#caic1819

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The Super Bowl: Playing The Game of ads.

Every year there’s the struggle for two teams to rise to the top, a fight like no other. They crawl their way up the ranks for that one moment of national glory, to compete at the Super Bowl. Finally, the big day arrives, as the game begins everyone waits tentatively on the edge of their seats, all in anticipation, just waiting for the moment when, at last, the adverts start.

The real fight that the international audience is there to see is for the limited space in halftime. The scrap pile of ads are so crammed together they’ve started to leak into each other, is it an advert for Old Spice? Or is it a tide ad?

And this year was no different, are you watching a Bud Light ad or the new teaser for the next season of Game of Thrones?  

It’s not who won the game last night that’s on everyone’s mind anymore, it’s that ASMR commercial and whether it should be deemed explicit? Or that Spiked Seltzer ad was sexist?

America has possibly reached its peak in consumer culture, as its citizens lay their time down at the feet of advertisers and why not? That possibly sexist advert cost $5 million for 30 seconds of airtime.

It’s become more than just products now, it’s become an art form. It’s no longer a commercial break but a collection of mini short films with almost academy level treatment in execution and reception.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before chaos, when all through the house, Christmas trees were appearing, and the horror was being disguised.

Not even the joy of Christmas can seem to bring empathy to the White House. While the US-Mexican border was teeming with screaming children suffering from the choking affects of tear gas, Melania Trump was stocking the rooms full of gleaming decorations. Released via Twitter to the world the same day as the news broke over the migrant crisis at the border, the overwhelming Christmas explosion coincidentally clouded the media.  

In a desperate attempt to not disregard Trump’s latest mistake, the media have really pulled apart Melania’s efforts to lighten up the White House. It is in fact the rows of “creepy” red trees that have attracted so much controversy. Likened to the blood-stained corridors in Stephen King’s The Shining, the red trees are not distracting anyone from the terror present down South. Despite intending to symbolise ‘valour and bravery’, Melania seems to have been inspired by the hundreds of shootings that have plagued America this year. Even Christmas can’t keep the evil away.

Maybe 2019 will be the year Melania can restore the glistening joy of Christmas to the White House. We certainly won’t be rejoicing in the familiar Christmas feeling the Obamas shared with the world in 2016 any time soon. But then again, have the Trumps ever been that shining star spreading happiness to the world?

Better luck next year Melania.  

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Pittsburgh community changed - but will America?

The Jewish community of Pittsburgh will never be the same again, after the events of October 27th, 2018. 11 members of the Tree of Life congregation were shot dead, families devastated, and lives changed forever but this group have been able to grow strong and mourn the losses together.

The New York Times reported the first Shabbat after the attacks, held in the Tree of Life. People of many faiths attended the synagogue and paid their respects, one of the attendees stated; “We needed to be with our people”. Another woman speaks of her son saying; “I don’t want him to be scared to come here”. The fear this tragedy has caused has brought families back to the synagogue to help their fellow worshippers. This beautiful display of unity is inspiring in times of such evil.

Even President Trump has been to pay his respects, he was met with crowds of protestors saying he was “unwelcome”. However, I have to say that I feel this made his visit even more important. All he wanted was to show that he cared about the awful event, this is probably due to his already close links with the Jewish community.

But will this change anything in America as a whole? Trumps comments in the aftermath, suggesting the synagogue should have armed officers are much less moving than his visit and show us that any hope of better gun laws won’t lie in the hands of President Trump.

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Hollywood: Whitewashing; A Never Ending Epidemic

In the early 20th century, the glamorous world of Hollywood so prominently displayed racism on their big screens. 1915 saw the birth of the film “The Birth of a Nation”, in which we saw the Klu Klux Klan heroically save society from the enemies, also known as people of colour; or white people using ‘blackface’ in this instance. Modern day Hollywood do not shine such a positive light on the KKK however, as can be shown in the 2018 hit “BlacKkKlansman” which is a biographical comedy-drama that displays a black man (yes, a black man played by an actual black man rather than a white man partaking in ‘blackface’) infiltrating and arresting KKK members for their hatred. Yet, this is not to say that ‘whitewashing’ does not exist in Hollywood today, it is often just portrayed much more discretely.

