Through writing reviews I found that having a strong opinion on something helps me write. So, even though many times I didn't feel as strongly as I appeared to in my review, I wrote that way because it helped me get my thoughts out. I don't know if I like this, because I feel phony on the page, but at the same time if I didn't at least feel part of what I put into the review then I wouldn't be able to write it.
I went through a lot of this fake writing with my final piece. Even though I really loved my idea about stereotypes in children's television, I found myself writing a really feminist paper, which is strange for me. Although I don't hate feminists, I generally feel like they take small examples and blow them up into bigger deals than they are. During workshops in class I told my group how I felt and they suggested giving both sides of the story: how stereotypes affect boys and girls, instead of just girls. This idea was probably what I gained most from the workshops, and I was really pleased when they could understand where I was coming from and offer me a solution.
The workshops were probably my favorite part of class because I was more able to talk with the small group than I am with the whole class. At the beginning of the quarter I wrote that one of my goals was to talk more in class, and I'd say I failed. I'm not really sure why I find it so hard to talk in class, it's not that I'm not paying attention or not interested, but I think that I take a longer time to form an opinion on anything so when I have something to say, we've already moved onto a different topic. Either that, or I don't feel like I have enough authority on anything or know enough about music or art or film to make a statement that I feel comfortable with.
Because I spent so much time reading the newspaper this quarter, I realized that I really want to read more. Not necessarily the arts section, or even the newspaper, but I just miss reading for pleasure. With all of the homework I constantly feel like I'm catching up on I never have a chance to just sit down with a book, and I plan to make a real effort to do that next quarter.
I also realized that I must have a strict deadline to get anything done. In my other classes the teachers offer a 3% grade drop for each day late, which just allows me to procrastinate longer and longer. I need to set real deadlines for myself if I'm ever going to get anything done.
While watching some of the films for this class, I found myself evaluating the meaning and different elements of cinematography or mise-en-scene to support various arguments made about a film. Instead of critiquing a film, I wanted to evaluate it. From high school I learned how to write AP Literature papers that only analyzed, not criticized. It's one thing to be able to write a mean analytical essay, and another to be able to write a mean any kind of paper. Diversifying my writing style and abilities was another difficult but rewarding aspect of this course.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Educational Television: Missing the Mark on Morals (Final Piece)
When young, children internalize much of the world around them as they learn to become a person in society. Television programs for 2 to 5 year olds emphasize this aspect of childhood by featuring various lessons in each program: what is right and wrong, the consequences of lying, and how to share, as well as other basic knowledge like numbers or the alphabet. However, some underlying messages conveyed by these shows are more detrimental than beneficial to a child's social skills.
Television is so much more important than other media like books or movies because of its accessibility and abuse. Studies show that preschoolers spend an average of nearly 30 hours a week watching television, and start watching television from even 18 months old, making it a primary influence on the development of children.
Teresa Thompson in "Television Cartoons" suggests that in older cartoons female characters "needed to be rescued, caused trouble, talked less, worked in the home, and tended to fall in love at first sight." Consider the overt sexism in shows like "The Loony Tunes," where almost all characters are male and Bugs Bunny often dressed as a woman to distract Elmer Fudd; or "Animaniacs" who shout "Hellooooo, nurse!"
to the woman in a white dress, cinched at the waist to show off her bodacious body; or worst of all Jessica Rabbit in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" clad in a backless red dress with a slit up the side revealing most of her legs and huge knockers: cartoons have come a long way in recognizing females as equals, but not long enough.
Sex roles differ in various ways in children's television: In the amount of appearances in either leading or supporting roles, in the way characters act, or in the traits of characters. Statistically, males are not only featured more in leading roles than females, but also in supporting roles throughout all of television, not only children's shows.
"The Wiggles," a music and dance based show, features four grown men, Greg, Jeff, Murray, and Anthony as they sing and dance in silly costumes expecting children at home to join in. The music videos often show young women, always clad in dresses and high heels, as background dancers for The Wiggles. The only female character with dialogue is the yellow and green dinosaur, Dorothy, who lives in a purple and pink house eating roses and dancing ballet. Although a wildly popular show, the lack of not only female equality but any female roles in "The Wiggles" leaves the impression of some concerning messages.
