Entry #8 Beauty Standrads

Beauty Standards on Social Media

 Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter all promote certain standards and ideals around appearance. These are known as "beauty standards on social media." These standards are commonly described by a restricted concept of beauty that places an emphasis on traits like thinness, perfect skin, and symmetrical facial features.

By enabling users to edit and share pictures of themselves and other people, generally using filters and other editing tools that improve or change their appearance, social media has had a huge impact on beauty standards. Leaving a misunderstanding of what is "normal" or "beautiful," causing irrational expectations and problems with body image.

Social media influencers and celebrities frequently market beauty products, methods, and operations intended to help individuals meet these standards for beauty. This further establish the belief that success or attractiveness require a particular physical appearance.

Despite this desire to feel accepted in terms of beauty there is a strong movement is underway to oppose these confined beauty standards and to promote diversity and body acceptance. Many social media users are using their platforms to celebrate different types of bodies and beauty ideals and to promote a society that is more accepting and inclusive.

Entry #10 NFL Draft Day

 

The league's primary method for acquiring new players is the NFL Draft, which takes place every year with the first one occurring in 1936. The position of each team in the draft order is determined by its record from the previous year, which is done in reverse order, with the Super Bowl champion being placed last and the bottom-place team being handed the first pick. From here, the team can choose a player to draft or trade this position to an opposing team for another pick, a player or players, or any combination of those things. 

Here is some of the craziest draft day stories:

Before the draft, John Elway, one of the most anticipated quarterbacks in college football history and made it known to the Baltimore Colts that he did not want to play for them. He was chosen by the Colts with the first overall pick despite this. Elway kept his word and declined to play for the team, which prompted a sequence of trades that ultimately sent him to the Denver Broncos.

Laremy Tunsil was regarded as a top prospect for the 2016 NFL draft. However, a video of Tunsil smoking from a gas mask surfaced on social media just moments before the draft started. Tunsil's draft standing fell, and the Miami Dolphins ultimately took him with the 13th overall pick.

Randy Moss was rated as one of the top wide receivers in the 1998 NFL Draft, but many teams passed on him due to his controversial past. He ultimately dropped all the way to the 21st pick, where he was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings. Moss had a hall of fame career after that, proving all the teams wrong who passed on him.

When the NFL Draft was held in 2005, Aaron Rodgers was anticipated to go first overall, but he wound up falling down the draft board and was eventually chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 24th overall choice. Rodgers has gone on to become one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and has won multiple MVP awards and a Super Bowl.

The New Orleans Saints shocked the football world when they traded all of their draft picks for the year to the Washington Redskins in exchange for the 5th pick and used this to draft running back Ricky Williams. The move was highly criticized at the time, and Williams did not live up to expectations with the team.

When the Indianapolis Colts earned the first overall pick in 1998, they had to decide between Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning. While Leaf was regarded as one of the biggest busts in NFL history, Manning went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

Entry #9 Media Synthesize

Me and Media

With our latest essay involving the power of media I sat back and began to realize just how much of an influence media has had on my life and the activates I like to do in my spare time.

My perceptions of media have changed while writing and drafting my essay. I began realizing that there has been a recent rise in the gym industry in social media with many of the influencers being based in fitness and health. Social media is influencing younger audiences to get in the gym and try to achieve their best self

I have noticed my friends will find a major of their knowledge of the gym from not going to the gym and experiencing it first hand but from watching other people on social media. Influencers will often provide audiences workout splits or give advice on supplements or diets and this will cause a massive trend in change of behaviors of the followers since they will copy and do what ever a fitness influencer says since they want to be like them.

    I do not think this is necessary a bad thing as this type of influence is positive and promotes good and healthy living. With that being said it can sometimes be taken too far and promote a toxic environment for those who are not on the biggest trends or who do not know who a certain content creator is.

I am experiencing first hand the power of media every day when I walk into a gym and seeing people wearing the newest Young LA merch drop or wearing an influencers merch. I even once and while will see people look up how to do a workout mid-set if that feels lost or is looking to get the "best pump".

Entry #7 #Hashtag

 

Hashtag?

