The Right to An Opinion

Today I wanted to blog about something that has really been bothering me lately. I'm a little nervous to post this because I'm diving into politics. I've been noticing that there has been a lot of hypocrisy within the "vote yes/no" arguments that I've been seeing on Facebook and Twitter, especially tonight. One particular status I saw struck me. It said that everyone's opinions are important, but for this specific topic, to vote yes was wrong and to vote no was right. They said that everyone has rights and that you have to defend those rights no matter what their sexuality. The hypocrisy was so blatant that I really wanted to comment back and had to restrain myself from doing so. I'm not stating my political beliefs, I was simply noticing an issue within his argument. If everyone has rights and subsequently, the right to their own opinion, then why in that particular instance is everyone who votes yes wrong? By saying this you are disregarding their opinion and their right to state their opinion therefore infringing upon their rights. It seems that in today's society, the individual is always correct to themselves, and no one is able to admit if they are wrong, or think about topics objectively. I felt that this was a good example of I.B. and its positive ideals because it teaches you to form your own opinion, but to also be conscious of other points of view, which is something this person could have done when they posted their status.

So as I'm doing my homework tonight I'm also watching The Devil Wears Prada, one of my favorite movies. It got me thinking about fashion and how important it is to society. Clothing is a universal sign of expression. It can showcase one's mood, personality and obviously their style as well. Fashion magazines depicting these styles are a big part of society as well. They indicate what clothing choices are popular, what ones look good on certain body types, what celebrities are wearing and much more. However, the big question is, why is fashion so important? One reason I thought of was a first impression. When you first meet a person the first thing they see is your outfit. If you're dressed like a slob they'll tend to think you act like a slob as well. But if you're "dressed to impress" they'll believe it matches your personality and the way you act. Fashion also affects your reputation. Because your outfit reflects your personality and maturity level, it also affects how people think of you. Granted most people generally don't care what other wear, but if you show up to a formal dance wearing jeans and a t-shirt, people are going to think differently of you. I find it interesting how clothes can affect so much of society. 

Presidential Debate

In light of the presidential debate, I would like to highlight a few knowledge issues I'm witnessing currently as I watch it. The entire purpose of the debate is for candidates to discuss the policies and ideals that they would create and maintain while in office. However, there are several flaws in this system. One of the things I have noticed is that the bulk of the debate is refuting each others points and giving out specific facts that divert from the original question. Each time a new question is brought to light, the candidate first to answer immediately veers from the question and instead discusses something that backs up his own political ideas. In reaction the other candidate refutes the statement by subtly insulting what was said and then repeats the same exact pattern of backing up his own political ideas. As they begin to really debate they each tiptoe around the original question, while using facts that serve their own agenda. This creates a somewhat unethical debate that uses justifications and excuses to sway the voters. Granted there are some real issues discussed, but the majority of what is talked about is unrelated to the structure of the debate and its questions.

Different Views on Modern Television

So today I was watching my favorite t.v. show Criminal Minds. I was in the middle of an intense episode, when the website I was watching it on crashed. Naturally I had to know what happened next, so I went onto Youtube and searched for the episode. Instead of the clip I had been hoping for, I found a video of Mandy Patinkin, who plays Agent Jason Gideon in the show, talking about why he eventually decided to leave Criminal Minds. Intrigued, I watched the entire video and afterwards felt somewhat enlightened by his perspective on the show. In the video, which was an interview, Patinkin states that if he could do it all over again, he would never have taken the role of Agent Gideon. When asked why he explained that the show had begun to "destroy" his heart and soul.
I was shocked. How could a fictional television show destroy someone's heart and soul? After all, it was complete fantasy. None of the characters or plot lines were real. However, once I heard Patinkin's view, I began to understand.
Patinkin continued to explain that it was not the show itself that was hurting him, but the extreme violence that was portrayed. For those of you who don't know, Criminal Minds is a television drama depicting the cases of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. This unit specializes in creating profiles for the most serious criminals, like serial killers. Some of the ideas the writers had come up with for episodes were pretty gruesome and disturbing.
Patinkin believed that this misogyny and horror was inappropriate for anyone of any age. He said he thought the reason people are drawn to these types of shows, is that they believe if they get their daily dose of fear, then nothing bad will happen to them. He also said that this violence was becoming a common sight to people and it was losing its grisly nature, due to the modern numbness of society. He believed that we see these images so often that they have lost their ability to frighten us.
Of course Patinkin is somewhat correct. These images have dulled society's empathetic tendencies. However I disagree with his belief that people want their daily dose of fear. When I watch Criminal Minds, it doesn't make me afraid, it's entertaining and is more akin to a thriller than a horror movie.
I found Patinkin's view interesting mostly because he was apart of that world as an actor for so long, yet he didn't necessarily enjoy the story and character he was portraying. It is a unique way to think about modern television and gives insight to the fact that not all actors may like or appreciate the concept of the work they do.