The term ‘whitewashing’ has been coined more recently, its definition being ‘the entertainment industry’s attempt at making ethnic characters more appealing to the white, money-spending masses by making exotic characters less ethnic and more “white”’. The race issue in Hollywood is not simply black vs. white, what it is usually assumed to be, it’s much more white vs. any other ethnicity. Chloe Bennet, formally known as Chloe Wang is an Asian-American actress paving her way to fame in Hollywood. Bennet changed her surname in order to ensure her success. After the emergence of her name change, some accused her of not staying true to her culture, to which she quickly clapped back stating “changing my last name doesn’t change the fact that my BLOOD is half Chinese, that I lived in China, speak Mandarin or that I was culturally raised both American and Chinese… It means I had to pay my rent, and Hollywood is racist and wouldn’t cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable”. Bennet’s bold statement that ‘Hollywood is racist’ is backed up by her saying “the first audition I went on after I changed my name, I got booked” in a 2016 Daily Beast article.

There are many examples of whitewashing in notable Hollywood films. Whitewashing is often more visible when the film is based upon a novel, as many authors tend to include characters of all different ethnicities yet casting directors chose all-American white actors to star in the roles. Angelia Jolie has been known for taking whitewashed roles, from her starring role in “A Mighty Heart” to “Wanted”, where her character was written as an African-American in the original comic book series, who was actually inspired by Halle Berry. It has also come to light that characters’ names have been changed from books to film adaptations in order to fit the ethnicity of the actor; David Slade’s comic book adaptation “30 Days of Night” cast Josh Hartnett as Alaskan Sheriff ‘Eben Olemaun’, however, the characters last name was soon changed to ‘Oleson’ in order to accommodate Hartnett’s casting.

The racial epidemic in Hollywood is not all based around those that are seen on the big screen, but is also prominent behind the scenes. In 2016, The Washington Post composed a table of the nation’s most celebrated filmmakers, concluding that the group is 89% male and 84% white, with roughly half of those being aged 60 or older. These statics alone prove that white supremacy in Hollywood does exist, despite how many people believe it doesn’t in our day and age. Although recent generations are becoming more and more accepting of ethnic and cultural differences, it can be seen that the older generations are holding us, and Hollywood, back. Israeli-American film director Rod Lurie bumped into an array of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members in 2016, as he told the Washington Post, and their conversation included their choices for the Oscar nominees for ‘Best Picture’. Lurie quickly brought up F. Gary Gray’s highest-grossing movie from a black director in history; “Straight Outta Compton”, which Lurie himself believed was one of the years best movies. Much to Lurie’s dismay, the members he was speaking to (all white men aged 70 and up), hadn’t voted for it, or hadn’t even seen the film itself. Lurie was quoted saying “the truth is, those academy members will watch movies that deal with the heroism of the African-American community or the history of blacks, like ’12 Years a Slave,’ because that interests them. What doesn’t interest them is the current black experience or black culture. A movie like ‘Straight Outta Compton’ doesn’t stand a chance”. Lurie’s argument depicts an uncultured picture of Hollywood and its most infamous directors, a picture that can easily be painted over with vibrant cultures and acceptance, yet is not. Stephanie Allain, an African-American producer of independent movies in Hollywood and academy member, stated that high-quality films with diverse ideas do exist and are out there for our viewing, however, in todays “monochromatic” Hollywood, executives tend to overlook these movies, or undercut them altogether, Allain further explained that films like F. Gary Gray’s “Straight Outta Compton” is an “anomaly” due to its extraordinary ratings, “it’s not a trend, it’s a one-off”. It seems as though America’s population has grown to be more diverse, but the ‘Hollywood’ industry has been slow to catch-up.

Although racism in Hollywood has seemingly become more discreet in contrast to the 20th century, it hasn’t stopped people from picking up on it and causing an uproar on social media. In 2015, a hashtag known as ‘#OscarSoWhite’ began trending on Twitter after the 2015 Oscar nominations were announced, and not one single person of colour was nominated. However, this did not seem to prompt the academy’s representation of people of colour, as the following year, in 2016, the hashtag re-appeared as yet again only white people were nominated for an Oscar. However, in 2017 it seemed as though the hashtag finally did some justice as several of the 20 acting nominees were from ethnic minority backgrounds, one of the nine films nominated for best picture was Asian, and three of the films told stories of black people with mostly black casts. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Tinseltown as a University of Southern California study of top-grossing films published around the same time the 2017 Oscar nominations were announced, four that only 5% of the directors were black and a measly 3% were Asian. This same research also found that ‘studio heads’ thought that black directors were best suited to comedies or dramas that featured black casts and were unable to produce blockbuster hits. Reports indicate that white male dominance behind the camera is reflected in white male dominance on screen, so is there really much hope for a diverse Hollywood? Is this the best we are going to get?

