The Rabbit Hole

Occupational requirements

The Ottawa Citizen

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Sometimes, discrimination based on age or race, gender or religion is perfectly acceptable. A church can demand that its ministers be believers, because that’s a fundamental part of the job. A director can turn away white actors who want to play Othello.

Physical appearance is relevant to some jobs, but not others. It would be unjust to fire a teacher or a pilot because of the size of her breasts or the length of her hair. But what about an exotic dancer?

It’s an unusual job, in that the appearance of the dancer is at least as important as any of her skills. It’s true that women of all shapes, sizes and ages can be sexy. But the owners of strip clubs have to cater to their audiences.

Kim Ouwroulis is a 44-year-old exotic dancer in Toronto. She says she was fired because of her age, and is taking a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

The tribunal shouldn’t waste its time trying to determine whether Ms. Ouwroulis is still sexy. That’s a matter of taste, and her employer’s taste is as valid, and subjective, as anyone else’s.

It’s too bad that our culture tends to use a narrow definition of what makes a woman sexy, but a strip club is in the business of selling fantasy, not changing culture.

Ms. Ouwroulis herself has been quoted saying she still looks the part: “The boobs and the blond hair, usually you can’t go wrong in a strip club with those two things.”

If (as she implies) the club would be justified in turning her away based on her figure and the colour of her hair, it’s probably within its rights to turn her away on any other aspect of her appearance.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

Occupational Requirements – Standardized Form
1. Sometimes discrimination based on age or race, gender or religion is perfectly acceptable.
2. The appearance of an exotic dancer is at least as important as any of her skills.
3. Women of all shapes and sizes can be sexy.
4. The owners of strip clubs have to cater to their audiences.
5. Kim Ouwroulis is a 44-year old exotic dancer who was fired because of her age, and is taking a complaint to the human rights tribunal of Ontario.
6. ‘Sexiness’ is a matter of taste.
8. Culture tends to use a narrow definition of what makes a woman sexy.
Thus…
7. Her employers taste is valid.
9. A strip club is in the business of selling fantasy, not changing culture.
Therefore…
10. If the club would be justified in turning her away based on her figure and the colour of her hair, it’s within its rights to turn her away on any other aspect of her appearance.

Occupational Requirements – Standardized Form
1. Sometimes discrimination based on age or race, gender or religion is perfectly acceptable.
2. The appearance of an exotic dancer is at least as important as any of her skills.
3. Women of all shapes and sizes can be sexy.
4. The owners of strip clubs have to cater to their audiences.
5. Kim Ouwroulis is a 44-year old exotic dancer who was fired because of her age, and is taking a complaint to the human rights tribunal of Ontario.
6. ‘Sexiness’ is a matter of taste.
8. Culture tends to use a narrow definition of what makes a woman sexy.
Thus…
7. Her employers taste is valid.
9. A strip club is in the business of selling fantasy, not changing culture.
Therefore…
10. If the club would be justified in turning her away based on her figure and the colour of her hair, it’s within its rights to turn her away on any other aspect of her appearance.

Source: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/views/story.html?id=9edd831a-708a-4c38-a98e-a861531a4ad2

The War Within – Standardized Form
1. Israel is at war with itself.
2. The conflict is not just with militant Palestinians.
a. Militant Jewish settlers in the West Bank clash regularly with Israeli police who remove illegal homes.
3. Israeli security officials have warned of possible assassination attempts on peace-seeking Israeli leaders.
a. Jewish militants tried to assassinate Professor Zeev Sternhell.
4. Settlers are damaging Palestinian property in retaliation for government actions against outposts.
5. The Israeli cabinet branded the disturbances “a threat to the rule if law and order in Israel”
a. Ehud Olmert announced plans to halt direct or indirect government financing of unauthorized settlements.
b. Another 120 settlements are government-authorized.
7. Mr. Olbert said he would increase the number of law enforcement personnel deployed in the West Bank and move against law breaking settlers.
a. The measures may be more symbolic than real.
8. Despite repeated pledges to dismantle settlements, the government is still abetting them.
a. Some experts say government services to outposts like water and electricity will continue.
10. The Israeli government needs the support of American Jews and moderate Israelis against militants who seek political change through violence.
11. Israeli voters are expected to choose a new government in February.
12. Tzipi Livni failed to put together a coalition government for the right reasons.
a. She refused Shas Party’s demand that there would be no negotiations on the status of Jerusalem.
13. Benjamin Netanyahu opposes immediate talks on a Palestinian state.
Thus…
9. Israel must freeze all settlements and reduce the roadblocks in the West Bank that are strangling the Palestinian economy.
14. Israelis need a leader who can calm the forces that are tearing Israel apart and also negotiate a just peace.
15. The new American President must be ready to fully support that effort.
Therefore…
16. Israel will have no peace-with it’s neighbors or its own citizens-without a peace agreement.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/opinion/05wed2.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

