A Brave New Beautiful

Doc 1

The document under study is an article from the New York Times published in 2024. This article introduces the famous actor Timothée Chalamet. He is described as being different from traditional male actors. In fact, he is described as being skinny, lightweight, pale. He does not really meet the standards masculine. His masculine power comes from his personality and his acting. He is the opposite of mainstream beauty standards because he is not imposing with and big muscles and golden skin.

The journalist is giving an unflattering description of Chalamet, he seems not to agree with this new trend.

Doc 2

The document under study is an article from the BBC published in 2021. It is about the famous K-pop band, BTS. The document present a vision of masculinity that looks more feminine, indeed, these singers have more feminine faces, they use Korean skincare, they color their hair with vibrant colors, plus they use make-up. They are different from beauty standards for men, because usually men are not expected to use make-up, or dye their hair with gaudy colors.

Nowadays, there are more and more Asian models in the model industry, it is a sign of progress and acceptance.

Doc 3

The document under study is an article from the Guardian published in 2020. It is about a man that has been body-shamed in a shop because of his weight. He created a body-positive blog to prevent this type of discrimination. This document represents a vision of masculinity where men should be muscular and thin. However, Kelvin Davis does not correspond to the expected beauty standards. There is still some progress to be made so that everyone should be accepted as they are to avoid any rejection because of their differences.

 Homework: Learn the lesson.

-Compare the three representations of masculinity. What do they have in common?

-To what extent can representation in the media (film, social meida, etc...) help people change the way they evaluate beauty?

Do not forget to bring a selfie to class on Tuesday, November 4th for a written production.

Enjoy your vacation! 😊

A Brave New Beautiful

Doc 1:

The document under study is an article from the New York Time published in 2024. It presents an interesting vision of masculinity: the focus is not on the body, he has an angular jaw, he is really thin and his masculinity is represented by his personality and his way of acting. In fact, he differs from mainstream beauty standards because they look for muscular and well-built men such as Chris Evans or Hugh Jackman, they represent traditional masculinity, contrary to Timothée Chalamet.

The journalist seems pretty judgmental, he is saying that his “flopsy curls tumble like overcooked fusilli”. He seems pretty anchored in the traditional version of masculinity.

Doc 2

The document under study is an article from the BBC published in 2021. It is about K-pop artists as models. This article introduces the famous music band: BTS. Beauty standards for men in East Asia is characterized by androgynous men, with colored hair and wearing make-up. Moreover, they look more feminine. They are completely different from the Western beauty standards such as Leonardio DiCaprio or Brad Pitt who look more masculine as it is expected from the society. Nowadays, in the model industry, there are more and more Asian models. People are progressively accepting the changes.

Doc 3

The document under study is an article from the Guardian published in 2020. It is about Kelvin Davis who created a men’s-body-positive blog. Unfortunately, he was body-shamed in front of all of the clients in a shop because of his weight. This version shows us a different aspect of masculinity one where muscle is not required to be attractive.

The society still needs to progress because sizes in some clothes store do not have the size he would need.  Moreover,  the sheer number of subscribers in his blog and on Instagram makes us realize that a lot of young men are touched by this problem.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

-Compare the three representations of masculinity. What do they have in common?

-To what extent can representation in the media (film, social meida, etc...) help people change the way they evaluate beauty?

Do not forget to bring a selfie to class on Tuesday, November 4th for a written production.

Enjoy your vacation! 😊

Pretty Hurts

The document under study is a song from the famous African-American singer Beyoncé, entitled “Pretty Hurts”, released in 2014. In her video clip, she is participating in Beauty contest/pageant. We see her getting ready to be on stage with other candidates. All the contestants are very rude and violent to one another because of the stress of the competition. Moreover, they are envious, jealous, and hypocrites to one another. There is a strong rivalry. Eventually, they feel lonely and depressed. In her song, Beyoncé is denouncing the bad aspects of beauty standards mentally and physically. In the limelight/spotlight, we can see beautiful women, but in the backstage, these same women are suffering. According to her, you need to take care of yourself mentally and accept who you are so that you can live your life peacefully.

To conclude, her song is a political statement addressed to the beauty industry. The society should help little girls to appreciate themselves as they are.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

How Music Changes Society

The document under study is a web article published in 2019. It deals with how music influences societies and people’s lives. It shows how songs are a mirror to the world to help and encourage people to act differently with one another. Nowadays, thanks to new technologies, music can reach more and more people. Thanks to the Internet, there are no barriers, everyone can have access to any music at a lower price. Moreover, music is away to help people to forge their identity as it encourages individuals to have their own opinion about what is going on around them and in the world.

For example, through her music, Beyoncé enrolls herself in the Black Lives Matter movement by denouncing police brutality suffered by the black community. On top of that, she is also dealing with the disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina.

