Delicious Dystopia

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CAUTION: ENGLISH TEACHER GEEKISM ENSUES

So, Question: Am I a bad person for LOVING the Hunger Games movie?…Much more than I loved the book, I might add. Last night we saw it with a large group, and the boys seemed unanimous in their approval of the movie, but it seemed the movie left a bad taste in all the girls’ mouths. Many girls I know chose not to go see this movie on a moral high ground because the premise is kids killing each other. Should I have also abstained from the blood bath? And I answer myself, “Perhaps…”

If you are looking to be surprised by the plot of the book/movie, I suggest that you not read this blog, and I also suggest that you might be living under a rock, because this story is everywhere. But I think the reason I justify my love for this book is because I have recently (I know, bad English Teacher Sierra) discovered dystopian literature. I got to read and teach Fahrenheit 451 with my high school students, and the book rocked my WORLD. Fahrenheit 451 depicts a community of people that have outlawed reading because it brings suffering (due to excessive thinking, don’t you know), and have instead favored enormous, four-walled flat screened TV’s that they can interact with. These people have become numb to their relationships, they find conversing with one another “strange.” They are calloused to horrible things like war, and they trivialize death. They drive fast just to have fun, just to feel anything…. And yes, the story is hyperbolic, but I just had to realize how not far off Ray Bradbury was in predicting our future. We numb ourselves with television, and Hulu wants us to watch Grey’s Anatomy on our lunch breaks, and facebook and texting have replaced intra-personal communication in many ways. I don’t really know much about the war in Afghanistan right now. And I know death exists, but I don’t really know anyone intimately that hasn’t died of old age, so therefore, death’s not REALLY a real thing to me just yet. Don’t worry, I know there are problems with that! I am criticizing myself here, people! And so was Ray Bradbury. Controversially, I think he was dead on.

I believe Suzanne Collins, in writing the Hunger Games, is a similar societal commentary, although I have to say, I did not always appreciate her “bumbling rhetoric” (someone on Facebook called it that. Sorry, that’s the best citation I can give). She satirized fashion, making the statement that when we run out of new ideas with fashion, we will keep pushing vanity to an extreme. By having her characters dress up with 9-inch eyelashes and PURPLE up to our brows, and nails with 3-D fixtures and ornate wigs… She’s making fun of us, people.

I recently subscribed to an Instagram (profile?) called Fashion Forward. I’m not sure why. Well, maybe it’s because of my deeply rooted ideology that I need to look cute. Anyways, here were two recent “Fashion Forward” photos.

Here is Effie Trinket from the Hunger Games:
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Not so far off, right?
–Please note, the above is an ADVERTISEMENT… MARKETING THIS LOOK TO OUR SOCIETY.
Furthermore, politically, Collins depicts a dystopia where peace is maintained hy having 24 teenagers thrust into a scientifically engineered arena of evilness to fight to the death, and then making this into a reality TV show that people wearing stuff pictured above watch and enjoy, make favorites, place bets, and spend money on. It’s a little sick. 
Jeremy and I both realized separately yesterday that we were like patrons of the Capitol by patronizing this movie–we were paying to watch kids killing each other…. I even got dressed up to see the film. That can look a lot like endorsement. 
Now, society hasn’t digressed back to Roman times with Lion’s and Gladiators just yet, but we do avidly watch Reality TV shows that are all about bringing people down, and killing their self-esteem. We do, to some extent, revel in others’ misery. Think: Shark Tank. Those people are mean to nice people. Sometimes, it feels immoral. We still watch it. The Bachelor–we are entertained by meanness and girls getting their feelings hurt–we pick favorites and make bets. We say salacious, mean things about the girls that were mean on the show. We become every bit as bad as these people… and I am TOTALLY guilty.

The Hunger Games is holding a mirror up to us, People.

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So here’s the reason, I think, I don’t feel bad about LOVING the movie last night. I think I got the message. I did not enjoy “the blood bath” so to speak. It made me cringe, like it was supposed to. But the movie made me look inward and say… there’s a problem here… even if it’s not really a problem yet. 

I know, I know–I’m changing my tune. Didn’t I just write THIS BLOG? But you know what, this movie was so well-acted (for the most part, cough cough Peetah… cough cough Gale), and so well depicted, and so well-adapted (awesome additions with the Seneca Crane under current, Gary Ross!), and so well-costumed, and just… so excellently executed… that I have to say: I’m reexamining. If nothing else, I think I’m going to cut The Bachelor from my life. It’s a big step for me. 
And the other reason to go see this movie:

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Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen. Wait ’till she tucks in her ducktail. 
You will know what I mean.
So, for those of you who actually made it to the end of this epically long blog, I applaud you (and would think it would be awesome if you commented on my blog, so I can see who is in on my experiment here). For those of you who merely looked at the pictures, skimmed for a second, and clicked away, don’t worry, I don’t blame you….
Ray Bradbury already predicted you would do exactly that.

