Somewhere Between (Western Culture and Orientalism)

As children, we don't think about how much film and television have impacts on our lives. I might even argue that they play as important as a part as life experience itself because it is seen on a daily basis and can easily change the minds of its audience. Growing up, I always had an interest in my Asian, specifically Chinese, heritage. My parents exposed me to Chinese culture without forcing it onto me, really leaving it up to me how much I wanted to embrace my biological versus my cultural heritage. I would watch those travel videos for kids and learn basic words and sentences in classes or events with other kids like me. And of course, there was the classic Disney film, Mulan. As a kid, I never actually saw Mulan besides clips and trailers because I felt like I would automatically be connected to however the characters were represented in the film. Even from a young age, distorted views of foreign countries and their cultures were affecting me.

In sixth grade, a documentary called Somewhere Between was made about four girls who were adopted from China and went back to visit. They all had slightly different agendas, some going just to explore while one looked for and found her biological family. Of all the Asian media and experience that I was exposed to as a kid, it was the most realistic and impactful one I had seen and continues to be to this day. Part of this is due to the perspective being from the girls themselves as opposed to the parents, but also because the documentary gave a true look at Chinese culture when they visited. While they took the journey of a typical tourist, they also immersed themselves into the culture and learned so much about their biological backgrounds. The people were all genuine and nothing was sugarcoated. It was my first real look at Chinese culture without a travel, tourist, or wholly American or European view and it changed the way I think.

Even seven years later, I think about the film and it definitely increased my desire to visit China at some point. I have always been a bit wary about visiting because, like the title of the documentary suggests, I feel like if I went there, I would be easily recognized as an American, but other American and European tourists might think that I lived there. By seeing a true representation of Chinese culture, I realized that I do want to have the opportunity to explore where I am from in addition to the rest of China. As a society, I think that there has been improvement regarding the way that we conceive other cultures and represent them, but there is still much work to be done. Too often, Asians are misrepresented by ill-written and.or ill-casted works. There are definitely some accurate representations of Asian culture, but the accuracy and the volume can be increased. After proof reading this blog, I realized that I did not really talk about orientalism and its consequences as much as I focused on one of the positive experiences I have had, but I think that it is important to acknowledge and critique things that are wrong, but also find a positive side as well.

Mulan: Orientalism for Children

Growing up, Mulan was one of my favorite Disney movies. I loved seeing a female as the heroine, proving herself to be strong enough and smart enough to fight with the boys. But, while Mulan’s storyline may be on the road to a win for more gender inclusivity and equality, it unfortunately plays right into the stereotypes of Orientalism. The storyline of Mulan is based on an old Chinese legend, and Disney picked up the narrative and transformed it into a multi-million dollar movie, I think with hopes to diversify their films and have their characters and movies be more identifiable for people of all cultures.

Still, Disney could not escape eurocentrism in this film. Disney was trying to portray a classic Chinese tale, but ended up just making Mulan a generally “Asian” story. They mixed elements of both Chinese and Japanese culture, and included details that would not have existed in the time frame of the movie, to make it more identifiably “Asian,” which let it become another negative example of Orientalism. Mulan is supposed to be a Chinese teenager, but in the beginning of the movie she wears a kimono and has a white powdered face, which is representative of Japanese, not Chinese culture. To Disney credit though, the flower that is a symbol throughout the movie is in fact a magnolia, which is a flower native to China, not a cherry blossom, which is a flower native to Japan.

Furthermore, Disney took the idea of collectivism in east Asian cultures to the extreme in this movie. Mulan is only able to become an individual and come into her own once she decides to sacrifice everything for the honor of her family, which is not realistic. The depiction of the veneration of ancestors is also made into a lighthearted, goofy topic through Mushu, Eddie Murphy’s dragon character that becomes Mulan’s sidekick, and depicted as mystical and strange when at Mulan’s house, when in reality it is an important part of Chinese culture. Overall, Disney’s euro-centric and oriental tendencies become apparent in Mulan because of the generalization of Chinese culture into just “Asian” culture. Mulan is fleshed out as a film just about the “far east” in the eyes of a younger, Western audience.

No More Hakuna Matata

Even though The Lion King was released in 1994, it remains a classic children's movie that all little kids can sing along to. For many kids, it is their first interaction with Africa, a world supposedly full of dancing and singing fuzzy and cute animals that just want to live in harmony with each other, except for Scar and the hyenas. There are no humans in the film and Africa is portrayed as a sprawling deserts, lush forests and vast almost nothingness, only animals and nature. This being many children's first time getting a visual understanding of what Africa looks like has the power to shape the way they view Africa as they grow up, even as they begin to understand more of the reality of the peoples and cultures of African nations.

