Comic Finals

Establishing shot. Manila. Starting page towards SBC Packers or My Own Theory of Devolution. Can also push through towards an issue of poverty.

Post 5: Digital Culture

Technology have influenced the youth in a way that is very much different from how it influenced the previous youth when computers were first invented.  Today, due to the abundance of social media and information, the youth have taken technology to new heights, from creating blogs to taking endless selfies.



In an article entitled 'Obsessive selfie-taking classified as a mental disorder': What we can learn from a hoax by James Vincent, we come to learn about the obsessive and addictive nature of taking selfies and posting them online.  It has come to the awareness of the public that even a hoax article about selfie-taking being classified as a mental disorder is able to draw attention which helps the public identify a problem. 



"The story about 'selfitis' might have got re-tweeted because people wanted to laugh at the apparent narcissism of strangers - but it's equally likely that others recognized something a little more serious." says James Vincent.

The addiction of social media has become prevalent in our youth, many social media sites like instagram has taken this to a whole new level by only allowing photos being posted, and what photos do you mostly see at these sites? Selfies.  Though there is nothing wrong with looking at a mirror, overly obsessing with a selfie trying to take the perfect image can be harmful to ones health.  It is better if we educate or encourage the youth to do activities which can be more productive and more beneficial to their health.


In another article which expresses the problems of the current digital age have sited selfies as being one of the problems.  Scientists Link Selfies To Narcissism, Addiction & Mental Illness by Joe Martino elaborates the obsessive taking of selfies and links them to narcissism.  It is true that there are some people who take countless hours trying to take the perfect selfie to post on social media.



"Narcissism, being obsessed with receiving recognition and gratification from ones looks, vanity and in an egotistical manner, is becoming a big problem in our digital age." by Joe Martino.

Humanity is a narcissistic race, for we envision human characteristics onto animals or objects.  And though we are narcissistic, there is still a limit for an addiction towards selfie can destroy our mental health and our bodies.  The youth today are living double lives, a life on social media wherein they live their perfect lives and the real world where they use countless hours trying to create the life they want to have.  If we wish to improve as a whole, doing something about your current situation and not taking selfies dreaming about the perfect life we want will have a greater impact on our lives in the long run.  It is up to us to break our ties with this addiction and focus more on what is important, our own real lives and how we can improve it.

Post 4: Gender

In our ever evolving society gender and its roles have encompassed both male and female and are now mingling with each other.  Men can be househusbands and women can be breadwinners, however there are still many issues concerning gender roles that plague society.  For one masculinity is viewed as strength and femininity as grace and beauty, if a woman is masculine, she is strong, however if a man is feminine, society does not accept it.

In this article, 'Men are stuck' in gender roles, data suggest by Emily Alpert Reyes, the imbalance or bias on gender roles against men are reviewed.  For one, men who prefer to be househusbands are taken less seriously than women who enters fields dominated by men.  The differences in opinion by society when addressing a female or a male heavily stagnates the wants of men who just want to do what they want.  For one, males should only be within the masculine gender while females can dabble in both masculine or feminine gender roles.

"If a little girl is running around on the baseball team with her mitt, people think, 'That's a strong girl,'" said her husband, Matt Duron, who, like his wife, uses a pen name to shield the boy's identity. "When my 6-year-old is running around in a dress, people think there's something wrong with him." says Emily Alpert Reyes.

The nerve of women stating that they are being oppressed is clearly an overstatement for one males are being oppressed when it comes to gender roles.  Just because a male decides to do feminine things society translates it into something that is wrong but if a woman does it, there is nothing wrong with it.  If society was less of a hypocrite and watched what they spat out then oppression would be a thing of the past and everyone will have the satisfaction of enjoying their lives without being judged by other people.

In the article ‘Gender-bending’ comes to your local primary school by David Quinn, gender bending is openly talked about wherein humanity has been used to traditional views wherein we are alright with the sex we are born with and act accordingly and that gender bending is an idea which is slowly being adapted by the masses.  However, raising awareness to our children about these issues comes as a priority to avoid stereotypical parents who discriminate people who play the role of a gender not designed for a certain sex.

When you believe gender is a social construct, and you believe benighted and ignorant parents all over the country are forcing male and female ‘genders’ on their boys and girls, then it’s best to get to the children as soon as possible so as to liberate from their parents’ stereotyping upbringing. - See more at: http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/%E2%80%98gender-bending%E2%80%99-comes-your-local-primary-school#sthash.iqsct5YG.dpuf

When you believe gender is a social construct, and you believe benighted and ignorant parents all over the country are forcing male and female ‘genders’ on their boys and girls, then it’s best to get to the children as soon as possible so as to liberate from their parents’ stereotyping upbringing. - See more at: http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/%E2%80%98gender-bending%E2%80%99-comes-your-local-primary-school#sthash.iqsct5YG.dpuf

"When you believe gender is a social construct, and you believe benighted and ignorant parents all over the country are forcing male and female ‘genders’ on their boys and girls, then it’s best to get to the children as soon as possible so as to liberate from their parents’ stereotyping upbringing." says David Quinn.

