Critique of Bogaert’s Asexuality

Critique: A Look at Bogaert’s Asexuality Article

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

 

 

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of Bogaert’s article Asexuality: What It Is and Why It Matters which was published in volume 52, issue 4 of the Journal of Sex Research. The content is analyzed in how it uses rhetoric methods such as ethos, pathos, and logos to supports its statements. The conclusion has found that the article has a solid foundation and succeeds in using previously mentioned rhetoric to reach its audience.

Keywords: asexuality, LGBT, rhetoric, critique

 

 

Critique: A Look at Bogaert’s Asexuality Article

As humans evolve in linguistics, new terms pop up all the time to describe groups of people with shared experiences. Such experiences or phenomenon may have existed for hundreds or thousands of years, but only recently have been given names. One such example is the term “asexual”, meaning non-sexual. Anthony Bogaert, a professor at Brock University in Canada, studies human sexuality and the origins of human orientation. Through a number of academic journals, he addresses the concept of asexuality, or people who do not identify with a sexual orientation. The main purpose of Asexuality: What It Is and Why It Matters is to persuade the audience that asexuality is a legitimate orientation that needs to be studied more depth in order to fully understand human sexuality as a whole. I believe the article accomplishes this by making use of scientific data, reliable academic sources, and a strong prevalence of logos mixed with ethos and pathos.

The word “asexual” is mostly used in biology related fields to refer to an organism that can sexually reproduce with itself. In more modern times, the term has come to refer to people who do not experience sexual attraction. Unlike heterosexuality or homosexuality, they feel no urge to form sexual relationships, and have little to no interest in males, females, or other genders. This does not mean however that they do not experience romantic attraction as some identify as hetero-romantic, homoromantic or biromantic. Still, some identify as “aromantic” in which they do not experience romantic attraction. Currently there is dissonance in whether asexuality is a “real” orientation and should be accepted just like homosexuality or bisexuality, especially in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Trans+ (LGBT+) community. Very little scholarly work has been done on asexuality, but as awareness spreads, researchers are beginning to examine this phenomenon more closely.

The use of logic is abound in this scholarly text. One of the first uses is in reference to an observation of rams’ sexual preferences to explain that this phenomenon is not limited to humans or human society. “Most of the rams exhibit behaviors that evince heterosexual attraction. However, a significant minority of rams exhibit behaviors evincing marked attraction to the same sex (i.e., other rams) or both sexes (rams and ewes). There is also a significant minority of rams showing no interest or attraction for either rams or ewes” (Bogaert, 2015). This conclusion was based on a previous study researchers conducted in 2004. The author then links this behavior to humans by stating “Other atypical orientations—no sexual attraction—in rams may provide an important animal model of human asexuality. Thus, there may be similar brain and other developmental mechanisms giving rise to these atypical sexual attractions in both species” (Bogaert, 2015). By using this source the author establishes a line of reasoning using past scientific observations to make conclusions.

Used less often than logos is pathos; an appeal to the emotions. Given that Bogaert’s article is based on scientific evidence, there is little room for an emotional argument. When discussing the possibility that asexuality is caused by a medical condition that can be corrected, he asks the question “Does it matter what causes it?” by using an example: “if a man is attracted to other men because of an atypical biological process—including a biological process that is atypical for his sexual orientation and that process may be alterable—does this negate the lived experience of his (subjective) attraction to men? In short, he no longer has (or had) same-sex attraction; thus is not, or was not, homosexual? It is argued here—and likely most would agree—that, no, he is still homosexual because his subjective attraction is to men, regardless of the cause of that subjective experience, even if the cause potentially differs from the main processes underlying homosexuality for most individuals, and even if that process might be alterable at some point in time” (Bogaert, 2015). This example contains an emotional tone that suggests audiences should agree with Bogaert’s view that it does not matter what “caused” someone to be asexual to be considered valid, but that simply because it exists or existed at some point in their life that makes it valid.

The author, Anthony Bogaert Ph.D., does not explicitly bring up his credibility on this subject but instead frequently refers to and cites his own past work regarding human sexuality. From looking at his sources, we can see the extent of his research on not just asexuality but sexology as well. By digging deeper we can find qualifications and experience in this field through university achievements, advanced education, and previous journal publications. While not obviously apparent, such milestones contribute to his credibility, or ethos, on this particular subject.

An important facet to note is the context in which this article was published. As our society becomes more progressive and opens itself up to new ideas and ways of thinking, an increasing number of people voice their experiences. What was once thought of as a non-existent orientation now has researchers, scholars, and scientists’ attention. Perhaps 200 years ago, no one would take notice of this phenomenon because there was no term to describe it; the pressure from society to conform, and the limited understanding hid asexuality from even those who experienced it. However, when this article was published in 2015, an incredible amount of change had taken place in the world. The advent of the internet connected people, ideas, and movements to foster learning of those who were similar and those who were different. LGBT+ activism swept the nation, gays and lesbians were granted equal rights to marry, transgender people spoke up loud and clear, and sexual minorities were gaining recognition. These events are important in how audiences receive this article. Had this been published 30 years ago, it may not have had the relevance it has today. In fact, with gender and sexuality being a hot topic in the modern world, this article utilizes the full interest and impact when read by audiences.

