Goodbye?

Looks like this is it. I have no audience anymore. What happened? Did I have to be in school simply to have my work appreciated? I'm not one to beg for pageviews; I'm just wondering how The Smoking Gun went from being such a popular blog to not getting a single view in the course of a month. I love writing; you guys were my original motivation to write. But now I have no one to write to anymore. I may have to close up shop soon.

Yours,
Jackson Yoder

Coming Out as Communist

Let’s talk Communism. Before we get into connotation, let’s look at it according to Merriam-Webster: “A way of organizing a society in which the government owns the things that are used to make and transport products (such as land, oil, factories, ships, etc.) and there is no privately owned property.” In my opinion, that sounds like a pretty great deal. I’ve always embraced the ideals of people coming together to work together for the common good, where you work to eat, and you can actually support a family. But I know what’s running through your head as I say this:

          Connotation is a bitch. From the Capitalist perspective of American eyes, we see Cuba, Russia, China, North Korea, Chile – all of these countries that look horrid on first glance. Let’s really look into that though: do we hate Communism, or the people who run and determine their apparently despicable societies? I’d argue the latter, because when you talk to a great number of people, you’ll get the common, petty answer of, “Well, yeah, Communism looks great on paper, but not so much in practice,” and then the conversation switches topics. If Communism looks great on paper, then why can it not succeed in practice? For this I have three reasons:

     1)    Capitalists of America and other Westernized countries have not allowed for Communism to succeed. I’d like to recall Chile, 1970: Salvador Allende became the first democratically elected Socialist president of Chile. Nixon and all his other bastard brethren we’re so vehemently against the idea of a nation based on freedom and justice for all that they decided to send in the CIA to overthrow the new Chilean government. Yeah, and they succeeded. America would rather have a fascist, bloodthirsty society, where innocent people are killed for stating their point of view, rather than have to suffer from the “horrors” of Communism.

2) Some Communist countries have shitty leaders: Mao Zedong, Kim Jong-il, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Vladimir Putin, and Fidel Castro (but this last one is debatable). Greed from politicians – corruption – I argue that that is the basis of our hatred, that we despise these men who rise to power, claiming absolute equality, while in reality practicing the polar opposite. What the world needs is another great Socialist or Communist leader; another Che Guevara, or Salvador Allende.

3) Maybe it’s time that we change the approach. Communism may not be supposed to work on a large scale. Ironically, and all places, unofficial Communism was highly successful for Northern Native Americans, as well as the first European settlers in Jamestown. It was John Smith who himself declared, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat,” thereby eliminating the arrogance and laziness of the aristocratic assholes who decided to make the trip.

If I have a target on my back now because of what I’ve said, so be it. It’s better to tell the truth and admit my country’s downfalls than to remain idle and ignorant. 

The Devils Down in Kansas

            Let’s not play games here guys; I’m a pretty patient guy. Anyone who knows me knows that I try to here out all sides of a story. I believe in the Thucydides’ concept of seeing a situation from all points of view. The only problem with that is that there are ignorant idiots out there who aren’t capable of doing that.

            That’s right, I’ve had it up to here with all of the terrible atrocities that occur throughout the world each and every day, but this one hits too close to home. I’m talking about those blind, forsaken shitheads over in Topeka, Kansas. I’m DONE with Westboro Baptist Church.

            Couple things before I go on, guys. If you’re uncomfortable with me prosecuting a religious establishment, I apologize ahead of time. However, if you question my opposition to the hate that these people spread like rampant viruses, then I’d like you to, personally, never visit this site again. You know I appreciate your support, but I will not tolerate having an audience that supports hate and the spread of it. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on.

            If you aren’t already aware, Westboro’s main goal is to spread the word of God by means of hatred and demonstration. Some of their most coined messages include, to name a few:

·        “God Hates Fags”

·        “Thank God for 9/11”

·        “God Hates America”

·        “Antichrist Obama”

The list goes on. And on. And on. And if you think that the messages are the most horrible thing about this establishment, well, not quite. I think it’s reasonable to assume that it’s the people SENDING these messages that are so horrifying:

            I bet their parents are so proud. Matter of fact, that’s probably the worst part is that their parents probably ARE proud of them.

            To be blunt, Westboro is passing along the false message that all of us are doomed to Hell and that we are sinful not for our actions, but for our very existence. Luckily, I am not the only one who has realized the Church’s various injustices. Various organizations in across the United States have already begun to try and stomp out these empty words. Better yet, people have begun to become involved on a more personal level with eliminating these evil peoples’ message: 

            If we keep up this amount of support and the Obama Administration continues to pass laws that bring us closer to human equality, then we’re taking a step in the right direction.

