This week, you could be blogging about Missing Sarah, taking up the issues of ethics and representation, perhaps, as raised by the CBC documentary; you can also learn more about Maggie de Vries at her author site. You could connect Missing Sarah to the discussions of Jiwani & Young, and look at more recent media coverage; Wayne Leng’s website Missingpeople.net is an excellent place to begin media research, and it’s also interesting as a kind of counter-representation in itself. Paratextual analysis of the text, including its title change, could be revealing; how is the text read by others, what audience did its publisher imagine, how is it “meant” to be read?
If you’d like a break from all the grief and loss, another direction would be to think about other kinds of life narratives, such as those by musicians. I’m thinking of this because I’m reading Keith Richard’s Life, a very well-received memoir by one of the Rolling Stones. Interestingly, Richards can tell a tale of massive drug-use (etc.) but this is accepted as fun, part of the rock ‘n’ roll life, in comparison to the representations of the subjects of Through a Blue Lens, for example, or Sarah de Vries. We could also think the connection between music and life narrative. In a personal anecdote, I make “mixtapes” each year for friends and family; the ones for my kids are a mix of songs I know they like and songs I think they need to know about as part of their musical “education” (some principles: no showtunes, no country, no Bieber). While certainly these choices reflect my tastes (and life) as well as shaping a (musical) identity for them, I wouldn’t call them instances of auto/biography. But there certainly is a connection in this story from the UK, about a dying woman (OK, so not totally escaping grief and loss) who works with her brother to produce her own “Desert Island Discs,” a BBC radio program in which interviewees talk about their lives and play music that evokes their past experiences and identities (you can listen to Keith Richards’ here). This combination of a person reflecting on their life and making a soundtrack to it is a really interesting way to think about the aural and the textual, perhaps, or how these two forms come together (what tracks would be on your “Desert Island Discs”?). Finally, to throw a bone to all you Beliebers, here is Canadian acting icon Gordon Pinsent’s hilarious reading of Bieber’s 2010 memoir First Step 2 Forever: My Story (“Oh the humanity!”).
In response to Anna’s blog: The “easily accessible” platforms which Anna speaks of for grief to be expressed publically very much performs the roles Anna describes and I think that her analysis of such roles is crucial to understanding the increased mobility that social media has provided. However, I would urge one to consider how social media grievances, whilst they may “offer space for facades of emotion and demonstrate the true disconnect between people” they could offer a more available way of remembering an individual. Social media users normally check their feeds regularly and so on anniversaries or occasions important for the deceased many can support and remember.
In response to Colleen’s blog: I thought that Colleen’s blog did an excellent job at raising issues with the ethics of the speeches at the Oscars. The unnatural silences that Colleen speaks of when analyzing Brie Larson’s speech very much indicate the wasted opportunities throughout the awards. One aspect I found astonishing was that for the first half of the awards music was played to cut individuals off making speeches, which included Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. However, during Brie Larson’s speech and Alicia Vikander’s speech no music was played to shorten their speech and they made no attempt to address such crucial issues despite the fact that they were given more time to do so.
In response to Rachel’s blog; Similarly, to Rachel when reading Missing Sarah, I found myself empathizing with her and being horrified, although often unsurprised, at how Sarah was treated as a drug addict and a prostitute. But Rachel’s point of the traumatic impacts Jeanie has had to face because of her mother’s actions made me understand the complexity of Sarah situation and the consequences of her actions. Whilst she needed to perform her job in order to survive in the final years of her life, the “ripple effect” of her consequences cannot be dismissed or blamed solely on other people and intuitions.
Response to Blakely: I found the social analysis of Joey BADA$$ and Kendrick Lamar really interesting. Although I knew that music did tend to represent and reflect one’s opinion on various issues, personal and public, I never thought about the fact that music played an active role in uncovering silences present in society. It’s true that music (especially the hip-hop/rap genre) told personal stories and narratives and it’s interesting to see that artists are bringing attention to controversial topics. I believe that music, in the social context of uncovering silences, act as a catalyst for social change, sending powerful messages to the audience listening to a particular track.
