The Culture of Celebrity:Critical Thinking

1.My favorite celebrities today would have to be: Audrey Hepburn (even though she's not around anymore she has always been my biggest idol), Julia Roberts, Ryan Gosling, Rachel Mcadams, Richard Grere, Chris Young and Nicholas Sparks. All these celebrities are very talented in there own ways.  I love every movie Audrey, Julia, Ryan, Rachel,and Richard have been in.  I feel they take there careers very seriously  not just because they get paid but also because they care about their work and want to make sure their fans are very entertained. Ryan Gosling, Rachel Mcadams, Julia Roberts, and Richard Grere aldo happen to be my favorite pairs in movies as well! i think they work great together.  They really get involved.. It really makes it seem like they really are in love.  Chris Young on is my favorite country artist. He has an amazing voice and great songs.   And Nicholas Sparks Who i call a celebrity is my all time favorite author.  I have read every single book.  He is truly amazing! i still am waiting for another book signing to come around so i can meet him!
   Celebrities and fame have definitely become a big part of our culture over the years.  Everyone even some adults tend to look up to certain celebrities.  Everyone wants to be just like them.  Whether its dressing like them, or looking like them, or even buying their merchandise because you think it will make you cool like they are.  The world would be a very different place without celebrity culture.

The History of Runway Modeling

http://vintage-urban.blogspot.com/2008/01/wa-just-reading-about-how-to-be-runway.html

The runway first started  forming in 19th-century France. During this time in France, salons in Paris hosted events to showcase certain fashions. These shows were at the time called: "fashion parades." In the beginning of runway modeling, only a small group of people were invited to the show. Believe it or not, photographers weren't even invited to fashion shows until the late 1940s. Which is why there is not much information of the origin of runway modeling.      Runway modeling first came to America during the early part of the 20th century. American department stores began hosting their own runway shows, modeled after the French. These shows were targeted toward women and still are today. As runway modeling became more popular, department stores all over the country hosted their own fashion shows. These shows featured a specific theme, such as Parisian or Asian. Early runway shows were known for their flamboyance and storyline.
     Although runway shows began with retailers, fashion designers started producing their own shows in the early 1970s. For years, these shows were not only unorganized, but they took place in unsafe environments, such as old lofts. Eventually, designers came together to create Fashion Week. Fashion Week occurs at various times of the year in the top fashion destinations in the world, including New York, Milan, Paris and London. During Fashion Week, major designers showcase their clothing to potential buyers, industry leaders and fashionistas.  The Fashion World has definitely grown since it started and continues to do so.

"SABRINA"1954 Starring AUDREY HEPBURN

Billy Wilder, Director of the all time classic 1954 SABRINA starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden.  Sabrina is the young daughter of the Larrabee family's chauffeur who has been in love with David Larrabee for all her life. David is very spoiled and crazy for women, and has been totally ignoring Sabrina for years. When Sabrina goes to Paris for a few years, she returns a very attractive and sophisticated woman, and David is quickly drawn to her. David's brother Linus sees this and fears that David's imminent wedding with Elizabeth Tyson, a very rich woman may be endangered. If the wedding is canceled, so will a great corporate deal with the bride's family. So, Linus tries to keep Sabrina off his brother, and the best way to do so is by charming her himself. Which then Linus cant help but fall in love with Sabrina himself.  

This has been one of my favorite movies since I was a little girl.  Not only has Audrey Hepburn been my idol, I am also a feen for old romantic movies.  There is nothing about this movie that I disliked.  I love everything about it I Especially the ending.  I loved the whole twist.  

" I have learnt how to live... How to be In the world and Of the world, and not just to stand aside and watch. And I will never, never again run away from life. Or from love, either... " I highly recommend this movie to everyone.  It's a must see.

Perspectives

http://www.sivacracy.net/archives/luckovich20024435570124.gif

    For the cartoon I chose The perspective on "What She Wore".  And I chose the essay" Has Male Bashing Gone Too Far?"  Both essay and cartoon come from chapter 6 called "perspectives on gender" in the Contemporary reader.  They both relate to the chapter title by explaining gender issues.  In the cartoon The male is judging  house speaker Pelosi on the way she looks and what she is dressed in while in the essay it's males that get bashed instead of the women.  The essay talks about how men feel being bashed on television.  and how it effects a society as a whole.  Both cartoon and essay   are good examples of what its like in the real world.  I feel That if no one judged anyone like this there wouldn't be as many problems.
      The second cartoon I chose is "The new American Family" and the essay I chose was "Numbers Drop for the Married-With- Children"  Both cartoon and essay came from chapter 9 called" Domestic Affairs: The Family in Flux".  The cartoon shows a family who is all broken up and is trying to introduce themselves as a family.  One child is from the mother another child is from the father and then the third one is from both.  The cartoon is trying to show that now a days its very rare that you actually have families that aren't split up.  Which comes to the essay I chose called "Numbers Drop for Married-With-Children".  This essay talks about how more and more people are staying together because of their children.

In my opinion I found the cartoons more effective in the book than the essay's.  The essay's were good examples I just found the cartoon's easier to respond to because they got down to the main point instead of the essay's that pick a certain topic.
The cartoon I chose that came from the internet is about a family who is now doing everything on the computer.  For example, the dad shows he's spending time with his son by talking to him on the computer and the mom says shes making a family dinner but really she's using the computer to make a dinner.  The whole point of this cartoon I think is that the author was trying to say that technology pretty much runs everyones lives.  people cant be a family anymore because they dont know how to.  I feel this cartoon kind of means the same as the other family cartoon but not in the exact same ways. 

 

http://sidewalkbubblegum.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/sidewalk_bubblegum_076.gif

WOLM Lectures at SRJC

     The first WOLM lecture i attended was Robert Johnson's beautiful malady by Richard Speaks.  Speaks was a really good speaker.  His lecture was interesting too.  His lecture was all about Robert Johnson (Sherman Alexie's character) He had a lot of  interesting facts on Johnson for example he was born in 1911 in hazelwood Mississippi, He only played the blues, He married at 18 to a 16 year old who died giving birth to their baby, ect. The lecture was very interesting and i'm glad I went.
     The next lecture I attended was Living on the Rez... yesterday, today, and tomorrow by Brenda flyswithhawks.  I think out of both this lecture was my favorite.  I think I enjoyed this lecture more because flyswithhawks actually came from a reservation she had her own personal experiences about what were learning about.  Everything she talked about was really interesting.  I never knew that the SRJC was Pomo land.  Its also really sad how the tribes actually live.   I thought Alexie was being a little dramatic because it was a book but he wasnt at all.  Flyswithhawks taught me a lot of things I never knew about native americans.  Im really glad I learned those things because it will really help me write a better paper.  I would definitely go to another lecture of hers.  Overall I really enjoyed both lectures I attended and hope to go to more.
     My personal opinion on the novel Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie was good.  I really enjoyed the novel, it was really interesting to learn everything I did about living on a real reservation.  I would have never have none anything about reservations if i never read this book.  Alexie, also is a very strong writer which makes the novel that much better.  Reading this book has made me much more interested in learning about Native Americans.  I also want to try to read all of Alexie's other works!