Note: Yes, one is very short and one is very long. I have a difficult time with these as I never know what to include. I can never determine what is necessary and what is not. Thus, I ask you to help me decide, which do you prefer, the short one or the long one? (Heh Heh).

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The Death of Captain America:
A Literary Criticism of Unbreakable

Superman, when in contact with the glowing green substance “Kryptonite” becomes weak and unable to battle. Ironman suffers from a weak heart, outrageous ego and alcohol problem. Spiderman puts everything on hold when he hears Mary Jane calling. Most Super humans (heroes and villains alike) have weaknesses. While these faults can be arguably annoying, they are essential to the progress of the comic book story and the development of the polar opposite.

A weakness allows for the complete character of the hero or villain to shine through, thus making him more human in a way, and more relatable to the audience. The relating secondary characters will then almost always take advantage of said fault, often through the application of scapegoating. A scapegoating public is a staple in the classic comic book fan along with the arch nemesis, tragic back-story and fluorescent costume. The audience expects to receive just that, but on rare, collectors edition, occasions the entire backbone of the classic comic falls apart, and the masked avenger isn’t quite what he seems.

Batman is a shining example of a vigilante hero who receives the usual public response. By taking the law into his own hands he is regarded unkindly by those he protects. As a result, Batman is Gotham’s scapegoat.

M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable appears as though it applies the classic comic book formula. At first glance, it seems as though the hero figure is played by the Unbreakable man, and that his antagonist is Mr. Glass. This brings into question the identity of the scapegoat.

However, that is not how the storyline functions. Quite contrarily, the hero is in fact Mr. Glass, his villain being the Unbreakable man. As such, the question arises once again, who is the scapegoat? To respond, both Dunn and Price are scapegoats, though they provide different functions.

One can often identify the hero utilizing common traits. The superhero has extraordinary powers or abilities, a strong moral code, a motivation, a strong a sense of responsibility and an engaging back story. Often, the hero will come complete with a general disapproval from the press or public. Spiderman provides an excellent example in this instance, as he has spider-like powers, a need to defend his city, Aunt May and Mary Jane to motivate him and death in the family. He is also constantly harassed by the press.

Does this not perfectly embody Mr. Glass? While his special ability is not immediately associated with super heroics it is very apparent. Mr. Glass is extremely breakable (one must not assume that all abilities are beneficial, take X-Men’s Rouge as example), and very intelligent. Not every citizen has the mental capacity to construct such elaborate plans, or the will power to get up after so many falls and to continue with their search.

As such, it is clear that he is highly devoted to his task, and does have a strong moral code. The ‘Mr. Glass variety’ of superhero can be compared to those grouped under the term ‘vigilante’. While indeed heroes, they are morally ambivalent anti-heroes who tend to be more violent than the classic variety. A vigilante’s need to protect out weighs all other ‘rules’ of morality. For, “There are men, wrote Aristotle, so godlike, so exceptional, that they naturally, by right of their extraordinary gifts, transcend all moral judgment or constitutional control: ‘There is no law which embraces men of that caliber: they are themselves law’” (”Super Hero”).

Leaving the comic book realm, heroes are also categorized based on their literary roles (For instance, warrior or lover), or in the case of Unbreakable, as the heroic scapegoat. The role of the scapegoat can differ in many ways. In one instance the scapegoat may give oneself to a cause, and in another he may forever feel as though he has been abused or used by others. As a scapegoat, Elijah Price fully devotes himself to the worthwhile cause of finding the world’s true superhero. He could also be considered in the later, for as a child he was constantly tormented for his type one osteogenesis imperfecta, and continued to face disrespect into his adult life. Price carried the burden throughout his life still embarked upon a great quest that would ultimately aid the community. He is a picture perfect example of the heroic scapegoat (”Unbreakable (film)”).

