Archive | books RSS feed for this section

5 Reasons To Love Cardcaptor Sakura

18 Oct

For the past three weeks, I’ve been binge watching an old Japanese anime from my childhood: Cardcaptor Sakura. This year marks Cardcaptor Sakura‘s 20th year anniversary, and it looks like CLAMP has added a new arc to the Cardcaptor Sakura series to celebrate: The Clear Card Arc. There is also an anime project in the works. ❤ I did happen to read the first five chapters of the new arc. So far…Regrettably…I’m once again addicted. XD

Recently, I got wind that Cardcaptor Sakura had also been re-dubbed by Animax. As an anime fan, I couldn’t pass the opportunity to watch it up.

A little bit of nostalgia and a little bit of a fascination with mysteries and wonders in the world brought me into Cardcaptor Sakura in the first place. Re-watching it again, no matter how bad the dub sounds, how bad I have to focus to read subtitles, or how poor my Japanese skills are, I can’t help but want to watch and read the whole thing over and over again.

carcaptors-sakura-anime

No matter how many times I’ve watched this anime, I never get bored or tired of it. I couldn’t put my finger on it for the longest time. Why can’t I ever get tired of this anime? What about this anime draws me in every time?

Sure, there are plenty of great Shoujo animes out there. I’ve watched my share. But this one always seems to capture my heart every time I watch it. I usually consider myself tomboyish…But this anime brings out my “girlish” side (?). It’s just so darn sweet and cute. ❤

With that being said, I gathered 5 things I love about this anime and I would like to share them with you, readers, and maybe you might find you like these things about the anime too! For all of you newcomers to Cardcaptor Sakura, I recommend you give this manga/anime a try.

1 .Love Has No Definition

In the Cardcaptor Sakura universe, and fans know this, love isn’t clearly defined, isn’t one-dimensional, and it evolves. Truly, CLAMP, the writers of the source material, had no qualms with inculcating relationships that defy the traditional. In many respects, it was ahead of its time (since it did come out in the 1990s).

For instance, there is one couple in the series that consist of two teenage boys (though technically one isn’t human, but whatever). However you take their relationship, the material doesn’t hesitate to express that these two individuals love one another the most. They don’t turn this into something perverted or unaccepted. It seems to flow naturally in the story, is accepted, and is very romantic. It still carried a level of innocence that is not common with this kind of relationship. All of the relationships could be taken any way according to the reader. There are relationships between family that are highlighted to be stronger than relationships between lovers within this story. However you want to see love and romance, this story has a lot to offer.

Other relationships expressed in the story are still not considered acceptable. However, I applaud CLAMP’s bold approach to the romance genre and their ability to look outside of the box. Even with their canon romance, throughout everything, it was anything but boring.

I usually hate the romance genre. In anime especially, the love interest is usually super obvious and is developed long before the story takes off. It makes the following episodes boring. But I am completely obsessed with this story’s romance story.

2. Everything is Mysterious

I love anything mysterious and unexpected. Cardcaptor Sakura is full of magic and mystery. There was always a suspicious new character being introduced, always a mysterious card lying around, and the story behind most all of the characters are very peculiar and interesting. All of the characters could have their own spin-off series and it would be interesting. Though there was a lot of information left out, it didn’t stop the characters from growing,learning, and changing.

3. The Characters Are Layered And Evolve

Adding on from the last point, the characters are very individual, unique, and evolve. Even the characters one would think is the most stereotypical has something different happen to them that changes the character’s whole perspective on life, thus changing the reader’s opinion of them. The main character is an example of that. One would think that everyone would be in love with the main character. Isn’t that how it is in most Shoujo (directed to girls) anime? But not in this one. Though sure, everybody likes her, this character is not immune to heartbreak. And her idea of a love interest…certainly not someone people would initially think of as “love interest” material. In most shoujo anime, the main love interest is a handsome, tsundere/cheerful guy, who is usually older than the lead character. While this anime starts typically, it evolves into something entirely different…

All characters have strengths and weaknesses, annoying traits and charms. I can’t really say I hate any characters in the story.

4. The Music

This is particularly a point about the anime. The music is mystical and soothing at the same time. The scores are epic.

5. CLAMP-The Creators

What isn’t cool about an all female manga group? I’d say that’s pretty empowering. The four businesswomen who came together to make this project have managed to create a “stamp” for all of their creations. In many of their stories, there is always an element of mystery and intrigue. However, the most notably intriguing part of their animation is how similar all of their characters look. Many times, references are made regarding the similarities throughout most of their other anime and manga work. It almost seems like all of their characters are a part of one big universe and are all connected somehow.

There are four ways to get into the Cardcaptor Sakura story if you’re an English speaker: the translated manga, the Japanese anime subbed, the Nelvana dubbed version, and the Animax dubbed Version…

There are typically two arcs: The Clow Card arc and the Sakura Card arc. But, in the anime, they are covered by 3 seasons with 70 episodes in total. With the new Clear Card arc, there may be more. There are also two movies for the anime series.

The manga is the original source material. NONE of the animes are super close to the original story in the manga, not even the Japanese anime, aside from certain key events and characters. In the anime adaptations, there were many new scenes, extra cards collected, and new characters that weren’t in the manga. At the same time, the animes equally left out other interesting scenes you can only find in the manga. Still, the animes added all the main characters and the most important card scenes.

The Japanese anime was the first adaptation of the manga. You can watch this version with subtitles now.

The Nelvana dub changed the feeling and tone from the original Japanese anime. The cast sounded more “American” (with popular American names and customs replacing Japanese names and customs) and there are hardly any Japanese undertones. Many scenes were edited and chopped up, the opening and ending songs were changed, and the title was changed to Cardcaptors. Season 3 never aired on tv in some countries, so it may all be new to some Cardcaptors fans. They can be found online and in DVD sets. This anime was meant to appeal more to boys as well as girls. I enjoy the dubbing and music on this version. It feels more natural to me (and less cutesy 😉 ). It may be because I’m American and I started with this version. XD

The Animax version was meant to be the direct dub of the original Japanese anime. It does a decent job, but some parts aren’t completely dubbed, for whatever reason…

My advice is to read and watch whichever suits your fancy. I’ve found charms in all versions. ❤

Fans can also look forward to a new chapter in the story! I’m both excited and exasperated. I do love this anime and used to want to know what happened next. But I’m afraid that the anime will outwear its beautiful simplicity. I really liked where the manga and anime ended and I’m afraid things may be ruined or may turn sour with more added to the story. One thing that has ruined other anime and manga was having too many episodes and volumes. Everything must find an ending. I feel that this anime will be more of a gem where it’s at. At the same time, I wasn’t satisfied not seeing the rest. So maybe just one more arc would be fine…

I’ll tell you this…I don’t want to wait two more years before the anime is released. I hope the manga and anime are released simultaneously. I’m too excited! XD

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Have you watched this anime before? Do you agree with my reasons? If you love this story, what are your reasons for loving Cardcaptor Sakura? Do you plan to watch and have any more questions? I’m open to any discussions.

cardcaptor-sakura

Advertisement

Black History Month For Children: Learning Black History Through the American Girl Collection

1 Feb

Martin Luther King’s birthday has passed, and black history month is here, and so the focus may be on “black pride”.

Many children today really don’t understand their history, or rather don’t care about it, whether they are African American, Hispanic, Caucasian, Asian, Native American, Jewish,  etc. It’s a shame that I even had to witness African American children fall asleep during Dr. King movies. I’ve witnessed this recently at a school. They really take for granted the privileges they have obtained thanks to him. MLK would roll over in his grave if he could see how some of our young African American children are today.

The American Girl dolls and books to me are a great way to educate children about their history in a way that relates to them. Through the eyes of three nine to ten year old girls, children can learn to value their history, to be proud of themselves, and to work hard to achieve great things. I’m proud to announce that American Girl has added three African American characters to their Beforever line: Cecile, Addy, and Melody.

I’m not telling you to go out and purchase an expensive doll for black history month. But maybe you could read a story with your child, or get them one of the books from the library. Some parents don’t realize how important it is for children to know their history, but knowing what others have gone through helps them to develop admirable and likable qualities, such as compassion, empathy, understanding, and intelligence. They realize that everything isn’t going to be handed to them, and that it is up to them to make a future for themselves, no matter how challenging life gets. Children who understand history learn to appreciate what they have and to be content. Every privilege we have today-modern technology and political/social freedoms-we have because someone from the past worked so that we could. We also look to the past to learn for the future.

All of the characters in the American Girls series have something to teach kids. This month, we’ll be focusing on the African American characters.

