There seems to be this social understanding that men are suppose to lose their virginity once they reach a certain age. It seems to be a damning factor since for some reason we are expected to lose our virginity once puberty sets in, unlike women, who were suppose to stay "pure" until the right time, whenever that is. I've always wondered why that is the case to begin with? Is it the dominance factor? Are men suppose to make their mark early on in life in order to establish dominance amongst the other men in their area? Is this to establish dominance over women in general? It's quite confusing really. Kimura said "Evidence also suggests that men have lower 'arousal thresholds' than women, who are able to pay greater focused attention to events and more swiftly than men." So that's it?! Men are essentially easier aroused than women are? Thus explains why men are expected to lose it faster! right? It still doesn't make sense..
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Newsflash! Sex- Women Like it Too
McDonald discusses three main components of a Romantic Comedy which were the Visual, the Narrative Pattern and the Ideology. In the ideology aspect, we observe that there is always the quintessential character who plays the "ideal" one but of course, as many rom com fans, we later find out that the ideal ones are usually not the right ones for the main characters. That was certainly the case for the movie "10". We see George who was the "Ideal" bachelor. Women, money, the single life. He had a significant other waiting on him, yet he chose to chase Jenny around, who was considered his "ideal" woman. He then finds out she wasn't what he wanted and chooses to go back to Samantha, his girlfriend.
Watching this movie, we see a critical relevance to Jenny's character and the Sexual Revolution of the 60's. It's an interesting concept because socially, it is more understandable that the men are the ones sleeping around and craving the sexual relations. But in this movie, the woman's side is analyzed as we learn that women are just like men. This is further solidified by Kinsey who said, "women were already doing it and also quite enjoying it"
Watching this movie, we see a critical relevance to Jenny's character and the Sexual Revolution of the 60's. It's an interesting concept because socially, it is more understandable that the men are the ones sleeping around and craving the sexual relations. But in this movie, the woman's side is analyzed as we learn that women are just like men. This is further solidified by Kinsey who said, "women were already doing it and also quite enjoying it"
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Ethnography Project
Observation:
I did my research at a Starbucks. In walks in this beautiful girl with a bag in one hand, and her phone in the other. She seems to be looking for someone, she searches both the front and the back of the store. After a thorough search of the place, she realizes that the person she was looking for was nowhere to be found. She then sits at a nearby table, takes out her phone and proceeds to text excessively. A few minutes later she gets a phone call and she informs the person that she has arrived and was waiting at the back of the store. After about twenty minutes or so, a guy well attired for a fist-pumping session, walks in with his hair gelled up desperately trying to hit the ceiling. He is adorned from head to toe with every accoutrement Ed Hardy has to offer. He walks in, winks at the girl, and walks up to the counter and orders his drink. Her excitement was obvious, she gets up and gives him a kiss and a hug. She then tells him what she wants and he pays. She didn’t even bother to reach for her cash, not even a slight gesture. That’s man-ly chivalry for you.
A few tables behind them sits a couple, each on their laptop. From time to time the guy would get up from his seat and go to where he can see his girlfriend’s computer screen and would burst into laughter. He did this a few times, and after every single laughing session, he would kiss her on the lips and return to where he was previously sitting. After every kiss, after he has sat down, his girlfriend would take his hand, squeeze it, and would give him the cutest smile, a smile that was so adorable, so bright, that it would make turn the darkest of nights into days. I later found out after a quick trip to the restroom that the girl was having a Skype session (webcam to webcam) with an older woman. I assume that to be her, or his, mother.
Every now and then, in the midst of all this, there’s always that person on his/her phone that would walk in talking to another from across the airwaves. A steady stream of people on their electronic devices that would wander into this lowly neighborhood Starbucks. It was either the wife calling and asking the husband for his dinner preferences. The husband checking in on the wife and kids. The college/high school student calling his significant other wondering where he/she is and if she fancied herself a drink. The “Electronic Elves” as I called them on my notes.
Analysis:
During my observations, one thing was prevalent, and that was the use of electronics or technology. In our society today, the major means of communications is through technology. Whether it be by the girl texting her boyfriend, or the couple talking to their parent or the hordes of “Electronic Elves” communicating with their loved ones, human interactions are now taken to a whole other level because of the use of electronics.
In class we discussed the many ways gender roles are portrayed. During my observation I didn’t really see any of that being done. Except of course for the girl waiting for her boyfriend. Usually, or at least socially, it is more acceptable for the man to be chivalrous and not leave the lady waiting, but all that was brought to status quo when the man paid for the drinks, which, going back to the old days, was always “socially expected”.
According to Derrida, the relationship between A always changes with accordance to the “thing” accompanying it. He says that “there are only differences within a language.” (Derrida) I saw that with the wife caring for her husband’s dinner preference. She was not just a wife, in relationship to her children, by definition she is also a mother. Derrida state that there’s no real binary relationship, or as Saussure would call it, “signage”, when it comes to one thing. Definitions are always changing with relations to the things around it.
Couples are only called couples because according to Saussure, a sign is composed of a signifier, which is the “sound-image,” and a signified, which is the “concept”. (Saussure 79). In every sense of the word, the couple sitting on the table, holding hands, is what makes them, at least socially, a “couple”. This of course is what makes them a couple. Because of what we see and what society tells us the definition of what a “couple” is. The affection they share is what people see.
Works Cited.
Derrida, Jacques. “Chapter 8: ‘Difference.’” 385-407. PDF File.
