Pop Culture

 

 

Playing For Keeps

 

Playing For Keeps is a new movie about a retire soccer player due to injury, who has conflicted himself into his ex loves life.  She ultimatly is getting married to a somewhat snore of a man  all the while George, the soccer player, is the center of every womens eye. Now, arising in this movie are some unanswered questions like why Stacey, the sooon to be married ex love, is marrying such a uninteresting man. Or why George just can't get any better of a job than a little league soccer coach. I feel that this movie may be worth seeing except for the unanswered questions. After all a movie is for entertainment.!



Pop Culture Post- Country Music

Country Music Hollers Back at Hip-Hop

         In the article Country Music Hollers back at Hip-Hop it is a bit confusing at first as to what stance the author takes. Carie Allen Tippon writes about the changes in country music seen in today's day and age. She describes that country music is adding more hip-hop into their songs and at the same time somewhat offending people. Like I said it was difficult to find her stance but I came up with the fact that she feels including hip-hop into country music actually points fun at the urban lifestyles. She mentions the song "Hollerback" by The Lost Trailers who poke fun into the urban ways of talking and acting. In the song it's said "he cocks his hat; he drives a “ride”; he pumps bass in his car." Those are described as urban sayings and is said to be poking fun of the, particularly, African- American people who live in the urban area. In Jason Aldean's song Dirt Road Anthem Tippon makes it clear that his style of rapping in the clearly country song "accuse Aldean of mixing value systems and racialized categories of entertainment that ought to be kept separate." In yet another song Homeboy by Eric Church, she accuses him of making a song that sounds "racially charged." She concludes that all of these songs stretch back to the 1920's when white folk were raised in the country and the urban lifestyle would change a person into someone dangerous. 

           In my opinion, this article is bull. Songs are songs and used to entertain people no matter what style they make like that is up to the persons own opinion. When you take something as innocent as country music and say they are making racial statements by implementing hip-hop into their songs that is going to far. If anything I feel that using hip-hop is used to bring in more fans from other areas of the music industry. These songs are good and catchy and I can honestly say when I first heard them my understanding was not that they were making fun of African American people. I hear plenty of people of all ethnicities  share language like "dawg, hood, Cruisin, homeboy, etc." So I think its more causing a problem by making these accusations than trying to address a problem. I love all kinds of music and always will, it's my right to listen to what I want. If people aren't happy with what they are hearing then don't listen.  

                       

                                  (taken from the article Country Music Hollers back at Hip-Hop)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pop Culture Post

From Chopsticks to Forks, Consider the Sporks

 

 

        This Article, Written by Diane Leach, takes a new spin on "consider this." In this case it's "consider if your kitchen gagdets didn't exist." Diane Leach goes in depth to make us really think what life would be like without something as simple as kitchen gagdets. Something we take for granted everyday becomes a luxery when contemplating what life would be like without these things.

             Diane mentions the fork, spoon, bowl, food processor, stoves, microwaves and even mixers. All of these are now luxeries that we should be thankful for. She talks about making an omlette step by step, and then goes through to pick out everything we needed to make this omlette. Now at one point in history somebody had to come up with the idea of everything. Imagine not being able to cook meat because it was unheard of to use something to fry it on or eating everything you make with your hands. Even not being able to make anything because there is no stove, microwave or refridgerator.

             Now I don't know about you but I could not imagine a world without the microwave. A quick easy way to warm up a frozen meal. With today's society I couldn't imagine living without it, not only me but all the restaurants in the world. Just the cooking world has come such a long way and things we take for granted should be praised for making our lives so easy. This is only kitchen gadgets too, can you imagine all the other things in life? Things that are looked over everyday, need to be recognized because if we become too dependant on these things what happens when the power goes out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Pop Culture #2

 

 

Boy Meets World Sequal

 

         

          I don't know about anyone else but I can honestly say Boy Meets World is my show and one of the best shows that has ever played on television in my lifetime. The acting was die hard and the laughter you would get out of watching it was on the high side. Now they say that they will create a sequal to the show starring the preteen daughter of the two main characters in the original show, Cory and Topanga. Starring the same characters plus some, I feel that this show will not be as big of a hit as the first original episodes. However, I feel having the same characters will really make it a decent hit. The Boy Meets World series is one of the best and although nothing can top the original episodes I feel like this show can be good. Lots of Sequals don't include the main characters in which case I feel is worthless. I wish the best of luck to the new show and hope the old one nevers dies.

