I love writing. That’s probably a prerequisite if you have a blog, but I really love writing. Because I love it so much, I have wondered why that is. And which better way to explore that question than by writing about it? So, welcome to another Why episode!
After over 5 years of teaching critical thinking, some ideas seem to repeat themselves, so last year I turned it around for my English course and first introduced what I think are the cornerstones for most problems in our society, before moving on specific topics where you can find those ideas. It worked insofar as that everyone is more aware of these things, but it also makes a good running joke whenever I mention them again. And the students now try to use them for an answer when I ask something. They learned fast that in most cases, they’ll be right with one of the three words I introduced. And I use those words often enough in my posts to warrant some explanation. Which words am I talking about and why are they so important? Good thing you ask, that’s what we’re here for today, kids!
Well, the title doesn’t leave you much room for speculation what this is about, right? I’m vegan for about 1,5 years now (and my whole family is). So, for those wondering, here are my main reasons for being vegan:
So, there is this stream…
Wait, haven’t we been there before? Twice? And what is it now? Should we go against or with the flow? Can’t you make up your mind?
When I read this article on the lack of female characters in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I realized many things.
First, that I am not so off with my many observations on the portrayal of women in movies. Other people notice it too and once you notice it, it’s hard to not see it anymore (as it is with any truths you start to see beneath the fabric our culture puts on our eyes). Women are mis- and underrepresented in our culture, despite the fact that in the real world they are everywhere! That doesn’t seem very fair. The article is especially interesting in the way it makes Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves admit this problem without him ever being aware of it. We are so used to having male leads and female love interests because we rarely see anything else from the moment we consume culture. This makes it very hard to actually change it because it seems natural.
So, there is this stream that everyone is following.
I was having a discussion in class yesterday (which I initiated) about stereotypes and it got me thinking that this is an excellent topic to write about. Especially since I realized that most of my posts deal with stereotypes in one way or another. So here, in no particular order some thoughts on stereotypes.
Speak Up, Ask, Answer 