A few weeks ago the first daughter, Malia Obama was seen at Lollapalooza “twerking”. Not only was she twerking, but some critics stretched it and said she was inappropriately lifting her shorts. People on social media were raving and of course the critics were at an all time high. Some people were quick to jump to her defense with the idea that she deserves to have some fun before heading to the illustrious Harvard. To make matters worse, videos surface of the oldest Obama daughter smoking what appeared to be a joint. People even went as far to slow the video down to give a better view of her hitting the joint, even though it was really quick. Although many people had negative things to say, of course it became old news really quickly! BUUUT that changed rather quickly. Earlier this week Malia was photographed at a table where beer pong was going on. The argument was we don’t know whether or not she was actively participating in beer pong, but either way it goes, I don’t think that’s a good look for the Obama’s. “Black twitter” insisted that she “find some new friends because the ones she has now are just selling her to the tabloids”. I’m not sure if I agree with their logic, but one thing I can say is the president’s daughter shouldn’t be doing certain things and she certainly shouldn’t allow photo evidence to be taken. What do you all think?
I feel as if she's at least making informed decisions about the inebriates she's imbibing, it's not really anybody's business what she's doing. Similar goes for the ways in which people have been criticizing her twerking; all in all, the backlash she's received /has/ managed to make me frustrated, but only at the fact that she continues to associate with people who continue to expose every facet of the entirely-typical-sounding young adult experiences she's been having. I may have an entire soap box tucked away somewhere dedicated to the ways in which invasive dissection of celebrities' personal lives can be (and very regularly /is/) very unhealthy for the famous person that's being targeted by camera-wielding professional stalkers (see: Britney Spears' breakdown that led to a head-shaving back in the 2000's).
I also don't think Malia Obama should expose herself negatively to the public, or does she even recognize that it is negative. I agree with you that a professional being should be mindful of her words and actions in public because it gives critics chances to attack the President, who has no control over this. Having fun before getting into Harvard is no excuse. Harvard is also very strict about these unprofessional matters, so it might be controversial whether Harvard continue to keep her because she's the president's daughter? I can also relate to her in a way that she can't "have fun" like everybody else because she is stuck forever in her position of being the President's daughter. But unfortunately, she is so should represent America's well.
I also don't think Malia Obama should expose herself negatively to the public, or does she even recognize that it is negative. I agree with you that a professional being should be mindful of her words and actions in public because it gives critics chances to attack the President, who has no control over this. Having fun before getting into Harvard is no excuse. Harvard is also very strict about these unprofessional matters, so it might be controversial whether Harvard continue to keep her because she's the president's daughter? I can also relate to her in a way that she can't "have fun" like everybody else because she is stuck forever in her position of being the President's daughter. But unfortunately, she is so should represent America's well.
I think that people are too hard on Malia and like to forget the Bush daughters were literally crazy and used fake IDs to buy alcohol and were frequently cited for publicly intoxication. The media defended the Bush girls as being "regular teens" but when it's the Obama girls they "need rehab".
I agree with Logan, way too hard on these girls. They're human, we're all human and yes I understand being "famous" or whatever you want to call means you have certain standards the world suggest you live up to, but that's just it. No one else matters because they are not living your life. You have control of what you do. If they make mistakes, let them. This is how we grow and learn. Of course no one should put themselves in certain situations but we have all done it and we have all learned from it.
I enjoy your post; however, I feel that people shouldn’t be so harsh on Malia. Just because she is the President’s daughter, people should not have stricter standards on her. She is still young and she is just like every other teenager. Either way, we did not raise her and we do not know her. We only know of her through the media. So whatever she is doing, let her do so, and if there are any consequences for her actions, then that’s on her. Just like what Whitley said, “This is how we grow and learn.”
So, apparently Michelle Rodriguez is going to star in a film called ‘(Re)Assignment’ that just sounds like so many kinds of cringeworthy. It’s about a hitman who is tricked into getting sex reassignment surgery by a “rogue surgeon,” and there are just so many ways in which this all sounds like a painful trainwreck waiting to happen. I’ll include a link at the bottom where someone much more level-headed than me goes into detail about just exactly why it’s really, /really/ shitty that they’re “playing the trans angle” essentially just for kicks, and to maybe get a cheap laugh or two in a couple of scenes, surely. It’s frustrating for me that a topic that I’m so personally invested in keeps on getting played off as a joke, seeing as my safety in public depends very heavily on how others in public regard trans people. This depiction of transness as something that’s flippant enough to just be turned into a story mechanic forcibly placed upon a person has so many terrible implications attached to it that get vicariously tied to me and people like me. What makes it worse is that Michelle Rodriguez’s response to the entirely predictable criticism the movie received was to tell all us over-offended trans folks to calm down. Obviously, this is the kind of response you want to have to a group of people that you’re allegedly allied to! It’s tiresome to constantly have people who support but can’t entirely understand the types of ways in which your experience of interacting with the world is different from theirs tell you that you’re wrong about the ways you’re being displayed to the public. Honestly, if there were more trans roles being played by trans people, I’m sure this soap box wouldn’t be /as/ much of an issue, but we’ll see how that pans out once trans folks actually start getting cast in trans roles.
Link about the movie: https://mic.com/articles/152453/michelle-rodriguez-s-re-assignment-looks-like-it-will-be-an-epic-transphobic-mess#.uNmw4VYYl
Link describing her reaction to the lashback: https://mic.com/articles/154250/michelle-rodriguez-says-trans-people-need-to-calm-down-re-assignment-is-not-deep#.2gaE33y50
I agree that trans actors would be best suited for trans roles. There was a similar issue when they cast a light skinned black actress to play the role of Nina Simone, who was dark skinned. They had to put dark makeup on the actress (which looked like the black faced make-up of old) in order for her to play the role. But obviously, there were many dark skinned actresses who could have played the role with no extra make-up. In light of what you said about transness being portrayed as a joke, I can't help but think of a SNL (Saturday Night Live) character named "Pat" who was brought on for laughs as the audience could never figure out if Pat was a man or a woman.
Unfortunately, there's a price to pay when we "Dare to be Different", be true to ourselves, and leap out of our assigned lanes. People fear what they don't understand and what is different from themselves by resorting to bullying, mockery, and alienation. So be encouraged and stay true to yourself, even though it can get dangerous and hard. Because if you comply and live according to other's expectations, you'll be miserable and exhausted from living a lie.
Over the course of analyzing advertisements in class and in readings, I find competitions over the appealing of ads to disturb morality. Considering most advertisement's strategies involve the appeal of sex, it is very wrong to showcase these adult business on televisions, programming to all ages. I find that most children nowadays are introduce to sex too early and there are just so many sex references in popular culture as a whole. Songs, books, ads, televisions, news all contain this element because it works. It is one of the most powerful tool to use to attract buyers. According to the reading, men's men commercial and even the men's women commercial appear on weekend's nights. Why? because men likes sports and who also watches sport? everyone..including children. So children are being introduced to adult's sexual fantasy that is "constructed like a porn film". People are making money while poisoning the minds of children. It Therefore, sometimes, I doubt whether popular culture is a good thing, because they seem to always expose "hot topics" such as drugs and sex to attract fans. These unintentional messages may encourage viewers and convince them to believe that "no commitment" and experiencing sexual fantasy is a normal thing. There should be no guilt because ads only associate that sign with being cool and a part of the masculine group, and being like everyone else. Therefore, more and more, I think popular culture is going down because they focus more about making money than the values of this country. However, corporate and companies got to do what they got to make profits because wealth also thrives America.
While I agree with the majority of your post, most advertisers are not really concerned with the "minds of children". That may sound bad, but in reality the dollar or sales are what they're focused on. It's up to the parents to let them watch these shows that they know will have these types of commercials.
I also agree that the advertisements are teaching children wrong behaviors such as the "no commitment"/"no guilt", but I don't think that the ads are not appropriate for children. Most ads are previewed by the TV channel sources which decide whether or not to air the ads. This means that the TV channel has a method of preventing inappropriate TV ads to children.
