Bowling For Columbine - Review

       Is it ethical to bring a picture of a six year old that was shot and killed to the president of the NRA’s house and put the blame on him? "Bowling for Columbine”, is a compelling documentary by Michael Moore. It is a very thought provoking movie that touches on many tough subjects for America. Specifically Moore is very concerned with the gun laws and attitude towards guns and violence in the USA. Moore thinks that America is run by a campaign of fear, he has many great examples of this: the Y2K event, the African bees, and the 911 attack, but the film mostly revolves around the Columbine massacre and the NRA. He carefully selected guest speakers that agreed with his views which helps motivate viewers that have yet to pick a side. Moore’s use of humour, music and short clips make the film an entertaining watch.

Moore’s interesting take on journalism takes him around Colorado as he focuses on controversial subjects. The subject he spends the most time covering is gun safety. Moore shows how simple it is to obtain a gun by opening an account at a bank and receiving a fully functional rifle for signing up. The fact that he can get a free gun and then get cheap bullets at the local K-Mart helps prove his point on how safe guns really are. The people he chooses to interview are also very specific to gun control. Especially the members of the NRA, National Rifle Association, whom have semi and fully automatic guns loaded in their houses. Moore really aims in on the NRA and their reactions to events such as the Columbine massacre and other school shootings, holding pro-gun rallies days after.

Although his techniques can be seen as unethical or immoral, Moore really gets to the heart of the problem by using similar propaganda as his opposition. In his uncomfortable interview with James Nichols, a suspect connected to a bombing in Oklahoma City, Moore asks odd questions but gets straight to the point. He tries to do this with every interview in the movie. He displays a very one sided view of problems within America and its foreign affairs. Even the way the interviews are edited is quite a captivating experience. They will start off with the introduction of Moore speaking to them and then cut to a clip of them to show why they are relevant to the documentary. After the clip he goes back to the interview. It holds the watchers attention throughout the film, which is hard to say about many movies.

This may not be the, “go out on Friday and watch it with your friends,” kind of movie, but it certainly is a very interesting take on certain problems pertaining to America. In my favourite part of the movie, Michael Moore interviews heavy metal icon, Marilyn Manson. In the wake of the Columbine Massacre people sought out something that they could blame for the tragedy. They blamed many things including drugs, video games, media, and even Marilyn Manson. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold listened to Manson, so people pointed fingers at him as the cause. But when Moore sits down and talks with Manson, he proves to be a very intelligent person, with many positive outlooks on what could have been done and what should have been done. Irony was a strong point in the documentary and I personally loved that moment. Even if you don't have time to watch the entire film, I recommend at least listening to the Marilyn Manson interview. It is an exceptional documentary and completely worth every minute watched, even if just to understand the references people make to it.

The Age of Entanglement Between Public and Private Personas

            "The idea that you can keep track of someone's life without them knowing you exist" is a thought explored in the article "The New Paparazzi" by Emma Teitel. The main subject in this article is that in this day and age, everyone is equipped with cameras and the technology to distribute them to the public easily. Teitel has done some very detailed research as she cites many sources and interviews with people on the subject. She is correct in the way she depicts the situation, every moment someone is in public they are vulnerable to the fact that their actions can be put online.

Teitel accurately portrays the situation at hand; that “digital cameras have become a house-party staple” now, although it is mostly teenage girls being the “serial camera carriers.” Many interviews with young adults/teenagers have shown the exact same problem, “Generation Y is obsessed with documenting its social life.” The fact that one way or another “the event will be photographed and eventually uploaded is [inevitable]” today, because “everyone has [a] cellphone.” Facebook and Twitter make an easy platform to distribute these pictures as well. Many people are finding apathy towards who sees what they have done, whether it is a friend or future employer. “The inclination of young people [is] to live in the moment” and not care about the future implications it can have.

Similarly people are exposed, whether they like it or not. The fact is, anyone can take a picture of someone else and upload it to social media without their consent. Although that may not be morally the right thing to do, doing “what’s appropriate … is incredibly hard to gauge in a photo-sharing age.” There is a harsh reality now that the only way to avoid having pictures such as these showing up on social media is “means avoiding the party altogether.” “Many people agree with the tabloid culture analogy” that everyone has a wide variety of their personal life on display to the public. This can be a positive situation, where it displays your positive events you’re involved in (sports, volunteering, etc), or detrimental to one’s public affiliations. Usually it’s the latter, pictures and statements of people “more concerned with telling secrets than keeping them.” 