In conclusion, Asexuality: What It Is and Why It Matters utilizes rhetorical techniques in all three main aspects; logos, pathos, and ethos. It relies mostly on logos and previous observations to convince readers of its claims, which can greatly support any argument in any article. This gives it a solid foundation. Perhaps an improvement in pathos would be to include experiences, thoughts, and opinions of asexual people themselves. Such rhetoric would be more appropriate however in a pop culture article instead of a scientific journal. The weakest of all three is ethos because there is no immediate or tell-tale way to assume credibility of Bogaert, unless outside research is done. It can be argued that Kairos is used in the timing of this publication to reach the most readers and have the greatest impact to the topic. Overall, Asexuality: What It Is and Why It Matters is well written with an understanding of rhetorical techniques that make good use of the information provided.

 

 

References

Bogaert, A. F. (2015). Asexuality: What it is and Why it matters. Journal of Sex Research, 52(4), 362-379. doi:10.1080/00224499.2015.1015713

Film Genealogy of Magical Girls

Kayson Carlin

25 April 2017

Bowling Green State University

 

Building A Genre Using Magic and Love

Over the past century, film has gained incredible momentum, from audiences watching a 46 second reel of workers leaving a factory, to multimillion dollar blockbuster hits that employ cutting edge technology. Auteurs were made, genres were discovered, and technology advanced. Throughout all these years, film has been intertwined with history, economics, societal expectations, cultural customs, religion- everything you can think of. The result is somewhat like a family tree; each movie, director, genre, etc is connected in some way or another, either directly or somewhere far down the line. Of course, the same can be said for everything in this world. But in this paper, I will look at a specific genre of animation, and how it connects to the bigger picture of film’s overarching genealogy, with an emphasis on Japan.

Animated movies have been made in nearly every major country with a film industry. Dating back to the early 19^th century, animation has been used to not only create spectacular visuals but to tell a narrative, or story as well. The technique of moving drawn images progressed differently in parts of the world, but none quite as uniquely as Japan. It even has its own name, to which everyone knows exactly what is being described – anime. Unlike the common western idea that all animated pieces are meant for children, anime is intended for any age group whether it be housewives or salary men, and is widely accepted. From emulating Walt Disney’s early cartoons to exploring modern socio-economical issues, anime has evolved to become the most popular medium used today in Japan.  Anime contains many different genres and sub-genres, but one of the most prominent is a genre known as “mahou shoujo” or magical girl. This genre originated in Japan in the early 60s, and although it has found footing in other countries, it is still uniquely Japanese. Though there are girl superhero films in the west, magical girl anime films feature elaborate transformation sequences and characters with more girlish, feminine appeal (Saito). These films are generally produced for a younger female audience, and features a “feel good” atmosphere. Themes of magical girl films tend to include love, friendship, magic, and happiness. There are, of course, later magical girl films that challenge not only the common ideas, but the entire construction of the genre.

In order to understand the history of the magical girl genre, first one must look back to World War II. The origins of this genre started in manga– a form of Japanese comic that came about during the war to provide some relief to citizens. Directly after the war, books and magazines boomed because they could be published with minimal labor, and used cheap material which was often recycled (Prough). Children rapidly consumed popular manga because it captured the whimsical life that they longed for, but couldn’t fully have. As the children grew up, publishing companies continued to churn out titles to match their consumer’s age. Eventually by the early 60s, those same kids were old enough to begin creating manga of their own (Prough). Initially it was mostly men authors who enlisted the help of their wives, but in the late 60s and early 70s there was a surge in female authors. This was because of influence from the feminist movement, which promoted female empowerment. Since these women had spent years working in the background of their male counterpart’s shadow, they too were skilled at creating manga and were finally making their way into the light of day. Encouraged by pro-female ideology, women authors began writing girl-centered manga, and one way to express their independence was giving the girl characters some sort of magical power. This was used as a metaphor for how “powerless” women felt under male oppression. By giving the character magical powers, they were literally giving them power to be strong on their own. By this time, anime began to adapt manga to capitalize on it’s popularity, which included the magical girl genre.

Prior to 1960, a vast majority of artists, writers, and filmmakers were men, and featured heavily on male-centric narratives. It wasn’t until the mid 1960s that positive female-centric stories were widely available, created by women themselves (Saito). A major contributing group to female visibility and empowerment, which later lead to the start of the magical girl genre, were the members of the all-female, Showa 24. The Showa 24 (named so because most of the members were born in 1949, the 24^th year of the Showa era according to the traditional Japanese calendar) created numerous manga with female protagonists, and female character driven plots which garnered the attention of women readers, who could identify with not just the characters, but the themes as well. Their artwork and layout was inspired from film, treating each panel as if it were a frame from a camera, adding diverse views of characters (Newitz). One creator in particular, Moto Hagio, is considered the “founding mother” of modern female manga, due to her unprecedented take on female-centric characters at the time, presenting them as complex human beings (Lunning). Later in the decade, the work of the Showa 24 would intersect deeply with the feminist movement, and come to be accepted as the original influence on magical girls, whose core values are empowerment, femininity, and friendship.

