exploration 2

Hi guys!

In my second round of observations and interviews, I was able to learn more about the role the producer plays, as well as meet some different news anchors. I interviewed Maggie O'Mara and Don Nelson, and I also spoke with Mark Johnson and Carolyn Holly. Mark and Carolyn both just got back from the olympics so I was able to hear about their involvement with the community. I also observed as Mark Johnson and Carolyn prepared for the 10 pm news and changed their scripts slightly to fit their personalities, and to make the language easier to understand for the viewers.

It was interesting to me that the producer was only 24 yrs old. He seemed like a boy genius or something like that for being able to know so much about how to operate the whole show. I asked him if he minded when anchors would change around the scripts and he said that he didn't mind. He said they don't change the facts, just the wording. They also add little side conversations to keep the news entertaining.

Exploration 2- Beauty Pageants

When I first chose to study beauty pageants, I was mostly interested in being able to attend a live pageant. I had spent hours online searching for weeks for local Idaho pageants scheduled for February or March, but I was unable to find any within the time frame I needed. I was forced to find another pageant somewhere close, and I was really excited when I found a pageant being held in Las Vegas the weekend I would be in town. The day before the pageant I went to the website to buy my ticket, and to my surprise they had moved the date back three weeks to try to get more participants. I was devastated; I was so looking forward to seeing a live beauty pageant. Luckily, I was able to contact one of the girls I interviewed, and I borrowed the dvd of her latest pageant, which ended up saving me twenty dollars on a ticket in the long run.
Watching the video was just like being in the Civic Center when the pageant was held, except for the fact that I already knew who the winners would be. It was surprising to me how short the actual pageant was, and how little time each girl had on the stage. After so many weeks and months of preparation, I thought there would be a little more time for each girl to show what they had accomplished. Watching the pageant answered a lot of my questions about the actual performance. For example, I was confused on what the “fun fashion” event was, which ended up being the first event in which the girls participated. Also, I wasn’t sure what role the runner ups played in the future and their important role was explained right before the crowning. I was shocked by a couple of the girls’ physical appearances, so watching the pageant helped tear down some of the stereotypes I have about the slim nature of beauty queens. I also had no idea that there were entertainers during the competition, which makes sense because it allowed the judges time to collaborate. I would like to learn more about the competitors’ interaction with one another backstage during the pageant. Lacey and Bree both assured me that they were great friends with the other competitors, but by the look on the runners-up faces I wasn’t so certain.
Although watching the pageant take place was informative and a great learning experience, I felt that the interviews and my observation of the coaching session are much more beneficial to my project. We were told to find out everything we could about the people of our community, and watching a pageant was more about the subject of pageantry and less about the pageant contestants themselves. I now completely understand the importance of observing at multiple locations; the interactions were not the same at both places and I received a totally different perspective from each location. The pageant didn’t highlight the dedication of the girls and all the fine details that goes into competing, so I found the coaching session more insightful.

Exploration 2

Sofia Soto

English 102.44

Melissa Keith

March 5, 2010

Observation 2 Notes

I went to Sin for my second observation. Sin is a gay and straight club downtown. They have great music for dancing and it’s a very diverse and friendly establishment. I decided to do my second observation here because I thought I would have a better chance on finding gay Hispanics at a gay club than at any other place.

We got there at around 10 pm. As soon as we walked in, a guy wearing tight, black spandex shorts and a red tank top one size too small greeted us. I couldn’t help notice his purposely over exaggerated crotch. All of the males working there had the exact same look -- spandex shorts, red tops, combat boots and big fake crotches. The attire was completely unattractive, but I guess it wasn’t me they were targeting. He checked our IDs and then asked if we wanted our coats checked. We said no thanks and proceeded to enter the club.

I ordered an Absolute martini with a couple of olives. My husband was with me, he order a PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon). The cocktail waitresses wore tight booty shorts and low-cut tops. Cute. The music was loud and hopping and everyone appeared to be having a good time. After we got our drinks we walked around the club observing the crowd and looked for a spot to sit. I saw a male couple sitting at one of the couches in the corner of the room. I told my husband that I was pretty sure that the couple was Hispanic and I suggested sitting in their vicinity. We sat on the couch next to them. I over heard them speaking Spanish so I made my move. “Hola como estan, ablan Español (Hello. How are you? Do you speak Spanish)?” I could tell that they were a bit skeptical about me. They hesitated for a couple of second then they responded “Bien, si ablamos Español (Good. Yes we do speak Spanish).” I continued to make small talk with them. They were quiet and I was doing most of the talking. They were really nice and I could tell that they were in love. They held hands, giggled, and joked with each other. The music was very loud and we couldn’t hear each other, which made it difficult to have a conversation. All I wanted to do was talk to them and get to know them more.