Oh yeah… Here.

This was Jeremy’s way of preparing for the Hunger Games. This may also be reason # 467 that I married him.

Deep Thoughts: Taylor Swift

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I’m thinking of creating a blog label for all of my “deep thoughts.” For all my posts on like, you know, The Bachelor and like… hair products and stuff.

So, Taylor Swift has committed two offenses against me, but I have recently decided to forgive her for them.

Her Offenses: 
1. Dating Jake Gyllenhaal
2. Having an old boyfriend of mine say to me, “I WISH you looked like Taylor Swift.” (He wasn’t kidding).

So, understandably, Taylor and I haven’t been buddy-buddy for the last year or so, but after seeing her cute self on Ellen singing with Zac Efron (who I NEVER liked before that), I have to say, Taylor and I are back on speaking terms… And I think she’s adorable. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Jeremy doesn’t find her overly attractive.

Another reason I like Taylor Swift so much: She is a TOTAL dork, and in my family, being a dork is a really good thing. You might not know she is a dork by just looking at her on the red carpet looking like this:

After all, she looks INCREDIBLE here, and dorks aren’t usually this beautiful.
 But I assure you, Taylor Swift is a dork. Let’s examine the evidence.
1. Lyrics/ Music Video to “You Belong with Me.” — 
“But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts

She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers.”
–The music video depicts a pig-tailed, band geek Taylor, totally owning her bleacherism. I think this speaks to a past life of social awkwardness, that Swift can now embrace, and win best female music video over.
You Belong with Me

2. She occasionally sings… awkward things. It’s ok to out “Drew,” whoever he is, because no one knows him. But it seems a tinsy bit too forthcoming by singing about John Mayer (way too old/perverted for you), and Taylor Lautner (besides, you can do better, Taylor S.). And I’m not going to get into the forgiveness song she sang to Kanye at the 2010 VMA’s, because the awkwardness makes me feel a little uncomfortable, to be frank.
*If she sings about Jake Gyllenhaal, her career is over.

3. The most indicting evidence for the geekism of Ms. Swift is here, and this is the one that makes me love her more than anything: The Girl Can’t Dance.

And just as she seems to be America’s sweetheart right now, watching her geeking out, totally aware of her enthusiastic dorkdom, I admit she’s capturing my heart. This may be because I too (and hold onto your knickers, because this may surprise you), am a total dork who cannot dance, who is way too white, and who, if she ever went to high school football games, would have certainly been on the bleachers too.

So yes, Taylor. Let’s be dorks. We can have a slumber party, and wear our retainers together. 

My Thoughts on “The Bachelor”

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I have learned the secret to happiness, or a secret to happiness, anyways. And while you may not believe me because of the title of this blog, I implore you to hear me out. The secret is: Don’t take life too seriously! I mean it! I know I am not the world champion at this, but I am learning that if you can just learn to laugh about life rather than nosing to the grindstone all the time, life can be a little bit more fun. I mean, if you have to move FHE to Tuesday night, life is still ok. If you don’t finish a reading assignment for a class, you are probably a still good person. You are allowed to have a little fun in life.
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            This is why I wholeheartedly defend my weekly decision to watch The Bachelor, and I fervently encourage you to do the same. Many “show snobs” will look at this decision with disdain, and I don’t blame them, but I do think they need a change of attitude. It’s like those people who refused to watch Twilight, because they didn’t want to “condescend.” I’m sad to inform you that you missed the most hilarious cinematic moment of 2011 where a pack of poorly animated werewolves huddled in a circle to growl telepathically to one another in English. You also missed the gloriously bad acting of Taylor Lautner as he “imprinted” (whatever that means) on baby Renesme. If the movie had been an hour of these scenes on repeat, my eight dollars would have still been well spent! I loved it! But NOT because I took it seriously.

            It’s the same with The Bachelor. You don’t watch The Bachelor because you believe in the longevity of Ali and Roberto (although, secretly, I did… a little). You watch The Bachelor with the attitude of mocking. You watch The Bachelor because the drama is sublime. You watch The Bachelor because, though there is no telepathy, there is still a lot of wolfish females growling in huddles at each other. You don’t watch The Bachelor with a grain of salt, but a pound of sugar! You watch it to watch the drama implode, and you invariably end up feeling better about yourself afterwards. It’s a total confidence boost. (Plus, it’s a little fun to plot out what your undoubtedly winning strategy would be if you were stupid enough to go on the show yourself.)
            So for all you Show Snobs who are tilting your nose upward at me, I tell you, I feel sorry for you! This season, you’ve missed a schizophrenic blogger talking to herself in a bathroom, a surprise visit from Chantal N. (whom I love), a girl passing out during the rose ceremony, and lots of girl-growl circles.
 Grrrr! Grrrrr!

Also: I’m totally rooting for :

Jennifer and Kaycie B.
What about you??