We can’t live a life based on hate; only through love may we prosper. As said in 1 John 4, Verses 7 through 21:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made completeamong us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Greatest Inventions Used in the Worst Ways I: Media + Marketing = Abomination to Society

            So this is it, guys. This is the last one; the last media blog. But let’s not fool ourselves: this has been too fun for me to just put down. So even after this final media blog is finished and published, hopefully there will be many more great blogs that get produced by The Smoking Gun in the future.

            I’d like to thank all of my viewers again for all the support. I never would’ve thought three months ago that my writing would become so popular, especially on a worldwide scale!

            To all of my classmates, thank you for the warm encouragement and the feedback. This blog couldn’t have improved without your comments and recommendations. It’s been a pleasure working with all of you guys to try and make sense of this crazy world of neon signs and billboards.

            Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I’d like to thank Mr. William Maxwell for his outstanding support as a teacher. As a truly intellectual man as well as a hilarious comic, it was an absolute pleasure to study under you. Had it not been for your class and your unique style of teaching, I wouldn’t be where I am today in terms of media literacy.

            I guess this is what it feels like, hmm? This whole idea of online appreciation… It’s such a wild feeling, and believe it or not, I’ve never really experienced it before. I don’t use Facebook or Myspace or Vine or Instagram or Twitter or Kik or Skype or anything else like that. (YouTube, maybe, but it’s up for debate whether or not it’s a form of social media.) Truly, this blog is really my first hands-on experience with the grit of media. And I’ll admit: it’s pretty cool! To be part of this flow of ideas and feel part of this worldwide community makes me ecstatic just to think about it.

            It’s fun for a while. And then the feeling sets in that something might not be right. Usually, this comes with something like #YoloSwag2014. It’s at this moment that you may realize that that comment was completely useless. But what do you and most people do? Not only do you ignore the stupidity of the comment, but you may go on to say something of the like!

            You see, the one thing that I’ve taken out of these past three months is that we’ve got access to this awesome, powerful force called media, but we abuse the living daylights out of it.

            Here’s a fine example: the use of hashtags. You may remember my blog #Hashtags but in case you haven’t read it, let me sum it up for you: Hashtags were originally designed to get people to connect over various specific topics (i.e. An interest in Miss Representation à #MissRepresentation), but instead, it’s used more commonly for complete nonsense – say, #YoloSwag2014. At the rate that media and marketing are expanding, our entire lives will begin to look like a walk through downtown New York, Tokyo, or Shanghai. But then again, in a way, they already have.

            So what do we do to fix this predicament?

            It starts here, with us. I’m talking about all of you media-analyzers, you truth-seekers, you skeptics, and all of my fellow critical thinkers. We’re the people who are going to set the record straight about all of the BS that marketers and social media creates.

But we can’t do it ourselves; we’ve got to pass our literacy onto our peers. Here are some starters:

·        Remember the difference between having a little fun on the internet and it becoming a full-blown obsession.

·        Monitor the time that you spend on the internet or watching television.

·        DO NOT make people like photo-shopped supermodels and idealized idols your role models.

·        Remember who you are. Do not let businessmen and jackasses in the comments section dictate who you should be or who you are. Be yourself.

·        Strive for truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

It won’t solve all of our problems, but it’s a damn good place to start. The sooner we start working towards revising this twisted and idealized world that we live in, the sooner that we can start living our lives again. And I can like that.

Big Booty Bitches: A Musician's Paradise

     Miss Representation preached that women have been portrayed to people as this Midriff, this whore, this socially unable person; all portrayed to us through the middle men writing the papers and snapping the photos.  These people – Well, is that an appropriate word? What about monsters? Homewreckers? Hollywood-sons-of-bitches? We’ll stick with people, but remember the connotations – have thrust several images into our head of what the ideal women should look like, such as this one below:

     Of course, who wouldn’t recognize the infamous perfection of the Barbie Doll? This, my friends, is what they are teaching our young girls to look like: anorexic pieces of plastic that are more product than human. Well ain’t that swell! Thank you media! Little girls, at one point or another, in one form or another, and in one place or another, are exposed to the Barbie symbol. It’s a well-known fact that if you expose a child to something at a young age, when their brains are still developing and they soak up every little influence, chances are that this idea of perfection are going to stick.

      Anyway, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. No, I’d actually like to go to the complete opposite side of this image of the super model to the image of every musician’s perfect whore. I’ll be diving into various genres and songs to really show how deeply this is rooted into the music culture. So let’s start with some glam rock. 

     Now, Steel Panther may not be the best band to get the point across, because that’s really not the message that they’re trying to sending out. You gotta read into them a little more to see that EVERYTHING they sing about is just a huge joke dedicated to the dirty, nasty, and less-than-sterile era of the Big 80s. But anyway, that’s beside the point. This song will work for our purpose because it still sends out the most exaggerated form of the sexed-up image of women.