Meet Cecile

Cecile‘s stories take place in 1853, centering around New Orleans, Louisiana during the worst outbreak of Yellow Fever in the city. While the story is fiction, many of the events in the stories really happened, such as the Yellow Fever epidemic and the city-wide Day of Prayer. Cecile is a wealthy French girl of color living in the French Quarter. Cecile shows a new side to African American history. While most children know of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, many do not know that there were rich black girls living prosperous lifestyles in the South. They are often not taught about the rich black culture that has existed in the USA prior to the Civil War. Cecile’s story focuses on the struggles she faces trying to help her family and her city find healing during a traumatic epidemic that hushes the lively spirit of New Orleans.

Though Cecile’s stories are shared with Marie-Grace, a poor white girl, Cecile still has a significant role in each story.

There may be several things that may concern readers when observing reviews of the stories. I always say consider what you can take from the series rather than focus on the negative. Perhaps I can give some suggestions that may make the introduction to these American Girl books easier.

“I don’t think this is good for black history month. Her stories are shared with a white girl.”

Cecile’s stories teach several things about black culture, even though her stories are shared with a white girl. While most of the world thinks most black people were either poor slaves or oppressed individuals who could only find poor housing and poor education, Cecile’s stories introduce a whole new side to black culture. Denise Lewis Patrick herself said that while researching, she found it surprising how freely people of color interacted with other races and how some black people lived in lavish circumstances.

Having a white girl share her story further teaches girls how different things were for black people in New Orleans before “Americans” entered the city. Though places were still segregated, people often mingled together at public events. And black people often had no strong desire to mingle with white people because it truly was “separate but equal”. Schools, ballrooms, stores, and other places were just as amazing for black people as they were for white people!

Slavery still existed, and of course slaves felt inferior. But wealthy black people owned large plantations in New Orleans full of slaves as well.

Through Cecile’s friendship with Marie-Grace, both girls learned to set aside their differences and see each other for the “content of their characters”. This is not only a good lesson for black girls, but girls of other ethnic backgrounds, too. I think this was exactly what MLK would’ve wanted. I think the series still teaches black history while bridging the gaps between two different races.

Some people may be concerned that Marie-Grace outshines Cecile in these stories. I can assure you that isn’t the case. Three books are dedicated to each girl. And Cecile plays a huge role throughout Marie-Grace’s stories as well. Just seeing how Marie-Grace reacts to Cecile can also give insight into the character and the time period.

“This book seems to gloss over the actual struggles blacks have experienced in the USA.”

Black history doesn’t only consist of struggle and hardship. Just as it’s important for children to recognize how hard black people fought for equality, it’s important for children to know that they can rise above any oppression if they work hard enough. It’s important for black children to recognize that they also have a rich history with a rich culture.

Many black people may not be able to relate to this era in time. That doesn’t mean the series has nothing to offer children. This is an opportunity for them to actually learn.

I think one of the most interesting things about Cecile, the main character, is that she speaks French. This series shows that African American girls of that time period were well-rounded and quite cultured. Who knows. This may encourage other black children to learn French. Even though these stories don’t teach about racism largely, the books have many other things to teach children regarding black history and culture.

But I would like to point out that racism is discussed, along with other forms of prejudice, throughout this series.

“Cecile, the main character, acts a little spoiled and self-centered.”

The American Girl stories, like any stories in the world, are full of a diverse group of characters. Of the three black characters offered in the line, Cecile stands out. I think it’s great that she isn’t “Miss Perfect” in every way, just like real girls. But throughout the series, Cecile learns to be more thoughtful, compassionate, and generous. Children today are pretty privileged in comparison to many girls who lived in the past. We all are! Children today don’t have to work. They can go to school. Most children can ask their parents for toys, games, I-pads, cell phones, new clothes and shoes, and other luxury items. They are very much like Cecile, where the smallest things can mean a lot to them. I feel that Cecile relates to black children in this way.

I think Cecile’s stories can help children of all backgrounds step outside of their comfort zones and learn about other cultures. These stories promote tolerance and diminish racism and cultural ignorance. By promoting these values, we establish peace. The next generation can move into the future with open minds if we help them open their worlds. Why not start with a story like Cecile’s? Keeping this in mind, I think her faults are forgivable.

Cecile may not be the most humble character, but she’s only like this at first. I think she was written showcasing some major flaws in the beginning in order to show readers how much she grew from experiencing a major epidemic. Her character works well with the story, and the evolution is obvious.

Events like the Yellow Fever brought different people together, even those who were unlikely to be friends. This shows that all of mankind has the ability to pull together when it matters most. During disastrous events like Hurricane Katrina, another event that struck New Orleans hard, and other natural disasters, children can relate to the struggles Cecile and Marie-Grace had, but can also find healing much the same way the girls did. These stories can help young girls cope with these events through child-size perspectives.

Reading along with the American Girl curriculum guides can really help teachers and parents as they read the stories to children: Cecile’s Book Guide

Meet Addy

Addy‘s stories take place from 1864 to 1866, centering around Raleigh, North Carolina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. While the story is fiction, many of the events in the stories really happened, such as the Civil War, Robert Lee’s Surrender, and The Grand Review. Slavery also existed, as we all should know by now. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was supposed to have freed the slaves in 1863, the year before Addy’s stories, much of the South saw themselves as a separate nation. So they ignored the Proclamation. Some slaves didn’t know about it because they couldn’t read about the news and no one would share information with slaves for fear they would run. But word eventually got around, prompting many slaves to try and escape their plantations. Many slaves were eventually freed by Union soldiers. Addy was raised a slave girl during this time. She and her mother planned a daring escape North in her stories. Addy’s stories focus on her life as a slave and her struggles as she and her family try to build a life for themselves as newly freed people of color.

There may be several things that may concern readers when observing reviews of the stories. I always say consider what you can take from the series rather than the negative. Perhaps I can give some suggestions that may make the introduction to the American Girl books easier.

“My child is very sensitive. Some of the things in the stories are too harsh for young children.”

Think about this: While your child is too “sensitive” to hear about real events, little girls like Addy actually had to suffer through torture and pain during this era. No one was around to “shield” them. Many children today go through such things, especially in other countries. “Sensitive” children are the ones that can make a difference in the lives of those suffering. I don’t think it would be right to try to “protect” a child from learning about events that can help them become a mature, compassionate adult. It’s best to protect them from things that will actually make them bratty and spoiled or physically harmed. Addy’s stories may hurt your child, but that shows that the stories reach your child. It’s not hurting them in a negative way. It’s teaching them to appreciate their freedoms. It will inspire the child to think outside of the box and grow a love of tolerance rather than hate. More than likely, your child knows wrong from right, and with you reading the stories with her or him, you can explain how some of these things are wrong.

While there are a few sensitive moments throughout the series, there are many happy and positive moments, too. There are also scenes that children can relate to. If you can get over the beginning of Addy’s stories, she really does have some happy endings.

“My child is still learning English. Addy doesn’t speak the proper English and I don’t want her speaking the way Addy does.”

“I can’t read this book. The vocabulary is horrible.”

Well we’ve reached a dilemma. How can someone teach the realities of slavery to a child when slaves didn’t really speak the way we think they should have?

This is exactly what has always been the problem and why black history is hardly taught in schools or anywhere else. And this is exactly what slave masters wanted long ago.

Addy and other slaves couldn’t receive an education, so they learned English by ear. Because of this, white people would look down on them. They wouldn’t hire them for jobs or listen to them when they spoke up on political issues. They sounded “uneducated”. So even though many were freed, they were still barred from living prosperous lives because they were looked down on. This was a part of racism.

I don’t think that parents should encourage such prejudiced attitudes by refusing to read Addy’s stories to their children. Instead, I think this presents an opportunity to teach your children how valuable education really is. After all, this is a history lesson, not an English one. History is taught through the accounts of many people, whether they spoke the way we think they should have or not. Even museums have journal entries written by people who don’t quite speak what we would consider “proper”. If your child already recognizes that Addy’s speech isn’t quite right, then there’s no reason to be afraid that Addy’s stories will make him or her speak “horribly”. They must already be at an age where they know the correct grammar. So, it’s your job to help your child understand Addy’s situation and help the child to understand that Addy really wanted to learn so people wouldn’t look down on her. And you can encourage your child not to look down on people just because of the way they speak, act, or dress. Perhaps you can also discuss how her snobby desk partner, Harriet, looked down on Addy for those very reasons, which further shows how hard it was for newly freed people.

The reality is that slaves lived this way. If you hide it from your child, you are allowing the child to grow up ignorant anyway. What would you rather do: Read about history and have a discussion about things the child doesn’t understand or prevent the child from learning about an important part of history to shelter the child from Addy’s “speech”?

Some time in your child’s life, your child may run across people who don’t speak English so well, even in school. There are no slaves in the USA today, but there are immigrants that come into the United States. Perhaps this can open up a discussion about helping students who don’t speak English well or a discussion about children who have been barred from receiving a decent education in the USA and worldwide. Perhaps you can encourage your child to develop a tolerant and empathetic attitude.