The lack of diversity on screen has been attributed to the so-called ‘racial empathy gap’, the idea that the vast majority of white people don’t like ‘black’ movies because they lack the empathy necessary to identify with black characters which “in turn affects their ability to ‘suspend disbelief’ and surrender to the narrative of a black film”. However, this doesn’t explain the lack of diversity behind the scenes; is it really just because the industry believes that black directors cannot create amazing blockbusters? One thing I believe that we can all agree on is that Hollywood needs out with the old and in with the new. 

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Will summit ever change?

The Vietnam summit takes place, but did it make any real difference?

After the hype of denuclearisation and the chance to look behind the curtain at North Korea, everyone held their breath for the second summit between North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump, in Vietnam.

Before the summit could start the two leaders had to take some time to get to know each other with a brief 20-minute chat before having a nice dinner in the evening.

After their loving two days together, Trump described Kim Jong Un as ‘Quite a guy and quite a character’ but alas their date didn’t go as expected:

‘I think our relationship is very strong but at this time, we had some options but at this time we decided not to do any of the options’             – Trump

It seems as though this summit was dipping the toes in the water of a relationship, but their aims of denuclearisation appears to be moving too fast for the comfort of either side.

There’s been reassurance that there might be a deal in the future and that there’s apparently been progress in the deals that haven’t been made. However, these summits are starting to feel more like positive press for the leaders involved without consequences or real change in the initial issues meant to be addressed.

The president has stated he’d ‘rather do it right than do it fast’ but it certainly seems like dragging the process out rather than getting change made.

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Ghost in the Shell. The Great Wall. Pan. The Lone Ranger.

What do these four recent blockbusters have in common?

Success.

Shame. That’s more like it. 

Despite being the 21st century, Hollywood continues to be plagued with discrimination. The diversity and acceptance that permeates throughout society has failed to penetrate Hollywood’s barriers. Non-white actors and actresses struggle daily to try to breakthrough into popular culture, whilst white actors are having to turn down film opportunities left, right and centre. Unfortunately for many, directors often decide on traditional Western ‘beauties’ such as Scarlett Johansson or Jennifer Lawrence instead of the culturally appropriate choice.

Ghost in the Shell was the latest film to spark whitewashing controversy. The 2017 anime-inspired motion picture brings to life the comics of Masamune Shirow. The film follows the life of soldier Major, a human body featuring a cyber-enhanced brain, making her the ultimate fighter. Many expectant fans were eager to see which rising Asian female director Rupert Sanders was going to appoint as their favourite anime character, would it be Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels), Brenda Song (The Social Network) or even Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy)? Surely it is reasonable to believe one of these culturally appropriate actresses would be used to bring a Japanese anime character to life?

Stretching back to 2015, the announcement of Scarlett Johansson’s appointment to the character of Major, denied the film any opportunity to diverge into a popular franchise before even gracing our screens. It was no surprise in turn when social media blew up in response. Fans launched a petition against the Americanised casting in a futile attempt to reverse Sanders’ decision. Yet instead of correcting the crime against Asian actresses, the controversy only tainted the film’s reception. The controversy didn’t stop with anime fanatics, the beauty of modern technology sent the misrepresentation viral. Ghost in the Shell was destined to fail even before it had the chance to impress. 

“The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese. So why would the American remake star a white actress?”

Fans such as these seem to be making a ground-breaking change in Hollywood. After 100,00 fans signed the petition against Johansson’s appointment, the film’s reputation crumbled. By channelling anger towards Hollywood as an institution and not the actors themselves, whitewashing can be combatted. However, progress is slow. But at least change is in the air. It may take decades for Asian actors to be fairly represented in Hollywood. This uproar has inspired directors to look closely at their decisions, but big brands such as DreamWorks and Paramount should be doing more to combat this racism within their companies. 

