30 April 2011

Message: Acceptance

This is blog numbero une I had to write for an assignment. This one is about media representation and I used Glee as an example. Enjoy. Please give me some feedback.

Update: I received a high distinction for this! Made my day :)


Overachiever; star quarter back; ‘Queen bee’, ‘ditzy blonde’ and ‘straight-up bitch’ cheerleaders; geeky boy in a wheelchair; Goth Asian; dancing Asian; ‘Aretha Franklin wannabe’ diva; resident bad boy and flamboyant gay. What I just described to you isn’t the audition line up for the next season of Australia’s Got Talent rather the diverse range of stereotypes represented on the highly successful television series Glee.


 Image taken from Google images: http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID18064/images/glee_cast_fox-1.jpg

Okay I admit it; I’m a “Gleek” (UrbanDictionary.com, 2011). I have been a fan of the musical comedy ever since it started in 2009 and continue to watch every week as McKinley High’s Glee Club learns yet another lesson from their “Boy Band” teacher Mr. Schuester as stated by the show’s website with Fox (2011). As each season develops I am amazed at the depth and complexity of the storylines that Ryan Murphy and the rest of the writing staff give each character. However, in the most recent season, one plot and character have stood out above the rest.

The gay community is represented by the media in as many ways as the number of colours on the gay pride flag and Glee is no exception. During the first season Kurt Hummel was the only gay character on the show but during the second season two new gay characters were introduced; Blaine, a rival show choir singer from Dalton Academy (Derschowitz, 2010) and Dave Karofsky, a closeted gay who is also the head bully and on the football team at McKinley High (Nguyen, 2010).

Image taken from Google images: http://www.teen.com/wp-content/uploads/kurt-blaine-kiss-chris-colfer-interview-glee-e1292428427822-300x300.jpg  Image taken from Google images: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlWuSWtryWosNsGIJKHE7C_R2_NPhdp3MHUgKzAV0cUjn8Emw2xu8P1pDIYDTe-TYY9BVN3aMrv9TH9vAlpTUQe1GROutFEsLpjp3GXsa1B8KAMi5pEansQWE815WybxOjWZX7Q6fLdc/s1600/Glee-Karofsky.png

With any good show there always comes a point in the story writing process where some material ends up on the writers floor. Steinberg (2011) explains, “Creating media texts involves making choices…what images to show or not to show”. Glee is often criticized by religious and family organisations for both the story lines in the show and what they decide to show on the screen. However, during the latest season the writer’s of the show have pushed the limits of the censorship board and of organizations, showing a kiss between both Kurt and Karofsky and Kurt and Blaine.

Later in the season the characters of Kurt and Blaine start a relationship, a move that fans of the show had long awaited and was praised by Gay and Lesbian groups around the world. For me, this raised the question of how many gays and lesbians are represented on Australian television. Off the top of my head, I couldn’t think of any. However, I could think of an array of examples from American shows including Cameron and Mitchell from Modern Family, Will and Jack from Will and Grace and Waylon Smithers from The Simpsons.

According to Hartley (2002), “a stereotype is a mixed impression…used to describe how fixed qualities or traits may be attributed to groups in the way they are represented in various media”. As Steinberg (2011) explains, “stereotypes operate as a form of shorthand for media professionals and as such, media professionals have enormous social and political power to reinforce and challenge stereotypes”.  Through the characters of Kurt and Karofsky we see how the writer’s of Glee both challenge and reinforce the gay stereotype. Kurt reinforces the stereotype as he sings show tunes, dances, has a flamboyant albeit theatrical fashion sense and he doesn’t hide his sexuality. Whereas with Dave Karofsky they challenge the stereotype as he is a jock but also bullies the kids at the school, a storyline involving Karofsky bullying Kurt was written in to the second season as discussed on the Zap To It Blog on November 11, 2010, and unlike Kurt he hides the fact that he is gay.

As a loyal follower of the show, I have noticed that using the characters and storylines in Glee, Ryan Murphy is promoting to the audience his ideal world. One where everyone, not just gay people are accepted for who they are no matter what race, religion or sexual preference. The most recent episode is evident of this, aptly named “Born This Way” – a recent hit by the Queen of Self-acceptance herself, Lady Gaga. As stated on the episodes IMDb webpage (2011), the episode focuses on the Glee Club and their inability to accept the things that make them who they are, what they may think is their worst flaw is what makes them unique, this in turn becomes Mr. Schuester’s lesson.

