project reflection/ action plan

Reflection: I've explored the ideology of masculinity in today's society. I've used a diverse amount of mediums to portray my major findings in a powerpoint. My major findings include, the misconceptions about masculinity that are portrayed in the media. The thoughts and opinions of 6 different people of different generations on the meaning of masculinity and what a masculine man should be. I have explored how masculinity is portrayed in films, literature, music and art in today's culture. I then gave some insight into the true meaning of the word masculinity through the eyes of everyday men, in order to counteract the way it's portrayed in the media. 

Action: Revise powerpoint presentation to be less wordy and more visual to captivate the attention of the viewers rather then just shoving information down their throats. Find ways to summarize findings in less words that are easy to understand. Figure out when and where i'm going to volunteer. 

Vougler 293-313

summary: Vougler begins by saying that the Hero's journey model not only describes a pattern in myths and fairy tales, but it's also an accurate map of the territory one must travel to become a writer. The hero's journey and the writers journey are in mind indistinguishable. They both follow the same basic patterns and sequences and writing is an often perilous journey inward to probe the depths one's soul and bring back the elixer of experience, a good story. He then describes storys as being somewhat mythical and magical, stating that they have the power to heal us or hurt us. He then draws a comparisson between writers and shawmans saying both are prepared for their work by enduring terrible ordeals. The writer and the shaman both share a godlike power, and travel to other worlds and create worlds out of space and time. He decribes writers as having a magical power to bottle up worlds and bring them back in the form of stories to share with others. 

     The next major idea Vougler conveys is the idea that stories are alive, conscious, and respond to human emotion. They are alive because they seem to be consious and purposeful. Like living beings they have an agenda, something on their minds. They want something form you. They want to wake you up, to make you more conscious and alive. Most of all they want to teach you a lesson disguised as entertainment. They have healing power and can help us deal with different emotions. They have survival value by allowing humans to think metaphorically and pass down the accumulation of wisdom. Good stories show atleast two journeys an outer and an inner. 

    Vougler then recounts the story of rumplestilskin to illustrate his point that wishes are a powerful element of stories. He stresses that the expression of a wish even a frivolous one, near the beginning of a story is important because it calls the story and adventure into being. This wish can be used to teach the audience a lesson because often the hero wishes for something that she or he desperately wants at that moment, but the story teaches the hero to look beyond it to what they really need. The aim of good story telling is to get the audience to make the wish along with the hero. " Good story tellers invite the audiences to invest themselves in the fate of the characters by making them likeable or giving them universal drives, desires, and human weaknesses. Ideally what happens to the hero is happening on some emotional level of connection to the audience. Then it's the storytellers job to grant these wishes. Once in a while however thwarting the audiences' desires is effective. to challenge the assumptions of the watchers.  He then explains the importance of being careful what you wish for. The importance of will is another factor. Wishing can only take you so far, you need the will to attain your wishes. A strong will can be transformed into actions. 

reaction: 

     The section of the reading that I liked the best was the last part about wishes and will. Vougler says how wishes have to be turned into action. Dreams must be made real. I especially like how he states that, "wishing is the yearning of a seed to grow into something great." This made me think about how all major accomplishments and profound changes in history started out as a wish. Another word for a wish is a dream. This made be immediately make a connection to Martin Luther King and his, " I have a dream" speech. Wishes and dreams may seem small and insignificant when they first arise, but if they are shared and acted upon they can turn into something great. Martin Luther King changed the world by sharing his dream with others. I think that any one person with a big dream and enough will has the power to move mountains. This has been proven throughout history.

Q's :

 Where do we see this idea of , " be careful what you wish for," play out in our society today?

Vougler states that, "wishes can evaporate at the first set back, but the will endures". Can you think of a time where this has been true in your own life? 

Vougler also states, " Challenging and stressful situations are repeatedly introduced so that the developing person becomes more resilient, accustomed to conflict and opposition and determined to overcome any obstacle. " Do you think strength of character and an overcoming personality can be developed without trials and tribulations? Are the trials always a necessity of growth?

Vougler pg 231-290

Summary: 

       Vougler spends the last few chapters looking at how the inner workings of the hero's journey can be seen in various films of today. These films he examines are the Titanic , The lion king, Pulp fiction, the full monty, and stat wars. He stresses that the hero's journey is simply a guideline. It can't be applied rigidly to ever story. The ultimate measure of a storys success of excellence is not it's compliance with established patterns like the hero's journey, but rather it's lasting popularity and effect on the audience. Any element in the hero's journey can appear at any point in a story. It's possible to write good stories that don't exhibit every gesture of the hero's journey and it's better if they don't. The needs of a story dictate its structure and the beliefs and priorities of the writers along with the audience, and the time and place which the story is being told. 

