Thoughts on Class

This class has been one of the more challenging and interesting classes I have taken so far within the media studies department. I was initially worried about the tweeting and blogging aspect of the class, but I can see why it is essential to the course. I must admit that it is hard to keep up with twitter because you have to respond and have a back and forth exchange with your fellow classmates. Although it isn’t required to comment to other people’s tweet (the only requirement is to tweet a minimum of 3 tweets per week), it’s hard when you feel like you have to constantly be “on” all the time because twitter is very “in the moment” so there is a lot of comments and tweets you can sometimes miss out on. This course is most definitely mentally taxing; it’s challenging in a good way because it really has changed the way I view the world I live in and the people who live in this world.

I realized that along with the readings, lectures, and different screenings, how almost everything related to gender and sexuality is socially constructed. I was brought up in a very conservative and traditional household, but I broke out of that setting early on. No matter how open minded I thought I was (I did not want to be narrow-minded like some members of my family), this class was definitely a reality check. Because of this course, I am definitely more aware of what goes around in my surroundings. Especially at work and the conversations I have with people, I now have more knowledge when it comes to the culturally and socially constructed views on gender roles. It’s more like I’m hyper aware now. You can’t ignore it anymore because these are the ideas that are the societal norm. People don’t think twice about questioning these norms because everyone has somehow accepted them to be correct.

As far as the readings go, I found a couple of them to be difficult at first. It’s hard (as it is with anything else) when you aren’t familiar with certain theories or concepts and you have to read a couple of pages on them. But of course with the class lectures and the tweets, the readings were a lot easier to grasp and comprehend. The Brookey reading was interesting because I never recognized the homoerotic tendencies of the characters in Fight Club. Granted I watched it when I was younger, but the reading revealed things about Jack and Tyler that I wouldn’t have even thought about. 

All in all, the class so far has been a very pleasing experience. I’ve learned a lot so far and I’m sure there is a lot more to learn. I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.