Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Misdirection?

Puppet Show supposedly defines xenophobia. Is this true? What do you know? What do you think this story is arguing? Base your response upon the Socratic Discussion and your personal thinking. Please complete your response during class today 9-29-10.

23 comments:

  1. I think that it is defined as fear of the unknow. humans have a long history of fearing things that we dont even no and if they would have just got together they would have realized that they have much in common and have no need to fear them.

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  2. I think that it is true. I know that people usually dont like other people who look different then them, people like burn victims would be considered disturbing to a lot of people, because humans base too much on aesthetics and dont take time to get to know people, or things. In the story the alien looks disturbing and so thus people are repulsed.

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  3. I think the puppet decently portrays xenophobia with the puppets. It displayed the reactions that a few humans had to believing they were in contact with extraterrestial beings. I also think the most interesting question posed in todays seminar was "What kind of alien is the burrow?" Well, I'm pretty sure it's referred to as Zthhthsfuffick, but someone should check me on that.

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  4. I don't think puppet show defines xenophobia; I feel as though it describes an abstract form of it through the ignorence of a youthful race (humans). This is also depicted through our lack of concern for anything other than the humanoid form which was demonstrated in our lack of concern for the Donkey.

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  5. I think that Puppet Show does define xenophobia. It not only gives a definition within the story, but it also gives a conversational definition: "'But I'll admit it's a relief to learn that the master race of the galaxy is, after all, human instead of only humanoid'" (p172). This prooves that the colonal may not fear things that are unknown, but he doesn't accept them - which is part of xenophobia. I think that the story reveals that while we may not fear the unknown, we don't want to have anything to do with something that is "different." We will pretend to accept the unique things, but inside, we don't like or even want to be a part of what is unknown. I think the author is trying to say that we need to open our eyes and minds more.

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  6. I do think that "Puppet Show" defines xenophobia. I think that it's shown in the last few paragraphs, as pointed out in the discussion, when the colonel mentions that he could believe in a master race at least being humanoid. When the burro talks, I think that the people would have gone into a shock derived from xenophobia. I think the story is arguing that the human race is so stuck on its own self-image that it cannot comprehend a master race composed of something akin to an underwhelming species on our planet that we've taken for granted for hundreds of years, maybe thousands.

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  7. I do not think that this story defines xenophobia. This is because the people from earth did not seem to be afraid or intimidated by the aliens. On the contrary, they seemed very interested and cooporative.

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  8. I think in a way it gives the guidelines to the definition of the word, but never truely gives the meaning. I think this story is arguing how ignorant we are as a general species, like how the colonel didn't ever even think for one second that the burro was the species testing the Arizonians. That's why I believe the author chose to use Americans to talk to the aliens because we are argueably one of the most ignorant countries today because of how young our counrty really is.

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  9. I do think this is true. I think that at first the characters have a pre-conceived notion about the alein and how he acts and what he has to say. He talks about how humans have a cliche that when an alien comes all they want is for you to take them to your leader. He clearly states that he is different than the others.

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  10. I think this story is stating a common misconseption which would be considered a prejudice to the intergalactic federation. THe fact that humans can't deal with something as intelligent as them unless they have human like features, humanoid. The burro uses puppets to test the human and they react brilliantly to the first test but when they say that they were glad that the aliens had human characteristics instead of something beast like that is when the burro reveals itself criticizing the biases and predujices that Americans and other societies share in the world today.

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  11. I think that the Puppet Show definitely describes xenophobia. When the humans are being tested they in my opinion are being tested for different levels of xenophobia. The humans passed the test of not being xenophobic to a humanoid creatures but they failed the second test by not acknowledging the burro which we in our human minds hold them in an almost slave like level. I think this story is arguing that we as humans think that we are powerful and that no one is above us but in reality there might be other creatures with greater intelligence that we should learn to listen to and accept.

