The Institution By Maria

Omelas

Pregnant Boys

Selected, The Iron Wall

Author Maria Mateo Unveils Her Writing Secrets

Honey Boo Boo 1

Table of Contents Page 4 Pages

Preview: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Best Reads

6-7 Page

Pregnant Boys?

8 Page

Writing Secrets

9-10 Pages 12-21

Pages 23-25

Selected: The Iron Wall Exclusive Here Come the Stereotypes

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The topic of my op-ed essay will be on the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on the channel The Learning Channel, which reinforces “redneck” stereotypes. This reality show is particularly about the “redneck” family of Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson. Alana is a second grader living in her rural hometown of McIntyre, Georgia with her loving family. The episodes of the show mainly incorporate the family’s daily activities including cooking, fund raising and appreciating life with one another. Although these activities seem harmless and even a little sweet, the show repetitively enforces stereotypes about “rednecks”. The show illustrates the family participating in activities that are uncivil, and possibly even dangerous for the children in the family. For as long as the show has been on the air there has been little to no acknowledgment of the well-educated and hardworking individuals in the community.

Throughout my essay, I will make the argument that the TV show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reinforces stereotypes about “rednecks” and I will use various examples from the show to support my argument. I will be focusing my argument on the stereotype “redneck” are uncivilized and uneducated. I will do this by drawing numerous examples from various episodes in which we see the family acting in a manner that is less then what is expected of a family in the twenty first century. I will closely analyze the family’s dietary habits, etiquette, and extra-curricular activities and question how their behavior affects the ideas of the public. With my essay I plan to shed light on the misleading information put forth by the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and encourage people to stop watching a show that labels a great population of people as uncivilized and uneducated.

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Best reads: “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” As the short story “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas ”

by Ursula Le Guin, begins, a marvelous world is created for the reader to enjoy. This world is of a potential utopia which is formed within the first few paragraphs. The speaker illustrates a place where everyone is cheerful, celebrating a festival. The speaker even goes as far as allowing the reader to have an input in the building of this perfect world.

After the seemingly flawless world has been made the speaker shows us a part of this world that is not so joyful. The speaker illustrates a dark room in which a child lives, this child must be in eternal agony for the other citizens of Omelas to be able to enjoy life.

In the section that begins by saying “Often the young people go home in tears, or in a tearless rage, …” and ends with “They know that if the wretched one were not there sniveling in the dark, the other one, the fluteplayer, could make no joyful music as the young riders line up in their beauty

for the race in the sunlight of the first morning of summer.” The speaker describes how the citizens within the story are very irritated with what is happening to this poor child. “They may brood over it for weeks or years.”

But, with time people start to believe that it’s for the child’s own good. That he is “is too degraded and imbecile to know any real joy. It [the child ] has been afraid too long ever to be free of fear.” The citizens are deliberately trying to forget about this kid and move on with their lives. They purposefully ignore the child’s memories; that the child does know of better things. In an earlier section of the story the child calls to the people who have come see him “I will be good… please let me out I will be good!” Making it clear that the child does remember a place outside the room, but when considering the child to not know anything better this is over looked.

Through the use of this5

short story Ursula Le Guin comments on our society and how we build our own “Omelas” ignoring all that this wrong with our society. Throughout this section specifically, Le Guin comments on how people are phased by horrible things, but over time we deliberately forget, or justify these events to make life easier for ourselves. In our society many people get mad or even sad as the citizens of Omelas did, after

experiencing something that opens our eyes to new terrible things.

She comments on how sometimes it becomes a burning thought in the back of our heads for day weeks or possibly years. Over time, the majority of people forget and move on. Le Guin is not trying to change the world or produce some kind of humanitarian revolution, she simply wants us to notice what we as a society are doing and take it upon ourselves to become better.

What do our readers have to say?

“What an amazing tale!

I am really glad I read it, though the imagery and the social and philosophical writing was very heart-wrenching, and/but eye opening indeed, as well.”

Jessica B. 6

My rhetorical analysis will be done on the controversial pregnant male ads. The ads were released by the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Office of Adolescent and School Health to get teens to consider the consequences of having unprotected sex. The ads were also released to show that female participants should not be the only ones to suffer, because of teen pregnancies. The department’s goal is to get the attention of the general public, especially teenagers making them recognize the problems with teen pregnancy. From this the department wishes that the public stops accepting teenage pregnancy as a normal thing and takes steps toward stopping teen pregnancy.

I will be analyzing how the ads show that teenage pregnancies are increasing, as well as the tolerance for teen pregnancy at alarming rates. I will partially focus on the pathos presented within the photos, for example, the facial expressions and the body language being conveyed by the young men. These expressions are very much like those a young female would display when she has an unplanned pregnancy. Furthermore, I will deliberate on the setting of the image, specifically how it exemplifies an area that is underprivileged. I must acknowledge that

areas like these have the greatest percentage of pregnant teens. Lastly, I will comment on the quotes fixed in front of the images. The quotes “Unexpected? /Most teen pregnancies are.” and “It shouldn’t be any less disturbing when it’s a girl” appeal to the logical and ethical side of individuals. These remarks brings reality back into the picture for the viewer making a connection between an impossible scenario to what is seen on a daily bases.

