Narrator: Has life got you down? Are you sick and tired of being pushed around by "The Man"? Does Mrs. Krumholtz give you too much homework on a Friday? Are you fed up with the fact that that 6- foot black guy is pushing you around in your weekly basketball pickup games with the boys just because he's genetically superior then you? Does your boss, Steve, ask you to work overtime just so he can go on holiday with that Swedish blonde he met at the bar the other night, with whom he is having an illicit affair with behind the backs of his wife, 2 young sons, and his Retriever named Frodo?! If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then you are definitely in need of some help!
*queue awesome spinning graphics, ending with main title in bold, italic, underlined, shadowed, and marqueed*
The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Social Anarchy. Now, your hosts, he brought you such memorable films like Delta Force, Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection, Firewalker and executive producer and star of the hit TV series Walker, Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris! Also, from the fictional beaches of Baywatch, he brought you hits such as "Du", "Flying on the Wings of Tenderness", "Do the Limbo Dance", and everyone's favorite, "Jump In My Car", ladies and gents, the always hairy, David Hasselhoff!
David Hasselhoff: Hello Chuck
Chuck Norris: Hello David
DH: You can call me Hoff, you know.
CN: I'd rather not. But, what I would like to talk about is my new instructional video, The Step-by-Step guide to Creating Social Anarchy. Ladies and Gents, after growing tired of years of slaying ninjas, dinosaurs, and Nazis while flexing and showing off my giant pectorals, I have finally grown tired of the limelight, the massive six figure checks, and the multitude of women who throw themselves at my feet. So instead of just lounging in my beach front property in Marina del Ray watching re-runs of my favorite TV shows on my 51-inch widescreen....
DH: Wow, Chuck, that is a big piece of equipm.....
CN: Shut up you hairy German! *Crowd breaks into sarcastic laughter* As I was saying, after growing tired of those earthly things, I decided to fly into the heart of Africa and feed the homeless. While on a trip to a remote village in Sierra Leone, my party was brutally attacked by a group of leftist rebels working for the government. They attempted to influence that tiny village and create a state of dominance over the village - Hegemony essentially. So,I, being THE Chuck Norris, grew tired of their constant shouting and threats of taking my life with the use of an old, rusty, machete. So, I slaughtered them all and left the village at peace.
DH: Wow, Chuck, what did the villagers ever do to repay you?
CN: Oh yes, I am now considered a god in that village and the villagers pay their respects to me through them providing me with a constant source of wheat and cattle. I just love my wheat and cattle, David.
DH: Yes you do, Chuck, yes you do.
CN: Don't procrastinate you skimpy red Speedo wearing Kraut! *Crowd breaks out in sarcastic laughter, once again, Chuck smiles at the camera* So anyway, with that little encounter I had with those rebels, I decided to make this video and show the people how to stand up to "your own personal rebels" and challenge these dominant forces through what I like to call Counter-Hegemony, and yes, I thought of the term all by myself. Clever aren't I?
DH: Wow,Chuck, tell me more about this "Counter-Hegemony" of yours.
CN: Well, I was, until you interrupted me.
DH: It was rhetorical Chuck, it mas meant to interest the audience in your product.
CN: Yes, David!! I knew that!! So anyway, I am tired of all these large groups of people who are completely dominant over those little people. More importantly, The Media. Now, The Media feeds us all these, for lack of a better term, and kids, closer your eyes and cover your ears before I say it, bullshit, that creates all these false misconceptions about life. Girls can drive, Asians can too. Not all black people are pimps and/or professional athletes. Hispanic people are good at mowing my lawn, yes! But most of them can also wrestle professionally. And most importantly, I, Chuck Norris, am not a killing machine. In fact, I am a loving person, filled with love, compassion, and of course, love.
DH: You already said love, Chuck.
*Chuck delivers a roundhouse kick to the Hoff's sternum*
*Crown laughs hysterically at David*
CN: Yes, I know. As I was saying, society today is filled with all these misconceptions and people are slowly turning into zombies, continuously believing in them. I, Chuck Norris, intend to change all of that. So without further ado, here is my step-by step guide to create your little heaven of social anarchy.
Step 1: Spot the Hegemonic Device
CN: Note the "Hegemonic" rhymes with demonic. Spot a common misconception and give it a taste of their own medicine! Fight it! Like what I did in my 1986 film, Delta Force.
Step 2: Create your own band of Merrymen
CN: Batman is not Batman without Robin. Chuck Norris is not Chuck Norris if Chuck Norris doesn't have Chuck Norris' insured Chuck Norris beard. And finally, Robin Hood wasn't Robin Hood without his Merrymen! That's right, grab a group of your friends, hopefully men, because girls fail at creating anarchy, to make up your little band of misfits. You will need these misfits to get the counter-hegemonic ball rolling. Corollary: If you must recruit a woman, she may serve as the official cook, spokeswoman, or official costume maker of the group. But NEVER as the getaway driver.
Step 3: The Public Sphere
CN: You must create a haven for you and your little band of misfits. Somewhere where you can talk about anything without interruption. Somewhere where all of your opinions may be voiced out without fear of being put down. Somewhere where there is no name-calling and where discourse isn't one sided and is ultimately equal. And No!! your parents' basement does not count. Please, have a little style when it comes to step 3. Here, you shall talk about how you will respond to the moral injustices of society and the imbalances that are happening in everyday life. Finally, you shall refer to this Public Sphere, whether it may be a tree house or underground cave, as your "Lair".