As a thematic tool, Elijah Price, explores one of the scapegoat’s greatest roles, which is to bring into light the themes of identification and misidentification. This isn’t done solely within his own character, but also in the role of the villain, David Dunn.
While David Dunn is the apparent ‘hero’ of the film this father and security guard is in fact the villain. Clearly, David Dunn’s super ability (his inability to be injured) would provide quite a challenge for Elijah Price, thus making him quite an obstacle, but the unbreakable man is villainous in less obvious ways as well.

The best villains are those who do not see themselves as villainous. He may do villainous things, but ultimately he believes that he is doing them for righteous reasons. The villain will also exhibit characteristics directly opposite to those of the hero and within their role as foil, serve as an obstacle for the hero to overcome. Mr. Glass was completely faithful to the idea of real life superheroes, and as his direct opposite, the unbreakable man was very reluctant to believe. David Dunn’s unwillingness provided a great obstacle to the handicapped hero as half the movie was spent trying to defeat said obstacle. Mr. Glass had met his match.

It is through this interaction that a lesser scapegoat emerges. Said role is that of the villainous scapegoat, a character who is to blame by cause, motive or neglect. The villainous scapegoat is commonly society, however in the case of Unbreakable it is played by Bruce Willis. Villains do make the best scapegoats, hence the previous implementation of the death penalty. Who is better to pile the blame onto than those at blame?

Like Elijah, David was used and abused. He was used by Mr. Glass to discover himself, he was used by his son for a personal role model and he was abused emotionally by his wife. Earlier on in the movie he devoted himself to ignoring the truth about his usefulness (how villainess) and after accepting his supposed place, devoted himself to his family alone. Even though he may have saved two children utilizing his powers, did he not use the incident only to later impress his son? What is truly the reasoning behind his action, when this is taken into consideration?

David Dunn’s role as a scapegoat allowed Elijah to question his identity, as Elijah allowed David to question his. However, Dunn took the role a step further by acting as a mirror to both Elijah and the society. The scapegoat can represent the uncleanliness of his persecutors and how is this more adequately portrayed then through the scapegoat’s visions. All the wrong doings committed by both Elijah and the outside members of the society were reflected to the audience through Dunn. It is only once the ‘immoral’ acts of Mr. Glass are reflected through the visions of the Unbreakable man that his “secret identity” is revealed. After said reflection, David can no longer be used as Elijah’s scapegoat and Mr. Glass falls to pieces, as he is then sent to jail.

M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable puts an interesting twist on the classic comic book storyline, as while all of the clichés are there the true identity of these regulars is often misinterpreted. He also utilizes two distinct scapegoats, each one employed by the other, with similar and differing roles to explore the theme of identity. While one is villainous and the other is heroic the motives behind any action are questionable. Whether or not the creative mind behind the film sought to explore the world of comic books at all, a deeper element of the genre was captured; the exploitation of the scapegoat.

Bibliography

“Superhero.” Wikipedia. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 28 Oct 2008 .

“Unbreakable (film).” Wikipedia. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 28 Oct 2008 .

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Alexander, Larry. “Deontological Ethics.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2007. Stanford University. 17 Oct 2008 <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/>.

“Cultural Relativism.” Wikipedia. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 17 Oct 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_relativism#Statement_on_human_rights>.

Ellis, Bret. American Psycho. First. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1991.

“Moral Relativism.” Wikipedia. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 17 Oct 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_relativism>.

“Patriotism.” Wikipedia. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 17 Oct 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotism>.

“Reality.” Wikipedia. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 17 Oct 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality>.

Sinnot-Armstrong, Walter. “Consequentialism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. Stanford University. 19 Oct 2008 <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consequentialism/>.

“Virtue Ethics.” Wikipedia. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc.. 17 Oct 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue_ethics>.

Side note:

Yeah, Edublogs hates me so my formatting is messed up on both my essay itself and the bibliography, so Mr.Murray if you can’t read it or would like to see if it was formatted properly, just ask and I’ll try to fix things or post the original document on here.

As well, if you have any comments on my essay, I’d love to make it better even though it won’t up my grade. It’s such a cool topic!