Hashtags (#) are words or phrases that are used to categorize and search for specific topics or content on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. When a hashtag is used in a post or tweet, it turns into a clickable link that takes the user to a feed of other posts that use the same hashtag.

Here are some of the most common uses for hashtags;

- Organize content

- Increase visibility

- Build communities

- Promote marketing campaigns

Popular #'s

#ThrowbackThursday or #TBT - On Thursdays, this hashtag is used to share photos or memories from the past, often in a nostalgic or sentimental tone.

#Travel - When sharing photos or stories about travel experiences, use this hashtag.

#MotivationMonday - On Mondays, this hashtag is used to share inspirational quotes or stories, often about personal growth or fitness.

#BlackLivesMatter - is a social justice hashtag that began as a movement to raise awareness of and combat police brutality and systemic racism against Black people.

#MeToo - is a social justice hashtag that was created to raise awareness about the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault, as well as to provide a platform for survivors to share their stories.

Hashtags have significant cultural, political, professional, and social significance in today's digital age. They have grown into an effective tool for culture, political engagement, professional marketing, and social contact. They enable consumers to post and discover content, interact with others, and make their voices heard on a global scale.

Entry #5 Local Story Respond

 In the article "Ducey: Why Arizona needs more college grads" Ducey expresses his attempt to make an improve to the Arizona education since the benefits of holding a college education will create a better economy for Arizona.

As a current student in the Arizona system I have to admit that I have first had experience of this poor education system. I have had teachers who were clearly unqualified to be in that career path but yet are trying to teach me about math. I had to miss weeks worth of school when the "Red for Ed" movement was around because Arizona does not take care of their own. I have had to learn online due to the pandemic and had to teach myself chemistry all because the teachers were not given the tools to help provide students with the help they desperately needed at that time

I am more than happy that Ducey is taking action to improve this states long developing issue. Arizona is known for a place of retirement and living out a life, I hope one day it becomes a place where it is known for starting life's and creating people who can have a impact on society through the education and degrees they have received. Ducey is pushing this movement through not only himself but wants everyone to take action. We need government officials, corporate executives, parents, grandparents, and neighbors to come together and take a new look at how we might connect the economy and education.

Entry #6 March Madness NCAA Tournament

 

The 2023 NCAA Tournament was among the most chaotic March Madness tournaments we've ever seen. A 16 defeated a 1 for just the second time ever, and a 15 seed moved on to the Sweet 16. Besides that, this tournament is the first time all four No. 1 seeds have been eliminated before the Elite Eight. Although this type of results are uncommon, there was a year with that was even crazier and holds the most upsets in NCAA history.

 

The most upsets that happened was 19 and occurred in 2014, according to the NCAA. A game where the winning team's seed was at least two seed lines lower than the losing team is referred to as an upset. The first round of the 2014 tournament had three No. 12s, three No. 5s, two No. 11s, and a No. 14 all advancing.

No. 11 Dayton faced off against No. 6 Ohio State in the second round of the South Regional. The game was held on March 20, 2014, in Buffalo, New York. Dayton pulled off the upset, winning 60-59 in a thrilling finish. Ohio State had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but Dayton's defense held strong and prevented the Buckeyes from getting a good shot off. No. 10 Stanford faced off against No. 7 New Mexico in the second round of the South Regional. The game was held on March 21, 2014, in St. Louis, Missouri. Stanford came out strong in the first half, taking a 32-20 lead into halftime. New Mexico made a run in the second half, but Stanford held on for a 58-53 victory.

The Sweet 16 saw little change before the Final Eight: No. 7 UConn defeated No. 2 Michigan State, No. 8 Kentucky defeated No. 2 Michigan

The 2014 Final Four semifinals were full of upsets as No. 7 UConn defeated No. 1 Florida and No. 8 Kentucky beat No. 2 Wisconsin. The remaining teams UConn and Kentucky were both Cinderella stories and looked to face off in the National Championship Game.

