Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl is one of the most popular shows on the CW network, and all around popular with teens and "tweens" around the nation. It tells the story of the charmed life of the upper east side teenagers living in New York City, as well as a family who lives a less than charmed life in Brooklyn. The lives of these kids is so departed from anything resembling normalcy in the lives of me and my friends, that i can't help but be entranced by it. Everything from the clothing to the partying of these people who are supposed to be my age, but i suspect they are at least 24. For fun, the guys may stay in their hotel suites and hire "adult entertainment," and the girls head to the most popular clubs and sip cocktails. Not exactly what it is like here in CR, and that is what makes the show so entertaining.

Although the lives of these upper east siders may seem completely detached from reality, they still seem to face a few similar conflicts as all teenagers do. For example, they were stressing over their upcoming SAT test in the last episode which is something that almost any junior in high school can relate to. One couple on the show is also dealing with being in a relationship when they don't have any of the same friends and come from completely different worlds. There are numerous other examples of normal circumstances in the show, but what makes it exceptional is the way Gossip Girl takes these realities to the extreme until they become almost unbelievable.

This is what i feel makes a great television program. When you feel you can relate to the show in some ways, but not too much so you get bored and turn off the television. There is a careful balance between relatability and tedium. Gossip girl is not boring because though the basic, underlying story may seem normal, the circumstances, the setting, and the characters take the storyline to a whole other place. Even though, at times, the show may seem almost unbelievable i know i will continue watching because that is the very reason it is enjoyable to watch.

What Would You Do?

I recently watched a special on ABC called, "What Would You Do?" This program was focused on sometimes awkward public situations and peoples reactions. The first part of the program was asking what would you do if there was a child standing alone on a busy street, with no obvious parents or guardians near, looking lost. At first glance i was shocked by the findings, but upon further contemplation, i found myself realizing how much truth there was in the experiment's results.

The findings from the experiment showed that most people would walk right by the child. When a passerby was asked why the walked past the child they replied, "I thought the parent was probably close." This makes sense, but i was still surprised that so few people stopped to help the 7-8 year-old children. It got even more unbelievable when the child began crying and asking people for help, yet many still walked right by. During a commercial break, i tried to convince myself that i would be above that kind of thing, and OF COURSE i would stop to help the poor lost child. Then, i began to catch myself in the lie. I really don't think i would stop. But why? What would make me, as well as so many other people keep walking?

The first thought that comes to mind is the desire to avoid a potentially awkward situation. For instance, what if i did stop to help the child, and the parent came up and accused me of trying to do something bad, or what if they got mad? Then i would feel ashamed, as if i did something wrong, and i will go to great measures to avoid that from happening. Another possibility is that i convince myself that the parent/guardian really is near by, and the likelihood of anything bad happening to the child in those few minutes they are alone is slim to none. These are the kind of thoughts that would cross my mind. I don't think that makes me a bad or irresponsible person, but next time i see a child alone on a street, i might take a few extra seconds to think about the implications of my actions. Maybe, just maybe, i wont keep on walking next time.

The Places Movies Take Me

I just finished watching The Other Boleyn Girl about an hour ago, and loved it. However, i cannot claim to be the most critical critic of cinema because i can usually find something good about almost every movie i have seen. On only a few rare occasions have i walked out of a movie theatre or turned off my television feeling like i wasted two hours of my life, with the exception of Meet the Spartans which was TERRIBLE!. The basic fact is, i love movies. Whether they are old or new, black and white or colored, historical or slapstickk funny. Movies have the amazing capability to take us as viewers anywhere we want to go, if we let our imaginations go there.

