Age?
20
Sex?
Female
What is your degree subject (both if joint)?
Creative Writing and English Literature
Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking?
Yes
If so, how? And if not, why not?
It provides a good insight into various taboo topics that provide good starting points in writing a story. The weblog proved useful as well as it required us to get into the habit of writing and to think critically, which is good for journalism and writing essays. I think the creative writing assignment related well to my creative writing modules. I think the creative writing tutorials proved useful as it helped us with queries that we had, for example dialogue, word count ect.
Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?
I think the module was at an appropriate level; however I feel the word count on the assignments could have been longer as it was hard to include many of my ideas into one piece. I also think the requirement of the blogs being done on different dates would have made it difficult for some to carry out the weblogs.
Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?
The lists were appropriate. It was interesting to hear other people’s views on these subjects.
Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?
Yes, I was surprised that suicide and euthanasia weren’t included in the list as they are equally debateable as the other subjects. However, these might prove very sensitive subjects for some. I think bad music would have been interesting to debate as some genres are quite controversial (rap music) and some have bad reputations (rock’n’roll and punk rock).
Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?
Yes
What did you think of the module team?
The team were very good. I think some of them made the lectures fun and enjoyable, especially the guy who did the Body Modification lecture, the other one who did stealing and stalking and also Jerry Carlin who did the drugs lecture. I also thought that the visual aids they used such as pictures and clips made the lectures interesting.
Do you think it would have been better to have had more:
Small group discussions?
No, it didn't have the same impact as discussions made as a whole class.
Discussion and debate among the class as a whole?
Yes because interesting views and ideas were drawn from this.
Information and talk from lecturers?
No as there was enough of this given in lectures
The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?
Yes because it required us to interact with one another and express our views and ideas. It was interesting to gain the opinions of others because it helped me to develop my own understandings of the topics discussed
Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea?
Yes, because they add variety to the other modules being done and enhances our critical thinking
Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module?
Yes, it had developed my understandings of the topics covered.
Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?
No, because I feel this module is enough
Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2?
No because I'm taking a module that relates better to my dicipline area
Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend?
Yes, it would be interesting to see how their opinions change on the topics covered.
Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea?
Yes, because the reaserch also develops our understandings on the subjects. Plus, it was a fun way to note down our ideas and get everyone's opinion.
What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)?
Yes, it would have been better if there were longer assignments beacuse the word restrictions meant that I couldn't get all of my ideas down.
What have you learned from the module?
That everything is fine as long as its the individual's choice and it doesn't hurt anyone else. Thats the conclusion I've drawn from most of the topics covered. I've also learned to think deeper into the subjects and instead of judging the person as bad for doing the deed, understand what drove them to it.
What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?
I thought most of the topics were interesting, esp Cheating, stealing, stalking, tattoos.
What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?
I didn't enjoy the bandit lecture because it didn't explain why it was done. I also didn't understand how old folk tales fitted into the theme of being bad because its not a real life issue.
Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’?
Yes, I don't think the blogs should be done of different dates.
Wednesday 7 May 2008
Tuesday 6 May 2008
Is Ignorance Bliss???
I was thinking back to one of my lectures on stalking. The lecturer bought up a valid point: “if the person doesn’t know they are being stalked, is the act of stalking still considered as bad? I think this relates not only to stalking but other areas of being bad. For example, if the person doesn’t know they are being bitched about or a person doesn’t suspect that their partner is cheating on them.
I guess one could say that the bad deed is acceptable if the person isn’t aware of it happening because no harm is done to that person. Their sense of security isn’t affected and yes I can see how this is a valid point. However, whether the person knows that the bad thing is happening to them or not doesn’t excuse the fact that the act is down-right wrong. For example, stalking is wrong because it’s an invasion of someone’s privacy. That person didn’t ask to be stalked and most likely does NOT want to be stalked. Besides, there is also that enormous risk that the stalked person will find out about the stalker. The physical and mental damage will then happen to that person and because of the stalker; the unwanted nightmare will be an inherent part of that person’s life.
