Week 6 - Uyenco

Annika R. Uyenco
ASA 141
Week 6

Although this Be Green Challenge was not difficult for me, it reminded me once again how little I need to consume in my personal life. Whenever I am at a store and I see something I really like, I ask myself if I really need it or if it will be useful in a few months instead of impulsively placing the item in my cart. Thankfully this technique has helped discipline myself over the past several years, leading to better financial investments and less produced waste. This challenge can be highly beneficial in this country since "...U.S. consumer spending can be an important tool in extending American values." (Holstein)

http://www.birds-of-a-thread.com/blog/how-to-take-care-of-your-clothes

What I did notice during this challenge and this quarter in general was the diminishing concern and care for clothing. We have been constantly told that fast fashion is bad due to people throwing away their clothing after a certain amount of time due to obsolescence or damage. However, I never understood that because although some of my clothes are not of best quality, I take good care of them and they last for a very long time. When my classmates and I held our sustainability event in San Francisco in April, a panel speaker also spoke of how her clothes last a long time because she maintains and does not neglect them. Writers of online blogs have also commented about this unique situation. An article from The Luxe Strategist explains,

"Whenever I hear someone talk about wanting to buy more expensive clothes, they usually say, “I’m tired of clothes that fall apart.”And I can’t really relate... Finding ways to make your clothes last longer will save you money. I have some clothes that are eight plus years old, and they STILL look good. Coincidence? I think not."

Although fast fashion is to blame for many negative effects, it can not be blamed if people do not properly take care of their clothes.



Holstein, William. "Santa's Sweatshop." U.S. News & World Report. Volume 121, Issue 24, December 16, 1996.

The Luxe Strategist. “How to Care for Your Clothes So They Last.” THE LUXE STRATEGIST, 10 Nov. 2018, www.theluxestrategist.com/care-clothes-last/#disqus_thread.

Week 5

Mahima Rupakula
913734418
5/28/19

Week 5: Be Green Challenge

This week's be green challenge was also successful, as I again didn't have any time to go shopping. However, I was really tempted to buy clothes from a brand I just discovered called "Indya." I really liked this brand due to the way it modernizes eastern fashion without losing the culture behind a lot of kurtas and suits. I've attached a picture of my favorite outfit from the website below. A way that I could recreate this outfit without actually consuming and adding to fashion waste is by making it out of older silk outfits that I own. I have very little sewing knowledge, so that might be very difficult. However, that would be one way to re-purpose old clothes while bringing elements of culture into my fashion. I thought about how I could try to make my own clothing this way because I was inspired by how much of the Hmong fashion we learned about in class this week was handmade. The Hmong fashion had such intricate appliques and styles of stitching that cutting and hemming one of my old kurtas should be possible? We'll see how that adventure goes.

Sources:

1. “Paj Ntaub or Story Cloth.” Hmong Attire, www.hmongembroidery.org/hmongattire.html.

2. “Indo Bottoms - Buy Cigarette Pants, Palazzo Pants, Sharara Pants Online - Indya.” Houseofindya, www.houseofindya.com/women-clothing/indo-western-bottoms/cat.

Week 5_Yueming Tan

Week 5
ASA 141
Yueming Tan

According to "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements" by Katherine Toland Frith, Hong Cheng, and Ping Shaw, the author proposes a massive difference in aesthetics between women in the West and the East. First, the authors suggest that people's impressions of Western women are sexy and enthusiastic. The impression of women in the East is subtle, exotic, and full of fantasy. I think that the male aesthetics of the West and the East have caused women's suffering in men's aesthetics. This is very sad because women are often seen as weak in the East. For example, the ancient Chinese emperors like women with thin waists, a phenomenon that caused many women to die of hunger. This is sad because women should love themselves rather than cater to the morbid aesthetics of men. On the other hand, Foot binding is a terribly bad habit in ancient China. I never thought that breaking my feet was beautiful. This fuller male dominates the ugliness and ignorance of the patriarchal society.

