MAKE UP BLOG

I don’t really know how I feel about the gender identity topic and transsexuals, maybe because I’ve never been in this situation or know anyone who has (that I know of). I really try to be sympathetic and put myself in the shoes of these people who go through these things because it seems like such a tragic life. But then I feel like I’m questioning everything that I believe and everything that I was taught. Does this mean that my religion is wrong and that the God I believe in makes mistakes? It becomes a really hard choice to make as far as what I think is real and what’s right. But I still try to give people a chance and understand where they’re coming from. So when I read Devor’s essay I instantly felt conflicted. He gave all of these scientific facts and studies to back up everything he said. What really caught my attention was in the beginning how he makes all these references to transgender children, how kids settle into their gender identities between the ages of eighteen months and two years. I have to disagree. When I think about babies I don’t think about anything because I just don’t think they would be able to comprehend a gender identity at such a young age. They’re only babies. And besides how would these scientists even know what babies think? Yes they can do all types of tests on the brain and study how it works, but I’m pretty sure no one can read a baby’s mind and figure out exactly how they think. As for children I think they’re too young to know what sex they are. Devor even says kids don’t think of gender in terms of private parts, but from other things like hair styles or clothes. So if a little boy wants to be a girl because he likes playing with dolls and wearing dresses he might tell his parents he wants to be a girl because to a kid that’s what being a “girl” is. That little boy might even know that girls and boys are genetically different, but he won’t understand what this really means. I think it might just mean the boy is feminine in our society, but even still he’s a boy. That’s the way he was born. I think if our society became more socially accepting of gender roles than these issues might go away or become easier to deal with. The question then becomes how does our society progress towards this? It’s something I’m still thinking about and trying to wrap my mind around since reading this essay. But I still feel like okay religion can be wrong in some people’s eyes well so can science. In the end you have to have your own beliefs to fall back on. 

"Social Class and Hidden Curriculum of Work" Response

I thought this piece was extremely interesting. I really saw myself comparing my grade school experiences with what I read. I found that my education fits more in the affluent professional school. When I read about the lower class schools I realized how blessed I am to have grown up in a better environment. I’m certainly not rich and consider my family and myself a part of the middle class, but because of the community I’m from (Shaker Heights, Ohio) there’s outstanding diversity amongst class, race and ethnicity. Therefore I received the chance to go to a good school. It’s so sad to me that because of your situation you sometimes can’t get the same opportunities as others. I think it’s totally unfair and completely contradicts what the American dream is supposed to stand for which is freedom and equality.

                From reading this it seems as if the school systems are set up for failure for the poor and success for the rich. The poorer students are told to follow steps exactly, are shunned for thinking outside of the box, and their instructors bark orders at them as if they’re dictators. The kid’s questions and opinions don’t matter. And what I find most shocking is that the kids aren’t taught to truly understand the concepts behind what they’re learning. As long as the students learn the basics, enough to maintain steady blue collar job s, then everyone has done their jobs. Unfortunately, there is no room what so ever for growth for these kids. Their futures don’t look as good as they could be and they’re only expected to go as far as their parent’s career wise. On the other hand, the kids who come from wealthy backgrounds are given the exact opposite opportunities. These students are challenged to recognize not only what they’re learning but how and why as well. There is great emphasis on individuality, self-expressing, and creativity. The kids can open their minds, give opinions, and ask questions. The teachers don’t put themselves on pedestals which create the drill sergeant soldier mentality like at the poor school. And so because the poor kids are poor their futures don’t look as bright as say a child from a wealthy background which allows more flexibility in the way the rich kids are taught. 

