Pleasantville

Pleasantville was one of my favorite movies of the year, I won't lie. The transformation of the town through Bud is both enlightening and dark. The movie addresses many social issues as the people are changing and becoming more aware of the outside world. The reference to people as colored and the discrimination against them brings us back to the civil rights movement and the advancements made for entire cultures. We also see a book burning like something hitler (I didn't capitalize hitler or purpose, he is a deutsche) would do with the third reich. Basically the film tells us to open our eyes and see the world in a new light, much like this whole semester of classes.

Outfoxed

This was amazing and quite possibly one of the best things I've ever taken the time to sit down and watch...now only if I could convince my parents to do the same, not likely. Anyways, I had no idea before this that FOX was this subversive with their broadcasting practices. The worst part is that I was actually duped by them during the 2004 election between Bush and Kerry with their propaganda of Kerry being indecisive and unreliable. I had no idea about the game they were playing then.

If anything the movie/documentary was as eye opening as it was educational. I'll never look at news the same way again because of the crazy stuff I was shown and it should definitely be used in Ted's future classes as well since I never would've watched this on my own.

Pleasantville

After seeing this movie I'm reminded of why I didn't want to see it in the first place, besides having Tobey Maguire being in it. It's incredibly boring! I get the ideas and significance behind using color as a means of showing a shift in society from the utopia of the past to the utopia of the future, abrupt as that may be.

Something about it just seems...off. Maybe it's the way it trivialized racism by having people who had color being segregated from those that were black and white. It was a very recent change and the kind of hatred that brought about real segregation was absent. Instead we just got people who were afraid of change (kinda like the old Bush administration).

Sicko

This movie was horrible on several levels. It didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know, the fat-ass narrator was obnoxious and he didn't really offer any ideas as to how we might improve the health-care system in America. I have no health-care, my job offers it but because I'm only part time it would eat most of my weekly pay check, all for coverage that full-time employees (i.e; managers) get for free and then some.

Only problem is that I'd have to work 50+ hours to become full time in order to get coverage I might need. Yes it's fucked up and unfair, yet all sicko does is rub it in my face that places like Canada and the UK have free, universal health care. What's his solution? I'd love to hear it instead of him asking random people how much they pay for health care when the last 5 people he asked in the same place said they paid nothing.

What an aggravating blowhard.

Three Kings

I find myself conflicted with this movie. On one hand I have vivid memories of being in grade school, 4th or 5th grade to be exact, during Desert Storm. Most of those memories were thinking "yea, we Americans are bad-ass!" I don't think I even understood what Muslims were back then, except that they were terrorists and we needed to kill them (I kid you not) in order to be safe.

Now that I'm 28 and my little brother is a combat medic in Iraq I'm acutely aware of the situation in the Middle East. Because of that I found the first half hour to be irritating for no real reason, and the village scene was like a (welcome) reality check for the movie, despite the comical sound effects in the slow-motion gun battle. From there on out I was pleasantly surprised with the direction the plot went.

Really makes me wonder what kind of movies will be made about the Iraq War 10 a decade from now.

OUTFOXED

One of my new favorite movies. It also makes me sick to my stomach. I made my family watch it with me this time around, and they conceded since I had been bugging them to watch it for about a year. To know that millions of people watch these news programs and news broadcasters(actors) and believe everything they hear is scary. However the same could be said for the far left. It reinforces the need for personal research, and unbiased media. Working with the public it amazes me on a regular basis to hear what individuals in my area believe to be fact. It only reasserts this need for true "fair and balanced" journalism. Unfortunately journalism is a lost art. Any idiot with a computer can start a blog, gain followers and reproduce crap that people with take as fact. I often have to play dumb when talking politics to not offend my clients and it is difficult. So i change the subject and talk about school, and tell them about this great movie they should watch..OutFoxed!

Pleasantville

This is one of my favorite movies. The first time I saw it my father and I where going to have a daddy-daughter night. Little did I know this movie had a lot to do with sex, as i sat crouched down in my chair hoping my father wasn't as embarrassed as I. Although after re-examining this movie, it has more to do with dissent and acknowledging your feelings than i had once noticed. The fact that they change color, after having an orgasm, or getting angry, or creating beautiful art is like someone turning a light of enlightenment on inside them. The fact that the town slut(in real life) stayed in this altered world in order to be a "better person" however is ridiculous. To want to change is not, but to want to stay in a fantasy is. Most individuals, when receiving what they have always wanted, whether thats respect usually want more, or are unhappy with what they have been left with. This idea that staying in the "happy land" is what will make her happy is hard to accept.

Forest Gump

"Stupid is as Stupid does" the iconic quotes that have come out of that movie will last a lifetime. But the stretch of history that is explores is even more interesting. What stands out to me though is not the story or the history but the ease in which they placed Forest in the same room, as JFK, Nixon etc. I'm not naive enough to think that it's an easy task, but it truly makes you think about the images, and videos you see on an everyday basis. What is real? The photographic truth. What we see is not always what is.

The Chappelle Show

The episode of The Chappelle Show that featured Dave Chappelle as the "white supremacist" was hilarious! This episode was not only funny, but definitely disrupted all ideas of what a white supremacist would be like. It was genius of Chappelle to create a black character who was blind to be the white supremacist. The entire episode is based on the fact that the blind black man did not know he was black which aided to the fact that white supremacy is ridiculous. This episode was also disruptive when the white kids in the car pull up next to Chappelle blaring rap music. Chappelle screamed racial slurs at them thinking they were black, but in reality they were white and took the comments as compliments. One of the parts that stands out to me is at the end when they say the Chappelle's character finds out he's black, so he divorces his wife because she is a "N-word lover." This just reemphasizes the absurdity of racism and white supremacy.

Do the Right Thing

This was a great movie, and yet it was very confusing. Not knowing the historical relevance of the kid being killed by a cop prior to watching it added to the confusion. But the question remains what is the right thing? Is to accept your surroundings, and do what you can to survive? The street, a character in its own right, was torn to pieces in one night, and yet, the inhabitants just kept going with their day. The mix of races was also an interesting situation. Between the Koreans(?) the African-Americans, and Italian Americans, it wasn't quite clear who the viewer was to identify with. What is unfortunate is the loss of life, and to me the destruction of property, and the obvious wall between each racial group. The movie was powerful, and some of the more minor characters had more of an impact on the story than Mookie and the Italian family.

The pilot episode of Friends

The pilot episode of Friends was extremely disappointing. This episode was boring, uneventful, and actually kind of sad. None of the characters in the show seemed to be going anywhere in life. Not to mention, not had a happy love life either. The only person who seemed to have a chance at love was Monica, and it turns out that the guy she was dating just wanted to have sex with her. They seemed to only have each other and many times the characters did not seem happy with one another. For example, when Ross asked Chandler and Joey if they could help him put furniture together in his new apartment, they were less than enthusiastic. Ross just wanted his friends around to help him deal with the emotions stemming from his divorce, but Joey and Chandler did not have any motivation to help him. Overall, this episode was depressing and had not point. I am glad the show got funnier in later seasons.

The South Park Ladder to Heaven Episode

I was never a fan of South Park until I got to this class. Honestly, I don't think I gave it a chance due to the terrible animation and obnoxious voices. Nonetheless, I am starting to appreciate it more and more.

The episode that really stuck out to me was the "Ladder to Heaven." This episode did a really good job exposing how America rallies around the silliest things sometimes. Also, it showed how ridiculous the competition between countries can be through the race with Japan for who would reach heaven first. The fact that the government rallied around boys because they thought that Hussein was creating weapons of mass destruction in heaven was hilarious! It really demonstrated how absurd the Bush administration was and how America acts before it thinks.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Contrary to the popular opinion in this class I LOVED this movie. However after discussion amongst us I notice obvious flaws in the representation of women. This movie was great in showing that women can play both sides, the pretty, vulnerable needy female -OR- the self-sufficient, educated, interested in sports female. While I do think these two sides are both exaggerated, I don think they can be one in the same. However there is this representation that women who fall into the first category will scare a man away, when in actuality it seems to be the opposite. A female who is strong, and asserts her intelligence will often scare men away. Where most women play the vulnerable card in order to lure her man, and once successfully snagged, only then does she assert her intelligence. Where in this movie, Andy does the opposite. I do however have an issue with a writer writing anything they don't want to. That a female has to take the job at a beauty mag, in order to move up in her career is ridiculous. Almost as absurd as The Devil Wears Prada, which is a similar story. The beauty of being a writer is that your pen (or keyboard) can take you anywhere and a true writer would never continue to put their name on something they did not believe in. Unless, they did actually find some satisfaction in that position. t

Married with Children

I remember watching Married with Children occasionally when I was a child, but I do not remember anything like the episode we watched in class. My mouth literally dropped within the first few minutes of the episode and did not close until after it was over. This episode seriously shamed the female gender.

Peggy was a horrible representation of the women of the late 1980's and early 1990's. Most of the women in sitcoms during this time were empowered, strong-willed, intelligent, and many even had a career. Yet, Peggy was obnoxious, trashy, overly-sexual, and down right disgusting. Peggy exuded every terrible female stereotype there is. And, don't even get me started on their hooker of a daughter. Their daughter Kelly was incredibly stupid and forwardly a slut. There were even references to her being a prostitute. If the rest of the episodes portrayed women like this, I don't know how it could even be on television.

