1. In Shane, Joey is offered two versions of manhood. Consider when you were younger, say 9 or 10. Who did you look up to? Who was your hero? And how so—what did you admire about this figure? Do you see that figure differently now? Would you feel the same about that person today?
2. Who do you most look up to now—and why? And how does this person compare or contrast to your younger hero?
3. One could argue that Shane is a movie about little Joey and his fascination with violence through his worship of Shane, his fascination with Shane's pistol, and his wide-eyed obversation (if not interest) in killing. How do you explain this? Remember—this is a nine year old boy. And (the big question): write about your own fascination—or lack— with violence. Remember: a number of you clamored for us watch some really violent movies later in this class—what's that about?
Here is the clip of the final shoot out: take a look at it. And here is Shane showing Joey how to shoot. Watch both. Remember: 300 words. See you tomorrow.
1) When I was 9 or 10, my Hero was my older brother Ben. He is nine years older than me, and while he was still at home very active in my life. When I was 6 months old, he taught me how to throw a baseball and prioritized playing with me over homework. He was the coolest person I knew, athletic, smart, kind, and funny. Although I do still love him and look up to him, he does not hold the same heroic place in my mind. He has flaws, as we all do, and perhaps this realization is similar to Joey's realization that Shane is not perfect either.
ReplyDelete2) Right now the person I look up to most is my father, which was not true when I was younger. At age 9 or 10, I didn't consider the struggles someone goes through, or the motivations for their actions. I only knew that my dad was working a lot, where as my brother Ben could almost always play with me. Now I realize that my father works extremely hard to succeed both in his work and his family life, and sleeps very little to accomplish this. My switch in admiration of my brother to my father is not a result of a decline in my brother's character, but me becoming aware of my father's accomplishments.
3) The majority of little boys seem to love fighting. Everyone wants a role model, be they male or female, but most people seem likely to pick a role model similar to themselves. For example, a kid who loves to play baseball with idolize Big Papi, whereas a girl who loves soccer might idolize Abby Wambach.
That being said, why do little boys love fighting? It may be in part due to the cultural fascination with the hero, the strong man, the cowboy. All these things that (Most of our fathers) aren't, we dream of being. In the fantasy world we see cowboys portrayed, their lives seem like a flurry of women, guns, and alcohol (all the things we love.) Our fathers, however, are normal; they live a maybe not boring, but somewhat normal life (such as Joe) and our familiarity with them makes them seem not special. The attraction to role models who we can picture ourselves being one day, and attraction to fights combine to make Joey worship Shane.
In my own childhood, I loved to wrestle with my cousins and brothers, race my friends, and partake in other competitions of masculinity like football or baseball. Being stronger than someone in a physical way, for reasons I cannot explain, is extremely satisfying. Perhaps this has to due with our culture of dominance, where you either came in first or you lost. I also was enamored with FPS (first person shooter) games like Call of Duty or James Bond NightFire. Video games made shooting my friends a past time, one I still enjoy today. Maybe my fascination with violence stems from a combination of dominating someone else and the pure finality of death. In Call of Duty, you can die over and over again, making our inevitable death almost humorous.
At this point im kinda rambling, so Ill cut myself off.
When I was younger, I admired people like Henry Ford. I didn't know exactly what people like him did, but I knew everyone knew their names. Even though Ford was a Nazi sympathizer (obviously I didn't know that), I loved cars and would have liked nothing more than having my name on something so common. I looked up to people who had become so famous their names were like words – people I had read about because they had made such a significant impact on the world. In general, I still admire people who invent things and own businesses, but I also know they aren't necessarily the happiest or best people.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, you could say I've regressed. Many of my heroes are athletes. I don't want to be a professional athlete, but I admire them because they can do physical things other people can't. That ability combined with the respect athletes receive gives them (and other celebrities, like rappers) a kind of power to influence others and to do what they want. When I was younger, I didn't care about sports at all because I thought they were ultimately unimportant. I still recognize that sports aren't intrinsically valuable, but I care more about competition of all kinds. I still admire people who are the best at what they do over people who might have more fulfilling lives and therefore be better role models.
