Miss America

As the reigning Miss Shreveport, I had the opportunity to go to Miss America and see her crowned firsthand. Talk about an interesting experience. First of all, Miss America was held in Vegas this year, and I had never been to Vegas. I was ready to be super impressed with the city, but unfortunately I wasn't. The architecture was definitely impressive, and the fact that there were millions of people in about 6 square miles was unbelievable, but all in all, I do not know that I want to go back.

Visually Vegas is a sight to behold. Each casino has a different theme; for example, Planet Hollywood takes on a movie/Hollywood feel; the Excalibur is built like a castle and decorated as if in medieval times; and the New York looks like the NYC skyline and even has a Statue of Liberty. These are just three hotels of many. If I were to briefly describe them all, I would be here all night.

The actual pageant itself was impressive. Other than at sporting events, I cannot think of another occasion that I have been to that was nationally televised. During commercials I got to see the "behind the scenes." Girls running around on the stage like someone is chasing them, workers coming out of every drak corner and making some adjustment, and cameras moving around everywhere were some of the things that I saw just to name a few.

Visually I found the stage appealing. There was an array of color and a live dj. Also there were people sitting on the stage. I don't know how I would feel about that if I had been the one performing, but as an audience member, I really thought it was a cool idea.

They have taken the Miss America Pageant from the traditional competition that it once was and have tried to make it into a contemporary reality TV show. I would imagine that they had more viewers this year than last, which all in all is great for the pageant. At this point any publicity is good publicity...although I should probably consider that statement a bit more.

All in all, I WANT to be on that stage next year. The trip was meant to inspire, and because I was literally able to visually see it, I am inspired. I want to be the next Miss Louisiana. June 19 and Monroe, Louisiana, here I come.

MLK Convocation

I was expecting the convocation to be long and drawn out. It wasn't. I was expecting to be unimpressed with speaker. But I wasn't. I loved his presentation and his thoughts. Rather than discussing MLK the entire time, he spoke on the application of Dr. King's lessons into our lives no matter our color.

I did not, however, care for the dancers. It is not because they weren't good and not because they didn't have a message. But being a dancer, I could not appreciate their movement. They needed to work on cleaning it up and making it more concise with the rest of the group. The blue outfits looked nice on them though, and I could tell that they were passionate.

I thoroughly enjoyed the hymn sang at the end. His voice was beautiful, the song was moving, and his passion was contagious. This was my favorite part of the entire convocation.

All in all, I enjoyed this year's convocation much more than last years. A big thumbs up to the person who planned it.

Thurs. Jan 17

"Most if not all images have a meaning that is preferred by their producers." This is an interesting concept to reflect on. Of course there is something in particular that they would like for us to grasp from their design or image; how often do we really give it the "correct" meaning though? There is a definite parallelism between images we see and things we say. Our intent is not always correctly relayed. At least in spoken communication, though, we can use things liks inflection and facial expressions.

The few pages in which "taste" was discussed was also thought-provoking. I would not necessarily say that someone with "good taste" had preferences similar to that of the dominant culture. In fact, I would say the opposite. As a girl I am, of course, thinking in terms of fashion. But fashion is an image, so I am going to continue with it. I would say that someone with good taste is something who does not dress like everyone else but instead stands out. Much of it would have to do with choosing things that go with your body type, but there is still a degree of choice after those decisions have been made.

I enjoyed reading about the evolution of the Doc Marten boot. Who knew that they had such a culturally rich background? I wore them in high school with no idea of any previous connotation assocaited with the shoe. Would I have still work them having known then what I know now? Definitely, but it still would have been nice to know then.

In the painting "Olympia," I think it is interesting why the people did not like the painting. Was it because it was a prositute? No. Was it because she was nude? No. It was because she is looking back at the painter. Bizarre!! "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is quite possibly my favorite of all the paintings that we have looked at. I love how she is looking back, and I also love how her mouth is open.

Tues, Jan. 15

It is interesting to note the differences between looking and seeing; it is actually something that I have never reflected on. There are millions of images that I look at every single day, but how many of them do I actually see? This is definitely food for thought.

My personal favorite part of this chapter was the picture on page 18 and the commentary that went with it. Perhaps because it was such a trying time in our nation's history, or perhaps because the picture is from a trolley in New Orleans, but something in it speaks to me. The stoic woman near the front of the picture speaks volumes of the sitauation. The children who have never known anything but segreagation are next; they look curious and are dressed quite nicely. The most powerful part of the photograph for me is the black man's face; his eyes scream passion and oppression. In looking at the picture, one is instantly drawn to him.

I also enjoyed looking at the various pictures online. In "The Depths of the Sea," I feel as if the mermaid is holding the man down in the "depths of the sea; the placement of his hands suggest that they are tied. I like that the figures are nude, and I also like the color of the bottom of the sea and the whirlpool effect that looks as if it is taking place at the top of the painting. The slightly blue hue that is evident in the picture reminds one of the environment in which the painting is set. All in all, it is a stunning picture.

In the Escape ad by Calvin Klein, I like the body language of both the girl and boy. However, I feel as if the girl should be turned at a different angle, and that by doing so, she would lose that poochy-belly look. The image is very sexual in nature and definitely captures the viewers attention.

I have always wondered why the "Mona Lisa" was such an important piece of artwork; perhaps I do not understand the complete background of the painting, but I have always felt as if it is greatly over-appreciated. I am simply not a fan. Perhaps if I were to see the painting in real life, I would get a new apprication for it.

This chapter has shown me that there is much to learn in Visual Culture, and I must be receptive if I am going to recall any of it!!