hoax.

It strikes me that social media is just a huge hoax. I recently posted this on Twitter:

Seriously. I want to know who comes up with all the "creative" puns and such that go around on Twitter. In one day, every parody account that I follow will tweet something like "I like people how I like my coffee... I don't like coffee" or "50 shades of [sarcastic comment about an action no one wants to do]." And every single one of them tweets that on the same day. And then I see the same tweet a week later... Yes, very creative. This repetition, however, makes me think that one unknown media dictator or corporation is coming up with these sayings and making hundreds of accounts from which to direct them. In my mind, average individuals do not operate these accounts. They are just a hoax. 

Notice I said "media dictator." Yes, the media dictates us. It dictates our thoughts, our actions, and our perceptions. With each post, there is an expectation set. With each tweet comes a new rule. There are three main categories in which I have noticed this.

Cliche possessions for [white] girls

Social media makes it seem as if every all girls (girls, not women or young ladies) want the same things. Diamonds and hearts and pink and princesses and flowers. Really, has anything changed since we were six? (It's almost as if the media wants us to be brainless and immature... hmmm....) In almost every "girl post," these items are promoted. It is as if the media dictator in the magical box in the sky is saying, "Every girl must want this. So I will say that every girl does want this." Well, I am fairly certain that not every girl wants diamond-studded Nike shoes. Nor does every girl want Nike shoes. Not every girl is obsessed with the Victoria's Secret brand Pink or Tiffany & Company (to be quite honest, I don't know what the latter is). Not every girl wears boots and leggings and sweaters and Vera Bradley backpacks and drinks Starbucks. Media consumers view these things as cliche jokes. Sure, it might be humorous to observe the trends in "white girls." But these observations are not jokes. They are standards. According to the media, only white girls drink Starbucks. Only white girls wear Pink yoga pants. This is wrong on so many levels; I will not even go in to racism and discrimination. The point is, the media is not making observations. The media is telling girls how to live.

Pointless rules for relationships

I recently came across a few "articles" (by articles, I mean poorly written lists written by nameless authors and found on websites such as Cha Cha and Buzzfeed) about relationships. They held titles such as, "Dump him if...." "Things not to tell your friends about your relationship" "Things you should tell your significant other everyday" (Remember when I said poorly written? The title said "everyday." That isn't a word. The correct term is "every day."). Some of the items made sense to me, but others I questioned. Maybe I should not comment on this subject, as I have never been in a romantic relationship myself, but I would just like to bring awareness to it. I think some of these rules are pointless and stupid. One such rule is that if someone is bored with the relationship it is time to break up. "I'm bored, time to find a new boyfriend." Sorry, that isn't how it works when you get married (Oh wait, divorce has skyrocketed. What if there is a correlation...?). It's also apparently bad to be single. According to these opinion-based "articles," if I did have a boyfriend, I would have to tell him he was hot everyday (I mean... every day), and he would have to say the same to me. When I see the word "hot" I wave a huge red flag. Do not even get me started on how I feel about that word (for most circumstances); trust me, I do not have good feelings for it. Call me beautiful instead; it is less objectifying. In addition, good morning texts, daily compliments, and cuddling are mandatory. Relationships, supposedly, must have these. Don't get me wrong, it's sweet when guys do this. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with these ideas about how relationships should work. However, I reiterate that these things are pushed onto young people through the media so much that rather than being good suggestions, they are turning into mandates. That is scary. There are many other pointless "rules" dealing with relationships but they tie more with...

Unrealistic, high expectations for boys

The standards for girls are cliche and annoying. The standards for guys, however, are far higher and extremely ridiculous. Guys are expected to look like Channing Tatum, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Hunter Hayes.... the list could go on. They are also expected to be classy, athletic, sensitive, dress nicely, strong, always understand girls, musical, made of money, romantic, protective, tough, and gentlemanly. All of those things are good things. I wish all guys understood how girls think and dressed nicely. But not all do. Some of these traits, while desirable to both guys and girls, are simply not attainable. It is sad that some girls only desire what is not real. Another problem with these "standards" is that most boys are portrayed as having completely opposite traits of what girls want. I cannot think of a better example of this double standard than a picture I have seen multiple times. It is a collage depicting Kanye West opening car doors for and holding an umbrella over Kim Kardashian while she gets in the car. The caption reads, "A**hole to the world, gentleman to his girl... I like the way Kanye thinks." Do you now? Being a disrespectful jerk to everyone else is acceptable as long as the guy perfect for his girlfriend or wife? Absolutely not. His negative personality will prevail in his relationship eventually.
Once again: I desire boys to become gentlemen and treat women right. However, I see the media presenting, in some cases, contradictory and unattainable standards. There is the principle issue about not having double standards. But there is also the issue of misleading girls into thinking that if a guy does not reach the media's standards, he is not good enough. Again, the media as a dictator....


