War Babies (extra)

 

Artwork done by John Robertson. This piece is about children being drafted for war around the world. We see more and more children working as spices, carrying supplies, used as human mine detectors and to carry out suicide missions in war. Over 200,00 children were serving in war conflicts during the past years and its very upsetting to think abut.

 

As you can see Robertson has placed this child in a target, because he is too small to defend himself. He is even too small to hold the machine gun. The fact that Robertson has made this child so small makes me feel like he has a strong disliking towards children soldiers.

 

The baby has a very sad/confusing look on his face. It's like he doesn't understand what is going on. The way his feet are placed makes me think that he is just learning how to talk. It's is almost inferring that as soon as the kid can walk, he can hold a gun and fight. If that's the case, most children learn to walk around a year old, so this little guy might only be one. Too young to be a solider.

 

The words at the top say 'Oh Mommy Sugarland,' this might not have anything to do with the work. But there is a song called Joey that the band Sugarland produced a few years ago. I feel like it can relate to this image. I have copied a part of the song and have inserted it below.

Joey



Would I know this hurt
Would I feel this pain
Do you know that with all I have left in my very last breath I will call your name

Joey I'm so sorry
Ohoohoh can you hear me?
Joey I'm so sorry

Were you sad
Were you scared
Did you wish for a prayer to be free
Was it quiet and cold
Was it light or too dark to see
And did you reach for me

 

For some reason when I saw this image I thought of that song. The title of the piece is 'Oh Mommy Sugarland' this song is about losing a love of some kind, possibly a child and it was written my a band called Sugarland. So I feel like there might be some connection. Maybe not, but it's possible.

 



 

Work Makes You Free (extra)

 

The image above caught my attention right away. The artist that made the work is Heidi Winner, she is from a Jewish heritage and her grandfather survived the holocaust.  Heidi said this about the piece "Art became a way to connect to the Holocaust, and to my family's past."

 

The imagery in the work  is very moving. The banner on top say 'work makes you free'. You can see that the people slowly start to wither away and by the time they reach the banner they are nothing but a skeleton. They were literally worked to death. 

 

There is also  a point when they have to pass over a numbered skeleton arm. I'm not sure if this represents when they receive their own number or if it means a fellow person has fallen. The skeleton arm is also holding a Jewish start but outside of the barbed wire. Could this mean that even though they are being punish for being of Jewish faith, that they still have hope and faith in their beliefs?

 

The image of Hitler himself is very creepy. It makes me nervous that he is staring directly at the viewer. He has this look in his eye almost saying that he wants us to see what he has done to these people and that he thinks what he is doing is right. Half of his head is missing and shows that it is empty, we see no brain inside. Could Winner have been saying he was a thoughtless man? I think so. Behind those hateful eyes is nothing but and empty space.

 

Lastly Hitler has his devilish hand firmly wrapped about a little boy. To me it looked like the kind of boy that Hitler thought was the superior race of human. Fair hair and light eyes. But the little boy has a swastika over his face. This makes me feel like it is a representation of Hitler's followers. There were so any people that believed he was doing the right thing. This little boy could have been raise to believe they were right too. A future Nazi? Possibly.

 

 





Stuck in Chains

 

The illustration above was made my artist Pawel Kuczynski. Most of Pawel's work hides a deeper meaning. This image caught my eye, it is captivating. What is the message that Pawel is trying to convey in this piece?

 

I find it interesting that Pawel is having the dark skinned man paint his chains gold. If it is a representation of slavery in American, the chains used at that time were iron. So why paint them gold?

LeVar Burton in Roots

The above images are of LeVar Burton who played in the mini series,  Roots. LeVar's part was that of a slave during the 1860's, the chains he is wearing mimic the chains in the illustration. This leads me to believe that Pawel is referring to African American slaves during this time frame. But again I wonder why the slave is painting the chains gold.



I found this modern picture of the R&B singer 50 cent. As you can see 50 is wearing chains on his neck and wrists. Could it be possible that Pawel was insinuating that slaves were in chains then and future generations are still in them? Although 50 cent is nowhere near a slave, it makes me believe that Pawel is trying to make a connection.