   Vougler then talks in depth about the Titanic which is the most expensive movie ever made. The movie was originally predicted to tank, because the vital element of surprise with the ending was lacking, the actors were not well known and it was a period piece. The movie is reality was hugely successful. Vougler argues that the movie was so successful because it captured a universal shared wish for meaning. and it captured this through the use of the hero's journey motifs and concepts. The hero's journeys described in this movie are that of the scientist seeking adventure and that of the old woman returning to the scene of a great disaster. Vougler then goes into great depth to describe the elements of the hero's journey found in the text. The movie titanic is also highly symbolic. One of the symbols i found interesting was the heart of the ocean being a symbol for the idealized notions of love and honor. He also talked about the impact the movie had on the film industry the success is had shows that the big hamlet sometimes pays off. I also found it interesting how the Titanic explores death but makes the case for the full embrace of life. The next movie he describes is the lion king. He talks about how the story line is actually based off of hamlet. He talks about his own idea that were integrated into the movie such as the baptism seen of simba and also other ideas that the film companies rejected of his like focusing more on sambas adolescence. Vougler then describes the elements of the hero's journey which can clearly bee seen in both pulp fiction and the full monty. He ends with talking about start wars and the impact the film has had on mythic structures of story lines. The star wars series best exemplifies Vougler mythic structure. 

Reaction: 

      I found Vougler to be a little too boastful when he was talked about his contributions to the Lion King. I also found he was a little resentful that the film companies didn't take all his advice. I did agree with however on one point he made about the film. He said that the development of Simba form a scared little cub into a teen-aged lion is handled to quickly. I think that it would have made the movie better if they had took this advice. The development of adolence into a teenager is a huge transition and one that the viewers could have related to. This transition should have been payed more attention to. He also commented that the movie failed to dramatize the stages of simba's development, the individual lessons that he has to learn. This is an important part of every hero's journey. Being a teenager is full of drama and trial and tribulation, this could have been better portrayed in the movie. 

Q's:

1. Vougler says that animation with humans is more difficult that with animals because to animate a human character you have to represent a particular ethnic group and choose certain hair and skin colors, which may precent audience members with different features from fully identifying with the character. Do you agree with Vougler here, do you think that it would be harder for you to relate to an animated character that was of different ethnic background than your own?

2. Vougler talks about how Rafiki mentors Simba by giving him hard knocks and tough advice, but at the same time inspiring him. Do you feel all these elements are important in a mentor? What other characteristics are important?

3.  Vougler talks about how the Titanic had elements of synergy which is a combination of elements that somehow adds up to more than the sum of parts. What are other examples of synergy that you can think of? 

4 modes

Mode one: Song: macho man by the village people

Lyrics:

Body...wanna feel my body?

Body...such a thrill my body

Body...wanna touch my body?

Body...it's too much my body

Check it out my body, body.

Don't you doubt my body, body.

talkin' bout my body, body,

check it out my body

Every man wants to be a macho macho man

to have the kind of body, always in demand

Jogging in the mornings, go man go

works out in the health spa, muscles glow

You can best believe that, he's a macho man

ready to get down with, anyone he can

Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey!

Macho, macho man (macho man)

I've got to be, a macho man

Macho, macho man

I've got to be a macho man! Ow....

Every man ought to be a macho macho man,

To live a life of freedom, machos make a stand,

Have their own life style and ideals,

Possess the strength and confidence, life's a steal,

You can best believe that he's a macho man

He's a special person in anybody's land

Anyalysis: How many times have you sung along to the chorus of this song when it was blaring over the radio or playing when you were rollerskating back in middle school? It has certainly become a well known song, But how many people actually know any lyrics to the song besides the chorus? The lyrics focus on the physical aspects of masculinity and the way a man should look. The song talks about going to the gym to get big muscles. The emphasis of the song is on the macho man’s ideal body. The song ends with the view of a macho man as someone every one should be and someone who is looked up to in society. What are the implications of having the emphasis of the essence of masculinity being on physical appearance? Does this leave men and boys feeling physically inept?

