For one, I find it interesting that we have this notion in education that it is mainly about filling a students head with material, so that they contain it and retain it. We standardize test repetitively as a method for knowing that the student has the material in their head. Indeed I remember as a child wishing I could just put a book against my head and the information would just flow into me. Where is the sense of journey through learning? This notion of learning as a collection of data and facts seems quite contrary to the way in which people learn in everyday life. Learning should be a pleasurable interactive experience. We should value the journey of learning (as we will never cease to learn) versus the end result (as tested by standardized tests) I could go into a lot about what this might say about most education settings in america and globally but I don’t want to invest the time in that at the moment.
The other interesting thing is that I often get the question shouldn’t we be afraid that all of this “gay culture” (gays on TV, movies, in songs etc) might be persuading heterosexual boys to question their sexuality and cause them to experiment.
For one the very notion that such a thing would be inherently bad needs to be questioned, but for two, see how ridiculous the notion seems in reverse.
Shouldn’t we be afraid that all of this “heteronormative culture” (straights on TV, in movies, songs etc) might be persuading homosexual boys to question their sexuality and cause them to experiment.
Obviously the sad thing about switching this is that we know this to be true, and depressing since sometimes the questioning of their sexuality leads to suicide. But my question is why the fuck does it matter either way. We have such constrictive and conservative ideologies when it comes to sexuality. Can’t a person be neither straight nor gay. Does a straight person who sometimes likes gay erotica, or occasional male partners need to be out-casted. Does a gay man who sometimes enjoys having sex with women need to have his rights as a gay man questioned in the gay community?
Just as an expansion on the original question (shouldn’t we be worried that gays on tv are influencing our heterosexual boys) (as if heterosexuals are pure in some way and are tainted with gayness) we have such an intensely heterosexual and homophobic masculine culture in American society that the question again seems kind of silly.
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