Fashion has always been with us starting in western Europe since the 1600’s. This week, I wanted to research and write about a fall fashion clothing because next week is when fall officially starts. One of the most popular clothing that is commonly worn in the fall season is the trench coat. Through this blog, I wanted to analysis on why trench coat became famous and whether or not they have any positive effects on our society. Trench coat was first developed for the use of military officers in the World War I. This was used by the British and French army to prevent rain, soil, and other materials from getting on them. This coat became popular due to many reasons. One of the main reasons why this fall fashion trend has become popular in our society today is because the military used it, which also meant that it was also used in military movies/other entertainment sources. For instance, in the movie Saving Private Ryan, the actors wear trench coats which became popular as this movie became popular. Clothing such as jumpsuits, leather jackets, and aviator sunglasses also became popular through successful movies like Platoon, Pearl Harbor, and Saving Private Ryan. Some people believe that military style clothing has a negative impact on our society because it prevents freedom of expression and uniqueness, but I think that it can have a positive effect. For instance, military clothing such as the trench coat can also be utilized in many ways such as a part of a uniform, protection clothing, and professional/casual outfit; even though trench coats have a similar/general design, it can be unique because every stores have different designs, which means the people can still express their uniqueness.
Saving Private Ryan is one of my favorite movies. I never realized the success of those kind of films influenced the trench coat and jump suit trend. It definitely shows how film as an art form influences pop culture fashion trends. It really is fascinating how pretty much any kind of clothing can become a popular style if introduced to a vast audience.
Having haters is a celebrity problem in the pop culture realm of today. The more of a celebrity that you are or the more “Followers” that you have, the more haters you will have. Haters are also known as “Critics”, “Bullies”, and “Nay-Sayers.” Anyone who has anything negative to say about you or to you, can easily fall into this category. But for the most part, they are people who are jealous of your popularity, your skills, your talents, your looks, and your success.
Social media has become a fertile breeding ground of haters due its anonymous nature. People are more liable to “speak their minds” if they cannot be individually identified and held accountable for their words. People who live in the elite realm (like celebrities) will usually have to deal with haters who are critics. Most critics can be easily dismissed as being jealous of the success of others. These critics rarely have a personal knowledge of their targets and are hyper critical of just about everything that is done or worn.
The majority of us, however, may face haters who do personally know us. Parents, teachers, and coaches usually fall into the “Nay-Sayers” category. We may at times feel unloved by them because they tell us “No” and deny us so many times. And then there are people who may actually really hate us; our bullies. Bullies live amongst us, but they normally only know us from afar. They dislike us based on surface level characteristics, such as our looks, our clothes, our race, our interests, or our demeanor. Most bullies also hide behind their social media masks, but some are fearless and will bully us face to face.
Unfortunately, it seems as if these two distinct worlds have collided as we now have the socially elite becoming targets of online bullies. Actress/Comedian Leslie Jones was so discouraged and disgusted by the hatred that she received on her social media by a racist and sexist mob, that she gave up on it and abandoned it at one point. She was called, “Big Lipped Coon”, bombarded with pictures of gorillas, and even had her social media accounts hacked. Not only do we now have flash mobs (which are great), but now there are “Haters Gone Wild” mobs who have taken bullying to a whole new level.
This week I have decided to do my post about the reading assigned. In this reading Turow spoke about the future of advertising. One part in particular caught my attention and that was the part where he said that human interest news is a more persuasive form of advertising. This made me think about my ad. I chose the Always ad campaign because I believed that they were addressing a very big and problematic societal norm. Upon reading this excerpt I’ve come to question whether the Always Company actually cares about the confidence of young girls or if the campaign is just a ploy to drive up sales. When I watched a few of the different commercials I saw the producers come on screen and speak, what seemed to be, very genuinely about their concerns and their goals for the campaign. This article makes me question the motives and quite frankly the morals of these producers. Are they trying to drive up sales by once again preying on the hidden insecurities and anxieties of women or do they genuinely want to make a change for better?? If they are only motivated by sales then what is the cause of their complete moral corruption and why choose to disguise it as a concern for young girls in society?? Only further research into the Always company and their campaign can answer these kind of questions. I can only hope that the Always company is as genuine as their commercials portray them to be.
Above are two articles about the recent incident happening throughout the South. According to those articles, sightings of creepy clowns started on August 19 in South Carolina, when a little boy spotted clowns whispering/talking to one another in the wood. Then two days later, people around an apartment complex addressed their concern to officers about seeing a clown trying to lure kids into the wood with treats. Recently, at Middle Georgia State University parking lot, on September 8th around 11 p.m., two sisters saw three clowns pulled up and parked behind their vehicle. Later on, about an hour later, in Lagrange, Georgia, polices received several complaints about a clown in a van talking to children near the wooded area. Since the incident started in August, no official evidences (pictures or videos) have been posted; however, more and more sightings have occurred. According to some people, they speculate that those sightings were just part of a marketing campaign for Rob Zombie’s new movie, 31, which was released on September 1st, when the whole sightings begin expanding. The movie is about five workers being kidnapped and held hostage the night before Halloween. The five of them have to participate in a gruesome game called 31, and at the same time, they encountered murderers in clown costume attacking and torturing them for 12 consecutive hours. If these incidents are part of promoting this movie, then it is cruel and someone would eventually get hurt or even killed.
31 Official Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hqR1JAZhmg
I found your article to be very interesting and the theory too! I watched the 31 trailer, and it is movie that I will not be going too. I think all these clown things are weird and I wonder the actual reason behind it. I do not really believe that it is because of the movie just because I know this has been happening in a lot of places and for a while now. Last year in a town over from where I lived in Wisconsin, there had been a clown walking around one of the universities around this same time and everyone was freaking out. I find the theory to be interesting though, and I hope all this clown stuff ends soon.
I started watching "The Walking Dead" again this weekend because season 6 became available to watch on Netflix. I binge watched seasons 1-5 last spring semester and was definitely looking forward to the newest season to come out. So far this season is not as thrilling, but who knows what they will come up with. The discussions our class has had so far about the zombie genre has intrigued my interest because it is shocking to see how popular and intriguing it can be. There are countless movies out about our world going through a zombie apocalypse, and the genre has been around for a while. It is amazing how writers and filmmakers are still able to create material to keep the audience guessing and entertained. There are plenty of people out there that are completely over and sick with the genre, and I used to be one of those people. I avoided watching zombie related films and television until I came across "The Walking Dead" on Netflix. The realism that the make-up and special effects portray definitely plays a factor. The amount of people that are used as extras in some of the scenes is quite surprising. The make-up department spends hours and hours turning people into zombies, and the close-up scenes really showcase their talent. Our society loves to fantasize about life outside of reality, and fictional entertainment shows how unique and creative people can really be. I honestly think movies and television shows about zombies will always be around.
Yessir. Like you said, zombie movies have been around for a minute and have come a long way since Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", in which they were referred to as simply, the "living dead". Some 40 years later "The Walking Dead" is what brought zombies to the forefront of pop culture. TWD is set and filmed in Atlanta, which if you are a local makes scenes that include the skyline and landmarks THAT much more immersive. I still have to catch up on season 6.. Thanks for the reminder, Cory!
Lady Gaga has attempted a musical comeback with a new song, “Perfect Illusion”. The last her fans had heard from her was two years ago on the duet jazz album “Cheek to Cheek” with Tony Bennet. Her fans had high expectations for a pop comeback, however it seems Gaga is not returning to the top of the charts, as the lead single didn’t even have a top 20 debut. This is likely because Gaga is going with a different image from the one that made her famous. Many artists, such as Madonna and Miley Cyrus, reinvent themselves throughout their careers with success, so it’s sad to see that Gaga’s reinvention has failed her. Her new song has an edgy rock feel, and although it’s not up to par to rest of her hits, I think it’s pretty catchy. Gaga announced her new album is going to be called “Joanne”. The album cover shows Gaga on a blank wall in a pink hat. It’s a very basic cover compared to her past album artworks. It’s rumored that Florence and the Machine and Father John Misty will be featured. These are unlikely collaboration choices for Gaga and means that her album could be even less pop than the lead single. Her fans hyped up a potential Superbowl performance to point where it was trending on Twitter and US Weekly and Yahoo reported it as fact. The NFL ended up denying it, which was probably disappointing to her fans since a Superbowl Halftime show might have actually revived her career.
