en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/758671 Comments by laur701 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68254627 I think that men do conform to our society's pressure in a way. Growing up with two brothers, I know that they do things that their friends do just to "fit in." They both play multiple sports. This was a habit and leisure time activity that started when they were really young with the guidance of my dad. He was always wanting to take them outside and play baseball or football with them. I was even part of it, although it wasn't ever really grilled in my brain that I was supposed to be a star athlete or captain of the football team. They see the NFL football stars and strive to look like them. This isn't too far from the women who try to look like the female actresses and models that we all see on TV everyday. The pressure is put more on their muscles and body build i feel. My younger brother has been lifting weights since he was 14 for the football program at our school, and when he isn't lifting weights, he gets paranoid about what he looks like. I feel that a majority of men feel that they need muscles, or at least some to be attractive. There is also pressure on them to dress a certain way as well. Women are told to wear low cut shirts and tight jeans. Whereas men are told to wear jeans and a polo or gym shorts and a tee. There is less pressure on them dress wise but still a lot of pressure on them body wise. Guys see the ripped men on the cover of magazines like Men's Health or Maxim, and they feel that they should look like them. It is all a matter of who is on the cover of the magazines. When a size -0 is on the cover of Cosmo, women can only think that it is the only body type that is attractive. When ripped men are on the covers, I feel as though they think that a buff body image is what women find attractive. And while it may be attractive, it is highly unlikely you will look like that all of your life. As time goes on and people age, there is less pressure on men to keep their body image up. They watch Family Guy and other shows like King of Queens and According to Jim where the men who are married let loose and don't care what they look like, but the wives never have an awful body. They are skinny and have sex appeal. While I feel this is the case, I think that these men still struggle with an image they have to keep up. Not everyone can not care what people view them as. Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:42:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68254627 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66638690 This is an awful plot idea to come up with. Being a girl I find it more rude than offensive. Gaming is becoming more and more popular with more and more players of different ages and they are playing these games religiously without fail. My brother plays C.O.D. for more hours in a day than he does anything else I feel. It is just becoming a favorite past time of many people who have nothing better to do with their lives. These games are becoming more real each time a new one comes out. I had Crash Bandicoot and Sonic the Hedgehog for Playstation and Sega. The graphics in those games weren't what I would call realistic at all. They were cartoons who kicked boxes open to get to the coins and prizes. The most fierce thing I think I did in those games was throw penguins and fight the big guy who was Sonic's enemy. I wasn't killing people or even raping a cartoon, it was harmless fun. Now I feel that the games have become a lifestyle to many. People have gaming parties and wait up to buy the newest game that is coming out. They skip class and school just to play these games. The games are now realer than ever. The graphics are amazing and it is just like you are in the scenario. This is what is becoming the problem. Some people aren't seeing that they are playing a game. You don't do those things in real life. I feel like with little kids they are being molded by what we teach them. When they are playing video games for hours upon hours, where they are killing other people, why wouldn't they get the idea that they are allowed to do that in real life? That is what this new rape game is going to do I feel. It is making it seem like its ok to go out into train stations and other places to rape girls. It's sick. Maybe it is all in good fun, but when is rape fun to any victim. When has it been funny to joke about rape in front of a rape victim because there are a lot of people affected by rape out there. It's not acceptable and it isn't fun to anyone but those sick people who get satisfaction out of having forcible gaming rape upon the cartoon women of the world. Maybe these people are just doing it out of the gaming "fun" but they should be a little more considerate of the women. I understand not everyone is for women's rights, especially in other cultures, but come on! Have a little bit of regard for these girls. What if it was your daughter or girlfriend or wife that was the cartoon being raped. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 19:41:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66638690 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64952003 This video is definitely one of the more shocking videos that has been on the blog. I guess it isn't that shocking, because we all know there is still racism and a white superiority mind set instilled in the minds of the children and population of the United States. We like to look past the fact that this is a problem or even an issue in the society that we live in today, but it is major news. As an education major, i have had lots of psychology classes and have seen the doll test in many of them, but I think that the girls doing a more recent and modern study has a bigger impact on me. It goes to show that we are really narrow minded, even if we say we aren't. I think that we put too much pressure on the young black children to fit into our society and it isn't fair for them to have to think that the black doll is the "bad" doll. It really is sad that they are being conditioned to think in this way. When the one girl said she wished she wasn't the darkest one in her family, it made me think of how i wished I were darker. How I wished I was tanner. Well, that is an easy fix for us, we go to the tanning beds. We are forcing these people in an indirect way to damage their skin with bleachers to look more like the white race. I think the truly sad thing is that we allow them to think that they look "better" and they are more acceptable if they are lighter skinned. If I was a parent I wouldn't want my children to chemically change their body to fit in. I am not saying that I would be able to stop them or even want to stop them, since it is hard to see your child not fit into a group of kids. When the girl said that her family from Honduras was bleaching skin at age 25, 11 and 6 I was shocked! 