Identity

Authorship

I read an interesting debate about whether Shakespeare of Stratford actually wrote his plays or not.
Anti-Stratfordians believe that Shakespeare was used as a facade to shield the actual author/authors from being revealed for whatever reason. Some people believed that his upbringing didn't match up to his "greatest author of all time" status. Basically, because he was a Stratford boy without aristocratic heritage, he wasn't capable of producing the kind of work he produced. It's typical ignorance. Even though the topic sparked interest and controversy, most Shakespeare Scholars believe it to be hearsay.

I just found it interesting because it made me think about how, in life, we often take things as they are. Of course there are things we are skeptical about, but for example, my favourite musicians are Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now, I believe that all of their songs are written by them, as I know about the meanings behind a lot of the songs and they are often about personal experiences of the band members, particularly Kiedis. However, do I really know that they wrote their own songs? I would be gutted if I found out they weren't, but I trust enough to believe that it is. I could easily say, like these theorists who disbelieve Shakespeare to be the author of his own works, that Kiedis grew up in a drug-filled environment so how on Earth did he manage to become successful? Of course times have changed and obviously everyday people are more recognised for their talents, it just sounds ridiculous to even think. I actually don't know if I'm making sense but I do believe - as a side note - that people who have nothing, or don't have everything, tend to fight more and work harder than those who are handed everything and a person's ability isn't limited to their upbringing or their environment.

 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/William_Shakespeare_1609.jpg

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/15000000/Anthony-Kiedis-anthony-kiedis-15021649-1046-1680.jpg

Back to Shakespeare, I think the whole facade belief to be interesting. At first I thought, why would a creator not want to be associate with their work? Especially if it has gained a large amount of popularity? But then, look at Gorillaz and Daft Punk, both hide their identity and are still massively popular. Until I did a Google search of those behind the cartoons and helmets, I could have walked right past them and not known who they were. I think it's the mystery which draws people in, which is probably why there is a debate over Shakespeare. People love Gossip, and to talk about all of the possibilities of who really wrote 'Romeo & Juliet' would definitely spark excitement if it was slapped across a London newspaper. People are excited by the unknown and will believe any sort of rubbish in order to feed that excitement.

http://www.gq.com/images/style/2013/05/daft-punk/daft-punk-630.jpg 

http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/gorillaz-gorillaz-338179_1920_1320.jpg

Hopefully you understood what I meant...

Gender

Not long ago I watched a documentary called 'Secrets of the living Dolls' on Channel 4. It follows the lives of men who dress themselves to look like dolls.

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/2635/102f9541fde0433abe6a98f16477b8ac.jpg

These men wear skins made by the Ramos family who make them exclusively and sell them Worldwide. The skins are customisable and can include a vagina, boobs, you name it. The men who dress as these human dolls live regular lives, most of them had female spouses and children.

What was interesting was the feeling of freedom some of the men felt from wearing these skins. One man in particular saw it as a form of "escapism". Another guy felt as though he would never get a girlfriend when he was younger, so he wanted to create what he never had. Some feel confident as these dolls, they feel beautiful and gain attention, whereas they don't feel so when they are their regular selves.

The different reasons for wearing these skins made me think. I think many would just assume that a man dressing as a woman isn't that deep, he just likes women's clothing or he feels better as a woman, but it goes a lot deeper than that. You never really know why people do what they do.

It was fascinating. As you grow older you are exposed to more adult themes, and lately I've seen a lot of things relating to gender and I find it really interesting as well as saddening. Personally I feel no way about whether a man wants to dress as a woman or if a woman wants to dress as a man etc. I think everybody has the right to do what makes them happy as long as it's not hurting other people or themselves. The level of ignorance which exists is really sad, and that goes for ignorance against homosexuality, trans people, race, culture etc. If it doesn't have a negative affect on you, why does it matter? Why can't it be accepted? Double standards need to be wiped out. A girl can wear jeans, why can't a man wear a skirt? It's 2014 it shouldn't be a big deal, there's so many horrible things going on in the World and people would rather hate than love. It's sad. Anyway rant over.

I really respect the courage that these people have and life is better with variety so I applaud this lifestyle.

Race

Everyday, you are surrounded by some kind of controversy surrounding race. There are so many things I could talk about, most of them not being personal, but still affecting me. I'm mixed race, and fortunately I have never come across racism from either side. I've never felt rejected by a group of black people or a group of white people, which isn't surprising I've grown up in London which is very diverse. I don't have the patience for racism and I won't be polite to a racist. Being mixed race seemed like a "gift" growing as a teen. Mixed kids were always praised. Honestly I don't see the hype, but one thing that has bothered me in recent months, is the Black on Black hatred I've noticed, predominantly on social media.