After an hour or so their friends showed up. They mingled for a while and then they all got up and moved to a larger table. I could still see them from our seat. I jotted down some notes after they left. I continued to observe them. I glanced around the room and it was full by then. I noticed the cliques. I noticed the congregation of manly and rugged men on one side of the room and the pretty, clean-cut boys on the other side. There was also a group of very feminine women and another group of women with more of a masculine look. There was a skater group, a Goth group, the older crowd, the straight crowd (it’s very hard to tell who is gay and who isn’t at a gay club) and, of course, the drag queens.

Even though everyone had come to the club with their own crowd, it didn’t appear that way on the dance floor. Everyone danced with everyone else because they were all there for the same reason, to just have fun. I noticed the isolation of the Hispanic group. They stuck together, danced together and drank together while members of other groups came and went from their cliques. This reminded me of high school. I remember how all of the Hispanic kids and Black kids grouped themselves with their own race. I couldn’t help but wonder why? Was it for safety reasons? Ease? I contemplated some more then I saw them all get up and leave together. Soon after, I went home as well.

Exploration 1

Sofia Soto

English 102.44

Melissa Keith

March 5, 2010

Observation 1 Notes

My first observation was attending the BGLAD organization meeting on campus. I thought that this would be a good place to start even though I didn’t know for sure if there would be any gay Hispanics. So I took my chances and went.

The meeting was on Tuesday and I felt kind of weird about going. I didn’t want to make anybody feel uncomfortable about me being there, observing and taking notes about them as if they were some bizarre type of creatures. After all, they’re not any different than you and I. They’re just people.

I sat outside the Alexander room (located in the student union building) and read while I waited for people to show up. Bob (not his real name) from one of my classes showed up for the meeting. I felt relived because at least I would know one person in the meeting. The president of the organization showed up and I introduced myself. I had emailed him about coming, so he already knew who I was. We waited for every one to show up. It was cold in the room and I was nervous to meet everyone.

After everyone was there we began to introduce ourselves. There were a total of nine of us in the room. Two of the males were Hispanic so I was pretty happy, but to be honest I was surprised. While I had been hoping for there to be a few Hispanics in attendance, I hadn’t really expected to find any. Everyone there was very nice and insanely funny. It made me want to attend these meetings regularly.

The president of the BGLAD organization began by talking about some show or event that they were trying to put together. I wasn’t sure what they were talking about exactly, but I eventually caught on. The name of the event is Sheaster (not sure about the spelling), kind of like Easter and it will be held in the Hatch room in the student union building in April. They talked about having Minerva Jayne, drag queen and entertainer extraordinaire, as the host and emcee. I’m familiar with Minerva and she’s amazing so I plan to attend this event. There was also a lot of talk about posters for promoting the event, bunny ears, decoration of bunnies, diversity week, make-up assistants, budget for the event and the gay agenda (not sure what the gay agenda is). I just sat there, listened and laughed about the funny things they said.

It was time to go. On my way out I made small talk with one of the two Hispanic guys. We exchanged a few words but nothing too in depth. I’m glad I went to this meeting even though I didn’t really get the chance to speak with the Hispanic guys for a long period. I met some pretty nice people during this observation.

