Internet + Future = ?

I think in the future the internet will be the center of everything. School will be online, work will be online, activities will be online- I think the internet will be very much a part of daily life. I think that people will be able to put on glasses and step into a virtual world and interact with people from around the globe. Sit next to others and talk to them in a way that seems like they are actually right next to each other- all through the internet. I also think that the internet will become voice activated in the future. All a person will have to do is say something and the internet will either look it up or go to the website for them. Overall I think the internet will become more and more simplified for people as it becomes more and more advanced. It will become easier for an average person to use while at the same time allowing that person to do more.

Mary the Martian.

Mary the martian is visiting our planet for the first time. While here she picks up the first magazine that catches her eye and delves into it to learn a bit more about our culture.
Mary picks up a copy of ESPN the magazine and after reading it she can conclude the following.
She can conclude that sports are a big deal in American culture, they would not have a magazine devoted to them if they were not. She can also assume that sports are a very profitable thing in America based on the salaries paid to the athletes. She can see the level of admiration that fans have for these athletes by reading the articles and scanning the pictures. She starts to believe that in order to live in America you have to dress nicely as the athletes do. Mary thinks that Americans must be very muscular, fit and good looking people. After all, the athletes in the magazine all have nice bodies and are quite attractive. She begins to wonder why Americans are so obsessed with alcohol, cars and electronics as those seem to be the only things advertised. Mary cannot understand why winning a game makes people so happy, but they seem to be in the magazine so there must be a reason. When Mary is done reading the magazine she decides she would rather go back home then stay on this "game" obsessed planet.

Gossip Girl is a show on the CW. It is based off a series of books by Cecily von Ziegesar about the lives of rich kids in New York. The main cast is made up of seven people; three boys and four girls. The actors range in age from sixteen to twenty-five although they have a few recurring adult characters over forty. The only thing every character has in common is not being overweight. They are all slim/buff and beautiful. Because the show follows the intersecting lives of all seven there is no main character. As a result of their wealth and position the women characters are dress extremely nice. But their clothes are usually revealing (low-cut) or tight. The show has very few minorities represented. One of the main characters is mixed race and her mother (who is on the show every once in awhile) is African-American. But that is the extent of minorities on the show. The only homosexual is a young man who is not featured in every episode.

Each woman character has similarities to each other and differences. One character, Serena is portrayed as the sex kitten. When the show first started she was always in bed with someone new. But as the show progressed and she got older, she stopped doing that and tried to commit herself to one man. At present time she is in a relationship, but has been tempted to cheat a few times. On the other hand there is Blair, she is one of Serena's best friends and has a different personality. Blair is portrayed as the strong one on the show who would do anything for those she loves. She had been like Serena at times but was committed to one man until he broke her heart. Instead of going out and finding solace in the arms of a new man, she decided to mourn the relationship and work on being strong by herself.

The show is aimed at girls in their teens through early twenties. I believe this because of the age of the characters and the issues they face. I don't believe the show is entirely accurate in it's portrayal of women. While there are truthful aspects in their portrayal they do not represent all women. It is sad to watch the show and see the girls portrayed the way they are, especially when I know that they could do so much better. Overall I think that with some of the girls they do a good job, trying to make them balanced- but then others they just go with the flow and subject them to stereotypes that women in shows fulfill.