new revisions of midterm

Becky Tobin

Professor Pope

English 101

April 9, 2012  

            The short story “Modern Love”, written by T.C. Boyle tells an interesting story which most people can relate to. A man takes a woman named Breda out on a date, which eventually leads to many more. He starts to have feelings for her, but the more he gets to know her the more he finds out he realizes that, she is a germaphobe.  She hates a lot of places, because they disturb her. On one date to the ice cream parlor, Breda brings up the different places. She starts off by saying, “ I can’t tell you what a strain it was for me the other night,” and then continues, “I mean Thai food, the seats in the movie theatre, the ladies room…”(Boyle 1). The man is confused, doesn’t understand what went wrong, but gives Breda time to explain. She goes on about the different diseases one can catch, and germs one can pick up. The man never had thought about it, but she made him more aware. Not wanting her germaphobia to get in the way, he slowly makes sacrifices for her.

            The man isn’t too worried about his surroundings; he is willing to follow her wishes. As the story goes on, and they have more dates, the connection they have becomes clearer. The man starts getting used to her and her craziness. When they get to the point of taking it to the next level, she tells him that he needs to wear a full body condom from Sweden to protect them from diseases, and he agrees to wear it. Weeks go by, and Breda tells him, “I want you to meet Michael. Michael Maloney.”(Boyle 6) The man replies, “Sure. Who’s he?” Breda replies, “My doctor.”(Boyle 6). The man, still willing to do everything for their relationship, follows through. But little did he know what he was getting himself into. He gets to the doctor’s office, and is given every possible test. Weeks progress and the man seems happier than ever. They spend day after day together, and he slowly forgets about his visit to the doctors, until Breda reminds him.

            Even though he had done everything for Breda, it didn’t matter in the end. He hadn’t heard from her in days, and he would call her day after day. She wouldn’t call him back or even pick the phone up. So he decides to call her cousin, and after preparing a speech, Breda ends up answering after all. Breda tells him that they can’t see each other anymore because he has athlete’s foot. The man is crushed he went so far for her, and in the end, it didn’t matter.

            This story gives the message that even as far as one goes, it may never be enough for that other person. It also proves the more aware one is of their surroundings the more one may get grossed out. Sometimes it’s better to just live their life instead of listening to what’s around you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

Boyle,T.C.(1998).“Modern Love”. The Collected Stories of T.Coraghessan Boyle Viking. (1-9).

Proposal

Becky Tobin

Professor Pope

English 101

April 22, 2012

Legalization of Women’s Prostitution

            Prostitution is defined as a sexual service in which there is a connection between the seller and buyer; this is illegal in many states. Everyone has a different opinion towards prostitution. It can be a disturbance to society, and can be a health issue. However if it was legalized in the United States, there would be many benefits. It would bring positive benefits to prostitutes, but most of all make society more safe and healthy. 

            Prostitution is looked down upon in society, but some women feel they have no other choice besides this career. Prostitution can cause concerns in society due to health issues, exposure to children, and exploitation of women.  Some women who have abusive partners, bad childhoods, and economic needs at times turn to this field.  Women, who do decide to go in this field, are aware of the dangers, but still go forward with it. It’s a women’s choice whether or not she put herself in this situation, however it’s some women’s last resort to gain some money to keep them alive. 

            In the article, “Why is Prostitution Criminalized? An Alternative Viewpoint on the Construction of Sex Work”, a study was done from Brazil.  Women sex workers were interviewed, and the results they found were 100% of these women used condoms while performing any sexual act and that only 16.5% ever contracted an STD (Hayes-Smitha & Shekarkharb, 2010). Although there are prostitutes in Brazil it is still decriminalized other words known as being treated illegal. In the United States the results are different because, prostitutes are more afraid to walk into a doctor’s office. They believe they will be judged or stereotyped.  Not only are they afraid of the image they perceive but they also feel as if they will be reported for committing a crime and, if they have children, they will be taken away from them.  If the legalization of prostitution was passed, and government allowed it to be a profession, women would be tested frequently for diseases. This would protect them, but also their partners who they are having intercourse with.

      Another health problem that is faced with prostitution is drug use. From an article called “Meeting of Professions”, it said “95 percent of prostitutes are drug users” (Harrison, 2005).  Most women prostitute to support their habit, and because they don’t get any medical help, they have no way to get clean. Drug use spreads diseases, such as AIDS and HIV.  If prostitution was legalized, women would be able to get the treatment to help guide them on the right path of living. 

            Although prostitutes put themselves in a dangerous position, some are raped and abused by their customers. It states that if prostitution were legalized, “rape in the USA would drop by 25% or 25,000 rapes per year” (Hayes-Smitha&Shekarkharb, 2010).  If a prostitute was put in this situation they are unable to get help from the police or press charges, because they are also committing an illegal crime. Not only do these women get abused from their costumers, but they also can be abused by their pimps. Legalizing prostitution can allow women to feel comfortable calling a police officer for help, and can drop the amount violence against women.  Most of all it will allow women to live stable lives. Women won’t have to fear being prosecuted for this choice of career.  Since rape acts go un-reported men are able to get away, because the prostitutes don’t call the cops.  So if they were able to call the police more rapists can be caught, and then taken off the streets before they can do more acts of this type.

