This week I watched two TED talks over the stories and storytelling. This included The Dangers of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Imaginary Friends and Real-World Consequences by OU professor Jennifer Barnes. These videos were very different but I enjoyed them so much!
Adichie opened her talk by revealing more about her Nigerian background and how American and British literature had impacted her book-loving childhood deeply. She only had this single story/image from the books she read, so all the stories she wrote involved blonde hair, blue eyed children eating apples and talking about the weather. When she came to America, she was shocked that people had such skewed beliefs about Nigeria. She said something that really stuck with me: stereotypes aren't necessarily untrue, they just don't tell the whole story. I have been thinking a lot about this lately. A popular group on facebook popped up a few months ago called Subtle Asian Traits, and honestly I think every Asian person I know is part of it! In the group, mostly first generation Asian young people share memes and inside jokes and childhood memories that only other Asian people who shared similar experiences would get. Also a lot of language puns. When I share some of the ones I think are particularly funny with my friends, they don't really understand why I would be laughing about a joke about my own race. I suppose I never saw my race as that simplified, as something that couldn't be laughed at at times when we do some ridiculous things. Like lamenting having to work in family resteraunts before we were of legal age (without pay, I might add). To someone else, this could seem like child abuse or parents taking advantage of their kids. To Asian-Americans, this was how we helped out our hard working parents who immigrated so we wouldn't have to inherit the business. It gave me a lot to think about with my own assumptions about things, and how I process the media and news.
Dr. Barnes gave a really fun speech about why we become so attached to fictional characters and what affect they have on our life. I know in this class, many of us are huge GOT fans, so I am sure we've all felt our favorite character get knifed like it went through our own heart. These relationships we form are super important in my opinion! I don't think its necessarily a bad thing to use it as a way to be detached from reality. Sure, it can be detrimental if overused, but for most of us, fiction is a way to heal, decompress, and let the creative parts of our mind soar for a little while. These fantastical fictional series like LOTR, GOT, and Harry Potter feed us creativity that the normal person lacks. It takes a special type of author to create such an encompassing world, but the benefits and joys of it are reaped by many.
*T/N: the image is poking fun at something many Asian parents say. Instead of "turn on the light", the phrase "open the light", while incorrect, is used VERY often. We're not making fun of parents, but rather bonding over this shared experience through finding more things we have in common.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Dangers of a Single Story. Web Source.
Jennifer Barnes, Imaginary Friends and Real-World Consequences. Web Source.
Adichie opened her talk by revealing more about her Nigerian background and how American and British literature had impacted her book-loving childhood deeply. She only had this single story/image from the books she read, so all the stories she wrote involved blonde hair, blue eyed children eating apples and talking about the weather. When she came to America, she was shocked that people had such skewed beliefs about Nigeria. She said something that really stuck with me: stereotypes aren't necessarily untrue, they just don't tell the whole story. I have been thinking a lot about this lately. A popular group on facebook popped up a few months ago called Subtle Asian Traits, and honestly I think every Asian person I know is part of it! In the group, mostly first generation Asian young people share memes and inside jokes and childhood memories that only other Asian people who shared similar experiences would get. Also a lot of language puns. When I share some of the ones I think are particularly funny with my friends, they don't really understand why I would be laughing about a joke about my own race. I suppose I never saw my race as that simplified, as something that couldn't be laughed at at times when we do some ridiculous things. Like lamenting having to work in family resteraunts before we were of legal age (without pay, I might add). To someone else, this could seem like child abuse or parents taking advantage of their kids. To Asian-Americans, this was how we helped out our hard working parents who immigrated so we wouldn't have to inherit the business. It gave me a lot to think about with my own assumptions about things, and how I process the media and news.
If you know, you know. SAT.
Dr. Barnes gave a really fun speech about why we become so attached to fictional characters and what affect they have on our life. I know in this class, many of us are huge GOT fans, so I am sure we've all felt our favorite character get knifed like it went through our own heart. These relationships we form are super important in my opinion! I don't think its necessarily a bad thing to use it as a way to be detached from reality. Sure, it can be detrimental if overused, but for most of us, fiction is a way to heal, decompress, and let the creative parts of our mind soar for a little while. These fantastical fictional series like LOTR, GOT, and Harry Potter feed us creativity that the normal person lacks. It takes a special type of author to create such an encompassing world, but the benefits and joys of it are reaped by many.
*T/N: the image is poking fun at something many Asian parents say. Instead of "turn on the light", the phrase "open the light", while incorrect, is used VERY often. We're not making fun of parents, but rather bonding over this shared experience through finding more things we have in common.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Dangers of a Single Story. Web Source.
Jennifer Barnes, Imaginary Friends and Real-World Consequences. Web Source.
Hey Moriah!
ReplyDeleteIt’s so cool that you spent the time to watch some videos and dive into the course more and more. The second one you watched sounds especially intriguing! I have always wondered why I care so much about people that aren’t real, and this helped me figure that all out! Thanks for sharing and best of luck with the rest of your semester!