Well not much to report over here except that I’m sick. And this could not have come at a worse time because I have a very important audition this Saturday and I need a voice...which is failing me as we speak. Also I have finals to worry about, so not too good. Hopefully whatever this is goes away...and soon.
Today my grandmother, a few friends of mine, and me went down to Petsmart for their annual adoption day. There were tons of dogs and cats there. It was a zoo. As my grandmother and I were walking around we came across a 1-year old lab mix named Sasha. She was all curled up in the back of her cage with a said look on her face. When we came nearer and put our hands into the cage to pet her she pulled away. Sasha was probably the saddest dog in the bunch. She didn’t bark or wag her tail or anything. She just sat there. When we read her backstory it said that she had been moved around since she was a puppy and that she was for a time very depressed because she was separated from her best friend Jenna (another dog). When we took her out for a walk, she immediately pulled us all of the way to the grass and then sat down and rolled in it. When we started walking her around we noticed that she walked with her tail between her legs and she was very skittish. I felt so sorry for her and I begged for my grandmother to adopt her. Now my grandmother’s backstory is basically this: every pet that I ever picked up and brought home completely destroyed her house and antiques. So of course she said no way. I had tried many times before to get her to adopt shelter dogs but she always said no. This time I felt things were different because she really bonded with this dog. It was just the way she looked at the dog and the way that the dog looked with her...it was just perfect, it was right. My friends felt the same way so we all crowded around her and told her what I perfect picture it was. She gave us all a look and then, as always, said no way. So, as all kids do, we continued to tell her what a good dog Sasha was and how she was perfect for our family. Finally she broke down and adopted Sasha. We will be taking her to her new home on Thursday. Hopefully we can get that tail of her’s to start wagging and turn her frown upside down.
Tonight I can’t really write my usual long winded blogs because I have an aesthetics project that is due tomorrow and my group is planning on being together until 6:00 in the a.m. Oh joy. Well, I guess it’s just another group meeting that lasts until the break of dawn with a class at 9:00 a.m. So if anyone says that “theater people” don’t do anything they are so WRONG. We do a lot more than most majors. Theater is a 24/7 major. No joke.
I feel that throughout this course I have learned a great deal and it has been a very successful semester. Even if I quite don’t understand what every single course goal means I feel that I have been taken extensively through them all. Some of the goals that I feel the most comfortable with are the understanding of “how persuasive visual and verbal texts are composed for different audiences and different purposes,” taking “responsibility for your own progress,” and developing “the ability to work well with others on composing tasks. Also my personal favorite “compose texts in various media using solid logic, claims, evidence, creativity, and audience awareness.” Some of the goals that I’m still struggling to understand are understanding “that persuasion-both visual and verbal-is integral to reading and composing” and integrating “primary and secondary research as appropriate to the rhetorical situation.”
Last night I went to the movies to see “Kick-Ass.” I wasn’t too excited at first because I assumed that this was going to be just another movie poking fun at the life of superheroes, kind of like a “Scary Movie” type of deal. I also assumed that the graphics would be corny and that the acting would be less than stellar. Boy was I wrong. “Kick-Ass” is a must see movie! This is definitely not a kid’s movie by ANY means. This movie is very bloody, very violent, and the choreography in the fight scenes are amazing to witness. Kick-Ass himself is kind of a wuss throughout the film but 11-year old Mindy (better known as Hit Girl) really kicks some serious butt for her age. She puts Angelina Jolie’s character Laura Croft to shame. This girl can do it all: she can flip knives without breaking a sweat, she can fire a gun like a sharpshooter, and she cusses like a sailor. She is so bad-ass that she has film critic Roger Ebert’s pannies all up in a bunch. He gave the film two thumbs down just because of how violent Hit Girl’s character is. To give you some idea of how Hit Girl operates here’s an example: she has just watched her father crush an evil mobster inside of a car with some sort of car crusher (kind of a gory sight with a gush of blood splattering all over the windows) and all she has to say is “What a douche.” All-in-all “Kick-Ass” is an amazing movie that has a little bit for everyone and is not what you’d expect. It makes the guys go wild and the girl’s feel more empowered than ever (thanks to Hit Girl). It was so good that in my theater people were literally clapping in their seats. No joke. Also “Kick-Ass” leaves the audience with a message: If you, a normal human-being, wants to become a vigilante in your own hometown, be prepared to see some pretty scary stuff as well as be prepared... to get your ass kicked.
