POWER: Strong Muscular Men

In our society, we identify men with big muscles and big body as strong and powerful.  Basically, we think that these kind of men are those who can do everything. Some of them were even feared by people, some where even hired as bouncers in clubs while others joins body building contests.

But what makes them powerful? Looking at their physique we could see that they have big muscles which made them look so strong and powerful. In my own experience, I have encountered these kind of men. Being enrolled in a gym together with my dad, we have encountered this kind of people. At first I really find them scary since they have super big muscles then turn out that they are actually nice people. For me, I misinterpreted the way they look. Now whenever I see them, I still look at them as a powerful figure not only by their physique but also through the way they look.

They may not have all the money to have power instead they are meant not to do feminine stuff, they're not suppose to cry and men are higher than women. In short men still do dominate the patriarchal society. On the other hand, men who who do actions which are perceived as feminine is more on the lower ranking. In this case, men should really act like men. But as we look at our society, we don't know if the strong muscular men are really MAN. In here now comes the PAMIN or those guys who are gay but acts like a men. CLOSET GAYS! They act normal, dress like men but deep inside they are feminine.

Now my opinion of power is not only through gender but on the way they act. In the book "Wild At Heart", the author said that we are being trained to act like a nice guy. A question that was asked in the book was "who do men look up to?" 

I leave the question now to you: Are REAL men possesses REAL power?

Post Colonialism: AVATAR [for editing]

“For some time now, the accidental events on the street seem to the movie-goer just leaving the theater like the planned contingency of a film.  Between the mechanically assembled phrases taken from the language of daily life, the chasm yawns.”

 - “Trying to Understand Endgame” Theodor W. Adorno

Humans are engaged in mining the reserves of a precious mineral on the moon Pandora of the Alpha Centauri star system.

Colonized people refers to the European colonial powers of Britain, France and Spain. Colonized people, especially of the British Empire attended British universities and with their access to education, created this new criticism (literary theory with a critical approach deals with literature from countries that once were colonies of other countries, esp the European colonial powers)..former republics of the Soviet Union became subjects of the study of postcolonialism also.

It's just that previously colonized places are homogenized in western discourse under the umbrella labe like "Third World." And it's about the uneven impact of Western colonialism on different cultures, places and peoples,. There was and still is resistance to the West, our relations, practices and representation of the past, to our materialistic ways, problems we create for others in defining their national identity, the ways in which the knowledge of the colonized (subordinated) people has been gernerated and used to serve the colonizer's interests; and the ways the colonizers literature has justified colonialism via images of the colonized as a perpetually inferior people, society and culture.

Colonialism was about seeing the Orientals and Westerners as different from each other: East vs West or East/West binary. This opposition justified Westerner perception of the "white man's burden" to rule and govern subordinate people. Which concept was a Western creation, and seeing the Orient as an inferiour world, backward, irrational and wild, while depicting the West as superior, progressive, rational and civil.

Postcolonialism is different. Post colonialism seeks out areas of hybridity and transculturalization particularly during processes of globalization.

Indigenous Filipino Theories

Pinoy ka kung...