An interesting fact that should be known is that while the magical girl genre is uniquely Japanese, it was actually an American television series that planted the idea of adding magical powers. Bewitched (1964-1972), which featured a witch using magic in everyday situations, became a surprising hit in Japan. The popularity of this show largely contributed to the rise of magic appearing in creative works, especially with female characters. As stated previously, women with magical powers intersected with the feminist movement, as these characters were given control over their lives, as opposed to previously male-dominated positions.

In more recent  history, the roots of the magical girl genre has been prevalent in the works of Naoko Takeuchi, the creator of Sailor Moon (1992-1997). Inspired by the shows of the 60s and 70s, Takeuchi revolutionized the magical girl genre in the mid 90s (Newson). She combined aspects of male-oriented film, with female-oriented ideology. For example, a popular genre in the 1980s and 90s was super sentai– basically a team of mostly male superheroes that fought together for the common good, such as Power Rangers. Takeuchi took her individual magical girls and turned them into a sentai team, while adding more action not typically seen in girl’s films (Kotani). This broadened the audience demographic, putting the magical girl genre in the spotlight as it’s popularity exploded among male and female viewers. Not only did it create a worldwide boom, it’s effects can still be seen decades later.

Today the influence of the magical girl genre can be seen in western productions, mostly animation. Those who were initially introduced to Sailor Moon as children, were slowly exposed to more “mahou shoujo” works as Japanese companies could capitalize on the globalization. As a result, those children are becoming adults who work in the film, television, and media industry. More and more you see the influence of this genre spring up, especially in television shows. Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe (Sugar 2013), an insanely popular series on Cartoon Network, credits magical girl anime such as Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena (Ikuhara 1997) for her influences on everything from style to characters, visuals and plot devices. This is incredibly evident as there are scenes that directly pay homage to various magical girl films. The Disney Channel is currently airing Star vs the Forces of Evil (Nefcy 2015), which can be considered the first fully western magical girl series. The show comes complete with transformations, sparkles, and magical attacks. In fact, the creator has been reported as modeling the main character after Sailor Moon herself (Lunning). It can also be argued that Disney has taken cues from magical girls, such as in Frozen (Buck & Lee 2013). Elsa is the only female character to have supernatural and/or magical powers, while her sister Anna is without. While singing “Let It Go”, Elsa is seen transforming into a different outfit using her snow powers, akin to typical magical girl transformations. The overall theme of Frozen is love, friendship, and female empowerment, traits shared by the mahou shoujo genre. As time goes on, it’s clear this genre will continue having an impact on film, television, and media.

Overall, the magical girl genre is extremely fascinating. There are so many aspects and cultural conditions which brought about this unique genre. During my research, I could easily see each stepping stone that made it into what it is today. I believe that magical girls can go beyond anime, because of its core values and themes of empowering women. It can even be used as a tool to promote gender equality. Slowly but surely its influence is spreading across the globe, making its way into film, television, art, even literature. Not just the magical girl genre, but all anime has the potential to cross cultural lines to bring about new perspectives, just as western film has influenced the rest of the world. It really is a two-way street, or perhaps a multi-directional street, in terms of what the world can achieve by bringing their ideas together in a display of astounding creativity.

 

 

References

Kotani, Mari. “Metamorphosis of the Japanese Girl: The Girl, the Hyper-and the Battling Beauty.” Mechademia, Vol. 1, Emerging Worlds of Anime and Manga (2006): 162-169.

Lunning, Frenchy. Women Who Changed Free Expression. 31 March 2015. 17 April 2017.

Newitz, Annalee. “Magical Girls and Atomic Bomb Sperm.” Film Quarterly (1995): 2-15.

Newson, Victoria Ann. “Young Females as Super Heroes: Super Heroines in the Animated ‘Sailor Moon’.” Femspec (2000): 57-81.

Prough, Jennifer S. “Straight from the Heart.” University of Hawai’i (2011): 25-56.

Saito, Kumiko. “Magic, Shoujo, and Metamorphosis.” Journal of Asian Studies (2014): 143-164.

Reflection on Madoka Magica: Rebellion

Kayson Carlin

20 February 2017

Bowling Green State University

 

Connecting the Magia

The “mahou shoujo” genre has existed since the early 1960s, when female empowerment was dominating the globe. Over the years it has gained popularity with children, especially young girls who are enticed by the magic and elaborate outfits. Themes of love and friendship have been the main focus of these films, and there are those that argue that there is nothing more beneath the surface of children’s animation. This belief was challenged with the release of Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Gen Urobuchi, 2011). What started as a cute, magical girl story became a dark deconstruction of ideas and themes present in the genre.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica features a young girl, Madoka, who is presented with a contract to become magical, by a mysterious fantasy-like creature. Anyone who accepts must fight monsters known as “witches”, in return for one wish, big or small. The film follows Madoka who befriends various magical girls, but cannot decide whether to agree to the contract herself. Meanwhile, one magical girl, Homura, is intent on interfering with Madoka and her friends at every step.