To conclude, The Beatles during the 60s were a way to encourage people to think outside the norm, the mainstream culture, because the music they were producing and the way they were producing it was countercultural and it was not included in the mainstream culture at the time.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for the Reading Comprehenion on the Theme of the Chapter: Tuesday November 4th.

Be ready for the Oral Comprehenion on the Theme of the Chapter: Tuesday, November 18th.

The Making of Motown

The document under study is a trailer for the documentary the making of Motown released in 2019. Many famous African-American artists are introduced such as The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes. We have learned Barry Gordy wanted to create his own music label as he got knocked out/rejected every time he would present his project. In fact, he was rejected by the mainstream culture therefore he decided to create his own label. Moreover, at the time white and black artists were not paid the same, as a result he wanted to bridge the gap between group and introduce equal pay for everyone. It is interesting to note that, at the time in the 60s, they were using real instruments to record and make their music unlike nowadays artists use machines and even AI to do so.

The sign that showed that they were successful at the time is that they had 5 records on the music charts. As a consequence, they decided to go on a tour to promote their artists. Nevertheless, on tour in the South, the audience was segregated: black and white people were separated by a rope. Gordy asked for the rope to be removed other wise his artists would not perform. Indeed, the spirit of his label was that music had no color as everyone can feel it.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for the Final Task : Monday, November 3rd

The making of Motown

The document under study is a trailer for the documentary “The Making of Motown”, that was released in 2019. We have learned that Motown produced famous African-American artists such as Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, Diana Ross… The reason why Barry Gordy wanted to create his own music label was because he was rejected by the mainstream music label at the time. As a result, he decided to create his own label. It is interesting to note that at the time, in the 60s, they used to use real instruments to record their songs, contrary to nowadays, artists use machines even AI to create and records their songs.

Motown was really successful at the time as they had 5 records on the music charts, hence they decided to go on a tour.

Nevertheless, on tour, in the South, in the audience, Blacks and Whites were separated. Upon seeing that, Gordy refused his artists to perform. He asked for the rope to be removed. Indeed, according to him music has no color, everyone can feel the music and it is meant to unite people.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for the Final Task : Monday, November 3rd

(At the following of what we di last time)

 For Dorian, it is a breathtaking and outstanding portrait, making him obsessed with his own beauty. He is mesmerized, in awe, in admiration by his own beauty. He is captivated. However, he has negative thoughts and feelings, because this portrait makes him aware of his own mortality. Indeed, someday, he will grow old and will lose his beauty.

To conclude, it is striking that he falls in love with himself, he is narcissistic (self-centered, selfish). One may think that he is actually terrified by the idea of the ephemeral nature of beauty. The message is that one should accept their mortality and be happy with what they already have (contentment).

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

They are discovering it for the first time. Dorian seems to be falling in love with his own portrait. Upon seeing it, he is captivated, shaken by his beauty, mesmerized, in awe, in admiration in front of his portrait. He is amazed by himself. The piece of art is breathtaking for him. Nevertheless, he also goes through negative thoughts and feelings because he is becoming aware that his beauty will fade away as he will grow old. Moreover, the painting makes him aware of his own mortality.

To conclude, what is striking is that the fact that he falls in love with himself is completely narcissistic. One may say that he seems to be more scared about losing his beauty than dying.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Can we Autocorrect Humanity?

The document under study is a video form YouTube, created by Prince Ea in 2014. It is about the negative impact of the excessive use of new technologies and social media that can lead to a lack of humanity in our interactions (it is dehumanizing). In fact, our connected devices make us miss our real lives and our real relationships. Indeed, we no longer know how to communicate with one another. We have become antisocial.

Self-worth is our values, how we see ourselves and care for ourselves. However, through social media the number of followers and “likes” unfortunately have defined our self-worth.

To conclude, we cannot autocorrect humanity because everyone should decide to change their habits. For example, one should stop taking pictures of their meals and just enjoy it. Meet more friends in the real life and stop taking videos and pictures of every moment, one should enjoy them fully.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Can we autocorrect Humanity

The document under study is a video posted on YouTube, by the famous youtuber Prince Ea in 2014. It is about the relationship between humanity and screens. In fact, he is denouncing the excess and the abuse of social media and new technologies in our lives. According to the author, they are dehumanizing.

Indeed, by being glued to our phones, being dedicated to our virtual lives, we are actually losing our real life relationships and connections.

Moreover, self-worth, that is the way that we define ourselves or our own personal values, has become the number of “likes” and followers.

To conclude, unfortunately, we cannot autocorrect humanity because everyone is responsible to act in order to change their habits. Indeed, we have the choice and the willpower to change. For example, we can try to stop using abbreviation, meet in real life and stop taking pictures and videos of everything but live the moment for real to fully enjoy it.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 A Young Man’s Portrait

The document under study is an extract from a novel entitled “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, written by Oscar Wilde in 1891.

