So let's stop for a moment and think about what it means to be a human being. An equal member of the homo sapien category. Ignore the question about the equality of living beings for a moment, and focus on finally figuring out our own group, then we can move on and straighten out the rest of creation.
Alright, in today's society, let's look and see the requirements for equality in the USA.
#1 - Be an American.
If you're not born and raised in the US of A, don't bother coming, because we obviously don't want you. That's the message that Americans are sending the rest of the world right now. We are the best, but that means we only welcome the best. We are a country of immigrants, and yet we hate immigrants. Does this sound a little hypocritical to anyone else? Seriously, we don't even like Europeans, even though we feel better about inviting them than we are about, say, Mexicans. None of us really belong here, except Native Americans (who we drove almost to their demise, BTW). Americans need to be more open and unprejudiced against the rest of the world.
#2 - Be white.
The world's white population has a major advantage over the other visual types of humans. In just about every country, the white population holds a disproportionate amount of power. White children are less likely to be made fun of as their counterparts, white children are less likely to be born into situations of extreme poverty, white adults are more likely to land jobs and be accepted into universities. The majority of the American government is made up of white males, instead of accurately representing the diversity of the country. To date, there has only been one black president, and no women presidents. All the other presidents were white.
#3 - Be a man.
We all know it's true - men have the advantage in our society. And in this case, it's not just America. The same problems occur day after day across the globe. Men get the better jobs, overall have a higher pay grade, and are the ones who make all the rules, even the ones that only concern women (i.e. insurance coverage for birth control). Half of the planet's human population is removed by this requirement. A truly great society does not discriminate so blatantly against women and people of races and ethnicities different from our own.
Is it really so difficult for society to become unprejudiced and unbiased? Is it so hard to admit that everyone on Earth is equal, and no single group of people is better than another? I don't think so. I acknowledge the advantages I have - which I am purely lucky to have - and try to use those advantages to bring those same advantages to the less fortunate in the world. Being born in the USA, being born white, both are advantages that I automatically have, whether I try to take them or not. But that doesn't mean I should have those advantages. We need to level the playing field so that no one economic class, social class, or political class has more power or advantage over another.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
What happened to Disney Channel?
The Disney I grew up with...
The Disney I grew up with was the reason the people of my generation love Disney so much. Not only did we have amazing films like The Lion King, Mulan, and The Little Mermaid - which gave us both powerful messages and amazing music - but we also had influential TV shows like Kim Possible, That's So Raven, and Lizzie McGuire. The strong female leads are who made these TV shows so appealing to me. Kim Possible was an ordinary teenager who had unusually good reflexes and good kick butt, without relying on a boy to save her. Sure she had help - who can forget the great Ron Stoppable, Rufus, or Wade? - but in the end Kim was the one to save the day, and everyone knew it. Draken says, "You think you're all that, Kim Possible!" and doesn't even remember Ron's name.
That's So Raven was another amazing TV show starring a powerful teenage girl. The thing that made Raven great was that even though she could be considered heavyset, that didn't stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming a fashion designer. Even more amazing was the fact that she had the power to see the future, and even though she tended to get herself and her friends in trouble, she also was the one who got them out of trouble. Raven was a great role model for us girls, teaching us that we could be whoever we want to be. Raven Simone also starred in the Cheetah Girls movie around this time, and I will never forget their song "Cinderella." The song began with a mother telling a fairy tale about a princess in distress. Of course, the princess waits for her Prince Charming to save her. The following lyrics I feel wrap up the sentiment of the song:
Then one day I realized
The fairy tale life wasn't for me.
I don't wanna be like Cinderalla,
Sitting in a dark, cold, dusty cellar,
Waiting for somebody to come and set me free.
I don't wanna be like someone waiting
For a handsome prince to come and save me
On I will survive
Unless somebody's on my side.
Don't wanna depend on no one else.
I'd rather rescure myself.
These lyrics pretty much explain why I love this song, and why I loved Disney when I was growing up. Finally, someone was telling me that I am just as strong as any boy, and that I can take care of myself, and don't have to rely on a "prince." The Disney I grew up with was exploring in TV shows and characters that would give kids positive role models - from girls who stood up for themselves to families who taught us that everyone is equal and deserves our respect (The Proud Family anyone? ABC Kids on Saturday mornings? Now that was a good show). Where did they go so wrong?
Today on Disney Channel...
Today on Disney Channel, the most popular shows are probably Jessie, Austin & Ally, Dog with a Blog, and Liv and Maddie. I have not watched much of Liv and Maddie, and so I won't comment, but the other shows seem rather ridiculous and pointless. I will focus on the first two.
Jessie is about an 18-year-old, who, instead of going to college, decides to move from Texas to NYC to find an acting job. The audience identifies a potential love interest almost immediately, unlike in Kim Possible, where we do not meet Kim's crush Josh Menkey until after the first episodes. Instead of becoming an actress, the main character Jessie almost immediately stumbles upon a nannying job for a movie star and movie director couple who have a bunch of adoptive children and a giant pet lizard. The first thing I obviously find wrong with this is the suggestion that up-and-moving to NYC will be a piece of cake - no nannying job just falls in your lap like that! Life takes work, but according to this TV show, Jessie is more like a friend than someone who can care for children and keep them safe. Jessie spends most of her extra time writing songs about her multiple boyfriend failures from high school - why does any teenager need that many boyfriends? Get a grip and start making a life for yourself!
