Video Games

Well this week is all about video games and i guess you could say that i was never one of those people who got into the whole gaming seen. I did however go through a small stage when i was in elementary school, when sega genesis was really popular. I couldnt get enough, especially those sonic the hedgehog games, but i think that only lasted a couple of years and since then i havent really touched or been remotely interested in video games since. It is just not my thing and when i have tried to play, i get bored and frustrated all too easily and give up. I don’t know how people can spend hours in front of those games, i simply do not get it. For me i rather, if i am going to spend my time in front a screen, sit on the couch and watch a movie. i get way more out of that then from any video game.

I guess i just dont understand the culture of it. i know my brother and his friends could spend hours getting together and playing all types of videos games. i am sure if they could they could play their games for days straight and not even flinch. its almost like a little society in itself. they come together in a common interest and just sit around playing the latest and greatest games. honestly walking into this, its seems like they are even speaking a different language. they look like they are having a good time, even though i dont get how somebody could be entertained for so long by this, but they do and they continue to do it week after week.

But what most interests me in all of this, is i feel like it is mostly a male thing to do. neither my sisters nor myself ever got into video games, it was one of those things we did on rare occassion and never did with a group of our closest friends. i also never and neither would my friends, call everybody up and we would play video games for an entire weekend, it just never happened.  In my brothers case, he and his friends for the most part all have girlfriends(how??i will never know, but they do) and i have yet to see one of them tag along for these gaming sessions.

I feel like for the most part, at least in my experience, its a male thing. although i do have a former boss who lets jsut say is video game obsessed. she practically has every game ever made and every gaming device. she talks constantly about it and can even act out some of the seens from video games. She is an older woman and she says that she does it because she cant sleep and it helps her to rest her mind and relax. Which i highly doubt is why my brother and his friends do it.

Lets just say that the phenomenon of video games blows my mind and is something that i dont think i will ever get. i think its one of those things that you could either care less about or something that you have great passion for. either way it confuses me all the same.

I think i might need a shower!!

Well after tonight’s class, I can officially say what I never thought I could…I was completely disturbed and disgusted. Now I have never really had an issue with porn, its one of those things I have really never given a second thought to. I don’t judge people for watching it…hey if it turns your crank, so be it. But after tonight’s class I feel like I saw a world that I never thought I would be exposed to. The extreme side of hardcore porn. Wowzers… I honestly felt like I might puke after watching the documentary.

For me I didn’t know that porn could be so extreme and what really disturbed me the most was the rape, execution video that was being made. But what really got me was that there is a market for this kind of stuff. Obviously or they wouldn’t make this kind of porn. Some where there is some sort of demand, or at least someone who is willing to pay to see this. Now I don’t know about you guys, but thats pretty twisted if that kind of subject matter gets you off.

Another surprising thing in the documentary for me was the involvement of the huge company AT&T in the distribution of porn. I believe that they were named the biggest porn pipeline, channeling some of the most hardcore porn out there. Which is quite funny considering they are the main sponsor of one of america’s most family friendly shows, American Idol. They say they do it to stay in business and that it is a way to compete with General Motors. Which is kind of a cop-out but I guess money makes business and the world go round and porn is a billion dollar industry where anybody can have a piece!

No gay culture…i don’t think so!

Gay culture….What is it?? Well as a person who has been immersed in gay culture from a young age (I have a few relatives who are gay) it is nothing short of what so called straight culture is. Although there are a few exceptions, gay culture is practically no different from any other culture. And what exactly defines a culture. My cousin and I really have lead similar lives…we both participate in sports, go to university, work and virtually want the same things in the end like a good solid relationship and a loving family, except she just happens to want it with another woman.

When my cousin came out to our family, it was not a big ordeal. We still accepted her and loved her all the same. But I guess from an early age I have been taught to have a open mind to things and never to judge people based on the things that may make them different from myself. She helped coach my basketball team and for many of the parents who had found out that she was in-fact gay, this was unsettling to them. The fact that a gay person was teaching and influencing their kids was some what disturbing to some. It was like they were scared that somehow she led some sort of perverse and evil life, that they didn’t want her to rub off on their kids. It was this attitude that made some of the kids feel this way.