 

It is possible to wonder if this famous rapper is wearing heavy gold chains to represent his ancestry. If so, then the embellishment of gold and diamonds could be inferring that they have overcome and are no longer repressed. 

 

I think Pawel was trying to make us think outside of the box when he created the first illustration. I'm sure the jewelry that modern African Americans wear has nothing to do with their ancestors. But what if it did? How would this change the way we see them? It would change my mind set completely, it would be a cryptic reminder of the travesties born by an innocent people. 



 

 

Kids react to Gay Marriage

 

 

 

Kids react to gay marriage proposals. It was interesting to see how the kids reacted to the proposals. The first proposal we see is an elaborate dance mob at a hardware store. At first the kids aren't sure what they are watching. Then we see family come out and the man standing on the ladder is happy. The last person to come out is a man holding a sign. Then he asks the guy standing on the ladder to marry him, they seal the deal with a kiss.

This little girls face says it all, you can tell she doesn't know what to think when she sees the men kissing. It might be the first time she has experienced it. I think her reaction is very normal and  fair for the circumstances. Later during the questioning section, she seems fine and doesn't think it is wrong for the same sex to be married.



The girl above was very confused by the video that she watched. She just keep saying "This is crazy!" Her reaction to the proposal was dramatic, she also said "a boy and a boy!" She was clearly very surprised and wasn't expecting to see two men together. Later during questioning she said that people should be with whom every they want.

 

The second clip was of a woman proposing to another woman. The one proposing was standing outside of the other woman's office on a bus holding up a sign. All of the kids were instantly worried about the woman's safety while standing on the bus, it appeared dangerous. But in the end the woman slides off the bus and runs to her fiancé, where they seal the deal with a kiss.

 This little guys reaction was the one I remembered most. During the first clip he kept asking if they were gay. During the second one he was singing along to the song and then said "Are they gay too?" He needed to make sure he knew. He didn't like the idea of gay marriage, he said marriage was for a boy and a girl. He also made it very clear that he was not gay.

This girl was very happy and excited for the couples. She thought that they were doing a good thing and she was happy for both couples. She said that we should be able to love who we want without limitations. The little girl thought that both couples were really cute and that they looked happy together.

 

It is interesting to see the reaction of children to the current gay marriage issues. Most of the kids that were interview thought that gay marriage is okay and they wish more people supported it. When they found out that only 14  states in the country support it, most of them were upset. This insight seems positive about our future generation. They seem ever excepting. 





 Legalize it or Not?

 

 

Miley Cyrus has been a big topic in America for the past few months. Some consider her rapid downward spiral as leaving her with much negative press.  From her reveling outfits and provocative dance moves, is she destined to be one of those kid stars that go crazy and fall off of the popular train? Her most recent act was caught during the MTV EMAs (European Music Awards) on November 10^th in Amsterdam.  While onstage Miley takes a joint out of her coach bag, lights it up and begins smoking it. Although the consumption on marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, the act behind it seemed more direct. Was Miley giving her opinion about legalizing marijuana sales in the United States? It seems to me that it could be her under lying message.

 

Legalizing marijuana sales in the United States has been one of the most talked about issues for several years. It has already been legalized in Colorado and Washington state. Other states have approved the sale of cannabis for medical use only.

  State with legal medical cannabis

  State with decriminalized cannabis possession laws

  State with both medical and decriminalization laws

  State with legalized cannabis

 

The legalization of recreational and medical  marijuana in Colorado and Washington, shows that this country may be moving into another era. Do you think because two states have legalized it, more will follow? We are seeing masses of citizens unopposed to the thought. For example take a look at some of these protesters.

 

 

The thought behind the signage is very interesting. The sign that says "legal marijuana will bring tax relief" is a main stream way of thinking. If  more states legalize the sale then suppliers will be able to make a legal profit and the state could collect taxes on it. In turn possibly creating more jobs, which is still a big concern, as more Americans  can't find decent jobs. 



