being in control of the vehicle, she also speaks to the officer that arrives at the scene. In a typical heteronormative relationship, the man is often viewed to be the dominant figure, often in control and handling issues that might arise. Get Out deviates from the typical heteronormative relationship as Rose, the female in the relationship is in control of the vehicle but also the one to speak to the officer. In Get Out, emerging gender roles exist and reflect changes the changes occurring today in the gender roles of heteronormative relationships. In relatively recent times, society has become more accepting to changes in gender roles and it certainly isn’t unusual to see women gaining more control. For example, in today’s society, we are beginning to see increases in the number of “stay-at-home” fathers who care for their children, while their wives or significant others go to work. This is one of the ways in which our society has changed because previously, men would go to work while all women would stay at home and do the housework. Gender roles have changed and now women are beginning to find jobs in many areas, especially in areas that were once male dominated. As mentioned by Pew Research Center, “While most stay-at-home parents are mothers, fathers represent a growing share of all at-home parents – 16% in 2012, up from 10% in 1989.” The number of fathers who are at home with their children has risen by over one million from 1989 to 2012. By examining changes to gender roles as a whole in terms of daily occupations, we are able to develop a more sufficient understanding of the small observations of female dominance, such as Rose being in control of the vehicle.  Even though there are multiple factors that might contribute to why Rose would have been in control of the vehicle, she continues to be viewed as the dominant figure throughout the film.
A rather clear example of Rose’s dominance can be observed through her conversation with the officer, who arrives at the scene to assist Rose and Chris following the deer accident. The officer speaks with Rose, while Chris remains reserved. Rose’s ability to address the issue with an officer without having to consult Chris, shows her female masculinity and dominance. In Get Out, racialized views of gender identity become present as Rose, the Caucasian female holds dominance over Chris, the African American male. While many often associate males in a relationship to be dominant and in control, it becomes more complicated within interracial relationships as race might also determine who is dominant. Despite Rose being female, she represents the dominant figure in terms of race throughout the film. While some black masculinity may be observed through Chris’s actions, white masculinity seems to be more evident. Genders are racialized in Get Out because Caucasians are seen to be dominant over African Americans, even though this doesn’t happen to be the case in today’s society. Recently, we have seen cultural changes in heteronormative relationships, primarily due to the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. As explained by Richard Lewis Jr. and Joanne Ford-Robertson’s article on understanding the occurrence of international marriage in the United States through differential assimilation, “As the United States becomes more diverse, both racially and ethically…there has been a tremendous increase in interracial dating and marriage over the past several decades.” (Lewis).
While analyzing race discrepancies in Get Out, we look specifically at the scene in which Rose is talking to the officer. During Rose’s talk with the officer, the officer requests that Chris presents his license. Before Chris can even reply or begin to pull out his license, Rose immediately takes action by questioning the officer’s authority to demand that Chris presents his license. Rose asserts that Chris had not been driving the vehicle and that he had done nothing wrong. Rose states, “No, he wasn’t driving… you don’t have to give him your ID because you haven’t done anything wrong”. (Get Out). While Rose proceeds to question the officer further, the officer states that in the event of any incident, law enforcement has the right to request to see the license of every passenger. Although officers have every right to demand that passengers involved in an accident display their identification, it may be important to consider whether or not the situation would have been different if Chris had been Caucasian. Leaving all other factors constant and assuming that Rose was still the driver and the one to handle the situation with the officer, one might want to question whether the officer would have asked him to present a form of identification. Given that officers have every right to request identification from any individual involved in an accident, it is likely that Rose brought race into the situation. During this scene, Chris does not make any comments, however it is clear that when analyzing his facial expressions, he appears to be uncomfortable when Rose questions the officers authority. As examined earlier, both female masculinity and male fluidity can be observed in Get Out, however race discrepancies also play a role in the film. While comparing observations from the movie to that of real life, we can see similarities.