I have too much experience with the negative effects of violence in our culture. It's hard to reconcile that with my own admiration for people like Shane. I don't like to see people get hurt, but I watch football. Sometimes I wish I could break things without consequence or fight someone just to see if I could win – but it's impossible to separate actions from their consequences. I can't explain why it seems acceptable for Joey to watch Shane kill people, but I understand his fascination. If I personally witnessed the climactic scene, I would probably be horrified, but as a movie it makes good entertainment. This question is hinting at a conflict between two parts of our brain, one more primitive than the other. One more example: I like fishing even though I know I'll hate having to take the fish off the line.
When I was younger I probably looked up to my older brothers the most. I would try to dress like them and act like them, but of course they hated this. I don't remember really having a concert hero at that age but if I had to pick it would probably be my parents. They were my heroes because of everything they did for me. They taught, sacrificed, loved me and still do today. I see them the same today if not with more gratitude. As I have gotten older I have started to see the more that they do for me, and I think that's what a hero is, doing things for the people.
ReplyDeleteI look up to my parents the most still. But the hero I see in my parents now a days is a different kind of hero then I did when I was little. I don't think this is because they are changing but because I am growing and recognizing/ understanding more then I did when I was 10 or so. When younger I looked up to my parents for silly things, but now I look up to them for things like how successful they have been and how much work they put into the family.
I think little joeys fascination in violence come from the fact that he is a little kid in a very violent time period. The hero is a hero only because he KILLED the bad guys right in front of Joey. When you look up to somebody that carries around a weapon and is trained in shooting (people) that person is bound to have an interest in violence. And yes... as a teenage boy with two older brothers and a twin brother my life is geared towards violence. With fighting with my brothers and call of duty are ways I guess you can say show my interest in violence
When I was younger Iooked up to baseball players or other famous athletes. I never thought of them as role models, but I did look up to them and think very highly of them. My hero at this time was Andruw Jones. I only admired him for his athleticism and skill in the sport of baseball. I wanted to play baseball in my future and he was the person I dreamed to be like. I absolutely see this person differently as I modeled after him for the wrong reasons. I want to have his position in sports, I didn't notice his personality or morale. I never modeled after him for who he was but where he was and what he did. I now understand how he is a gangster and uncaring person who has had problems with domestic violence and I no longer model after him. If I was aware of his actions and his personality I would not have modeled after him.
ReplyDeleteI now look up to my father. He was raised in a poor family and has taken on so many responsibilities and worked hard without any help to support his family. He is caring toward others and an overall genuine person. He is different from Andruw Jones as he has taught me and molded me into a person that I myself want to be. I have learned more from my father about work ethic and social skills. Andruw Jones was just someone famous, while my dad is someone I follow as a role model everyday.
I think at Joey's age he probably felt invincible and immortal and didn't think of this violence as anything dangerous, but something that was done by "mature and masculine" men. Joey looks at Shane's gone and watches all of these fights hoping one day that he could participate in these fights and learn from Shane. At a young age many people do not think they can be killed or injured in any way and do not have any concerns or worries about their health and m sure this is the case for Joey. He is not worried about gunshot wounds, but it more interested in these loud blasts and shooting tricks as he has the ultimate goal of modeling after a "cowboy."
Personally I think violence in movies is just fun to watch. The punching and tackling is something I have always liked to see and for what reason? Probably because testosterone, stress, and sometimes inability to show emotion can be built up and finally expressed through anger and violence. This violence is created from both this and competition as we see it in sports like wrestling, boxing and even football. These big hits or shots people take are intriguing to me because of this.