Mode two: art work: Masculinty by Jamie wyeth

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/schwarzenegger/wyethportrait_140.jpg

Analysis: When Jamie Wyeth was asked to create a painting that was the embodiment of masculinity, he chose to paint a well known portrait of Arnold Swartzinegar. Arnold is your stereotypical masculine man, he not only flexes his biceps on the world stage, but he also knows how to flex his political muscles and has become a powerful and influential man. Jamie’s painting reflects what society conveys to be the image of a masculine man. Arnold is depicted in the picture in a commanding stance that displays his physical prowess. His hand rests in his hip, his head slightly cocked to the right. His arm is flexed in an upright position, his biceps being the main focus of the painting. Again we see where the emphasis of masculinty lies.

Mode three: literature: Silence is male by Alma C. Reith.

Silence is Male

Statistics say a man will say,

In conversation with his wife.

No more then six words every day,

At home throughout his married life.

My husband, non- conformist mate,

Is more magnanimous no mere,

Six words for him, he offers eight.

“I do not wish to talk, my dear.”

-By Alma C. Reith

Analysis: Although this poem has very few words I think it speaks volumes about the stereotype that men tend not to share their emotions. Woman tend to be the more social creatures with an innate need to communicate their feelings. This idea the real men don’t share their feelings, and don’t enjoy conversation as much as woman is something that our society conveys. The poem jokingly says her husband is a nonconformist leading you to think that he openly talks to her all the time. If you read the next lines the author pokes fun at this stereotype saying her husband communicates to her, but only to tell her that, “he doesn’t not wish to talk my dear.” The title of the poem silence is male also suggests that being silent is a characteristic associated with males.

Mode 4: Film: A short documentary on masculinity conveyed in Disney films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CWMCt35oFY

Analysis:
Young boys and girls are influenced by the media at a very young age. One of the most influential film companies is Disney, which helps to mold the young minds of todays youth. Movies have an impact on the way the children in our culture think and act, by filling their heads with certain images and creating certain environments. These images and environments, overtime influence the way we view the world and certain topics such as masculinity. Disney films convey three different images about masculinity, these images are sexism, strength, and dominance. Sexism is shown with the objectification of woman, the message being shown to boys is that they should view woman as objects of pleasure or servants to please them. This is true for the film Aladin, Beauty and the Beast, and the Little Mermaid. Disney movies also convey the message that the ideal man is based on his strength. Disney movies glorify one body type, above all others, the chiseled muscular man. Other body types are usually portrayed as weaker characters, who are submissive to the will of the more masculine male. This is shown in the films Hercules, and beauty and the beast to name a few. In the movie Mulan, she learns very quickly that masculinity is defined by strength and physical prowess.

Vougler 197-228

Summary:
Vougler begins by describing stage eleven the Resurrection. For a story to be complete the audience needs to experience an additional moment of death and rebirth, similar to the supreme ordeal. This is the climax not the crisis, the last and most dangerous meeting with death. A new self must be created for a new world and the hero gains a new personality. Another function of the Resurrection is to cleanse the heroes of death yet help them retain the lessons of the ordeal. Heroes must be tested one last time to see if they retained and learned from the supreme ordeal of act two. To learn something in the special world is different then being able to apply that knowledge to your daily life. The threat in this climax is different because unlike the threat in act two the threat is not just towards the hero it's towards the whole world. In westerns the Resurrection is expressed as a showdown or shootout. Conventionally heroes survive death and are resurrected but tragic heroes actually die at this point in the story. The Resurrection often involves a difficult choice. This choice tests the hero's values and see if he will choose in accordance with his old flawed ways or he will reflect the new person he has become. The climax can be quiet or explosive, but it should provide catharis or a purifying emotional release. Sometimes heroes will bring back proof of the special world to show to others. The resurrection also calls for a sacrifice by the hero. The biggest dramatic purpose of the resurrection is to give an outward sign that the hero really has changed.
Following the resurrection is stage 12 return with the elixir. This is a return from the special world bringing something to share with others something that has the power to heal a wounded land. Returning with the elixir means implementing change in your daily life and using the lessons of adventure to heal your wounds. There are two ways to end the hero's journey. One way is to end it with a circular form in which there a sense of closure and completion. The other way is the open ended approach in which there is a sense of unanswered questions. Having your hero return to her starting point allow you to draw a comparison for the audience. It gives a measure of how far the hero has come., and changed. The open ended point of view the storytelling goes on after the story is over, it continues in the minds and hearts of the audience. The return with the elixir is also the point in the story when the hero has out final rewards and punishments. The elixir it's self can be love, responsibility, tragedy, or realization, wisdom or even sadness. The penalty for not returning with the elixir is that the hero or someone else is doomed to repeat the ordeals until the lesson is learned or the elixir is brought home to share. Common mistakes when writing the endings to stories are unresolved subplots, to many ending, abrupt endings, or endings that loose the main focus of the story. The story should end with the emotional equivalent of a punctuation mark.