Having been released in 2011, Madoka Magica has an updated look compared to classics such as Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi, 1991) or Cardcaptor Sakura (CLAMP, 1996). A current popular animation style is “moe” or “cute”. In this style, characters have soft features, large pupils, and not much attention to small details. Often times, a pastel color palette is used. This is used more for stories with young girls, everyday life, and feel good stories. At first glance this style seems to fit with magical girls, but as the film progresses it proves a stark contrast to the dark atmosphere and questions of morality. Symbolism, imagery, and allegories are rampant in this film, highlighting not only the main characters but the witches and monsters as well.

The main antagonists in Madoka Magica are entities known as witches. These beings have a wide variety of physical forms and corrupt people with their misery, causing death and disaster. Each witch has their own alternate space, like a dimension pocket, where they reside. The imagery within these spaces are trippy and overwhelming, such as dandelions with mustaches and giant scissors that cut cake. At first it seems random, used only to exaggerate how unnatural the witches are, until it is revealed that each witch is actually a former magical girl who has fallen into despair. Each alternate space the witch occupies correlates to their original wish. For example, one witch has the appearance of a mermaid and resides in a dimension filled with instruments, music symbols, sheet music, and the like. This is influenced from her wish that turned her into a magical girl. A boy that she liked was hospitalized, never to play the violin again, until she wished for his health. Upon recovery, the boy started playing but never thanked her and instead started dating her best friend. Her story parallels Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, in which she suffers for a man who ultimately rejects her for someone else, which is why she’s portrayed as a mermaid. While initially thinking her wish was selfless, she realized she had used it to try to manipulate the boy into liking her, turning it into a selfish wish. This brings about the question of if the wishes made by the magical girls are moral, and whether or not they lead to their downfall.

An interesting theory to consider, is that young girls gaining magical powers is an allegory to female sexuality. In this case, becoming a magical girl represents losing their virginity. Each character embodies different portrayal their sexual situation. The main character, Madoka, is seeing all her friends doing it but is hesitant to get directly involved herself. She is seen as the “pure virgin” who is insecure and afraid of taking that step. Mami is a mature, older girl who knows everything about being a magical girl, suggesting she is the sexually experienced one. Sayaka made her wish for the benefit of her boyfriend, implying that she “did it” for the one she loved. One girl, Kyoko, who was born into a poor family, became a magical girl in order to feed and provide for her siblings. This can be seen as an allegory to prostitution, or even human trafficking, as it was in exchange for money and food. The character of Homura represents a darker take. Her power is the ability to time travel, as she tries and fails to desperately fix the events of the past. Thus, she represents the girl who was raped, trying to erase the past but never succeeding. Given that magical girls eventually devolve into witches, it can be said that witches embody adulthood, sex, and the corruption it brings to those who are considered innocent.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica surprised its viewers by the dark, gritty tones it took on while attempting to have the exterior of a children’s show. It has gained a huge following of adult fans who find the deconstruction of the magical girl genre to be revolutionary. To this day there are still people who are actively speculating and arguing the different theories and ideology of this film. There is so much to look at and consider, which makes it an enjoyable, thought-provoking watch.

Reflection of Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole

Kayson Carlin

1 February 2017

Bowling Green State University

 

In the Name of the Moon

Animated movies have been made in nearly every major country with a film industry. Dating back to the early 19^th century, animation has been used to not only create spectacular visuals but to tell a narrative, or story as well. The technique of moving drawn images progressed differently in parts of the world, but none quite as uniquely as Japan. It even has its own name, to which everyone knows exactly what is being described – anime. Unlike the common western idea that all animated pieces are meant for children, anime is intended for any age group whether it be housewives or salary men, and is widely accepted. From emulating Walt Disney’s early cartoons to exploring modern socio-economical issues, anime has evolved to become the most popular medium used today in Japan. The film I’m looking at, Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole (Hiroki Shibata, TOEI Animation, 1995), is more representable as a children’s film than a hardcore ideological driven statement. Nonetheless, it is a part of a franchise that revolutionized anime films and even the country of Japan itself.

Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole features the main protagonist Sailor Moon, along with her fellow Sailor Guardians as they battle an enemy who wants to drain energy from the Earth to use on their own planet. To do this, the shadowy villains and their queen lure children into never ending nightmares via hypnosis. The subsequent energy from fear is harvested to fuel an evil empire, and it’s up to Sailor Moon and the Guardians to save the world.

Given that Sailor Moon is animated, there is bound to be aesthetic and stylistic markers. In terms of the art and animation, it is representative of the 1990’s anime look. Hair has stacked volume, and bright colors are splattered onto every piece of clothing. The facial structure of the characters is sharp and defined with heavy shadows. More focus is placed on action rather than soft visuals that are pleasing to the eye. The mise-en-scene of Black Dream Hole uses dark colors to portray that the villains are affiliated with the night and the darkness that it brings. In contrast to this, the “good guys” i.e. Sailor Moon and the Guardians, are associated with light and purity. Even their attacks are nothing more than brightly colored streams of light. This enforces the theme of light vs dark, good vs evil.