Another long-lasting and popular show, "Barney and Friends," also sends some troublesome messages, though not nearly as controversial as those of "The Wiggles." Although "Barney and Friends" features children of all races and sexes, the actions of respective genders are often stereotypical. Kimberly Powell exemplifies these instances in her essay, "Sex-Role Stereotypes in TV Programs": in one episode, women in a family keep a quilt that they pass down from generation to generation; in another, children name their favorite animal and boys say lions and bears while girls say teddy bears and kitties. Although not as obvious as the differences in sex-roles in "The Wiggles," these gender differences shown in everyday scenarios cause children to expect certain actions and responses from each sex.
A more modern show, "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" broadcast through Nick Jr. has gained popularity since its 2006 debut. Wubbzy, a yellow half-gerbil half-rectangle creature stars the show with his pals, Widget, Walden, and Daizy. Walden, the other male creature is a purple bear who, according to the catchy theme song, is "really, really smart!" He often finds solutions, sometimes even to problems created by other characters. In one episode, Widget, the female pink bunny who likes to fix things, fixed the engine of the train, but when the train went too fast and couldn't stop, Wubbzy pulls the pin to the trailing cars,
allowing the other passengers to slow to a safe stop, and Walden reads the manual of the train while Widget sits helpless. Daizy, as suggested by her name, is a turquoise girly-girl puppy. She likes dressing up, sewing, and decorating. Once, when Daizy tries to tell Wubbzy that she can sing in his band, Wubbzy belittles her unintentionally by asking her first to decorate the stage and then to make the band costumes. Even in modern cartoons, males focus on problem solving and intelligence while females focus on flowers and decoration.
Finally, "Bob the Builder" stars Bob and his assistant Wendy. Although the secretary, Wendy is often more of the problem solver than Bob and actually shows herself to be more of a leader than her builder friend. Wendy is not only Bob's equal, but in many ways superior to him suggesting an equality between males and females. However, although equal in merit of personality traits, Bob is still the main character, and Wendy just his assistant, suggesting true inequality and prejudice.
Not only do these sex stereotypes leave a lasting influence on girls and how they should act when they are older, but they also influence boys and the way that they think they should interact with girls. Society cannot expect men to treat women with equality when television treats boys as superior to girls. Although television no longer exploits women like Jessica Rabbit, tones of sexism are still present and will continue having a negative effect on children.
Images from skee4all.files.wordpress.com/ and granades.com/wordpress/
Television is so much more important than other media like books or movies because of its accessibility and abuse. Studies show that preschoolers spend an average of nearly 30 hours a week watching television, and start watching television from even 18 months old, making it a primary influence on the development of children.
Teresa Thompson in "Television Cartoons" suggests that in older cartoons female characters "needed to be rescued, caused trouble, talked less, worked in the home, and tended to fall in love at first sight." Consider the overt sexism in shows like "The Loony Tunes," where almost all characters are male and Bugs Bunny often dressed as a woman to distract Elmer Fudd; or "Animaniacs" who shout "Hellooooo, nurse!"
to the woman in a white dress, cinched at the waist to show off her bodacious body; or worst of all Jessica Rabbit in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" clad in a backless red dress with a slit up the side revealing most of her legs and huge knockers: cartoons have come a long way in recognizing females as equals, but not long enough.Sex roles differ in various ways in children's television: In the amount of appearances in either leading or supporting roles, in the way characters act, or in the traits of characters. Statistically, males are not only featured more in leading roles than females, but also in supporting roles throughout all of television, not only children's shows.
"The Wiggles," a music and dance based show, features four grown men, Greg, Jeff, Murray, and Anthony as they sing and dance in silly costumes expecting children at home to join in. The music videos often show young women, always clad in dresses and high heels, as background dancers for The Wiggles. The only female character with dialogue is the yellow and green dinosaur, Dorothy, who lives in a purple and pink house eating roses and dancing ballet. Although a wildly popular show, the lack of not only female equality but any female roles in "The Wiggles" leaves the impression of some concerning messages.
Another long-lasting and popular show, "Barney and Friends," also sends some troublesome messages, though not nearly as controversial as those of "The Wiggles." Although "Barney and Friends" features children of all races and sexes, the actions of respective genders are often stereotypical. Kimberly Powell exemplifies these instances in her essay, "Sex-Role Stereotypes in TV Programs": in one episode, women in a family keep a quilt that they pass down from generation to generation; in another, children name their favorite animal and boys say lions and bears while girls say teddy bears and kitties. Although not as obvious as the differences in sex-roles in "The Wiggles," these gender differences shown in everyday scenarios cause children to expect certain actions and responses from each sex.
