When we are born, we are born either male or female; we do not choose our gender. However the way in which we choose to act as a male or a female is totally up to us, right? Not really. I suppose anyone could dress however they want, act however they want, and show any type of emotions they want. But in the reality of American culture, if you do not dress a certain way and act a certain way, then society will not accept you, making it very difficult for you to be successful in a culture like America’s.
So what is it that creates these images and expectations of males and females in America? The answer is plain and simple, advertisements. Wherever we go almost every ad we see contains these beautiful people with the perfect body type that everyone wishes to have. And within the ads there is a message, a message of where men and women stand in our culture, as well as what is expected of them.
In the ad on the left for Gucci, you see two very attractive people, one male and one female. But their positions in the ad are very different. The woman is on the ground, below the man with her hand on his shoe. She is attending to him and it’s as if she is there to make him look better. While the man’s position is standing upright, flexing his upper body and giving off a sense of authority and confidence.
The Louis Vuitton ad on the right is for shoes. It shows the bottom half of a woman who is wearing nothing except for a pair of Louis Vuitton heels and she is up against a target with knives being thrown around the perimeter of her body. This ad gives off a similar message about woman that the Gucci ad does. In both ads the woman’s primary role is to look good. They are not there to make a statement like the man in the Gucci ad, their sole purpose is to emphasize the product, showing no sense of importance or control.
These two ads along with many others similar to them are a metaphor for how our culture has portrayed men and women in our society. Men are expected to act tough and strong and be in control. And if there are times when a man shows too much emotion or acts weak then he could be looked down upon, all because of how American Culture has raised us. The portrayals of women in our society are much different than those of men. They are seen to be less “in control” and many modern day advertisements are centered around a woman’s sexual appearance, often in ways that are not respectable.
So when we are born we all have the control to become whoever we want to be. But the American culture as well as other cultures set many expectations for us which have a large affect on who we become as people.
The "American Dream" Today When outside immigrants and other foreigners think of America, they think about it as the land of opportunity. They figure that there are so many jobs available and there is so much freedom that many of them come here to start new lives. And they do it because they think it will be an upgrade from life in their home country; because they think they will be able to live the American dream.
Unfortunately almost all of them are faced with reality when they come to America. They realize that this “American Dream” was nothing that they expected. Many of them are attracted toward large cities where they figure there is the most job opportunity. Once they find even a decent paying job in these cities, they then have to pay for the living expenses of small apartments and right away, they set off into a life of poverty in America. And it is very soon that they realize that the life they are living is not what they had come here for.
In the picture on the left, you see a man standing in what looks to be a very poor neighborhood in an urban area. The man is holding up large signs, one of which says “The American Dream is Over.” It is clear that this man came to America seeking the opportunity and freedom that he heard our country had to offer. And eventually he came to find out that living in poverty and struggling to get by is nowhere near “the dream” that he was expecting.
This struggle that is represented in images today does not only apply to immigrants and foreigners. It also applies to American families like the one in the cartoon on the right. This cartoon represents the American dream as a hotel and the American family is turning in their keys saying “We’d like to check out of the American dream.” The hotel clerk behind the desk is telling the family that they have given back the cars, furniture, house and credit cards and they still need to pay for late fees, interest, taxes, and interest on those taxes. There is also a small sign on the desk that says “$0 down.”
This cartoon is a perfect message of how the American dream is made out to be something so great but once you have finally experienced it, like the family in the cartoon, you come to realize that it is not what it is made out to be and there is actually a lot of stress and struggle involved.
What is the American Dream?Representation of Difference One of the best things about this world is that we are all people. No matter how different any of us may be from each other, we are still all people and there are no super heroes or things that control us or how we feel. However unfortunately with the way society has developed, it has the ability to tell us not only what’s right and wrong, but what’s right and wrong about ourselves. Years ago it was a part of society that black people were not equal to white people. In the very beginning, African Americans weren’t even considered people but property. Over the years things slowly progressed for them and fortunately today they have reached full equality. Now there are black people getting married to white people and for the first time in history a black person actually runs our country. Even just 20 years ago something like this would be unheard of. Although some problems have taken care of themselves over the years, other people are still dealing with society’s strict expectations today, particularly homosexuals. Society has always labeled it “correct” to be heterosexual and only be attracted to the opposite sex. In the early 1900s, being homosexual didn’t even cross peoples’ minds but today there are millions of people attracted to the opposite sex. However that does not mean that they are accepted by any means. It has actually become a part of our culture to openly insult gays. In the photo on the left you see two very young girls wearing shirts that say “god hates fags.com.” I’m sure this picture was taken because the photographer thought that it was hilarious along with thousands of other people on the internet. This also means there is a website called god hates fags.com. To me, the worst part about gays not being accepted is that with the exception of a few states, they aren’t legally allowed to get married in the United States. I can’t imaging not being able to get married to the person I love.