Pleasantville

I had seen Pleasantville when it first came out a few years ago, but it was interesting watching it again now that I have learned to look for symbolism and cultural influences in films. The first thing that took me by surprise was how barren the landscape at the high school was and how negative every teacher made their future sound. No wonder David wanted to escape.

This film was also interesting to watch again now that I have been researching women in sitcoms. I loved watching the stereotypes of the 1950's housewife break down, especially in Betty Parker. Betty, the 50's mother-figure, began the film in black and white and as a woman who only lived to cook, clean, and take care of her husband and children. Yet, as the film progressed and things began to turn to color, Betty was one of the most receptive. Betty realized that there was more to life than just being a housewife. So, Betty finally turned color when she masturbated for the first time which is definitely a cultural taboo for women. I also found it interesting that Jennifer, who told Betty about masturbation, ended up becoming more tame by the end of the film. This was a very interesting role reversal.

Sicko

Sicko was by far the most personally upsetting and shocking film we watched this semester. I have had a lot of health problems growing up, and I cannot even begin to imagine how much money it has cost my parents. The fact that I could have had wonderful medical care for free in another country just makes me sick (no pun intended). Not to mention, I am already dreading the medical bills in my future.

It is amazing how jaded Americans are regarding health care. We were all taught growing up that free health care was not nearly as good as having health insurance. I know I was brought up to believe that nations with free health care do not provide nearly the level of medical attention we can get here. In reality, the medical care is the same in other countries like England, and they do not have to pay for it. Additionally, I was led to believe that doctors do get paid well at all in nations with free health care. Yet, the man in England had a beautiful house, a nice car, and seemed very well off. I am so moving to Europe...

Outfoxed.

I always knew that the FOX Network was more on the conservative side, but I never knew it was this bad! I was shocked that some of the people, especially the man on the phone at the beginning, were so terrified of Murdoch that they would not reveal their identities. Also, I found it interesting when O'Donnell exposed that the turning point of the FOX Network towards complete conservatism was when Murdoch called the station and ordered them to play a tribute to Ronald Reagan instead of reporting the news. O'Donnell pointed out that after that, the station was completely devoted to Republican propaganda and conservative viewpoints. I think it's terrifying how much power Murdoch has in our country and how influential his viewpoints are due to the FOX Network. Thank God there is at least the more liberal CNN to balance it out. From now on, I am just going to switch back in forth between FOX and CNN and just believe that I can create a "happy medium" in my own thoughts.

Forest Gump

I want to first start out saying that Forest Gump is one of my favorite and most beautifully done films of all time.

The scene that really sticks out in my head is the one during the anti-war rally in Washington D.C. This scene, visually, is amazing. All of the people brought together like that really made it powerful.

I did find it interesting that the woman at the beginning was pushing Forest and the other anti-war veterans around like they were part of her own militia. Also, every time I watch this scene I get really upset because I want to know what Forest is saying. Yet, I know the reason the film cuts Forest out during his speech is to make keep the viewer thinking that he is less intelligent than he is. Also, by cutting out Forest's speech, the film continues to hide Forest's true feelings about things. This scene is also one of the most exaggerated, "Hollywood" type scenes in the whole film when Jenny dramatically runs to Forest through the water.

Do the Right Thing

This movie was difficult to watch for me. I cannot stand racism. In fact, there are only two subjects that I get outwardly angry and offended by, and racism is one (sexism is the other). Immediately my mind started racing. Was racism that outward and horrible in Brooklyn in the late 1980's? If it was then, how much has it changed now? Unfortunately, I am ignorant when it comes to these questions because I live in a happy little suburb where racism is still a problem, but I do not witness race riots or anything like that.

This brings me to the question of, did Mookie do the right thing by throwing the trash can in the pizza parlor at the end of the movie? I'm not sure. If Mookie did not throw the trash can throgh the window, the crowd might have inflicted violence towards Sal. On the other hand, it may have blown over after a lot of yelling, or the police might have stopped the fight. But, do I blame him for being that upset? Not at all. In fact, I really blame Radio Raheem more than anything. If Radio Raheem had not started all of the violence by choking Sal, then he would probably still be alive and a lot of things would have been avoided. Yet, I also blame Sal for being so racist in the first place and losing his temper.

Overall, this movie left me feeling upset, annoyed, frustrated, and confused. I can see why it is an important film to see, but I don't think I will be watching it again.

Three Kings

As I stated in class, I have seen this movie on two separate occasions. One thing that strikes me is the timing of its release. Rather than do it at any time near the actual Desert Storm operation, the film came out damn near a decade later, when nothing was really going on overseas. I think it was supposed to serve as a reminder of our country imposing its force in places where it isn't really wanted.

The fact that Clooney's character is a burnt out military man is brilliant. During the opening scene he doesn't really give a shit about what is happening over there, he feels the whole idea of a military is ridiculous and just want's to retire. Fast forward to when they find the gold and they are about to leave, he realizes that there is more to the occupation than just being there. They were supposed to liberate a nation of people. His focus shifts from the gold and retirement to the actual task at hand. I think most people even forgot why desert storm took place to begin with. This movie was good at reminding us of that.

Sicko= American Brainwashing Technique

Sicko demonstrates just how brainwashed Americans truly are. It is one thing to filter the news or highlight certain parts, but it is not okay to repeat the same portions drilling the information the network wants the viewer to see into their head. This movie was a real eye opener for me. I knew from watching Outfoxed some of the problems with Fox news, but wow this movie hits it home.
The concepts of news filtering and inducing thoughts of its own while still having a bit of truth is just mind boggling. This movie really does a great job in showing just how important it is for us-Americans, and everyone else- to be critical thinkers and to research for ourselves. It is okay to expose those wrongs in the media, but you had better be careful when doing it. This is a revolutionary movie, if I ever saw one.

thank God Troy didn't die!

In the beginning Archie quarrels with the Colonel about reasons for occupying Iraq, which are morally questionable reasons, and we actually do realize that the Americans are in Iraq not for the citizens of the country, which they should be and actually told the American republic they were doing. Archie does do the good thing and save the refugees, however because of Adriana's ability to sway a story and make the American public sympathize with the refugees and the soldiers (Troy, Archie, and Elgin), the soldiers were only honorably discharged when in fact they would have been given a more strict punishment.
I also like how this film could actually be reintroduced into American culture today and still work, especially since we are in the 2nd Persian War, more or less. Really how mnuch different is this war from that one in 1991? Its still a media war, the soldiers are still unhappy, as well as the American public, and the racism is exactly the same.
All in all Awesome
p.s. I'm glad Troy didn't die-I almost had a heart attack

Three Kings

I thought Three Kings was a good movie despite distracting me with the oil torture. I thought the movie was very effective in disrupting the way in which Americans viewed the Iraq war with Bush Sr. The movie even states that this war is a media war and that Clooney's character needs to play along. This movie shows how similar the Iraqi people are to the American soldiers with the shot reverse shot of Troy and the guy he shot. Also the scene after Troy was captured and he was talking with his captor, the movie makes the Iraqi people and what happened to their life after US bombing more real. Three Kings also disrupts the way in which the war was viewed by actually showing what happened to the Iraqi people who were tortured by Sadaam and how the US army willingly turned the other cheek. There was also a really good scene when the movie disrupts the intention for starting the war, throughout the movie Clooney and Troy's main motivation was finding and stealing Kuwait's gold. This represents America's true greedy motivations for starting the war to justify itself as a global power in a hope that this will fix its other problems.

Three Kings

Three Kings was a really great movie, but I had a really hard time watching it. I don't know if that's because it is somewhat true. Desert Storm happened to long ago for me to remember and when I learned about in school, it was too new to be really extensive in history books. All I really know about it is that it was in Iraq and George Bush was president. It was meant to help Americans forget about Vietnam.

This movie, to me, educated me on what happened during this war. Why were we there? Mark Whalberg's character Troy said at one point, when he was being tortured, to a soldier of Sadaam's army, that you can't just invade a country (referencing Sadaam's take over of Kuwait). To me this is almost ironic coming from a soldier in this movie. Is that not exactly what they did to Iraq? We needed to maintain the United States as a global power, and the way this was done was by invading Iraq, with the excuse of liberating Kuwait. America used the military to take matters into their own hands and "save the world."

This movie was an amazing movie and probably my favorite of all the movies we watched this semester. It makes me think twice about what America has done in the past. I am a proud citizen, but it is clear that America needs to turn and begin to focus on problems at home instead of trying to fix the rest of the world. Every country has problems, and the Middle East definitely has more than others, but how can America expect to help other countries when we are having so many problems. America needs to learn that we don't always need to be the savior, we don't always have to save the day.

