The American sit-com: gender roles

Blog your thoughts in response to the episodes we viewed in class and gender roles, relationships... you may address some of the discussion questions provided in class.

Invisible Children

Use this space to blog your reactions to Invisible Children.

Now that you've had time to process your thoughts and some of the thoughts shared by your peers in class, what do you think about the issues raised in the documentary?

Hotel manager asks workers to change names...

Follow the link below to an article about the hotel manager who recently asked some of his Latino workers to Anglicize their names. What do you think about the controversy that's ensued? Blog your reactions.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/26/national/main5422261.shtml

30 Days: Muslims and America

Use this space to discuss your reactions to the episode of 30 Days: "Muslims and America"...

Profanity in the Classroom?

Follow this link to an article about a recent controversy at St. Charles West HS:

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/chas-beat/schools/2009/09/the-st-charles-west-high-schoolnwa-controversy-what-do-you-think/

...after reading the article and public reaction, what do you think? Who do you side with? Does profanity have a place in education? Explain.

Illuminated Pleasures

"Illuminated Pleasures"

This painting is "Illuminated Pleasures" by Salvador Dali, published in 1929. This painting is displayed in The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, New York. Salvador Dali is known for his Surrealism paintings his most famous "The Melting Clock". Some can argue that Salvador Dali was the father of the Surrealism Movement going on at the time.
Almost all of Salvador Dali's painting are done using Surrealism. Surrealism is distorting figures almost to trick the mind. Often times trying to connect with the subconcious mind. Salvador Dali made a quote regarding to this painting. Someone asked why do all your paintings potray violence or sex. Salvador simply said "Well quite frankly that is my life". When Dali was starting out his styles of painting were looked down upon by critics but later was praised by those same critics an were considered some of the greatest art of the modern era.
Are all these things put together to represent a bigger picture or just thrown together just because? Why are majority of his paintings all have very similiar backrounds: sun fading, few clouds, dirt ground?

John Coplans Self Portrait

John Coplans is known for his black and white, nude self portraits. This photo may turn heads at first and just been seen as a naked man. It caught my eye because of the age of the man in the photo. Clearly, the man is older but I still find the picture beautiful. Coplans doesn't show his face which helps the viewer not focus on a specific identity or person. The camera lingers over every imperfection, such as the wrinkles, skin spots, sagging skin, and splotches of hair.

This picture also shows Coplans use of humor and wit but also his intelligence and passion.

He makes himself more brilliant and beautiful than modern pictures that show men and women with their "perfect" bodies.