English IV

Lyrical Essay and Image

Our English IV class was tasked with creating content that stems from a personal interview that we conduct with someone who is distinctly different from ourselves. As well as composing a lyrical essay, we were also supposed to pair it with a visual image that deepens the portrayal of our subject’s experiences, conflicts, emotions and perspectives. One thing I loved about this project was getting to understand my interviewees thoughts and feelings towards politics; a very risky and touchy subject for many. Living in California, a blue state that is considered highly liberal and not so much conservative, I decided I wanted to interview someone who had a perspective that swam upstream against the majority. My interviewee identified as a Republican and for my lyrical essay, I depicted one of the stories I was told from their perspective in a situation where they were treated unfairly because of his beliefs.

Red All Over

My peripheral vision is slightly obscured, everything within is blurred to look combined.

I try to catch my breath before the sobs break through, before I let go of my decency.

My mind is baffled and my mouth is unremarkably dry from the loss of words.

She stands there, waiting for my reaction.

They’re always waiting for my reaction.

They find it amusing to heighten the shock value, to really give me something to swallow.

They feel the need to quench their desires of controversy and confrontation.

Take a sip, how do you feel?

Do you taste the terror of misjudgement? The hint of desperation?

Swish it around and make sure you’ve had your fill.

“Isn’t he like a white supremacist or something?”

When she speaks, hot splashes of hatred flow like molten lava out of her mouth like a lively volcano. Her fiery head snapped in my direction as soon as the discussion was over. She had forced my head under boiling water and wouldn’t recede.

I felt dizzy.

Lightheaded.

Hot Flashes.

I felt the beaming stares from the rest of the class. Her question burned an image into my brain that I couldn’t get rid of.

She portrays the crimson shade so much better than I do.

She stands there, waiting for my reaction.

They’re always waiting for a reaction.

Her true colors show.

I can’t move, I can’t speak.

Then, before I melt from her gaze,

I run.

Teardrops begin to fall like a billion minuscule diamonds, small and discrete yet so heavy in weight.

The droplets soothe my scorching skin.

My mouth is baffled and mind unremarkably dry from the loss of words, loss of breath.

The cooling cyan soothes

my sizzling ruby.

I reach behind me to grab the bottle.

Take a sip, how do you feel?

Social and Civic Responsibility Research Paper

Sukie Dakin

Mr. Greco

English IV

8 January 2019

Social Media Shapes Our Culture

Social media has fostered a frenzy between companies and consumers, building and contributing to a social construct that has perpetuated people to think that living and looking a particular way should be applied to everyone. And what is this social ideal that’s been implemented into our society? In order to be recognized as “beautiful” or “attractive”, young girls and boys look to the leaders of their generation who display a lifestyle that is lusted after by many, whether it’s the expensive living situations, the lavish luxury cars, or the picture-perfect bodies.

Even before these social standards started becoming a trend, and before social media was used as a marketing tool, or even used at all, body dysmorphia was a prevalent social issue. Dating back to the 1800’s, the first weight-loss drug was introduced during the patent medicine era. Based on thyroid extract, these drugs were referred to as “fat reducers” which helped to increase metabolic rate. Unfortunately, the pill had unexpected side effects, including abnormal heartbeats, weakness, chest pains, high blood pressure, and even in some cases, death. Despite these significant risks, this form of weight control was available until the 1960’s. In the 1930’s, Dinitrophenol became the new weight loss drug. It was shown to produce a thermogenic effect in the body, yet several accidental deaths occurred from hypothermia and other side effects like eye cataracts, severe rashes, and damaged sense of taste began to show. This contributed to new laws set by the Food and Drug Administration and use of Dinitrophenol in the U.S. was quickly terminated. In the mid-1950’s, amphetamines were introduced as an appetite suppressant, after they were used for soldiers in WWII to keep them alert. Although they were effective, the risk of abuse and adverse neurological effects proved to be more significant than the value of the medication provided. Although starvation and drug-use for weight loss proved to yield results in the past, the side effects to the human body and brain were and still are too dangerous for one to execute. Now in the 21st century, many new supplements and drugs have been created, some even being natural and plant-based. Although there are many ways to lose weight healthily, some still resort to the danger of harming their bodies in order to look the way they think they should. If the need for self-validation through the numbers on the scale wasn’t already enough, nowadays we have our beloved celebrities to condemn for exemplifying the lusted-after lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Kim Kardashian, one of the most popular “influencers” in the industry of social media, has been working towards this prominent ideal in the public eye for over a decade. She is best known for her looks and how she uses them to endorse and market products that also conform to the likes of body sculpting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Whilst she helps her 124 million instagram followers stay in shape with a multitude of sponsored posts regarding Fittea, a brand of detoxifying tea that the Kardashian family “swears by” as shown by the posts that all of the sisters have shared, Kardashian unconvincingly shares her diet endeavors that seem the least bit realistic. This is not the only instance that Kardashian has sold out to a brand and in retrospect, told her impressionable young audience that eating less and utilizing unnatural weight loss fads are the keys to a slimmer and healthier body.