Not only hard-core anime fans have noticed this rift in minority representation. 

Whitewashing is much more common in modern day Hollywood that it seems. Films such as Ghost in the Shell bring to light questions of diversity. Defined as “the practice of casting white actors as non-white characters”, whitewashing is a problem that has forever loomed over society and continues to be swept under the carpet. It has been interwoven into popular culture for decades. Every now and then minorities latch onto the problem and cause a fuss, but has anything ever really been done to combat it? It has been 55 years since the Civil Rights Act passed into law, surely the time of a white dominated screen is over?

We all like to think that racial discrimination is a thing of the past. A distant memory. But it is unfortunately an ongoing 21st century dilemma.

In 2017, Marvel released the latest superhero film from their collection. Black Panther is set in the fictional African country of Wakanda and details the Afrocentric cast’s fight to protect their home. Since its release, Black Panther has been widely recognised as a step in the right direction for equal representation. Many have labelled the film as “truly heart-warming and refreshing” in their celebrations of black talent and moreover, the complete lack of white characters except for a few American actors. For many of the younger generation of African-Americans, Black Panther has provided them with hope and inspiration in the face of an increasingly regressive society. The film demonstrated that despite discrimination, black actors are equally as talented than the white denominations. Make no mistake, this film is an amazing leap forward to minorities. But let’s face it. It is ridiculous to believe that one film is going to change the face of Hollywood, many have tried and failed to diversify popular culture, but purposeful action must be taken to give all minorities equal opportunity on the big screen.

2018 marks 55 years of an equal and accepting society. But how can we pride ourselves on finally being equal when Hollywood has remained locked in a pre-segregationist state of mind?  Instead the racism has deflected internally, it may not be visible, but racism continues to plague Hollywood and the movie culture. A recent survey investigated the statistics of Hollywood and its diversity problem:

In 779 directors, only 5.8% were black and 2.4% Asian.

Only 17 out of the top 100 films feature a lead or co-lead from a racial or ethnic minority.

The top 100 films are whiter than the cultural makeup of America: 73.1% of characters are white.

Black directors bring diversity from 10% to 40% in their films.

 It is harrowing to see these statistics in this day and age. Ethnic minorities face daily struggles to fight their way through the world of acting. It is time to focus our attention on overcoming Hollywood’s diversity problem and eradicate whitewashing from popular culture for good. But an integral question continues to halt this change. Whose duty is it to make this jump?

Is it us as the audience who should be inspiring the change? Or is it the directors and actors place to demand equality in their productions? Should we be boycotting and protesting the films that clearly participate in whitewashing? Should actresses such as Scarlett Johansson simply not audition for culturally inappropriate roles in the first place? Are directors actively trying to avoid casting minority actors in their films?

These are all questions that our society needs to address. Hollywood is in desperate need of a change, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Franchises like Marvel are transforming the way films approach issues such as casting by proving a white ethnocentric cast is not necessary, through films such as Black Panther. More people should be thinking like the late great Stan Lee, who upon speaking about his comics said: "If my books and my stories can make people realize that everybody should be equal then I think it would be a better world." It is important as a whole society that we combat race issues like whitewashing and misrepresentation in the movie enterprise. What kind of world are we creating for the younger generation? One where white actors are more talented and valuable than other minorities?

Aren’t America’s days of blatant racism over? 

Apparently not. 

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We can talk about it, but can we afford it?

Michelle Obama’s memoirs are hilariously funny, yet deeply emotional. From midnight snacks to marriage counselling, she addresses what it is actually like to be her. One of the taboo subjects she confronts is the use of IVF when conceiving her children. In an interview with Robin Roberts, Michelle Obama confesses “I felt lost and alone, and I felt like I failed”. Her ability to open up about a deeply personal event, not only makes us admire the previous first lady, but also, has drawn attention to a treatment that resulted in the birth of at least 8 million babies in the last 40 years.

However, we must also address the availability of IVF across America. In the UK, IVF is available on the NHS but only after attempting pregnancy through unprotected intercourse for two years and also fitting into categories such as being a healthy weight. If they are unable to receive NHS help, the average cost per cycle privately is £5000, now this already seems unaffordable but, when compared to America it is merely a drop in the ocean, where it has been reported to cost around $20,000 per cycle.