Not really much to report tonight. I’m just hanging out in my dorm room watching South Park which by the way is amazing. I absolutely love this show and I’m sure that most of the people who have access to this show would agree with me. My roommate, boyfriend, and I watch it all the time and laugh each and every time despite that fact that we seen all of these episodes at least a dozen time. South Park really has a way of putting certain people, events, and ideas in their places. Nothing and nobody is really safe from South Park. I like Matt Stone and Trey Parker stand up for what they believe in and never let up when the going gets tough. Personally I’m waiting for a Miley Cyrus episode. Get her guys! PLEASE. :-}
Today I watched the movie “The Blind Side” and I was blown away not only by Sandra Bullock’s portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy, but by this extraordinary true story as well. The story of how this family took in an uneducated young man from the projects and gave him a home is truly remarkable. They took this young man, known by most as “Big Mike,” in with no questions asked and no expectations. It takes extraordinary and brave people to open up their homes to complete strangers and the Tuohy’s were definitely those type of people. My favorite part of the movie was when Leigh Anne was setting up a bedroom for Michael and Michael makes the comment that he has never had one before. Leigh Anne then responds by saying, “You mean your own bedroom?”. Mike replies, “No...a bed.” That scene really blew me away. To think that for almost 17 years of his life he never once had a bed of his own. And I can’t go on talking about this movie without touching base on the amazing performance made by Sandra Bullock. I have seen many of Bullock’s films and I must say that her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy is a far cry from her portrayal as goofy agent Gracie Hart from “Miss Congeniality.” The character of Leigh Anne Tuohy is a woman who is hard headed and won’t quit until she gets what she wants. Bullock gives an extraordinary performance and its no wonder that she received an Oscar for her role in “The Blind Side.” I’m glad that she reconsidered taking on this role because this role was definitely made for her. “The Blind Side” is a wonderful and inspiring movie and as Sandra Bullock said in her Oscar speech gives credit to the “moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from. These moms and parents never get thanked.” I LOVED this movie and I hope that many people will take the time to sit down and watch it because it truly is a wonderful and inspiring movie. This movie hits a personal note with me because there was a mother out there who took me out of a bad situation and gave me a chance to make something out of myself. Without her I would have never had had the opportunities that I have today. Thanks Mom.
So I ran into this video during my family Easter get together so if you’re bored and looking for a good laugh...enjoy. :-)
I am so sick and tired of all of these women crawling on their hands and knees out of the swamps of wherever the heck they come from and taking advantage of someone else’s success. Case in point: the recent affair allegations against Jesse James at the height of Sandra Bullock’s success. Well first of all, nice timing ladies. Second of all, Jesse James you are a moron. I honestly can’t fathom why a man like him would cheat on a kind and talented women like Sandra Bullock. What, was she not tattooed enough for him? Oh I forgot...screwing women with tattoos that say “Pray for Us Sinners” stamped on their foreheads are on the rage these days. Take notes gentlemen, that’s what you want to take home to your mamma. I think that women who knowingly sleep with married men and then run to a media source as soon as the wife or husband reach the height of their fame or success are nothing more then a bunch of gutter girls looking for their next meal ticket or their next five minutes of fame. I love how one of Jesse’s alleged mistresses (oh I’m sorry I mean gutter flings) said that she should not be considered a home-wrecker. HELLO!!! An affair with a married man is HOME-WRECKING!!! But ladies and gentlemen in this young lady’s defense we must take into account that she probably dropped out of high school in order to pursue her dream of becoming a porn star. I mean we can’t blame her for that now can we. And speaking of home-wreckers we have the pleasure of knowing about John Edward’s fling Rielle Hunter. Man that woman really grinds my gears, coming out with her CQ magazine article in which she reveals all of the horny details of her and John’s steamy affair. I don’t know if she got the memo but people haven’t been talking about her and John’s affair for months. I mean why bring it up after everybody has totally and completely gotten over it...including his wife. Her article in CQ is disgusting and a complete disregard to John’s wife and his family. Let it go honey, nobody really cares about you. I will now end my rant by leaving these women with a few words of advice:
and the most important one...