While walking out of the theatre of The Other Boleyn Girl it was like stepping out of a world so different from our own, into the harsh and bitterly cold rain of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was as if when i took those few steps from the theatre to my car, i not only crossed the street, but crossed into the dull, and sometimes frustrating reality of my life. This is why movies are so entertaining for me, and maybe some others. In a movie theatre, we are allowed, with exceptional movies, to witness the excitement that we feel life should be giving us. We watch the body language and listen to the dialogue as if it were a study of some sort. For me, i like to imagine what i would do if i was one of the characters. In The Other Boleyn Girl, i get to imagine what i would do to win the affections of a king. This can be done with books and television too, but there is something more powerful about a movie. In the darkened theatre, our senses become overwhelmed by the sites and the sounds of the story playing out in front of uson the huge screen.

In every movie from The Other Boelyn Girl to Talladega Nights to Finding Nemo there is special feeling one can get from the movies. When i itruly love a movie, i feel like i could watch it over and over again and never tire of it, and sometimes that is true. But whether or not a movie is my favorite or not, i can (almost) always find something to love about the cinematic experience and the places it can take me.

Weekends

Friday's were once a favorite day of mine in the elementary and middle school phases of my life, but now that i have been in high school for nearly three years, i have learned that Friday's are almost worse than Mondays. Yes, i know that may sound like an overstatement, but look at it this way: Friday is the day teachers LOVE giving tests. This is something i don't quite understand because it seems like they would have to spend their weekends correcting tests, but that is apparently not so bad because Friday is the test day of choice for majority of teachers. Teachers also love giving longer-than-usual homework assignments of Fridays. Lastly, Friday night is the night that you if one does not have plans nor do they want to make plans, they are considered an outcast. Obviously, Friday has its many down sides.

HOWEVER, Friday is also the first day of the weekend. This is supposed to mean fun, relaxation, and most importantly sleeping in for most people, unless your in a sport. Instead, athletes usually have to wake up by 7 in the morning to get ready for a day of competition. Not that this isn't fun...sometimes, but there are those instances where i would give anything to be in my warm bed sleeping instead of shivering out on tennis courts. Perhaps that is just me. Typical weekends of other teenagers my include parties (which are not always the smartest choice) and hanging out with friends. I hang out with my friends on the weekends, but sometimes I just want to be alone. I want to spend my time savoring (or should i say wasting) my weekend in preparation for another week of hard work with Wednesday quizzes and Friday tests.

The best way to savor a weekend varies from person-to-person. I know those out there who believe watching Rock of Love for six hours followed by a Tila Tequila marathon is the definition of a good time. I also have friends that spend their whole weekend doing homework. Although i admire these people, i can never hope to be as responsible as them. There are also people who fit into a miscellaneous category of watching you tube for a couple hours or googling their name and looking at all the found websites. I am not ashamed to mention i have done all of the above listed things on weekends before, but i think it's forgivable. We spend our whole week learning and working, and most of our Friday testing. Don't we all deserve a little mindless fun at some point during the weekend???

Missing School

Missing school is pretty much the best thing in the world, until you have to come back. Coming back is pretty much the worst thing in the world for a high school student. What was a joyous break from school for a day, comes back and bites you in the butt because you get pounded with makeup work and dirty looks from teacher for-gasp!-missing a day of school. Not all teachers are like this of course. Some are cool and tell you to make things up when you can, but having to face an angry teacher when returning to school is no fun at all. In fact, it almost makes missing the day not worth it.

The ideal day off of school comes straight from Ferris Buhler's Day Off. A classic movie of three young teens skipping school for a day out on the town in Chicago They do everything from a baseball game to being part of a parade. The best part of the movie is that they don't get caught and don't get in trouble. Also, according to what the viewers see, they have no homework to make-up when the go back to school. I, personally, would never have the guts to skip school, but it is still something that many kids fantasize about.

I have recently missed two days of school for a school event. However, i still have to make up multiple tests, quizzes, and write papers for my classes. This is extremely distressing for me because not only am i trying to juggle all of this work, but i am also a member of the tennis team and we have a meet twice a week. This usually wouldn't be a problem, but sometimes i must miss a class to travel to other schools for the meet. All of this adds up and can create quite a lot of stress for me. I know other kids are going through the same thing as well. All i can think of these days is the glorious summer that will come in a long 2 months. hopefully that will be enough to keep me dedicated to all my responsibilities...

