The Netflix original Trump an American Dream episode "Manhattan", is about Donald Trumps life leading up to him becoming the President of the United States. The film starts off with a piano playing slow and load, building intensity as Trump steps out and into a secret service car. It then shows them drive off with a full police escort. The film then goes all the way back to 1975, showing old camera footage of people and advertisements. The first person who is interviewed is a New York City police officer, who eventually loses his job along with 19,000 other city municipal workers. He was talking about how dangerous the city was during this time period. The next speaker is a reporter from the New York Post at the time. He talks about how there was so much to write about during this time. There is old footage shown of fires, trash piling in the streets, and fire hydrants broken open. This point of the film is building a hopeless feeling for New York City at the time. Then it cuts to an interview being held with a young Donald Trump. He speaks about how he started out working in construction and how he wanted to be like his father. It starts to build Donald Trump up, but they have an old columnist come on and talk about his relationship to Trump. He talks about how they knew of each other but were not necessarily friends. He brings up how Trump asked him three years in a row, "How's your Pop?" But the columnists had already told Trump in previous years that he dad passed away. The film then jumps right back to a family friend talking, who talks about how she and Donald met. She speaks highly of him. At this point in the film, it does seem as if it is bias to trying to make people like Trump. However they do throw in interviews here and there to try to make it seem unbiased. It then starts to take a turn to show how Donald Trump started to turn around parts of the city. His first project was the Commodore Hotel, which he attempts to get a 70 million dollar loan for. This was his first big project that had nothing to do with his father. The film jumps to a city council hearing to see if the loan would be given. It shows people speaking and Trump sitting nervously. The decision is finally given, Trump wins the tax break and gets the loan to save the hotel. It saves jobs and was seen as a win for the city in some eyes, but as a loss in others eyes.
The film is a documentary, which is just about the only way to do a film about a actual person. They show old footage of interviews and they show current time interviews. It also shows old footage of streets and buildings and people during the time, to show how life was.
April 11, 2018
April 8, 2018
American Idol: The Cooking Show
The Great British Baking Show is an interesting twist on baking shows. Instead of the judges being so fun-loving and energetic, this show takes a different route in reality TV cooking, almost with an American Idol kind of style. The show has two judges, Mary and Paul. Mary is the bouncy, in your face kind of judge while Paul is more of a Simon type of character, where he is more of a jerk to the contestants. One of the episodes requires cooking a Swiss roll, and all of the contestants have to make their signature Swiss roll to please the judges.
As Mary and Paul go around to each chef, Mary encourages them, giving them positive feedback on their creation, while Paul doesn't. Paul is a jerk, don't be like Paul. Watching the chef's face drop as well as the music just sinking or playing a sad tune. It is really entertaining, just like in American Idol. It is also fun to see Paul scrutinize what could be your favorite character in the whole show.
Overall, The Great British Baking Show is a fun watch, as it takes the format of shows like American Idol and applies that to cooking. One hundred percent recommend it for anyone that is looking for a good cooking show.
As Mary and Paul go around to each chef, Mary encourages them, giving them positive feedback on their creation, while Paul doesn't. Paul is a jerk, don't be like Paul. Watching the chef's face drop as well as the music just sinking or playing a sad tune. It is really entertaining, just like in American Idol. It is also fun to see Paul scrutinize what could be your favorite character in the whole show.
Overall, The Great British Baking Show is a fun watch, as it takes the format of shows like American Idol and applies that to cooking. One hundred percent recommend it for anyone that is looking for a good cooking show.
Does He Really Win it All?
Netflix recently released a brand new original film starring Keegan Michael Key from hit show Key & Peele. The title of the new Netflix original is Win it All. This follows a man that comes in contact with a lot of money, but not in the way you would expect it. He is confronted by a random man that states he is going to jail. The man hands him a bag, and gives him the instructions to keep it closed and safe until he is out of jail. Obviously, a good story would not be him just holding on to the bag. He curiously opens the bag and finds a large amount of cash. Running low on money, he decides that he should take a portion and gamble for a profit. Now we all know that gambling is easily addicting, and not easily profitable. The man starts to lose cash and this is where he comes in contact with Key. Key tries to advise him, but he continues to lose more money. There is also a slight love story happening while all of this unfolds. The film is a constant moving suspense, with many lessons to be learned.
