Tolstoy & The Coen Brothers

I just finished reading Tolstoy's, Anna Karenina, and took my midterm on it for my Russian Literature class and I have to say I really came to love Tolstoy. His writing is so beautiful. I was amazed by how many situations he would create just using character's dialogue but the themes that were addressed within each interaction were so powerful and universal! I loved it.
Anyways, I watched the movie, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and I felt like I was watching a piece of Tolstoy's literature in each short story. I know a lot of people that didn't enjoy it, but honestly I thought it was artistically brilliant intentionally created. I think because my mind has been conditioning the last few weeks to interpret themes and imagery through the lens of trying to interpret Tolstoy, I couldn't help but see a connection in the movie. I loved how the movie created such unique characters that caused me to question with whom to sympathize and where my moral expectations and when that happens. I loved it! As weird as it may sound, I would love to write an essay or something about the various themes of the short stories and how they were conveyed and connected to each other.

Usher

Well well this week I remembered how much I love Usher. My roommates and I hosted a game night at our house this weekend and we played catch phrase and the name, Usher, came up. It then led to me showing my friend multiple music videos that reminded me of being a teenager or bonding with my older siblings. I loved re-watching these videos but I was also reminded by how much my experience and attachment to music videos has evolved as media has evolved. I remember being in middle school and even high school and really loving music videos and knowing all of them because I used only Youtube as my means to play music. I now only know a select few music videos of some favorite artists of mine but for the most part I dont even think of music videos. I am curious where the future of music videos will go and if it is going anywhere right now...

Dance Ensemble

This weekend I got to perform in the Dance Ensemble concert on campus. I love how dancing is a unique form of media. It can be either fully experiential or simply visual. I love that for me as a dancer,  I get to use every thing I have: my mind, body, emotions, experiences, personality, etc. into every little movement or lack of movement in dancing. Performing will always be a highlight for me as I get to experience the unique power of connecting with strangers as I invite them into my expression of self through movement. It is a unique communicative method that for me is irreplaceable. I am grateful for dance and art because I get to create media that inspires both myself and hopefully others.

The West Wing

When it comes to TV shows, I am a bit of an 80 year old woman. I don't really have "my shows" nor do I get hooked very easily. I think just because currently I am very busy and don't have time, the idea of watching TV doesn't even cross my mind. Im grateful for this class though because I have to watch a TV show to code for our media project. While watching the West Wing this week, I have been so awakened to the gender discrepancy in women's roles versus men's in media. Although that is not a part of our group's study, I am consistently finding it to come up in what I code for and I think in the future, I want to be especially aware of it. I like coding while watching because I feel completely engaged and mentally, it is far more stimulating to be an active viewer and participant in media.

Anime. Who knew?

Miyazaki. Spirited Away. My first introduction to Myazaki films and I loved it. I have never been interested in anime but over the years I have consistently heard great things about these films. I have loved the music and been curious to see a movie. Finally I saw one! At first, I thought wow this is neat but I felt like the themes were so overtly deep that I was a little turned off. Buuuttt, as the plot unfolded ooof! I fell in love. I loved how the symbols and the imagery of the movie was so intentional. It felt like a really incredible novel put into 3D and I couldnt help myself. I wanted to keep watching more and more. I loved that the lead role was female and that there was such an emphasis on the power of humility, compassion and innocence. I loved it and I want to watch it again to keep picking up on new symbols and themes. So good. All should check it out.

Miss Representation

This week I saw the movie Miss Representation for the second time. This time around I was really hit by the reality of how much I personally feel a need to overcompensate as a female when in leadership positions. I realized that in unique cases of leadership, I dont trust I am enough, nor that my voice will be heard or that I have or deserve the right to take control merely because I am not a man. This has led me to really reconsider the engrained beliefs I have about gender and how much my gender is directly or indirectly a part of my social identity or personal understanding of self. I am grateful to be a woman and I feel empowered by the opportunity I have to learn and grow in the unique experiences that womanhood presents to me. I hope to intentionally confront my subconscious and untrue feelings of inferiority merely because I am woman. I want to focus on me as a human and believe that all facets of me, including my femaleness, contribute to the unique voice I have to offer in the world. 

Chick Flicks

I haven't watched a movie in so long, especially any type of chick flick. In the last week I have watched two chick flicks that I have never seen before: "Must Love Dogs" and "Two Weeks Notice".  While watching these two movies I was reminded how much power media has in influencing the way we view and understand romantic relationships. I was really disappointed in the female lead for "Must Love Dogs". I felt like her acting and character development or at least portrayal of it, felt shallow and underdeveloped. Especially as a counterpart to John Cusack, I felt like he was much more complex and rich of a character and she did not match him in that. I realized also how interesting it was to see what messages were sent about online dating through the movie. I think it is a tricky balance mentally to not immediately accept whatever messages are indirectly implied through the movies I watch. I want to be an active media consumer that is intentional about how I process and interpret what is being shown and more importantly what is not being directly shown.