     What is it that men wish? Fat girls. I myself could never see what the phenomenon was; why having overly large buttocks and breasts was such a big deal, or why bigger was suddenly better. But I’m only one person. Many other young men have adopted this ideal that bigger is better. Right. How has that affected young women who aren’t as physically developed? This is the type of stuff that leads young women to alter their body; whether it be through excessive eating or surgery. Is that the message that we want to send out?

     Let's move onto the world of rap. Mmm... Lot to talk about here. But let me keep this one short. For this example, I've chosen none other than then the King of Crude himself: Mr. Slim Shady. 

     Don’t get me wrong: I love Slim Shady, I love Marshall Mathers, I love Eminem, and I love Ken Kaniff. Yeah, some of the stuff he writes is pretty outrageous. But again, like Steel Panther, you gotta know the context. A lot of what Eminem writes is done in the persona of Slim Shady. While taking on this persona, Eminem tends to enter the area of dark, cross-the-line humor. And how can you have that without a little innuendo? The following are, respectively, lyrics from the songs “Crack a Bottle” and “My Name Is”:

Crack a Bottle

“Oooh! Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for

In this corner, weighing 175 pounds, with a record of 17 rapes

400 assaults, and 4 murders, the undisputed, most diabolical

Villain in the world, Slim Shady!

So crack a bottle, let your body waddle

Don't act like a snobby model

You just hit the lotto

Uh oh uh oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe

Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got clothes

Now where's the rubbers? Who's got the rubbers?

I noticed there's so many of them and there's really not that many of us

Ladies love us and my posse's kicking up dust

It's on till the break of dawn and we're starting this party from dusk”

My Name Is

“Hi kids! Do you like violence? (Yeah yeah yeah!)

Wanna see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids? (Uh-huh!)

Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did? (Yeah yeah!)

Try 'cid and get fucked up worse that my life is? (Huh?)

My brain's dead weight, I'm trying to get my head straight

But I can't figure out which Spice Girl I want to impregnate (Ummmm...)

And Dr. Dre said, ‘Slim Shady you a basehead!’

Uh-uhhh! ‘So why's your face red? Man you wasted!’

Well since age twelve, I've felt like I'm someone else

Cause I hung my original self from the top bunk with a belt

Got pissed off and ripped Pamela Lee's tits off

And smacked her so hard I knocked her clothes backwards like Kris Kross

I smoke a fat pound of grass and fall on my ass

Faster than a fat bitch who sat down too fast

C'mere slut! (Shady, wait a minute, that's my girl dog!)

I don't give a fuck, God sent me to piss the world off!”

     As you can see in the lyrics, women are ruthlessly defamed as for items used for sex only. Farther beyond that, not only is the sexual image horrifying, but also, women are also framed in the songs as subject to abuse and violence. Words such as ‘slut’ and ‘bitch’ and actions like ripping off women's tits and raping them simply goes too far and ends up broadcasting the wrong message.

     Regardless if these songs are joking or not, these musicians audiences are taking these messages to heart, men and women alike, and it is further adding to the degradation of the female image in media. 

YouTube Ads Part II: My Soul Mate, Meng

     Howdy folks! This is Meng. She’s 31 years old, single, and looking for a man! Oh, and did I mention that the lives in Guangdong, China? I guess this is YouTube’s attempt at matchmaking.

     No, but let’s be serious for a second. How the heck – like – I cannot even begin to comprehend how this ad was chosen to be marketed to ME. First, YouTube assumed that I wanted to play some sexed-out pirate game and now they think I’m looking for an international Chinese relationship? What?

     As we learned watching the various episodes of Frontline, marketers are watching what you look for and what you find interesting online and they use that information to market products specifically to you. Delightful! Funny thing though: I’ve never visited a Chinese dating site for people 30+ years old. I don’t even think I navigate my way through eHarmony! I just don’t get it.

     Anyway, enough of that ridiculousness. Let’s focus on this wonderful little ad for a sec. The first thing that you’re drawn to is – we’ll say Meng’s – face. She is looking up at the audience and smiling at us warmly. This is designed to make us comfortable. Making the viewer comfortable will make them more likely to pursue the ad.

     The second thing that you notice in this ad is Meng’s dress – or rather, lack of. I don’t know what it is about these YouTube ads: they want to show as much cleavage as possible. They do this in this ad as a means for building our attraction for Meng.

     Next, you see a little bit of Meng’s personal information: her name, age, relationship status, where she lives, et cetera. This makes attracted viewers once again feel more comfortable about Meng because they know more about her. And lastly, you have all the technical stuff; what the website is designed for and whatnot and how you can access it.