In comparison to times of today, race inequalities continue to be a problem and there is often a toxic relationship between the police and various populations. It is no mystery that various groups have been treated differently based on their race. In the final scene of Get Out, Rod Williams, Chris’s best friend and member of the TSA, arrives to a horrific scene where Rose and Georgina are both dead, however rescues Chris because he knows that Chris killed them out of self defense. In an alternative scene that was not featured in the film, several white police officers arrive to the scene and immediately take Chris into custody as if he is a criminal. Chris then gets set to prison, however feels a sense of helplessness as that he will not be seen as innocent because of the fact that he is African American. Even though Chris will likely spend many years in prison, he claims that he was able to put a stop to the Armitage families evil tendencies, which was satisfying enough for him.
While Rose and Chris arrive to Rose’s parents home, Chris notices something quite unusual about Chris’s parents. The first thing that Chris observes is the fact that the  family has African Americans working for them. This is particularly evident as soon as he approaches the home and sees Walter, the landscaper. Chris also meets Georgina, who happens to be their servant. While Chris stays at their house for several days, he begins to discover more unusual occurrences with both Walter and Georgina, who appear to be unnatural. Later, Chris discovers that both Walter and Georgina weren’t hired by the Armitage family, but hypnotized into an emotional state, known as the sunken place. After having been hypnotized, they are now slaves for the Armitage family. During one of the families parties, Chris also notices another African American man, named Logan King. Chris approaches Logan and mentions that he feels more comfortable with his presence. Logan has an unusual personality and asks Chris if everything is okay. As Chris begins to put the pieces together, he begins to realize that Logan was likely manipulated into his sunken place just like the two servants. When Hiroki Tanaka, a Japanese family member asks Chris, “Do you find being African-American has more advantage or disadvantage in the modern world?” (Get Out), Chris decides to allow Logan to answer the question. While Logan responds to the question stating that he does not have much of a desire to leave the house, Chris captures a flash photo of Logan, causing him to likely undergo a transformation from his sunken place to the individual he once was. As soon as Chris uses the flash, Logan has the urge to attack him and screams “Get out!” (Get Out). The Armitage family classifies Logan’s aggressive behaviors as a seizure, however Chris becomes suspicious that there is more behind them.
           During the Armitage families party, it appears that many of the family members seem to appreciate Chris’s presence, however this is likely to convince him to stay with the family in order to hypnotize him into his sunken place. For example, one of the family members states that “Fairer skin has been in favor for the past, what, couple of hundreds of years… But now the pendulum has swung back… Black is in fashion …” (Get Out). Chris found comments like these unusual, however what was most striking to him was the way in which Logan interacted with him prior to going insane. Even though this movie take place in the modern world and slavery has been abolished, Chris realizes that he must leave as Rose’s mother begins to hypnotize him on several occasions. As examined earlier, the fact that Rode is in control of the vehicle shows some dominance, however, dominance is especially seen when Chris realizes that he must escape and depends on Rose to locate the keys. Rose pretends to have misplaced the keys at once point, however as soon as Rose’s family surrounds him, Rose makes it clear that she does have the keys and will not be giving them to him. Dominance is especially clear in this scene as Rose has access to Chris’s primary mode of escaping, ultimately holding dominance over Chris.
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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In class assignment (November 20th, 2017)
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Scientist Persona Avatar
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Questions for Kristen N. Arnett
Questioned based on Felt in the Jaw stories (The Locusts, Playing Fetch and  Lebkuchen). 
1. The story of the Locusts is both very interesting and descriptive, while keeping me actively engaged. Where did you get the inspiration for this story and does it reflect what we might perceive most families of today (possibly in the suburbs or rural communities) to be like or would it better reflect families of the past. After having read the story, I imagine that it might reflect a family in the somewhat past that happens to live in the southern country. 
2. Do you believe that there is a larger truth to why Charlie was praised or valued more than all of the other kids? For example, Charlie doesn’t seem to be much of a risk taker in the first place and when peer pressured to trying beer, he declines at first. It is clear that he is not interested in trying it. Could Charlie simply be better behaved in general and might this explain why he is treated differently compared to the other children? Is there another reason to why he gets treated with more love and care by all of the adults compared to other children.  
3. Do you believe that there is a kind of expectation in our society of today in which we must drink or try alcohol at some point in the coming of age process (growing up). We know that Brandy and Austin expected Charlie to drink even though he did not want to and eventually pressured and manipulated him into trying beer. 
4. After having read Playing Fetch, it is clear that there are several diverse relationships and sexualities within the plot’s story. Do you believe that the literature of today should include wider representations of gender equality? Do stories like yours set an example for other writers to follow a similar style of writing but also theme and plot? 
