Most men think that women are put in the world for pleasure, their own entertainment. They only think about what they want and think of ways of getting it (from girls). In traditional gender roles, women are taught to act like a lady, be proper, stay quiet, be submissive. When a man talks and asserts authority, women are supposed to listen and take them seriously and do as they say. Women are not supposed to question men. Women are supposed to nod and smile at everything. Act like robots. I don’t even know why. I’m sorry, but if you are talking about things that are completely against my values, you can bet I will speak up. I will not sit and take it. Some women think that staying quiet is a sure way to keep a man or they fear that the guy will be angry with them. I’m sorry, but women are humans as well. We have emotions. We have our own thoughts. We have a voice. We are not just toys you can play with and toy around with. Women have different roles in life than being a mother and wife. Sorry, not sorry. Men tend to forget this fact. If women stand up for themselves, they are called “too sensitive” or that we are “over-reacting” and we need to “calm down”. That is the worst thing that you can tell a girl. If a woman is telling you she’s hurt or offended, it means you need to apologize, not brush it off. It does not mean call us crazy. These type of remarks are men’s way of manipulating , minimizing her worth. It’s a way to silence women. I am not one to sit by the sidelines while letting a man tell me what I’m feeling is all in my head. I am not scared to stand up for myself and demand respect. If that makes me crazy, so be it. At least I’m not crazy enough to let a man tell me how I should feel. I have a stronger persepective of myself. I know what I deserve and I don’t deserve to be treated like a child. Do not shame women or invalidate their feelings. Do not intimidate women when they voice their opinions and reasons. It is not about having thick skin or taking criticism well. I will not apologize for who I am and saying what I feel and how I feel. I will not apologize for being true to myself and being honest with you. One big clue why men say this is because they know they’re wrong but are too coward to say “I’m Sorry”. They are trying to keep their power and trying to make women inferior. when a woman speaks up,  men feel threatened and thus turn the ables around. I also heard that some guys also use this tactic because they think that if they sweet talk you, women will forgive them and they will get some later. See manipulation again: It’s all about sex. Real women deserve a guy who will lift them up, not put them down. I am happy being “too emotional” a “bitch” and for “over-reacting”. I know my self-worth.

So, after discussing visual rhetoric in class, I went to find some more examples that I could dissect.

Here’s the first one:

I thought this one was very powerful because I think this was my problem with feminism before I started researching more conversations. Even though I knew the dictionary definition advocated for equality, the instances of which I have seen feminism preached did not really reflect that at all, making me feel like I did not want to associate myself with this. The dictionary represents an idea of a neutral, harmless idea that is perhaps a romanticized, utopian version that has not yet been reached, and may never be reached. I think the image in the top right corner is very effective, caption aside, because I know first hand girls are vicious and don’t do a very good job of “sticking together” and “supporting their sisters of womenhood.” A lot of women become very vocal about criticizing others to elevate your own status, which has been a habit that has sadly turned into a culture. The bottom right image is also effective for two reasons: 1) the megaphone is an effective symbol for overcompensating that women need to be heard 2) the man’s blank face, as if he has been stripped of all capability/agency once the woman has gained her own. I think these are very powerful, realistic, and identifiable images/themes, and that concerns me. I think a lot of the true feminists are soft-spoken and don’t really voice their opinions because they have surrounded themselves with people who respect them regardless of their gender. That leaves other rash women speaking on their behalf and blemishing the name of feminism. Does this mean that feminists have a right to put a muzzle on women giving the rest of them a bad name? Or does feminism mean they have to respect those views too, unable to stop that behavior? How would one revoke the right to preach feminism?

The relation back to the dictionary also makes me think of how the Bible and other holy scriptures are appropriated and taken out of context, and how the actions of a minority suddenly turn the entire concept sour. A friend of mine said religion is bad because it’s used as a shield to gain your own agendas, in the context of the Crusades, and it appalled me, because I happen to think religion is beautiful, peaceful, and spiritual (though I don’t belong to a sect of organized religion).

I feel like this graphic is really simple, but it struck a lot of deep questions that I was grappling with at the beginning (and perhaps still am).

