Soft Eyes

In the episode “That’s Got His Own”, all of the characters that have developed soft eyes over the course of the season discover the limits of what having soft eyes can do for the disadvantaged. Soft eyes are important in decision making because it reduces the chance of making rash, uninformed decisions. The soft eyes of Bunny, Sgt. Carver, Cutty, and Prez. have all been for the good of those they were trying to help. Seeing the bigger picture, they each go from running constant surveillance on the kids, to filling the role of supervisors for the children’s well being. Unfortunately for Carver, his inability to offer the protection that he promises hurts those who he is attempting to help. Despite the failure in this incident, the idea of having soft eyes should not be abandoned altogether because it allows those who were once closed off to certain circumstances to become more empathetic.

Although Carver, Cutty, and Prez felt defeated as they were faced with the grim reality of failure, we can only hope that they do not entirely abandon soft eyes. Carver is not the only character who has problems with his case in the episode, though the results of his are certainly the worse. Cutty realizes that his attempts at trying to help Michael hasn’t kept him from falling into the life of a corner boy and he will never be successful without the help of outside forces and Michael himself. Pryzbylewski sees that forces outside his control are needed as well when he discovers that Duquan is being moved out of his class. Despite these failures, the episode distinctly depicts the idea that with the use of soft eyes and enough patience, the characters in The Wire can find success, though it may never be guaranteed or easy. For example; Bunny Colvin, though faced with a group of vigilante kids with patience and consistent supervision he breaks through to Namond and forms a bond with him, discovering that Namond is very much of victim of his circumstance, and, though he acts tough, he is only a kid who is being pressured by his parents into a life he does not really want. Lester Freeman also utilizes his soft eyes and patience to successfully obtain approval to uncover the bodies left in the vacant houses. Ultimately, it seems the theme of the episode is that soft eyes are a long-way of improving the world, not a short term one, and that some battles may be lost, while victory can ultimately be achieved.

The Brice of life

Today, one of the most difficult things to do in life is to live your own truth.  We see this challenge with Namond’s character in The Wire, as he struggles to become more than what his environment has to offer.  At first glance, Namond may seem as though he does not have much depth to him, but as the season progresses, we see many sides to him.  These different sides show us that he is torn between the life his mother wants for him and that which he really wants for himself.  While his family pushes him to succumb to the life of a corner boy, the relationships he establishes at school, particularly with Bunny Colvin, present him with the opportunity to become more than simply a victim of circumstance.  His internal struggle becomes a metaphor for the struggle of the city, a city that pushes its children into a life of crime, but still offers little hope for the future.  

Though the matriarch of his family is primarily concerned with leading a lavish lifestyle, so much so that she is willing to push her son into drug dealing and a life of crime, Namond displays greater promise. To avoid becoming just another corner boy, he puts on the facade of a tough kid who is always talking a big game, yet never intends to act on his threats.  When observed in the special classroom, Namond intelligently breaks down society’s expectations of his social class and displays yet another side of himself.  He becomes identified as a source of hope, not only to the viewer, but to all those involved in the special class. This attracts the attention of Bunny Colvin, who sees potential in Namond and, wants to help him break free from the life that he believes he has to live.  Namond’s ability to be polite and respectful, while showing humility in his own right, give his character a relatable quality. His humanity and relatability are what make him such an attractive character in season four.

The Exchange

This exchange between Adnan and Koenig is interesting in that it follows the melodramatic pattern described by Williams, where one character is hopeful of the others’ innocence.  Week to week Koenig reports information from the case in hopes that the audience will reevaluate the facts and draw their own conclusion as to Adnan’s innocence or guilt.  Koenig states early on, that her intentions are to reveal the errors made in the case to potentially free an innocent man- Justice for Adnan.  

While it becomes clear that Koenig develops a relationship with Adnan through their numerous phone conversations, one cannot help but question if she was losing sight of the reason she initially accepted to review the case.  Koenig exposes her melodramatic imagination when she is taken aback by Adnan’s comment, “you don’t really even know me though.”  Similar to the nineteenth century, these melodramatic exchanges are accompanied by heavy pausing and the element of surprise.  As with this exchange, Adnan precedes his comment with a long pause that keeps the audience waiting with great anticipation.  Upon hearing his words Koenig is obviously left dumbfounded and perplexed.  

