An Entertaining Life

The basis of culture tends to look into the religion, morals and traditions of a group. These topics are all a fundamental part in identifying with one’s ancestry and history. However, when considering every component that define the people, it is impossible to leave out what keeps the people interesting and interested. The arts and entertainment help express the uniqueness of a culture. The music, drawings, writings, sports and acting deliver a subdivision of culture that promotes individuality while creating a space to unlock the passion many have then capture it into something beautiful that can live forever.

Creation is the basis of life. The ability to make something from scratch in your own image is why life is. A child is meant to be the greatest product a person could ever produce. With the idea of reproduction in mind, the talent one has to create in the arts can be looked at as their own child they have brought into the world. Each new design is birthed in hopes to be enjoyed by someone else as much as the artist took pride in creating it.

Act I: I Act

There is so much raw talent in being able to bring a character to life by taking a bunch of words and actions from a script into a performance that grabs the attention and emotions of a whole audience. From the first play of the ancient Greek civilization where Thespis of Icaria took the stage, acting has brought everything from laughter to tears upon viewers. Plays provided the first platform for these performance artists to share their craft by becoming a brand new person in front of the eyes of many. As time passed, plays led to TV shows and movies where stars were made.

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Drawing Blood

Long ago, the coliseum was used for two warriors to courageously enter and fight to the death. The gladiators of the Roman Empire created a source of entertainment that challenged the physical strength and strategic thinking of men in order to best their opponent. This art form put natural ability to the test. Their spirit of war was the most sought after pleasure. The victorious feeling, the outlet of aggression and fight to survive gave them an unmatched satisfaction.

"Are you not entertained?" - Russell Crowe

As time passed, the violent aspect dissolved to a less lethal format...

This is when our gladiators turned into athletes. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey and many other sports are the rawest form of art where one creates the best physical version of themselves possible to combat another person who also put their all into making themselves complete. It has built into many multi-million dollar corporations and one of the biggest pieces of entertainment in the world.

Soundtrack to Life

Music can create moods, invoke emotions and bring people together or help them cope apart. There are so many dimensions to each sound and how they combine together. There is no documented time of when music was first conceived but it is hard to picture any point in time where there wasn’t music in some form. Something as simple as humming can bring peace to a soul or complex as a 50-piece orchestra combining different sound into one beautiful melody. Music is truly the soundtrack to life because there is a song for peace, for war, for celebration, for relaxation, for love, for hate and so much more. Having the ability to make an amazing sound come to life is the gift of immortality. A person will die eventually but the music they may create lives on forever.

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The Writing on the Wall

The first documentations of writing were by the Egyptian and Sumerian civilization through hieroglyphics and cuneiform. Since that time, writing and language in general have further developed. This creation has made it possible for people to share information and, most importantly, educate. The written language has also paved the way to different art forms like poetry, lyrics and storytelling. The techniques used in creating these artworks display the talent one has with words. The ability to engage a reader or listener with words masterfully arranged by the author is a highly appreciated talent and has a range of uses spread throughout many other arts from music to acting. A writer has the unique skill to build a whole new world outside their own and invite people into it through words alone.

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Life is Entertaining

When combining all of these arts and more, they can define a culture. Soccer (aka futbol) is the pride of much of the Spanish culture just like American football is loved by the USA. Reggae music is the heart of many islanders like electronic music is blasted everywhere in European countries. The way art connects to different civilizations is the reason why it can be said that it is the most important quality of any culture.

Fin.

My Culture

The American culture is full of mixed collections of beliefs and values spread through divergent multitudes of people. Diversity has a huge impact on the American culture because the varied customs extended across the nation combine to make one country of divided yet coexisting lifestyles. Each being has their own set of ethics and morals that define them.

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This is my culture...

"I'm from Virginia where nothing to do but cook." - The Clipse 

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I was raised in the northern and southern regions which look like two different dimensions in comparison to each other. Anybody who visits anywhere above Richmond would question if Virginia is truly the south at all. The closer the range to DC, the more of an industrial feel you receive. This complex mix of city life with rural makes for an atmosphere mixed with completely different living conditions.

I have experienced the perks of living so close to the nation’s capital and being able to visit world renowned sites so many times that it watching the excitement lighting up the face of each tourist is more impressive than the accessibility I take for granted. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian Museum, even the White House has worn out its welcome to my shortening attention span. I have been around this and grew going there so much that it is expected.

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Southern Virginia is a completely different ballgame. The simplistic feel of Richmond and down deliver a space of comfort. The world seems to move a lot slower outside of the city area. This is where my roots are because both sides of my family settled there to raise my parents. When I’m there I can feel the nostalgia of growing up and spending my summers outside before everything became so real.