A more modern show, "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" broadcast through Nick Jr. has gained popularity since its 2006 debut. Wubbzy, a yellow half-gerbil half-rectangle creature stars the show with his pals, Widget, Walden, and Daizy. Walden, the other male creature is a purple bear who, according to the catchy theme song, is "really, really smart!" He often finds solutions, sometimes even to problems created by other characters. In one episode, Widget, the female pink bunny who likes to fix things, fixed the engine of the train, but when the train went too fast and couldn't stop, Wubbzy pulls the pin to the trailing cars,
allowing the other passengers to slow to a safe stop, and Walden reads the manual of the train while Widget sits helpless. Daizy, as suggested by her name, is a turquoise girly-girl puppy. She likes dressing up, sewing, and decorating. Once, when Daizy tries to tell Wubbzy that she can sing in his band, Wubbzy belittles her unintentionally by asking her first to decorate the stage and then to make the band costumes. Even in modern cartoons, males focus on problem solving and intelligence while females focus on flowers and decoration.Finally, "Bob the Builder" stars Bob and his assistant Wendy. Although the secretary, Wendy is often more of the problem solver than Bob and actually shows herself to be more of a leader than her builder friend. Wendy is not only Bob's equal, but in many ways superior to him suggesting an equality between males and females. However, although equal in merit of personality traits, Bob is still the main character, and Wendy just his assistant, suggesting true inequality and prejudice.
Not only do these sex stereotypes leave a lasting influence on girls and how they should act when they are older, but they also influence boys and the way that they think they should interact with girls. Society cannot expect men to treat women with equality when television treats boys as superior to girls. Although television no longer exploits women like Jessica Rabbit, tones of sexism are still present and will continue having a negative effect on children.
Images from skee4all.files.wordpress.com/ and granades.com/wordpress/
Final Piece: 1st Draft
When young, children internalize much of the world around them as they learn to become a person in society. Television programs for 2 to 5 year olds emphasize this aspect of childhood by featuring various lessons in each program: what is right and wrong, the consequences of lying, and how to share, as well as other basic knowledge like numbers or the alphabet. However, some underlying messages conveyed by these shows are more detrimental to a child's social skills than beneficial.
Television is so much more important than other media like books or movies because of its accessibility and abuse. Studies show that preschoolers spend an average of nearly 30 hours a week watching television, and start watching television from even 18 months old, making it a primary influence on the development of children.
Teresa Thompson in "Television Cartoons" suggests that in older cartoons female characters "needed to be rescued, caused trouble, talked less, worked in the home, and tended to fall in love at first sight." Considering the overt sexism in shows like "The Loony Tunes," where almost all characters are male and Bugs Bunny often dressed as a woman to distract Elmer Fudd, cartoons have come a long way in recognizing females as equals, but not long enough.
Gender roles differ in various ways in children's television: In the amount of appearances in either leading or supporting roles, in the way characters act, or in the traits of characters. Statistically, males are not only featured more in leading roles than women, but also in supporting roles throughout all of television, not only children's shows.
"The Wiggles," a music and dance based show, features four grown men, Greg, Jeff, Murray, and Anthony as they sing and dance in silly costumes expecting children at home to join in. The music videos often show young women, always clad in dresses and high heels, as background dancers for The Wiggles. The only female character with dialogue is the yellow and green dinosaur, Dorothy, who lives in a purple and pink house eating roses and dancing ballet. Although a wildly popular show, the lack of not only female equality but downright females in "The Wiggles" leaves the impression of some concerning messages.
Another long-lasting and popular show, "Barney and Friends," also sends some troublesome messages, though not nearly as controversial as those of "The Wiggles." Although "Barney and Friends" features children of all races and sexes, the actions of respective genders are often stereotypical. Kimberly Powell exemplifies these instances in her essay, "Sex-Role Stereotypes in TV Programs": in one episode, women in a family keep a quilt that they pass down from generation to generation; in another, children name their favorite animal and boys say lions and bears while girls say teddy bears and kitties. Although not as obvious as the differences in sex-roles in "The Wiggles," these gender differences shown in everyday scenarios cause children to expect certain actions and responses from each sex.
