30th Blog OH YEAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

     As the blogging comes to an end, I realize that I should probably blog on something serious, but no. That is totally not happening. For my final blog I am going to write about adult cartoons because I absolutely adore them and how they push the limits. I understand that this may not suit everyone's fancy, because honestly over half of adult cartoons are violent, crass, and offensive, but that's exactly what I love about them! I love how they push the limit, because I can relate and like to as well.
     One thing I really adore about adult cartoons such as Comedy Central's South Park is the crass, unfiltered language and offensive phrases and happenstances. At first, I was completely horrified by some episodes and absolutely could not watch them, but then I came to a realization: some of the things in that show actually bring out some major flaws in my worldview, and it forces me to think, reevaluate, and/ or justify what I believe and why. It's actually a pretty philosophical experience for me. You also gotta be able to lighten up and laugh at yourself, right? Really, though. These things are made to offend, but if you just don't get offended then you have nothing to worry about and can actually see through some of the crap they throw at you on screen.

Kenny has always been my favorite because he's so dang cute! I hate how he always died! It's funny how you get used to his muffled talking and can eventually understand him; they don't censor what he says :3

     Another thing I love is the violence. It's terrible, I know, but I love it nonetheless. I think it's really interesting and awful how captivating I find it, but only in Adult Swim's Superjail! I came across the show early freshman year when I was in high school, and there's just something so captivating about it... I think it has something more to do with how trippy the show is than the violence, though. If you can imagine a twisted Willy Wonka who's the warden of a jail, then you can effectively imagine Superjail! in all its gore- filled glory. It also has a dang ugly art style and fugly characters, but I found that I eventually grew to love them. The warden, a messed up Willy Wonka who always invents new ways to keep the inmates trapped in Superjail, Alice, the weird..... Thing (either she's a woman who's a guy or a guy who's a woman) that guards Superjail, Jared, the Warden's ex- alcoholic and ex- gambling accountant, Jailbot, the Warden's loyal robot that keeps order in Superjail, the Twins... Who even knows what they do? Cool subtle rave music plays in the background whenever they come on screen, what's not to love? And last but not least, Jack Knife, the only inmate to ever consistently escape and be re- captured into Superjail (the episode always starts out with Jailbot arresting Jack Knife and taking him to Superjail). 

     I feel like there's an unmentioned taboo on adult cartoons due to content, but sometimes it can be fun to kick back, relax, and melt a few brain cells. I think some people take these things too seriously (South Park was almost cancelled for making fun of Mohammed, but honestly they make fun of their OWN religion and pretty much everyone else's too), because these things are meant to rustle your jimmies. I dunno, I'd love to hear what other people have to say, but since there's only 10 minutes left to submit blogs I doubt that'll ever happen. Haha happy blogging everyone! Yay 30!

Cartooning

     Let's talk about something awesome for a second: cartoon buttcheeks. In my opinion, there is literally no other reason to exist as a cartoonist unless you can draw CUTE LITTLE CARTOON BUTTCHEEKS. I think they are SO DANG FUNNY and, when you use them subtly in a split second frame of an animation, it absolutely makes it for me! I always love finding details like that in cartoons; buttcheeks on characters that normally don't, random silent things going on in the background, easter eggs from other cartoons, etc. I think those little details really make a cartoon both complete and ridiculous. There are things that are in cartoons that I notice now that I never would have when I was littler! There's a reference to South Park in the Powerpuff Girls, you can find Pokemon in Dexter's Lab, and a bunch of Hannah Barbarah cartoons are all intermixed as well. 

So dang cute! And hilarious, as well!!

     In addition to the cartoons, though, easter eggs pop up in movies all the time. I think it really just enriches the viewing experience; Pixar hides a lot in their films, they put Scar in Hercules, etc. I just can't wait to do things like that when I finally get to animate! I already love adding little things into my drawings and I can't wait to see how it turns out when I learn how to make those drawings move. 