When someone, including myself, is told to picture Africa, several images come to mind: first, the ever so popular safaris that provide tourists with the natural beauty, then those pictures of tribes and communities of people who through the efforts of westerners now have access to clean water and medicine, and finally, the bustling cities, overcrowded and impoverished. These pictures are what many westerners first imagine Africa to be like because that is how it has been "marketed" to us. We do not see the advanced, modern cultures and towns that really exist because we never question what we are initially shown and choose to believe.

Additionally, education on African history and culture, stops as soon as colonialism takes place and the slave trade. This once again leads to images of cultures from hundreds of years ago that were controlled by Europeans. After this point, we never again revisit African history in either of the required history classes at OPRF.

There are many many issues with the way we view Africa and Africans, including the fact that rather than seeing the many African countries, we see Africa the continent as basically all the same thing. When asked to think about Europe, we can think of many of the countries and how they are all different, speak different languages, and have different cultures. In order to change the very incorrect and close-minded lense that we see Africa through, a lot has to happen with how we are educated on Africa, taught more modernly and more similarly to Europe.

Free the Eyebrows (or Eyebrow?)

As wavy blonde hair comfortably sits atop my head, my European origins appear obvious. Though the one characteristic that contrasts my German ethnicity are my thick, black, Egyptian eyebrows. It is a part of me that I have been forced to maintain constantly. Though many frown upon men getting their eyebrows waxed or threaded, it is a religious experience for me. It means that for the next week, I would be able to have two eyebrows as opposed to one, and get one step close to the stereotypical male standard.

In 2007, my extended family and I took a vacation to Egypt over winter break. As I left for the airport, I awaited a fun-filled trip to The Pyramids, Sphynx, and sitting on camels. Although, as many of you may imagine, this was nowhere near the reality of my experience. In fact, I experienced much more beauty that lied in the complexity of my trip. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our own personal security guard strapped with an AK-47 on his back. As we continued about our trip in Cairo, the excitement and eagerness that I had at the beginning of our trip began to vanish as my safety no longer felt secure, though my interest stayed at a peak.

My family and I visited several churches where (according to the Christian religion) history had taken place; one in specific where Jesus stayed in after fleeing Israel. Iconic mosques surrounded us, and my mind was no longer focused on the Pyramids anymore. As we walked through street markets, I experienced something I had never really expected.  My grandfather (Geddo) was talking to venders in Arabic laughing and smiling. I felt welcomed with opened arms. It is frustrating that this elegant beauty is hidden under the burqa of the Pyramids.

Though it attracts tourism for Egypt, it hides so much more beauty, and merely oversimplifies Egypt to sand dunes and camels. It seems humorous that the pictures one may see on postcards is simply of the Pyramids, but what lies only half a mile away is a thriving city. It is unfortunate that the media has over-simplified Egypt to such a basic generalization, but time is the only thing that stands between now, and the elegant truth. It is because of my ethnicity's pride, unity, and humility that I plan to illuminate the Egyptian beauty by raising one of my thick black eyebrows. 

Suffering

When you google suffer they tell you that it is the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. No human wants to experience suffering. People respond to unjust or random suffering very differently. People cope with suffering in three ways, they can choose to get rid/hide their feelings, talk about their feelings, or they can take their feelings and grow from them. When people take suffering head on it helps shape them. By accepting the suffering and dealing with it, it can help you become a stronger person. They do say what doesn't "Kill you makes you stronger". Besides making you a stronger person suffering can provide you with a deeper appreciation a life. Realizing that life does not last forever makes you appreciate the small moments in life and cherish those moments. Another way people cope with suffering is they see it as a way they can strengthen their spiritual relationship with God. A stronger sense of spirituality can help provide people with comfort, stronger intimacy with God, and it can also help people gain a sense of control over situations. With having control over situations it will help you endure suffering in many ways. To endure suffering you have to remember why you are suffering and what happened to you. When you accept why you are suffering you can also endure suffering by realizing to keep doing what God has called you to do. People endure suffering based on their emotions and ways they feel they can handle it. Suffering is not easy to accept and it also is not easy to keep going in life. We survive with suffering by trying to keep pushing and realizing that life does go on. People pick themselves up differently, people have their own ways of pushing through suffering.

Lesser suffering fits into this discussion because all suffering hurts and all suffering takes time for someone to heal. Going through suffering from a relationship can hurt someone very deeply. Relationships allow you to put your time, effort, and trust into someone. When you end a relationship with someone you almost feel as if a piece of you goes with that person. That can take a lot of emotion from a person, and that can cause suffering. When people go through a bad breakup they choose to delete everything from that person or go out. Some people choose to be around family and friends to help them cope with suffering. When others see people suffering we choose to either help them head on or we choose to ignore it. 

