Born This Way (Sexual Orientation)

Lady Gaga says it best in her song "Born This Way." Some people believe that one's sexual orientation is chosen, but I disagree with this on every level. It pisses me off to no end that gay individuals are not given the same rights as a heterosexual. Who is to say that they are less of a person just because they like the same sex?? Same sex marriage should be legal in every state and should be recognized by all. To say it should be accepted by all would be a dream and completely unrealistic. I am not so sure why relationships of the gay community offend and upset so many people... America is supposed to be "The Land of the Free," yet we are judging, criticizing and hindering those from living their life to the fullest.

I know many people that are gay, several being family members. My cousin lives in New Zealand, is married to her partner and has two beautiful children. They had a ceremony in the United States, but obviously were not technically married. It frustrates me that they cannot come to America and live the free and accepting life in which they have in New Zealand.

We watched the documentary Further off the Straight and Narrow in class which discussed the transformation of airing gay media, primarily on television. When individuals see television shows starring a gay character, it helps those that have trouble coming out, do so by realizing they are not alone. It is referred to as the "coming out saga" which is characterized as a common experience and process often filled with anxiety and despair. Some shows, such as ER and Dawson's Creek, had a serious storyline about the struggles the characters were having with their sexual orientation. It is expected for the gay community to conform to narrow and particular ways to be respected. Other shows, such as The OC, had lesbian hook ups among straight characters; these scenes came and went like fashion and were used as a sign of hipness. Lesbian kisses are profitable while gay kisses are largely seen as taboo. Kissing scenes are metaphors of sex on TV - sex in inferred.

There is currently more latitude on reality television. The transition came in a set of phases:

• Occasional talk shows/news debate
• 90's centered in tabloid with messed up relationships (Ricky Lake, Jerry Springer)
• Youth oriented programming - used as signature features (Real World, Survivor)
• Today - gaying of the straight guys (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy)
• Plot lines from 80s & 90s was centered around AIDS/HIV, was replaced with gay parenting

The problem some see with mainstream is how do you determine who is gay and who is straight? And if you can't decide that, what happens to the straight privileged?

Premium cable channels, such as HBO, found different ways to interest loyal membership, which demands much more risque shows - Sex and the City, Queer as Folk, and The L Word. These shows offer gay friend to straight women, sexual experimenters, sex obsessed, and romantic love affair plot lines. In 2005 MTV released Logo, gay programming channel. Originally was going to be for subscription only, but is now public instead so the channel has to "play it safe."

Class Matters (Social Class)

Social class has many different measures in America. We group ourselves with those that are most similar to us, those we have grown up with, those with the same background, and those we feel the most comfortable with. We can be defined by what we do, how much we make and our goals and aspirations. As we grow up we separate ourselves, often unconsciously, from people that don't fit in our group, who don't fit in our social class. America is a country divided by class, split by thousand different social distinctions: the kind of neighborhood you live in, how far you got in school, what you eat, the way you wear your hair - often times, hard to see. Many find  social class to be a hard topic to acknowledge, because then there is a sense of inequality.

The documentary People Like Us: How to Marry the Rich breaks it down on how to successfully blend in with the upper class. The upper middle class is characterized as faster paced with more opportunities, while the working class may stay in the same factory they've been working in for years. Some factors to blending in include which fork you use, your name, what you chose to drink and wearing bright,loud colors. When having a conversation with the upper class, one is to stand 16 - 19 inches apart. It is important not to be standoffish or show any sign of intimidation, that alone is a red flag to the upper class.

People Like Us: Tammy's Story follows the struggles of Tammy Crabtree's life. She lives in a run down trailer, has two boys, works at Burger King as a janitor, and walks 10.5 miles to and from work because she doesn't have a car or license. While walking to work, people will yell "Hey trashy bitch..what are you doing?" She said that it's not her fault she's poor, she grew up this way. Her dad worked hard for his 22 kids, and he would be proud of her today for trying. Her oldest son, Matt, is embarrassed of the trailer and his mother. Although he is in the same class as his mom and brother, he tries to act like he's not to impress his friends.

"All I want is a life I can be happy, but right now I cant because of the way people treat me, and the way my kids treat me." - Tammy Crabtree

Will the social class you were born and raised in forever be your class? Or can you move from working class to upper class? Lower class to middle class? Or even better lower class or upper class? We've seen movies about the poor becoming rich and completely transforming their life, but what is the likelihood of this?

I believe it is all about your motivation and the resources that you are given or seek out to find. For instance, unless Tammy actively sets out to find a better way of living, then she will forever be living in the lower class. If her son Matt continues with his dreams of going to college and becoming successful, he is already halfway there. It might take a lot more effort and struggles than one in working, middle or upper class, but it IS possible.

n00b status (Video Games)

The transformation of video games that I have seen is tremendous. When I was younger, I was playing Sonic and Mario, now days kids are playing violent games at such a young age. One of the most popular games currently is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This game allows the player to shoot at enemies in very life like settings. The graphics of the game really make the game so realistic.

I went to the midnight release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 just about one month ago. I pre-ordered the game for my boyfriend about three weeks before the game was released. I arrived at GameStop about 11:15 pm and waited outside for roughly an hour before receiving the game. There were about 200 people waiting, which wasn't as much as I predicted. I'm not sure if it was just the location or what it was, but it was fine by me! I could definitely tell who was the serious gamers because they were much more pumped than others.

I am surprised at the age of many children playing violent games. In order to purchase games that are rated M for Mature the consumer must be 17 years or older. This means that it is more than likely the parents are purchasing the game for them. I understand that children in high school are should be mature enough to play the game, but at the same time it makes me wonder. When I hear about high school shootings, I wonder if playing violent video games influences this sort of behavior and rampage.