The moment I read this was the point in my life where I got it all figured out

GOING ALL THE WAAYYYY

     I don't even care about the double or triple blog credits; I'm so close to 30 that I might as well go all the way, even though I know a few of them don't count (cough cough me freaking out about the midterm and wingdings [EVEN THOUGH I DID ACTUALLY WRITE A DANG BLOG AND FOR SOME REASON IT WON'T TRANSLATE]cough).
     Anyways, tonight, 50 minutes before all blogs are due, I will be posting about a fantastic podcast series called Welcome to Night Vale. I think it's cool just how big this semi- recent thing is; I would have thought that no one would really listen to a podcast, because quite frankly, we're so used to being overstimulated that it seems as though no one has the attention span to sit through 20-30 minutes of a guy talking, but the way it was written is just so captivating!
     Welcome to Night Vale follows a radio newscaster, Cecil, as he tells you the goings- on throughout the town. You know, the usual stuff. Glow clouds raining live animals, dog parks that should never be entered, mentioned, or even thought of, secret police, hooded figures, etc. They even have a rivaling city; the residents of Desert Bluff. Not much is really known about them, but dang does Cecil hate them! Anyways, the original motive of the podcast is to promote obscure songwriters and artists, which they do when they broadcast the weather. 

It's funny because no one freaking knows what this guy looks like; they use vague descriptions when trying to depict Cecil so all we know is really from the fanbase. Fanart has come to define the characters, and for some reason Cecil has some really creepy third eye and tattoos. 

     On top of having a fascinating storyline that draws you in, the creators of     Welcome to Night Vale also helps promote artists in need of attention. Some of the music is fantastic, and some makes you want to rip your hair out, Regardless, it's super fun to listen to! They post twice- monthly, and there's about 35-ish episodes so far, so there's not too much to catch up on and you can listen while doing homework!

Top 3 Music Videos

     By far, my favorite video has to be Allaxis. At first, I wasn't quite sure what it was about, but it was trippy, and I really liked that. Upon watching it again, I found that it seems to be about how the driver stole some cigarettes and then shot the cop who pulled him over for it, and now he's driving to get away. That's just me, though. I have no idea what's up with all that crazy stuff with the other person turning into pop culture icons and all that.

My Microsoft Paint interpretation

     My second favorite has to be Lean Into the Fall. I don't exactly know why, but it seriously made me want to cry when I first saw it. It's a very emotional video for me, and in addition I really liked the art style (if I'm completely honest, I hardly paid any attention to the music and just watched the video part of it, so of course my top 3 are going to be animated P:). I think they did a wonderful job with the concept, and the music also went along nicely and really helped to convey emotion. Dang, I wish I would have listened to the lyrics more. I went back and watched it again and totally forgot. Oh well U:

A half- hearted attempt to try to make a picture in that style

     My third favorite was hands down brilliant and I totally loved it (hey it's live action!!); Machine Civilization. Okay, so first off, who doesn't love a bunch of men in suits? Right? Riight? Anyways, the choreography was fantastic, and I didn't even need to be able to understand the language in order to understand what was going on, which I think is one of the beauties of some music videos; they're international. Sure, people from around the world might not have any idea about what the heck you're saying, but if you pair it with a well- done music video, then you are still able to convey your message and reach people worldwide. It's also a pretty catchy song P:

Awww. Suits. I mean just look at them!

Chico And Rita

     So a few Sundays ago I went to see Chico and Rita for the sole reason that it was animated, and I found that I really enjoyed it! I think Rita was a super butt though, because she just couldn't seem to make up her dang mind and either go out with Chico or not, and I was really happy how Chico got to go around the world and play the piano and win Grammys and stuff. I loved the animation style! It was super cute! 

I thought Rita was super pretty and I love how they drew her and her movements

     For the longest time I couldn't place why  I feel I had seen it before, but then the morning scene after where they first spend the night together when Chico plays the piano rang a bell; I've seen it before as a graphic novel! I almost bought it too.
     Anyways, I also really enjoyed the hispanic culture they had (if I remember correctly, they were from Cuba)! The music was wonderful and it really helped set the mood a lot of the time.

Those Two Brothers We're Supposed To Blog About For Double Blog Credit

     So first off, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was SO AWESOME! I actually started screaming when all the brothers were singing together because it sounded so awesome and the choreography was great and WOWYOUGUYSREALLYMISSEDASHOWIFYOUDIDN'TSEEIT!!
     Anyways, Sean and Sam played these two brothers and they were just so terrible; dropping things everywhere and messing up lines and tripping over each other during the dancing! It was so bad. Everyone else was fantastic, though. 