Quompt Makeup

When I read the beginning of this easy I wasn’t sure what this easy would be about. It’s such a strange title because in our culture “Dropping Babies” is seen as an abusive act. Rough handling babies’ period is highly looked down on. It makes me think about the phrase “never shake a baby” and how highly publicized it is. So when I read about how some cultures drop babies from temple roof tops as part of a spiritual ceremony it really frightened me. I don’t see how some people can see that as a blessing, good luck, or health. I instantly thought of child abuse and what if something went wrong and the baby fell and died. I don’t like the thought of dropping a baby even a couple inches because they’re so fragile. But I do think the author does some interesting comparing and contrasting between the crib and the village. The crib in this case is compared to the village people that will catch the baby when it falls. The only difference is the intentions of dropping the baby are different in both instances. The person accidentally drops the baby in the crib out of frustration while the baby is dropped from the temple intentionally for religious reasons. So why then is dropping the baby from the temple seen as such a bad act while the dropping in the crib isn’t? Maybe because the temple is so much farther up and there’s a greater risk the baby can get hurt than falling in the crib. But even still the baby could’ve gotten hurt from the crib fall since they’re so tiny. We just have to be careful and make sure we don’t let our frustrations get the best of us when handling babies because they don’t know any better.

Favorite Concert

“Ahhhhhhhhhh, I can’t believe I finally get to see Lil Wayne!” I could feel the excitement in my screeching voice pierce my best friend’s ears on the other line. We both cheered and screamed at this once in a life time opportunity. Finally, I was going to see the man who entered my dreams every night.  All of Wayne’s music overflowed my tiny baby blue Ipod Nano, his posters and cd covers decorated the bright pink walls of my adolescent room, his music was the only music played on my Myspace page, his quotes were my only Facebook status, and he was always the topic of discussion every time I’d talk on the phone to my best friend. We were constantly in competition over who loved Wayne more. It didn’t seem like a moment passed where we didn’t profess our love for him. Wayne was everything to me because he was so talented. I never heard anyone rap like that before it was clever, witty, and filled with all types of puns. He had such an “I don’t give a fuck attitude” and I loved it. The more my mom and dad would try to stop me from listening to him, the more I wanted to rebel. So when I found out one of my sisters’ friends had an extra ticket to go see Young Money, I was all for it and I knew I had to look my best. Finally, I was going to go see the one person who meant everything to me.

                I dyed my hair jet black to go along with my mid-length funky hair cut I’d gotten a couple days before.  I fluffed up my do with some Farrah Fawcett flips. I decided to spice up my make up with a Marlin Monroe red hot lipstick. I aligned my lips with a darker red lip liner pencil for definition and stole my mom’s “Chili Pepper Red” MAC lipstick. For my eyes I went with dramatic thick black winged eyeliner inspired by Amy Winehouse. My fit had to be right so I went for a sexy yet hip Rihanna look. I wore my H&M black and grey leopard pencil skirt. Hitting right below my knees it hugged my tiny curves in all the right places. I wore my favorite bright purple halter top. It tied around my neck showing a smidge of my upper back and on the front in gleaming sequins read “Bebe”. I kept it simple, but chic for my shoes sliding on my older sister’s black suede wedge heels. And lastly, the previous week I’d found a vintage Louis Vuitton mini clutch tucked away in the crevices of my grandmother’s attic. After wiping off the cob webs and dust, the little purse became the cutest accessory accentuating my outfit to the upmost. It was trapezoid -shaped, shiny patent leather material, off-white, with golden handles, and covered in the Louis Vuitton print. The bag was really special to me because it was my mother’s. I felt like I was her back in her party days, but I still wanted to add more of my own flavor to it. So I took an old broken necklace chain and attached it to the handles of the purse giving it an extension. “There.”, I thought, “ I look good so I  feel  good, now I’m ready to see Wayne.”

Memoir: 1st bus ride

The morning air was cool and brisk on my skin as my sister and I trudged to the bus stop across the street. We headed towards my new school mates, I gulped and my knees began to tremble. The kids towered over me making me feel like a tiny ant. They spoke so maturely and seemed completely un-phased about starting school. Too them, this day was nothing more than déjà vu. I clung to my older sister clutching her hand tightly within mine. She shot a cold glare at me and tried nudging me off of her until she saw puddles forming in the corners of my eyes. I heard a loud bustle that sounded like one of those huge 18-wheeler trucks I’d seen on the highways. I turned around and there in front of me was this massive burnt yellow contraption on six wheels. It smelled of smoke and gas and it was quite filthy. It was almost as tall as the tree on my front lawn and about as long as three cars, it read “Shaker City Schools” on both sides in black letters, and it had a thick black horizontal line stretching all around it. The bus driver stopped abruptly and the wheels loudly screeched against the pavement. Suddenly, the glass doors opened and a bright red blinking sign, which read “STOP” in bold white font, extended from the other side. All the kids marched to the bus in a single file line. My sister was headed for the back of the line. But still squeezing her palm, I resisted. My legs went numb and stiffened as if they had turned into cement pillars sprouting from the concrete side walk. “Come on Nia!”, my sister urged me, “It’s time for school!”. I took a deep breath in, closed my eyes and exhaled. My boney knees lightly smacked each other while I wobbled up the steps of the bus. The doors shut behind me before I knew it. And there I was contained within the stomach of that huge yellow monster formally known as the school bus.