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That Star Strangled Banner

It’s quite amazing how many questions can emerge from one’s head as they’re plotting their latest murderous exploit. Despite the obvious, which weapon should be used, an infinite number of criteria must be considered. For instance, how soon is lunch? The tactful dissection of a screaming individual may deter or heighten one’s appetite. Subsequent questions may include how should they be cooked? These are but a few of the possibilities that must be considered approaching mealtime. It is also important to note whether or not there will be time to have a suit dry cleaned before an important meeting with a client. If not, would they notice the bits of hair in the buttonholes?

While most people only consider these questions some of the time, for Patrick Bateman it is a continual thought process. Bateman isn’t fazed by the clear ignorance of all those who choose to ignore the stains on the sidewalk, for he is comfortable (for the most part) with his own, accepted reality. Though he is irritated by most of the people he meets, he does hold a certain regard for his country. Likewise, it is his drive towards ideal Americanism that fuels all aspects of his life. Taking that into account, his unexpected actions indeed reflect his personal morals and those of the associated society. Bateman believes in upholding the American identity above all else and utilizes a mask equally portrayed by the secondary character. As a dedicated American in a sea of dedicated Americans he takes action against all those who go against the ‘American way’. Symbolizing the perfect American, he does what all good citizens should do, which is to forcefully uphold all that defies America. This is what Patrick Bateman does; viable and just acts of violent patriotism.

The true purpose of patriotism must not be confused with its portrayed media image. To be patriotic is to utilize one’s inherent responsibility to fellow citizens. Remembering, that one’s fellow citizens is not always all citizens. Patriotism is not defined by strictly abiding by the regulations set by one’s government. It can in fact include quite the opposite as “patriotism does not require one to agree with everything that his country does and … actually [promotes] analytical questioning in a quest to make the country the best it possibly can be.” (“Patriotism”).

Upon taking a deeper look, one can see the true, underlying purpose of the patriotic attitude and its primary implication in ethical theory. Contemporary ethicist, Paul Gomberg, compared patriotism to racism, saying that it gave an individual greater moral duty to the members on its Nation than the non-members. (“Patriotism”).

Though patriotism may be ultimately racist, that doesn’t make it unethical. Murder for the sake of patriotism isn’t at all unethical and lives up to the highest of moral standards. When Bateman’s exploits are compared against quite a few ethical theories they results in being quite just.

Applying the perspective of normative ethics, there are three major theories that must be considered; Consequentialism, the deontological approach and virtue ethics.

Consequentialism judges the ethicality of a situation by the “good” produced by the outcome. For the level of “good” to be sufficient, it has to benefit the majority of individuals affected by said outcome. To apply this to patriotic murder, yes, murder is terrible for the victim; however, there is also a greater good. For instance, by murdering a common prostitute one can ensure that less American families will be destroyed by the infidelity associated with said street worker, thus making the murder patriotically valid (“Consequentialism”).

The deontological approach is commonly referred to as obligation-based ethics. This is appropriate as the theory suggests that ethical rules bind an individual to their duty, and there is no greater duty than to one’s country. The true reason for of Bateman’s executions is just that; he is fulfilling his duty to his country. If a country is to raise prospering, well-rounded citizens it must not allow its children to be influenced by the economically-useless homeless. The protagonist recognizes this and takes the situation into his own hands (“Deontological Ethics”).

As patriotism can be described as the love for one’s country and love is a theological virtue it is understandable that patriarchal murder should fall equally into the category of virtue ethics. This branch of moral philosophy greatly encourages the concept of achieving ‘eudemonia’, which is a state of human flourishing. Such a state can be reached when an entity practices its virtues, which in terms of a specific object, is a habit or quality that allows it to succeed in its life’s purpose. A simple example would be a kitchen knife. The purpose of a kitchen knife is to be sharp, the sharpness of a kitchen knife is its virtue and by being sharp the kitchen knife can reach ‘eudemonia’. Applying this to the protagonist, the purpose of a serial killer is to kill a lot of people; the need to kill is the virtue of the serial killer and by killing a lot of people Patrick Bateman can reach ‘eudemonia’. To deny him from reaching this state would be highly immoral (“Virtue ethics”).

Seeing as the purpose of all patriotism lies in the obligation to one’s country and the fulfillment of one’s own purpose, the reality of said acts must be certain. If the action is mearly imaginary then while it will indeed benefit the individual, it will not be contributing to the welfare of the people. Therefore, none of Patrick Bateman’s murderous exploits are figments of imagination but are instead real in the mindsets of all associated individuals. This ensures that the results are beneficial to the society as well.