     Alrighty then! Let’s really get down to the sunny trifles, eh? In regards to Meng, it’s important to remember that she is just an image; she is a symbol for who the dating service wants to make you believe you can date: a young, cute, Chinese woman. Is every woman that you could get together with via this site going to look as IDEAL as Meng? Nope! But the dating service has already convinced you otherwise.

     Last but not least, the background and color of this ad plays an important role in the portrayal of the message as well. These dominant colors in this ad are soft shades of green, blue, and tan. These colors help add a note of cuteness and innocence. The background is designed to look like a message board. The text is surrounded by a rounded box, making it look like an incoming message. This helps add to the sense of cuteness and also seems to promise success with the site.

     Now: I’m not Meng’s type. Anyone out there who thinks they’d be a better match?

     

"Hey Macklemore! Can We Go Thrift Shopping?"

     Kweku Djan may have beat me to doing a blog on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ song “Wing$,” he still left me with a lot of material.

     I’ll break it up into two blogs because these two songs are completely different, so for right now… LET’S GO THRIFT SHOPPING!!!

     The first video is the released music video for the song. Fair warning: There's a lot of profanity in this song. Just letting you know. As you watch, you can really see the whole idea behind the song. In case you can’t hear the lyrics, I’ve provided the second video, which includes the song and lyrics (but no music video):

         What Macklemore is trying to tell us through this song is that we don’t have to have flashy clothes and a ton of money to be cool. Usually, especially in the media, beauty is largely associated with dress. As jokingly stated by Macklemore,

“I'm like, ‘Yo - that's fifty dollars for a T-shirt.’
Limited edition, let's do some simple addition…

I call that getting tricked by a business”

     As he says, businesses trick us into thinking that their products are what make you cool. They feed off of our desires to fit in and feel cool by providing a bridge between the too.

     Macklemore uses his funny, sarcastic tone just to show how truly ridiculous this concept is. He also shows this in the music video by showing us how cool we can be and how much fun we can still have without having to empty wallets.

     Ultimately, I think this song, besides being a a catchy new rap tune, is also an effective symbol for the fight against media-influenced lifestyles.

A Simple Request...

     Hi everybody. I'm thrilled that I've reached an overall 765 page-views. I never knew that my site and blogs were so appreciated by everyone. So in regards to that, thanks.
      There is one favor I have to ask from you, however. Although it's great that my number of page-views is so high, in comparison, the amount of comments is minimal.
     I don't care if you guys comment in Deutsch Sprache, Langue Française, 

普通话, 日本語, שפת עברית, ייִדיש שפּראַך, اللغة العربية, हिन्दी भाषा, pусский язык, Idioma Português, Nederlandse Taal, Svenska Språket, Suomen Kieli, Danske Sprog, Język Polski, Bahasa Malaysia, Lingua Latina, isiZulu, Afrikaanse Taal, or, if it's easier, just comment in English!
     I cannot improve my site without reviews from you guys. You're what makes this site so successful. Thanks.

Yours,
JY

The True Meaning of Christmas

Warning:

 To those who may find the conversation of religious matters uncomfortable and unsuited to their tastes, it is important that you know that this article contains various Biblical and generic religious references. This article is written from a Christian point of view, and therefore some of the opinions expressed may be considered biased. Although I encourage you to read it, if at any point you feel that you are uncomfortable with the subject matter, let me know in the “comments” section. Thank you.

Enjoy,

JY

It occurred to me earlier this month that it might be a good idea to devote a blog specifically to the tug-of-war between the commercialized and religious versions of Christmas. To exemplify this contradiction, I’ve picked the timeless classic A Charlie Brown Christmas as a reference point to the argument.

            It’s important to watch the entire special if you want to fully understand the context of the argument, but here’s the summary if you can’t find the time:

Christmas time has once again rolled around, and instead of feeling merry like all of his comrades do, Charlie Brown is engulfed in a deep depression. As he looks around the neighborhood, everything is dazzled with bright lights, shiny ornaments, and delicate wrapping. No one mentions the name “Jesus.” There is only Santa Claus and Tannenbaum. At the height of his frustration and depression, Charlie Brown yells out in anguish, “Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!” His friend Linus van Pelt replies, “Sure, Charlie Brown,” after which he launches into a beautiful passage from the Gospel of Luke:

Although this was a cartoon made roughly 45 years ago, all of the ideas presented are still true. Somehow or another, Christmas has become less about spirituality and more about presents and other commercialized symbols. Using projection, we have put our own glamorous and commercialized meaning onto the Christian celebration of Christmas. We warp Christmas so wickedly out of proportion that it isn't even Christmas anymore; it’s just a mass commercial bonanza.

What this Charlie Brown cartoon attempts to teach us is that even in the height of all of this present-wrapping and eggnog-drinking, we have to remember what Christmas is really all about. And I'd say it does a pretty good job of getting that point across. Rock on, Linus!