1. When I was younger than Joey I looked up to Mike Vick. He was the most electric player in the NFL and I had heard from a friend that he was a cool guy. He was my hero because he was just really freaking good at football, no actual merit to him being a hero. Of course I see him differently now. I don’t think he’s the antichrist like some people say but I don’t see him as a hero or a role model. He’s done his time but even without the dog stuff, there was still the time he knowingly gave a woman an STD under the alias ‘Ron Mexico.’ He’s clearly not a person worthy of being a hero in a child’s eyes.
ReplyDelete2. I currently look up to my Grandfather. He’s my step grandfather, my mom’s biological father died when she was 6, but he’s as much of a granddad as he could be. He graduated from college and immediately enlisted to fight in the Korean war as a pilot for the Air Force. He then went to seminary and became a pastor. He married into my moms family when her brothers were in high school, so not the best time to have a new dad join the house. He was a father when they needed him but wasn’t trying to overstep his boundaries. This is a real hero to me. He was there when people needed him. He is the nicest, smartest, bravest man I’ve ever know.
Contrasts Mike because the person my grandfather is, is someone that I can be. I can’t be a lefty QB know for his lightning fast speed but I can be a role model for my family and generations to come by being a loving compassionate man.
3. He’s a kid so he’s always fascinated with things he cant do. He’s not allowed to shoot (dad didn’t load his gun for him) so he’s interested for that reason.
When I saw my first R rated movie, Die Hard, when I was about 12 I lost my mind. It was so crazy how they actually showed the blood when people were being shot. I loved it. I immediately began sneaking downstairs to catch other violent R movies like Troy. I think it’s because biologically men are programed to be aggressive but society pushes that to an extreme.
I never can really remember having one consistent person that I idolized. Sure, there are certain traits from people that I admired, but I could never truly find someone who I completely looked up to in my memory. In my childhood, I looked up to a multitude of athletes, specifically Chipper Jones and Peyton Manning. I admired their athleticism, and desperately wanted to be in their position when I grew up, but I learned very little of substance from them. The other person I looked up to was likely my mom. My dad wasn't home a lot so my mom taught me the way to live life and in many ways shaped me how I am today.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, I still don't have a clear role model. I admire my dad for his positive qualities such as his work ethic, dedication, humor and intelligence, but I still find myself saying that I won't grow up to be like him. The closest thing I have to a role model right now would probably be a combination of Adam Beskind and Derrick Redwine. I admire both of them for their kindness and truly want to develop into a person of their caliber.
I think that Joey's fascination with violence comes from a society that is structured around shootouts, gunmen and constant tension. A boy learns that men must be violent, and with men like Shane and around, Joey sees that violence is the answer to life's problems. However, I would not say that man's predisposition to violence is all in society's structure. My mom took great care to raise me with the least violence in my life as possible, yet I jumped on any chance to be even slightly violent. I think that our love of violence comes from genetics, and that our violent tendencies spurred society to market to our violent tendencies. I think that if we lived in a flower and sunshine world, men would still fight and be violent from time to time. Violent movies give us an adrenaline rush that many of us enjoy.
1. As many people have stated, when I was around Joey's age, I probably looked up to a lot of sports players. Two players that come to mind are Matthew Stafford, former UGA quarterback, and Andrew Luck, former Stanford quarterback. I loved, and still love, college football, and Andrew Luck had it all. Not only was he an awesome, Heisman-winning quarterback, but he went to one of the best academic institutions in America as well, which my parents made sure I knew also. While Luck is a successful NFL quarterback now, he's definitely not one of my top role models. I think that every young kid looks up to superheroes or athletes, and as we get older, we realize that there are better people to idolize.
ReplyDelete2. The person I most look up to now is my late grandfather. He is quite different from Andrew Luck and Matt Stafford. The name Paul Jennings isn't known across the nation or yelled out of speakers to thousands of people. However, I think that he is arguably a better man than any football player. He was the kindest man I ever knew, and treated his wife, children, and grandchildren very sweetly and respectfully. Not only was he kind, but also successful. He was a successful banker and political figure in Dekalb County. I think this shows how I've become more mature. My role model is now someone that I can actually follow the path of, not one that a very small percentage in the nation achieve.
