Month: November 2017

My childhood was filled with books. Anything I could get my hands on, I would read. I’d spend hours behind the couch reading Eragon or Harry Potter while my friends played outside. As I grew older, I replaced books with tv. It’s not that I don’t like books anymore, it’s just that watching tv is a lot easier and numbing than reading is.

My experience with tv is similar to Junot Diaz’s. The tv was and is my coping mechanism. I had intense anxiety in high school, but my perfectionism forced me to exude false confidence that left me exhausted by the end of the day. In between tennis practice, tennis games, studying, and clubs I had no time to just sit down and read a book, the only true stress reliever I had. Instead, I turned to watching tv. It was comforting to slip into another world without having to use even more energy that I didn’t have.

The problem with tv is that it causes unproductivity and disillusionment. Junot Diaz’s disillusionment stems from a belief that his father is a superhero, and my disillusionment stems from high school drama shows that focus 95% on drama and 5% high school. Tv is too easy an alternative to facing the real problems in life. In Junot Diaz’s case, it is justified, because he was only a child, but adults cannot rely on tv. In my case, tv was an unhealthy way for me to justify skipping a lap during practice or studying for thirty minutes less to watch the last part of an episode. If these rich girls had it so easy, why can’t I? Why can’t I get accepted to Brown with minimal effort and date hottest guy in school?

Senior year was my equivalent to Diaz’s father, the catalyst of reality. Just like Diaz’s abusive father was nowhere close to the hero he had imagined him to be, my senior year was full of missed landmarks and friends that couldn’t really be called friends. I think my heightened disappointment about missing school dances and being flaked on by friends was due to my expectations set by tv shows.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from television is that Blair will never come and save my day, Mindy Kaling is not offering me personal sage advice, and Jessica Day is not my best friend. My point is, I have to fix things for myself. I can’t keep relying on this false reality in hopes that my feelings of misery and stress will disappear. No, I have to face my hardships head on and only then will things get better. 

While people often perceive her as airheaded and obnoxious because of her high-pitched voice and showy lifestyle, she is in fact a Dartmouth graduate who earned six Emmy awards and wrote two books and a show. She conveys the message that people should always be themselves by being unashamedly herself. She also inspires people of color through her successes, particularly her own show that she writes and acts in.

 In a study done in 2011, 20 million women were affected by an eating disorder, and by age six, girls especially worried about their body image. 40-60% of elementary girls are concerned about their weight or being fat ( NEDA Editors 1). Kaling uses her influence and spreads the message that a person should care about character traits like intellect and wit, rather than superficial qualities. This outlook on life reminds women and men alike that life should be lived without worry about trivial things like looking fat.

Kaling presents herself as a role model who encourages others to gain confidence in themselves. Her point addresses many important issues. The first is that she is okay making mistakes because she does not dwell on it. Generalized Anxiety Disorder affects 6.8 million adults, and women are twice as likely to be affected as men (ADAA 1). Anxiety stems from many different sources, but common causes of GAD include social anxiety and constantly worrying about what others think. Though “curing” anxiety is hardly the result of deciding that others opinions truly do not matter much, it is certainly a step in changing an unhealthy mindset that causes stress.

The second issue she addresses in her quote is about how people are uncomfortable with women who don’t hate themselves. In Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, Sandberg cites the Heidi/Howard study, in which a group of men and women were given Heidi’s ambitious resume, but one was labeled with her actual name, and the other, “Howard” (Adams 1). The group rated this fictitious “Howard” higher than Heidi. The conclusion is that if a man is successful and uses his strong personality to get ahead, he is well-liked, but if a woman does the same, both genders like her less. Though this study was done in 2003, the results still have validity today. People, both men, and women are still afraid of a successful and confident women. But Kaling wants people to remember that other people’s opinions do not, and should not change the way people view themselves.

In most shows and movies, it’s usually a tall, strikingly beautiful and fit white woman who defies all odds and fights back against the patriarchy. Kaling shows that even a woman who does not follow the typical ideals of a beautiful woman can be seen as more than just the sassy Indian friend or a fling for the male lead. Her character validates that any woman, not just supermodel-like ones, have important opinions and deserve to be treated as equals.

