South Park Mirrors Reality.. Which is Scarier? PB#2

So while thinking about what I would blog on my personal blog (because I'm obviously thinking about Media & Society 24/7) I was sitting on my friends couch when the No Internet episode of South Park came on. This is one of my favorite South Park episodes because it is so startlingly true. The episode begins with the family discovering that they have no internet, they soon run over to their neighbors who also realize there is no internet (gasp!) Panic obviously ensues, as seen here.


Even South Park "out delivers all cable programs among boys and men ages 12-34" (pg.193) it relates to all of society.While this show is obviously funny in general, as lewd as it can be- it's actually quite terrifying. Terrifying because it is an accurate portrayal of what would happen if the internet suddenly stopped working. We are a society so dependent on our internet that even if the internet went down in one small town it would be treated as a disaster. I witness it in the halls of my dorm as students struggle to get their internet to work . Obscenities are screamed, tears are shed and lives are threatened. (it's that extreme, I swear) Lives fall apart when there is no internet. Period. This episode forces us to take a good luck at what the availability of internet has done to us- the way it has altered our daily lives. Looking into the mirror isn't always a pretty thing, it can be an eye opener. But just like the summer diet I tell myself I'll go on after looking in the mirror every pre-summer season, the effect doesn't last long. Until my life turns into this episode of South Park, I'll probably just appreciate and soak up all the internet I can, while it's still here. And while I'm at it, I'll watch some more episodes of South Park.

It Gets Better... Hopefully on a Global Scale Too. PB#1

It seems that the only news we hear about these days is whether or not Lilo will end up in the slammer, while this may be engaging to some the real focus should be on the civil rights movement of our time. I'm not about to go on a rant of how ignorant the people of our society can be, or how in the 21st century we could still be so small minded (even though I should) instead I'm going to shed light on a wonderful project that a man named Dave Savage started. This project was founded to raise awareness about the recent rise in suicide among gay teens. You can read his article, and visit the youtube channel.

This channel encourages adults to film videos of themselves discussing the issues and obstacles they have overcome. It shows that even though society can be cruel and unjust in relation to gays, it can be overcome. The videos are personal, inspiring and often heartbreaking. The message remains clear though, thing will get better. Hopefully these videos will reach the countless gay teens out there who are constantly ridiculed for simply being human, for wanting love and companionship. It is a tragedy that this debate is still going on, but a small victory that this channel perseveres on youtube sharing the message for the interworld to see. Celebrity Gossip columnist Perez Hilton even hopped on to show support.


As this project continues to spread and grow, hopefully so will tolerance and understanding. After all ignorance breeds fear, and the only way to qualm these fears is to educate, and in a society so reliant on media(especially the internet and youtube) this will serve to teach the many out there that gay rights are human rights, and that gay teens need not to worry any longer about being mistreated.

Things will get better, hopefully for all, and for good.