Outfoxed and Sicko

I'd say that Outfoxed was a well made documentary but after the first 20 minutes I really just wanted to turn it off both because it had already made its point of how Fox news manipulates news and the fact that it is disgusting how much power it has. Going into this movie I already knew how crazy and conservative Fox news is and their obsession with throwing out its "fair and balanced" slogan just from watching a little bit of the Glen Beck show and hearing critiques of Fox from The Daily Show. What really struck me is how often Fox repeats its point to really drive it into the viewers' brains. The montage with all the different reporters who kept on calling Kerry a "filp flopper" over and over was extremely annoying but it is ingenious to repeat the same thing over and over until finally the viewers start believing the newscasters because it's been said so many times. I don't think Fox would bother me so much if it didn't constantly claim that it is "fair and balanced" all the time; nothing on it is fair and balanced. The liberals on the regular shows look inferior to the conservatives and do not get as much time as the conservative hosts. Once a guest starts to voice his/her opinion on a topic that the host doesn't agree with, they get cut off immediately. The the worst host that does this is Glen Beck who repeatedly yells at his guests to shut up and then attacks their character at a later show, this is not only annoying but incredibly childish and its amazing that Fox can get away with this.

I've already seen Sicko before and so I was prepared to see all the nonsense of our health care system exposed. After seeing this movie made me want to live in Europe more than before. There really is no reason why the US should have such a terrible health care system that basically kills thousands of people a year by denying them the right to proper health care. The most shocking part of this movie to me was that even Cuba, a country with hardly any resources when compared to the US, has a much better health care system than the US. The movie was shot very well, the personal stories of different people from around the world and their dealings with health care make good arguments in and of themselves.An annoying part of the movie that I just picked up on was the comments that Moore threw in about the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, these comments really didn't flow with the argument being made about health care.

Sicko

I don't necessarily love Sicko because I find Michael Moore kind of annoying, but that is beside the point.  I think Sicko does a really good job informing people about how well socialized medicine works in other parts of the world and how truly messed up our health care system is in America.

The thing I took from it was not as much about health care and things like that, but more about how American media has been able to control the entire American population and their thoughts about socialized medicine.  I thought it was very telling to see the media examples mentioned throughout the movie.  For decades, the American government has essentially been publishing propaganda working against many of the things that work in other countries.  I think this can even be related to Fox News and the Outfoxed film we just watched.  Fox News is one of the media members that publishes the untrue stories about medicine practices in other countries. 

I thought it was funny that Sicko was able to find media examples in which American media outlets presented foreign medicine.  Foreign medicine was characterized by questionable service, long wait times, and terrible medical staff members, but obviously once Moore went to Canada and other countries with universal healthcare we see that none of this is true.  Once again, like I said in my last post, it is truly sickening to me that as a country, we are so uninformed that it takes a movie like Sicko to inform us of these truths.

Wow...America has issues

Watching Sicko made me question a lot of things about the way America runs everything. I remember the line that sticks out the most to me in this movie is that in other countries the government fears the people, fears they will revolt, fears the people will take down the government. In America, we fear the government, the people are afraid to revolt, afraid the government will take us down.

I think part of America's health problem is the mindset of Americans. It is all about the individual not the entire population. One person is more concernced with bettering him/herself instead of bettering the people of the nation. I believe most doctors simply want to make the biggest salary possible. Executives in health insurance companies are determined to keep their 6 if not 7 figure salary and will do whatever it takes to do so, even if it means potential fatal results to those around them.

I don't understand how America, supposedly the country of all sorts of opportunities can be so far behind in matters of extreme importance as health care. This matter determines whether or not someone lives or dies and the fact that we as Americans continue to ignore the problem is not good. We need to look to countries that have happy citizens, happy about there health care system. All countries have issues and I know many countries that have universal health care have much higher tax rates, but you have to ask yourself if lower tax rates are worth someone's life. With hgiher tax rates we could save lives,but until people of America stop thinking about how to better themselves instead of living together as an entire nation, this will always be an issue. We need to know that people of all ethnicities, class, etc., are important and make America what it is.

Outfoxed

Outfoxed is a very well made documentary that definitely makes it point in the first 5 minutes of the movie. There is not one part of this film that strikes me, but all of the facts presented in the beginning. I don't really ever watch news so I honestly don't know much about it, but I'm not sure how a news station can use a slogan of "Fair and Balanced" if all they do is attack liberals or simply don't include them.

The one figure that really stuck out to me is the fact that over the course of so many episodes in the Brit Humes show, 83% of guests were conservative and only 17% were liberal. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that that is not exactly fair and balanced. This movie definitely opened my eyes to see that you can't believe everything see on television.

This makes me wonder about all news channels. Fox News may be obviously biased and extremely influenced to the right, but what about other news channels? I know they can't honestly be completely impartial. But how skewed are other channels? It's just interesting that today, we are so reliant on the media to deliver us honest facts to help us to decide what it is that we need to know, but clearly it is hard to trust what you hear on television from the news.

Fair and Balanced

The part of Outfoxed I found to be most interesting in the film was Fox News' use of the truth.  I found it particularly interesting that Fox News always uses truthful information, but then manipulates that truth.  Fox News is all about the manipulation of truth.

The first idea that I thought was interesting was simply how they present the news.  Fox News always uses real clips from press conferences and actual quotes that people have said, but they only use the part of the quote that allows them to frame their argument.

Another technique that I thought was interesting was Fox gettting rid of anchor people and producers who were presenting the news in a different way than what Fox News wanted.  Fox News not only completely controls what they want people to know, they control HOW they want people to know it.  After seeing the segment about the Reagan celebration, I remembered a segment that I saw earlier this year on the Daily Show about Fox News that I thought was funny and related to this topic.  Fox News simply just pays the people that they can control and dictate what they say.

Though Fox News is completely sickening, I have to say that what is truly sickening is the fact that Americans are so lazy and so uneducated that lots of them simply just take this information in as though it is truth. 

After I threw up for a while, I took time to step back and realize that Fox News is, in a way, genius.  Rupert Murdoch is able to control millions of Americans on a yearly basis by simply manipulating truth, paying the right people, and taking advantage of a lazy, ignorant American public that will believe just about anything they see on TV because they refuse to read any literature (newspapers, magazines, even internet articles) about the world they live in.

I'm moving to France

I will comment more later because I need to go to work. However I am a mess right now. I can't stop crying (yes I'm a sentimental schmuck), however I just can't stop thinking about those people who volunteered their time, extracting body parts from ground zero and got better healthcare in CUBA! I always joked depending on who won the last election that I would be moving to Canada, but now I'm actually considering it. France however would be my choice, being a smoker. With all of the things fucked up with our country I had no clue healthcare was this bad. I always was under the impression that a hospital cannot turn anyone away. I see now I am very wrong.

This is later: I'm not a Michael Moore fan, contrary to popular belief (being friends and family) but i do appreciate the personal stories and interviews. I do wonder the other side to some of those stories, and there is a part of me that doesn't excuse the uninsured. I have to provide my own, why shouldn't everyone else. However how wonderful would it be if you could live your life worrying about an injury because it would hurt or take your life, as opposed to worrying that you couldn't pay for it.

Reply to both Sicko and Outfoxed

First of all, Rupert Murdoch is ridiculous. I always knew that FOX was a biased representation of the news but I never expected to that extent. The most disturbing thing about this film is that it basically exposes how he illegally put a stranglehold on an extremely large portion of our news. I love how so many of FOX's big names are so wishy washy about their opinions during their shows especially when viewed months apart from each other and then put side by side. It was interesting to see all of the FOX conservative anchors in relation to their liberal counterparts. They definitely appear more powerful and dominant. I can't believe how often they completely changed around what people were saying to make them look bad. That's babyback bullshit. I want the news not an opinion.

I have viewed Sicko in the past so I knew what to expect. However the first time I saw it I was blown away by what other countries were doing for their people and conversely how our government was watching people literally die in front of their eyes without taking action. Michael Moore has been known to edit down hours of footage to get to the good ten minutes of juice he needs to make a point but I don't think he had to do much of that for this film. I do like how he takes real people and helps them share their stories. If he had made the video closer to current times I wonder what approach he would've taken knowing of BarryO's impending health care plan. It is interesting to compare his movie with what is going on with our current health reform and I wonder how it will stack up on a global scale with the countries featured in Sicko.

SICKO MADE ME SICK OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT!!!!

Michael Moore travels around the globe to find the answer to why the U.S. has such a horrible health insurance system, and compares the U.S. to other top countries, like Britain, and to the one country we believe to be the worst country in history, Cuba. We hear the sob stories from those who are dying, are in debt, and even from those who hate denying those with the ailments that will kill them. Then he goes beyond the healthcare system and talks politics. How does the Universal Healthcare system work, how high are the taxes, etc. What is really awesome, I think, is that he tries to understand why Americans don’t like the French or the Cubans, the French were super nice to him, and the Cubans saluted the 9/11 heroes; so what’s the deal? What is it that the American Politicians have that differ from the rest of the world-CORRUPTION! They all want to be rich, and they think that if a certain piece of legislation could be beneficial to the citizens then they would lose their profits.
I do like how he portrayed the insurance companies…as murderers. Heck Lee even said that he may have killed people. But my favorite was when more or less stated that Richard Nixon was one of the first in a long line of serial killers. Another thing that gets me is that after the passing of the healthcare bill recently everyone is screaming bloody murder because they think the U.S. is now a Socialist country, well the uneducated and completely retarded are saying that it’s Communist. My second favorite part though is how he clearly states that our education, libraries, and postal services are socialized, universal and cheap/free, so why not other institutions, say healthcare??? If these idiots who say that socialism is bad then I wonder what they think about these socialist institutions?? (I will admit our education system is in need of some major help).