 "The truth is that Generation Y doesn't care about it's privacy until it's been violated" is almost an understatement. People post stupid things of themselves and their friends without ever worrying about the consequences. The topic of staying anonymous is more important than that of keeping their own privacy. Teitel shares that she wanted to delete her Facebook account was "not when Sara Melvin posted over a hundred embarrassing photos of [her], but when [her] right to anonymously browse ... was temporarily jeopardized."

            I believe Teitel's article is fairly accurate when it comes to explaining the process of why there are so many scandalous photos of people out there. People are just apathetic when it comes to wanting privacy and are going to have to learn the hard way that employers really do care what kind of a person they are. The fact that so many teens these days can have their life documented completely online, on display for the world to see is a very alarming fact. Do we need to change what is happening in the world? Or is the world just going to evolve to adapt this new culture.

Rhyming, Slamming, and Poetry Oh My

SLAM POETRY IS A PHEONIX
REBIRTHED AND ALIVE AGAIN


       Poety can be defined as: a genre of literature to express feelings and ideas. Now to put this into perspective, Slam poetry is the same thing, yet one million times louder. To have a crowd cheering along to poetry, and excited about the use of language is an amazing phenomenon. Today, there are thousands of amazing slam poets across the world, many preforming with their friends in basements, in coffee houses, and even in competitions. Every new person is a different perspective and has a different way to mould words. It is an art form. The performance can be as spectacular as the poem itself, and in many ways Neil Hilborn, Jared Singer, and Scout are iconic examples of this creativity.

       Neil Hilborn has many great poems written but specifically his poem "The Future", displays a wide variety of techniques, repetition, analogies and contrast. He is very humorous; and his performance is is very emotional, which really pulls the listener in as he continues to illustrate his plot. Hilborn goes off about how he is depressed and wants to "kill [himself]" but he can see into the future and finally has a revelation that he shouldn't commit suicide because he's alive in the future. The poem is very impactful as he uses repetition to display a rapid fire array of points that invoke a reaction. He uses many comparisons to relate other topics referencing that "the future looks like a child in a cape," full of ambition and things to do. Finally Hilborn is very contradictory, he goes from talking about the ups versus the downs and poses a question on if he should kill himself. His response to this is an astounding no because there "is so much [stuff] to do still" and ends the poem on a resoundingly positive note. His lyric poem shows his idea that suicide should not be the answer even when there seems like no hope, and leaves the listener eyes open and thinking about their perspective of life. If you are interested I highly suggest listening to any of the poems yourself and hearing your opinion on them (see contact information at the bottom of the page).

       In his poem “A Letter to Sarah”, Jared Singer depicts his reaction to his friend Sarah committing suicide in an extremely emotional way. His theme is the fact that although you may not hear it, everyone around you cares more than thought possible. The actions he explains are gruesome yet poetic. His imagery is astounding, perhaps beyond the level of comfort as he describes a suicide jump and how the impact “turns bone to dust and blood splatters across your face.” The way Jared yells and shouts contrasts with his otherwise quiet voice and demeanour. Other than the tremendous display of both anger and sadness across the stage, the poem itself is quite the lyrical genius. My favourite part of the poem was when he exclaimed “if I could read other people's minds, I would not invade your privacy. Instead I would eavesdrop every passer-by, tattoo my arms with every nice thing they wanted to say.” Nearly breaking down on stage, but keeping enough composure to finish, it really is a heart wrenching product. He dramatizes his actions and goes off on rants that the crowd cheer and clap for. It is a great example of excellent slam poetry and well worth the listen.

       Not all slam poetry is sad, or heart wrenching, or deals with suicide. On the contrary “To My Future Children”, by Scout, is a heartwarming and funny poem. She writes to the children she might have in the future and gives them her advice on life experiences. She jumps back and forth between very serious subjects and not so serious topics, such as “don't be afraid to be poor” and “don't ever utter the phrase 'yolo' in my house.” As she is still a young adult, at 21, she gives very insightful advice and is clearly ready to be a caring mother. This is less about the imagery, and the projection is on a different level than the other two poems, yet it still shows the emotional investment these artists put into slam poetry. She really wants to drive home the fact that her daughter/son can do whatever they want, and that they should live life and not be bogged down by the usual anchoring factors. This is such an upbeat, exhilarating poem that I would certainly suggest listening/watching this to brighten the mood after watching the other two more depressing ones.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xUEg2WxGqQ
Neil Hilborn - "The Future"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwNiYFlHmWs
Jared Singer - "A Letter to Sarah"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9qXCn5zs8Y
Scout - "To My Future Children"

