The Price of a Dollar

Today, I learned something new. Unfortunately, this was not some fun, exciting discovery that I am proud to share. According to Nathan and Mort's essay Remembering Norma Rae, the textile industry is the only industry that to this day still is not unionized. That makes me really sad. The people that work so hard to manufacture the clothes that we wear on our backs everyday, still do not have an organization that protects them from wage inequality, overworking, poor work conditions etc. Knowing this, a certain question comes to my mind. Is it worth it? Is working tirelessly in a factory for a wage that cannot even support you worth it? I do not think people realize--myself included until this day--how some of the clothes we wear got in our hands. Here in the United States and all over the country people are slaving away in sweat shops to make those cute jeans you bought on sale or the sweater you copped from Goodwill. Now that I think about it, I have read the labels in some of my  clothes, and I lot are made outside of the country. The brand Hollister, for example, has their jeans made in Guatemala. I'm sure this is because the labor is cheap and desperate families are willing to work excruciatingly long hours to provide whatever they can. Another thought comes to mind. American Apparel is an advocate for the rights of textile workers, as they advertise that all of their clothes are sweatshop free. So, all of this leaves me somewhat overwhelmed. There is so much to be changed yet little has been changed. Norma Rae fought for textile worker equality, but still nothing. then again, i can't say i'm surprised, as other continue to fight for their rights and we fail to progress. 

The Black Dynamic

I have a bone to pick. Why is is that the black character in a movie or show--if they are not the main character--is the quirky, comedic side kick that is not ever taken seriously? Now, of course, this is not always the case, but the examples of this are endless. I personally take some offense. It is like we are either an evil character, the thug, or the character with lack of dynamic that is always making wacky side comments as comedic relief. To list a few, there is Frozone from the Incredibles, Chad from High School Musical, Ivy Wentz from Good Luck Charlie, and Donkey from Shrek (come on, we all know if he were human, he would be Black). Now I understand and appreciate the effort of showing the diversity of friendship in these movies and shows, however, I always feel like the black counterpart to the non-black (usually white) main character is painted the same way: the "funny black friend". They seem to lack substance as a character.

I have begun to realize that I have been subconsciously influenced by these characters' behavior and actions. Growing up, I saw these characters and had the same reaction that most had toward them: wow, they're funny; I like them! Being that I am black, I wanted to be like them, act like them, come off as funny like them, be liked like them. I thought that if I appealed to my peers in the same way that those characters appealed to their audiences, I would be liked, and I would have friends. For a long time, that is the only way I thought I would be accepted by the people around me. Media often paints a very limited amount of dynamics for minority characters. This is incredibly sad. I think it is important that there is not only diversity in movies and shows, but variability in personality, so that kids understand there are more ways to be accepted besides being the loud, funny friend.

You Call That Art?

What is art? Virgually anything, right? How can you put a restriction on what art is? It is relative. Art is really just anything that is a representation or expression. To some, that means a couple of splattered paint spots on a canvas. To others, that means a sophisticated musical composition or a completely choreographed dance number. So what about video games? Nope. A video game? Art? I think yes. A video game can be viewed as art in so many different ways. For one, the graphics in modern day video games have become incredibly complex. There are vivid landscapes,  crystal clear resolution, and the most realistic looking creatures and people that aren't actually real that I've ever seen. So in that sense, aesthetically, video games are truly art. But I also consider video games art in another way. Their technicality. So much goes into making a video game a video game. Hours of planning, designing, creating back stories, generating images that come off as real life. Then there's actually creating these images electronically completely from the ground up. On top of that, there is incredible music that sets the theme for the game. If the music by itself is considered art, how could that plus all of the production of a video game not be? When you think about it, video games are a bunch of different artful elements smashed into one. In my eyes, having the mind, the vision, the talent to do so is without a doubt artistic. I respect video games for the amount of time, money, skill goes into them to make them enjoyable for gamers everywhere. Though I myself am not an avid gamer, I can at least acknowledge the effort that goes into making them. Art comes in all different forms, and video games deserve its spot to be considered one of them.

The Power of Words

What does "VIRTUALLY SPOTLESS" and "NEW AND IMPORVED" mean to you? Or how about "LIKE MAGIC"? It sounds like a product that will get the job done, right? Something you would want to buy because it will work effectively and benefit you in some useful way. The thing is, do these products actually work as well as their labels say they will? Let's be honest, probably not. But these enthusiastic adjectives and complimentary phrases make us feel better, so we buy that product over the others with less appealing titles.This is because we believe it is 'better than the leading brand'. So what do these words really entail? Allow me to serve as your Advertisement Word Dictionary, your translator.

Let's begin. When a product says "VIRTUALLY SPOTLESS", it is really saying "I mean, you won't be able to see that the spot is there, so that's a plus right?". The word virtually basically means "kinda but not really!". So in actuality, the product will make it seem like it got the job done. What about "NEW AND IMPROVED"? In order for something to be new and improved, it once had to be old and really bad at its function. It makes me wonder what was wrong with the product the first time.And lastly, "LIKE MAGIC''. If something works that well without a real explanation, you probably do not want to know why or how that product works so well. Most likely, its full of harsh chemicals. Congratulations! You are now the new and improved shopper! Go about your life deciphering through the B.S. :)

Consumerism: Can't Live With it, Can't Live Without It.

Consumerism is a disease, and we're all infected with it. Too harsh? I'll start over. We've learned to buy without consequence. We see something we want. Corporations tell us we need it, so we buy it. In reality, the likelihood that we actually need the newest version of our favorite smartphone, or those two-wheeled hover boards that are impossible to balance on, is very slim. Subconsciously, we know we don't need these things, so why do we buy them anyway? That's easy. We want them! Through mindful marketing, corporations convince us that our wants are just as important as needs. We become zombies. The capitalist system makes sure we remain in an endless loop. We buy, we see an ad, we buy more. Advertisements are carefully constructed to appeal to every age group, more races, differing political views. The list goes on. The funnier the ad, the catchier the slogan, the more recognizable the logo or popular the brand, the more likely you are to buy the product.  Think about this. There are actual downloadable apps that test your knowledge of name brands. Provided with a shape of a logo, you must input the proper brand name to advance to the next level. This is a display of how much consumerism runs our lives. What's ironic is that while we indulge in our wants, we forget about needs, or even the needs of others. Something else to think about: The Superbowl. Besides of course the football, hundreds of thousands of people tune in to watch the outrageous ads during the commercial breaks. This incredibly televised sports event is a marketing team's dream. Here's where the irony hits. While we enjoy silly ads and eat finger sandwiches, the losing team's Superbowl shirts are being shipped off to a third world country in need of clothing. To say that consumerism is not beneficial to the stimulation of our economy would be a mistake. However, when it rules over most of the decisions we make, it can be blinding to other, more important real world issues.