So in conclusion…I think I’m moving to France, or maybe Cuba.

Outfoxed...WOW!

Wow I've never been directly exposed to so much drama witht the Republican Party. It is very true that Fox media is an overly zealous advocate for the Republican Party and their view points. It gives off a huge negative vibe, and is very detrimental to 'everyone is equal'. It constatnly sets up the foreigners as the enemy, and that is creating racial tensions and ethnicity tensions as well. We are trying to learn to live together, not to blame people for our misunderstandings or brainwashing techniques.
I will say that I am Republican by upbrining, but I am definitely not going to agree with creating public hysteria and brainwashing American youth. Fox doesn't even have it's facts straight when it is reporting, does this show an extreme case of intelligence....probably not.
Suddam Hussein and Al Qaeda are two seperate things, do we need to write Fox and let them know that? They have no direct relationship, but to 'kill two birds with one stone' Fox I think takes advantage of 9/11 to get their point across about foreigners and the suspicions they hold.
I actually believed when I was a little kid in 5 grade (when 9/11) occured that Suddam Hussein was the leader of Al Qaueda, I was watching a replay from Fox 2....Well, I have grown up since then and have found facts from multiple sources that state otherwise!

Outfoxed

I found it difficult to watch this film because it made me especially angry at the fact this is partially the reason why there are so many idiots in the U.S. today. Its not just because Fox News is employing idiocracy into their “journalism,” but that all journalist and news broadcasts do this. The media is the main source in which the public is informed, or misinformed, about different things, especially politics. I was recently involved in a political argument in which the opposing side believed they were right because they allowed themselves to be told that their beliefs, or even lies, were correct when in fact they were molding those beliefs into their viewers. Fox News, especially, was able to do this because people who are not looking for propaganda when they are being propagandized make it easier to propagandize them.
The film calls bullshit on a lot of Fox News’ different sayings, beliefs, and pretty much everything. They say they are “Fair and Balanced” but they do not employ the same number of liberals as conservatives, or the same amount of time to both candidates, or sides of the issue. They say “We report, you decide;” yeah they report and you decide nothing, but are more or less compelled to believe them because you are stupid enough to succumb to their idiocracy.
WTF-Did he just say that???-“Those who work against our military will be considered enemies of the state by me (O’Reilly).” Really??? If I ever meet him I’d like to punch him in the face. What gives him or even Fox News the ability to declare enemies of the state, or this person and ideology right? What is sad is that his ability to say stupid shit and get people angry is the basis for his popularity, and his job. I know Fox News is not the only ones who do this, but they do it more rigorous than any other.
A few other thoughts popped into my head: What does geographic size have to do with those being murdered in Cali vs. those soldiers in Iraq?? The violence in California is not even close to that in Iraq. “217 days until Bush is elected.” This propaganda is used to get people watching to not only to remember to vote but to make sure they vote for Bush. They also attacked Kerry’s heritage-OMG How psychotic are they? Seriously just because he is French, such a low and vulgar political move, sounds like something Bush would have done.

Pleasantville...in technicolor

Pleasantville is a great movie. This is the first time I've watched it actually thinking about different elements and looking at it for content instead of just entertainment so it was a different experience. Now I think I appreciate the movie as well as find it enjoyable to watch.
One of my favorite scenes is in the courtroom when Bud tells the people of Pleasantville that life is better in color. I think this scene shows how important it is to not suppress emotions. Pleasantville would exist if everyone in the world decided that they are not going to be angry, sad, happy, etc. It is a town of no emotion, just pleasant all the time. When the mayor, Bob, finally turns color, the whole town changes color. I think Bob changes because for the first time in his life he feels an emotion, he is something other than pleasant.
Bob basically is Pleasantville. If someone would look up the definition of pleasant in the dictionary there would be a picture of Bob. The instant he becomes filled with rage toward Bud he changes color. He is the only thing we actually see change. Every other person is black and white one instant and color the next. It is important that he changes with his outburst. As Bob changes from pleasant to outraged so he changes from black and white to color. Also, because he represents Pleasantville, when Bob changes so does the town.
This movie is a great movie. People are always evolving and changing. To hinder that process would cause major problems, the shock and awe factor seen in Pleasantville. Instead of gradual change it comes very suddenly and this causes major chaos. If you let emotion out slowly and gradually the chaos might be less severe, hopefully.

Pleasentville...helped some concepts click

Pleasantville was actually an enjoyable movie for me to watch. As many know I do not watch movies or television for the most part, but I did enjoy this one.
Talking about all the different things that are incorporated in film production and all the thought that goes into the 'minor' details is really brought out in this film.
The issues that weren't talked about in 'proper society' were depicted through the utopia in this film, Pleasantville. This helped shaped the time period in which the movie was depicted and how 'naughty kids' really influenced society and changed the perspective of everyone during that time period. It is almost like the 'popular' girl sets the fashion trend, well the kids set the social trend in this movie and in history.
Foucault's writinig Of Other Spaces was highlighted after watching this movie- not saying I totally understood it, but the movie did help highlight some key points: Utopia- the mythical site (Pleasantville), Heterotopia- The difference between the brother and sisters prospective in this film.
Dr. Gournelos's writing also shines light on Pleasantville and Foucault. "The world is brought by the end to full color; the brother returns to the real world, but the sister chooses to remain in Pleasantville." This I believe is because the sister as created this to be her utopia.

How 'bout a little Bowling?

I don't really love the movie Pleasantville.  Before seeing it this most recent time, I have seen it many times before and I have never really been a huge fan, but one part I have always particularly enjoyed comes when the men of the town are in the bowling alley trying to figure out what happened to their wives and what they can do about it.

I thought it was interesting that the scene in the bowling alley was created by George coming home and saying "Honey, I'm home," and immediately checking the oven, the stove, and each individual pot and pan in the kitchen, assuming that if his wife was home she would be in the kitchen.  And if she wasn't home she would have cooked his dinner and left it in the oven.

Then once he got to the bowling alley, after the men were done picking up 7/10 splits, they started to discuss the problems they were having with their wives.  And one of the most serious problems one of the men came up with was his shirt having an iron mark on his shirt.  I thought it was interesting commentary that the two major things the movie references women doing were cooking and ironing, two household jobs, but also that the only place the men felt comfortable talking about was in a bowling alley.  Bowling alleys are dirty, smoky, and disgusting yet the film portrays the bowling alley as a heterotopia for the men.  I thought this was particularly interesting because I would never think of a bowling alley as a type of perfect place where I could find refuge.

Forrest Gump and Assassinations

I would just like to start this post by saying I absolutely love Forrest Gump. It is probably one of my top five movies of all-time. I have always appreciated how well the film was put together and also enjoyed the many historical allusions. Sadly, reading the article by Thomas Byers almost ruined it for me.


The part I found most disturbing was Byers' discussion of assassinations. Throughout the movie, I have obviously always noticed Forrest bringing up assassinations, but I NEVER noticed that the movie included all of the major assassinations that occurred in his life other than the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Like Byers discusses I can understand Malcolm X's exclusion because he was a bit on the radical side, but I can't believe (now that I think about it) that they didn't even mention the assassination of MLK.

It is truly unbelievable that they left this out because it would obviously been an event that Forrest cared about.  He discussed multiple assassinations and he was supposedly the moral compass of the movie.  He seemingly cared about the moral  implications of racism in the rest of the movie, but in this one case he didn't.  I think not including the assassination of MLK was a huge statement of this movie.  I think excluding this assassination made a huge statement in which the director of the film believed that he could simply pick and choose what he would like to discuss.  He made everyone remember what he wanted them to remember and how he wanted them to remember history.

Though reading Byers article was somewhat disturbing for me, I still love Forrest Gump and I will undoubtedly watch it the next time it comes on whatever movie channel has its rights for that particular week.

Pleasant racism?

I liked the movie overall but I thought that the part where the town separated into coloreds and the black and white people was a kinda messed up. I understand that the movie made intentional allusions to the civil rights movement where in the south certain businesses did not allow coloreds into their shops. But I thought that the way the town wanted to integrate the town back together sent a bad message. The rules of conduct to ensure that everyone found the town and its inhabitants was pleasant would not work because the coloreds were not going to give up their new found pleasures of a less restrictive world. When the mayor tried David and Bill Johnson, the cafe owner, David decided that the only way for the town to accept colored people was to make everyone a colored person. On one level this says that in order for society to accept all races is for everyone to be the same race. Or a less negative interpreatation could be that in order to accept race everyone needs to be more open minded and realize that everyone feels the same things no matter their race.

Oh Golly Gee Whiz...I'm the Kennest Girl in School, that's Swell!