Too pro.

     Haha just kidding, y'all rocked and were so adorable! I work in the costume shop and I actually made Sean's little blanket thingy from the scene where Millie puts those boys in their place and makes them dinner (I WAS FREAKING OUT YOU GUYS USED REAL FOOD ON SET [well it looked like it at least] AND SOME OF Y'ALL ACTUALLY ATE IT AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING SO FANTASTIC)! I had no idea what y'all were gonna use them for; it was adorable. 
     The dancing was really impressive! It was so well choreographed, but it was also executed really nicely, and I really think that that's what made the performance! I had a hard time getting into the play in the beginning but I soon fell completely in love with it and thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

Once

     On a list of some of the most fantastic films I've ever seen, I'd have to say Once was at the top. I was so captivated the whole time that I forgot what I was watching had a script and was considered a musical! I later learned that they weren't actors in the first place but musicians, and dang were they genuine. At first I didn't like how raw and shaky the camera was, but I wouldn't have had it any other way! It looked so real, the story was so touching, and the characters were so brilliant. I definitely need this soundtrack!!

    At the end I totally cried and found out why the title was named Once: it's an answer to the question that goes something along the lines of "how many times do you meet the someone who's perfect for you," and after that I just started bawling. It was so good y'all. I need to order it on DVD or Blu Ray or whatever the heck technology that's floating around these days is.

Heima

     So I'm hunkered down on the first floor of my residence hall in order to take shelter from a tornado warning... With my fish in a pitcher.

I love her so much <3

     Anyways, besides the potential danger that approaches Huntington in the moment, I am taking the time to do my homework. Commitment, right?

     So there was one time at Signs & Wonders where we watched Heima, a sort of half documentary, half music filled film about the band Sigur Ross. It was awesome to be able to find out more about the band, but what I found was most unique about this film was the fact that they played some of their full- length songs. It really helped introduce me to the band and learn about them at the same time! I found their music to be really relaxing and somewhat ambient at times. I love the singer's use of high pitches and the way he sometimes just sang notes rather than words. It's so unique from the other bands you see nowadays and I like that a ton. 

     Be safe with the tornado, y'all! <3

Chicago!

     So the Chicago International Film Festival was absolutely FANTASTIC. Not only was it fun to explore a bit of Chicago and see the Bean, the actual event itself was awesome! I was exposed to so many different types of short films and movies with a whole variety of animation styles and techniques! 
     

This is the bean(so quality) and it was actually the most fantastic thing I've ever seen in my life. There was a Halloween group there taking pictures and a ton of Halloween themed parties going on because it was the weekend beforehand :3

     The films ranged from cartoons, to acting, to 3D! Some were fantastic, and others just plain sucked, but that was totally okay because it was awesome to see anyways. There was one point where we got to meet some filmmakers! 

     Though watching a ton of movies all day was great, I honestly had the most fun hanging out with those that came and walking around Chicago. There's so much modern art and sculptures just sitting out in the open and it's so neat to see! I was super cold the whole time, but I'm pretty sure that's my favorite city now. There was one point where some friends and I walked around while trying to find a Starbucks instead of heading to the hotel like we were supposed to, and that lead to the Great Adventure of Walking Around and Being Cold Only To Find That Starbucks Was Closed After All and Having To Walk Back, produced by us; to be released never.

     Anyways, I think my favorite film was a cartoon (of course) about a hobo who lived underground in a subway. He came out at night and could go into the huge ads that are hung on the wall to get food and stuff. It's a bit more complicated than that, but it was absolutely fantastic. It's one of those films that just sticks with you, and I think I'll remember it for the rest of my life. 

     If y'all didn't get the chance to go this year, I definitely recommend you jump at the opportunity to go next year!! 

Ender's Game

     On the opening night of the movie, a few friends and I arbitrarily decided to go and watch Ender's Game late at night. We got out at like 1:30 in the morning and loitered like the teenagers we are until we got kicked out, and it was fantastic. I read the book before going into the movie, so I knew what to expect plot- wise, but I had no idea how they were going to convey any of it. Overall, they did a fantastic job! I really like how they stayed as true to the book as possible when in came to little details like the floating barriers in the fighting room, or the lights on the walls that indicated where certain people had to go. They chose fantastic actors, and, even though in the book Ender started out as a Launchie at around 6-8, the guy playing him did a great job. It would have been awkward to change out so many actors with how much time passes in the novel.

