My Reflection in the Pool

This quarter, I have blogged about a number of different issues. Not all were directly related to media, but they were probably close enough. I feel that at first I was writing kinda willy-nilly, but eventually hit on a winning formula. I would take a piece of media and a social issue and show how they are connected. Finding these connections was probably my favorite part of this assignment. Also want to give a quick shoutout to Holman Jenkins, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal whom I try to emulate in this blog.

I'm not going to pretend that this assignment changed the amount of media I consume, the types I consume, how I feel about the media I consume, or even my mindset about life. What it did do was give me an outlet for thinking about things the way I like to, and force me to write it down every week. I didn't change the way I think, the mindset Mr. Starace has taught us was something I did instinctively, it's just about forcing me to use it more. 

I have changed the way I look at specific media, however. I had the right perspective before, just not the specific knowledge to apply it. This class and this assignment have taught me about the specific motives, methods, and effects of media, and I can use these facts as general principles in deductive reasoning. I've learned more about new things to think about than about how to think about things, because I think I've learned that already in other places.

Keeping this blog enabled me to reap the seeds of metacognition. This blog is called Ben Metacognates on the Internet, and that is the most valuable element of this blog from my perspective. Displaying my stream of consciousness for myself and others is a mechanism I use to explore small thoughts of mine and apply them to more situations. I can take the idea that activists should market to those who disagree with them more than those who agree and expand that into a whole new way of fighting for justice. I can cultivate the seed of a connection between Rick and Morty and political correctness and grow it to be an insight into people's true feelings about being PC. I can add to the thread connecting Hamilton and education until it's a steel cable that could support the bridge between education and entertainment in future schools. All of this because I was metacognating. When I wrote down what I was thinking, I was able to take it further instead of just wondering about it now and then during certain classes that shall remain unnamed. 

This post is called my reflection in the pool because in a way this blog is like my own narcissistic reflecting pool. I had these ideas, but here I found the perfect outlet to express them permanently. It's as if I finally saw my reflection, and I fell in love with it. It exemplifies the best parts of me, and I can't get enough of my own metacognition. Like Narcissus, I intend to continue gazing at my reflection, although perhaps not until I die, and I will definitely take breaks for food and stuff. The only obstacle is my own laziness, so we'll see how things turn out. I look forward to whatever the future brings as I metacognate until my brain is empty and the blog is filled to capacity. Is it ethical for me to generate revenue through ads?

Starace's Secret Origin

The government launches a top-secret project involving the creation of human beings from a combination of the genes of other humans. They obtain a hair from Fidel Castro and a toenail clipping from Seth Rogen. They take a funny man and an economically liberal man and in an attempt to create a funny, economically liberal man. They succeed. This man is Mr. Starace.

The evidence is clear. Mr. Starace is a genetic hybrid between Fidel Castro and Seth Rogen. I felt I had a duty to share the truth with the world.

#FeeltheJohnson

I know last week I said everyone should vote for Trump, but the candidate I'm really rooting for is Gary Johnson. This is his campaign website. He is the Libertarian party's nominee. I know that some of you will automatically associate this with anarchy or perhaps don't know what libertarianism is, so I'll give a brief overview. Basically, it means that I am liberal on social issues and conservative on economic issues, although it's a little more nuanced than that. This is a link to a 2-minute political quiz that will tell you exactly where you fall on the political plane (not a spectrum, it's 2-dimensional). Gary Johnson embodies these ideas. That's why I #FeelTheJohnson, which is trending on twitter only after #feelthemath (the hashtag for how Bernie lost because of math) if you type in #feel. 

Speaking of Bernie losing, I think that Gov. Johnson is a great option for Bernie supporters who will not vote for Hillary. He agrees with Bernie on basically all social issues and has a 73% similarity to him on a political affiliation quiz. Some of his biggest issues are getting money out of politics, legalizing drugs, and ending interventionism. Here is a video to explain why Bernie supporters should consider Johnson. In fact, even if Hillary was your choice, Johnson might give her a run for her money. 

If you're concerned that splitting the democratic vote will allow Trump to win, think again. The majority of conservatives don't like Donald Trump, and many of them would prefer Johnson over The Donald. In fact, many Republicans are actually Libertarians but don't realize it, because they are pro marriage equality and pro choice, but don't know that the Libertarian party exists. Johnson was polling at 10% of the popular vote last week. This week it's 11%, and that number will keep rising. At  15% of the popular vote, he will be in a presidential debate. From here his recognition and support will grow even more.

Okay so it's unlikely he has a chance at winning in a straightforward general election. But truth be told, it's also unlikely that Clinton or Trump will either. Both are polling at around 40% right now, and keep in mind those will keep going down as Johnson pulls support from Democrats and Republicans. Since both will agree with around 50% of what Gary Johnson has to say making him neutral, they just need to be at least slightly unhappy about both other candidates for Johnson to be a viable option. 

