Nature vs. Captivity

By now I’m sure everyone around the nation has at least heard about the 12,000 lb. killer whale, Tilikum, that supposedly attacked and killed one of the most experienced trainers at Sea World in Orlando, Florida this past Wednesday afternoon in front of a group of eager onlookers. According to visitors and reports, the behemoth male whale grabbed the female trainer in its mouth as she was standing on a ledge and shook her like a ragdoll before carrying her underwater where she eventually drowned. Although this was a terrible tragedy, I think it is important to take a step back from the incident and take a deeper look as to not only what happened, but why it happened.

Reports have indicated that this whale has been involved in two other attacks on trainers prior to the attack on Wednesday. So why would the facility allow for its trainers to engage in physical contact with this killer mammal in light of what they knew? With this information, I do not believe that people should blame the whale for doing what it did – if anything, they should be directing the blame towards the park for putting their employee’s lives in danger. Furthermore, on an airing of a CNN report the other day, an interviewee had mentioned that orcas/killer whales travel, on average, about 100 miles per day. Thus, being cooped up, in what would be considered a small tank to the whale, is really animal cruelty. I mean no wonder why the animal acted out. Day in and day out, this large mammal is forced to swim around in circles in a small aquarium and put on shows as if it were a domesticated animal – it’s a KILLER whale people; the word killer is in its name – that’s what it’s born to do. I think it’s ludicrous and borderline comical when people act shocked that this specific species could do such a thing; it’s simply living up to its name – it’s carrying out its innate and natural capabilities. It is not a dog or a cat that is born into domestication. A killer whale is a wild animal that belongs out in the wild, not performing lame kiddy shows as if it were some sort of circus animal.

Shame-lympics

For this week, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and follow what’s going on in the world of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. However, my topic-of-discussion isn’t really something to be prideful about; rather, I’m a bit embarrassed, both for the person I’m about to mention and for our country.

Upon searching the internet, I found an article dedicated to the 22 year-old U.S. Olympian, Scotty Lago. Unfortunately, this article wasn’t congratulating him on his victorious run down the halfpipe during a men’s snowboarding event this past week. The article was, however, discussing some raunchy photos of him, his bronze medal, and a lady friend that recently mainstreamed via the internet. In the photos that surfaced, Lago can be seen with a big grin on his face as his shirt is lifted up, his medal precisely placed around his waist, in front of his groin while a young woman is bent down in front of his crotch kissing the prized possession. In another picture, the snowboarder has the medal lifted up by his chest (shirt down this time – congrats Scotty) while the same young woman is nibbling on the bronze plate. This probably doesn’t look so good, eh Scotty?

This is a young man who, regrettably, held the responsibility (of which he clearly could not handle) of setting an example to those individuals who look up to him and aspire to be like him. For adolescents and pre-adolescents, these pictures are sending the message that if you’re famous you can do whatever you want, including mimicking oral sex in public, in front of countless people and the bright lights of the flashing cameras. Furthermore, he was setting an example of the United States in front of the entire world. I mean, what are people going to think of our country after seeing and hearing about this? This man is explicitly advertising sex with a young woman on the wide-open streets of Vancouver Canada at the Olympics and is justifying it with his bronze-medal status! Those who do not or cannot understand the culture of our country and comprehend the sexual freeness of our society might react in cynicism and stereotypical behavior towards the U.S. In doing so, some individuals might put a label on all Americans and think that we are irresponsible, childish, and coitus-obsessed citizens who constantly promote sex. Thanks for the burden, Scotty. You might have received a bronze medal for your snowboarding abilities, but you received a gold medal in stupidity.

Valentine's Day...How Ridiculous!

Seeing that V-Day is just around the corner, I figured that I would dedicate today's post to the oh-so-romantic holiday. However, don't for one second assume that I'm going to write this blog in hopes of gushing about what a wonderful calendar day I believe it to be and how much I simply just can't wait for it to be here already! If you thought this, then you were sadly mistaken. Quite the contrary – actually, I would like to put my two-cents in about how I consider the holiday to be a complete and utter JOKE!

For weeks, the media makes a legitimate attempt to illustrate to us how we need to prepare for the upcoming event. In doing so, our brains turn to mush as we mindlessly consume commercials, scrutinize advertisements, and study romantic movies to put together something super special for the one we love. We scamper around like brainwashed robots to think of ideas to do for our loved ones; what creative idea can I come up with to let my lover know that I passionately care about him/her? What ultra expensive gift can I buy that will say “I love you more than life itself”?