The fight scene was so cool, y'all. I think it was Alex who posted a video about how they choreographed all that and it was super impressive- go check out his blog about it!

THIS NEXT PART CONTAINS SPOILERS SO DON'T READ AND GET BUTTHURT ABOUT IT BECAUSE I HAVE THIS WARNING HERE butthurt is such a fantastic word ohmygosh

     The book was super long, and they only had two hours to show the most important parts that contributed to the plot, but some of the things I think they should have added and even taken away. Ender's relationship with Petra was portrayed as romantic in the movie, when that is not at all what happened. They were comrades and nothing more; she helped train him when Bonzo was being a butt about it, and he later invited her to his toon when they made him a toon leader, but there was nothing romantic involved at all. 

     I also think they should have elaborated a bit more on the mind game, because in the book Ender spent days and days contemplating all the options for the giant and the potions, and it also would have helped build up the tension between the two people monitoring him. In addition to adding that, I think they should have mentioned that Ender actually killed the kid who bullied him at the school and Bonzo, because when he finds out later that he destroyed the entire Bugger(they gave them a different name in the movie for the sake of the seriousness of the film, but in the book the aliens are called Buggers) home planet, it contributed more to his emotional pain and turmoil (which I also think they should have elaborated more on). 

     OKAY HERE'S THE END OF THE SPOILER Y'ALL SO YOU CAN READ FROM HERE ON OUT IF YOU WANT

     All in all, though, they created a fantastic film. The actors were great, the CGI rocked, and the artistic interpretation they used was awesome. I love how accurate it was, at least to how I imagined it when I read it. If you haven't read the book, I definitely recommend you watch the movie first and then read the book, because the movie is fantastic, but then the book fills in all sorts of interesting details that expand the world. Likewise, reading the book and then seeing the movie is also awesome, though, because you have all the details to begin with and then can go and see and explore the world in the film more in depth. 

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

     Any of y'all seen the TV show Invader Zim? Y'know, the sort of freaky alien cartoon that was on Nickelodeon? 

Y'all this show is so awesome.

     Well the creator of the show, Jhonen Vasquez, has a graphic novel series called Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, and though I've been wanting to read it for a while, I never really got the chance to... Until Chicago, that is (blog coming up on that real soon). Before we left, we visited some comic book stores and I was able to pick myself up a copy of the director's cut of the series, which is basically a few of the scenes that were selected from the books that highlight the general plot.

     I originally thought this was just going to be some cliche, gory, and obscene book about a guy that kills people (Johnny), but as I continued to read further I realized that the story goes much deeper than that. Obviously the book is going to be gory, but the way that Johnen portrays Nny (the nickname Johnny goes by; it's pronounced the same as the word "knee" and I'm choosing to use it because it's easier to type) is very complex. He has these two figures that are two separate voices in his head, both humanized and projected onto foam statues that sit around in the house, and they really bring out the conflicts that are going on internally. Yet at the same time, he has another voice that goes against the other two that is actually concerned for his well being, while the other two just want to make him suffer. 

     Yes, he is an insane killer, but his reasons for doing so can sometimes be justified (at least in the cartoon world, because killing people is seriously uncool), and as the story progresses you get to read more and more about the internal conflict he has. It's sort of hard to explain. 

     I definitely recommend the read if you can get past the violence, crass language, and controversial topics that will probably offend most people, because it definitely makes you think.

My version of Nny. He's not this happy, actually, but he's always in a constant state of mental and emotional torture. Deep stuff, man. The Z? is actually the logo for the series, although I still have yet to find out why and it frustrates the heck out of me.

     In addition to the story, the artwork is also fantastic. Jhonen writes and draws out the comic almost as if it's a story board for a film, so there are a ton of interesting angles and different panel shapes that he uses. It's also awesome because sometimes he'll put little commentaries in small text in different places on some panels, and he hides a ton of fun details in the backgrounds. It makes it fun, because it's one of those things where you notice more and more with every read! He also works mainly in black and white, and his use of negative space is really unique. It works to his advantage for the general mood of the book, as well, but sometimes having all that black ink on the paper makes it hard to tell just what's going on. You get adjusted to the style easily, though, and it makes for a very exciting ride.

