This Doesn't Make Sense by CSHARP MUSIC

This Doesn't Make Sense by CSHARP MUSIC

An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality--Journal Analysis

An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality

I have selected the journal article “An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality” by Eden Leone of Bowling Green University.   The title alone was very intriguing for me.  I consider myself to be a very feminine woman; one who is persistent with being comfortable and fabulous at the same time.

This article was and interesting quick read that specifies the subject was divided into seven distinct chapters (Leone).  The names are drawers (panties), corsets and girdles, brassiere (bras), black lingerie meaning, images and advertisements of lingerie, impact of intimate apparel manufacturers and impact of Christian Dior’s 2947 New Look. 

One chapter that has affected me the most is about drawers (panties).  Every woman can relate to drawers.  I remember as I was being chiseled in the woman that I am today, my mother and grandmother always instilled in me that I should always have on a clean pair of panties.  To go even further than that, I should always wear my newest and best “special occasion” panties when I got to see the doctor.  I am not sure why Nannie and ‘nem thought that I would go around with dirty underwear.  I am not sure why it was important for the doctor to know that I put on “special” underwear for him/her, but that is a tradition that I have passed down to my children.  Right or wrong, I’m not sure…it just is. 

Panties, as we now lovingly call them, have drastically evolved.  Some of us love them and wear them every day.  Some of us hate them and go commando.  Regardless of your preference we all are affected and aware of their mark in society.  Instead of us just having one option, we now have several styles to choose from.  First there are briefs, which come to the waist or shortly below; these come in classic, high cut, control and boyshorts.  Then there are bikinis and string bikinis, which are worn at the hip.  Then there are tangas—full rear coverage and reduced to a strip on the side, thongs—similar to tangas, but rear coverage is less and G-strings—a thong with no rear coverage.

Another implication from the chapters listed is the meaning of black lingerie.  While this article was not clear on what the meaning was, it suggested that white is a symbol of purity and black is a symbol of the impure—sensual, if you will.  The belief of the color difference has also evolved.  Black is now seen as sexy however, white is also seen as sexy along with many other colors and hues in between.  It depends on the make of the lingerie; it depends on the material; it depends on the build of the person wearing the lingerie to accentuate their figure.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  You might like a barely there teddy while someone else would like a rayon/cotton blend chemise that hugs in the right places just leaving the imagination of those looking on.

No matter how you put it, An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality, will capture your interest.  It gives you just enough information to grip you and guide you to the place that will encourage you to research the topic further.  To some degree in modern society, women equal sexuality; lingerie equal sexuality, therefore women equal sexuality.

  

References

Leone, E. (2009) An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality.  Journal of Popular Culture, Aug2009, Vol. 42 Issue 4, p792-794, 3p; DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00707_11.x.  Retrieved May 5, 2011, from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=123&sid=bc2c450e-a952-468d-adf1-b1aed63b859a%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=pbh&AN=43538758

Panties.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panties.  Retrieved May 5, 2011

Analysis--The Incredibles & Shrek

Formula Analysis

    Today we will be discussing the goals of film making.  It is believed that the filmmaker’s responsibility is to make good films—those that elevate our spirits and send us out of the theater singing or promotes on the values that are worth promoting (Petracca & Sorapure, p 531).  I would agree.  The only reason that I go to a film is because the name of the movie, characters in the movie or movie trailer grabs me and my attention.  It appeals to the character in me that brings out what is needed.  When I want to laugh, I go with the trailer of the movie that bests suits the type of comedy that I like.  If I’m feeling a little down and melancholy, I go to a good action movie, to help get my adrenaline pumping.  I’m sure the selection process is likely the same for many people.

  What makes a good movie?  The writer/director has a vision of what makes a good movie.  According to Common Culture, good movies challenge us, they provoke us, and they make us angry.  They present points of view we don’t agree with.  They force us to clarify our positions in opposition to them, and they do this best when they provide us with and experience and not a polemic (Petracca & Sorapure, p 531). 

What is a polemic you may ask?  A polemic is an aggressive attack on the opinions or principles of another (m-w.com).  It should not be the focus or agenda of the creative director/filmmaker to attack anyone’s morals or values.  However a movie shot with grace and tact will cause a person to question of their way is the right way or if there could possibly be more than one solution.

Let’s look at the movie The Incredibles.    The Incredibles is a movie about good versus evil.  It’s about the turmoil within a person.  It’s about facing opposition from outside forces.  It’s about feeling like an island among an ocean of islands.  The Incredibles is about facing your fears, though that can be many, and persevering through to greatness.  In this movie Bob Parr—Mr. Incredible was feeling like his best days were behind him.  He had saved the world many times, but yet he couldn’t be a hero to his own family.  He looked for validation, but couldn’t find it. While Mr. Incredible was trying to find himself and adjust to suburban life, there were others in his family that were going through the same process.  Helen Parr—Elastigirl, was going through the process of holding her family together and taking care of Jack Jack, the baby.  Violet, the daughter was going through the teenage process of finding herself.  Dash, the older son was going through the process of trying to find his place in the family.  It’s was difficult for the Parr family for adjust and succumb to the “normal” life when there was greatness locked inside of them.

