Final Journal
For this week, consider how prejudice and monsters are connected. How do we create “real” monsters? How do we use monstrosity to separate us from those we do not want or understand? How is monstrosity used to “other” people?
Consider Monster Thesis 4 this week. The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference. We as a culture push out people/groups/others out of our group to make them monstrous. The monster originates within.
Any kind of alternity can be inscribed across (constructed through) the monstrous body, but for the most part monstrous difference tends to be cultural, political, racial, economic, sexual (Cohen 7).
Look for examples where we make someone or something different from us into a monster.
Comment below with a link to the text and your summary and response.
Monstrosity in the context of Cohens Monster thesis IV is about fear and ignorance. Fear of the unknown, fear of difference and diversity. How does a racist feel about themselves when exposed to something “not them”? They are afraid and filled with an impotent rage if not acted upon in some manner. Either through violence or maligning “them”, perhaps verbally amongst friends or silently through scorn. Now it would appear that that hatred can be conveyed in the voting booth, too, sad to say. A bigot is much like an anti-body in the immune system. The anti-body thinks “they” are foreign invaders and do not belong so it has an innate desire to destroy it. Except, bigotry is more like an auto-immune disease. It desires to destroy something that is not harmful at all, but there is a chemical messenger that is not being received so it perceives that something of self as an invader present to do it harm. We, as a species, are all the same. We are just people, bi-pedal animals with desires, dreams, fears, needs. Ridiculously horrible atrocities have been committed by racists, fascists, and in the name of imminent domain. My upbringing left much to be desired but I am very relieved I did not have to grow up in a house where one or more parents were bigots. It is brainwashing to grow up hating a person for no reason whatsoever. Unnamed, unjustified, unreasoning fear of what you don’t understand and a fear of “not self”.
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How do we create “real” monsters? How is monstrosity used to “other” people? We live in a very judgemental society where everyone expects everyone to look the same dress the same and when someone decides to be their own self that’s when society starts bashing and creates these horrific labeling ,bullying not thinking that as a society we are in our mind, are creating a monster, when in reality there a no monster just because someone wants to be different from the rest or might look different from the rest that does not make it a monster but in society we consider it a monster.
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A persons prejudice creates monsters. If someone was raised or repeatedly told that a certain race or person is horrible and does horrible things that person has a preconceived notion of that person or race. It is not until that individual meets or comes in contact with someone from that race or a specific person will they truly understand how they are. However, they already have a preconceived notion as to who they are or how they will act. It is up to the individual if they will keep their preconceived notions or if they will be open to new ideas and how someone may truly be and act based off of what they have experienced rather than what they have been told or heard. In the case of this image it shows Trump replacing the foundation of what America was based off of which was that all are welcomed to America. However, Trump’s message to America now is that people who are Mexican and Islamic along with anyone else who is trying to come to this country are bad people and that Americans should be scared of them. Trumps tactic is that he is feeding into peoples fears of the unknown which is that these people who are of other races and trying to come to this country will bring down the economy, harm Americans, and cause more violence. He tells people this information which causes individuals who are not from the targeted races to have preconceived notions which causes them to see them as different and not the same which has them dwell in the gates of difference like in thesis 4 which is one of the theories in creating a monster. When someone does not understand something and is told only negative things about it it causes prejudice which in effect leads to monsters.
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The monster dwells at the gates of difference, and in America we fixate on differences. That is a huge part of our cultural body. We monsterfy people for every difference imaginable. We make monsters of people with different political views, or a different religion or people who are from a so called “different race”. We do the same to people from different countries, different states, different cites or even a different block than our own. We do it to people who don’t like the same music or the same sports team as “us”. All of these differences are an illusion or at the very least, completely arbitrary. But they are constantly reinforced in our culture through tradition, and especially through media. I’ll leave it up to you determine if divisions are being intentionally sown or not, and if so, by whom. I will say this though, it is far easier to take advantage of people that are divided, and there is no doubt these conceptual differences undoubtedly divide people in this country everyday. People often make the mistake of thinking we’ve conquered this monster of prejudice. However, the monster always returns (if it ever left) just like in Cohen’s second monster thesis. It is constantly changing, constantly evolving. Prejudice also polices the border of what is acceptable, of what is “us” and what is “them”.
