First Impressions

The first day of a new semester is always interesting for a student. For the most
part, it's a day of getting readjusted and getting back into the swing of homework,
exams, projects and all other form of academic activities. Of course, there is also that
dreaded time of walking into a classroom and sitting in awkward silence waiting for the
professor to come in. For the most part, my first days of new classes at CSUN have
been exactly like this, (save for the courses I take towards my major. I know almost
everybody there!) So far, one exception was when I stepped into this somewhat small
room in the Jerome Richfield building. First of all, there were a couple of people I
already knew and recognized. Second, the minute Professor Wexler stepped inside, all
that first-day awkwardness flew out the door. I would venture to say that it was one of
the best first days of class I've ever experienced.
We immediately delved right into the material. Our first assignment was to watch two
clips from two very different films, ("Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy"
and "Fatal Attraction,") and observe how women are portrayed in contemporary media.
To begin with, both stories are told from a male perspective. Also, both films showed
women as being weaker than their male counterparts, which, to me, was no surprise.
The United States is, like many nations in the West, a male-dominated society. For
centuries, the woman has always been viewed to be weaker and more submissive than
the man. This has always amused me, for it is women that go through the most as far as
the human body is concerned. They are the ones who go through menstruation and
childbirth. That is most certainly commendable. Most men I know would complain,
saying that they'd NEVER be able to endure such pain as that. So much for men being
the "stronger" ones.
Overall, I had a wonderful time analyzing the films and found the materials covered
this week to be very fascinating. I look forward to the upcoming weeks!