• https://mondrian.mashable.com/uploads%252Fcard%252Fimage%252F489497%252Fcecf555c-38b1-4c86-92ce-4e6911cee1f9.jpg%252F950x534__filters%253Aquality%252890%2529.jpg?signature=ZI21M8A2ozWua8O-dm0fbQ3m5ZU=&source=https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com

Week 5

Mary Qin
ASA 141
Week 5


I am so glad that this challenge is almost over. Yet, I am glad that it has made me more self-conscious about sustainability. I have also become more aware of the amount of clothing I actually do already own, especially as the school year is ending and I am contemplating moving yet again. This week, I spent a lot of time with friends so I was not able to go on shopping sprees by myself online or at the mall. I have not broken the challenge this week.

Going to a rave this week reminded me again of how easily I like to keep up with the trends. "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements" talks about how women are often sexualized in magazines. Some eastern models like Indian models copy Western poses. This shows me how easily it is to be caught up in the trend and to follow the models that we look up to. I always want to keep up with the trend at raves and look cute, even if it means buying a new outfit every time. This is part of the reason why fast fashion is so popular. According to BBC Earth, 3 out of 5 items end up in landfills within 12 months. I have definitely have bought and wore rave outfits that were completely one time use because of the style or the qualiy. Since the beginning of this course, I have begun to make sure that the outfits that I buy can be multi-use and long lasting even if it is fast fashion. It is not the perfect fix, but for someone on a budget, it is an improvement and a increase in consciousness in what I choose to buy.

 Work Cited:

Earth, BBC, director. YouTube. YouTube, YouTube, 16 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoiU8sprXpQ.

Frith, Katherine Toland. Cheng, Hong. Shaw, Ping. "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements" Sex Roles. 2004

Week 5

Week 5 Blog

Abigail Wang

Week 5 

This week was definitely one of the more challenging weeks of the challenge for me. It was really hard to pass up the good deals that were being advertised because of memorial weekend. I felt I failed the challenge this week because I bought an eyeliner I've wanted to for a long time because it finally came back into stock after many months. I find it hard to find the balance between wanting to be more aware of factory working conditions, the environment and exploitation of PoC labor and wanting to also not entirely restrict myself from buying things that truly bring me joy and I get a lot of use out of. During this challenge I have been very conscious of not buying any new clothing pieces and limiting my buying to food items. However, I think it is okay to buy and support ethical brands every once and awhile if it is some item you know you will get a lot of use out of. To break the cycle of consumption is extremely difficult, especially under a capitalistic society, so I think trying to be mindful and gradual about incorporating a more ethical lifestyle is important. 

A lot of the YouTube community has been under scrutiny in the past year for not being sustainable. Certain YouTubers, like Jenn Im who owns a clothing line, have been exposed for not having a sustainable brand. However, it is difficult as a lot of Beauty and Fashion YouTubers have become popular based on their "haul" videos, where they shared their recent purchases. This has created an access in buying new clothing and makeup, without consideration for the environmental and social impact. However, I think this shift in the YouTube community is interesting, considering these viewers that are criticizing are the same people who demanded haul videos. I am glad there is more consideration and talk about sustainability but I think it is also important to understand how these YouTuber's platforms were built on consumer culture. 

YouTuber, Jenn Im responds to criticism on her clothing brands lack of sustainability.

Week 5: The Consumer's Gaze

Week 5
Rhegille Baltazar

The devil is alive. Temptation is easy when it's summer. You feel like the whole world is in your bank account with the weather is nice. I, myself, would indeed love a hot girl summer. In order to do so, I must dress like a hot girl. However, I must step away from fast fashion. This week I have been good about not buying anything. It turns out that one of the dresses that my parents bought me for graduation does not fit so was it a sign? Also... is it possible for me to become a conscious, sustainable hot girl? Let's find out.

Yet, this hot girl brand, notoriously coined by rapper Megan Thee Stallion, in itself holds a consumerist notion. In order to be a hot girl, one must dress like a hot girl. Then one will feel like a hot girl. To dress like a hot girl causes focus and attention to said hot girl. Thus, the gaze.

