An American Studies Review

Written by: Madeleine Tucker and Reilly Tangen

Have you ever done something that you are embarrassed about, or that you regret?
Alright, now imagine if an entire year was spent discussing your transgression, completely ignoring the multitude of good things you have done in your lifetime.
Would this constitute an accurate picture of your character?
Well, in essence, this is what our American Studies class has accomplished this year. We have spent an entire year focusing on all of the terrible things that our country has done over its 238 year existence. But never once can we recall hearing a praise about our country, or a good consequence of an action or decision. In American Studies we did not learn about American history; we learned about an entirely pessimistic and unbalanced agenda. Not a day went by in which we did not talk about socioeconomic class inequalities, gender inequalities, and/or race inequalities. While these topics may be interesting and warrant some class discussion, an entire year was excessive.
We have learned little, historically, this year in American Studies that would produce an educated generation, which is such a shame. We were looking forward to learning about the full story of our country, chronologically, and seeing how we play a part in world history. We feel as if we have been indoctrinated rather than educated. Contrary to our instructors, we believe in the story of America, a land of freedom. A land that people from all countries have fled to, to escape the troubles of their own homeland. A country that is so confident, that citizens have the right to criticize.

Some things to note from our experience:

• ●  If you are a Christian, you will likely feel uncomfortable in this class. Actually, It is okay to be any religion but Christian. Christian doctrine is often criticized and portrayed in the most negative light. How could you ever believe such nonsense?
  
• ●  If you are white, be prepared to feel guilty about your race, something that no one can control. But other races have no faults, remember.
  
• ●  If you are male, you will feel guilty about your gender. C’mon even though we all have the same rights, women­­ still not equal enough. (P.S. go to somewhere where women don't have rights ­i.e. Yemen, and then you are likely to realize the fortune that we have in the U.S.)
  
• ●  If you are on the conservative side, good luck. You will always be wrong, and you will be shut down ASAP.
  
• ●  If you are upper class, you should feel guilty about how much money your family has. Even if both your mom and dad work really hard and can barely afford to live in the area, you are still obligated to feel as though you are a snob. 
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DISCLAIMER:

We would be perfectly okay with the way that this class is being taught if BOTH SIDES and ALTERNATIVE VIEWPOINTS were presented or at least respected. Of course, it is completely natural for people (teachers included) to have their own opinions, but while playing the teacher role, it is necessary to provide both sides of the argument and allow the student to make their own decisions. There, of course, were instances in which we felt we definitely learned something in this class. Analytic skills are extremely important and this class provided its students with a very beneficial amount of those. It is because of this, that we felt prompted and obliged to write this blog. Every moment is an opportunity for growth and learning, and we hope that this entry provided the class with an alternative viewpoint that you may critically analyze on your own. 

Let Me Take a #SELFIE

It is nearly impossible to walk down the halls of my high school and not see a group of kids snapchatting, or taking selfies. Our culture, since the development of smart phones, has developed an obsession with taking pictures of themselves.  It is gotten quite out of hand, and there are many negative effects of this obsession. People, especially girls, are becoming more and more concerned with their appearance, even when no one (but their Snapchat friends) are around. In my anatomy class my teacher said, "The problem with your generation is that you don't know the difference between a memory and a picture."  This is actually very true. I can't remember the last time I went to an event in which one person didn't take a picture.  I am not exempt from this problem, and I admit to snapchatting and taking selfies daily (exemplified by Reils and I's selfie below). Even Obama, the president of the United States, takes selfies! At the Oscars this year, Ellen Degeneres' selfie was the most retweeted post on record, with over 2 million retweets.

The selfie obsession became crystal clear to me when I heard the somewhat recent release of the song #SELFIE by The Chainsmokers. It is a song that makes fun of the selfie culture by having a monologue of a random girl at a club. Before everything that she does the entire night, she says "Let me take a selfie".  Feel free to listen to the song here. Although funny and entertaining, this song depicts the ridiculousness of this new American obsession, which might come from the American values of appearance by showing yourself off to the world.

When talking about selfies in American Studies, my English teacher mockingly said, "Do I look any better now?" and then responded to his own question by saying, "No, much the same actually." Why are we so obsessed with taking pictures of ourselves? Do we just like seeing our own faces? Is it just a fad? Do you think selfies are just harmless fun, or are there consequences?

It's all about the connections

I recently went to a cupcake place in downtown Wilmette, IL to apply for a summer job. I went in, asked about the available positions, picked up an application and left. That night, my mom mentioned to a family friend that I was applying there, and he immediately responded by sharing that they are really good friends with the owners. I found out later that our family friends texted the owners of the shop and gave me a good recommendation, without me asking or knowing. The next day, when I dropped off my application, the owner sat me down and told me that it bothered him that I didn't have any previous work experience, but since my family friends gave me such a good recommendation it didn't matter. I was hired within five minutes. I was shocked at the speed of the process. This reminded me of my previous blog post, where I talked about how college is mostly about making connections, those that will end up helping you later in life. I suppose that connections can also be made through family. It is interesting that you seem to need all of these different types of connections to be successful in the U.S., although we always seem to think that we can make it on our own. It is definitely harder for a student from a family with no college graduates to make it than someone from a family with a legacy.

Where did you go to school?

A question that constantly surfaces within the first few minutes of conversation in current American culture and in The Great Gatsby is that of where one went to college. We very easily can guess things like one's class, economic background and/or current social status by asking this question. Depending on the interrogator, this in turn could perhaps lead to any of the types of classism that we discussed in class.  