A more modern show, "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" broadcast through Nick Jr. has gained popularity since its 2006 debut. Wubbzy, a yellow half-gerbil half-rectangle creature stars the show with his pals, Widget, Walden, and Daizy. Walden, the other male creature is a purple bear who, according to the catchy theme song, is "really, really smart!" He often finds solutions, sometimes even to problems created by other characters. In one episode, Widget, the female pink bunny who likes to fix things, fixed the engine of the train, but when the train went too fast and couldn't stop, Wubbzy pulls the pin to the trailing cars, allowing the other passengers to slow to a safe stop, and Walden reads the manual of the train while Widget sits helpless. Daizy, as suggested by her name, is a turquoise girly-girl puppy. She likes to dress up, sewing, and decorating. Once, when Daizy tries to tell Wubbzy that she can sing in his band, Wubbzy belittles her unintentionally by asking her first to decorate the stage and then to make the band costumes. Even in modern cartoons, males focus on problem solving and intelligence while females focus on flowers and decoration.
Finally, "Bob the Builder" stars Bob and his assistant Wendy. Although the secretary, Wendy is often more of the problem solver than Bob and actually shows herself to be more of a leader than her builder friend. Wendy is not only Bob's equal, but in many ways superior to him suggesting an equality between males and females. However, although equal in merit of personality traits, Bob is still the main character, and Wendy just his assistant, suggesting true inequality and prejudice.
Although children's television no longer exploits women like "The Animaniacs" or "Rodger Rabbit," tones of sexism are still present, and will continue to influence children in a negative light.
Television is so much more important than other media like books or movies because of its accessibility and abuse. Studies show that preschoolers spend an average of nearly 30 hours a week watching television, and start watching television from even 18 months old, making it a primary influence on the development of children.
Teresa Thompson in "Television Cartoons" suggests that in older cartoons female characters "needed to be rescued, caused trouble, talked less, worked in the home, and tended to fall in love at first sight." Considering the overt sexism in shows like "The Loony Tunes," where almost all characters are male and Bugs Bunny often dressed as a woman to distract Elmer Fudd, cartoons have come a long way in recognizing females as equals, but not long enough.
Gender roles differ in various ways in children's television: In the amount of appearances in either leading or supporting roles, in the way characters act, or in the traits of characters. Statistically, males are not only featured more in leading roles than women, but also in supporting roles throughout all of television, not only children's shows.
"The Wiggles," a music and dance based show, features four grown men, Greg, Jeff, Murray, and Anthony as they sing and dance in silly costumes expecting children at home to join in. The music videos often show young women, always clad in dresses and high heels, as background dancers for The Wiggles. The only female character with dialogue is the yellow and green dinosaur, Dorothy, who lives in a purple and pink house eating roses and dancing ballet. Although a wildly popular show, the lack of not only female equality but downright females in "The Wiggles" leaves the impression of some concerning messages.
Another long-lasting and popular show, "Barney and Friends," also sends some troublesome messages, though not nearly as controversial as those of "The Wiggles." Although "Barney and Friends" features children of all races and sexes, the actions of respective genders are often stereotypical. Kimberly Powell exemplifies these instances in her essay, "Sex-Role Stereotypes in TV Programs": in one episode, women in a family keep a quilt that they pass down from generation to generation; in another, children name their favorite animal and boys say lions and bears while girls say teddy bears and kitties. Although not as obvious as the differences in sex-roles in "The Wiggles," these gender differences shown in everyday scenarios cause children to expect certain actions and responses from each sex.
A more modern show, "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" broadcast through Nick Jr. has gained popularity since its 2006 debut. Wubbzy, a yellow half-gerbil half-rectangle creature stars the show with his pals, Widget, Walden, and Daizy. Walden, the other male creature is a purple bear who, according to the catchy theme song, is "really, really smart!" He often finds solutions, sometimes even to problems created by other characters. In one episode, Widget, the female pink bunny who likes to fix things, fixed the engine of the train, but when the train went too fast and couldn't stop, Wubbzy pulls the pin to the trailing cars, allowing the other passengers to slow to a safe stop, and Walden reads the manual of the train while Widget sits helpless. Daizy, as suggested by her name, is a turquoise girly-girl puppy. She likes to dress up, sewing, and decorating. Once, when Daizy tries to tell Wubbzy that she can sing in his band, Wubbzy belittles her unintentionally by asking her first to decorate the stage and then to make the band costumes. Even in modern cartoons, males focus on problem solving and intelligence while females focus on flowers and decoration.