Mindy Kaling is a modern-day hero. She challenges herself, faces her own fears, and serves as an example for others. Too many people discount the value that role models hold, but seeing someone with the same skin tone, gender, and similar life obstacles achieve her dreams, can be an immeasurable source of hope and promise.

---

Works Cited

ADAA. “Understanding GAD – and Its Symptoms.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, 2016, adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad.

 

Adams, Susan. “10 Things Sheryl Sandberg Gets Exactly Right in ‘Lean In’.” Forbes, Forbes Brand Voice, 4 Mar. 2013, www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/03/04/10-things-sheryl-sandberg-gets-exactly-right-in-lean-in/#6443945b7ada.

Biography.com Editors. “Mindy Kaling.” The Biography.com Website, A&E Television Networks, 12 July 2016, www.biography.com/people/mindy-kaling.

Hilton, Perez. “Mindy Kaling Isn’t Naming Her Baby Daddy — Just Like These Other Stars!” PerezHilton RSS, 8 Aug. 2017, perezhilton.com/2017-08-18-mindy-kaling-keep-baby-daddy-secret#.WhzYZLaZO8U.

Houlihan, Ryan. “35 Mindy Kaling GIFs That Are So Relatable, It Hurts.” Teen Vogue. TeenVogue.com, 23 June 2016, https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/best-mindy-kaling-gifs

Kaling, Mindy. Is Everyone Hanging out without Me? (and Other Concerns). Three Rivers Press, 2015.

NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION Editors. “What Are Eating Disorders?” NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION, 2016, www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-facts-eating-disorders+.

Matt Murdock, also known as Daredevil, does not have the typical hero’s journey because it is out of order. Though each aspect of the cycle is met, the mixed up order that it is presented to the reader shows the darker aspect of this show. It is not the typical happy hero story where the viewer happily gets a resolution. By removing the expectation of a feel-good show, people are forced to look at the deeper, sometimes uglier meaning.

First, religion plays an important role in the show Daredevil. Matt Murdock is a Catholic, but he is not quite devout because he does not follow the Ten Commandments. He is driven by the need to protect others because he has a gift, yet he knows the violence and his vigilante tendencies are not ordained by God. By showing viewers Matt’s internal struggle, the creator’s are trying to convey the concept that one does not need to adhere completely to either religion or their personal morals. Rather, religion helps someone figure out a balance, in hopes of choosing the right path.

Secondly, Hell’s Kitchen is a corrupt place. Trash and homeless people line the street, the sky is full of smog, and crime rules. Most often, Matt’s vigilante escapades occur at night, to add to the sinister feel of Hell’s Kitchen. Just the very name evokes the imagery of demons eating its citizens alive. Though Hell’s Kitchen is sometimes an exaggeration, the point is to catch the viewer’s attention and make them think. Matt Murdock runs out and brings down several armed men to save a group of trafficked girls in a brilliant display of violence and skill. Is this the fact that this much crime occurs really too far from reality? We as humans are polluting the earth, poaching the pangolins, and turning a blind eye to the people who need our help most. In fact, Matt’s own abilities stem from a chemical spill. Perhaps if people had been more careful, such a tragedy could have been avoided.

Finally, Matt is the first blind superhero. Granted, he isn’t technically blind -he has radar sense and superhuman hearing that gives him abilities to “see” and hear better than most normal humans anyway- but for the most part, he is blind. Representation is always important, no matter how little it shows. When I was a child, I used to love Disney movies, but I felt so confused that when I dressed up for Halloween, my black hair and dark eyes made me look like just a little girl in a pink dress, rather than Sleeping Beauty. My mom noticed I was sad and didn’t know how to explain to me that I would never look like Aurora. So she showed me Mulan. I instantly fell in love. If I wore a kimono, I looked just like her! We have the same almond-shaped eyes and dark hair. It didn’t matter that Mulan was Chinese and not Japanese. I just felt happy having an idol that looked like me. Representation is vital, and a hero that is handicapped is most definitely important since handicapped people are typically the depressed helpless characters in shows. It is refreshing to see a crime-fighting superhero who isn’t limited by his disability, and in fact, let it become his power.

 

 

 

Do you know what a pangolin is? And no, I did not butcher the spelling of “penguin.” I meant pangolin, as in this scaly pokemon-like animal.