Image taken from Google images: http://cdn03.okcdn.okmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Glee_Lady_Gaga_Born_This_Way_April27newsnea.jpg

To view the episode go to http://www.megavideo.com/?v=MJATRXNR

After each episode without fail some organization will criticize Glee for something they have done, whether it’s a kiss between two guys or a teenage pregnancy plot with the head cheerleader and star quarter back. Despite all of this, the writer’s continue to stretch the abilities of the actors and test the loyalty of the fans. At the end of the day, the message is clear:
Whether life’s disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
‘Cause baby you were born this way.

29 April 2011

Wise words...

I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way, born this way


26 April 2011

London Calling

London
Bath
Oxford

Glasgow
Edinburgh

Amsterdam

Berlin

Warsaw
Krakow

Prague Christmas!

Vienna
Salzburg

Venice New Years Eve!
Milan
Rome

Geneva
Lucerne
Zurich
Zemmatt

Marseille
Mont St-Michel
Versailles
Paris

Don't know about you, but that's how I'll be spending November, December and January.

14 April 2011

Viva La Revolution!

Yep, I made these because I couldn't sleep. You'll know what they mean if you're a fan of Chuck and Zachary Levi. Plus my iPad apps were taking forever to update. Probably shouldn't wait to have 42 updates though. Fellow nerds feel free to, in the words of Captain Jack Sparrow, "borrow without permission" aka steal these.




- B xoxo

11 April 2011

Best. Quotes. Ever.

I thought I would share a few of my favourite "Comic Book Guy" quotes from The Simpsons seems as he has become a part of my new blog layout. The title of the post is a homage to his recurring line 'worst (enter object here, i.e. movie) ever'.
Ah, videogames, what a waste of money. Now to go online and bid one thousand dollars for a set of Itchy and Scratchy corn-cob holders. Terrific, terrific experience. 
If my knowledge of sci-fi movies is correct, which it is, the black car is an advanced probe for the mothership. Now, if you're through, I'm going to spend my last hours on Earth complaining about movies on the internet. 
I've spent my entire life doing nothing but collecting comic books... and now there's only time to say... LIFE WELL SPENT!
[To Kent Brockman] No, I get my news from the internet, like a normal person under seventy. Farewell, dinosaur. 
You may purchase this charming Hamburglar Adventure. A child has already solved the jumble using crayons. The answer is 'fries'. 
But Aquaman, you cannot marry a woman without gills. You're from two different worlds!...ooh, I've wasted my life.
Ohh, a complete list of things I have seen or not seen is available on my blog. Your mother is on the not seen list, along with a Star Wars film that was only good since the first one. And even that has been ruined by CGI additions... Bravo George...[claps] 
Ack. There is no "emoticon" to express what I am feeling right now. 
The answer is no, and I can say it in Na'vi and Klingon, which are pretty much the same. I have some theories about that, which I will share with you never. 
No, I do not have a receipt. I won it as a door prize at a Star Trek convention, although I find their choice of prize highly illogical, as the average Trekker has no need of a medium-size belt. 
Very well. I must get back to my comic book store, where I dispense the insults rather than receive them. 
- B xoxo

An Apple a day...

So as many of you know, I am a huge Apple fan. Not just the fruit but the company Steve Jobs is the CEO of. I own/have owned:
Two iPod shuffles, 
A nano, 
An iPod classic, 
An iTouch, 
An iPhone, 
A MacBook Pro, and
An iPad
    I know I'm a sucker for the products. I also love the songs they have used in their ad's over the years. I recently downloaded a few and I thought I'd share my favourites with you (you being one of the four followers I have).

    New Soul by Yael Naim - MacBook Air ad
    Never Stop by Chilly Gonzales - "iPad is Delicious" ad
    Jerk It Out by the Ceasers - "Life's Random" iPod shuffle ad
    She's Got Me Dancing by Tommy Sparks - iTouch ad
    Secrets by OneRepublic - instrumental section was used in an iPhone ad
    Bourgeois Shangri-La by Miss Li - iPod nano video ad
    Mr Pitiful by Matt Costa - iPhone 3GS "Copy & Paste" ad
    Submarine Symphonika by the Submarines - iPhone 3GS ad
    There Goes My Love by The Blue Van - Apple iPad ad
    Come Home by Chappo - iTouch Gen 4 ad

    I think you should take a cue from Apple's iPhone 3GS "Copy & Paste" ad and copy those song titles and paste them into Youtube's browser bar and have a listen. They're quite catchy.