Response to Anna: With the increasing integration of social media into our lives, I feel like social media is becoming a way an individual can avoid awkward real-life situations and to deal with difficult social situations (in this case a person’s death). While traditional methods of grief such as obituaries and books do present opportunities for individuals to grief, social media allows individuals to take a step back and grief at a distance, from the comfort of their own phones. I feel like this phenomenon is becoming more and more common as society becomes increasingly integrated with the internet. Although social media does provide a platform for grieving, it is also important for us to realize the impact it has on society and the people we interact with on social media sites.
Response to Seana: I completely agree with your view that celebrities should be judged just like the rest of us. The society omitting terrible aspects of celebrities’ lives feels normal to us. When a celebrity passes away, the media constantly presents them as a glorified figure. On the other hand, marginalized individuals such as Sarah de Vries do not receive this treatment of highlighting her good moments. Instead, media coverage focuses on the negative aspects, pointing at issues causing her death. This difference in representation brings to light the social inequalities between public figures and the “common” person which should definitely not define how people judge us.
In response to Jewel’s Blog
In the case of Jeanie and Ben, there mom is gone and so they don’t have much to turn to that will help them understand her or get to know her better. Therefore, they will likely turn to what has been written about her. If media inaccurately represents parents, and there are many instances where media has been known to misrepresent something, then it may have a serious influence on that child’s view of their parents – for Jeanie and Ben, Maggie De Vries’ memoir is probably one of the main items that they will turn to for information about their mother.
In Response to Colleen’s Blog
I really liked how you tied in the Oscar’s, which is such a popular event in our society, with what we have been learning in class recently. Your point that we rarely assess films based on their representation of important issues was very interesting, and something that I had never considered before. I have definitely rarely, if ever, viewed a film and judged it based on how it portrayed an important issue (unless maybe it’s a documentary). But if Hollywood were to focus their films more on the important issues and how they represent them, and if actors were to put in that mindset as well, it could really make a difference.
In response to Nana’s Blog
I definitely agree with what you are saying – there is an obvious difference between the way celebrities are represented after a drug related death, versus how the missing women have been represented. The celebrities are celebrated for their accomplishments, and the drug overdose or case of death is often overshadowed by this celebration of their life. I think that this is due to our society, and the things that we value. While our society would say that those celebrities have lived a very valuable life, that is worthy of celebration, many do not approve of the life choices of those living on the downtown east side. Therefore, our society choses not to honour the missing women in their death, because we do not value them.
In response to Charlotte:
I really liked how you tied in the large-scale society into the small scale example of the de Vrie family. It kind of makes me think of the idea that a sense of belonging and acceptance needs to start in a small place in order to get into the larger society in the first place. However, it seems that once it becomes a large-scale unacceptance, it almost seems like it is even harder for a small scale community to become more accepting. I wonder if it actually is okay to have small scale enclaves though. I remember reading, I can’t remember if it was in a CAP class or not, that small enclaves can be good for people to transition from their native countries into the new country so that they can feel somewhat at home. Maybe we have to first grow into acceptance of the existence of these enclaves instead of treating it like something detrimental. Over time maybe the other enclaves can slowly become more closely integrated, so that while there are distinctive qualities to make the person feel like their in their community, there can eventually be a formation of links so there is also equality, unity, and tolerance for other enclaves as well.
In response to Chipo:
I also agree that many people do tend to make judgments based on stereotypes. I wonder if there wasn’t such a stigma about it, those who are struggling against the battle of drug addiction would be able to find help easier because they wouldn’t be afraid to ask for help and more people would be willing because they wouldn’t see it as just a choice, but something else too. In addition to that, even if they weren’t able to get support, at least they would get some acceptance and belonging, instead of stigmatization that can drive people even further down the path of drugs.