Exploration 1- Beauty Pageants

For my first observation I went to a coaching session for two girls who are training for a national pageant in July. I had spent some time talking to both the girls and the coach before the session started and I couldn’t believe how quickly they changed into “pageant character” once the training had began. The thing that stood out to me the most during observation was the emphasis they placed on each contestant’s platform. I had no idea what they were referring to when I was observing, but after talking to one of the girls I was able to understand what all goes into this aspect of pageantry. They are each required to pick a topic and try to promote awareness for that particular issue in the community through interacting with people, holding tournaments, speaking at schools, etc. I was completely unaware of the multifaceted nature of the scholarship pageant these girls are competing in. Not only must they contribute hundreds of hours of community service and promoting their platform, but they must hit the gym several times a week to prepare for the fitness event, train themselves intellectually for the interview portion, find the perfect dress and outfit for the other two events, collect sponsors, sell ads in the program, and spend countless hours working with their coach to modify their posture, walk, smile, and spin, just to name a few. For the entire hour and a half session the coach was doing all of the talking. She would occasionally ask a simple question to one of the girls but the majority of the time she was lecturing them on specific details or she would have them stand or walk a specific distance so she could critique them. The coach was somewhat harsh in my opinion, but it is clear she wants the girls to do their best in the pageant and attain their personal goals.
I learned a lot from just watching these girls interact with the coach, but during the interview is when I was able to ask those specific questions and learn about the pageant technicalities. For instance, as an outsider I was unlearned about the difference between beauty pageants and scholarship pageants. Evidently there is a major difference in the types of events and the girls who compete in them as well. Scholarship pageants are very centered on community service and accomplishments where beauty pageants are geared more towards the outward appearance and physical image. I am still curious about what some of the driving motivations are behind competing in pageants and what these women hope to gain out of their years of commitment. One thing that was interesting to me was the importance that the coach placed on basically living in a bubble the last month or two before competition. I have heard sports coaches emphasize the same thing to prevent injuries in the athletes before a big game, but this is one thing was would be very difficult for me. They are not allowed to do any kind of extreme sports such as water skiing, mountain biking, or gardening was even mentioned. These girls cannot afford any brakes, scrapes, or bruises before competition and even when they are outdoors they must apply sunscreen several times to avoid tan lines that might show in their dresses or outfits. There are a lot of things about pageantry that would be difficult for me, but not being able to wakeboard in the summer would be extremely tough.

exploration 1: field notes, observations

Erica Bond
2/25/10
ENGL 102
Unit Two: Exploration #1
Field Notes in Observance of the 12PM News at Channel 7
I have sat in on the filming of the news at Channel 7 before, but never for the purpose of observing and noting each detail, as well as forming questions. On Monday, February 22, 2010, at 12 PM, I sat in a chair my dad provided for me directly behind the camera operators on the set of the news. Pen and notepad in my lap, I was ready to discover new things about this community. There were many things that stood out to me that quickly produced a plethora of questions.
Maggie O’Mara was the news anchor on set for about the first fifteen minutes and later on Larry Gebbert joined the set. This made me wonder what determines how many news anchors need to be on set at a time. Also, I noticed the flawlessness of Maggie O’Mara’s face, and the neat appearance she presented. I thought, “I wonder if anchors get special facial treatments in order to maintain that flawless image.” At times, Maggie would just finish reporting something, and one of the many TV’s in the room would be flashing a different story, Maggie not on camera. I watched Maggie’s facial expressions, and she would often produce a slightly surprised or amused look. Did she not know all of the stories? It seemed like that would be part of the news anchor’s job, but maybe they only have to know about what they themselves are covering. During these times of Maggie being off air, I noticed secret banter and sometimes laughing going on between she and the two camera men via their ear and mouth pieces. It was clear that everyone in the news room shared a mutual respect and possibly even friendship for each other because they relied on one another to be successful.
At 12:13PM there is a break and Maggie gets up and walks to the other side of the room for a drink of water. Larry gets in position at his weather set in the same room to be filmed. A cooking lady is setting up some food on the cooking set, also in the same room. There are a total of four sets in the room. Later, Maggie sits at the business set with a man named Dan who is doing a spotlight on the “It’s Your Business” segment. As Maggie and Dan talk while they are being filmed, it seemed as though some of the things they were saying were impromptu, or spontaneous. I wondered if this had been rehearsed and was part of the script, or if they speak spontaneously a lot? -And, if they are allowed to do this, are there certain guidelines for what they say?
In observing communication between everyone in the room, I identified a few different reoccurring gestures and cues. For example, when Maggie was about to be filmed lived, the camera operator would countdown: 4,3,2, and leave a silence for 1. On the number one, he would point to Maggie and make eye contact. These camera men would also give frequent one minute warnings before they were about to film one of the anchors. What was so amazing to me, was that Larry or Maggie would be bantering back and forth, sometimes laughing only seconds before they would immediately switch modes into reporting professionally. I also noticed that Maggie practiced saying an Iraqi name right before she was filmed. Do news anchors get in trouble if they make mistakes on names? At 1:05, the news was basically over and some men brought in a couple papers and conducted a post-production meeting where they presented some new stories to Larry and Maggie, and they got to choose which stories they wanted to cover for the 5PM show. Maggie then prepped for a tease, where she would give a 5 min. preview of the stories that were going to be shown on the 5PM show. What gives her the authority to choose what is shown? How much of it can she decide is shown?
As you can see, there were many things that I developed questions about, and many things that interested me about this group. I intend to find the answers to these questions through interview and research in the near future. I still need to learn more about the background or history of this community, and try to find out what their code of ethics is, what the guidelines are for that community, etc. I plan to observe other news stations as well to get a good sample of this community, and also to go to events that news anchors will be at to serve as volunteers or to show support for the news station.