     

Un Jour

     If I remember correctly, we watched a film called Un Jour by Marie Paccou in class one day. It was the one with the woman who suddenly woke up one day with a man in her belly. We followed this woman throughout her day and watched as she learned to accommodate the man, and we also saw that in addition to her taking care of him, he cared for her. Later in the film we learn that this oddity is normal in the world of that film, as we see that the woman next door has a man too, except this one is less than caring. At the end, the music in the film goes quiet, and the only thing we hear is the woman describing about how it was a shock when she woke up one morning to find him gone. The film continues on as the credits roll, and though more men came and went, none fit quite as right as the first. 
     I really enjoyed watching Un Jour because of how purely psychological it is. Up till that point, we hadn't really seen any other films made by women, and the change in the mood, style, atmosphere, and message of the film was astonishing. I found I could easily relate to the emotional side of it, as I feel it portrayed a relationship very well. I think it's interesting how the man was in her belly, when the filmmaker could have had the hole anywhere else. It was definitely a sexual film, but in a different kind of way that can only be portrayed by women, I think, because our viewpoint is so different from that of a man's. 
     It was definitely a challenge to watch this film, not only because it was different from anything I've ever seen, but because a lot of what happened was implied rather than shown. Though we followed the woman around and saw her outward interactions with the man, the real detail was in what happened underneath the surface; on the emotional and subliminal level. I was also delighted because of this, as it was a very wonderful and beautiful short to view. As I Googled the title to find a picture for this blog, I read in a description (whose website was blocked by Huntington, by the way. So inconvenient) that the film is "A Woman's Metaphorical Narrative," and I think that's where the real beauty is. The dialogue is short and gives only the bare information, as does the actual animation, while the rest is metaphor and gained on a more emotional level that cannot be explained.

I almost cried at the end, and was on the verge of tears after the dialogue during the credits.

Gestalt Psychology

     Gestalt Psychology is a theory of the mind and brain that states that the eyes see things as a whole before they perceive their individual parts. 

An example is pictured here: our mind fills in the blanks and makes us think that we see one triangle on top of another, when really it is just three wedged circles and some lines; the triangles aren't actually there

     I was really impressed with Caroline Leaf's Two Sisters film because of the principle she said she used in the making, and I think she pulled it off very nicely. A lot of the film was negative space, and there really wasn't much there except for a few shapes to resemble parts of an entire form, and she let our minds fill in the blanks.

These simple shapes aren't even complete, and yet we can still all universally recognize them as typing fingers.

     I can relate really well to this principle because of my deformed features; my left pinky is joined with my left ring finger at a knuckle, I don't have an ear canal in my right ear, and my eyes are two different colors. I think it's cool how the minds of others overlook these details until they start to hang out with me regularly! 

It's hard to draw deformed popcorn hands with a mouse so just pretend the one on the left is weirder than normal xD

     In addition to the method that was used to make the film and the principle it was based off of, I really appreciated the plot. I remember that in the interview that took place afterwards, Leaf mentioned that she had to be in love with her characters in order to properly animate them, and in my opinion not only did she fall in love with them, but I did as well! Their personalities were really captured and it was interesting to see how the story played out! 

     Her films were more psychological and emotional, in my opinion, and I really enjoyed that aspect because it made it easier to suspend belief and to become wrapped up in the story. I can't wait to see this element in the other films on Thursday!

Blood Brothers

     First off I gotta make a shout out to Shawn for being amazing. It makes me feel really cool to have you cartooning here, too!! It's funny because I usually draw myself with a black t-shirt and jeans as well when I'm not making it for the blog P: Seriously y'all, if you haven't seen Shawn's blog scroll down RIGHT NOW and read it. It's a very awesome tale of procrastination :3 

I feel so special ;u; <3

     So anyways, Blood Brothers! What an excellent and moving film. I cried. Seriously. It was so emotional, and I really didn't know what to expect when I walked in to see it. I think it was really cool to see the story of this one guy and how he came to love the missions field and India. It really moved my heart, and I feel the same way about Guatemala (I've been down there on family mission trips for the past two summers), and I really can't wait to go back this coming summer!