The same goes for cheating. I think I wrote about this in an earlier blog entitled “Infidelity in About Adam”, which discusses the goings on behind the protagonist’s back and how she never finds out. At the end of the film, she marries the cheater and lives happily ever after. But imagine being married to someone and then few years down the line, you found out that they slept with someone or a few people while seeing you. I can imagine how painful it would be to have that trust violated.
I guess one could say that the bad deed is acceptable if the person isn’t aware of it happening because no harm is done to that person. Their sense of security isn’t affected and yes I can see how this is a valid point. However, whether the person knows that the bad thing is happening to them or not doesn’t excuse the fact that the act is down-right wrong. For example, stalking is wrong because it’s an invasion of someone’s privacy. That person didn’t ask to be stalked and most likely does NOT want to be stalked. Besides, there is also that enormous risk that the stalked person will find out about the stalker. The physical and mental damage will then happen to that person and because of the stalker; the unwanted nightmare will be an inherent part of that person’s life.
The same goes for cheating. I think I wrote about this in an earlier blog entitled “Infidelity in About Adam”, which discusses the goings on behind the protagonist’s back and how she never finds out. At the end of the film, she marries the cheater and lives happily ever after. But imagine being married to someone and then few years down the line, you found out that they slept with someone or a few people while seeing you. I can imagine how painful it would be to have that trust violated.
Link
Sunday 4 May 2008
A Body to Die For
I found Rachel’s blog (check first link) on sites that encourage eating disorders shocking. Since I had a similar problem in my teens, I found the revelation of these sites quite disgusting. But, before I'd put down my thoughts, I decided to do some reseach on the net by looking at other articles and visiting the actual sites. Speaking of the latter, I was very disturbed at the idea of an anorexic building up a site for people like herself.Its hard to judge whether these sites are bad because the intent is not malignant. I understand that life can be very isolating when surrounded by family and friends who don't know what they are going through and harshly judge them as "ill". So its not surprising that they turn to the net to find people they can relate to and build friendships from there. I'm not saying that this justifies what they do. If anything, what I find unsettling is that the sufferers are living in a cyber pretense. They want people to tell them that what they are doing is Okay when deep down they know its not. They want the easy option of carrying on with what they are doing instead of the gruelling process of recovery, as its not easy to switch from the idea of "annorexy" to "curvalious". Also, these sites aren't forcing or encouraging those who aren't anorexic to do the same. If you look on the Thinspiration website, it clearly states: "i would not encourage anybody to attempt to find ana" (ana is what the suffer has called her condition). I won't include the link here because its a sensitive issue.
Yet, it doesn't make these sites right as they encourage each other to to gradually kill themselves. Its also bad because it affects the friends and families of the sufferers. I don't have kids, but I can imagine the intense pain of losing a child at such a young age. I do think that sites like these should be shut down as they do no good for the sufferers. But what I find mindboggling is that if the person who set up the Thinspiration knows what she has is a nightmare, why is she encouraging people like her to carry on as opposed to encouraging them to get help?
One person argued in the comment section (see second link) that shutting these sites down is ridiculous. They say it's the responsiblity of the person viewing these sites and as for youngsters, the parents will be at fault, not the site itself. I strongly disagree. Most teenagers keep their disorder a secret from their parents. Who the hell is going to say, "Mum, I'm going to starve myself!". Young girls will hide food in their bedroom and make excuses so that their parents won't suspect. If these sites were shut down, sufferers won't have a haven where people tell them that they are not ill and thus will need to go to recovery.
Most won’t find this quest for thiness surprising, since we live in a society where rail thin models and celebrities are plastered everywhere from the pages of magazines to billboards. However, I think it’s short sighted to put ALL the blame onto the fashion industry and celebrity culture. Celebrities are bullied into looking like that due to magazines such as Heat that harshly criticise those who have piled on the pounds. Fashion magazines do glamorize skinny models; however you won’t find a caption or line that takes the Mick out of someone’s weight or encourage women to be rail thin. I read magazines such as Elle and Marie Claire and I’ve no intention to lose weight.
However, do women choose to be insecure by buying these bitchy magazines? I personally think so. I find it uncomprehendable why someone would want to buy a magazine that makes a mockery out of women their own size and shape. Despite the high sales of these magazines and insecure women’s strange obsession with this, it still doesn’t make this sort of journalism acceptable. If anything, it only encourages women’s obsession with weight and body shape, which in turn leads to problems such as anxiety and even worse, eating disorders.