Approaching the reality emphasized in the novel from a more individual perspective, it is clear that while Bateman’s sense of reasoning and rationalization may not be outright apparent, his sense of reality is in no way affected by the sporatic fragmentation of his thought processes. In Bateman’s case, reality must not be viewed as it is commonly accepted, but instead as a phenomenological reality.

“On a much broader and more subjective level, the private experiences, curiosity, inquiry, and selective involvement in the personal interpretation of an event shapes reality as seen by one and only one individual and hence is called phenomenological. This form of reality might be common to others as well, but at times could also be so unique to oneself as to be never experienced or agreed upon by any one else,”

(“Reality”).

Bringing the phenomenological reality into perspective, though a reality may be unique to an individual it is still an accepted reality, for though it may have been solely experienced by one individual, the fact that it was experienced at all transforms it into a real event.

Agreeing with the belief that there is no objective reality in the case of this novel, one can conclude that the reality of each individual from American Psycho does not stray beyond the perceptions or beliefs the individuals have of their own personal realities (“Reality”).

Philosophy tends to address this topic through two areas; the nature of reality itself and the correlation between reality and the mind. It is evident through multiple instances that the individuals associated with Patrick Bateman are simply choosing to ignore the truth and to remain oblivious.

As “reality is what you can get away with,” (“Reality”) the fact that the other major characters of the novel choose to live in a state of complete unconsciousness, does not at all reflect upon the validity of Bateman’s actions. The fact remains, that all of the other yuppies are choosing to portray the image of a yuppie, just as Bateman does, whether or not they comprehend (or care about) what is actually going on. Each character is reflective of Bateman’s ideal in this way as they all “just want to fit in” (Ellis, 341).

Whether or not the principle characters of the novel understand what going on behind closed doors, the 1980’s society as a whole chooses to accept it. Often, they’re blatantly racist and relish in the thought that they are living in the best country in the world. While murder isn’t generally accepted by the modern community, for Patrick Bateman, murder is what the community lives for as it’s an accepted part of daily life.

It must be emphasized that moral and ethical propositions do not reflect objective and universal moral truths. Social issues such as morality are but cultural artifacts applicable only to certain social, cultural, historical and personal circumstances. There is no denying that culture, plays a major role in the appearance of Patrick Bateman, for there are even a few chapters solely devoted to the popular music of the time. As moral values are applicable only within certain cultural boundaries one comes to the realization that the murder of individuals who are interrupting the accepted culture is not immoral in this case but completely acceptable (“Moral relativism”).

Applying the theories of philosopher John Cook to the equation, the ideas of universal morals in general are “aimed at getting people to admit that although it may seem to them that their moral principles are self-evidently true, and hence seem to be grounds for passing judgment on other peoples, in fact, the self-evidence of these principles is a kind of illusion,” (“Cultural relativism”).

Murder has never been immoral when it is applied to the protection of one’s nation, for there has always been war and violence. War is simply the act of protecting a nation from foreign threats outside of its boarders. Patrick Bateman is doing exactly the same thing as the country’s celebrated soldiers, except he is within the bounds of the United States. There were no prostitutes or homeless people present at the visualization of the American Dream.

Yes, Patrick Bateman is an advocate for brutality, but his dissections and decapitations do not go unwarranted. The murder of those who stand in the way of an idealistic society has always been just and accepted, for the needs of the many do outweigh the needs of the few. Bateman wields his axe like a flag, standing up for all that is patriotically American, all that is real, and all that is accepted, with a swift chop to the face.

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Presentation Handout: Scapegoating section

Handout Part 3: The Final Test
Emerging from the great cave of the beast,
Battered, bruised and yearning to feast,
On the brink of starvation, he squinted to see,
The most scrumptious of goats that ever did be,

“Who are you, my god send, I must see you clearer”,
“I am your dinner, my friend, now look in this mirror”,
And with the last of his strength he did look,
And within that grand mirror was a book,

And upon that book fine words did float,
That spoke of the origins of the scapegoat,
As part of Yom Kippur a goat was sent to the wild,
Legend says that it carried the sins of both man and child,

Or so it was said, but perhaps misinterpretation,
For in the case of Leviticus it’s all about translation,
The term for fallen angel “Azazel” it was originally wrote,
The translation was of “Ezozel” which translates to escape goat,