This week's article focuses on women in advertisement and the notion that "sex sells." It discusses the gaze within advertisements. Both the male and the consumer. Advertisements manipulate its audience through understand where their gaze follows in order to sell its product. Thus, if I am conscious of these strategies, how can I, myself, be more conscious as a consumer albeit advertising?

Week 5: Kick off the Culture

Week 5: Kick off the Culture
Grace Petersen
5/26/2019

This week is the second to last of our challenge, and as with the other weeks I was feeling fairly confident about not breaking the agreement to abstain from any purchases. Everything was going just fine, despite the impulses to buy materials for a new costume with a convention next weekend, or the impulse to buy new playing cards, or a new game, or any of the other non-fashion purchases I tend to fall victim to. Yes, everything was going swimmingly, that is, until my running shoes fell apart.

(Photo Credit: GQ)

I don't own many shoes, as I've said before my wardrobe is minimal (but not minimalist!) So you can understand why this required me to break the challenge if I wanted to be able to do my daily run around the block. Somehow, without realizing it, once i went out and bought these new sneakers I found myself making another purchase here and there until I had bought already five things in one day. How could this happen so fast?

In the documentary "Just for Kicks" the filmmakers examine how hip-hop subculture has grown alongside sneakers, creating a 'sneakerhead' community who considers the material itself a relic of culture. As I was watching this I began to make connections to another documentary I had seen previously, "The Merchants of Cool" which investigates how advertising brands work alongside cultural influencers in order to market their product most effectively. In connecting these two, I realized that when brand names are associated strongly with specific celebrities or culture influencers, we attach the same significance to the product itself. While this may not explain exactly why I fell into the purchasing trap, It isn't too far off to say that was a factor, especially since the shoes I had purchased were reminiscent of a pair that one of my favorite Instagram bloggers recently purchased. So even if my own behavior is the result of my own actions, I can't say that It wasn't influenced by the ways that advertisers create an image of a relationship with influencers, even if it is just about the monetary transaction.

Works Cited:
de Longeville, Thibaut, and Lisa Leone. "Just for Kicks" Image Entertainment, 2005.
Goodman, Barak, Director. "The Merchants of Cool." Frontline, PBS, 2001. 
      https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/

Week 5

Sidney Siu
ASA 141
Blog 5

Week 5 of the Be Green Challenge has been the same as the previous weeks for the most part. The only slight difference is that I stocked up on food that was on sale at the convenience store in my apartment complex. Now that I'm reflecting back on it, this could be seen as breaking the challenge. However, at the time, I didn't think I was giving in because it was all food that would been sold and eaten eventually. The problem with this action is that it will contribute to the waste from packaging. As a whole, I still think that I have been pretty good about being conscious of this challenge. I haven't purchased any new clothing for over a month even though I want to.
Relating to this week's reading, I do pay attention to the portrayal of models more closely now. It seems that most of the ads that are marketed towards my style don't go for the sexy look. I was surprised to notice that even the makeup ads of brands I use are presenting a more simplistic look. I think this is because marketers are now realizing that women want to models/women who look more like them. According to the Business Insider article listed below, tons of advertisers have ditched the sexualization of ads to adjust to the newer market of teens. I believe this is a good thing because it creates a more inclusive illustration of society, but I also believe that people shouldn't be sexualized based on the brands they wear.

https://www.businessinsider.com/brands-are-no-longer-using-sexy-advertisements-2015-11

Week 5

Blog Entry #5
ASA 141
Reanna Lao

Week 5 of the Be Green Challenge was difficult. There was one super hot day in particular when I had class from 9am to 8pm, and I debated whether or not to get boba. After a four hour lab session, I had already finish my water from my refillable water bottle. I walked to a nearby water refilling station, however, the display on the machine was broken. I am in distrust of the Davis water containing metals and high levels of calcium. Therefore, I decided to treat myself to boba. I waited in line thinking about how this would make me fail the challenge, however, it was too hot and I just needed to quench my thirst. Thinking back, I am ashamed of how easily I give into my temptations. Next time, I will try to bring my mason jar to the boba store. On this note, I heard that Hong Kong has banned straws in stores like McDonalds. Sometimes I wonder how America could enforce environmental friendly laws in other countries while still failing to uphold those same rules. At times like these, I like to think of a quote from Gandhi which states, "Be the change you wish to see in the world".