Not only is this exchange between Koenig and Adnan melodramatic, but the format in which the series is set up also has melodramatic characteristics.  Each episode addresses a new piece of evidence in the case and by constantly calling Adnan’s character into question, Koenig keeps the audience teetering between his innocence or guilt.  Maybe Adnan is not such a “nice guy,” but still, does that make him a guilty guy?  To make this determination audience members are asked to return for the next episode when yet another element of the case is to be revealed in melodramatic fashion.

 

Disadvantage of the Single-Story

As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie emphasizes in her Ted Talk, having only a single story of anything as complex as a culture, a place, a medium, a concept, or even a person can result in a dangerously skewed frame of reference. In day-to-day life each of us runs the risk of developing a narrow perspective, putting ourselves at a disadvantage. To provide a better understanding, this week we look at how the single story impacts our everyday outlook of others.

Adichie points out that falling victim to a single story has much to do with the fact that we are extremely vulnerable and impressionable as children.  One could argue that this is true of adults as well.  As we grow up, we tend to formulate our own ideas of others who are not “like us,” and hence develop a sense of ethnocentrism.  Though, this may not be our intent, it naturally occurs until we are able to experience the world for ourselves and develop our own perceptions.

As Postman and Turkle point out, the world is constantly changing due to technological advances and if you do not quickly jump on the bandwagon, you are left behind.  The problem with these advancements is that they have made us a lazy culture, who is willing to accept information provided to us through these mediums at face value.  Through social media, news media and even our entertainment, we are persistently fed single stories that constantly shape our views.  These single stories fuel our stereotypes of others and leaves us at a disadvantage as we are simply  depriving ourselves of the beauty that every culture has to offer.  Much of the problem has to do with our negative perceptions toward these cultures that are generally shaped by the media.  Studying intercultural communication is beneficial as it provides an understanding of others in the world and allows us to see that there is so much more to others than what is portrayed in the media.  By taking the time to travel and learn about what other cultures have to offer, we are developing the tools to change the downfall of these single stories.

The Element of Persuasion

When dissecting the Serial Podcast, narrated by Sarah Koenig, one could argue that it is compelling and addictive due to the structured format in which it is delivered.  While she attempts to narrate the case by focusing on the facts, it is difficult to overlook the element of persuasion that lies within her storytelling.  Week to week, Koenig reveals details of a murder case that occured in January of 1999, focusing on the defendent Adnan Syed and his innocence in question.

During the onset of the podcast, she makes it clear that the details of the case warrant reexamination, and as she presents them it is typically through an uncertain perspective, leaving many of the episodes open-ended.  It is this style of storytelling that forces the listener to form his or her own conclusions on each aspect of Hae’s murder, and the case built around the details of it.  Although Koenig never clearly states whether she believes in Adnans innocence or guilt, by consistently highlighting potential motives of the attorney and the key witness, it leads the audience to question whether the case was properly conducted.

The manner in which she presents the case is tactful in that it consistently calls into question numerous facts that were overlooked during the inital trial.  Koenig draws the audiences attention to the 21 minutes that Adnan stated, “his case lived and died in.”  By tactfully calling into question the characters of the key players in the case, and directly referring to the audience, it compels the listener to closely analyze the facts and make their own determination of who is being truthful and who is not.

Koenig’s approach to delivering  the case in her week to week format is persuasive in a positive way.  She carefully avoids information overload, and allows the audience the opportunity to make their own conclusion based on all of the facts while not being too overwhelming.

Two Sides to the War on Drugs

This week, the idea of addiction was examined.  Originally, the word addiction did not have a negative connotation as it was typically affiliated with doing something regularly or predictably.  It was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that the word became affiliated with drugs and alcohol. Much of this is attributed to the drug culture that began to sweep across the nation and the images that came with it. Many people today can say that they were once an addict, or they have known an addict or two in their lifetime.