     I also love the companionship between the guy that moved and his friend, and how he went over to India with him to see what it was like and to experience it with him and to film. It was really incredible to see the work they did and how much of an impact they had on the community and on the children they interacted with.

     The film really captured loss well, and it made me feel like I was right there experiencing it alongside the two as they lost the little girl and mourned. I'm glad they showed it and advertised it as much as they did and I was surprised at the turnout! I wish we could do that with other films as well (maybe not the Kurosawa... Haha they're good and all, but I can only handle so much black and white drawn out movies that screen late at night) so that way we could get more of the campus involved with the DMA department!!

     Have fun at fall work day, y'all P:

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I Was Unsure of How Many Blogs We Needed So I Made Another

    

     Before I begin my blog I would like to make two public service announcements: 
1)I illustrated a book over the summer and the writer has a Facebook page for it and a trailer so y'all should get out there and like and share so we can get it published: https://www.facebook.com/AndItWasGoodBook

2) There are a bunch of really cool blogs that were posted at the same time in a manner that isn't suspicious at all and you should read them.

The subject should look similar to this.

That is all.

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    Yep, it's that time of the year. The grades are all due for a mid semester check, and we, being the excellent students we are, have all decided to put off these posts until the last minute. I honestly have no clue how many blogs we should have by now, so I figure one more couldn't hurt.

yep.

     With that being said, I would like to talk about scrolling (in regards to social media, such as Facebook or Twitter). It has easily become a big part of our lives, but why do we do it? To waste time? To learn? To catch up on what our friends are doing? I feel as though a lot of what we do on the internet has become mostly a way to shut off the brain for a bit. It's quite relaxing, actually, and I once heard a statistic about how kids these days are smarter now than ever because of the vast free database that is constantly available to them, but at the same time I feel like we're not really missing all that much if we decided to take like two minutes to switch away and do some homework or study. It's something I've really been trying to work on since coming to college, but as the semester wears on it's harder and harder to motivate myself to just do my homework.

     During a stressful day, however, scrolling does have its advantages by helping me to blow off some steam and just rest for a while. We're supposed to be busy in college, I think, but having times to rest is also an important part of this experience. 

     Yeah, scrolling is fun, but I think there's a point to where it's past brain deadness, it's just... Not worth my time. 

There are so many dang pictures in this blog post that I could publish a freaking picture book.

     Since realizing this, I've become increasingly bored with the websites I frequent, and this is a problem, because on days when my homework is already done, I find myself really, REALLY bored. I guess that's why I spend way too much time on these paint cartoons (done ever so expertly with a mouse), or why I'm putting off studying for my other midterms by writing this blog. Time management is an important life skill to learn, especially in this stage of our lives, but it sucks. I guess practice makes perfect..

     Speaking of scrolling, I've also noticed that we only read the small tidbits that we can get within a few seconds instead of taking the time to read a very well thought out statement. I do it all the time on this blog; I only want to read the short stuff, and I think I'm seriously missing out on some wonderful material and thoughts that y'all have. I'm really going to make an effort to stop mindlessly scrolling and read for content instead of length. I can't wait to see what you guys will be blogging about the next half of this semester! 

      Have a good break!

You guys it's so dang cold up here I wish it was warmer and summer weather again but it might as well be snowing already.

Gravity

     Over the weekend I had the privilege of hanging out with my dad for homecoming. We went to Fort Wayne to see a movie, because back home we would always spend time watching sci- fis, war movies, and survival based reality shows because no one else in our family enjoyed them quite as much as we did.
    We went to see a film called Gravity, and I have to say it was absolutely stunning. The way it was filmed and some of the scenes were gorgeous, and I found that this movie was different because it used a lot of silence to portray events rather than intense background music. Mind you, there were times I was at the edge of my seat from the suspense, but there were other times in the movie that were calm and quiet but still drove the story forward.
     It was a film about astronauts in space, and I went into the movie wondering how the heck they were going to make a captivating film out of this idea. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't really talk about the plot, but just know that it was awesome. 
     I'd have to say it was the second most beautiful film I've seen (Life of Pi is an easy first), but it's beautiful in a different way. It's captivating and stunning and the way the camera moved really captured a zero- gravity experience, and I was super impressed! Go see it!