5. After having read Lebkuchen, do you believe that these stories would have been any different if they had been written possibly in the 1990′s or early 2000′s prior to an increase in the support of various gender communities and if so, what would be particularly different in terms of gender roles, characters etc. 
6. What was the most difficult process that took place in terms of publishing this book and or what was the most difficult story to write out of The Locusts, Playing Fetch and Lebkuchen. If not out of these three, were there any other stories from Felt in the Jaw that were significantly difficult to write. 
7. Lastly, as I have always considered asking an author this question, do you believe in writer’s block and if so, how do you personally cope with it? 
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Harry Potter posters by Olly Moss
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Mad Max: Fury Road Summary & Thoughts
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In what can best be described as a post apocalyptic war type setting in which civilizations are corrupt and fighting over diminishing resources such as oil and water, many battle in order to gain access to material wealth (possessions), resources (which include oil, water and capital) but also power. Oil and water are highly demanded items that are no longer commodities in a market but rather items that can only be obtained through military forces and strength. These resources have depleted to where very few own access to them and the ones that do, take advantage of their power by depriving civilizations of them. In addition to oil and water being scarce, food is often scarce too and this is apparent when characters would eat bugs that happened to be crawling around them. Mad Max: Fury Road takes place several years after civilizations have collapsed and many of the remaining individuals have formed into separate cults (battle groups) in order to violently battle each other for the remaining resources. Immortan Joe has control over many of the apocalypse survivors and uses his power to make life very difficult for them. Eventually, Max and Furiosa join forces to kill Immortan Joe and spare the freedom of the apocalypse survivors. Max and the rest of whom he is traveling with face challenges. Max survives in the end as a result of his strength and willingness to fight the corrupted and immoral individuals that are backing Immortan Joe.
It seems that towards the beginning, Immortan Joe provides water to the slaved for a short period of time through a pipe system that is “fitted for mass rationing” before he tells them not to get addicted to the water as it could cause them to resent. The idea of a mass rationing water system makes no sense, especially because the water is easily wasted when it all becomes ground water. The rationing system could probably be improved but it is unlikely that Immortan Joe would do such a thing. Their culture is interesting, especially how they had musical performers playing the guitar and drums while traveling down fury road. I felt that this was somewhat unnecessarily but the thought of how much gas they were using and how unsustainable they were was rather unpleasant to me. If they were fighting for these scarce resources, why would they be getting in big “rigs” and going out and fighting but also depleting their own resources? (Resources meaning gas etc.) Couldn’t they just stay where they were and guard their own locations or were they looking to acquire resources that they didn't already have? Different groups are using arrows to kill, while some of the others are using guns. While Max and Furiosa were once not together, Max uses a gun to force her to side with him and eventually work together because they don't have much left. Max was once on the front car being held against his will like a prisoner and it was nice to see him eventually step up and join forces with Furiosa. Its was also interesting that Furiosa is on “Fury Road”, maybe her name has something to do with Fury road? These are all interesting questions to consider.
There are times throughout the movie where their rig seems to have gotten stuck and Furiosa must work to get the rig back in motion. In the movie, Furiosa as well as a few others are able to devise a specific plan to get their truck out of the sand while it is stuck. This shows Furiosa’s resourcefulness but also that she shows traits of masculinity. They must then find a way to cool down the engines of their rig and refuel. The wives, along with Max join Furiosa and they are now one trust, although they were not united in the beginning. One big challenge they face is losing an engine and also one that begins to fail during the same time period. It’s really interesting how Max tells Furiosa of his name closer towards the end rather than when he first meets her. Towards the end, when Max is aiding Furiosa (who is critically wounded), he offers some of his blood to her and also tells her that his name is Max. When Max arrives back to the site where all of the enslaved are, he shows everyone that Joe is dead and everyone seems to become very excited. At this point, water begins flowing out so that everyone can enjoy it and get “addicted” to it if they want to.
