We all know that things change; it is seen everyday in our daily lives and in the lives of others. But occasionally, there are the instances where there is a complete culture shift in an ideology or commonplace. It can be a quick process, leaves us with a shocked "what just happened" feeling, or they can be a slow one, that sneaks up on us and changes our viewpoint without us even realizing it.
One of my favorite examples is the shift in fashion. Even though I know that is not the strongest example, I definitely think it worth the mention, and it is the perfect excuse to share one of my favorite video series'. BuzzfeedVideo, Glamour Magazine, and WatchCut Video have all jumped on the 'fashion (or body type or hair or makeup) through the years in videos that highlight the ideologies in relation to women from each time period and how they correspond to fashion (or body type or hair or makeup). My favorite video, by Mode, is called "100 Years of Wedding Dresses in 3 Minutes", partly because I love anything and everything to do with weddings, and partly because I feel like wedding dresses are the highest form of fashion in a time period. However, one video that I feel highlights how the current culture influences the way women presented themselves is WatchCut Video's series, "100 Years of Beauty". This series looks at the beauty trends (hair, makeup, and fashion) from 1910 to 2010. They currently have 10 episodes uploaded to their channel, each showing a different country. The USA episode is most relatable, as we know our own history and can pinpoint different revolutions of fashion in each trend.
The second shift is the importance of national security following the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. After this day, airport security was tightened, which is something that everyone who has traveled can attest to. The groan of seeing a long security line, and having to tiptoe in your socks through the metal detectors so you can retrieve your shoes from the x-ray conveyor belt is now a common occurrence. Even on a more basic level, the frequency of surveillance has increased. In phone calls (your phone call may be recorded for quality reasons) and in the amount of cameras in public spaces, we can see that many steps have been taken in the name of 'security'.
One of my favorite examples is the shift in fashion. Even though I know that is not the strongest example, I definitely think it worth the mention, and it is the perfect excuse to share one of my favorite video series'. BuzzfeedVideo, Glamour Magazine, and WatchCut Video have all jumped on the 'fashion (or body type or hair or makeup) through the years in videos that highlight the ideologies in relation to women from each time period and how they correspond to fashion (or body type or hair or makeup). My favorite video, by Mode, is called "100 Years of Wedding Dresses in 3 Minutes", partly because I love anything and everything to do with weddings, and partly because I feel like wedding dresses are the highest form of fashion in a time period. However, one video that I feel highlights how the current culture influences the way women presented themselves is WatchCut Video's series, "100 Years of Beauty". This series looks at the beauty trends (hair, makeup, and fashion) from 1910 to 2010. They currently have 10 episodes uploaded to their channel, each showing a different country. The USA episode is most relatable, as we know our own history and can pinpoint different revolutions of fashion in each trend.
The second shift is the importance of national security following the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. After this day, airport security was tightened, which is something that everyone who has traveled can attest to. The groan of seeing a long security line, and having to tiptoe in your socks through the metal detectors so you can retrieve your shoes from the x-ray conveyor belt is now a common occurrence. Even on a more basic level, the frequency of surveillance has increased. In phone calls (your phone call may be recorded for quality reasons) and in the amount of cameras in public spaces, we can see that many steps have been taken in the name of 'security'.
If you're going to do fashion I'd definitely narrow your scope way down in order to get a manageable topic as well as an impact that is well defined. The national security topic could be interesting, but I'd worry that you wouldn't find enough research in order to create a fully fleshed out piece, especially with all of the new developments like the NSA in the last year or two.
ReplyDeleteI think that both are viable topics. For the first, while you could definitely write about the connection between fashion and women, you should definitely try to specify exactly what shift you are focusing on. Just doing every single major fashion trend would be too general and not very meaningful for the purpose of this project. Also, both of these ideas seem a little obvious, so if you do use them be sure to add your own twist to what you are arguing.
ReplyDeleteWhile fashion is quite broad, you certainly have ample opportunities to create a more specific thesis on a particular paradigm shift within this umbrella. I wouldn't discard the fashion idea just because we've talked about it in class; you could really roll with a specific approach as long as it captivates your audience. I love your second idea, and I feel that you could really connect to a lot of people in this class who have grown up during this era. It is obviously a very important issue in today's world, so the real life application of your second idea would be relevant and informative. I think both ideas would be successful, but if I had to pick one, I would choose your second option.
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