As long as no one gets over 50% of the electoral votes, no one can be elected president by the general public. You need a majority, not just a plurality, to become president. In the case where no one wins, the House of Representatives votes on who will be president, with each state getting one vote. States with multiple representatives must come to a decision. Both parties will fear the other winning, and Republicans have only 57% of the House. In states that are split, the minority group will likely not consent to a vote within the state, and it seems likely that all will have open discussion to decide what is best. Most of the Republicans are establishment and not too fond of Trump, so they are likely to look for an alternative. Because neither party wants the other's nominee to win, it seems that Gary Johnson would be bot parties' second choices. This gives him a shot at winning if it comes to a vote in the House. It's pretty unlikely, but possible, and all of America might be #feelingtheJohnson pretty soon.

"You're like Hitler, except Hitler cared about Germany or something." What Rick and Morty tells us about political correctness

Rick and Morty is certainly my favorite show right now, and possibly the best show that's currently airing. It is fantastic. The best way for me to describe it is an animated, morally questionable Back to the Future. It combines humor and intricate plot into a perfectly balanced ice cream sundae. The characters are some of the most intricate I've seen, and the best part is the willingness to break rules. Here's a link to what is, as far as I know, a perfectly legal way to watch the show. Don't worry, your computer won't get a virus.

Take the very first sequence in the pilot episode. Rick walks into Morty's room in a drunken stupor and pulls him out of bed. Morty says it's the middle of the night and expresses pain when Rick pulls him out of bed. We see the two of them in this flying car that Rick made. He is drinking, and he tells Morty that he's going to blow up the planet. But don't worry, he's going to save this girl who Morty has a crush on, Jessica, and they can be Adam and Eve in a "fresh start." He then tells Morty that he doesn't have to worry about him "messing around with Jessica." Keep in mind Jessica and Morty are 14 and Rick is his grandpa. They fight, and Rick agrees to land the ship. When he opens the door, dozens of alchohol bottle spill out. He tells Morty he was testing him, then falls asleep. The bomb counts down, and then it cuts to the title sequence.

This alone breaks so many rules. It's a cartoon, which is usually lighter, and even if it's adult it definitely doesn't discuss an old man "messing around" with a 14-year-old. It's suspenseful, and at the same time the dialogue between Rick and Morty is pretty funny, just with their word choice. The shock factor is high, and it's compelling anyway. Another thing is the unique dialogue. Morty stutters a lot, Rick will occasionally burp in the middle of sentences, and the whole thing feels very improvised. It seems like they have general storyboards, then just work out the dialogue as they go. After just this two-minute bit I was hooked. Later on in the episode *spoilers if you want to watch it which you should at this point in time if you haven't already* Rick asks Morty to put giant seeds up his butt, so they can get through inter-dimensional customs with them. I don't know any other show that would have a Grandpa ask his grandson to put giant seeds up his butt. It's pretty comical, and it is unique. Rick seems to have zero regard for Morty's well being, focused only on science. The plot *BLURRRGH* thickens, however, later in the show as the characters develop.

The most interesting part of this is how popular the show is despite being so not politically correct. It seems like in regular life, a lot of people strive to avoid upsetting anyone and use as many unoffensive words and sentences as possible. In a world where microagressions are a thing, people feel pressure to avoid doing or saying anything that might "trigger" anyone (sorry if putting the word "trigger" in quotes triggered anyone). This show throws all of that out the window, holding absolutely nothing sacred.

"But if people are so concerned about being politically correct all the time, how is it that the show is so popular?" I can hear all of you asking. Well it seems to me that there's only one good explanation: people don't actually want to be politically correct. It seems that the only reason people are so PC all the time is to avoid public shaming or at least the distaste of others. Perhaps some do it for a sense of self-righteousness, but overall it seems that when people are allowed to not be PC, they choose that option every time. And why wouldn't they? Feeling like you need to constantly avoid offending someone around you can be stressful and draining. Saying what you feel or having what you feel expressed by others makes you feel good. While we should strive to be inclusive, it's clear that the level of PCness expected is uncomfortable for most.

One may think that the people who like this show are just people who aren't PC to begin with, but I know a good number of Rick and Morty fans (or at least a good percentage of the fans I know) who are usually very PC but love Rick and Morty. It allows them to cut loose, and who can blame them? Read this quote: "It's like the C-word and the N-word had a baby, and that baby was raised by all the bad words for Jews." I find this funny. I feel like a lot of people would find this funny, but their immediate reaction might be one of shock or disgust because that's the reaction they've been trained to have. It seems like the shock I experienced while watching that first two minutes was less of shock and more of finally finding something I felt I didn't have to filter for, and that was a good feeling.