Assignment 1-3 Journal Analysis

The article that I chose to analyze was written by Jessamyn Neuhaus and titled Marge Simpson, Blue Haired Housewife: Defining Domestication the Simpsons. This article looks at what society perceives as the responsibilities and roles of the mother and wife in the American family on T.V. The Simpsons is a great satire of these values, Marge is the one to hold the family together with patience and love and understanding. She is the nucleus of her family, very much like it is in real life. In the show Marge is the perfect homemaker, patient wife and unconditionally loves her three children. She helps to support not only her family but the community and everyone depends on her.  The satire of the show is that no matter how bad things get with her children misbehaving and her idiot husband constantly making mistakes, Marge is always there to fix everything and save the day.

The creators of the Simpsons did not make Marge appear like the stereotype homemaker, she has the large goofy hairdo and the gravelly voice, not at all like the past T.V. mom and their perfect appearances. Marge’s character keeps her cool just like most past T.V. moms, but every once in awhile she losses her patience and has to put her family in their place. Even though the show is mocking the idealized images of mother and wife, it is still trying to make a point. The point is of the irreplaceable role of the mother and wife. Like most of us, the creators of the Simpsons have trouble imagining a home without a female in the position of wife and mom, and homemaker (Neuhaus, 2010).

There are many aspects of Marge’s role as wife and mother that deliberately satirize the televised stereotype of a naturally cheerful homemaker. Marge’s exemplary mothering is one of the most important ways the Simpsons embodies traditional values (Neuhaus, 2010). Even though Marge is dramatically shown as the quintessential homemaker, she still refuses to be demeaned or belittled.  Marge is absolutely essential to the bond of the Simpson family. Matt Groening states, “I shudder to think what would happen if Marge weren’t there to keep Homer from killing the kids.” (Neuhaus, 2010).  Marge is the glue and the anchor in her family, much like the many mothers in the real world.

References

Neuhaus, Jessamyn. (2010).Marge Simpson, blue haired housewife: Defining domesticity

                on the Simpsons. The Journal of popular culture, 43(4), Wiley Periodicals Inc.

Assignment 5-1

As a mom of three children ages 16, 12 and 10, I have a rising concern of the texting that may occur between them and their friends. It seems that they become more and more disconnected from talking to people face to face.  This is something that will affect them as they get older and will need to communicate with others in the real world of employment and college.  My twelve year old son will even send messages to his grandparents, which they don’t mind. They are happy that he is keeping in touch with them. My opinion, I think he just needs to visit with them longer and talk face to face more. Young people rely too much on texting to communicate with people.

I believe that this will be a problem with communicating with others when they are in a situation where they have to talk. I have gone over this with my oldest son; he has been searching for a part time job and at times has a hard time keeping eye contact with someone interviewing him. He is used to relying on the phone, not face to face contact. I think we have all heard the horrible stories of people breaking up through texting, or saying terrible things. Some kids get bold and will be sexually suggestive and send a message to another person that they would never say to their face.

Research reported by The American Public Health Association finds that hyper-texters (more than 120 messages a day) are twice as likely as others to have tried alcohol, and more than three times more likely to have had sex (LaRue Huget, 2010). It does not show that every kid that texts will have problems, but it does suggest that kids that text excessively are more likely to try risky behaviors than those who text less. Of course it depends on who they are texting; their choice of friends is the most important thing (LaRue Huget, 2010).

It is not a big deal to young people; this is just how they communicate. I tell my kids there are three things to remember before sending something that might be offensive. One, they always need to put themselves in the other persons place and think about what that would feel like. Second, they need to ask themselves if this is something they would say to that persons face? If not, don’t do it. Last, is this something that you would be ashamed of if I or their grandparents read? If so, don’t do it. Nothing is worth the possible consequences of these words that can’t ever be taken back.

References

LaRue-Huget, J. (2010). Hyper-texting teens troubling behaviors.  The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2011, from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2010/11/hyper-texting_teens_in_trouble.html.