Death of a Dream

     My eyelids hung low over my eyes as I fought to stay conscious. My hair was messy, while I struggled out of bed and got ready for school. Everything felt soft to the touch as my body was still waking up. Hurriedly I scampered around the house, picking up my notes and text book and throwing them carelessly into my back pack. My gut dropped as I realized that I had forgotten to study for my exam yet again. I marched out my door, ready to accept my fate. It was my last exam. The school was a prison, ready to lock me up for the next 4 hours and test me. I scanned around the room and could see fear in the eyes of my peers. My joints ached as I sat down to read my notes again. People came up to ask me questions about topics on the test. My answer was a blank stare. My mind screamed at me. I should have studied; I should have cared more. Excuses ran through my mind. My lips curled around the rim of my third coffee. The aroma of caffeine and regret filled my nostrils. My hands shook, and my body quivered. I was unprepared. This was the first time I’d ever put something off this long. The constant reminder that I was going to fail paralyzed me. I tried to skim my notes. Faster and faster I read, but nothing was being absorbed, these were just meaningless words on a piece of paper. “F=(1/2dta)/G? What does this even mean” were the only words that slipped out of my mouth that day. There was a frenzy of both excitement and fright filling the room. Hastily I glanced at the clock, aware that it was counting down to my doom. This was going to break my confidence, my dreams, and my future. My reservoir of hope was quickly drying up. Anxiety crept up from my fingers, until it embraced my body. The person on the PA announced that it was time to enter.

A Frostbitten Morning

     As I take my first step into the desolate wasteland I am hit with an immense cold. The barren grad parking lot seems devoid of life, a sight I have become accustomed to seeing at 8:25 in the morning. The warmth of my car tries to tempt me into staying inside. As I struggle to continue onwards a -20°C force field tries to halt my journey to the front door. My backpack is weighing me down like a ship’s anchor and seems to be trying to help the cold stop me. Sprinting with all my might against what seems to be impossible odds I somehow manage to get inside on time. Despite the harsh conditions outside, I am greeted by the bright happy faces of the people in Jazz Band and the early bus commuters. I stand around and wait to warm up. Just as I am about to head to class, fellow grads that survived the trek through the bitter cold begin to trickle though the doors. They walk in slow strides, dragging their heels, and look at the floor with an expression of contempt drawn on their faces. They unleash a tidal wave of unenthused murmurs and their sighs threaten to sweep me out to sea. Their tired eyes demand more rest and their dreary heads struggle to stay awake. Suddenly silence sweeps across the hallway. A teacher has made their presence known and seems to be looking for someone. I know the teacher, but do not recall doing anything that would upset them so I feel fairly safe. At least I do until he starts advancing towards me. Thoughts race through my head as I try to think of anything that I might have done recently. Students quickly hurry past me, glancing over in sheer horror. Mr.Vancamp towers over me and begins to open his mouth to speak. I fear for the worst. I am ready to accept my fate, but remarkably he says a name unfamiliar to me. I twirl around and see a small student awkwardly trying to hide behind me. Vancamp points distinctly and asks to speak to them in private, and I hastily scurry out of their way as they march off. Once he is out of sight I breathe a deep sigh of relief. Suddenly the bell alarms, almost as if it is trying to wake students before class. The chaotic chatter resumes, the pathways twist, and turn and the halls transform into a obstacle course as students try head off to their respective classes. It heralds the start of a new adventure, as the day is finally about to begin.

The 4 Figures of Drew

A plume of smoke arises from behind the black leather chair. A quick turn of the chair reveals Al Capone’s face, with a cigar slipped between his lips, and a slight smirk off to the side. This cocky, arrogant, smug faced thug represents the self-importance of Drew Fraser. As he looks into a mirror he sees himself atop the mountain of success that others are still trying to climb. Drew sees himself as ingenious, just as Capone. Alongside the conceited mindset Drew also feels like the well-known Sherlock Holmes.  With the ability to solve any problems that arise, he is a cunning man. He can think outside the box and is keen. To balance all these level headed, cool and collected people, he also can be represented by The Joker. Known to love jokes no matter the situation, he is the insane and dangerous villain from Batman. Often derailed from train of the thought, The Joker is still a crafty man. On many occasions he uses wit to win his battles rather than brawn. Drew views the Joker as a perfect example for himself; he is both funny and bright but at the same time a depressed maniac trapped within the confines of the boundaries he sets for himself. Finally a figure that Drew strives to be himself, is the awe inspiring Ghandi. He is wise and ready to fight for his freedom when approached. He is also a non-violent man that believes he can achieve peace between differences. All in all, Drew is clearly a wide array of characters and this diversity leads to how he lives his life differently each day.