4. NOBODY FREAKING LIKES YOU!!!
Well I went to my first college party last night and all I can say is WOW. This was quite a new experience for me because where I come from we really don’t see parties quite like this. At home I was used to spending my Saturday nights at home or just hanging out at Walmart with my friends (this kind of gives you an idea of the type of party that I’m used to). On our way to the party we ran into two friends who were on their way back from the party. One girl was doing her very best to keep the other girl, who was obviously wasted, steady and upright. She was so far gone that she couldn’t even keep her balance or walk in a straight line. Seeing this made me a tad nervous. I was starting to wonder what other kind of scenes I would be seeing that night. My roommate kind of gave me the down low on college party etiquette: 1. Don’t stare at the drunks 2. Don’t lose your cool if the guys hit on you 3. Just have fun. The closer we got to the house the more nervous and less confident I felt. I wondered if this was such a good idea, but at the same time I felt like I needed the experience. Once we got inside we were taken into a room where people were doing nothing more then drinking. Some people were so far gone that they were tripping over things and being obnoxiously loud. I tried to remain cool and collected because I didn’t want to come off like college party virgin or a geek. Things got a little more interesting when one of the brothers came in and started playing his guitar...drunk. Surprisingly he was very good at it and his playing really started making the room feel more relaxed. My favorite song that he played was “The Scientist” by Coldplay. After that I really started having fun and feeling more relaxed. Once we made it back to our dorm rooms we saw a girl who was so drunk that some of the people on duty were advising her friend to take her to the hospital. So I guess I saw some of the highs and the lows of college party life. As of now I’m not sure where I stand on the college party issue. I’m not sure if I’ll go back or not.
I am so excited that we do not have English class on Friday. Nothing is better than sleeping in on a Friday. It’s an amazing feeling just sitting here knowing that tomorrow I am not required to get up until at least noon. I wish that all of my Fridays could be this way and I bet most college students would agree with me. That’s the great thing about college. If the professor can’t make it to class on a certain day neither do you. Also whenever the professor is finished with their lecture you are dismissed soon after which is awesome because in high school even if the teacher is finished for the day you still have to remain in class until the bell rings. For me that was a snooze fest. Oh and I am so happy that I no longer have “in class work.” Nothing is worse then sitting in class working on in class work and most of the time it was just busy work just to fill in time. So to all of my friends still in high school I love you guys but wah wah waaahhh. :-( Thank god that I am no longer in high school. College is so much better.
Today is one of those days where I’m living out my perfect day and it’s a Sunday which is the real surprise. Normally I am running around all over the place trying to finish up last minute homework and whatever else I have going on. This Sunday is a little bit different because right now I am just laying in bed watching my favorite TV show ever created, Roseanne. Roseanne for me personally is the most relaxing TV show for me to watch. For those of you that know the show this might come as surprise but I don’t really know how to explain it...the show just makes me feel at ease and relaxed. I guess it’s because I used to put it in right before I went to bed and would watch it in the morning before I went to school. Roseanne also makes me laugh until it hurts and makes me proud to be a part of the middle class because let’s face it...we have WAY more fun. :-) I recommend this show to anyone who is looking for a good laugh and can truly appreciate a white trash middle class type of family. But anyway today has been one of my perfect days and thank god for that. I’ve needed one for quite some time now.