 

The image of the women comparing marijuana to the prohibition of the 1920s is another vision into what average Americans think. She is suggesting that people are in possession, and consuming marijuana whether its legal or not. I think that is probably an accurate way of thinking about the situation. People are going to do what they want.

 

 

The Kid President

 

 

When I came across this video last year it made me so happy. This little guy is really inspirational. But I don't really want to focus on his cuteness. I want to take a look into the images that are used during this video. Does it feel like this boy is being groomed to be a future politician?
 



 

The first image we see of kid president places him on a football field, holding a ball. Across his body is a quick drawing overlaid on the image that says "A Pep Talk." To me this opening image shows an all American boy. A kid on the football field just having a good time. But he is in a suite and tie which suggested that he is older or more mature in some way. 



Although he is in a suit and tie, it is soon revealed that this kid is just that. He gives us a wrong quote from a Journey song. Even though it is wrong, the way he says it and places it in his speech makes the viewer chuckle. Overall what Kid President is saying is incorrect, however, still entertaining and makes the viewer feel good.

Kid president says that we need to give the world a reason to dance. He tells us that we are all important and that we shouldn't give up on our dreams. The speech he gives is very inspirational to me.  What he is expressing are words that he truly believes and it makes me happy knowing that he thinks he can do whatever he wants. It's important to believe in yourself and that is the impression I feel this young man has of himself.

At the end of the clip, Kid President say that his video has been dedicated to a girl named Gabby who is fighting cancer and loves pancakes. I think this is an important part of the video besides the speech itself.  During the speech there is no mention of Gabby. If you didn't watch the whole clip you might even miss it. It was a thoughtful insert, but it wasn't well executed. 

After doing some research I found out that Kid President actually meet President Obama. Obama gave him a tour of the oval office and even let him sit at his desk. The images of the President with the Kid are very interesting. Obama is giving him advice about how to do good, and to always keep a positive attitude, so he can some day achieve success. 

 

 

 

Halloween Horror 2013 

Get The Door, Chad - Creepy Uncle Sam

I find the clip above to be every interesting. There are several things being implied about the current issues with Obama Care. Negative advertising is a big part of campaigning during elections. But now we are seeing negative advertising against policies and laws passed while in office. 

How do we know that this is a negative advertisement, against Obama Care? Besides the snap shot I took from the clip (left) that says "Obama Care; Pay more, get less!" I come to this assumption that this is a negative advertisement by other things. The person that made this clip, made it seem like a horror movie. Represented through the darkness and the creepy music soundtrack. 

The Obama Care commercial that Chad can't get away from is very unattractive. The guy trying to sell Obama Care doesn't seem like a trust worthy person. A person in my class called him a sketchy used car salesmen type, and I would agree with that. Who would actually take this guys advice? 

Also Ted is standing in from of a green screen of random medical references that looks cheesy and unrealistic. It's insinuating that the government doesn't  care about our medical health, because they don't have any real life examples to show.

The target audience for this clip are young people. I come to this conclusion by the fact that Chad is a fairly young guy. But there are also things that stand out to support that besides Chad. There are references to Facebook, email, and cell phones. Things that have become very popular among the new technical generation. 

Ted added Chad's mom on Facebook.

Ted has Chad's cell number.

A line that sticks out to me in the clip is when Ted says "Come on Chad, even your mom likes me on Facebook."

He also knows his email address.

There is also an implied idea that the IRS is watching because Ted is standing in front of one  their buildings. Re-enforced through  Uncle Sam showing up at the door. It is trying to tell us that they know where we live and how to track us down. It screams YOU CANT HIDE FROM US!!

They are watching you!!

In the end Uncle Sam has all of Chad's candy and is watching his television. But where is Chad? The absence of Chad implies to me that the government got him. He has been locked away in some Obama Care policy wasteland. Poor Chad.

Miss America 2014

 

Nina Davuluri is crowned

 

Nina Davuluri is a 24 year old American of Indian descent. She represented the great state of New York in the 2013 Miss America pageant and won. Nina is the first Indian American to win Miss America as well at the Miss New York title.