Photo Project

Nia Bolden

9/25/12

Tatted

 

          The word tattoo derives from the Polynesian word ‘ta’ which means to strike something and the Tahitian word ‘tatau’ which means to mark something. To tattoo someone is basically inserting colored materials underneath the skin. Tattooing is over thousands of years old and was first introduced to the western world by the Polynesians during the era of European colonization. At first tattooing was done among some of the explorers as a way to remember their explorations. Then tattooing became popular with the aristocrats and elite. But back then people had to get their tattoos in concealed areas on their bodies. Rarely did one walk around covered in tattoos unless they were a part of some type of show or circus. Then, technological advancements in machinery lead to a unique style of tattooing in the United States. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, tattooing slowly became a part of the American culture especially for sailors and military servicemen. But even with its newfound popularity, tattoos were generally viewed with great rejection in most of society. Many people who had tattoos got them in places that could be covered so they wouldn’t be shunned or deemed as of low class.  It was hard to be taken seriously because people looked at tattoos as destruction of the body not as a respected form of self-expression. The origins of tattooing in the western world can be traced back to indigenous cultures, so it was affiliated with being uncivilized. Tattooing has grown relatively popular over time, but still it has always been seen as negative because in a way it’s very rebellious. This view point about tattoos still holds steady in society today, but with the emergence of new generations the tolerance levels for body art seem to have increased. It’s becoming more and more common to see young people “tatted” (covered in tattoos). Tattoos aren’t just a fun rebellious thing to partake in anymore. They are becoming a new form of communication. And so in the future, tattoos will be accepted in society as valid art forms of self-expression and self-identification.

          The forms of visual rhetoric that I chose are filters over my picture, blurry focus, and locations of the tattoo on the person’s body. For a majority of the pictures I used a filter over them. I thought the filters made the pictures look cooler and the colors more vibrant. I really wanted my pictures to bring all the audience’s attention to the tattoo and nothing else. For this reason I used a blurred vision over many of my photos. Almost all of my pictures, especially the ones that have a lot going on in the background, have everything that surrounds the tattoo blurred out. I wanted the focus to just be on the tattoos to show the tattoos significance to that person. I also did not show anyone’s face in the pictures. I deliberately did this again to show the importance the tattoo has to the person. Tattoos are not just markings on someone’s body, they’re apart of the person like any other body part. They are the ultimate form of self-expression because tattoos are the most permanent. Tattoos mean so much more too people than others realize, especially for my generation. Tattoos are a way of controlling our bodies and finding pieces of who we are at a time in our lives where control and self-identity seem so unattainable. And that is why I used the filters, focuses, and no faces in my pictures to really hone in on the tattoo. I chose to take pictures of tattoos that I felt were in obvious places and not easy to cover up on the body. For example, a majority of the pictures within my set are pictures of people with hand and wrist tattoos. I chose these pictures and put them together on purpose because I feel like they help to prove my argument. These kids have tattoos in places that the whole world can see and too them, this is normal. It’s not out of the ordinary to see our generation with sleeves, wrist tattoos, hand, an even face tattoos. I think this says a lot about what the future entails and a huge possible shift in our society’s opinions of a tattoo’s true significance.