All this is to say that the magical media dictator in the sky sells standards that it wants to be culturally acceptable. A song that communicates the negativity of the media is "Selling the News" by Switchfoot. It addresses the fact that opinions are valued more than truth, money and ads and ratings mean more than truth, large corporations rule the ordinary people, and substance is no longer valued. Whatever sells is important. Whatever the masses believe is important. "The fact is fiction." If we wake up to see how the media is dictating our lives, perhaps we wouldn't succumb to its lies so easily. We would discern propaganda from truth. Please listen to that song; it is powerful and convicting in relation to this subject.

There are so many examples I did not mention in this post. I did not even include how many issues there are with the writers of these "articles" not receiving credit for their work, no matter how unprofessional (and grammatically incorrect), nor did I mention how parody accounts kill individual creativity. I must say that though there are many negative elements to social media, there are good things as well. I still have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and obviously, a blog. I am not negating the communication benefits and conveniences for individuals along with many other assets. However, our culture needs to be aware how much the media has affected us. Let us stop being controlled by the dictator.

Here is a link to "Selling the News" lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/switchfoot/sellingthenews.html
Buy the song on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/selling-the-news/id450987801?i=450987807
Or on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vice-Verses-Switchfoot/dp/B005MW5G1E/ref=sr_1_2_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388035512&sr=1-2&keywords=switchfoot

milkshakes.

Notice: You are about to experience the first of many of Gatlyn's infamous rants about random, not really important issues in life.

Rant #1: Just a weird introductory incident

The other day at work while I was in the drive through, a man ordered a cup of ice cream and told me he didn't need a lid.

I'm not sure why he told me that.  Of course he didn't need a lid: it's impossible to stick a spoon through the hole at the top and eat the ice cream that way. But in the drive through we always put a lid on ice cream cups, mostly as a precaution, in case they drop it in their car and also to keep the ice cream from melting.  So I know putting the lid on is not really important. But it's habit for me to put the lid on. Telling me he doesn't need a lid means almost nothing to me.  If he was trying to save me the trouble of putting on the lid, it's not trouble at all.  Like I said, it's habit. What if he did want the lid he just wanted to save me the trouble? Telling me he doesn't need a lid does not communicate whether or not he wants a lid.  It would have made a lot more sense for him to say, "I don't want a lid." Not to mention  less confusing. 

Rant #2: The Meal or Not the Meal?

It always baffles me when a customer orders a meal and not actually wanting one. If a person orders a meal (i.e., they say, I want a #1, a spicy sandwich meal, a #8 combo, etc.), they have just ordered an sandwich/burger, a side, and a drink.  A meal comes with a drink.  So please, dear customers of fast food, do not order a meal if you do not plan on getting a drink.  A meal without a drink is not a meal.

Another thing customers say is, "I want a #1," but when I ask what they want to drink, they say, "I don't want the meal." It seems like common sense to me that saying the meal number indicates that the customer is ordering a meal, whereas saying the name of the entree (i.e., Whopper Jr., Chic-Fil-A Deluxe) indicates the customer does not want the meal.

The funniest thing is when a customer orders the exact same thing 5 different ways at the same time.  I've heard people order a, "#4 such-and-such sandwich meal, the combo" (I think they made themselves clear by saying #4).

Rant #3: Milkshakes 

The hardest thing about working  drive through is making milkshakes and special drinks.  They take a long time to make! So it's always awful when a customer orders 80 thousand drinks or shakes. And (though this is not exactly the customers' fault) it always seems that when one car orders 3 milkshakes, the next two cars also order one or two milkshakes.  Then three cars down from that is a 4 milkshake order.  Isn't that Murphy's Law? Anyways, just as bad as ordering a million milkshakes is adding one once you get to the window (in fact, adding or changing anything at the window after you've ordered). Once again, they take a long time to make.  Food items can also take a long time, especially if they are not ordered in advance but added at the window.

Rant #4: Getting out the Money

Sitting through a drive through usually takes a long time. So I'm always surprised when a customer gets to the window and doesn't have their money ready.  They have just sat still for 2-8 minutes, yet somehow they didn't have 30 seconds to reach into their wallet and get the money ready to pay? It's actually rather funny.

Rant #5:  Extra Ketchup?

When I'm working the window at drive through, I have to ask if customers want condiments like ketchup or any special sauces.  Sometimes the customer will tell me what they want before I ask them.  "I'll take two mayonnaise" or "some honey mustard".  But the best one is.... "I want extra ketchup." The reason I ask customers what condiments they want is because I don't put any in the bag to begin with.  Zero. 0. More ketchup (extra ketchup) than zero ketchup is just one package of ketchup....

It is also funny when I ask if they want condiments and they say no, but after I give them their bag they say, "Oh yeah! Can I get extra ketchup?" 

They didn't want ketchup 30 seconds earlier.... So they get just one.  Because that's more than they originally had.

Rant #6: Please Leave

On drive through, my goal is to get through each transaction as fast as possible. I always hate sitting in line for a long time and I don't want anyone to suffer through that.  Customers who sit at the window for a long time after they've received their food make my goal extremely difficult to accomplish.

Rant #7: I'm not a Turtle

I always thought I was being polite by ordering slowly and clearly when I went through the drive through... Until I started working at fast food.  Employees are so familiar with the menu that they can type up an order at practically any speed. I honestly feel insulted by customers who order slowly and don't give me all the information at once. It doesn't take anyone ten seconds to press a button, it takes just a fraction of a second.  I'm not a turtle, I'm a hare.  Give me your fastest order and I'll take it!