So over the weekend there was a New York City bombing, in Chelsea neighborhood. I saw a glimpse of it from doing my usual social media snapchat stroll through Crystal Westbrooks feed and noticed all the drama. Here we are again, another day.. another hashtag.
#PrayforNYC #Pray4Chelsea #Chelsea
From what I've gathered so far during my mini investigation, they are currently on the search for suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami.. of course we all know what that means. Bring on the social media war.
The bomb that injured 29 victims had been linked to a 2nd device only 4 blocks away and people are outraged, and I would be as well..
Social media has exploded and gone into war itself. "If you automatically assume it wasn't radical Islam, you are the problem. Remember that terrorism has no religion. Stop blaming Islam for everything." Some think the bomb blast in Manhattan is a win for Donald Trump. It's just a political opportunity. It has caused more Trump supporters and people to say elect no more democrats.
Things are just so out of hand, what are your thoughts?
Everything has both negative and positive consequences including pop culture, however depends on how you accept it. Let's discuss about the latest popular trend in America and worldwide and see how it affects the society. If you hear people talking about spending their stardust and candies, chances are they catch up in the lastest pop culture fixation: Pokemon Go. The game is designed to help players exercise more by physical activity to find pokemons and hatch eggs, it's remarkable how much of a motivator of the game is for getting out and walking around. Beside, it brings people together in real life. I have never seen so many people gathering at the parks or the beaches exploring and talking to one another. For this new trend, I have positive impact and it improves my life. I see the glass half full. However, some people see the glass half empty. There are reports about car accidents because players driving and catching pokemons at the same time, get injured and found dead bodies while hunting, etc. And they don't blame themselves for not being responsible for their behaviors but blame the game, and think the game shoule be banned while so many other people enjoying the game healthy, safely. So, why don't we take advantage of the new changes, avoid the negative effects and apply to our life positively?
It is easier for us to blame other than to accept fault for ourselves. Even if we do realize that we a primarily at fault. The people that are playing Pokémon GO are not using there better judgment when playing the game. I have read some of the highlights about people falling off cliffs and crashing into the back of others people's cars. Why would you try to catch a Pokémon while driving beats me, but rather than say I shouldn't have been playing the games why controlling the vehicle. People would rather blame Pokémon and the developer for making an addicting game.
I can't agree more with the points you made. As a player of the game myself, I have experienced many benefits from playing. It promotes a healthy lifestyle with all the walking involved, and it is a great trip down memory lane for someone who was big into the trading card game back in elementary school. There are inherent risks with playing any game involving looking down at your phone in the real world, but these can be easily avoided with common sense. The app even says to be aware of your surroundings every time you open it. Thus, I have little sympathy for those who have gotten injured or even died because of negligence while playing the game. The pros definitely outweigh the cons in this case.
On Saturday there was a bombing in New York and New Jersey. Luckily they didn't report anybody deaths, but there were 29 injured. Events like this are part of our pop culture and forever reminds us that we not only have to battle with threats outside of our country, we also have threats within our country. This doesn't only affect the residents within those states, but friends and family members that might know the injured victims. As whole we as a nation have to stick together and continue to show unity. Sometimes we go throughout our days not even thinking about the fact that this could have happen to me or someone that I know. It definitely bring a constant reminder though of being aware of your surroundings and the people that you know because you never a person's intentions. Throughout the new and social media you see people showing their support for NYC and NJ. Especially, with this only being eight days after the anniversary for 9/11. This will be another event that will go down in our history along with Paris attacks, Orlando's shooting, and other events. There is still an investigation going on and as the days come more details will be revealed. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/sep/18/manhattan-explosion-several-injured-in-blast-rolling-report
It has been 20 years since the death of JonBenet Ramsey , and people are still obsessed with the case. Since it was the anniversary of her death, countless articles, magazines, TV movies, and interviews have been appearing all around us. After her death there have been 10 books published about JonBenet, and a movie on Lifetime, CBS, and many documentaries about the case. Dr. Phil also recently interviewed her brother Burke Ramsey, and Burke stated that the only reason why he agreed to be interviewed was so that his sister and the case wouldn’t be forgotten. Twenty years later and some are asking why we are still so hung up on this case. In an article on E! News, they stated that our society is “fascinated and we have morbid curiosity” about a case that has yet to be solved. I watched the first part of a four-hour special on CBS, and there were still so many things that were being revealed. One of the first and most shocking reveal to me was the 911 call. Pasty Ramsey was the one to call the cops and there were a lot of things that were going on during the call and she even failed to tell the cops JonBenet’s name. She is also heard asking, “What did you do” (most are assuming it was to John) and “help me Jesus.” During the documentary they also looked more into the ransom note and the cause of death. I did find the Dr. Phil interview with Burke and the documentary on the death to be very interesting, but wondered while watching why is everyone so fascinated with her death? Is it because it is unsolved? Or that producers and writers keep coming out with things like new TV movies or articles with new theories on her death? I think most people know that her murder will never be solved and I just hope that people are not using this as an advantage to come out with things about her for profit.
I also came across this and thought it was very interesting read and it has more insight into the obsession: http://www.bustle.com/articles/183416-what-are-the-psychological-reasons-behind-our-obsession-with-jonbenet-ramsey
This week, I happened upon an interesting video about something we have all heard of. Detoxing. Now, when I say detoxing I am not referring to the process of returning to normal after drug abuse. The detoxing I am talking about is over the counter. These detoxing products are teas and diets that claim to rid your body of "toxins." Many people drink these mysterious teas and undergo dangerous diets to rid themselves of these "toxins" to feel better, lose weight, and be beautiful. The toxins however are non existent, and the ways in which they supposedly cleanse us are hazardous to our health. The video talks about how when companies that sell detoxing products are asked which toxins their product eliminates, they were unable to answer. The reason that these products do so well is the way they market. Products like these, as well as many miracle weight loss products use celebrity endorsements to push their product. The video mentions this and discusses how we as consumers are likely to associate an actresses beauty with the product. I find it disturbing that companies are so willing to exploit us and our health for their gain, but fascinating how they use popular culture.
I found your post fairly interesting because I sometimes find myself falling into the trap of this new "detoxing" fad. Every female wants that perfect body, and I find myself debating trying detoxing but remind myself that it's more than likely not healthy. Your post reiterated the fact of how unhealthy it is, and the video informed me on facts that I was unaware of.
The show Les Misérables was first a book/novel written by Victor Hugo. Victor Hugo was also a poet aside from being a playwright. Now Les Miserables is a popular musical that is sometimes referred to as “Les Mis (Miz)”. When the musical was put together it was composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg, but the lyrics were put together and written by Jean-Marc Natel and Alain Boublil. There was also an English-language libretto included into this musical by Herbert Kretzmer. The musical is set in France during the early the 19th century, and the plot follows the stories of a multitude of characters. All the characters are in a struggle or have struggled for freedom, revolution, and redemption. There is also an ensemble, and though the ensemble is not usually the most important subject to a play, it plays a good role in this musical. The ensemble has prostitutes, factory workers, regular civilians, factory workers, and other small characters who joins the lead characters.