1. Lumulingon ka kapag may sumisitsit.
2. Kaya mong magturo ng direksyon sa pamamagitan ng iyong nguso.
3. Gumagamit ka ng tabo sa paliligo.
4. Mahilig kang bumili ng “Sale” na item sa mall kahit hindi mo kailangan.
5. Nagkakamay ka kapag kumakain at hindi mo kailangan ang kutsara at tinidor.
6. “Prijider” ang tawag mo sa refrigerator.
7. May picture ng “The Last Supper” sa kusina niyo. at
8. May malaking dalawang malaking kutsara at tinidor na nakasabit sa dingding ng kusina niyo.
9. Naka-laminate ang diploma ng mga nakagraduate sa inyo.
10. May nakahilerang picture frames ng buong pamilya niyo na nakasabit sa dingding sa tabi ng hagdanan.
11. May walis ting-ting at walis tambo kayo sa bahay. Ito ang ginagamit na panlinis ng carpet kahit may vacuum cleaner.
12. Nagkakape ka habang kumakain ng tanghalian o hapunan.
13. Kumakain ka ng inihaw na dugo ng manok, adidas (paa ng manok), isaw ng manok, balun-balunan, at ulo ng manok.
14. Mahilig ka sa tingi. Tinging asukal, suka, tuyo, asin at iba pa.
15. Mahilig kang sumingit sa pila.
16. Navivideoke ka kapag sabado at linggo, pati na rin lunes, martes, miyerkules….araw-araw.
17. Mahilig kang dumura sa kalsada at umihi kung saan-saan.
18. Di mo nakakalimutang bumili ng souvenir item kapag nagbakasyon ka sa ibang lugar.
19. Umuusyoso ka kapag may aksidente.
20. Isinasawsaw mo sa kape ang tinapay.
21. Pumapalakpak ka kapag lumalapag ang eroplano sa airport.
22. Naliligo ka sa ulan at sa baha.
23. Kinukulob ang utot at pinapaamoy sa bata.
24. Hindi ka nahihiyang mangulangot gamit ang hintuturo. Bibilutin ang kulangot at pipitikin papunta sa kasama mo.
25. Mahilig kang mag-ipon ng mga botelya at gagamiting paglagyan ng asukal, kape, asin at iba pang gamit sa kusina.
26. Mahilig ka sa pirated cd’s at china products.
27. Bumibili ka ng ukay-ukay.
28. Kinakalong ang mga bata sa jeep at bus para hindi singilin ng pamasahe.
29. Nag-uuwi ka ng mga gamit sa hotel.
30. Tumatawad sa department store na parang nasa palengke ka lang.
31. Nagkakamot ka ng ulo at ngumingiti pag hindi mo alam ang sagot.
32. “Cutex” ang tawag mo sa nail polish, “Colgate” naman sa toothpaste.
33. Ayaw mong tanggalin ang plastic cover ng bagong bili mong sofa o sala set.
34. May uling sa loob ng refrigerator mo.
35. Pinapakain sa alagang aso at pusa ang natirang pagkain.
36. May eletric fan kang walang takip ang elisi.
37. May nakatabing bukod na pinggan, baso, kutsara at tinidor para sa mga bisita.
38. Mahilig kang magpapicture kasama ang nakitang artista sa mall.
39. Kaya mong makipagtext ng tuloy-tuloy hanggang madaling araw.
40. Paulit-ulit ang pangalan mo tulad ng Bong-Bong, Che-Che, Ton-Ton, at Mai-Mai.
41. Ginagamit mo ang sabong panlaba na panghugas ng pinggan.
42. Lagi kang huli sa lahat ng appointment mo.
43. Ginagamit mo ang iyong mga daliri sa pagsukat ng tubig sa ricecooker.
44. Ginagawa mong sabaw ang kape sa kanin.
45. Nilalagay ang sukling bentisingko sa tenga.
46. Binibilot ang ticket sa bus at isinisiksik kung saan-saan.
47. Nagpapabalot ka ng pagkain sa birthday party para iuwi.
48. Naguuwi ka ng mga tira-tirang buto at tinik sa birthday party para ipakain sa alagang aso at pusa.
49. Ugali mong umutang sa sari-sari store.
50. Pinoy ka kung sumasang-ayon ka sa lahat ng nabasa mo.

Nakakatuwang isipin na may mga bagay tayong naaassociate sa pagiging Pinoy ng isang tao. Madami tayong naiisip lalo na pinag usapan na ang mga Pinoy. Kakaiba ang mga Pinoy sa aking palagay kasi ang kultura natin ay pinagsama samang kultura ng mga banyaga na nilagyan  nalang natin ng sarili nating twist. Maraming nagsasabi na kapag pinoy ka eh tiyak na maganda ang ugali mo pero bakit yun lang ang nakikita sa atin?

Likas na sa mga Pinoy ang bahala na attitude na kung saan eh ipinararating nito na kaiang i conquer ng mga pinoy ang anu mang bagay. Minsan sinasabi ding bahala na si batman o bahala na si Lord. Ito ay isang kaugalian na kahit hindi sigurado sa isang bagay o hindi napagplanuhan ay gagawin parin ang isang bagay na iyon at ang mga susunod na aksyon ay depende sa magiging kalalabasan ng nauna. Wala naman masama sa ganitong klaseng pag-uugali kaya nga lang eh nabibigayn lang ng maling kahulugan kaya nagmumukhang negative.