3. I think it's partially a part of just being a male, as other people have talked about themselves being obsessed with violence. However, I agree with Carson. I think Joey is so obsessed with Shane fighting because he loves Shane and follows him everywhere, and would want to do whatever Shane does. It so happens that what Shane does is legendary in the Wild West, and many little boys probably dream of being a gunfighter. I would call my own experience with violence average. I loved to wrestle and play fight with my friends, and sometimes I would get actual injuries from these play fights. I also loved first person shooter games like Call Of Duty, but never to the point where I would play them every day. My friends and I would play games with minor violence in them, but I think that was because we were excited, young kids who needed to get our energy out. A lot of the times, our ideas to play came from things we saw on the TV, whether it be video games, TV shows, or movies.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhen I was 10 I was really interested in the outdoors and going to my ranch and my uncle who was a professional hunter was someone who I looked up to because he knew everything about the ranch and I wanted to be the same, today I still look up to him but I have learned a lot from him and kinda know how to for everything now, and I still definitely look up to him today.
ReplyDeleteI really look up to my dad now, I've become much closer to him now and have taken more interest in basketball and coaching, where my uncle knew everything about the outdoors and hunting my dad knows nothing, normally your dad takes you hunting for the first time but in my case I took my dad hunting for his first time, but I really have learned a lot about how my dad got to where he is today, growing up in a one stoplight town and being the youngest of seven siblings, where he went to college and then starting in the Video room for the Spurs and then to an assistant coach and now being the head coach of the hawks my dad had nothing given to him and he really started from the bottom and now he is where he is today.
I think that's it's something that Joey has never been exposed to, Shane shows him how to shoot and really blows him away with his pistol and Joey is in awww, if I was Joey I would be blown away and want to be just like Shane because he is a badass and I would like to be a pistol fighter more than a farmer who has a small claim and has nothing to really live off of.
When I was 9 or 10 my dad was my hero, he defined who I wanted to be back then, and who I aspire to be to this day. I always admired how he reasoned things through, for being someone with almost no traditional education he is truly brilliant. Not only that but my dad is such a strong presence by nature, when he speaks to someone people listen, I have no idea what it is about him but he can really look through people. He can also be a very warm person when he wants to be, me and him usually have a more distant relationship than him and my sister, but I still think that he's a warmer dad than others. I have defiantly gone from seeing my dad as super human to just a normal man, but that to me is even more incredible. The way he acts and speaks just make him more admirable now that I know he has a past and he has his faults. I still look up to my dad, my extended family isn't full of great role models they each have flaws and my dad has them too but it it goes back to the way he deals with them. There has to be something said about males and our biological link to violence. Going back to the time periods where humans had to survive it only made sense that males fought since they weren't at all responsible for delivering a baby. Now a days it's more than that since we live in a society that is really full of access to "violence" for youth. Things like video games that link fun to violence. I don't think Joey enjoyed violence he loved the idea of a man who gained respect from his actions unlike his father who at the time would only talk about getting even.
ReplyDelete1. When I was 10 years old I mostly looked up to violent, all-knowing, problem-solving men. Men who were able to control their emotions and bring a resolution to any issue they faced. People like my two grandpas, who are both manly men in their respective ways. One is a ladies man, always striving to have more and more sex and get with as many woman as he can. The other is an emotionless (except for happiness) stone. In fact, when my uncles and father were younger, they called him "stone" as a nickname. Now, I do look up to my grandpa's ability to control his emotions, but his lack of any outlets is not a part of his personality that I look up to.
ReplyDelete2. I think I most look up to a number of different people. Dwayne Johnson is a huge dude, but incredibly sweet at the same time, and always happy. Happiness and the ability to create a radiant wave of it that spreads to others is something I really appreciate. I look up to Donna a whole lot, she's the sweetest, most caring teacher I've ever had. I also look up to my uncle on my mom's side. He comes from a very poor Colombian family, raised by a single mom, made his way all the way to America and has a big house with two kids. And he's still so happy, about everything, he appreciates every little thing ever given to him, no matter how big or small, and his sense of humor makes everyone laugh all the time.
