I'm dreaming of a caucasion holiday

Yesterday I had heard a new country song featuring brad paisley and the boys of blue collar comedy. When listening to the wording, it really made me realize how far our obsession in political correctness has gone. In the song they bleep out words such as Christmas, white, new, little, drummer, boy, etc., because everything can offend someone. It's so ridiculous, its hilarious! How silly we must look as a culture when it we are seen essentially "hiding" what we want to say and blanketing every celebration as a "holiday". In a country where we are supposed to respect and appreciate every ones differences it seems contradicting that instead we encompass all celebrations under "happy holidays". I am proud to say Merry Christmas. I don't even believe in God or Christ, but I am not offended by people wishing me a Merry Christmas. I don't expect people to wish me a "Merry Santamas". If someone were to say Happy Hanukkah, I would never be offended. Therefore, why is everyone so bent out of shape with saying Merry Christmas? Even if you don't celebrate it, you might as well have a merry one!

I believe in Santa Claus!

When visiting a younger member of my family this weekend I was filled with Christmas spirit. This continued right up until the moment he blurted out in front of some of the child population, "Santa doesn't exist!". Although this was shocking to hear this seven year old say this, the most horrific thing he added was "that's what my teacher told me".
Teachers hold the power to change the lives of children every day. But when a teacher uses this power to steal the innocence from the children it seems to be such a shame.
It makes sense that a child would learn the truth of their world (as true as it may be) from their peers and from their own deductive reasoning. However, I completely disagree with a teacher being able to steal this belief from a child. If a teacher can't tell their students that a god doesn't exist, that why can they say that Santa doesn't?

Simply Impressed

I Came across this picture in my random searching and I felt the need to share.

Commercial Colleges

When watching TV it makes sense that many products that have commercials seem more credible. When you are at a store and you see a brand of juice that was recommended on a commercial, it seems more reliable than one you have never heard of before. However, it seems the opposite for colleges, universities and perhaps schools in general. Maybe it is just me, but I trust colleges that have commercials far less than those who don't. I have never seen a commercial for Harvard, McMaster, University of Guelph, Western, or Queens. However, many times, especially on "Peach tree TV", I see commercials for these crazy colleges that have people convincing me to go back to school. It is because of these commercials that I do not take the school at all seriously. Perhaps it is because I am not the demographic they are trying to reach, or maybe its because of the air conditioning school that boasted "get chyou a cooool job" that just ruined it for all of them. I found it to be an interesting paradox that when it comes to important choices sometimes advertising just doesn't cut it at all.

Where have all the losers gone?

I had a ponder yesterday while watching the Grey Cup. Every year two teams play in a Championship game. This is the same for the Grey Cup, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, the Calder Cup, and so on. In every sport and every game both teams have equal chance at winning. Due to this, a special team of manufacturers create hats for the winning team to wear at the moment they are crowned the champions. However, what happens to the hats and sometimes even shirts that are made for the team that loose? Sure, the team that wins have the proper clothing with the proper labels. But where in the world do the wrong labeled outfits go? Are they burned? Are they sent to a far off land where people are dressed in the wrong winners from every year? Are they donated? Do poor people never know who actually won the game? Are they buried at sea or in the desert?
To be honest, there must be a logical answer to this, but i just can't think of it. They can't all just be thrown out, can they? If someone could fill me in on where these shirts and hats have disappeared to, I would be grateful.

Give me it with sugar coating please

Lately, I have heard a lot of "tell the truth", and "be honesty". Well, to be honest, sometimes you just need to sugar coating on the truth. I like to hear a lie every now and then, especially when I know its a lie that has been told to make me feel better! It soothes me to know that they would go through the trouble of lying to me to spare my feelings. I don't appreciate a lie that is told to cover up something. However, a sugar coated truth is often needed, especially in comparison to being brutally honest. For example, that dress looks great, but how about this one? or those "boots are still in", when I can't afford anything else. But not "holy shit this is garlicy", when I'm learning to cook!
In my opinion people say something different than they want. Although I may say I want honesty and it is a desirable trait in a person, to be honest, I like the truth with a little bit of sugar coating. Not to much, just enough to take away the sting.

Advancements?

