He said she said

          Do you ever find yourself helplessly reading all the magazines while in line at the super market?
  
    Drawn in by catch titles like Angelina lost another 15 pounds, thinking how could that woman get any thinner?

    Sadly for me I have a boyfriend who constantly ruins my moment of embracing pop culture by saying things like “Nothing in those magazines is true”.

    Which lead me to think where do most people get there news? And how trusted is there source?

    Turns out most people between the ages of 18-25 consume there news from Comedians like Jon Stewart.

      Although this fact is looked at and exploited as negative information, I say more power to you.

    With six corporations owning all televised media which is where 96 percent of Americans obtain there news there is obvious motive for not only framing news but also leaving a lot out as well.

    These five corporations being Disney owning 16 percent of shares, New Corporation 14 percent, Viacom 18 percent, Time Warner 12 percent, General Electric 13 percent and only 27 percent left to other ownership.

    Meaning that 73 percent of televised media is owned by one of these five corporations all with their own personal agendas in mind.

    So why not receive news from comedians at least they have less incentive to stretch the truth and even more reason to tell it like it is.

    A great example of this would be the show crossfire a once fairly popular news show whose premise was to state the news in a debate like stance.

    After they interviewed comedian Ron Stewart on their show it seized to exist at all.

    However there was a lot of validity that occurred during the interview which lead to this off air decision to cut the show.

    During the interview the host’s of the show directed Jon Stewart with an attacking stance, asking him to justify himself for not asking more hard hitting questions while interviewing John Carey.

    Jon Stewart response being that he is not a trusted new site who is supposed to let the people know what is going on in the world; his responsibility is to simply make people laugh.

    Although when looking even further into the interview other truths divulge the reasoning behind crossfire’s slanderous attacks at Jon for his questions was due to the fact that he was not asking the same questions every news crew has been asking.

    The reasoning behind his decision not to ask this repetitive question was due to the fact that the answer had already been proven that he was in Cambodia.

    So instead of speaking on this stirring controversy he instead made a point that it no longer was an issue because it had been proven.

     This is not the only time in Media that news has stretched out an issue or even created one just for viewer’s entertainment losing as Jon Stewart stated integrity among viewers.

    Many do not challenge the facts being given to us because we have been conditioned to think that our news sources are trusted advisers on what is going on in the world.

    However there is clearly many opportunities if not actual corruption occurring in our news sources with obvious loyalties and main purpose of entertainment there is little facts left in our news.

    So congratulations to the main percentage of 18-24 year olds although being looked down upon for your selection of news source it appears that yours are the most reliable.

" When humor goes, So does civilization"- Erma Bombeck

    Erma Louise Bombeck, a well known columnist had written her first newspaper at only the age of thirteen however it is from that paper that she discovered a talent and a love for writing. 

    Growing up with a lot of hardship losing her parent at the age of nine Erma’s writing to a more Ramos path.

She began to write obituaries for the journal Herald shedding amazing light on the life and not the death of strangers.

    A year after graduating high school after saving the required funding she attended college at Ohio University where she was recognized and praised for her skilled writing.

    However this was not the college that she would graduate from with her mother in Dayton with her step father she insisted upon Erma’s return.

    After making her way back to Dayton she then stayed and graduated starting a new life there including a husband, Bill Bombeck.

    Signing on as a staff member once again to the Journal Herald, where she remained working for four years until she decided to start a family with her husband Bill.

    Come to find out it was this very decision that would turn her into the well known writer she is today.

    Stepping into the everyday life of a house wife cooking and cleaning as well as taking care of her children she began poking fun at her day to day activities.

    Although not intending to return to the work force her new found knowledge on housekeeping lead her to a job for Dayton shopping news.

    It wasn’t until her youngest was sent off to school that her career really began to take off.  Taking all her life experience and the not so fondest parts of her life she began to put out the words on ever house wives mind.

    Becoming an out of body descriptive character that these women could fully understand but not embrace Erma’s columns started to become the focal point of many women’s days.

    Her insight as well as comical twist inspired many who could relate to what she had to say.
Taking on a whole new persona her readers developed a personal connection with the writer that enticed them to continually read her pieces.

    At first her Column “at wits end” only appeared in fifty newspapers however by the turn of the next year it was up to 500.

