DWA #3

         Wrestlers portray personality in "Never Trust a Snake" by Henry Jenkins. Wrestlers are different from the public stereotype. Wrestling can play with emotions. It is acceptable for men to go beyond social rules and show emotion in the ring. Wrestling also breaks the division between social classes by giving priority to strength rather than money. My favorite part of the reading was the part called "Perfect Bastards". It vividly depicted the character of the wrestlers. A wrestler does not have internal conflicts. "Always he is undivided, unperplexed by alternatives, untorn by divergent impulses; all of his strength or weakness faces in one direction" (Jenkins 303). Each wrestler decorates their exterior in order to show their pride and try to intimidate their opponents. The wrestlers exaggerate their emotions in order to enhance their appearance. The audience feeds off the wrestlers' energy. The people cheer and boo for each wrestler. The wrestlers seem unreal with their over the top attitudes and appearances. What I can't understand is how the wrestlers are able to tune out the outside world and focus only on the competition ahead of them. Their eyes are on the prize of taking that win home. The amount of dedication they put into their wresting is too great for me to even imagine. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading because it gave me some insight into the lives of the wrestling community. I am unfamiliar with this scene because I'm not the biggest fan when it comes to violence. I don't understand how some people can find such enjoyment in such a brutal sport. I can, however, identify with the sincere emotion but into something one loves. Dedication is the ultimate characteristic. These wrestlers are great examples of dedication.

DWA #2

      Men and women present themselves in different ways. In "Ways of Seeing," Jon Berger vividly describes the roles of men and women in society. Men have a physical presence and seem to show what they have to offer through their exterior. Women, however, tend to watch themselves. They are conscious of their appearance to themselves and others. Berger mentioned that a woman is both the "surveyor" and the "surveyed". Women constantly survey themselves and critique their every flaw. They are also aware of the people that watch them. Women judge others just as much as they judge themselves. This is a very intriguing topic and it is very relevant today. The media always shows women as objects and men as the dominant figures. Women are critiqued on their every move as the men just sit back and observe. It's obvious why women are so self conscious. The appearance of a woman is a preview of what she has to offer.
     Berger also talks about the topic of nakedness versus nudity. He says "to be naked is to be oneself" and "to be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself". Nakedness reveals the true identity of the person. Nudity is a display for others and not showing the true identity of oneself. This concept is confusing to me. I used to think that nakedness and nudity were the same thing. After reading this, however, it gave me a different perspective on these words. Being naked is putting one's true self out there. Being nude is showing one's physical appearance but not really showing the person inside. Nothing can be hidden when naked.
     I liked this reading a lot. It gave an interesting perspective of different topics and really made me think. In the words of Berger, "men act and women appear". Even though stress is put upon females for their appearance, it is up to the man to show what he has to offer as well.

DWA #1

        American culture is very unique. It shows a sense of unity as people of different backgrounds come together under one flag. American culture defines freedom. Celebrating our pride as Americans is my idea of American culture. Celebrating our country allows our country to come together and become one. This sense of American pride unifies our country and helps us to identify with our fellow Americans.

        The image above symbolizes American culture. The different facial features and skin colors allow the audience to see the different ethnic backgrounds of Americans worldwide. Even though they are all different, they all share the same pride for their country. They decide to put aside their differences and celebrate as a country. The smiles of the people show their enthusiasm for the U.S. The audience sees the confidence of the people through each individual smile. The waving of the flags suggests that the people are celebrating their dignity and admiration for America. Seeing the different ages of the people allows the audience to see the universal pride of the multiple generations. American pride is shared throughout multiple age groups. The thousands of people show how big the United States is. It shows how thousands of people can come together to celebrate their country. American culture is seen through the pride and diversity of the American people.