Saussure, Ferdinand De. “Chapter Two: Course in General Linguistics.” 76-89. PDF File.
I did my research at a Starbucks. In walks in this beautiful girl with a bag in one hand, and her phone in the other. She seems to be looking for someone, she searches both the front and the back of the store. After a thorough search of the place, she realizes that the person she was looking for was nowhere to be found. She then sits at a nearby table, takes out her phone and proceeds to text excessively. A few minutes later she gets a phone call and she informs the person that she has arrived and was waiting at the back of the store. After about twenty minutes or so, a guy well attired for a fist-pumping session, walks in with his hair gelled up desperately trying to hit the ceiling. He is adorned from head to toe with every accoutrement Ed Hardy has to offer. He walks in, winks at the girl, and walks up to the counter and orders his drink. Her excitement was obvious, she gets up and gives him a kiss and a hug. She then tells him what she wants and he pays. She didn’t even bother to reach for her cash, not even a slight gesture. That’s man-ly chivalry for you.
A few tables behind them sits a couple, each on their laptop. From time to time the guy would get up from his seat and go to where he can see his girlfriend’s computer screen and would burst into laughter. He did this a few times, and after every single laughing session, he would kiss her on the lips and return to where he was previously sitting. After every kiss, after he has sat down, his girlfriend would take his hand, squeeze it, and would give him the cutest smile, a smile that was so adorable, so bright, that it would make turn the darkest of nights into days. I later found out after a quick trip to the restroom that the girl was having a Skype session (webcam to webcam) with an older woman. I assume that to be her, or his, mother.
Every now and then, in the midst of all this, there’s always that person on his/her phone that would walk in talking to another from across the airwaves. A steady stream of people on their electronic devices that would wander into this lowly neighborhood Starbucks. It was either the wife calling and asking the husband for his dinner preferences. The husband checking in on the wife and kids. The college/high school student calling his significant other wondering where he/she is and if she fancied herself a drink. The “Electronic Elves” as I called them on my notes.
Analysis:
During my observations, one thing was prevalent, and that was the use of electronics or technology. In our society today, the major means of communications is through technology. Whether it be by the girl texting her boyfriend, or the couple talking to their parent or the hordes of “Electronic Elves” communicating with their loved ones, human interactions are now taken to a whole other level because of the use of electronics.
In class we discussed the many ways gender roles are portrayed. During my observation I didn’t really see any of that being done. Except of course for the girl waiting for her boyfriend. Usually, or at least socially, it is more acceptable for the man to be chivalrous and not leave the lady waiting, but all that was brought to status quo when the man paid for the drinks, which, going back to the old days, was always “socially expected”.
According to Derrida, the relationship between A always changes with accordance to the “thing” accompanying it. He says that “there are only differences within a language.” (Derrida) I saw that with the wife caring for her husband’s dinner preference. She was not just a wife, in relationship to her children, by definition she is also a mother. Derrida state that there’s no real binary relationship, or as Saussure would call it, “signage”, when it comes to one thing. Definitions are always changing with relations to the things around it.
Couples are only called couples because according to Saussure, a sign is composed of a signifier, which is the “sound-image,” and a signified, which is the “concept”. (Saussure 79). In every sense of the word, the couple sitting on the table, holding hands, is what makes them, at least socially, a “couple”. This of course is what makes them a couple. Because of what we see and what society tells us the definition of what a “couple” is. The affection they share is what people see.
Works Cited.
Derrida, Jacques. “Chapter 8: ‘Difference.’” 385-407. PDF File.
Saussure, Ferdinand De. “Chapter Two: Course in General Linguistics.” 76-89. PDF File.
Monday, September 13, 2010
I Did Not Have Sexual Relations With That Woman
This past week, many issues were tackled during the class lectures. The biggest one being the semiotic relationships between objects/concepts according to Saussure. According to Saussure, there is a definite relationship when it comes to objects. For instance, when one thinks of the word DOG, one automatically assumes the next word would be CAT. Similar with MAN, one automatically assumes WOMAN. But of course, with every great idea comes with its own set of debates. One person that challenged Saussure was Derrida, and I for one is on his side. I believe that everything is relational. Meaning, there's really not one perfect signage. The meaning of things can vary from one to another. Just ask a lawyer or a politician.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The Person Inside Me
For centuries now, man has endured billions of questions and perhaps the most daunting question a man can ever ask himself is this, "who am I?". Answering the question about one's inner self can be extremely difficult indeed. The movie American Psycho touches upon the subject of identity and self.
Patrick Bateman says in the movies' intro, "There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity." He then goes on to say that the "real" Patrick doesn't even exist. That he's just a facade.
American Psycho tackles an interesting universal debate. That is, does an inner self really exist? Or are we just simply a product of our environment? Personally, I believe in the latter. Human beings are adaptive people, we blend in with our surroundings, thus creating a self that is fueled and molded by the products thrown at us. By that I mean, we are all the products we consume. We are the food we eat, the clothes we buy, the music we listen to. We are "individuals" molded by the products we choose.
Patrick Bateman says in the movies' intro, "There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity." He then goes on to say that the "real" Patrick doesn't even exist. That he's just a facade.
American Psycho tackles an interesting universal debate. That is, does an inner self really exist? Or are we just simply a product of our environment? Personally, I believe in the latter. Human beings are adaptive people, we blend in with our surroundings, thus creating a self that is fueled and molded by the products thrown at us. By that I mean, we are all the products we consume. We are the food we eat, the clothes we buy, the music we listen to. We are "individuals" molded by the products we choose.
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