Sailor Moon is a genre known as “mahou shoujo” or magical girl. This genre originated in Japan in the early 60s, and although it has found footing in other countries, it is still uniquely Japanese. Though there are girl superhero films in the west, magical girl anime films feature elaborate transformation sequences and characters with more girlish, feminine appeal. These films are generally produced for young girls and features a “feel good” atmosphere. Themes of magical girl films tend to include love, friendship, magic, and happiness, of which Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole incorporates all. There are certain anime tropes that are present such as the protagonist having blonde hair, which indicates she is “different” or “special” from the rest of the dark haired population. Sailor Mars is characterized by her long, silky, black hair, which is seen as the perfect standard of Japanese beauty. As such, she is often shown in traditional Japanese attire or participating in culturally significant activities like Shinto prayer.

Since Sailor Moon is the epitome of the magical girl genre, then it is also representative of what the magical girl genre produced: the feminist movement in Japan. Other films may have come before in the 60s and 70s to aid in women’s rights, but Sailor Moon had appeal to a greater audience. It took the feminist ideas of girls being friends, women standing up for themselves, and being their own people and combined it with the mass appeal of transformations and magic. It features girls in short skirts that aren’t sexualized for the male gaze, and “frees” them from traditional conservative clothing. The characters are their own complex people, shown as powerful women instead of damsels in distress. These are some of the things that made Sailor Moon a symbol of feminist movements.

Despite Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole being a standard for children’s animated films, there is depth to the franchise. There are, of course, later magical girl films that challenge not only the common ideas, but the entire construction of the genre. Sailor Moon is just one example of a classic Japanese film genre.

Lessons in the Warriors series

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

2 April 2017

 

Into The Woods

Reading is an essential skill for children to utilize throughout their lives. Not only does it foster important developmental skills, such as communication, but reading can expand their horizons. Juvenile literature can open the doors to the imagination and creativity, as well as teaching life lessons. At a young age children are more open to fiction stories than non-fiction, and begin using the narratives to form their own perspective of themselves and the world around them. One must be choosy, however, to select a book that depicts an accurate and diverse world like the one we live in. For this reason, The Children’s Book Council was formed, and compiled a list of the top 100 Children’s Books. A personal favorite, Warriors by Erin Hunter, has many redeeming qualities and should be included by The Children’s Book Council’s Top 100 List because it depicts various cultures, represents characters with disabilities, and explores morality in conflicts.

For a bit of background, Warriors is about feral cats who have created a society which is divided into four factions. These factions, called clans, have their own standard of living, however all four abide by a Warrior Code that promotes loyalty, honor, dignity and humility. These clans have developed a hierarchy of power, as well as social customs, and even a religion. The story follows a young housecat that stumbles upon these Warriors, who then must navigate their foreign way of life if he wishes to be a part of the clan. While this book is considered children’s literature, it is intended for older children ages 8 – 12.

An important aspect to consider when choosing a book, is making sure it includes accurate representations of other cultures. In an online pamphlet, the Anti-Defamation League states children’s books “that represent all cultural groups equally will help convey to children that all people are valuable.” Despite being a story revolving around cats, Warriors addresses the topic of different cultures interacting with one another. Each clan, as stated above, has their own customs. RiverClan cats live near a river, and have embraced swimming in water, something that the other clan cats cannot fathom as they do not like getting their fur wet (34). In these interactions, it is shown that despite having differences in daily living, all cats are treated with respect. Another example is when a group of clan cats meet mountain-dwelling cats who call themselves the Tribe of Rushing Water. The Tribe, as they are referred to, have a completely different society and religion. Some cats argue which lifestyle is “right”, and which beliefs are more dominant. Although it takes some effort, the clan cats learn to respect the Tribe’s way of life, eventually learning that neither groups way of doing things are “wrong”. This is explored deeper when there is a clash of religious beliefs. The clan cats believe in “StarClan”, while the tribe cats believe in the “Tribe of Endless Hunting” (214). Both beliefs are portrayed as valid and fully capable of coexisting, a lesson the cats learn after many disagreements. And though they are cats, Warriors incorporates the use of people from different cultural and traditional ways of thinking working together to solve a common goal, which can be applied to the real world. This type of inclusion also extends to individuals.

It seems like characters with disabilities are far and few between, especially when it comes to children’s literature. Having a diverse cast of characters, including those who are differently abled, help show children that not only do these people exist, but that they’re just like everyone else. Warriors does a great job of including cats with these characteristics. Brightheart is a cat with half of her face disfigured and only one eye. She overcomes her obstacles and learns to be an amazing fighter, never letting her disability affect her attitude, thus earning her name (81). She is even praised and looked up to by her fellow warriors. Of course, not everyone can emerge from their battles victorious. Other cats such as Briarlight, who become paralyzed, find themselves helping the clan in other ways like watching over kittens in the nursery and helping them grow. Elderly cats are honored, and revered for their experience and wisdom. It is not unusual to see leaders seek out their advice. Even cats that are completely blind have a place within the community. Jayfeather is a young tomcat that was born blind, who uses his other senses to find herbs, medicinal plants, and even detect sickness in others. Having characters with disabilities reflects everyday people, but it can also act as a mirror for children who are also disabled. Visibility in popular culture builds validity for those who often do not see themselves represented. And if such characters are portrayed positively, it helps increase self esteem with those who identify with them. All these characters who are differently abled are shown to be important, valued members of their community. Valuing others can easily be translated from cats in a book, to people in children’s lives.