Race '08- Pennsylvania Edition

Although it pains me to have to stoop so low as to write about the democratic presidential campaigns, I have no choice. This particular subject is all i hear about on the news and i cannot help but form some pretty strong opinions about the subject. Therefore i feel i must share these ideas with the world. So here i go...

The Pennsylvania frenzy regarding the democratic primary began a very long time ago. All of these emotions and, at times, hostilities had a rather dull climax last night. Hilary Clinton won the primary by 10 points. Although she was expected to win, it still made a lot of news and riled up a lot of people. It is not Hilary's victory that interests me, it is the way she went about winning. She played the dirty politician game bashing her opponent in a way that 68% of Americans feel was unjustified. This really bothers me for some reason. It showed the world her desperation to win in a state that, by the way, she already had a large lead in, and it showed that she was not above fair politics.

My personal favorite example of Hilary Clinton criticizing Obama was during the ABC debate. She brought up Obama's acquaintance with a former member of an organization that acted against the government using violence. She claimed that Obama was his friend and the Obama's policies would be affected by this man. My favorite moment of the debate, and possibly the election thus far, was when Obama responded to this accusation with some thing along the lines of, "wasn't it your husband who pardoned 2 members of this same organization, involved with the same acts of violence, before he left office?" Ii wish the camera would have shown Clinton's face because, finally, her harsh and unwarranted criticism of Obama had blown up in her face.

I am not trying to impose my beliefs on anyone. I am just saying that there is something i don't trust about Clinton and she seems like she will do whatever it takes to win the presidency, which I'm not sure is a good thing. But anyway, the Obama-Clinton saga will continue in Indiana and North Carolina in the coming weeks, and how interesting it will be to see how heated the "Race '08" becomes.

My Pondering on Earth Day

With it being earth day yesterday, i have decided that i will write about the truly fresh fad of "going green."This trend has become so popular with celebrities that, if one decides not to live an environmentally friendly life, then they are pretty much kicked off the A-list. With hybrid cars, special light bulbs, and choices as simple as reusable grocery bags, going green has never been more so easy, or so cool.

Leonardo DiCaprio is just one example of the many celebrities who have decided to make a change in their lifestyle and be Eco-friendly. But he is going beyond the call of duty. DiCaprio is working on films that are made to inform people of the damage being done to the environment, one example is The 11th Hour. He is also teaming up with Al Gore. that in itself shows that he will go to great measures to help the environment. but is all this working? Is it too big of a task, even for Leonardo DiCaprio, to try and shape and influence the minds of millions, even billions, of people around the world???

This is a hard question to know the answer to, but my guess would be, yes. There is no way that a handful of celebrities like DiCaprio can make everyone live a green life. Our country especially, is very used doing things our way, so when we are asked to change from something we know, like the kind of car we drive, to something unknown, many of us tend to hesitate. We all know that the environment is in trouble, but not everyone is willing to recognize that they can do something to help it.

Earth day is a good time to think about such deep things as global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps. If you don't do it on earth day, when the heck are you going to?

The Importance of Being Old

It has been brought to my attention that John McCain, if elected as our next president, would be the oldest president to date. I had never really thought about how age may influence the duties and decisions our president is faced with making everyday, but apparently others have. In a poll i saw on Good Morning America this morning, 27% of Americans were "turned off" by McCain's age (check out video of him defending his age). By turned off I mean they would be less likely to vote for him. At the same time, they polled people to see how many would be less likely to vote for Obama because he is black, and how many would be less likely to vote for Clinton because she is a woman. The results said only 8% would be less likely to vote for Obama and 11% for Clinton. I was extremely surprised by these results. Who would have thought that ageism would be more prominent in the 2008 election than sexism or racism?