This weeks reading on the differences in Western and Asian models reminded me of an episode of America's Next Top Model. In season 9, episode 6 titled "The Girl Who Gets a Mango," the models of the show were to create public service announcements for charity. One of the contestants of the show wore a dress created from newspapers. I think that it is important to incorporate environmental statements in shows like America's Top Model to show that fashion is not always pretty. I also think that the model in the photo below did a good job in making viewers aware of her charity.

References
America's Next Top Model Season 9 Episode "The Girl Who Gets a Mango"
Katherine Toland Frith. "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements"

Week 5 - Verduzco

Week 5
ASA 141
Alejandra Verduzco

Week 5 of the Be Green Challenge and I have yet to buy anything that wasn't food again. I did go to target and like a bad habit I always look around the clothing section but I didn't feel the urge or temptation to buy anything. First of because I am broke but also because I had this challenge subconsciously. It's just not a priority of mine to buy clothing since I already have everything I need. However, in my last post, I said I was going to create a new challenge for myself on not buying so much food and spending on fast food. Luckily I have done better, no outside food but I did do some grocery shopping however it will last me until finals week. However yesterday and today I keep getting bombarded with a shit load of emails from different retail stores letting me know about their sales that are going on because of memorial day. Honestly, the temptation was there. The deals were pretty good. Especially since I just found out I will be going to Cancun for 2 weeks during the summer and I don't have very much summer clothing. Luckily I was blessed with an amazing creative mother who kindly said she would make me and my sister crochet tops and bralette style tops for the summer. An example of what she is making right here:

This weeks reading really showed the truth behind how women in advertisements are depicted, both in the US and other places around the globe. The article showed that women have always been depicted as sexy and sensual in US magazines with little or no diversity in ethnicity and body shape. This type of advertisements causes a lot of problem for women in the world because this is the standard they are set to look like. This is what people consider women like and if you don't look like them who are not considered beautiful. This form of advertisements does nothing but harm women into thinking they are not beautiful unless they look or dress a certain way. Fortunately in the recent year's body positive and ethnicity positive activism has been increasing the way women look like in advertisements. More body positive campaigns have been developing spreading the effect of having diverse models. An article was written by Anna Kessel describing her own personal experience with body shaming and how this movement to create more diverse models helps women to make peace with their looks and bodies.
Has the male population ever dealt with self-esteem issues from the male models shown in advertisements and magazines?

REFERENCES:
Frith, Cheng. and Shaw. "Race and Beauty: A comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements."
Kessel, Anna. "If you're different you don't have to hate yourself," July 23. 2018. The Guardian.

Wk 5 Green

Ziyu Wang

It has been a whole month since the start of this challenge, but it really didn't feel that long. This is not only because I am a man of strong mental fortitude, but also because of my good habit of "buy what you need, not what you want". I did spend a lot of money this weekend, however. I had to purchase two essential items this week and it costed me about 600 dollar ish. First item is a USB-C to USB adapter from apple because for some god forsaken reason, whenever apple put out a new product that supposedly "upgrade" their technology, they always find a way to downgrade the convenience factor so people how to spend more money buying their product. I needed this adapter because these designers at Apple decided their new Mac did not need USB port even though almost all conventional plug-in items on the market uses it. Their argument is that USB-C is just a better alternative and a direct evolution of the USB but what is the point of this evolution if there's no relevant product that uses it? So now I gotta spend extra money on top of it just to use my original product to their fullest potential. They did this with the iPhone too when they decided that iPhone X did not need a ear phone jack. Real smart, Apple. Now people gotta spend 200 dollars on your AirPods just to use the their thousand dollar phone. The crazy things is that Apple is not the only company out there that does this. A lot of companies put out a product that lack some essential functions, and you must then purchase extras just to enjoy full usage. This is just another capitalism marketing strategy to juice as much profit as possible from the customers, and that needs to change. We must plan out our purchase so we don't run into this awkward situation that only hurt us and benefit the corporations. Not only that, these type of product advertisements also contributes to stereotyping and racism across cultures as seen in the article Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements which I will be presenting this week. I also had to spend 500+ dollars on plane tickets but I really got nothing to complain about other than that United only allow one bag on plane for basic economy yet American allows two. This is why no one likes you, United, other than the fact that you assaults your customers.