Another talked-about post that Kim passed on to her millions of  followers was an endorsement of a new line of appetite suppressant lollipops from Flat Tummy Co. Other celebrities, like Jameela Jamil, weighed in on the comments and questioned Kardashian as to why she was promoting the product, and accused her of encouraging eating disorders. In a promotional email sent to PEOPLE, Flat Tummy Co. said that the lollipops “help to suppress your appetite, kick your cravings, and are only 35 calories per pop.” Yet, on the companies website, they state that their products are not FDA-approved. Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian and sports nutrition specialist, and member of PEOPLE’s Health Squad stated, “Never ever should kids and teens take appetite suppressants,” she says. “And really, if anyone at any age needs an appetite suppressant it’s time to take a look at what they are eating and their life stresses. Needing an appetite suppressant is only a band-aid for a diet that’s not filling, not satisfying or a life that needs rebalancing.” Kardashian uses her social platforms to gain recognition, and with this, she can use her power of influence to promote brands that pay her about $1 million, with a single Instagram post.

The accessibility of these products reflects the companies targeting, excluding people who don’t fall under the umbrella of “one size fits all”. Companies worldwide are creating clothing items that follow the trends set forth by popular influencers and the reason this is happening is because there has been a social construct set that has made people think that living and looking a particular way should be applied to everyone, because it is seen as admirable of the popular genre. A famous example of this delirity was set forth by Mike Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch. The fall of his career as the CEO stemmed from an interview in 2006 with Salon, where Jeffries famously answers the question of why Abercrombie and Fitch refused to carry womens clothing over a size 10. Jeffries replies, “That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores… Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people– we don’t market to anyone other than that.” By saying this, Jeffries implies that people are only “good-looking” when they resemble the thin build of the size zero models in the catalogues, and those above size 10 are not considered attractive and thus are not welcome to shop at this store. Although the controversy led to Jeffries issuing a public apology on May 15, 2013, the company’s reputation could never be fully restored and the company decided to part ways with the then-CEO the following December.

Another clothing store, popular for its trendy styles and a cult favorite for teenage girls, is Brandy Melville. It’s notorious claim to fame is the brand’s policy of having all the clothing items tagged, “One size fits all”, which of course is not the case. The store doesn’t carry multiple sizes because they made a choice as a company to only cater to the slimmest of bodies. Clicking through the website, you see models sporting the clothing on their 5’7 frames and 24-inch waists, which represents only a small portion of the population. Since this brand has become so popularized, it’s hard for it to not be consumed by everyone, despite whether or not their body types fit the standards that the store has set. One high schooler named Abby Richmond took to the stores website to address her frustrations surrounding the “exclusive body ideals” that the promote. She said, “My problem with Brandy is that it is absolutely unaccepting of diverse body types. I have seen how horrible the store makes girls feel about their bodies, and I’ve felt it myself. I’ve seen my friends scroll through Brandy’s Instagram feed, gaze discontentedly at the gaunt, digitally-edited models flaunting the stores cute clothes, and say, “I wish I could look like them.”

All in all, our society has largely been fooled into believing that certain ideals are worth attaining, even if they lead to being ultimately unhealthy – not only physically, but mentally as well. The desire to be beautiful and adored has driven young people to harming themselves without knowing it for decades, but never before has the world seen toxic ideas entertained on the kind of scale that social media has allowed for.

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