Apparently being sick and stuck on a couch all day creates a bundle of revelations about popular culture. Watching TV I have seen about a dozen "advancements" in different things. For example, detergent that "pops" throughout the day, air fresheners that sense a bad smell, or a toothpaste that does everything under the sun! My debate for these products are, why do we need them? If a scientist can put so much effort into making detergent beads that pop throughout the day to make us smell nice, than why can't these scientists devote their time to other endeavors, such as medical discoveries. I am aware that these sciences are very different. However, as children did these scientists dream of becoming the inventor of a brand new detergent? If all of these creators have the power to make these advancements in useless things, I wonder what they could all create if they worked on more detrimental things like cancer, or diabetes.
I would use no name no pop detergent if that meant that there would be more people working on these worldwide problems.

Video Games.. not just a man's world?

While watching the news at noon today there was an interesting report on the new advancement of women and video games. The report began by saying that video games are not just used by men anymore, its a women's world too. However, watching the report it was clear that this involvement is actually because of two very different reasons. Men enjoy the activity, the skill, and the challenge. Although some women do enjoy these aspects as well, by listening to the interviews and examining the information, it is evident women are interested in video games for the same reason they are interested in many other activities, the social aspect. Women quoted enjoying talking about it, getting together with friends for parties to do it and talking to people through the video games. Therefore, although women are getting involved it seems to reinforce the true nature of the differences between the genders instead of providing evidence to how they are becoming more "similar" as the report seemed to detail.

The swearing continuum

When were new rules set for swearing during prime time TV? While watching prime time TV in the past hour, I have heard "bitch", "shit" "hell" "crap" "dammit" "ignorant skank" "dirty whore" tits" and even dare I say it, "ho-bag". I wonder, was there a date recorded when the only swear word left to be used on TV was the f-word?
Although I personally am not offended by the use of these words, well maybe "ho-bag", I wonder when we decided, and what made us decide, that these words were now so socially acceptable?

Body image and the Disney Princess

There are many things I love about Disney movies. The magic, the silliness, and the imagination they can instill. However, the one thing that I can never shake is the stereotypical representations it holds. Specifically, I wanted to touch on body image, which is a big topic surrounding today's media influence. The Disney princess is beautiful, but much like the Barbie, a complete falsity and physical impossibility. Interesting to note, even in this picture, the princesses are positioned much like fashion or magazine models. Perhaps this is foreshadowing stereotypical magazines to come in the future of young girls?

The Disney princess possesses a perfect hour glass figure found attractive by the male species for reproductive purpose (as explained by the evolutionary theory). Additionally, she is well endowed, has perfectly symmetrical features, an extremely small waist size that seems to be an impossibility, and long luscious hair. Much like many cultural impressions, due to the idolization of such princesses, young girls are unfortunately influenced by these impossible ideals of beauty.
Although I direct this towards girls, it isn't to say that boys are less subject to these stereotypes. Take a look at a Disney hero for example.

The men are typically tall, with larger legs, smaller waists, larger torsos (again noted as most desirably by the evolutionary theory), along with perfectly symmetrical features, and never move an inch of hair. Therefore, young boys as well are subject to impossible standards to live up to, unless they aim for Quasi-Motto, then perhaps they can reach their Disney Hero goal.

Essentially, these types of media representations influence children at young age to believe a certain kind of beauty, Disney Princess beauty, represents the way they should look.

Second life and the removal of real life

After doing a presentation on the social media "second life" it has had me thinking about the way our world seems to be on a route of becoming more lonely, even though we have the ability of connecting with more people. The more advanced we have become in technology, the less advanced we become as social beings. If we have the technology and the tools to create a second life in which we can satisfy our consumer, business, and social desires, what will people ever need to leave the house for? Have we become a society that is too reliant on convenience? Has this taken away from our true living? Do we cause our own depression, and weight problems by continually coming up with these ways to make life "easier"?

Although second life, for example, provides amazing opportunities for business development and communication with people across the world, it is perhaps inhibiting the communication between the people in our immediate realm. Has convenience gone too far?
Is a choice between convenience in life vs really living?
Second Life: http://www.secondlife.com/

Freud is not all that and a bag of chips

As a Psychology graduate I must take up my dis-satisfaction with the love and admiration of Freud and his contribution to Psychology. Sure, Freud was a marker in psychological history, he put psychology on the map per say, but that doesn't mean that he was the best thing to happen to the science since sliced bread! There many intelligent and compelling theorists that deserve mention as opposed to just always falling back on Freud. For example, when watching popular television shows that claim to be about the smartest of people, for example Frasier, Criminal Minds, or The Big Bang theory. One would think they would want to put in the added effort of researching popular credible psychologists as opposed to sticking to good ol' Freud. Because of this it seems Freud is often mentioned just for the sake of seeming intelligent!
The prominent use of Freud in popular culture, i feel, sheds a light of mis-truth towards those who are less knowledgeable in the psychology field. Sure he was a psychologist, but not the only psychologist. Many of his theories were flawed and unproven, and yet by consistent mention of only Freud it reinforces the idea of pure truth in his ideas. In my opinion there are far more reliable theories and theorists that should be used more often than Freud. Enough with the Freud get some new material!