Animated films are a way both my family and I can enjoy the same movie.  Cartoons are a way to get the moral across to the viewer subtly and couple it with action and comedy.  The Incredibles is a culmination of animation, action, adventure and comedy. The filmmaker carefully chose team members that could bring the script to life.  There is a tremendous amount of action in the film.  The action is coupled with adventure and comedy is sprinkled through the scenes.  During the entire movie, the underlying tone is understood that the Incredibles are trying to find themselves and how they fit into society.  The design team and animators worked together to create the visual image what was imaged by the writer/director, Brad Bird. 

You begin to understand that the enigma of good vs. evil is present is in The Incredibles as well as Shrek.  You can see the similarities of the movies even though the journeys of the main characters are different. 

In the movie Shrek, the main goal for Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers it to get his swamp back.  The swamp is connected to his identity.  Shrek is an ogre.  Ogres are ferociously feared creatures and are exiled and live alone.  Shrek’s identity is challenged when all the fairy tale creatures are exiled to the swamp where he lives.  The only way for Shrek to get his swamp back, according to Lord Farquaad, is to rescue the princess and bring her to him.

Shrek journeys to get his identity back.  Along the way he makes a friend, Donkey, voiced by Eddie Murphy, that becomes his trusted companion throughout the remainder of the series.  Through dangers, toils and snares, Shrek and Donkey, just like the Incredibles continue their journey and regain the confidence and identity.

The animation, action, adventure and comedy throughout the movies is enhanced with singing and dancing.  As you compare the two movies, it is clear that the goal is to have the people be entertained as we deliver a message of finding yourself and finding true friends.

With me enjoying both of these movies, it is difficult for me to find an avenue to alter the manner in which they were created.  I think the masters of the movies have done a wonderful job.  There both have some similarity, but enough of their own individuality to not say that one is copied from the other.  They have the same good vs. evil theme.  They both have a few main characters.  They both have the stereotypes that are broke and they both have action packed adventures to keep you engaged with the film.  I think it is genius to take a mold that works and enhance it with new scenarios, new ideas and new characters.  You see this happen many times in the movie industry not only with animations but with romance comedies, dramas and action films.  In my opinion, there is not much difference from the Rambo movie series and the Terminator movie series.  They only changed the scenery, they change the actors and they changed the time periods of the movies.  Yet again, it’s the same formula with a little tweaking.

In my opinion, both The Incredibles and Shrek were done so well, that generations to come will be able to see these movies, identify with these movies and celebrate the creativity and originality in both of them.

References

Petracca, M & Sorapure, M (2007). Common Culture. (p. 531) Upper Saddle River, NJ: 

 Pearson Education.

 

Polemic.  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polemic.  Retrieved May 1, 2011

Shrek.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126029/.  Retrieved May 1, 2011

The Incredibles.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/.  Retrieved May 1, 2011

Music 1945-1960 Assign 1-5

Music of  1945-1960

Music plays a very important piece of this portion of history as well as any other portion of history.  It is music that helps one to express themselves.  It  is music that helps to soothe the savage beast.  It is music the helps to be a platform for social and political messages.  It is music that that helps individuals escape from reality as well as deal with reality. 

In 1945, WWII was taking place.  With the assistance of Franklin D Roosevelt, who was president, this war was coming to an end.  This was taking place across the world.  We were even at work in America due to racial prejudice and injustice.

In the 1950s, there was the Cold War, in which the Soviet Union was at odds with the United Stated, there was the Korean War--war between North and South Korea for power and then there was Vietnam.  No one is really sure why Vietnam happened, but there were a lot of US casualties of war.

As the picture has been painted, there was a lot of things going on to depress people and cause uncertainty and misery.  As an antidote the buffer the heavy happenings of the world, music and the artist who made it, help to lift the spirit of the people and try to inspire hope or help them relate with their current situation.

Below are a few notable artists that helped to ease everyday living and musician that were born in that year to help future generations identify with themselves.

Nat King Cole

  Albums of 1945

*Nat King Cole—King Cole Trio  

*Bing Crosby—Merry Christmas

  Births of 1945

*Rod Steward—January 10th    

*Eric Clapton—March 30th

Fats Domino

 

  Albums of 1950

*Ella Fitzgerald—Ella Sings Gershwin 

*Fats Domino—The Fat Man

*

  Births of 1950

*Natalie Cole—February 6th

*Huey Lewis—July 5th

 

Miles Davis

  Albums of 1955

*Bill Haley & His Comets—Shake, Rattle and Roll

*Miles Davis—Blue Moods

*

  Births of 1955

*Eddie Van Halen—January 26th

*Reba McEntire—March 28th

  Albums of 1960

Ray Charles

*Elvis Presley—Elvis is Back! 

*Ray Charles—The Genius Hits the Road

*

  Births of 1960

*Bono—May 10th

*Amy Grant—November 25th

The Surpremes

  Albums of 1965

*The Rolling Stones—The Rolling Stones No. 2

*The Supremes—We Remember Sam Cooke

*

  Births of 1965

*DJ Jazzy Jeff—January 22nd

*Dr. Dre—February 18th

 

 

 

 

Now let's enjoy a few samples of the music of that era:

 

Nat King Cole--Mona Lisa

 

 

 

Miles Davis Quintet--My Funny Valentine

 

 Chubby Check--The Twist   

 

 

The Righteous Brothers--Unchanged Meoldy

 

 

 Something Upbeat:  James Brown--I Feel Good