In the Podcast, Dr. Bezio discussed the idea that there is no such thing as “just entertainment”. By this, she meant that all forms of entertainment, whether it be books, movies, music, art, etc. have some sort of message that it is trying to convey, and it does this through how it is drawn, the words used in writings, etc. I think this idea is interesting as it could be applied to our last conversation about the importance of pop culture. In the forms of entertainment as espoused by pop cultures, such as through its music, movies, writings, etc, there are messages, for as forms of entertainment, they carry messages. I think having The Yellow Wallpaper as an additional reading with this podcast is interesting. In this story, the aspect I found most interesting was the narrator’s constant return to describing the wallpaper and saying how it is ugly and peeling and disgusting. To me personally, I interpreted the wallpaper as being a reflection of the state of the woman, for in between her descriptions of the wallpaper, she describes how her husband has diagnosed her with “nervousness”, and the acts of him to dismiss her potential illness and instead take her to the house and spend time there. It is in this reflection that I see the wallpaper as like the woman; both are starting to wither away, neither is being helped, and instead of being ignored and left alone to themselves. Thus, in the entertainment of this writing in describing the wallpaper and telling the story, the author creates the message of the dismissal of woman, and in the case of this woman, the falling apart of herself. This story shows how descriptions, which seem on the surface simply for entertainment, carry a strong message in the words, with their meaning and descriptions.
Critical Thinking
I also resonated with Dr. Bezio’s statement on how nothing is just entertainment, because even things created to entertain carry strong lessons and messages for their audience. Every movie, play, and book has a story that is told for a reason- otherwise there would be no point. Even if something seems on the surface for entertainment, you can always find meaning and that meaning is usually right in front of you.
I really liked your interpretation of the wallpaper. I really like how everyone has a different interpretation of what the wallpaper represents and makes them feel. It has helped to shape how I view the wallpaper and the emotions that come with this interpretation.
I think the podcast related a lot to what she talked about last week, in that what we see in popular culture, including literature, is just as important as what we learn in the classroom. It would be smart to combine the two especially when we talk about studying leadership.
I really like the way you describe the comparison between the wallpaper and the woman and the way they are dismissed amid their falling apart. The way the woman’s husband tells her he won’t change the wallpaper because then she will only focus on something else that is wrong with the room is directly contradicting the way she feels and setting her emotions aside. I think it’s really cool that we have gotten to a point in society where there are so many discussions about making sure everyone feels valid in the way they feel — feeling like you shouldn’t be feeling the way you are just expounds the problem and that is what it did here.