Escape

In the videos Escape and Going Down In History, we see many different ways one can escape what they are dealing with and going through in life. In Philadelphia, we meet troubled teens who are able to get away and escape to a horse stable where they can pick a horse and ride freely through the city and get away from daily problems. One boy described it as, "Instead of him watching people, people see him on the horse and watch him." Then we meet Mike, who has been disabled his whole life and had always been taken care of by his mother. He had finally had enough and set out for an assistant to get away from his mom. Although he wasn't able to physically get up and get away from his mother, he found other ways of escaping that. He painted his nails, wore black and even got a girlfriend which took up more time away from his mother. In other stories, we saw two inmates physically escape out of jail. Although it wasn't a figurative way of escaping, they did so creatively. The two wound together a 3 mile long ladder out of dental floss in hopes of getting out of jail successfully. From the video, we also saw a man who created war scenes, based on how he felt about the situation. He had been through many hardships in his life but took it out on creating scenes where he got the revenge.
I believe these videos about escaping have to do with writing by it being another way of escaping. Like we saw in the videos, there are many ways to escape. People use writing as an outlet to escape the real life problems and to get out what they are really feeling.

Group 5&6 activities

Obituary:
Today we have come to say goodbye to the well known stereotype. Stereotype lived a long life filled with many history making moments. Stereotype had siblings prejudice, discrimination and violence. With it's siblings, they brought to us the Holocaust, racial and sexist remarks, dreadful high school, short lives of many teens, bullies, and it's latest- cyber bullies. Stereotype came to the end of it's road when teens took a stand and stopped judging and started becoming friendly with each other. Condolences can be sent to stereotypes siblings and friends. Stereotype will never be forgotten.


End Note:
This obituary was difficult for me to come up with due to stereotyping having no positive facts. Stereotypes are bad and can lead to something worse. I wrote about prejudice, discrimination and violence being it's siblings because stereotypes has led to just that. From stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination and violence, we received the terrible holocaust, bullies and cyber bullies, and deaths of teens. This subject isn't something to write a nice obituary about, but it gave the point of what stereotyping has brought us and how it has progressed. In Sondra Theidermans article "Stop Stereotyping: Overcome Your Worst Diversity Enemy", she gives tips on how you can stop judging and stereotyping others. I feel if people were to practice these, stereotyping could stop, which is also what I refer to as the end of the road for stereotypes.



Magazine Ad:

Inside this issue of "All American", you can get the back-to-school look! On page 54 you can find which stereotype you fit best. We have looks for jocks, preps, geeks, scene and more! Don't miss out on this great guide to help you get through high school.


End Note:
I chose this picture because it is very stereotypical. You have the typical jock, prep, geek and scene kids that you can find in basically any high school. High school is big on stereotypes, that's why I chose this magazine ad to represent where you can find the perfect stereotypical clothes for whatever stereotype you unfortunately fit into.

Group 3&4 activites

Tabloid

End Note:
For the tabloid activity, I chose to do this picture of Nicki Minaj because she is a very outgoing person. She shows that she is outgoing by making a CD of her own rather than just being featured in other artists' songs, her choice of outfits and hair styles are always different, and she is comfortable with who she is. She doesn't change to make more fans, she has fans due to who she is. I got this idea from the image below because often times, people who do outgoing things are stereotypes as strange or "looking for attention."

Comic Strip

I couldn't find a comic strip to actually put up, so here is one written out instead.

Nerd girl and Popular boy on social website

First Box: girl gets the courage to ask him on a date.

Second Box: Popular boy leads her on and makes her think they will go on a date.

Third Box: Next day, Popular boy and his girlfriend show the conversation to everyone at school and the nerd girl gets harassed and bullied.

End Note:

The most obvious stereotype thought of in middle school and high schools are the "popular kids" not wanting to be associated with the "nerd kids." Stereotypes are popular in middle schools and high schools because everyone is trying to fit in and "find themselves. In Gregg MacDonalds article "Cyber-bullying Defies Traditional School Bully Stereotype", he talks about the stereotype of bullying becoming worse due to the internet. You can make someone feel secure with their emotions by the "protection" and "security" of the internet, when really it can just be used against you.

Group 1&2 activities

Menu
"Standing Out Sandwich"-Great for bullies! Includes harsh comments and rude actions towards those being different and being stereotyped. Also comes with the possibility to end ones life.


End Note:
I have done a great amount of researching stereotypes and bullying and all cases have an outcome. Whether the outcome is just bringing it up to an adult, or causing someone to end their life, stereotyping is still serious. In Riki Wilchins article "Teenage Terrorism", she brings to us real stories about children being bullied and harassed to a point where stereotyping and bullying shouldn't go.