Today in America there are definitely a lot of issues involving homosexuality. However just like the segregation of black people, I’m sure that our society and the law will turn in the right direction for gays eventually. There have already been some steps taken by allowing gay people to get married in certain states. There are also increasing numbers of homosexuals each year because as more and more people do it, more and more people think it’s okay to do. There are also many gay celebrities like Clay Alken and Elton John who speak very loudly for the gay movement.
So while laws and our society are very strict towards homosexuals today, it has already begun to turn around and I’m sure that sometime in the near future gays will be openly accepted in the United States. http://www.bidstrup.com/phobia.htm >American Homophobia and its Effects
The Political Landscape Ever since Obama’s Health Care Reform plan came about there has been overloads of controversy in the United States. It seems that people either think it’s a great idea or a horrible one but no matter how you look at it, people are going to be unhappy in the end. When our new president first introduced the plan, there were actually protestors like the man on the left who held up signs making Obama look like Hitler. Indeed this is a little harsh for someone who is trying to extend health care to everyone.
In today’s time, political cartoons are seen almost everywhere in newspapers and magazines. Not only are they fun to look at but they give a good message to the public which influences many people’s political viewpoints. The following political cartoons are about Obama’s health care plan. The cartoon on the left supports the plan and the cartoon on the right is against the plan.
In the cartoon shown on the left, a man is yelling up to his neighbors saying that they need to fight for health care reform again. The neighbor responds by saying that his wife died because she couldn’t afford her medicine. He also says that he will come if someone lends him a kidney. When people see this cartoon in places like daily newspapers, it has an impact on their opinion on the new health care plan. Immediately people will think “Wow, if the new health care plan passes than medicine will be a lot cheaper and it will be easier to get an organ donated.”
The cartoon on the right influences people’s opinion in the opposite way. It shows doctors in the middle of a surgery and another doctor with a “Congress” jacket on opens the door and is shouting “Recess!” When people see this carton, they will get the message that under the new health care plan, doctors won’t be as qualified and won’t take their jobs as seriously as they do now which will put our health in danger. A cartoon like this will definitely make people think twice about voting for the new health care plan.
Many people may think political cartoons are useless since it is just a simple cartoon and usually cartoons are not important. But political cartoons actually have a big influence on American citizens. Almost everyone who reads the newspaper glances at the political cartoon because it is fun to read and it only takes a second. But many people don’t realize that the cartoons give off a strong message and since almost everyone reads them, they have a very strong impact.
Growing Up Female/Male in America
When we are born, we are born either male or female; we do not choose our gender. However the way in which we choose to act as a male or a female is totally up to us, right? Not really. I suppose anyone could dress however they want, act however they want, and show any type of emotions they want. But in the reality of American culture, if you do not dress a certain way and act a certain way, then society will not accept you, making it very difficult for you to be successful in a culture like America’s.
So what is it that creates these images and expectations of males and females in America? The answer is plain and simple, advertisements. Wherever we go almost every ad we see contains these beautiful people with the perfect body type that everyone wishes to have. And within
In the ad on the left for Gucci, you see two very attractive people, one male and one female. But their positions in the ad are very different. The woman is on the ground, below the man with her hand on his shoe. She is attending to him and it’s as if she is there to make him look better. While the man’s position is standing upright, flexing his upper body and giving off a sense of authority and confidence.
The Louis Vuitton ad on the right is for shoes. It shows the bottom half of a woman who is wearing nothing except for a pair of Louis Vuitton heels and she is up against a target with knives being thrown around the perimeter of her body. This ad gives off a similar message about woman that the Gucci ad does. In both ads the woman’s primary role is to look good. They are not there to make a statement like the man in the Gucci ad, their sole purpose is to emphasize the product, showing no sense of importance or control.
These two ads along with many others similar to them are a metaphor for how
So when we are born we all have the control to become whoever we want to be. But the American culture as well as other cultures set many expectations for us which have a large affect on who we become as people.
Male vs. Female Society
The "American Dream" Today
Unfortunately almost all of them are faced with reality when they come to America. They realize that this “American Dream” was nothing that they expected. Many of them are attracted toward large cities where they figure there is the most job opportunity. Once they find even a decent paying job in these cities, they then have to pay for the living expenses of small apartments and right away, they set off into a life of poverty in America. And it is very soon that they realize that the life they are living is not what they had come here for.
In the picture on the left, you see a man standing in what looks to be a very poor neighborhood in an urban area. The man is holding up large signs, one of which says “The American Dream is Over.” It is clear that this man came to America seeking the opportunity and freedom that he heard our country had to offer. And eventually he came to find out that living in poverty and struggling to get by is nowhere near “the dream” that he
This struggle that is represented in images today does not only apply to immigrants and foreigners. It also applies to American families like the one in the cartoon on the right. This cartoon represents the American dream as a hotel and the American family is turning in their keys saying “We’d like to check out of the American dream.” The hotel clerk behind the desk is telling the family that they have given back the cars, furniture, house and credit cards and they still need to pay for late fees, interest, taxes, and interest on those taxes. There is also a small sign on the desk that says “$0 down.”
This cartoon is a perfect message of how the American dream is made out to be something so great but once you have finally experienced it, like the family in the cartoon, you come to realize that it is not what it is made out to be and there is actually a lot of stress and struggle involved.
What is the American Dream?Representation of Difference
One of the best things about this world is that we are all people. No matter how different any of us may be from each other, we are still all people and there are no super heroes or things that control us or how we feel. However unfortunately with the way society has developed, it has the ability to
Today in America there are definitely a lot of issues involving homosexuality. However just like the segregation of black people, I’m sure that our society and the law will turn in the right direction for gays eventually. There have already been some steps taken by allowing gay people to get married in certain states. There are also increasing numbers of homosexuals each year because as more and more people do it, more and more people think it’s okay to do. There are also many gay celebrities like Clay Alken and Elton John who speak very loudly for the gay movement.
So while laws and our society are very strict towards homosexuals today, it has already begun to turn around and I’m sure that sometime in the near future gays will be openly accepted in the United States.
http://www.bidstrup.com/phobia.htm >American Homophobia and its Effects
The Political Landscape
Ever since Obama’s Health Care Reform plan came about there has been overloads of controversy in the United States. It seems that people either think it’s a great idea or a horrible one but no matter how you look at it, people are going to be unhappy in the end. When our new president first introduced the plan, there were actually protestors like the man on the left who held up signs making Obama look like Hitler. Indeed this is a little harsh for
In today’s time, political cartoons are seen almost everywhere in newspapers and magazines. Not only are they fun to look at but they give a good message to the public which influences many people’s political viewpoints. The following political cartoons are about Obama’s health care plan. The cartoon on the left supports the plan and the cartoon on the right is against the plan.
In the cartoon shown on the left, a man is yelling up to his neighbors saying that they need to fight for health care reform again. The neighbor responds by saying that his wife died because she couldn’t afford her medicine. He also says that he will come if someone lends him a kidney. When people see this cartoon in places like daily newspapers, it has an impact on their opinion on the new health care plan. Immediately people will think “Wow, if the new health care plan passes than medicine will be a lot cheaper and it will be easier to get an organ donated.”
The cartoon on the right influences people’s opinion in the opposite way. It shows doctors in the middle of a surgery and another doctor with a “Congress” jacket on opens the door and is shouting “Recess!” When people see this carton, they will get the message that under the new health care plan, doctors won’t be as qualified and won’t take their jobs as seriously as they do now which will put our health in danger. A cartoon like this will definitely make people think twice about voting for the new health care plan.
Many people may think political cartoons are useless since it is just a simple cartoon and usually cartoons are not important. But political cartoons actually have a big influence on American citizens. Almost everyone who reads the newspaper glances at the political cartoon because it is fun to read and it only takes a second. But many people don’t realize that the cartoons give off a strong message and since almost everyone reads them, they have a very strong impact.
http://www.realtruth.org/articles/090203-005-health.html> America's Health Care Crisis