So this past weekend the Emmy’s came on but that was not the highlight for me! I was amazed to see Kerry Washington, ‘Scandal’ star, slay the red carpet with her pregnancy. She was looking beautiful and so radiant, even in her black dress. She wore a strapless black dress that looked comfortable but form fitting as well; it even had some tasteful revealing areas. She wore her hair in a big wavy and natural look which helped compliment the stunning look. Once I saw her my reaction was “Wow she looks great!”, and then it quickly turned to “Oh, this is why Scandal isn’t coming back on!” (I don’t know that for a fact). However, Kerry Washington’s stunning maternity look on the Emmy’s red carpet had social media going crazy as they praised her all night. I will add that she absolutely deserved the praise! I am sure she was quite inspiring to pregnant women everywhere to flaunt that belly and slay your maternity look! There is nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman anyway, even though that is a matter of my opinion, many should agree. Fans could be happy and upset with news at the same time; on one end they could happily support her and congratulate her and then they could be mad at the thought that this could have put a hold on a highly anticipated new season of the hit show ‘Scandal’. Food for thought: Do you think she’s pregnant by her husband or the President? Laugh out loud!
No matter how rough your week was, it couldn't have been worse than Corey Feldman's. Corey Feldman is best known as an 80's heart throb with memorable roles in The Goonies, The Lost Boys and Stand By Me. Until this week he had faded into an icon of the 80's. However, last Friday he made a disturbing "comeback" sort of appearance on The Today Show and seems to be trying out a career change from acting to music. The result was a cringeworthy performance that has everyone, including Feldman, asking themselves, "What was he thinking?" Feldman says that the experience was mortifying and he hasn't been able to get out of bed since the incident. What does he have to say about all of this?
“We just wanted to tell everybody that, like, it’s been really painful. We put ourselves out there and we did the best that we could. And, like, I’ve never had such mean things said about me. Like constantly.”
“All we can say is that we tried really hard. Because we love our fans and we just wanted to give them the best show that we could. But we don’t deserve . . . these things that are said about us are awful.”
What do you think? Why did Corey Feldman fail at his comeback when stars like Britney Spears succeeded at theirs? Why did Lady Gaga's brand of "weird" win over the masses but Feldman's sent them running for the door?
Future(ology) Is my favorite subject. It is fascinating to watch movies from the past and compare their interpretation of the future to what it actually looks like today. In movies, we tend to have a very low rate of success when predicting technology (e.g. humanoid robots walking the streets, flying cars by the year 2000 LOL). Back to the Future predicted hoverboards by 2015 and look at how that turned out. Last year, Lexus built a "hoverboard" and a whole magnetic skate track in order to fulfil the prophecy. They created a track and board laced with electromagnets. It was one of the most forced ad campaigns I have ever seen¹. Nike did better with the Air Mag replicas², the self-tying shoes were also in the movie and dated for late 2015. One way to get a decent glimpse into the future is through futuretimeline.net. This website is regularly updated to include both future and past events. Computer scientist and inventor Ray Kurzweil prophesizes about "the singularity", a moment in time when artificial intelligence begins to teach itself and no longer requires human input. Mr. Kurzweil gives a tentative date for the singularity to be around 2029. Computer scientists are divided on when, if ever, this singularity will take place. I personally think it is inevitable. Our bodys and brains are just extraordinary pieces of technology that took nature billions of years to develop. We will soon catch up to, master and be able to manipulate this bio-technology. "There is no ghost in the machine." - Sam Harris
This week I wanted to talk about the feud between rapper “The Game “and “Meek Mill”. There has always been a moral code of not snitching on a person. Especially if you live in the “Hood” there are major reparations for snitching. Apparently meek mill is being accused of being a snitch by the rapper The Game. It has divided the hip hop world. You have some rappers siding with Meek and others with The Game. It seems like all of 2016 Meek Mill has gotten himself into various rap beefs with different artist. He always seems to have lost all of those battles but this one with the game is looking a little better for him. He has rapper Sean Kingston really coming to his defense and he had P-diddy being the God of petty for him right now. He also with the power of technology has screen shots of messages between him and the game. Many are saying that this feud resembles the beef that Tupac had with other rappers. It looks like history is repeating itself in the rap game. Meek mill is having people sent to The Game and vice versa. It is starting to get bloody. All of this being lead back to social media where most of the arguing being done. There has been a ton of memes going around about the both of them. Also it seems that since The Game is trying to expose meek for snitching it is actually backfiring on him more. There are pictures of The Game being a stripper when he was younger something that no one knew because he is seen as a HUGE gangster in his LA area. Also there are clips of him crying saying that he didn’t want to do hip hop and of him being left by his girlfriend on national television. Awkward to say but I feel that maybe Meek may for once be winning this feud.
I agree! I feel that this is on rap feud that Meek Mill has the potential to win if Drake doesn't step in being that he has already sided with the Game!
This blog post I would like to address the newest thing happening this week and that is…… Kanye West has finally decided to join Instagram!! Why is this even news? Well because this is Kanye West we are talking about people! The news just broke about three days ago and had the internet in a frenzy and he hasn’t even posted his first post yet but, because once again this is Kanye West that we are talking about he already has over one hundred thousand Instagram followers. Now as I was reading this topic on The Shade Room I was thinking to myself who cares! But then I started to dig deeper and try to really understand why Kanye West joining Instagram is a big deal and better yet why is Kanye West even a big deal! (Don’t judge me) Well because I did my research and my digging I found that Kanye West being that oh so unpredictable person saying and doing outlandish things has caused him to become such a big Deal, He has bomb rushed his way into the fashion industry and made a name for himself within the fashion world with his I’m Kanye West and entitled approach and he has somehow managed to sweep his way back into Americas hearts even after the Taylor Swift escapade! Well prior to Kanye West becoming this love to hate version of himself he was once a sweetheart who simply adored his mother and loved the basic polo shirts with book bags and who can forget that huge teddy bear that adorn his album cover. The recent dramatic behavioral change that he has since taken has people always guessing and wondering when will be the next time that he hits the paparazzi in the head for taking photos or even hitting his head when running from the paparazzi! Will he post pictures of his wife The Kim Kardashian? Or his precious kids? This has us boggled and socially inclined to see what is the next thing that Kanye West will do, how will his Instagram begin to open us up to his lifestyle. This is what has people talking, we live for these moments of the unknown and Kanye West has certainly piqued our interest with his flamboyant behavior! Well that’s all folks!
Scrolling through my Facebook feed the other day, I noticed that "The Crocodile Hunter" was trending. I came across an article commemorating the tenth anniversary of Steve Irwin's death. For anyone who doesn't know who Steve Irwin was (if you live under a rock), he was the preeminent dangerous wildlife expert/celebrity in the world. Known by his nickname, "The Crocodile Hunter", Irwin had his own television show on Animal Planet for many years, centered around catching/handling usually highly dangerous animals in Australia in order to educate viewers on them. Steve was filming another segment for the show on stingrays in Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2006 when the sharp barb of a stingray stabbed him in the heart. Irwin died later that day from complications of the injury. People from all around the world mourned the man's death. I actually remember hearing the news that day. An avid watcher of the television show before elementary school every morning, I was devastated to hear that this crazy crocodile man I had idolized so much had died. Looking back, the manner in which he passed away was almost poetic. Steve Irwin died doing the thing he loved most, which is a lot more than many people get to say. Anyway, the article I read reflected on this fact, and also just how well-loved the man was and still is. He left a legacy that no other person has been able to fill yet. No one has come around who is as passionate about nature and wildlife as him, passionate enough to risk their life in order to educate the masses on these dangerous creatures. I think that is why Steve Irwin has continued to stay relevant today, and will stay in the public conscious for years to come.