I want to add that while Addy and her family don’t speak English “properly”, the narration is quite solid.

Addy’s books are targeted to girls 8 and up, an age where they can understand the material, so reading it to any child younger would make things more complicated as well.

“Addy fits all stereotypes and makes all black people seem poor and uneducated.”

Let’s face it. Whether you hate or like stereotypes, this was the way many African Americans lived in this time. This isn’t like some Disney princess story. This is based on real history. Most of ALL black people came to America as slaves or indentured servants, and they all had to fight to be seen as “human” in the USA. There is no reason to be ashamed of that. It only shows how strong African Americans really were and only shows how far black people have come. To have endured such oppression and still thrive and survive is something we all should admire. There are other African American characters in the line that aren’t slaves, but we still have to face the fact that slavery existed. There’s no sense in brushing it under the rug, as the saying goes.

Though black people didn’t receive a “European-style” education, they weren’t dumb. They had to be very clever to outwit their slave masters and escape. Addy is very smart herself. She struggled hard to learn, but she worked hard and learned fast. She was able to rise to the top of her class in less than a month, even winning a spelling bee! She kept her mind sharp by solving riddles and guessing games. Her father was clever enough to devise a plan to help his family escape. Though slave masters tried to keep slaves ignorant, they couldn’t take away their ability to learn. Children today who struggle in school can learn from Addy’s example. Addy struggled but, by studying and asking for help, she was able to be a great student.

There are also black characters in Addy’s stories that have shown they were not poor and uneducated. Miss Dunn was black and was once a slave, but became Addy’s teacher. Addy’s desk partner, Harriet, was the smartest and wealthiest in the class. But should we look down on people who are poor and uneducated?

Addy’s stories teach girls not to judge people by outer appearances, status, or even the way someone carries themselves. By judging based on such superficial information alone, we create the same dividing lines that destroyed our nation during the Civil War. The North looked down on the South. The South looked down on the slaves. None of the sides could understand each other.

I really feel that through Addy’s stories children can recognize how lucky they are to have freedoms other children didn’t have. They can also learn tolerance. Help open your children’s minds by sharing Addy’s stories.

And she’s such a sweet girl to boot.

Reading along with the American Girl curriculum guides can really help teachers and parents as they read the stories to children: Addy’s Book Guide

american girl melody

Melody is American Girl’s newest African American character. Her stories take place from 1963 to 1964. Her stories focus on life in Detroit, Michigan during the Civil Rights Movement and 1960’s culture. While the story is fiction, many of the events really happened, such as The Walk To Freedom, The March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom, the Children’s Crusade, and the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing. Famous figures make cameos throughout the stories, such as Langston Hughes, Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Melody is a normal, suburban African American girl. She goes to school, plays with her friends, and attends her church every Sunday, much like children today. She comes from a large family (Baby Boom) and shares a connection with each member of her family. Her stories focus on black people’s struggle for equality in the USA and the role children played in the struggle for civil rights.

There may be several things that may concern readers when observing reviews of the stories. I always say consider what you can take from the series rather than the negative. Perhaps I can give some suggestions that may make the introduction to the American Girl books easier.

“The events in these stories are too scary for my child.”

Keep in mind that the children in these stories have had to face far more than reading a book about harsh realities. Many of these children fought for equality bravely and deserve to be honored. Many of these children gave up their lives. Perhaps these stories can be inspirational for your child. Perhaps these stories can teach your child to appreciate the freedoms we have in the USA. Push your children to inculcate love in their hearts for people who are different. Instead of shielding them from reality, help them to cultivate qualities that can help prevent some of the tragic things that happen in the story.

Many children in the 1960s were like children today. They were innocent. But events happened that tore children’s lives apart. It’s better when their parents hand it to them with an open discussion rather than “protecting” them with false expectations and lies or worse-the power of “omission”. There are ways to teach children important events without traumatizing them. There are ways to teach them about history in an empowering way. But we can’t act like these things didn’t happen. It’s best to teach our children early, when they are impressionable, events that will help them grow into respectful, compassionate adults.

You can’t get any more censored than the American Girls. Of all the history books in the world, they truly give history in a way that doesn’t sugar-coat the truth, but also in a way that relates to children. Don’t be afraid to introduce harsh subjects to children.

Still, these stories are geared towards children who are 8 and up. Though events can happen to any child, keep in mind that is the target age.

“I’m apprehensive about reading the Civil Rights era. Most stories and accounts make all white people seem evil.”

White people may have this concern. I understand it may be hard to face such evil scenes mentioned during the stories. Everyone knows that this wasn’t the fault of all white people. Still, such hatred existed and such attitudes even exist today. Looking to the past is important because it helps us to fix our mistakes and create a better future for humankind. If we all worked together and overcame our differences, imagine what we really could accomplish as a HUMAN race. Of course, we don’t want to stay stuck on the past, otherwise we’ll never create a future. Still, by reading about the Civil Rights Movement, we learn to develop love and tolerance. That is the black story. Through all of the African American characters, love and tolerance are important themes.

Civil Rights wasn’t just for black people, either. Imagine how many white people couldn’t marry a black person, or an Asian person, or someone Hispanic, even if they were in love with them. Segregation and racist laws even infringed upon the rights of white people! There are many white people who suffered and died because they said something that seemed “tolerant” towards other races or spoke out against racism.

Other nationalities were also oppressed and benefited from the Civil Rights Movement, such as the Native Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish families, and those of Latin American descent. Black people were the leaders of the movement, but it wasn’t a movement that only benefited black people. This is why it was an important event in the USA.

Women may have also felt inspired by the Civil Rights Movement. Many women had to push through gender boundaries in the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Many women today are still striving to make their mark on the world, so girls today can still relate to this movement..

Why did people have to fight for something so simple as civil rights? This is a question you could ask your children to make the topic easier.

Luckily, for you more sensitive souls, Melody lives in the North where legal segregation no longer existed. Still, racism did.

Aside from the topics on racism, though, Melody is actually a normal girl that I think any children can relate to. She likes flowers, music, getting pampered at a salon and spa, and spending time with her sisters. In fact, I think she and American Girl’s Maryellen, the 1950s red headed character, have a lot in common. If people didn’t make such a big deal about race, I imagine girls like the two of them could have been the best of friends!

Children may find that the events in Melody’s stories mirror some events they hear on the news in modern times. Melody’s stories can help children transition into serious subjects that they may even hear in their daily lives. Events in the story can help girls cope with modern day events that have affected children, such as the Sandy Hook tragedy or even some of the rioting going on right now on behalf of race and against police brutality or even the Charleston church tragedy. Children may have questions about such events, and Melody goes through some of the same trials children face today-only she lived in the 1960s!

Reading along with the American Girl curriculum guides can really help teachers and parents as they read the stories to children: Melody’s Book Guide

Even if you readers don’t want to jump on the American Girl book bandwagon, don’t forget to honor all of the black leaders who,through intelligence and courage, found a way to make life more free for everyone. If you ever want to learn about black history, now is the time to do so.

Though all of these girls come from different times, their feelings, struggles, and victories are very similar to children today.

Are You Getting A “Page Not Found” or “Sorry, No Posts Match Your Criteria” Message?

24 Jan

I regrettably have some bad news for those people who were hoping to read certain articles only to find that some articles are not working. I accidentally deleted a whole slew of interesting articles. And yes, I am sick! All of that hard work, gone down the drain.

I will try to make up for some of the articles, such as the

GOT7 Ideal Types

Which I had just promised two Got7 fans, fadebubble and pearlgem

f(x) Ideal Types and Charms

Unfortunately, I may not be able to write it exactly like I once did. 😦 But I will try my best to make an article that is similar to the ones that I lost.

The others are not replaceable as they were written so long ago, I no longer even have the draft for them.

Yes, this makes maneuvering difficult. I apologize for the let down and I will try to restore whatever I can.

There are still plenty of other articles that may appease your interests. If not, I’m weally, weally, sowy. 😦

-From the Writer, GenerationNext

The Bechdel Test Amendment: The Bly Test and The Socratic Test

24 Oct

Dykes_to_Watch_Out_For_(Bechdel_test_origin)

I recently just heard about the Bechdel test. As someone who is all about equality, I am surprised I’m the last to know about this examination. I heard about this test when I was in a debate about whether Frozen was a feminist movie or not. I was told, “At least the movie passed the Bechdel test”.