 

Nina was attacked on the popular social media website, Tweeter. Although Nina received a lot of support from people around the world, the ignorant comments made on Twitter caused an uproar. Several news stations and talk shows reported the reaction of Americans around the country.

 

After hearing about the reaction on Twitter, I investigated to see why people were so upset. I pulled up a few photos taken during the Miss American show. I found a few photos of Nina during the talent portion of the show. She performed a fusion of classical Bollywood dance and wore at traditional sari. The dance was beautiful, fun and energetic, it was the first appearance of Bollywood in Miss America history. 

 

Nina's Bollywood performance

 

The performance that Nina gave was a mix between traditional Indian dance that she studied every summer in India, and Bollywood. Bollywood dance is a dance the is modeled after tradition Indian dance, mixed with western styles. The sari Nina wears is traditional dress foe women in India. It's patterns and color mean different things in her culture, as well as the jewelry she wears.  When preparing for the competition, Nina was originally going to sing. But later she decided she would like to dance because she had been dancing her whole life. She was advised not to dance but she said it was something she was passionate about and stuck with it.

 

After Nina was crown Miss America 2014, on September 14, 2013, she was attacked on Twitter. A few of the tweets that I came across are listed below.

 



 Nina was attacked on Twitter, for her ethnicity. As you can see people were upset that she was representing our country from the Twitter comments. Nina was born in the United States, so she is an American.

 

The comment about Nina being part of Al-Qaeda, made me do some research. The map below is of the middle east. As you can see the red represented Al-Qaeda influences, the green is Taliban and the yellow dot is where Nina's family is from. Even though India is near Taliban and Al-Qeada activity, they are not active anywhere in India. Indian is not in the Middle East, it is considered to be in South Asia.

 

 

 

So why were American's so quick to associate Nina with these terrible allegations? I can't speak for the people who made the comments, but my own idea behind the matter has to do with the 9/11 anniversary. Nina was crowned 3 days after the 12th anniversary, a day that most American people are still very sensitive about. I'm not making excuses for these tweets as no one should be attacked for their ethnicity, religious practices or sexual orientation. I just want to understand why these people were so quick to judge, besides being ignorant to the facts.

 

 

I believe the 12th anniversary surrounds the back lash that Nina received. Our country is still upset, even after all this time. 9/11/01 was a traumatic day for us all. It's sad to see the way some people handled the situation. It just shows that people need to get the details correct and think before they speak.



 

 

9/11

 

EarthCam time lapse of Ground Zero

 

September 11, 2001 was the most traumatic day in American history. At 8:45am in New York a plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center, eighteen minutes later the second building was hit. At 10:00am the South tower fell, thirty minutes later the north tower also fell. Not only did terrorists attack the World Trade Center, they also flew a plane into the Pentagon, killing 145 military personnel. A fourth plane connected with the terrorist threat didn't make it's destination and fell in a field outside of Pennsylvania. George W. Bush addressed the American population at 9pm and said "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."  After 12 years the USA is still trying to grow and cope with the lost and fear that we all encountered that day.

 The time lapse movie above shows how ground zero has been rebuild and incorporated with a memorial and museum to represent the lives lost. In the clip as the music grows stronger the building gets taller, as if saying you can knock us down but we will always get back up.

Symbol: Ground zero has become a symbol to Americans, it has a deeper meaning larger than steel and concrete. The new memorial and museum represents what used to be a workplace, business relationships, friendships and also, unfortunately a gravesite.  To remember the day, we honor the people we lost, the war against terrorist, and the hope to stand strong as a nation. 

 

Icon: The old twin towers were an iconic part of the New York skyline. Without them it seems strangely empty. The new tower  has been nicknamed Freedom Tower (Tower One) and has the likeness of the old world trade centers. Freedom Tower has been build to insure its security, so although the building is not identical to the towers, it is similar. Which makes it a new icon in New York.

 

Index: Every time we look at the new world trade center towers, we will always be reminded of the twin towers. It's cause and effect. The people in today's world will continue to relive 9/11, it has left a indelible mark on the city.

