Saturday, December 12, 2009

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Women in Advertisements: Accurate or Degrading?

Swiffer Advertisement:
Even in the year 2009, women are still under the asumption that it is their role in life to clean and take care of the household. Sure, many women today are still stay-at-home mothers, where it is their job to take care of the house and children. However, more today than ever before, mothers and women are staying in the work force, even while they're raising families. The stereotypical "housewife" is slowly going away in American society. Therefore, it is rather offensive that the majority of cooking and cleaning product advertisements all contain women using these products. They are all the stereotypical "housewife" in each ad or commercial. It is not only degrading, but it erases all the progress women have made to rid themselves of this stereotype. As a woman myself who has a career other than cleaning up after my family, I find these ads not only offensive, but rather annoying. My husband knows how to sweep the floor or clean the windows, and knows how to clean up after himself. Therefore, its confusing why there are never ANY men in such ads. If there is such a big controversy over racism in the media, there should be a similar attitude towards feminism, which can be just as degrading.







Monday, September 14, 2009

Town of Franklin

Welcome to Suburbia
Home of the Nation's First Public Library



As mentioned in the video above, Suburbia is a very special and unique place full of history and community. A huge part of what makes Suburbia so special can be categorized into one area of town, downtown Suburbia; specifically Main Street. Main Street is home to many local businesses and historical places. And because of its central location, it has become the heart of Suberbia. This is because the Fire Station Headquarters, Post Office, Library, Train Station and much more are all located here. Not to mention the special events that happen throughout the year that all occur either on the Common alongside Main Street, or on Main Street itself. The businesses, restaurants and town buildings draw citizens from all over Suburbia to this one area. It’s difficult to imagine Suburbia without Downtown. This is because so much happens on Main Street that is important to classify and characterize Suburbia. Main Street is what separates Suburbia from any other town in Massachusetts. All aspects of Main Street is what makes our town, Suburbia.


The Library:



The Library was started when Ben Franklin himself sent a collection of books. It has been running ever since, and is the very first public Library in the country- an achievement Suburbia is extremely proud of. Often the library can be seen filled with students of all ages- from high school students working on homework or researching a project, to young ones looking for their favorite book to read before bed.


The Post Office, Fire Station and Train Station:


Obviously, no town can function without a Fire Station, and Suburbia's Fire Station Headquarters is located conveniently in the hub of Suberbia. It is very common to be in the downtown area and hear a siren. In fact, I’m on Main Street every day after school as well as Saturday mornings, and hardly a day goes by where a siren from the station is not heard. Also located not too far away is Suburbia's Postal Office. This is another extremely busy part of town and is often bustling with people from all over town who need to ship or mail something. The Train Station is also located right down the street. Being one of the last stops on the commuter rail makes traveling to work or Boston extremely easy for Suburbia residents. Often the downtown/Main Street area is filled with commuters and workers either getting on or off trains. Along with sirens and noises of everyday traffic, a train whistle is also often heard several times throughout the day along Main Street.

Special Events:


One of Suburbia's best features is the events that take place in the summer months. In May for Memorial Day, the Town has its annual parade. Local musicians from each middle and high school band are able to march in the parade that makes its way down Main Street. Cub/Girl Scouts as well as sports teams also get to join in the fun and march down Main Street every year. Another annual event occurs a few months later on the common. The Fourth of July festival, held on the country’s birthday every year, is a good time for all. With rides and games for all ages, and delicious food, there’s something for everyone. There also is a firework display to end one of the five nights. People young and old gather all around the downtown area for miles to watch these be set off. This celebration is always a fun time where the entire town gets together. It’s fun to go with friends or families to the carnival, get something to eat or simply just watch the show. The festival is one of the special events that residents look forward to all year long. To view the July 4th fireworks show from years past or see a clip from a previous Memorial Day Parade, watch the two videos below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89lXlLEXAFw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuHooxlxmLw


***Check out the Town of Suburbia's official Song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KYGjKOlnCg