I will also be working to show that these ads would not be as scandalous if there were a pregnant sixteen year old girl on these same images. The world has been desensitized to such things and is starting to accept teen pregnancy as a part of modern day life. Through the use of sex change the department is trying to rekindle the displeasure once found in teen pregnancy by the public eye. Now that there are males being shown pregnant people are troubled and are noting that no type of teen pregnancy should be 7 accepted.

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Writing Secrets As the 2013 fall semester comes to a close I don’t feel like I’ve undergone a great change as a writer, but I have had a great improvement in the way I prepare myself to write an essay.

Throughout my writing career I always wrote a lot first and then organized it, which always left me with essays full of good ideas, but the ideas were placed badly throughout the essay. These essays were often hard to follow and I would get poor grades because of this. This semester I was able to take a step in the correct direction and learn to plan out my ideas and decide which were valuable before writing my essays. This also helped me stay on track with what I wanted to say, and not go on random endless tangents. This semester I also learned the value of time management regarding essay writing. The difference in my grade was very noticeable when comparing essays in which I gave myself plenty of time to finish and revise it as opposed to those started the day before it was due.

For my genre change I decided to use my rhetorical essay, turning it into a story entitles Selected: The Iron Wall. I used my rhetorical essay for my genera change, because I saw a lot of potential in the rhetorical essay to be changed into many genera, for example I originally planned to write a speech, but then I got lazy.

But this laziness was not all bad because I concluded that I wanted to write a story because I was lazy and pick the group that was closest to me during the group work, which was the story writing group. I am not sure how exactly I decided to write this story, I had a few friends help me with the idea but that story included shrimp spelt “shrip” and pregnant men and the babies the pregnant men were carrying were supposed to participate in No Shave November. I did not go with

these ideas and don’t recall how exactly I can to the idea I did use.

The best way that I found to develop this story was talking it out with one of my friends, I made her listen to way too many different ways the story would turn out. I also narrated the story to myself, which also helped a lot in the development of this story.

Furthermore, during the process of writing my story I tried to incorporate things I’ve noticed in the novels and short stories I’ve read throughout school and personal time. One of the things I made a key note of when writing this story was that authors don’t normally state things as they are, for example instead of saying the man was sad a writer would describe the person. Many writers allow their audience to conclude things that could be simply put, and I think this makes the reads remember the stories or text that do this because in a way the reader is participating in the story.

I chose to rework my Op-ed because I had no other option, but it came down to the oped or the ethnography. I chose the one that I at least knew what was supposed to be done. Rethinking my Op-ed was much harder than I thought it would be, I spent a lot of time just rereading my essay, watching reruns of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo episodes and reading multiple outside material trying to decide what to do with the paper. Out of my whole essay I decided to only recycle the introduction because it was the only part that was savable, writing a completely new essay apart from the introduction was the only way to go so that is what I did.

It was much harder this time around to write the essay on the same topic because I knew what didn’t

work, so I had to dispose of many of the ideas that once seemed great. Then I had to think of new things that would have to be incorporated into my paper to make it truly good, together with revised versions of my old essay. It was especially hard to stay away from making the same arguments as I did before because last time I basically drilled them into my head. Though I went through many ups and downs while writing my essay I found that having something to look at that I decided to write on made it easier to stay away from the arguments I made in my first attempt at this essay.

Overall I feel that I could have done things better and if I would

have managed my time better I would have gotten much better grades. I recognized coming into the semester writing essays a few hours before they are due is not anything near a good idea, but I found myself doing it anyway.

Another thing I learn was how to ask questions. In high school I would get an assignment and even if I was unclear on what to do, I usually “winged it,� turning in what I thought I was supposed to be doing. This method was clearly a bad idea and I have been able to break myself out of that habit to an extent, but I’m still working on it. I have a long way to from becoming a great or even good writer, but I feel that the small steps I have taken this semester will help me go very far.

The Iron wall 11

An Institution Magazine only Maria will give us an exclusive look at her new book, Selected, The Iron wall

Exclusive

The Earth has made many trips around the sun and many have come and gone, since the kingdom was last given the gift of life. But soon the sweet sound of children’s little feet running down the halls of the palace, screaming with joy as they play steal the flag and hide and go seek, will return to our world.

From all over the kingdom young ladies are brought to present their offspring as potential kings and queens. We look for the best possible candidates disregarding social class or money, as far as we are concerned no one needs to know where these children have come from, nor how much money their family had, they will one day be great and should be respected as so. One will be our ruler and no one can stop this from being so, it has been done this way for many generations. We must have the best of the best rulers on Earth despite those who want to change what we believe. It is time for the Selection to begin and this one will be ever so grand. My ninth birthday just past and I had to leave the academy I am a woman they say and I have to act like it at all times and I really wish I could but it hurts so very bad I don’t want to be a grown up no one really does but we do as. We are told and never argue and talk back we know better we all do It’s really not that bad this world we live in there are things we have to do and say and never. Forget but it could be worse I’ve heard of much worse and it makes me feel sad but there is nothing I could do.

