Alisha Group 5, Question 1

Do you have a problem with Bioware putting the option into their Role-Playing Game?

I personally do not have a problem with Bioware putting the option of being homosexual or heterosexual in their game. I think it is up to the player whether or not they want to choose to be either one. I think it is somewhat a step in the right direction in order to broaden the views of people all around the nation.

What I do think is that the idea of putting sex into a game is inappropriate and not necessary. In games such as Sims and Bioware where you are able to have sexual relations with other players is just silly. I think sex should be left out of video games all together because I would not want my future kids playing games where sex is involved and have the chance of me not knowing sexual relations were applicable in the game.

Group 4 Question 1

Do you feel separating your love life from work would weaken a relationship if it were serious or make it stronger?

I think separating your love life from work could only make it stronger. Your work life should have no effect on your love life. Bringing your love life into the work place could seriously distract you and put your job in jeopardy. In most of today's relationships the couple isn't with each other 24/7. Work is a place where you can get away and be your own person. I think it is healthy for work and love to be separate.

Group 6 -bean.240

How do you feel knowing that metrosexual is a term coined from marketing?

I think that companies have capitalized on the trend of metrosexuals and have propelled it to what it is today. Companies have turned metrosexuality into a brand, and at the same time made it into a social status. It could pave the way for even more trends created by marketers into a social status, and I feel that this could make a trend less genuine for me socially.

Group 5 Question 2 (By Lee Jung)

If your children were to want to play this game and you knew this content was in it, would you let your child play it?


For me, personally I do not have any hostile feeling toward homosexual. Also, I respect homosexual's way of love (or way of making love) so I would let my children play those games. Psychologically, homosexuality is born with it not made with it. Also, in order to playing this type of game, we can reduce fear toward homosexual.
Maybe some people worry about that what if their children became homosexual because of that game, but that game is First Point View Shooting game, so it's more action not about love. I believe that put gender issue in the game is very smart move because this will lead people into understanding homosexuals. So, for me I would let my children play this game.

Group 6 - Question 4

Question 4 Prompt:

Are there any direct references or appeals to the audience on the featured text? State your theory about what those appeals to the audience suggest about who the writer believes the audience is, what they believe the audience values, or what the relationship between the writer/audience seems to be.

Response:

The article “Metrosexuals Come Out” explores how and why metro sexuality has become more common and acceptable in modern pop culture. The author writes this article for a sophisticated and skeptical audience that is interested in finding out why metro sexuality has become more popular. The New York Times is a very prestigious and respected newspaper. Writers for this paper need to support their claims with empirical evidence and sound reasoning. Many of the articles within The NY Times are meant to expose people to topics and ideas they may not know much about. These articles also serve the purpose of spurring further conversation and dialect on the written topic.

This article is written with the assumption that the normal man does not particularly enjoy shopping and spends less time and effort trying to look good. This assumption was fairly accurate in the past but is quickly changing as more men begin to fit the stereotype of a metro sexual. One reference from the text supports this bias of the author, “ 'They're all low-slung jeans and working out with six packs and more hair product than I've ever used in my life, and they smell better than your mother on Easter,' he said.” This quote demonstrates how much effort metro sexuals put into looking and smelling good compared to what is thought of as the norm.

The most interesting claim this article makes is the role of marketing in the rising popularity of metro sexuality. The gay writer Mark Simpson believes that marketers wanted men to spend more money on consumer products such as clothes, colognes and eloquent food and beverages. Since marketers had this incentive to promote male consumer spending, they helped to promote the idea of the metro sexual man. Marketers made it more acceptable for men to appear metro sexual instead of the stereotypical “manly man.” Whether this rising emergence of metro sexuality is good or bad is left up for debate. One gay man talks about how it’s become increasingly difficult to distinguish gay from straight men. “'Before, you used to get punched,' he said. 'Now it's all, 'Gee thanks, I'm straight but I'm really flattered.'”

Group 5, question 5

As far as this article, “Bioware outs gay male relationship in Mass Effect 3,” is concerned there is not much persuasion involved. Really, for the most part, this article is extremely objective and mostly just like a report of a finding. While reading the article, the reader is constantly having facts thrown at them about the original source, such as information about the game and what homosexual characteristics have been added to it. The article then goes on to describe the negative uproar that rose from the protestors of the new added features of the game, who, we find out, actually ended up utilizing false evidence in their claims. An explanation and response from the producers of the game to the criticizers is also present within the article. This is important because it shows the creators’ purpose and reasoning so we can get a better understanding about the thought process that went into deciding whether or not to add the extra features into the game. This article is extremely information based in its purpose and, for the most part, keeps an unbiased voice throughout, although, I feel there is a slight hint of support for the issue. What is so important about this document is that it informs the public of these new developments in societies views of homosexuality. By seeing that other people are challenging societies norms, readers might decide to challenge their own view and others views of the subject at hand. By providing the public with information, the article brings the possibility of rethinking their stance on the issue presented.

Group 6 Question 5

In the article, "Metrosexuals Come Out", metrosexuality is seen as a trend that will only get larger. Seeing as the article was written in 2003, the trend is quite visible 8 years later. The article does not really teach the reader anything that they do not know regarding metrosexual men. We all know who they are and what they look like. They keep up to date on the trendiest clothes, spend a good amount of time beautifying themselves, and can keep up with the ladies' shopping habits. This is present all around us. From magazines such as GQ informing men on the latest styles to turning on the TV and seeing the guys from Jersey Shore with their infamous GTL.

Really, the only knew information that the article presented is the fact that "metrosexual" was coined as a satirical term, but has become widely accepted and largely known. Although it could make some people uncomfortable I can't see why. These men just care about how they look as much as the next high maintenance girl. Metro men are also comfortable with how they look and want to show it off as much as possible, clearly from how much time is spent preparing to go out.