Step 4: Attack with the utmost fury of an eagle, the prowess of a lion, and the grace of a butterfly
CN: Once you step out of your "Lair", you shall attack the sources of the cultural hegemony. THE MEDIA! They have fed society lies for too long! Do so with the fury of an eagle, clawing at anything that gets in your way. The skill and prowess of a lion, dastardly being one step ahead of those rent-a-cops trying to get in your way. And most importantly, the grace of a butterfly, because if you fail, you can go "Hey, at least I looked good doing it." And more importantly than the most importantly, if you do fail, you do not know me.
*David looks at Chuck with a stare of bewilderment*
DH: WOW. *looks at camera* uhm, order now...
Narrator: Yes! That's right order Chuck Norris' Step-by-Step to Creating Social Anarchy for the low, low price of 59.99! Order today, and receive a copy of Chuck Norris' autobiography "Against All Odds", written by the man himself, and a copy of David Hasselhoff's album "David Hasselhoff Sings America" ABSOLUTELY FREE! That's right! Order today!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Through this Comm11 class, I've learned so much about media as a whole. Yes, I've learned about the in's and out's of all the theories and even if every single one of them has it's own special opinions and propositions, I've come to a little conclusion of my own. Through all the blog writing and the studying, I'd like to say that I have come up with a central idea that perfectly encompasses all the theories into one singular, archaic and well-formed hypothetical statement. Though it may be shocking and mind-blowingly rebellious, I'd like the reader of this blog to give it a chance and actually think things through before bombarding this good-looking and charming blogger with expletives and hand gestures that would be illegal in some US states. So without further a do, I bring you the most eccentric and the most radical theory anyone has ever given you since Albert Einstein gave you that E=MC^2 bull...
Media is the anti-Christ.
Relax. Chill. Chillax. Let it sink in for a bit. Let it marinate for a little more, and let it cozy on down to the inner workings of your brain as I explain. The anti-Christ is described as the person (OR THING!!) to bring on the rapture, the end of the world essentially. I believe my statement to be true because Media has the utmost capacity to do so, or at least somehow be the cause of it all.
With this, I call upon another theory to support my case - the Uses and Gratifications Theory. The theory states how "people actively seek out specific media and specific content to generate specific gratifications and satisfy particular needs". These needs may extend as far as needs which are entertaining in nature, to those which have a purely informative purpose. In any case though, one can deduce how the society, as a whole, is so dependent on media as an outlet.
Back in the early 20th century, people were not so dependent on media as we are today. Most of the people didn't have easy access to it and weren't as, for lack of a better term, addicted to it. Then fast forward to 1929 when a man by the name of Philo Farnsworth laid down the foundations for what is known today as the television. With that, Farnsworth unknowingly started a revolution that extends until today. And hey, let's face it, every single one of us is part of that revolution. Society nowadays is, as previously stated, is a society that is too dependent on the media like a crack head would be dependent on his dealer. Again with the history lesson, if I were say, wanted to look up what a certain word meant, I'd have to go through some arduous tasks to actually get it done. I've have to walk down to the library, check out the Dewey Decimal System, actually look for it (imagine the stress in that!), not find it, ask a librarian for help, and finally find it after 30 minutes or so. And once I actually have it in my hands, I'd then have to look for the word instead of just pressing CTRL+F on my keyboard. Nowadays, looking up a word is as simple as going to Dictionary.com and typing down that word all in a span of 5 minutes.
Furthermore, imagine a world without Media. Society would be thrown into a perennial dark ages. News would be less-accessible, people wouldn't know how to communicate with their loved ones overseas because we've all lost the ability to snail mail a letter, and most importantly, we wouldn't be able to watch the nest episode of Glee!! Oh the humanity!! I don't know about you, but when my internet is down for a day fore example, I go into a state of withdrawal and paranoia. I log onto FireFox and click refresh over and over and over again, hoping that by some miracle, I am able to return to my online life and continue on stalking that girl I saw by JSEC on Facebook. Here, we see the importance of media to our Cognitive, Affective,Personal-Integrative, and Social-Integrative needs (I just realized now that Facebook does fulfill all 4 needs under this theory, whuuda thunk it, eh?). A world without the internet is unimaginable, but a world without the media be just hell.
And with that, I'll end this explanation on my theory with a little equation of my own. Media = anti-Christ, Anti-Christ = brings about a state of catastrophe, panic , and destruction. State of catastrophe, panic, and destruction = hell. Hell = a world without media.
Thank you. You may know award me the Nobel Peace Prize.
Media is the anti-Christ.
Relax. Chill. Chillax. Let it sink in for a bit. Let it marinate for a little more, and let it cozy on down to the inner workings of your brain as I explain. The anti-Christ is described as the person (OR THING!!) to bring on the rapture, the end of the world essentially. I believe my statement to be true because Media has the utmost capacity to do so, or at least somehow be the cause of it all.