Second Image:

I grabbed this one mainly for the rhetoric. I found the dichotomy of what people tell their sons and daughters very interesting. I think another reason why I was never big on feminism is because my Dad raised me very similarly to how he would raise a boy – he picked on me, he teased me, he challenged me, he never let me win (easily, at least), he told me crude jokes. He’s also the one who taught me how to braid hair, paint my nails, sew by hand, crochet, or with a sewing machine, and bought me my first make-up set, because my Mom didn’t do anything remotely feminine like that. So I think having a parent who embraced both gender roles (I did mixed martial arts for five years and practiced with him, but he hated sports, unlike most stereotypical white fathers, and he watched Disney movies with me instead), and encouraged me to embrace both really made me a balanced individual who feels comfortable in both masculine and feminine environments. But I’ve noticed lately that he’s focusing more on me being safe and watching my surroundings, and buying me stealth weapons, training me on what to do in case I’m stopped, and I wonder if he would teach his son that. Of course, he grew up on Detroit, so he probably would to some extent, but perhaps he’d be less worried for a son. The saying on the picture breeds irresponsibility in sons, and has girls bearing the consequences. It’s also like that saying, “A father is someone who wants his son to grow up just like him, and fear his daughter will meet someone who has.” There’s this double standard that exists in parenting, much more important than what color your child wears (my parents dressed me in blue and red and I was confused for a boy the first year of my life, until they finally gave in to pink) or what toys they play with. It’s the rhetoric you raise your child with, and I think this picture highlights that.

I think the above post is both truthful and degrading. It’s truthful because I don’t see a lot of women of color saying they don’t need feminism, and I think your belief in feminism has to do with privilege. Those closer to the glass ceiling take it for granted, but I don’t think they’re necessarily saying other people don’t need it. Or maybe they are and they’re ignorant of what other women are going through. I think the historically short sighted part rings true because feminism has done so much for women in the past hundred years, and it’s sad we don’t acknowledge that. But I also think this post is degrading because of the following one:

What first struck me about this post is that the woman isn’t saying SHE doesn’t need feminism, she’s saying other people need it more. And I think that’s what’s wrong with the Women Against Feminism rhetoric. 1) They’re speaking only about a small minority of loudmouth feminists who don’t preach actual principles of feminism 2) They don’t recognize other populations’ need for feminism. I also identify with this because I didn’t feel right calling myself a feminist when I wasn’t actively fighting for women’s rights, when I know there are so many women out there who need all types of aid. So I really liked how this subtly elucidated this concept of almost a relative feminism. Some people need it more than others, but all people need it.

I love this last image so much. I think I like it mainly for it’s simplicity, but it’s also a great visual. I not only like that he’s a man of color, but that he’s flexing as well. It sends the message that being a feminist does not decrease your masculinity at all, which is a message that needs to be sent. Of course, it seems like it, when women mistreat men, but that frustrates me because people in general are jerks, both men and women, probably equally so, but in different ways. I don’t think there is ever going to be true equality because of all the hate that circulates the world, and the various perpetrators who fan the flames, but this picture warmed my heart more than all the other try-hard rhetoric I’ve found supporting women’s rights.

Yahoo finance posted an article in 2013 on old fashioned hobbies. Apparently an increasing amount of people are taking classes in your grandparents hobbies. Some of these hobbies include Urban beekeeping, butterfly mounting, taxidermy, and printing and bookbinding classes. They’ve found that the group taken part in these classes are none other than hipsters. Due to this Craft and Hobby industries have gained a new found customer base. If you think it wouldn’t be that much, then you’re dead wrong. They’ve estimated $30.2 billion in revenue.

This article shows us that Hipsters are doing what they do best, standing out. The writer, Katrina Biship, finds that hipsters are partaking in “skills to stand out from the crowd.” I’ve found in my research that this is a common hobbie for hipsters. To stand out they do the unexpected, even if its extraordinarily weird.

Originally, investors believed that hipsters would grow bored of the taxidermy classes and bookbinding. They believed that it would only last for around 6 months. However, after 4 years they’ve found that the market has only increased. In fact, people from all over the world are flying to urban cities just to embark on these classes. Think about that. Taxidermy classes sold out for days. That’s some serious dedication. They’ve even seen honey tastings in New York! The people who partake in urban beekeeping supposedly get together and brag about their honey.

Honestly, I want to say i’m surprised, but I can’t. Hipsters have always sought out old interests and hobbies. The beekeeping appears to be an appropriation of farming culture. Bookbinding and taxidermy both seem like hobbies taken from the 19th century that Hipsters have an urge to bring back.

Another part of the article is dedicated to Hipsters embracing local goods instead of giving in to the capitalist system. By making their own goods, like soap-making, crafters actually save on money. They don’t have to go to the store anymore to buy their soaps, and by making it they know exactly what they’re putting on their skin. They can also sell their products locally, at an inflated price. People who buy goods handmade instead of factory made usually pay more for their soap. These Hipsters are actually making a pretty penny in big cities by selling their homegrown products. “If most people around you are buying mass-produced consumer goods from retail stores, then producing goods at home is a good strategy for constructing your self-identity as unique and counter-cultural.”