I guess that this is societies fault for teaching us through the media to judge and discriminate against those who are “different” and don’t fit the norm. It is almost like people are scared of gay people because it is like being scared of the unknown. There are all these preconceived notions about what gay culture and gay lifestyle is all about. It is like gay people are defined by the labels and limitations that people of less open minds put on them.

The quote by the governor that says “They have no special language, no special clothing, no special food, no special dress-wear, so what … makes them a culture? They don’t fit into any definition of what a culture is.” Is obviously homophobic and has really no idea what she is talking about at all. Gay people definitely have a distinct culture. Has anyone ever been to a gay pride parade??There you will see gay culture in all its splendor!!! And what about all those stereotypes of what a gay person is…the lisp, the flamboyant dress, the bent wrist…even these things are somewhat society has defined as aspects of gay culture. And why is it that homosexuals need to have this distinct culture. Why is is that we feel the need to separate the straight from the gay.

Also gay culture is rarely portrayed in society and in the media at all and if so it is usually in some sort of negative light. One show that is trying to improve the image of gay people around the globe and inform us what gay culture is , is Queer as Folk.  It is a unapologetic look at the life of a group of homosexuals(both male and female) living in Pittsburgh. It is an in your face look at the lives and relationships of a group of friends. and it is honest and shows a frank look into these characters lives, giving many an inside perspective into what it means to be gay. It has become one of my favorite shows and though it can be quite graphic at times, it is an honest portrayal of gay life and culture. It shows that when it comes right down to it, homosexuals are like everybody else and have the same problems and issues as everybody else they just prefer at the end of the day to go home to somebody of the same sex.

The following is one of my favorite scenes from the show from season one and for those who aren’t comfortable with this type of thing you may not want to watch the clip(its nothing graphic or anything like that) The scene is of one of the main characters Justin and his lover Brian at prom. this cause quite the controversy and doesn’t sit well with one of the students who goes to drastic measures to stop it.

Oops i dont know what happened to the font half way through this post!!

Advertisement

After reading this weeks readings on advertisement and in-particular the article by Abby Friedrich, one thing became clear that in our society we have been taught that sex sells and that in order to do that you need to have a particular image. This happens mostly with women and they way the are portrayed in advertisements. Every where we look there is the ideal women…small waisted, big busted, long legs, great hair and impeccable face. we are constantly bombarded with her in magazines, movies and on TV and she is something/someone that we are supposed to apparently strive to be and if we aren’t we are to be made to feel as if we are different and not different in a good way, different in a self loathing, longer to be like her way.

From the dawn of advertisements women have been seen in a sexual overt, perfect way, but in recent times have we noticed the great impact that this is having on today’s women and young girls. Just look at the recent deaths of models to eating disorders. Back in the early days women were seen in this way but the held a different body image, just look at Marilyn Monroe. She was an iconic figure, seen as what women should be and she was a size 14, which in today’s world just wouldn’t fly.

There is all this added pressure to be thin, fit and to reach some crazy ideal of what beauty is. But who is to say what real beauty is. Who defined and set out a set of rules that one had to abide by to be seen as beautiful. Well i like to think that advertisements had something to do with it, creating this unattainable standard of what a women should be. For example just look at this victoria secret ad. Now their merchandise is supposed to be for the general public to be able to buy…but in the end of this ad you feel as though in order to buy or even wear this product, you have to look like these models. And even if you do buy it, you just have this feeling that you won’t pull it off like they do.

In the article, Friedrich goes on to talk about how advertisers are trying to portray women in a different light, where they are not just objects but as real women. But these ads come off almost as bad stereotyping women in domestic and other roles. she says that there are not enough advertisements showing women in a positive light, if any at all and the ones that are, are ones like tampax commercials.