          As previously stated, the negative mindset about tattoos is going to change for the better in the future. As our generation gets older and the next generation comes along, there will be more middle-aged adults with tattoos and even younger kids with tattoos. In all aspects of everyday life, it will be common to see people with a lot of tattoos and in less discrete areas. From the workplace, home, Neighborhood Park, school, etc., not just in urban areas, tattoos will be seen more frequently than before. This means tattoos will not only be looked at as just damage to the body by society, but as actual artistic outlets as well. To dig deeper, this acceptance will also add to the types of communication. Tattoos are obvious forms of self-expression too some, but with a wider acceptance, new doors will open in terms of how we communicate with one another. Being tatted or having a tattoo uncovered will be acknowledged as a way of expressing ones inner feelings. Tattoos will no longer be shunned or seen as savage-like, but rather a new way for people to communicate their emotions with others. Tattoos will also be seen as normal ways of identifying one’s self. Rather than seeing someone that has a lot of visible tattoos as someone with no self-respect, that person will be seen as someone using their tattoos as symbols to make up part of their identity. They’re telling the world how they see themselves regardless of what anyone else thinks. The use of tattoo art as new ways of communication and self-identification is significant for us a culture because it shows progressions in our society. This is progression because it says that our society is becoming more open-minded as far as how people choose to express themselves. Tattoos aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, tattoos are taking part in freeing up the limitations of what’s acceptable and what’s not, thus moving toward a more modern society.

          It is often said that everyone is different and argued how important it is to hold on to our individualism, but never is this idea truly practiced. For a long time and even today people try so hard to fit in with everyone else. People are still afraid of being seen as different. Tattoo art is helping to break this pattern because it separates us from each other by displaying our inner selves. Also, by getting covered in tattoos one takes the risk of possibly being looked at as an outcast with no future. But with the popularity of tattoos and this movement among younger generations known as “getting tatted”, our society is definitely moving forward in terms of tolerance levels. We’re becoming less conventional when it comes to outward appearance and what are proper forms of self-expression. This time period and the influences of today’s cultural icons are the causes for this progression. The younger generations aren’t looking at getting tattoos as terrible, but instead as unique ways to convey their individualism. Having tattoos is just the cool thing to do now. And when this phase passes, having a lot of tattoos won’t be a huge deal in the future just another art form.

Link to set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nialenee/sets/72157631605280932/show/
Link to stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nialenee/show/

Photography: Truth or Lies?

I'll admit that I didn't think much of photography the first time I read Susan Sontag's In Plato's Cave. It took for me to go back and really read the text to understand what Sontag was fully trying to say. To a certain extent I do agree with her opinions about photography, but to another degree I have my own opinions about the subject. Well first off, I do believe it is hard to find truths from just a photo and I didn’t understand what this meant until I deeply analyzed the argument. In a sense we are blinded to what’s behind the meaning of a photo just like the metaphor of Plato’s Cave. We automatically assume that because a photo is a photo (an actual event captured on camera), that what we see is real. A photograph isn’t like a painting, a sculptor, or even a written piece where the artist/author gives us their own interpretation of an event. It’s hard for us as viewers’ to find these things credible because we think of them as someone else’s point of view. But when it comes to finding credibility within a photograph it’s easy for us to trust that what we see is real. We assume a photo is reality when in fact it isn’t. A photo is no different because it is still someone else’s, in this case the photographers, interpretation of reality/life. Without knowing the full background and the context of what is being photographed, there is no real way for us to tell if what we’re seeing in the photo is a truth or just a portrayal of truth. I disagree with Sontag’s opinion that everything that someone takes a picture isn’t reality. I think it just depends on the person taking the picture. There are some photographers who don’t try to portray anything when they take a photo. They simply just capture life as it is. I think it also depends on what’s truth to the photographer. You can’t just tell someone that what they took a picture of wasn’t real. If they were there and they witnessed the event happening first-hand, then it is reality. It may not be a reality too us, but it is too the photographer. It doesn’t really matter what the audience thinks just like with an artist’s artwork. The viewer/listener is entitled to interpret the artwork any way they want to (and that doesn’t mean that their interpretation is necessarily right or wrong), but too the artist no matter what the audience thinks, what they’ve created is real. It’s their reality and their truth not the audiences. I think this says that reality isn’t just this broad idea about what is life. Every being has their own individual reality because we’re all different people with our own thoughts about what’s real and what’s fake. Despite the fact that there are great possibilities that what we see in photos isn’t real, I think people still take photos for enjoyment. Also, people like to feel a part of their environments and what’s going on around them. And once time passes there’s no way to ever get it back. The easiest most reliable way we can control passing time and hold on to memories is to take a picture. So no matter what Sontag says about how photo’s don’t display actual truth and we’re all confined in Plato’s Cave due to the limitations that photos have on our truths, I don’t think people really care. In our society nobody thinks that deeply into the truth behind a photo. Taking photos/photography has played such a huge role in our modern society that it’s become engrained in our culture. And with that being said, I strongly believe photography is here to stay.