The importance of Michelle Obama’s memoirs in breaking down the barriers and acknowledging the use of IVF cannot be denied. But there is an issue that IVF isn’t economical for the general public, as not everyone has the same monetary wealth as Mrs. Obama. However, this is not just a problem facing Americans but affects people across the globe.

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Pittsburgh in shock over mass synagogue shooting

Americans have come face-to-face with yet another mass shooting, this one taking place in a Pittsburgh synagogue where eleven people were killed, and seven injured. FBI special agent, Robert Jones, said it was “the most horrific crime scene” he’d witnessed in his 22 years with the bureau. The attack was seen to be an act of antisemitism by suspect Robert Bowers.

As reported by CNN, Bowers accused those of Jewish religion to be “committing genocide to [his] people” and even said to an FBI agent that he just wants “to kill Jews”. This, however, was not the beginning of Bowers antisemitism, weeks before the shooting it has been reported that Bowers targeted Jews in frequent posts on social media. Bowers, who has pleaded not guilty, was injured by police officers during the massacre which took place at the Tree of Life synagogue and was later treated by a Jewish nurse, Ari Mahler. Mr. Mahler later took to the social media site Facebook to share his own story, writing that he “didn’t see evil when [he] looked into Robert Bowers eyes. [He] saw something else”. Whilst it is more than likely surprising to many that Mr. Mahler treated Bowers, Mr. Mahler stated in the same Facebook post that he did it out of “love” and that “love as an action is more powerful than words, and love in the face of evil goes others hope”.

As usual American controversies go, President Trump’s name was undoubtably brought up in an array of news reports, Sky News going as far to say that critics suggest that “the president’s language has led to a surge in right-right-wing extremism and may have helped provoke the synagogue bloodshed”, although Bowers himself stated that he didn’t even vote for Trump in the presidential elections.

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Could Wrestling Transition Gender Inequality in Sports?

Is the division of sport by gender really to level the playing field for athletes? Or is it a highlighter to the unnecessary gender inequality that still lingers in America?

Mack Beggs, a 17-year-old transgender wrestler In the wake of winning a controversial Texas state girls' wrestling title.

Sport on the professional level has always been divided by gender with the assumption that it was levelling the playing field in terms of physical capabilities.

In the past many sports have, and still are, limited to men only, the inclusion of Women in many professional sports has only just begun to appear in recent years. The Olympics for example, are still catching up with their inclusion of Women’s leagues:

‘A hundred years after the introduction of freestyle wrestling in the Olympic program, worldwide wrestling entered a new era with the acknowledgment of female wrestling as an Olympic discipline on the occasion of the Athens Games in 2004.’

While there has been a pushing through of the barrier to merely include women at a professional level, questions surrounding the separation of leagues by gender have been raised.

The division is justified with the intention of ensuring an equal and fair physical starting point, an athletes’ ability is then assessed based on their effort and the standard of their training. 

This ‘standard’ starting point has raised questions when it comes to the inclusion of transgender athletes as well as highlighting the general consideration of cisgender people as ‘the standard’.

Transgender physical standards and acceptance are acknowledged by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) in their guidelines that state what stage of ‘Sex reassignment’ still allows for equal physical abilities when competing. The problem is the enforcement or rather the encouragement to make these rules at other levels of competition. While the IOC may be making progress slowly when it comes to gender equality they are at least pushing for the inclusion and encouragement of a more diverse range of athletes. 

Chris Mosier, the first transgender athlete to make a U.S. national team, is the star of Nike's latest 30-second spot.

However, the Olympics aren’t necessarily the federal law when it comes to athletic competitions. While their guidelines have been approved to clear the way for few transgender athletes, some are trapped at the starting line...

Euless Trinity (Texas) transgender wrestler Mack Beggs winning his second straight state title.  

18-year-old Mark Beggs is one such athlete stuck at the starting line of his career. Despite his female to male transition he’s still forced to compete in the women’s.  Even though by IOC and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) standards he would be allowed to compete in the men’s wrestling league.

According to Texas state law, Beggs is unable to compete in any other gender than that of the gender written on his birth certificate. Despite this, his determination and love for the sport, has shone through competing any way he can till he’s judged not by the gender on his birth certificate, but as the male athlete he is.

The Texas Association of School Boards specifically states that: 

‘Effective August 1st,2016, a UIL policy regarding gender specific sports requires Texas public schools to use a student’s birth certificate to determine eligibility.’

