Is it that obvious?????

This week we learned about rhetoric and the functions rhetoric holds. While constructing this post, I wondered about rhetorical questions...they are asked but the person asking already knows the answer. So with lie-detector tests, do they give you the test KNOWING that you're lying and that they already know the truth??? Or is it working in your favor and you know you're telling the truth. This reminded me of the movie Meet The Parents, in the movie the boyfriend (played by Ben Stiller) is hooked up to  a lie detector machine and is administered the test by Robert De Niro. I couldn't help but wonder, why was Ben Stiller character given the test by Robert De Niro, even though Robert De Niro character is a CIA agent. He should know these answers already, but he stills asks them just so he can catch Ben Stiller character in a lie; and the hence proves that he's unfit to marry his daughter.

A Real Man???!!

This week we learned about gender communication. For this post let's examine the image of of masculinity. First off, what is a man? Now whoever is reading this, I'm sure a picture of a man came to your mind. But for once, what makes a man, a man? And not biologically but what are the physical aspects? Because if I were to tell you that a man is supposed to be over 6 feet tall, you would contest to the fact that there are short men out there, no? Or what about hair, if it's too long? What about if it's too short? Can you think of a man's man? Who comes to your mind? What if those men started to cry out of nowhere? Would they still be considered a man's man? Or will crying suddenly be a popular thing to do???? There's no true definition on what a man is. Except for biologically. There's so much that I can say on hyper masculinity, I could make several books about it. But just to remind you Men can and should cry and show emotion. Just don't ridicule women for doing and showing emotions, men have them too; they're just conditioned to suppress it. Here's a link of hyper-masculinity looks like in the media...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Bn_YaYkqc

THAT'S SO ANGER MANAGEMENT!!!

This week we learned about conflict and how conflict can be used in a positive way, if it's treated properly. We also learned that if conflict is not taken care of, it can lead to disastrous results. Anger Management a film that debuted in 2003, shows how a man (Adam Sandler) withholds from engaging in conflict and then entire movie, he's pushed towards the edge of conflict and he has to learn how to deal with it.

We also learned about how to deal with conflict in a positive way. Mean Girls (one of my favorite movies) shows how passive-aggressive behavior can lead to chaos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkzG0TwS1vw&list=PLWx61WqhgbhrsJpyk-wPUjpoL_kETmTCF

Throughout the movie, every character exhibits some sort of passive-aggressiveness and each character, one by one begins to turn into the one thing that they've been running from. Mean Girls and Anger Management both show two extremes of conflict and how we can either ignore it and let it eat us alive OR we give into it and become the same thing that we hate.... isn't that so FETCH????????

RUSH HOUR

In class this week we learned about intercultural communication, which occurs between two cultures. Intercultural communication is very important. BUT, it can lead to using many stereotypes when you first encounter it. Rush Hour one of my favorite movies as a child shows this communication happening front and center. I remember when it came out and whenever anyone couldn't understand someone they would yell "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH." Just like Chris Tucker did in the movie. In fact that entire friendship between Lee and Detective Carter (the characters in the movie) uses intercultural communication and there's a conflict between Detective Lee and Detective Carter because of it. Below is the first encounter that the characters have. Detective Carter is meeting Detective Lee for the first time and because Detective Lee is Chinese, Detective Carter amuses that Detective Lee doesn't understand english.

But after their first encounter Detective Lee sees that Detective Carter had a preconceived notion that he doesn't speak english, Detective Lee decides to stay quiet for the first half of the movie; leading Carter to stereotype Detective Lee by bringing Lee to chinatown and much more. 

We also see it when Detective Carter enters a bar, he says hello to people in the bar; but he uses a word that black people use. Lee not knowing of this intercultural communication, misuses this word and in term gets in a lot of trouble. 

https://youtu.be/VcGw1u-XSH4 

It's seen again throughout the film series and especially in Rush Hour 3 when both Agent Lee and Detective Carter encounter an Asian man speaking French 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTC628TKyag

But what is to be reminded is Detective Carter learns what's proper and what's improper when engaging in intercultural communication. Throughout the film series the characters became brothers and understood how to communicate with each other through their cultures.