I'm suppose to write what?

After the first time Amy tried to explain what she wanted everyone to do, I sit here thinking to myself “as the cave man said in the Geico commercial ‘uh, what?” After a little further explanation though I think I understand, and if not I’ll write a few paragraphs and call it good anyway.

We are bombarded by media, and the only thing that comes close to a protective border is that which we put up ourselves and even that is extremely limited. By not watching TV and not bothering with the trendy magazines we can limit our exposure, but unless you become a hermit and never venture outside your home, don’t get mail, and never watch TV listen to the radio (to include music) or use a computer, exposure is imminent. Although someone might try to argue about auditory stimuli, think about what the brain does as you listen, as you make a mental image of what you are hearing. Just like text, there is really now getting away from it. Even in the supermarkets, when you go to the check out to legally acquire you subsistence, there’s Cosmo and People among others. Much like Bordo mentioned, there are either celebrities on new diets (whether they are actual diets or disorders), ways to please your man, or in the case of men’s magazines how to get a woman to please you.

I don't even know what I am trying to write here.

OK, so I tried this assignment the way I thought it was suppose to be done, and as you can see from above, and am giving up now. Instead, I'm just going to try rambling. I read a couple of the other posts and what I noticed the most is the mention, in one way or another, of censorship. By and large, censorship is usually not a good thing. Sure on TV nudity or profanity is hidden to an extent, but as time has gone on all those censors have eased to a point that, for anything other than comic effect, they seem to have no purpose. I realize that TV and radio is censored by the FCC, and I actually am not sure what censors reading material, and that both have different standards. If you go into a store, you can find just about everything but nudity in magazines. Cosmo talks about sex position, Maxim and FHM talks about ways to "hook up no strings attached" and so on and so forth. I admit that at times the editors and writers can make such things entertaining (in the humor way) and I think I am just about all for that; when it comes to humor I am pretty accepting of whatever it may be. What I want to know is when and why did it become so acceptable for such things to be public knowledge. I'm sure I would be called "old fashioned" but I say what happens in the bedroom should stay there, and when bedroom happenings happen elsewhere, there's really no need to share. Some wonder why the world is in such a poor state, but it seems obvious; what is expected to happen when the "do what makes you feel good" is promoted and the "do what is right" is not only hidden away, but also ignored when it does show up. I would also like to point out that even with all the super model images, obesity is rampant. Is it because the images say "this is what you need to look like" and some just say "well that will never happen so why try"? For some, that could be part of it, but I think there are other issues here.

You may ask, "What the hell does that have to do with any of this assignment"? Well, I was rambling, but I will tie it in now. Censorship and all these super model photos is not the real problem. Sure, it promotes some of what is wrong in the world, but if people took the time to educate and help each other out, the media would probably start using other imagery. I would say that this responsibility falls mostly on parents’ shoulders, but at this point, it is past that. It is now not just the kids that are growing up that are in such desperate need but the ones that have "grown up" and have no idea. It seems like common knowledge that much of the imagery is "enhanced" with computers. Why doesn't anyone acknowledge that when they are trying to look more like the "super" model? What I noticed on one post, was that the person (I am sure unintentionally) called the "much thinner image" perfect. That is how to industry wants people to view it as, if you can get people to think that whatever it is you're advertising is perfection, they have done their job well. That is what most of it really comes down to, convincing people that a product will make them pretty, better, perfect.