Banner Midterm Blog

Prof. Pearson recently showed the Banner class an old film about the profession of journalism. It was filmed in the classic black and white, had the iconic shaky-camera problem prevalent in early films, and the picture was fuzzy. The male narrator's voice exuded the strength of the the 1930's, but the sound was muffled, as if someone had forgotten the microphone in the closet when they were recording. At one point in this film, that narrator addressed women in the workplace, saying that women typically "find it difficult to compete with men in general reporting jobs. So girls who want to be successful in journalism should prepare for work in the special women's department*." This department included society events, health, beauty, homemaking, cooking, gardening, and other "feminine" topics. I don't condone the video for discriminating against women (the video speaks of the time it was made in, not now), and I even want to praise the makers of the film, undoubtedly men, for admitting that women are far better at these tasks than men will ever be. Erick S. Gray** once said, "Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of sh**!"Now, I know this quote isn't entirely CBU appropriate, but I believe it whole-heartedly. Not to mention it's one of my favorite quotes of all time. As easy as it would be to continue rambling about how much greater women are [;-)], it would be more advantageous to talk about the actual midterm assignment; however, I couldn't do it without my introduction. I am the girl that the narrator was referencing; I love health and beauty. I love makeup, skin care, hair styles, hair care, lotions and tonics and nails and product. I love organic, natural, grass-fed, free-range, vine-ripened, pesticide-free, and stuff that people think taste like grass. I love sharing beauty tips, I love sharing health tips, and I love being innovative when it comes to home decor. But I am so much more than a shallow, blonde, SoCal airhead, the stereotypical prognosis of the fashion industry. I love controversy and sharing my opinion on tough topics, such as the mosque controversy in New York, the health care bill, Christianity in the world today, end time prophesy and its fulfillment, and Jesus. I tend to be a stubborn little spitfire when I enter into these kinds of debates--and if I work hard enough at it, I can write about it, always backing myself up with reliable sources and of course, the Bible. In fact, when I'm "lit up" about something--truly, deeply moved into a passionate state of mind--my writing+research morphs into a (freakishly not-me) force to be reckoned with. The only problem is that my opinions aren't the acceptable mainstream ones, so I meet a lot of resistance; some reasonable, and some so far off the deep end I'm not even tempted to throw a life ring after them. Some of the topics I enjoy most are so controversial, it could get me in trouble if I wrote about them. So, here I am, your temporary health & beauty connoisseur extraordinaire, at your service. Someday, however, I hope you see my name in the byline of controversial articles that make your head spin, your brain think, and your heart move.




* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rvBgaxUXrc
** http://www.urban-reviews.com/insideout-ericksgray.html