What face will marriage don today?

The domestic church says that "The husband was seen as the head of the family while the woman was the heart" and I have seen this in my own house with my mom and dad. My dad (usually) runs the house, pays the bills, sits at the head of the dinner table, etc. etc. while my mom keeps us on track, gives us love, and makes sure there's always food in the house. If what I think the domestic church is (a union between both the woman and man, while raising their kids to be good Catholics), then my parents definitely do that. As for myself, I don't think I'd force the Catholic Church on m kids. I'd maybe try to steer them in that direction or at least expose them to the fact that there's a God out there, but I think if they had other beliefs, like Buddhism, it's my job as a parent first and foremost to encourage their ideas and beliefs and not shoot them down.

After reading the article on Busted Halo, I think it's maybe almost a relief to know that those with a college degree on average have a longer lasting marriage but at the same time I know it probably isn't that big of a contributing factor, so it also doesn't do too much to sedate my not-so-present worries of getting divorced. That being said, I still would like to get married someday. I mean, there's never going to be some concrete list on bullet-proof ways to make sure your marriage doesn't end in divorce but I guess it's nice to know that those with a college education have a higher chance of lasting longer.

Dating/Marriage

When I start dating or get into a long term relationship, I'd like for both me and my partner to be able to openly communicate with each other. I'd look for a guy that has common interests as I do, shares my same values, can open me up to new things, and can support me emotionally and financially. I want us to have a relationship built first and foremost on love, then trust and communication, honesty, etc etc.Without these things I feel like a relationship can't truly flourish. It'd be a relationship sure, but would it be a stable or happy one?
I feel like today, relationships aren't about anything above - they don't really revolve around making both people in the relationship happy. So many people are quick to blame their significant other for things that go wrong in their relationship. They never stop to ask themselves if it could've been something they did or didn't do. Relationships today are also so preoccupied with financial problems and other worries, especially if the couple has children. No relationship is ever blissfully happy...modern society, shows so many reality shows about hooking up and catching cheaters that it seems almost impossible to find a guy that can be and do all of the that you want. I look at my parent's relationship and wish to have what they have one day: an open relationship where they're both learning from each other and challenging the other.

Dating: There's ALWAYS a Point

In my opinion, I don't think a relationship can truly survive without some form of dating. But the phrase that dating is a "practice for divorce" is completely fictitious. For a relationship to thrive, to develop, a couple needs to date. They need to date for many reasons (especially if it's to lead to a serious commitment like marriage). A couple dates to get to better know the each other, themselves, their needs and wants, and if they're even agreeable with each other within a greater time span of a few hours a day. I don't think I need to bring it up, but we all know that Kim Kardashian's sham of a marriage was partly due to the lack of the two getting to know each other (date) properly. If anything, their lack of dating was their way of "practicing for divorce."
 However, despite all of my ramblings, I do think that the media (and how the Busted Halo article mentions it) has put a blasé spin on what dating is in college and universities. Dating, especially in college, doesn't stir an emotion that it's ever going to be long term or serious. I've even heard people use hooking-up interchangeably with dating. Either way, whether dating is good or a "practice for divorce" it's ultimately up to the people involved but if they asked for my advice, I'd tell them if the want something (possibly) long-term with their significant other, they should try dating for awhile to see if they're really compatible.

Love...Say It w/ Music

Love and sexuality come up in every aspect of life. Love can show itself through friends, family, food, music, etc.When the day presents itself that I start dating and/or fall in love I won't be looking for my soul mate. To be honest, I don't believe a soul mate exists. I do however believe that there are people in this world that everyone is compatible with, it just depends on which person you choose to settle down with for the rest of your life.Like the article says, you can't be looking for a soul mate when you don't even know what to look for. Love is spontaneous and never calculated. If it ever is, it's nothing but fantasy and false love.

Christina Perri's "Arms" is about how one can learn to trust with love again. She sings about how she never thought she could love someone but then this person comes into her life and knocks her off her feet and makes her feel like she is safe and at home in his arms.I like to think that this song shows that there are going to be times when you feel you can't give your heart away, but that's only because you haven't found the right person. When the right person comes along, you'll know, and you won't be afraid to open yourself up.
"I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart
But you came around and you knocked me off the ground from the start
You put your arms around me
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go
You put your arms around me and I'm home"


In Beyonce's "Love on Top" the message that comes across is one of a stable loving relationship. She sings about how her man is always there for her. The song is about how her significant other is always there for her and how he's give it his all towards their relationship. I love this song because it's so upbeat and gives such a happy and positive spin on relationships, that there are men out there that will always be there for you.

