Celebrities vs. Successful Americans

American popular media is shallowly portraying success through wealthy celebrities. Of course, everyone desires material possessions to some extent, but isn’t there more to success than just a large savings account or name brand possessions? Successful people are ambitious and drive themselves in the direction of what they are trying to accomplish as an individual. While American popular media portrays successful people as reckless partiers, owners of expensive mansions and popular sports cars, I believe that successful people are knowledgeable, have valuable life experiences, and are accomplished in the career world.
Knowledge is a key element that is needed to become successful. People gain knowledge not just from what they learn from compulsory and higher education, but from what they read, and watch. When Americans turn on the T.V. and see a celebrity such as Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan in a huge house wearing luxurious jewelry and clothing, it’s not surprising that they would automatically think of this as an accurate representation of success. Americans think of this as an accurate representation of success because we think wealth is success. However, just because the media portrays success through wealth, Diana Kendall reminds us that “success is reflected in many people’s reading and viewing habits” (Kendall 336). Therefore, if people watched and read things that would help them become successful rather than trying to imitate the success of celebrities, it would make them more knowledgeable and successful individuals. Not only would Americans become more knowledgeable if they read and watched more enriching materials, but they would learn about their personal interests rather than focusing on earning a “slice of the good life” (Kendall 336). Someone doesn’t have to be a celebrity to be successful they have to be aware of what they are interested in doing. In addition, having knowledge and knowing how to apply it to situations in life helps people make better decisions. The more knowledge someone has the more likely he/she will use it to their advantage which would make them successful.
Valuable life experience is another trait that is imperative for success. American popular media is mainly interested in publicizing the negative life experiences of celebrities because their elite status supposedly makes them more interesting than average people. What if Britney Spears wasn’t a celebrity? Would anyone care that her children aren’t in her custody or that she’s even divorced? Celebrities are the reason why we don’t publicize single teenage mothers that are raising their children while going to college and working two jobs or war heroes that died to protect our individual freedoms. The media publicizes celebrities because they are wealthy, which makes them seem more important than average people. Success is earned through hard work and devotion, but the media uses a “nine- year olds vision of wealth to save us from ourselves” which characterizes success through television shows and games such as monopoly (Soto 26). Very few celebrities have experienced challenges or life the way the average American has. Irresponsibility and carelessness are about the only life experience a celebrity has. Think of how many people who are multimillionaires or famous that clean their own home, raised their children without a nanny, or have served for our country; the odds are they never have and never will. Through achieving valuable life experiences someone becomes stronger and is able to overcome challenges and that makes them successful.
Being accomplished in the career world is another attribute that makes someone successful. This doesn’t mean that someone has to have a high status in the career world but they must have a purpose. Even if this purpose has “low wages, lack of benefits, and hazardous working conditions that are considered boring and uninteresting topics” that doesn’t mean a person is unsuccessful (Kendall 339). No matter what job or career someone has, they should feel important. Working is more than earning an income; it requires passion and an undying interest. Important people tend to do a better job and are overall better qualified at what they are doing, making them successful. It’s the quality of the work rather than someone’s income that is a success. Just because someone has a job that pays well that doesn’t mean they are successful it just means “money ain’t divided up right in this country” (Bambara 272). Underpaid people with important jobs are considered unsuccessful because “we over identify with the wealthy because the media socialize us to believe that people in the upper classes are better than we are” (Kendall 335-336). Obviously, if someone is dedicated to their job then they must enjoy what they are doing. If one is satisfied with what he/she is doing then there is a form or self-respect and personal admiration. People with careers strive to do their best for themselves so that they feel personally satisfied and successful.
I believe that if everyone tried to achieve their full potential, one way or another they would become successful. It is my perception that successful Americans are knowledgeable, have valuable life experiences, and are accomplished in the career world. Success is not just wealth, but it is what someone is made of. It must be created and it is a variable in everyone’s life, because each person’s success is different.
Works Cited
Bambara, Toni Cade. “The Lesson.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical
Thinking and Writing. 7th Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 270-277.
Kendall, Diana. “Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption.”
Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 7th Ed.
Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2007. 334-350.
Soto, Gary. “Looking for Work.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical
Thinking and Writing. 7th Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 26-30.