In Christian Theology the story is changed,
The third book of the Torah is all rearranged,
The scapegoat is but symbolic representation,
Of Jesus who carried our sins to damnation,

Besides being biblical, it was also a ritual,
To cast out a beggar in Ancient Greece was habitual,
Usually the cripple was beaten or stoned,
In response to disaster the man was disowned,

I bring you now to world war two,
The German economy is looking quite blue,
Scapegoating was used as a political tool
And singled out the Jewish, their method quite cruel,

The metaphor is used in movies and books,
The scapegoat is blamed for the misgivings of crooks,
To analyze work in accordance to scapegoating,
The psychological origins are important in noting,

With a flash disappeared the strange words of history,
How the man then heard the goat in his head is a mystery,
“For this next section I will use your mind”,
“To today’s scapegoat origins you must not be blind”,

“It has long been known that you’re a violent race”,
“It is because of this appetite that you must replace”,
“When the source of your anger simply cannot be touched”,
“It must be displaced and the scapegoat is clutched”,

“The ability for an object to satisfy the madness”,
“Is directly proportional to the size of the badness”,
“If my pencil is broken I won’t kill your mother”,
“But if my family is murdered look after your brother”,

“However, society now enforces remorse”,
“The change has caused methaphorical recourse”,
“While frustration lead to anger which lead to a spacegoat”,
“Misconduct leads to guilt, and then you’re in the same boat”,

“When we suspect one of scapegoating we are quick to denounce them”,
“They are then but our scapegoats, it’s from the same brain stem”,
“We could share our knowledge with racists to aid”,
“Instead we cry “DESCRIMINATION!” an identical blade”,

“In an effort to create a separate identity”,
“The scapegoats do multiply and we lose our serenity”,
“Though you say it is evil, which believe me, is true”,
“By screaming it you are becoming one too”,

The voice it then left, from his head it was gone,
But into a creepy, goat-hairy book it did spawn,
And on each hairy page, of scapegoating it spoke,
How it was used in the literature of every bloke,

The scapegoat he had many roles, many faces,
He purged communities of dissonance in many fine places,
It was a mechanism, symbolic in sort,
That established solidarity in a seemingly functional court,

It brings up the theme of identification,
For the scapegoat’s no stranger but one of the nation,
Who would he be truly if everyone said,
That he was smelly and ugly and better off dead,

Often the scapegoat is representation,
Of the bad parts of those who cause him desperation,
For his attackers he is an immediate cure,
But once his role is discovered, it’s not longer secure,

Later the scapegoat will become a mirror,
For everyone else the truth will be clearer,
The will see how their cruelty affected the plot,
And how Batman’s a hero and they, they are not,

Then the book burst to flames and from them rose a lord,
To fight the great goat beast Girard unsheathed his sword,
“You cannot defeat me!” The great scapegoat did cry,
Said Girard “You can’t even eat me, with your head up so high”,

Girard then knew the answer, and tossed the weapon aside,
It was time to end the violence plaguing humans worldwide,
Girard explained to the goat, that they were now to befriend,
And then Girard ate him, a warm, chewy blend.

…It’s in poem format, so if you don’t quite understand something, just comment and I’ll explain it to you!

Cat’s with watermelon helmets own.

American Psycho Essay Outline
Note that these ideas will be tweaked, not all of these examples may be used, and other examples may be substituted.
Comments I’d like to receive:
- Some of my examples for my second and third reason seem better suited to the other reason, do you think any of my examples fit better with another reason?
- I think I’m going to explore differentiating between Nationalism and Patriotism a bit more. Would this add to my essay?
- Anything else you’d like to comment upon!

Thesis: Patrick Bateman’s violent crimes are in fact acceptable acts of patriotism.
Reason One: All of Bateman’s actions are an accepted part of HIS reality, as well as the reality of those around him.
Example One: Phenomenological Reality
-                “On a much broader and more subjective level, the private experiences, curiosity, inquiry, and selectivity involved in the personal interpretation of an event shapes reality as seen by one and only one individual and hence is called phenomenological. This form of reality might be common to others as well, but at times could also be so unique to oneself as to be never experienced or agreed upon by any one else.”

