However you have to understand that the show is meant to be funny. Forms of entertainment take all forms. For example you have movies, sports, drama, reality, and comedy. South Park is a form of comedy that is successful for over a decade. There aren’t many shows currently on TV that lasts more than ten years. The Simpsons has the record for the longest lasting TV series in history. South Park is like the Simpsons. The format is a cartoon and the main characters are abstract. During some episodes there would be appearances by celebrities and most the time the celebrity would be made fun of. South Park is a show that does just that. Muhammad is a god like figure in the Muslim community; therefore, can be argued that he is a celebrity.

When I say the word material, it means props or ideas that the writers use to make the shows. We already established that South Park is a show which makes fun of current events in a humorous way. For example, just recently the show made fun of Facebook users and their addiction to the website. Also, a few years ago when Steve Erwin died, South Park had him the next episode that aired. It’s a show that makes fun of everything in the world. There is no stopping on what they make fun of. In response to the people who are upset the Mohammad was criticized, they have to realize it’s just a cartoon. South Park already made fun of Jesus many times during the franchise. They called him fake and made up. So the point I’m trying to make is that there is no segregation of topics that the writers use to make their shows. Religion, sex, deaths, and celebrities are all far game on South Park. There are sometimes where South Park can be offensive for me because they are making fun of issues I feel strongly about.

In response to the South Park comment, I am an avid South Park fan. I have been watching South Park for basically my whole life. The writers of the show depict current events and make abstract situations in order to make the show more entertaining. The closest shows I can describe South Park as is the Simpsons. Instead of the whole family being the main characters, picture Bart, the son, being the main character. The comedy central hit, South Park, is about four third grade students in a Colorado Elementary School. Of course, to make the show funny, the elementary students curse obnoxiously. Essentially they don’t act like third graders at all; they act more like middle school students because of their intelligence levels. With that quick overview of the show, now comes the main discussion of their material.

My great grandparents worked and were injured in the coal mines and got paid small amounts of money. The wages were so low and it was controlled by the Unites States. I can image what the wages would be is a foreign country would control the coal mines. I can guarantee that the United States wouldn’t be a super power like it is today. During World War II, the coal mines in Pennsylvania were a key component to the factories producing weapons for the allies. If the Chinese or another foreign nation would have been in control of our fuel, the war might not have been won by the allies. Of course this is all theory but it is an accurate theory. Sam was trying to make the class think about a global issue that affects our economy every day. In return, the economy affects our way of life every day.

Many people still live in a bubble that is enclosed onto State College. The lecture was fascinating and precise. He made the class into an abstract Iraqi college where we were to imagine that we were Iraqi students. The exercise was a success! I followed him completely through the exercise and it made me think of my parents. My parents have been saying that the war isn’t for the terror, it’s for oil. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do now to stop the war because it’s already on the decline. Overall, I was amazed at the lecture today. It was my second favorite lecture this year, the first being the king of the hill scenario. Also, the example that Sam used about the coal being mined by the Chinese was very effective in my mind. Since I come from eastern PA, there is a lot of anthracite coal mines where I live.

In response to the lecture on Thursday, I have to say its eye opening. I believe that Sam is a fantastic professor. I do not agree with every word he says but I do listen to every word he says. I’m getting tired of people in the class stating comments on the website that Sam doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The people who are stating rude comments are people who can’t grasp global problems. They see a global problem as a right or wrong. In order to understand Sam, you unfortunately have to have some sort of intelligence, which some students do not have. Sam was making very key points in the lecture today and people were walking out in discuss. Why? I have friends in Iraq right now. So they surely aren’t more offended than me. However, Sam wasn’t making points to offend people; he was making points to open people’s eyes to a global issue.

Slavery is an example of a business that has to comprise and evolve into something that is undetectable. For example, I just went to lunch with my friend. She asked if I have any homework to do for the rest of today. I replied that I’m in the process of blogging on slavery in the modern world. She was astonished because she didn’t even know slavery still existed. I had to inform her that there are 27 million slaves in the world today and the number is growing with correspondence to the world population. Now, how is she going to know what clothing to buy and not buy? It is virtually impossible for everyone to know the extent of slavery. The reason for this is that the media never mentions modern day slavery. It is like it doesn’t exist. The only to prevent slavery is to widely publicize its whereabouts so that individual organizations can make a stand.

This is a very useful tactic if many people joined the trend but there is a problem, many people are not joining the trend. Life is too busy in today’s society for people to stop buying a low priced item. People see a deal in the market place, (Wal-Mart, Target), and they buy the product without hesitation. Many people don’t look at the tag and immediately know if the shirt was made with slave hands. The plan to boycott slave produced clothing is a very moral idea but it is too ineffective. There are not enough people in the world that would follow the cause everyday in society. If the trend would be not to buy slave made clothes then the slave holders would have them make something else. I doubt that slave holders are not intelligent people. In order to run any type of successful business there has to be compromise and evolution.

In response to the anti-slavery quote, I feel that the solution that the student presented is irrational and make belief. I don’t the student, in fact I’ve never seen him before, but the student is lying. There is no way he went two years without buying a t-shirt and if he did it wasn’t to stop slavery in foreign countries. I do admit, I like his attitude to take a stand on an issue that is very prevalent in today’s society. I hope he’s and individual that also is part of an anti-slavery group at Penn State or a nationwide one. Unfortunately, as I type this blog there are still millions of slave workers around the world. Many of my objects that I own can probably be traced back to a slave indirectly. So a solution that many people think is possible is buy from companies that uses no child labor and foreign slavery.

I believe that every working citizen wants to see their tax money go to a good cause. Welfare is a good cause if it is used appropriately. I believe that the United States should not abandon the welfare program. Since there are individuals out there that really needs its support. I do want to change the program though. I think if the program had a lower budget of money that would cause it’s over seers to be more productive. With the over seers (government officials), being more responsible to whom gets aide, the system will be hard to fraud. It would hopefully cause a domino effect in society. The next generation that is destined to be on welfare might not become a reality. Since now, that they know the system (the government) will be harder to get money from. Hopefully youths today will see that having children at a young age and being unemployed is not a bright future economically, therefore they will be less inclined to have children.