The Bechdel Test was a short, three-step test designed in the 1980’s by cartoonist and feminist Alison Bechdel. She had a character in her comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, that presented the idea. The character said she would not go to the movies if the movies were missing certain standards. These were the following requirements:

1) It has to have at least two women in it who…

2) Talk to Each Other About…

3) Something Besides a Man

Later someone added a fourth requirement:

4) The women must be named characters

I know, the requirements are amusing, but very well-thought out. It’s a good start, considering the ideas were formed over 20 years ago. This three-step standard seems to have become the deciding factor over whether a work of fiction is female-suitable, and thus whether the fiction makes it “feminist”-friendly.

Again, while I think the standard is a good start, I think the test is too simple and is flawed. Critics have pointed out the flaws. While I think it was an amusing strip, and good for a short read, I don’t think it’s thorough enough for people to go off of full-throttle. Here are a list of flaws:

1) While it mentions that a movie should have at least two main characters, it doesn’t specify whether those two females should be important to the story or influential (which the Mako Mori test covers, more on this later).

2) It doesn’t cover content. While there may be females in a movie, the content could be very sexist or very stereotypical in nature.

3) The idea of whether a man is included in a story conflicts with true feminism. Feminism is the idea that the genders are equal. The exclusion of male roles would not be fair or equal. It would also not make a woman’s movie equal that of a man’s because every “male-oriented” movie includes a woman in it. The extent to how much a man should be mentioned isn’t specified. Does this mean that a woman can’t even mention one man at all with another female? Does this mean that she can talk about a man, but not exclusively? Does this mean the content should exclude a relationship between a man and woman? Could a woman have a romantic interest that’s male, but still not talk to another woman about that love interest? There are too many blurred lines here…

So, if we only let the Bechdel test alone decide feminist content, we would be glossing over greater fictional issues.

mako mori

The second test that comes after the Bechdel Test is the Mako Mori Test. The standards for this test is as follows:

1) At least one female character…

2) Who gets her own narrative arc…

3) That is not about supporting a man’s story

I think Law and Order: SVU passes both tests…

This broadens the requirements a bit more, but still fails to cover content or gender equality. We are in the depths of the 21st Century. It’s time to bump up the requirements.

It seems extra strenuous to tack on more requirements. Even meeting these requirements is challenging. One of the reasons it’s so challenging is because there are not enough women influencing entertainment beyond being an entertainer. Though women have influenced literature, there are hardly any women producing music, music videos, or movies. One in six directors, writers, and producers are actually women. I’ll bet the greatest number of females are singing, dancing, or modeling…Being an image for the camera rather than behind it…

Another reason this is all so challenging is because it’s easier for male-oriented movies to appeal to both genders, but it’s harder for female-oriented movies to do so. Many times, female-oriented movies have to cave some of these requirements in order to get box office hits. Let’s face it: Men will not support a woman if she’s not attractive. Men make up viewer numbers, and if they don’t watch it, it will have a harder time being bigger than a male-oriented movie that gets viewership from both males and females.

The third issue is whether the standards match reality. The reality is that some women themselves are only interested in movies that deal with men and/or traditional feminine interests. Look at the success of the Twilight series. Look who wrote the series: A woman. In order to meet these standards, there needs to be a complete re-working in the mentality of the next generation.

To add, there are women who audition for stereotypical roles in movies, write about stereotypical lifestyles, and present stereotypical images in music videos all the time. If they support it, the issue will persist. As long as up-coming actresses settle for any female role, even if that role is stereotypical in nature, directors will continue to represent women the way they want to. The real question is: How does the modern female see herself, and will these views conflict with another female’s idea of “equal”?

Read my article: Feminism Today: Is it Real or Overrated?

The fourth issue is the true goal of all women. Is the Bechdel Test designed to promote a feminist agenda or some other form of female empowerment? We have to remember that female chauvinism and misandry still exist…Do women really want a movie that is equal to a man’s? Or do they want a movie that exclusively represents women and her glory? Women are not all united in what they want, so pleasing women on a universal level is difficult.

What is the difference between feminism, chauvinism, and misandry? Click me and Find out

The Bechdel Test hasn’t done enough to put men and women on the same level. This depends on if this is really what women want…

The Bly Test

Because of the above issues, there needs to be stronger, firmer lines and boundaries. I decided to write an amendment to the Bechdel Test. I decided to create my own modern, 21st Century test called the “Bly Test”. These requirements are for the ULTIMATE feminist movie. If you readers agree with my test, then you can set it as your standard. If you don’t, feel free to comment on my draft. I will always consider possible flaws in this draft, but I at least want to begin somewhere new.

Why the name “Bly”? I am inspired from Nellie Bly, a daring female reporter who invented Investigative Reporting. She went undercover as a mentally insane person and wrote about her experiences in an asylum. She also traveled around the world in 72 days! That female dared to do what no female before or after her would do and she broke ground in the reporting industry. This new test I’m thinking of is made to break new ground in fiction. If Nellie Bly can dare to be a different sort of writer, why can’t women dare to be something different in writing? Nellie Bly wrote about exciting stories with herself as the main character! And her stories would probably pass both the Bechdel Test AND the Mako Mori Test, if ever someone gets around to writing her story or creating her live-action movie. I’m really surprised there are no movies on this woman…

bly

That aside, I have my own standards. So, here I go.

1) The fiction has to have a female lead character…

2) With her own Story Arc…

3) That should not be supporting a Man…

Very similar to the Mako Mori Test. Sure, there are plenty of female lead characters in movies today. So, keep it rolling. We need more women playing the lead and not the lead love interest…I will keep it moving…

4) There should at least be one or more female supporting characters…

Yes, this bothers me. There are a lot of lead female characters, but I notice that all the other supporting characters tend to be male, especially in animated movies. For instance, in Mulan, Mulan was a strong female heroine, but she was the only one. All of the other supporting characters were male. Princess and the Frog had one female supporting character that provided comic relief, but the rest were male (Yes, I’m including the alligator and firefly). In male movies, most of their supporting characters are male, with one female love interest. Sadly, women only choose males for most of their support, too. It’s okay to have a love interest, but one work of fiction should still include more female characters as support. Even Hunger Games had more male supporting roles than female. Divergent took a risk and ended up having more female supporting characters, but the lead support was a male love interest…Not that this makes the movie different from a male-directed movie.

5) If it has elements of comedy, Main Female Character and/or Female Supporting Characters Must Provide Comic Relief and Personality…

Many females do not get respect for being funny. More male comedians get respect than females. I was very pleased when Terk from Tarzan and Dory from Finding Nemo provided comedy. Both female supporting characters did not turn out to be love interests. I was very grateful. Even Thor had one female comic character. I wish that more movies made women entertaining, and not dry and serious all the time.

And main female characters are usually even more boring, moral, and serious. Women seem irritated and defensive about everything. I don’t think that’s how they should be represented. Even Katniss Everdeen, Tris, and Hermoine seemed overtly serious and focused.

I find because women lack “personality”, they lack entertainment value. They are so serious, so focused, determined, defensive, and ambitious, they are too serious. We need some recklessness, some drama to the character, some humor from her.

6) All Female characters Must Be Named.

As was added to the Bechdel Test, it will also be added to the Bly Test.

7) The Female Must Have a Goal, Dreams, or Aspirations…

I shouldn’t even have to mention this, but I will. Just in case.

8) And the Female’s MAIN GOALS In life Must Not Lean Toward Fashion, Romance, Social Status, Singing, or Dancing.

We are missing a strong group of females in the sci-fi or technology genre. Most lead females, especially in fiction geared to children, focus on fashion, social status (like Material Girls or Mean Girls), romance, and music, like dancing and/or singing. The problem are these goals focus a heavy lot on appearances and the body. We need more characters that aspire to be rulers, adventurers, or even women who discover something or invent something. I would love a female to lead a story like Atlantis the Lost Empire. I’m not saying there should be no fashion, social status, singing, romance, or dancing AT ALL. BUT I feel women need to move away from these hobbies and goals just a tad bit more. It would do some good to have variety. Women should show the world that they have various interests and that they are capable of intelligence.

9) Female Lead Must Not Focus on Her Looks, Not even to Impress Love Interest, to Satisfy Herself, or to Impress Viewers/Readers.

Women in fiction focus entirely too much on fashion and pretty looks. Even Frozen‘s Elsa decided to dazzle the crowd with a glittery dress when she could’ve expressed her freedom with the clothes she had on. I have more to say on this on another article. A female must use her actions to impress the audience/reader, as well as any love interests or admirers. Is this so hard to ask? If women themselves focus so much on their own looks, how can anyone ever think women are anything more than pretty faces?

Surprisingly, Alice in Wonderland accomplishes this.

10) The Female Must Save the Day Without the Assistance of a Male.

The female must take down the final villain all on her own, with no assistance from a male. Mulan accomplished this.

