Jaime's World @jaimekooke-blog - Tumblr Blog

Six Word Story

Singing the blues, no longer two

Oh, Heineken..

When watching an advertisement such as this, one has to wonder what was going through the minds of the creators. Clearly the creators believe that robotic women will easily grab the attention of the targeted male audience. A curvy woman holding a keg of beer is what is perceived as attractive, so therefore what could possibly be wrong with utilizing this image to make a consumer desire a Heineken beer? The advertisement may just be trying to show off the product; however it is exploiting women by portraying females as programmed, beer-producing beauties. The mainly male-dominated company Heineken, controlled by CEO Jean-François van Boxmeer, produced this ad with the agency Berlin Cameron United. The company was definitely successful in promoting their product to millions, because it now circulates around the internet as being “arguably the most sexist beer commercial ever produced”. When this commercial was released in 2007, it was displayed on millions of televisions around the world and viewed by countless men and women. Unlike the ignorant minds who created the ad, it is easy for an enlightened third wave individual to see where the problems lie.

The first thing one notices about this commercial is the deeply misogynistic undertones which sadly the company believes will be attractive to the viewer. Since this advertisement is very clearly aimed to attract like-minded misogynistic men, historically the main consumers of beer, then why not exploit women? Heineken is advertising their product by simultaneously degrading women. The robotic woman’s image is a socially constructed one created to please the eye and play along with the myth that thinness is beauty. The sexual imagery language that Wolf speaks of is clearly present in Heineken’s television commercial. The producers use this language to speak directly to men, luring them in to buy their beer by waving around a curvy, obedient blonde. The robotic female is anything but futuristic, and instead plays along with misogynistic ideas of the past.

#misogyny

Who profits from the data we generate every day? Meet the trackers, an industry most people can’t see, control or question. By Upian, Arte, ONF & BR

Gaylor’s DoNotTrack

My first feelings after watching Gaylor’s first DoNotTrack episode was shock. Not because I did not know that the web tracks us through cookies, but because of the impactful way the video made me think about it. Normally, I think of cookies as being no big deal. If I am only using my computer for looking up movies and doing school work, then where is the problem? Although after watching this episode, it is very evident that there is a problem. In the video, it is stated that when you’re in the system giving data, that data is used to judge, assert power and make comparisons on other people also using the web. “It’s not about you, but how what you put out there effects other people” was a line that struck me the most, and made me think about my own privacy practices. When using my computer, it is uncommon that I really think about what I’m doing. For the most part, I’m either doing school work or watching netflix, so why should I worry? As I think about it now, there is many things about me that I would prefer others not to know that is out there for any tracker to see. Intimate things that would not normally be shared it saved by cookies, shared by strangers and consumed by corporate leaders. The thought of that is odd to me, and also slightly scary. What do they know? How do I make it so that they do not take my information? Educating oneself about how the web works and how involved one truly becomes when plugging in is crucial in today’s society. With computers and phones in nearly every hand, people must know what kind of information they are sharing with the world whether they mean to or not. Learning about cookies and tracking is necessary when using technology, because otherwise we will be doing exactly what the surveillance driven trackers want: letting privacy perish.

#donottrack #survaillance #knowyourstuff

Birds Tweeting Fake News

When it comes to assessing major issues and conflicts in the world, it takes a certain approach in order to arrive at reasonable solutions. Evidence-based reasoning is a crucial approach when dealing with sensitive and important issues such as poverty or racism, and one must be able to spot opinion-based solutions to avoid biased actions. When considering various problems, opinions can cause problems if they are biased towards personal benefits. For example, if a government decides to cut back on census data to save money this could benefit major companies that cut corners on wages or safety regulations. With evidence-based reasoning, one would look into this and see uncertainties in the plan, resulting in looking into a new solution with more stability to them. This kind of assessment method is not only useful when making major decisions, but is also helpful in catching biased opinions being used as “facts”.

By understanding the difference between opinions and solid reasoning, one can then be more mindful of the things they hear about social issues that occurring today. If evidence-based reasoning is used properly in daily life, then perhaps more individuals would be less discriminatory towards minorities for they would reason that there is really no reason to hate an individual based on their appearance or ideals. It is important to practice in order to show that opinion from older generations should not form the values held today, and that today’s youth can begin a new society where acceptance and respect is a virtue kept in mind when making any major life decisions. “Fake news” is apart of our world now, and it sits around every corner. It is so crucial at this time to be able to open ones eyes and recognize what is true and what is false in order to keep a balanced head. The government and media will not always spread the truth, so it is important to see when this is the case in order to maintain moralities and self-values in place.

