Hey! My name is Ashleigh Hall. I am a senior majoring in Art Therapy. I have a dog and three cats! I work at a doggie daycare and really enjoying spending my downtime watching movies (my favorite genre is horror) and drawing. I am also extremely interested in marine life and more specifically interested in sharks. I try to live life to the fullest because you never know when your time will be up, so making every second count is something that is really important to me.
"Understanding Patriarchy"
"At church they had heard that God created man to rule the world and everything in it and that it was the work of women to help men perform these tasks, to obey, and to always assume a subordinate role in relation to a powerful man. They were taught that God was male. These teachings were reinforced in every institution they encountered -- schools, courthouses, clubs, sports arenas, as well as churches."
I think this I really fascinating as it was extremely different for me growing up. My parents taught me to be independent and they taught me to be able to hold my own, wanting me to be able to provide and rely on myself. I also think this is interesting because I feel these are institutions that should be keeping religion out of there unless they are specialized within the church (ex: Catholic schools). It breaks my heart that there are people who are so deeply rooted in their beliefs that causes (I'm not necessarily sure if this is the right word I'm looking for in this instance) degradation to the women in their lives, even when it comes to degradation from other women.
"His voice grew louder and louder. Then suddenly he snatched me up, broke a board from our screen door, and began to beat me with it, telling me "you're just a little girl. When I tell you to do something I mean for you to do it." He beat me and he beat me, wanting me to acknowledge that I understood what I had done. His rage, his violence captured everyone's attention. Our family sat spellbound, part before the pornography of patriarchal violence. After this beating I was banished— forced to stay alone in the dark. Mama came into the bedroom to soothe the pain, telling me in her soft southern voice, "I tried to warn you. You need to accept that you are just a little girl and little girls can't do what boys do."In service to patriarchy her task was to reinforce that dad had done the right thing by, putting me in my place, by restoring the natural social order."
I really hated reading this section, especially when Hooks explains that this story was told over and over again by her family as a reminder of her place even though it causes her pain and she has PTSD from it. I have seen my fair share of angry and violent men but none of them would ever dare touch me because my parents would hunt them down. My sister once decked someone for taking something of hers and my parents and grandparents tell that story laughing about it. My sister is very competitive as am I and my mother so the thought of being beat for just having a completive spirit is unfathomable to me. My heart broke as I read this section because I fortunately cannot relate to it but so many other people can and it isn't right or fair that anyone has to live their life like that.
"What Memes Owe to Art History"
"But Wrestler noted the limits of political memes in isolation. "Narratives matter... Pictures don't speak for themselves," he said. arguing that memes are not just jokes, but rather have the potential to be more sinister than what meets the eye."
I never thought about memes being anything more than just that. Most of the memes I see I never thought of having any kind of political undertones and never thought of them as anything more than something to laugh at.
"From the surprise attack delivery of the iconic Rickroll a decade ago, to curators tapping today's online activists to put on the next ground-breaking exhibition, meme culture has its own (accelerated) history."
I think it is so funny that the Rickroll meme is one that is so iconic that it still today has the impact of getting its own mention. Everyone knows what's coming as soon a the first note hits and I honestly think that is such a crazy thing that so many people still find hilarious. I think it would be so interesting for an activist to create something that will continue to still vote some kind of reaction that they hope for after decades and I hope that whatever they create will continue to make history even centuries from now.
"Memes Are Our Generation's Protest Art"
"Something can be comedic or a joke and still be incredibly poignant."
I think this is a really powerful statement because it is something that is not only seen in the media but is also a concern of everyday living. Everyone perceives things differently and it isn't always what is said but the way it was said. People don't realize that their words are stronger than they think which is also something really powerful with the media and memes because it can demolish human beings in an instant when something spreads like wildfire and goes viral.
"The subjects of these activists memes, Jasper noted, are villains, and that's a key part of protest art in general— in identifying social problems the genre needs villains. "They're an important step in arousing the anger or fear that can mobilize people," he said."
This was interesting because I never looked at it as some of the subjects of memes being villains. I think it is an interesting perspective because not only can people be villains but to others these people can be heroes. Everyone has their own ideas and their own beliefs which causes them to agree or disagree with the art but I think calling the subject a villain will cause much more stir and commotion and controversy around not only the subject but the topics and beliefs the subject stands for. This can also create subtopics and deeper and more intellectual conversations surrounding these subjects.
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