Reaction: Vougler talks about the two branches to the end of the hero's journey. One ending which is greatly preferred in western culture and American movies is the circular path. in which there is a scene of closure and completion. This ending is the total opposite of the open ended approach where the ending is up to interpretation. The viewers have to think and decide for themselves how the film ended. I think the fact that Americans prefer the circular ending says a lot about our culture. It infers that we like getting thinks spoon fed to us, we would rather have thinks sugar coated then realistic. We would rather have someone tell us what the ending is then figure it out ourselves. Another characteristic of Hollywood films especially fairy tails is the achievement of perfection. Fairy tales bring the shattered family back into balance and back into completion. I think this is important to our society because we want to watch movies that make us feel good. The reality in America is that many kids are from broken homes and families are not so perfect. Watching things work out in the movies and little kids watching fairy tales gives them an escape from reality and a hope that one day things will all work out.

Q's
Do you think having these perfect endings to fairytales in the long run helps or harms todays youth?
Can you think of a movie that you loved because the ending was open ended?
Do you agree with Vougler that the real treasure from traveling is not the souvenirs, but lasting inner change and learning? Why or why not?

Summary:

Stage nine is the next step in the hero's journey. In this stage the heros experiences the consequences of surviving death and they get to lay claim to their reward. After having survived death the hero usually engages in some type of celebration . This allows the hero to replenish strength needed for the return to the upper world. Many times following this celebration is a campfire scene which is an opportunity for the hero to tell jokes and boast. It's also a time for the hero to recall the events or people who influenced him or speak about the unwritten code by which runs his life. For the audience this campfire scene allows the audience to catch our breath after and exciting battle or ordeal. The aftermath of the supreme ordeal may also be an opportunity for a love scene because according to Vougler the hero doesn't deserve to be loved until she has sacrificed something and become worthy of love. Seizing the sword is when the hero aggressively takes possession of whatever was being sought in the special world. The prize is not always given and sometimes it must be taken this is called, "elixer theft". Heros may find that overcoming death gives them new powers or better perceptions. Heros may also see things more clearly, experience self realization or an epiphany. Not all stories follow this pattern. Sometimes following the near death experience the hero may experience some distortion in perception. This could be due to an inflation of the ego.

Few heros elect to stay in the new special world and most take the road back returning to the starting point of their journey or continuing to a totally new destination. The road back marks a time when the heros rededicate themselves to the adventure. The hero may also find that villains may rise up and need to be defeated once more. In some cases the heros leave the new world in a chase seen fleeing for their lives. In fairy tales this scene often involves a magical transformation of objects know as a magical flight. Another way a hero can leave this special world is if they are being chased by admirers or they are chasing after a villain who has escaped into the ordinary world. 

Reaction:

    When I was reading about the flight back to the ordinary world and how in fairy takes many times it involves a transformation of objects known as a magical fight, I immediately thought of the movie cinderella. When the clock strikes 12 she must leave the ball or the special world. As she is fleeing to return to her ordinary world, her clothes and magical wagon are all being magically transformed back into the ordinary objects they started as. I also noticed that she has to return to her ordinary world before her journey is over. In the end she doesn't end up staying in her ordinary world as a salve to her stepmom, she is whisked off to live with the prince and start a new life.

Q's:

Vougler states, "what the hero throws down in the chase to the ordinary world may represent a sacrifice or something of value." When we experience new things in our own lives and come back changed do we sacrifice old things that were important to us in order to make this change?

Do you think that sometimes this sacrifice involves leaving people behind who once were important to us, but may inhibit us from further growth?

Vougler also talks about a reversal of the hero's good fortune during the road back.  

Do you think that sometimes the road back is the hardest part of the journey?

Ester's character seems to be hardened rendering her incapable of experiencing her own pain. When she looses her virginity, she thought it would be a huge milestone in her life. It turns out to be an awful experience, ending in her hospitalization, yet she is numb to the whole event. She recounts the details with preciseness, but mentions nothing about how it made her feel. Shortly afterwards she finds out her best friend has hung herself. She is completely numb to this drastic news showing no sorrow at the loss of her friend. Ester's past experiences in the asylum must have desensitized her leaving her incapable of feelings her own emotional pain.