In terms of my thoughts on Mad Max: Fury Road, although there are arguably two main settings (Fury Road and the desert fortress of Citadel), the movie tends to be action packed and retained my attention throughout the entire duration of the movie. If I were to analyze roles and how this movie differs from the typical action movie, it is rather apparent that Furiosa represents a female action hero and is one of the main action characters in the movie, if not the main character which some may argue she is. She is a strong, dependent and resourceful hero who doesn’t exhibit the typical feminine like qualities that are actually more apparent in the wives throughout the movie. Although there are many other types of movies in which females are the main hero’s and become violent, I believe that this is one that really represents the idea of female masculinity. Other movies that also feature female action characters include Terminator 2 and Fast and Furious. I believe that in this movie, Furiosa is very serious and doesn't waste any of her time while on the journey. The idea of a two-hour rig chase can get boring to some and movies like these in which there is little change in the setting can be repetitive. There isn’t that much of a plot and there could have been more to the movie or multiple scenes other than just Fury road. I also felt as if the car crashing and fighting got a little over excessive just halfway in.
From Wikipedia, it is clear that although the name of the movie focuses more on Max, the movie is really about the feminist revolt that is led by Furiosa in an act to overthrow Immortan Joe. “ Kyle Smith of the New York Post said that the title character, Mad Max, is “Actually a secondary figure” in a film that is not about a roaming Max Rockantansky. Instead, the movie is “actually” about a “feminist revolt led by Imperator Furiosa” against Immortan Joe.” (Wikipedia).
While reading the article, “Old Hands, New Breed”, it is clear that there are evolving gender roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and that the strong female characters are most present. Not only does Furiosa kick “butt ass” but she also shows her raw emotion and shows the toll that the war takes on her. The fact that the movie was in development for over twelve years is incredible to me and makes me wonder how they were able to pull it all off. The film in a way attacks “several key tenets of traditional masculinity” and this is evident throughout the movie.
The article published by Feminist Media Studies that is titled, “Recouping masculinity: men’s rights activists’ response to Mad Max: Fury Road” offers some very interesting points and those points tend to be that there was a controversy over the movie as soon as the trailer came out and that some believed that this movie would redefine what the typical action movie is like. For example, one made the point that if the movie was a box-office success, we would not longer see movies without politics being present. It is also examined that Max is not the masculine hero in the movie and that Furiosa actually is seen to be more of a masculine hero. As a result of viewing Mad Max: Fury Road along with reading accompanying articles, I do believe that my idea of an action movie has changed and that the masculine hero does not always have to be a male. The role could be played by a female and is not necessarily restricted to any gender in the idea that it could be played by anyone. Mad Max: Fury Road was an interesting movie and really put the idea into perspective that any genders can be masculine heroes, although I am not so much of a fan of action packed movies, as I am more of a fan of movies that involve comedy and non-violence.   
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Gender Identities in Saga of The Swamp Thing:
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The Saga of The Swamp Thing portrays the natural idea that life is composed of multiple genders that just so happen to come out of the swamp based on what has already been in or decomposed in the swamp previously. These photos act to compliment my blog entry on Gender Identities in Saga of The Swamp Thing.  
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Gender Identities in Saga of The Swamp Thing
While analyzing multiple genders in “Saga of the Swamp Thing”, by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben, we may want to turn to the swamp itself and try to gain a better understanding of what the swamp has to do with the genders of the characters, particularly the swamp thing. Throughout Saga of the Swamp Thing, we often view or think of the swamp thing as a male. After all, the Swamp Thing appears to have male traits as it has both a masculine body and often engages in violent/aggressive actions with others who get in the way. We are also convinced towards the beginning of the story that the swamp thing is Alec Holland, however it turns out that this is not the case and that the swamp thing is actually a plant of some sort that is composed of parts of Alec Holland but more than just Alec. If this is the case, than we might want to consider whether or not the swamp thing is composed of more than one gender and what those genders might be. If Alec Holland wasn’t the only one who ended up in the swamp and more individuals’ organic matter are there, then it is very likely that the swamp thing is not just male or female but exhibits multiple genders. While readers often get the idea that the swamp thing is male because of its appearance, we then wonder why it doesn’t have male genitalia or other charactetitistics that are often associated with a male. This could be a message by the author that the swamp thing is simply a plant composed of organic matter from the swamp and doesn’t have a specific gender or that it is not a male and something else. Despite the most apparent male characteristics that the swamp thing shows throughout Saga of the swamp thing, it is evident that the swamp thing might be more than just male and classified by the term bigender or possibly even polygender. Bigender is a person who fluctuates between the traditional “women” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities in which they will sometimes even identity under both genders while polygender is used to describe one who identifies with several different genders either at the same time or at different times. Normally, Polygender is used to describe one who identifies under four or more genders, so this might be the best way to describe the gender of the swamp thing.