Austin & Ally is another TV show that seems to have no lesson to teach. Ally is a song-writer with extreme stage-fright and Austin is a singer and dancer who loves the stage, but can't song-write to save his life. Of course Austin is going to be a "typical boy" and steal one of Ally's songs in order to launch his career, which begins their partnership. Of course Ally is going to team up with the thief instead of revealing him for the fraud he is and taking credit where credit is due. Girls, you do not need a guy to tell you that your work is good. Go out and be proud of yourself! And don't let an arrogant guy swoop in and take credit for your work. Again, becoming famous is hard work, and it doesn't just fall in your lap. I'm not saying you shouldn't try, I'm saying that you should take your life into your own hands and go out to achieve your dreams instead of waiting for a guy like this Austin to reach them for you.
I have not figured out exactly what sent Disney Channel spiraling into disaster, but I do hope that future shows will prove that Disney still knows how to inspire children, both boys and girls. One show that has been announced for 2016 is The Lion Guard, which will follow Simba and Nala's second child, Kion. We will also get to see more of Kiara! I hope that this TV show will live up to the standards and expectations set by The Lion King, The Lion King 2, and Lion King 1 1/2, as well as the older TV series that followed Timon and Pumbaa. I wish the creators at Disney luck!
-- The Ranting Dragon
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The Disney I grew up with was the reason the people of my generation love Disney so much. Not only did we have amazing films like The Lion King, Mulan, and The Little Mermaid - which gave us both powerful messages and amazing music - but we also had influential TV shows like Kim Possible, That's So Raven, and Lizzie McGuire. The strong female leads are who made these TV shows so appealing to me. Kim Possible was an ordinary teenager who had unusually good reflexes and good kick butt, without relying on a boy to save her. Sure she had help - who can forget the great Ron Stoppable, Rufus, or Wade? - but in the end Kim was the one to save the day, and everyone knew it. Draken says, "You think you're all that, Kim Possible!" and doesn't even remember Ron's name.
That's So Raven was another amazing TV show starring a powerful teenage girl. The thing that made Raven great was that even though she could be considered heavyset, that didn't stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming a fashion designer. Even more amazing was the fact that she had the power to see the future, and even though she tended to get herself and her friends in trouble, she also was the one who got them out of trouble. Raven was a great role model for us girls, teaching us that we could be whoever we want to be. Raven Simone also starred in the Cheetah Girls movie around this time, and I will never forget their song "Cinderella." The song began with a mother telling a fairy tale about a princess in distress. Of course, the princess waits for her Prince Charming to save her. The following lyrics I feel wrap up the sentiment of the song:
Then one day I realized
The fairy tale life wasn't for me.
I don't wanna be like Cinderalla,
Sitting in a dark, cold, dusty cellar,
Waiting for somebody to come and set me free.
I don't wanna be like someone waiting
For a handsome prince to come and save me
On I will survive
Unless somebody's on my side.
Don't wanna depend on no one else.
I'd rather rescure myself.
These lyrics pretty much explain why I love this song, and why I loved Disney when I was growing up. Finally, someone was telling me that I am just as strong as any boy, and that I can take care of myself, and don't have to rely on a "prince." The Disney I grew up with was exploring in TV shows and characters that would give kids positive role models - from girls who stood up for themselves to families who taught us that everyone is equal and deserves our respect (The Proud Family anyone? ABC Kids on Saturday mornings? Now that was a good show). Where did they go so wrong?
Today on Disney Channel...
Today on Disney Channel, the most popular shows are probably Jessie, Austin & Ally, Dog with a Blog, and Liv and Maddie. I have not watched much of Liv and Maddie, and so I won't comment, but the other shows seem rather ridiculous and pointless. I will focus on the first two.
Jessie is about an 18-year-old, who, instead of going to college, decides to move from Texas to NYC to find an acting job. The audience identifies a potential love interest almost immediately, unlike in Kim Possible, where we do not meet Kim's crush Josh Menkey until after the first episodes. Instead of becoming an actress, the main character Jessie almost immediately stumbles upon a nannying job for a movie star and movie director couple who have a bunch of adoptive children and a giant pet lizard. The first thing I obviously find wrong with this is the suggestion that up-and-moving to NYC will be a piece of cake - no nannying job just falls in your lap like that! Life takes work, but according to this TV show, Jessie is more like a friend than someone who can care for children and keep them safe. Jessie spends most of her extra time writing songs about her multiple boyfriend failures from high school - why does any teenager need that many boyfriends? Get a grip and start making a life for yourself!
Austin & Ally is another TV show that seems to have no lesson to teach. Ally is a song-writer with extreme stage-fright and Austin is a singer and dancer who loves the stage, but can't song-write to save his life. Of course Austin is going to be a "typical boy" and steal one of Ally's songs in order to launch his career, which begins their partnership. Of course Ally is going to team up with the thief instead of revealing him for the fraud he is and taking credit where credit is due. Girls, you do not need a guy to tell you that your work is good. Go out and be proud of yourself! And don't let an arrogant guy swoop in and take credit for your work. Again, becoming famous is hard work, and it doesn't just fall in your lap. I'm not saying you shouldn't try, I'm saying that you should take your life into your own hands and go out to achieve your dreams instead of waiting for a guy like this Austin to reach them for you.
I have not figured out exactly what sent Disney Channel spiraling into disaster, but I do hope that future shows will prove that Disney still knows how to inspire children, both boys and girls. One show that has been announced for 2016 is The Lion Guard, which will follow Simba and Nala's second child, Kion. We will also get to see more of Kiara! I hope that this TV show will live up to the standards and expectations set by The Lion King, The Lion King 2, and Lion King 1 1/2, as well as the older TV series that followed Timon and Pumbaa. I wish the creators at Disney luck!
-- The Ranting Dragon
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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