A few weeks ago the first daughter, Malia Obama was seen at Lollapalooza “twerking”. Not only was she twerking, but some critics stretched it and said she was inappropriately lifting her shorts. People on social media were raving and of course the critics were at an all time high. Some people were quick to jump to her defense with the idea that she deserves to have some fun before heading to the illustrious Harvard. To make matters worse, videos surface of the oldest Obama daughter smoking what appeared to be a joint. People even went as far to slow the video down to give a better view of her hitting the joint, even though it was really quick. Although many people had negative things to say, of course it became old news really quickly! BUUUT that changed rather quickly. Earlier this week Malia was photographed at a table where beer pong was going on. The argument was we don’t know whether or not she was actively participating in beer pong, but either way it goes, I don’t think that’s a good look for the Obama’s. “Black twitter” insisted that she “find some new friends because the ones she has now are just selling her to the tabloids”. I’m not sure if I agree with their logic, but one thing I can say is the president’s daughter shouldn’t be doing certain things and she certainly shouldn’t allow photo evidence to be taken. What do you all think?
ReplyDeleteI feel as if she's at least making informed decisions about the inebriates she's imbibing, it's not really anybody's business what she's doing. Similar goes for the ways in which people have been criticizing her twerking; all in all, the backlash she's received /has/ managed to make me frustrated, but only at the fact that she continues to associate with people who continue to expose every facet of the entirely-typical-sounding young adult experiences she's been having. I may have an entire soap box tucked away somewhere dedicated to the ways in which invasive dissection of celebrities' personal lives can be (and very regularly /is/) very unhealthy for the famous person that's being targeted by camera-wielding professional stalkers (see: Britney Spears' breakdown that led to a head-shaving back in the 2000's).
DeleteI also don't think Malia Obama should expose herself negatively to the public, or does she even recognize that it is negative. I agree with you that a professional being should be mindful of her words and actions in public because it gives critics chances to attack the President, who has no control over this. Having fun before getting into Harvard is no excuse. Harvard is also very strict about these unprofessional matters, so it might be controversial whether Harvard continue to keep her because she's the president's daughter? I can also relate to her in a way that she can't "have fun" like everybody else because she is stuck forever in her position of being the President's daughter. But unfortunately, she is so should represent America's well.
DeleteI also don't think Malia Obama should expose herself negatively to the public, or does she even recognize that it is negative. I agree with you that a professional being should be mindful of her words and actions in public because it gives critics chances to attack the President, who has no control over this. Having fun before getting into Harvard is no excuse. Harvard is also very strict about these unprofessional matters, so it might be controversial whether Harvard continue to keep her because she's the president's daughter? I can also relate to her in a way that she can't "have fun" like everybody else because she is stuck forever in her position of being the President's daughter. But unfortunately, she is so should represent America's well.
DeleteI think that people are too hard on Malia and like to forget the Bush daughters were literally crazy and used fake IDs to buy alcohol and were frequently cited for publicly intoxication. The media defended the Bush girls as being "regular teens" but when it's the Obama girls they "need rehab".
DeleteI agree with Logan, way too hard on these girls. They're human, we're all human and yes I understand being "famous" or whatever you want to call means you have certain standards the world suggest you live up to, but that's just it. No one else matters because they are not living your life. You have control of what you do. If they make mistakes, let them. This is how we grow and learn. Of course no one should put themselves in certain situations but we have all done it and we have all learned from it.
DeleteI enjoy your post; however, I feel that people shouldn’t be so harsh on Malia. Just because she is the President’s daughter, people should not have stricter standards on her. She is still young and she is just like every other teenager. Either way, we did not raise her and we do not know her. We only know of her through the media. So whatever she is doing, let her do so, and if there are any consequences for her actions, then that’s on her. Just like what Whitley said, “This is how we grow and learn.”
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ReplyDeleteSo, apparently Michelle Rodriguez is going to star in a film called ‘(Re)Assignment’ that just sounds like so many kinds of cringeworthy. It’s about a hitman who is tricked into getting sex reassignment surgery by a “rogue surgeon,” and there are just so many ways in which this all sounds like a painful trainwreck waiting to happen. I’ll include a link at the bottom where someone much more level-headed than me goes into detail about just exactly why it’s really, /really/ shitty that they’re “playing the trans angle” essentially just for kicks, and to maybe get a cheap laugh or two in a couple of scenes, surely. It’s frustrating for me that a topic that I’m so personally invested in keeps on getting played off as a joke, seeing as my safety in public depends very heavily on how others in public regard trans people. This depiction of transness as something that’s flippant enough to just be turned into a story mechanic forcibly placed upon a person has so many terrible implications attached to it that get vicariously tied to me and people like me. What makes it worse is that Michelle Rodriguez’s response to the entirely predictable criticism the movie received was to tell all us over-offended trans folks to calm down. Obviously, this is the kind of response you want to have to a group of people that you’re allegedly allied to! It’s tiresome to constantly have people who support but can’t entirely understand the types of ways in which your experience of interacting with the world is different from theirs tell you that you’re wrong about the ways you’re being displayed to the public. Honestly, if there were more trans roles being played by trans people, I’m sure this soap box wouldn’t be /as/ much of an issue, but we’ll see how that pans out once trans folks actually start getting cast in trans roles.
ReplyDeleteLink about the movie:
https://mic.com/articles/152453/michelle-rodriguez-s-re-assignment-looks-like-it-will-be-an-epic-transphobic-mess#.uNmw4VYYl
Link describing her reaction to the lashback:
https://mic.com/articles/154250/michelle-rodriguez-says-trans-people-need-to-calm-down-re-assignment-is-not-deep#.2gaE33y50
I agree that trans actors would be best suited for trans roles. There was a similar issue when they cast a light skinned black actress to play the role of Nina Simone, who was dark skinned. They had to put dark makeup on the actress (which looked like the black faced make-up of old) in order for her to play the role. But obviously, there were many dark skinned actresses who could have played the role with no extra make-up. In light of what you said about transness being portrayed as a joke, I can't help but think of a SNL (Saturday Night Live) character named "Pat" who was brought on for laughs as the audience could never figure out if Pat was a man or a woman.
DeleteUnfortunately, there's a price to pay when we "Dare to be Different", be true to ourselves, and leap out of our assigned lanes. People fear what they don't understand and what is different from themselves by resorting to bullying, mockery, and alienation. So be encouraged and stay true to yourself, even though it can get dangerous and hard. Because if you comply and live according to other's expectations, you'll be miserable and exhausted from living a lie.
Over the course of analyzing advertisements in class and in readings, I find competitions over the appealing of ads to disturb morality. Considering most advertisement's strategies involve the appeal of sex, it is very wrong to showcase these adult business on televisions, programming to all ages. I find that most children nowadays are introduce to sex too early and there are just so many sex references in popular culture as a whole. Songs, books, ads, televisions, news all contain this element because it works. It is one of the most powerful tool to use to attract buyers. According to the reading, men's men commercial and even the men's women commercial appear on weekend's nights. Why? because men likes sports and who also watches sport? everyone..including children. So children are being introduced to adult's sexual fantasy that is "constructed like a porn film". People are making money while poisoning the minds of children. It Therefore, sometimes, I doubt whether popular culture is a good thing, because they seem to always expose "hot topics" such as drugs and sex to attract fans. These unintentional messages may encourage viewers and convince them to believe that "no commitment" and experiencing sexual fantasy is a normal thing. There should be no guilt because ads only associate that sign with being cool and a part of the masculine group, and being like everyone else. Therefore, more and more, I think popular culture is going down because they focus more about making money than the values of this country. However, corporate and companies got to do what they got to make profits because wealth also thrives America.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with the majority of your post, most advertisers are not really concerned with the "minds of children". That may sound bad, but in reality the dollar or sales are what they're focused on.
DeleteIt's up to the parents to let them watch these shows that they know will have these types of commercials.
I also agree that the advertisements are teaching children wrong behaviors such as the "no commitment"/"no guilt", but I don't think that the ads are not appropriate for children. Most ads are previewed by the TV channel sources which decide whether or not to air the ads. This means that the TV channel has a method of preventing inappropriate TV ads to children.
DeleteFashion has always been with us starting in western Europe since the 1600’s. This week, I wanted to research and write about a fall fashion clothing because next week is when fall officially starts. One of the most popular clothing that is commonly worn in the fall season is the trench coat. Through this blog, I wanted to analysis on why trench coat became famous and whether or not they have any positive effects on our society.