Finally, "Bob the Builder" stars Bob and his assistant Wendy. Although the secretary, Wendy is often more of the problem solver than Bob and actually shows herself to be more of a leader than her builder friend. Wendy is not only Bob's equal, but in many ways superior to him suggesting an equality between males and females. However, although equal in merit of personality traits, Bob is still the main character, and Wendy just his assistant, suggesting true inequality and prejudice.
Although children's television no longer exploits women like "The Animaniacs" or "Rodger Rabbit," tones of sexism are still present, and will continue to influence children in a negative light.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Jeff Bridges: Bridging the Great and the Unoriginal
"Crazy Heart" tells the story of a washed out Bad Blake, played by Jeff Bridges, struggling with love, age, and alcoholism. Director Scott Cooper makes no attempts to glorify the alcoholic, showing Bridges as a sweaty, vomiting, shirtless mess.
This repulsive view of Blake, though true to the image of an alcoholic, makes the romantic relationship between Bad Blake and Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, unbelievable. Gyllenhaal, although somewhat unattractive, is still presented in stark contrast to Blake as a young, successful reporter often clad in camisoles to reveal part of her bra. This polarity makes for awkward chemistry between the two that creates an overall uncomfortable feel.
Blake's interactions with Jean's son, Buddy, however, are more genuine. Bad Blake plays cards with Buddy, teaches him how to play paper football, and even pushes him on the swing with a crutch after a recent accident.
However, cliché shows its head when Blake takes Buddy to a bar and loses him. Gyllenhaal's reaction, though not exactly calm and collected, comes across as much less panicked and angry than expected of a mother proving Gyllenhaal's inability to play anything other than a teary, timorous woman.
The film is riddled with various unrealistic and cliché scenes, including a car crash from falling asleep at the wheel and most of Blake's recovery from alcoholism. Just as blatantly as Blake's doctor tells him, "You're an alcoholic," Blake tells his friend Wayne, "I want to get sober." Not only does Blake get into recovery immediately, but afterward, he shows no sign of relapse, unlikely for a newly recovered alcoholic. Although Blake's alcoholism was showed realistically, his recovery is questionable.
The film redeems itself through the original music performed both by Bridges and Colin Farrell, playing Tommy Sweet. Winning an Oscar, the songs like "Falling and Flying" and "The Weary Kind" were some of the only original parts of the film.
Tommy Sweet, the country music star guided by Blake some time ago, now overshadows Blake in the country music world. The relationship between the two is, once again, unoriginal: Sweet asks Blake to open for his show, and Blake as the obviously more talented artist grudgingly accepts. In a restaurant, a man asks Tommy Sweet for his autograph and though he accepts, Sweet tells the man that Blake's signature is worth more.
Farrell's character, though meant to introduce more complexities into Bad Blake's life, only muddles it.
"Crazy Heart" as a whole is unoriginal and forgettable, but Jeff Bridge's acting, winning him an Oscar, saves the movie but cannot make it great.
Friday, March 12, 2010
A Glamorous Night Honoring Only the Big Shots
The Academy Awards is one of the most important nights in Hollywood, dedicated to recognizing the greatest accomplishments in film each year and honoring those who accomplished them.
This year, instead of giving time to acceptance speeches, winners were told to save it for the back stage thank-you-cam to allot for time for a laughable—but not funny—opening musical number by Neil Patrick Harris, a tribute to horror film (questionably including an Edward Scissorhands clip), and an explanation of the definition and importance of short films and Sound Editing. Oh, and plenty of bad jokes from hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.
"The New Tenants" directors, winning the award for Live Action Short Film, were the first to get cut off. After Joachim Back finished his speech his partner, Tivi Magnusson moved to the microphone for his share of the speech only to be interrupted by the orchestra.
Later, Juan Jose Campanella winning for Best Foreign Language Film humorously thanked the Academy for "not considering Na'vi a foreign language" only to shout, "Oh no! Countdown!" a few seconds later as the clock was ticking on the final seconds of his short speech.