11 and 6 years old! That is extremely early and unnecessary for children to be taught that they need to look completely different. I guess in a way white children get this too, but not as drastically as the little black and brown children. We have little beauty pagants that teach white girls to be divas, we dress them up to look pretty, we use heavy makeup to fit the mold of beautiful. Black girls do this too, but they have to relax their hair, get their skin bleached, and put make up on to get ready to go out. We don't dress their children up in dresses and make up, we bleach their skin. What an even treatment. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:38:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64952003 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63767739 I never even heard of this! I think it is great for the Hawaiian people, but i also feel that there are drawbacks as well. It wasn't fair for us to take over Hawaii like the greedy people we are, but if that is the case why doesn't France give back Saint Martin. They speak French just like Hawaiians speak English. I don't know I think it could have great perks for the Hawaiians but they are a part of the US and i feel like its separating. I don't know what the exact terms of agreement are but are they should not be completely taken away from the states. I think that the education and getting jobs for the natives are very necessary for a fully functional country. It is very sad to see those people who were there in the first place to be the ones struggling the most. It is just unnecessary especially since that is probably the most visited state. Tourism is a major income for them, and i do not think it is necessary for there to be unemployment when there are many things they could be employed doing. They could do tours, help in hotels, and other things that are part of the tourism. I'm not saying they should be stuck doing the dirty jobs but there could at least be work made for them. I think it is a good idea they are taking initiative to educate the citizens and others about Hawaii and their past and their culture and language. It is a part of who they are. It should be a part of the curriculum there. It should also be a part of the school work here in the continental United States and in Alaska. All of the states should be required to put their history in the textbooks. Native Americans should be given back land too I feel if we are giving back what is rightful. I could be wrong in this statement, but I think that Native Americans are just as injusticed if not more than the Hawaiians. They have endured it for longer than the Hawaiians and they face many of the same struggles. They are the poorest people here and we need to not overlook them as well. I'm not good at knowing what the annual budget is but I don't see how the American people can take another tax increase. With the health care bill and giving money to the people of Hawaii how are we the people supposed to live here. That might be selfish, but I feel there are other options to explore when it comes to the subject at hand. Regardless, I just think that we shouldn't jump to anything just because Obama was born there. Obama needs to work on other things first, I mean we are in a war, fix that first Obama. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:14:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63767739 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59782883 Ok, so while this is a true statement there may be reasons behind why these shows are they way they are. There are still many racist people living in the United States. This isn't excusable for why they don't have more of a multiracial selection, but television is aired solely for the fact of ratings and money. To be honest, the target audiences for ABC are mostly middle class white people. I am not saying that it doesn't have any aim towards black people or latinos, but the white people represent a larger whole of the viewers. This is just a way to make money and numbers off of the majority of the population of viewers. Take other shows that are less "racist" like For the Love of Ray J, and Frankie the Entertainer: A Basement Affair. These shows are more multicultural. In the end though, usually the white guy ends up with the white girl and the black guy ends up with the black girl. This may not be the case, but it does seem that way. At the same time, why should people be discriminated and called racist when they aren't attracted to the people. Many people I know who are in no way racist aren't prone to dating someone of a different color, even though they themselves wouldn't be opposed. It is all part of our society and as mean and discriminating as it sounds, its the truth. There is also the point to bring up that everyone who looks one way, isn't the same. There are many people that are multicultural that don't look as though they are the culture and ethnicity they are. In class we saw this with many different people in our class. One of my best guy friends is a quarter black, yet he is paler than many of my other friends. Is that shown