Response #2

Kelley's Blog: (http://benn6244.blogspot.com)

After looking at this blog I just stand to say 'Thank you'. Since I was unable to due the extra credit on the BIGXII This blog informed me with the information that I was unable to get. I found it interesting that two of the seven schools listed due require race and gender. I think that it is also intriguing that schools within the same state have different requirements. I feel that being state schools that they would have some of the same requirements on this issue. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future for the school's who do require the information and the one's that do not. I am not sure if it is an issue that must be changed or if it is just protocol.

Blog Response #1

Ashley's Blog: (http://ashley-n-anderson.blogspot.com)

After reading Ashley's blog, I thought I was reading myself speak in a way. After hearing Tim Wise speak it was an eye opener for me. I am glad that we were able to take this away from the film. For myself, I have never really thought about that topic until we discussed it in class. I think that it is very important and I am glad that we were able to open up in class about the topic I am not sure about you but it sounds that you and myself have some of the same beliefs on the issues that we discuss. I think this will be one of my favorite parts of the semester is this class because it is opening up my eyes to elements of life that I have never really considered and is giving me new perspectives on life.

Tim Wise

After listening to Tim Wise on Monday night, I was some what confused. Now, I was not confused about what he said, I guess I just never have really put those ideas into perspective before. When he began to talk about privilege I figured out that it is still present in today's society. Although for myself I have never really felt that way as if I have been and still have friends of all races. I believe that it is going to be a hard ideal in to get rid of as I feel that not many people are going to be willing to fully except this social change. I think the one thing that he said that proved that this issue is still effecting society is when he opened up his speech by explaining that if a person of another gender was giving this speech, that half of the people in the room and most of the white people probably wouldn't be in attendance.
I think the utilize privilege in many cases. From television to movies its is clear that there is some sort of privilege. have you ever noticed in a lot of shows and movies that the main character is usually white. Or that they have a minority friend who is always the comedic relief or hardly has a role. Today I was watching "Semi-Pro" starring Will Farrell. There is a scene where they are playing poker, and there are four white gentlemen including Farrell, and one black guy. Then they are playing around with a gun that is unloaded, which after many pulls of the trigger goes off when it is set on the table and shoots, guess who, the black guy at the table. And he is played off as a joke that he got shot. Now i ask, would it have been different if Farrell got shot or one of the other white characters.
As for the one drop rule. I do believe that society still believes in the one drop rule. I think that it has become a part of society that will take time to overcome.

I think that it is true that we as people need to take in information and change our awareness. I think that people have taken this since the 1960's and have begun to change a lot of things. I feel that my generation is a generation of change and that not to bash the generations before us, but with our generation leading the way it will lead the way for more change and more equal based society.

2009 Grammy Awards

Out of all of the performances at last nights Grammy Awards, the one that I felt delivered the strongest message to me, was Kid Rock. The Detroit native, who has gone from a hip-hop style rock n’ roll to country, played a song called “Amen” to open his act. On the projectors behind his band, the American flag was shown, then it would switch to other images including the flag of Iraq, India and China, and people of all races and so on. This was the first time that I have ever heard this song but I really connected with the lyrics.
The song speaks about the issues going on in this great country we live in. We all know that this country is not perfect but we are working towards fixing the wrongs and making a right. These issues included corruption, criminal offenders, the men and women serving our country, drugs and race. He makes some very strong points in this song and the one about race really made me think. The verse of this song goes:

“And how can we seek salvation when our nations race relations, got me feeling guilty of being white”

I find these words by Kid Rock very powerful, as well as meaningful. Every single citizen knows about the race issues that have been a part of not only the history of the United States but numerous other nations around the world. But today I think what Kid Rock is saying is true.
There are so many times that I have been in conversations about different things with people, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, who do not agree with what I stand for, and just assume that I am just the typical white man. Is this a fair assumption? Just to say that this is how I am because I am a white male, I feel should not be the case.
We all have the ability to do something in our lives regardless what color you are. Although not everyone has been born into the same situations as everyone else, there are opportunities for everyone. We all have the power to make change, as President Obama would say. So just because I am white, male, doesn’t mean that I have been handed everything on a sliver platter in life and that some how I am a total racist. I have been working since I was 16 years old and paid for my first car. Yes, I have been blessed with the opportunity to get a college education but it hasn’t come free. I work two jobs and have taken out loans to get me through school. I have also had and still have friends of all races.
I feel that this message from this song still shows that even today, over 40 years since the civil rights movement, that there is still a racial fire burning inside this country. Although it may not be the same issues that haunted this country for years, the presence of race issues in America is still apparent.
It is our choice as people, as Americans, to do something in this world, not only for society for ourselves regardless the color of our skin or our gender.



"Amen"- Kid Rock on www.youtube.com

Super Bowl Ads

As I watched the Super Bowl Sunday night, I can honestly say that for the first time I was so entrenched in the game that I had to watch the majority of the commercials on the Internet the following day. I guess I can attribute this to being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan my whole life. Yes, I am from Texas, but my dad is from Pittsburgh, so he raised me to waive the terrible towel as a young kid, so I didn't grow up idolizing Troy Aikman and the rest of the great 1990's Dallas Cowboys teams. But that is another story. As for the advertisements throughout the 2009 Super Bowl.

I can honestly say I was a little disappointed, in the humor and originality of the commercials. It was also still apparent that the ethnic diversity in the commercials was very limited. I do have to say though, that since the election of President Obama, I have seen a more diverse selection of actors for commercials on television. But for the Super Bowl the majority of the main actors in the commercials were Caucasian males.

Now I do not know if this was done for any reason but it would seem to me that since the Super Bowl is one of the most watched programs on television, that there are more than just white males watching the game. For instance, my mom watched the game and although she is white, she is not male, and many of the commercials were not geared for women. 

On the other hand there were a couple of commercials with the main actor not being a white male. One of my favorite was the Coca-Cola re-make of the Mean Joe green commercial with current Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. Another commercial that I have truly enjoyed not just during the Super Bowl but for about the past year are the Miller High Life commercials with the African-American delivery guy. That guy knows what it means to live the so called "High Life" and I totally feel what he is saying in those commercials. Even though his Super Bowl ad was only one second, it made me think about all of his other funny commercials.

I feel that commercials are becoming more diverse but at the same time companies are still trying market to specific races and genders through their advertisements and it is apparent. Although these acts my not fit the model of political correctness and moral fairness, that every man is created equal, the companies are the paying customer, and can produce whatever type of advertisement they wish. Sometimes money, although materialistic can be larger than fairness.