ReplyDeleteTrench coat was first developed for the use of military officers in the World War I. This was used by the British and French army to prevent rain, soil, and other materials from getting on them. This coat became popular due to many reasons. One of the main reasons why this fall fashion trend has become popular in our society today is because the military used it, which also meant that it was also used in military movies/other entertainment sources. For instance, in the movie Saving Private Ryan, the actors wear trench coats which became popular as this movie became popular. Clothing such as jumpsuits, leather jackets, and aviator sunglasses also became popular through successful movies like Platoon, Pearl Harbor, and Saving Private Ryan.
Some people believe that military style clothing has a negative impact on our society because it prevents freedom of expression and uniqueness, but I think that it can have a positive effect. For instance, military clothing such as the trench coat can also be utilized in many ways such as a part of a uniform, protection clothing, and professional/casual outfit; even though trench coats have a similar/general design, it can be unique because every stores have different designs, which means the people can still express their uniqueness.
Saving Private Ryan is one of my favorite movies. I never realized the success of those kind of films influenced the trench coat and jump suit trend. It definitely shows how film as an art form influences pop culture fashion trends. It really is fascinating how pretty much any kind of clothing can become a popular style if introduced to a vast audience.
DeleteHaters Gone Wild
ReplyDeleteHaving haters is a celebrity problem in the pop culture realm of today. The more of a celebrity that you are or the more “Followers” that you have, the more haters you will have. Haters are also known as “Critics”, “Bullies”, and “Nay-Sayers.” Anyone who has anything negative to say about you or to you, can easily fall into this category. But for the most part, they are people who are jealous of your popularity, your skills, your talents, your looks, and your success.
Social media has become a fertile breeding ground of haters due its anonymous nature. People are more liable to “speak their minds” if they cannot be individually identified and held accountable for their words. People who live in the elite realm (like celebrities) will usually have to deal with haters who are critics. Most critics can be easily dismissed as being jealous of the success of others. These critics rarely have a personal knowledge of their targets and are hyper critical of just about everything that is done or worn.
The majority of us, however, may face haters who do personally know us. Parents, teachers, and coaches usually fall into the “Nay-Sayers” category. We may at times feel unloved by them because they tell us “No” and deny us so many times. And then there are people who may actually really hate us; our bullies. Bullies live amongst us, but they normally only know us from afar. They dislike us based on surface level characteristics, such as our looks, our clothes, our race, our interests, or our demeanor. Most bullies also hide behind their social media masks, but some are fearless and will bully us face to face.
Unfortunately, it seems as if these two distinct worlds have collided as we now have the socially elite becoming targets of online bullies. Actress/Comedian Leslie Jones was so discouraged and disgusted by the hatred that she received on her social media by a racist and sexist mob, that she gave up on it and abandoned it at one point. She was called, “Big Lipped Coon”, bombarded with pictures of gorillas, and even had her social media accounts hacked. Not only do we now have flash mobs (which are great), but now there are “Haters Gone Wild” mobs who have taken bullying to a whole new level.
This week I have decided to do my post about the reading assigned. In this reading Turow spoke about the future of advertising. One part in particular caught my attention and that was the part where he said that human interest news is a more persuasive form of advertising. This made me think about my ad. I chose the Always ad campaign because I believed that they were addressing a very big and problematic societal norm. Upon reading this excerpt I’ve come to question whether the Always Company actually cares about the confidence of young girls or if the campaign is just a ploy to drive up sales. When I watched a few of the different commercials I saw the producers come on screen and speak, what seemed to be, very genuinely about their concerns and their goals for the campaign. This article makes me question the motives and quite frankly the morals of these producers. Are they trying to drive up sales by once again preying on the hidden insecurities and anxieties of women or do they genuinely want to make a change for better?? If they are only motivated by sales then what is the cause of their complete moral corruption and why choose to disguise it as a concern for young girls in society?? Only further research into the Always company and their campaign can answer these kind of questions. I can only hope that the Always company is as genuine as their commercials portray them to be.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbsnews.com/news/clown-sightings-macon-georgia-children-say-clowns-chased-them-from-bus-stop/
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/05/creepy-clown-sightings-expand-to-second-south-carolina-city.html
Above are two articles about the recent incident happening throughout the South. According to those articles, sightings of creepy clowns started on August 19 in South Carolina, when a little boy spotted clowns whispering/talking to one another in the wood. Then two days later, people around an apartment complex addressed their concern to officers about seeing a clown trying to lure kids into the wood with treats. Recently, at Middle Georgia State University parking lot, on September 8th around 11 p.m., two sisters saw three clowns pulled up and parked behind their vehicle. Later on, about an hour later, in Lagrange, Georgia, polices received several complaints about a clown in a van talking to children near the wooded area. Since the incident started in August, no official evidences (pictures or videos) have been posted; however, more and more sightings have occurred. According to some people, they speculate that those sightings were just part of a marketing campaign for Rob Zombie’s new movie, 31, which was released on September 1st, when the whole sightings begin expanding. The movie is about five workers being kidnapped and held hostage the night before Halloween. The five of them have to participate in a gruesome game called 31, and at the same time, they encountered murderers in clown costume attacking and torturing them for 12 consecutive hours. If these incidents are part of promoting this movie, then it is cruel and someone would eventually get hurt or even killed.
31 Official Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hqR1JAZhmg
I found your article to be very interesting and the theory too! I watched the 31 trailer, and it is movie that I will not be going too. I think all these clown things are weird and I wonder the actual reason behind it. I do not really believe that it is because of the movie just because I know this has been happening in a lot of places and for a while now. Last year in a town over from where I lived in Wisconsin, there had been a clown walking around one of the universities around this same time and everyone was freaking out. I find the theory to be interesting though, and I hope all this clown stuff ends soon.
DeleteI started watching "The Walking Dead" again this weekend because season 6 became available to watch on Netflix. I binge watched seasons 1-5 last spring semester and was definitely looking forward to the newest season to come out. So far this season is not as thrilling, but who knows what they will come up with. The discussions our class has had so far about the zombie genre has intrigued my interest because it is shocking to see how popular and intriguing it can be. There are countless movies out about our world going through a zombie apocalypse, and the genre has been around for a while. It is amazing how writers and filmmakers are still able to create material to keep the audience guessing and entertained. There are plenty of people out there that are completely over and sick with the genre, and I used to be one of those people. I avoided watching zombie related films and television until I came across "The Walking Dead" on Netflix. The realism that the make-up and special effects portray definitely plays a factor. The amount of people that are used as extras in some of the scenes is quite surprising. The make-up department spends hours and hours turning people into zombies, and the close-up scenes really showcase their talent. Our society loves to fantasize about life outside of reality, and fictional entertainment shows how unique and creative people can really be. I honestly think movies and television shows about zombies will always be around.
ReplyDeleteYessir. Like you said, zombie movies have been around for a minute and have come a long way since Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", in which they were referred to as simply, the "living dead". Some 40 years later "The Walking Dead" is what brought zombies to the forefront of pop culture. TWD is set and filmed in Atlanta, which if you are a local makes scenes that include the skyline and landmarks THAT much more immersive. I still have to catch up on season 6.. Thanks for the reminder, Cory!
DeleteGreat post.
Lady Gaga has attempted a musical comeback with a new song, “Perfect Illusion”. The last her fans had heard from her was two years ago on the duet jazz album “Cheek to Cheek” with Tony Bennet. Her fans had high expectations for a pop comeback, however it seems Gaga is not returning to the top of the charts, as the lead single didn’t even have a top 20 debut. This is likely because Gaga is going with a different image from the one that made her famous. Many artists, such as Madonna and Miley Cyrus, reinvent themselves throughout their careers with success, so it’s sad to see that Gaga’s reinvention has failed her. Her new song has an edgy rock feel, and although it’s not up to par to rest of her hits, I think it’s pretty catchy. Gaga announced her new album is going to be called “Joanne”. The album cover shows Gaga on a blank wall in a pink hat. It’s a very basic cover compared to her past album artworks. It’s rumored that Florence and the Machine and Father John Misty will be featured. These are unlikely collaboration choices for Gaga and means that her album could be even less pop than the lead single. Her fans hyped up a potential Superbowl performance to point where it was trending on Twitter and US Weekly and Yahoo reported it as fact. The NFL ended up denying it, which was probably disappointing to her fans since a Superbowl Halftime show might have actually revived her career.