With this, I call upon another theory to support my case - the Uses and Gratifications Theory. The theory states how "people actively seek out specific media and specific content to generate specific gratifications and satisfy particular needs". These needs may extend as far as needs which are entertaining in nature, to those which have a purely informative purpose. In any case though, one can deduce how the society, as a whole, is so dependent on media as an outlet.
Back in the early 20th century, people were not so dependent on media as we are today. Most of the people didn't have easy access to it and weren't as, for lack of a better term, addicted to it. Then fast forward to 1929 when a man by the name of Philo Farnsworth laid down the foundations for what is known today as the television. With that, Farnsworth unknowingly started a revolution that extends until today. And hey, let's face it, every single one of us is part of that revolution. Society nowadays is, as previously stated, is a society that is too dependent on the media like a crack head would be dependent on his dealer. Again with the history lesson, if I were say, wanted to look up what a certain word meant, I'd have to go through some arduous tasks to actually get it done. I've have to walk down to the library, check out the Dewey Decimal System, actually look for it (imagine the stress in that!), not find it, ask a librarian for help, and finally find it after 30 minutes or so. And once I actually have it in my hands, I'd then have to look for the word instead of just pressing CTRL+F on my keyboard. Nowadays, looking up a word is as simple as going to Dictionary.com and typing down that word all in a span of 5 minutes.
Furthermore, imagine a world without Media. Society would be thrown into a perennial dark ages. News would be less-accessible, people wouldn't know how to communicate with their loved ones overseas because we've all lost the ability to snail mail a letter, and most importantly, we wouldn't be able to watch the nest episode of Glee!! Oh the humanity!! I don't know about you, but when my internet is down for a day fore example, I go into a state of withdrawal and paranoia. I log onto FireFox and click refresh over and over and over again, hoping that by some miracle, I am able to return to my online life and continue on stalking that girl I saw by JSEC on Facebook. Here, we see the importance of media to our Cognitive, Affective,Personal-Integrative, and Social-Integrative needs (I just realized now that Facebook does fulfill all 4 needs under this theory, whuuda thunk it, eh?). A world without the internet is unimaginable, but a world without the media be just hell.
And with that, I'll end this explanation on my theory with a little equation of my own. Media = anti-Christ, Anti-Christ = brings about a state of catastrophe, panic , and destruction. State of catastrophe, panic, and destruction = hell. Hell = a world without media.
Thank you. You may know award me the Nobel Peace Prize.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Cultivation Analysis Theory focuses on the powerful effects of media, specifically in the form of television, and how it somehow has a something to do in the formation of society's idea. It argues how something small can actually turn out to be something universal and consuming to a wide number of audiences. As Gerber and company would put it, Television "brings about a shared way at viewing the world", arguably providing society with a set of biases, perceptions, and generalizations that would somehow be distorted compared to the truth. Though, Television may be the main medium when it comes to this theory (because of the wide number of people it reaches and it's ability to connect with those people with little or no effort at all), the theory can also be said to apply to other kinds of mass media such as radio, print, and more recently, video games.
With new advancements in technology, the gaming industry has been booming. It is a billion dollar industry racking up total sales of 19.66 billion USD at the end of 2009. With this in mind, it wouldn't be hard to imagine that each common, middle-class household wouldn't have some form of gaming apparatus hooked up to the family room TV. Also, as with TV, there has been a growing concern about how violent video games nowadays are getting and how large a grip it has on it's respective consumers. And out of the pile of zombie-killing, old lady-beating, terrorist-shooting genre known as action adventure or shooting, one video games stands alone as the most violent and controversial - Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto.
Take it from someone who has been a fan of the series since he was 13, this game is as violent as it gets. With it's mix of over the top and overbearing humor, coupled with some entertaining cuss spitting characters, and of course, some guns, cars, and money, it is not hard to see why the Grand Theft Auto series has been a success with the audience for over the course of a decade. For the latest installment of the series, players step into the shoes of Niko Bellic, an ex Scandinavian soldier turned mercenary for hire on the shores of Liberty City (Rockstars version of New York City complete with it's own version of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and so forth). As the main story progresses, the player finds himself shooting down his enemies without prejudice with a plethora of weapons at his disposal, running from the police and "accidentally" running over some pedestrians along the way, and even commandeering an army helicopter to deal with some of his foes. The most controversial parts of the game however is probably what players do when they're not busy completing the main storyline of the game. Since the game is of an open world, players have the ability to run around the wide expanse of the city wasting their time. Players can choose to go out on dates, check on the game's fictional internet, do side jobs for other characters, go bowling, play darts, go out and party the night away in bars, clubs, and strip clubs, and wait for it......invest in the services of a prostitute for a little health boost. And yes, if you do shift to a certain angle, you do get to see the action happen in all it's softcore goodness. Moreover, this type of "gameplay" isn't all that new to the franchise. Back in 2005, the predecessor of Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, came under flak when a mod(ificataion) for it's PC version presented a mini-game in which the player could have intercourse with one of his girlfriends, sparking outrage all over not just the video game community, but of all society as well.
