[CP] Quickwrite - Cycles of Abuse

Prompt -  Troy turns out to be a reflection of his own father in terms of the harsh treatment he gives his own son, Cory. Are Troy and Cory locked into a cycle of abuse? Why or why not? If so, then do you think Cory will be able to break this cycle in his own future?

       According the Wikipedia, the cycle does match with the relationship between Troy and Cory; therefore my answer will be yes, Troy and Cory are locked into the cycle. The tensions between Troy and Cory were the beginning of the cycle and Troy’s death was the end of that cycle. Personallym I think Cory will be able to break this cycle in his own future.

        In Act II, Scene 4, when Cory and Troy were having an argument, Cory expressed both his and Rose’s fear towards Troy. He also claims that Troy would abuse him and was terrified as a child, but decided to confront his fear; now he’s older, he knows he can overpower Troy. Both Troy and Cory had most likely entered in the second stage at the confrontment during that scene. Cory would usually wouldn’t go against Troy verbally, but in the end he did after Troy couldn’t handle Cory’s absence for baseball. In the third stage of abuse, the Reconcilation, was determined through Troy’s death. His death represents the end of the conflict between them, but doesn’t seem as a sold “reconcilation”. The last stage was in the last scene, Rose suggested to Cory to forget all the past events and conflicts that caused such tension between him and Troy. Letting it go willingly, the “honeymoon” phase was idicated through one of Troy’s songs as Cory sang with  Rayndell.

         Personally, I think Cory will be able to break this cycle in his own future because Cory represents the new generation. Unlike Troy, he was offered a better future at a young age and can go to college with no concern for discrimination. Troy, representing the older generation, faced the hatred by the “Devil” or in this time period, I pressume mainly the KKK. Facing both abuse from his father and the discrimination, Troy has viewed the world as “against the colored”. However, in Cory’s future, segregation was outlawed and his sports opportunity was offered at a young age compared to Troy’s, who began his career around his 40’s. With his strong desire to be different from Troy, Cory would most likely ensure himself to stay away from the cycles of abuse.

[FREE] My Neighbor Totoro (1998)

So, after such a depressing animation film created by Isao Takahata, let’s go for a friendly family film! Well known for it’s cuteness, the spirit name Totoro makes its debut in Miyzaki’s 1988 film, My Neighbor Totoro! Here’s a fan made trailer:

The film follows when two young daughters of a professor move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan.

This is a great family film of all ages and I highly recommend this film. Not only does it introduces the ever loving Totoro, but also a tale of two sisters as they venture their backyard and befriends the neighbors, the wood spirits. This heartwarming relationship between humans and spirits demonstrate how innocent kids can believe in to the point to be able to see spirits. Despite how their father and the nanny comments of the nature of spirits, this also shows how as you grow up, what you believe in dwindles with knowledge, neglecting such spirituality.

This iconic Totoro is so popular; you can see products based on this loving spirit in stores as fluffy plushie or even in films or episodes such as South Park and Toy Story 3. If you though those little soot sprites are adorable, you can see them again in Spirited Away.

Otherwise, this film has a cute developing relationship between the older sister and her neighbor as you see more image scenes in the ending. This relationship creates a more of a minor relationship that Miyazaki always creates in almost every movie.  

[CE] Ladybug Luck

As I was browsing through the articles, I noticed titled "A cute beetle withstaying power”. I thought it’s pretty strange so I decided to make a post. 

Sixteen-year-old Kylie Copenhagen, of Pleasanton, is an exception. Her project -- a little board game about bugs -- just earned her a nomination for a national award for toy and game design.

As I read this article I thought “Maybe I can get a nomination for a national award for toy and game design as well if I can find anything that I kept”. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. Although I did save some of my work when I was a child, I had nothing involved with creating games nor anything based on bugs except help raise a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Impressed by the game's popularity with Kylie's friends, her father, Dan, contacted college buddy Randy Horn, president of the independent game company Zobmondo Entertainment.
Horn liked the concept, and developed the final product, swapping ideas with Kylie until The Ladybug Game hit stores in 2004. Today it retails for $11.95 and has sold close to 1 million copies, including Toys R Us, Walmart, Kmart, Barnes and Noble and Target.

I guess with some creativity and some connections, you may get a chance to be awarded in the future. Personally, I kept a reasonable amount of projects and assignments when I was child, but I highly doubt any of them will give me any future benefits. Or perhaps my African mask my 7^th grade teacher kept. I don’t think I can get it back now. 

 

Even so, at least she has some sort of money resource to be able to fund her college education. Not all of us can think of some creative game when we’re kids and somehow earn 1 million dollars. I would say luck, creativity, and connections have definitely brought someone’s college life to a success. 

Despite the popularity of The Ladybug Game, there are no new game designs on the horizon for her, said Kylie, who plans to use proceeds from the game to fund her college education.

Personally, I’m jealous and impressed that a 10 year old game project turns out to bring benefits for someone around my age group. This shows some promise to our generation as we move onto an age of debt.

[RE] Personal Therapy

I did a response on Lina’s post titled as Personal Therapy. I agree to her quote:

It is so easy to feel overwhelmed at this age, and think the best solution to the hectic world around them is a night of stuffing your body with smoke, drugs, and alcohol.