A major theme in Warriors is “good versus evil” and the concept of morality. This topic is explored through character development and conflict. There are no completely “good guys” nor are there completely “bad guys”. Characters are presented in shades of gray instead of strict black and white, where all types of qualities are displayed. For example, the antagonist Tigerstar is widely accepted as an evil character, yet he displays traits that are considered “good” such as fierce loyalty. He also displays courageous behavior, something that other cats admire him for (50). Despite his actions that end up causing massive problems, there are still good things about him. This opens the reader to determine the validity of the character for themselves and whether or not there are truly absolutes in the world. Even in the book, cats are divided on what to think of Tigerstar, presenting a complex issue on what it means to be “good”. What one character may view as “bad”, may not be the same to another. In one chapter, WindClan is seen stealing prey from ThunderClan territory. This is considered abhorrent, going against the Warrior Code. When it is revealed that WindClan is hunting prey on other’s territory because their land is experiencing drought, the question of morality is brought up. Taking prey is forbidden, yet there are cats who are starving. Is stealing moral, under certain circumstances? These moral conflicts are often present in Warriors, presenting the world in shades of gray. Instead of commanding a clear line between two sides, everything is mixed. This encourages readers to make their own decisions about right and wrong, good and bad, without dictating what they should think.

While reviewing Warriors, there is an understandable concern that it should not be included in the Children’s Book Council’s Top 100 List because of some of its content. A reoccurring factor in this book is death, a topic that some people may not find appropriate to be present in a book intended for children. An example is that it depicts the death of cats, including kittens. In one scene, a newborn kitten is abducted by an eagle and is taken away, presumably to its demise (88). The death of elderly cats is also included, along with tragedies of younger cats who die in fights or illness.

It’s arguable that the inclusion of death is a topic that cannot be avoided, as it is a fact of life. The depictions in the book are not graphic or violent, which helps present itself to readers more easily. Depending on the reader, it is also easier to digest this topic when the characters are not human, though for some it may be harder because they are animals. However birth, life, and death are shown as a natural cycle of the world, and teaches that though someone is gone from the physical world, they never truly disappear from our hearts. This is a lesson that children need to learn in order to become well adjusted adults.

Warriors is a wonderful book series, with a plethora of lessons to teach young minds. Through complex world building it captures cross-cultural issues that are present in our world today, and breaks it down for kids to understand. Coexistence of different ideologies and ways of thinking is a key concept in this series, helping readers to connect and understand other people in our environment. Overlooked groups such as those with disabilities are included and portrayed in a positive light, reinforcing the idea that everyone has value no matter what they look like or what they are capable of. It also demonstrates how multi-dimensional real people are, by having conventionally “good” characters display negative behaviors, and conventionally “bad” characters display positive qualities. It opens the door to higher comprehension of morality, which can be applied to all types of situations in life. By having all these facets combined into an easily digestible format, children are encouraged to build skills that will help them learn their place in the world. As the author, Erin Hunter is quoted saying “one of the good things about writing a book about cats is that we can tackle difficult human issues such as death, racial intolerance, and religious intolerance [without seeming so heavy].” This is only a portion of what Warriors has to offer. By containing these values, skills, and lessons, Warriors is an exceptional book series that should be included in the Children’s Book Council’s Top 100 list. Surely children from all backgrounds and environments can enjoy and learn from this book and its character. After all, “it doesn’t matter where you come from, only who you are inside” (122).

 

 

Works Cited

Anti-Defamation League. Assessing Children’s Book Collections Using Anti-Bias Lens. New York, 2013. PDF.

Crippen, Martha. “The Value of Children’s Literature.” Oneota Reading Journal (2012). Online article.

Hunter, Erin. Warriors. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Book.

 

Strays and Puppy Mills

March 11, 2017

How Much is that Dog in the Window?

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

Pets are beloved members of our family. We play with them, care for them, and live with them just like a human relative. While many families in the United States have pets, such as dogs and cats, there is still an alarming number of these animals on the streets. The overpopulation of stray animals is a hidden epidemic in our neighborhoods. Humans look the other way when it comes to our furry friends, simply because of ignorance. The truth is that there’s a staggering number of domestic pets that are either homeless or waiting in shelters for euthanasia. The population has exceeded what shelters, rescues, and animal lovers can work with. Though there are solutions to this problem such as inexpensive spaying and neutering, or increased awareness, there is a big solution that needs to be worked toward; the elimination of puppy mills and backyard breeders. But first, the main cause needs to be explored.

Although there are a combination of causes that have resulted in pet overpopulation, the existence of “retail pets” is a major contributor. People buy from pet stores, aka puppy mills. A puppy mill refers to “high volume breeding operations populated by poorly treated dogs that are bred at every opportunity, caged their entire life, and that receive minimal health care.” Hundreds of thousands of puppies are born from mills where adult dogs are bred until they die. Then they’re sold to pet stores in malls and shopping centers where people frequent, advertised as designer dogs or specially trained. This “supply and demand” of buying a “purebred” or “novelty” pet keeps operations like these in business. These “businesses” flood the nation with more, unhealthy pets, when there are already so many waiting in shelters. In the past there have been half-hearted attempts to eradicate these places, but obviously have not worked. Other routes have been explored to combat this issue.