Pleasantville is the “perfect” place in the world, until two meddling kids from the future mess it up, way to go Jennifer and David! At first you believe that Pleasantville is perfect and then two kids show them how to have fun and mess up the perfectness of Pleasantville. Two things stick out, first the fact that parents slept in different beds and when the store started selling 1 bigger bed for couples, the town freaked! OMG! The second thing is that there are no toilets in the bathroom, mainly because that was taboo in the 1950’s. The town goes through changes and ultimately in the end the town in even more perfect (if it was ever so possible), because it not only has color but also is connected to the world, the t.v. now shows pictures of famous places around the world. The segregation of the town is responsive to the racial inequalities of the 1950’s, proof that the 1950’s and Pleasantville are/were not perfect. What I think is really crazy is that between David and Jennifer, David is the major geek who knows everything about the show yet is the most instrumental in turning their world upside down, Jennifer is not fully to blame. We all know the 1950’s were more crazy and unstable than the shows of the time like to believe. If only life was as awesome back then as they like to portray it, I would have loved to live then, but unfortunately it wasn’t.

Forrest Forrest Gump

On a side note Forrest Gump is my favorite movie ever ;)
I love how it ties in historical events and attempts to make comments about them while remaining funny and with more memorable scenes than any movie I have ever seen.
Anyway..

One o the main aspects that the movie retold was the 60's era. With feminism, Vietnam, tons of drugs, and racial oppressions boiling, it was a lot going on.

I thought the movie commented very early on feminism by Forrest's mother being a single mother and doing more than fine with out having a male figure.

Secondly Forrest Gump dealt with racism by what the articles talked about as "colorblind", and rather Gump was just stupid or not, I think his dealings with others from another race showed that all of us were equal. And intrestingly at the end of the film, Lt. Dan's wife was Asian, showing that even he had grown by merrying what was is "enemy".

And a large part of the movie showed the repercussions on what war had done to the soldiers and those directly effected by the war. But also gave a depiction of what it had done to our country, with a hint of negativity to those that stayed home and protested the war. While I have mixed feelings about this entire part of the movie, I do not agree with how the filmed framed the protesters as hippies and drug abusers.

Regardless... love some forrest gumps.

War

I could definitely see how Orientalism was included in the scene where Forrest was in Vietnam with his platoon. It is clear that Hollywood recreated the Vietnam war and manipulated it to become Americanized. Imperial narcissism is shown by Forrest losing his innocence when he saw the carnage of war and his best friend, Bubba, fatally shot and die in his arms. Storey adds that in this subset of Orientalism there is nothing to explain but American survival. The film follows this idea, during the war scene nothing happened other than the troops marching until being attacked by the Vietnamese then we see the troops retreating until Forrest realizes he has to go back to save his friend from certain death. The movie only shows Americans being attacked and killed, never do we see Vietnamese being killed or even wounded, thus the audience views the American soldiers as victims and thus causing the viewers to forget about the politics and realities of the war. Immediately after we see the Vietnamese fire bombed by planes (only to stop their attack on Americans) the audience is distracted by seeing a heartfelt moment between Forrest and Bubba.

Forrest Gump...Life is not neutral

The articles say that Forrest Gump is color blind, that he doesn’t recognize race. I think he understands that Bubba’s and his skin color are different, however I think that when it comes to race, he does not recognize race. When Lieutenant Dan asked them if they were twins they looked at each other as if he was stupid, they knew they were not twins, and not just because of the skin color. But Forrest also knows the difference between right and wrong, such as it was wrong to stop the students from entering into the school and it is wrong to kill people. When he meets the Black Panthers he realizes their anger but doesn’t pay much attention to them, more attention is paid to Jenny and her lame ass boyfriend. However the producers do recognize race and therefore the majority of blacks in the film are in inferior roles except for two people, the drill sergeant and Bubba’s momma after she receives Bubba’s share of the Shrimp money. Bubba becomes Forrest’s equal because they are best friends, but in Forrest’s eyes no one is worse off than he is, in terms of class, the only people who are worse than Forrest are the people who make bad choices and do bad things. The only person he doesn’t seem to think this of is Jenny, but that’s because she has past issues with a father and they are soul mates. If life was as neutral as Forrest saw it then life would be easier, however it isn’t and you must live with what you got (much like a box of chocolates).

Is Life Really Like a Box of Chocolate?

Forrest Gump is one of my all time favorite movies. It is long, but enjoyable. I do believe in Forrest Gump's famous line, "my momma always said, life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what your gonna get." It is also illustrated vividly in the analysis of this movie by Thomas Byers. Even when you think Forrest Gump is just a family favorite, there is so much more packed into it.
I presonally have never looked at a movie in quiet to much depth, but it makes since about changing the past by remembering and constructing certain events to fit you means. It is like taken something someone said out of context to make it something totally new and different then their original point. I mean forest gump had racism, feminism, change in masculinity, Sadism and violence, etc. This movie is like a box a chocolate, you never know what your gonna get.

Forest

Forest is the most lovable movie character of all time. Watching this again, as I am a few years older than I was the first ten times around I was able to pick up on subtleties that I missed earlier and have garnered a new appreciation for the film. To me, Forest is the ultimate representation of the American spirit, he's simple to understand and just wants to be happy.

When watching the movie I couldn't help but take a look at our culture as a whole. First, while Forest is in his leg braces he is seen as a complete outcast and a freak. At this point Jenny enters and shows him the kindness we all deserve. Our society is unforgiving to anybody who could be seen as weak or different.

I love how Forest goes off to fight in Vietnam and the movie shows how much turmoil the country was in back in the states. Even though the US preaches democracy and peace, we ourselves cannot unite over issues both at home or over seas. Other countries must think of us as huge ass holes.

"Life is like a box of chocolates, sometimes you know what you're gonna get"

Forest Gump is a great movie, definitely one of my favorites, but after reading the Byers article, it's a little screwed up. I never thought a movie could rewrite history in order to make it seem like America was never a place of conflict and there was always a clear right and wrong. Watching the movie you can tell that they are showing that if you are a good kid and do everything the "right" way, you will be happy in the end. Vice versa, if you make poor choices and attempt to cause conflict, you will have to pay the price.

This movie has so much content in it, but I think the scene that best illustrates the idea of the good vs. bad choices is the end of the movie when Jenny dies. She has payed the ultimate price for poor decisions and Forest, although losing the woman he has loved almost his entire life, is left to raise his son, to do better than his own father did. Forest, after choosing the "right" path is left with a wonderful son and a potentially great, happy life.

I think this idea of good things happen to those who make the right decisions is a little contradictory in the movie. "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." Is that really true? If you're good, you know to some extent that something good will happen to you. Vice versa if you're bad. Also now, many boxes of chocolate have a type of map provided to tell you exactly what it is that you're getting. Yes bad things happened to Forest, but they were always followed by something that was good, that almost made it better. He always knew, what he was going to get.

Do the Right Thing.....could've been 1/3 the length it was!!

Do the Right Thing...well, let me start off by saying the beginning made my expectations for the movie relatively high. I was finally watching a movie with some substenance; a movie that was actually worth watching. I don't know the racial prejudice and the 'hard-knock life' is the kind of an inspiring movie...well, usually.
Anyway, this movie had a great beginning and a realistic story-line;however, seriously a curse word after every intelligent word? Think about it, if you cut out every curse word the movie could have been like 35 minutes long and the plot would have been close to the same. The sexual inuendos by the 3 'old guys' was a bit over the top as well. Were they needed for the plot? Maybe a little bit to show the 'old guys' attitude in life, but did we have to keep flashing back to them?
Okay, so the movie didn't end as it should...in my opinion. The Asian shopkeepers go unbothered, for the most part, the 'good guys' get kicked out. What is the matter with this picture? Aren't the good guys supposed to win?
I thought that at the end the African Americans and the Italians would learn to love each other and still hate the whites. I mean all the cops were white, setting them up as racial creeps. So I didn't expect us to all get along and live happily ever after, but I did have some expectations for the Italians and African Americans, I mean they lived in peace for decades, according to the Italian restaurant owner.
I didn't realize that the African Americans would follow the futile attempt of getting African American pictures on the wall of an Italian Restaurant when the restaurant owner is ITALIAN!!
Well, I guessed wrong, and the movies kinda went down the tubes for me....no real ending, I mean what happens to the boys kid? Does the boy and his girlfriend stay together? The last thing she says was not to come back, but he says almost at the very end he has a baby to feed; so what happens?

Do the Right Thing

I want to start this post by saying I thought the movie was great.  It really did a good job of discussing race relations in the late 1980s/early 1990s. 

The part of the movie I would really like to focus on is the role of the Korean shop owner.  I thought it was very interesting throughout the movie how all of the characters treated the store owner and the store itself.  I thought one of the most telling parts of the movie came when one of the three old men that sit outside and just talk about all the things going wrong in the world brought up the store.  One of the men said it was good that the Korean man had managed to become successful and find a business that he could operate, but immediately one of the other old men became angry because it was a Korean who owned the store and not a black man.  I thought it was particularly interesting that even though the Korean was not white and was likely just as oppressed as those three black men, he was still upset simply because it wasn't a black man who had started a successful business.  Though the neighborhood complains of the racism that Sal commits, they themselves are just as racist and do many of the same things that Sal does.