Overwhelmed by school work, college applications, relationships, or perhaps family problems, anyone of ages 16 and up will most likely drawn to smoke, drugs, and alcohol.  For most adults, including my father, I personally think it’s due to our economic situations. Most of the men in my family are either drinking or smoking their problems away temporarily, both in the United States and in Vietnam to relieve stress. Although it is temporary, this meant they will be even more serious and depress when they are somber with work to support the family. 

As for us adolescents, we may either school, relationship or family problems to deal with. Some people refer to slitting their wrists or commit suicide, but others will resort to temporary relief in smoking, drugs, and alcohol. Once adapted to this addition to their lifestyle, depriving them of any will result to violence or even suicide. But other than to relief temporary depression, we are at the age of experimenting different things and this usually diverts you from your goal or even your lifestyle. Like kids, we like to try something new, even if the means of risking or damaging our lives. 

Even though we receive education on the dangers of smoking, drinking, or even using drugs, it’s really our decision whether we want to lead a life surrounding them or not.  We can’t blame anyone but ourselves when facing our current situation. You only live once; therefore it’s your decision whether you want to live a full life or not.

[ME] Morality in Going for the Look

Every clothing store always display trendy clothing, fit for certain genders or ages. The various styles are usually popular for a brief period of time; therefore companies constantly think of new trends. Cohen explains the increasing competitiveness in the retail world today, the need for effective advertising and representation by hiring an attractive “walking billboard”. Although I do agree with his idea, I would definitely disagree when it comes to morality. Not only does hiring good-looking people creates a slight distinction between them and the customers, but also faces gender, age, disability, and racial discrimination.

Our nation has always had certain racial issues; thus racial discrimination would most likely to appear when attempting to work at a company. Harassment such as degrading comments or gives raises to everyone except for a certain group and would most likely to make up such excuses. Even as job applicants who are “too ethnic” were diverted to a stockroom by the manager rather than the sales floor while anyone else who fits the standards are immediately hired, whether or not he or she had any experience. Whether direct or not, if there are signs of harassment such as when an employer calls an Asian worker out in front of the other employees, scolding him or her for a job the employer considers to be left undone, then it’s definitely the time to start a campaign against the company. If companies were to be critical towards all ethnic employees, this situation would end one big company full of one race and only for that race. There are other cases other than clothing stores have been exposed to racial discrimination. Hotel entrepreneur Ian Scharger settled a $1.08 million settlement when Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused hotel Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood after firing 9 employees, 8 were “too ethnic”. Whether they had the experience or rather skilled in a certain expertise is what really counts. Having some random attractive person as a clerk with absolutely no skills and would have a higher chance of delay or other troubles is what managers should have in concern. Having a diversity of different ethnic people not only encourages more customers but also the communication barrier would lessen around the employee and customer.

Age Discrimination is also referred to in job interviews or even continuing employees. In most jobs, companies would most likely lay off anyone who is considered too old and raw the highest salaries. Even when both job applicants have the same criteria, the younger applicant has the highest potential to keep the company image youthful and fresh. Although there are some complications when hiring old people, if they are still in good condition and have much more experience, they have the potential to help out any new employee and have a much more welcome greeting to the eyes of any essential old customer. Younger inexperience employees would take the time to adjust their job and are more prone to cause some issues when someone older can demonstrate their work correctly. It is most certain that an employer cannot use an employee’s age to make decisions about hiring, salary, promotion, or termination unless the employee is not fit to work. That would definitely involve the law in order to maintain public safety. If figured so, the most chance of age discrimination would most likely be in restaurants or cafes. There was a case which the Equal Employment Commission reached a $5000 settlement with 36th Street Food and Drink, a restaurant in St. Joseph, Mo. after accusing it of age discrimination against a 47 year old waitress name Michele Cornell. To have such a sudden image change after renovation does not give reason for firing her. If not fit as waitress, she could still work but in a different position. Marketing such age groups would only just encourage a certain “look” for companies to aim for.

Not everyone is suited for the “look”. Abercombie and Fitch’s “classic American” look is simply marketing “a white-bread, Northern European, thin, wealthy, fashion model look” according to Donna Harper. What if you fit in the criteria except for the wealthy? Would that mean you won’t be chosen? Might as well request models and charge extra money for just standing at some display case. This would just create that barrier between the stores and customers. Just because they fit the “look” doesn’t mean you will fit in the trendy look everyone else is aiming for. To force yourself to adjust in yourself by dying your hair blonde, buy expensive accessories and clothing, and even bleaching your own skin doesn’t mean you will actually fit in with that “blond, blue-eyed and preppy” look. Being yourself is what really matters and you can attract more people with your own look rather than the look that will be popular for a brief amount of time. This certain image would just damage the diversity we all naturally have. If we all have blond hair and blue eyes, will we fit in that “classic American” look? In fact, you can’t even define “classic American” as blonde hair and blue eyes. If I name the look, it’ll be “Hitler’s dream look” as his goal was to create a place whether anyone with that look will be superior to everyone else despite his contrast in looks. A true American isn’t even blonde hair and blue eyes; nor is it black hair and brown eyes or brown hair and green eyes. You can’t just define that “classic American” look and state that when it’s what your look matters the most.

Overall, companies with Cohen’s idea are inevitable, but the morality is controversial. The decision in aiming certain age groups by using “walking billboards” isn’t illegal nor is it unsuccessful. However the specific images companies aim for would just isolate the rest of society and no matter how much people fall for the advertisements, they will never achieve that true look. No matter what situation we are in, from jobs to the educational systems, the morality in any view is never proper.