Well this is somewhat true but there are advertisers out there trying to do something about it. Like dove…they over the last couple months have set out on their campaign for real beauty showing a multitude of women and portraying them as strong, individuals who are what beauty is all about. Now i know this is only one company but at least it is a start. they are truly genuine commercials that can make anybody feel good about themelves and their body image.

 And i know that i have posted this before, but this dove ad shows that what you see in ads isnt always what you get. Hours and hours of preparationg go into making these women in ads the way the are and in the end they just become computer generated robots, not resembling women at all.

New Tim Hortons!!

well the other day when i walked through the new health and wellness center doors i saw that we are getting a tim hortons….Is anybody else as excited as i am, maybe i am just a gigantic dork but i love timmy’s…their coffee, those apple fritters and i can’t say enough good things about their sandwiches!! i am pumped…what can i say , dumb things make me happy

Music Music Music

Well i am officially bummed, due to the fact i am in Calgary i cant make it to class tonight and i was super excited. I love music, all kinds… it doesn’t matter give me something i can try to sing along to or dance to and i am set. tonight’s little assignment where we have to bring our favorite music and then defend it really got me thinking about the kinds of music i like and why and since i can’t share it tonight with you guys, i thought i would do a blog about it.

let’s see well i love literally all types of music from rock to opera and all types in between, so picking my fav was a little difficult but i gotta say that whenever i am having a bad day or i am in the mood to just bust a move there’s really one guy i rely on to make my day and that of course is the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson and in particular Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. (which still happens to be the highest selling album of all time!!) I dunno he is just infectious!

Now some may think this is a weird choice and i can see why one would think that…just take a look at Michael Jackson today. His image he is portraying really doesn’t give him any music credibility… his trials, his face, his clothes(the pjs in court) and his behaviour…but that is besides the point, the mans got some serious talent.

Besides his killer, catchy songs (come on how many of you don’t actually know the songs billie jean, beat it or thriller and if you don’t i bet that you could recognize them if they were played for you!!). His songs just make me want to get up and dance! and with the moves he’s got ,who hasn’t tried to imitate him( i know i spent countless hours practicing as a kid trying to perfect the moonwalk and that leg kick thing he does) His songs have catchy lyrics and music and it also helps that he has a great vocal range.

Now i have been a Michael Jackson fan since i can remember…i have tons of memorabilia from cds and posters to his dvds and t-shirts( and yes i have this killer t-shirt with his pre nose-job-pre-whiteness face on it that i was even gonna wear tonight) from the Jackson five to his many solo cds i have always been immersed in Michael Jackson. My family are also huge fans, mainly my sisters and i can remember many road trips that consisted of Michael jackson tape after Michael Jackson tape. Maybe that’s why i like him, because its just been something that i have always listened to, but whatever the reason, though i may come to regret sharing my true love for Michael Jackson, he is and will probably remain my favorite for years to come!!

Well for those of you who haven’t heard these songs…here they are and with the video too!!

Billie Jean

Beat It

Now you can’t tell me after watching those two videos that you didn’t even tape your toes a little!!

My Movie Experience!!

Well here we go…

            My movie experience started like any other. I got there early to beat the rush and of course decided to use the fast-lane (which has to be one of the smartest movie going inventions in awhile) to get a ticket as quick as possible without the dread of dealing with someone who clearly doesn’t want to be at their job. (Has anyone else noticed how seemingly unpleasant the people selling the tickets are??? Not always but more often then not this seems to be the case)

Once past the tickets, they always have the concession stand right there, so you have no choice but to get sucked in by the smell of popcorn and movie junk. Hey popcorn and treats are an essential part of going to the movies, it’s practically you right to get popcorn. Which of course I had to do even with braces. As usually the portions are huge and extremely overpriced. (It’s pretty much $25 bucks to go to a movie and get popcorn and a drink-which is INSANE!!) I miss the days when you could get in for $5 dollars and another 5 got you your treats. But like I said once that intoxicating popcorn smell hits my nostril, I am sold.

