Possessed?

Nicki Minaj is known for her eccentric performances; however, her show at the Grammys was more controversial than people were prepared for. The fact that she was mocking the Catholic church was a foolish thing to do, especially at a nationally viewed event. While some aspects of her performance may be humorous (like the thought of a bishop at a concert), overall the act was highly inappropriate. A lot of Catholics are very dedicated to their religion, and will take huge offense at the negative aspects Nicki Minaj was implying about it.

Personally, I am not offended by this song or performance, but I am not a strong Catholic. I think the Catholic church can be extremely uptight at times, and I do not approve of many of their practices. I also thought that the alter boy joke was slightly amusing (even though I wouldn't have recommended it be included). I believe Catholics sometimes need to lighten up and not take matters so seriously or literally.

In regards to Minaj's feelings about her own performance, I don't think she has much remorse. She appears to be the type of person that obtains satisfaction from standing out and starting controversy. Even though she probably won't apologize, I don't think she meant to hurt anyone's feelings or purposely make Catholics feel uncomfortable. In my opinion, her performance was most likely an attempt to create something completely different from any other singer--she just executed her goal in an unaccepted manner.

Rotten Apples?

After reading this article, I feel horrified by the way Apple supposedly treats its workers. I can't imagine having to stand for hours, work six days a week, or live in cramped, unsatisfactory living conditions. When I was reading the article, my consciousness was definitely raised about the hardships these people must endure. However, this story quickly left my mind when I went to the gym and mindlessly turned on my Ipod. I truly care about the health and safety of the Apple workers, but using their products is such a common part of my daily life that I don't think I could stop. The conditions don't seem real until I read about them, and the only way I might give up using these products was if I witnessed, and continued to witness, the maltreatment of these workers. I don't mean to sound selfish or uncaring, but eliminating my use of Apple products doesn't seem like a realistic goal for me right now (especially since we use Apple computers in school).