ReplyDeleteSo over the weekend there was a New York City bombing, in Chelsea neighborhood. I saw a glimpse of it from doing my usual social media snapchat stroll through Crystal Westbrooks feed and noticed all the drama. Here we are again, another day.. another hashtag.
ReplyDelete#PrayforNYC #Pray4Chelsea #Chelsea
From what I've gathered so far during my mini investigation, they are currently on the search for suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami.. of course we all know what that means. Bring on the social media war.
The bomb that injured 29 victims had been linked to a 2nd device only 4 blocks away and people are outraged, and I would be as well..
Link:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/19/person-interest-to-named-in-nyc-bombing.html
Social media has exploded and gone into war itself. "If you automatically assume it wasn't radical Islam, you are the problem. Remember that terrorism has no religion. Stop blaming Islam for everything." Some think the bomb blast in Manhattan is a win for Donald Trump. It's just a political opportunity. It has caused more Trump supporters and people to say elect no more democrats.
Things are just so out of hand, what are your thoughts?
Everything has both negative and positive consequences including pop culture, however depends on how you accept it. Let's discuss about the latest popular trend in America and worldwide and see how it affects the society. If you hear people talking about spending their stardust and candies, chances are they catch up in the lastest pop culture fixation: Pokemon Go. The game is designed to help players exercise more by physical activity to find pokemons and hatch eggs, it's remarkable how much of a motivator of the game is for getting out and walking around. Beside, it brings people together in real life. I have never seen so many people gathering at the parks or the beaches exploring and talking to one another. For this new trend, I have positive impact and it improves my life. I see the glass half full. However, some people see the glass half empty. There are reports about car accidents because players driving and catching pokemons at the same time, get injured and found dead bodies while hunting, etc. And they don't blame themselves for not being responsible for their behaviors but blame the game, and think the game shoule be banned while so many other people enjoying the game healthy, safely. So, why don't we take advantage of the new changes, avoid the negative effects and apply to our life positively?
ReplyDeleteRE:
DeleteIt is easier for us to blame other than to accept fault for ourselves. Even if we do realize that we a primarily at fault. The people that are playing Pokémon GO are not using there better judgment when playing the game. I have read some of the highlights about people falling off cliffs and crashing into the back of others people's cars. Why would you try to catch a Pokémon while driving beats me, but rather than say I shouldn't have been playing the games why controlling the vehicle. People would rather blame Pokémon and the developer for making an addicting game.
I can't agree more with the points you made. As a player of the game myself, I have experienced many benefits from playing. It promotes a healthy lifestyle with all the walking involved, and it is a great trip down memory lane for someone who was big into the trading card game back in elementary school. There are inherent risks with playing any game involving looking down at your phone in the real world, but these can be easily avoided with common sense. The app even says to be aware of your surroundings every time you open it. Thus, I have little sympathy for those who have gotten injured or even died because of negligence while playing the game. The pros definitely outweigh the cons in this case.
DeleteOn Saturday there was a bombing in New York and New Jersey. Luckily they didn't report anybody deaths, but there were 29 injured. Events like this are part of our pop culture and forever reminds us that we not only have to battle with threats outside of our country, we also have threats within our country. This doesn't only affect the residents within those states, but friends and family members that might know the injured victims. As whole we as a nation have to stick together and continue to show unity. Sometimes we go throughout our days not even thinking about the fact that this could have happen to me or someone that I know. It definitely bring a constant reminder though of being aware of your surroundings and the people that you know because you never a person's intentions. Throughout the new and social media you see people showing their support for NYC and NJ. Especially, with this only being eight days after the anniversary for 9/11. This will be another event that will go down in our history along with Paris attacks, Orlando's shooting, and other events. There is still an investigation going on and as the days come more details will be revealed.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/sep/18/manhattan-explosion-several-injured-in-blast-rolling-report
It has been 20 years since the death of JonBenet Ramsey , and people are still obsessed with the case. Since it was the anniversary of her death, countless articles, magazines, TV movies, and interviews have been appearing all around us. After her death there have been 10 books published about JonBenet, and a movie on Lifetime, CBS, and many documentaries about the case. Dr. Phil also recently interviewed her brother Burke Ramsey, and Burke stated that the only reason why he agreed to be interviewed was so that his sister and the case wouldn’t be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteTwenty years later and some are asking why we are still so hung up on this case. In an article on E! News, they stated that our society is “fascinated and we have morbid curiosity” about a case that has yet to be solved. I watched the first part of a four-hour special on CBS, and there were still so many things that were being revealed. One of the first and most shocking reveal to me was the 911 call. Pasty Ramsey was the one to call the cops and there were a lot of things that were going on during the call and she even failed to tell the cops JonBenet’s name. She is also heard asking, “What did you do” (most are assuming it was to John) and “help me Jesus.” During the documentary they also looked more into the ransom note and the cause of death.
I did find the Dr. Phil interview with Burke and the documentary on the death to be very interesting, but wondered while watching why is everyone so fascinated with her death? Is it because it is unsolved? Or that producers and writers keep coming out with things like new TV movies or articles with new theories on her death? I think most people know that her murder will never be solved and I just hope that people are not using this as an advantage to come out with things about her for profit.
I also came across this and thought it was very interesting read and it has more insight into the obsession:
http://www.bustle.com/articles/183416-what-are-the-psychological-reasons-behind-our-obsession-with-jonbenet-ramsey
This week, I happened upon an interesting video about something we have all heard of. Detoxing. Now, when I say detoxing I am not referring to the process of returning to normal after drug abuse. The detoxing I am talking about is over the counter. These detoxing products are teas and diets that claim to rid your body of "toxins." Many people drink these mysterious teas and undergo dangerous diets to rid themselves of these "toxins" to feel better, lose weight, and be beautiful. The toxins however are non existent, and the ways in which they supposedly cleanse us are hazardous to our health. The video talks about how when companies that sell detoxing products are asked which toxins their product eliminates, they were unable to answer. The reason that these products do so well is the way they market. Products like these, as well as many miracle weight loss products use celebrity endorsements to push their product. The video mentions this and discusses how we as consumers are likely to associate an actresses beauty with the product. I find it disturbing that companies are so willing to exploit us and our health for their gain, but fascinating how they use popular culture.
ReplyDeleteLink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw08dtKt4oY
I found your post fairly interesting because I sometimes find myself falling into the trap of this new "detoxing" fad. Every female wants that perfect body, and I find myself debating trying detoxing but remind myself that it's more than likely not healthy. Your post reiterated the fact of how unhealthy it is, and the video informed me on facts that I was unaware of.
DeleteThe show Les Misérables was first a book/novel written by Victor Hugo. Victor Hugo was also a poet aside from being a playwright. Now Les Miserables is a popular musical that is sometimes referred to as “Les Mis (Miz)”. When the musical was put together it was composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg, but the lyrics were put together and written by Jean-Marc Natel and Alain Boublil. There was also an English-language libretto included into this musical by Herbert Kretzmer.
ReplyDeleteThe musical is set in France during the early the 19th century, and the plot follows the stories of a multitude of characters. All the characters are in a struggle or have struggled for freedom, revolution, and redemption. There is also an ensemble, and though the ensemble is not usually the most important subject to a play, it plays a good role in this musical. The ensemble has prostitutes, factory workers, regular civilians, factory workers, and other small characters who joins the lead characters.
