This week is fall break, and it could not come soon enough. I have been killing myself this semester with 2 jobs, planning another conference, 13 credits at school (4 of which are Spanish-that in it self is melting my brain), still attempting to teach myself the guitar, small acts of activism, and vegan cooking nights (which are the highlight of my week usually).
My amazing dad who loves to go go go places (I wonder where my incessant wanderlust must spring from) decided to take whoever wanted to go to California. More specifically to Universal Studios and Sea World. When I was younger these were some of my favorite places to visit- movies and animals in theme park form? Yes please. Now that I am older and make a conscious effort to live an ethical lifestyle I felt a little conflicted as to whether or not I would be going on this trip, not only for moral reasons, but the fact that it is midterm and I knew I would be swamped.
I decided to go. I've spent most of my weekend locked inside trying to write papers and study for exams so that I will not be behind and can enjoy a nice weekend trip with my family. I feel it is more important to spend time with the people I love than always having moral objections to things in the world. To justify this to myself in a way, I do have a *minor* obsession with all things film, so missing an opportunity to go to Hollywood film mecca would be a scandal. In addition, my nephew is in an "I love fishies (or shishies in 2 year old speak)" phase, it will be fun to watch him light up at Sea World, and possibly more fun to watch my parents show him all there is to discover. I'm not sure if any child is more adored than that one. All in all, I'm
anticipating a nice weekend away (despite being hoovered over my computer on the drive).
This trip to Sea World will not be without some investigation though. One of my special topics English classes is discussing the rhetoric of maps and how culture influences what is included/excluded or how travelers are directed etc. (that is just scratching the surface of the topics we discuss). With a looming final project in the back of my mind I am planning to begin my research on this trip. I want to pay attention and make some argument (yet to be determined) about how theme parks, or specifically this Sea World, use rhetorical strategies to get people do to, or see, or think certain things. With all the controversy surrounding treatment of animals in parks such as this, I would like to draw conclusions about how the park attempts to thwart these ideas and paint a picture of happy performing animals who love their trainers and live a pleasant life in captivity.
If I can come up with a sufficient argument, I will submit my project to various academic conferences at the prodding of fellow students and admired professors to gain some padding for my academic resume. There are a few that take place in the spring whose deadlines are coming up, so hopefully I can get some good information on this trip.
Oh rhetoric, you maiden's mask! I never thought rhetoric sounded all that interesting but I am really getting into it.
More to come, I'm sure you wait with breath that is baited.
2 comments:
I know you were in a quandary on whether to go or not, but I am so glad you decided to go. I love it when we can all be together! I wish we all were going! But hopefully soon!
I am very excited to hear the outcome of your little project! I have so many mixed emotions about Sea World myself, so I find this all very interesting! I plan to do a small self-project myself (since I feel a little guilty) documenting the conditions and appeared emotions of the animals. In the past, not really thinking too much about it, it seemed like the animals were happy. But I guess that is what they want you to believe. So this time I want to really dig deep and try to determine if they really are as "happy" as I remember them to be. We'll see! Hope to see you there!
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