Reference:
Katherine Toland Frith. "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements"

Marg Spina. "Smart Shopping: Buying on a Budget" https://www.finpipe.com/smart-shopping/

Week 5

Week 5
Fara Suiza
ASA141
May 26, 2019


This week I didn’t buy any clothes again. I feel like the urgency to buy new clothes has faded away, but I do see myself buying a graduation dress next week, which I can’t NOT do. The end of this challenge will come to a close soon and I feel slightly accomplished, but at the same time, I know that I didn’t do this challenge well to the best of my ability. Rather than buying clothes, I did end up buying other things like the iPad Pro, the pencil and other computer accessories, such as a replacement charger within this past week.

I suppose my version of excessive consumerism differs from that of fashion consumption, but I do recognize that the effects of my purchases remain the same. In both cases, the tech products I invest in also use similar labor environments and labor circumstances in Asia in order for that product to be in my hands today. Because I feel as though my tech purchases are more sustainable than fast fashion clothing, I do not feel as much guilt as probably would if I had bought clothes from stores like Forever 21 or H&M. For the price that I paid, I feel as though it is more fair at that price point because it is within my expectation that it will last me multiple years down the line, making it a worthy investment, compared to  fast fashion, which might only last 2 to 3 washes.

Khandual, Asimananda & Pradhan, Swikruti. (2018). Fashion Brands and Consumers Approach Towards Sustainable Fashion. 10.1007/978-981-13-1268-7_3. 

https://youtu.be/FbsGRknLYg4

Week 5 of Be Green

Blog 5
Magnolia Garcia


        First off, I have to confess that I made two separate purchases that go against our Be Green Challenge (without realizing it at that moment). The first was a pair of socks from Target; they have cute images and were only $1, which explains why I was too excited to think twice about what I was doing. The second purchase was my graduation stole, which was a little over $40. This however, was an inevitable purchase; with graduation ceremony being only three weeks away, I needed to buy my stole before the bookstore was all sold out (again) and in time for a graduation photoshoot with my closest friends.
        I spent the last two days wandering through the Arden Fair Mall and Westfield Galleria at Roseville with some friends who were making last-minute purchases for graduation outfits. Both of these malls are fairly large, and we managed to wander through most of both. Having already completed this week’s reading on Race and Beauty, it hit me that I should keep my eyes peeled for any and all advertisements around me. Admittedly, even after having learned that the U.S. advertisements feature Western models (99.0%) far more often than Asian models (1.0%) (Frith et al.), it was off-putting realizing that the plethora of advertisements surrounding me failed to include any Asian models. I guess I was more so disturbed by the fact that it was such a normal concept to me, that I hadn’t initially noticed the lack of representation.
        One of the advertisements I recall seeing is that of Cara Delevingne. I went ahead and looked into the project she was modeling for--a collaboration with TAG Heuer on the Carrera Ladies watches--and found that Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer, stated, ‘[The campaign] shows Cara as powerful, courageous, audacious, and commanding of respect’ (Corder). While I appreciate that Cara was evidently made to look powerful with the addition of the lion in the background, why is the fierce animal in the background needed in order for her to appear to be “commanding respect”? Additionally, Cara Delevingne is already a renowned model; I personally think that it would be cool to see an upcoming model of a different race in front of that lion. Such a strong image would surely help a lesser known model to be remembered and appreciated.

Corder, Rob. “TAG Heuer Reveals Cara Delevingne Campaign Shot with South African Lions.”

        WatchPro, 8 May 2018, www.watchpro.com/tag-heuer-reveals-cara-delevingne-campaign-shot-

        south-african-lions/.

Frith, Cheng, and Shaw. “Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women’s

        Magazine Advertisements.” 

