Thanks for the Excuse to Watch Netflix

1. Gossip Girl: Yes, how "white girl" of me. In this show, we see numerous guys being controlled and manipulated by their incredibly well dressed yet catty upper-east-side girlfriends. Lady Macbeth would have drawn inspiration by Blair, Serena, and even the ruthless yet scarily intelligent Gossip Girl herself. XOXO, Lady Macbeth.
2. Once Upon a Time: Lady Macbeth would have loved Storybrooke's devious mayor and resident evil queen, Regina. her I-don't-need-no-man attitude and murders of countless Storybrooke citizens would have made the two destined BFFs.
3. Vampire Diaries: Though the heroine and antagonist in this series is whiny, needy Elena whom I strongly dislike, her doppelganger Katharine reminds me a lot of LM. Not only can she literally control people with her compulsion, Katharine successfully uses both of the Salvatore brothers in this series to do all of her bidding. Go Katharine!
4. Orange is the New Black: This one goes without saying. Not only is the series full of powerful female roles, but these females constantly control the weak men though they supposedly have more power over the women. A perfect parallel with the life of LM.
5. Blacklist: LM could have definitely gotten some ideas for murder plots from this show, and hopefully she watched it on an empty stomach. Though heroine and FBI Profiler Elizabeth Keen isn't always the most brave, neither is LM. LM would have identified with her. 

C'mon, Macbeth, Be a Man!

"Eat that bug or you're not a real man!" "Oh, come on, be a man!" "Kiss her if you want her to think you're a real man!" From recess to relationships, it seems like men are constantly being questioned. You're too emotional, not a real man. Are you wearing a fedora? Definitely not a real man (personally I'm against the institution of fedoras as a whole, but that's not what this blog post is about). In Shakespeare's Macbeth, a whole new level of "be a man" is brought to the table. We've gone from "jump the farthest and you're a man" to "kill your BFF alongside several other important figures in your life and you're a man." So, what is this "manhood" about which we so wildly speculate and how is it different now than it was when Shakespeare wrote about it?

Reading Macbeth for the first time has caused me to speculate about expectations of men in today's society and how young men are raised to act, feel, speak and think. Surprisingly, I can not find many differences between expectations of men in modern situations and the expectations that Lady Macbeth and society as a whole had on Macbeth. Granted, Macbeth's situation is a tad more amplified than most modern ones, but the idea remains the same. Men are often expected to do strange, unexpected, and foolhardy things for the sake of being "manly," and often, the only argument that is required is "be a man." When trying to convince Macbeth to stop having a panic attack about Banquo's ghost, Lady Macbeth literally asks if Macbeth is a man. This stigma of being "unmanly" is not something that has not really changed. As women's rights have become prominent, the requirement for men to provide totally for a family has been eliminated, but the stereotypical man image still remains and the expectation of manly qualities such as strength and bravery exists.

Personally, I believe that there are no specific qualities that make "good men," but that there are good people. Good people are kind, honest, giving, etc. I do not think that one needs to be particularly brave or strong to be a good person. My views are vastly different from those in the play, because Shakespeare's world presented two mutually exclusive roles of "woman" and "man." For example, Lady Macbeth literally begged the spirits to make her a man so she could have power. During that time period, it was nearly impossible for women to gain any power without being married to a man with it (Lady Macbeth would have been a true fan of Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)"). I think that for any position of power, the candidate with the most potential to thrive in the position should be selected, however, very rarely have women been seen in real powerful positions. For example, the United States has yet to see a female president. I think Lady Macbeth had the right idea (before she convinced Macbeth to start killing people) about gender roles in society. A true example of forward thinking in history.

CAM

At the Contemporary Art Museum in Downtown Raleigh, I chose to analyse the work Make Out by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. This piece was created in 2008 and is a 104.5 x 80 x 12 centimeters HD Resolution display with a computerized surveillance system which monitors and reacts based on movements of the viewer. Lozano is a 47 year old artist who was born in Mexico City. However, the work was made in 2008 as a reaction to the explosion of internet use during the modern era.

This is a representational work that focuses on the subject of internet availability and use, particularly videos of couples making out. This work is certainly a new media, as it contains technology within technology. It really does not convey any traditional art, especially with the unorthodox picture of hundreds of pairs making out.

The colors of the work are widely varied based on the millions of videos that are included in the piece, however the shape is very important. the shape of the viewer directly affects what is seen. The portion that the viewer is covering based on the computerized surveillance system is the only one to move, showing the pairs kissing. the other part is unlit and still. The new technology is more powerful than traditional media because it further conveys the artist's message. 

 The work serves to comment on the power of the modern internet-user. When the viewer is out of the view of the camera, the screen shows only couples looking at each other, but when he or she moves into the line of the surveillance system, the couples begin to kiss. based on the amount of coverage of the screen, the viewer can choose the proportion of man-man, woman-woman, or man-woman kissing based on the coverage of the screen. Lozano is commenting on the ability of the modern computer owner to quickly access any information, including sensitive videos. In addition, the video can stream for 8 months without looping. This means that 8 months worth of short clips of couples making out exists online. Lozano is also attempting to comment on the gargantuan amounts of information available online.