However, do women choose to be insecure by buying these bitchy magazines? I personally think so. I find it uncomprehendable why someone would want to buy a magazine that makes a mockery out of women their own size and shape. Despite the high sales of these magazines and insecure women’s strange obsession with this, it still doesn’t make this sort of journalism acceptable. If anything, it only encourages women’s obsession with weight and body shape, which in turn leads to problems such as anxiety and even worse, eating disorders.
On one of the comments (see third link), someone mentioned that unless curvacious models and celebrities are celebrated, bullemia and anorexia will always be around. Personally, I disagree. I don't think promoting the bodies of Kelly Brooke and Beyonce is going to help as that will also require dieting and excersise to get that in-proportion shape, which is where the obession starts. When a pound is lost, the dieter will fell the need to lose another to the point where they are out of control. Instead of projecting one idead of beauty, the media should promote a wide specrum of lovelies both big and small. That way, no-one will feel inadequate and feel the need to change. But I doubt that will ever happen, as magazines and the beauty industry make their money out of making people feel bad and providing solutions, such as the latest diet that'll make you lose weight quicker.
Link
Are Socialising sites bad??
I thought Danni’s blog (see first link below) on ‘MySpace behaviour’ was interesting. It seems people have different opinions on this. For example, last week I went out with a mate of mine in the London and I told him about a someone I had linked up with via the internet. His face dropped in shock as he said “Hang on, you met up with a random guy on the net??” To be fair, he had good reasons to be shocked. The internet can be a dangerous place to meet people. I remember watching Panorama back in January. This particular episode was about paedophiles using sites such as MySpace to come into contact with teenagers. One girl on the show accepted a request from a 25 year old woman on MySpace and had made conversations with her via messaging. This was Okay for no person details were exchanged. However, this girl and a friend had a conversation about a field trip they were going to and stated exactly where they were going via commenting (messages on one’s profile which the entire world can see!!!). When they went on the trip, a creepy older man approached the girl and it transpired that he was the 25 year old woman she had added. Luckily, she wasn’t attacked by the man, but the fact that she had not only been deceived, but also stalked can't go unnoticed. Not to mention, there was also that enormous risk that she could have been attacked.
I don’t mean to be harsh, but situations like these are the responsibility of the individual. The girl shouldn’t have posted personal information via commenting and if she did receive any of that information on her comments, she should have deleted them straight away. If she wanted to discuss the field trip with her friend, she should have done so via messaging (conversations that no one else can see).
Just because there are risks involved in socialising sites, does not mean that it is necessarily bad. Although you do need to take precautions when meeting someone from the net, for example, agreeing to meet in a public place, taking a trusted friend with you, keeping your mobile with you and so on. Also, person information such as address and where you hang out shouldn’t be shared on your profile. It’s ever so annoying when I hear stories such as the one I’ve described. Its literally common sense to keep information like that secret!
I know that the least you should be is fourteen to use MySpace. One might think that this should rise to eighteen because that way, paedophiles won’t bother with preying for potential victims. However, some teenagers might pretend to be eighteen, as social network sites are seen as cool. Yet, it can be argued that since the paedophile has no solid proof that they are not eighteen, then there shouldn’t be a problem. However, what if the teenager’s default shows otherwise? What if the paedophile becomes infatuated by the eighteen year old who looks about twelve? But then, there are people who are eighteen who look underage (I’m twenty and some people think I’m a school girl). I don’t think any more restrictions (anyone under 18 on MySpace has their profile set to private automatically) are going to help. I think teenagers and young people should be taught about the dangers of socialising sites and the precautions they must take if they decide to meet anybody.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace(see the child safety section)
Friday 2 May 2008
Raunchy Pop Videos
I thought this was an interesting subject to discuss in this module. Videos such as ‘Boot are made for Walking’ by Jessica Simpson and ‘Dirty’ by Christina Aguilera spring to mind when thinking of this subject. Some might call this an artist’s evolution into a more mature image. And some might even call this completely disgusting, especially for its young target group.
