Ruminate: H.O.A.H.B.T. And The American Dream?
With regard to the H.O.A.H.B.T Truck documentary, react to the
commentary that it makes about the "American Dream", mentality, and
lifestyle. Furthermore, how does it connect or relate to our studied
literature so far this semester? Please respond thoughtfully. In your
response, please wonder, relate, question, think, etc... (Response Due Wed. 1-27-16 at 2:30p.m.)
posted by Greg T at Monday, January 11, 2016
20 Comments:
This contest shows how much grit people have when going through hardships. Each contestant has a serious need for this vehicle, it is seen as need, not just a want. Like transcendentalists, many of the contestants have given many things up, like work or even selling an old car, they are separating themselves. They are so desperate for this vehicle, they begin to lie and cheat, push themselves past physical and mental limits, no matter the cost. Modernism begins to peak its ugly head, materialism starts to peak through. Desperation takes over.
This contest honestly amazes me. It shows how far these people will go when they are either going through a hard time or just in general just really wanting/needing the truck. It makes me feel bad for them because it has come to the extent for them to do this, and it is not a healthy thing. Is the truck really worth ruining your health? I think that the truck really shoes that material is over values in life even back then. I think this has a lot to relate to the Kate Chopin A Pair of Silk Stockings, because when the woman gets the pair of silk stockings and gets to buying all kinds of stuff she starts to feel good about herself and she feels confident. I feel like when the people win the truck they feel good about themselves and have more confidence because they realize what they just did is hard to do for a lot of people. The people who are doing the contest are pushing themselves so much to the point where they are lying and cheating and making parts of their bodies go numb. It hurts me to think that people need to go to that extent to keep their families and lives going. It's sickening.
Looking at this contest made me realize how people will do whatever it is to win. In the contest the truck would be useful to everyone but they don't need it. Some people were willing to risk their health for a car. I think this content really describes humanity in a perfect way! I think this connects a lot to the story by Kate Chopin because when she finds the $15 she forgets about all of her responsibilities and everything she should use the money. You can see the money change her in a matter of the day. I think that with both of these examples you see how money changes people so fast.
The H.O.A.H.B.T. Truck documentary expresses all the main values that are seen in the typical American Dream by allowing everyone, the competitors, the chance for success if they follow the rules and try hard enough. The government gives everyone in the United states a chance for success if they follow the rules; if you break the law there is consequences. In the documentary this is the same as taking your hand off the truck. The individual has the power to take their hand off or leave it on. The American Dream is like this as well because our laws allow people to have success if they choose too. We can relate this documentary to the other literature we have read because both stress individualism. Overall the American Dream can be found in many elements of todays society because it impacts everyone we are around daily.
The American dream is theoretically what all Americans strive for but depending on where you live and the time you live in greatly affect what you strive for. You could dream of a job, a house, a family, or simply a life in America. But in the hands on a hard body truck competition in Texas in the 1990s it is obvious that the people that were shown have dreams that involve a brand new truck. And in order to achieve their dream and be happy they do a lot and last nearly 4 days without sleep to win the truck.
The American dream is theoretically what all Americans strive for but depending on where you live and the time you live in greatly affect what you strive for. You could dream of a job, a house, a family, or simply a life in America. But in the hands on a hard body truck competition in Texas in the 1990s it is obvious that the people that were shown have dreams that involve a brand new truck. And in order to achieve their dream and be happy they do a lot and last nearly 4 days without sleep to win the truck.
This contest made me realize that some people will go to far lengths in order to get a new truck they might not even really need. I think this can relate to the American Dream because it shows how people can attain goals through patience and a lot of toughness. Also the contestants made me realize that it is a mind game to determine who the winner will be. Overall I think this relates a little bit to the American Dream.
The american dream is something that everyone strives for but not everyone gets. The people of the HOAHBT competition were striving for but only one person gets witch is really symbolic when you think about america and the life everyone peruses. Very few people get the girl and the house and the car they dreamed about as a kid but someone eventually does after they put in the work.
This movie represents a way to the American Dream because boundaries are going to be pushed to get to the desired dream. To achieve dreams their are struggles to get there, facing all different obstacles including endangering the human body as well as others. To face boundaries you want to “maintain your sanity” (Benny from H.O.A.B.T Movie) to get to success. Success is the reward from acing on boundaries. In the movie, the winner really maintained his sanity by telling himself he's going to win the contest. He also attempted to not waste much energy by participating in active activities, so he can store his energy to participate longer. He kept a positive attitude and was very encouraged he was going to win, and he did. He did have to face a challenge by staying up for 78 hours, but he proved himself he could and was rewarded with the truck.