    Erma was becoming a household icon to not only women but men and children as well. She had begun to write books that were internationally known.

    It was not long after that that it was not only her words that were well known but also her presence.
Appearing on TV On well known shows such as good morning America she was interviewed and asked to reveal the parts of her life which her articles thrive from.

    Although she passed away in 1996 her words will never die making her a legend among the community.

    With quotes that will not be forgotten such as “people are always asking couples whose marriage has endured at least a quarter of a century for their secret for success. Actually, it is no secret at all. I am a forgiving woman. Long ago, I forgave my husband for not being Paul Newman.”

    She spoke to people through their common situations helping the cope or if nothing else letting them knows they are not alone. While still maintaining a light hearted humorous approach that is often needed to drain the negativity from a situation.

    Although there is one quote that perhaps fueled Erma’s writings which I refer to on a daily bases

    “If you can’t make it better, laugh at it.”

Media's affect on adolesents

       There is no doubt that media creates an idealist image of what beautiful is. However I was never truly sure how far much of an impact this had on our you thinking that everyone’s mind worked like mine and people especially young girls had to realize that those looks are unrealistic, until I yesterday when I talked to my eleven year old cousin.
   
    She had just started high school and like everyone who has ever walked through that fire knows it’s not a cake walk; I noticed that since she started high school she tried to appeal to this new image.
   
    She grew her hair out long even though she always used to find it “more sensible to have short hair” a line she used frequently to show that the universe had misplaced her by a few decades. Along with her new hair style she began to dress in way more revealing clothing and ditched the glasses for contacts.

    Amazed at how much out youth is affected by these new images displayed by media I wanted to dig deeper into this issue and what I found blew me away.

    A poll was taken in 2010 by UC. Davis showing that 1/3 of high school students thought they were fat when they were in the health and fitness zone for their height, a statistic that sadly enough was not shocking.

    However another poll taken by the same group left me jaw dropped; 81 percent of ten year olds are afraid of being fat. Seeing how low the age bracket had dropped for society’s obsession with body image was appalling. 
   
    Although not only did 81 percent admit to this fear but overall it was listed as the second most common fear placed over being kidnapped and death.
   
    To add insult to injury there is a bill that is still in development that if passed will ensure that each child that attends a public elementary school will be weighed in and if the child is out of their health and fitness zone and considered  obese a report will be filled against the parent to social services.

    Despite the positive effect on the possible improvement of the child’s health imagine the damages this will take on the child’s body image and self esteem and by creating a line between these two body types will only help further define its existence.

    In an environment that is supposed to fight against social stigma there will only be more fuel added to the fire.
   
    Although there are some that promote a positive body image even in media such as dove who has recently taken a new spin on their advertising to promote beauty in all shapes and sizes. Last year dove did a global survey asking the recipients whether or not they thought they were beautiful.

    Only Two percent of respondents checked the box saying that yes, they did think they were beautiful.

    So what is it that creates our negative body image? Anyone who participates in consumer spending knows that there is a product for everything. According to a recent consumer report the average American comes in contact with 247 adds a day.

    Most adds today being geared towards exploiting our insecurities only further enhances societies self hatred as well as a longing to obtain and circum to an unrealistic form of beauty that is in fact CREATED by media.

    Putting the extra emphasis on the word creation due to the fact that even the idols that we try to look like are photo shopped to look a certain way.

    So to my cousin Cassi and to every other person who fits in with the other 98 percent of the population I would like to ask that you love your body the way it is. Otherwise you will just end up saying later in life that I wish I was as big as when I thought I was fat.

C's Get Degrees

There is no question that seeking a higher level of education is beneficial, we have been told from a young age by both teachers and parents that going to college will help lead us to a better life.

       Although what they forgot to mention is the benefits that college provides you beyond academic achievement.
       Even though it is most beneficial to maintain a high level of academic achievement as a junior in college I can vogue that there is much more to be learned then how to memorize information for a semester and then completely dispose of it from your memory bank.
       Depending on one’s circumstance college provides a certain dose of real life this can vary depending on financial status of both the student as well as the student’s family.

For those students more fortuned with wealth attending a four year college most often times consists of living on their own for the first time in a physical sense this may not seem to benefit them, still being completely reliant on their family financially.

