// Annotated Citations//

1) Racine, Elizabeth F., Rita D. DeBate, Kelley P. Gabriel, and Robin R. High. “The Relationship Between Media Use and Psychological and Physical Assets Among Third- to Fifth-Grade Girls.” Journal of School Health 81.12 (2011): 749-55. Print.

This is a journal article that discusses an analytical sample of the affects of watching the media among third-to-fifth-grade girls. It discusses how the media affects both the psychocological and physical assets among these girls, revealing that media use is inversely related to self-esteem and commitment to physical activity. I plan to use this article in order to discuss the negative affects that media has on children and then tie this in with the idea that plastic surgery could be a place where these insecure girls may turn to.

2) Marcus, Mary B. “What Children Will Do to Look ‘normal’” USA Today 25 June 2009: 01a. Print.

This is a newspaper article that discusses the facts and statistics of the incline in cosmetic surgery among children 18 and under in age. The article mentions how children used to only get reconstructive but that now children are going under the knife in order to feel “normal.” These surgeries include everything from lipo to breast augmentation to “Asian eye” surgery to widen the eye. The article discusses the benefits and the down-sides of plastic surgery. Some people, including patients, mothers and pediatric surgeons believe the surgery to help the child overall with issues in self-esteem. Other research in the article questions how much surgery actually addresses the issue at hand: the child’s insecurity in their appearance. The article includes patient and guardian testimony, statistics, as well as the opinions of experts in the field. I plan to use this article to mention the incline in cosmetic surgery among children and to discuss the downfalls of children getting surgery at such a young age. I also plan to use the article to argue the opposing side.

3) Wegenstein, Bernadette, and Nora Ruck. “Physiognomy, Reality Television and the Cosmetic Gaze.” Body & Society 17.4 (2011): 27-54. Print.

 This article discusses the idea of people using a “cosmetic gaze” in the present as a mode of looking at bodies. The gaze is informed by expectations, techniques, and the strategies of bodily modification. It is a way of looking at bodies as awaiting improvement, like when we watch television and commercials to see new styles and fashions. It analyzes how different visual media have informed and shaped the gaze in specific ways. I plan to use this article to talk specifically about how the media is transforming people of the present and their views about body image in my paper. 

4) Markey, Charlotte, and Patrick Markey. “Correlates of Young Women’s Interest in Obtaining Cosmetic Surgery.” Sex Roles 61.3/4 (2009): 158-66. Print.

 This article talks about a study that was used to examine predictors of teenage girls’ interest in obtaining cosmetic surgery. It is filled with many facts and statistics that I plan to use in my research paper. It also includes charts and graphs that I plan to potentially include in my paper.The participants’ weight information, body dissatisfaction, analyzation of media messages, reports of teasing due to appearance, and interest in getting plastic surgery were assessed. The results indicated that all of the above predictors correlated with women and their interest in getting plastic surgery. I plan to use this article to correlate the media with the influence of people getting plastic surgery.

5)George, Leanne. “Presto Chango.” Maclean’s 117.17 (2004): 40. Print.

 This article talks about the media, including extreme-makeover shows, and their idea to normalize plastic surgery. It discusses how the makeover has embedded itself in TV shows that portray different hairstyles, fashions, etc. to become a part of the present-day fashion and style but that the body has become a whole new frontier in such shows. I plan to use this article in order to point out how increasingly normal it has become for people, including children, to want to get plastic surgery due to the media and its portrayal of getting plastic surgery being the new “it.”

// Research Proposal//

Topic: The topic I have chosen to research is the influence of the media on the decreasing age in which people are beginning to pursue plastic surgery. I have chosen this topic because I plan to pursue plastic surgery as my career of interest. I also heard a story about a five-year-old child who created a piggy bank in which she started to save up money for a breast augmentation when she got older. This story intrigued me and I wanted to do more research into the topic because both the story and plastic surgery are interesting topics to me.

Purpose: By researching, I plan to get to the bottom of such a proposal. I plan to research more about the media and its influence on children as well as the decrease in age in which people begin to pursue  receiving plastic surgery. I find this research important because it will help us to realize the influence of the media on children and the influence of plastic surgery as well.

Writer: As I have stated, the story about the five-year-old creating a savings bank for future breast implants caused my motivation into this topic primarily. I knew that I wanted to research into a topic related to plastic surgery because I find plastic surgery creative and interesting, and as I have previously stated, I plan to pursue it as my future career.

Audience: I plan to persuade the media and the parents who are allowing their children to view such media, to realize the effects the media is having on their children when considering beauty and that plastic surgery is necessary in order to become beautiful. I feel like the media knows they influence the children and that the parents know that the media is having influence on their children, but I don’t feel as though they know the extent to which it is occurring.