or even stated in these shows? Well, no it is not. I think it is silly that people are offended over this issue. How many of the people who judge the show and are like wow I am so upset that they don't have more black/white people on this show, would go on the show? The answer is not many. Maybe it is a generalized comment, but many of these people who make the statements wouldn't date someone of the other race anyway. It isn't just a matter of what other races are being offended by a television show, but even our own race could be offended. There are no ugly people on these shows. Why is that? It's television. They are looking for ratings and nothing else. I could argue that they should give ugly white girls a chance on The Bachelor, well I guess Vienna kind of counts, but that isn't the issue. They want what will give them the most views and the money to take to the bank. Maybe one day it will be different, but until then I think we shouldn't be as offended as we are. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 20:09:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59782883 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58901244 This is a phenomenal story. It is a market I never realized existed. Never would i have guessed that the people of the Dominican Republic and the people of Haiti are making partner deals. It makes sense but you never think about it, since we don't cross the border to Mexico or Canada and get chicken necks or any other good to sell to those around us. We import things from all over the world, and to be honest I really don't know how we get them other than they come in boxes by truck, plane, boat, and train. This woman has so much more knowledge than me in the business field, and she only has a 5th grade education. It is sad for me in a way, to know that what I have learned in school maybe isn't the type of knowledge I should be learning. It would be helpful to learn business techniques and other helpful skills, rather than the unimportant things like picking out every single meaning of a poem. If our world had business men and women like her, maybe our economy would be better, although the credit situation is what got us in our rut i suppose. It is really great to hear a story of someone in Haiti prospering in the awful situation, and i think she could be and probably is an inspiration to many of the citizens and sympathetic onlookers of the tragedy. This woman's success and entrepreneurship is puzzling and raises some pertinent questions. Where did she learn this stuff? Who taught her how to do this? What made her start this business? These questions just are mind boggling. I would have no idea how to perform any of the tasks. Well I could sell the items, but the credit she holds and things are just awesome. Are there any other people doing the same things? I am sure there are, but it is neat to see such a cool story. It is also nice to see a woman doing good in an economy that is suffering from a tragedy. Even in today's society, I feel like women are not held in high respect, especially in smaller, poorer countries. So many people are putting the Haiti tragedy in the back of their minds since it has been a month or so and this story is good to remind us that there is still unrest and suffering in which we can help. It is also a sign of hope, that the native people of Haiti are able to start getting back on their feet and able to provide for themselves. Soon they will be able to support themselves after the devastation and get on with their economy and lives. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:32:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58901244 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/another-reason-why-gay-marriage-matters__trashed/#IDComment57667523 This is a really sad video. I never thought about the issues of deportation being tied in with same sex marriages. It is sad that these families are being torn apart and especially with the young kids involved. Which is more traumatic for the child; being in a family that has 2 moms, or having one of the stable adults in their life being stripped away from them for reasons that other moms and dads of heterosexual marriages don't have to deal with. Being a college student, I barely ever turn on news or even look beyond the problems, papers, tests, class, etc. that are going on in my own life. It is mind blowing that families that are homosexual and foreign to our country can be torn apart legally without a lawsuit or even a plea. I feel like most families who are gay and have children actually WANT their children. It is the people who shouldn't be legally able to have children that we should deport really. The lives of the children in gay homes are much more safe and loved than many children who grow up in broken homes where no one loves them, and so on. But as blind Americans we see all gay people as pedophiles who shouldn't be in a room with children let alone raise one of their own. Gay people aren't pedophiles in any way. They like men and not women, or women and not men. Although the popular belief is that gay people are pedophiles, it has nothing really to do with our system of deportation. Deportation is very common and I have actually experienced it. When I was a sophomore in high school, where I worked there were some Mexican people. The police came there and asked if the one guy, Hosea, was there. He actually wasn't and had called in sick. Well after that I never saw him again. He wasn't gay and he did have a family who also was deported except for the baby. It is so sad that they were just taken out of the country, but I guess if America let just anyone in we would be as overcrowded as China, but with much less employment. Many immigrants get married to citizens to stay here in legal status. Gay couples don't have this right, along with many other rights. If they aren't able to be married (civil unioned?) then they have no protection from the law. I like to think that we are moving away from being a controlling country and only allow what we want the ideal to be, but we are not. Maybe we should start to be accepting of these people who only have a different sexual desire and let them be who they are. Then we will be America, land of the free, home of everyone! Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:58:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/another-reason-why-gay-marriage-matters__trashed/#IDComment57667523 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56527155 There is a valid point in this clip. Black and white is always going to be a controversial topic in the culture we live in. However, I feel that the debate and controversy should come to an end in the near future. Yes, she makes a good point when she states that we have a history together from when we had slaves, but we have overcome that obstacle. We aren't the people who enslaved the black culture. Our ancestors did, but it wasn't us, and I feel that sometimes white Americans get blamed more than they should for that. I also feel that since the Civil Rights movement wasn't that long ago, there are some white people who hold on to their racist beliefs. These select few may be reason to hate some white people but there should be no general consensus. Black and white is obviously a pigmentation difference, but it stems into hatred. Why is that? What gives us the right to feel as though we are better than any other race? It is a silly concept really. It is a color. Neither group has 3 eyes or any other feature different but a pigment difference. I also find it rather annoying that people always go to these two groups. The black and white people feud is old and annoying. However, I feel that with the influx in Latino and Hispanic people moving into the country, both legally and illegally, the spotlight is getting focused on them more so than it was in the past. Everywhere you go, you find these "brown" people where it was always black people or white people. They are the butt of jokes in America now. In my highschool, people were so insensitive and would make fun of the "brown" people more so than any of the black kids. They would yell this is America, we speak English. As a matter of fact, it is to my understanding that America doesn't have an official language, it is just a de facto rule that we know and use English everywhere. Therefore, I think that the black and white conversation should now be changed to the black, white, and brown conversation. So now, what do we do with the fact that all of our races live together? Are we going to continue the great race debate and who is on who's team. Will it be the white team versus the black team versus the brown team? When will enough be enough in our culture? I could be wrong but I feel that sooner or later with all of the international and interracial mixing, that one day we will all look alike and then race won't matter. It won't be race then, it will just be something else to determine who should be the alpha's of the world. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:31:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56527155 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55561045 Never in my life would I have put together that this movie was in some way related to "white" culture. It makes perfect sense though. As white American's we have this sense that we are better than everybody else and we can do anything we want if we put our minds to it. Not saying we all are like this, which is evident in the "White Messiah," since he is the one doing all of the saving of the natives to better their lives and their communities. It is funny to see how our entertainment and movie industry is mocking our society in a way. I never saw that argument before the write up. It is very clever and interesting to see just what others think of us as. We, as a "white culture" are seen by others in this world as forceful and in a way the enemy. I feel like maybe this is what Iraq and other countries we invade see us as. Up until now typing this, I didn't think of what we were doing in those countries. As far as I was concerned, we sent troops over seas to help the other countries get out of a dictatorship and into a democracy. We were there to give the knowledge we have and pass it along to them. They were, in my head, ungrateful for what we were doing for them. Well, I kind of see now how that is probably not the case. They are in no way ungrateful, well maybe, but for different reasons. Who are we to force democracy upon them and invade their country? It makes us out to be the most arrogant people who think we are great and have a great system that everyone should have. Maybe we have a good system, but then again maybe not. What we have is not always what is best for others.They do not like us because we are forceful and trying to kill their culture and their beliefs and their system of governance, just like the people in the movie wanted to get rid of the natives. What a different perspective! To be the ones being disliked rather than being the hero. The movie is however kind of pampering to the white need of being liked too. After all the hero is white and awesome! We are the bad guys, but buried in us is a good person. One who is ominous and sensitive to the needs of others and their culture. So we still have a good guy who wins. Woo Hoo. He doesn't win though because he is forceful. He wins because he wins over the natives hearts and is accepting of the people and their society, or they accept him. This is what society needs. We need to see that we aren't always in the right. We aren't always going to be the best. If we would all work together to meet the needs of each other then society as a whole would be the best it could be and we would ALL win. Sat, 6 Feb 2010 02:29:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55561045 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54170773 This is absolutely crazy and hard to believe. I mean I understand that there is still racism but I never realized that it went to