Ave allows her mind to wonder into an uncharted land; she is quiet and soon falls in to a deep sleep. The best one she has had in weeks, not worrying about the Selection or the beating that the next day would bring, she sleeps. She dreams of the past and possible future, where there is no capital and no Selection. Where she could really be a child, she is young, one of four children, her family is sweet and humble, living life nickel to nickel and keeping the children safe. Safety that comes with a price, Aves makers Ms. and Mr. Anderson would beat her and her sister every single day.

Never stopping until they saw blood, what they understood to be a small price to pay for the safety of their children. They would pay any price to be able to keep their girls; they neglected, mistreated, and abused them. But nothing could save their little Ave. They often thought that if they were harder on her, made her stupider, and didn’t allow themselves to be affected by the cries of their children that they could have saved her. But, nothing could save Ave when Selection day came. She was smart, beautiful, a true joy and like dozens of other girls it was her turn to go.

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Ave allows her mind to wonder into an uncharted land; she is quiet and soon falls in to a deep sleep. The best one she has had in weeks, not worrying about the Selection or the beating that the next day would bring, she sleeps. She dreams of the past and possible future, where there is no capital and no Selection. Where she could really be a child, she is young, one of four children, her family is sweet and humble, living life nickel to nickel and keeping the children safe. Safety that comes with a price, Aves makers Ms. and Mr. Anderson would beat her and her sister every single day. Never stopping until they saw blood, what they understood to be a small price to pay for the safety of their children. They would pay any price to be able to keep their girls; they neglected, mistreated, and abused them. But nothing could save their little Ave. They often thought that if they were harder on her, made her stupider, and didn’t allow themselves to be affected by the cries of their children that they could have saved her. But, nothing could save Ave when Selection day came. She was smart, beautiful, a true joy and like dozens of other girls it was her turn to go.

As I wake the dream of the happy day goes away I must smile as the sun hugs me tight telling me that everything will be ok and the lovely dandelions. skip in circles dancing to the beat of my heart they skip faster and. Faster racing against the needles of time my heart threatens to explode but I don’t care I just want to hold on so very bad but it fades into the darkness and I’m back.

Ave wakes to the place one could only have nightmares about. She shuts her eyes and tries to not think of the dirt that has been claiming her body. The dirt has taken over the ground and walls. No one knows when the last time the Square Room was cleaned. Perhaps the room was not cleaned since the first Selection hundreds of years ago. The Square Room is the place where the girls are positioned when they are first designated to make royalty. It is infested with rats and roaches, which dominate the squares the majority of the year. Each girl is placed in a five by three feet personal square until all the selected girls arrive. There is no elegant furniture like beds or chairs for the girls have to show that they are strong and able to survive with only a solid roof over their heads and dependable ground under their feet. Many girls die here, but the guards seem to not care and go on with their jobs making sure none of the girls attempt to escape.

I hold back tears it is because of my tears that I am here in the first place I have cried for years and it has never done me any good when being beaten I cried asking for the end to come soon and my Mama and. Papa could not take the pain it caused them to see me cry Mama would pick me up and hold me tight telling me it had to be done and then there would always be music that came from the outer room where Makala was beating on trash cans and bottle tops taking out the pain of her own beaten that had only ended. A few minutes ago Makala knew not to cry not to ask Papa to stop she was strong that’s why she is home with our family and I am not.

After a few minutes, Ave is snapped out of her thoughts when she hears the voice of a very tall lady. She holds her head highly elevated and smiles, a smile that captures the hearts of the Selected. Everyone with a soul would sure be seduced with the slightest smirk, but for these lovely girls she displays every faultless tooth surrounded by her cherry kissed lips.

“Hello ladies, I am Kalish. No need to introduce yourself I know who you are, each and every one of you.” No one said a word and Kalish smiled once more, “perfect little angels, just the way I like them” she takes a good look at each of the girl and begins to say something but stops.

Instead she asks courteously for the girls to line up in height order, with her dazzling smile being displayed once more.

I wipe the tears that escaped my big girl mask off my face and do what I was told some of the other girls don’t want to do it and Kalish just smiles and says “good day my child may the love be with you.” As each word escapes her red lips an ice cold snake travels up my spine and settles in my heart the pain last a few seconds but I welcome it because it is now a part of me the only thing that I can call mine.

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Ave and the other obedient girls are taken away from the Square Room. They walk through gardens and halls of silver and ivory and pass great statues that watch them with pitiful eyes. When they meet their destination each girl is directed in to a separate chamber. Time goes by slowly as the screams and cries of the young victims proceed. Every once in a while the screams last more than a few minutes and ladies with the same smiles as Kalish come out of the chamber and stand outside of the chambers silently, each is tall and perfect. They are called the Dolls, those that could not produce, the ones that begged to stay, and the ones who watched as their children died in their hands at age nine or ten. They smile, but the bags under their eyes, the way they fight with their hands , and clothes, the way they look into the darkness that is only seen by them and their counterparts unveils the ugly truth.