Like the way girls dress up like Blair Waldorf or Serena van-der-whatever, ugh, scratch that, Blake Lively, there have been a number of reports where people have emulated the main protagonists of the game. For one, a man in Vancouver, Canada was apprehended following a string of car thefts. After being arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (who obviously caught him while on horseback), his mugshot revealed a Grand Theft Auto tattoo on his back and admitted to being a very big fan of the game. A second instance was reported in Virginia when a 6 year old child intentionally missed his bus and actually drove his family's Ford to school instead. Michael Schumacher, Jr. over here made it 6 miles before crashing into a pole. When asked by the police, he told them that he learned how to drive by playing the game. Props to the kid though, when I was 6, all the driving I could do was to drive my parents insane, aaaaaaand queue the laughter...
It may be the very charismatic and humorous characters who just seem to grow on you (so much so that spin-off games have been made for 2 of them), or the element of freedom it gives the player ( As Alicia Keys would ironically put it, it's a "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of".), or even that small sense of the feeling of power (take it from me, flying around in an army helicopter with miniguns and rockets mounted on it makes you feel like a cross between the Terminator and Barack Obama), video games such as this prove to be a catalyst when it comes to the theory. However, it is, in the end, always up to the person whether or not to fall victim towards this false perception.
With new advancements in technology, the gaming industry has been booming. It is a billion dollar industry racking up total sales of 19.66 billion USD at the end of 2009. With this in mind, it wouldn't be hard to imagine that each common, middle-class household wouldn't have some form of gaming apparatus hooked up to the family room TV. Also, as with TV, there has been a growing concern about how violent video games nowadays are getting and how large a grip it has on it's respective consumers. And out of the pile of zombie-killing, old lady-beating, terrorist-shooting genre known as action adventure or shooting, one video games stands alone as the most violent and controversial - Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto.
Take it from someone who has been a fan of the series since he was 13, this game is as violent as it gets. With it's mix of over the top and overbearing humor, coupled with some entertaining cuss spitting characters, and of course, some guns, cars, and money, it is not hard to see why the Grand Theft Auto series has been a success with the audience for over the course of a decade. For the latest installment of the series, players step into the shoes of Niko Bellic, an ex Scandinavian soldier turned mercenary for hire on the shores of Liberty City (Rockstars version of New York City complete with it's own version of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and so forth). As the main story progresses, the player finds himself shooting down his enemies without prejudice with a plethora of weapons at his disposal, running from the police and "accidentally" running over some pedestrians along the way, and even commandeering an army helicopter to deal with some of his foes. The most controversial parts of the game however is probably what players do when they're not busy completing the main storyline of the game. Since the game is of an open world, players have the ability to run around the wide expanse of the city wasting their time. Players can choose to go out on dates, check on the game's fictional internet, do side jobs for other characters, go bowling, play darts, go out and party the night away in bars, clubs, and strip clubs, and wait for it......invest in the services of a prostitute for a little health boost. And yes, if you do shift to a certain angle, you do get to see the action happen in all it's softcore goodness. Moreover, this type of "gameplay" isn't all that new to the franchise. Back in 2005, the predecessor of Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, came under flak when a mod(ificataion) for it's PC version presented a mini-game in which the player could have intercourse with one of his girlfriends, sparking outrage all over not just the video game community, but of all society as well.
Like the way girls dress up like Blair Waldorf or Serena van-der-whatever, ugh, scratch that, Blake Lively, there have been a number of reports where people have emulated the main protagonists of the game. For one, a man in Vancouver, Canada was apprehended following a string of car thefts. After being arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (who obviously caught him while on horseback), his mugshot revealed a Grand Theft Auto tattoo on his back and admitted to being a very big fan of the game. A second instance was reported in Virginia when a 6 year old child intentionally missed his bus and actually drove his family's Ford to school instead. Michael Schumacher, Jr. over here made it 6 miles before crashing into a pole. When asked by the police, he told them that he learned how to drive by playing the game. Props to the kid though, when I was 6, all the driving I could do was to drive my parents insane, aaaaaaand queue the laughter...
It may be the very charismatic and humorous characters who just seem to grow on you (so much so that spin-off games have been made for 2 of them), or the element of freedom it gives the player ( As Alicia Keys would ironically put it, it's a "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of".), or even that small sense of the feeling of power (take it from me, flying around in an army helicopter with miniguns and rockets mounted on it makes you feel like a cross between the Terminator and Barack Obama), video games such as this prove to be a catalyst when it comes to the theory. However, it is, in the end, always up to the person whether or not to fall victim towards this false perception.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Blog 8 : The Genius that is Media
Media and Society have a very unique and complicated relationship with each other. A good metaphor for the two would be a couple, so interdependent on one another that neither one of the two can "go on living" without the other and that life without their special someone is more or less empty. Media, specifically Mass Media, and society share this relationship because both essentially feed off each other by media attaining the ideas and codes of society (what makes society tick) and society receiving this information, translating it into something that most of the populace relate to, and finally providing media with a stable source of revenue to repeat the cycle over and over and over again.
