Economy Destroys Pride That Destroys…

I came across an article on CNN.com that reported working professionals heading to food banks in the San Francisco area. The article goes on to describe how many came to get food that ‘broke down in tears of embarrassment.’ The feeling of accomplishment and worth in ones self can be described as pride. According to pride studies done by the University of California Davis pride enhances creativity and productivity. Once pride is gone it seems that creativity and productivity will suffer. Pride is disappearing because those who have been working hard all their lives suddenly find themselves in a situation where they can’t support their families and have to turn to food banks. When self-conscious emotions arise in a nation of people then destruction of their productivity is bound to occur. They now believe they have no self worth and are in a state of distress. The altered perceptions in ones self-esteem developed by lack of pride caused by the recession can potentially cause a dearth of creativity and a state of sadness in many Americans.

For Real?

Satire in political cartoons or obvious plots on TV shows are entertaining to the observer while making a point. The use of satire is attacking something the author thinks is immoral, using wit. Unrealized satire can serve an even greater purpose when not known it is occurring by the viewers. For those who misread Twain’s use of satire in The Adventures of Huckle Berry Finn could be lost and offended by the plot while Twain laughs as his point gets pushed further.
Twain tackled human nature in his satirical writings of The King and Duke. They were frauds who ripped people off and Twain satirizes the civilization of people through the town’s brutal reaction. The town’s people seem like civilized good people, but they stoop to the level of the King and Duke and tar and feather them. Twain shows that crooks are not the only ones who can be evil and the hypocrisy that lurks within us. There are countless other examples that Twain writes that shows the idiocy of and malice of people. For example when the man with Packard watches another man drown and thinks it is vastly different from killing him to justify just watching. Satire is not only present in books written long ago, but sometimes can be caught today.


While staying up and catching the David Letterman show I saw one of the strangest interviews. Every night Letterman interviews guests that are promoting their newest movie or TV shows. The interview is usually light and humorous. Days before Joaquin phoenix went on the David Letterman show he publicized ditching his acting career to become a rap star. He revealed that Diddy would produce his music and the director Casey Affleck began filming a documentary on his journey. Many people that watched this interview were baffled when a disheveled Joaquin was muttering and incoherent. Most comments on the Youtube video are speaking of how strange and sad it is that Joaquin has gotten himself lost and on drugs. When I first saw this I was also mystified if this was real or an elaborate joke, so I furthered researched it. It seems that it is more than a joke, Joaquin is commenting on actors who take themselves too seriously. He is doing this through the expense of the media and people who don’t catch on. Joaquin follows Twain’s steps and becomes a satirist, and his point on actors and the media taking themselves too seriously are revealed through their reaction to his new found career.

I Do or DON'T

The power of a lifetime guaranteed with ‘happiness’ and companionship has fueled most individuals to decide and go against the odds. The little girl playing with her Ken and Barbie marriage set doesn’t act out an unsightly custody battle or child support payment fights with her dolls. The idea of marriage lasting till the end of time is not seen as idealistic in America. If you were to take the plunge in any endeavor knowing that there was a fifty percent chance that it would fail people would warn you, you would think twice, be considered and optimist, even crazy. As a society knowing that the divorce rate in the U.S is around fifty percent, we throw you parties, buy you presents, and marvel at you.
Do we as a society choose to ignore the fact that marriages end? Do individuals think they can transcend the statistics that many of them eventually become? Easy to say that one can’t go a week without spotting the carbon copy, picture perfect bride on that wedding magazine that smiles at you while making your purchases or be channel surfing only to find yourself an hour later weeping at the final scene of The Notebook. The ideals of love and marriage are always around us making us go for it weather in the media or Aunt Sally pressuring you to ‘get married already’.
We are also shown the other end. From reading about the ugly divorces of celebrities, listening to the complaints of our single parent friends, and watching T.V shows like Desperate Housewives where divorces are what the main characters deal with. We are as much exposed to the matching bride dresses we see to the realities of friends’ divorces.
We see what we want to see and close our eyes to the rest making ourselves blissfully unaware.

The people at Barbie will go on selling their Ken and Barbie marriage sets for generations to come, insinuating the stance that an everlasting marriage is inevitable. While the girls will continue to play and cling to the idea that a faultless matrimony is obtainable for all, while temporarily shutting their ears to the yells they hear in the background.