Pop Culture In Our Society Today

In our society today, a lot of people, epically teens, are overwhelmed with the media. Media defines pop culture, what the latest trends are, what we should be wearing, what we should listen to, how we should act, and what we should look like. Pop culture, defines what one should look like through the everyday things that teens/people do/watch. Things like movies, television, magazines, catalogs, billboards, fashion, and music.

Wherever we look, catalogs, magazines, television, movies, and billboards, images show us the cultural standard, what we should be like and that is in fashion. The standards that women should be beautiful and sexy are shown throughout these images. Girls as young as twelve start to dress up and imitate Britney Spears wanting to be like her.

On Opera, there was a show on girls between the ages of ten to thirteen dressing up like Spice Girls, wearing a miniskirt, a tube top, and makeup. Jennifer Lopez, in the movie industry, and Britney Spears, in the music industry, show how pop culture expects women, to have the “sexy” look no matter what they do, as they exercise or just going through an ordinary day.

Not everything I agree with, like the the things that people watch, or are obsessed with. Who said that we had to look a certain way? No one, just if we don't fulfil these requirements, we are separated into a different category?

Reading the magazines, looking on the websites, why does our society today think that we have to look, act, dress a certain way? Personally, I have better things to do with my time, like my English homework! :) I don't understand why people go to extreme measures to look at certain way, or act like someone totally different just to fit in with a special group of people. Pop culture sure has changed over the years, and I think expects a whole lot more out of young people today.

What Makes Me, Who I Am Today

What makes me, me? All of english class today, I just sat and pondered that exact thought. What does make me me? I thought about my great family and wonderful friends, but sitting at home on the computer, it came to me. I would have to say one of the many things that makes me, who I am today, is my involvement in sports and activities inside, and outside of school.

If I didn't have basketball after school everyday of the week, for that hour and a half or so, what else could I be up to? Depending on what I did in the time, I could be almost as if a whole new person each day. As I sat in class today, I looked outside to see the first real snowfall we have had so far this fall/winter. :) Yay! Snowboarding season is just around the corner, and therefore, instead of sitting on the couch or sleeping, I will soon be out on the slopes shreddin' some snow, being active, and havin' FUN! Snowboarding, building forts, having snowball fights, and volleyball at school, are pretty much what my winters are all about, which is why winter is by far my favourite season of all times!

After many hours of homework each night, the thing that I love to do the most is some sort of physical activity. Go outside and shoot some hoops, go for a bike ride, walk the dog, or even just run up and down the stairs a few times. If I don't have a way to let out all of my extra energy, I have no idea what I would be like. I have been playing sports inside and outside of school for many, many years. A few of the many sports that I enjoy are basketball, badminton, golf, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer, baseball, and...well, pretty much any other activity there is out there. I am always in the mood to try something new and/or different. Heck, I even got a unicycle for my birthday a few years ago and I love to ride it! To go along with all the exciting things in my life, I LOVE to dirt bike with my brother and a few of my friends, or just anything outside. If I were to get stuck inside with nothing to do or just bored, which rarely ever happens, I think I would go crazy.

Overall, if you were to ask me to describe what makes me, who I am today, I would say that sports or anything to do with physical education in general makes me who I am.

Is it right to be prejudice??

My grade 10 academic English class, has recently finished the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee which reflects a lot on prejudice. Growing up in the small town of Elmira, Ontario I have not been directly influenced by prejudice, or at least I am not aware of it, but as growing up with Mennonites in the community, it is hard to not notice the remarks made towards them.

For instance, this past week, my mom and I were driving down main street when a horse and buggy was waiting to make a right turn in front of us. Of course, we had the time and decided to stop to let them in, but the line up behind us didn't think so, and got very upset. What's wrong with doing a simple little deed and just waiting a few seconds? Don't we have enough time in our day to wait half a second to let an innocent Mennonite in? Or, one day last year, I saw a horse and buggy in the drive through of MacDonald's. Of course if you aren't use to it, it looks kind of unusual, but how are they any different from the rest of us? Just because they dress differently and drive a different means of transportation, people treat them differently? That is what I don't get right there. Are those the only two things that come to mind when people think of old order Mennonites being different from other people?

My point that people are sometime prejudice toward Mennonites, relates to the book To Kill A Mockingbird in the way that Jem and Scout, with a bunch of other followers, treat the Ewell's differently not just because they live down at the dump and they are not very literate, and therefore comes the fact that they don't fit in with the others in their school/society. Just because they are one of a kind or look a bit different then the rest of the kids doesn't mean that they are different from the rest of the other kids/people.

Next time you see a Mennonite going down the street or just going about with their day, think about it. What makes then any different from us? Why are so many people prejudice towards Mennonites?

How am I connected to Technology?

Up until this year, I wouldn't say that I really was connected to technology very much. I had the usual hot mail account but who didn't. This summer I decided to buy myself a cell phone, but after a month or so I lost interest and now I think that my cell phone is a waste of my money and I don't use it very much at all. As for t.v. I enjoy a few shows that I watch once a week but I'm not a kind of person to watch t.v. I would rather be outside playing a sport, dirt biking, or hanging out with friends. Overall, those are a few of the many ways that I am connected to technology.