#tweettweet

Stereotypes in Media? Still?

Although humanity has made great leaps in socials issues around the world, so many such as stereotypes and generalizations still occur to this day; maybe even for the worst. With the expansion of the internet and social media every year, more and more people sign up and become apart of the trend every day. Most millennials will reveal they have multiple different social media apps on their phone, and that most of them are constantly getting updated. However, the media also contains aspects that is negative to the development of society due to its ability to normalize stereotypes and ideals in the minds of all that are active online. Through forms of advertisements, music, movies and social media sites, individuals will see and hear remarks and portrayals that may be offensive. The extremely feminine homosexual, the violent dominate black man, or the thin long haired woman. All of these characters are well used, and seeing them has become normalized within society. Although real people are not always like this. For a young girl to see on an actress playing a helpless damsel in distress, it stereotypes woman as being dependent. Instead, stereotypes must be broken in order to show that young girl that woman can make a stand for themselves now. These changes have been occurring, such as the film Brave which broke stereotypes about woman dependence while also showing young girls that they must respect what they are given, which not only helps the mentality of young girls but creates a better future when those girls turn into strong women themselves. Media has the ability to send out these messages and ideals to the world, and if used properly can bring humanity together and make changes for the better.

#stereotypes #media #stop with this shit

“Helping Hand” My Ass

With poverty being a feature in any society, global organizations such as the World Bank or the IMF promoting assistance for anyone to build a better economy sounds too good to be true. And that is because it is. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are both organizations that were developed to help provide a more stable economy for countries in need, by making large loans that would help a country get back on their feet. However, these organizations may ultimately cause more harm than good in poorer countries by digging them a deeper hole than before. This type of conflict is evident between Greece and the IMF. After the IMF gave a large loan to Greece in order to help its poverty, Greece found itself in a tighter situation than before the “helping hand” was given. Greece argued that the claims the IMF were making was “unrealistic and unnecessary” and ultimately fell into a significant debt. Although the organization claimed that they wanted to help the economy of Greece, the results showed that Greece has hit its highest point of poverty. This reveals just how corrupt these organizations really are, and perhaps their motives are not as concerned with the wellbeing of poorer countries as they say. By loaning out such a large sum, these organizations are basically trapping poorer countries in debt which would ultimately benefit the organizations in the end. Powerful leaders invest in these organizations, and with developing countries in debt to them, their power only increases. The leverage those powerful leaders now have over the indebted countries, which provides a clear path towards their raw materials and resources as a “payback”. Just another example of the big guys controlling everything while the little guys get scraps.

#ibm #worldbank #whatheheckguys

Time to Unplug?

Media is a factor that can be seen anywhere in a society. The use of different social medias and the internet is a prominent feature of societies today, and there are many different positive and negative consequences because of it. On the good hand, the media has helped interconnect the world by a press of a button. All of a sudden, there are no more communication barriers between countries on opposite sides of the world. The world is open to be explored and talked about by anyone who logs in, and media provides a great platform for connecting, expressing, informing, ultimately uniting the world through the web of the internet. However, there are also many negative effects that have been caused by social media and the internet as a whole. The use of this media has evidently led to addiction. Everywhere you look, a phone or computer will be seen in the hands of most of the population. Instead of having face-to-face contact, people are resorting to communicate through their technology instead. Motivation levels decrease, and all of a sudden a society turns into a technical world. The internet becomes relied on by these individuals, and instead of living and experiencing everyday life, hours a day will be wasted by staring at a screen. Children and adolescence are especially effected by the media, for the internet contains sources for bullying and comparing, ultimately damaging the minds of young people by exposing them to more ugliness in the world than one would have seen thirty years ago. Although media connects the world, perhaps it connects the world too much. The constant convenience of it makes it a constant feature in society, and with everyone looking down at their screens, no real experiences can be made. Instead of talking and communicating, young people prefer to watch the newest trending video. Media must be reduced because of this, in order to save communication from becoming solely technical.

#unplugyourself #beforeyouwreckyourself

Sometimes we have no choice, we work till dawn. When you work all night you become dizzy and your eyes hurt because you can't take any breaks. SANTA'S WORKSH...