11) If there is a female villain, She Must Be A Strong Female Villain and/or Rival, who isn’t evil because of her appearance or a broken heart. If he is male, he must still be a strong opponent, even if the hero is a female…

12) And they should have Female Minions

I’m so tired of these weak female villains who turn out to be victims. We need some seriously ferocious female villains. That’s what I appreciated about Divergent. Why must a woman only be evil or have ambition when a man is her motivation for wanting revenge or anything else in life? And I know a villain isn’t flattering, but sometimes a movie is as good as it’s villain. Look at the Joker from The Dark Knight? Even a good female anti-hero would suffice, one like Jack Sparrow. Women are too, well, stuck-in-the-mud with righteous views. Why can’t women be good super villains or confusing ani-heroines? Why should female heroes only have villains that are easy to take down? That was what was disappointing about Frozen. Aren’t women strong enough to be challenged in a a great way? Villains test the strength of main characters. Without a good antagonist, how can we admire the hero? And what better way to challenge a female heroine than with another strong female antagonist?

13) All female animal characters should not be defined with a bow or with the color pink.

As if all girls like pink. I hated pink as a child, and I still do. It’s my least favorite color. I’m the least attracted to characters in pink, which is why the Pink Ranger in Power Rangers was my least favorite Ranger…The bow thing just adds to much girlishness. This wouldn’t happen if #4 was exercised. Once you use the bow on one character, what will you use on the second female? Oh, maybe something pink. How frustrating. Again, this is why I liked Terk and Dory.

There is also a sad lack of female minions. The male minions even take center-stage over female minions.

Basically, if a movie meets these requirements, some of our feminist problems will be solved. There would leave no room for women to complain. We covered adventure and action because without fashion, performing arts, and romance, what is there left in genres? Sci-fi, action, adventure, or family drama is left! We covered women being a main character for once. We covered women having a shot at supporting other females, and we even covered villain equality. We covered content and goals. Everything else should be up to the creativity of the writer. If we put too many rules on this, it would actually be limiting.

The Socratic Test

While putting standards on a movie that is geared towards women with female leads is challenging enough, it’s really not enough to equalize the genders. There are still challenges. Really, to achieve a completely feminist movie experience, we have to alter our views of men in movies as well. Really, the reason many women are portrayed so stereotypical is because men are also portrayed as one-dimensional. The roles that our men play influences the  roles that will be pinned on women and vice versa. If women have stereotypical views of men, how can they expect men to open their minds on women? If men have very rigid views of themselves, they will be rigid in the way they view women. For instance, if a woman expects a man to be the bread-winner in the household instead of stay-at-home dad, to be the brave one, and to suck up all of his emotions instead of crying, then who does she think should play those roles? It will fall back on her. It will have a reverse effect.

I remember reading the comments’ section on Youtube about the recent “Brony” movement. You know what was sad? There were women who said they wouldn’t date a man who liked ponies. Many of the girls had the nerve to say, “They want a manly man”. What, by chance ladies, is a manly man? If you think that a man should be a certain way, if you are that way, do you believe that is “acting like a man”?

Read article on Bronies: Brony Movement

Read up on the Feminist Frequency, as she talks about tropes dealing with men and women: A Real Feminist

Therefore, the next challenge rises.

The Socratic Test is named after the Greek philosopher who was the principal founder of many of the modern philosophies many westerners go by today. He believed that people should be concerned about the welfare of their family’s “souls”. He believed virtue could be taught, and that successful fathers did not necessarily make successful sons. He believed that each person had their own virtues separate from their upbringing, and he encouraged men to develop friendship and love among themselves. He believed that good virtues were more valuable than possessions. I believe he had the best idea on life for men.

Socrates, AC Grayling

The biggest problem is again, deciphering what is real and what is ideal. So, if any of you disagree with these standards, feel free to comment and explain why you do.

The problem with this test is that some men are very traditional and very rigid. In fact, men tend to be more closed-minded in this regard than women. Thus, men still admire the tropes that have actually been to the detriment and decline of men. It leaves men trapped in stereotypes and limits the options men have.

So, here are my standards for male and female-oriented movies:

1) The male protagonist must not have the main objective of winning a female love interest, she must not be the reason for his goals, neither must the Villain use her as leverage. 

I can’t tell you how many male movies are like this. In fact, what male movie does not have a woman as his main objective? Most males seem to do everything to impress a woman. And worse, the villain always uses her to get under the main protagonist’s skin.

This goes for female-directed movies, too. Most of the men in these movies serve no other purpose than to be the love interest. Their goals in most media is geared towards women. Even in a music video, the men are portrayed as showing interest in the woman while she just shyly rejects him. His goal throughout the video is usually to obtain a WOMAN. This shows people that men live their lives through women, and without women, they don’t have a life.

In fact, if we omit the women out of every male-oriented movie, for many, there would be no story.

I’m not saying there should be NO women or no female love interests. But she should not be the main goal or a reason the villain finds the hero weak. If this stereotype is omitted, that would be the end of damsels-in-distress, therefore, fitting a feminist agenda as well as showing more sides to men.

Superman fails this so strongly. Pretty much, every super hero movie existing today does.

2) The Story must not be focused on Sports if the male is the main character.

I’m not saying that the male lead can’t have an interest in sports, however, I don’t think the movie should be sports-focused. There is a heavy load of men missing in other professions on the big screen. This is especially evident in the black community. Black men are only portrayed as successful when they are athletes. This limits their options. Even movies about famous historical figures center around African American athletes. What about Black inventors? Artists? Dancers? There are other famous historical black figures that are male.

Again, I’m not saying a male can’t be interested in sports. That’s unrealistic. But the main goal of the story should not be driven by a sport.

3) The lead male must be a good character with a clean background.

I’m tired of the bad-boys-gone-good tropes, especially in female-directed movies like Endless Love, Twilight, Divergent, and many others. Why can’t men, especially love interests, be portrayed as good guys? It’s no wonder boys have such pressure to act bad! The highest number of crimes in the world are committed by men. And it’s all attractive until someone gets hurt. We can do better than that.

Men are always associated with chaos. For once, I challenge a producer, director, and screen-writer to create a character who doesn’t commit a crime or doesn’t intentionally harm someone. I dare them to create a character without a “bad past”. These portrayals aren’t always realistic anyway (Twilight). They glamorize a life that is not real. I had one girl tell me she hopes to find a man like Edward from Twilight…A vampire, she said. Face palm time.

I’m including “playboys” and “pimps” in this category. I’m not including men from the slums or “the streets” if they did nothing wrong on those “streets”. This especially applies to black men. This is why people don’t respect black men. They are portrayed as thugs and men who don’t have any stability or money unless they are committing a crime or pimping off some women. I’m tired of these tropes.

I’m not including one minor mistake the main character makes. That’s passable.

4) Violence should not be encouraged as the only way the main male protagonist solves his problems.

In almost every single movie surrounding men, violence is usually the main theme. It’s as if men do not have more intelligent ways of solving their problems unless someone is dead. Perhaps they could use their brains? Perhaps he could use other tactics, just like in Atlantis the Lost Empire.

In fact, Atlantis the Lost Empire passes the Socratic Test. Drumline also passes the test.

So let me know what you think about my amendment! You think it would work? What other additions do you think I should add to the Bly Test and Socratic Test? Leave a comment and let me know.

VIZ Media Stops DCTP Translations and Scans of the Manga Detective Conan

24 Jul

So I go on DCTP.ws to get my dosage of Detective Conan to find this:

dctp

VIZ Media sent a notice to DCTP, The Detective Conan Translation Project,  an online message board for Detective Conan fans, telling them to stop scans and translations because apparently VIZ owns the “rights” to Detective Conan. DCTP was known as a website that translated the Detective Conan manga, and at one time anime, for English-speakers, since most English-speakers had no manga complement as decent as the Japanese version. DCTP drew in fans from around the world. The team was very dedicated to their job of translating, even though many had other things to do. They were greatly appreciated. The same outrageous thing happened when SOPA and PIPA cracked down on pirating movies and shows on the internet, and so DCTP had to cease their translations of the Detective Conan animes. I was alright with that as longs as I was able to read the manga. And there wasn’t an English anime airing on my t.v. And I certainly don’t want that trash, Case Closed, ever airing on Cartoon Network again. In fact, there was never a good English anime complement to the Japanese version. DCTP’s manga scans helped that. But then VIZ just had to drop the bomb.

Here’s my thing. Why now, of all times? DCTP has been around for YEARS, and they choose now to say something? VIZ Media, if you own the rights, why haven’t you been doing your job of translating the manga at the same pace as the Japanese version? I am sure DCTP wouldn’t have translated the manga had there actually BEEN some decent mangas for them to read in ENGLISH! DCTP did a better job of releasing the English scans in a timely fashion, nearly matching the timing of the Japanese manga, and they weren’t even getting paid! VIZ Media is SLOW and PATHETIC.