Not just ANY education, but that of a prestigious education is of extreme importance in The Great Gatsby. We see this trend from the very beginning of the book, as Nick manages to say that he himself attended Yale (Fitzgerald, 3) within the first three pages. Tom attended Yale University as well (Fitzgerald, 5).  At the first party hosted by Gatsby and attended by Nick, Nick makes a point in noting that Jordan Baker's "escort" is "a persistent undergraduate" (Fitzgerald, 44).  Only the wealthy could attend college, especially the prestigious colleges that are continuously mentioned throughout the GG.  I think that human capital, in this case education, goes hand in hand with social capital. Often times, the men in the book built connections off of where they attended university. It is like this in current society as well. Some will argue that if education was the only thing taken into consideration, it wouldn't really matter where you went to college. Everyone is taught English, chemistry and business nearly the same way, no matter where you go.  The difference is the connections. The "better" or more prestigious college that you go to, the easier it is for you to get a job, and many times it is just because of the name. It is almost if each college in the United States is its own little secret society. You must be accepted by them, and no matter how hard you try to get in, or how qualified you are, they can always say no. You also meet people in college that might be fellow coworkers or bosses one day. Obviously education is something that Americans value very much, but it seems like there are hidden motives as well.    

The Beauty Queen$

Girls who participate in child beauty pageants are more often harmed by the experience than helped. Many suffer from low self esteem and/or eating disorders because they simply do not know their own value. If one has been participating in beauty pageants since she was a toddler, her parents basically have been telling her for years that she was never good enough.  She wasn't pretty enough without makeup, so they caked it on.  She wasn't popular or well liked enough, so they made her into a stage act. You can only imagine what this does to the mind. Just think about the culture between the competitors, little girls are judging each other based on their appearances, based on a skewed and unhealthy standard of beauty.  Photographer Zed Nelson said, "When everybody around you has had their breasts enlarged, their teeth whitened and their skin peeled, then you become the odd one out, you become the freak". These girls very quickly learn what it takes to win, be noticed and be appreciated in our society.

Later, the participants are displayed to the world, and American females quickly learn what will get them noticed, that is whatever the girls on TV are wearing/doing. It is not surprising that these values that are being instilled in girls are for economical purposes, and in this case, they are fueling the beauty industry. By telling girls that they aren't pretty enough or skinny enough, the beauty industry can make thousands of products that will "fix" their problems. Women who are unsatisfied with their bodies make excellent target costumers. We all want that "luscious beach hair", the "silky smooth legs", the "voluminous mascara" or the "seductive perfume".

It is sad that the American beauty industry is set up in a way that takes advantage of women's flaws in order to make money. In my mind, the harm that is being done psychologically outweighs the potential good that could come from beauty pageants.

What happened to childhood?

Many have questioned my topic for Junior Theme, because it doesn't seem like a relevant problem in American society. But it is.

Child beauty pageants are disgusting. In my eyes, it is almost a form of child abuse. Little girls, babies, put on a facade to entertain adults. They wear an unrealistic amount of makeup, get their hair done, wear fake teeth, fake eyelashes, padded bras, high heels and put on a show in order to be broadcasted on television.  They are sexualized at the age of toddlers, dressed to look like women, and are taught to dance provocatively for the world. It's disgusting. As portrayed by the "before" and "after" images provided, the changes that one must undergo to look like this are very dramatic. The image on the right side, doesn't even look like a real girl.  It looks like a cartoon character, or a barbie doll. 

Not only are the girls participating harmed by the experience of beauty pageants, but the viewers are as well. These television shows teach young American girls that they are only valued for their looks, and that they have to look/act in a provocative, sexual way in order to get attention from others. According to USA Today, "Glitz pageants are a multibillion-dollar business, having exploded since Toddlers & Tiaras came on in 2009". Because so many Americans are viewing shows like Toddlers & Tiaras, the demand for child beauty pageants has skyrocketed.

The window that we are giving to children to grow and develop is becoming smaller and smaller.  The media and society expects girls to be dolls that are put on display, and by making them into "women" so soon, they are not given a childhood. 

What's on Your Bumper?

During dinner tonight, I had an interesting conversation with our Norwegian exchange student about bumper stickers. She was commenting on how her NT soccer team was selling car magnets, and that in Norway NO ONE has bumper stickers or anything of that sort on their cars. America, on the other hand, is a different story. Here, it is almost rare to see a car without a bumper sticker. This made me wonder about why we use bumper stickers and what American values the use of them portrays. The messages on bumper stickers vary immensly, as it can range from supporting your kid's sports team, to expressing political or religious views, to supporting US troops or even breast cancer. These stickers are a way for people to express their opinions to the world without any consequences. The person behind you at a stoplight reads your thought provoking sticker, and goes on with his/her day without having a chance to talk to you about it. It is almost like a one way conversation with the world. Bumper stickers are a window through which random people that you might not ever meet can categorize you and learn something about you.

On my family's car, we have a New Trier sticker, which informs everyone that we live in the New Trier district, and probably like our school. From knowing the location of New Trier, people probably could guess that we are a middle to upper class family. We also have a Depauw University sticker, which tells the world that someone in the family has a college education and is proud of their school. There is a New Trier track and field sticker, which suggests that we value sports and physical activity in our family. The most interesting sticker on our car is an AFS (American Field Service) sticker that says "Changing lives, sharing cultures". This shows that my family values international experiences, and maybe has hosted exchange students or been exchange students in the past. The idea of bumper stickers supports the American values of individuality, freedom of speech and expression, and superiority. By having different personal values on the back of your car, you are making yourself known to the world, showing that you are a unique individual. Obviously you see bumper stickers of all sorts,  and some might be offensive or criticizing, but we have the right to express ourselves. I think the most important value that bumper stickers showcase is that of superiority/I'm-better-than-my-neighbor. Bumper stickers are kind of a way to brag and promote things that you are involved in. What do you think is so American about bumper stickers? What kind of bumper stickers does your family have on their cars? What does this reveal about your family?