A simple solution to help control the pet overpopulation is increased spaying and neutering of all domestic animals. This will prevent litters of cats and dogs occurring. Currently, these surgeries are not cheap, ranging anywhere from $50 to $200. Owners may not have the ability to pay for such expenses, especially in hard economic times. An option would be wider availability of low-cost spays/neuters. Inner cities and poverty stricken neighborhoods should be focused on, with opportunities for discounts and vouchers in those areas, as they are the most disadvantaged when it comes to financial ability. However, these programs have not worked as efficiently as planned due to lack of awareness and education of the benefits of fixing pets. If no one is informed of the overpopulation situation, or the need for spays/neuters, society will remain blissfully ignorant of this issue.

Another solution that ties in with the previous statement, is increased education of this beneficial procedure. Some owners do not fully understand the importance of fixing their pets, or want their pet to have a litter just to fawn over the babies. While this is their choice, there needs to be an awareness to make an informed decision when it comes to breeding. This includes education on both the overpopulation issue as well as health benefits by having pets fixed. According to the ASPCA, “Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases. Neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.” It is evident that this prevents unwanted litters, as well as prolonging the life and health of your pet. Owners should also learn of the unintended consequences of their actions when it comes to breeding, including the possible fate the litters face such as increased homelessness, shelter residence, and even death. Unfortunately, even with responsible owners, there is still too many domestic animals sick and without homes.

The main solution to this heartbreaking issue is shutting down puppy mills. An Albany Law Review from 2011 states “The Humane Society of the United States estimates that in 2009 approximately one-third of the nine-thousand pet stores across the country sold puppy mill born puppies and that between two and four million puppies produced by puppy mills are sold each year.” Yet millions of dogs and cats find themselves in shelters, not including those who live on the streets. While waiting in these shelters to find a home, many are euthanized due to space. When an animal is bought from a pet store, another one in a shelter is effectively handed a death sentence. Not only is this atrocious, it demonstrates the massive influx of unnecessary retail pets, way more than what humans can properly attend to. A solid plan to eradicate backyard breeders and puppy mills is needed. This can be done with the help of state or federal funds, or even donations from pet-friendly businesses and animal advocacy groups. Forming a task force with said funds to investigate and close these businesses is greatly needed, along with imposing harsher penalties for offenders. Everything must be done to deter these operations from springing up in the first place. It would also be beneficial to ban pet stores from selling cats and dogs, and instead cooperate with the local humane society to foster animals currently up for adoption. The Humane Society in Dayton, Ohio has adopted this practice and provides a proven example in the real world. A local newspaper quoted the director of the shelter saying “last year we had maybe 300 cats adopted in our humane society building, and 1,500 at outside locations.” This is a step in the right direction, and shows that it is economically beneficial to cities, companies, and would-be pet owners.

Those in favor of breeders and puppy mills claim that these places are not harmful to the animals. Furthermore, they provide specially raised, sought after pets per breed and/or training. They assert that the operations merely accommodate for the supply and demand of pets, a cornerstone of our capitalistic economy. However, those who make these claims are deeply misinformed.

There is a difference between legitimate, licensed breeders and backyard/puppy mill operations. Licensed breeders are approved by law to properly care for animals, and play a major role in preserving the integrity of the breed, by genetics. They also provide highly trained animals for use in medical services, law enforcement, and competitive show. Under the radar operations are not approved and often abuse their animals for the sake of turning profits. Ill and poorly trained, the animals are also used in scams to deceive people who are willing to pay big money for quality, not just for show dogs but service dogs as well. They irresponsibly churn out way more puppies and kittens than what can be contained and taken care of, without concern for the well being of both mother and babies. They have been condemned by governments all over the world as ethically immoral and illegal.

This is a problem that breaks the hearts of animal lovers everywhere. One would think that humans would take more responsibility for something they have attributed to. Nonetheless we have a duty as the dominant species. There is hope, especially for future generations of pets. Complete eradication of puppy mills and backyard breeders will drastically reduce the enormous number of homeless animals. With the help of the local and federal government, and engaging the public with resources, domestic pets all over the country will have higher odds of having a home, thus reducing the overall population. There is still a ways to go to achieve this long-term goal, but it is definitely within possibility. After all, we love the animals in our lives, and they deserve it.

 

 

Works Cited

ASPCA. (2017). Spay/Neuter Your Pet. Retrieved from aspca.org: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/spayneuter-your-pet

Kenny, K. (2011). A Local Approach to a National Problem: Ordinances as a Means of Curbing Puppy Mill Production and Pet Overpopulation. Albany Law Review, 379-406.

Specialty Retail. (2009, Spring). Dayton Mall Purr-fect Setting for Meowza Cat Boutique. Dayton Daily News.

Sims 3 Region Code Error

If you go to install a Sims 3 expansion pack (mostly World Adventures), and get a region code error, there’s a simple way to fix this.