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I feel like prejudice and monsters relate because maybe people judge them too fast if their not even monsters. They dwell at the gate of difference per say, but are they really different from you and I. With our judgements we base a lot of them due to the things they may have done in the past or what their past is based on what they gone through as a child and that eventually connects to why we think of them as monsters because of their past experiences. I mean the monster can always turn over a new leaf but it becomes very hard for them to start over in life due to everyone knowing their past and what they have done so moving on becomes very hard for the monster. Everyone then puts their own political view on them like it’s their job too. We use monstrosity to separate us due to their actions. If they do something terribly wrong we immediately think things about them therefore in our mind separating us from them because we think that we would never do such thing.
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Most of us would never even consider actually murdering somebody, so when someone else does it we call them monsters. We are prejudice against them because they don’t seem to act or think like us, so we make them outcasts. Take Ed Gein for example. He separated himself from everyone else, and when people found out about what he’s done, they called him a monster because we would never think about doing that. Yet his actions brought in tourists, people wanting to see the house (the crime scene is you will) where he skinned, hung, and made furniture out of those women, as well as making movies based off of him and his crimes. Why would we want to go near the place someone we consider a “monster” committed the acts we are so horrified (yet fascinated) at? We’re only human and sometimes our curiosity may just get the better of us, but then do we really get to call someone a monster if we’re no better for wanting to see it? No matter how much of a “good guy” you want to say you are, we are all a little bit prejudice if you think about it. Whether being flat out serious, or saying it jokingly if you call someone different from you a monster, you’re more than likely just a little prejudice yourself. We really do like to call certain people monsters don’t we? We’re horrified yet interested in what the world offers on these so-called monsters, but what’s funny is what gives us the right to call them as such? Maybe we’re the monsters.
Link: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/real-life-psycho-ed-gein-dies
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Looking at “monsters” in the context of real life, there are a variety of scenarios that establish them. Most of those scenarios stem from the “monster” being different then the vast majority of other people. There are the very obvious cases in which the title of monster is deserved, such as finding a village of cannibals in the mountains. Most people (at least those with basic morals) would not even remotely consider killing and eating one of their own, and anyone who meets an individual like that would immediately consider them a monster. Other scenarios are very much similar. They come down to one person killing someone else without justifiable reason. Killing someone in self defense, OK. Killing someone for fun, monster. However, there are other scenarios in which the person who is considered a monster is only seen as such by a slight difference, such as skin color, sexuality, even hobbies. For the longest time, certain religions considered those who were gay to be abominations. Early Europeans thought of native-americans ads savages because of their lifestyle. Hell, even upper nobles in the earlier centuries thought of poor people as filth. The definition of a monster can be based entirely on how one person views another person and their differences.
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In monster theory four, “The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference” explains how the monster is created by society because of its difference. Everyone has their difference. We come from different cultures, social classes, races, religion, and more. It is so easy to criticize someone because they are different. Sometimes our judgments and criticisms are hurtful to others and we don’t realize we are hurting them. Our judgments can make the person into a monster. For example, we tend to judge Muslims the most. There has been many terrorist attacks in America and these terrorist attacks has hurt many people. The media puts terrorism into extreme. Many people became afraid with Muslims and they tend to judge and make stereotypes about them. For example, people may say “They are not good people,” “Muslims are dangerous,” or “They are here to destroy the world.” In reality, not all Muslims are bad. Many Muslims are the most loving people. Since they are different that share different religion and culture, they are judged by many people. Women that wear hijabs are even mistreated and disrespected. There has been many stories that involve people pulling their hijabs off. That is something very disrespectful. They are not hurting us or doing anything wrong. The media is full of hatred towards Muslims and fill people with ideas that Muslims are bad. The point being made is that because someone is different doesn’t necessarily define a person. We are have our differences and nobody should be judged.