I don’t speak Japanese, and I don’t READ Japanese. I appreciated a website that provided a decent, well-translated manga. VIZ Media is GARBAGE. They do not know how to make good dubbed material. They translate the mangas they want to translate, and if it doesn’t give them the satisfactory number of sales they want, they will cease translation altogether. That was a perk I will sorely miss from DCTP. They were loyal, hard-working fans that would never stop translating because they enjoyed reading Detective Conan themselves and made a hobby of sharing it with other international fans.

VIZ Media never cared about manga and anime fans. All they care about is making money from anime geeks. They hope to make a profit from this. But sadly, they won’t. You know why? Because their translations are 10 years behind JAPAN’S! Over half of the English audience is 10 years ahead of VIZ Media in the story. By the time VIZ Media chokes up the most up-to-date file, English-speaking fans will more than likely just give up on the series altogether. And by that time, Japan’s version will probably be OVER! DCTP was up-to-date. VIZ Media fails as a company altogether. I understand VIZ is a company and has to make money to eat, but they don’t put the same effort behind Detective Conan that DCTP did, and that’s the truth.

Another crappy addition to VIZ Media’s version is the SCREWED title, Case Closed. Why couldn’t you have used the ORIGINAL title, Detective Conan, VIZ Media? I understand that there’s a show that already has rights to the name “Conan”. But couldn’t you have called it Detective Kudou instead? Let’s also add the fact that Ran’s name is RACHEL and Shinichi’s name is JIMMY! Why those changes? Oh, why! Why is my worst nightmare coming true! Most of the cast’s names have been changed to sound more “American”, and it’s horrifying. The Detective Boys are the “Junior Detective League”, Mouri Kogorou is RICHARD MOORE, Ai Haibara is VI GRAYTHORN (WTF?) and Heiji is Harley Hartwell! Oh, just shoot me! Shoot me now!

I might not be buying or reading another Detective Conan manga until File 84 comes out in English. And when will that be? Another FOUR YEARS? This is the most disappointing news I’ve received! And when I do get it, I won’t be reading about Shinichi Kudo. Oh no. I will be reading about Jimmy Kudo! ARGH! The agony! I can’t even cringe my way through that!

I’m also reflecting on all of the Japanese cultural moments that were so eloquently translated by DCTP. VIZ Media just loves to take Japanese tradition and culture, and STOMP America all over it! They butcher over half of their mangas to make it more “understandable” for international audiences, and it just usually ends up a pile of train-wreck! They never translate the volume almost EXACTLY like the Japanese manga, and certainly not the way DCTP did. VIZ translates, omits, and re-writes everything! They are likely to change a popular Japanese board game into checkers! WHY! Please tell me this isn’t so! I knew this was coming one day, but I guess I wasn’t as prepared as I thought for this day. I count it as a lost in my manga world.

For people around the world who don’t have to deal with VIZ, you are fortunate.

I think this is probably the worst news I’ve heard this month…

No, wait. f(x)’s schedule for this week and next week have been wiped clean. Today is not my day…

Case_Closed_Volume_36

Not Case Closed! Anything but Case Closed! NO!

American Girl is Retiring Four Dolls At Once!

20 May

American Girl has decided that Cecile, Marie-Grace, Ivy, and Ruthie don’t fit into their “future plans” when it comes to Beforever.

So, now these girls will be in the Archives.

Yes, Mattel was so inconsiderate, they had the audacity to make this announcement just TWO MONTHS before Beforever, like people are going to be rushing like chickens with their heads cut off to buy FOUR $100 dolls in just TWO MONTHS!

You know what, screw Mattel. I’m glad I’ve gotten all the dolls I want because I would be skeptical about any purchase I make from them from now on. I still support American Girl for providing wholesome dolls for little girls, I still support the educational value of the brand, but as a company, American Girl aka Mattel SUCKS.

american girls retired

American Girl LIED to fans stating previously on facebook: “We don’t plan to retire ANY dolls this year”. Yea, full of lies, just as I predicted. This was confusing and breached any trust people had in this company.

Come on. American Girl has been planning Beforever for TWO years. We all saw Beforever trademarked a long time ago. It had to have taken them at least a year to design the clothing and concept. They KNEW these dolls would be retiring long before MAY. They could’ve announced it long before. And why are the store workers more open about it but the FB workers so “oblivious”? Store workers said the dolls were retiring while FB kept saying none were retiring this year. Right.

I already can’t stand what their new “fresh approach” is looking like. I do like the idea of consolidated books and the new images. However, everything else just pretty much bombs for me. I also might support the 1950’s doll, if she even turns out all that great. I’ve seen prototypes and I despise all of the pastels showing up on the American Girls so far and those over-used hazel eyes.

My article on American Girl’s Beforever

I was never a huge fan of Marie-Grace and Cecile, and I never saw the fairness in the Best Friend dolls, since all the girls’ best friends never had dolls. But Ivy WAS the only Asian Historical Character. She was nothing more than a side-kick, but a doll little Asian girls could relate to. Marie-Grace and Cecile have become a major part of the line. Cecile has shown people that there is more to African Americans than slavery. I guess only “Vanilla” fits into American Girl’s vision of “fresh and new”. They only had five other diverse girls that were a part of the main line (And no, I’m not including the side-kick Ivy, but I’m including Rebecca because her ethnic religious background is different). Now, that has been stripped to four.

Some fans didn’t see this kind of behavior coming when they were making “demands” for Mattel to “focus” on the American Girl historical brand. They didn’t see that American Girl would make inaccurate clothing to replace the old outfits when they begged American Girl to make new outfits. They didn’t see this coming when American Girl was Archiving dolls, imagining that American Girl was “replacing” girls. And I tried to tell them that’s what they WANTED people to think, to make change easier. They are really just trying to find new ways to make money. They may not replace all four at once, like people may want.

For any normal company archiving dolls in just two months, it would be okay. Companies retire and replace dolls all the time. Most dolls only cost $12.99-$20.00. Buying four dolls at that price would amount to buying ONE American Girl doll. Considering the PRICE of American Girl dolls, change isn’t easy without loss. If the price was lower, people wouldn’t be complaining as much. They could complete their collections within weeks. But with four dolls at a high cost? Inconsiderate, and shows how much they care about their fans: Not much at all.

Oh well, I got my answer for the Archived girls. It looks like the books WILL STILL be sold! At least they had the courtesy of doing that for fans.

Well, Beforever is set to launch around August 28, 2014 according to Amazon.com. Stay tuned for more updates.

Alice in Wonderland

16 May

Alice in Wonderland has become a popular part of today’s culture. It has developed into a “cult” film. There are many people interested in the story, and there’s a lot of merchandise that comes with it. I’ve seen clothing items, handbags, school supplies, toys, jewelry, posters, and many other items dedicated to this story. Teenagers had made it into somewhat of a sub-culture.

The story is quite fascinating. Many people can’t decipher the reality or inspiration behind the story. Nothing makes sense-but that’s the point, right? It’s very “mental”.

Most people are most familiar with the Walt Disney film that came out in 1950’s titled Alice in Wonderland. What most people don’t realize it that film was the most inaccurate portrayal of Alice in Wonderland out of all of the portrayals. But because most people are familiar with this one, it is often considered the main story. Whenever a new movie comes out that is more accurate, I hear people saying, “Oh, I hate it. It’s nothing like the original.” The “original” they are usually referring to is Disney’s version.

a80c747a76d09178176c481fb6de080c44ba8589

But did you know that Disney’s version was based off of Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) AND his second novel Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871)?

447px-Alicesadventuresinwonderland1898

Disney chopped up both stories and stuck them in one movie, combining the queens together, even combining some characters with the Mad Hatter, and omitting the scariest antagonist in the story, the Jabberwocky. The story made the “Jabberwocky” poem a popular part of poetic literature and modern culture, even though it’s purely, well, nonsense. I think there’s even a rock band named Jabberwocky. See why this is a “cult” film now?

The most accurate live-action portrayal of both books was the two-part 1985 film Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. It was made-for-tv, and it had a huge all-star cast.

Though the graphics are boo boo, the costumes are bogus, and the musical numbers are distracting, this film brought out all of the elements of Lewis Carroll’s novels, so the story was good. Once you watch this version, you can really see just how whimsical the TRUE story is. I just wish Disney had done true justice to the story. There are some characters I would’ve liked to see animated or re-done with modern graphics.

So, take a look at the 1985 version of the film and let me know what YOU think!

If you like Disney, here is a sneak peek at Disney’s next live-action film, Cinderella! Watch the trailer! Set to come out March 2015!