I think videos like these are bad because they are targeted at young children, especially girls. It is a known fact that young girls love to copy their pop idols. I remember when I was at primary school and I wore platforms because the Spice Girls wore them (yes, nothing to be proud of, I know). There has been a huge change in music from the days when Steps wore matching clean-cut outfits to now where the Sugarbabes dance around in their underwear.
But surly these raunchy videos will only encourage children to dress and behave in a manner that completely inappropriate? Once, a college tutor of mine told me about one Christmas when she was helping out at the Clothes Show. There were two young girls there who looked to be about seven or eight with their mums in the queue for the Santa’s Grotto. The girls were dressed in mini dresses. This is disturbing in itself. But what was more disturbing was when Christina Aguilera’s ‘Dirty’ started playing in the background and these girls suddenly started dancing to it, rolling their hips in a sexual kind of the way. What was more shocking was that the girls’ parents started cheering, “Oh aren’t they great!” According to my tutor, the other parents looked shocked and mortified. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised.
I can understand some people's hostile reactions to this. In a society where paedophiles are on the loose, we shouldn’t be encouraging children to parade around in mini-skirts and tight tops so that they become easy targets for these predators. This is a fair arguement, however we forget that children do not have jobs and thus do not earn money. They also do not wonder around Topshop or HnM alone with their friends. So where do they get the money from?? And who exactly takes them shopping?? The Parents.
I think videos like these are bad because they are targeted at young children, especially girls. It is a known fact that young girls love to copy their pop idols. I remember when I was at primary school and I wore platforms because the Spice Girls wore them (yes, nothing to be proud of, I know). There has been a huge change in music from the days when Steps wore matching clean-cut outfits to now where the Sugarbabes dance around in their underwear.
But surly these raunchy videos will only encourage children to dress and behave in a manner that completely inappropriate? Once, a college tutor of mine told me about one Christmas when she was helping out at the Clothes Show. There were two young girls there who looked to be about seven or eight with their mums in the queue for the Santa’s Grotto. The girls were dressed in mini dresses. This is disturbing in itself. But what was more disturbing was when Christina Aguilera’s ‘Dirty’ started playing in the background and these girls suddenly started dancing to it, rolling their hips in a sexual kind of the way. What was more shocking was that the girls’ parents started cheering, “Oh aren’t they great!” According to my tutor, the other parents looked shocked and mortified. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised.
I can understand some people's hostile reactions to this. In a society where paedophiles are on the loose, we shouldn’t be encouraging children to parade around in mini-skirts and tight tops so that they become easy targets for these predators. This is a fair arguement, however we forget that children do not have jobs and thus do not earn money. They also do not wonder around Topshop or HnM alone with their friends. So where do they get the money from?? And who exactly takes them shopping?? The Parents.
I feel that what the child wears is entirely the responsibilty if the parent who buys that item. If a parent felt that the item was inappropraite, they would keep the cash in their pockets and drag their child out of the store.
I do feel that what a Pop Idol wears does heavily influence what a child would see as hip. Its the same reason why a grown mature woman would buy a Topshop immitation of Gucci handbag worn by Kate Moss. Its all about attaining a degree of beauty, wealth, glamour and most importantly, acceptance. Children want to be cool to be accepted by others. The only role models for that are pop stars. Nothing is going to change that. Ideally, it would be better if there was a time machine that went back to the 90s where Pop Stars were cutely dressed and children copied their cute clothes. But theres no point in complaining about that, we all know that things change as time goes on.
Link: what the target audience think
Thursday 1 May 2008
Liar Liar, Pants on fire!
I think everyone has lied in some form or another, be it a small lie or an enormous one. But I feel there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed when telling lies.
White lies are acceptable if you’re one of these people who are too kind to be brutally honest. Personally, if someone didn’t look their best and asked me what I thought, I’d be honest with them and give them constructive criticism. For example, “Yeah, I think you’re hair would look better if it was this way and so on”. This is because I think it’s cruel to let someone go out to be sniggered at and taken the mick out of by others. This way, I’m doing them a favour.