Working Claim: I feel as though the media is causing great influence on the children of modern society. I feel as though the media portrays that the only way to obtain beauty is by purchasing their products or receiving extreme modifications through plastic surgery. Which in my opinion, is wrong.

Three (preliminary) supporting arguments:

1.     The media has caused its spectators to view beauty as the result of the use of their products.

2.     The media constantly portray beauty through big boobs and a skinny waist.

3.     Plastic surgery does not really fix and address the interior problem.

Three (preliminary) counterarguments:

1.     Plastic surgery can be used as reconstructive surgery for burn victims or victims of various causes.

2.     Plastic surgery can be safer than the use of certain drugs used in order to obtain beauty.

3.     The media does not control what people do in order to pursue beauty, or at what age the being to do it.

Evidence: I will be looking for facts and statistics along with expert testimony.

Three possible research questions:

1.     Who does the media impact most?

2.     How does the media impact children?

3.     How has the idea of plastic surgery influenced people’s view on what is considered beauty?

// Critical Analysis Proposal//

For my critical analysis proposal I began by thinking about what I know. I realized that I know what I have learned and its obvious that you learn from previous classes you have taken. So I thought about interesting, previous classes that I have taken and thought about the material we covered in these classes. Then I thought about Greek and Roman Mythology, a class I took last semester for a arts and humanities credit. I remember finding many of the stories and material we covered in this class to be very interesting!

            With this I came up with the idea to use material that was based on the famous epic The Odyssey by Homer. I knew that there were several pieces of material based on certain aspects of this novel, including The Godfather but I decided that I would use the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? as the remixed work of art I am going to write my critical analysis proposal on.

            I have decided that I am going to compare and contrast the two works of art. With this I will present characters, themes and different parts of the works of art that were very similar in order to reference their similarities but also to make note of the differences that were still made between the two. With this in mind, I plan to explain why the director of O Brother, Where Art Thou? decided to change certain aspects of The Odyssey in the movie.

            There are many examples used in O Brother, Where Art Thou that are directly noted, including characters like the sirens. But some of the ideas I plan to use in my critical analysis will only be implied and not so obvious at first glance. They will include the “whys” and “hows” of the pieces of artwork. For example, why did Odysseus lie to those he knew about his identity. This goes hand in hand with why the main character in O Brother, Where Art Thou? lied to his wife and crewmates about where he was and about the treasure he planned to seek after escaping from prison.

            But before I get into all of the comparing and contrasting, I plan to very briefly summarize the two tales and provide my audience with a clear, consecutive vision of where I plan to go with my paper. After writing the paper I plan to end with a conclusion paragraph that summarizes briefly what I have just written about and to explain the importance of making remixed work.

// Questions/Comments on The O Mission Repo//

• We have been informed that the first “chiselled” writing was created in a manner that would enable the reader to elicit a sense that we are a part of a watershed moment, but what exactly was the writer attempting to say with these bold, scattered words? What information, whether moral or factual, are we supposed to take from this piece?
• I feel as though one concept that could be somewhat derived from this reading deals with an essence of the past and present and possibly a new way to deal with the future, but I am unsure of what the new way could be.
• I feel that the second reading dealt with the concept that we can better recognize, analyze, and gain insight on events after they have taken place. 
• I am unsure what the writer means when he states, “revealed in reference.” Does this statement have something to do with acknowledging certain aspects of life, whether experiencing them first hand or out of an exert, after referencing back to the point in which the aspect occurred?

// Beyonce’s Video of Who Run the World (Girls): Related Articles//

http://www.racialicious.com/2011/06/02/who-runs-the-world-on-beyonce-sampling-race-and-power/

http://www.africanews.com/site/Women_still_weep_for_power_resources_for_development/list_messages/40165

About the Article (1st one)

This articles raises the issue of how different cultures are references around the globe in terms of artists from the first world. It takes samples, including the reference to Hugo’s article on the “Hyena Men,”in order to to further elaborate on how Beyonce improperly references events going on around the world in which women are fighting for power, especially in the Middle East.

Our Argument

Whether intentional or not, Beyonce’s video “Who Runs the World,” and it’s references to controversial issues in the Middle East and third world countries as a whole were misrepresented in terms of how the first world views such issues.

Quotes For Argument

• “raises the issue of how peoples, artists, and cultures from the global south are referenced and represented by artists from the first world. “
• “While its possible to interpret these references as an act of solidarity with the protesters across North Africa and the Middle East, the contrast between the glamourized images of Beyoncé’s video and the violent struggles that those images reference seems disrespectful.”
• “Furthermore, that lack of sensitivity for the experiences of women protesters actually undermines the ostensibly feminist message of Beyoncé’s song.”
• “Its unclear in what context we are supposed to read these images, particularly given the recent events of the “Arab Spring,” where protesters across North Africa and the Middle East have been facing the real life dangers of batons, water cannons, and bullets. “

// Colorful Quotes from Avatar Reading//

“it’s a fantasy about race told from the point of view of white people.”