Week 5

Isabelle Perlada
Week 5
ASA141

This week I did spend a lot of money, but it was on food in particular. I spent much of the week studying hard for a midterm and then taking care of other commitments within my community. Because I was so busy, I didn't have much time to meal prep or cook at home, much less think about buying things I don't really need at the moment. I was actually reflecting the other day on how I haven't received a package in the mail in a while, and how I wish that the packages coming to my apartment were mine and not my housemates'. I know for a fact, though, that the reason I like getting packages is the feeling of opening up that box and owning something completely new. But often times, the item goes underutilized. For example, I have a massive amount of liquid lipsticks because every time my favorite lippie company releases new shades, I'm always tempted to buy some of them because I feel like I don't already own that color and I need it. However, I don't even wear makeup that often and until only recently, it used to be that I wouldn't even put on a lippie when I did wear makeup. Consequently, I have a drawer full of lippies and I only use them once every blue moon.

Relating to the reading for this week, I think the presentation of other women in the media really influences my spending habits. If I see media showing women in certain styles or wearing certain seasonal colors as a part of their makeup looks, I become really likely to immediately purchase those things for myself. Holding myself to uphold this challenge has really caused me to reflect on and realize this. Here is a video I found that I liked regarding decluttering makeup collections, as it is something that could really apply to me right now and it helps watching others' processes in doing this same thing.

Week 5 - Be Green Challenge

Jinia Lee
Blog Post #5

I did better this week and didn't buy anything besides food. I was planning on shopping for a dress this weekend, but I no longer have the funds to spend money on anything else besides any expenses that might come up from my car accident. Although I bought new but necessary items last week, I feel that I've been doing pretty well so far. I have had a few instances where I wanted to check out my online shopping cart, but would either stop myself or have my friends stop me by reminding me about the challenge. I feel like my closet is kind of outdated and it makes me sad that I don't have new pieces for Spring and Summer. However, I'm kind of glad that the weather in Davis has been bipolar and I can still get away with casual sweaters and hoodies.

This week's article, Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women’s Magazine Advertisements, Frith et. al talked about Western vs Asian beauty advertisements. I noticed that Asian beauty standards prefer lighter skin shades which contrasts with western beauty standards that promote tan skin. This reminds me of my mom and her skin lightening products that she occasionally encourages me to use, especially during the summer when my skin gets tanner. It makes me question why light and white skin equate to higher status and is very Euro-centric but in the U.S., tan skin is desired but does not hold a lot of privilege.

Works Cited:

Frith, Katherine Toland, Hong Cheng, and Ping Shaw. 2004. "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women’s Magazine Advertisements." Sex Roles 50(1-2): 53-61.

Refinery29. "The Terrifying Truth About Skin Bleaching Products | Shady | Refinery29." YouTube. Retrieved 26 May 2019.

Week 5: Be Green - Shang Her

Shang Her
Be Green
Blog #5

Since middle school, I've noticed other girls use makeup and as I got older, I myself use makeup as well. I began using makeup when I was in high school and now in college, I have purchased more palettes, lipsticks, mascara, eyeliner, blush, foundation, and a lot more products. When I go shopping for these makeup products I look for the best bargain for the best products. I never thought about where and how these products are made.   

This video is by Refinery 29, they went to India to find the source of mica, an ingredient used in most makeup products. Children as old as 4-5 years old work in these mines and make less than 25 cents a day. When asked why they mine, the children respond by saying that this is what they have to do to keep food on the table. There was a family in the video that lost their daughter. The mine caved in and the daughter was crush to death. Even after losing their daughter, the family continues with the mining because it is the only source of income. As the makeup industry boom, these children's lives are impacted negatively by every makeup product that is bought in America and other first world countries.

After watching this video, I decided to go through my makeup products and see how much of my products have mica in it. More than half of my products have mica listed as the ingredients. My eyeshadow palettes, blush, and bronze were the only ones I was able to find that have mica. My other makeup products didn't have the ingredients listed on it. My lip products, mascara, and eyeliners have the ingredients listed on the packaging but once I start using the product, I throw away the cardboard or plastic that was used to wrap the makeup products. From named brand to drug store, each of these makeup products had mica. This does definitely change my thought process for purchasing makeup.    