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Pocahontas, John Smith, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, A.P. Hill, George Mason, Nat Turner, Booker T. Washington, Missy Elliott, Timberland, Pharrell Williams, Jason Bateman, Allen Iverson, Russell Wilson. So many recognizable names shared this culture with me from their own perspective and experience. No matter who you are and what you become, your culture is always with you and in you.

The true meaning of Friendship

According to the merriam-webster dictionary Friendship is " the state of being friends : the relationship between friends". In my opinion I do not think the dictionary defines the word friendship very well. I believe that friendship is a relationship between two people that is more that just acquaintances. Those two people share a bond that not many others can understand. They are able to laugh and cry together, and they share information that they want no one else to know about. Those are the characteristics I see in friendships.

Friendship in American is seen  a very important part of culture in America. the way we treat our friends are very different from the way someone in a country such as Spain might treat their friend. In a power point by  Ana Bulnes called "12 differences between a normal friend and a Spanish friend" one of her points state that a Spanish friend would kiss you as a greeting. Unlike the American friend who would greet you with a hug or a handshake Spanish friends seem more open and friendlier.

The friendships in spain also seem more relaxed and unlike American cultures are not as stressed about the little things. According to a Schooling Program  called Don Quijote Spain has so many places you teenagars to hang out with their friends and they embrace the idea of “going out.” But in American culture not everyone likes to go out. Many people like to be in the privacy of their home sitting and watching Television or playing video games.

Source: Don Quijote

Friendship is different everywhere and the types of friendship can be different based on what type of culture people are raised in. Friendships play an important role in culture because it often shows what type of community the people are. It also can represent or show what type or morals and values that the community has based on how they treat others. The friendships that people make can not only help build a stronger community but also make it a better place for strangers as well.

Sitting on the cultural fence

Being a part of an American culture to my family has always been something my parents were unconsciously against. My parents were born into the Igbo tribe with strict traditions and rules. Having Nigerian parents constantly looking over my shoulder and constantly pestering me about my friends, what kind of music I listened to and what I wear has made me realize that I was a part of American culture more than Nigerian culture. But even though I have adapted to one culture more than the other I have realized that my parents don't want to see me to forget my roots easily.

Taste in Music
American music has a lot of variety and being raised in an environment with many music choices has made me much more open different types of music. My music choices range from the well known Justin Bieber to a popular Nigerian artist named WizKid.Having a different taste in music not only connected me to the American community and the Nigerian community as well.

                         
          Source : Twitter                                                       Source : Twitter 

M friends and family from Nigeria and America both have a common knowledge on the subject of music artist and genres but the main difference is the language. The sound of the music can change depending on what type of language it is sung in.

 An example of this is a French artist called Coeur de Pirate made a song called Carry On and had also made another version of the song in french. The song still has the same meaning but the difference in the language sticks out and in a sense almost changes the sound of the music.

The differences in the language an be seen in the wat the song is song and the underlying tone in the lyrics. Many of her fans believe that the song is sung better in french. The words translate a better meaning and create a better understanding of the lyrics. In other words the song is clearer. The use of language in music compliments the culture by creating a picture for others to understand. 

Party Culture and Clothing
When in comes to partying both cultures do it the same. The only difference it the type of clothes that are worn to parties. Americans usually pull out their party dresses, heels, suit and ties. But Nigerians have a special attire they usually wear at parties. The traditional lace and the Ankara attire is worn at parties but especially marriages.

                             

                                           Source : Nigerian Weddings Guide

This type of clothing is expensive to make but it last for a long time. My mother still has traditional attire that is fifteen years old. The tradition of this type of clothing has been passed down for centuries and is typically worn to represent status and wealth. The better material you wear the more people look up to you. In the Igbo culture it is very common to see this type of clothing worn at parties, marriages, picnics and even baby showers. The tradition of the attire never seems to fade instead it gets stronger as the years go by.

Overall The cultural differences in music and clothing in Igbo culture and American culture have made me realize that being a blend of both Igbo and American culture is a good thing. Even though my parents want me to stick to Nigerian and Igbo culture I can't help but fall back to the culture I am born in. American culture surrounds me but ultimately my parents have a bigger influence on me and because of this I have learned to balance this cultures and blend them which creates the person who I am today.

Slippery Slope of Americans' Mindsets

According to Purdue University's online writing lab, explains slippery slope as "This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z." When someone uses the slippery slope fallacy to prove a point, they try to make an argument that if one situation happens or doesn't happen, then it will lead to another situation that may have a higher level of seriousness or risk.  The slippery slope is a fallacy because the person making the argument has no logical reasoning behind their statements.

