“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.”

           For this weeks blog prompt our teacher is helping us think through our upcoming essay. We were asked to pick between a few different movies and talk about the single story it discusses in comparison to Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I chose to compare the documentary "Miss Representation" to Things Fall Apart, however, I am going to make the opposite point then perhaps he expects me to make. Miss Representation is about how women are portrayed in the media, and how their representation in media affects them. 
           The single story that the film is trying to portray is that women are being degraded, everyone believes that girls are taught from a very young age that looks are all that matter, and boys are taught only to judge a women based on her looks. It is constantly said that if only women could break away from this stereotype then maybe we could have powerful women as leaders. Here is the problem I have with this statement. It would be simple for women to make that change, not easy but simple. Change is never easy, and is never comfortable. Revolutions were held to free from oppressive governments, and slaves rebelled when there was inequality. These revolutions and rebellions were not easy, they were not comfortable, but they did happen. Why can't women do the same thing? It has been talked about for generations that the media is responsible for the digression of women. But the media is only showing what people want to watch. To be fair would the majority of the population rather watch a show where all women are dressed the same, in unflattering clothes, with a unflattering lack of makeup, and where they all are peacefully debating intellectual questions, or would you rather watch a crap TV show with four beautiful girls backstabbing each other in comedic plot twists and fighting over hot romantic leads? Blaming the media for the digression is not fair, really blaming the entire population would have better results. 

       There is another fault in blaming the media for the bad example that is being set for women, history. If one were to look back in history before the media was even a concept they would notice the vanity that was important among women. Examples as early, and earlier, as the French Revolution show that women were judged by their looks, in addition to women being judged by other women, men made assumptions of a women based on her looks and demeanour. 

     I chose this film to write about in my essay because I believe there is a false accusation being held against the media in terms of women gender stereotypes. 

The title is a quote from Perks of Being a Wallflower  by ― Stephen Chbosky

“As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking.” ― Virginia Woolf

And to an extent it is true. People form opinions, it is natural and not a good thing. Whether a person wants to or not, the second they learn a new fact they make an opinion on it. There is one exception  fora person making an opinion. If they don't think about it at all. 
I often try to block out thoughts that are not pleasant, thinking of something depressing and sad. Thinking of possible starving children in Africa, not the same as thinking of unicorns and homework. I couldn't have a stereotype for Africa because before reading Things Fall Apart I had not even thought about it. Realising that I had been so blind to the rest of the world though did make me thing of things that have been going on with a new clarity, accepting the bad and the good of the world.

Procrastination is what I am a pro at

           In this Ted Talk Dan Pink talks about why it is so hard for people to get motivated and how easy it can be to get motivated. I picked this Ted Talk because procrastination is something I consistently struggle with. I wish to get my homework done the day it is assigned and although I know that i really should just sit down and make myself do it, I always find myself putting it off until much later.
            In Pink's Ted Talk it is revealed how easy it can be for someone to get motivated. My favourite part of this message is not how he describes how incentives ruin business in the twenty first century, but how if you are doing what you love to do, you won't need motivation. Particularly if you are in pursuit of picking either a major, or a job, pick something you will love.
             By living the life you want to live you will always be inspired to progress further. For the most part, I do not care for Ted Talks because these are people who are paid to say things. They are controlling their views so as not to appear to controversy. Although some may speak against these things, they are most certainly doing one of those things right then. Dan Pink is procrastinating taking a next step in his life by remaining focused on this one point.