Xinzhao Film 1070 John Woodhouse 04/28/2014

Question 1:

How do conspiracies and conspiracy culture contribute to the forming of our political structure in this country? Is this a trend that is disappearing or increasing? What are some of the best ways to utilize access to enormous amounts of information/disinformation?

Some people do not like the discomfort that a conspiracy theory creates but for others, conspiracy theories are intriguing. They like to explore all of the possibilities that a conspiracy theory presents, in the same way that they like to explore puzzles or mystery novels. Sometimes a conspiracy theory is ridiculous and learning about it is a form of entertainment. Or you may find that the theory is credible and it makes you think. It's interesting to consider the theory, weigh the evidence and come up with a conclusion. So we should know that what is conspiracy? The dictionary defines a conspiracy theory is a theory seeking to explain a disputed case or matter as a plot by a secret group or alliance rather than an individual or isolated act. According to Wikipedia , the conspiracy means A conspiracy theory is an explanatory proposition that accuses two or more people, a group or an organization of having caused or covered through deliberate collusion, an event or phenomenon of great social, political, or economic impact. Sociologist Turkay Salim Nefes underlines the political nature of conspiracy theories and suggests that one of the most important characteristics of these accounts is their attempt to unveil the "real but hidden" power relations in social groups. A conspiracy theorist is a person who formulates such a theory. There is a certain negative undertone to the term "conspiracy theory" in today's society. Critics will point out that many conspiracy theories contain certain features that undermine their credibility. However, I will use conspiracy theory in this paper to define an explanation to an event as it is stated in the dictionary. So how does a conspiracy theory get started? According to Dr Alan Reed, who wrote, Conspiracy to defraud: The threshold standardization, in order for a conspiracy theory to get started, there has to be something

that a conspiracy theorist can use, something that doesn't make sense. In some conspiracy theories, it's something very small. The conspiracy theory is used to indicate a narrative genre that includes a broad selection of arguments for the existence of grand conspiracies. Less illustrious uses refer to folklore and urban legend and a variety of explanatory narratives, which are constructed with methodological flaws or biases. According to some psychologists, a person who believes in one conspiracy theory tends to believe in others. Is this a trend that is disappearing or increasing? I think that the conspiracies theory is increasing every year. There are several reasons why conspiracy theories are increasing. Mainly, it is because the internet has made it easy to propagate rumors on a global scale. The internet provides the people access to large amounts of information regardless if the information is correct. Social networking sites allow conspiracy theorists to seek out and link with like-minded individuals. We are live in the age of information explosion. It is wealth itself to sort through masses of sources and sort out the needed. We can get huge information everyday if we want to. And the also the information dissemination faster and faster, people can get information more and more easily. For normal people those information looks like nothing and unaided. But for other people they will link to some unaided information to together, you will see some interesting things, and you can see the new door is open. People will shear that information or just give a new way to explain. I think that the conspiracies are increasing because we are living peacetime. People are more and more knowledgeable, they are getting more information from different ways. They are not just looking for one side of thing happened, they will

compare and contrast two sides. They dont believe one side speech. And when many things happened, some of people will find some coincidence, and give critical thinking. They believe there must have something did not tell, and the most interesting is people love to find out secret. We had watched some film which is the conspiracy theory culture by examining a subject that many of us know well due. For example, like JFK, 911, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and even the National Treasure series. According to Fritz Spring meier in his book, Bloodlines of the Illuminati, The Illuminati was first established in 1776 in Ingolstadt, Bavaria as a group of elite free-thinkers and was structured much like the Freemasons; in fact many of the members came from other such Masonic lodges. On June 22, 1784, Prince Charles Theodor of Bavaria prohibited any secret societies that had been created without his blessing. The next year another order was given specifically outlawing the Freemasons and Illuminati for treason and heresy. Pope Pius VI declared that the members of the organization were not compatible with being Catholic. This was the official end to the Illuminati.

In the last century until today there have been many conspiracy theories but a big one which many people are familiar with is the conspiracy theory surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Many people believe that the Kennedy assassination was carried out as part of a larger government-centered conspiracy, rather than as a random event arranged by a single gunman. We watched a film in class that was based solely around the conspiracies that were involved with the JFK assassination and the different approaches that were tested to solve the case of the assassination. One was the magic bullet theory. The Autopsy of the people who died due to the assassination was

shot multiple times and this theory was tested in court to prove that no single gunman could have shot them due to the lack of time and the way the bullets entered the bodies. After the assassination, the government offered its explanation of the events trying to prove they were not behind the assassination. A large number of people simply do not believe the government's explanation. And this assassination has been change America people does believed, and it was shake the American society. This was a very large conspiracy theory that disturbed a lot of people and although this event happened 50 years ago people still continue to argue about it and this particular conspiracy will never be forgotten. We live at a time in American history when conspiracy thinking fills and colors our culture, beliefs, and speech; our very interpretation of history and current events. Our government has paid attention to this and has acted in such a way that is trying to eliminate conspiracy. The government holds the power; therefore they control the media and what people see altering how much this country really knows about a particular event. This can obviously be argued in a positive and negative way. The less information the country knows about, the more we try to fill in the blanks with conspiracies. However, the more information the country has access to can be frightening and may result in people wanting to take control over the government. As a country we are frightened by conspiracy theories and would like to see an end to them by gaining all the inside knowledge the government has. But on the other hand, do we really want to know everything that happens to this country no matter how disturbing or freighting it is? Our political structure is constructed in such way to maintain a balance of information that is