Isa pang ugali ng pinoy ang katapatan pero sa panahon ngayon eh parang unti unti ng naglalaho ang ugaling matapat ng mga pinoy. Kung makakakita ka ba ng ksang malaking halaga ng pera sa oras na ito at malaki ang pangangailangan mo sa pera, sa tingin mo na eg isasauli mo sa may ari ang perang ito? Sa palagay ko ay hindi. MInsan may mga pag kakataon na nagiging matapat pa din ang mga pinoy pero minsanan nalang ito siguro dala na rin ito ng pagiging makabago natin.

Marami tayong magagandang ugali pero huwag dapat nating hayaang maglaho o mawala ito. Dapat i-practice pa natin ng maigi ang mga magagandang kaugalian na sadyang likas na sa atin. 

Cultural Product: DEXTER MORGAN

Actor Michael C. Hall portray's Jeff Lindsay's book character Dexter Morgan

My cultural analysis is base on Jeff Linday's book entitled Dexter. America's Showtime adopted this novel and turned it to a TV series which debuted last October 2006. Dexter's character is so strong that I think he is a good choice for analyzing his character.

Before going straight to my point, I'll let you watch this video so you will have an idea why I choose 

Dexter.

While watching the video, what do you feel? What have you noticed? What have you seen? Was it too gore or was it just ok? Why did he killed those people? Why those people? These questions are the same questions that struck me the first time that I watched this series. 

In the series, Dexter is portrayed as an emotionless guy who lives by this so called "Harry's Code." These code was taught to him by his father while he was growing up. Dexter being an adopted son of Harry, his father, grew as a strong man who literally kills 'bad' guys and does it with ritual. Throughout Dexter's teenage years Harry was Dexter's mentor. Harry would teach him the code, a set of rules constructed by Harry for Dexter in order for Dexter to control his urges by killing those who only deserved to die. According to Harry: "It's not about vengeance, not about retaliation, or balancing the books -- it's about something deep inside. Harry's Code basically states that Dexter can only kill people after finding evidence that they are guilty of murder, and he must dispose of all evidence so he never gets caught.

Dexter first started killing small animals when he was a young boy. As he grew into a teenager his urges became stronger. His first kill was a 45 Year old nurse, Mary, also known as the Angel of Death because she was slowly killing her patients with an overdose of Morphine. Mary was Harry's nurse while he was hospitalized for a heart attack. She administered his morphine and attempted to kill him by overdose. Harry realized what was happening and asked Dexter to 'stop her...before she hurt anyone else. Harry gave Dexter permission to use the lessons he was taught.

I have mentioned something about rituals. Before Dexter decide to kill the person who is guilty, he takes a blood sample from the victim with a scalpel for his slide collection. Encasing his preferred room in plastic tarp so no evidence is left and uses black plastic trash bags to dispose of victim remains overboard his boat called the slice of life.

 Dexter using his scalpel.

 Dexter and his slide.

Dexter and his plastic wrap and duct tape.

Dexter and his trash bag.

Now the question that struck my mind is: Is Dexter a psychopath? Now we define what psychopath is. According to an internet source, psychopath a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with strongly amoral conduct but masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal. The following are the characters of a person who is identified as a psychopath:

1. gain satisfaction through antisocial behavior, and do not experience shame, guilt, or remorse for their actions

2. lack a sense of guilt or remorse for any harm they may have caused others, instead rationalizing the behavior, blaming someone else, or denying it outright

3. lack empathy towards others in general, resulting in tactlessness, insensitivity, and contemptuousness

In the personality literature, conscientiousness refers to the tendency to show self-discipline, the act dutifully, and to aim for achievement. People high in conscientiousness prefer planned, rather than spontaneous, behavior and are able to effectively control and regulate their impulses. Prototypic psychopaths are quite low in this trait, unable to put the brakes on their dangerous impulses and incapable of learning from their mistakes. Given this, it is no surprise that such individuals are often arrested and convicted for their heinous crimes. However, the personality ratings of the successful psychopaths depicted a dishonest, arrogant, exploitative person who nevertheless was able to keep their behavior in check by controlling their destructive impulses and preventing detection. 