I am really enjoying my spring break and I’m not really ready to go back to school tomorrow. I enjoy being able to sleep in and just go about my day as I please without the constant worry about what I need to get done for the day. I am also missing all of my friends who are still living in Elkhart. I was only able to see one of my very good friends and we had an awesome time together. We went to the mall and then grabbed some pizza and movies. For anybody who’s interested “All About Steve” is an awesome movie for those of you who have some sense of humor. Sandra Bullock best geek ever! I am still having a hard time understanding how she won the award for worst actress in that movie. She was both brilliant and lovable all at the same time. Love her! She also had the best name in movie history “Mary Magdalene Horowitz (said whore-row-wits).” For those of you familiar with the bible you will get the joke behind the name. It’s been a lazy and fun filled spring break. I’m not ready to go back to Ball State. :-(
I’m currently watching the Natalee Holloway story on Lifetime and I am utterly disgusted with how the Aruba government and police did so little to help the Holloway’s find their daughter. I am so disturbed and upset with that whole mess that there are no words. I can’t even imagine how her parents must’ve felt. The Aruba government and police let her murderer or murderers get away without a care in the world. I’m sure if it was their child they would be doing everything in their power to find them even if it meant pulling a few strings. That is exactly what Beth Holloway did and she did it brilliantly. Despite all of the protests demanding that she leave the island and the entire Aruba government and police working against her she managed to be steadfast and strong. She did what any mother would do...she fought for her child. All I have to say is to the people of Aruba who did not help the Holloways or hindered their search in any way read me loud and clear: SCREW ALL OF YOU. You guys are disgusting and I hope that if you are ever in need that noone will come to your aid. Joran, you don’t deserve to have any life at all. You got out of things way too easily and you should thank you’re lucky stars that you’re not behind bars or worse. Why don’t you be a man and own up to your mistakes and quit hiding behind your father like a boy about to wet his pants? Grow some and give her family some peace. It’s not like if you came out anything would happen because god knows nothing has. It’s been years and you’re still walking free while her family suffers. How can you sleep at night? Well you’re judgement day will come whether it be on earth or in another life. I hope you’re ready because daddy won’t be there to bail you out. To the family of Natalee Holloway my heart goes out to you and to Natalee I hope you can finally rest in peace. To those of you going far away for spring break please be safe and keep your guards up so that you will come home safe and sound.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Today we began talking about our Multimodal Project. Mr. McArdle began giving us examples of things that we could use to make our websites more effective like adding pictures, videos, and a number of other elements. Mr. McArdle then turned the class's attention to two different multimodal projects that would also help us become more familiar with our current task at hand. The first video that we saw was an “I Believe” video called “I believe...in Gay Right!” The video very effective and seemed to have a profound affect on the class. Mr. McArdle then turned it over to the class and we talked about how the video utilized pictures and music to grab its audience’s attention. McArdle also pointed out how the author of the video took responsibility for her argument by putting herself in the video itself. Personally I loved how she used satire in her video to really stick it to those who are against gay marriage. Touché! Mr. McArdle also showed us a video that he himself made on Facebook called “25CRM.” It got a lot of snickers and giggles from the class (probably because of one particular photo that McArdle referred to later as the “This is the photo that shows how much I hated taking pictures). He went on to explain to the class how one can utilize images as part of our argument. He also showed us a site that he made back when he was in college. McArdle then let us loose and we began to construct and play with our websites on weebly.com. This project looks like it’s going to be a long and complicated one.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
So today Mr. McArdle started off the class by stating that our multimodal projects were due today at 5:00 on the button. The only two words that were flashing in my head in giant red letters were “Oh [insert curse word]!” He then asked us to make a good argument as to why he should bump the due date back to Friday. Everybody seemed to have an argument as to why it should be due Friday instead of Wednesday. Then Mr. McArdle got an evil grin on his face and said, “That’s exactly what I want you guys to do when you’re making your arguments.” What a cheap but yet clever way to get your point across to your class. So I am dubbing this day “The Day McArdle was Awesome ” day. Celebrate as necessary boys and girls. We then talked more about our multimodal projects and for the people who were having problems coming up with a topic he suggested talk radio or examples like Muncie’s crappy roads. We also talked about how arguments are better if they are not subjective. McArdle then showed us how to use the Windows Movie Maker and showed us his soon to be awarding winning creation “Global Warming” due sometime in summer 2011 I think. He also showed us how to embed videos on our site and create links. End of “The Day McArdle was Awesome.”
Friday, February 26, 2011
Well today was “Due Day” and I still had barely gotten anything together for my project. Mr. McArdle started off the day with a short video called “The Third and the Seventh.” It was a very interesting video with a ton of visual spectacle added into it. Who knew that a multimodal project could be so artistic. Mr. McArdle then gave us the rest of the class to work on our projects and ask him questions. Being so lost at this point I took full advantage of this time in class.