3. As a 9 year old, I think Joey, especially during the time period that this movie was made, is naturally supposed to be interested in these types of things. Traditionally, men are violent and women are much more nonviolent and sometimes portrayed as weak. This role of being the problem-solver and controller of all things is somewhat embedded within a man from the beginning of his life. I hate violence, I dislike people who think they have to fight to prove something. Emotional, nonviolent leadership is the way to go, 100% of the time.
1. When I was around 10 years old, I looked up to Sachin Tendulkar. He was the greatest cricketer I ever saw and have ever seen in my life. Around that time, I was living in India (so around 2009) for a bit. I religiously kept up with the IPL, The Indian Premier League, which was a fairly new cricket league at the time. Sachin was on the decline, after an illustrious career in the international stage, in cluding One-Day Internationals, and Test-Cricket. However, one game he turned back the clock. He was on the Mumbai Indians, and if I remember they were playing the Kolkata Knight RIders, famously owned by one of the manliest and notable Bollywood actors of all time, Shah Rukh Khan. Sachin went off for 68 runs off 45 balls, which is absolutely great in cricket T20 standards. Mumbai would go on to win the game by NINETY-TWO runs. Off the pitch, Sachin was also a great role model in terms of charity, helping the community, and being a great character. I always wanted to be like him, and he still inspires me to this very day.
ReplyDelete2. I do not have a single person I look up to. Rather, it is a huge group of people I look up to, being inspired in different ways by them. For example, my father teaches me the rewards of hard work. He was the second youngest of 8 children and was very poor growing up. He came to the states in the 80s and spent time working as a bakery worker. Eventually, he became a stock broker and made millions, since the economy was booming in the 90s. My mother was born into a well off family, but still came to America with nothing in '87. She met my father in NYC. She thrived as a cab driver and also lived her own life. Donna is without a doubt the sweetest and most caring teacher I have ever had, and she helps me remember to always have a postive outlook on life, and to love everyone. Jordan Hollins (@KillaJ232323) taught me to work as hard as i can, and to only compete with myself to be the best I can be, whether it is life or on the basketball court. My fellow rising seniors William Dollar, Budie, Solomon, inspire me to outwork everyone, and to create a supportive environment for people, similar to that of a team. Basically, its a team effort that I look up, a conglomerate of people who constantly give me motivation and inspiration everyday.
3. As a 9-year old, it is any boy's dream to be able to conduct the cowboy or violent lifestyle. Joey does not "worship" violence, but it certainly is cool as hell. Biologically, I think men are wired to be more competitive and aggressive, though society tends to focus on that aspect of manhood rather than all facets.
Around age 9, I was in Peter Richards' class. He was intelligent, fun, and interesting. I looked up to him in a big way. I admired his widespread interests and knowledge. He was also an adult who managed to still act like a little kid in many ways. For example, he loved to burn things and blow things up. A guy who was grown up and able to be in a position of responsibility and yet still could keep things fun seemed amazing. I can see that he struggled with various things now including ADD, and wasn't always the nicest person in the world as a result, but still see him as an image of someone who can keep fun around as well as take things seriously.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I really have a hero now, but one person I do look up to is my brother. We share several interests, including music. He is being successful in college and pursuing that interest alongside academic interests. It is also easier to see his good sides when I don't have to deal with him every day. My brother balances a variety of interests in a similar way that Peter does, but I see in him instead of hanging on to blowing things up, though that is still an admirable pursuit, the ability to balance music with academics.
In violence there comes a power. Especially in the more conservative setting of the old West, there was an expectation that a man be strong and powerful. We see it when Joe and Shane push out the stump, and what better way to compare two men's strength than with a battle between them? The question of who's a bigger man is sometimes simplified by society into who can whup whom. Because there's this expectation of men and boys to fight and be violent, boys become fascinated by it, they see a glory in it.