Gender bending is a view that is being accepted by society as a norm however there are still some who resist it and though they have their reasons, people who gender bend also have reasons as to why they are doing it.  We have no right to argue or seemingly correct a person towards their proper gender.  Gender is a choice and the role we play is supplemented by this.  We should learn to be more lenient about gender bending and gender roles for we are reducing the oppressiveness of traditionalists and stereotypes.

When you believe gender is a social construct, and you believe benighted and ignorant parents all over the country are forcing male and female ‘genders’ on their boys and girls, then it’s best to get to the children as soon as possible so as to liberate from their parents’ stereotyping upbringing. - See more at: http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/%E2%80%98gender-bending%E2%80%99-comes-your-local-primary-school#sthash.iqsct5YG.dpuf

When you believe gender is a social construct, and you believe benighted and ignorant parents all over the country are forcing male and female ‘genders’ on their boys and girls, then it’s best to get to the children as soon as possible so as to liberate from their parents’ stereotyping upbringing. - See more at: http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/%E2%80%98gender-bending%E2%80%99-comes-your-local-primary-school#sthash.iqsct5YG.dpuf

When you believe gender is a social construct, and you believe benighted and ignorant parents all over the country are forcing male and female ‘genders’ on their boys and girls, then it’s best to get to the children as soon as possible so as to liberate from their parents’ stereotyping upbringing. - See more at: http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/%E2%80%98gender-bending%E2%80%99-comes-your-local-primary-school#sthash.iqsct5YG.dpuf

When you believe gender is a social construct, and you believe benighted and ignorant parents all over the country are forcing male and female ‘genders’ on their boys and girls, then it’s best to get to the children as soon as possible so as to liberate from their parents’ stereotyping upbringing. - See more at: http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/%E2%80%98gender-bending%E2%80%99-comes-your-local-primary-school#sthash.iqsct5YG.dpuf

Post 3: Filipino Woman

Throughout time, women have been greatly misunderstood, and due to this, men have labelled women in an attempt to figure out what they are thinking.  However, these labels are clearly a lazy attempt at even trying to describe women, as such, men have taken both extremes to describe a woman or to categorize a woman.

In the article Unveiling the 'Madonna-Whore' Complex by Jodie Gummow, she described the condition wherein men categorize women into Madonnas/virgins or whores/sluts.  A man is divided and thinks that a woman who he wants to have a sexual relationship with cannot be his wife for his wife is the mother of his children which reminds him of his own mother and as such is not viewed as a sexual partner.  And also since mans first sexual images comes from porn sites, the dichotomy of Madonna/whore is further enforced.


"In essence, the effect of Madonna-whore on a relationship is an inability of the man to maintain sexual arousal within a committed, loving partnership." says Jodie Gummow.

Women, like men can never be understood by the opposite sex, or rather people cannot understand other people unless they are in a deep and loving relationship.  Our natural ways of attempting to categorize people to quickly identify them is the major flaw in every equation.  For one, no one can be placed at extremes, there can be no Gentleman/Player guy or a Madonna/Whore female, there can only be a man or a woman; a gentleman or a lady.  If we are somehow able to change this perspective and view each other for who they really are and not what society dictates, relationships will bloom and there would be lesser dissatisfaction from our partners.




Slut-shaming has taken to new heights as women use this method to police lower class women from an article named Slut-shaming has little to do with sex, study finds by Marisa Taylor.  In her article, she clearly states that a university uses slut-shaming as a means to identify the lower class or less affluent ladies thus even though they engage in sexual activity less are called sluts while the higher class are free to experiment on their sexuality.



"The researchers discovered that definitions of "slutty" behavior and the act of slut-shaming was largely determined along class lines rather than based on actual sexual behavior. What's more, they found the more affluent women were able to engage in more sexual experimentation without being slut-shamed, while the less-affluent women were ridiculed as sluts for being “trashy” or “not classy,” even though they engaged in less sexual behavior." says Marisa Taylor.

It is a shame that even women engage in slut-shaming, which is like degrading oneself.  If one is free from being called a slut due to their class then it is only fitting that such a term is no longer used for it is contradictory.  Women are free to do what they want just as men are free to do what they want.  Society should not dictate on what a person wants for we have different tastes and are equally unique.  It is a shame that even women promote slut-shaming and not work hand in hand in an attempt to eradicate such a thought from the face of humanity.

Post 2: Filipino Man

With the changing time the Filipino Man have remained the same but with a new understanding of concepts that the world has adopted.  Archetypes are changing as the Filipino Man realizes that gender equality is the better choice.  Though still struggling to completely adapt, the Filipino Man has nonetheless been able to hold their own culture in an ever changing world.