Week 5- Fanime

Week 5- Blog 5
ASA 141
Franchesca Flores

I'm not going to beat around the bush, I spent a ridiculous amount of money at Fanime this past Friday. All of my friends already know, but I am obsessed with anime culture! You can find my room, my car, my backpack, and even things in my bag filled with plushes and Japanese knick-knacks. I've always had an interest in anime since I was a kid, and it's just something that stuck with me since I got older.

I wanted to attach a photo of myself cosplaying as how I see myself as an anime girl and it reminded me of the video we watched in class about Chicano culture in Japan. Being a Chicanx myself, I wasn't offended at all, maybe when it came to the jail shirt...but other than that I respected what they were doing. I respect it because how is it any different than what I'm interested in and do? The name Chicano was originally a derogatory term for Mexican-American people in the states, but people began to embrace this term and use it as a way to take pride in their culture and who they are. If Chicano culture makes other races/cultures feel empowered then who are we to say it's wrong? I say this because cosplaying is an outlet for not only me but so many other people to express their true personalities and interests. On both sides, I don't think it's wrong at all as long as it's coming from good intentions and respect. 

I was interested in how anime not only influences Japan but the whole world, so I found an article from Japan Info that explained it for me. Anime is a way for people to tell animated stores about anything they desire and some people would think that cartoons are for children, but in fact, some animes are recommended for mature audiences. Not only is it a form of storytelling, but it also became an art where people were allowed to express their drawing style. It also became a lifestyle where people will cosplay as their favorite characters or in an aesthetic like Lolita or Kawaii. In other places of the world, anime was seen to attract people to Japan to learn more about the culture and even the language itself! With the internet becoming the worlds main resource for information, it's honestly refreshing and reassuring that people are interested in other cultures because it shows that they not only admire the culture but are open to understanding the context of it as well. With that, the question I want to pose is, is it okay for other cultures to dress like other cultures even if they are not that race/culture?

Works Cited:

Japan Info. "How Has Japanese Anime Influenced the World?" Japan Info. 17 November 2015.

The New York Times. "Inside Japan's Chicano Subculture | NYT." YouTube. 20 February 2019. 

Week5 -Xinyu_Yang

Week5
Be Green Challenge
Xinyu Yang

Since I haven't bought clothes recently, I think it makes my life easier. I also sorted out the items in my home and found too many kitchen utensils and cups. I never found out that I would have 8 cups and some disposable paper cups.  In fact, I always use only one of them. This made me realize that not only for clothes but also for daily necessities, I also need to restrain my own waste behavior.

This week's reading also made me realize that I always am attracted by more beautiful advertisements for the choice of goods. The beautiful, cute, or sexy image of a female model has risen to the hearts of the people. As consumers, we are gradually being affected by advertising. Consumers also gradually began to try to move closer to the image of the model. Especially in Asian society, most of the demands for women are "good wife and a good mother." Therefore, in the advertisements of many household cleaning articles, the producers use the image of "good wife and good mother". This has deepened the stereotype for women. Gradually give the illusion that women should be responsible for housework.

Katherine Toland Frith. "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements"

Week 5- Sapana Gautam

Sapana Gautam
Be Green Challenge
Week 5

Another week of this challenge went by, and I am proud to say that following an anti-consumerism lifestyle has become much easier.  At the beginning of this challenge, I constantly found myself wanting to shop, even if I did not follow through with my purchases.  However, as the weeks went by, I steered away from the useless visits to various stores and the constant browsing of online shopping sites.  However, one part of this challenge was unclear to me.  Are we allowed to shop for makeup products?  When it comes to clothes, we have the alternative option of thrift shopping, but you cannot do so with makeup products.  I recently needed to attend an event that called for a little dressing up.  I ran out of eyeliner and concealer a while ago and I broke one of my makeup brushes, so I needed to buy some more.  I did buy two eyeliners (liquid and pencil) and a makeup brush, but I was unable to buy a concealer because I could not find one that suited both my skin color and my skin type.  This reminded me of this week's reading "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements" which talked about how Western models are used more often than Asian models.  A lot of products in the makeup industry are not curated with people of color in mind, so it is harder for darker people to find products that match their skin tone.  Fortunately, more and more companies have released (or have announced their release of) foundation ranges featuring 40 shades.  Why?  Because of "The Fenty Effect".  That is, Rihanna launched a makeup line Fenty Beauty with the Pro Filt'r Foundation in 40 shades, and many big brands have been scrambling to match her.  Why did it take so long for this to happen?  Why weren't these big brands inclusive enough from the start?