What is America?

I found the piece that consisted of many photos by Martin Hyers and William Mebane, titled American B. 1964-1972 (I think it was called...),  to be the most intersting. Well on the surface, I liked the varitey of colors that were used in all the pictures and how they came together to create a very visually interesting sight. I also like that there were two different people taking pictures of totally different things, but some how they managed to intertwine their work so well. It was almost like only one person created the work. It was strange too because looking at the pictures really made me think about being back home at my grandparents house or at my aunt's and uncle's place. It made me feel like a little kid looking through all their old trinkets and photos from back in the day. And that's when I realized that these photos were supposed to represent American culture at a certain time period. My grandparents had just began to start their families around that same time. They have been living in those same houses since they got married and had my parents. So looking at the pictures sort of gave me feel of being back home with my family.

At first, I was trying to put all of the photos together and figure out what the artist was trying to communicate to the audience. I started off small by pulling out themes and relating them back to the topic. There were various pictures of religious symbols, t.v.'s and radios, scences from public schools, sports trouphies and medals, office tools like stapplers and paper clips, family pictures, car parts, and police stations. Each one was different, but they all spoke to eachother and helped portray the topic more clearly. Some of the themes I got from these pictures were the emphasis placed on religion, technology, public education, sportsmanship, blue collar workers, family, automobiles, and the law/lawenforment.

The theme that was most prevelant to me was religion because I could connect it to so many other ideas. There were a lot of religious based photos like the bible, a manorah, church pughs, and crosses. This made me think about not only religion being something extremely dominate in our culture and especially at that time, but I also thought about the many different religions that are practiced in America. Then I tied some of these religions back to the many different races and ethnicities that make up our population like Judism, White Protestants, Hispanics who are often associated with Catholism, and the Black Baptist church which is what I grew up in. I think the artist were trying to say that America doesn't consist of just one race. There are many different races, religions, and ethnicities that are the heart of the American culture. There's a complexity in our culture which makes us so unique. But even with that being said, no matter how different we are from eachother we still are connected because we're all American.

 I think an important issue that stood out to me was the importance placed on commercialism and capitalism at the time. There was a picture of a Christmas tree and of a plastic Hannakah monorah. I think the photographers were not only trying to bring up religion, but commercialism/capitalism as well. As we all know Christmas and Hannakuh are huge holidays in America because so many people celebrate them. But at the time (and even today) there was way more signicance placed on the commercial aspects rather than the religion it self. By this I mean more people went out and bought Christmas and Hannakuh decorations and presents, but didn't actually celebrate the true meanings of the holidays. These celebrations are more of a show for people. Something for others to make money off of. And what is our country based off of? Capitalism. Everyone wants to make money. Basically, I think the artists were displaying the issue/idea of how important commercialism and capitalism are in our society.

Even with all the themes, ideas, issues, etc. brought up in these photos, I don't believe there is ever a way to sum up what America actually is. It's even impossible to do in one time period. Like I said before our culture is way more complex and difficult to describe. And I think that's what the artist were trying to say too.

M.A.C. and Barbie Advertisement

Every year or so M.A.C Cosmetics teams up with an iconic figure in pop culture. This ad was launched January 26, 2007 and the line included everything from lipsticks, foundations, eye shadows, and blushes all created based off of M.A.C's interpretation of Mattel’s Barbie.