In this article, Why Chivalry Is Dead, From A Man’s Perspective by John Picciuto, he argues as to how with the changing time chivalry is thought to be dead.  That in this current age, people are used to hooking up and getting it on immediately rather than taking the time to court someone and get to know them better.  That women have become complacent and allowed men to get away with the bare minimum which allowed a different culture to rise. 

"I think, in an ever-changing landscape of communication between 140 character tweets, LOLs and ROTFLs, we’ve lost our ability to communicate, altogether. You go to a noisy bar and expect to get to know someone new, when all you really wind up with is uninteresting small talk." says John Picciuto.

It is true that we rarely see people who have chivalrous hearts however, chivalry is not truly dead.  Men have learned to adapt to the post-feminist view which empowers women and creates a view wherein women can also do what men can.  However, due to this perspective, men have been reluctant to help a fellow lady even though they do not mean to present themselves as the strong ones and make women feel inferior.  It is just the thought that men want to be chivalrous, that they believe that they can help other people to ease their burden or to finish a task faster without hardship.














Let's Give Chivalry Another Chance by Emily Esfahani Smith tackles a similar idea, that chivalry should be revived: men should once again be chivalrous and women should understand that chivalry does not make women weak. She details events in history in which chivalry was present or absent and in those events, chivalry always wins for it was a benevolent behavior. 

"Chivalry is about respect. It is about not harming or hurting others, especially those who are more vulnerable than you. It is about putting other people first and serving others often in a heroic or courageous manner. It is about being polite and courteous. In other words, chivalry in the age of post-feminism is another name we give to civility. When we give up on civility, understood in this way, we can never have relationships that are as meaningful as they could be." says Emily Esfahani Smith.

Chivalry is a simple act that treats women as ladies and thus making men control their power for a man can rape a woman if he wishes it.  The act of chivalry is clearly misunderstood by the masses of women, the simple act of holding a door open for a woman does not mean men think women are weak, it simply means that men respect women enough that they would go through great lengths to help a woman.  Men do not ask anything in return, they simply wish to portray to women that even though men have great power, they also have great control and great respect for their own power.  With this kind of thinking, the world would all throughout be a better place.

Post 1: Post Martial Law Filipino

The Filipino people have an identity that seems to be stuck in an age long past.  It is in this regard that the Filipinos have not fully identified who they are in this current age.  Though one might argue that the Filipinos are an identity in itself that have long been different from the Filipinos who lived during the Martial Law Era, it is still evident that the Filipino people have been living and are still living an age right after the events of when the Martial Law ended.  An age where the Philippines as a nation have been controlled by the media, where though at a technologically advanced age are still blind to the true current events that plague the country.

In the article Da Pinoy Chronicle: 40 Years After Martial Law and The Philippines is Still A Failure by dachronicler, the Philippines was described as a country that have not fully evolved away from the years during Marcos' regime and the years following.  dachronicler presented the events on the government that happened during these times towards the recent future.  The events during the Martial Law did not end after the People Power EDSA Revolution, it merely cascaded towards the future which would then hurt our way of thinking and our country as a whole. 

"Majority of the Filipino teenagers have almost no rationality. We begin to accept ignorance and conformity as a norm. Our society is turning almost like 1984." says dachronicler

The Filipino people have yet to understand their actions, it is without a doubt that we are somewhat free from the military powers that oppressed the daily routines of the Martial Law Era, it is however clear that the Filipino people have been blind and have taken for granted the freedom given to us.  Due to ignorance and the idea that the Filipino people are free, the media has taken this as a distinct advantage to brainwash the people into thinking about other things.  If at first, during the Martial Law Era, the Filipinos thought of the government issues that was plaguing the country, now, they are merely thinking about their actors and their stars.  They talk about unimportant people and ignore the crimes and corruption that is rampant in the government.  They seek to blame people who the media have presented as people with fault without even digging deep enough to realize who the true enemy is.  In essence, the Filipino people have not moved from the identity that was prevalent right after the Martial Law.  The Philippines has been stagnant, technology evolved but the people did not evolve with it.

The ghosts of martial law  by Nathan Gilbert Quimpo further explores the events that happened after Martial Law and how our government evolved during the years.  The plagues and the people who follow in the footsteps of President Ferdinand Marcos and have run the country in a way that allowed corruption to flourish.

"Like the Marcos', many other ghosts of martial law come and go, or have come back and stayed. Outside of their apparently 'natural' habitat, they have adjusted, sometimes assumed new forms, and become as ghoulish, loathsome and destructive as before." says Nathan Gilbert Quimpo.



It is unfair to leave the blame to the Marcos' family for even though they have some faults, they have brought prosperity to the country.  Also the Filipino identity have not strayed far from the Martial Law Era.  Though we are more liberated today, there are still some instances wherein due to corruption a subversive Martial Law is being implemented on the Filipino people.  For one, there are many laws which oppress the people and yet the people are powerless to change it.  Even though Martial Law has ended, it seems that the people are still bound by the Martial Law in a subconscious level or in a way where the illusion of free will is presented by the media.