Windows Vista / Windows 7

1. Open the Registry by typing regedit in the search bar
2. Use File – Export to make a backup of the registry
3. Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Sims\The Sims 3 (64 bit) or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\\Sims\The Sims 3 (32 bit)
4. Choose Value Name: SKU ,and double click to change the Value Data to the value you need
5. OK, refresh, then restart your computer.

These are the different SKU codes, depending on country:

01 = US
02 = Worldwide (Europe)
03 = Asia
05 = Japan
17 = Digital Download

I’ve found that 2 tends to work for me. I’m in the US.

How to Install DRAMAtical Murder

Before you install any Japanese program, including Visual Novels, you need to set your non-unicode default settings to Japanese. This means that when your computer can’t recognize the input, it defaults to a language. Most of the time the factory default is English. To change this, go to your Regional settings in your Control Panel.

Go to the Administrative Tab and click “Change System Locale”. Find Japan/Japanese in the drop down menu and select it.

Hit “Apply” and you’re ready to move forward.

Now, assuming you don’t have the actual game imported from Japan, you’ll have to find the fan translated English patch.

http://erogedownload.com/downloads/dramatical-murder/

If you’re downloading the game, make sure you have all the parts fully downloaded before you extract them. You will need winrar or winzip. Once you have all the files, right click the first part and choose “Extract here”. It should automatically be linked with the other parts so it will produce one folder called DRAMAtical Murder

When you go into the folder there will be a file just labeled “DMMd”. In order to run this file you will need a mounting software. A mounting software basically tricks your computer into thinking there’s a physical drive being loaded, when in actuality it’s a virtual drive. I recommend Virtual CloneDrive http://www.slysoft.com/en/virtual-clonedrive.html

After you’ve installed VCD, right click on “DMMd” and select “Mount”. A window should appear asking if you want to run the disk/setup. Choose the setup.exe and follow the instructions on screen. It may appear to be boxes or question marks instead of characters. That’s fine too, just use common sense, Japanese setup programs are exactly the same as English ones. For example, you may see a button that has <N>. This basically means Next. So just follow through, besides the options are highlighted in blue, so it really shouldn’t be too hard.

Once you’re all done with that, you’ll need the English patch. Return to the DRAMAtical Murder link above and download the English patch. This will also come in a zip file you need to extract. Right click and choose “extract here”. There should be two folders that extracted called “Patches” and “Video”. Copy the contents from “Patches” and paste it into

C://Progam Files (x86) > Nitroplus CHiRAL > DRAMAtical Murder

Copy the files from “Video” and paste it into

C://Progam Files (x86) > Nitroplus CHiRAL > DRAMAtical Murder > dx

Go back to where you downloaded everything. There should be two .zip files named DMMd Update and DMMd Crack. FIRST you must extract the DMMd Update file. Within the new folder there will be three files. Copy and paste them into

C://Progam Files (x86) > Nitroplus CHiRAL > DRAMAtical Murder

If it asks if you want to replace the existing files, click “yes”.

SECOND you must extract the DMMd Crack file. When you do a new folder should appear and in it will be the .exe crack. Take this file and put it with everything else in C://Progam Files (x86) > Nitroplus CHiRAL > DRAMAtical Murder

Now hopefully if you double click the crack.exe, DRAMAtical Murder will load up in English. To make it easier, right click and select “Send to Desktop” to make an icon you can access.

Congratulations you can now f*ck the dog.

Hadaka Shitsuji: The Elusive Bad End No.2

All you do is stay in your room until the 10th. Then Mizoguchi comes in and tells you this job isn’t for you. It’s literally that easy, but it’s not included in the Guide.

How to Install and Run The Movies (game)

 

Recently I bought The Movies (PC) for a measely $2 at a thrift shop in Georgia as I’m majoring in film production and figured ‘Hey, why not?’. Unfortunately when I came home and opened the smashed, taped-up case, I discovered the first disc had a decent amount of scratches on it. First time I popped it in, didn’t work. Cleaned it. Second time it ran but froze. Third time it installed but didn’t run properly. To save others the frustration of dealing with this, here is what worked for me:

Clean your discs otherwise it might freeze when trying to install a file.

When you first pop in CD 1, the autorun.exe will pop up. Do NOT click it. Instead, click ‘Open Folder to view Files’. There should be a file called setup.exe. Right click that and select ‘Run as Administrator’

It’s important to note that if you did click the autorun.exe, an error would pop up ‘Library not registered’.

Follow the on-screen instructions to install the game. Mine froze on the first disc on a sound file but hopefully yours goes through. If it doesn’t, the best advice I can give you in to clean the disc again. At the end it will ask you to install Direct X and Windows Media Player 9. Since The Movies was made 8 years ago, I’m pretty sure your system has surpassed those requirements. So don’t worry about it.

When it’s done installing you can try to play it normally. However I got the message to put in CD1 even though it was already in the drive. What you do is right click The Movies icon and select ‘Properties’ and go to the ‘Compatibility’ tab. Check the box where it says ‘Run the Program in Compatibility Mode’ and choose Windows 98/ME in the drop down menu.

Wa-la, it should work.