If you didn’t figure it out by now, my viewpoint on Valentine’s Day is one that I guess onlookers would call cynical. In my eyes, Valentine’s Day is a total sham; a marketed, Hallmarked day that corporate society created simply to make a few bucks as people shell out their entire month’s rent to purchase a materialistic gift that means nothing, all-the-while laughing at the dopes that do so.

Now, please don’t think that I hold these feelings because I was burned by an ex-love or because I have no special somebody in my life, because then you’d be sadly mistaken – yet again. No, no, I do very much have a boyfriend and I do very much love him; however, I don’t think that I need to buy him a gift or stress myself out in making sure that I do something insanely romantic on February 14. I believe that if you truly love someone, you will find a way to show them that you care for them on a daily basis, not just one day a year. The concept of setting aside one whole day out of 365 days to completely dedicate yourself to proving your love for someone in ludicrous! If you loved someone you wouldn’t have to PROVE it by making a holiday; it’s as if people need a national reminder to demonstrate their infatuation to the one they love – how ridiculous!

Children: The New Accessory

At first glance this cluster of arms, legs, and hair might appear to be just that -- a sea of appendages, smiles, and nicely dressed children, ranging from a cornucopia of ages; however, upon my dismay and after further research, I discovered that this picture is a actually a portrait of a single family unit known as the Duggar family. The Duggar’s consist of 19 children – two of which are missing in the photograph – as well as both the mother, Michelle Duggar, and the father, Jim Bob Duggar – as pictured in the image. The best part about this story isn’t even that they have 19 kids, but that each and every last one of them has a name that begins with the letter “J”! And no, I am not kidding. The names of the children are listed as follows: Josie, Jordyn-Grace, Jennifer, Johannah, Jackson, Justin, James, Jason, Jeremiah, Jedidiah, Joy-Anna, Josiah, Joseph, Jinger, Jessa, Jill, John-David, Jana, and Joshua.

I guess I missed the memo stating that children are now the latest and trendiest fashion accessory. In addition, the memo must have indicated somewhere within it that by having a bunch of children, I can have my own, personal meal-tickets to fame and money. What am I talking about you ask? This family is famous for being so insanely huge that due to mommy and daddy’s abilities to procreate beyond belief, they were able to convince the television network that they should have their own show about their life as the Duggars (a.k.a. the largest family on the face of the planet!).

Personally, I find it disgusting that this family has that many children. There’s no way the mother and father have enough time to raise 19 children or give each and every one of them the love and attention that they deserve. Furthermore, I find it a bit disturbing that a television network would support and advertize such a crazy concept of continuous procreation as if it were a hobby and not actual human lives that were at stake. This family, as well as the network that airs the program, seems to think of kids as collector items – the more they have, the more money they will accrue.

What sort of message is this sending to the youths of our nation – have 20 or so kids and you will be able to get your own show and have lots of money? I mean, seriously; I don’t get it!

About This Blog

As a consumer of the various media that exist today, I have long been trained to eat up anything and everything the media presents to the public, no questions asked. I have bought into the never-ending fads that magazines and commercial corporations constantly market –whether it be the newest diet trend, the hottest brand names to purchase, the sexiest way to style my hair, and so the list continues. I have been stuck on a perpetual endeavor to achieve the unattainable ideals of what it means to be a white, heterosexual woman in modern day America. I have listened to and purchased the popular music of our culture in which the media has molded and manufactured, I have shopped at the fashionable stores and worn the clothes that the media has advertised and made socially acceptable, I have darkened my skin color as the media has communicated to me that tanner is better, and I have cut and dyed my hair to resemble that of a celebrities’ as the media has gawked over what Hollywood hairstyle is the trendiest. I have committed all these acts because that is what the media has forever taught me to do. But when is enough truly enough? When is it time to step back from the mindless consumption that we constantly and habitually perform on a daily basis to think about the ideologies the media is mass marketing to the American public? Who says that what the media declares is even correct? The media has made a living on critiquing the actions, behaviors, bodies, and styles of others; however, who critiques the media? I say it’s time to take a closer, more critical look at the different concepts and ideas the media are relentlessly hounding into our minds. Thus, I have decided to dedicate this blog to those who question what the media is marketing – be it through concepts communicated on a magazine cover, pictures posted on an online website, video clips of musical artists of popular culture America. Whatever the case may be, I will critique the piece in question as you should do the same.