Group Projects are a pain in the butt sometimes and leave you with no time to get anything else done. For me personally I like group projects because I have lots of fun but at the same time I hate them. They require so much work and so much time. I mean who wants to work anymore. I’d rather just sit down and become a good old couch potato. What a dream job that would be.
So I’m currently updating my weebly tonight and it feels likes it’s taking me forever to get out what it is that I really want to say. That always seems to be my problem. But I will say that I’m having fun with this particular project and enjoy the opportunity of being able to be creative. I hope that the people who view my weebly will like it and find it interesting. And also get something out of it.
This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing my high school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.” It was an amazing show and everybody did a great job. The costumes were gorgeous and the acting talent was phenomenal; especially those of the Beast, Belle, Cogsworth, Lumiere, Gaston, and Lefou. Towards the end I found myself almost in tears as the Beast lay dying (the Beast just so happened to played by a good friend of mine, Zach). Zach was amazing and really drew the audience in to the point where they were almost emotionally attached to him, I know I was. It was also really great to be back on my old theater stomping grounds. It was nice having a chance to see and talk to everyone. But it was also a tad bittersweet because my former theater director has resigned from his position and will no longer be running the theater department at my high school. He made it official with his “Beauty and the Beast” t-shirt that simply read “One Last Time” on the back. As I was leaving I found myself almost in tears again because I realized that most of the people I have worked with over the years are all going in different directions. We won’t be the close knit family that we used to be. I love change but at the same time I despise it. Why can’t we all just stay together and be the family that we always were? Why do things have to change so much? Why does it have to be one last time?
So it wasn’t too long ago that my eyes beheld this particular magazine cover on E! News. With my rhetorical analysis still fresh in my mind I decided that I could not ignore this cover. I HAD to analyze this. I mean the cover itself states “Judge This Haters.” Well don’t mind if I do. For those of you who are not familiar with Hailey Glassman she is the 23 year old ex-girlfriend of Jon Gosselin, 32, (better known as Jon from Jon and Kate Plus 8). Hailey was the daughter of Kate Gosselin’s plastic surgeon. Cute huh? Well, to make a short story even shorter they lived, they loved I guess, and they broke up much to the delight of TV viewers everywhere. Now Hailey Glassman is breaking her silence and she’s not being at all to shy about what she has to say. Let’s just say that she spends most of the article talking about Jon’s “ahem” shortcomings so to speak (all 3 inches of it). But anyway let’s get back to the task at hand here, analyzing Hailey’s “artistically” done magazine cover. The cover itself eludes sex and sex appeal. Let’s start from head to toe shall we? Her hair as we can clearly see is a little messy and tousled slightly in front of her face. Most people call this tousled mess “sex hair.” She’s giving the illusion that she is a sexual being with both her messy hair and her “come hither” look. Her “I don’t know what to call it” leopard skin scarf that strategically covers her more private body parts screams animal; more specifically an animal in the bedroom. The leopard print itself is more of a focal point of this cover because like most animal prints it is loud. Instead of “Hailey Glassman fights back” it should be “I am Hailey Glassman hear me ROAR!” The gold snake band around her arm signifies that she is poisonous and will most likely leave you in a lot more pain then when you first ran into her. I bet Jon’s starting to feel that pain. The snake band also looks a little tight around her arm, so maybe it signifies that she is like a snake and will wrap herself around you until she strangles you to death. Well, I think the only thing that she killed was his pride and possibly his chances with other women. The leather biker gloves and diamond jewelry say a great deal about who she is. She is a tough girl as well as a princess. Not much of a stretch of the imagination seeing that her father is a well-known plastic surgeon. And last but not least those hot pink panties. Those simply say that I’m girly girl at heart but a dirty one. Also her hands strategically placed within that vicinity doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination of what she wants. So what did we learn about Hailey Glassman from this cover? Simply that she’s well...a little loosy goosy to put it nicely and probably not the best candidate for your next girlfriend fellas. Well I’m a Hailey Glassman Hater and I just judged this.
So I have a major project that I’m trying to get through tonight with my group and I completely forgot to write my last blog so my blog is going to be really short. And this is the end of it.
