Graham, 11/8

When I originally did the Jameson reading, I was not able to do a post on it, because I found it extremely difficult to understand. I understood that it had something to do what the media, but Tuesday’s class definitely cleared up any questions that I previously had. Jameson discusses the way that there is no longer a “shock” factor in our society, because as time passes, and we see thing over and over, we become used to them. There was a slide in the PowerPoint that really helped me in understanding this, and it was the one about rap stars that we all know in society. We saw that it is now normal for them to look tough, have tattoos, piercings, and talk about provocative issues in their albums. This did not used to be accepted by society, but the more that we see and hear them doing these things over and over, we no longer think of them as being a big deal. I related this to society in thinking that it did not used to be okay for women to be outspoken in society. Women used to have to stand behind their men, and keep quiet while doing so. My grandma has discussed with me that she believes it is crazy the way that women are so loud and overbearing, because this is not something that she is used to. I think that this relates a lot to the way that society changes the way that they feel about certain issues. It really makes me wonder what the world will be like in 30 or 30 years, because from what I hear, and by what Jameson says, ideologies, social norms, and even everyday interactions are changing daily. How far are we going to let this go? I believe that it has already gone too far, but this downward spiral of “provocative” actions is going to continue until society stops accepting them. The “shock factor” has been eliminated, but it needs to come back before our society turns into a huge disaster!