1. What is the song basically saying about how to live a good life? Paraphrase the main idea.
It's basically saying that the good life is to do what you want and get money and famous for doing that.
2. What lyrics particularly speak to that perspective? Use quotes as evidence.
"go ahead switch that style up and if they hate then let 'em hate and watch the money pile up"
"whether you broke or rich you gotta get the biz havin moneys the everything that having it is"
"i'ma get on this tv mama"
"they say the best things in life are free"
"i always had a passion for flashin before i had it i close my eyes and image, the good life"
3. How do the video images support, re-orient, or challenge the dominant theme of the lyrics? Analyze.
During the quote "the best things in life are free"
4. What else do you notice that's interesting? Look for internal contradictions, aspects of the message that resonate with other messages from the pop culture, points that connect to your own perspective, etc. Analyze squared.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
ESSAY
What do the people around you say about living meaningfully?
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality, and often relationships one has with others.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others. He also defines his life by relationships, for he is listing the relationship he has with his students to be the most meaningful.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality. It can also relate to relationships. “Loyalty” is probably referring to being honest and loyal to another person, therefore making her another person whose relationships with others affected her response to what is meaningful.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. He did not clearly define what he meant by future, whether it was important because it is inevitable or because we should work for a better future, or maybe simply because it seems everything we do is for the future.
Two people answered the question “what is meaningful in life?” by saying happiness. When asked to describe what it is that makes one happy, Michelle, a fellow student, said “friends, family, music, and just little things”. In her response, Michelle is saying overall that it is happiness that matters most, something you can consider an aspect of ones personality. However, she also lists what it is that makes her happy. In that, she lists relationships with others (family and friends). She also brought up “little things”. When she described what “little things” are, she said it was just the simple little things you notice during the day, like something cute that happens or a joke that no one else gets. This part of her answer cannot be categorized with the others, possibly making it one of the more unique and maybe even more meaningful responses.
Another person who answered the question by saying “happiness” was Alex, a friend of mine. When I asked him what it is that makes him happy, he simply said “having fun”. That response is relatively vague, for it can be about relationships (having fun with friends and family) or about actions (going out and playing sports).
Andrew, a college student in California, answered by saying “the relationships you have with friends and family and the search for new experiences in life”. After receiving so many answers that had to do with relationships with others, I asked him “Why do you think friends and family is so important?” He responded by saying “We’re genetically programmed to want close relationships with thos people. We’re social animals. I personally feel social bonds are important but it’s hard to say why, aside from a whole evolutionary basis”.
His initial response (friends, family, and the search for new experiences) involved relationships with others and action. The action being “the search for new experiences”. He, too, felt relationships were very important, and he gave a fairly logical and scientific explanation as to why that is. He thinks loving ones family is as simple as genetics. Theres no ifs, ands, or buts about it, its as simple as that’s how we are made.
Aidin, an SOF Alumni, listed “being happy, love, and family” as what is meaningful in life. Again, someone responded with “happiness”, a very vague answer. I asked him what it is that makes him happy. His response was, “I want to say competition, and it sounds weird but, like, it makes me happy to know that there’s someone that could do what I do, what I could do, if not better. So I know I’m not alone. And then there’s also family, and love life”.
I found it interesting that “competition” is something that makes him happy. It seems he enjoys knowing that he is striving for something, and that other people long to have what he may have, or vice versa.
I also noticed that he, too, listed family. I asked why is family important. He said, “because you have something to fall back on if you’re going through something. Family will always be there. That’s why I put love as second [to what makes me happy] because love comes and goes. And if you’re with someone, sure you could use them as something to look forward to when you go home, if you’re old enough and living together and all of that, but family is always going to be there”. Aidin didn’t leave the answer at simply “because that’s the way humans are”, as Andrew did. He explained why, emotionally, one may feel such a strong connection to family.
He had also mentioned love, so I asked him why that is important too. He said, “because with your loved one, you could share things that you wouldn’t share with your family. So it’s like two different settings, two different environments”. It seems that he categorizes both love and family as things that can be there for you, however love picks up where family lets off. A romantic relationship gives you what a family cannot, and vice versa. His overall response involved primarily relationships.
Seeing that most people have chosen to define the meaningfulness of their lives by the relationships they have with others, one must wonder what it is that a person gets out of such a relationship. It seems it is this sense of belonging one can feel. Wexler must feel the sense of belonging when he feels he’s making a difference in someone’s life. All the people who listed family or friends must feel they make a difference in how happy those family members and those friends are. It’s this feeling that we each somehow serve some kind of purpose, and it seems that the easiest and most common way to feel that is through friends and family.