After watching and analyzing the documentary "Merchants of Cool" this past week, one comes to realize that this little economic cycle that the two share falls in between the lines of some sort of sick yet unbelievably intellectual idea. Think of it, media responds to their consumers' ever changing demands by not thinking of their own original ideas for their TV shows and movies, but by using society's ideas on society itself. All the popular TV shows nowadays such as Gossip Girl or 90210 emphasize this fact. Every single one of us wants the fame, every single one of us wants the money and the girls that come along with it. Moreover, almost every one of us want some sort of drama in our lives, that little extra spice that makes life all the more exciting and would provide us some escape from the same old doldrums that we call life. Every single one of these factors is in these TV shows, which is why we respond so positively to them. The funny thing is, we are so blinded by the glamor and entertainment value of these shows that we are not able to come up with the conclusion that what the media is presenting us is a reflection of our own lives, of what we want our lives to be. Here, it is simply the media, tapping into our inadequacy with life, converting that into a TV show featuring a blonde bombshell and a 6 foot bad boy, and raking in the cash that comes along with it.
Yes, I am sounding that I'm against this, but the truth is I'm not. I am just amused with how the mass media-society cycle is structured in such a way. In all honesty, I am amazed with how people in the media industry are in someway geniuses in their own right. The MTV special on Spring Break, for example. Hell, let's be honest, if I was flipping through my TV and came across that show, I'd turn up the volume, make myself a tub of popcorn, cozy on up to the couch, and intently watch that show. Why? Because it's entertaining! And if the same channel brought about 10 rednecks jumping into a pool of human excrement, heck, I'd do the same thing minus the big tub of popcorn. Why? Because it's even more entertaining! And through all of these TV shows directed to the teenage population, it's scary to think that the teenagers have a vice-like choke hold on the media.
In this day and age, we are beginning to see 20-something-year-old billionaires come out of the woodwork just because of a tiny social-networking site called Facebook. Oh, what fun it would be if in 10 years or so, teenagers would have a complete monopoly over the mass media.
After watching and analyzing the documentary "Merchants of Cool" this past week, one comes to realize that this little economic cycle that the two share falls in between the lines of some sort of sick yet unbelievably intellectual idea. Think of it, media responds to their consumers' ever changing demands by not thinking of their own original ideas for their TV shows and movies, but by using society's ideas on society itself. All the popular TV shows nowadays such as Gossip Girl or 90210 emphasize this fact. Every single one of us wants the fame, every single one of us wants the money and the girls that come along with it. Moreover, almost every one of us want some sort of drama in our lives, that little extra spice that makes life all the more exciting and would provide us some escape from the same old doldrums that we call life. Every single one of these factors is in these TV shows, which is why we respond so positively to them. The funny thing is, we are so blinded by the glamor and entertainment value of these shows that we are not able to come up with the conclusion that what the media is presenting us is a reflection of our own lives, of what we want our lives to be. Here, it is simply the media, tapping into our inadequacy with life, converting that into a TV show featuring a blonde bombshell and a 6 foot bad boy, and raking in the cash that comes along with it.
Yes, I am sounding that I'm against this, but the truth is I'm not. I am just amused with how the mass media-society cycle is structured in such a way. In all honesty, I am amazed with how people in the media industry are in someway geniuses in their own right. The MTV special on Spring Break, for example. Hell, let's be honest, if I was flipping through my TV and came across that show, I'd turn up the volume, make myself a tub of popcorn, cozy on up to the couch, and intently watch that show. Why? Because it's entertaining! And if the same channel brought about 10 rednecks jumping into a pool of human excrement, heck, I'd do the same thing minus the big tub of popcorn. Why? Because it's even more entertaining! And through all of these TV shows directed to the teenage population, it's scary to think that the teenagers have a vice-like choke hold on the media.
In this day and age, we are beginning to see 20-something-year-old billionaires come out of the woodwork just because of a tiny social-networking site called Facebook. Oh, what fun it would be if in 10 years or so, teenagers would have a complete monopoly over the mass media.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Blog 7: Xaverian
It's spelled Xaverian, not Xavierian. Little things. It's the little things that get to us. We Xaverians take these things personally, not because we are egotistical little boys pent up on the fact that we came from one of the top high schools in the country. Actually you know what? scratch that, THE Best Chinese-Filipino, Jesuit,all-male school in the country. No, not because of that. It's because as a community, we are very proud of where we came from and what we endured together and have bonded so much around that idea that the words Xaverian Pride takes on a completely different meaning to us.
Ask anyone around the Ateneo campus about what a Xaverian is and they'd probably give you the same description,more or less - Chinese-Filipino, friendly, outgoing, fun, hot, sexy, any other synonym that goes along the lines of hot and sexy, and proud. All of these, I can say, may be attributed to the way we were essentially "raised" in our former school.
As an organization, Xavier (pronounced |(ig)ˈzāvēər|) School is an organization unlike no other. The culture within the campus is a very special one. Aside from all the activities that involves academics, it's the spiritual formation that really sets us apart from other schools. All the retreats we have are designed to instill a sense of passion to strive to be men fully alive, endowed with a passion for justice and the skills for development (I totally stole that from the school's mission statement, by the way). Moreover, the teachers of the school are a very special bunch of people as well. Not to take anything away from Sir Beaver Flores of the Ateneo Communications Department and may I say, the best communications professor I've had *wink wink*, but the teachers in Xavier somehow are able to temper professionalism, courtesy, and adeptness in teaching with the ability to actually be friends with the students and form a bond with them. Through this, the classroom is given a more informal setting, allowing the students to laugh, joke, occasionally curse and at the same time, learn in a very comfortable environment. This, in turn, gives us the personality that you see today.