I didn't realize we had to have a picture on every blog so I'm just putting this in here

Butthurt

     I guess they finally put up the firewalls to censor the resnet internet today because I found out they blocked Tumblr. I don't even tumbl, and sure, it has good intentions of protecting us from porn or whatever (even though like 90% of the internet is pornographic anyways), but if that were the case they'd block DeviantArt as well, at which point I'd just transfer schools because then this would be an unsuitable place for an an artist to educate themselves. In petty protest, I'm going to blog about one of my favorite songs that just so happens to be obscene, which I found on YouTube. By the way, in case no one knew, inappropriate content can be found there as well. Surprise, right? Haha no.

     Putting my petty rebellion aside, this is actually a hilarious song written by a comedic musician who makes fun of just about anything and everything. It's become the theme song for my best friend, who, quite frankly, doesn't give two effs about what you think about him. I enjoy this tune because it not only reminds me of him, but pokes fun at redemption and self assessment and realization, and how people sometimes just take things too seriously. When I first heard this song, I was slightly offended by the initial two verses, but as it progressed and got more and more ridiculous, I grew to love it.
    By the end I'm laughing my head off from the turnout of events, but the tone of the song changes and the singer becomes reflective, thinking whether or not there are really assholes all around him, or if he's the one to blame for being so dang angry all the time. I expected a nice and hilarious song of redemption, but then it takes a ridiculous turn and he goes to blame yet someone else for his problems. I dunno, I enjoyed it and I think it's a good reminder to loosen up about things (and here I am writing a blog about how upset I am at the blocked internet).

How I feel about internet censorship BUT WAIT IT'S BLOCKED WHO COULD HAVE GUESSED. It's like SOPA all up in here. Someone call the pope!

Entirely Relevant To Media

    This post is the biggest fail ever. I misread the syllabus

    I just found out we have to write an essay on a subject that's viewed through one of the lenses of "The Gospel As.." which means through the lens of tragedy, comedy, or fairy tale. Figured I should give everyone a heads up (don't even want the blog credit for this one)

I wish I saved some hay from the hayride yesterday, and the F-------- is probably what I'm going to get on the assignment

     There I was, on the syllabus, trying to get ahead on the reading for Thursday, when I see that, so I decided to make an emotional picture about how I feel about Thursday instead of actually getting ahead on the reading.

     So yeah. That's all I have to say. 

     

Rashomon

     I'm slowly growing to love Kurosawa films in that each one is so different from the other, but is still filmed with that same consistent beauty and style. Rashomon follows a court trial where we(the audience) are put into the position of the judge. We listen to each person's story, and try to piece it all together.
     At first I was totally confused. I didn't realize that it was a court trial in the beginning, so after the woman was violated and told the robber to kill her husband, I thought she was a stupid whore. Really. I was upset. 

Like really, what the heck!?

     After I saw that there were multiple sides to the story, I sat back and gave that ho a second chance, and saw that her intentions were at least somewhat reasonable. She didn't want to have the shame of having slept with two men, so the other had to go. I think she should have at least tried to help her husband win, but then it turns out he was a butt(I seriously can't distinguish the stories from one another), so I guess it was okay that he ended up dying. Poor lady! 
     Anyways, Kurosawa did an amazing job at keeping us in the dark and interested in the beginning of the film, and then slowly introducing more and more of the story while leaving us to sort out what was true in the end... Though that's what he wanted us to think. While we're too preoccupied about who's right and who's wrong, I at least failed to notice all the good and bad traits each of the characters in the temple had. The story was really about the goodness of mankind, and I heard Professor Leeper say that after the screening many came up to him and asked him who was right, and he said that it wasn't the point.
     In the end, the real colors of the men sitting at the temple are revealed through an abandoned baby, where one is bad and steals the baby's kimono and the other is good by taking it in, leaving the priest with a restored faith in humanity. 
     I think we can all relate to this priest, where we take a back seat and watch events fold out, and based on those events we either emerge more hopeful, or less. 
     Seriously good movie y'all, if you don't go to signs and wonders regularly I definitely think you should! We're exposed to so many different themes and styles! Alright, I'm done typing, have a good weekend!