Iowa 80

I was surprised of how big this truck stop was. When I think of a truck stop i think of a small gas station and not a community. The description of the truck stop on page 27 helped construct a very vivid picture of Iowa 80 and also made me want to go there. I was intrigued about the trucker journals, how nobody wanted to talk about them and the forced cheating these truckers had to do. I wanted to learn more about these journals. I was disturbed by Dan on page 34. He sounded pissed off and miserable. I think that he has been doing this trucker business for way too long.

Iowa 80 RR Questions...

I was surprised about the amount it would take to remove/replace the fuel tanks at Iowa 80. I was intrigued about cheating on the system- especially when they were talking about transitioning over from logbooks to a computerized system. I'm disturbed by the fact that truckers have to cheat on their hours to be able to eat and get enough money- because they think it's a "government conspiracy." All of the regulations on trucking was also disturbing because these people are always away from home- the road is their home. The government doesn't always help them out and it's understandable why they are angry about it.

Iowa 80

I was intrigued by the fact that the employees of the truck stop made it their goal to be extra friendly to serve as the truckers' second home.

I was suprised, at the beginning, that truckers were not excited about new technologies and developments that were going to be implemented to their job in the future.

I was disturbed to find out that they literally had to cheat to work, referring to their logbooks and recording hours when unloading and loading conflicts would come into play.

Iowa 80

What surprised me about this article was the commonality in all responses of the truck drivers regarding the logbook or "comic book." Not a single person was okay with the current system or thought it was the least bit fair.
It was interesting to me that all the drivers were concerned that the writer was a "spotter." That alone makes me curious into how many of the drivers are not being honest in their work. It seems that they are constantly on the lookout and are slow to trust any outsider that may be working against them.
I was disturbed by all the ill feelings toward the Department of Transportation and especially the issue about loading and unloading the big rigs. I was disturbed to learn that these truck drivers are not paid to unload their trucks but are forced to either perform the work themselves, or pay a lumper who doesn't pay taxes on the money they make.

Punk artifact

artifact: bright colored hair (dyed)

page: top right of both pg. 140 & 144.

what it says about the community: demonstrates a sense of rebellion that is captured in the punk ideas of anger and desire to change the world, to add to the shock value of their image

Artifact from Waco

One main artifact that I found were the Bible and comic books on p. 140. Growing up down south in the Bible Belt, always having a Bible is seen the same way as having a cookbook when you try a new recipe- essential. I thought that it was ironic that it was the Bible that led him toward the punk life, since Southern Baptists are not condoning of any sort of alternative lifestyles or rebellion. His life was centered around the Bible- and that's what took him to the 'dark side.'

On the Inside.....

Advin Prolaz is my insider connection- he is one of my good friends and also a drag queen in his spare time.....

Sample Artifacts

My samples are the bible, comic books and horror films. I picked these artifacts because they represent their similar backgrounds and mutual tastes. These kids grew up in Waco in a very Baptist community, in which they consistently battled against set beliefs. The Bible represents the shared family background and there struggle to find some other outlet that understood their opposing views of life. Growing up they embraced pop culture, specifically comic books and horror films. These similar tastes in genre helped to bring their community together. The significance of these liked and disliked artifacts were an important aspect to viewing themselves as a community.

Sample Artifact

One of the artifacts of the punk culture would be their distinct clothing and more specifically their leather jackets. This is found on page 137 and also 143. These jackets are adorned with spikes, band names, and various logos. These jackets help these people identify with their specific community and that particular band or brand. Like it says in the text this type of clothing helps convey a message of "I'm not a normal member of society." It is also a way to be distinct and somewhat rebellious. These words and pictures represent the ideas and values of the punk culture.

Connection

My connection will be my good friends Ceci and Rick, they are both Hispanic and gay:) I plan to visit the BGLAD organization on campus as well.

Insider contact

Hey everybody,

My insider contact is my dad, Brad Bond, Local Sales Manager for KTVB News Channel 7. I already talked to him about this project and he gave me some good ideas as to who he recommended I observe and interview as far as anchors go. He gave me lots of good information that will come in handy for scheduling!

Beauty Pageant Contact

Karen Carpenter is my main contact for my research project, she is the director of the Miss Boise Program here in Idaho.

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