If you do know what a pangolin is, congratulations! You’re one of the few, unfortunately. This is unfortunate because pangolins are the most poached animal in the world. Found in Asia and Africa, pangolins are prized for their scales that are ground into medicine and their meat. Consuming pangolin meat is considered a status symbol because it can cost upwards of three hundred dollars for a 4-10 pound pangolin.  Pangolin babies are eaten as aphrodisiacs.

In order to raise awareness for pangolins, my group made mini flyers. To catch people’s attention, we decided to cut out sandshrew, a pokemon, and attach a few facts about them on the backside. The QR code is a link to a website we created with research, our essays, and more facts about pangolins. (Link at the bottom!) We left them in places that people would see, such as in the library and in dorm rooms. In fact, while I was cutting out the sandshrews in the library, a girl who was stapling her papers asked me, “Why do you have so many pokemons printed out?” So I offered her one of them, and told her about pangolins.

I left one of the pokemon cutouts on a chair in the library, and sat a few feet away and watched. Sure enough, someone sat down and noticed it. I didn’t take a video for privacy reasons, but she laughed and picked it up. When she flipped it over, her eyes scanned the facts, and then she put it back where she found it. Though she didn’t use the qr code, we’re hoping that leaving these around campus will be entertaining enough that perhaps one person will say to the other, “Have you seen the pokemon around school?” and create a conversation. The more people who know about pangolins, the better.

The snapchat story reactions were pretty interesting. We got a few explicit (but supportive!) snapchat responses, but someone also drew a picture of a pangolin! I felt giddy with excitement because people were actually paying attention!! Our efforts were being noticed!

At first, my group just chose pangolins because it seemed a simple enough topic. Pangolins are an innocuous subject to write about, and really all we needed to say was “Pangolins are endangered,” or so we thought. Still, the more I researched, the more I started to care. I found myself telling my friends about pangolins while I wrote the essay. I was shocked that so few people knew about them, and they often assumed that I meant penguins. It goes to show that awareness really does matter, as cheesy as it sounds. My hope is that the the more people who know, the more willing they will discuss it with others. Pangolins are eaten predominantly by Asians, and Asian culture dictates that you cannot contradict your elders. Still, it is the younger educated people who must get their elders to understand that there is no medicinal value in using pangolin scales,and there are plenty of other less harmful status symbols to indulge in. There needs to be a societal shift in which people respect endangered species enough to help the population regrow, instead of considering it a commodity that becomes that much more desirable with decreasing accessibility.

Images from our project

Some of the photos were too large to fit in this blog post, so I have provided a link to the google doc with the images.

Link to the QR code website:

Website Link!

 

Because The Hunger Games series is written in Katniss’s perspective, it is easy to understand why most people’s immediate response to “Who is the hero of The Hunger Games?” is Katniss. However, I argue that having the story told by Katniss is precisely why it is that much clearer that she is not the true hero. At a few points in the story, Katniss makes a point to say that she wants to win for her sister. But for the duration of the games, the reader gets the sense that Katniss is focused solely on survival. Meanwhile, Peeta was clear from the very beginning that he wanted Katniss to win. He makes Katniss appear desirable and lovable, an image she was quite incapable of creating herself. Katniss got sponsors because Peeta made her seem likable.

During the games, Peeta joins the Careers in order to protect Katniss. She had been angry at him, thinking that he was trying to save himself when in reality he joined the Careers because he knew the Careers would eventually go after her, and when that time came he could stop them. Finally, at the end of the games, it is announced that only one victor may remain. Peeta moves to throw away his knife, and Katniss immediately draws her bow on him. Her instinct is always self-preservation, and his is to help her.

In later books, Peeta realizes that Katniss is part of a cause that could change society forever. He does everything he can to protect her as the symbol of the resistance and his love, while Katniss is busy griping about loving both Gale and Peeta. Katniss is selfish more often than not, and when Peeta is returned from the Capitol after being tortured, she is terrified that he will not love her the same way. She does not fear for his welfare. She fears that he will blame her for the torture.

Peeta is selfless, through and through. He recognizes the role he plays and acts accordingly. From the very beginning of the games, he tells Katniss that he wants to die as himself. He always seems to look out for Katniss’s best interest, even if it means that he will die.