Stereotypes

     Stereotypes are the cause of prejudice and hate in society. Often times, they are used in cruel jokes that target a group of people. Stereotypes in society are used as an acceptable way to humiliate and discriminate an individual, or sometimes an entire race. However, it is certain that these stereotypes do not classify and correctly describe someone. With that being said, the question, "What factors contribute to such prejudice and how?" comes into play. The idea of stereotypes generates from many different outlets. The most powerful one is usually the media. The media regulates and decides what can be implanted into people's brains, especially children's. From a young age, children learn through biased media that it is acceptable to make fun of a race, gender, religion, because the rest of the world is participating also. Other factors include parental attitudes, and general viewpoints based off of certain events we see throughout our lives. These factors are not necessarily valid, and contribute to why prejudice takes place in the form of stereotypes. Consequently, the question of, "Is it possible to grow to adulthood without harboring at least some prejudice toward certain groups?" arises. At a young age, we learn it is acceptable to have some sort of discrimination against a certain person, for example if a friend does not share their toys, they are now the enemy. This idea makes its way into adulthood. In adulthood, however, the issue of toys is transformed to the issue of money, well-being, and other advantages that arise. For example, if a coworker is not dressed as fashionable as you are, but receives the promotion you were working so hard for, that coworker is now made suspicious by you and the rest of the staff. The stereotype of appearances plays a major role in adulthood, because of the way life decisions, such as promotions in a job, are made.

Steubenville Rape Trial Verdict

     The article, "Steubenville Rape Trial Verdict: Trent Mays, Ma'lik Richmond Found Guilty" was written on March 17, 2013 in The Huffington Post by the Associated Press. On August 11, 2012 two high school football players, Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond, supposedly digitally penetrated a sixteen year old West Virginia girl, first in the back seat of a moving car after an alcohol-fueled party, then in the basement of a house. The football team of Steubenville, located in Ohio, is the pride of the city, and this case has torn the city into two. The trial opened up last week when prosecutors claimed that the girl was so drunk she could not have been a willing participant that night, and the defense attorneys claiming that although drunk, she knew exactly was she was doing. The girl, who is unknown, testified that she does not remember anything except waking up the next morning lying naked in an unfamiliar house. She believes she might have been drugged, and that she believed she was assaulted from reading text messages between friends and seeing a photo and video from that night that made fun of her and alleged the attack. Two former friends, however, testified that the girl has been known for drinking heavily and lying. A judge announced on Sunday that the defendants in the trial were found guilty. They received delinquent verdicts, the guilty equivalent for juveniles, on all three charges. Mays was also found guilty of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. The boys will serve their sentence in a juvenile detention until they turn 21.

McDonald's in Trouble Again!

     The article, "McDonald's Franchises in Pennsylvania Accused of Exploiting Student Guest Workers" was written by Dave Jamieson on March 06, 2013 in The Huffington Post. The National Guestworker Alliance, a labor group representing foreign guest workers in the United States, has accused McDonald's franchises near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania of paying lower than legal wages to student guest workers, as well as housing them in unsafe and uncomfortable conditions. Students from Argentina, Peru, Chile, Malaysia, and other Asian and Latin American countries paid as much as $3,000 a person to travel to the U.S., work a typical U.S. student's job usually in the service or food industry, and learn the American culture. This cultural and educational program happens through J-1visas. On Wednesday, a number of students walked out their jobs at McDonald's because they believed their working and living conditions, which consisted of four hour work day's with less than $7.25 an hour, which is deduced by the housing fee, and eight people living in one room, was unfair and protests began in front of their jobs. The Labor Department has dealt with a similar situation, in which the student groups were paid extremely low wages to do tedious work at a Pennsylvania packing plant for Hershey chocolates, in which the Labor Department was able to obtain an agreement from Hershey's to pay the students $200,000 back in pay. Congress is currently trying to extensively change immigration reform, and labor groups have paid closer attention to guest worker visa programs.

Veevo in Wonderland

     $100,000 budget to throw the most extravagant party known to mankind? Mission accepted. The theme of the party: Alice in Wonderland meets West Hollywood. Step one are the invitations, which are sent out to over 300 exclusive residents with a small bottle that says drink me, costing $2,000. Once the guest drinks the content, they can remove a key from the bottle which gives the location of the party. The guests are anyone and everyone who I have been acquainted with. $7,000 will be used to rent out double decker buses to transport the guests to and from their arrival areas. Next, I will rent out the Andaz hotel rooftop and outdoor pool, with the price weighing in at $8,000 for the night. The catering will be provided by Wolfgang Puck and other Iron Chefs, adding up to a total of $15,000. The food will include a wide range, varying from double truffle and Iranian saffron hamburgers, Almas caviar, pizza topped with lobster, creme fraiche, and chives, club sandwiches with 30 month-cured ham, quail eggs, white truffles, semi-dried Italian tomatoes, and sourdough bread, sushi made by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Kobe beef, lamb chops, chicken, duck, over thirty different salads, and of course dessert. The dessert table will have a chocolate waterfall, macaroons from Bottega Louie, ice cream and frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity 3, cake, cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, and cannoli from Carlos Bakery, cotton candy, and of course tea pastries to go along with the tea party. However, the tea is spiked with alcohol. Alcoholic beverages will include over seventy five packs of beer, Grey Goose and Ciroc, different martinis, and Hennessy. There will also be a beer pong competition throughout the night, with over thirty tables to play on; the alcohol will be about $5,000. Of course, there needs to be a hookah section representing the Caterpillar, with over fifty flavors to choose from and a professional packer. The total price will be about $5,000. Next, entertainment. The Weeknd, Rihanna, and A$AP Rocky will perform throughout the night, costing $30,000. Lastly, to represent the Queen of Hearts, card games, such as poker and black jack, will be provided indoors. All individuals who lose will hear "Off with his head!" and be removed from the table they were playing at for twenty minutes. The tables will be $20,000. $5,000 will be used for colorful decorations, servers, cleaning crew, and inflatable hamster balls so individuals can swim in the pool without getting wet. The remaining $3,000 will be used to give out puppies as party favors.
*Since I do not drink nor smoke, I will assume the role of Gatsby and observe the actions of my guests. Absolutely no video/photography/cellular devices will be allowed.

 

Teacher Fired for Premarital Sex

     The article, "Teri James, Pregnant Woman Allegedly Fired for Premarital Sex, Sues Christian School" was written in The Huffington Post on March 1, 2013 by Katherine Bindley. Recently, a controversy involving religious schools and the strict contracts they impose on the administration has been the cause of many court cases. Teri James, 29, a teacher at San Diego Christian College, was fired for engaging in premarital sex and has now hired a high-profile attorney to sue the college. James was asked to sign a two-page contract that included a clause that did not allow her to engage in "sexually immoral behavior including premarital sex." Last fall, she was humiliated when she was called into the supervisor's office and asked if she was pregnant, then let go. After she was let go, the school offered her fiance (now her husband) a position in the school, even though they knew he had had sex before being married too. Cases similar to this have happened all over the nation, including the Southern Baptist-based Shorter University. A third of the faculty decided to quit rather than sign a "lifestyle" statement, which did not allow the faculty to drink in public, have sex before marriage, or allow homosexuality. Discriminatory cases such as these cause individual's to lose their jobs in an economy like this, which can cause great difficulties emotionally as well.