Not So Jolly Workshop, Santa

Globalization is a prominent feature of human society and has been for decades. The effects globalization has on the world is evident in any area one may look, whether in a Dollar Store or a high end fashion store. Although it is has proven to allow developing countries job opportunities, the negative effects of globalization dominates the scale. The issue that arises from globalization is that it works in the favour of managers, owners, and investors whereas the workers remain poor. In order to mass produce a simple fabric of cloth that will be discarded only months later on the other side of the world, factories must hire hundreds of workers who are willing to work for cheap for the chance at a job. These workers are exposed to harsh working conditions, extreme exhaustion from long hours, and after a long day’s work of labour they are rewarded with next to nothing. In the documentary Santa’s Workshop, these effects are shown as film makers go into China’s toy factories. The interviews revealed that workers are required to work long hours in dangerous situations, with very low wages in return. The labour laws in China would be absurd to a Canadian society, however these low-wage factory jobs are very common in China. Due to this, more companies are attracted to the idea of manufacturing their product for less, and then sell for more. With over 90% of products being made in these situations, globalization is only growing even as the problem continues to increase. With such dangerous working conditions, many accidents occur in the factories of China which results in injuries and perhaps even death. As Canadians, who are fortunate in our society with rights and fair wage, must become more aware of this issue at hand and develop a mindset that we can do something about it. Small acts can go a long way —like buying local or secondhand clothing instead of spending more money for a label, or buying fair trade products—if everyone pitches in.

#santa'sworkshop #globalization #child labour

Bionic Purse?

A heroic female superhero with great strength and great influence? Let’s sell some purses.

#yeahright womanaremorethanPURSES

Want to know me? Heres my Name

My name is Jaime Jennifer Cooke, and what I want you to know about me is how I got this name. The story is told in many ways, and no one has ever given a definite answer to as which story is the right story. Nevertheless, each version has helped shape the woman I am today. My parents both have different ideas on where the name Jaime came from. In my fathers eyes, the name Jaime originated from the French word “J’aime”, meaning I love. My middle name is the name of my mother, so in french my name translates to “I love Jennifer Cooke”. Romantic, but my mother has never accepted it as the truth. She states that my name originated from her love for the Bionic woman. When she was a young girl in the 70’s, she would race home every day in order to catch Jaime Sommers as the Bionic woman. She loved how strong and daring the character was, and dreamed of naming her daughter after the heroic female. She was true to her word, and swears up and down that I was named after the strong Jaime Sommers. Each story may have played equal parts in the creation of my name. Who is to say that one is right and the other is wrong? Both have given me inspiration in my life, from feeling as strong as the Bionic Woman or taking advantage in french class with a french name. Each story behind the name gives me a sense of identity, something that I can also share with the world to show what kind of person I want to be. I identify greatly with the Bionic Woman, and take strength and inspiration from the idea of her nearly every day. The french term “I love” gives me a sense that my life should be about loving and being kind, which has been a value in my life that has given me a great sense of pride and joy. Both versions of my names origin have greatly impacted my life and have provided me with many great life memories, and all this came from the stories of a name. It is interesting how a name and its story can have so much impact, but also a unique and beautiful feature of culture and humans. I’m thankful to have a story, and I’m thankful I am able to share it with you.

#storybehindeverything

Paul’s Warm Up Walk

The one thing I remember most about that day long ago is the trees and the sky. When Paul proposed the silent walk, he choose the perfect time of day to do so. The tops of the trees still gleamed with gold as the sun set off in the distance, and the blue of the sky calmed my heart. Walking in complete silence allowed me to breathe in this moment, and absorb it while everyone experienced something slightly different. A collection of strangers walking together silently is not uncommon to me. As an individual born and raised in Toronto, I’m used to sitting among countless others in complete silence. Train rides, bus rides, walking through downtown or underneath it along the Path. However the only difference between the quite subway and Paul’s walk was the presence of technology. Part of the deal was that the class was required to unplug themselves and leave the phones behind, and truly absorb the moment. When riding the train or walking downtown, the phones tend to stay plugged in and take away the chance to truly become involved in the experience of taking in the world. When walking completely unplugged and silent, I was given the chance to take in the beauty of Guelph’s campus. The old brick buildings with beautiful twisting vines, the large steady trees placed along the well walked pathway. I truly felt at peace as I took in the beauty around me, thankful that I was living this moment. Throughout life I always find myself in beautiful moments that were given to me, such as Paul’s walk. In these moments, nothing is more important than to appreciate the fact that life gives these moments every day. It is up to us to unplug and recognize these simple moments, because it is the simple moments in life that can make the most impact. Paul’s walk impacted me because I was given a moment to breathe and take in a moment of peace among many moments of chaos. I know for a fact that each person in the group experienced something different, but what they do not know is that each one of them played a part in a very important experience in my life. After life throws continuous curve balls, it is a real treat to be thrown an easy pitch.

#goldentrees goldenmoments

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Jaime's World