Posts from Memory Lane: Why Analysis is a Form of Love

These posts were written during the summer while I was in Bangladesh, in preparation for the upcoming academic year. Long story short: when I looked back at the archive, I didn't have the desire or the time to put them up. But now, since I'm coming back to the blog, I decided that some of them aren't half bad. Read on!

I love video games. And televised sports. And stand-up comedy. And any other number of media goodies that can be watched, heard, read, or played. But, what I don't love is the continued sexism and racism that I see in these media forms.

More often than not, I find myself unconsciously analyzing any media I take in - for instance, how much camera time a black tennis player got in comparison to a white tennis player during Wimbledon - and pointing out the critique. I'm not exactly silent about these observations, but for some people that takes away from the experience. They think I'm "reading too much into it," or I'm "taking away from the fun/action." Basically, they tell me to keep my comments to myself as much as possible.

Research Update: Layers of Analysis

I'm coming up on the end of my stay here in Bangladesh, and I must admit that it's been a very up and down ride. High points (like learning Bengali, spending time with family, seeing amazing locales, shopping, learning a lot) and low points (like getting your arm partially eaten by a cockroach - literally the worst). But one thing that has been consistent throughout is the work I've been doing, not only on my own projects, but on my larger goal of researching perceptions of madness/mental illness.