In response to Colleen:
Although I have never personally watched the Grammy’s, I know, and as you stated earlier, many other people do, so I think that in times like this it’s especially important to at least acknowledge the subject, considering the time and effort the movie took to bring the subject to light. This way it can reach even more of an audience that didn’t have a chance to see the movie. In addition to that, the success of the actor is not just because of the acting skills, but also the importance of the subject. I think that this should be the reasons actors and other film makers should take on this project is to help spread the voice and commit to it, not just for their own prestige.
Colleen,
I think you’re discussion regarding representation is very interesting, never before had I thought about the ethics behind actors and actresses representing real people. It seems that film where an actor or actress plays another character could very well be just a different form of biography, and if this question of ethics arises in this context, I think that question should be applied all across the board, regarding biography in writing, and many other forms of life narrative. Do other individuals have the rights to represent another person, through writing or film? Across all formats, questions of accuracy and misrepresentation arise. But, when an individual is unable to write an autobiography, it seems that we should rather just be critical of the author or actor, and know that there may be elements of misrepresentation, but also of accurate representation.
Tanvi,
I enjoyed reading about your ideas regarding life narrative within theatre. Theatre seems to be one of those truly natural forms of storytelling, allowing the audience to lay eyes on a spectacle, and actually view a story unfold, compared to a text, where the reader is required to develop their own mental image. Though it seems that every medium has its own benefit. With theatre, as with film, it seems that a more general form of a story, or life narrative, is able to be produced, due to the more crunched time scale. When compared with a text, both seem to lack the depth of detail. I think most of us can see this, especially in films that don’t necessarily completely represent a text. This leads me to question the idea of representation and misrepresentation in all forms of life narrative, as movies or plays based on texts may lack key details, while books themselves may also possess information that serves to misrepresent a life.
Jodie,
The ideas you bought up about how the writing of life narratives doesn’t only create a depiction of another individual, but actually aids in the development of the writers identity is very interesting. I see in my own writing how I tend to only include details about certain aspects of my life, of which I value and think of as important, and exclude others. But I wonder if those details I exclude are vital to the understanding of myself by others. It would be interesting to read a biography about an individual who also wrote an autobiography themselves, and analyze the differences between them, as this could very well uncover silences.
Seana: I think Seana made a very important and interesting point in her blog post, which commented on the way celebrities are glorified after their death. Most times, it appears that ordinary, non-famous people who haven’t engaged in deviant behavior throughout their lives are glorified after their deaths. However, those who have been deviant seem to be villainized. As Seana mentioned at the beginning of her post, ordinary people who are deviant are not afforded this glorification. In the case of Missing Sarah, Maggie De Vries attempts to shatter stereotypes about sex workers and addicts who seem to be viewed as less valuable in death. This is made evident by Jiwani and Young, who write about how people were more disturbed by the fact that they could have been eating the murdered women because of Pickton’s pig farm, than the fact that these women had been brutally murdered.
Emma: I thought Emma made a very important comment about the dehumanization from the beginning of her blog when she wrote “People walk by those on the streets and generally just see an empty shell of what might have been person”. This dehumanization seems evident in the presentation of sex workers or addicts as “shells” at times in the documentary Through a Blue Lens in which at times the police indicate that the people in the documentary came from “normal” backgrounds and could’ve led “normal” lives, insinuating that their lives now are “inhuman” or “unnatural”. This dehumanization also seems to contribute to the reaction of people following the discovery of Robert Pickton’s murders and pig farm. Instead of being concerned about the brutal murder of women, people were concerned about the possibility of human flesh in their food.
Rachel: Rachel’s blog brought up intriguing points about Jeanie’s point of view in relation to Sarah. In a way, it seems to me that it was good that Jeanie could be mad at Sarah. She, at least, knew her enough or knew of her enough to formulate emotions and opinions about her. In comparison, throughout Missing Sarah Maggie De Vries implies that Sarah knew little to nothing of her birth parents. It would be interesting to examine the implications of knowing Sarah even a bit, and being connected to one’s history in that way on a person’s life.