-    “One such belief is that there simply and literally is no reality beyond the perceptions or beliefs we each have about reality. Such attitudes are summarized in the popular statement, “Perception is reality” or “Life is how you perceive reality” or “reality is what you can get away with” (Robert Anton Wilson), and they indicate anti-realism – that is, the view that there is no objective reality, whether acknowledged explicitly or not.”
-    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality
Example Two: The State of Oblivion (just because they are oblivious to it, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening)
-     Novel Example: Oblivion is defined as a state of unawareness. This is the state that many of the people in this novel live in. As Bateman describes his daily activities, he often mentions people approaching him, saying hello, and then calling him by the wrong name.
-    It seems many of the key people in the novel do not know who Bateman is, including Paul Owen, a man Bateman works with and of whom Bateman is jealous because Owen has been assigned a coveted project at work. Owen believes, up to the moment of his death, that Bateman is another man named Marcus Halberstam.

Reason Two:  Violent actions, thoughts, etc. are indeed patriotic and explore what it means to be nationalist.
Example One: Nationalism divides individuals based on values and principles. A yuppie and a hooker or a yuppie and a homeless person do not share the same principles.
-    “Nationalists define individual nations on the basis of certain criteria, which distinguish one nation from another; and determine who is a member of each nation. These criteria typically include a shared language, culture, and/or shared values which are predominantly represented within a specific ethnic group. National identity refers both to these defining criteria, and to the shared heritage of each group.”
-    Novel example: Any time Bateman killed a hooker or homeless person…
-    Alternate novel example: Bateman going out to kill a Chinese man just because he’s Chinese and murdering ‘the wrong type of Asian’.
Example Two: Patriotism does not require the individual to agree with all aspects of the country, involves an individual responsibility to fellow citizens and can be compared with racism.
-        “Patriotism does not require one to agree with everything that his country does and would actually promote analytical questioning in a quest to make the country the best it possibly can be.”[6]
-    “In both ancient and modern visions of patriotism, individual responsibility to fellow citizens is an inherent component of patriotism.”
-    “Contemporary scholar of ethics, Paul Gomberg, has compared patriotism to racism. He argues that the primary implication of patriotism in ethical theory is that a person has more moral duties to fellow members of the national community, than to non-members.”
-    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotism
-    Novel Example: Bateman does not agree that certain individuals should be alive in his country, and has a moral duty to the fellow members of America to rid America of them.

Reason Three: Bateman’s actions indeed correlate to those accepted (or ignored) by American society, thus proving that Bateman’s actions are happening and that they are welcomed.
Example one: Moral relativism (I may also go into cultural relativism)
-    “moral relativism is the position that moral or ethical propositions do not reflect objective and/or universal moral truths, but instead make claims relative to social, cultural, historical or personal circumstances. Moral relativists hold that no universal standard exists by which to assess an ethical proposition’s truth; moral subjectivism is thus the opposite of moral absolutism. Relativistic positions often see moral values as applicable only within certain cultural boundaries (cultural relativism) or in the context of individual preferences (moral subjectivism). An extreme relativist position might suggest that judging the moral or ethical judgments or acts of another person or group has no meaning.”
-    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_relativism

-    “Cultural relativism is the view that social issues such as morality are not absolute, but at least partially cultural artifact.”
-    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality

Example Two:  If America can go to war to protect the country why can’t it fight its internal enemies?
-    “As an ideology, nationalism holds that ‘the people’ in the doctrine of popular sovereignty is the nation, and that as a result only nation-states founded on the principle of national self-determination are legitimate. Since most states are multinational, or at least home to more than one group claiming national status,[3] the pursuit of this principle has often led to conflict, and nationalism is commonly associated with war (both external and domestic), secession, and even genocide in contexts ranging from imperial conquest to struggles for national liberation.”

-    Quote from EX 1… “And/or shared values which are predominantly represented within a specific ethnic group. National identity refers both to these defining criteria, and to the shared heritage of each group.”
-    Novel example: Bateman going out to kill a Chinese man just because he’s Chinese and murdering ‘the wrong type of Asian’.
-    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism

Conclusion:
Because Batemans actions are an accepted part of both reality and culture he is in fact performing a great and noble duty, in killing all that hinder his country (even if that’s not the reason why he does it).