"Your the one I love, your the one I need 

Your the only one I see, come on baby it's you  

Your the one that gives your all, your the one I can always call

When I need, ya make everything STOP! Finally, you put my love on top" 

With Bruno Mar's "Grenade" the take on love in this song is slightly a negative one. This is the kind of song that translates to a bad break-up. Where one person in the relationship is giving all their love only to have it thrown in their face. I feel like everyone will have/had gone through this period where in a relationship, they're the one more invested in it than the other.

"Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love
Is all I ever asked
Cause what you don't understand
Is...I'd catch a grenade for you"

Taylor Swift's "Love Story" shows the teen/young love side of romance. The lyrics kind of convey a sense of forbidden love and the song conveys how there are people that don't want the two together, so they plan to run away and live off of their love. This also shows how dangerous yet true love can be. People who're so in love sometimes do crazy things, like running away with their lover but it also shows how innocent and pure love can be between two people that they're willing to run away together.

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,
It's a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes'."

Lastly, Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" shows how true and pure love can be. The song tells about how under all the layers, the person can see their true self and that they still love them for who they are. This song practically embodies what true love should be, that no matter what, you shouldn't be afraid to be who you are with the one that you love.

"But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow"

Sex in the Media

Advertisement 1...

In this first advertisement, Old Khaki (the name of the company) is a company that sells clothing. They're all about being who you are, free and unrestricted. I believe this ad is supposed to represent that for khaki pants (the ones you see on the couch, off the girl) but they've done it in such a provocative manner that I'm not even sure anymore. Anyone looking at this advertisement without having gone to their website to see what they're about, would be confused as to what exactly the ad is trying to market. If anything, to make a close enough guess, it looks like an underwear ad instead of a pants ad. If they really wanted to focus on their clothing, they could easily have marketed their pants without the girl in the ad having to be smacked on the butt. And when you think about it, it's slightly demeaning to women...mostly because of the pose and the "primitive" nature the company is trying to exude with the ad. I feel like they could have had a bunch of girls and guys wearing their clothing and looking all "cool" and "happy" and out having fun if they wanted to portray their clothing without loosing the selling appeal. To me, this just screams "wear our clothes and maybe a hot boy will spank you..."

Advertisement 2...

In this second advertisement, Woolstudio (name of the company) is a wool company that advertises that it sells the best, finest quality wool there is. Frankly, there's no connection whatsoever between the advertisement and the company. This straight up looks like a sex advertisement. It's also inappropriate because the ad conveys that the company might be an adult enterprise kind of company. There are clearly thousands of better ways that the company could've advertised their product, but instead they chose some disturbing "sexy" way to advertise the quality of their wool. They easily could of advertised a string of their wool with a heavy weight on it to show how strong it is. That would still hold the attention of the viewer without having to use sex to sell the product. Overall, it's just horribly done advertising. The concept is completely tangential to what the actual product is and even though the models' clothing are wool, it still doesn't do the company any good.

My Identify. My Factors.

Three specific factors that have affected my identity are the first pair of earrings my mom trusted me with, my favorite radio station and my parents.

The first pair of earrings my mom ever gave me was such a huge moment for me because I was 11 at the time and always losing things, especially jewelry. I was so surprised that my mom trusted me enough and thought that I was "grown up" enough to hold on to my own pair of earrings. It meant so much to me since I didn't really trust myself with the earrings. At that age, I learned that if my mom could trust me with such a huge responsibility, I should be able to do the same. I learned to give myself some credit...that I was mature enough to handle such responsibilities. Every time I wear those earrings, I remember the time I learned to have more faith in myself.

I consider my (obsessive) routine of listening to the same station every morning for the past 3 years, to be a factor that has affected who I am. Every morning, without fail (it's even set as my alarm), I listen to Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on Q102. Even though the station has basically the same 10-12 songs on loop, I have to listen to it every morning. I feel like my routine of listening to Q102 every morning has brought out, even more so, my stubborn ways. Even when I'm doing carpool, I turn on iHeart Radio and listen to them on the way to school. From the past 3 years of listening to Q102 every morning, I've noticed that I'm not a big fan of change and that I'm pretty set in my ways.

Lastly, my parents have been a huge influence on my life. My parents have always been there for me, cheering and rooting me on whenever I've felt down or have faced a road block in life. My mom and dad have always been my rock in life.They've always given me the courage and support to reach for my dreams. I've learned from my parents that it's ok to be yourself and that I don't ever have to change for anyone. If they don't like me for me, then it's their loss, not mine.

All three of my factors have helped shape me into the person I am today. I.'m thankful for the day my  mom gave me my first pair of earrings, teaching me about trust. I'm thankful for Q102, for showing me how stubborn I can really be, and I'm especially thankful for my parents for teaching me that I shouldn't be afraid to be myself no matter what.