Semester Favorites

Throughout the semester we all have done some wonderful work! :)
Looking back on my posts, these three are my favorites:

Mutations of Hip
I merge different ideas from different areas of my studies and discuss how hip really originates in the city for the most part. Though that seems to change with the introduction of the Internet.

Westerns, Pulp, and Noir
In this post I imitated the style of Joan Didion.  I described Los Angeles as the birth place of pulp fiction and went along with Leland's idea that this city in particular marks a shift in male identity in U.S. culture.

Social Upheaval and Cultural Mixing
Here I discuss how social upheaval is a part of hip as well as cultural mixing. It seems the two don't belong together but work together quite well.

I picked these because I feel many of these happened when I was on top of things.

In "Mutations of Hip" I was able to merge ideas from several different ideas in different areas of my study. I was on my game. Though I suppose it's easier to have everything together earlier in the semester, or maybe I just get better at procrastinating as things progress. Perhaps it sounds a bit braggy, but this particular post makes me feel brilliant (don't ask me how I'll feel about it 5 years from now).

In "Westerns, Pulp, and Noir" I felt like I got in touch with my inner poet. Yes, I was copying Didion's style but it was nice to get a little dramatic again. I feel like I was able to make a beautiful comparison between the San Andreas Fault and the idea of Los Angeles as a broken city. I think I did a decent job of tying in Leland's ideas of Pulp and the end of westward expansion. Sometimes I start giggling at how melodramatic this is.  Though I suppose the catastrophic language is part of Didion's style.

In "Social Upheaval and Cultural Mixing" I feel the poetic nature of Didion carried over into this post a bit. I like seeing my further understanding of Leland's ideas. I like the metaphor I'm able to make with the cocoon and the half-formed moth. I know. It's kinda silly but I'm a big fan of extended metaphors. I should use them more often. Though maybe I use one too many this this post... Whatever, it's still awesome.

Before this course and thinking differently through Leland, I tended to think that all popular music and some entertainment was just something crafted for money and was moving more in that direction. Entertainment has become much more monetized than in the past but that doesn't really mean that it makes it less real. Especially since all artists cast an image of who they are when they create or perform their art. I thought of it just as a superficial practice to turn the economy by encouraging consumers to fit in by purchasing all of the newest, latest goods. I suppose this is true to a certain extent. However, hip also encourages people to consider sides to things they may not have considered before and contributes to cultural blending. Not on the same level as activism; though hip has a much larger audience than the average activist. The idea needs some exploring but perhaps part of the reason that young people do not vote on a larger scale is because Rock the Vote pushes for change solely through the means of hip. People don't feel like they are being taken seriously when they are told to vote because this celebrity with lots of money says you should. Maybe I just have too much of a high expectation for humanity. (Uh-oh, my inner cynic is rearing to bite again!) I guess I understand more of how hip spreads ideas and brings about change more than just the trends that catch on.

I guess my strengths lie in a sort of lyrical and metaphoric language. I didn't use as much of that this semester because I felt like I couldn't use it as much in essays and articles. I think I should practice integrating these together cause I felt like I really shined when I did that, but not too much. Is there a way to overdo symbolism and metaphors? Regarding my thinking process I think I excelled in turning things on their sides and trying to think about them in a typical way besides what seems apparent. I was introduced to feminist thought when I was a junior in high school and it sort of escalated from there since it fit well into my understanding of the world. I guess my biggest weakness is that I get a little too worried about offending people and try to be too polite at times. though I had the issue of being "too nice" before I ever incorporated feminist theory into my thought process. In a way I guess this weakness could also be a strength as people I disagree with don't feel like I'm being disrespectful when I debate with them. I think an argument has more chances to seed an idea when the person you're debating with doesn't feel like you're trying to belittle or tear them down. I'm still trying to find a balance between being worried about making people mad and standing up for what I believe. I think I'm sort of getting there. It's easier to have that confidence in writing when you're disagreeing with a stranger rather than a friend or relative.

Throughout this semester I think I at least worked towards a "B," I'm not going to say that I'm a perfect little worker. I had opportunities to get extra points that I didn't take. I also really started to get out of my groove towards the end of the semester. I suppose it happens with a lot of people. Though I feel like my procrastination is something that I need to learn to work around because it really limits my potential. Lots of things were on time in the beginning of the semester but after I realized that I could turn things in late I got a bit too lax and let things go later than they should have. I need to stick to a schedule instead of taking the attitude that I could get things done later. That being said, I feel I did work hard at researching and thinking about my topics. I need to find a balance between writing and my thought processes. Procrastination doesn't really help me do that. Maybe it sort of helps me put some of my ideas together.

Thanks for the semester! I feel like I learned a lot! I think the pitches will help a lot! It taught me about how to freelance a piece. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of use out of this! :)