Now that we’re done with ads and commercials, let’s look at something more interesting and something that many of us do by choice…………..watch television (TV)!
In this post, I’m going to look at a TV show that I currently watch that is short and sweet. That’s right, this TV show is about 10 min per episode.
Here’s the show:
In this episode, we see that Mordecai (the blue jay) and Rigby (the raccoon) knocked out their boss, Bensen (the gumball machine) by not holding the ladder. After knocking Benson out, Mordecai and Rigby precede to take him to a party that he was supposed to. At the party, the ex-boyfriend of the girl that Benson likes is taunting him and eventually challenges him to a contest where they have to see who can last the longest in eating chili peppers. After the three characters win, they have the champion drink called the “Mississippi Queen” and after taking it, their worlds just spin out of control.
The next few descriptions/POINTS of the episode are pertinent to my argument:
1) After drinking the “Mississippi Queen” their life becomes super fun and just like a rock n roll song.
2) They leave the party and their vision becomes blurry.
3) The friends end up at a coffee shop and order some food but when the food comes the servers are worried and friends end up in a cab.
4) During the ride, the cab door opens up to the curb as the cab is still driving.
5) The three friends end up back at the park, and the next morning they are found to be in front of the house and feeling like poo.
My point in this post is…………the chili peppers in this episode were actually supposed to be booze (which implies many other things). I mean let’s think about, does eating a lot of chili peppers really make you do/feel all those things that I listed earlier? No, but you know what does? Alcohol. Alcohol can impair vision (POINT 2), make people throw up (POINT 4), and even blackout (POINT 5), much like the three characters in this episode.
I wanted to discuss this episode specifically for this scene. This scene reflective of many men in real life…..or at least in college. In my experience, men always challenge each other to drinking contests at parties and all it is to show who is “more of a man”. In other words, drinking challenges are a way for men to prove their masculinity/worth as a man. However, as both participants will usually drink an excessive amount in such a short amount of time, they usually get to POINT 2,4, and 5. Also, when reflecting back on what they did, they simply think that it was a funny experience, but what they don’t realize is how this relationship with alcohol can affect them in the long term. Sure, alcohol can make someone vomit, impair their vision and even blackout, however, there can be many long terms effects as well. Improper alcohol consumption can lead to a messed up REM sleep cycle, liver damage, brain development, and even sexual performance (Effects of Alcohol on the Body). When we compare the negatives of overconsumption of alcohol and the pros to proving one’s masculinity, is it really worth it to do this? I think another question to ask and maybe just for self-reflection is, why do we binge drink in the first place?
References:
“Effects of Alcohol on the Body.” Office of Education for Health and Wellness, Johns Hopkins University. N.p., 03 Mar 2006. Web. 29 Apr 2012. <http://www.jhu.edu/health/pdfdocs/EtOHEffects.pdf>.
Morecartoonnetwork5. “313 (HD)”. 21 Jan. 2012 Online video clip. Youtube. Accessed on 23 April 2012. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U9_35Umc00&feature=related>.
EatingOutGender 