So is anyone else wondering where all the snow went to this week? Ever since the beginning of the week all I heard was “snow storm” here and “big blizzard” there. So what happened? Did it just evaporated into thin air? Did it just go somewhere else? I would really like to know because I was looking forward to it all week. I was really hoping that it would snow hard enough that we would have no classes for the rest of the week, but I guess Old Man Winter decided to send all of that snow Elkhart’s way. I love the way things work out sometimes. I leave Elkhart for college and they get a big snow storm that shuts down the schools for a few days. I don’t remember having those snow days when I was up there. I guess I better add my snow storm story to the FML app on itunes.
I hate Sunday’s purely because they come before Monday’s, which I hate even more because that’s the day that I have to go back to school. I always feel like my Sundays are rush days because I am frantically trying to finish up any left over homework, trying to pack up so I can go back to school, or just trying to catch up on sleep. It’s also the day that I feel the most lazy. Not really a good thing when you have books to read and tests to study for. I remember the days when all I had to worry about on Sunday’s was what frilly dress I was going to wear for church. So to all of you Sunday haters out there I feel your pain.
Aaaahhh home sweet home. This weekend I had the opportunity of going home, and yes I had to drive in Friday’s snowstorm. I saw eleven accidents (I counted), almost slid off the road, and was flicked off by some [add in your favorite curse word here] because we weren’t going fast enough. Just a little advice for slick here but the next time you flick someone off make sure that you don’t do so once you pass the car, it makes you look like a wuss. Also smoking is bad for you. But wussy white boy with his stick of burning death aside it was quite a 4-hour trip up to good old Elkhart. Once I got home I headed straight for the couch. I know right I had my OWN couch to sit on. Not only did I have a couch to sit on, I had space and privacy. I love it! The best part of being home is being able to walk in a shower that doesn’t require me to wear flip-flops and relax in a bath that I don’t have to go “Hmmm, I might wanna think about this one.” Now don’t get me wrong, I love Ball State and I love my dorm but I love being at home a little bit more. I mean until I remember that I don’t have any freedom there. And that’s why I come back. :-)
Well, I really don’t have much to say in this particular blog except that I’m writing this one in the car (don’t worry I’m not writing while driving). I hate doing things like this a the last minute, but then again doing things at the last minute is what i do best. I am a serial procrastinator; a round of applause to the those of you who share my passion for procrastination. I wonder if they have a PA (Procrastinators Anonymous) for people like me. And wow typing a blog in moving vehicle is not good for the gag reflexes, so at the risk of ruining this good upholstery I am going to end this completely pointless and rambling paragraph. But before I do I have a few words of advice: 1) Don’t procrastinate and 2) DON’T write your blog in a moving vehicle. :-S
This week I had the honor of meeting one of the most talented young women on Broadway, Sutton Foster. Before this week I never knew that she had even existed, but now that I have finally received the memo I am very impressed with her. Not only does she have an amazing voice and a Tony Award to go along with it, she has a great personality. When she met with my Aesthetics class she was very down to earth. She came in dressed in a simple pink sweater paired with an orange scarf and jeans, her hair pulled up into a ponytail, and no make-up of any kind. She was so underdressed that I almost mistook her for just another college student. This was a tad shocking to me. I half expected her to be dressed to nines with a face full of make-up, but Ms. Foster was just the opposite. She wasn’t here to put on a show for my class or talk about how talented and famous she has become over the years. She came to answer our questions and give us some very good advice. The moment that really sticks out in my head was when she was asked the question, “What is the biggest mistake an actor can make in this business?” She paused for a moment and then said, and I quote, “Just being an a**hole.” I thought that that was a great answer to a question like that. As the interview continued Sutton had the entire class, teachers included, laughing right out of their seats with her goofy facial expressions and witty answers to our questions. I didn’t get the feeling that I was in the presence of a celebrity but rather a normal down to earth person who knows how to not let all of that fame and fortune go to their head. After meeting Sutton Foster I was left with some important and memorable words of wisdom: be brave and remember where you come from. Thanks Sutton. You are a true hero of mine.