Based on this insight, Dexter seems to fit the profile of a successful psychopath, and that is something that makes his character different from other psychopaths we have seen in pop culture. Despite Dexter's dark thoughts and even darker behaviors, his "work" is consistently clean, well-planned, and meticulous. He rarely acts out of impulse, and instead filters his destructive urges through a carefully organized code of conduct (i.e., "Harry's code"). In this way, Dexter is a fascinating contradiction: He is a cold-blooded killer and a warm-hearted father; an emotionally cold vigilante and a caring friend and brother; a violent assassin and a defender of innocence and justice.

Sources:

DePaullo, B. (2010). The Psychology of Dexter. Smart Pop.

Si Kiko at ang Dreadlocks

Ilang linngo na din ang nakalipas mula ng maibitahan si Kiko Rustia ng aming propesor sa isang pagtalakay tungkol sa cultura. Maganda nag naging flow ng discussion at madami akong natutunan na mahahalagang bagay tungkol sa pagkatao ni Kiko Rustia at kasama na dito ang kanyang buhok.

Sino nga ba si Kiko Rustia?

Kung ikaw ay nanonood ng Survivor Philippine Edition 1st Season sa GMA eh malang kilala mo siya. Siya lang naman ang masasabi kong kakaiba sa mga kasali sa reality game show na yon.

Ano ba ang kakaiba kay Kiko o ano ba ang pinagkaiba niya sa ibang players?

Una kong napansin kay Kiko eh yung  buhok niya. Nung una super freak out ako pag nakakakita ako ng ganong klaseng buhok pero di nagtagal eh nasabi ko nalang na cool pala yun. Ang tawag sa porma ng buhok ni Kiko ay dreadlocks o kaya minsan eh tinatawag din itong dreads. Ayon sa pagbabasa ko online, ang dreadlocks ay isang klase ng porma ng buhok na kung saan eh ginaganchilyo ang buhok para magkaroon ito ng kakaibang texture. Medyo high maintenance nga lang ang ganong klaseng buhok kasi naman kailangan weekly mo ipaparetouch para ipasok ulit ang mga buhok nag nag sisilabasan. Isa pang mahirap gawin pagdating sa ganong klaseng buhok eh ang pagpapaligo dito. Umaabot ng mahigit sa isang oras ang pag shampoo, pag banlaw ant pagpapatuyo dito. Sa kaso ni Kiko naman eh nung una ko siyang makita eh naamaze ako kung paano niya napanatili ito ng hindi man lang nagmumukhang kadiri. 

Ang video na iyan any galing mula sa isang interview ni Jessica Soho kay Kiko Rustia.

Ito ay isang halimbawa ng dreadlocks.

Malaki ang nagiging papel ng culture sa ating buhay. Sabi nga ni Kiko eh matuto tayong tanggapin kung ano tayo at wag natin itong ikahiya. Si Kiko nagsimula bilang isang simpleng tao pero habang tumatagal eh lalo siyang nag crave na may kulang pa sa kanyang pagkatao. Nag kwento siya sa aming klase kung paano niya nabago ang kanyang sari simula ng mapadpad ito sa Boracay 3 years ago at nalam kong na inlove siya sa buhay isla at natuto siyang maging bahagi ng culture nito.

Marami akong natutunan sa naging talk ni Kiko. Naikwento niya rin yung mga adventure na nagawa na niya at yung mga lugar na napuntahan na niya dito sa Pilipinas. Naikwento niya din yung mga lugar dito na di ko akalaing mayroon pala tayo tulad ng Tinuy-an na tinatawag ding Niagara Falls of the Philippines at marami pa siyang nabanggit na iba pang lugar. Nainspire ako kay Kiko na muling mag adventure trip. Katulad niya, gusto ko ding madiscover kung ano pa ba ang itinatago ng Pilipinas when it comes to its beauty and culture.

Tinuy-an Falls in Davao

Isang napakagandang experience ang makakilala ng isang tao na hindi lang puro pisikal ang kayang ipakita bagkus kaya nitong dahil ang sarili nya at ipagmalaki kung sino siyang talaga. Saludo ako kay Kiko Rustia at sana sa susunod eh makita ko ulit siya at masabi sa kanya kung gaano niya ako nainspire at kung gaano siya ka cool.