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality, and often relationships one has with others.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others. He also defines his life by relationships, for he is listing the relationship he has with his students to be the most meaningful.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality. It can also relate to relationships. “Loyalty” is probably referring to being honest and loyal to another person, therefore making her another person whose relationships with others affected her response to what is meaningful.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. He did not clearly define what he meant by future, whether it was important because it is inevitable or because we should work for a better future, or maybe simply because it seems everything we do is for the future.
Two people answered the question “what is meaningful in life?” by saying happiness. When asked to describe what it is that makes one happy, Michelle, a fellow student, said “friends, family, music, and just little things”. In her response, Michelle is saying overall that it is happiness that matters most, something you can consider an aspect of ones personality. However, she also lists what it is that makes her happy. In that, she lists relationships with others (family and friends). She also brought up “little things”. When she described what “little things” are, she said it was just the simple little things you notice during the day, like something cute that happens or a joke that no one else gets. This part of her answer cannot be categorized with the others, possibly making it one of the more unique and maybe even more meaningful responses.
Another person who answered the question by saying “happiness” was Alex, a friend of mine. When I asked him what it is that makes him happy, he simply said “having fun”. That response is relatively vague, for it can be about relationships (having fun with friends and family) or about actions (going out and playing sports).
Andrew, a college student in California, answered by saying “the relationships you have with friends and family and the search for new experiences in life”. After receiving so many answers that had to do with relationships with others, I asked him “Why do you think friends and family is so important?” He responded by saying “We’re genetically programmed to want close relationships with thos people. We’re social animals. I personally feel social bonds are important but it’s hard to say why, aside from a whole evolutionary basis”.
His initial response (friends, family, and the search for new experiences) involved relationships with others and action. The action being “the search for new experiences”. He, too, felt relationships were very important, and he gave a fairly logical and scientific explanation as to why that is. He thinks loving ones family is as simple as genetics. Theres no ifs, ands, or buts about it, its as simple as that’s how we are made.
Aidin, an SOF Alumni, listed “being happy, love, and family” as what is meaningful in life. Again, someone responded with “happiness”, a very vague answer. I asked him what it is that makes him happy. His response was, “I want to say competition, and it sounds weird but, like, it makes me happy to know that there’s someone that could do what I do, what I could do, if not better. So I know I’m not alone. And then there’s also family, and love life”.
I found it interesting that “competition” is something that makes him happy. It seems he enjoys knowing that he is striving for something, and that other people long to have what he may have, or vice versa.
I also noticed that he, too, listed family. I asked why is family important. He said, “because you have something to fall back on if you’re going through something. Family will always be there. That’s why I put love as second [to what makes me happy] because love comes and goes. And if you’re with someone, sure you could use them as something to look forward to when you go home, if you’re old enough and living together and all of that, but family is always going to be there”. Aidin didn’t leave the answer at simply “because that’s the way humans are”, as Andrew did. He explained why, emotionally, one may feel such a strong connection to family.
He had also mentioned love, so I asked him why that is important too. He said, “because with your loved one, you could share things that you wouldn’t share with your family. So it’s like two different settings, two different environments”. It seems that he categorizes both love and family as things that can be there for you, however love picks up where family lets off. A romantic relationship gives you what a family cannot, and vice versa. His overall response involved primarily relationships.
Seeing that most people have chosen to define the meaningfulness of their lives by the relationships they have with others, one must wonder what it is that a person gets out of such a relationship. It seems it is this sense of belonging one can feel. Wexler must feel the sense of belonging when he feels he’s making a difference in someone’s life. All the people who listed family or friends must feel they make a difference in how happy those family members and those friends are. It’s this feeling that we each somehow serve some kind of purpose, and it seems that the easiest and most common way to feel that is through friends and family.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
stuff for essay
What do the people around you say about living meaningfully?
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality, aspects of ones daily life or even sometimes objects.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was a tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. He did not clearly define what he meant by future, whether it was important because it is inevitable or because we should work for a better future, or maybe simply because it seems everything we do is for the future.
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality, aspects of ones daily life or even sometimes objects.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was a tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. He did not clearly define what he meant by future, whether it was important because it is inevitable or because we should work for a better future, or maybe simply because it seems everything we do is for the future.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
stuff for short essay
What do the people around you say about living meaningfully?
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality or aspects of ones daily life.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was a tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. Something I found interesting, because isn't the future inevitable? Is it meaningful if it is destined to happen? Or, was he inferring that working for your future is what is meaningful? That what is meaningful in life is doing things today to make your future more meaningful?
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality or aspects of ones daily life.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was a tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. Something I found interesting, because isn't the future inevitable? Is it meaningful if it is destined to happen? Or, was he inferring that working for your future is what is meaningful? That what is meaningful in life is doing things today to make your future more meaningful?
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