Much time was spent on the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress with speeches about the character and personality of each nominee by a colleague before the actual award was even given. The segment could have been more of a great honor and less of an ego stroking if only it had been shorter. Instead, its contrast with the limited speeches of the less famous winners made the act ostentatious.
Jeff Bridges' acceptance speech for his Best Actor win in "Crazy Heart" took the audience back to the days of his role in "The Big Lebowski" as the Dude when he thanked his parents for getting him into a "groovy profession" and said "man" a lot.
For her role in "The Blind Side" Sandra Bullock won Best Actress. Her acceptance speech was the best of the night. She starts by asking, "Did I really earn this, or did I just wear y'all down?" and continues by paying tribute to all of her competitors and moms everywhere.
Although she didn't win, actress Gabourey Sidibe was represented by Oprah Winfrey during the Best Actress speeches for her role in "Precious." Winfrey calls Sidibe an "American Cinderella" and concluded by saying "Precious is the first of many adjectives coming your way."
The biggest upset of the night was the announcement of "The Hurt Locker" as winner of Best Picture when predictions were highly in favor of "Avatar." Not only did "The Hurt Locker" win Best Picture but Kathryn Bigelow made Academy Award history as the first woman to win Best Director, rather than Bigelow's ex-husband James Cameron.
Full of bad jokes and plenty of tributes, this year's Oscars goes to show that the highest grossing film isn't always the best, high school actresses can be just as good as any star, and the greatest entertainers in America can be fairly unentertaining.
This year, instead of giving time to acceptance speeches, winners were told to save it for the back stage thank-you-cam to allot for time for a laughable—but not funny—opening musical number by Neil Patrick Harris, a tribute to horror film (questionably including an Edward Scissorhands clip), and an explanation of the definition and importance of short films and Sound Editing. Oh, and plenty of bad jokes from hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.
"The New Tenants" directors, winning the award for Live Action Short Film, were the first to get cut off. After Joachim Back finished his speech his partner, Tivi Magnusson moved to the microphone for his share of the speech only to be interrupted by the orchestra.
Later, Juan Jose Campanella winning for Best Foreign Language Film humorously thanked the Academy for "not considering Na'vi a foreign language" only to shout, "Oh no! Countdown!" a few seconds later as the clock was ticking on the final seconds of his short speech.
Much time was spent on the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress with speeches about the character and personality of each nominee by a colleague before the actual award was even given. The segment could have been more of a great honor and less of an ego stroking if only it had been shorter. Instead, its contrast with the limited speeches of the less famous winners made the act ostentatious.
Jeff Bridges' acceptance speech for his Best Actor win in "Crazy Heart" took the audience back to the days of his role in "The Big Lebowski" as the Dude when he thanked his parents for getting him into a "groovy profession" and said "man" a lot.
For her role in "The Blind Side" Sandra Bullock won Best Actress. Her acceptance speech was the best of the night. She starts by asking, "Did I really earn this, or did I just wear y'all down?" and continues by paying tribute to all of her competitors and moms everywhere.
Although she didn't win, actress Gabourey Sidibe was represented by Oprah Winfrey during the Best Actress speeches for her role in "Precious." Winfrey calls Sidibe an "American Cinderella" and concluded by saying "Precious is the first of many adjectives coming your way."
The biggest upset of the night was the announcement of "The Hurt Locker" as winner of Best Picture when predictions were highly in favor of "Avatar." Not only did "The Hurt Locker" win Best Picture but Kathryn Bigelow made Academy Award history as the first woman to win Best Director, rather than Bigelow's ex-husband James Cameron.
Full of bad jokes and plenty of tributes, this year's Oscars goes to show that the highest grossing film isn't always the best, high school actresses can be just as good as any star, and the greatest entertainers in America can be fairly unentertaining.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Midwest RAD Fest: Not So Rad
Friday night was snowy and cold from the winter storm yet the small Wellspring Theater in the Epic Center was packed. The Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival—playfully dubbed the Midwest RAD Fest—started with a disappointing initial concert, featuring five separate routines. The bottom level of seating became the stage, allowing the audience a detailed view of all dancers, and this attention to detail is where the dancers fell short.
The group performances were out of sync, and the multiple thumps during landings made that obvious. The choreography, instead of allowing dancers to work together, only allowed each person to dance individually without hitting others in the group.