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In Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s Monster Theory IV he explains that, “In the United States, Native Americans were presented as unredeemable savages so that the powerful machine of Manifest Destiny could push westward with disregard”(8). This is how the U.S. creates real monsters, by making the Native Americans savages it was easier to bring them harm. People want to label everything into small categories whether its people, book genres, race, etc. People want to be able say this is a apocalyptic novel because it takes place far into the future and the world is empty or going through some kind of disaster. Without a label people question well what is this book about then, if they do not know they immediately want to judge the book on the surface level or its cover. People are quick to make something they do not understand something monstrous because it’s easier to do that then to get to know the someone or something for what they truly are or their true nature. For example in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Vincent Frankenstein calls his own creation monstrous when it comes to life. The monster had done nothing but reach out to it’s creator. Vincent was quick to judge his creation by appearance deeming him a monster when he never took to notice the intelligence his creature had or for who the creation was on the inside. People in the novel deemed the creation as “other” because of his appearance as well, it was a monster because it looked like it could harm someone.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjp-PmMyJ7fAhUWJjQIHWxoDV0QjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fbooks%2Fwhat-to-read%2F20-scary-books-to-terrify-you-this-halloween%2Ffrankenstein—mary-shelley-1818%2F&psig=AOvVaw0LT1e_QgfmbOvrViohjl5F&ust=1544850864094827
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Prejudice and monsters are strongly connected to each other. In monster theory of Cohen number four, “The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference” explains that the monster is difference made flesh that comes to dwell among us. It represents the “Other,” the “Outside,” from what is culturally, politically, racially, economically, and sexually normative. In our society everyone is different from us we tend to judge them and make them monsters based on what people see and believe about them. For example Frankenstein was a monster to everyone because he doesn’t appear like humans, hisphysical appearance was different and that made him a monster because he was huge creature and it was a monster because it looked like it could cause harm to someone. Also some people think that Muslims or Jews or any other group that has different culture and believes from them are bad people and monsters just because they have different views of subjects and this is a huge mistake that we should change.
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Online there’s a growing culture of anti-semitism, which varies from degrading cartoons of Jews to making mockery of they way they speak. Conspiracies float around everywhere on the internet claiming that Jews secretly run the world and control the actions of giant companies. The influence of this online anti-semitic culture has recently been leaking into the real world, and it’s had some deadly consequences. On October 27, 2018, a synagogue in Pittsburgh fell victim to a mass shooting, leaving 11 dead and several injured. The shooter had been active on social media leaving several anti-semitic posts and made a threat against Jews saying “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics. I’m going in.” Why do some people think like this? Theory 4 of Michael Cohen’s “Monster Theory” gives an explanation. Cohen states, “Political or ideological differences is as much a catalyst to monstrous representation on a micro level as cultural alterity in the macrocosm.” The shooter believed the Jews were out to destroy HIS people (whites) and as his hatred for the Jews boiled online where anti-Semitic posts are everywhere, he believed that he was doing the right thing.
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Prejudice can lead to monsters, Jeffrey Dahmer was never accepted by his father because of his sexuality which led him to feel distant and isolated. In an interview, Jeffrey’s father had been asked what would he have done if Jeffrey had came out as gay and his response was, “I think I would have started in on a program to try to change his thinking.” (Stone Phillips Interview). Jeffrey never felt comfortable or had an honest and open relationship with his parents, which had led him to go into his own world. If his parents would’ve been somewhat accepting and showed him care, he wouldn’t have gone out searching for others to fill their place.
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In recent news, Trump has moved to also wanting to start deporting Vietnamese Refugees from the Vietnam War. If anyone is seen as an example of the 4th monster thesis, it would be trump. His “middle,countryside-like thinking” is only used to what he knows growing up, he did not know many other races and he is very racist in general. He wants a everyone to basically be a replica of him, he is just starting with those that he has dirt on, such as the Mexicans and the Vietnamese Refugees. He is not doing it for any beneficial gain to the United States but rather his own interest, he does not understand the pain these people go through from their own countries, or the pain they go through to get into the United States, he only understands that they are outsiders and want to send him back to that suffering.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-vietnam-refugees-deported-us-immigration-white-house-agreement-war-a8681436.html
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Monsters are prejudice in nature as they have certain audiences they entertain some broader than others. Whenever a specific group of people seem to become victims to another group of people the oppressing group becomes the monster in different forms for there is usually a majority vs the minorities. Either you agree with the majority and become a part of the prejudice monster or become a part of the minorities and help the losing battle for equality among all.
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In my opinion, prejudice and monsters are related to each other. In The Monster Theory, Cohen has defined “The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference”. It is strongly connect to the prejudice. People have tendency evaluate others by their outside. Because of the judgement from others, victims somehow become monster in real life. School shooters, murders are at first victims of people’s bullying, discrimination. In the other words, prejudice is one of reasons creating real life monsters. Every body is different, and no one has right to evaluate others.