Citations:
"Make Out." Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/make_out.php

The piece can be viewed here: http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/videos/artwork/makeout.mp4

The 

7 Deadly Sins in Advertising

This advertisement comes from the Physicians Committee for

 Responsible Medicine and is displayed in Union Station.



The picture above comes from an advertisement that is against President Barack Obama's Child Nutrition Act. It shows a young, light skinned female with a thought bubble questioning the unfairness of treatment between President Obama's daughter and herself. The child is asking why the Obama girls are receiving school lunches that are "healthy," yet she is not. The ad then urges readers to "reform [Obama's] Child Nutrition Act." The purpose of this advertisement is to use pathos to urge readers to support a reform on the act, and to personally attack Barack Obama. The intended audience is Americans with the ability to vote, particularly parents. This is due to the inclusion of a child who attends school, which would personally link to parents.

This advertisement can be connected to the deadly sin of envy. The young girl is wanting for something she does not or cannot have. This is evident through the plead "why don't I?" though the girl does not look sad, more rebellious. The author uses childlike writing to connect with children and their parents. The author also uses red in the background and in the young girl's clothing to cause readers to stop and read, and to symbolize the defiance in the message and in the girl's pose.

Can't Bury These Tales

Hello World,
Tonight my family and I went to the Angus Barn for dinner. Though it was thoroughly enjoyable and I'm pretty sure I'm about to explode, I'm really tired and would honestly rather watch Once Upon a Time on Netflix than write this blog post right now. Mrs. Genesky kind of looks like the teacher from that show. Anyways, this is my freebie or however you spell that. Please enjoy this felfie including our very patient waiter.

 

Also this is the lady that looks like you, Mrs. Genesky.

 

What's in a Name?

What's in a Name?

Names are our identity. They are what we respond to, what we are known as, and how we define our differences. However, very rarely do we consider the origin of our names. My name is very special to me because I have never met another person who spells his or her name the way I do. This is part of what makes me unique. My name, Ashlea, stems from the traditional spelling of "Ashley." Ashley is directly translated to mean "one who dwells in the ash grove" which presents little to no personal meaning. My parents simply chose the name because they liked it (along with the fact that their favorite character on the Young and the Restless is named Ashley). The spelling of my name came from my Godmother, Lea Edmondson. My middle name, Turner, was the maiden name of my grandmother, Delia Turner. Lastly, my last name, White, comes from my father's English descendants. Though paternally my family is German and were of the Klopp family, maternally, the White family are descendants of King Henry VIII. Altogether, my name is who I am, and I love it. It is unique, yet personal, and a little bit crazy (kind of like Henry). I feel like my name is the perfect representation of me.
As a young adult growing up in an ever-changing society, I find myself facing the "two of me" dilemma constantly. I especially find that I am a different person in front of my family than I am with my friends. I cannot decide whether this is a good or bad thing. In front of my family, I am polite, I do not use colloquialisms, and I severely sensor my topics of conversation. However, when I am with friends, I feel that I let down all of my restraints. I am an extrovert, so being one part in a whole changes me. I strongly dislike being alone. but depending on the people I am with, I am a very different person.

 

cuz

Othering

 

This photograph is entitled Father and Sons and was taken in the Springs, California by Wing Young Huie. This picture captures three presumably Hispanic men in their home holding photographs of loved ones from their homeland. In the background, a lamp without a shade sits on a metal folding chair under a poster of Mickey Mouse and several other Disney characters.

 

The first man, the father, looks forlorn and pensieve, as if gazing into an unknown future. The second man, the first son, looks defensive or angry. The third man looks blank and emotionless, with a slightly melancholy glaze behind his eyes. At first glance, the men are dressed nicely, in collared shirts. However, the third man has paint spattered across his jeans, indicating that they may be old or that he works a "blue collar" job.

 

This photograph is a strong representation of the "othering" that occurs due to immigration processes. Primarily, many immigrants are forced to leave family members and friends behind in order to begin their new lives. This causes many immigrants to be alone in a new country, and therefore alienated.

 

In addition, the racism in many MEDCs such as the United States leaves immigrants without jobs, relationships, and success. Such alienation is portrayed in Huie's photograph. The three men from two separate generations are alone without multiple family members. They are portrayed as unhappy, and their undecorated, small looking home reflects an unsuccessful life for the men.

 

An important point that Huie wishes to make in this photograph is mentioned in her blog. She explains the Mickey Mouse poster behind the men. It is there due to their belief that if they visit Disney World, they will truly have found success in the United States. Huie reports that they have not yet found it.

 

"Othering" is portrayed in this work through socioeconomic class and race. Huie uses the depressing setting and attitude to portray a growing international issue in which othering is prominent. Similarly, in The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood uses the difference between social class to portray "othering." For example, Atwood uses the commander/handmaid relationship to portray the different treatments and privileges that are received based on social class. Similarly in this work, a difference in social class and race has robbed these men from many privileges that natives of their migrant country may enjoy.

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

 Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. Print.

Huie, Wing Young.  Father and Sons. Wing Young Huie, 2014. Web. 14 Sept.     2014.<http://know.wingyounghuie.com/>\

"The Handmaid's Tale." Spark Notes. SparkNotes LLC, 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.< http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/handmaid/characters.html>.