I also thought it was very interesting in the end of the movie that after destroying Sal's they go to the store owned by the Korean man and start to think about destroying, but after thinking about it for a little bit they decide that it would be wrong of them to do.  They have no problems with him because he is being oppressed, but who is he being oppressed by.  Not any Italian-Americans or white people, but instead they are the ones doing the oppressing and they have no problems with it.

Sal

I thought the part of the movie when Sal and Pino had a heart to heart inside the restaurant when Pino expressed his feelings about relocating the business to somewhere in their own community. The father bluntly said moving a pizza place to an Italian area would be a bad idea economically. But other than that the father seems to have a bond with the black people of this neighborhood showing he was proud of the fact that everyone grew up and loved his pizza. On the other hand the son Pino dispised the fact that he was around all the"monkeys" and his Italian friends making fun of him. I thought it was interesting that the younger generation would be shown as being more tolerant than the older one since that is typically the case. I think the Sal is more tollerant because he realizes that he needs other people besides Italians he lives with to want and like his food in order to survive. In an economical way Sal is tolerant but he still has his racist thoughts and is not completely tolerant but more tolerant than most.

Do the Right Thing...really????

I just want to start by saying I'm not sure that anyone in this entire movie really seems to, in my eyes anyway, ever "do the right thing." All they ever do is fight and complain and fight some more. There is a lot of yelling followed by more yelling and occasional fighting, which eventually leads to the death of one of the characters, Radio. It's insane that this movie is called Do the Right Thing because the only person who ever seems to do the right thing is Da Mayor who is the resident town drunk.

Before the big fight scene begins there is a lot of arguing. You have Buggin' Out, Radio, and Smiley all fighting with Sal over different things. All 4 are willing to battle it out in violent ways. Then you have Mookie over there yelling at Buggin' Out to stop and at Sal to put the bat down. He seems to be the voice of reasoning, wanting everyone to coexist somewhat without violence. He seems to be the Martin Luther King, Jr. of the situation while Buggin' Out is more of the Malcolm X and Sal would be seen as the white oppressor. These characters all represent 3 completely different factions of a time where racial inequality was a major problem. You see the "peacemaker", the violent man fighting for his rights, and the "dictator" type figure wanting to control those he believes are beneath him.

The strange thing about this movie is that all of the major characters are minorities. While most of them are African American you see many Hispanic, Asian American, and Italian American characters. However, because some are white, they assume they are better in a sense. They "blend in" more with the majority than do the African Americans. It seems that to make Sal's Pizzeria into Joe's Diner would've been to obvious a representation of white supremacy.

To me, the title of this movie led me to believe that there would be one character who would always try and do the right thing. At first, I somewhat thought that it would be Mookie in the end who tried to keep the peace. I never thought that the town drunk would end up being the one person throughout the whole movie who ending up trying to do the right thing.

Do the Right Thing.

The stereotypical black man is a mooch with anger issues. There is one black character that seems to have major anger issues and that is Buggin Out . His anger issues start as he is standing up for himself, but he gets angrier than is necessary. The truly racist are the Italians. There is a good and logical explanation for the way in which everyone lives their life and the way they are. The Mayor is a drunk who lost his wife and this is the way in which he deals. Blacks react to criticism; that is how the violence starts, as a reaction towards all of the racial issues that begin as small quibbles between two people. I almost don’t know what to say. In the end the major players in the violence, especially in the burning down of Sal’s restaurant are the blacks of the neighborhood, and throughout the movie the blacks are in scuffles with other ethnicities in the neighborhood, the Italians, the Latinos, the Police, and each other. The title of the movie is Do the Right Thing, what is the right thing? Should the black community stand up for themselves, resorting to violence if necessary? NO! But the right thing is to stand up and to end racial issues in the U.S. But that is near impossible, especially since we are such a diverse nation packed so closely together, the reason why Spike Lee chose Brooklyn for the setting. What is the best way to “fight the power?” Is it to burn down businesses and to cause violence that result in the death of a man? It’s the best way to gain the attention needed, that’s what MLK did in the Civil Rights Movement. In the movie we have the firefighters attacking the population with fire hoses (allusive), which is the responsive to the Civil Rights Movement. The fact that the movement is not over with because the black man is still not equal and does not get the respect as most other people, or so the belief is, is Spike Lee’s purpose in the movie.

GAY!

Just to start I want to tell you I am not offended... because Im not gay, but I do disagree.
The way I took the Southpark episode was not so much the men of Southpark had become gay, but have instead re appropriated the parts of "gay culture" that they liked best. (metrosexuality). To me, this episode commented on metrosexuals and southpark's creators view on how its a stupid, retarded,ridiculous, and "gay" fad. Leaving Southparks real gays in an unrealistic yet comical position.

While I do think that pretty much all of the gays that proclaim themselves as homosexuals are "really really gay", I suppose there are some folks that have jumped on the "gay" fad. But seriously, I cant even imagine taking it in the butt for the sake of a "fad."

In regards to some people not realizing their bodies are made a certain way to assist in their lives....

I imagine gay people do in fact realize this...

The church tells them.
The law tells them.
The media tells them.
Society tells them.

Its my guess that they either don't care.
OR
Maybe it isnt a matter of realizing that their bodies were "made" a certain way, but that they do in fact have an uncontrollable feeling, that while alien to us, is none the less just as valid as our own.

And honestly, where the hell do we get off trying to dictate how a virtually non violent culture lives their lives.

Vivre et laisser vivre!

South Park. . .Homosexuality

The South Park episode today in class kinda hit home the idea of the 'trend' of homosexuality for me. I was sick so I didn't post on Broke Back Mountain except a few minutes ago, but this really illustrated what I was thinking when I wrote my blog.

I think when something new becomes prominent in the world, everyone wants to be a part of it. I mean isn't this how cults start (Jonestown, etc)? Really, some people just agree with a cause because it is new so it makes it fab.
I do applaud Kenny and his mom for sticking up and not being brainwashed by the media and the portrayal of Homosexuals on t.v. These two along with the chef have a good head on their shoulders, and stuck with who they were. This episode also gives a good portrayal of what the homosexuals might have felt like when they were the outsiders (i.e. Kenny), but unless you are secure in who you are you can't make other people respect who you are.

Why do guys wanna be the woman, and woman wanna be the guys? Do people not really understand their bodies were made a certain way to assist in their lives? Well, I really don't mean to offend anyone, but I do like to make my point. I apologize in advance if this is offensive to anyone, but it really is just my opinion.

Homosexuality. . . trend or lifestyle?

I totally agree this movie started out way too slow. I actually watched the beginning, not once, but twice, because I thought I was missing some big hidden meaning or something it was truly brutal. Also, before I watched the movie my parents told me a little bit about it, I wasn't overly shocked at the disturbance.

It seems to me this movie was trying to make a good point even it ruined my view of cowboys forever. Even though some say that the movie wasn't that graphic. . . it was way too graphic for me. I am going to pull out and qoute the Bible now, I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but this is what I believe of the matter. 1 Corinthians 10:23 "Everything is Permissable, but not everything is beneficial"

I think this can be applied to homosexuality, but not just this, to everyday life as well. In society it is now permissable to be homosexual, but how many people actually feel attracted to their own sex? I do believe that some people are attracted to their own sex, I won't debate why I think this is, but I do believe it to be so.

However, having said that I also believe that there are a number of people who have 'come out of the closet' that were never in the freakin' closet. I think that Homosexuality is a trend not necessarily a lifestyle.

Oh. . . on a personal note: I've never met a gay cowboy!

Brokeback Mountain

For me, this movie started out way toooooo slow. I really could not stand the silence at the beginning. I completely understand why Ang Lee insisted on the use of silence. It made the viewer focus on the nature surrounding the two men. Like we discussed in class, the landscape almost became another character, which I thought was really interesting because not many movies take the time to develop and emphasize. I thought Ang Lee used nature as an escape for the two men. No matter what they had going on in their lives with their wives and childrens, they were always able to escape Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback Mountain had so much open space and so few people that no one could judge them and look down on them for what they were doing. The only people's opinions they needed to be concerned about were their true feelings for each other.

Like I mentioned in class, I really didn't like the film at all, but I definitely appreciated it and understand why many people enjoy it and why it won so many awards.

The Epic Love Story...of 2 cowboys?

If I would not have been in this class I know that I would not have ever watched this movie. This would definitely been my loss because as the movie progressed I began to actually like it, which pleasantly surprised me. I didn't think I would ever make it through without falling asleep because the first 15 minutes seem like complete and utter silence almost.

I began to truly feel bad for Jack when came up to visit Ennis after he learned that Ennis got a divorce. The only excuse Ennis had for not being with Jack was Elma and now that it was no longer an issue, he came up with another excuse. It was as if no matter what happened, there would always be some excuse for them not to be together.