It is particularly interesting that the story is based around a swamp in which the swamp thing “comes out of”. This is interesting because when the swamp thing comes out of the swamp, it might be composed of more than one gender. We also know of the “coming-out” process that is defined as “the process by which one accepts and/or comes to identity one’s own sexuality or gender identity”. While the swamp thing comes out of the swamp, it might be possible that he or she questions which gender they are and may or may not address that based on if they feel comfortable “coming-out”. They might give up questioning their gender since they simply have no idea what has decomposed in the swamp and determining what or who they are might require very scientific research that they cannot do on their own. For example, the swamp thing was fully convinced that he was the remains of Alec Holland and that he would get his life back together soon, however he realized that he was not Alec Holland since Alec Holland was dead. When he read the report written by scientists in a laboratory after he had been captured, he found out the truth and that he was simply a plant. At this point, he turned corrupt because he knew that he had little to live for and was willing to sacrifice his life to get back at those who captured him in order to conduct research on him.
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Students For Sustainability Practices (SFSP) Manifesto on Global Warming:
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Students For Sustainability Practices (SFSP) Manifesto on Global Warming:
The Rollins College community has made several changes in recent years to reflect greater sustainable practices around their campus in regards to the operations behind various departments, which has a direct impact on the choices that are made by students at Rollins. Rollins College sets many examples for how other college campuses should work to address the lack of sustainability problem that is often present and how all student generations should behave in terms of promoting greater sustainable practices regardless of which college they attend or which community they live in. Promoting sustainability applies to global warming, which is mainly caused by our sustainability threats and poor sustainable practices. For example, in third world countries like Indonesia, oil companies are coming in and informing these communities that depend on their environment that they will be drilling, however that they will not experience any issues. These people are often paid by the oil companies and told that they cannot communicate with any media or officials about what is going on, however some catch on to the oil companies and speak out about what is going on. These oil companies are so large and powerful in terms of the economy that they can hire military officials to prevent the locals from getting in the way of what they are doing. The oil companies pollute the air, they dump waste into the water supply and also deforest. Large companies such as Monsanto or Cargill are known for stepping in these same countries and causing deforestation in order to grow abundances of foods for cheap prices that can be sent back to the United States and used to gain large profits. Cargill is actually known to be the number one producer for grain and meats, but not many know about this company or what they do because they try to cover up their poor environmental practices at all costs. As a result of our deforestation and pollution to the air and water, wildlife populations deplete and this causes major issues to the locals who live in those areas. The tribal cultures or foragers who live in those areas will suffer because the food supply is now gone and the little fish that live in the water might not be safe to consume because of the oil pollution. The same applies to the water and even the air they breathe. After only several months, all of the resources that these individuals have spent generations preserving are all depleted and all that remains is the oil processing center and machinery. Those who live in these environments are concerned about not just themselves but also their future generations. They understand that global warming is caused by pollution and that we are contributing to global warming today but that global warming is an issue of today and not an issue that we will have in the future. We are already experiencing the consequences of our actions and the government needs to step in at some point to create regulations.
 The U.S. government might not step in because they provide subsidies to these large producers to begin with and want to promote the products they produce because its sells more and is more profitable, even though it is not environmentally sustainable. There is a major difference between financially sustainable and environmentally sustainable practices. In order to address the issue, we should all work on educating each other to better understand the negatives behind bad sustainability practices and Rollins College does a great job with doing just that.