Seana: I found your post to be very eye opening and I am in full agreement of your argument in it. The idea of these older men having teenage girls around them at such a young age is disgusting. They are people too therefore yes, like us they should be called on for their mistakes despite their upper echelon status of being a celebrity. Celebrities are reaping the perks of a dominant class paradigm at the expense of us every day people. For some reason, they are treated as “perfect” beings but from your post, it is far from the truth. On that note of celebrities being treated differently, it even translates to courtrooms. It seems so many celebrities are declared non guilty for crimes that we commoners would be charged with.
Kaz: Excellent observations with Missing Sarah. I think you are right, if it were not for perhaps the “white” perspective on the drug addiction and sex trade worker abuse issue in the DTES, we as a general population would end up not being informed. Your observation of Jiwani and Young’s “highlighting” of specific details does indeed tie in really well into what Missing Sarah stands for which is a counter frame against what was considered mainstream. I feel your journey into the DTES helped into insight on your blog, which is excellent because it does indeed make a difference when you have been there.
Melissa: The first paragraph of your post really opened my eyes. I have seen the videos you spoke of in the blog but never quite picked up how male centric the videos were. In our society, we are more and more often being influenced by what casual media show us. When I mean casual I mean sites such as YouTube and Buzzfeed. The value of women today is a very large issue, I am glad you brought spotlight to it. Women should be recognized as equal. I connected to your post also in terms of the value of women as in 2012, I went to India around the same time as news agencies around the world plastered pictures of the men convicted of raping a young woman in the back of a New Delhi bus. There were protests everywhere, even in the farthest reaches of India with differing religions than that of most in India (the Hindu populace). This goes far as to show how now, women are fed up and even some men are too. The worth of women has been affirmed institutionally but there needs to be more of an effort from popular society to get rid of this gap of equality between men and women.
In response to Jewel’s blog: I thought your discussion about ethics of representation of children’s lives in the media was very interesting. An example that came to mind for me was the eight children of John and Kate Gosselin, whose lives were featured in TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8, which became Kate Plus 8 after the couple’s divorce in December of 2009. I remember watching a very awkward Today show interview with Kate and her two eldest daughters – Mady and Cara – where the girls showed obvious discomfort at having to speak on the show. Obviously they had no say in whether or not they wanted their lives publicized in the first place. This definitely raises concerns and questions regarding the impact of media representation on these children. Here’s the link to their interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l99uaPOmFOI
In response to Jodie’s blog: You bring up interesting points in your post about who decides what to include and what not to include in a life narrative/memoir. As you point out, the author leaves out what he or she might not think is as important, however, different people will have different ideas about what is important. In the case of Sarah de Vries, she obviously had no say in what was included in her memoir. Despite the fact that her memoir included excerpts of her own journal entries, these journal entries were selected and analyzed by Maggie de Vries. Perhaps Sarah would have had more to say than what her journal entries revealed about her, or perhaps she would have said it differently had she known it would have been published for the world to see.
In response to Anna’s blog: The fairly recent emergence of “virtual cemeteries” has definitely brought with it an interesting set of questions. You bring up the idea of shallowness exhibited by Facebook friends on a deceased member’s profile: this is definitely something I have wondered about in the past. What makes virtual cemeteries different from more traditional ways of remembrance is how public they are. People are posting photos, videos, and text posts with the knowledge that everyone else will see them. Of course, this does not just happen around deaths – it is a pretty common phenomenon we are continuing to see on social media.
In response to Emily: Reading “Missing Sarah” was unlike reading any other memoir. I was struggling to identity why that was until Professor McNeill introduced the concept of relationality. When reading the memoir, I couldn’t help but feel as if Maggie was speaking with me about Sarah over a causal outing. While the memoir was heavy, I couldn’t help but feel as if the style of writing was intimate due to Maggie including journal entries straight from Sarah’s diaries and old family photographs. Your last paragraph resonated with me because there are many other stories not only from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside but from similar areas around the world which have yet to be heard.