Ok, I am sounding like a cross between an education analyst and a Xaverian propagandist, but the fact remains true, through the organization that is Xavier School, Xaverians from all batches are able to form a culture that has taken a very special identity of it's own. A simple obvservation through the halls of the Ateneo and one may see a number of Xaverians wearing shirts that have quotes, logos, and symbols of their alma mater on them. Xaverians that sit together during breaks and form groups 3 tables long litter JSEC and the caf only proving that same sense of Xaverian unity and friendship.
Xaverians are the types of people who take pride in the fact that they are Xaverians, but are humble enough to come to terms with their imperfections. Xaverians are the types of people who always have each others backs through thick and thin, people who would take a bullet for each other in a heartbeat. So, in any case, if you happen to get into a fight with a person wearing a bright yellow shirt with the word Xavier on it, make sure you have back-up.*
*This sentence is just me trying to make Xaverians sound tough and bad-ass and also end this blog in a very awesome and sexy way. The truth is, we are actually a peace-loving group of people who hate conflict and would never get into a fight. :)
Ask anyone around the Ateneo campus about what a Xaverian is and they'd probably give you the same description,more or less - Chinese-Filipino, friendly, outgoing, fun, hot, sexy, any other synonym that goes along the lines of hot and sexy, and proud. All of these, I can say, may be attributed to the way we were essentially "raised" in our former school.
As an organization, Xavier (pronounced |(ig)ˈzāvēər|) School is an organization unlike no other. The culture within the campus is a very special one. Aside from all the activities that involves academics, it's the spiritual formation that really sets us apart from other schools. All the retreats we have are designed to instill a sense of passion to strive to be men fully alive, endowed with a passion for justice and the skills for development (I totally stole that from the school's mission statement, by the way). Moreover, the teachers of the school are a very special bunch of people as well. Not to take anything away from Sir Beaver Flores of the Ateneo Communications Department and may I say, the best communications professor I've had *wink wink*, but the teachers in Xavier somehow are able to temper professionalism, courtesy, and adeptness in teaching with the ability to actually be friends with the students and form a bond with them. Through this, the classroom is given a more informal setting, allowing the students to laugh, joke, occasionally curse and at the same time, learn in a very comfortable environment. This, in turn, gives us the personality that you see today.
Ok, I am sounding like a cross between an education analyst and a Xaverian propagandist, but the fact remains true, through the organization that is Xavier School, Xaverians from all batches are able to form a culture that has taken a very special identity of it's own. A simple obvservation through the halls of the Ateneo and one may see a number of Xaverians wearing shirts that have quotes, logos, and symbols of their alma mater on them. Xaverians that sit together during breaks and form groups 3 tables long litter JSEC and the caf only proving that same sense of Xaverian unity and friendship.
Xaverians are the types of people who take pride in the fact that they are Xaverians, but are humble enough to come to terms with their imperfections. Xaverians are the types of people who always have each others backs through thick and thin, people who would take a bullet for each other in a heartbeat. So, in any case, if you happen to get into a fight with a person wearing a bright yellow shirt with the word Xavier on it, make sure you have back-up.*
*This sentence is just me trying to make Xaverians sound tough and bad-ass and also end this blog in a very awesome and sexy way. The truth is, we are actually a peace-loving group of people who hate conflict and would never get into a fight. :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Blog 6: The Uncertainty-Reduction Theory, The Social Exchange Theory, and Exes
All the talk this week about the Uncertainty-Reduction Theory and the Social Exchange Theory brought gave me some ideas all while the class was discussing it. However, when taking the lesson up, all I could think about to associate with these two theories is something everybody just loves to hate - awkward moments. Look at it this way, since the main focus of the Uncertainty-Reduction theory is well, uncertainty between people and the main argument of the Social Exchange Theory is the weighing out of options (through the economic principle of Opportunity Costs) when it comes to relationships, what better way to explain both than through an awkward situation, right? I know, sounds a bit iffy, but hey, I promise this will all make sense in the end. Hopefully...
In my books, there are a plethora of awkward moments one can think of and can experience in everyday life. Things like spilling a glass of water on your pants and seeing that girl you like think that you actually had an accident, or the time when you hit an inanimate object with your car and have the driver next to you give you a stare that reads "incompetence" or even the times where your writing a paper that was due an hour ago and feel totally guilty for it because you know you should have done it in the afternoon but was too tired to do so because you woke up early for an Accounting class that started at 8 am and ended at 12 noon. (Sorry sir, my bad, won't happen again). Anyway, I believe that when it comes right down to it, there are 3 gay baby making situations that tops my list and they are as follows.
1.) Meeting a person you barely know and being left alone with him/her for an extended period of time.
2.) Watching a sex scene with your parents in a movie theater.
3.) The Breaking-up process.
But since I want to emphasize my point and present you with the most awkward situation possible and use both theorems to discuss it. I have come up with the most awkward situation possible, essentially combining all 3 instances and creating a dream team of awkward moments, if you will.
Meeting an Ex that you had been with for 5+ years and being left alone in an isolated place for a very,very long period of time and have absolutely nothing to talk about because both of you are still bitter about cheating on one another with one another's best friends, while your parents watch everything unfold and judge you by your every move through closed circuit cameras.