 Although it is clear that some practices are not at all sustainable, particularly those in third world countries by large oil companies and grain producers, colleges such as Rollins College are working to do just the exact opposite and help prevent global warming from becoming a major threat. Just a few of the efforts by Rollins College include placing solar panels on top of some of the campus buildings (Hamilton Holt Hall) for example, introducing a student-operated garden, utilizing natural sources of water for watering plants, eliminating waste by no longer giving out plastic bags or disposable to go boxes, promoting reusable bags, cups, to go containers, offering the option for students to tent a bike etc. The rent a bike system is a great example because it offers ways in which people can get around campus and the Winter Park area without having to use a car or increase gas consumption. In the past year, Rollins College has implemented a new system in which it supports the use of reusable products, which acts to create a much lower ecological footprint. For example, last year Rollins has signs around campus promoting recycling waste, however they now limit the ways in which waste can occur on campus. By eliminating disposable waste containers and implementing a system of reusable containers, they have been able to reduce the amount of to go boxes that are thrown away or that get into natural habitats. This new system supports only using reusable products, which creates a lower ecological footprint for the campus. This is important for us but also animals that might be threatened by trash and pollutions.
 Rollins Dining Services also has implemented many sustainable processes for reducing food waste. Second harvest is a company that is not operated by Rollins College, however they actually collect left over foods that are not used by restaurants and businesses and then give those foods to communities that are in serious need of them. Any surpluses of foods or products that are not sold to students at Rollins College are sent to second harvest so that they can be distributed to those who might live in poverty or suffer from malnutrition.
 Rollins Sustainability program sends out newsletters to all students in which they state the importance of recycling, reusing bags, and the bike share program (which offers free bikes available for rent to all students who have an R-Card). Students can rent out bikes at the circulation desk within the library. Instead of recommending plastic bottles of water, the campus recommends using hydration stations around campus as they can be used to refill reusable water bottles rather than drinking from plastic disposable water bottles.
 The Urban farm on campus is located behind Elizabeth hall and is a local student-run farm in which many of the products produced are used in meals sold at the campus center. This is a very sustainable practice because Rollins knows how they are growing the products and that GMO’s or other harmful pesticides are not being used in production. It is not likely that all of the fruits and vegetables come from the student farm, but it is certainly a big step in progress towards sustainability by Rollins. Rollins College has an entire landscaping team and focuses heavily on keeping the campus beautiful but the real importance behind the landscaping is that the grounds and landscape team operate by promoting “Ethical practices that enhance the integrity, quality, and values of the Rollins College mission and its goals”. (Rollins.edu). Rollins takes great price in making sure that they landscape ethically and it shows that they do not deplete their resources. Rollins implemented their waterless urinal system in 2001 and that system has allowed them to save up to 20,000 gallons per unit annually. They also have low flow shower heads, which means that they are using efficient products to save thousands of gallons of water each semester without “degrading performance for the user.” (Rollins.edu). In terms of the sprinkler systems on Rollins College campus, they do not offer significant amounts of information on how it all works, however one might assume that their sprinkler system allows them to use natural sources of water for the plants. 
 These are just a few of the ways in which Rollins College works to be sustainable, however they are important because they have an effect on a local environment and community, which also has an effect on the greater environment. They set examples and show how a community can work to address the global warming and unsustainable issues that are going on today.
 Today’s BIG Sustainability Threats/Problems:
- Deforestation in environments (Loss of CO2 Levels)
- Pollution to the water and air
- Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by humans
- Carbon dioxide levels in the air
- CAFO’s (Confined Animal Feeding Operations)
- Overpopulation levels
 Results of problems:
- Warmer temperatures have an effect on the weather, which often becomes more extreme
- Growing crops becomes more difficult with global warming being such an issue
- Water supplies become diminished and we need water to survive
- Agricultural challenges are the major outcomes by global warming
We can conclude that even though humans may cause these sustainability issues, humans are still the ones that can combat them and work to solve them in the long-term with environmentally sustainable practices, which are often ignored.