circulating between the people and the government hoping to manage conspiracy theories. Conspiracies are one of the most effective tools to motivate both sides of any argument. They can be used to justify almost any action or law so long as they are meticulously and strategically used to motivate the intended audience to stand up with a loud voice for change or support. They are becoming more and more mainstream every day with the massive amounts of information that we are bombarded with on a daily basis. In this day of instant gratification we are becoming lazy. Many simply accept the propaganda and conspiracy theories that they are spoon fed from both sides. Whichever fits their preformed opinions is simply accepted as fact and they vote to support whoever was holding the spoon, without so much as looking up a summary of what actually is happening let alone reading the proposed laws and how they are going to effect the country long term. It is more about what feels good because it is much easier and faster to just let some rich, smart, politician do our thinking for us than to actually do the homework and find out for ourselves what it actually going on. I believe that this is going to be the downfall of our nation. But by sharing information there is an opportunity for conspiracies to be made. As long as people have access to the internet, media, and news broadcasting, false information will always be portrayed. Whether for entertainment purposes, a way to open up the mind, or for the rush of proving someone wrong, conspiracies will always be around and unfortunately will never go away completely.

Xin zhao Film 1070 John Woodhouse 04/25/2014 Question 3 If you were teaching this class list five films that you would use and why. Be sure and explain how they would lead to a greater understanding of the cultures that compose our society today.

If I am a teacher, and teaching this class, i will chose my favorite film to use. The There are many conversation i really like. Like i list five of them below. When I was little and something awful was happening......my mama would tell me to close my eyes. She was trying to keep me from seeing her do drugs or other bad things. And when she was finished, or the bad things were over......she'd say, ''Now when I count to three, you open your eyes. The past is gone, the world is a good place, and it's all gonna be okay. I want you to do whatever you want. It is your decision, Michael. It's your life. What if I wanted to fip burgers? It's your decision. It's your life. I mean,valley of death that's pretty salty stuff, that's why courage it's tricky, should you always do what others tell you to do? Sometimes you might not even know why you're doing something, I mean any fool can have courage, but honor,that's the real reason you either do something or you don't I mean,valley of death that's pretty salty stuff, that's why courage it's tricky, should you always do what others tell you to do? Sometimes you might not even know why you're doing something, I mean any fool can have courage, but honor,that's the real reason you either do something or you don't. I loved the story. It is a genuinely heartwarming tale of an abandoned teenager adopted by a wealthy family and guided to success. And it's all true. This is what make me love movies. What a great film! Go see this movie. I loved it and so will you. This is an encourage film.

The another movie I will chose is Forrest gump. This is also a very encouragement movie. People can learn a lot from this movie. Forrest Gump is a simple man with a low I.Q. but good intentions. He is running through childhood with his best and only friend Jenny. His 'mama' teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny. Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends called Dan and Bubba, he wins medals, creates a famous shrimp fishing fleet, inspires people to jog, starts a ping-pong craze, create the smiley, write bumper stickers and songs, donating to people and meeting the president several times. However, this is all irrelevant to Forrest who can only think of his childhood sweetheart Jenny Curran. Who has messed up her life. Although in the end all he wants to prove is that anyone can love anyone. This third movie is The Shaw shank Redemption. One of my all time favorites. Shaw shank Redemption is a very moving story about hope and the power of friendship. The cast is first rate with everyone giving a great performance. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman carry the movie, but Bob Gun ton and Clancy Brown are perfect as the Warden Norton and prison guard captain Hadley respectively. And James Whitmore's portrail of an elderly inmate Brooks is moving. The screenplay gives almost every actor at least one or more memorable lines through out the film. There are also very good conversation i like, i hope people can watch it by themself. The fouth is Supernatural is gonna draw the obvious X Files comparisons so we might as well get them out of the way now. Its stars are an intrepid duo who travel across America encountering all manner of paranormal phenomena and mythological creatures. It has a lot of ex-files staff too which is apparent if you have watch both shows pretty closely. Supernatural is gonna draw the obvious X Files comparisons so we might as well

get them out of the way now. Its stars are an intrepid duo who travel across America encountering all manner of paranormal phenomena and mythological creatures. It has a lot of ex-files staff too which is apparent if you have watch both shows pretty closely. This movie is different from previous three. The fifth i will choose is Hachi: A Dog's Tale. My most favorite one, and i cry almost all the movie. Finally a film without explosions, computer graphics, and violence. A family film with a message. Adults will relate to the story of life-long friendship and loyalty. Children will love the "dog story" A tender story will huge box office potential. The possible "sleeper hit" of the holidays. Pet lovers everywhere will relate to this film and will leave theaters in tears. A weepy, wonderful film about the bond that develops between one man and a dog after a chance meeting at a train station. Bring extra tissues! Based on a true story, this film was shot mostly in Woonsocket, Rhode Island at a historic old train station. Beautifully shot and edited. The film runs less than 2-hours. The film generally adheres to the actual true story of a dog in Japan. The dog became a national treasure and a monument was erected to honor him. This five movies are all what i like, i really want share with other people. I believe everyone can learn from them.