“white guilt fantasy.”

“Whites need to stop remaking the white guilt story, which is a sneaky way of turning every story about people of color into a story about being white.”

“scifi rehash of an old white guilt fantasy.”

“What do white people fantasize about when they fantasize about racial identity?”

“humans are the cause of alien oppression and distress.”

“race traitors.”

// Self Evaluation for 1/30//

Talk about your process writing this portion of the draft. What came easily for you?

I felt as though the introduction came fairly easily to me. I easily thought of a quote I once  heard and made that the “engager” of my introduction. I also felt as though the outline of the essay came fairly easily to me, although I could have spent more time creating it. I am fairly used to the idea of an introduction, body and conclusion being the outline of many papers I have written. After I finished the introduction of my essay I felt as though my writing started to go downhill.

What were the major struggles of this draft? Be specific.

I felt as though thinking of a good example that truly captured my main idea was a struggle and don’t feel as though I was strong in that area. I also struggled thinking of unique ideas and had a tendency to be very repetitive throughout my paper.  I am overall not a very strong writer so simply writing a paper was difficult enough for me! Also I have a tendency to procrastinate and get distracted, so that didn’t make writing this paper any easier!

Let’s talk about time management. How did you balance the researching and writing of this partial draft? In what ways could you improve?

I felt as though I could have spent a lot more time researching and planning out my paper. I spent much more time actually writing the paper than I did outlining it. I could definitely improve my paper by researching more and developing an outline and clear ideas. 

Now, a to-do list: write at least five (5) things you need to do before you hand in your summary portfolio to Chrissy on Monday, February 13th. Be specific. Do not write “finish the paper.”

1. I need to research and find better examples throughout the book that support my main idea.

2. I need to elaborate on these new examples and clearly state how they support my idea.

3. I need to think of an engaging title that makes my audience want to read my essay.

4. I need to read through my rough draft and fix any grammatical or vocabulary errors after I have added the new material.

5. I need to make sure that my essay has good transitions and a nice flow.

6. I need to make sure that the conclusion of my essay isn’t too repetitive and leaves the readers satisfied.

7. I need to have a peer tutor or fellow peer review over my essay once again to make sure that I didn’t skip over any necessary adjustments.

// The Ecstasy of Influence: Questions/Points//

1. How could it be made possible for society and its copyright determinees to determine the difference between inspired art, plagiarism, and remixing? Could society recognize these differences and if so, would they then be able to punish only those who violate plagiarism and recognize the artistic endeavors of us ameteurs without punishing our inspired art?

2. Jonathan Lethem mentions a term he nicknames usemonopoly. If life and its “intellectual property” were the basis of the game, who gets to determine the “monopolizing beneficiary” and the inmate? Would this decision solely rely on chance? Is this question of chance in monopoly a microcosm of chance in modern society today when dealing with copyright?

3. Society claims to be interested in the 3 R’s of saving mother Earth: reduce, recycle, and reuse. Yet when it comes to inspired art and remixing, they become frantic and consider them a form of plagiarism. What would it take to make these guilds realize that remixing is but another R that solely benefits Earth and its prospering culture?

// Don’t Cha Know?//

Being born and raised in Winona, Minnesota makes me a typical Minnesotan girl. I was born on the first of December of 1992 and have spent the majority of my life in boring, old-fashioned Winona with my cousin and best friend Jenny Schulz as well rest of our expanded family. Like most children, we would spend our time getting into trouble. But when not staring at the corner of a wall, we would ride my red jeep, enjoy some Rocket Power, or, like almost every American girl, play with Barbie’s. Sadly, no one can remain forever young and worry free. So with time, I aged and went to Winona Senior High School. Here, I became classified as a nerd due to my hard work and dedication to obtaining astounding grades, getting a B was out of the question. I did not solely dedicate myself to school, however, and enjoyed gymnastics, diving, working at Bub’s (a restaurant pronounced boobs but fortunately is nothing like Hooter’s), and being a member of the National Honors Society throughout my adolescent adventure.

Now I spend my days studying at the University of Minnesota and working at Sally’s Saloon and Eatery! My dream is to improve people’s insecurities through fake boobs and lip injections by becoming a plastic surgeon. Like many other college students, I have become addicted to coffee and spend my weeknights studying until the early morning. Here I have also been informed of my strong Minnesotan accent, “don’t cha know?” and continue to dedicate my time to achieving the best grades possible. As a nerd, it gets sad when your friends have to drag you to go out on your birthday when you would rather spend your time studying for a test two days later!