The Controllers - Example Warning! Warning! Alarms go off inside your head. You?

re at the mall walking around with one of your best buds looking at CDs, when all of a sudden you look up and see this drop dead gorgeous girl, whose looking at CDs in the next aisle. You grasp the CD case you were looking at firmly, and use the reflection quickly to make sure none of your pimples are ready to burst, and that your hair is fixed right. You glance down at you pants making sure they are set right on your shoes to make them look as cool as possible. Then you make sure that your shirt is straightened up. You take a breath and look up. She gives looks at you out of the corner of your eyes and you feel a skip in you chest. She looked at you! You automatically double checked with your eyes to make sure your zipper?s zipped and that she?s not laughing at you, but she?s really smiling at you. Wow, you think, she must really think I look cool! That was only a brief glimpse into the complicated life of a teenage boy. A boy who reads magazines, wants a car, plays video games, and watches a lot of TV. Every morning he wakes up and picks out his clothes sometimes taking them off and putting on others that match better. His ultimate goal is to look as good and cool as possible, like those guys in the Gap commercials on TV, with their perfect smiles and their arm always around that really hot girl. Why have we as males become more concerned about our looks and body? It seemed that only twenty years ago it was just the girls really worrying about their make up and nails. Even though we have not come so far as to put on make up and paint out nails weird colors to match our 300 dollar outfit to go to the mall, we have become more aware of looking cool and more attracting to the opposite sex. Yet it seems as if instead of looking to better out grades and get a good job to attract females we?ve started to look more and more at our looks then what we do and who we are. What we teens don?t realize is that TV has a bigger impact on our daily life then we think it does. It?s become the government?s way of talking to us. It?s also a way of communication and entertainment. Since the 1940?s, when the television really became open to the public, the news and our favorite shows have shown us different parts of the world. It imposed new ideas and little by little, changed society. Because companies started to use the television to advertise and introduce new styles, society has started to desire to be those people on television. When I was younger and watched more TV, I would usually watch cartoons about superheroes saving the world, like Captain Planet or the Ninja Turtles. A lot of times I would try to imitate their hairstyles to make myself more like them. Now we do the same thing with the serial comedies and action shows, though now we don?t admit that we want to imitate these people as openly. Most of the men and guys on TV look good or have good bodies. They most likely wear the clothes that are in style. In the movies, these guys often get the girl or are the hero of the picture. As of late, in shows like Friends, The Read World, and Sex in the City, where the relationships are shallow and mostly based on looks, have become more and more popular. A lot of times the reasons that they dump a guy are because his penis is too small or he needs to lose fat around some areas. Shows like these only make guys more self-conscious about their looks because they think that the girls expect us to be a rippling Arnold Schwarzenegger with a perfect body. A lot of times we also think they want us to look like the guys in the Abercrombie and Fitch ads, with their hands down their crotches and an arm holding a hot girl. What they?re really saying is, ?Hey guys! Look like me even though you probably won?t be able to. If you do though, you?ll get lots of hot girls like this one.? These pictures tend to have a lot of sexual content, and this puts a lot of pressure on having ?in? clothes and being cool. Another source that has altered the male thinking is the magazine. Because girl magazines like Cosmopolitan encourages women use the power to choose and be ahead of the relationship, it also places stress on guys to look better for girls, and this stress in turn has made other magazines come into existence and feed off of the new male impulse to look better. I looked on the internet and found at allyoucanread.com their list of the top twenty men magazines. Three of them were aimed to help

men look better and be fit. A majority of the others included magazines such as Maxim at number one and others that helps guys see the women on TV up close. They also contain ads that promote the idea of having muscles and being cool, which encourages a lot of guys to use steroids and lift weights. These magazines are read by a majority of the male population in America, and anything that gets published in them is sent out to a couple million males. Their opinions become the public?s opinions. Personally, I was surprised to see so many health and fitness magazines. Both magazines and the television have had a big effect on why we as males are more concerned about our looks now, then fifty years ago. They control the need to look good around the world. The real struggle is to not let these materials conflict with what we really know. When you consider it in the long run, these things do not matter: popularity, money, and what you do. Focus more on what matters, like relationships that are not based on whether your hair looks good, or if your face is clear of acne.