Throughout history, Barbie has played many different roles in her work, love, and domestic life. She's been portrayed as a physically and intellectually perfect woman. A woman who can do it all from Pilot Barbie to Fire Fighter Barbie, and who can have it all; the pink corvette and the matching dream house. Barbie is a woman who one would think to be the ideal role model for girls, young and old, considering the fact that she's smart and independent. But Barbie has also been seen as a rebellious figure. She was created in 1959, a time where women were only viewed as homemakers not career women. And over the years there's been great controversy over Barbie's perfect appearance and unrealistic body image. Due to the many achievements and controversy surrounding her, Barbie’s considered a role model and an indirect rebel too most women. Barbie is what society believes every woman wants be: extraordinarily beautiful, thin, intelligent, independent, and rich in material items. M.A.C. is a brand similar to what Barbie is in the sense that M.A.C. is a classy high quality cosmetic line, but known for its vibrancy and bright colors M.A.C. is also a line with an edge.

 

This advertisement uses all three forms of rhetoric. Ethos because Barbie is a credible figure within our society for what is and what is not beautiful, (despite the fact that she's fictional). Since Barbie is a toy that a lot of women played with as girls, she can bring out an emotional/sensitive side within many people. Barbie brings people back to a happy and innocent time in their lives, which was childhood. Therefore, this advertisement is a form of Pathos too. And finally, logos is used as a form as well because everyone knows Barbie is smart and beautiful. She's done almost anything one could imagine so obviously Barbie knows which cosmetics are best. The statement "Barbie Loves M.A.C." basically means, Barbie uses M.A.C. and she loves it because she always looks amazing. And if you want to look like Barbie, you need to use M.A.C. too.  Logos ties into the underlying message which is: you, the consumer, should love M.A.C too because Barbie knows best when it comes to beauty. The corporations behind Barbie (Mattel) and M.A.C. (Este Lauder) are the senders of this message. They're huge companies looking to make sales. They don't care about what type of psychological message they're sending to women with the phrase “Barbie Love’s M.A.C.”, or that a doll rather than a real woman is their spokes model. They're telling woman to strive for an impossible standard of beauty. The receivers are mostly young girls or older women trying to stay young. Because M.A.C. always sells such bright colors they tend to get a lot of younger consumers who are more daring and into the latest trends. On the other end of the spectrum of consumers, there are older women who want to keep up with the young. The model is of course young, Caucasian, and blonde. She’s made up to look like a doll, another form a visual rhetoric. Everything about this ad just shows how extremely shallow our society is when it comes to beauty. The only way to truly  be acceptable in today’s world, is to make yourself look unreal, like a Barbie doll.

Purpose

Nia is the fifth principle of Kwanzaa. It means purpose and I believe my name fits me perfectly. I come from a small suburb outside of Cleveland, Ohio called Shaker Heights. I love where I come from because it made me who am today.  My mother and sister are there whom I am very close to, my best friend of over ten years attends college there, there’s the spot by my grandparent’s house where I cut my knee learning to ride my bike, the place in front of my high school locker where I got my first kiss and my first heartbreak, and my church home where I used to sing and perform as a child… my entire life is there and for a long time that was all I knew. But with that being said, I've always seen more for myself. I had a vision that was bigger than my surroundings. I know I have a great purpose. I believe we all do and it’s our destiny to fulfill that purpose. So when I wasn't getting the party started with my girlfriends, listening to my favorite smooth tunes like the Weeknd or Sade, up at the mall in Guess buying every pair of jeans they had on sale, constantly checking my Instagram, or just struggling to maintain a drama-free carefree life; I had my head in the books because I knew that was my only sure way out of my situation. Now I’m here living in the AMAZING city of Chicago as a freshman music major at Columbia College. I'm so excited, anxious, nervous, overwhelmed, happy, etc. because there is so much opportunity around me. I can feel it! I know being here is going to change my life forever and I cannot wait to fully grasp everything around me. For once I'm actually thrilled about being in school and learning because there's so much freedom and encouragement for students to be who they are. Already I'm loving this class because I’m creating my own blog as my first homework assignment ha! (How sweet is that?) I love writing down how I feel so I don't really see this as work, it’s more therapeutic. To wrap this up, I'm just completely over joyed. I'm looking forward to learning a lot of new things, improving my writing skills, and just writing any and everything period. I know this is going to be a year to remember for me.