 

                        

 

 

 



Pop Culture Post

Tiffany Skrzeczkoski

Pop Culter blog post #3

The Last Witch Hunt: The Legacy of the West Memphis Three

      The West Memphis Three, a group of ill advised teenagers who were accused of three murders in the year of 1990.  By reading this first sentence nothing much comes to mind but in reading through the facts a lot of emotions stir up. Damien Echols, Jesse Misskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin were the three teenagers accused of murdering three, eight year old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. The boys were found tied up with their own shoelaces, mutilated and then drowned to death. Police turned straight to Damien Echols, a troublesome teenager at the time who would be considered a "goth." This appearance of Echols drove the police to question him and his three friends. The friends enjoyed dark music, dark clothing and reading criminal books. One tipping point for the police was that Echols had checked out a book on witchcraft almost promising that he was satanic, right? Well that is what the police decided after scrutinizing the boys and forcing them into a false confession. No other facts or evidence was brought up in court other than the eery appearance and habits of the boys. Eighteen years later the boys are free after being found not guilty, but they are not free from there past.

          Reading this article I was somewhat not surprised after watching False Forensics for a former assignment. Criminal evidence these days are becoming loose on prosecuting people in cases. In this case the mere appearance of the boys is what found them guilty. A matter of self expression can no longer be free. This case is a horrible example of our justice system. Wasn't it said, "it's better to let 100 guilty men go than to lock up one innocent man?" Well the sad thing here is that is not what happened. Three peoples lives changed on an account of unfair accusations and I hope our system can be saved before any worse happens.

        
           

Brief Screening Report- There Will Be Blood

 

 

 

 

There Will Be Blood is a Move about an oil mining guiness who talks a small city into letting him drill in there small community. Daniel Plainview talks the Sunday family into selling their property to him. Paul Sunday, the father of the family, decides to sell to him. Throughout the moive Eli Sunday, Paul's son, only wants to bring faith into the community and only cares about a church being built soon after the well is drilled. Danial nodds it off and states "I don't have one single faith." Daniel is not of  a religious man and this irritates Eli. Especially, after Daniels son goes deaf after a massive drill explosion Daniel gets angered with eli and the faith and realizes his drilling empire is soon crashing down. Only if Daniel can find a cheaper way to transport oil can he keep his company afloat.





Personally, I don't find this movie very thrilling. There are no special lighting effects, the conversation is really difficult to understand and the storyline is very unclear. I felt as if watching multiple movies and I couldn't stay concentrated. It doesn't really help that I am not into Westerns, if I had to give this movie a genre. The movie itself is very long and quite boring I will admit. The Acting however was quite good. The speech Daniel gives to the people ensuring them that the oil drill will be a success is wonderful.  He is calm yet forcefull but he makes you believe that he is talking to you directly. The scenery is also somewhat good. Even though its mostly barren land not many movies are taped in something like a desert area. Overall, I didn't enjoy this movie.

 

 

 



Journal #2 Movies

 

 

Journal #2  Movies

 

 

Hmm... that's the first thing that comes to mind when someone asks me to name my favorite movie. There are just so many I can't pick just one but if I would have to pick on the spot I would have to say Bridesmaids. Some may find the comedy a bit boring or gentle humor, I, however find it hilarious! Most men don't take to this movie as well as women do, maybe it's because it's a chick-flick? I feel like everyone should see it at least once though. I don't look at the camera angle or sound when picking a good movie, they are still important don't get me wrong. I look for tons of laughter if it's a comedy and an "edge of the seat" feeling when watching a horror movie, etc. The movie has to reach reach the sense of what the genre is. Bridesmaids is a comedy that made me fall out of my seat laughing. To this day my mom and I recite quotes all the time to each other. The acting is quiet in parts, but an uproar in others. Maybe it's the plot I love so much. Basically a maid of honor is being shown over by a pompious bridesmaid with lots of money causing a battle between the two girls to be the best help to the bride. Its comical yet realistic. The moral is a nice bonus too, you should never lose yourself when you feel the weight of the world but turn things around and show people you can be the best of yourself. Also, don't get in a fight with a bridesmaid (haha).  I guess I respond more to the formal elements though if I would have to choose. Being an art student you really look for the art in movies and along with that, lighting, acting and narrative. My overall adivice... watch Bridesmaids at least once!