Making Mack Beggs in the eyes of state law a female athlete.

Mack Beggs, pictured during the final round for the Texas state girl’s wrestling title.

After an undefeated season ended with the winning of the winning of the Texas state girl’s wrestling title, Beggs has been met with a substantial amount of controversy from both competitors and their parents. Ironically, he’s been subjected to supporters and the opposition shouting that ‘he has an unfair advantage’, among more than a few inappropriate insults.

After facing significant backlash, Mack Beggs has voiced his disappointment that the focus is on his testosterone treatment and not the training he has put into the sport. He told ESPN:

"Like that kind of makes me feel like they don't care about my training or the work that I put in," he continued. "Because I've been to [state] twice. And it's not like I'm just doing this because I want to like call myself a boy and just dominate all these girls. What do I get out of that? I don't get anything out of that." 

The longer that he is denied his place in the men’s league, the more obviously wrong it appears to be to place him in the women’s. 

Not only are the rigorous training efforts of people such as Mack Beggs invalidated in situations such as this but the mental strength to keep pushing is tested. Mack Biggs himself was booed and jeered by crowds after his state win, and yet he’s found the will to keep training and competing for the sake of his love for the sport. 

He has, however, managed to show his enthusiasm and sportsmanship when asked about what playing in the men’s league would mean to him: 

"Boy's wrestling is hard. It's really, really hard. But I'll do it. If it means wrestling with the guys, I'll do it," he said. "It doesn't invalidate how I wrestle and how my technique is. If I get beat, I get beat. I just didn't train hard enough. I didn't work hard enough."

He’s brought it back to what sport should be about, the training and the effort put in by the athlete to be the very best at what they do, in both training and competition.

It’s not always the case though, that someone can keep going after facing such negativity and opposition, as well as such personal abuse. How many transgender athletes are stifled into giving up, or throwing in the towel for their possible careers? It’s no wonder that there are only a select few that make it professionally. Considering that transgender athletes have to not only face the conflict in their personal life, as well the possible physical transition, but they also have to fight their own state to compete fairly in the sport that they love and enjoy.

Vox posted an article following Mack Beggs’ first winning of the Texas state girls wrestling title highlighting not only the discrimination that Beggs himself has faced but also what it means on a larger scale. The video is embedded below:

This video, while not specifically about transgender rights in sport, talks to the common discrimination that transgender people face in their day to day lives that are dictated or controlled by their state; there are still state laws that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. The state laws restricting transgender athletes from competing in the league fitting to the gender they identify with, is just a rabbit hole to all the discrimination that remains overlooked, pushing trans people to stay in hiding. Yes, the IOC and the NCAA might be making progress in their leagues and competitions, but until it is law, it doesn’t fix the heart of the problem.

Until it is recognized as discrimination by federal law or by the individual states, people like Beggs will remain the mythical underdog icon for those after them. They will set the example for the meaning of perseverance and sportsmanship, every time they push forward or make an achievement.

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Absolute ignorance or blatant backlash?

North Korea is completely cut off the modern world. But that doesn’t mean that the world cannot see what they are doing. 

It seems that signing agreements of denuclearization with Trump’s very own personal pen is not something Kim Jong Un can easily remember. Swiftly after the abrupt ending to the 2019 North Korea-United States Hanoi Summit, a reassembling to a rocket nuclear launch site began along the Korean peninsula. An article from The Washington Post says that satellite images of the activity at the Sohae launch facility were captured a mere 3 days after the summit. 

However, no one can say that Trump wasn’t warned. After Trump refused to lift sanctions in return for the dismantling of multiple nuclear facilities, Kim Jong Un had no reason to adhere to his promises.

It is undeniable that Trump did the right thing by walking away from the summit with an unresolved outcome. The sanction relief that Kim Jong Un requested would put the whole world at risk. But is it right for Trump to continue to belittle President Barack Obama’s efforts in preventing a nuclear war, when he may have just given North Korea reason to start the battle? 

It seems to me that Trump felt a compromise too much of a price to pay for world safety. 

The rebuilding of nuclear facilities signifies the continuation of tensions between the two world leaders, and the possible start of another devastating world conflict.

