The final post!

Age?
19

Sex?
Male

What is your degree subject (both if joint)?
Creative and Profesional Writing with Media and Communications Studies

Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking?
The creative writing element did

If so, how? And if not, why not?
While the creative writing was relevent to my course, the module in general did not specifically link with writing or media

Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?
Appropriate level

Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?
Yes

Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?
No, I felt the module covered a broad spectrum of issues

Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?
Yes

What did you think of the module team?
Some were better than others, but in general the teaching was good

Do you think it would have been better to have had more:
Small group discussions?
No
Discussion and debate among the class as a whole?
No
Information and talk from lecturers?
Yes

The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?
Yes as it gives an broader approach to the module

Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea?
Yes

Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module?
Yes I think so, it has given me an insight into other disciplines besides my own

Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?
Yes

Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2?
No, but only because I have too many modules that I wish to take in that semester

Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend?
Definately

Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea?
Yes

What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)?
I think the option of one long assessment would be good, but I can see why this would be a problem

What have you learned from the module?
A range of information on a wide variety of subjects

What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?
Anything on writing was useful, because it helped with my course

What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?
Some elements of setting up the blogs was very simple, although I can understand why it needs to be done

Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’?
Nope

Comment on Paulsbeingbad

http://paulsbeingbad.blogspot.com/

Bernard Manning

This post interested me, as I had always viewed Bernard Manning with disdain. I agree with this blogger that Manning promoted predjudice and hatred, and while to many he was a heroic comedian unafraid of political correctness, to others he was simply a biggot. It is interesting how different people can view the same person and take completely different opinions away from what they are, Manning is a perfect example of a comedian who could be seen as either a pollitcally incorrect racist and homophobe, or a comedian simply playing on what people laugh at.

Comment on adbeckley

http://adbeckley.blogspot.com

Scarafication

Scarafication is a very interesting subject, and one that I think agrees with my post that increasingly people are looking for types of body modification with "shock value". Scarafication indeed appears more painful and dangerous than tattoos, although the affect is striking and impressive. As this blogger suggests scarafication is an extreme form of body modification that could well become mainstream just as tattoos did.

Being too religious

I am a confirmed agnostic. I believe simply that as humans, we are not capable of understanding what happens beyond our own life, so we should just wait and see what happens. That being said, nothing annoys me more than having people attempt to force their own beliefs upon me. Twice at busstops I have been standing waiting only to have people force leaflets into my hand and tell me that I'm going to Hell if I dont convert to their religion.

Even though I'm not specifically atheist as I would like to believe in something beyond life, one of my prefered quotes on the subject comes from an atheist."And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence." - Bertrand Russell ( http://www.atheistempire.com/ )

Body modification

Body modification interests me because there are a lot of things I wouldnt have imagined the body was capable of doing, for example the strength of ones ears to such a level as the above image implies, seemed impossible to me, until of course I saw it in the flesh (no pun intended).

There are all sorts of different types of body modifications, and as the shock value of different types goes down, I would not be suprised to see people taking it another step beyond what I would imagine the body is capable of ( http://www.bodymod.org/home.aspx ).

Comment on Speckwood

http://specwood.blogspot.com/

Being too religious

I agree with many of the opinions of this blogger, specifically related to the way some religious people attempt to force their own religious beliefs onto others. It would be interesting to examine which religions attempt to do this most, and then see how their numbers are compared to religions that dont. I feel that the religions attempting to force people are seen as less worthy of belief than others.

Bandits

Bandits interest me quite a lot as I consider it strange how some people are considered to be 'doing the right' thing by stealing, or even killing, while others are condemned to be considered only as murderers.

Robin Hood ( http://www.robinhood.co.uk/ ), for example is invariably seen as a hero, despite the fact the he undoubtedly stole and murdered. It seems to me that the popularity of the said 'bandit' revolves more around whether the power (government or royalty) is considered to be good or bad. A bad power apparently gives the bandit the right to do whatever they please.

Really bad cinema

I decided to do some of my own research into the sickest films around. The majority of what is considered to be the most sick films tend to come from Japan, for example Visitor Q and Ichi the Killer.

However, I managed to find an American set of films called August Underground ( http://toetagpictures.com/site/ ), the subject matter of which is essentially a demented family travelling around murdering and sexually abusing people for their own amusement.