The writer of this article brings up an excellent point however. These hobbies take up a lot of time and they are by no means easy. These are crafts. Unlike back in the day, people can’t live off of these hobbies for an extended period of time. They suck up an large amount of your time and they take serious patience. But what could be a reason for wasting so much precious time on tedious hobbies. Maybe its a way for these Hipsters to rebel against this obsession everyone has with technology.

Human history is centered around the divisions that continue to divide our species. Divisiveness is next to “humanliness”. One of the staples of commonly joked about stereotypes concerning the study of history is that, at least in the eyes of elementary and high school students, all that human history is is a long list of wars. And in a certain light that stereotype isn’t too misleading. The very word civilization, a concept which – because it caries the implication of writing with it – is thought of as being the foundation of human history, also caries with it divisions, and divisions lead to conflict. People understand themselves in terms of groups before they consider their own unique individual attributes. Who am I? Male, an American of European decent, an agnostic, a college student, a history major, etcetera… All of these refer to groups more so than to specific qualities. I may say I am a history major, but all that it communicates about me is that I’m working to fulfill a credit requirement weighed toward history courses. When one considers the actual term objectively, deductively and logically, “being a history major” in what it communicates specifically doesn’t even necessarily communicate that I enjoy the study of history. But when you take me and put me in a group of history majors, suddenly we gain much more – although less reliable – information about me. Considering that as a group, history majors enjoy the study of history, one might reasonably guess that I enjoy history as well, and he’d have guessed right. One could go further. One might suppose that if I went to graduate school, I’d begin wearing sport jackets on campus, as is the convention among the group, and here again by placing me in the context of the group one has access to reasonable inferences that can only be made by considering my specific subdivision in the human race.

What I’d like this discussion to boil down to is the future of human division, the future of human groups. I believe that within the younger generation’s lifetime or within our children’s lifetime the human race will have been split into two important groups in the future history of our species. The new groups will bear the titles Martian and Earthling. And important differences will divide them due to distance and the progress time will take them along what will undoubtably be different histories (one for each planet). But I believe human Martians and Human Earthlings will also probably look very different in appearance. What creates the appearance of an individual is primarily two factors: genetics and environment. Now genetics will probably be unaltered, but I’m wondering if the Martian environment will have an effect on Martian height due to lower gravity levels which would otherwise slow growth in humans adapted to growth in earth’s gravity. Will there be a physical difference in the appearance of Martians? Only time will tell. But what is more important is even more unforeseeable. Only the future of human history will recount the events surrounding the dynamic between the undoubtedly very different and much divided Martians and Earthlings.

YouTube started out as a way for a guy to upload videos of his cat. Now it is used for any kind of video you can imagine. From learn how to pick a lock or build a chair to learning how to code and music videos. You can find just about anything on YouTube, it has become the video google platform. K-Pop music companies use it to upload their artist(s) music videos so that they may have a global outreach.  It is one of the reasons K-Pop has become so accessible. Fans flock to YouTube when teaser videos are released and when the music video is released, they re-watch it countless times to help increase the view count. The higher number of views, means the more notice their artist will attract. The fans have also taken to YouTube to upload Korean variety TV shows when their artist is likely to appear on the show and put subtitles to it so that fans from a different country can enjoy see them in a different light. Videos from popular shows like Weekly Idol and Happy together end up translated and put on YouTube. Mostly under different names as they are more likely to be taken down if the official name is used. Having these videos allow fans to have access to their idols 24/7. The fans especially look for FANCAMs (fan camera) that are taken during a concert. That way they can feel as if they were there too. Even if they know the songs, the videos help them see the remixes, and social interaction that happens during a concert that is not likely to happen because the artist may never visit their country/state(or province)/city.  Fans have even flocked to YouTube to upload lyrics videos of the artist(s) songs that include the Korean, Romanization (Korean written in English instead of Korean characters) and English versions so that it can help their fellow fans follow along and learn the song.  The music videos that are released online also have a fan chant that accompanies the song. Fans who are part of the fan cafe (a place where Korean fans gather and get information about their artist) have access to the chant and will usually upload a video to spread the word. This helps the all the fans learn the chant so that when they see the artist live they can chant along with the song. YouTube has made the connection between artist and fan more personal.