Avatars

I definitely agree that the avatar is the new self-portrait. It is very interesting to see how the self-portrait has changed with time and technology. But, people back then did the same as we do now; we make ourselves look how we want to look. Avatars and portraits are reflections of how we want to be perceived. Photographs and videos, if staged are the same.

            Avatars are the world’s natural progression of retaining immortality when our bodies are merely mortal. These preserve the person, so that we can be remembered, and leave behind something of ourselves. Now, especially with technology it can be a very altered version of ourselves, but an extension of person that we want to be left behind. Now, we get to choose what is remembered.

            Now, online, a person gets to choose how they are presented. Much like the man with disabilities, he is able, in this virtual world, to do things with his avatar that he could not possibly do in real life.  Like he mentioned, everyone in this virtual world is on common ground. No one knows what each other really look like; all they see is your avatar.

            In the classroom, everyone being on common ground could be very useful. No judgments based on appearance and everyone would be focused on the subject at hand. We could have unbiased peer reviews and no one would be the wiser.

opinion

I enjoyed writing this essay about the cartoon. I was able to express strong feelings and opinions in any way I chose. I rather liked the freedom I had to choose a cartoon, but found it a bit difficult to find one. I needed one that I could write 1500 words about, therefore one with a strong message, and one that inspired me with a lot to say.

Having finally found one, the rest was quite simply gravy. I had fun picking apart the cartoon bit by bit. Dissecting its surface, to really get down deep into its true meaning. I liked researching the history behind it, and finding out why the cartoon was ironic. I delighted in connecting this simple cartoon to very complex problems and social aspects of today’s society. I loved that my cartoon was in essence a slap in the face to America, using media to scrutinize media.

The only other difficult part besides actually finding the cartoon was organizing it into something supportive of my argument. I had so many thoughts, that I just started typing them, so I rambled a lot, and had to go back and revise and restructure. I think I actually had the conclusion as my first paragraph. But now that I have made all my thoughts come together, I believe I have a really good subject matter and problem to discuss. This paper helped me realize my opinions on a lot more things than just that of the cartoon. My scope of the world increased and I became enlightened to myself.

Orbach Essay

As a young girl myself, I have found that the increasing focus of the media and advertisements on the "real" woman is uplifting. 

I have grown up in a time where a size two is still too large, and am really disgusted with that fact. I wish I could say that this phenomenon has had no effect on me, but of course it has. I find myself some days being extremely self-critical instead of loving my body and appreciating what makes me stand out. We as women see these advertisements with sickly skinny models and punish ourselves because we don't look that way. The mindset and self-image of women today has been drastically changed by the increase in technology and its speedy effect. Today's woman "is not being compelled to bind her feet, she does it willingly.” Since we have more freedoms as women now than the women of the foot binding age did, we may choose what to wear and how to look. But, we choose wrong by basing our choices on what is portrayed by the media as what we “should” look like.

“Women have had enough of not finding themselves in the ads they look at.” I am so pleased to find all kinds of beauty being appreciated and recognized now. In Mainstream. This gives me great hope for our future. Maybe we will become less self centered and shallow and learn to appreciate the true beauty of a woman.

No Picture Tells the Truth-The Best Do Better Than That

"Pictures seize the microphone, and if they're good, they don't let go." This statement is absolutely true. Words may describe to you what happened, but a picture shows you. It gives you a sliver of insight that your imagination couldn't possibly come up with. A snapshot of history, that is undeniably there, proof of the event or happening in concrete evidence. There is an ongoing battle over whether a picture conveys the truth or not, and I believe this article puts it right in its final sentence, "not the truth, but a stand-in for the truth that will not leave the thoughts of those who saw it." That is the definition of a riveting picture. Something that you obviously weren’t there for, but know happened because of the photo. The picture conveys meaning. On the surface it’s just a blunt, straightforward tangible thing, but behind it is the intangible thoughts and feelings it creates. The article said it correctly, “you don’t need to see them to see them (speaking of enlightening photographs).” Some people argue that cropping, or resizing, or enriching the color changes the meaning of the photograph. “But meaning is determined long before that.” As soon as the shot is taken, the meaning of the picture is there. Even though the picture goes through a process of selection and sizing and judgment, the message always outs. 

A Family Photograph Album

This Article really hit home for me. I remember as a kid I kept what I called my "Memory Box." I had hundreds of family photos in there. I was and am very sentimental, so family photographs were and are important to me. I would sit there for hours and just look and reminisce. I still do this with photo albums when I'm feeling nostalgic. I even had a plan in case of an emergency, like a fire. I had a list of what to grab and where to go, and can you take a guess at what the first thing to grab was? I only wish I knew what happened to my box of memories. 

I now have learned to appreciate all families' photograph albums. I find it extremely interesting to go over to my friends’ houses and get them to whip out their old family pictures and go through it. I love it when the parents get involved, because behind every picture there is a story. A story that you might have forgotten, but once seen, the picture brings it all flooding back. I feel as though all humans are essentially sentimental. The feeling of belonging and familiarity that comes with having a history recorded through pictures is very special. I think that's why I love going to see my grandparents, because by gosh I will learn something new about my family every time. They always seem to be the hub for family history and information, and they are the ones with the photos. I love the way they said in the article " these are the most coveted of all family treasures.” These family collections of photographs, these snapshots of history can teach us so much. Every family has its own unique story and that story can be found through photographs. So, never hesitate to smile for a photo. After it is taken, you have become a part of history.