             One way to make communities safer is to have managed zones for prostitutes. These zones would be located in different areas of the state, and they will be regulated by the government. This will protect the women living in them, making it safer, and healthier. In order to work in these zones, women will have to have license, and have medical checkups on a weekly basis.  If one is to fail a check up, and have a disease, they will not be allowed to work unless they get treated. If the government is monitoring these zones it will be less likely that any crime will be committed, and women will not be victimized.  The zones will have brothels (a house where prostitutes go) so women can feel protected, since they are being watched over, and not alone in the streets. Women who live in these brothels will have people who manage them. This will limit the chance of someone getting taken or even killed.  The communities will be cleaner once these women are taken off the streets. 

            The last reason why the legalization of prostitution could be a benefit of the USA is the money income. Our country is in a severe financial crisis, and any little jobs could help regulate the economy.  If prostitution were to be legalized it could help bring in an income to the country.  So many people are involved in this profession; pimps, prostitutes, and costumers, which means there is a large amount of money. If the government were monitoring this profession they would be able to take a large percentage of the income, and put it into the economy.  If prostitution were an actual job women will be able to help the economy, and allow them to make more money for themselves. A tax rate can be placed on this career. Since the government will be regulating this, they can take as much as long as they still pay everyone for their work. 

    Prostitution is looked down upon in many places in America, and some even see it as a social disturbance. However Nevada has a few counties that have different views of this crime. Although prostitution is illegal in Nevada, they have made it legal in some parts. It shows on a government website, ProCon.org each state laws regarding prostitution and the fees they have on the brothels that are placed in those counties. “Nevada has more than half of its counties that have legalized this act. Storey County in particular has made it legal, and has to pay $75, 000 towards the brothels each year.”(ProCon). This means that they still have to pay for the brothels, which means that the government gets some of the money. Legalization of prostitution can do a lot for this country, and as Nevada has already done, it is time to look past the cons of this work choice and think about the health and care for others.

    If the government were the ones to monitor and regulate prostitution, making it legal, many of the disadvantages of this profession would become an advantage.  These advantages would not only help those who are part of this profession but also those who are living in the communities which prostitution is taking place.  Studies show that health in these communities will benefit from the legalization, that crime, violence, rape and drug use will decrease. 

Revisions of Culture analysis

Becky Tobin

Professor Pope

English 101

April 28, 2012

Violence in the Media and its Effects on Young Children

            Lots of people remember being a child and wanting to play video games and watch television every second. They would wonder what “R” rated movies were like, and how they would get their hands on the new video game that was rated “T” for teen. But, do ratings even matter anymore? It seems that there is violence all over the television. Not only is it on television, but it can be found all over the media. Whether or not it is on cartoon shows, commercials or even in video games, everywhere one looks violence surrounds children.

The perception of violence has changed over the years. In the past, there was always violence, but people didn’t hear about it as much. The amount of violence in the media can corrupt a person’s mind, causing them to fear for their lives. At times, violence can occur in simple everyday activities, such as play dates, and going to school. Violence in the media appears in many different ways. People are killed every day, and it is reported on the news. The average reality television show usually has some type of violence, whether it is physical or mental. Violence has become second nature to children. Since they see it on television, play it in video games, and watch it in their households on a daily basis, they can’t help but to assume that violence is a part of life.

 In an essay called, “Teaching Our Kids to Shoot ‘Em Up”, Tina Sergio discusses the fact that there will always be violence in the world, but no matter how much there is, the amount being seen in the media can be monitored. She makes valid points, writing, “Unfortunately, violent entertainment survives on television because the audience has been conditioned to expect the harsher realities” (Sergio 204). People have become so used to violence that it’s second nature. Tina Sergio implies that parents have turned to television and video games to be their childrens’ babysitter, and on average, a child watches television and plays videogames 35 hours per week (204).  It isn’t healthy for children to be watching this amount of television per week; parents instead should be spending quality time with their children.

Not only is it the parents’ responsibility what content children see in video games, but video game manufacturers should be taking into consideration the  age of  children that tend to play these video games. Parents should be more aware of what their children watch while they are at home. They also shouldn’t be allowing them to play video games that aren’t appropriate for their age. Parents who watch their child’s television show and comment to them on the contents of the program will reduce some of the effects of violence on television. Parents who become involved can help children better understand what they see on television. This makes children more aware that the act of violence is real, and reduces the likelihood that a child will act out the violence while they play.