Psychological…
I am in the early stages of my first ISU, meaning that my computer is filled with random quotes, internet blurbs, and pages of things that I think are important. What I am about to do is to try and jot down what I know for certain, which in my current state, isn’t much.
The basis for my thesis (not yet formalized):
Patrick Bateman possesses both characteristics emphasized by the novel’s title. He is an American, and as an American does what all members of all Nations must do which is to stand up for his country. Patrick Bateman is also psychotic, but aren’t we all a little psychotic. In a frighteningly twisted kind of way every single crime he commits in the novel is an act of patriotism.
What I must cover:
-    All of Bateman’s killings are real and NOT in his mind.
o    Phenomenological reality.
o    Anti- Realism.
o    Idealism.
-    What it is to be a ‘patriot’. Words shall be twisted.
-    Relating Bateman’s actions as such.
o    Cultural relativism.
o    Moral relativism.
…Reality.

Would you like to hear today’s specials?

Ignoring the fact that Christian Bale is a god, it became one of my faveorites instantly because of it’s creepy yet attractive storyline and the surprising fact that…

I actually like the serial killer.

I’m not saying that I’d be best friends with the guy but as a protagonist Pat Bateman is pretty effing cool.

During the summer I picked up the novel at chapters and immediately fell in love with the character once again, as I remembered some of my faveorite moments from the film.

I love the parts of the book when he blatently tells people that he’s a serial killer but no one’s listening or cares. They are funny and yet sad. Which makes me love them.

However, I did encounter one aspect of the novel that I did not expect having only seen the film and knowing nothing of the actual literature.

This book is probably the most gorey book I’ve ever read.

I’m saying this as someone who loves the gore, lives for the stuff. Pretty much every movie that I love is gory. When I was younger I aspired to be an assassin for goodness sakes.

But when I read some of the scenes in the novel they actually made me body hurt. I had a physical reaction to reading some of it.

You know how when a guy watches another guy get kicked in the groin it physically hurts them?

This novel is 10 times worse in that effect if you’re a female.

After my initial shock had subsided I learned to love these scenes, as creepy as that may sound the book truly does need to get that gross.

The overall effect of the main character loosing touch with reality and his “self” wouldn’t be as evident without them.

After reading a few of the murder scenes and a few of the day-to-day life scenes you get a really sweet sence of how messed up this person is; which is awesome.

In conclusion: I would definetly recommend this book to anyone who can take it. This is a warning, if you’re easily grossed out don’t read it.

But if you find it effing awesome (homefully not in a creepy serial killer kind of way) then this is deffinetly the novel for you.

Then go watch the movie.

Because Christian Bale is a god.

Mmm Mmm!

Not if you want to keep your spleen.

YAWWWWW….

Accountability Agreement

Focus: What do you want to accomplish in this class?

Read a book from my long list of books that I want to read…and write an essay on it!

Receive at least 90% on each essay handed in.

Ensure that each presentation given in class is done in a different style than the previous; while keeping them interesting!

Contributions: What contributions will you make to this class this semester?

Through blog comments I will contribute book recommendations, whit, and willingly edit any essay (I love editing).

A blog that isn’t purely “the work that is to be handed in” that day. I will try to add book quotes, questions, and whatever else to make commenting it easier.

My leadership qualities and creativity (in group work). I always try to make my group presentations different so that people will actually want to listen to them.

Accountabilities: For what behaviours will you be held responsible?

1. A daily dose of sarcasm.

2. keeping my blog updated even though I hardly ever go on the computer.

3. Taking peoples criticism into account (in terms of the work posted on my blog).

4. Not doing all of the work when in a group by assigning due dates and tasks. In essence, reluctantly, trusting others and separating the work load.

5. Recieving at least one of the bonus marks from class. I always intend to…but never do.

Supports: What help and from whom will you need in order to achieve your accountabilities?

1. My group members for any project. If they want to do more work, they need to speak up.

2. I will need support from Kenny to allow me at least a few moments of time on the weekend to update my blog.

3. My mom will need to support my blogging by pulling herself away from the computer for a few moments each weekend in order to allow me the time to write.

4. I will need support from my friends (Ilayda, Jayme, etc.) within the classroom to comment on my blog entries.

Measurements: How will you know what success looks like?

1. My grade of at least 90%

2. Group members that don’t hate me.

3. At least one positive comment on each essay posted.

Consequences: How should you be rewarded if you succeed? How should you be punished?

1. My reward will be my grade of 90%.

2. My punishment for not allowing any of my group members to participate will be a stern talking from one of them.

3. My punishment for failing to meet my desired grade will be sadness and disappointment.

…WWWNNN.