When Jack drives up to see Ennis after Ennis's divorce is finalized he is so ecstatic on his drive down. It was probably one of the happiest he is portrayed through the entire movie. It seems as though the timing is finally perfect and the two destined to be together will finally be able to make things work. The Jack arrives, and upon his arrival discovers Ennis's new excuse, his children. Ennis doesn't want his kids to know his secrets and drives Jack away. In reality, this is another way for Ennis to hide his insecurities and delay even longer admitting to himself that his feelings for Jack are more than just coincidental.

The two have the problem of terrible timing and this is no exception. A typical romance is the same way. Something always manages to get in the way of the couple being together. In some cases, it all works out in the end and in others it doesn't. Brokeback Mountain could almost be classified as a romance movie, possibly a romantic tragedy. The couple never live happily ever, but they still had an epic love story to be told.

Oh how the west was won

While I wanted to hate the movie before watching it, it did grow on me. The movie started very slow and awkward, which I find similar to any new relationship. For the first half hour the sexual tension was actually palpable, but still quite random. There never is any backstory to the man on man action, it just kinda smacks us in the face... Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The movie did ruin the "Cowboy" image for me. What used to be an image of John Wayne has been replaced with Heath and Jake hand in hand riding along alpine passages on horses. That's all I have to say about that.

The fact that they both seemed to have trouble living their double lives seems to speak of the times the movie took place in. I suppose some people's choice of sexuality is still seen as taboo but nowadays it's basically shrugged off. To hide who you are back then must have torn people apart.

Cowboys..A true love story.

Yes I like many of my classmates before me had a difficult time trying to get through the first part of this movie. Not so much for the sex between men (sex is sex) but between these two very masculine men. Not only are their characters but there real-life personal persona's as well.

Also besides the sex, THERE WAS NO DIALOGUE!! It drove me nuts. I kept staring at the screen, thinking "say something".

However after the initial sexual encounter (which was meant to shock and awe, and evoke the feelings that I'm sure most in the class felt), and the lack of a script, this movie was an endearing love story. (sorry I'm a romantic)

I was really waiting for someone to contract HIV or die from AIDS before the credits rolled and was pleasantly surprised (this makes me sound demented) to see that it was violence that led to Twists death. This highlighted the horrible end that many face for their decisions, due to intolerance, opposing views, or downright ignorance. But putting death aside the hate that consumes families, and the willingness to toss human beings aside is eye-opening. We all are aware of its existence, but this movie gives us a front row ticket.

Ughhhhhhhhhh Cowboys

I didn't like this movie the first time I saw it and still don't like it now. I hate cowboys...probably because I was forced to watch awful western movies with my grandpa as a child.

Ennis and Jack looked and acted like the typical cowboys. They were able to handle whatever nature threw at them: bears, hail, snow storms, rain, freezing weather, coyotes. Basically they were the tough, strong, handsome men.... all that is expected from cowboy characters. Throughout the movie each changed the myth of cowboys to be something more realistic while not completely abandoning the cowboy stereotype. The most obvious change to the cowboy myth in the movie is Jack and Ennis being gay and getting together for multiple years. Both Jack and Ennis had his own moment when he broke down and let the audience see his pain and emotions, which is a change from the cowboy myth who are ultra-tough men who have no sissy feelings. Jack challenged the cowboy myth when he traveled to Mexico to get a male prostitute. A true cowboy would never do something against the law like hire a prostitute but at the same time Jack is upholding the pureness of America, like a true cowboy, by having to leave the country to find a prostitute.

Ladies Love Country Boys…and so do men!!!???!!!

It’s no secret that I am from the country. It is also no secret that ladies love country boys, but recently from watching films such as Brokeback Mountain, I Know Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and t.v. shows that deal with homosexuality I come to realize that even homosexual men love country boys. Country boys, but more especially cowboys, are the ultimate man, they can do anything, they can tame a horse, ride a bull, drive anything you want them to, and build just about anything you need them to.
When I first watched Brokeback Mountain, back when it was first released, I came into the movie not knowing anything but that it was about a couple of cowboys, so I got excited, little did I know what was awaiting me. However, this time around, I find the movie much harder to watch. What I don’t understand is how they could go back to their lives almost without a second thought about what is right and wrong; the right being honest with their women and to themselves. Perhaps they did it because it was what was seen as the right thing to do, by their families mostly, but also society.
I don’t care about your sexuality, you do what you want with whomever you want, but please don’t force me to watch the sex scene. That just made me angry because now Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger are less sexy.

Cowboy Shenanigans

Well now this was a challenging movie to watch. I don't think I've ever had my skin crawl so often in a non-horror movie, quite a feat. Objectively speaking yes, the movie is "good" despite having what I find to be very unsavory content (seriously, surprise cowboy butt sex is NOT cool).

What I found interesting where the gender roles: Jack "wore the pants" so to speak, while Ennis, despite apparently being the pitcher (I think I just threw up a little in my mouth) fills the submissive, feminine role. Others may disagree, but that's how I saw it. I also found it hilarious how Ennis says he's "not queer" the morning after their first encounter, sure thing dude...

It's kind of odd to see something that saturates the media today be so forbidden in what is a relatively short time. Jack's brutal murder with a tire iron is kind of a bitter piece of irony in light of Ennis' story about the dead gay men that were murdered and left out to rot as an example. The fact that his father made it a point to show him (Ennis) and his older brother what happens to homosexuals was a surprising revelation late in the movie.

Could it have somehow had the opposite intended effect?

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

I have to start out saying, that although I am about to critique this film, I love this movie! Ha! And, the critiquing begins...

The most prominent feelings that I have during "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" are uncomfortableness and embarrassment. These feelings occur during the many times in the film that Andy Anderson pulls out all of the stereotypical crazy woman moves and tries to...well...lose her guy. The scene that makes me cringe most in this film is during the guy's poker night.

Not only does Andy barge into a "guy's night," but she leaves no stereotype unturned. First, Andy makes her entrance carrying a plate of cucumber sandwiches. This taps into the mother stereotype where she tries to make "her" boys eat healthy. As a girl, I would like to say, if someone took away my pizza and tried to feed me a cucumber sandwich, I would punch them in the face! Andy also makes Ben blow his nose! If that is not stereotypically a mother's role, then I don't know what is. Not to mention, Andy makes the boys put out their cigars.

The worst part of this whole scene, is when Andy cries, "You killed our love fern!" At that point, I was scrunching lower and lower on the couch because I was so embarrassed for her! No woman that I know acts like that!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that all of the female stereotypes in this film are extremely over-exaggerated, and as a young, independent woman, it sometimes makes me feel really uncomfortable watching them.

Bongos

Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey was arrested by Austin, Texas, police in October, 1999, and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after a neighbor called complaining about loud music coming from the actor's home. When cops arrived, they found McConaughey playing bongos and dancing nude...


Oh right about the movie... How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. As a disclaimer, I am slightly different from alot of males and sometimes enjoy a romantic comedy....But not this one.

So the movie is basically about to ADULTS making bets regarding the other's heart. I did that once.. in like 4th grade. Anyway yadda yadda they fall in love.

What annoys me is the idea that women have so much power they can "lose a guy" by doing certain things.

I found it interesting that she was a knicks fan and he changed diapers in the movie, both of which were kind of gender roles reversals.

Other than that, it was hard for me to watch and I fell in and out of naps.

How to frustrate every man in ten minutes of a movie

I understand the concept behind the movie, "Let's do something just a tad different with the typical love movie.... but not reaaaaally". The use of two fantastic looking people is beginning to get a little old, even for such a cliched movie style. While the whole career obsessed personalities aren't uncommon in today's society, lets be honest here, how many people look like that and are still alone?

There also needs to be a line drawn as far as the portrayal of gender roles in society. While I do enjoy sports and guzzling beer, I also like to cook, read, and take pictures. Not every guy chases tail six nights a week with his college buddies and lives in squalor. I guess I feel like at this time gender portrayal should be more nuetral.

Can these movies get any worse?

So yeah, I could only watch this movie in 15 minute segments which consequently made me forget a lot of it. The characters played by McConaughey (sp?) and Hudson where quite possibly some of the most repulsive examples of human beings I've seen in a movie. By the time the movie was finished I had become a master at suppressing my gag reflex.

That may be a slight exaggeration (very slight), but the characters of Ben and Andie are both so hyper-sexualized and stereotyped that it became ridiculous. Like previous posters have pointed out Andie is the sterotypical whitebread blonde-haired "hottie" that is both confident AND subversive, bringing to bear what the wisest dwarf of all called "wicked wiles" to get what she wanted. On the other hand, Ben is a super competitive asshole that goes to great lengths to win and is apparently obsessed about professional American sports.

The fact that some people buy into and embrace these stereotypical characters so wholeheartedly is profoundly disturbing.

All Men Love Sports

A lot of people have already took a look at the the women's perspective in this movie and how many of the stereotypes of women's roles in relationships have been broken down, but I decided to take another approach and take a look at how Matthew Mcconaughey's character is presented.

I just want to say that I absolutely hate Matthew Mcconaughey and think he is an absolutely horrendous actor with limited range, but that is beside the point. (This clip from Family Guy sums up my feelings on Matthew Mcconaughey completely.)

