https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6VVncgHcY
See the video before reading my post :)
See the video before reading my post :)
Here you have a picture of Jim Wolf. Let me tell you that he is not an academic, or a famous person who is on the cover of magazine. Actually, he is a homeless United States Army veteran, that has decided to participate in a program who transform homeless people by giving them new expensive clothes. For me in both pictures, you can see a man, but for most people on your left there is a homeless man and on your right a bussiness person.Being homeless or not having a lot money should not be important for us, but in reality the money you have and it is portrayed on the clothes that you wear make a huge difference in the way people are going to treat you.
Maria del Rosario Arias, an academic from University of Malaga said that Twelfth Night is an excellent play that explores the importance of clothing.
We can see this issue in the tremendous need that Malvolio had in trying to be part of the upper classes by using expensive clothes. Or the case of Feste who dressed up as a Priest to pretend being a nobleman.
So now I face 3 main question:
We can see this issue in the tremendous need that Malvolio had in trying to be part of the upper classes by using expensive clothes. Or the case of Feste who dressed up as a Priest to pretend being a nobleman.
So now I face 3 main question:
Can we change by using different clothes?
Can we be someone else depending on the clothes that you are wearing?
Can people feel more or less important if they wore expensive clothes?
Can we be someone else depending on the clothes that you are wearing?
Can people feel more or less important if they wore expensive clothes?
References:
Arias, M. (n.d.). Gender Ambiguity and Desire in Twelfth Night. Retrieved October 9, 2014, from http://www.academia.edu/2424876/Gender_Ambiguity_and_Desire_in_Twelfth_Night
Homeless Veteran Timelapse Transformation. (2013, September 6). Retrieved October 9, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6VVncgHcY
Hello, Elizabeth! I enjoyed the video you shared, it is somehow touching, not because the transformation, but because I could see a kind of suffering in Mister Wolf’s eyes. And from that, I imagined that he had to deal with a lot of discrimination just for the way he looked during a long time; and this completely unreasonable, but—unfortunately—very common.
ResponderEliminarI think that by wearing different clothes just our cover changes, but we are the same all the time. In the case of Jim, this transformation gave him an opportunity as he realized how much damage he had caused to himself. And in the case of Viola, she could play the role of Cesario without any problem; but this is just a play. I cannot think that someone could ever believe that a woman is a man or another person just because the way she or he dresses—it should be a very good transformation to achieve that.
Now, I would like to answer the three questions you asked. First, I think we cannot change by using different clothes, what really changes is our image; however, our presentation is just what other people see. Even if we use the most expensive outfit, we will continue knowing our “truth,” what we are inside: “Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda,” right? Thus, the answer for the second question: we cannot be another person by using different clothes, we can pretend to be someone else, but we will remain to be the same person. And the last one, I think people can feel more or less important if they are they wear expensive clothes—or just formal dresses—because society has created this conception of how people should look or wear. Society has been the entity that gave this importance to clothes. Nonetheless, “to feel” more or less important is complete different from “to be” more or less important.
Best,
Javiera.
Elizabeth! I really like your post, not only because it IS true, but also because I am a tattoo lover and think that what you wrote has a connection with inked people. People, mostly older people, tend to think that because you have a lot of tattoo, you are not interested in nothing and maybe your body doesn't mean anything to you. I cannot disagree more with this!!! If you are wearing a tie, doesn't mean that you are a good person, an educated one, with good values and good purposes, NOT! and also, it doesn't mean that because you are an inked person, you are a kind of hippie!
ResponderEliminarStop judging people by the way that they dress or the way that they behave!
Well, answering your three questions:
ResponderEliminar1. I do not think that we can change if we use different clothes. I think that the person should wear the clothe and not other way around.
2. MM....depending? I hope not, because what one really is it has nothing to do with what one is wearing, so in that sense I do not think that we can depend on something....I hope I am not mistaken.
3. I do not think that wearing an expensive or cheap t-shirt could change a person. I mean, I reckon that whether one wears a jean Levis or a jean marca-chancho has nothing to do with one is really is. I think that we, as living people, give life to our clothes and not other way around.
Hi Elizabeth, I have to say I really enjoyed the video that you posted and I felt a bit moved after watching it. As you said, there are things that should not be important for us. Old-fashion clothes or elegant clothes makes no difference about the person who you really are. Unfortunately, our society is dominated by certain stereotypes where people try to project an image of themselves that most of the times is not real. Labeling is now a tendency everywhere. Let's be honest, we are always judging people by the way they look or how they dress. I'm not saying that is something good, but probably sometime we have done it. However, each of us discriminate people according their own perception of life. In this sense, people try to find a sort of identity on this fixed idea about the way you dress, when they find it, they discriminate against anyone who look different from them.
ResponderEliminarAnswering your questions, first, I think that when we wear different clothes, we do it because we want to feel something different or be accepted by others. In this sense, people can behave differently but that doesn't change the real essence of them as a person. Second, I believe people can only pretend to be someone else depending on the clothes they are wearing. And finally, people feel more important when they wear expensive or formal clothing, but is only due to this misconception about what is important and what is not.