Before the attack on September 11, 2001

 

The clip above only shows Tower 1 or Freedom Tower being constructed. You can also see the 4th tower coming along near the end of the clip. Tower 4 should be done by the end of the month. Two more towers are going to be built in-between 1 and 4. The second tower has been delayed due to economic issues. The third will be completed by 2016. All of the new buildings have been manufactured and tested to ensure the maximum strength possible. It was important to the architects that the buildings design was reinvented to support all safety measures.



What the skyline will look like when all four building are complete

The new skyline has been reinvented. Many people came together to rebuild what was lost 12 years ago. The memorial and museum have been completed. Now people around the world can visit and remember the civilians, military and the scores of dedicated city employees who lost their lives that fateful morning.

 

 

 

 

The CAMPAIGN

I want to take a close look at how politics are referenced in movies, based on the idea that I believe that politics are a well rehearsed performance. The clip I have chosen is from The Campaign directed by Jay Roach. The movie is a comedy; it is about Cam Brady and Marty Huggins who live in North Carolina, running for a seat in Congress. In the clip the current Democratic Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) and Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) representing the Republican Party are having their first debate in their small town.

Warning: This clip contains explicit language.

After watching the clip, how do you feel Roach is trying to represent politics? If you have never seen the movie before, what would you think about this clip? I’m going to break down the scene and tell you what I think this one scene means or insinuates about politics. Not the politics in the movie, but how I feel the director are writers of the film interpret politics.

Well I want to take a closer look at the location of the scene. It looks like the crowd is set up in a gym. This makes me assume that the town is very small, too small to have a large auditorium or arena for the debate. So Roach is displaying small town involvement in current political events.

Next I want to take a look at the crowd, how the Average Joe is represented.

The first things I notice in the crowd were the blue and red clothing and accessories. You can see who supports which side of the argument by the color they are wearing. Red for Huggins and Blue for Brady, which is interesting to me because the Obama/Romney 2012 presidential campaign was a very similar color scheme. Obama who is a Democrat used a light blue in the “Say Yes” campaign, almost the same color of the Brady supporters in this clip. While Romney used a lot a bright red; you can see Huggins’ supporters are wearing the same red. Can we say that there is a connection? I think we can.

It seems like the politicians have been placed in the middle of a ring. If we compare the visual similarities of the following picture.

The gym in the film was smaller, up the set up looks very similar to the on the in the clip. the lighting is also very similar, those circular lights around the top are like the ones used in the clip.

A few of the men in the crowd started hitting each other with metal chairs. A classic wrestling move.

Do you think Roach made this debate look like a wrestling match on purpose?

I think it is a safe assumption to make. The idea that politics are a well-rehearsed wrestling match is something I mentioned in my last blog entry. So I find it very interesting that we are seeing it reoccur in this clip. It is insinuating the popular phrase, ‘May the best opponent win’.  Usually politicians use debates to give a tongue slashing to one another. But in this clip the topic gets so intense that a physical fight breaks out. Why do you think Roach would push it that far? I’m not sure, but I know that when I watch debates, I feel like the people debating are on the verge of a fight. Roach is probably trying to convey this idea.

 

What does the word 'politics' mean to you?

According to Merriam-Webster, it means the following:

• the art or science of government
• the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy 
• the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government

Some of my friends have said the word means various things such as: scams, fakes, baloney, a bunch of hoopla, and plain old junk.

So what does the word 'politics' mean to me?

I don't really keep up with what is going on with our country. Although I probably should, I don't. Sure I vote and I try to vote for who I think would be best. Some of you might think... how could I possible vote for someone without really knowing what they stand for or what the believe in? The answer is easy. I choose who I think "looks" the best.

Yes "looks", as in who looks more superior in the media. I choose by picking the one who "looks" the part. The one whom I think can run our country based on presentation.

In my opinion what politics is to me is a well rehearsed performance. I feel like the person that puts on the best performance gets the most votes, thus is the winner.

Donkey vs. Elephant Boxing match

 

In this blog I will discuss the way political based films interfere with modern day politics. I feel politics longer ago were held at a higher standard then todays politics. I want to know if the use of mass media is a cause resulting in this outcome.

 

 VS.