Ignorant, Oblivious, or Both ?

According to Mark Hertsgaard in The Oblivious Empire, Americans are oblivious to the countries and governments around us and overall it is our actions overseas in these countries that makes foreigners not only hate America, but mainly the American people. However, I seem to disagree with Mr. Hertsgaard. I believe that Americans are not oblivious, but that they just are flat out ignorant to the core of their soul. I don't believe that we as Americans intentionally try to disregard others needs, or that we intend to be inconsiderate, I just feel that we feel that what ever is best for America is best for everyone else. This misconception is a very common American flaw, but all in all I feel that most Americans mean well. In fact, I believe Mr. Hertsgaard is right about something and that is " the embarrassing truth is that most of us know little about the outside world, and we are particularly ill-informed about what our government is doing in our name overseas" (Hertsgaard 783). So there is no way that we can possibly be blamed for everything our government does. The American people only have so much control over their government and it's actions. The problem isn't just that Americans are ignorant in foreign countries but that we are ignorant in our own country. We even ignore our own people's needs, wants, and feelings. I love America and I myself can be considered ignorant in some ways, but everything has faults. No one ever said America had to be perfect.

The Demand for the "Magic Kingdom"

Hollywood and places like Disney Land which can be referred to as the "Magic Kingdom" are the way the mass media portrays America. I agree with Todd Gitlin that the whole world is "speaking American by wearing jeans, drinking Coca Cola, and eating at the golden arches" (Gitlin 825). In a sense this is transforming other cultures and their values too. I mean it is possible that American culture and necessities are globalized so much that it is universal to find American entertainment, clothes, and food almost anywhere you go. However, it isn't the same for other cultures. If people from other countries say from places such as the Middle Eastern countries, it is going to be very hard for these people to find authentic Muslim entrees, or clothes. I mean think about it. How many malls can someone walk into in America that carry a Hijab (the Arabic term for "cover" or veil for a woman)? Yet, I could go almost anywhere in the world and eat a hamburger and drink Coke, or buy a baseball hat or all types of Western clothing. Globalization is largely based around American culture. Each time something is created in another country, we as Americans utilize it and Americanize the product. We even Americanize food from other countries. We may have Hispanic Food, but that doesn't mean that it is authentic. There is too much demand for American products in my opinion, but not enough demand for foreign products. America is dominate in countless ways across the world through popular culture, through things such as clothes, food, entertainment, and even the "English" language has been Americanized. In a way globalization should be called Americanization.