I’ll be honest; I’m not the most honest person on the planet (see the irony!).I do lie about little things. For example, when I go out and some guy I don’t fancy comes up to me and takes me for my number, I always make up something about having a boyfriend or being a traditional Hindu (meaning that I can’t date someone outside my caste). At the end of the day, I don’t know how secure the guy is and I’m not cruel enough to say that I wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole.
But I think lying in a relationship is very bad and something I would never do. For example, telling your partner that you’ll be working late when you’re really off to see your mistress. That’s abusing you’re partner’s trust in you and this often leads to them getting very hurt. I think lies that lead to someone getting hurt are unacceptable, whereas those that don’t aren’t. But then, some situations are very difficult to judge whether the lie is being told is good or bad.
White lies are acceptable if you’re one of these people who are too kind to be brutally honest. Personally, if someone didn’t look their best and asked me what I thought, I’d be honest with them and give them constructive criticism. For example, “Yeah, I think you’re hair would look better if it was this way and so on”. This is because I think it’s cruel to let someone go out to be sniggered at and taken the mick out of by others. This way, I’m doing them a favour.
I’ll be honest; I’m not the most honest person on the planet (see the irony!).I do lie about little things. For example, when I go out and some guy I don’t fancy comes up to me and takes me for my number, I always make up something about having a boyfriend or being a traditional Hindu (meaning that I can’t date someone outside my caste). At the end of the day, I don’t know how secure the guy is and I’m not cruel enough to say that I wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole.
But I think lying in a relationship is very bad and something I would never do. For example, telling your partner that you’ll be working late when you’re really off to see your mistress. That’s abusing you’re partner’s trust in you and this often leads to them getting very hurt. I think lies that lead to someone getting hurt are unacceptable, whereas those that don’t aren’t. But then, some situations are very difficult to judge whether the lie is being told is good or bad.
I know someone who is Asian and is in a relationship with his White girlfriend. They have a daughter together. However, his mum doesn’t know about her. Now, many might automatically assume that this is out of order and is probably one of the worst lies anyone can tell. Especially to their own mother. The latter can be argued because it depends how close that person is to their mother. I know this friend isn’t close to their mum. He has described her as domineering and she has shown a lot of disgust towards him and his girlfriend because she doesn’t believe in multicultural relationships. I personally think the mum is in the wrong because she should accept that her son would be much happier with his girlfriend, instead of some random Asian girl. At the end of the day, being a good parent is about putting the child’s happiness first, not your own. Now, I’m not justifying my friend’s lie because it will lead to the daughter getting hurt if she found out that she was being kept a secret, which would lower her esteem. But I think it is the fear of how his mother would react to the news if he was to tell her that prevents him from being honest. I do think he should come clean, for the daughter's sake.
Link
Wednesday 30 April 2008
Views on being too religious
I think religion is a great way of leading a good moral life. However, I would never force my religion upon someone else. If they wanted to join a religion or were thinking about it, they would have asked about my religion themselves or did their own research. It annoys me when Jahova’s Witnesses come knocking on my door and pester me to join their faith. I believe everyone has the right to make up their own minds and follow a religion that they strongly believe in. If they don’t believe in that religion, then what is the point in them being faithful members of that faith? It also annoys me when certain faiths believe their religion is the right one to follow, as opposed to others. To be honest, I find this quite insulting to my own religion. If I choose to follow my faith, then I should be allowed to do so, and not be accused of being a sinner because I’m not following the faith that the person expects me to. It’s not like I’m worshipping the devil. Yes, I believe in God, but I just happen to believe in certain ideas of my own religion. I won’t follow a religion I don’t believe in because I won’t agree their ideas. I won’t be specific about this because I don’t want to offend anybody.
I also believe that a religion shouldn’t take over one’s life. One can follow their faith and also be free and be themselves. For example, I prey to God once everyday, but I still enjoy my life by going out and having fun, as long as I don’t harm anyone.
I also believe that a religion shouldn’t take over one’s life. One can follow their faith and also be free and be themselves. For example, I prey to God once everyday, but I still enjoy my life by going out and having fun, as long as I don’t harm anyone.
Link
http://atheism.about.com/od/jehovahswitnesses/a/SocietyControl.htm
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