Conclusion: I hope those who read this will be smarter fast food customers, especially when going through the drive through.  Fast food employees world wide will be eternally grateful for you.  

disney.

Am I the only 18-year-old who gets over-excited to see Disney movies? I hope not.  How could someone not love them? They are cute, funny, creative, sometimes musical, and entertaining

                                   (things I want in a guy).

If I'm being honest with myself, those are not the reasons I enjoy watching the quirky animated films. The real reason the older audience loves movies meant for children.... is that they want to become little kids again.

There is a beautiful feeling called nostalgia. It is the longing for things lost, things that were wonderful but seemed to have passed too.  I am nostalgic for my innocence and my imagination.  For the good feelings related to smells, scenes, and sensations.  What brought about these good feelings, I often wonder.  Other times when I do chance to remember, I daydream. Those were the good days.

Childhood.  When we were free of responsibility, of drama, of conflict, and of confusion.  I realize that as I go off to college all of this is changing much too fast. I have the responsibility of a job now.  I am responsible to be an example to the people I train at my job. I will have the responsibility of buying my own food, shampoo and toiletries, and clothes in a few months. I will have the responsibility of remembering important meetings and deadlines on my own.  

I suppose that is why I couldn't wait to see Toy Story 3 and Monster's University.  Here were beloved characters I had grown up with: Andy, Mike, Sully, and all their friends; and in those movies they would be taking a big step of responsibility in their own lives.  They offered me the chance to relive my childhood in a more "adult" way.  Their lives chronicled in the most recent movies were synonymous to mine.  And I could not miss out on the opportunity to take a step back into innocence as a young adult.

Of course, there are other Disney movies coming out soon.  Despicable Me 2 on Wednesday and Finding Dory in a year or so.  Neither of these movies are relatable to my life... In fact, their predecessors came out when I was no longer in the audience for G-rated movies.  I suppose there is just that instinct to revert back to childhood as often as possible: and these new Disney movies give me a wonderful opportunity to do that.

I'm seeing Despicable Me 2 on Wednesday with my best friend who shares my love for Disney movies (one of our favorites is Tarzan).  I hope everyone has a chance to see this movie!

expectations.

One thing that frustrates me more than anything is the expectations our culture has on teenagers.  Actually, many things frustrate me about Western culture, but I am going to focus on this one right now.

A "teenager" is more of a stereotype than anything else. Think about it.  Teens are thought to be lazy, rowdy,  dramatic, trouble-making, self-absorbed, tech-obsessed individuals that have no thoughts or cares for the future or the people around them.  They have a no-consequences, you-only-live-once attitude.

This is the stereotypical teenager.  She sits in her room texting her boyfriend, fights with her parents, gets drunk at a party, and lies about it the next day at school after failing a test.

Why does this stereotype even exist? The word "teenager" didn't even exist until the 1940s.  Before then, children became adults.  They transitioned from dependency to responsibility, automatically.  There was no grace period where it was acceptable to waste one's life in "preparation" for the "real world"; that came from working in the home, the fields, the factories, or the shops.  A child's life was filled with responsibility so that he could be ready for adulthood and independency.

But not so any more.

I try to believe in humanity and hope that the teenage stereotype is just that and nothing more.  That the majority of young adults do not behave this way. However, the stereotype has advanced to the point where it is not only acceptable for adolescents to behave in such ways, but it is expected.  With the invention of the teenager, our culture has transformed our perception of what young adulthood should be.  It has become acceptable for young adults to be lazy, selfish, and childish; as opposed to a mere 50 years ago when one would be punished for such immaturity.

"Teenage" behavior has become so expected that even adults are shocked when a "teenager" shows maturity, self-discipline, and respect.  Adults, our culture, expect young adults to behave in self-deprecating, rambunctious ways. In fact, as the stereotype progresses, adults begin to behave like "teenagers".

This is where I become thoroughly annoyed.  As I said earlier, I try to believe that most teens don't act this way.  So, when adults behave like the stereotypical teenager, whether because they are mocking the young generation or trying to be young again, I get angry. How is it that they can be so immature when many young adults including myself are trying to break the teenage mold our culture has created for us? It is difficult to respect an older person who acts less mature than I do.

And here I come to the conclusion of my frustration.  Is there any way at all to break this mold? In a short time the idea of the teenager has become so thoroughly embraced.  The largest market is to teenagers; music, movies, clothing, cars, phones: these have all glorified the teenage stereotype. The "teenager" has been so quickly accepted by every aspect of Western culture: adults have embraced it, politics and large companies have marketed to it, entertainment has promoted it.

I think young adults deserve more credit than we are given.  Many, like me, wish to rise above the low expectations our culture has set before us.  We want to break the cycle of laziness and wildness. We know life is too short to waste on being stupid, dramatic, and immature.  At the end of the day, all teenagers are frustrated that they are not pushed to do more.

This is only a small part of the culture war we are all battling right now.  I hope someday the pieces fit together and we can end this detrimental cultural cycle.