50 ideas
               

              

 

Should animals be used for scientific researches? Do we need prisons? Should the death penalty be mandatory for all murderers, or just for those who manage to kill people even when staying in a prison? Do we have the right to exhume bodies of prominent people and move them from one place to another? Shouldnt Russians finally bury Lenin? Better naked, than in furs? Was Saddam Husseins execution an essential point in establishing democracy in Iraq? Should men be allowed to have more than one wife? Plastic surgeries: a way to become more beautiful, or someones unhealthy idea? In some Asian countries cutting off thiefs right hand is still commonly practiced. Do you think this is the best way out? Talk about major issues (sex, abortion, Iraq, Vietnam, marijuana, etc). Say why talking about main issues (sex, abortion, Iraq, Vietnam, marijuana, etc) all the time not only lessens their importance, but even evokes irritation. Why atheists have to be tolerant to religion, while religious people are not tolerant to atheists? Was the sex, drugs, and rocknroll era significant, or not? Prove that bagels with free sour cream stimulate brain activity. A maniac killed 15 little girls and was sentenced to death. One of the local TV stations was asked by the parents of victims to show his execution. The channel gave its agreement, but the translation was later cancelled. Give your opinion on this situation. Vegetarians vs. Meateaters. Whose side are you on? No fence-sitting, please. Why talking about sex is okay, and talking about cheating is embarrassing? Do you agree that there is art for the masses, and elite culture? How do you feel about being the mass? If you are not in the mass, what do you think about The Black Square by Kazimir Malevich? Do you want to have a cosmetic surgery? Is it important to talk openly about the contraception? Which country has the prettiest girls? Prove that blondes are actually smart. An image of USA has become negative. Do you agree with this statement? There is an opinion that DAEWOOs are not cars at all. Are they? What do you think about gay marriages? Why driving is permitted from the age of 16, and gambling from the age of 21? Is it helpful being skeptical? What do you think about the negative public opinion on thongs and bra straps? Your friend is concerned about his/her grades. Even though they are good, he/she still stays awake for half of the night getting the assignments and extra credit work ready. Convince your friend that wearing him/herself out is not the best idea. When you moved to this town, it was relatively small. Now that its expanding, your parents consider moving to a calmer place. You, however, have friends here that you dont want to live. Talk to your parents about the necessity of staying. A friend of yours, a skinny girl, thinks that she needs to lose a few pounds. Tell her why losing more weight will only damage her health. Your friend is failing his finals. If he doesnt pass, hell be expelled from the university. You know that studying means a lot to him/her, but he/shes feeling depressed and doesnt want to do anything. Renew his/her faith into himself by persuading him/her to study.

          

  

As a result of political instabilities, a local political organization reacts severely to the acts of the government. It plans to throw an act of protest. You know that this party is dangerous. Your friend, however, is inspired and wants to join. Tell him about possible consequences of getting into something that is not trustworthy. Choose another persuasive essay topic from the list: Your Mom is not happy with an outfit/make up that you are wearing for a school dance. Try to calm her down. You think that school uniform destroys you as an individual. Write a persuasive letter to your principal. You are tired of news on TV. They all tell you about the number of victims in Middle East. Tell why it is unethical for journalists to make money on deaths and war. Cheating and lying can sometimes be helpful. Convince your readers by giving bright examples. Think and prove that living in a big city is better than living in a small town (and vice versa). Convince your parents to buy you something. More persuasive essays topics: Your friends want to go dancing; however, all this week youve been thinking about bowling. Try to persuade them to go to a bowling club. You share a room with a younger sister. She has put a poster of Nick Cave onto the wall, and now you feel like an absolutely humiliated person. Tell her why this poster has to be taken off. Take any common fallacy (like the one that wolves attack people all the time), and prove why it is wrong. You have your own point of view on marriage and family. Convince your readers why it is correct. You want to go and study abroad, but there are a number of reasons why you should take someone with you. Persuade a friend of yours that Italy is just the right place for both of you. And some more persuasive essay topics: Your little sister doesnt want to help you and your Mom around the house. Give her reasons why she has to do it. The book youve just finished is absolutely fantastic. Explain to your family member/friend why it is so good. Try to persuade him/her to read it, too. A history teacher thinks that showing the movie Pearl Harbor will be just enough to cover the material on the World War II. Prove that you are eager to know more than this, and how the lack of important information can result on your future. Tell why it is important to know more than one foreign language.