In response to Colleen: I also watched the Academy Awards last night and noticed how those who won used their platform to address larger issues that affect many. An example of this would be when Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar, he used that opportunity to warn the millions watching that global warming is real and to care for the world, an issue he is passionate. (I watched the documentary based off The Revenant and where filming took place and I highly recommend watching it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJfTfsXFbLk). I recall how from time to time, I see celebrities setting up foundations and donating huge sums of money to charities and I admire when people from a high status is able give back to those in need.
In response to Anna: The concept of “a virtual cemetery” seems to becoming more and more common as people pay their respects online. It was rather shocking to read about the anecdote of the woman’s partner passing and many failing to acknowledge that as they wished the deceased ‘happy birthday’. I found this bizarre as today, it seems as if everyone is logged on and active on Facebook as a means to document their lives and keep up with other’s lives. Furthermore, I am curious to see if how people react to one’s death on Facebook will change since Facebook has the new feature of reacting to one’s post with “graphicons” (http://www.wired.com/2016/02/linguists-not-exactly-wow-facebooks-new-reactions/).
In response to colleen: I really liked your idea of exploring the ethics of representation in the Academy awards. I used to take acceptance speeches for granted, perhaps because I wouldn’t know most of the people the winners, mentioned in their speeches. But while watching the Oscars last night, I paid particular attention to the speeches, especially that of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Leonardo Dicaprio. Reading your blog reminded me of their speeches and the connection that you have drawn is quite interesting and it makes me wonder, that who decides who is acknowledged and who is left out. These decisions indeed create room for unnatural silences which need to be looked into, if we are to understand the bias that exists in ethics of representation.
In response to Rachel: I remember having similar mixed emotions when I watched the CNN documentary, just as you described in your blog. A part of me sympathizes with Sarah as she fell prey to society’s stigmas regarding sex work and drug addiction but part of me can not over look the fact that she couldn’t be there for her daughter. I know given the circumstances she didn’t have much choice but reading about Sarah and Jeanie’s story makes me ponder that surely there must be many other such stories. Drug addicted parents can barely take care of themselves and when their children see them in that condition, I believe the impact it has on their minds is one that stays forever. Time and again we come across stories of such families and the damage it causes to both parents and kids. How many more such incidents do we need to hear about in order to stop them from happening to others?
In response to Shaan’s blog: Your blog reminded me of the article we were assigned to read in our ASTU class regarding a comparison of media portrayals of white and black criminals. The article talked about how when a white person is involved in a crime, the media tries to justify it by showing their past academic records and co curricular achievements, anything to indicate that the crime was a result of abnormal circumstances or some mental health issue. Where as when talking about black criminals, media represents their crime as if it was very well expected just based on historical records. How come this denies them any sympathy, why aren’t their past stories looked into to see if they come from a troubled past or just teenage innocence gone wrong? From stereotypes against aboriginal women in sex work to stereotypes against black criminals, it seems that the role of media is too significant to overlook. In fact it seems to be one of the front runners in introducing and revising these stereotypes and unless we as a society bring some critical reforms to our media industry, it won’t be easy to remove such stereotypes from the minds of our society.
In response to colleen: I really liked your idea of exploring the ethics of representation in the Academy awards. I used to take acceptance speeches for granted, perhaps because I wouldn’t know most of the people the winners, mentioned in their speeches. But while watching the Oscars last night, I paid particular attention to the speeches, especially that of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Leonardo Dicaprio. Reading your blog reminded me of their speeches and the connection that you have drawn is quite interesting and it makes me wonder, that who decides who is acknowledged and who is left out. These decisions indeed create room for unnatural silences which need to be looked into, if we are to understand the bias that exists in ethics of representation.
In response to Rachel: I remember having similar mixed emotions when I watched the CNN documentary, just as you described in your blog. A part of me sympathizes with Sarah as she fell prey to society’s stigmas regarding sex work and drug addiction but part of me can not over look the fact that she couldn’t be there for her daughter. I know given the circumstances she didn’t have much choice but reading about Sarah and Jeanie’s story makes me ponder that surely there must be many other such stories. Drug addicted parents can barely take care of themselves and when their children see them in that condition, I believe the impact it has on their minds is one that stays forever. Time and again we come across stories of such families and the damage it causes to both parents and kids. How many more such incidents do we need to hear about in order to stop them from happening to others?