The Dolls were once the Selected, the ones chosen because of their beauty, intelligence, and athleticism. They were supposed to make the rulers of Neeappooliss, but they failed. Many were simply not able to carry a child and the children would die during birth if not before.

Others would never even become pregnant, or create ugly children that had to be left to die. It was their own felt; they were promised freedom after creating the children, but they failed so their beauty is sentenced to be of the Kings for all their days. It is a simple task so simple that a seven year old could do it, why should women ages nine to twelve have any problem. The few who begged to stay were once astonished by the glamorous life of a Doll and cared very little about the possible consequences of being Dolls. They too found the horror behind the iron walls over the kingdom and now wish they could turn back time. After several minutes the Dolls reenter the chambers, the girls that were once there are gone. The Dolls clean and some even shed a few tears knowing where these girls would end up. No one wants leaders that are weak, yelling and screaming and these are the only kids these girls could produce, the girls are no longer needed and are sentence accordingly. Soon after all of the Dolls must leave like ghost, unnoticed.

I stand in my chamber waiting, the girl told me not to leave this room before being called or I will end my life I look around and see a mirror on the other side of the room I thought I was alone I want say hello but I am called to be. Presented I wave at her and she waves back at the exact same time she is beautiful I smile and smile and smile my cheeks hurt but I can’t stop this must be the girl’s doing but it is too late to fix this now this smile is permanent but I know smiles are good you can hide a world of lies tears and fears behind one kind smile.

As Ave steps in to the hall she has been transformed. As she steps into the bright lights wearing white and blue flowers in her hair, with a smile that could swindle millions to their death; she avoids looking at those before her and does everything her Doll told her to do. Her hair has been cut, colored and placed in positions that are timeless. Braids frame her face and each section is shaped to perfection. She steps forward and her dress follows obediently. The front of her dress is cut short showing off her legs that could take her miles away in only a few steps. As she turns the crowd is flabbergasted, her hair curls down her back meeting her revealingly low cut dress. White and silver strands of hair dance on the edge of dark clouds of bright blues, pinks and purples surrounding Ave. The dress hugs her perfectly then surrenders its grip as it approaches the sparkle of her diamond covered shoes.

Ave’s audience could only marvel at her beauty. As she finally begins to turn to face them, her smile is big surrounded by cherry kissed lips, her blue eyes shimmer in the light as she takes her final blow at her audience who must surrender their souls and await commands.

As I turn to face my audience I fight to hold on to my last breath I fight to hold on to everything I love I am not afraid my chest only burns with anger anger for each and every one of these people I was taught to love those greater than me to thank them for valuing my life but I cannot love those who have taken me away from my family education and friends but with hands tied behind my back I am hopeless.

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Ave looks into her audience and allows her prosthetic smile to brighten, her Doll told her to make them happy and that is what she plans to do. Ave’s audience loves it and she is then told to follow another Doll. The Doll smiles at Ave and Ave can only wonder what stories hide behind this smile. Ave searches but cannot see in to the Dolls world as the walls around her fall apart and demons capture her, forcing her into traps that slowly kill her.

Ave smiles back, only because her prosthetic smile demands her to. She is taken in into another room where she meets many other girls, some from squares next to hers and others she has never seen before. After all the girls enter the room, the glass doors close behind them and they stand in a room where there is food on a table that could run for miles. There are cakes of all shapes and sizes, fruits and treats as far as the eye can see. Kalish walks in and her smile is gone, her lips have shrank to fit a small round mouth. She gazes at the girls that have been gathered and treats them with a smile. A smile that is nothing like the girls have seen her use previously “ladies, congratulations you have made it. You are no longer just the Selected, you are more than beauty, you are the intelligent, brave, and strong” no girl made a sound “I know great isn’t it you are all much better then your counter parts and that is why one of you will birth the next king of Neeappooliss. No one asked but Kalish was quick to answer “why you? Because you are all young of age nine through twelve young and beautiful, with fresh fruit that is ready to be picked. We wouldn’t want our perfect little eggs to get old and go to waste would we?” Some of the girls begin to cry, but their prosthetic smiles hide their tears so well. Not even a skilled eye would ever be able to tell the truth behind these smiles. Kalish smiles one last human smile as she turns to leave. Then dozens of Dolls walk in and each stand next to a young lady without saying a word. A green light appears at the top of the glass door and they each turn to their girl and speak in low voices.

Ave cannot hear what any other Doll is saying but as the Doll in front of her bends to meet her, she asks “Would you like to stop smiling love?” Ave nods slowly and the Doll places a cold apparatuses onto her face like the one in the chambers. Soon the pain that Ave had forgotten about is gone. Ave relaxes her face and frowns deeply, her joy is overwhelming.