I hate having days that are jammed packed. They are so frustrating and stressful. Once one event ends another begins. Sometimes I long for the days when things were slower and more relaxed. I mean come on what happened to that? What happened to the idea of “a slow ride, take it easy” type of deal? It just seems like time these days keeps flying right on by with no signs of slowing down. What’s wrong with us slowing down? Are we for some strange reason trying to make a fast run to the finish line; our finish line being death? For me personally, I would much prefer to sit on the sidelines and watch everybody else pass me by.
I am currently watching The Pregnancy Pact on Lifetime and I am shocked to think that a bunch of high school girls from Gloucester, Massachusetts would make a pact with each other to get pregnant and raise the babies together. Who does this? Honestly? I know that this movie was based on true events, but I’m not sure if the pact was ever proven to be true and I also haven’t seen the end of this film. So far these girls have ruined their lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of their “baby daddies.” If this pregnancy pact was true then the only question I have to ask is: Are American high school girls really this stupid? I mean they are in HIGH SCHOOL. You would think that they would have the brain capacity to figure out that a pact like that isn’t such a good idea. But I’ll get off my soap box long enough to say that Thora Birch (you probably know her as Dani from Hocus Pocus or Jane from American Beauty) is doing a fabulous job playing Sidney in this. Kudos Thora! You rock in this made-for-tv movie.
Yesterday I saw the newly released Peter Jackson film The Lovely Bones and I was personally blown away by the story line. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie or haven’t read the book, The Lovely Bones surrounds the 1973 rape and murder of 14-year old Susie Salmon who, after her murder, watches her tortured family and her murderer from her own personalized heaven. I know to most people this type of story line sounds very cliche, but I can promise you that it is far from it. This movie contains a great deal of symbolism, spectacle, and suspense. It has a little bit of something for everyone, young and old. From my personal stance, I found the film very engaging. It was one of those kinds of movies where you found yourself yelling at the characters onscreen one minute and then crying the next. There were even some scenes where I almost felt like jumping out of my chair and through the movie screen; it was that intense. The film also sheds a great deal of light on the unbreakable bonds within a family, especially between a father and a daughter, and the choices we make in life as well as death. In my opinion, what makes this film truly unique is its ending above all else. The ending is very unexpected and may be a little disappointing to some at first, but trust me that disappointment will slowly fade away once you see what the movie is really trying to get across. And this film leaves its audience with a lasting and very powerful message. The kind of message that will really make you think. So I hope that despite what the critics say people will still go and hear its message. It may not have Oscar potential but hey guys it’s still worth seeing.
My initial reaction to Harrison Bergeron was nothing more than “it’s weird.” I couldn’t understand why a college professor would be having us read something that was nothing more than fantasy fiction. Pleasure reading. But after reading the piece a few more times, I realized that this wasn’t fantasy fiction at all. Vonnegut was trying to say something. In the beginning, I believed that he was firing back at our government because in his alternate society everybody is equal due in part to the rules and regulations of the Handicap General. No one is better than anyone else and there is no such thing as competition. This type of extreme equality is ensured by some of the devices that the government has come up with; like ear radios for those with a significantly high intelligence, bags of weights to weigh down those with a great level of strength, and hideous masks for those with blinding physical beauty. Despite all of these precautions there is inequality still inhabiting within this society. These inequalities became much clearer to me after our class discussion. These people were completely stripped of their rights, their individuality, and their ability to grow and prosper in the name of equality and fairness. Equality and fairness...eh I don’t think so. If there was such a thing as equality and fairness in this particular society then the Handicap General herself would also be in handicaps. And from my end, a woman with enough intelligence and strength to control and manipulate an entire society would need A LOT of handicaps. So much for equality and fairness. Upon further discussion, I found out that Vonnegut was actually attacking those who were fighting for equality. At first I was stunned. Why would someone attack and mock those who were fighting for equality among people with such an absurd story? But then when I thought about the story of Harrison Bergeron as a whole I realized that Vonnegut had made a valid point. Can we really create a world were everybody is equal and competition is no longer necessary? And can we achieve this without taking the rights and liberties of others? Also, and most importantly, can we do this without losing our individuality and what truly makes us all special and unique?