UConn entered the game as a No. 7 seed, while Kentucky was a No. 8 seed. This marked the first time in NCAA history that two teams seeded No. 7 or lower had made it to the championship game. The game started off with a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to pull away in the first half. In the second half, UConn continued to play well and stretched their lead to double digits. Kentucky made a late run to try and come back, but UConn held on for a 60-54 victory. The victory marked UConn's fourth NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, and the second under head coach Kevin Ollie. Shabazz Napier was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player,

Entry #4 Popular Film Franchises

Hollywood has always relied on popular film franchises as many of them have evolved into cultural phenomena that have had a variety of effects on pop culture. Here is a brief overview of some of the all-time biggest film franchises.

Rocky/Creed (1979-present)

Sylvester Stallone developed the script for the first film and the success was attributed in part to its inspiring story of an underdog who overcomes nearly impossible obstacles to realize his dream, as well as to its classic training sequence and famous soundtrack. As a result of the initial film's popularity, eight more were made with Sylvester Stallone staring as Rocky Balboa until passing the role to Michael B. Jordan in Creed. The Rocky franchise has grossed a total of $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office (Prior to Creed III). 

James Bond (1962-present)

The first James Bond film, "Dr. No," released in 1962, starred Sean Connery as the smooth and clever British agent. Since then, the series has generated 25 motion pictures, with Bond being portrayed by six different actors. The films have made nearly $7 billion in worldwide box office and are renowned for its classic themes, weaponry, and bad guys.

Star Wars (1977-present)

The Star Wars franchise began with the 1977 movie "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope," which introduced audiences to a galaxy far, far away and launched a cultural phenomenon that continues to this day. The franchise has produced 11 movies, including the main saga, spinoffs, and standalone films, and has grossed over $10 billion worldwide. The movies have become known for their epic space battles, iconic characters, and philosophical themes.

Indiana Jones (1981-present)

The Indiana Jones franchise began with the 1981 movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark," starring Harrison Ford as the adventurous archaeologist who travels the world in search of ancient artifacts. The franchise has produced four movies, with a fifth film "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destin" set to be released in 2023, and has grossed over $2 billion worldwide (Prior to "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destin"). The movies have become known for their thrilling action sequences, humor, and sense of adventure.

Jurassic Park (1993-present)

The Jurassic Park franchise began with the 1993 movie of the same name, based on the novel by Michael Crichton, which introduced audiences to a world where dinosaurs were brought back to life through genetic engineering. The franchise has produced six movies, with a short-film "Battle at Big Rock" and has grossed over $5 billion worldwide. The movies have become known for their groundbreaking special effects, thrilling action, and exploration of ethical and scientific issues.

Harry Potter (2001-2011)

The Harry Potter franchise began with the 2001 movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, which introduced audiences to a magical world of wizards and witches. The franchise produced eight movies, with a spinoff series, "Fantastic Beasts," set in the same universe. The story has also been adapted to a video game based in Hogwarts and the lore within the series with the game "Hogwarts Legacy". The franchise has grossed over $9 billion worldwide and has become known for its immersive world-building, memorable characters, and exploration of themes such as love, friendship, and good vs. evil.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-present)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe began with the 2008 movie "Iron Man," which introduced audiences to a world of superheroes and villains based on the Marvel Comics characters. The franchise has produced 31 movies (Prior to "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"), with more planned for the future, and has grossed over $22 billion worldwide. The movies have become known for their interconnected storylines, post-credit scenes, and memorable characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Thor. This film universe only continues to grow and has recently adapted original tv-shows and specials. Marvel and Disney have content planned for the next decade with "The Multiverse Sage".  

Batman (1989-present)

Over the years, numerous films have been made featuring the Caped Crusader, each with their own unique take on the character. One of the most iconic interpretations of Batman was by actor Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's 1989 film "Batman" and its sequel "Batman Returns" in 1992 . Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, featuring Christian Bale as Batman, was also highly acclaimed for its more realistic and gritty take on the character. Ben Affleck took the role of the worlds greatest detective in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", "Suicide Squad", "Justice League", and "Zack Snyder's Justice League". Both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton will make their final appearance as Batman in "The Flash" releasing 2023. The most recent addition to the Batman film universe is Matt Reeves' "The Batman" released in 2022 starring Robert Pattinson as a younger, more inexperienced Batman.