Maybe a lot of people would see this coming, but i did not. Perhaps because i am a mere 17-years-old i cannot possibly understand the trials faced by older people. I cannot understand how they're age affects how they are treated and what people think of them. However, i suppose ageism is a more long term type of oppression because people rarely notice it, and if they do they might not see how it is wrong. Unlike racism and sexism it is not something that people widely consider to be an injustice, but people cannot prevent getting old, just as they cannot choose the color of their skin or if they are male or female.

Ageism is a prejudice we may all face in our lifetime. When elders were once the most revered and respected they are now sometimes forgotten or treated like children. Saying that John McCain would not be a good president because he is almost 72 years old may be the argument of many, but i am not sure it is a valid one. Can we really judge is effectiveness as a president based on age, and if so, is age necessarily a bad thing?

A Bad Influence???...I Don't Believe It!

While scrolling the the headlines of the day on E Online today I came across the headline, "50 Cent, A Bad Influence?" Frankly, I was shocked that this was a part of the daily news. As if there was even a question as to 50 cent's negative influence on society. With songs like Candy Shop, which has explicit lyrics and sexual innuendos hidden behind a metaphor of candy, as if the world wouldn't catch on, 5o cent isn't necessarily a saint. However, he is just one member of a large group of "gangster rappers" who flaunt their lifestyle to the millions of people who hang on their every word, or rap .

One distinguishing thing about 50 cent is dangerous record. One of the first things i ever learned about him when he come on the music scene (i think i was about 12) is that he was shot multiple times in some sort of gang violence. In the small world that is Cedar Rapids, IA, this doesn't happen, and if it did, one certainly wouldn't show off those kinds of battle wounds. But 50 has learned to turn his unfortunate circumstance into a fortune. 50 isn't the only one, Akon is another notable figure in the music world who has not set the best example for us, oh so impressionable youth of America.

Akon's claim to fame, besides his music, is the fact that he has been to prison. This normally would be a sort of social stigma, but Akon has turned it into millions of dollars in his bank account. He often raps/sings about his time in prison. But the very fact that he has reached the celebrity he is currently at is automatically sending out a message that even committing crimes can help you make it to the top. If Akon hadn't gone to prison he may have lacked the material to become such a successful artist. Just a thought. To add to that, Akon is still getting in trouble for assaulting people and having relations with underage girls. Obviously, this does not send out the most positive messages to their fans.

As much as these artists do pollute our society with their less than noble lyrics and unlawful actions, that is what makes them the superstars that they are. No one would want to hear them rap about love (that didn't involve sex), friendship, and peace. That is not who they are. They would rather rap about sex, girls, and gang violence. If that is how they make a living, so be it. But that doesn't mean I have to listen.

Olympics Gone Wild

The summer Olympics are on the way. In a short four months, the world will be watching the finest athletes from several countries display their talents and fight for the gold. I have always been a huge fan of the Olympics, but lately I have been somewhat distressed about the recent protesting and violence surrounding them. What has happened to make everyone so angry???

I know a little about the actual problems and unrest that are surrounding the 2008 games. Perhaps, my ignorance is the problem and if i was informed better the whole incident would make sense. However, the evening news has not informed me of the details so I will be telling you my reaction to the information they have told me. So far I know that there are some serious issues in Tibet. I believe Tibet wants their freedom from China, which is understandable. I also know China has been linked to the atrocities in Sudan, though the particular connection is unclear. However, these political issues of one country have suddenly affected the world, and I'm not sure that is right.

I am not saying that what China is doing is okay, because there are certainly problems with their government, as there is with most. I am saying that what was once an international affair that was focused on the bringing together of the world, has now become more about the country hosting the event than the event itself. I don't believe there should be violent protests against the games, because the athletes have done nothing wrong and by disapproving and boycotting their event, you are hurting them as well as China. Athletes from around the world have worked and trained and prepared for the Olympics almost their entire lives. This is their opportunity to exhibit their amazing skills on a worlds stage. I think we should let them perform in peace and find other ways to create change and show our displeasure with China. There must be other ways.