SimChuck & Happiness

Chuck Klosterman attempted to make a perfect replica of himself and his life in the video game Sims. In his chapter Billy Sim, he explained that it is nearly impossible to make his SimChuck happy. The reason for this is because RealChuck and SimChuck have completely different personalities and are happy in dissimilar ways. RealChuck described his avatar as a whiny little b*tch. He would buy his character fancy, expensive items (like a classy bed and a huge mirror) and that would result in SimChuck's happiness. This frustrated RealChuck because extravagant items aren't that important him. SimChuck uses natural happiness because these items are what he truly wants. RealChuck is displaying synthetic happiness because he is settling for the lousy mindset of his whiny, materialistic avatar. RealChuck also demonstrates this happiness in his everyday life because he's content with the minimalistic life he chooses to live.

Smart Phones and The Millennials

The Millennial Generation, also considered Generation Y, love technology more than anything. They depend on it... and sometimes a little too much. I am considered a Millennial, I was born in 1996 right around the peak of this generation and I fall into the category of Millennials who own a smart phone. Smart phones allow you to get on the internet (through wi-fi or a data plan), own fun apps, e-mail back and forth, edit documents, video chat in high definition, and the battery life is much longer than a regular cell phone. The only drawback to smart phones is the cost, especially for Apple products. These smart phones can easily distract us from real life and swerve our focus. This might be why some Millennials lack motivation to do anything but sit and be on their phone. This could affect their education/GPA and even their health. It can also explain why some millennials are self-absorbed. Having social networks (facebook, twitter, instagram, etc) at your fingertips can make it super easy to share things about yourself (pictures, updates, videos, etc). This doesn't necessarily make Millennials "self-absorbed" but it definitely gives them a place to do so with their smart phones. Even though this form of personal technology might seem to influence Millennials in a negative way, it has many positive repercussions. It gives them the ability to connect, explore, and take action in a quick, efficient manner.  

The Kirkwood Life

"The Kirkwood Life" would consist of the students we come across on a daily basis. There will be:
1. The baseball boy who always wears his cap and typically only hangs out with his crew... the "baseball crew."
2. The dude who has been here way too long and most likely a stoner.
3. The kid who plays Magic with his buddies in the cafeteria everyday.
4. The high schooler living a double life.
5. The quiet girl.
6. The innovative music lover.
7. The foreign exchange student.
And 8. The creepy hallway lingerer. (Because why not?)
These students could be different ethnicities and have varied sexual preferences. When it comes to reality shows, the casting crew normally picks people who are obviously diverse. In my show I wouldn't try to mush these 8 "characters" together. I would show them in their regular friend groups and normal settings (but not in class because that's boring). The reason for this is because everyone has different personalities and their own contrasting dramas. For example, these possible situations could occur: the baseball crew is getting ready for a big game and one guy is failing a class and not eligible to play, the stoner gets caught smoking on campus and doesn't give a f*ck, the Magic player isn't able to make it to the match and has to deal with the consequences, the high schooler is overwhelmed with everything and has to pick a side, the music lover finds something else to love (hint: a person), and the creeper finds one single soul to admire and goes all out (this character is my favorite, imagine him turning out to be the most charming dude at Kwood). When the weekend comes there will be a special event--kind of like our "welcome week" festivities. This is when we would make the 8 bump paths. The rest is up to them. Their individual dramas might collide and create the best thing ever.

Masculinity in our culture

According to Ralph Donald in his article From "Knockout Punch" to "Home Run", young men need the opportunity to display "manly acts". These would include sports and war. Comparing the two can allow anyone to see the similarities. Some of these consist of leadership and teamwork skills, structure, strategy, the ability to get strong, and it teaches discipline. The notion of masculinity definitely starts with sports and then as kids get older it can transfer into the armed services. With sports, boys can become "men" at a very young age. It gives them the opportunity to show their manliness. They're pressured into keeping this stamina by being told "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser," "don't give up: fight on to victory," and "you gotta play hurt." Winning is what defines a boy as a man. If you're hurt you still have to play to win or else you're seen as less than a man. This issue is also shown in the video "Football High". Players are told "don't coward down," "shake it off," and "get back in there." They demand physical, manly acts in order to win and be seen as superior. Even if a player is hurt they stay in the game unless they're well ahead, if they fall behind then they are forced to go back in and play. This issue then leads into Chuck Klosterman's chapter George Will vs. Nick Hornby when he talks about intimidation culture. The manliest of all boys are the ones who are popular, special and high achieving, bigger, stronger, faster, and taller... basically superhuman. If you don't fall into this category you are labeled as an outcast which is FAR from masculine. The main goal for intimidation sports--like football, basketball, baseball, and hockey--is to win. That's it. Pushing through physical pain and harsh demands is to show everyone that you're a man that wins.