A big part of the film that I really enjoyed was the suspense. It seemed like the movie never stopped moving. My heart would drop every time the movie would show the amount of money he has lost. When he was sitting at around 60 thousand lost, the movie cuts to show that the guy is getting out of jail early. So at a 60 thousand deficit, he has only a few days to gain back all of the money. So he teams up with Key and attempts to count cards at a casino. This first starts to lose him even more money, and he is close to giving up. He has one last shot to make as much money as possible before the night is over. The movie shows them at the blackjack table one last time, and it shows he is now is a deficit of only 5 thousand. This transition gives us hope as an audience for the main protagonist.
Another favorite aspect of the film that I love, is the sense of friendship. This is definitely an underlying aspect of the film that many may not pick up on. Would you help your friend get out of a deficit by counting cards? His friend Key stuck with through all of this, and that shows the true value of friendship. He really shows his appreciation for Key in the end, which confirms the aspect of the friendship role in the film.
The recently released Netflix Original Win it All is a suspense film that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a comedic film with a good and suspenseful story. Keegan Michael Key plays an excellent role in this film along with many other famous Hollywood stars. Netflix has struck film gold again with this impactful film.
The Monster in us All: Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
As long as we have had stories, we have had allegories. Stories with a fictional scenario that a lesson can be learned from are popular for many reasons, including being more interesting than a lecture over the same topic and being able to provide a specific situation where the lesson is applicable. While not quiet as fantastic as a fable nor as true to life as a parable, allegories can teach those who enjoy both. Some examples include the Allegory of the Cave, fairy tales and The Chronicles of Narnia. However, I would also like to suggest that monster movies as another from of allegory. A common theme is if science tampering in places it shouldn’t and having to deal with the consequences, such as the 1931 Frankenstein. In the years following the second World War, a film was produced as an allegory of what the rapid expansion of nuclear weaponry could wrought.
I am speaking, of course, of Toho's Godzilla (1954). Set in the post-war Japan, Godzilla has been awaken by nuclear testing and sets course to destroy Tokyo, mirroring what actually happened during the war. It was highly successful and spawned a franchise with more films than James Bond. Some these sequels forget what Godzilla, as an allegory, was about to the point where is a scene that I have only been able to describe as Godzilla play beach volleyball with a crayfish. This mirrors the eventual post-war attitude, with occupation ended, more friendly relations with the United States beginning and a rise in economic prominence. Godzilla’s salad days would find themselves gone in the early 1990’s with an economic downturn. At this time, the franchise would be rebooted (after a prior reboot which lasted about ten years). And became somewhat grittier with Godzilla becoming an antihero, but still destroying Tokyo. Godzilla works best when he is an allegory for the current state of Japan, something which the much vilified American Godzilla (1998) forgot in favor of being an action movie.
So does Netflix’s Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters get the allegory right? The answer is yes. Japan’s economy is still struggling, but this not the allegory this time around as Godzilla represents how humans are hurting the environment. Our heroes leave the planet , but argue if this was truly the best solution, mirroring the way that there is no consensus on how climate change and pollution should be dealt with. The Earth they come back to and the life on it is changed to the point that is unrecognizable, similar to the way that some birds are now singing construction noises and other consequences of deforestation. The strongest pieces of evidence in favor of this is the fact that despite their best efforts, the hero’s actions only make the perceived situation worse, similar to the way that many forms of renewable energy result in initial pollution (solar panels) or loss of fauna life (wind turbines). This is a serious issue in today’s world and maybe not so coincidentally, Japan takes it very seriously. While this Godzilla may not reflect Japan’s economic or social state, it is an allegory for an important issue.
By examining the evolution of Godzilla in media, we can understand how a figure represented in an allegory can change in interpretation from one generation to the next. What one group saw as a call to peace, another sees as a call to a greener life. We can apply what this means to other historical figures and how the interpretations of their actions change with the culture. Can we apply a similar analysis to a character like Dracula? In this way, the history of Godzilla can mean something to us all.