Corrine Imberski, in her solo performance, danced mechanically in a spot light on one side of the stage, broke away to dance more freely, then danced the same mechanical dance on the opposite side of the stage, as if dancing for only one half of the audience at once. With such a small stage and a small theater, the format didn't make much sense.
The duet, with Michael Miller and Francesca Pileci-Bates, was a dance of two halves: the first featuring slow acrobatic lifts and tumbles, the second featuring many of the same moves but faster with more upbeat music. Although the second half was enjoyable, the slow motion of the first half caused shaking, straining muscles since their actions had little momentum behind them. Many moves left them unbalanced and such faults were distracting, overwhelming the performance. Also distracting was the age difference between Pileci-Bates and Miller, she being much older than him.
If any of the dancers used their faces to convey a feeling, it was pain (and probably unintentional, too). Otherwise, the faces were blank or bored, and at the end of each performance no one looked pleased with his or her performance.
The final performance, "At This Very Moment Breaking," wasn't even supposed to be performed, but was the replacement for a dance by Barbara Mahler who couldn't come due to inclement weather. This piece, danced to sounds of water dripping made into music, was an incredible performance and by far the most enjoyable of the night—not only for the audience, but for the dancers, too.
Replacing strained and pained with excited, these dancers wore a smile throughout the performance that told the audience that they knew what they were doing, they enjoyed dancing this piece, and they were proud of how well they did it. Many of the dancers had been in one of the previous features of the night, yet were completely transformed this fun, upbeat presentation choreographed by Cori Terry.
The group performances were out of sync, and the multiple thumps during landings made that obvious. The choreography, instead of allowing dancers to work together, only allowed each person to dance individually without hitting others in the group.
Corrine Imberski, in her solo performance, danced mechanically in a spot light on one side of the stage, broke away to dance more freely, then danced the same mechanical dance on the opposite side of the stage, as if dancing for only one half of the audience at once. With such a small stage and a small theater, the format didn't make much sense.
The duet, with Michael Miller and Francesca Pileci-Bates, was a dance of two halves: the first featuring slow acrobatic lifts and tumbles, the second featuring many of the same moves but faster with more upbeat music. Although the second half was enjoyable, the slow motion of the first half caused shaking, straining muscles since their actions had little momentum behind them. Many moves left them unbalanced and such faults were distracting, overwhelming the performance. Also distracting was the age difference between Pileci-Bates and Miller, she being much older than him.
If any of the dancers used their faces to convey a feeling, it was pain (and probably unintentional, too). Otherwise, the faces were blank or bored, and at the end of each performance no one looked pleased with his or her performance.
The final performance, "At This Very Moment Breaking," wasn't even supposed to be performed, but was the replacement for a dance by Barbara Mahler who couldn't come due to inclement weather. This piece, danced to sounds of water dripping made into music, was an incredible performance and by far the most enjoyable of the night—not only for the audience, but for the dancers, too.
Replacing strained and pained with excited, these dancers wore a smile throughout the performance that told the audience that they knew what they were doing, they enjoyed dancing this piece, and they were proud of how well they did it. Many of the dancers had been in one of the previous features of the night, yet were completely transformed this fun, upbeat presentation choreographed by Cori Terry.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Final Piece Pitch
I intend to write my final piece on gender roles in children's television shows. As a babysitter and older sister I find myself watching a lot of television intended for children of ages from 2 to 13, and although I'm not intricately knowledgeable of any of them, I know most of the major plot points. I'm not sure if I should aim more toward 2-6 age shows or 6-13 age shows, because although the older shows involve more typical gender profiling—girly girls and tough, rowdy boys—younger television shows have a greater impact on the child, and may be a more important topic.
For young children's television shows I could use programs like "Higglytown Heroes," "Maya and Miguel," and "Max and Ruby." For older children's television shows I could use examples from "6teen," "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," and "iCarly."
The way girls and boys are portrayed in children's television shows has a great impact on how children expect each gender to act and interact with one another. Expectations and presumptions formulated early in childhood carry on throughout life and determine the way these future adults will treat each other. Kids are most susceptible to things they see on TV and therefore the ideas conveyed through television shows are an important part of children's development: it is important that those ideas be constructive and equal rather than sexist.
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