Slippery slope fallacies are very popular within the American culture today.  Most commonly in today’s society, the slippery slope is used during arguments on gay rights, politics, and feminism. Here are some examples of popular cartoons from social media that elucidate the   slippery slope fallacy.




In these examples, the illustrators  are using satire to make a mockery of the slippery slope fallacy arguments being made in our society. These cartoons persuade readers to think negatively about gay marriage (first picture) and think negatively towards Occupy Wall Street movement (second picture).



The creators use cartoons to try to come off as comical and make fun of slippery slope ideas and thoughts that are within our American society. On the surface, these cartoons may come off as just a silly image, but these cartoons are shining light on a deeper issue of Americans rushing to conclusions without creditable sources. Instead of creating funny cartoons with no meaning, these cartoonists try to display how ridiculous certain individuals or groups may sound like when coming from a slippery slope aspect and not having credible data and resources to back up their conclusions.



In today’s society, social media sites and applications as a whole has become a large part of the American lifestyle. In social media, cartoons such as these examples are either is or on the way to becoming viral and can be found when a user isn't even searching for them. Many teens who are usually impressionable because of their young age and lack of knowledge, use social media constantly. With teenagers as the largest generation category using social media, these cartoons have potential to become the mindset of most teenagers in America because of the popularity of the cartoons.  American teens today, often rely on social media as their news and sourcing for political views. Seeing cartoons like these over and over again may alter adolescents’ views because they may view popular cartoons such as these, as popular opinion and believe this is the “right” idea.  The slippery slope fallacy cartoons can be powerful in our society because of large social media usage in our American culture but these cartoons may not achieve its goal they were created for. These cartoons were created to make fun of and show how slippery slope ideas based on social issues are nonsenses but without a certain amount of education of the readers these cartoons may be seen as the correct way to view social topics.

Definition of Culture

The definition of culture based on dictionary.com is "the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc." My definition of culture wouldn’t mean what someone’s ethnicity is. It would be more connected to where someone grew up and the people they grew up around. Also the types of people and groups they hung out with which would define the type of culture they have.

Culture can be a part of where someone was raised, the food they eat, the clothes they wear, and what language they speak. Such as Hispanic, Italian, middle eastern foods, etc. or the language's such as Urdu, Spanish, Chinese, English, etc. These aren’t the only things that would define someone’s culture but a way to separate one culture from another. There are many different types of cultures such as desi, Hispanic, Chinese, etc and the beliefs and values can help distinguish these cultures from one another as well.


Also being from a certain culture doesn’t necessarily mean they can only be with the people of that culture. People from different cultures tend to hang out as well and oftentimes people’s beliefs change when they hang out with others with different beliefs. That also comes to the saying that you are also known by the company you keep. So the people you hang out with influence you in many ways. Without realizing it one starts to become similar to the people they associate themselves with.    

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Diversity: The Cultures of Washington D.C.

 

Washington D.C. is a richly diverse area that I'm lucky enough to have right in my back yard. D.C. has a culture that is a combination of many other cultures.  The Mixing pot that is D.C. is uniquely diverse in race and social class, from the political elites living in high end homes in Georgetown to the project neighborhoods and people living in Anacostia you find all different ethnicities and backgrounds in the Capital.

D.C. and its surrounding bi-state area has changed a lot in the recent years, a testimonial from the Washington Times article titled "Washington area one of nation’s most diverse" is made by Chrisdiona Clarke  whom lived in Lorton VA  since the 1960's. She says that today’s Northern VA and D.C. is nothing like the area she grew up in. She remembers a rural area that was a majority white. Now the area she grew up in is only one third white and is one of the most diverse areas in the Country. Her experience of a change in diversity is supported by data from the  U.S. Census Bureau

A reason that D.C. and its surrounding area is so diverse is because of the large military and federal government presence in D.C. the bases and government buildings have people that speak many different languages and come from places not just all over the country but all over the world! There are 177 world Embassies are in D.C.  I know from experience and having a family member that works in the Italian embassy that visiting these embassy's' are like stepping into a different country, I say this because when you step inside the building it is decorated as a government building would be in that country and they primarily speak that countries language

 The great thing about D.C. is you don't actually have to visit an embassy to get the feeling of being in different country. The people and ethnic neighborhoods can give you the same feeling, the just visit China Town! I’m Very appreciative of growing up in such a diverse area, I believe it’s only right that the capital of this diverse country be a mixing pot like D.C.