In response to Shaan’s blog: Your blog reminded me of the article we were assigned to read in our ASTU class regarding a comparison of media portrayals of white and black criminals. The article talked about how when a white person is involved in a crime, the media tries to justify it by showing their past academic records and co curricular achievements, anything to indicate that the crime was a result of abnormal circumstances or some mental health issue. Where as when talking about black criminals, media represents their crime as if it was very well expected just based on historical records. How come this denies them any sympathy, why aren’t their past stories looked into to see if they come from a troubled past or just teenage innocence gone wrong? From stereotypes against aboriginal women in sex work to stereotypes against black criminals, it seems that the role of media is too significant to overlook. In fact it seems to be one of the front runners in introducing and revising these stereotypes and unless we as a society bring some critical reforms to our media industry, it won’t be easy to remove such stereotypes from our society.
In response to Anna’s blog:
https://blogs.ubc.ca/annakaveney/2016/02/29/legacies-that-live-on-how-expressions-of-grief-on-social-and-print-media/
Your analysis of Facebook as a more concrete form of public grieving was interesting. After a little research, I found that in order to remove a deceased person’s account or memorialize them officially, Facebook requires proof of identification (e.g. a birth certificate), the date of death, and the relationship of the requester. Facebook’s direct interaction with the representation of the deceased and their family further connects the life (and eventual death) of a user and their social media account. Personally, I’ve found that in cases of unexpected deaths there are more “extremely outward displays of emotion” that can be “coupled with narcissism”, as you stated. The death of youths in my community is often followed by numerous memorial postings on all significant dates, birthdays and anniversaries being strong examples.
“Special Request for Deceased Person’s Account”
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/228813257197480
In response to Seana’s blog:
https://blogs.ubc.ca/seanabruff/
A similar example that came to mind of the tendency to “skip over deviant parts” of celebrity lives is that of Chris Brown. Although the much of public is aware of his abusive nature and history with Rihanna due to mass media exposure, it almost seems to have been pushed to the side in favour of his music career. It hasn’t been easy attempting to transition back to his previous reputation, but I think that the release and level of success of his recently released album demonstrates its dominance over the more personal aspects of his life. I agree with you in that celebrities should be held to the same standards as non-famous citizens, however it’s clear that if Chris Brown were in a profession with less publicity, there would be a greater focus on his deviance and it would have a greater impact on his career.
An article in Vanity Fair outlines an interview with Rihanna in which she states that the “victim gets punished over and over” due to the constant media coverage of abuse. This idea of putting away painful histories conflicts with the concept of remembering the deviant’s actions. How can we reconcile the two?
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/10/rihanna-cover-cuba-annie-leibovitz
In response to Kaz’s blog:
https://blogs.ubc.ca/kshigeta/2016/02/29/counter-frames-the-significance-of-the-marginalized-story/
I agree that the popularity of the memoir Missing Sarah is connected in some way to her Caucasian background. Additionally, the nature of the de Vries family may have played a role in the greater amount of attention brought to Sarah’s story than perhaps some other missing women from the Downtown Eastside. The combination of “typical” Caucasian family and an adopted daughter of a different ethnicity could have provided more intrigue into her life story over that of others. Deviance from what might be a common story of missing women might have caused the spotlight to shine in her direction. I think whose stories are told and listened to is influenced by a level of differentially from the status quo. These life narratives could be seen as closer to a sensationalistic story-telling to the “average” reader than a report of history.
Blakely: While reading your post, it got me thinking of the first time I heard Macklemore’s song, Same Love, and later, Hoiser’s Take Me to Church. Both songs are analyzing the degrading actions of both homophobes and those too ignorant to adapt to a more open minded world. While the artists in your blog are speaking of their experiences and mistreatment as African-Americans, I couldn’t help but think of the impact that all of these types of songs seem to have on the world.