“Dear, there are some things I have to explain but first you eat. Eat everything and anything you want.”

The women steps back signaling to a chair around the large table I pick out an apple and bite into it Then make my way through pasta cheese juice cakes and so much more It is wonderful but the lady soon comes and pulls me away from the food “that is plenty dear, there will be more soon.” The lady starts to explain the next step of the Selection but I have to stop her soon as she starts I’m going to die they have been watching. Me for years every time I worked hard to pass a test or win a race they were watching and now I’m going to die “Ave, you will be fine it’s going to be ok You just have to have this baby and they will give you your freedom” Her words slap me across the face and it frightens the ice snake that was settled in my heart. It slithers back down my spine and it is gone the way it came my mouth has been speaking, or yelling and there is no way to stop it now “Freedom, if I have a child you will give me my freedom lies” I understand now I understand everything why these women are so beautiful so perfect I understand why there lives a deep pain behind their eyes “You were once Selected weren’t you? ANSWER ME please” 15

The Doll pulls Ave into her bosom, though she is no older then thirteen her chest is lifeless. Ave fights the comfort this should not be providing; pushing back she hits the Doll. But it is no use the Doll pulls her through the bronze double doors in the back of the room in an endless hug. Ave stops her struggle when they are clear of any other Selects, and Dolls. “Are you going to stop screaming stupid child?” Ave shakes her head slowly and starts to pull away. The Doll takes Ave’s hand and begins to walk down a long hall. They walk through doors, down a set of stairs and up another, down what looks like the same hall again and again. The Doll stops in front of a set of twin doors smiling at Ave as it opens. They walk into a metallic room, shimmering in the light of the halls. The door gently closes behind the girls and the Doll continues to turn on the lights revealing a lavender and silver room. Ave looks around her eyes glide over the bed, dining area, desk and monitors in this unknown place. The Doll has removed her own smile and looks at Ave allowing her mind to wonder of who Ave is and how she got here. The Doll would never ask, so she brings her mind back to business. “There is an abundance of fabric behind those doors over there” the Doll begins as she walks toward the sitting area, while pointing at a pair of doors in the far corner of the room. Come child you must learn quick, or you will never make it out of here. Ave joins her, secretly grateful that the Doll has choices the bean bags over the metallic chairs around the dining tables. “Ok Ave you must listen, quietly this time please. The Zeres can’t stand women who cry, scream, or act out” Ave sits back in her bean bag, slightly tipping her head over to one side. “Very well, over the next ten months you will be constantly supervised, the cameras placed there, there and there.” The doll points in three directions throughout the diameter of the room. Ave follows the Doll’s hand as she speaks.

As the Doll tells me about my wonderful life my brain takes a trip into a wonderful world where there is no Selection and I could be free soon my brain takes control of my ears and I am no longer able to hear the girl Later they return only to get my. Eyes they search the room but my eyes can’t find the freedom they wish for so I try and refocus when something traps my eyes not letting them return to the girl.

“This is not an invasion of your privacy; we just want to keep track of the child. As long as you do not try to harm the kingdoms child, you will be allowed to reside in this room with all this castle has to offer. There is a bathroom around the corner and if you are ever hungry; your wish is the cooks command” The Doll continues to mention what will happen over the next few months; the doctors, and the nurses that would have to come and make sure the baby is ok. The Doll tells her to eat anything and everything that she wants and about the changes in her body as the baby grows. Then she reassures her that everything would be ok that the doctors of this kingdom are the best and that other Selects don’t get this treatment.

I can’t keep hearing all day I want to ask but I am scared but I am scared of the answer. I’ve been sacred before but I have to learn someday may as well be now. “Hey” I stop the doll in the middle of her sentence “what is that?” I must know what is behind that beautiful wall and why there are such pretty stones on it it is so cooool.

The Doll follows Ave’s small finger fearing what she points at. As the Doll turns her head her fear is confirmed. The Doll takes a deep breath and collects her thoughts. She is baffled on 16 how to tell a kid what happens behind those iron gates. Behind the flowers that run around

joyful to decorate the passage from child to woman.

The Doll rips her eyes from what took away her childhood and focuses on Ave and getting her ready for what she will have to indoor behind that iron wall. “I think you know what is behind those doors dear” her voice is cold and is in a faraway place, but I understand now. The memory’s I left hidden in the back of my mind all come back and attack me. When I turned eight years old my makers pulled me apart from my sister and brothers and had our illisaytion. Every girl has to go through it when they turn eight, I was scared but Mama and Papa told me everything they knew about the Selection and the iron wall. Like many others Mr. and Mrs. Anderson knew very little about the Selection, but when a girl turned eight each maker had to tell them all they knew about the Selection, because no one ever knew when a new Selection would take place. They told stories of women who were selected and never returned home, some stay to be Dolls or “high class prostitutes, who don’t get paid” as they called them. In part this is true some girl did remain as Dolls to serve the palace or where obligated to stay because of their inability to produce perfection. Many others committed suicide after being released, but most died in birth, during pregnancy or were killed during the stages of endorsement.