"Lightskin" vs "Darkskin".  It's getting to a point where people are finding it an acceptable kind of recreation for black people to just compare the skin shades of other black people. I see it mostly in my generation though I don't doubt it exists elsewhere. I can't even count many black guys have told me I'm a pretty "lightskinned" chick, as if, I would be unattractive if I were darker than midnight. They talk about "black women" as if they are all loud, all ignorant, all quick to argue and cause problems. I've heard Black guys say "I'm marrying a *insert a non-black* woman because I don't want my kids to have "bad hair" or "dark skin" like, you came from a black woman you ignorant arse. They project self-hate without even realising it. It really bothers me because it's just a stereotype, and if we all believed stereotypes then we'd all be ignorant and we'd get nowhere. It's also funny because it's usually always black guys complaining about black women, and when they do it in front of me I sit there and think... you do realise you are talking to a black girl? I may not be fully black, but it's a part of me, and if black women are so unattractive and unbearable, how do you see me as different? It upsets me so much because black people have a horrific past that's been overcome to a great extent, and to hate on your own kind, it makes no sense to me. Racism in general is disgusting, but its like women who hate other women but love men... don't you want to unite with your own (as well as accept and love others)? What is wrong with black? Why are adults with understanding being brainwashed into believing that light skin is the only way to be beautiful? It's everywhere. Again, it's 2014 and rather than educating themselves and bettering themselves, people are talking out of their backside about illogical nonsense. 

I do think it is a deep-rooted issue. We grow up seeing paler complexions as beautiful. It doesn't matter where you go. I remember I hated my curly hair at one point when I attended a predominantly white sixth form, because I felt it like I would never look as sexy as the girls with straight hair or beach waves and I just looked out of place at times. It isn't just black people who try to conform to society's idea of perfection, and it extends beyond race too. It's just sad that I'm not shocked that black people are at war with each other over who's light and who's dark. These behaviours are inherited and absorbed.

http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/fc8c6338efa211e2b4d922000a1fae83_7.jpg

Sexuality

I watched a video on youtube about sexuality in America and how it became a topic of interest from the 1950s up to the 1990s.

During the 50s the video gives a clear idea that sex was just not spoken about in America. There were laws against sexual related content, e.g. abortions were illegal and parents were careful in their efforts to sway their teens from sexual intercourse. Pregnancy was a huge scare and of course, there was no access to contraception or abortions, so pregnancy was dangerous for those who didn't want a child. What's strange is that, everything but sex was allowed. "Heavy petting" is what they described as foreplay I suppose, but I think, if sex was frowned upon so much, and seen as "sinful" why let all of that foreplay happen? It's all or nothing, you know? It was so extreme that it's almost laughable. Then Hugh Hefner creates 'Playboy' magazine, originally a lifestyle magazine where nudity and sex is seen as beautiful. Sending nudes via mail became part of the revolution and a cultural war erupted between the Christians and the Hugh Hefners, you could say. The congressmen were so over-the-top, making sex sound like a death sentence, it's so funny. When 'Rock n Roll' came about, parents hated it because it was sex-fuelled, and the music crossed racial boundaries which caused even more trouble. The white kids started to "emulate" black styles of dance, and it became a big deal.
During the 60's the first oral contraceptive was produced and American views of sex completely changed. These pills had high levels of oestrogen and pro-oestrogen which was dangerous but over time developments were made. Helen Gurley Brown spoke out loud about how to enhance sexuality for women, making it non-exclusive to men. The young generation started to open up about sex and weren't afraid to express their sexuality. Bars began opening showcasing topless dancers and supporters  such as the 'Sexual Freedom League' would attend. Woodstock attendees expressed free love, forcing people to "define" what it meant for them and that sexuality was about the spirit and the mind as well as the body. The revolution meant that you could "get laid" whenever, and sexuality was freedom.

The documentary was intriguing, from a modern viewpoint it's so cool to see how things have changed and become socially acceptable to a certain extent. There's even a part during the video where University students held unions, where they insisted on having the right to political thoughts on campus. There was a 'filthy speech' movement and students were arrested for saying the 'F' word. It's funny to think of now because the word is thrown about everywhere, but it was such an important change back then. I wonder if things will ever revert back to being crude.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48pGaYfDTYY
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/secrets-of-the-living-dolls/4od