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As long as you can run fast and throw far, then who cares about morals! - A story of domestic violence in the NFL

The NFL has once again come under fire about its handling of players who are charged with domestic violence. This has been a hot button issue in recent years, due to the Ray Rice case in 2014, however it seems that players still haven’t got the message that this is not acceptable behaviour. Recently, Kansas chief running back, Kareem Hunt has had domestic violence charges against him and once again the NFL hasn’t stepped in, until they have been forced and ashamed by video evidence. 

However, we have to look back, before the NFL, to collegiate sport, in light of the Brock Turner case we can see how male athletes are held in a different class to their peers. Turner’s status allowed him to receive an obscenely low sentence for sexual assault and in turn pardons his actions. This blatant abuse of power in male dominated sports has also been researched in a paper on ‘Sexual Coercion Practices among Undergraduate Male Recreational Athletes, Intercollegiate Athletes, and Non-Athletes’. One of the authors, Sarah Desmarais, stated; “We found that 54.3 percent of intercollegiate and recreational athletes and 37.9 percent of non-athletes had engaged in sexual coercive behaviours – almost all of which met the legal definition of rape.” These alarming statistics show that the male sporting community is not being condemned for their treatment of women and this is following them into highly televised professional careers. We then have to worry what kind of impression this gives the next generation of sports men and women that look up to them.

The NFL changed the personal code of conduct after the Rice case, increasing the ban from two to six games when charged with domestic violence among other offences, however these rules don’t come into account for new drafts who have had a history of domestic abuse or violence against women. In 2017, Raider first round pick, Gareon Conley, met with police over allegations of sexual assault and Cowboys new cornerback Jourdan Lewis was on trial after domestic abuse charges towards his girlfriend, subsequently he has been acquitted. However, the NFL has not put into place a firm code of conduct that instructs its players and perspective players on how they should be seen to treat women. This is obviously what some of them need.

The increase of a match ban from two to six, was something that the NFL did implement after the Ray Rice scandal, NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell, stated players would get “suspension without pay of six games for a first offense, with consideration given to mitigating factors, as well as a longer suspension when circumstances warrant”, he continued to say a second offence would result in a life time ban. However, is all of this really enough? We can presume not, as players are still not getting the message that their gender and celebrity status does not mean they should be allowed to inflict violence on to others. We could also suggest that the NFL only had to release this statement due to the high volume of media attention on the Rice incident and the video that went viral showing him dragging his unconscious girlfriend from an elevator.

Even though Rice was a turning point in how the NFL responded to domestic violence, we also have to look previous to this, in a database provided by USA Today, it showed from 2000 to 2014, 85 of the 713 arrests of NFL players was down to domestic violence. Some examples of this are; in 2013, A. J. Jefferson, a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings, was charged with domestic assault by strangulation, he was released by the Vikings and given a six-match ban, how Commissioner Goodell revoke the ban and Jefferson was able to play at Cleveland Browns for the rest of the season. Also, an even earlier account of domestic violence in 2000 by Rod Smith, a wide receiver for Denver Broncos, in which he pleaded guilty to verbal harassment and even under went domestic violence treatment, the NFL didn’t even ban Smith. Instead they imposed a $25,000 conditional fine, which he wouldn’t have to pay if he completed his probation. What is probably more shocking to us now, is the fact the NFL have actually changed their policies at all, considering what they have let players get away with in the past.

So, what was so different about Ray Rice that they had to change their code of conduct so much? Well as previously mentioned it was most likely the video. The first video released by TMZ showed Rice dragging his fiancée unconscious body out of an elevator in a hotel, he was arrested and charged. The sickening images met with mass media involvement, stating that Rice should be banned. However, the NFL decided to give him a two-match ban, this caused a mass controversy, but then a second video was released, again by TMZ. This time it showed the moment Rice knocked his now wife out, in the lift. The NFL then had no choice but to suspend the ex-Ravens running back indefinitely. The commissioner went on to admit they had handled the incident wrong this time, but also stated “the same mistakes can never be repeated”. But that is exactly what has happened.