The Federal Communications Commission’s website provides some ways that violence on television can be monitored by parents. A technology called a v-chip allows parents or guardians to block programs that they don’t want to be seen by their children. The television industry has come up with many different ratings for television. Some of the different ratings listed on the website were for young children: TV-Y, TV-Y7, and more commonly, TV-G and TV-PG (“Federal Communications”). TV-Y is for ages 2-6 and TV-Y7 is for older children. TV-G is for general audiences; this applies to all of the public, and TV-PG is slightly different because it suggests having parental guidance (“Federal Communications”). They also have a rating system for movies. They are G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17. Parents with young children take their children to a “G” rated movie which is for the general audience or to a “PG” movie in which parental guidance is suggested.  These rating systems are what parents use to base their decision on. Having a system like this makes parents have some sort of guideline to follow.

In Tina Sergio’s essay, she also gives examples of different ways that children are exposed to violence in the media. She states, “Although South Park is an adult cartoon, some parents allow their children to watch it, mainly because it is a cartoon” (Sergio 205). This shows that parents aren’t always aware of the content of television programs. She also provides an example of a video game that contains explicit content. She writes, “For example, in the game called Doom, the players wander through the corridors blasting the guts out of their enemies. What effects do these games have on children when day after day they sit in front of the screens pretending to shoot and kill?” (205). She later states that some people may argue that this makes children lose touch with reality. In “Violence in the Media- Effects on Child Behavior”, Kelly Nault writes, that Dr. Barbara Wilson, senior researcher, states Younger children have difficulty distinguishing televised fantasy from reality. This is a problem because children will grow up thinking that death is something that exists in a fantasy world. Video games and television should be enjoyed by all different age groups, as long as they are enjoyed in a safe and non violent matter.

It is said that violence in the media has an effect on children. Some may argue that it doesn’t have any effect. In an interview on YouTube, Michael Morgan, a communications professor from UMASS, talks about his opinion on this subject. He supports a different approach to understanding violence in the media and the effects it has on children. He states, “ There are a lot more people that are victims of violence than perpetrated, and a lot more people suffer than initiate” ( Morgan). He states that there are five to six acts of violence that occur per hour on numerous channels, and 70% of characters on television each week are involved in violence. Violence can be found on channels, such as NBC and FOX. Professor Morgan supports the idea that if people were influenced to commit violent acts by watching violence, everyone would be dead. The reason why violence is so common on television is because it can be easily understood all over the world, because violence takes place everywhere. For example, a comedy may be funny to one culture and not to another culture. So, it’s much easier to sell violence than something funny. Morgan thinks that the effect on children who watch violence in the media will cause them to live in fear and be scared of violence more often than they become violent. After watching certain things in the media people become more aware of their surroundings when they are in public. 

In Kelly Nault’s article entitled, “Violence in the Media- Effects on Child Behavior,” the author writes, “…we’re living in a violent world, between news reports on terrorism, bullying at school, and violence in the media, our children are exposed to all kinds of aggression” (Nault).  In the study, she lists different outcomes and effects children can have from watching violent television. The list says, “[Children] become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, [they] have heightened fear in the world, and demonstrate increased aggression and violent behavior toward others…” (Nault). Not only does she discuss the effects violence has on children but she also gives ideas for limiting the exposure of violence in the media and what can be done to reduce the effects. A few of the different ideas she lists are, “Watch a minimum of one episode of every program…” (Nault). This is so that parents can get an understanding of what exactly the television show is about. There is even a healthier approach that parents can use. As stated in the same piece, Kelly Nault suggests that parents can “Reduce… children’s exposure to media violence… [by] introduce[ing] fun alternatives to TV” (Nault). Like playing outside, and bonding with their children. There are enough ways to stop violence from being seen by children. In the future, violence can become an even worse problem, eventually affecting more people.

Whether or not you are a child or parent who has children who watch  violence in the media can affect you.

 Lots of people remember being a child and wanting to play video games and watch television every second. They would wonder what “R” rated movies were like, and how they would get their hands on the new video game that was rated “T” for teen. But, do ratings even matter anymore? It seems that there is violence all over the television. Not only is it on television, but it can be found all over the media. Whether or not it is on cartoon shows, commercials or even in video games, everywhere one looks violence surrounds children.

 

A study done almost ten years ago gives evidence that violence in the media does affect children. The study was done over a 15-year period of time. It studied children since they were young up until they became young adults. They found many results for women who watched a lot of violence on television as children. They were more likely to have thrown something at their partner, in response to someone who made them mad by shoving, punching, beating or choking the person. They also found women either committed some type of criminal act, or committed a moving traffic violation. It was reported that, women were four times more likely than other women to have punched, beaten or choked another adult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

Brandon, Lee E. “Teaching Our Kids to Shoot ’em up.” At a Glance: Essays. Belmont, CA:          Cengage Learning, 2012. 203-06.

“Childhood Exposure To Media Violence Predicts Young Adult Aggressive Behavior, Accord                  ing To A New 15-Year Study.” American Psychological Association (APA). Web. 10                         Apr. 2012. 

“Guide.” V-Chip. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://www.fcc.gov/guides/v-chip-putting-restrictions-      what-your-children-watch>

“Professor Michael Morgan Interview Highlights on Media Violence.”YouTube.19 Nov. 2010.                 Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <ht tp://ww w.yout u