(Am I Too Late?) Divergent Review

2 Apr

divergent_wallpaper

Yea, yea, here comes my Divergent review. I know it’s so late. But I’m still going to do this. So…yea.

Divergent…where to begin…

Considering the number of heroine trends and the dystopian-themes that are so popular today, this movie kind of falls into the tropes.

The movie is based on the book series written by Veronica Roth.

For a fan of the book, this movie didn’t fail to live up to the novel, but the novel was exactly what we would expect from someone living in the modern-day world. Therefore, the movie didn’t end up being extremely unique. But it’s not that I didn’t leave the movie without a thought.

I’m just going to be honest. I went to the movies (as we call it where I’m from, some call it the “movie theater”) expecting The Hunger Games. Though this movie was obviously directed to tweens, and meant to have similar themes of trying to survive, fit in, deal with “love interests, and rebel against “the system”, the feeling of the two stories still had enough differences to leave different impressions. Really, there are only two reasons why I watched this movie: 1) Shailene Woodley (as a fan of American Girl, I just had to see how she’s grown since her first acting debut. I can’t say she has changed from being the “spunky heroine” in my mind. I kept thinking ‘Felicity’…) 2) It takes place in Chicago, my favorite town. 😉

Combine Inception with the Hunger Games, and you get Divergent. Basically, the movie begins fast.

We hardly get a taste of Beatrice “Tris” Prior’s (Shailene Woodley) life as an “Abnegation” starting off. We’re shown how poor she lives. Basically, an “Abnegation” helps those even more poor than they are. “Abnegations” are meant to be “self-less” people among the many factions post-apocalyptic Chicago is divided into. The factions are as listed: Abnegation (the selfless), as was mentioned before, Amity (the peaceful farmers), Candor (the honest judges), Dauntless (the brave police *cough* military *cough*), and Erudite (the intelligent). Yet, this is all explained quickly in the beginning, and Tris’s life is simplified so we, the audience, wouldn’t get restless…

Tris has this “desire” to be a part of the “Dauntless”, which… who wouldn’t? In the movie, they make a grand entrance where ever they go, make the loudest noises, and jump around all over the place. To Tris, they seem to have the “freedom” she wants. She’s obviously not happy as a “selfless” person because they can’t stand up for themselves, can’t look at themselves in a mirror, and have to live without eating luxurious foods like hamburgers…

So, in the story, eventually, all of the young people had to choose factions to belong to. First, they all had to take a test to see what faction they naturally belonged in. Of course, Tris tested “Divergent” which means she can belong to any faction. This makes her “dangerous” as “Divergents” can’t be controlled by any one faction…

I think that’s all I’ll tell you for now. Don’t want to spoil the movie. All I can say is from there-on-out, there is a long training montage, gun fights, and sad moments. 😦 Boo hoo #Sadmoments

Basically, everything moves pretty much like the video game Call of Duty…with some character interactions.

The ending is pretty predictable, if you are used to tween movies. Once you see Hunger Games, nothing can surprise you. But this movie, on it’s own right, is exciting, interesting, thrilling, emotional, and…just SWANK. There is something for every person over the age of 13, and Tris can add herself to the rest of inspirational heroines to enter the movie screen. She’s pretty tough. One thing I liked about her is that she was decisive. No love triangles, no confusion about where she belonged (themes that plague movies directed to tween girls). She knew herself, and held a sense of confidence that’s rare to see in young women in movies…as the lead protagonist, that is.

Two pet peeves: The “black best friend” (when will we ever get a black heroine?) trope and “Isn’t that guy TOO old?” (her love interest is like…way older than she is)

I recommend this movie. 10/10

The exciting news is that in Illinois (the state where the story takes place), there will be a summer camp held for 5 days dedicated to each faction.

#bfx2us

 

 

All New American Girl Historical Doll HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED ON FACEBOOK! Introducing CAROLINE ABBOTT!

16 May

For those of you who have been hearing the rumors, this isn’t shocking at all. The news of a new doll, especially one named Caroline, has been circling the internet for some time now. Caroline has been trademarked for a year, since before Marie-Grace’s and Cecile’s release so…this isn’t shocking for American Girl fans who have been following up on things. Some people even knew the author was Kathleen Ernst.

But for those of you who haven’t, this is it!

What we have been given is the month of release: September. So she will be here in time for the fall season, right after McKenna’s movie release on dvd. Yipeee!

The first thing we can be sure of is that there is only ONE girl being released this time, so from the looks of it, they’ll go back to the original American Girl book format. Even though the new format was interesting, it just didn’t promote the dolls as well. The older format helped modern girls relate to the historical girls, like seeing that girls from back in the past had holidays, school, birthdays, changes, summer fun, etc just helped girls relate to them better. It also gave relatable accessories that girls could set up and picture living during the time, how the girls interacted in school, ya know, it was just a more interesting experience. Marie-Grace and Cecile just gave the impression that they were display dolls, not playable dolls.

The second thing we know is the title of the book covers. American Girl Publishing has announced them: Meet Caroline, Caroline’s Secret Message, A surprise for Caroline, Caroline Takes a Chance, Caroline’s Battle, and Changes for Caroline. Sounds interesting.

So any skeptics? Theories? We know one thing: she ain’t Asian, not with a name like that. Oh darn. We also know she has wavy hair…Oh you don’t? Well, lets share a semi-picture.

I’m not sure about this, but she doesn’t seem to be wearing a bonnet. I’m not sensing a pilgrim here, but I might be shockingly surprised. What I wouldn’t be surprised about is a Western themed girl. Civil Rights seems like a no-no, but it might be. Who knows…I know one thing, I better be getting my red-head with the brown eyes this time around.

Any ideas from you guys? And do you have any other thoughts? Leave a comment below and look forward to a new friend this fall!

JUST IN:  Caroline’s time is 1812. It has been posted by American Girl. More info soon!

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

More in: Caroline’s picture has been REVEALED by American Girl. Also, she is from Sackets Harbor, New York near the shores of Lake Ontario as the war of 1812 begins.

The new doll Caroline Abbott!

Caroline Abbott book posted by Eurynome in AGPlaythings!

Can I say I am VERY disappointed? American Girl is getting worse and worse with their bright “ideas”. Not only is she a stereotypical blonde, but she is wearing pink–the same color Marie-Grace wore for her debut last year! So unoriginal.

Furthermore, with Felicity’s retirement, we are missing enough red heads. Even though I’m aware that red heads don’t make that much money in American Girl, it still would’ve been more creative. This doll is so boring and so expected. I feel like no creativity went into this doll. She looks like Lanie without bangs. And what did I tell you before about American Girl and this “curly curly” phase (if you read my Marie-Grace and Cecile article)? The dolls are getting less and less original, and there is no variety. I might as well buy a Lanie. If all the dolls are going to look alike, what’s the point of buying this one?

Then this is going to be the third, the THIRD, story that takes place in New York. They couldn’t think of a more interesting place to settle the character? Really? And I’m here to tell you for all of you people who don’t know much about history: the War of 1812 was n0thing more than the Revolutionary War again. So what makes this doll so interesting? Really?
So comment and let me know what you guys think. I’m personally very disappointed. In fact, this will be the only doll I won’t buy. I saw some pros and cons to the Marie-Grace and Cecile line, but Caroline…I just can’t gel with the doll.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

More In!: From Marylandpinkandgreen.com:

Now in September, 200 years after America secured its standing as a truly
independent nation, American Girl’s newest historical character, Caroline Abbott, shows girls today how to
stay steady and believe in themselves during difficult times. Caroline, an
independent and adventurous nine-year-old girl whose story is set near Lake
Ontario during the War of 1812, learns to face her most challenging moments
using her heart as her compass. Going above and beyond to help those around her,
Caroline gives of herself without expecting anything in return—becoming the kind
of real everyday hero that any girl can
be
.

The story sounds awesome! Something I am NOT disappointed in! I think the story being set by the Ocean is an interesting setting for the plot. I am not all over New York personally, but I do like bodies of water, and sailor tales. Also, the story sounds exciting, and is set in a significant time in history! More information on the story can be found on the website: http://www.marylandpinkandgreen.com/2012/08/meet-american-girl-caroline-abbott.html

Also, for all of you doll collectors, a playset and boat has been posted! The sets are to die for! CLICK the pics for a bigger size!

Meet Caroline with her book!

Caroline’s boat! Cute!

Caroline’s playset! A parlor maybe? Love it!

