Lucky Charms Part Deux (with extra marshamallows)

Now, where was I? Oh yes.
Based on the knowledge I have gained about Puritanism and the American Revolution, it appears that the Puritan’s stringent moral and social codes certainly paid off in the organization of a successful and relatively short revolution. On the other hand, Ireland was not so fortunate. In light of the eight hundred year battle for independence that arose between England and its western isle, it can be argued that Ireland’s pagan roots could have been a major contributing factor. While the introduction of Catholicism to Ireland undoubtedly brought about a greater sense of conservatism, its pagan roots ran deep and I believe that it was a great challenge for them to overcome this and achieve a level of disciplined organization that was such an important component of Puritan life. That is not to say that paganism was the sole and direct cause for Ireland’s long quest for independence, but it is interesting none-the-less to explore the possibilities, especially in light of our studies about America’s roots.

P.S. A note about the pictures: I tried to find some comparison pictures of the depiction of the Irish battles for freedom and the American Revolution and despite my analysis above, I can’t help but think that war in and of itself is such a savage ordeal that not even the Puritans could have cleaned it up.

Clearly I've Lost Me Lucky Charms

I wanted to start off the blog by plugging a fabulous book series I have been reading which is a fictionalized account of Ireland’s history from its Pagan roots to the turmoil of the late 1900’s. But before I go any further, you should know that these “books” really fall more into the “giant tome” category…just so you know. (See below image.) Anyway, I was beginning to compare and contrast the foundations of early Ireland and those of America to assess how the different nations turned out as a result. (Note: No Venn diagrams were harmed during the making of this comparison.)
What intrigued me first and foremost were the almost polar differences in Puritan America and Pagan Ireland. Paganism promotes open sexuality while Puritanism forbids in outside of marriage relationships. Pagan traditions spawned Halloween, which is intrinsically based in the mysterious and supernatural, while Puritan traditions gave us Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in tradition and family. In many circles, Paganism was seen as a type of savagery, practiced by heathens. Puritanism is in most ways the expression of civility and conservatism. When these two avenues are explored, it becomes quite fascinating to see the histories of the two nations play out.
Following the Catholicism of Ireland and its partitioning off to the Vikings, Normans and English, the land faced a period of many hundreds of years torn by violence and poverty. America too faced long periods of violence and strife during the years after its birth. Interestingly, part of the violence faced by both nations stemmed from battles for independence from British rule. It interesting to speculate whether or not the countries’ roots contributed to this.
Oh no. Looks like I am going to have to go give my little brother some desperately needed attention (bad babysitter!). This will have to wait until the next blog. (Besides, I am quickly overrunning the 200 word max!)

Improv America

Recently, I was introduced to the wonderfully hysterical acting/comedy group Improv Everywhere. I knew the moment I saw them (via youtube of course) that I had to include them in my blog, if for no other reason than to spread the love.
Over the course of my education career, I have become quite learned on America’s foundations as a puritanical theocracy, and the case has been made that these roots are still a major component of modern society. Some argue that perhaps this is for the better, and others believe quite strongly that America’s puritanical beginnings have only paved the way for the rebellious and inappropriateness of most of modern society’s culture. (I confess that I too have expressed my belief of the later criticism as well.) However, as I sat half transfixed and half doubled over in laughter while I watched and read about the many antics of Improv Everywhere, I couldn’t help but challenge my former opinions.
One of the aspects of American culture that always has and always will endear me to it forever is the immeasurable public response to challenging the more stringent codes of society that often inhibit, rather than improve us. From the Naked Cowboy roaming the streets of New York to more widespread organizations like Improv Everywhere, people are constantly speaking, singing, and acting out to call on us to embrace the silly side of life. In this form, society’s rebelliousness toward conservatism and introspection (which is characteristically Puritanical) is utterly refreshing. I only wish that more people would be open to ‘causing a scene’ like Improv Everywhere.

Check out some of these hysterical ‘pranks’ courtesy of Improv Everywhere:

http://improveverywhere.com/

A Dime a Dozen

If I had a dime for every reality show whose premise revolved around a group of ignorant, attention seeking women competing for the affection of a love-starved ex rock star, I would be a wealthy girl. Shows like Flavor of Love, Girls Next Door and Rock of Love have become staples on MTV programming over the past few years and within the context of the shows and the public’s reaction to them, America’s Puritanical origins are at once suppressed and exaggerated. Under Puritanical beliefs, women are held especially accountable for sin because of Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden. Part of this belief blossomed into the witch trials, which targeted mainly women. This thought process can now be seen within the public’s reaction to reality shows like these. The amount of disdain for the women on these shows can be seen in the public’s reaction, and while “Flavor Flav” and rocker Brett Michaels (to name a few) certainly garner very little respect for their actions on the show, the heavy criticism falls on the shoulder of the women who participate. This has always struck me as a reflection of the belief that women are considered more amoral for their actions than men because of Eve’s original sin.

This article discusses the criticisms of these types of shows and emphasizes the women's negative role on the shows:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/09/a_bitter_flavor.html