Now to the movie…

 

           I went and say Because I Said So with Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore. Normally not my taste but I went with my mom and sisters and the movie was based on the premise of a mom and her 3 daughters…a little cheesy but oh well I wasn’t really there to watch the movie anyways.

 

The theater itself in fine form smelled of urine- that was pleasant, which possibly could have come from an earlier showing of a kids flick that day. So I guess you could say that already I was seeing this as an awesome experience.

The theater was somewhat full and I tried to place myself smack dab in the middle of the action. The fact that I had a notebook with me immediately caught the attention of fellow movie goers and a few people looked at me oddly as I settled into my chair. Of course the floor around me was littered with stale, old popcorn and my shoes automatically stuck to the floor from the layers of pop that had been spilled. It made me question how clean my actual seat was. You never know who was there before you and how clean they were…the theater did reek like urine!! It always makes me wonder about how hygienic it is…do they clean the chairs or spray them even with disinfectant??? But those worries escape my mind as soon as those lights start to dim.

Ohhh…what made this experience even better, was the fact that right before the lights dimmed a couple came in and even though they had endless seats to choose from, they chose to sit right next to me. And did I mention that the fella had no concept of personal space. He sat sideways with his feet where my feet were supposed to go and rest his arms on the arms rests…which clearly they weren’t meant for, his elbow poked me every once and a while. And the best part was he put his drink in his left cup holder, my right, and every time he went to take a drink he bent over pretty much into my lap. So that was real nice.

The movie was a chick-flick, so the theater was mostly filled with females and a few couples, all munching on their snacks, engrossed in the days events and gossip.

I especially loved the argument a couple behind me was having, where the wife was accusing her husband of having terrible breathe…which continued even after the movie started. Do people not realize that everyone can hear you in a theater?? Pretty much what you say can be heard be most everybody.

Before the lights dimmed I continuously looked back at the people watching their every action…which I think weirded all that noticed me doing this out and for the most part I don’t think they like the fact that it looked like I was eavesdropping on their conversations. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable as well but being that this was the assignment I just rolled with it.

Now I usually assume that as the lights dim, people would become quiet, which was not the case at all…Come on people the previews are coming on and they are the best part, well at least I think so. One person even got up the nerve to yell “SHUT UP, can’t you see that we are trying to watch a movie here!” It was followed by an eerie silence and mutters from people. The pissed off culprits, who lacked serious movie etiquette, saw nothing wrong with this and continued on.

Now there is nothing I hate more than a movie talker, there is truly nothing worse. Why bother coming at all, wait for the rental and you can talk all you want in the privacy of your own home!!

Now the movie it self wasn’t too bad and it definitely had some funny parts which for the most part people didn’t seem to agree with me on. My sisters and I have pretty boisterous laughs, so we could have drowned them out…but as I looked around I mostly saw dead pan faces. People just did not look amused. They looked more into their treats then the show itself. Especially the few males in the theater, either they looked disinterested or they were dozing off into their hands.

For one of the parts …a response came from the crowd. I happened to be looking back and it was crazy to see everyone all at once tilt their heads back and let out laughter. It had got to be one of the craziest things I have witnessed. It’s weird how different things will get the same response out of people.

One of the most awkward parts of the film was when Mandy Moore’s character explains what an orgasm feels like to Diane Keaton and just as I thought it would you could tell by the expression on the peoples faces that it was awkward and uncomfortable for a lot of them…especially the younger males you looked some what mortified.

Well my movie experience finally came to an end and although there were a few glitches it seemed to go alright.