I am speaking, of course, of Toho's Godzilla (1954). Set in the post-war Japan, Godzilla has been awaken by nuclear testing and sets course to destroy Tokyo, mirroring what actually happened during the war. It was highly successful and spawned a franchise with more films than James Bond. Some these sequels forget what Godzilla, as an allegory, was about to the point where is a scene that I have only been able to describe as Godzilla play beach volleyball with a crayfish. This mirrors the eventual post-war attitude, with occupation ended, more friendly relations with the United States beginning and a rise in economic prominence. Godzilla’s salad days would find themselves gone in the early 1990’s with an economic downturn. At this time, the franchise would be rebooted (after a prior reboot which lasted about ten years). And became somewhat grittier with Godzilla becoming an antihero, but still destroying Tokyo. Godzilla works best when he is an allegory for the current state of Japan, something which the much vilified American Godzilla (1998) forgot in favor of being an action movie.
So does Netflix’s Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters get the allegory right? The answer is yes. Japan’s economy is still struggling, but this not the allegory this time around as Godzilla represents how humans are hurting the environment. Our heroes leave the planet , but argue if this was truly the best solution, mirroring the way that there is no consensus on how climate change and pollution should be dealt with. The Earth they come back to and the life on it is changed to the point that is unrecognizable, similar to the way that some birds are now singing construction noises and other consequences of deforestation. The strongest pieces of evidence in favor of this is the fact that despite their best efforts, the hero’s actions only make the perceived situation worse, similar to the way that many forms of renewable energy result in initial pollution (solar panels) or loss of fauna life (wind turbines). This is a serious issue in today’s world and maybe not so coincidentally, Japan takes it very seriously. While this Godzilla may not reflect Japan’s economic or social state, it is an allegory for an important issue.
By examining the evolution of Godzilla in media, we can understand how a figure represented in an allegory can change in interpretation from one generation to the next. What one group saw as a call to peace, another sees as a call to a greener life. We can apply what this means to other historical figures and how the interpretations of their actions change with the culture. Can we apply a similar analysis to a character like Dracula? In this way, the history of Godzilla can mean something to us all.
A "Normal" Family
I watched most of the first season of Santa Clarita Diet this week. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to watch as I scrolled through the Netflix Originals, but I ended up with Santa Clarita Diet. I usually don’t like shows with zombies, but I got sucked into this show. I didn’t think I would be able to learn anything from it either, but to my surprise, I was able to take something away from the show.
Throughout the show, the daughter of Sheila and Joel, whose name is Abby, constantly asks her parents if their lives will ever go back to normal. What Abby is talking about is if the family will be able to function as they used to, before her mom, Sheila, turned “undead.” A side effect of Sheila being undead is that she can only eat raw meat. She, at first, was fine with eating raw hamburger and chicken, but after she got a taste of human flesh, that was all she could eat. Her mom also has an urge to kill people when she is hungry and hasn’t been able to eat in a while, which Abby, a young sixteen-year-old, is having a hard time getting used to. So Abby wants her mom to be able to eat, but also be able to be a normal mom who doesn’t kill people and eat them.
My thought on Abby’s question about if her family will ever return to normal was, “is any family normal?” I think every family has their “norm,” but every family is different. Each has their own members who have their own personalities so each family unit is different.
I will probably end up watching the rest of Santa Clarita Diet, but my guess is that they will find a new normal amidst their mother and wife being undead. I finished episode eight, and the next episode is called “The Book.” In previous episodes, Joel, the husband, and father, discovered there is a book that possibly has a cure for what Sheila has. My guess is that Joel goes on a mission to find the book to help his wife return to their normal.
Throughout the show, the daughter of Sheila and Joel, whose name is Abby, constantly asks her parents if their lives will ever go back to normal. What Abby is talking about is if the family will be able to function as they used to, before her mom, Sheila, turned “undead.” A side effect of Sheila being undead is that she can only eat raw meat. She, at first, was fine with eating raw hamburger and chicken, but after she got a taste of human flesh, that was all she could eat. Her mom also has an urge to kill people when she is hungry and hasn’t been able to eat in a while, which Abby, a young sixteen-year-old, is having a hard time getting used to. So Abby wants her mom to be able to eat, but also be able to be a normal mom who doesn’t kill people and eat them.
My thought on Abby’s question about if her family will ever return to normal was, “is any family normal?” I think every family has their “norm,” but every family is different. Each has their own members who have their own personalities so each family unit is different.