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  12. I beleive that the defintion of xenophobia in this story is true. People are always scared of what they dont understand. Especially in America we tend to not look outside the box, and try to grasp other peoples ideas, culture, or language. This story seems to be a wake up call for us all to not judge a book by its cover.

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  13. I think its true to a point. People will fear those that they dont know or understand until they know and understand them. But i think this story was argueing that humans consider themselves the master race and this meaning that they are still very young and ignorant. Since humans consider themselves the master race, they believe that they are ment to be in control and this causes war. If aliens do exist and humans were invited to join the galactic alliance, this implies that the alliance has been around for a long time and that humans are now recieving an invitation that we just barely matured enough to have this oppurtunity. So all in all humans are a very controling, young, destructive race that would possibly try to gain control of the alliance and maybe causeing war.

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  14. I believe that the story's definition for xenophobia, a fear of strangers, is correct. However, i think it is very basic. It could have been elaborated on much more, including what defines a stranger/alien. I believe the definition of a stranger to be a person or thing that is unknown, foreign, or strange to the observer. Also, they left out that not only is it just individuals/races that are included in this, but other peoples' ways of life too. In my opinion, Puppet Show's definition of xenophobia was very lacking in its interpretation.

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  15. I believe that this story represents xenophobia because in the story the humansn only pay attention to the "humanoid" becuase they believe that he is the one who controls their destiney, not the donkey, who they frankly do not really pay attention to. We only live in our own perception, and our first instinct is not to think that the donkey is the "puppet master." I think the story is arguing that by shying away from some of the possibilities we short stick ourselves in what we know and, what we think.

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  16. The idea of how humans would react to the fact that maybe us humans did not pass the second test was brought up, and that we did not pass because of our own sense of xenophobia. I think this story may be saying that we as humans have a tendancy to be too close-minded, and our own xenophobia may be keeping us from achieving new experiences and heights.

    For example, if in the story the humans would have not been so xenphobic, maybe then they would have passed the second test. With the passing of the second test, the human race could have been admitted into the new federation the extraterrestrial was in and manefest new galaxies in space.

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  17. I think that maybe the humanoid chose the small town because there are fewer people rather than in large cities where there are a larger amount of people who all have different beliefs and are most likely to have a more ignorant view on things, in small towns usally the people think the same and have the same view on things, if most of the town tinks with an open mind then the whole town will, the characters in this story were very calm at the sight of an extraterrestrial being and the humanoid probably saw that and that is why he chose this town.

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  18. I think puppet show does define xenophobia because it puts the human race in an actual test on what could be the outcome. The general did have a xenophobia by saying “I’ll admit it’s a relief to learn that the master race of the galaxy is, after all, human…” whit the generals words it seals there fate.

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  19. I believe that humans can only relate to other humans or humanoids and this story shows that humans are not afraid of things that are similar to themselves but when it comes to things that are very differnt then the have a hard time relating

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  20. I think that Puppet Show didnt exactly cover xenephobia. It introduced Garvane and Dade Grant. Casey was not fearful of them which causes the human race to pass the first test. But at the main point in the story where the burro speaks, it doesnt tell us how the people reacted. This main point in the story gives the perfect set-up for xenephobia but no answer.

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  21. I think that Puppet Show defines xenophobia quite well. With the character, Casey, it showed how we, as humans, are horrified by that which is different, but it also showed how we can still make an effort to try and not "judge a book by it's cover". But the story ultimately concludes with the major saying that he was glad the master race of the gallexy was human and i believe that it shows how we aren't able to be completely xenophobic because we desperately hope that the ones in charge are like us.

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  22. In the article Xenophobia is described as "fear of strangers". I think this story is arguing the point that all humans have Xenophobia and in return we are judgemental of things that are different.

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  23. I agree that Puppet Show defines xenophobia in a way, becuase the word can be defined in many ways. The story is arguing that xenophobia can be present involving something as common as a donkey. Something doesn't have to be completely ridiculous in order to cause xenophobia.

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