Yes, the most awkward situation ever. The Napoleon Bonaparte of awkward situations, small but terrible. And yet, even this has it's Waterloo. Through the Uncertainty-Reduction Theory, we know that we essentially need to reduce the uncertainties between the 2 exes. It may be through Nonverbal Warmth or Verbal Communication,but the main thing is, one of the two need to swallow their pride and at least try to converse to ease the tension. They haven't seen each other for a while so they need to go through the Information Seeking process and catch up with each other through Active and Interactive Strategies such as asking friendly questions about each other, self-disclosure, or even the occasional joke about the time they were together (sometimes more awkward situations, when done with the right amount of humor, may actually lead to the decrease of uncertainty. I can honestly vouch for this.) Lastly, once the (ex) couple has gained some level of rapport, one can now determine if the relationship can be solidified once again. Here, both need to weigh both pros and cons and conclude if there will actually be consequences if they do agree to try and work things out and remain friends or such.
In the end, I agree that this little plot I've drawn out above isn't fool poof. However, through the knowledge of both these theories and with a little bit of humility, humor and self-confidence, anyone can turn an awkward situation into a more or less pleasant one. Well, at least they can try,right?
In my books, there are a plethora of awkward moments one can think of and can experience in everyday life. Things like spilling a glass of water on your pants and seeing that girl you like think that you actually had an accident, or the time when you hit an inanimate object with your car and have the driver next to you give you a stare that reads "incompetence" or even the times where your writing a paper that was due an hour ago and feel totally guilty for it because you know you should have done it in the afternoon but was too tired to do so because you woke up early for an Accounting class that started at 8 am and ended at 12 noon. (Sorry sir, my bad, won't happen again). Anyway, I believe that when it comes right down to it, there are 3 gay baby making situations that tops my list and they are as follows.
1.) Meeting a person you barely know and being left alone with him/her for an extended period of time.
2.) Watching a sex scene with your parents in a movie theater.
3.) The Breaking-up process.
But since I want to emphasize my point and present you with the most awkward situation possible and use both theorems to discuss it. I have come up with the most awkward situation possible, essentially combining all 3 instances and creating a dream team of awkward moments, if you will.
Meeting an Ex that you had been with for 5+ years and being left alone in an isolated place for a very,very long period of time and have absolutely nothing to talk about because both of you are still bitter about cheating on one another with one another's best friends, while your parents watch everything unfold and judge you by your every move through closed circuit cameras.
Yes, the most awkward situation ever. The Napoleon Bonaparte of awkward situations, small but terrible. And yet, even this has it's Waterloo. Through the Uncertainty-Reduction Theory, we know that we essentially need to reduce the uncertainties between the 2 exes. It may be through Nonverbal Warmth or Verbal Communication,but the main thing is, one of the two need to swallow their pride and at least try to converse to ease the tension. They haven't seen each other for a while so they need to go through the Information Seeking process and catch up with each other through Active and Interactive Strategies such as asking friendly questions about each other, self-disclosure, or even the occasional joke about the time they were together (sometimes more awkward situations, when done with the right amount of humor, may actually lead to the decrease of uncertainty. I can honestly vouch for this.) Lastly, once the (ex) couple has gained some level of rapport, one can now determine if the relationship can be solidified once again. Here, both need to weigh both pros and cons and conclude if there will actually be consequences if they do agree to try and work things out and remain friends or such.
In the end, I agree that this little plot I've drawn out above isn't fool poof. However, through the knowledge of both these theories and with a little bit of humility, humor and self-confidence, anyone can turn an awkward situation into a more or less pleasant one. Well, at least they can try,right?
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Blog 5 - A Guide to Surviving in the World of Philippine Non-Verbal Coding
Let's play a little game. I name a specific race of people. and you imagine the face of that specific race in your mind. I say American, you'd come up with a blond, blue-eyed 6 footer, with a chiseled jawline and bone structure. When I say African-American, you'd probably come up with exactly the same thing as a white American just minus the hair, blue eyes, and well, fair complexion. You would think of Snoop Dogg basically. When I say Chinese, you'd come up with someone who has small almond eyes, of medium build, handsome, with a personality that includes being charming, smart, fun, elegant, alluring, delightful, electrifying, smart, charming, and charismatic. Oh, and that description of a China man isn't biased because the writer of this blog is Chinese (Chinese-Filipino), that right there is just a pure statement of fact. Anyway, I'm digressing. Back to the game. But when I say Filipino, you'd come up with an image of a person who'd probably look like an image of someone Malaysian, Indonesian, or even Hawaiian. This is because Filipinos are honestly hard to tell apart from their respective Southeast Asian counter-parts. However, if one take into consideration Non-Verbal coding, one will come to the conclusion that even though Filipinos may look a lot like Indonesians and the like, there are some ways to tell them apart through this theory.
Aside from that certain event back in 1986 during which Filipinos turned the universal sign for loser into one of the most recognized symbols for empowerment, there are some common ways to tell Filipinos apart and yet, at the same time sort of know how they are feeling.
1.) "The Nod"
An easy way to tell apart a Filipino is simply by going up to a Filipino who is an acquaintance of yours, but at the same time isn't really too sure if he or she knows you, and saying "Hi" as you pass by. Once that person gives a nod and flashes a friendly smile your way, you know that person is in fact a Filipino
At the same time, you will realize, through Kinesic Theory, that this Filipino does not actually know you too well. Well its that, or he just doesn't really like you.