Though the movie presents a couple different female characters and explores relationships from their point of view, I feel as though How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days only represents one male character and unfortunately every man on earth is represented by Matthew Mcconaughey (Ugh.). The movie shows Mcconaughey as a hyper-competitive, insensitive jerk. I think the funniest representation of men came in a line in the first few minutes of the movie:

Mcconaughey: That's why I didn't go for the gold immediately.
Friend: Oh.
Mcconaughey: I'm taking my time. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Friend: Ten days is a marathon?
Mcconaughey: Okay, so it's more like a 300 meter hurdle. The point is, she's already on the ropes, guys.
Friend: Wow, that's a lot of sports analogies.

I thought this part of the film was absolutely ridiculous. The writers of the film used 4 sports metaphors in a matter of about 15 seconds and used these analogies to describe his relationship with a woman. As the only representation of men in this movie (I know there are other men, but they don't have any major scenes unlike the other women represented in the movie), it portrays men in this hyper-competitive, sports-obsessed light that are truly not a representation of the gender.

All's Fair in Love and War

How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days a great movie breaking all the clichés about women in relationships, and some clichés about women in general. The first cliché broken is the stereotypical blonde joke. Her first act was during the Knicks game, she was super cool during the entire game, then 1 minute 9 seconds left she begins to use a nickname and becoming demanding, she wanted a soda bur didn’t specify and forced him to go back and get another soda missing the last seconds of the game and pissed him off, but unfortunately he had to or he would of lost his bet. But the best was her third act in which he invited her over cooked lamb and watched the game while she redecorated the apartment; put pink everywhere with teddy bears and a new comforter and then she told him that she was a vegetarian. He took her out to eat at a vegetarian restaurant, he missed the game and she would sneak back to the kitchen watched the game and ate a hamburger. What cracks me up is throughout the movie after each act that is the completely repulsive acts even gross her out. This just goes to prove that the stereotypes that some men have of women are completely wrong! Andie is the perfect woman, who I believe every woman should strive to be more like. She’s smart, funny, beautiful, she sticks up for herself, especially to her boss, to me she is perfect, when she wasn’t playing a psycho.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days...Typical Portrayal of Women

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a typical romantic comedy. . . now that I know what I am looking for. Chick Flicks aren't my favorite, so until we saw trailers in class I had know idea what we were looking for in these films.

Anywho, it is definitely apparent that there is a gender specific role in this film. The woman has to be tall, blonde and beautiful. The Guy has to be sporty, clean-cut and have a 6-pack. This movie was very sexual with the multiple scences of romance (probably why it is called a romantic comedy), but not just that. . .the scenes of the Ben's abs and the low cut dress that Andie wears, not only exposing a significant amount of the front, but a generous portion of the back. All the very successful women in this movie use their body to get what they want.

Ben's boss almost gives the "diamond deal" to the women, but then Ben breaks up the party. During this scene the dark haired women sitting to the left of Ben's boss is playing with the necklace she is wearing, that extends down into her clevage. Thus, trying to seduce her boss into giving her the deal.

Thus we get the portrayal of the sexuality women and men use to get what they want. the body is the power!

Manipulation and sex

When Andie walks into Ben's apartment she immediately asks where his bathroom is so she can do the "girly" thing of scoping out his toiletries while she calls a friend to update her on what her next move will be. Within minutes of this scene Andie portrays a couple feminine attributes of being nosy and constantly need to be on the phone. In this conversation Andie tells her friend that the is going to "dangle the bait out for him". In this sentence she objectifies herself making herself just some bait, the means for an end to get the guy. She is also portraying another female characteristic of being manipulative by using sex or the possibility of sex to get her way.

Outside of the bathroom Ben is putting on Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and lighting candles to set the mood. He soon changes the music and blows out the candles when he realizes that "a diamond is a long term relationship". He needs to win over his diamond by more than just making her feel like another score so he decides to win his diamond over so he can win his diamond contract. Both try to use or not use sex in order to keep the other interested which is often portrayed in pop culture. By the end of the scene each want to ignore their previous decision and let go, however Andie leaves before things go too far and continues with her plan to draw him in by leaving her purse behind showing that she always kept her manipulative plot in mind the whole time.

Couples Therapy

This movie is definitely the typical romantic comedy, however, it does have a bit of twist. Instead of the guy being the macho, bachelor man he is the one who is "looking for love." While she is trying to ditch the guy in 10 days. The scene when Ben and Andie go to couples' therapy does show two different extremes of men and women. He becomes the extreme man who feels the need to prove his masculinity, while she feels the need to know that he wants a serious commitment.
Andie seems to have multiple personalities and is the control freak girlfriend who is only satisfied at the idea of meeting his family. The two almost reverse what they are trying to do until the end of the session. In the beginning, Andie wants to fix the relationship,while Ben seems to try and push her away, the typical male/female roles in a romantic comedy. Then the "shrink" suggests a family weekend and all of sudden the roles are back to what they were trying to do in the first place, Ben trying to make Andie fall in love with him and Andie hesitant toward too much closeness.
Couples' therapy shows extremes to both ends of the masculine and feminine sides going from macho man to commitment man, and commitment girl to the girl afraid of commitment.

Snow White...Mommy Syndrome

To be quiet honest, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was never one of my favorite movies. It took me three sittings to finish it....the first time I fell asleep after the dwarfs returned home. Still not one of my favorite movies, but it did a great job giving the stereotypical thought of a young lady at the time in history. Yes, young girls were expected to help around the house. I do understand the misconception of evil step-mothers is still prevalent in children's minds today. However, the older girls were expected to take care of the children, no questions asked. Also, during that time frame women were supposed to know how to cook, clean, sew and be very docile.
Now, I do see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as a womanizing video. I do agree with the others that when viewing videos as young children one does not think of things like this. Come to think of it how many people really analyze the movies they see now, even at our age.
The problem with the obvious gender expectations isn't particularly offensive even now when I am an adult. I am not extremely feminist, I am actually very old fashioned. This movie sometimes, I feel portrays how I live in reality. I am expected to watch my siblings, cook, clean and run errands for my parents. My brother is 11 years younger than me so I have been the 'little mommy' for a long time. My mother is great, but when she worked evenings, I was the person to call on to watch my brother and I was never paid, and never asked for payment; it was just something you do in our house.
I did see the typical knight in shining armor facade when the prince comes along. The implications of this to small children are huge. After the girls come out of the 'princess' phase they all dream about their prince charming, or their knight in shining armor. It almost sets up an alternate reality.
I hope this is how a blog is kinda supposed to sound like...I'm new to this!

Snow White-Seen and not heard, unless she's singing...

I as well thought this was unbearable to sit through. Even though I am told that this was my favorite book, princess, movie, etc. as a child. It was very simple in many ways yet very complex in a whole other context. The scene that stuck out the most to me and offended my feminist sensibilities was when she was in the forest apologizing to the animals for "making such a fuss". I am well aware that this mentality was common place in the 30s and 40s. My grandmother who is still here at 81 has always thought and never kept it to herself that a womans place is in the home. Her responsibilties includes but are not limited to cleaning, taking care of the children, and dinner is on the table at 5pm. You only speak when spoken to, and never and I mean never cause of scene.

Snow|White became responsible for taking care of these "children" and the home they lived in. As if it was her sole purpose in life. And that misconception is still around today. In my late twenties I am asked by peer, family, clients why am I not married and why don't I have children. As if it is the only thing worth doing. I have never bought into this ideology and have spent most of my life rebelling against it. It is very disturbing that these are the underlying messages/images children are absorbing.

Snow White Blog

Okay, first of all, I would like to know if Walt Disney was on something when he created the scene when Snow White runs through the woods and all kinds of crazy monsters are attacking her! I remember as a child being terrified of that part, and I can see why! But I digress...

Re-watching Snow White for the first time in so many years was quite an experience. I actually remembered the beginning part of the film so well, that it felt as if I had watched it just yesterday. I even remembered all of the words to Snow White's first song! What I did not notice as a child was how incredibly sexist this film is and how prominent gender roles are. Snow White was your typical idealistic woman who cleaned house, fluffed her hair, fixed her dress, picked flowers, etc... The prince was a manly man that rides around on his horse all of the time (seriously, does he ever do anything else but sing and ride his horse?), and rescues the helpless woman who cannot live (literally and figuratively) without him. And of course, the Seven Dwarfs are your typical men who do not do any housework, cannot cook for themselves, and do "man's work" all day. It was actually quite disturbing to see what Disney was filling my head with when I was young and impressionable.

I also noticed how the film reflected the time that it was made in. Snow White's short, curly hairstyle, singing voice, and female stereotypes were typical in the late 1930's. Also the style of the music in the film was reminiscent of composers like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter (both extremely popular during the late 1930's). These are just a few of the things I noticed that represented the time that Snow White was created.

Although I still love this film, it was not the same magic that I experienced when I was a child. I am an extremely strong, independent woman and I quite insulted at how they portrayed Snow White and her step-mother. Apparently women either have to be happy little housewives or vain and a total bitch (for lack of a better term!HA!). Also, can someone tell me where I can find a handsome guy who randomly rides up on a white horse and beautifully sings to me? Because I've been waiting for one of those since I was about 5 years old, and it still has not happened...