THE STORY PLOT:

Living with her family in Sackets Harbor, New York, Caroline loves sailing with her shipbuilder father, and she even dreams of captaining her own ship one day. But after British sailors capture her father and cousin, Caroline does her best to keep the promise she makes to her father to stay steady and ride storms through to better weather. In the end, Caroline finds—and proves—her own steadiness and strength as she navigates the challenges of wartime.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Plot summaries/book synopsis have been announced! WOOT!
Meet Caroline: Caroline Abbott is doing what she loves most—sailing on Lake Ontario with Papa—when her world turns upside down. A British officer boards their sloop, announces that Britain and America are at war, and takes her father prisoner. As Papa is led away, Caroline promises him that she will stay strong and steady until he returns. She tries hard to keep her promise by helping Mama run the family’s shipyard. Then the British attack her village and it looks as if the American side is in trouble. Can Caroline stay steady enough to help win the day?
Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” essay about America in 1812.Caroline’s Secret Message: Caroline and Mama make a dangerous trip across Lake Ontario to the British fort where Papa is a prisoner. When Mama isn’t allowed to see Papa, it’s up to Caroline to pass a secret message to him—right under the nose of a British guard. Caroline hopes desperately that Papa will be able to use the information to escape. But can she get the message to him? And even if she does, will Papa understand it? When Caroline and Mama return home, all they can do is wait and hope. On Caroline’s birthday, an unexpected gift lifts her heart. Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” essay about Wartime in 1812.A Surprise for Caroline: Caroline Abbott imagined it would be great fun to have two girls staying at her house for the winter. But her friend Rhonda Hathaway and cousin Lydia are both twelve, and sometimes they seem to be better friends with each other than with Caroline. Worse, they’d rather stay inside styling hair than go skating and sledding. Nothing Caroline tries seems to change things, not even the special Christmas gift she gives to Rhonda. Finally, hurt feelings lead Caroline to make a rash decision—one that puts all three girls on very thin ice. Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” essay about Growing Up in 1812.

Caroline Takes a Chance:Caroline, like everyone else in Sackets Harbor, is waiting anxiously for the first supply boats of the year to arrive. Without supplies, the shipyards can’t build boats to fight the British. When Caroline and her friends Rhonda and Seth go out fishing in Papa’s skiff, they’re excited to catch sight of a supply boat—until they realize that it’s being chased by a British warship. Desperate to save the supply boat, Caroline comes up with a daring idea. Will her plan work? Or is it a dangerous and foolish risk? Caroline has no time to think—she can only plunge ahead. Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” essay about Getting Around in 1812.

Caroline’s Battle: Caroline’s Papa has barely returned before frightening news arrives—British warships are headed for Sackets Harbor, ready to attack. Every able-bodied man, including Papa, must go and fight. Mama and Caroline are left alone to guard Abbott’s Shipyard from the enemy. Caroline tells herself she would do anything to keep Papa’s shipyard safe. But when the battle seems to be lost, Mama gives her a terrible order. They must burn the shipyard to the ground to keep it from the enemy. It’s the one thing Caroline isn’t sure she can do. Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” essay about America in 1812.

Changes for Caroline: Caroline receives a letter asking her to come and help on Uncle Aaron’s new farm. Although she hates to leave her family, Caroline is pleased to see her cousin Lydia—and to meet Lydia’s pretty cow and sweet baby calf. Determined to help out in any way she can, Caroline keeps watch when a thief starts sneaking around the farm. Then she makes an unexpected discovery—and learns that some things are not as simple as they seem. When Caroline returns home at last for an Independence Day celebration, she is treated to a wonderful surprise. Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” essay about Changes for America in 1812.

Employee of the Year: The Computer

21 Jan

Digital World–Taking Over one job at a time!

I’m sure this isn’t a new topic, but it is one that is over-looked in day-to-day society as a contributing factor to many of the employment problems today’s society has: computer is taking over.

Yea, sure, we can blame the lack of jobs on the recession, the over-creation of products, but no salaries that are enough to pay for all of these “inventions” or “products”. But we also have to consider the fact that you’re not out of a job only because businesses can’t find people who can afford their products (and so have to close due to the lack of consumer demand), but that technology is actually TAKING your job.

It’s always been an economic trend in history for there to be a war, an era of advancement and technology, and then an economic crises following. The Great Depression and the ’70s were prime examples. In the ’20s, there was a wave of technological advancements such as the credit system. And the misuse of that system was a contributing factor to the Great Depression. The ’70s also had a wave of advancement, especially with the car industry, but then we ran out of oil for all of those cars. Soon after, there was a recession. And in both eras, the issue was that the industrialization of products were moving faster than the rise in salaries that could afford those products….

But this is probably one of the worst cases in history. In those eras, the advancements didn’t just get rid of jobs, they also replaced the jobs. With the rise of the computer, it’s really devouring jobs that were once handled by humans, and actually cutting down on the employees. I can name several examples.

Travel Agencies

Why hire a travel agent, when you can buy your tickets online. When is the last time anyone really needed a travel agent to book their flights? The computer industry has completely replaced this job. For babies born in 2011, according to a Yahoo news article, Travel Agents will soon be a thing of the past with computers.

Bank-tellers

Online banking is growing in numbers and catching on to people. People even pay their bills online. It’s a better way to keep up with finances. And if you want to remove some money from the bank, use the ATM. The only reason anyone would go to a bank would be to open an account, which can also be done over the phone or online.

Drive-Through Windows and Waiter Jobs

Recently, when on the expressway, I went to a McDonalds that had the computer take my order! No lie! And when we pulled up, it automatically sent the food to us! Look for that job to be gone in the next couple of years. In some Japanese sushi bars, they don’t even have waiters. Sometimes, they have automatic menus where you press the button at your seat telling it what you want, and the order is automatically sent to the chef, and sent back to you on a conveyor belt. They’re called Rotating Sushi Bars. Chicago just opened its first one.

Rotating Sushi Bars-Who needs Waitresses?

College Teachers

Sure we need them now, and we might need some in the future, but with online classes, I’m sure there will be a shortage of teachers because what’s not appealing about doing classwork AT HOME? And if you don’t have a car (or don’t feel like getting up), you can easily get your degree online. You just have to remember to meet certain deadlines. Even though, people generally go to college to have the “experience” because of social reasons, but it won’t truly be necessary if you want a degree.

Record Labels

Come on, music can be spread online and uploaded and promoted by the individual artist. Youtube already has those connections to promote individuals. Some people try to get under record labels because familiar artists are under them. But in recent years, many record labels have folded. The most they would need would be equipment and a video team. And electronic equipment is taking over the voice already, so who needs singers? Soon, who’ll need dancers? We can digitize bodies and movement now (prime example is Tron and Beowulf).

Toy Industry

Certainly not as exciting as having a cell phone, video game, or a computer. Online dolls seem more sensible to little girls than actual dolls: they’re free (or included in mommy’s internet bill every month). Action Figures just don’t cell like they used to. Boys would rather be playing their favorite character on a video game where virtually they can travel to different worlds and places without using their imaginations. No more tearing up the house to build cardboard cars and toy houses. It’s all on the computer. And it’s seriously hurting the toy industry.

Social Organizations

Wanna get in touch with old pals? It’s no longer a big deal to go to school reunions. We have facebook now, where people can get in touch with old buddies online. With facebook and youtube, social clubs and organizations are useless. You can find people who like the same things you do on online forums.

Newspaper and Magazine Industry

News won’t really be gone because we need journalists who can actually get access to certain areas so they can get the latest in news. BUT there will be a shortage of journalists because of online news and blogs, such as this one, that more people read than ever to find out the latest in news. There’s even Yahoo Answers that can research for people and give quick answers. Which is the reason that…

Libraries really don’t need to exist anymore. You can find everything online now, including summaries of books that you don’t want to read, but have to for a school report. I don’t remember the last time anyone in my college classes actually read a book for class. If they do read, it’s a fictional book strictly for entertainment, and eventually, the book is made into a movie.

Arts And Crafts Industry

Maybe just for day-to-day fun, but digital art is becoming a popular thing now. Soon, what will be the point of knowing how to paint and draw? Cartoons are being replaced by digital media or just becoming live action shows.

Department Store Clerks

There will be a shortage soon. First off, Walmart is devouring stores itself. Second, people are ordering what they want online more often now. Therefore, some people will eventually not be needed. Stores are starting to become more and more empty. The only ones who go are those who don’t have credit or debit cards. But possibly, it eventually will be the complete way to shop.

There are so many other jobs that are subject to leaving! And all because of the computer. People have been the main contributor to this massacre of jobs. That’s progress for you. It hacks away at the old and begins with the new. It’s really something to consider if you’re looking for a long-lasting job. You may not want to think of these jobs as long-time careers…unless there’s some “revival” in the near future.

Well, I’m curious to know…anyone else have any other job ideas that they feel might be replaced by computer? Do you feel the computer can truly get rid of jobs, or will they be back? Are you excited for the computer to take over? Do you think it will open doors for new job opportunities in the future? Do you feel there should be restrictions on computer usage? Share your thoughts and comments!

%d bloggers like this: