The Female Ideal

Clayton Blachly
L.Servais.
Eng 1a

The Female Ideal

`The female ideal has been changing over the years into something besides plain healthy. Yet, it changed into the new sexy and hot new looks with devastating outcomes for these women who pursue these ideals. With these new ideals, not only are the women affected from the physical outcomes, but the people who look up to these ideals are also affected.
There is a similar issue now escalating in the male population but, it is not as much of a problem as the ideal with women. Women now are going to extreme measures to be the next hot and skinny ideal. This ideal has more and more women reaching dangerous health risks trying to be something rather than plain healthy. I say plain healthy because even though these women these women could already be healthy and just want to look more skinny. More skinny does not mean more healthy at all. One to realize this is important. Along with the ideal in the physical eye of being unhealthy, but it also is a mental issue. It starts as a mental issue if you think about it. Women can become so obsessed with the new ideal that their minds become so focused on the ideal to pressure them selves to loose more weight. Women seem to alter they eating habits to no eating to reach a certain weight. This is where the unhealthy decisions arrupt. Rather than eat and drink when your body desires, to starve it to loose more weight. I cant even begin to talk about what happens after you decide you want to eat again. You see the physical traits start to show when not eating. You feel like your accomplishing something by being more skinny when your not. Your creating more damage than anything and, over what, a look you saw in a magazine or TV? Your creating a very unhealthy lifestyle that in alot of cases become dangerous for not only you, but the people who look up to these ideals. Teenagers is a good example. Your creating this new look that are constantly looking up to these ideals. So now, the issue is slowly rising in amongst the teenage population.
To take a look at all of this, i still want to address the media as far as they stand.i feel after doing some research, your everyday media has a role in getting these new ideals to the public. The media can be the Internet, television, newspaper, magazine and others as well. Today's media is huge as far as getting news and other information to the public. The media likes to keep close ties on famous people and will publicize anything that draws attention. A new music video to a sexy advertisement for a clothing retailer. Teenagers don't understand anything else than what they see. they don't see how much trouble these women go through to reach a certain image. They don't see how unhealthy these ideals are. Teenagers just see this so called "sexy" ideal and this to be sexy, they need to be that skinny. Not to forget but,m teenagers are easily influenced due to their developing minds.
A normal teenager shouldn't tell you their dieting to loose weight, but now don't be fooled. statistics show as low as 5Th grade, student reported of dieting to be more skinny. I really feel this issue needs to be addressed as far as teaching our goes different. Rather than pressure the media, which still could happen, but to teach our kids whats healthy. To teach our kids what is and what isn't healthy. What is the appropriate way to handle a obesity problem. these ideals are sending negative messages to the public in every way. These ideals are making people believe their not skinny enough. There are many ways into getting healthier and eating right is one of them. not eating at all is not. In today's society, there are many advertisements out there that target the wrong people for the wrong reasons.
On a final note, i felt that these ideals should be addressed in anyway to resolve this manner. The fact that women are suffering from eating disorders to more skinny is not acceptable. It is giving to many wrong ideas to teenagers. This is a very very unhealthy lifestyle to live by. With that said, i believe that these ideals are nothing more than a negative lifestyle and should be taking more seriously.

plagiarism

I do think if an University expels a student is over top, but if you look at the regulations and school codes, it talks about expulsion if plagiarising. I think the schools expel the kids to show the kids how serious the university is about plagiarism. Even though the kids did get expelled, they were probably aware of the fact about plagiarism and what comes with it. I do think the code is harsh and should be put on like academic probation or some sort of an agreement of punishment but not expulsion. Expluslion is always a harsh punishment, especially for a student attending a University. Also, I think since theres no principals office and a system designed for kids to act up, if you go before the school board at a University, it is likely going to be more harsh of a punishment. I still dont agree with the fact of the kids getting expelled right off the back.

Honesty

The question " Can a person still be considered honest if they tell lies?"" is an interesting topic. Your dealing with two different things that both have different meanings. Almost the opposite. I myself understand there is a strict line between honesty and lying. Crossing over the line is crossing the line. You cant lie and still be honest.
For starts, i have to define a couple of things. First is the definition of the word Honesty. Honesty means simply stating facts and views as best one truly believes to be. The other word is Lie. A lie, is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to maintain a secret or reputation, protects someones feeling's or to avoid a punishment. So i ask, can someone lie and still be honest. Technically speaking, No. Truthfully, HOW can you lie and be honest? What about if your telling the truth? You would be considered honest, right? So how can you justify telling a lie (doesn't matter how big, a lie is a lie) and being honest. This can go for yourself. If your truthfully honest to your self or not. I witnessed in the classroom how people defined the types of lies and lies that are considered OK. A classmate said " It would be OK if there feelings were going to get hurt." The example the classmate gave us was "Well, if my friend was trying on a dress and she asked me "If i looked fat in this dress" and I said No, even though she was, to be okay because her feelings were at stake."
With that said, I want to furthermore discuss this point. If the girl trying on the dress was asking for an opinion on how she looked in a dress, and you mislead her, how is this honest? I know you were trying to be nice, but that's not the point. I also have to say is she knew she looked fat, she probably wouldn't have asked you unless she wanted a second opinion. I would rather have somebody tell me the truth rather than lie. Doesn't matter what it is. Nobody wants to be lied to. And if you lie, how is somebody going to trust you. This is where honesty come is. So if people are thinking you can lie and still be honest, where do you draw the line? Most people I asked this question to said you can lie and be honest so now I ask. Is it alright to lie just when some body's feelings are going to get hurt? People seem its okay to draw the line there. On average, most people lie ATLEAST two times a day. That's millions of lies a day. Its kinda crazy to think everybody is going to lie today about something.
I still think to be honest, you cant lie. Even if its to safe someone. That doesn't make it alright to lie. There is more reasons Ive witnessed why people lie and think its fine. But, the most I've seen is where somebodies feelings were in jeopardy so I was addressing that particular issue. Most people still consider themselves honest and sweep the lie under the carpet. I said it before, Lie and Honest are two different things. And with that said, you can not lie and still be honest.

The affect

The affect is people are influenced to be a particular image that could become harmful. These particular images are imbeded into peoples head as must have or must be. Its "I need to loose more weight to I need to get bigger.". For Women, the struggle of the ideal is the physical attraction for skinny women. The term skinny has changed over the years to beyond healthy limits. To wear diseases and problems occur for being underweight. I say a good portion of these images come from is the media. For men, its similar in a way, but its being not skinny. The image is to be physical big and strong. But its to a point of too big and strong. Also its whats being used to reach these physical characteristics. The drugs can be dangerous and have affect on your longevity. Moral story is the ideal today has changed and really the ideal image is more than just a image. Its a negative image because people are trying to be something else rather than just plain healthy.

the election

The election was overall a good race. In my opinion, i felt like both of the presidents would have done a good job. Both were looking at similar crucial issues with out society like the economy. Sixty percent people felt the needed to vote for another president for econmy issues. When it was a few years ago, the main issue was on the war. Also in my opnion, I feel like alot of people voted Obama because of now ex president Bush. President Bush last term around really gave a bad rep on the Republican party. Alot of people voted democrate this time around. This was not to say that McCain would not have been a good president. Even though McCain lost the electoral vote by 179 electoral votes, the popular vote was only off by a couple million which says almost half of american wanted McCain. But yesterday made history with the United States first African American president.

Good ol' Huck

Clayton Blachly
English 1a
L. Servais
October, 27, 2008

The Label of Huck Finn

In our third essay, I interpreted Justin Kaplans main points about the racial issue with "Huckleberry Finn". After dissecting and understanding Kaplans main points, Kaplan defended the point that the novel, " Huckleberry Finn", is not racist. With knowledge on both sides of the racial controversy, i was convinced that "Huckleberry Finn" is not a racist text. Mark Twain was historically correct in his context. Also, Twain was realistically accurate as far as the use of the n word. I cant express this point more than it is. As for the other side of the controversy, I engaged in it. I studied both sides and thought about the novel. After my research and own personally experience reading the book, i found it incorrect saying the novel was racist. How ever, I do understand why there's racial issues with the book. In my opinion, I find it hard to believe that if you actually read "Huckleberry Finn" and thought it was racist, that your not looking beyond the text. Agreeing with Kaplan, I believe that Huckleberry is correct for its time and is not racist.

For a start, the biggest issue with "Huckleberry Finn" is the racial controversy over the novel. I say this because there is a few other controversies, but not as controversial as the racial issue over the text. Addressing this main controversy to me is important. The issue I have is that he text has to labels. One, the great American novel, and the other is that its racist. The racist label is what gets me. To get right to it, the novel "Huckleberry Finn" use the n word over 200 times throughout the book. This did and still stirs up controversy. The book is to degrade African Americans and create stereotypes. Some people get offended and feel the book should be banned. This book has proved it can shake things up just about everywhere it goes. This book is actually one of the most banned books in America. Now for some historical background on the book. This is important to know if you already do not. The book was published in December 10, 1884. The books time frame took place from early to mid 1800's in the deep south on the Mississippi river. This time period was a couple decades before the Emancipation. Slavery then was very active and enforced throughout the southern states. When the use of the n word was considered nothing less than normal. It was not uncommon to hear the use of the n word. It was not uncommon for people of all ages to use the n word. In this case, its mostly Huck, a thirteen year old boy from the south. Understanding these details is a part of realism some background.

Mark Twain illustrated the south 30 years before the Emancipation. So the use of the n word was historically correct for the time being. Twain was not being racist when doing so. For one not to open your eyes and realize is merely blind. You just cant point fingers at Twain for the use of the n word. Im sure your wondering about, well what about the 200 times it was used throughout the novel. Again, I here too see how people are offended. People say it was used to much. Me personally when reading the book, I did not feel the word was over abused. But yet, just enough to emphasize the true southern eye. I feel its safe to say if he didn't use the n word, the book would be a false portrait of the south.

For you to realize the historical context is one part to understanding the use of the n word. provided is a quote from Huck Finn in Kaplan's essay: Here is Sally's response to a steam boat explosion as described by Huck: " 'Good gracious! any body hurt?' 'No'm. Killed a nigger.' 'Well its lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt' "(page 206). Kaplan's response to this was "One has to be deliberately dense to miss the point Mark Twain is making here and to construe such passages as evidences of his "racism." Now, i can see here how people get offended. But again, realizing the time setting of the book is self-explanitory. I myself understand how powerful the word is today. I also understand that using this word today is wrong and offensive. The second point is the points Twain make throughout the novel. Throughout the novel, Huck matures as him and Jim are friends. Huck did arise controversy on himself between normal society and his own thought and feelings. Further into the book, Huck overcomes societies eye; which was trying to stop slavery was considered a sin. Huck went from looking at Jim as just a nigger that was somebodies property to a friend. A normal human being like himself. This was huge for Huck. He does not think of Jim as Miss Watson's nigger, instead just Jim. No labels, no ownership, just a friend. For Huck accomplishing this, Twain wanted you to see the point hes making. My point here is the use of the n word is very minor in the book. As for the argument of the book being written after the Emancipation. The author shouldn't be hassled for when the book was written. Its the time setting where the book takes place is what counts. This would be true if the time setting was after the Emancipation but "Huckleberry Finn" was not. If your still stuck on the racial issue, you were missing the big picture.

So my question to you is why is "Huckleberry Finn" labeled as a racist text? Why should we ban a book for the use of the n word. For this time period, Mark Twain was probably one of the least racist writers. The adventures of "Huckleberry Finn" had more than just use of the n word. If you actually read this, and thought it was racist, your in a shell. I found labeling the novel racist was difficult to overcome. As for the authors saying the text is racist is really going out of their way to do so. If the text was racist, the author wouldn't have to try because the text would explain it self. Since there is more to the text, authors are grabbing what ever they can hold on to and its the use of the n word as which i discussed this point. Instead, Huck Finn provides a portrait of the south in the 1800's. So why punish Huck Finn for illustrating an accurate portrait of the old south? In all, I did not believe the use of the n word was targeting or overboard or racist. In conclusion, to address the ongoing controversy, I still agree with Kaplan now finished with the book, and do not think "Huckleberry Finn" is a racist novel.

100 word response

In essay 3, I interpreted Kaplans main points about the racial issue with Huckleberry Finn. After dissecting and understanding Kaplans points completely, i still agree with Kaplans main point. Kaplan defended the point that the novel Huckleberry Finn is not racist. With knowledge on both sides of one of the controversies, i was convinced that Huck Finn is not racist. One strong point i agree with from Kaplans point of view is historical realism. i cant express this point anymore than it is. I engaged with the controversy and acknowledged both sides and thought about the book. I found like saying the novel is racist was incorrect. I do understand why there is racial issues with the book. I find it hard that if you actually read the book and thought read the book and thought it was racist, that your not looking beyond the points being made in the novel. Agreeing with Kaplan, i believe that Huckleberry Finn is correct for its time and is not racist.

English 1a

Hey, whats up?

English 1a