Americans Are Prisoners of Compulsory Education

The point of having an education is to have knowledge, but what happens when this knowledge is taught forcefully? Shouldn’t learning be a decision rather than a requirement? Things such as wealth, politics, and religion are some examples of things that are slowly corrupting students from the age of five until they graduate from high school. The reason why this happens is because the schools allow this corruption to occur, and for that I don’t blame students for rebelling against compulsory education. I believe the American population is disempowered by compulsory education because students are forced to attend school, and public schools are lacking funding and an emphasis on individuality.
Compulsory schools have too much authority over attendance. Students are dropping out since they are forced to attend school. This authority is so outrageous in some schools that it could be described with “enough reason to think of our schools ---- with their long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers ---- as virtual factories of childishness” (Gatto 153). Locking up students inside a classroom all day, teaching them the same repetitious lessons does nothing but shelter them from independence and adulthood. In addition, every school has a different curriculum, which means that there are different classes and graduation requirements for each region. If a student attends a school in Nevada and only needs 21 credits to graduate, but then moves to California, he/she may need 3 more credits than what was originally required in the previous school. This is a factor that the student has no control over. It’s almost like punishing the student when they did nothing wrong at all. Unnecessary consequences such as a lowered G.P.A. from moving and so forth discourage students. Eventually, many end up with a lower income job if they drop out, meaning a lower standard of living. This increases the number of Americans living in poverty.
Every public school is lacking funds in one department or another. Some examples of this, including insufficient amounts of textbooks, desks, and even sanitary products such as toilet paper, lead me to believe “American schools are literally falling apart” (Moore 140). Inadequacies such as these make it difficult to learn. If students didn’t have to worry about having a desk or a book, it would probably be easier for them to focus more on learning. Keeping in mind schools can barely afford sanitation products, it is understandable that with little funding a large amount of teachers are underpaid. Teaching is an important job, yet Michael Moore reminds us, “ we somehow can’t find the money to pay a starting teacher more than $31,900 a year. And we act surprised when we can’t get results” (Moore 140). If teachers were paid more money, society would consider them more valuable based on this higher level of income. Teachers would be more motivated to teach students more effectively if they had a higher annual income, even with the rigid structures they must teach under. Besides teachers not getting paid enough, the facilities teachers have to teach their students in are overcrowded and unsafe. Too many students are crammed into tiny classrooms with capacities that are meant for only a small number of children. These students are supposed to be the product of America, but the government doesn’t seem to be investing any time or money in them. It’s simply easier to take advantage of uneducated people rather than educated ones.
Most importantly, compulsory education is lacking individuality because most schools are promoting conformity. Consequently, students are taught to imitate “so the kids learn to submerge any personal expression. They learn it’s better to go along so that you get along” (Moore 147). For example, almost every school has some type of dress code or uniforms that students must follow. Conforming to promote equality is fine. However, as an adult in society, I learned it is better to have students differ in thoughts, emotions, and actions. Since students are limited on how to dress in school, it also limits how students think and act. Limiting such things makes it easier and more efficient to be followers rather than leaders. Not only are students being taught to conform, but they are also being taught the to bored. No one ever said that learning couldn’t be fun. Instead of focusing on test scores or standardized testing, they should be more focused on students individually, allowing them to be creative. Schools should realize education is about the students learning important things that benefit the students rather than what school officials think is beneficial to the students. This lack of individuality leads many students to feel uncomfortable. It is hard to do anything when you feel uncomfortable, especially learning. Letting students be more individual would make compulsory education and possibly higher education more desirable. Americans that have a good education usually have higher paying jobs that contribute to the economy.
Ideally, an education involving less authority and more freedom, the correct amount of funding, and individuality is one only obtainable in one’s dreams. The real solution is change. In a complex society such as ours, it is hard to recognize this. The benefits that all students should have will undoubtedly take years to arrive. It’s disappointing, because by the time these benefits arrive, it will probably be too late.



Works Cited

Gatto, John Taylor. “Against School.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical
Thinking and Writing. 7th Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston:
Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2007. 152-159.
Moore, Michael. “Idiot Nation.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and
Writing. 7th Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/ St.
Martin’s, 2007. 132-149.

Mormon Missionaries And How They Harass The World!!

Mission Impossible

Every weekend at my home in Las Vegas until I moved to Texas, Mormon missionaries would knock on my door while I was in a deep sleep guaranteed before ten in the morning so they could try and convert me. Overtime this became very annoying and I felt as if I were being harassed. One would think after the fifth or sixth time that I told the same little missionary boy "No thank you, I wouldn't like any information about the Mormon religion," that he would stop coming to my house but it never phased these people one bit. I mean how would they feel if I went to his home almost every day or weekend and said " Excuse me sir, would you like any information today about converting to Satanism ?" I'm sure if I did this, it would seem as though I were wrong, almost like I was committing a crime in the eyes of these people. Just for the record though, I am not a Satanist. In the first two minutes of the video that I am posting, it shows exactly the kind of harassment I dealt with weekly. While watching this video think of how it would feel if this happened every weekend at someones home.

Elmira

Elmira is not a very lively looking woman. In fact, in this portrait of her she looks depressed, hopeless, or possibly pained with anguish. Her facial features are soft and sensitive and very feminine, however, her expression is strong and serious. Empty is the only word that could describe her eyes. Western garments cover her body. She is wearing a brown bonnet that articulates her face, and a matching yet ragged brown dress. These articles are not the most glamorous of a western-style wardrobe but she is as fashionable as any other woman from the west. Her presence is powerful.