2.) "The Purse of the Lips"
Another easy way to tell apart a Filipino is by the way he uses his lips to point at things. Whether it's asking for directions or looking for something, Filipinos almost always use this technique as a way to communicate direction. Moreover, the higher the arc of the head and the lips, the more further it is. However, do take note that sticking the tongue out and wiggling it in a gyrating manner is a completely different story.
3.) "The Box"
Having trouble spotting that Filipino friend of yours in an airport loaded with hundreds of people? Simple, look for the one pushing around a box. Filipinos coming from abroad usually are nagged about having to buy their whole family a coming home present. And since most of these presents are kitchen appliances, the most logical thing a Filipino would do is to put it in a very big box. I does make sense if you think about it. Why would you put boxes into a suitcase or duffel bag when it's just simply not ergonomic? That's right! Put that rice cooker or microwave oven (which are both cubes) into a a box (which is a bigger cube). Everything works out just fine. Why the rest of the world does not get on the bandwagon of heavy, hard to carry boxes beats me.
4.) "The making-a-square-to-ask-for-the bill Gesture"
No, that Filipino beside your table making a box in the air with his hands isn't suffering from ADHD, he is simply asking for the bill. In the Philippines, asking for the bill is as simple as using this gesture. Why bother yourself from having to say a 1 syllable word such as "Bill" or "Check" coupled with "Please" after it when you could just reach up and make a box with your hands? And with this, I seriously wonder as to why we are still a 3rd world country when we come up with things as time saving as this.
5.) Tardiness
It's 7:35. That Filipino friend of yours not at the restaurant yet when you agreed to meet up at7:30? Yeah, he's still probably taking a bath. This however, isn't disrespect towards you. This is merely the way Filipinos act when it comes to very important meetings or dinner dates. General rule of thumb when setting up a date with a Filipino? The 2 hour rule. When you want him there at 8, tell him to go there at 6.
These characteristics and habits essentially communicate one thing. Yes, Filipinos may be tardy, Filipinos may be lazy as hell, but Filipinos are proud of these things that make them uniquely Filipino. It's what separates them from other cultures. It's what makes a Filipino a Filipino. And at the end of the day, I do believe that they wouldn't have it any other way.
Aside from that certain event back in 1986 during which Filipinos turned the universal sign for loser into one of the most recognized symbols for empowerment, there are some common ways to tell Filipinos apart and yet, at the same time sort of know how they are feeling.
1.) "The Nod"
An easy way to tell apart a Filipino is simply by going up to a Filipino who is an acquaintance of yours, but at the same time isn't really too sure if he or she knows you, and saying "Hi" as you pass by. Once that person gives a nod and flashes a friendly smile your way, you know that person is in fact a Filipino
At the same time, you will realize, through Kinesic Theory, that this Filipino does not actually know you too well. Well its that, or he just doesn't really like you.
2.) "The Purse of the Lips"
Another easy way to tell apart a Filipino is by the way he uses his lips to point at things. Whether it's asking for directions or looking for something, Filipinos almost always use this technique as a way to communicate direction. Moreover, the higher the arc of the head and the lips, the more further it is. However, do take note that sticking the tongue out and wiggling it in a gyrating manner is a completely different story.
3.) "The Box"
Having trouble spotting that Filipino friend of yours in an airport loaded with hundreds of people? Simple, look for the one pushing around a box. Filipinos coming from abroad usually are nagged about having to buy their whole family a coming home present. And since most of these presents are kitchen appliances, the most logical thing a Filipino would do is to put it in a very big box. I does make sense if you think about it. Why would you put boxes into a suitcase or duffel bag when it's just simply not ergonomic? That's right! Put that rice cooker or microwave oven (which are both cubes) into a a box (which is a bigger cube). Everything works out just fine. Why the rest of the world does not get on the bandwagon of heavy, hard to carry boxes beats me.
4.) "The making-a-square-to-ask-for-the bill Gesture"
No, that Filipino beside your table making a box in the air with his hands isn't suffering from ADHD, he is simply asking for the bill. In the Philippines, asking for the bill is as simple as using this gesture. Why bother yourself from having to say a 1 syllable word such as "Bill" or "Check" coupled with "Please" after it when you could just reach up and make a box with your hands? And with this, I seriously wonder as to why we are still a 3rd world country when we come up with things as time saving as this.
5.) Tardiness
It's 7:35. That Filipino friend of yours not at the restaurant yet when you agreed to meet up at7:30? Yeah, he's still probably taking a bath. This however, isn't disrespect towards you. This is merely the way Filipinos act when it comes to very important meetings or dinner dates. General rule of thumb when setting up a date with a Filipino? The 2 hour rule. When you want him there at 8, tell him to go there at 6.
These characteristics and habits essentially communicate one thing. Yes, Filipinos may be tardy, Filipinos may be lazy as hell, but Filipinos are proud of these things that make them uniquely Filipino. It's what separates them from other cultures. It's what makes a Filipino a Filipino. And at the end of the day, I do believe that they wouldn't have it any other way.
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