Kareem Hunt is the most recent scandal to rock the NFL, and it seems eerily similar to Rice, once again a video has emerged by TMZ of Hunt attacking a woman in a Cleveland hotel. Once the NFL found out about the incident, they did launch an investigation into the attack, somehow this didn’t involve actually interviewing Hunt? However, he was released from the Chiefs when the video showing the attack was aired. The chiefs also stated “several members of our management team spoke directly to him. Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact.” We could say this is reasonable as they have finally released Hunt from his contract, showing that the team do not agree with his actions. But looking at the statement again we see no mention of the attack of a woman being the main reason for release, instead they say he has been untruthful, suggesting if maybe he had told them from the start things may be different? No doubt they were dubious to let him go considering the season he had for them last year. I mean what does it matter if he has violently attacked a woman, considering how many touchdowns he scored for them last year. I can see how that must have been an incredibly tough choice. But luckily enough they eventually made the correct one.

Where does this actually leave us? After 2014 we thought domestic violence was under control in the NFL, but this doesn’t seem to be the case, and where can we go from here? Well, I would suggest an even harsher crack down on players and staff. Each individual team need to do their part to educate the players on how they should be treating women. Investigations into domestic abuse should be of higher importance and done in greater detail, nothing should be left for a website or magazine to reveal. The NFL needs to show the importance of treating both genders equally because they are setting an example for younger generations to come and the NFL’s image is only going to get worse if this is what they are allowing their players to do to their fiancées, wives and other women they come across.

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Reflecting on my writing

Overall, Contemporary America in Context has been an extremely interesting module. The most interesting class for me being the ‘mis-information’ in news or ‘fake news’. I found it so shocking that so many ‘trustworthy’ news sources originate from conspiracy theory websites.

As for my blog writing experience, I have found that it differs from post to post. This is likely due to my interest in different stories, for example I found the synagogue shooting more shocking and interesting as opposed to Michelle Obama’s book launch, which I found fairly mundane.

I received very minimal peer or teacher feedback for my blogs which is probably down to my late start to the module, as I started a couple of weeks behind the rest of my class, and therefore did not become acquainted with them quickly or easily.

However, conclusively it has been an enjoyable module as it has given me the opportunity to explore, and put into practise, journalistic features, which is something I have wanted to do.

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The First Woman In The Whitehouse.

Could new blood claim the vote?

2020 is creeping up and to America, that means the call of the presidential election is getting louder. The candidates with the most attention appear to be the most familiar Trump and Sanders with an additional focus on previous vice president Joe Biden. However, one new candidate is building public attention to challenge the big names.

Kamala Harris.

She’s making a name for herself as someone who stands up for women and won’t accept anything but a straightforward answer, cutting down on filibustering. 

It’s hopeful that for the first time there might be a female president in the Whitehouse. However, even with her popularities in the polls rising to double figures, it’s likely that her forwardness will be interpreted as spitefulness. Her zero tolerance for the trump administration will additionally drag her down in the eyes of Republican voters, especially with her criticism of ‘the wall’ or in her words:

‘Trumps vanity project’

While Trump last election managed to have one scandal after the next and still make it to the presidency, Harris can’t afford to come off as unlikable. Trump's absurdity won him the attention that rewarded him with never being held accountable. Someone who’s shown responsibility, professionalism, and seriousness like Harris, takes only one slip up to bring their entire campaign down.

Even if America was ready for a black president, America might not be ready for its first female president in 2020.

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More than a Mother

In the past 40 years in the life of IVF, millions of women have been able to conceive children after countless years of infertility. Michelle Obama is the latest woman to speak up about her past with IVF, by discussing her parenthood struggles, Michelle has created a storm of hope for those still struggling. While this revelation is an “act of generosity” from Michelle, I can’t help but get slightly disgruntled at the way the media has turned her autobiography into an IVF-championing story and has written off all the other important moments of her life brought up in her book.

As an extremely successful woman, Michelle is more than a mother. It is in fact the least discussed topic in her whole book, amounting to 10 out of the chunky 421 pages. So much of the past thirty years have been so strongly dedicated to gender equality and female rise to social power and Michelle Obama is a perfect role model. We, as a society, must be careful not to reverse all this hard work and resort back to reducing women to solely mothers.

Instead, the media should focus on the other important issues raised throughout the book. Michelle’s roots and her journey to finding a voice becomes the overwhelmingly defining topic of memoir. 

Michelle has provided much needed inspiration for both the younger generation of up and coming female leaders as well as women who had previously given up on trying to speak up for themselves. And that is the effect of this book we should be talking about.