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We live in a society that everything has to have a label,a title or a category. This is how we creates “real” monster by making them seem so different that they are not “normal.” However, when someone is of a different religion, race or just looks different preconceived judgments are made. We use monstrosities to separate us from those we do not want to understand because they are so different from us. This is a lot like prejudice, we don’t take the time to understand or educate ourselves about different religions or race. When someone does a monstrous act we judge and instead of trying to understand why or what was going on in that person’s life. “The Monster Dwells at the Gate of Differences” this explains that society will always point out our differences.
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How do we create “real” monsters? I believe that this society gives reason why monsters become monsters, this society has gotten worse over the years making it worse for the future generations to come. Instead of making it better its getting worse, more people judged each other by the color of their skin or where they come from. How do we use monstrosity to separate us from those we do not want or understand? When we use monstrosity to separate us from other people, it could be because we as a culture push out people/groups/others out of our group to make them monstrous. Like the thesis 4 says “Dark skin was associated with the fires of hell, and so signified in christen mythology demonic provenance.” they give an example of how races people can be of african americans. we are in the 20th century and it shouldn’t like like it used too before.
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Prejudice and monsters are connected because we as a society create such beings by perceiving those that are different than the rest of us, making them inhuman. As, Thesis 4 of the monster theory argues that “ monstrous difference tends to be cultural, political, racial, economic, sexual” (Cohen). According to this society has a prejudice that anyone without a difference from the norm is automatically monstrous because they are not the same as us. For instance, some stereotype different races as monstrous simply because they are a different culture or race. This is usually not based on reason, rather based on the idea that anything different from norm is bad. Americans have historically pushed out other groups for being different. The current president of the United States, Donald Trump, is notorious for creating different cultural groups as monsters in the mind of Americans. Trump has been prejudice towards different cultures countless number of times, as he even states that Mexicans were “rapists”, yet there is no evidence to back up that claim. He has stereotyped Mexicans many times calling them “drug dealers” and terrorists”. But, this is a false claim and he has prejudiced Mexicans into this idea that has been preconceived in his mind. Trump, time after time has made the mistake of perceiving different cultures as automatically inferior or monstrous in his mind. Consequently, there is this ideal perceived by some Americans such as Trump that Americans themselves are the greatest so any nationality different cannot be great.
http://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/
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According to Thesis IV of Cohen’s “Monster Culture,” it says that “Native Americans are unredeemable savages.” (Cohen, 9) For my final essay, I am writing about the Red Lake High School shooter, who was bullied in school and happens to be Native American. His name was Jeff Weise and he lived in Minnesota, where most Native Americans live in a poor and violent society.
Thesis IV also talks about the different diversities of a monster depending on race, culture, etc, So the dangerous shooting was committed by a Native American that we all feared, and that lead us to probably think that any Native American is a danger to us.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64315-2005Mar24.html?noredirect=on
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The fourth thesis, “The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference,” explains that the monster is difference made flesh that comes to dwell among us. It represents the “Other,” the “Outside,” from what is culturally, politically, racially, economically, sexually normative. This concept that cultural difference is a monstrous aberration is familiar; it is presented in the Bible, where aboriginal inhabitants of Canaan are envisioned as menacing giants to justify the Hebrew colonization of the Promised Land. Such representation of anterior culture as monstrous justifies extermination of the monstrous by rendering the act heroic. In medieval France, the crusades were celebrated for transforming Muslims into demonic caricatures, making it admissible the annexation of the East by the West. In the US, Native Americans were presented as unredeemable savages and made colonization justified by Manifest Destiny. Jews were targeted for xenophobic misrepresentation when communities wanted to be homogeneous and monolithic. Political or ideological difference has been a catalyst to monstrous representation. Political figures suddenly out of favor are demonized and historically dictated as monsters. They move between monster and man, having incoherent bodies, always in peril of disaggregation. In this context, history itself becomes a monster – defeaturing and self-deconstructive. Violation of sexual taboos and transgression of gender roles are also frequent catalysts for monstrous representation. Difference in race is also frequently represented as monstrous. The dark skin color of Ethiopians, terrifying and malformed as it appeared, were symptomatic of sinfulness, as it was associated with fires of hell and demonic provenance. This such demonization justified policies of exclusion and enslavement. In this thesis, the “other” culture is fragmented then recombined to assemble a monster that claims an independent identity. The monster seeks out its creators to bear witness to the fact that it could have been constructed nonmonstrously.