I have to look away from the have to look away from the girl I don’t want to remember those times “Can I go to bed now please?” I ask without turning to see her “Of course dear” she stands and shows me to my bed she undresses me and helps me into a nightgown I clime in to bed and close my eyes I want the sun to hug me and flowers to dance to the sound of my heart I wait for hours but they don’t come so I take comfort in my bed of tears and begin to walk away from here I walk in to the darkness reaching for my release but my search is hopeless.

The next morning Ave wakes to an unknown smell, the chef has been busy. He cooked a buffet breakfast for the Selects and Zeres. She begins to make her way out of bed and is quickly stopped by the Doll. “No dear, you stay in bed you must get your rest.” The Doll proceeds to open her closet and rampage through dresses, pants and shirts, then she turns to Ave holding three of her picks in her hands. “I’ve picked what I think would suit you best” she smiles but Ave only stares back. “Ok then how about this one?” she pulls a black dress from behind her, embedded there are pink jewels that cuddle the neck lines the in the shoulders of the dress. The doll turns the dress around and shows Ave the see through back piece decorated with small diamonds that that sparkle as the Doll trues the dress for Ave to get a good look.

I take a peek behind her and see a dress that is so small it would only cover my left pinky and another that is covered in feathers from top to bottom not saying that the top is far away from the bottom so I put my biggest smile on and ask her to hand me the dress but she tells me dress but she tells me she has to help. Me put it on first she washes me like a mother. Would her child but way worst from head to toe she cleaned me she washed my hair and scrubbed my face By the time she was done I was red all over after that she began

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to put creams all over my skin she pushed pulled and straightened my curly hair into bows and clips and I was nowhere near done.

Ave stands in line waiting her turn; she is near the back because she arrived late for breakfast. Each girl must walk in and present herself in front of the possible partners. Soon, it will be Ave turn to walk, so she takes a deep breath, closes her eye hopes for the best.

“Ave step forward” Ave looks around seeing only two girls left, one wears a leather dress that is only a few inches long and the other wears a purple two piece that is just enough to only cover her chest and behind. Ave refocuses and steps through the doors into a room filled with other Selects. She holds her head high and smiles for the crowd of men standing in the above balcony.

One foot in front of the other, smile; I’m pretty, act happy, look at them. I try and make them think I am the most beautiful girl in all over the kingdom. I bow low and then go over to the seat that has my name on it as the other girls walk in. I sit at a long table with empty chairs on each side of me soon after there is a voice that comes from all over “Zeres take your pick” and rows and rows of men come in. They circle the table. One or two times then they pick spots. A man sits to my left, looks as old as my daddy and another sits to my right he is even older than the other. I was told that there would be men who sat with us for breakfast but not why all I know is that I want them to all go away the one to my left looks me up and down and down and up smiling like I am a joke.

Everyone starts to eat and chatter away as the meal proceeds, the gentle man who has sat next to Ave has taken a particular interest in her dress. Now that she sits comfortably in her seat Ave’s dress has begun to rise and leaves little to the imagination. Fighting with himself he looks at Ave and tries to begin conversation “So, where are you from love?” Ave is surprised by his question, because she has made it her duty to ignore him and allow his eyes to wonder all over her small body. “Leotibucar, Sir” Ave answers in a low voice. They sit in silence as some of the other Selects and Zeres proceed with conversation, at times the gentle man looks over at Ave and travels to faraway places with her body, imagining how her body could curve and quiver under his touch. He has waited long for this and he will make his proud.

Breakfast does not end a second to early and I rush to my Doll, she takes my hand and lead me to my room I’m scared of what will come next he looked at me with so much hate I don’t know what to do. I want my Mama, I want to be hit by Papa and hear drums when it is all over I want to go back I want go anywhere but here I want to die I want to be free I want to run and hind and get it over with and be stupid and fail I want anything but this.

The Doll lets Ave rest for a few hours and then it all starts again. The Doll re-dresses Ave in a pink laced corset that gives her curves that only inanimate objects should ever have, that forbids her from breathing. Then she puts Ave into matching lace underwear, and for the final touch the Doll reapplies Ave’s lotion and makeup. As the doll gives her finished 18

product one last look, her voice brakes as she guides Ave through what is to come, “ you will be ok” the doll holds back her tears as she reassures young Ave. “you don’t know that, I’m only a nine year old please don’t make me do this.” Ave cries out to the Doll as she begins to lead Ave toward the iron wall. The Doll shoots a smile at Ave “it’s all going to be ok” She pushes a blue button and the iron wall begins to fall apart, piece by piece soon it is all gone. The girl signal for me to go in and lay down I walk slowly in to the shadowed room and sit on the soft bed I look around to the place where I came from but the wall has rebuild itself I can no longer see the girl that took care of me and I’ve lost sight of the childhood I once loved. I stare into darkness forever then lights are turned. On I blink the fog out of my eyes and see a man walking towards me When he comes closer I know that it is the same man who was at breakfast, he has changed his clothes and now he only has his underpants on to cover his boy parts I avoid looking at him as he begins to kiss my face and neck I want him to stop but I have to stay quiet.

