Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Letter to Friend


Hey Ash,

Wow I didn’t know we get to do lots of activities in this class and blog about it!

The essay I chose to summarize and later write to the author of it was, Family Guy

and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious by Antonia Peacocke. In the

beginning I thought the essay would be a long boring passage like most teachers

nowadays give us, but once I started reading it I got so into it to the point where I

would make small debates in my mind in which family guy would be the educational good

guy and the blindfolding parents would be the bad guy. I never knew how much cartoon

relates to the real world and portrays the average American in the most humorous way

possible. In a way you can say it never hit me! I strongly encourage you to read this

essay, not because it is my job to persuade you (ok maybe a little), but just because

it gives you a broader view to how people make a big fuss over cartoon. When it is

cancelled or irregularly scheduled due to criticism the fans begin to protest and not

allow any commercials to be aired on the FOX Television Network and when it is being

aired the religious and blindfolding parents start criticizing the show as if there

is nothing else that is bad in the world that can actually happen to their children.



In my opinion I think kids should watch all kinds of shows regardless because it

helps them understand the world outside the doors of their house. Parents should

expose their children to these kinds of shows because honestly there is just so far

you can go by being book smart. You have to be people and street smart to survive in

this world. No one is going to sing the itsy bitsy spider to you and put you to sleep

when you go out into the real world. Cartoons like Family Guy and the Simpsons

actually expose you to real life situations.



This essay is really well written, but I thought it could be better. She is trying

to persuade people to start watching Family Guy since it is humorous, realistic, and

most importantly educational. If the author didn’t constantly oppose someone else’s

judgment as the key to why this show is great then this essay would have been a lot

better. Basically the author started to avoidFamily Guy when the fans were protesting

for it to come back on TV and when it did parents and other people started

criticizing the show so the author started liking it. I thought she wasn’t exactly

supporting the Television show and she was really just going against the thoughts and

opinions of others.



Now you might be confused with what I am writing because you haven’t read the

article. But I promise you if you read this article you will definitely understand

what I am talking about! It will give you a reason to watch family guy. I know when

you open the PDF it will look long and you wouldn’t want to read what it is, but once

you finish the essay you will really enjoy it, take my word for it because if it was

boring and a waste of time I wouldn’t of sent you this letter, heck this letter

wouldn't of even existed. So there must of actually been something great about this

essay for Maryam to read it and write about it.


Sincerely,

Maryam

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Letter to Author: Ms. Antonia Peacocke

Dear Ms. Antonia Peacocke,

My name is Maryam Kakar and I am currently a first time freshman in California State

University, Northridge (CSUN). I have been reading your essay about Family Guy(

Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious). I must admit I

was quite fond of it and realized the educational values of this show. After reading

your essay I did watch a episode of Family Guy, but this time I didn’t watch for

humor I paid closer attention to the dialogues of each character and what the show

actually had to offer. It led me to the conclusion that this show actually does

portray the lives of many Americans. I clearly understand now why so many people

opposed the show, but in my opinion I would not blame the show because it is

educational humor. I blame the views of the people who cannot clearly understand the

big picture of the shows. We cannot change the views and morals of everyone because

everyone is entitled to their own opinions that is why I believe if you don’t like a

show then don’t watch it no one is forcing you to, case closed. As simple as that.

You are actually wasting your own time fighting for something that is not worth it

because this show is not doing anything bad it’s just the way the audience conveys

the message.


If parents are trying to blindfold their children from the T.V. shows like this they

are basically not allowing their children to grow up and understand the real world. I

mean how long are you going to protect your children for they are all going to grow

up and like you said Ms. Peacocke there are much more dangerous and actually life

threatening things that actually can happen to kids.


There were certain points of your essay that really confused me. Like when “ Family

Guy” had many fans watching the show religiously and protesting when the show was

canceled/aired off you decided to avoid the show as opposed to “sink into it” (303).

And when people criticized the show you decided to begin watching it again. I mean I

sort of understand it, but it still leaves me a bit puzzled into the way you think.

It just makes me come to the conclusion that you are not actually writing or thinking

about the show; you are actually just going against peoples thoughts and views of the

show. If you really liked this show you would not care for the criticism the show

received you would just keep watching it. It wouldn’t and shouldn’t really matter to

you on how people view the show because you aren’t watching it for them; You are

watching it for yourself! Like I mentioned earlier everyone is entitled to their own

opinions and it isn’t necessarily our job to change the way they think. I mean don’t

get me wrong, I am not trying to offend you I am just giving you my opinion. Each

time I read your essay It gives me a broader overview to how much comparison cartoon

world has with the real world.


Best regards,

Maryam K.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious







Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious
Antonia Peacocke

Television shows in this day and age are viewed in two perspectives, the bad and

the good which makes it controversial to air it. Family Guy is a show that has

been canceled and irregularly scheduled because of its offending remarks towards

just about everything and everyone. Most people watch it for its humor, but do

not notice what the episode is actually trying to say and others watch a episode

or two and feel offended by what the characters say or display. If you take a

closer look into this cartoon you will realize how educational it really is by

exploiting the average American.





Work Cited


"Antonia Peacocke." Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious (n.d.): 298-303. Print.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Favorite Celebrity - Angelina Jolie

Dear Ms. Angelina Jolie,

My name is Maryam Kakar. I am currently attending California State University, Northridge as a first time freshman. I am a big fan of all your movies one in specific is Gia. I had a couple of questions which I was wondering if you can answer for me. Why did you decide to drop out of high school in your sophomore year? Why did your mom support your decision? At any point in your life did you regret it? I understand you are amongst the many successful people who have struggled in their past and made wrong decisions. You have been my inspiration for pulling myself up whenever I'm in doubt about anything. I really love the way you kept trying even when your self-esteem dropped you brang it back up and now you are a successful actress. I was hoping to intern for you because you have always been like my idol and I want to learn from you first hand how to overcame your struggle so I can help and  inform the young viewers on my Afghan International talk show who are going through a similar situation in their life.

Thank You
Maryam K.