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Aldo: The Dancing Monster
The monster that I created goes by the name Aldo. In the attached photo, he happens to be celebrating good times at his local nightclub in New York City. He is an Uber driver and often visits the nightclub after he is done with his trips for the day. Since he goes to the nightclub almost every night and has a few drinks, he supports his nightclub addition by driving from 6:00 am in the morning until midnight. Aldo’s life is quite rough but when he goes to the nightclub and dances, he is able to unroll and let his inner monster out. While dancing, the tree on the top of his head comes alive and synchronizes perfectly with his movements. Everyone in the nightclub stares at him and laughs, but it doesn’t matter to Aldo. It doesn't matter because he is in his own world and the opinions of others do not necessarily change how he feels. Occasionally, a few of his Uber riders will recognize him as viral videos have seemed to surface of him and his tree dancing in the night club and this makes him feel embarassed. Generally, he dances to “Celebrate good times..Come on!” because the only good times he can celebrate are at the nightclub. This is because he does not seem to enjoy being an Uber driver or the relationship with those who he lives with. He does have a roommate who is also a monster, but they are complete opposites and do not respect each other. This is another reason that Aldo goes to the nightclubs and spends time drinking. Aldo hopes to eventually go to business school, get a better life going for himself and also get out of the habit of drinking in addition to going to the nightclub as often as he does. In order to save up money for business school, he is limiting his nightclub visits to once per week.
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Cornell Fine Arts Museum Blue Lights Piece 
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Cornell Fine Arts Museum: Blue Lights Piece and my Connection/Relationship
While analyzing a particular piece of artwork at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum that I feel has a good relationship with myself, I have decided to pick the wall of blue neon lights. On previous visits to the CFAM, the neon pieces would always catch my attention immediately and this piece without a doubt caught my attention as soon as I walked into the show room. I feel as if this piece connects with me because of the fact that my favorite color is blue and that the brightness of the lights gives off a positive mood. I generally tend to have a very positive outlook on life and feel that a simple piece like this really does reflect how I feel or act on a day-to-day basis. The piece is very large and bright, yet also simple and I’m sure that it could represent many meanings depending on who decides to analyze it. Even though this piece may be viewed as just a wall of lights to some, I feel that it has a much more significant meaning and that it says a lot, especially for someone like me. The ways in which the lights are arranged really allow the piece to be truly unique and something that I have personally never seen before in a museum or on display in a public setting. Overall, the piece has a relationship to me because it makes me feel satisfied and also encourages me to think positively. Although a few other pieces in the museum that I observed allowed me to felt the same way, this one piece is what stuck with me while leaving and is one that I feel as if I have developed a very strong relationship for. 
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
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toinfinityandbeyondrc · 8 years ago
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Painting Connection
A specific painting that I feel has a strong connection to myself is The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. This painting has a connection to me because it has always caught my eye and is a painting that I was introduced to at a very young age. I remember being introduced to the piece in my elementary school years and I thought it looked so inspirational during that time that I asked my parents to purchase a recreation of it that would be hung up in our living room. Although I never thought to look up the story behind it or its deeper meaning, I find it interesting that the painting was actually the view Van Gogh had from a mental asylum that he stayed in because of a mental illness of some sort. This would have never pondered my mind but we are looking at a painting that was made in the late 1800’s and it is very possible that he was viewed as mentally ill because he had such interesting paintings and ideas that simply weren’t like the typical paintings being created at the time. Also, during the time period of Van Gogh (in the late 1800’s), very few individuals appreciated his art and thought that it was sloppy apparently. This could be another reason that people viewed him as “mentally ill”. Although I am not entirely sure what the cause of him going to a mental asylum was, I can assume that today we would not necessarily view him as mentally ill and may also have a greater appreciation for his work compared to the people of his time period.  
While researching the painting and its deeper meaning, I also found out that The Starry Night is actually one of the best known and reproduced pieces of art in the world. The article mentioned that most people can’t really tell what the meaning behind the painting is but they can explain why they like it so much. I personally like the fact that the painting features bright lights of stars and the moon over a dark landscape. I visualize the painting and I often have strong feelings of calmness, happiness and most importantly hope.
During my childhood, I probably looked at the glowing stars and moons and saw my future or maybe just thought of positive things. This painting offers me hope for my future and also allows me to develop a more positive outlook on my life. These are just several reasons why The Starry Night has such a strong connection to my life and I feel that because this is a work of art, there are many ways in which the meaning can be interpreted. I view the piece in a very positive manor, in which I feel inspired and motivated to do well in life. I hope that more members of our society look at this piece and appreciate it the way I do but also view it as an opportunity to have more of a positive outlook on life. I know lots of people who focus on negative aspects of life and I feel that this painting can change the way that they feel about their personal lives or the any problems that they might be facing. It certainly is one of those paintings that I do plan on hanging up in my future apartment to continually make sure that I am motivated and inspired to work hard and do well.
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