References:

Katherine Toland Frith. "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women's Magazine Advertisements"

Cheryl Wischhover. "The Fenty Effect Means Everyone Offers 40 Foundation Shades Now" https://www.racked.com/2018/5/30/17409524/fenty-effect-foundation-40-shades

Week 5 - Qiuying Lin (Britney)

Qiuying Lin (Britney)
ASA 141
Week 5

It's a common sense that many girls will watch makeup tutorial video and look for recommendations from blogger before they buy some cosmetics. I always watch these videos and notice that the type of Western makeup and Asian makeup are totally different. Western makeup type is dramatic, structured with many layers and mature while Asian makeup is fresh, innocent and focus on a youthful look. We could find the same thing in the advertisement. As authors say in the article "Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women’s Magazine Advertisements", "The Sensual/Sexy type was used more often (27.1%) with Western models than with Asian models (10.8%), whereas the Cute/Girl-Next-Door type appeared more frequently with Asian (25.0%) than with Western models (15.7%)." We could know that Western models as more sexually liberal than Asians. But the makeup videos influence our Be Green challenge. In my personal experience, makeup video will stir up my desire to buy more cosmetics although I have already had many lipsticks. When I see the blogger becoming more beautiful by using cosmetics, I would think the quality of those products is good. In addition, because the blogger represents the recent trend of beauty, I believe what she uses is very popular so that I should buy it as a follower. Now I realize this is not good. This is the same as the reason why we buy fast fashion clothing. We just unconsciously follow the trend.

However, there are some Youtube bloggers start to lead us to a good future. Kristen Leo, a famous youtube makeup blogger, introduced her plan for a cycle sustainable business. In this video, she introduces her vintage collection, showing the charming points of each vintage cloth. I feel impressed because she cares about our future and wants to make this sustainable idea bigger under her influence. I recommend girls not to buy cosmetics immediately after watching Youtube bloggers video and to think if I really need the products. Furthermore, I recommend Youtube blogger to take their video seriously and put sustainability into first place.

Works Cited

• Frith, K.T., Cheng, H., & Shaw, P. (2004), Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women’s Magazine Advertisements
• Leo, Kristen. YouTube, YouTube, 22 May 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKbUVZVDU5g.

Week 5: Jacqueline Yee

Jacqueline Yee
ASA 141
Week 5

It is week 5 of the Be Green Challenge. I am actually surprised that I held out for this long without shopping for any clothes or material items. It has been weird not browsing online or going shopping, and my closet looks a little empty. This challenge has been good for my wallet so far because I am an impulse buyer. Sometimes I don’t think much before purchasing, but through this challenge, I have learned to think about where and who I am spending my money on.

This week’s reading was about the portrayal of Western and Asian models in advertisements and marketing. Frith, Cheng, and Shaw found that Western women and Asian women were often portrayed differently. These advertisements are geared toward specific target groups they want to sell their products to. I found TED talk by Jean Kilbourne where she gives an additional perspective on how women are portrayed in advertising. Kilbourne talks about the obsession with being thin and looking younger, and about how as consumers we can try to avoid advertisements and fight consumerism, but they will always find a way to influence us. I’ve linked the video below, and I think what she says is very true. Throughout this challenge, I have avoided buying clothes and material items, but I have still seen advertisements, so I know what products are new or what is trendy.

Works cited:

1. Frith, K.T., Cheng, H., & Shaw, P. (2004), Race and Beauty: A Comparison of Asian and Western Models in Women’s Magazine Advertisements

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy8yLaoWybk