So this past weekend the Emmy’s came on but that was not the highlight for me! I was amazed to see Kerry Washington, ‘Scandal’ star, slay the red carpet with her pregnancy. She was looking beautiful and so radiant, even in her black dress. She wore a strapless black dress that looked comfortable but form fitting as well; it even had some tasteful revealing areas. She wore her hair in a big wavy and natural look which helped compliment the stunning look. Once I saw her my reaction was “Wow she looks great!”, and then it quickly turned to “Oh, this is why Scandal isn’t coming back on!” (I don’t know that for a fact). However, Kerry Washington’s stunning maternity look on the Emmy’s red carpet had social media going crazy as they praised her all night. I will add that she absolutely deserved the praise! I am sure she was quite inspiring to pregnant women everywhere to flaunt that belly and slay your maternity look! There is nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman anyway, even though that is a matter of my opinion, many should agree. Fans could be happy and upset with news at the same time; on one end they could happily support her and congratulate her and then they could be mad at the thought that this could have put a hold on a highly anticipated new season of the hit show ‘Scandal’. Food for thought: Do you think she’s pregnant by her husband or the President? Laugh out loud!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kerry-washington-emmys_us_57df291ae4b0071a6e07e9a5
No matter how rough your week was, it couldn't have been worse than Corey Feldman's. Corey Feldman is best known as an 80's heart throb with memorable roles in The Goonies, The Lost Boys and Stand By Me. Until this week he had faded into an icon of the 80's. However, last Friday he made a disturbing "comeback" sort of appearance on The Today Show and seems to be trying out a career change from acting to music. The result was a cringeworthy performance that has everyone, including Feldman, asking themselves, "What was he thinking?" Feldman says that the experience was mortifying and he hasn't been able to get out of bed since the incident. What does he have to say about all of this?
ReplyDelete“We just wanted to tell everybody that, like, it’s been really painful. We put ourselves out there and we did the best that we could. And, like, I’ve never had such mean things said about me. Like constantly.”
“All we can say is that we tried really hard. Because we love our fans and we just wanted to give them the best show that we could. But we don’t deserve . . . these things that are said about us are awful.”
What do you think? Why did Corey Feldman fail at his comeback when stars like Britney Spears succeeded at theirs? Why did Lady Gaga's brand of "weird" win over the masses but Feldman's sent them running for the door?
https://youtu.be/gyWV-bL9-oc
Future(ology)
ReplyDeleteIs my favorite subject. It is fascinating to watch movies from the past and compare their interpretation of the future to what it actually looks like today. In movies, we tend to have a very low rate of success when predicting technology (e.g. humanoid robots walking the streets, flying cars by the year 2000 LOL). Back to the Future predicted hoverboards by 2015 and look at how that turned out. Last year, Lexus built a "hoverboard" and a whole magnetic skate track in order to fulfil the prophecy. They created a track and board laced with electromagnets. It was one of the most forced ad campaigns I have ever seen¹. Nike did better with the Air Mag replicas², the self-tying shoes were also in the movie and dated for late 2015. One way to get a decent glimpse into the future is through futuretimeline.net. This website is regularly updated to include both future and past events. Computer scientist and inventor Ray Kurzweil prophesizes about "the singularity", a moment in time when artificial intelligence begins to teach itself and no longer requires human input. Mr. Kurzweil gives a tentative date for the singularity to be around 2029. Computer scientists are divided on when, if ever, this singularity will take place. I personally think it is inevitable. Our bodys and brains are just extraordinary pieces of technology that took nature billions of years to develop. We will soon catch up to, master and be able to manipulate this bio-technology. "There is no ghost in the machine." - Sam Harris
Ad links:
¹Lexus hoverboard
²Nike Air Mag
This week I wanted to talk about the feud between rapper “The Game “and “Meek Mill”. There has always been a moral code of not snitching on a person. Especially if you live in the “Hood” there are major reparations for snitching. Apparently meek mill is being accused of being a snitch by the rapper The Game. It has divided the hip hop world. You have some rappers siding with Meek and others with The Game. It seems like all of 2016 Meek Mill has gotten himself into various rap beefs with different artist. He always seems to have lost all of those battles but this one with the game is looking a little better for him. He has rapper Sean Kingston really coming to his defense and he had P-diddy being the God of petty for him right now. He also with the power of technology has screen shots of messages between him and the game. Many are saying that this feud resembles the beef that Tupac had with other rappers. It looks like history is repeating itself in the rap game. Meek mill is having people sent to The Game and vice versa. It is starting to get bloody. All of this being lead back to social media where most of the arguing being done. There has been a ton of memes going around about the both of them. Also it seems that since The Game is trying to expose meek for snitching it is actually backfiring on him more. There are pictures of The Game being a stripper when he was younger something that no one knew because he is seen as a HUGE gangster in his LA area. Also there are clips of him crying saying that he didn’t want to do hip hop and of him being left by his girlfriend on national television. Awkward to say but I feel that maybe Meek may for once be winning this feud.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I feel that this is on rap feud that Meek Mill has the potential to win if Drake doesn't step in being that he has already sided with the Game!
DeleteThis blog post I would like to address the newest thing happening this week and that is…… Kanye West has finally decided to join Instagram!! Why is this even news? Well because this is Kanye West we are talking about people! The news just broke about three days ago and had the internet in a frenzy and he hasn’t even posted his first post yet but, because once again this is Kanye West that we are talking about he already has over one hundred thousand Instagram followers. Now as I was reading this topic on The Shade Room I was thinking to myself who cares! But then I started to dig deeper and try to really understand why Kanye West joining Instagram is a big deal and better yet why is Kanye West even a big deal! (Don’t judge me) Well because I did my research and my digging I found that Kanye West being that oh so unpredictable person saying and doing outlandish things has caused him to become such a big Deal, He has bomb rushed his way into the fashion industry and made a name for himself within the fashion world with his I’m Kanye West and entitled approach and he has somehow managed to sweep his way back into Americas hearts even after the Taylor Swift escapade! Well prior to Kanye West becoming this love to hate version of himself he was once a sweetheart who simply adored his mother and loved the basic polo shirts with book bags and who can forget that huge teddy bear that adorn his album cover. The recent dramatic behavioral change that he has since taken has people always guessing and wondering when will be the next time that he hits the paparazzi in the head for taking photos or even hitting his head when running from the paparazzi! Will he post pictures of his wife The Kim Kardashian? Or his precious kids? This has us boggled and socially inclined to see what is the next thing that Kanye West will do, how will his Instagram begin to open us up to his lifestyle. This is what has people talking, we live for these moments of the unknown and Kanye West has certainly piqued our interest with his flamboyant behavior! Well that’s all folks!
ReplyDeleteScrolling through my Facebook feed the other day, I noticed that "The Crocodile Hunter" was trending. I came across an article commemorating the tenth anniversary of Steve Irwin's death. For anyone who doesn't know who Steve Irwin was (if you live under a rock), he was the preeminent dangerous wildlife expert/celebrity in the world. Known by his nickname, "The Crocodile Hunter", Irwin had his own television show on Animal Planet for many years, centered around catching/handling usually highly dangerous animals in Australia in order to educate viewers on them. Steve was filming another segment for the show on stingrays in Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2006 when the sharp barb of a stingray stabbed him in the heart. Irwin died later that day from complications of the injury. People from all around the world mourned the man's death. I actually remember hearing the news that day. An avid watcher of the television show before elementary school every morning, I was devastated to hear that this crazy crocodile man I had idolized so much had died. Looking back, the manner in which he passed away was almost poetic. Steve Irwin died doing the thing he loved most, which is a lot more than many people get to say. Anyway, the article I read reflected on this fact, and also just how well-loved the man was and still is. He left a legacy that no other person has been able to fill yet. No one has come around who is as passionate about nature and wildlife as him, passionate enough to risk their life in order to educate the masses on these dangerous creatures. I think that is why Steve Irwin has continued to stay relevant today, and will stay in the public conscious for years to come.
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