Infomercial
Product- Stereotypical Cheerleading Doll
With the holiday season approaching, your kids will be making Christmas lists hoping for everything they asked for to be under the Christmas tree. But how about getting them what they really want? This doll is best for young ages to grow up thinking cheerleaders only date football stars, wear uniforms daily, are ditzy and smile and make facials 24/7. Every little girl should have one so they can go to high school knowing what it's like to be a "real cheerleader".
*May cause harassment, experience bullying, and feel put down against others for being a typical cheerleader.

End Note:
For this activity, I chose this "product" because this seems to be the "typical" stereotype. Although it's wrong to stereotype, it still happens. Everyone should be aware of stereotypes, but should also be aware that it can be stopped. At a young age children are sponges and the experiences they go through portray in their teen to adult lives. If children can see at a young age what a "typical" stereotype is, they can recognize it in their later years to overcome stereotyping and learn how to not stereotype. In Sondra Thiedermans article "Stop Stereotyping: Overcome Your Worst Diversity Enemy", she gives tips and tricks on how to stop stereotyping.

Group 6- Magazine Ads

 This magazine ad appeals to me because it is flashy and eye catching with its fashion. I enjoy fashion and every bit of this ad catches my attention.

This magazine ad would appeal to those who take working out to the extreme. It would catch the attention of anyone, but would appeal to those who would someday want to be like this or just like getting "swoll". I personally think it's gross.

Spoof Ad-Stereotype

research blog 5

Thiederman, Sondra. "Stop Stereotyping: Overcome Your Worst Diversity Enemy | Monster." Career

Advice, Interview Questions, Salary Comparisons, and Resume Tips from Monster. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. <http://career-advice.monster.com/in-the-office/workplace-issues/Stop-Stereotyping/article.aspx>.

In Sondra Theiderman’s article “Stop Stereotyping: Overcome Your Worst Diversity Enemy,” we learn that stereotyping is a factor in our life that can be hard to overcome. Thiederman states, “The most powerful source of stereotypes, however, is our own negative experiences.” We grow up experiencing situations which later in life lead to stereotypes. For example, if we experience a man being sexist, we then tend to think all men are sexist. At young age we form to the situations we experience and have throughout the rest of our lives. As much as we try to stray away from these experiences, knowing that not all men are sexist, other factors in our lives plant stereotypes within; “Our family, friends, coworkers and the media all easily implant these inflexible categories on our impressionable minds and hearts,” explains Thiederman. But in order to overcome stereotyping, we need to take action and realize the effects on our lives that lead us to believing stereotypes. As Thiederman explains, “Just because one person takes advantage of status does not mean they all will.” We need to come to terms with ourselves and realize that one person is not the same. Everyone has their own beliefs and opinions, so we should not stereotype and categorize people into such groups. Thiederman also gives three steps on how to eliminate stereotypes; Identify Stereotypes, Look for Consistency, and Push Stereotypes Aside. “One challenge to ridding ourselves of stereotypes is the fact that we are unaware of what they are,” states Theiderman. We are blind to stereotyping and to realize it is to overcome it. Once we can identify stereotypes, we can look for the consistency. Sondra explains, “Ask yourself: "Do I have these reactions before or after I have a chance to know the individual?" If the answer is before, these are your stereotypes.” Once we are then aware of the identities and consistency, we can then move to pushing stereotypes aside. How we learn things when we are young is through practice and repetition. Sondra puts, “Stereotyping is a habit. Just as it is learned through repetition, it can be unlearned through practice.” Stereotyping is a learned habit and can become slowly “unlearned” by forming new habits of ridding stereotypes.

Sondra’s three concepts on how to let go of stereotyping, Identify Stereotypes, Look for Consistency and Push Stereotypes Aside, I found very useful. It is hard to just stop stereotyping especially if you have experiences from when you were younger, but with these steps make it easier to do. To identify what you are doing and the thoughts you are thinking make it easy to notice the “bad habits” and judgments you are making about others. Seeing what situations and experience are the same or consistent help you identify what is a stereotype/judgment and being aware of your judgments helps you to push those thoughts aside.

I chose this article because after learning about what stereotypes can do to others, I wanted to learn about preventing or eliminating stereotypes as much as possible. This article gave simple steps on how you can identify and eliminate stereotypes and judgments from your everyday life. Sondra touches on how experiences from when you’re younger can stay with you when you are older. I liked the examples she used to show how those experiences basically can be imprinted in your life and being able to notice it will help you eliminate it.