I will probably end up watching the rest of Santa Clarita Diet, but my guess is that they will find a new normal amidst their mother and wife being undead. I finished episode eight, and the next episode is called “The Book.” In previous episodes, Joel, the husband, and father, discovered there is a book that possibly has a cure for what Sheila has. My guess is that Joel goes on a mission to find the book to help his wife return to their normal.
Ladies First
Here in the United States, we do not have to think much about opportunities for women to work or play sports. Though sexism is far from non-existent, women and men have just about the same opportunities in life. In India, however, women “belong at home” and “should not be working or playing sports.” In Netflix’s Ladies First, we follow Deepika Kumari’s journey in her ambition to be the first woman to win an Olympic medal in India.
Though Kumari had won multiple titles in India, at both the London and Rio Olympic games, she lost her spot in the running for a medal. In those moments, the directors chose to cut to black just before her arrow hits her final target. This choice is very strategic in drawing suspense from the viewer. The sudden change brings us into Deepika’s mind and we feel her speechlessness at the loss. Her disbelief is, unfortunately, the result of how women in India are treated. Women are thought of as inferior to men and therefore aren’t usually allowed to work or play sports of any kind. They are told they physically cannot do anything but care for the family and stay home to tend to the house and children. Deepika Kumari was given the opportunity to break that mold and she held tight. She managed to be the first woman in India to win a medal at a large-scale competition. However, the culture that made its mark in her mind caught up to her in the Olympic games. The pressure for her to succeed was too great and she could not perform at her best.
After Kumari’s loss in the London games, her coach pointed out the fact that she is not “mentally strong.” He goes on to say that the Chinese team typically does well because of their strength. Comparing the gender equality in China to that in India, this does make sense. Again, society is far from perfect, but China has far better opportunities for women than India. The ratio of women to men in the workforce is about 82% in China, while India’s ratio is only 34%. Only a quarter of India’s workforce are women, and China’s workforce is nearly half women. Though China has other issues it may deal with, gender equality is not at the forefront. Ladies First, however, did mention that a mental trainer may be key to Deepika’s success. This may help her relax during the next Olympic games, but a lifetime of oppression cannot be overwritten by only a few months of training.
Works Cited
“Gender Data Portal.” The World Bank, 2016, datatopics.worldbank.org/gender/country/china.
Bahl, Uraaz, director. Ladies First. Netflix, 2017.
Hilarity for Charity
A new Netflix special came arise these past few days, and it is something like never before. This new special is Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity. This is a charity event that features numerous stars to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. Another aspect of the event, is that Seth Rogen is trying to beat the Netflix algorithm. The Netflix algorithm is what decides the content that is shown to you. So in order to beat the algorithm, Seth attempts to present every genre that is shown on Netflix. Everywhere from documentary to animation. The charity also features a plethora of comedic stars to perform stand-up. This new Netflix original is one that is worth watching.
One of the first aspects of the special that caught my eye, was the stand-up comedians featured. This had one of my favorite comedy stars, John Mulaney. John was one of many stars that did a short bit for the special, while the crowd roared. Others, this was their first time for a comedy stand-up, and was able to debut their work. This added a huge dynamic to the show that is not present in many specials. The constantly evolving special, left you wondering what was going to come next.
The next best aspect of the show was the attempt to beat the Netflix algorithm. This caused the most multi-genre special currently available. The special would feature a stand-up comedian, and then have an animation to change the genre. Seth Rogen made this very apparent, in what he was trying to do. This added more comedy to the show, just for the simple fact of what he was trying to do. Toward the end of the special, Rogen made it clear that the algorithm was beat. Rogen explained that he was able to include every genre that would appear to Netflix users across the world.
The best thing of the special, was for the cause. Seth Rogen’s wife had a mother that fought with Alzheimer's for a long time, and ultimately died from it. Seth and her created this charity and this event to raise awareness of the disease and to raise money for research. She told the story of her mother to the crowd, and sparked tears everywhere. This was the only serious moment of the special, but really emphasized what everyone was there for. After she told the story of her mother, she also explained that they were able to reach the money goal that they had set for the event. She thanked everyone for the donations and ended the emotional special with a few more celebrity appearances.
Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity is a newly released Netflix special that will cater to absolutely any audience. It is in place to raise money for a fantastic cause that is very close to the Rogen family. The special features many laughs, cries, and suspense as they attempt to beat the Netflix algorithm as well. This is a special that I will more than definitely re-watch from time to time. Seth Rogen had a fantastic performance for his very first Netflix special.
Bill Nye Saves Discourse
“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” This is a quote made in November 2012 by now President Donald Trump. This statement, in my opinion, shows a major flaw in the current status of our political discourse. Many in the political spotlight deny certain aspects and areas of science for their own political motives whether that be to get elected, gain money from certain donors, or appeal to a certain group for support. In the Netflix Original Series Bill Nye Saves the World, renowned scientist and educator, Bill Nye discusses a few of these key issues; pointing out the intersection between discourse, policy, and science. The in depth approach Nye takes to talking about these issues creates a platform to learn about how to have these complicated discussions.
One way I think Bill Nye Saves the World can teach people is through Nye’s ability to focus less on opinion and more on facts. Now I am not saying Nye is free of bias, or that his political views don’t seep through into the show, but Nye focuses on points backed by research, science, and experts. This is something that can be extended to all hard issues multiple parties must discuss. In difficult conversations focusing on supported information leads to more positive results. A surgeon who uses a method experimented, tried, improved, and backed by research and intense trials will be more successful than a surgeon who operates according to their own whims. This is especially applicable to politicians. Reliance on emotions and vague support will often create weaker and less effective policy than policy whose basis is in research and scientific study.
This being said, though, it has been proven in many studies that people are resistant to being told they are wrong, and that this can often lead to them rejecting facts and reaffirming their viewpoints. This leads to the second thing Bill Nye Save the World does well. Nye, on the show, focuses not on how opponents to his ideas are dead wrong, but instead approaches the issue in a more delicate way: focusing on common ground, misinformation, and then arriving at false conclusions and information. This process makes the individuals watching feel less attacked, and, at least, helps them to understand the viewpoint Nye is explaining. This is vitally important to critical discussion. This technique allows for civil conversation that may actually allow for individuals to emphasize with another viewpoint, opposed to objecting to it on the basis of not confirming biases.
Overall I think that Bill Nye Saves the World does many things that people and politicians can learn from. These include tips on having conversations with dissenting opinions, an important contemporary issue; policy creation; how to present media in an entertaining, light hearted manner, and too many others to discuss in a 500 word blog post. That being said I greatly recommend the show even if Nye misses on a few issues, he still presents compelling arguments and a lot of valuable information. Even if it’s just useful at a trivia night.
One way I think Bill Nye Saves the World can teach people is through Nye’s ability to focus less on opinion and more on facts. Now I am not saying Nye is free of bias, or that his political views don’t seep through into the show, but Nye focuses on points backed by research, science, and experts. This is something that can be extended to all hard issues multiple parties must discuss. In difficult conversations focusing on supported information leads to more positive results. A surgeon who uses a method experimented, tried, improved, and backed by research and intense trials will be more successful than a surgeon who operates according to their own whims. This is especially applicable to politicians. Reliance on emotions and vague support will often create weaker and less effective policy than policy whose basis is in research and scientific study.
This being said, though, it has been proven in many studies that people are resistant to being told they are wrong, and that this can often lead to them rejecting facts and reaffirming their viewpoints. This leads to the second thing Bill Nye Save the World does well. Nye, on the show, focuses not on how opponents to his ideas are dead wrong, but instead approaches the issue in a more delicate way: focusing on common ground, misinformation, and then arriving at false conclusions and information. This process makes the individuals watching feel less attacked, and, at least, helps them to understand the viewpoint Nye is explaining. This is vitally important to critical discussion. This technique allows for civil conversation that may actually allow for individuals to emphasize with another viewpoint, opposed to objecting to it on the basis of not confirming biases.
Overall I think that Bill Nye Saves the World does many things that people and politicians can learn from. These include tips on having conversations with dissenting opinions, an important contemporary issue; policy creation; how to present media in an entertaining, light hearted manner, and too many others to discuss in a 500 word blog post. That being said I greatly recommend the show even if Nye misses on a few issues, he still presents compelling arguments and a lot of valuable information. Even if it’s just useful at a trivia night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)