Justin Alcaide
WMST 205
12/3/18
Blog #3
For my blog #3 I chose the artifact of beer, specifically
Pacifico Clara Cerveza. I chose this artifact because growing up I would always
see beer as a “man’s” drink. Specifically, Pacifico Clara because it was often the drink of choice of the men of my family. I believe I came to this conclusion because
when my family would throw parties, I would always see the men drinking ice cold
beer. Meanwhile the women would often not drink or drink “girly” drinks as in
Mikes Hard Lemonade or mixed drinks. The men would also tease another man if he
did not want to drink a beer or if he got drunk too quick. Being Mexican it is
in our tradition to drink a lot so when a man does not drink enough that is
socially acceptable, he gets named a “pussy”. My past experiences at my family
parties lead me to drink that if one drinks a beer, he is a “man”.
The artifact helped shape who I am because in social
gatherings I would always remember of the males of my family drinking beer. The
artifact has brought to me having the mindset that in a social setting, men
drink beer while females drink a beverage of bright color. When consuming this
artifact many feel power because consuming this makes them more of a man.
When looking back at this cultural artifact with my critical
vigilant lens I realized that drinking beer does not make you anymore of a man
or any less of a man. It is just a beverage that can be enjoyed by anyone.
I brought these experiences with me to college as when I began
drinking among friends our choice of beverage would be beer because of our upbringing.
This is an artifact that does not get talked about often but it is engraved
into the Mexican and other cultures.
Hey what's up Justin! Your artifact is pretty interesting because I grew up with that same perspective. During my childhood, I would always see my uncles and aunts and older cousins either drinking beer or other alcoholic beverages. The guys would always be drinking beer and the women would be drinking either wine or mixed drinks with juicy flavor. I've seen that in the mexican culture, many mexicans make fun of each other if they see that some one is not drinking beer. To me it's normal because I've seen it in my own family when one cousin makes fun of another for not hanging while drinking alcohol. I completely agree with you that if someone drinks more than another person it doesn't make them superior. No one is better than someone else just cause they drink more than the other person. The way I feel about this is that it doesn't matter how much beer someone can drink, what matters is that people have a great time!
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ReplyDeleteGreat blog Justin. All the points you discussed were good and i found your personal experience with alcohol interesting and i'm sure that these stereotypes are believed by many as well. I have definitely seen these beliefs at family gatherings as well so i could relate to this blog. its interesting to see how this is so normal in Mexican culture and how masculinity is determined by the alcoholic beverage that one chooses. I believe that alcohol should be enjoyed by everyone and it shouldn't be used to discriminate or make people feel like less.
ReplyDeleteHi Justin!
ReplyDeleteI find your artifact interesting since many people might not find alcohol as part of culture. I can understand why men drink beer in social gatherings and it is true that beer is seen as a "man's drink." I even remember my dad drinking that same type of beer. Being apart of the Mexican culture I also grew up seeing my family members only drinking beer at family parties. Thanks for sharing this artifact!