A day in history

I feel today I should be looking around and taking notice of where I am and what I am doing when I learned that for the first time an African American is the President of the United States. I feel like its going to be one of those "in my day" stories that you share with your children and their children. Even though part of me is greatly relieved to have the American election over with, mostly so I can return to regular programming, another part of me its just yearning to take it all in. To take in the moment and all of the coverage so I can say I remember when America elected their first African American president. Even as Canadians we need to recognize this time and really understand the significance of this change in the government and society. Perhaps its the many speeches, photos, histories and bios I have watched, but I truly feel proud of the step that has been made.

How could halloween be bad when dogs in costume are so good!

God?

So I guess this anger about dis-belief in Halloween may come from my religious beliefs which equal=0. I believe that religion is more of a hinder than a help in this world. So much bad comes from religion that I cannot even fathom why people involve themselves so heavily in something that no one even has proof of to begin with. Perhaps it is my scientific background that leads me to these opinions, but I believe in fact and truth and I find there is none to be found in religion. In my opinion religions may give a good moral code to live by, respect thy neighbor etc. But beyond providing ethical guidelines the belief in an unknown being seems more of an excuse than a truth. For example, when it comes to the creation of things, I think that explaining a spiritual being as being the creator is simply a cop out because there people don't want to or put effort into believing there is another explanation for it. Instead of putting the effort to figure out logical reasoning for things that happen people turn to god, or some other form to which there is no real proof of. Personally I am strong believer in evolutionary theory. I am a strong advocate of reproduction of the fittest derived from Darwin's survival of the fittest. It is a factual explanation for the evolution of our world. I am currently reading the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and so far it has made me feel more comfortable about my position in life. Until I entered University I felt like a lonely sole with my views that I could never speak of because being an "atheist" was a bad word. Not only that but in the media hardly anyone expresses their anti-religious views which perpetuate the image of atheism as a wrong doing in our society. Sure there are tons of movies and TV shows about loving god, religious families, etc. But it is difficult for me to even think of one which portrays a healthy, respectable member of society as a non god believing atheist.

Halloween De-breifing

Halloween is about dressing up, watching scary movies, and having fun. Young children don't dress up to insult anyone, or praise a devil, they dress up to have fun, pretend to be someone else for a day, fit in and most important to them, get a lot of Candy! I think people may be putting too much thought into this holiday. Perhaps when the day was first developed it was a Satan praising day, I am unsure of the origin of this. However, just like most other holidays the original purpose of these holidays have changed and are no longer as prominent to today's society. For example Christmas, people associate Santa Claus with Christmas perhaps more than Jesus, at least I'm sure most children do. To me, Christmas is a family holiday, a great excuse for giving and receiving, and watching some great Christmas movies mostly based on a fat man in a red suit. Easter is about chocolate, the Easter bunny, and family. And Halloween is about dressing up. So why do we have to pick this apart so much? What is wrong with children running around as bees, police officers, cowboys and princesses? Who is it hurting?
It is the 21st Century and Halloween is about Candy, dress up and fun, and that is it!

What is wrong with Halloween???

Recently I have been bombarded recently with ideas that Halloween is a pagan holiday and creating a culture around it is a terrible thing for children to be involved in. I'd like to gather some of this information to show, but for now I just want to express my disbelief and anger in people attempting to push their anti-Halloween beliefs on me!

I wanted to note that I recovered the links that explained the "problems" with Halloween
http://www.sv-luka.org/articles/haloween.htm + http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/halloween.aspx
Thank you

My thoughts on my thoughts

I would like to introduce you to my blog. If you are looking for a space to read about one specific subject I fear you are in the wrong place. My blog will work as my mind does...it will roam all over the place. The tying element of this space will be media and popculture. I want to question anything and everything that happens in my world surrounding this topic. I attempt not to rant, but rather to reflect on the media I see in my daily life and the thoughts that are created from these occassions.