that extent. I guess that is a prime example of why we as American's are blind to much of what is occurring in this world, even our own society. Growing up in my small town there isn't much racial tension, well because there are not many people of other races. That said, it is easy to see how I could overlook quite a large subject and it's going on in Europe! FIFA, like the xbox game my brother plays, and the actual league has audiences who partake and taunt the players with racial slurs and throw things at them. It is inappropriate in all regards, not to mention very frustrating. To be honest, I had never even heard of this going on, yet I watch my brother play it every day I am home. It is making me wonder whether buying the game and supporting the league is worth it. It would be really cool if people could band together and have a protest to avoid buying the game until they make some adjustments to what is and is not appropriate for spectator interaction. This also raises another issue. The younger fan crowd. There is hardly a chance for these kids who are at a sporting event where they see their dad yelling at one of the players (possibly for their own team) and not do the same thing...imprinting isn't just a psychology term, its real. Another mind boggler, why do we do this to each other? What good is it really to anyone if we are yelling at our own team. Yes I understand that in sports you do anything to get on the other teams nerves, but when it is your own team? Wow i just can't get over this! The players actually want to walk off of the fields. They are getting paid to play this game and it is something that they love, only to be ruined by obnoxious fans who are downright rude. If these players are on the team we are cheering for, what good is throwing bananas at them? For example, in football (American) not many people are fans of Terrell Owens, and many of the Cowboys fans I know were not too pleased with the addition of him to the roster. However, never would they dream of throwing a banana at him or even boo him when he is on the team they love. If they love the sport of soccer, they should be able to look beyond color and realize true talent when they see it. That also includes the coach from the video. It is degrading to these individuals and I have to give them a whole lot of credit for sticking to what they do. I would have quit at the first name I was called or banana that was thrown at me. I hope we can see an end to the madness in Europe and maybe we can help take a stand to fight back against the unjust being done. Martin Niemöller, in his famous poem "First They Came..." said: " In Germany they first came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me — and by that time no one was left to speak up." Maybe we can learn a lesson and start speaking up. We never know who will be after us. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:09:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54170773 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-s__trashed/#IDComment53960263 Skittles Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:01:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-s__trashed/#IDComment53960263 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53102747 The whole thing is crazy! Since when does Pat Robertson have a right to blame a country in disaster for its own destruction based on a hoax. How does he really know all the information of the country being given to the devil. If it really was the case, wouldn't the devil use the country and its people for bad and leading others into temptation rather than destroying all of his "followers" in an earthquake? That just doesn't make sense to me. I don't think that the people living htere now, generations later, were a part of the whole "agreement" which is another fallacy in Pat Robertson's theory. The girl he was telling on the air was just looking at him like ok. Not very many people watch the 700 Club I feel, and the one's that do are looking for hope and trust in a leader who can lead them to a place of solitude and find themselves. Pat Robertson is in no way a caring individual or devout christian for that matter if he is blaming others for their own destruction. Many Christians are giving aid to these people and hardly any other Christian organization, if any, is in agreement with this crazy evangelical preacher. Most television preachers are just out to get money from viewers, and this is most likely true with Robertson. Why can't we see that? Maybe we shouldn't look into what he says so much, it isn't like he is the most credible person to be relying on for information. What needs to be done is to pour our compassion into the work of helping the Haitians and less on thinking of ways to comment back to these "popular" speakers. My brother works for a company that is currently providing water filtration systems to the people of Haiti so that they may have clean water daily. We collected money to send to the people. Many other people are donating money to help the Haitians. Heck, MTV is raising money too. Isn't that what it's about? To help those in the world less fortunate than us and provide anything we can to fight raising poverty and devastation. Opinions of what others think isn't necessary. I don't care what Pat Robertson says, even though it is quite disturbing for someone whom others may hold in high regard. As for the Obama administration "getting ahead" from the whole situation. Do we really know it is true or not? NO. All politicians are there for some advantage usually whether it be to form alliances, or get ahead with their agenda. We are the people who elected him for his term so maybe we should look into our officials more before we vote for them. Why can't we all just be morally good people and help our world neighbors without having to blame them for wrong that has occurred or use their devastation to get ahead? Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:36:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53102747