#idsm510

Freedom of speech is a true blessing. While we think we have easy access to it daily, there are still a lot of people who do not have this sort of advantage that we have. People who live in a different country, having a different religious or cultural background may not be able to speak up or talk about anything they want. Censorship is a big thing in some countries like China. Even as a citizen and a student I have experienced that. I was not allowed to have my opinion or talk about topics I want to talk about in class or in my writings and I always had to follow exactly the ways they wanted us to do or things they wanted us to say. I remember so many times where I thought I wrote some great works and beautiful or powerful articles that got turned down by my teachers because they are inappropriate for students to read or they are related to sensitive topics so I had to rewrite the whole thing. I tried to make a speech about it at school and I tried to explain to teachers and my classmates and start a “revolution” about it. However, I failed because students are so numbed under the system and they do not do things against the rules or to upset teachers; and teachers just kept on calling my parents to their offices. 

A question has been bothering me for quite a long time: do we really share the freedom of speech when people on the Internet try to label us in all kinds of ways? 

I have encountered labeling multiple times in my life when I try to present my ideas on the Internet. Most of the time, I was not even targeting controversial social topics but only sharing thoughts regarding my own life experience. However, strangers on the Internet would automatically assume I have specific purposes to achieve and put labels on me that would make my intention negative. For example, they would label me an extreme feminist when I say it might be more rational to make tampons and pads free because the period is already a burden for females. My intention is only to share some thoughts as a woman who suffered from my biological nature. Still, they would recognize me as someone who wanted to raise gender opposition, which blurred my initial attempt and marked my opinions as a conspiracy.

Another example is more absurd to some extent. When I share some of the photos I took while studying abroad, people accuse me of not loving my country and am a betrayer of my home. This kind of accusation made me think a lot before each post. I am forced to consider if any of my comments would offend other people and attract unwanted labeling. 

DSM510 Creative Content 2: Imitation makes (PowerPoint) perfect 🥳

Think about each time you want to make a presentation slide, chances are that you would pick up a template from your digital library.....

A meme story of how I learnt PowerPoint skills! 🤣

DSM 510 creative content assignment #2 IMITATION

Copybook is a must-have to learn Chinese calligraphy, and it’s also super useful when I want to meditate. I was forced to learn this when I was a child but now I realized I’d be proud if I could write perfectly beautiful Chinese characters :)

The discovery that has brought me the most joy over the course of the pandemic is Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise, specifically The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Is that insane? Am I a trash person who enjoys hours of middle-aged women drinking and yelling at each other? It’s 2020 so why not. In a year where literally anything can- and has- happened, it makes sense that I become a devotee of a genre I couldn’t stand 10 months ago. I don’t know exactly why I started to watch the franchises as the darkness of the global pandemic began to set in. Previously my only exposure to the show had been in the form of glimpses of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. And that was mostly through memes, of the iconic table flip moment that ends the first season, when cast member Teresa Giudice literally flips a table at another cast member. I had no idea the nuances of the family drama, the alleged mafia involvement, or the IRS investigations.  If this sounds intriguing to you, you’ll enjoy watching the over the top antics of a group of wealthy (by legitimate business or tax evasion scam) women living in northern New Jersey. But the series is so much more; to me it is a way to explore American culture, especially the era of the recession and mortgage crisis. And to find the real people behind their produced on screen personas and antics. During the pandemic I have really enjoyed my watches, research, and attempts to find the real behind the fakeness of reality tv. I may have even joined a Facebook group that discusses the episodes, but it was for research purposes only so it’s fine.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey came onto the screen in 2008 and spawned such quotes as “Do not bring up my family!!” and “I'm an outdoorsy person, I like laying down in the sun." RHONJ is one of the “housewives” franchises, which started in 2005 with the release of The Real Housewives of Orange County (which I also have watched 11 seasons of since March. Please, do not judge.) As the original Housewives series ran on, it became evident that part of the appeal of the show was the wealthy lifestyle and opulence that these women appeared to live in. But not all emperors have clothes and one of the most fun parts of following the show is separating fact from fiction with the ways the housewives describe themselves. Over the course of the pandemic, I have consequently become an expert at determining who is living in a rented house (why is there nothing on the walls?), whose husband’s salary is public record (university coach!), and who has court case info floating around. I didn’t want to seek this information out. It feels sad and weird to be so invested in a reality show from over 10 years ago.  But some stories are just begging to be unraveled, and I have become a dedicated detective of the housewives, trying to determine who these people really are outside of the show.

I do wonder if I am just dedicated to finding the “truth,” so I feel less ridiculous about getting invested in a reality show. As I watch adults get into a verbal altercation over the implications of gifting another woman sprinkle cookies, I can reassure myself I’m seeking some deeper meaning and cultural commentary. Regardless, my discovery of the Housewives franchise has been pure joy. While I’m working from home, (or hanging out at home, or ordering my groceries from home because we literally are now doing everything at home) it’s nice to watch ridiculous arguments and over the top parties thrown for no reason. Maybe it has a deeper meaning, maybe it’s a fun reminder that one day we will be able to gather again and call our nearest and dearest “beasts!” as the wives do. Maybe it’s just all for fun. And something silly I’m really enjoying as the virus rages on. As we enter another stage of lockdown, I know what I’ll be doing to stay sane: watching and reading about a totally insane reality show.