 Despite the students dependence fiscally on their family they are still developing emotional independence.

Individual’s Emotional independence that will undoubtedly create a stronger individual as well as instilling one of the many keys to surviving in the real world.

 For those who like most in today’s society face economic restraints there is no financial dependency on family allowing the growth of financial dependency which for many entering college is a first.

Maintaining such a status requires the student getting a job and paying their own way although this is often times an independence (like most in college) lead with a crutch.

Being that many students in this situation are provided government support better known as financial aid although there is a much greater amount of responsibility the student is not just left to fend for themselves immediately , thus allowing a stable environment as well as an allotted amount of time to be able to rise to the occasion.

Aside from the barrier created by fiscal restraints there are many lessons that all college student acquire. After a lifetime of constantly craving approval from others you are put in the situation where you must aim to please yourself set your own standards for what is acceptable.

Up until college most students live by guidelines established by those in charge punishing you anytime you try to step outside the box.

Once in college a student finds themselves finally free of the restrictions such as dress code, now able to dress the way they want to be perceived.

Along with the ability to change outer appearance college students are able to plan their own schedules around their lives.

One is no longer seen as just a student but also a person or more descriptively an adult and therefore you are treated like one even by those who hold authority such as professors thus disbarring any need for fake notes or phone calls excusing you from class.

 A college student is given the freedom of choice, come to class or not, do homework, study?

 These are all just variables now at the student’s disposal.

 Given the tools to succeed by your professor and on campus tutoring sites it is now the student’s choice weather they fail or pass.

All of which can be summed up by the most valuable lesson that college teaches those who take the time to learn it.

  Integrity, a trait that is almost unheard of in today’s society knowing that fail or succeed it was your own actions, effort or lack thereof that leads to the end result.

So although college leaves you feeling like your life are falling to pieces those are the pieces you will need to make sense of the puzzling moments in life.

Keep The change

         

Change is an inevitable part of life that we all have to face, however the beauty that only the few see in change is the way that it sneaks up on you leaving you with little or no time to react. 

Change is inevitable, transforming you into the earth slowly revolving around a big scary ball of fire that when looked at from a distance turns out to be something beautiful and warming, the sun.

 That sun is the moment of self definition when you are found in the rawest state of being acting only on instinct caught off guard you are able to make a decision based on no logic or reason but morality and heart. 

Although when change is a slow coming knowledge all raw intent is lost and replaced with possibly the worst ingredient known to the human race, self doubt.

 Take going back to college for instance, a change that can be tracked to the calendar date slowly breaking away all the purity and nonchalant mannerisms of the summer.

 As if going through the process of growing up all over again as the days slowly creep closer to the first day of school you lose more and more of your childlike innocence.

 Which like all empty places in this over populated world is kindly replaced. When it comes to college the void is not only filled with the human populace but also rational and the burden of no longer being blissfully unaware.

 Drastically relatable to knowing the day of your death each day you do have left is tainted with this foreseen inevitability. 

Going back to college is no longer a rite of passage but instead a rare and almost unobtainable goal. 

With extensive increase in tuition and drastic decrease in the job market you are in a sense putting all your eggs in very unstable basket. 

However to make matters worse you often times are not the only one sacrificing but also the people you love. 

Take parents for example most of which in today’s economic state are having problems keeping up with their own bills are investing all the funding they can for a brighter future for their children.

 On top of these undeniable pressures are the many self sacrifices such as dietary needs and personable belongings that one must sell to pay to obtain class books after finally finding a way to pay the ghastly tuition that just increased ten percent within the time it took the check you handed in to process. 

That is if you can pay the tuition in the measly 14 days they give you after registering for underwater basket weaving which like the only other 3 open classes you received will ensure that you spend much more than four years trying to graduate and in turn means of course even more tuition to pay.

 In the end if you can make it out in one piece you can continue working the three jobs you acquired to pay for a piece of paper that will make sure everyone knows that you are over qualified for the jobs you once again maintain to pay off the debt you racked in to achieve said goal. 

Although there will be some who make it out of the storm and it will be the combination of the big scary ball of fire and the constant rain that creates the rainbow leading them to their better future. 

So to those who believe Asher Roth’s mythical reality of college you are mistaken college is a war zone and among the ashes of casualties most can find their pay check for the next ten years.