Ave holds her breath in an attempt to kill herself but fails and is forced to let out a big sigh.

The gentle man takes this as a sign of enjoyment and proceeds to the next step of impregnation. He turns Ave on her stomach and begins to loosen her corset, he struggles as his hand shake and takes an extra few second to undo her clothing. He then slips from atop the small child and removes the little that he wears. Ave digs her head into the soft comfort of the pillow but soon hates it because something so soft and sweet smelling could never remind her of home and that is the only places she wanted to be at the time.

It is not long before he is once again touching me, it took him way less time to take off his undies then it did mine but I try to keep my mind off him as he begins his act pulling my legs apart and taking what is not his to take…. She holds in screams as I go further and further inside her. I can tell by the way her body shakes under my own that this is her first time, but it is my first time as well. We have been shown many recordings of this procedure and the girls always look like they are enjoying it, smiling with bright cherry kissed lips. I know the ones we were shown are Dolls, and the one under me is a Selected.

But, she decided to come and make a child for the kingdom to perfection, the way I was made. I try and take my mine elsewhere while my genitals go to work. I try to think of better times, but I don’t know of better times. I can’t I have lived in this place since birth and I do not know who my mother nor father are. The people who raised me were like robots shooting out orders, without any affection. I try once again to think of other things but tapes and tapes of little girls slowly removing all their clothes play over and over in my head. We were never allowed to touch females before, but we were always taught that the female body from ages eight through fifth teen are sex toys. I never thought that this was ok but they are asking for it, coming in here with those little two inch out fits that only cover their upper butts, they have it all in reality. Don’t tell me that the Selects are something to be sad about they get to live there whole childhood at home with loving parents and then 19 they get to live like Zeres without any work, no life time of not knowing who you are,

crying every night and waking at five in the morning to take classes on battling other kingdoms or when the kingdom will no longer need you and feed you to the lions. Sounds great that I could be king and all but not if I don’t make this child this is my only chance and I am going to do it right.

He stabs Ave harder and harder as he realizes the things she once had that were only dreams for him. With each blow he pours more and more anger into her small body, disregarding the blood that stains the sheets. Ave only lays there periodically allowing silent screams of pain to escape. When he is done the gentle man walked out of the room and the iron wall brakes in to pieces allowing the Doll to come and retrieve Ave from the house of horror. Eight months later Ave gave birth to a baby boy, and then she was placed on the street after authorities determined the child was beautiful and healthy enough to stay alive. Ave was driven miles to a deserted place and left for dead.

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Critical Analysis of the Show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo The white working class has always been an important aspect of the American social hierarchy. Making up the majority of Americans, they have greatly affected the way in which we currently live.

They provide America with farm goods, desserts, beverages, frozen goods and various other essentials. By doing so they have been the economic backbone of the United States for many years. Yet, the importance of the role of a vital part of this community is being disrespected and viewed in dishonoring ways.

The “redneck” community has been over looked as an important part of the American social and economic life because of the various stereotypes that have been reinforced throughout literature, comedy, motion films, and television shows.

“Rednecks” are often described as people who are very poor, and racist and who participate in inter breeding and hunting. These stereotypes along with many others have been prevalent throughout all media outlets creating an increase in public acceptance and belief of these stereotypes.

Reality shows claim to show us how people really act, and according to producers they are not prewritten to fit any story line. They are expected to show the audience different ways of viewing the communities they are based upon, but many reality shows have only succeeded in enforcing stereotypes about groups who have little to no way of disproving these stereotypical conclusions. In the popular reality television series, Here comes Honey Boo Boo “rednecks” are depicted as poor, dirty, and

ignorant people who spend their time riding trucks and mud bogging; a form of off-road motorsport in which the goal is to drive a vehicle through a pit of mud of a set length.

Though it may be thought of as harmless entertainment, the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has reinforced many “redneck” stereotypes, particularly the stereotypes that “rednecks” are uncivilized, and of lower social standers both cultural and economic.

The word “redneck” can be defined in many ways, according to Dictionary.com the word means “an uneducated white farm laborer, especially from the South.”

But according to Mike Shannon “Sugar Bear”, the father of Alana Thompson “Honey Boo Boo” you are a “redneck” if “you ride fourwheelers and play in the mud,” and according to one of Alana’s older sisters, 12-year-old Lauryn “Pumpkin”, it comes down to whether you have all your teeth or not. Though there are many ways in which one could use the term “redneck”, for this particular analysis I will 22

use the definition of a “redneck” for what it has become, a discriminatory term for people who enjoy things that are less than the American social standers. Thus, we will be analyzing the Thomson family from the perspective that they are “rednecks”.