Colleen: I had attempted to watch the Oscars this year through the live stream YouTube channel, and it was successful for a full 30 minutes before it got shut down. However, I was able to hear Chris Rock’s opening speech. It was interesting, and slightly amusing, to see how uncomfortable he made the audience, made of notable mostly white actors, and how he openly, and without fear, shamed Hollywood for it’s segregations in not only race, but also in gender. Actor’s, like Mark Ruffalo, had commented on the very real issue of Hollywood’s racism as well before the show started, and also addressed his reason for attending the Oscars, which correlated to the meaning behind his latest movie, saying “To clear up any confusion. I will be going to the Oscars in support of the victims of clergy Sexual Abuse and good journalism. #Spotlight.” Other actors and actresses spoke out about their feelings and thoughts toward the issues surrounding Hollywood’s film industry, and I hope that these changes will lead to change in this nation’s fight for equality.
Zoey: I really enjoyed your post, and hearing more about the influences of music, which I find fascinating. During high school, I would go to the assisted living facility in my town and we would play music for them for an hour before dinner. It was always such a joy to see their faces light up as we played a song that they recognized. Some would hum along, others swayed to the music, a few even would just close their eyes and listen, but they would all have a smile on their face as they were transported to other times. At the end of the video you posted, some one said to a woman, “So those are tears of joy I hope,” as she smiles through wiping the tears off her cheeks. He then said, “I thought you were going to grow wings,” and the woman responded, “I was trying,” and ended it all with a laugh.
Charlotte: I think the connection you made between the material we are looking at in Geography and ATSU was important. When a society is such that immigrants or citizens who look different from native-born citizens feel excluded and discriminated against, the issue must be seen in the context of the institutional and governmental policies that are perpetuating this society of discrimination. The passage from Gregg’s article that stood out the most for me was when he discussed the racist policies created by the political and economic elite and the effects they have on young immigrants drawing them to a lifestyle of desperation, for example in Toronto where some are resorting to violence. I believe the connection between their lives and Sarah’s life is evident insofar as they are searching for an identity within an exclusive society where they don’t feel they belong because of how they are treated based solely on their physical traits.
Anna: I found the perspective you brought to grieving on social media very interesting. When I was in grade 10, a fourteen year old girl at the school I was attending died. I hadn’t known her at all but I had seen her in the halls and outside at lunch and the idea that someone younger than I was had suddenly died after a night out with her friends shook me. At the time I didn’t have Facebook and to me it was a distant platform my peers used to post pictures and short posts marking unique and exciting events in their lives. Admittedly, I wasn’t very familiar with the social media network however, the posts my friends showed me of her wall after she died haunted me. Her Facebook page seemed so vibrant, vivacious and new; a complete juxtaposition with the new comments being posted on the wall of the deceased teenager. Nevertheless, while the use of Facebook as a means to grieve seemed a foreign and even inappropriate response to me, for those posting, it was an important part of their grieving process. After reading your blog I began to think about Facebook less in terms of a site for keeping in touch with my friends but as a world-wide method of communication.
Emma: I can imagine that living life as a celebrity could often feel like living as an animal or a doll. They are dressed and made up before being seen at public events or in films, and when spotted without a Dior dress and Prada handbag picked apart by tabloids for looking like “ordinary people.” In sociology today we talked about the connection between the mind and the body and I think for some of these celebrities there is a disconnect between the two. They are seen as no more than a clothes-hanger by all who scrutinize every detail of their lives and therefore disconnect their sense of self from their body in order to separate themselves from the tabloid gossip. This is a very sad effect of an appalling invasion of privacy however, when the invasion goes beyond their lives as living film or musical stars and into the matter of their death they become no more than a vessel for the profit of the tabloids and the entertainment of the general public. To me, there is no question why so many celebrities lead lives of unhappiness and I wonder what our society would look like if ‘dream lifestyle’ weren’t one of such unhappiness.