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We create “real” monsters due mainly our ignorance and faulty reasoning, we associate individuals or a group of people with negative connotations creating them into a monster. In many instances we have used propaganda in order to illustrate people as monsters, the example I used in my monster analysis essay was the Nazi propaganda that successfully illustrated the Jewish population as a monstrous creature, and rats a pest they had the obligation to rid the world of. They we blamed for the various troubles that surrounded the country, while also being used as scape goats for Germany’s loss in first World War. According to Nazi Germany they were simply monsters and refused to understand them which was un-beneficial for them because their Jewish population contained the most educated people for example most the people that help to create the atomic bomb were Jews who escaped persecution. However, they were the only victim the population they deemed inferior or were just different were included, such as homosexuals, gypsies, but their attempt to annihilate these people who they considered monsters highlighted the monsters they had within, they were the real monsters.
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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/weird-cultural-differences_n_3875360
Culture different seems to be a big deal when it comes to people who have lived only in their own country and never gone abroad. The article “8 Cultural Differences Between America And Other Countries” indicates the myth or tradition that people in other countries have done it different way than American do. Some culture believe that we should throw the teeth on the roof, but in some culture don’t believe that. The obvious example is that we have different food, and the taste is also different. Which one is better? There would be only a preference that can judge between the food of their own country or the new food that they have never tried before. Living in their own country and living in the other country that has different language, culture, tradition, and environment, would require to adapt themselves to the new environment. Therefore, they can avoid being prejudice that would lead them to be in the situation; they don’t enjoy food. The environment is bad. It would lead a person to complain the things that they don’t like in other culture. It eventually could lead to establish a bad attitude, so this is how prejudice comes into play role in each person. When people start complaining about something that is different than their way, then this is when the prejudice monster starts. Sometimes people look at something that is different is a monster. Even though they are not a part of us, it doesn’t mean that they are bad or monsters.
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I personally think prejudice has a lot to do with creating a monster, especially with how you were raised. Every monster had a family and a mom, so they all came from what us regular humans came from. So why aren’t we monsters? I think it’s because we were raised right. Although some people may have it worse than others we still didn’t become serial killers.
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From my understanding, the connection between prejudice and monstrosity is the creation of one, creates the other. I think discrimination is the last factor that creates the “real” monsters because it is the decision we make to not understand others. A racist human can be the monsters acting prejudiced; however, it might have been his guardians who taught him his way of thinking which led him to be the monster he is to others. We use monstrosity by being prejudice as we separate from those who are different. I think that, if I am reading it correctly, the fourth thesis means the monster actions depend on the prejudice level. For example, society instantly tends to look at Mexicans as a rapist, Muslims as a terrorist, Blacks as criminals, whites as mentally ill. We judge others by their looks, and with that, we compare to previous assassins who have the same characteristics and put them in the same category even though we know nothing about their background. Judging a book by its cover is what creates this monster. We give others a title they don’t hold, and some people react to that. Some people react to these prejudice judgments in the wrong way and prove to us we are right and then there are others who go against our word, and show to us we are wrong as they act with kindness. If we do not accept other peoples cultural or sexual beliefs we are that monsters.
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Prejudice and monsters are connected because of how Cohen describes how monsters dwell at the gate of difference which in modern society the monsters are real. History has shown us that within the United States people are prejudice just because of the way someone looks or because of their nationality which shouldn’t be accepted. Prejudice isn’t something we as people are born with, rather, it is passed on through different generations and learned which is something that as a society, we should get better at and understand that looks don’t give anyone the right to be prejudice toward someone and assume things, but if their actions are wrong then they need to be held responsible. Some people live in fear just based on what previous people have told them in their lives about shaming and looking down upon others just because of the color of their skin or where they came from. Monsters in fiction also face prejudice because they are different from what society normally sees which is what people in real life have to face when others see someone that isn’t from the United States and are looked down upon and deal with people that are afraid of them. This should be taught differently to younger generations because not all people are monsters and we are making them just for being prejudice, we should be learning that people come from all cultures and everyone is different. We need to learn that you shouldn’t judge someone unless they actually did something wrong or dangerous, which hasn’t gotten through to some because we are still living in a world where we fear other people who have done nothing wrong.
Link: http://www.easternecho.com/article/2018/12/how-should-we-address-prejudice-on-campus
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