The stereotypes that the show enforces have been discretely placed within the show, so that the views would not notice immediately. The soundtrack, which sets the mood for the show is of one would address as “redneck” music. “Redneck” music is made by nothing other than “redneck” instruments, which are mainly homemade. By doing this the show reinforced the idea that “rednecks” cannot compare socially to the rest of the country.

The music separates the” redneck” community from other communities because their musical instruments cannot be made as most instruments are because of the cost. This prepares the viewer for what is to come, an hour of stereotypical “redneck” activity.

Throughout the show “rednecks” are being characterized as unintelligent. The first example of this is found as soon as any of the Thompson family members begin to speak. The dialogue of the family is often subtitled, indicating that producers don’t expect the public to be able to understand them.

Another way in which the show reinforces the stereotype that “rednecks” are ignorant, is the need for made-up words and phrases thought out the show. The family uses phrases such as “smexy,” “gogo juice,” “frito feet,” and many more, this implies that they have a lack of knowledge of the English language dictionary, and good speech stills. Sadly, this does not only represent the family but the whole “redneck” community because there are not many shows that show any other parts of the “redneck” community.

Writer Kate Andrews an editor and writer for a nonprofit agency,

and former monthly magazine editor has taken it upon herself to decode the language of Honey Boo Boo. In an article released on thehairpin.com she discusses the challenge she set for herself, “watch three episodes while blocking off the subtitles and see how much I understood.”(Andrews, Kate) she thought it was ridiculous that “anyone really needed extensive subtitles, some of which included nonstandard spellings, to understand what a family from rural Georgia was saying.”(Andrews, Kate).

Throughout her research Ms. Andrews has confirmed that there is no need for the extensive amount of subtitles given to the family members. When collaborating with a few friends they concluded that “the subtitles make a mockery of their (Honey Boo Boo’s family) accents”(Andrew, Kate). Another of her colleagues “says that the subtitles effectively ‘signal the accent is more extreme than it is.’”(Andrew, Kate). This supports the fact that the producers of the show are trying to make people think that “rednecks” are almost of a deferent species and cannot hold up to the predefined American standard.

There are many stereotypes that have been accepted by the community for example the stereotype that “rednecks” love camouflage. For the season two finale, mother June and longtime spouse Mike “Sugar Bear” were pronounced “Mr. and Mrs. Bear” and it was a lovely wedding and it truly did seem heart felt.

Yet, the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo could not pass up a chance to enforce another stereotype. Mama June’s wedding dress, Sugar Bear’s and other male participants pants and ties of the wedding along with much of the decoration were strictly camouflage. The show is taking a sacred event and truing into another example of “redneck” stereotype simply for the views. Not only has the show 23 reinforced this “redneck” stereotype

it has also gone above and beyond in doing so. Sadly, the show is showing a disrespect for the wedding ceremony, as well as the “redneck” community and passing it as a “redneck” normality to do such things. This separates the “redneck” community further from society because they are being shown to have lower social standers. This could be detrimental to the overall community because people will view them as less then fit to live in an American society making them prejudge toward “rednecks” over all.

The families implied economic standards also contribute the enforcement of “redneck” stereotypes.

The family of seven lives in a three bedroom, one bathroom home and lives on an eighty dollar per week grocery budget. The family clearly has a respectable amount of money and is able to afford a better home and better food because of their television show. Yet, the family has not made an effort to relocate because doing so would dismiss a chance for the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo to once again poke fun at the “redneck” community and reinforcing the stereotype that rednecks are poor. As a continuation of this idea the family admits to eating road kill and credits it to the small food budget. Mother June states “We bring it( road kill) home, skin it, cook it, eat it, save money. That's the way the cycle of life works in our family.”( Moor, Frazier) this direct quote from the Mother of the family shows how the show is willing to take the family to unthinkable extremes to be able to make fun of a community.

The list of “redneck” stereotypes is very long and mostly nonsensical, and the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo does not enforce every single one. It may be true that the family has not been characterized as extreme Christens, heavy drinkers, nor racist but the show as enforced many of the stereotypes that are associated with the

been purposefully depicted in shameful manners throughout the show and since the family is one of very few shows that incorporate “rednecks” and therefore represents the “redneck” community as a whole, the show is also putting the entire “redneck” community to shame.

Furthermore, if not stopped the show will continue in their search for more ways to incorporate and enforce “redneck” stereotypes.

The “redneck” community has tolerated a lot of humiliation because of stereotypes set forth and enforced by mass media. As time proceeds and we as a nation become more intolerant of racism and stereotypes for all cultural groups, we must not allow hidden ideals and the cute faces of eight year old to reinstate stereotypes about any particular group. The show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has reinforced many of the “redneck” stereotypes, which were thought to have ended. From poor to uncivilized, the show has not given up a signle chance to reinforce “redneck” stereotypes. Though some think this show is only good humor, the younger generations along with the people who have never experienced the “redneck” community their selves are easily in flounced by this show and could result in prejudgment of the entire community, resulting in new and unnecessary conflicts with other cultural groups.

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