In the readings by Bruce Alexander, he points out that addiction, in every sense of the word, is a product of our social environment and connections with other individuals, or lack thereof.  Humans have a great desire to be connected with others; therefore, when they find themselves in isolation or disconnected from the world it tends to drive individuals into an addiction that alters one’s  mental state. This can be attributed to the idea that dislocated individuals become demoralized, degraded and depressed – sentiments that can often lead to addiction.

Alexander argues that his Dislocation Theory trumps the Official View which simply focuses on the individual and states that addiction is a genetic disease pertaining to a chemical dependency on drugs and alcohol.  The Dislocation theory, on the other hand , encompasses the full range of destructive addictions and focuses on societal causes, not solely on drugs and alcohol.  When examining the issue of addiction it is important to address all potential factors that can lead to becoming an addict.  Alexander states that modernity and free-market capitalism destabilize people’s personal and social lives as well as the economy; an issue that is illustrated throughout Season 4 of The Wire.  Much like they do on The Wire, addiction must be analyzed through “soft eyes” in order to recognize the entire problem.

The Official View argues that the fundamental causation of addiction lies within drugs and alcohol, implying that a chemical presence is necessary for addiction.  However, Sherry Turkle and Neil Postman have proven that this issue of addiction extends to technology as well.  In today’s society individuals fulfill their desire of being connected through the use of social media; it has become the new form of addiction that is prevalent in many lives.  This newfound addiction allows many to feel connected to society, but in actuality,  may be doing more harm than good.  This form of interaction, unbeknownst to the users, encourages them to forgo actual human connection, making the sense of loneliness a greater threat than ever before.  A societal change must occur in order to cure addiction in all forms.

Imitation of Life

Life in the 1950’s was marked by a culture comprised of devastating inequalities.  In the film Imitation of Life, one of the critiques director Douglas Sirk has on 1950’s culture is how minorities, specifically women and people of color are mistreated.  The film is the depiction of two single mothers whose lives become interwoven while they both struggle to survive in a misogynistic and racist society.  Sirk consistently and cleverly portrays these social inequalities throughout the film.  Whether it is the young Sarah Jane imitating a white girl because she struggles to accept her black identity, or Lora Meredith imitating the rich and famous to get ahead in an anti – feminist culture, numerous characters in the movie feel they need to imitate an image they are not to gain acceptance.

In an early scene of the film, Sarah Jane rejects the colored doll Susir attempts to share with her, and later questions her mother as to why they must always live in the back.  This is a crucial scene in the film as it depicts how Sarah Jane already sees and rejects racial inequality as a child.  Meanwhile, Lora learns the hard way what it means to be a woman in show business.  One example of her exploitation is when director Alan  Loomis tries to “cheapen” her by trying to make her his arm candy and suggesting she may have to pose nude to get ahead.  Both female figures find themselves at an unfair disadvantage, a point Sirk makes clear throughout the film.

Not only are such unbalanced paradigms unfair in society but, the most devastating effects of inequality are illustrated amongst the family interactions.  For instance, Sarah Jane trying to pass as white; and does so for the most part until she is seen with her mother.  Each time Annie discovers her, essentially “blowing” her cover, Sarah Jane is mean and vicious to her, spewing insults and displays just how ungrateful she is.  Although Lora and Susie never mistreated Sarah Jane, she regularly embarrassed herself and Lora while in the presence of company.  Labeling herself as “the help,” was an example of how she felt in society stigmatized those of color.  Due to this, she does everything in her power to disassociate herself from her mother.  She sees her mother’s skin color as a curse and is willing to sever ties in order to escape the stigma people had toward those of color.  Lora on the other hand, deprives her daughter Susie of affection and love because of her desire for fame.  She sends Susie to a boarding school and often left for long periods of time in order to further her career.  Susie in turn misses out on important bonding time with her mother and as a result seeks out love from an older man.  Trying so desperately to overcome the injustices of society in this time, all of the women overlooked the fact that Annie – the only character Sirk kept grounded, was dying of heartbreak as she witnessed her family falling apart in search of acceptance from a false world.

Purpose of this Blog

We are five undergraduate students studying at CSU, Sacramento this fall semester. This blog was created for the purpose of completing our ComS114  assignments and topics will vary. We thank you for any critical feedback or comments on our posts.