I think it is about literature when people want something so bad and they did try really really hard to get it like how they torture themselves for one truck for at least 3 days which makes me felt pretty sad about that. I just think about that they could use that time to work on regular job and spend their own money on a truck. Wouldn't that be better?
After watching the Hands On A Hard Body Truck documentary it can relate to the American mentality in a couple of ways, Everyone is after the same thing but there's only a few people who are willing to put themselves out there and take the risk. Another way is that people rush in to things without thinking it through and preparing the correct way mentally and physically.
The American Dream is something that could easily change from its original definition along with the times but believe that in this documentary there is a lot of evidence of very similar goals between Americans in the modern world and Americans from the past. We have all wanted possessions and capabilities to do what we want for the entirety of the existence of the USA. The documentary also goes on to show just how mentally tough some people can be in certain situations. The ways that this connects to some of the documents that we have read are easily seen in the materialistic values of some people and also in the willingness to go through some hard times in order to gain.
I think it connects to the American Dream mentality because of the working hard mentality. They have to work hard to get what you want. When they wanted the truck they had to work hard for it. 72 straight hours I think it was. That relates to the American Dream. Working hard, nothing is ever handed to you unless you're the powerball winner
After watching this film, I have noticed that people will go through anything for something they need. At the start of the film I was like this is stupid like what the H*@$ is going on. As I watched it, I realised I don't think I could of done it. The amount of mental and physical pain these people went through was over the top in the weirdest way. Mentally it killed them more than physically. The American dream is working as hard as you can to get what you want/deserve and it was shown very heavily in this film. The American dream isn't just about money. It's about how much oneself is willing to sacrifice to get what they want. These people sacrifice time,energy, and even their mental and physical health. The American dream can be tough to achieve but once it is. It can be the most glorious thing in the world.
This film seemed strange to watch in this class at first, but then I realized how much it connects to what we're learning. All the articles we have read and now this film all connect to the American Dream. These people in the film were doing something physically and mentally challenging to win a truck and wanted it for good reasons. It shows that there are many ways to get what you work for and if you are determined enough, anything can be achieved. It shows how preparation can be a key to being successful because some of the contestants didn't really know what they were going into. This film demonstrates what it's like to go through a challenge but also what it's like to win something that took over 60 hours to get. Some challenges will be longer but some won't and it just shows that no matter how long it takes, it always feels amazing when we've accomplished something.
Watching this movie in class was a little confusing at first. I had never even thought a movie on a subject like this would exist however through watching it, I realized more and more how this was the American Dream. These people, staYing awake for days, going mentally insane, and exhausting themselves to extents I didn't think could happen. That's the American dream though, whether it's getting why you want quick or slow, it's putting in the work and effort to get it. Only the strongest survive. The will to accomplish this feat and win the prize. It reminds me a lot like school where we do a lot of work and get our gains slowly, but we do get out what we put in.
Watching this movie in class was a little confusing at first. I had never even thought a movie on a subject like this would exist however through watching it, I realized more and more how this was the American Dream. These people, staYing awake for days, going mentally insane, and exhausting themselves to extents I didn't think could happen. That's the American dream though, whether it's getting why you want quick or slow, it's putting in the work and effort to get it. Only the strongest survive. The will to accomplish this feat and win the prize. It reminds me a lot like school where we do a lot of work and get our gains slowly, but we do get out what we put in.
The American dream connects to this film in many ways but what really stood out to me is the drive the people had towards winning the trunk, each had different ideas (staying up nights before, eating less, smoking cigarettes, eating healthy/ unhealthy, etc.) but all are working towards the same goal. People want the american dream but many use different ways of achieving it. Also when you think about the truck what each person needed it for symbolizes what each person thinks the American Dream is.
H.O.A.H.B.T. connects to the American dream and in my opinion is a good demonstration for the American dream because it shows that many will go up and beyond to achieve the American dream. The American is different for many if not everyone, and in America its something achievable not just a state of being. many in the film prepared in different ways for the hours they'd spend with their hand on that truck, and that's kind of how people are with the American dream. Many will do things to prepare and to get closer to achieving the American dream, whether that is schooling, working, etc., anything that'll help achieve the American dream goal.
It Connects to the american dream in many ways one of the biggest that i can see is that a truck is life. Coming from Texas and seeing the way that a truck effects life and how it plays into your daily life style. It conn to the american dream in other ways as well everything from the want for something free the want to win to beat out other people for a end goal.
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