Bad Cinema

While watching Kids at the Lighthouse Media Centre, I thought to myself, the most shocking thing about this film is not due to the fact that characters are capable of these actions; it is that they can do them without really caring or thinking about them. The scary thing about this film is about the breaking down of our established rules of what people should do. ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113540/ )

Family Guy

While Family Guy is not specific to this module, we did view a video clip from an episode, which got me thinking about it. Family Guy has been in trouble several times for its extremely risque content, most notably the episode 'When You Wish Upon A Weinstein' which was considered anti-semitic.

However, in my opinion, Family Guy often relies on its ability to shock the audience as they laugh almost in disbelief at some of the things that are said. For example there are allusions to paedophillia, domestic abuse and racism use fairly regularly within the show.

Smoking

My attittude towards smoking had always been somewhat niave. I had tried smoking when I was in Year 8, with two of my more rebelious friend. Not truly understanding the concept of addiction I recall asking one "if I try to grab the cigarette for a second drag because I'm addicted, then hold me back". When I didnt feel the urge to immediately smoke again after the first drag, I came to the conclusion that people who did must be weak minded.

It wasnt until college when I met people who had been smokers for a long time, for a variety of reasons, I started to realise that maybe there was more to it than just wanting to put a smoky stick in your mouth. Smoking does appear to be on the way out though, especially with the pub smoking ban, but then again, I know people who have taken up smoking just so they have an excuse to start to talking to other smokers so they can chat them up outside.

I'm pretty sure most smokers now understand the health risks ( http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/smokehealth.htm ), but I think for them it goes beyond that fact that smoking increases your risk of cancer, and all the other problems asscociated with it. I would suggest that smoking is tool to help you feel as if you belong to a certain group, and so you feel you have something immediately in common with someone else just because of the white stick you put in your mouth.

Infidelity

It suprised me a lot how regular it was for people to cheat on their partners. Especially given that it is, in my opinion, not a subject that the media dwells on very much.

I tried to think of films that featured adultery as a main subject and could only specifically recall the Richard Gere film Unfaithful ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250797/ ). A number of films have used it as an element to the plot, but given the number of people who have been involved in Infidelity, I would have thought the film industry would use it more often.

Masturbation

I found the lecture on masturbation quite interesting. Mainly because it made me think about my own experience, in not so much as doing it, but as talking about it, reading about it and watching it on the television.

Thinking back between the ages of about 14-18, my friends and I often had conversations about sex, but very rarely about masturbation. And when we did, it was very much a comedy affair, almost as if we were talking about something none of us ever did.

Another interesting issue is that of masturbation of the television. Now, as my dad has some obsession with watching documentaries about gardens and ancient Egypt, I would often have to watch Tv in the other room... with my mum. So I know for a fact that she has watched countless scenes featuring sex, violence and torture. And sometimes all three at once. But yet only once have I seen a masturbation scene in a tv show, and she turned away and refused to watch, like someone attending an execution.
It wasnt even graphic. And yet she flat out refused to watch it. I made fun of her. But nevertheless I'm not sure I can entirely blame her. Our society has become accustomed to sex and violence on TV, so its not a big thing when there is a ten strong sado-machacistic orgy. But any hint of a guy 'beating the meat', any you have everyone running for cover.

On this issue of songs with masturbation in. I remembered a song called 'Jerk It Out' by The Caesers. Although it could be suggested that this song is about drug taking, or unprotected sex. Also the System of a Down song 'Vicinity of Obscenity' features the phrase 'beat the meat' in the chorus.

My first blog

... And I feel like an Internet infant, but honestly, it's my first post, and usually when I start something new I like to make it look like I'm a bit of an amatuer to abstain me from any criticism due to me being new, when infact, I have blogged before and its fairly simple stuff anyways.

I dunno why I told you that.
As no-one is currently reading this I am merely soothing my own narcasistic idealogy.

A field trip... I'm supposed to think of a field trip... hmmmmm, Zimbabwe, I've heard it's pretty 'bad' over there. Or Kenya even... wow that was in bad taste.
In all seriousness though, I dont know Wolverhampton/Birmingham that well, I'm a south coast boy, and I know there's some sort of 'murder tour' in Brighton, so there might be some sort of equivalant up here.
Errrrm, aside from that... ASDA?