In this extract, there are 3 characters: Lord Henry, a friend of Dorian, Dorian Gray, the eponymous protagonist who is discovering his portrait painted by Basil Hallward.

(We will continue the study of the text next time. Be ready!)

Homework: Read the text and be ready to sum up the main ideas with the guided questions you received in class.

Be ready! 

 Look Up!

The document under study is a video entitled “Look Up”, it is about the excess and the abuse of new technologies and social media in our daily lives. It is a realistic video because we are all addicted to our phones. As a consequence, we can even miss great opportunities for our lives.

The author is encouraging the viewers to stop being glued to their screens, to go outside and to enjoy their free time with friends and family in the real life. In fact, we are getting dumb because of our addiction to our smartphones. In addition, this situation can have an impact on children who are the next generation. Indeed, when they see their parents glued to their screens, this activity becomes normalized for them when they should go outside more to play and explore the real world.

Homework: learn the lesson.

 Aspirational

The document under study is a short film entitled Aspirational published in 2016. We can see Kirsten Dunst, a famous American actress who played in iconic movies such as Spiderman, Jumanji, Marie-Antoinette… We can see her leaving her house, she called an Uber to meet with some friends. While she is waiting for her Uber, two girls recognized her, stop their car and get off their car to start taking selfies with Dunst without even asking for her permission. The girls are overjoyed and excited by this encounter as they immediately post their pictures on their social media pages to brag/boast. Besides, they are narcissistic, as they dare to ask Dunst to tag them in order to use her fame to win more likes and followers. They are proud and careless.

On the other hand, Kirsten feels embarrassed, confused, shocked, astonished, disgusted, desolated, stunned by their behavior, as it really shows how this generation is obsessed with their self-image.

To conclude, one should be able to enjoy the moment without taking pictures of it. To be famous is not easy as people will always try to take advantage of celebrities’ notoriety for themselves.

Homework: Learn the lesson

 Motown: The Music that Changed America

The document under study is an article from the BBC website published in 2019, written by Arwa Haider. It deals with the history of the famous African-American music label Motown.

We have learned that Berry Gordy created Tamla Records in 1959 that became Motown Record Corporation the next year. This music label produced iconic African-American artists such as Diana Ross, Steve Wonder, the Jackson 5… It was an influential label back then because it gained its identity with iconic artists with their proper styles. Moreover, the label helped them develop their talents. Besides, Motown had an impact on the music industry and inspired the rest of the world in its method. On top of that, Motown still impacts the music industry nowadays. In fact, contemporary artists such as drake sampled the famous songs produced by this label at the time to create original songs nowadays. It is very trendy today among American artists.

It is interesting to note that the name “Motown” is a portmanteau word that corresponds to the nickname of the city of Detroit “Motor Town” where the label was created.

At the time, this music label was countercultural as it was exclusively composed of a multicultural staff in an era when America was socially divided.

To conclude, music was always important for the producer because it has the power to unite and gather people together to a common passion.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

What about us?

The document under study is a video clip for P!nk’s single entitled “What about us” released in 2017. In the clip, America is depicted as a broken country. People look disappointed, sad, betrayed and oppressed by the government. They seem to have a form of distrust towards the government. In fact, the pronoun “we” refers to the American people who feel lonely, unheard and left behind. On the contrary, the pronoun “you” is used to mention the American government who seems to be careless towards its people.

Through her song, P!nk wants to raise awareness on the situation. Moreover, the phrase “God Bless America” that we can hear at the beginning of the video is paradoxical, because from her video, America does not seem to be really blessed in reality : it is chaotic, destroyed and divided. Therefore, she wants to encourage people to stand up for their rights and rebel as whole. Finally, she is also addressing the government, telling them to act again by keeping their promises and fixing their mistakes.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

What about us?

The document under study is video clip for P!nk’s single entitled “What about us”, released in 2017. In this video, America is depicted being in chaos, divided. People look sad and disappointed. They feel oppressed by a corrupt government. They feel left behind. In fact, in her song, the pronoun “we” refers to the American population while/whereas the pronoun “you” refers to the American administration.

At the beginning of the video, we can hear an American governor saying “God Bless America”, nevertheless, it is paradoxical because in reality people do not feel blessed by a government who betrayed them.  Indeed, politicians did not respect their promises. P!nk wants to denounce the injustices the American people had to go through/were suffering from. Hence, through her song, she wants to encourage people to stand up and fight for their rights as a whole. Finally, she is addressing to the government to make them react and honor their promises through fixing their mistakes.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Unit 1: Look at me now!

How do your appearnce and self-image mirror your personality?

Axe 1: Representation of Self and relationships with Others

Unit 1: Look at me now!

How do your appearnce and self-image mirror your personality?

Axe 1: Representation of Self and relationships with Others