40 ideas
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Dieting makes people fat. Romantic love is a poor basis for marriage. The war on terror has contributed to the growing abuse of human rights. High school graduates should take a year off before entering college. All citizens should be required by law to vote. All forms of government welfare should be abolished. Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a child. Americans should have more holidays and longer vacations. Participating in team sports helps to develop good character. The production and sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

People have become overly dependent on technology. Censorship is sometimes justified. Privacy is not the most important right. Drunk drivers should be imprisoned on the first offense. The lost art of letter-writing deserves to be revived. Government and military personnel should have the right to strike. Most study-abroad programs should be renamed "party abroad": they are a waste of time and money The continuing decline of CD sales along with the rapid growth of music downloads signals a new era of innovation in popular music. 19. College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses. 20. The solution to the impending crisis in Social Security is the immediate elimination of this anachronistic government program. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. The primary mission of colleges and universities should be preparing students for the workforce. Financial incentives should be offered to high school students who perform well on standardized tests. All students in high school and college should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language. College students in the U.S. should be offered financial incentives to graduate in three years rather than four. College athletes should be exempted from regular class-attendance policies. To encourage healthy eating, higher taxes should be imposed on soft drinks and junk food. Students should not be required to take physical education courses. To conserve fuel and save lives, the 55 miles-per-hour national speed limit should be restored. All citizens under the age of 21 should be required to pass a driving education course before receiving a license to drive. Any student caught cheating on an examination should be automatically dismissed from college.

31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39.

Freshmen should not be required to purchase a meal plan from the college. Zoos are internment camps for animals and should be shut down. University students should not be penalized for illegally downloading music, movies, or other protected content. Government financial aid for students should be based solely on merit. Nontraditional students should be exempted from regular class-attendance policies. At the end of each term, student evaluations of faculty should be posted online. A student organization should be formed to rescue and care for the feral cats on campus. People who contribute to Social Security should have the right to choose how their money is invested. Professional baseball players convicted of using performance-enhancing drugs should not be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. 40. Any citizen who does not have a criminal record should be permitted to carry a concealed weapon.

50 ideas
1. Is global climate change man-made? (Find Sources) 2. Is the death penalty effective? (Find Sources) 3. Is our election process fair? 4. Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores? (Find Sources) 5. Is torture ever acceptable? 6. Should men get paternity leave from work? 7. Is a lottery a good idea? 8. Do we have a fair taxation system? 9. Do curfews keep teens out of trouble? 10. Is cheating out of control? 11. Are we too dependent on computers? 12. Are parents clueless about child predators on the Internet? 13. Should animals be used for research? 14. Should cigarette smoking be banned? 15. Are cell phones dangerous? 16. Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy? 17. Are test scores a good indication of a school's competency? 18. Do we have a throw-away society? 19. Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago? 20. Should companies market to children? 21. Should the government have a say in our diets? 22. Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy? 23. Does access to condoms lead to irresponsible, dangerous, or bad behavior?

24. Are actors and professional athletes paid too much? 25. Are CEOs paid too much? 26. Do violent video games cause behavior problems? 27. Should creationism be taught in public schools? 28. Are beauty pageants exploitive? 29. Should English be the official language in the United States? 30. Should the racing industry be forced to use biofuels? 31. When should parents let teens make their own decisions? 33. Should the military be allowed to recruit at high schools? 34. Should the alcoholic drinking age be increased or decreased? 35. Does age matter in relationships? 36. What age is appropriate for dating? 37. Should gay couples be able to marry? 38. Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school? 39. Does boredom lead to trouble? 40. Does participation in sports keep teens out of trouble? 41. Is competition good? 42. Does religion cause war? 43. Should the government provide health care? 44. Should girls ask boys out? 45. Is fashion important? 46. Are girls too mean to each other? 47. Is homework harmful or helpful?

48. Should students be allowed to grade their teachers? 49. Is the cost of college too high? 50. Is college admission too competitive?