In response to Russell Smiths article, I completely disagree with his take on the movie going experience. A movie is supposed to be a light hearted fun experience, that shouldn’t be taken to seriously, which I think Smith does. Movies are supposed to be fun. You get to relax and engross yourself in a different reality. You get to forget about all your problems and for that hour and a half you get entertained. Movie going shouldn’t be seen as stressful, they should be a way to forget about this stress. They are a good way to just have a good laugh, scare or even cry. Movies should make you feel good and if that means snacking while you do it…great!! It’s your right and in my view just plain wrong if you don’t come and get that butter popcorn and big pop with the nibs on the side. It’s a chance to forget about that diet and just savor that junk!!

News for Sale???

When did news become a tool of manipulation???…where the news becomes something that we buy into. where the news station( or news magazine)that entertains us the most…or can convince us of something being true is the one that we believe. when did the news become being about embellishing or stretching the truth and facts to sell a story and mould the minds and opinions of the public?? where important newscasts took a back seat to things like the death of Anna Nicole…though tragic definitely not  worthy of weeks worth of news!!!

In the article “Abuse Your Illusions” by Russ Kick he talks about the political situation in Venezuela involving their leader Hugo Chavez and how the US has taken the story and twisted it to seem much worse and have made Chavez out to be some sort of evil lunatic! When like Kick says , Chavez is much more popular in his country than Bush is in the US. (which i guess isn’t really that hard to do, but nonetheless he has done)It is crazy how a report told in another country can be so skewed and so misrepresented. but i guess that’s what the US does best!!

The US depicts things as the want, portraying the side that looks the best and will get the most response out of people…what would you rather hear… how Chavez is some mad man leader who has done bad things or how Chavez is a man of his people being compared to the likes of Nelson Mandela?? well its the bad news that sells and with misguided information it makes the situations worse. Its almost like the US portrays other countries in these ways to distract from whats going on in their own country….Bush and his attack on terrorism…starting (in my opinion somewhat unnecessary) wars in other countries…. its like if someone doesn’t hold their same beliefs, they get ostracized for doing so.

Oh the simpliar times when the news reported the truth….oh wait was that ever???

Well thats enough of a rant for now so i shall end it here. oh and i have decided against the youtube video this week…i think i was getting a little youtube happy and somewhat addicted!! 

TV Malfunctions

As I read along in Chapter 5 I couldn’t help but notice the mention of the 2004 Superbowl half time so called “wardrobe malfunction”(The one were Justin exposed Janet’s breast), which somewhat surprised me. I found it rather interesting that something like that event, made it into a textbook especially when there was such backlash afterwards.  After the incident, the textbook said that there was pressure from the US congress on broadcasters to root out sexual content and many of the stations who aired the Superbowl were fined.

The incident was seen to many as distasteful and indecent and many thought that Justin and Janet had planned it as some sort of publicity stunt. Either way, whether it was pre-planned or happened by complete accident, it was given way to much air time and by doing so, it will forever be remembered as a popular moment in our culture.

I personally remember watching the half time show… and though I was somewhat shocked…it didn’t even really phase me. It wasn’t until later that evening and the next day when you couldn’t turn on the TV(or pretty much every other media tool) with out hearing about it. I think the media gave it way to much attention for what it really was. It was a boob that flashed on the screen for mere seconds and this may sound weird but most people have either got them or have seen them( hello anybody can go on the internet or even movies have nudity in them!!)

 I really don’t see what the big deal was and by continually talking about it…everyone knew about it. If you hadn’t seen it originally then people flocked to the internet to check out the video. Its crazy how by portraying it in the media as such a horrendous thing, it just made people that much more curious( i know i had friends that searched to catch a glimpse of Janet’s exposed body part) and it will be one of those things that we won’t soon forget…which isn’t helped by it being talked about in something like our mass media textbook!! and for anyone who hadn’t heard about it( generations to come) now can learn about it.

Well after ranting about the incident, for those of you who haven’t seen it…here you go(  I love youtube…you can find virtually anything on it)

Ps. any of you check out Prince’s rockin half time show at this years Superbowl??

Movie Cuts!

Oh this is a little post in regards to last weeks class….i dunno i thought it was amusing