Orientalism Dictates

In 2012, Paramount released The Dictator, a movie about a dictator from the Northern African Republic of Wadiya (fictional). The main character, General Haffaz Aladeen, travels to New York City to speak to the United Nations over concerns with his country's nuclear plans. While this movie displays extreme examples of orientalist thought, I do believe that it was intended to be satirical and speak out against the misconstrued ideas of the "Western World" in our pop culture.

First off, the setting says enough for itself. The movie is set in the middle of an African desert with a large palace smack in the middle. There are no modern buildings whatsoever and it appears quite desolate. Having travelled to Africa (and I know that Africa is a large continent and has many different settings), this is not realistic. Believe it or not, western countries have booming cities just like us!

Also, all Middle-Eastern men in this movie are depicted as angry, savage, and violent. The main character, Aladeen, often orders random executions at the slightest infractions. Furthermore, Aladeen is depicted as a full-on tyrant- which is an impactful misconception of Middle-Eastern leaders.

Finally, it is often believed that women in Middle-Eastern countries are heavily oppressed and lack education. There are certainly cultures in which women do experience severe oppression, but in no way does that apply to the entire Middle-East. In the movie, Aladeen shows interest in a woman that attended Amherst University. After learning this, Aladeen comments on how seeing educated women is comparable to a monkey on roller skates. He believes that it means nothing to women, but to men, educated women are adorable. Furthermore, after Aladeen's birth, his mother is killed by the doctor- intensifying the stereotype that all women are mistreated or abused.

Once again, I do believe that this movie was produced as a satirical piece. It's purpose was to fight against orientalism and demonstrate just how absurd the whole phenomenon is. By 2018, we should all, as educated Americans, be able to recognize that this is not an accurate depiction of the Middle-East. However, I am sure there are still many individuals out there who let this film act as reinforcement to their orientalist perspective.

The Dictator

The Dictator is a 2012 political satire and comedy co-written by and starring Sacha Baron Cohen. The movie takes place in New York during a United Nations council due to international concerns over his countries clandestine nuclear program. General Aladeen played by Sacha Baron Cohen has ruled the North African country of Wadiya since the age of 6. He took over as ruler when 97 bullets and a hand grenade killed his father when he was on a hunting expedition. Right here we already have an example of orientalism. The movie portrays his home country as one that is unsafe and the government officials as clueless and reckless. After taking over, General Aladeen is convinced by his advisors to go to New York and attend the summit.

Their are constant examples of Orientalism throughout the film that are highlighted and very hard to miss. First off, the city of Wadiya features exaggerated wealth as a result of all the oil their with a very "Middle Eastern" accent. The city is portrayed as an oasis and wasteland in the middle of nowhere with a massive government mansion where Cohen lives. There are no modern buildings anywhere in the city. Next, the movie shows a flashback to when Cohen was born and he comes out of his mother's womb with a full grown beard and endless body hair which supports the stereotype that all middle easterners are hairy. Later on, the movie supports the orientalist idea that all women are not respected and treated right because throughout the film Cohen always has women by his side that are barely dressed and bossed around. An example of this is when Cohens romantic interest said that she attended Amherst college, Cohen responds by saying, "I love it when women go to school. It's like a monkey on roller skates. It means nothing to them but it's adorable to us.". This clearly shows the inaccurate portrayal of women throughout the movie.

The movie also supports the idea that all Middle Eastern men are savages and angry all the time. Cohen is constantly ordering the executions of pedestrians and others because of the slightest offenses.  Also Cohen's father is shown as a tyrant and a savage. I think the best example of Orientalism shown in the film comes when Cohen meets the head of the security staff at the hotel. The head of the staff says, "I hate arabs". Cohen then tells him that Wadiya is not an Arabic Country but the head of the security staff says. "Well you are all Arabs to me". The belief that all middle easterners are Arabic is clearly an example of the ignorance that arises from Orientalism.

It is upsetting that a lot of movies coming out now a days and in the past continue to highlight and harass the culture and lifestyle of people living in the Middle East. Also the fact that most people do not recognize the inaccurate portrayals of the Middle East in films is upsetting. I can't imagine how people from Arabic descent feel when watching these movies portrayal of their country. With movies like, The Dictator, Orientalism continues to invade our movies and televisions shows with very few people realizing what is going on or trying to stop it.

Indian Jones & the Doom of Orientalism

Indiana Jones is the epitome of an American adventure movie series. The majority of people have seen some, if not all, of the movies. In addition, the fact that it was directed/produced by the iconic Steven Spielberg elevates the films to a high level of prestige. Yet, at a closer examination of the fourth film, Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom, one cannot help but notice that Orientalist mindset that makes this movie "the best in the series".
For those who have not seen the film, Jones accidentally arrives in India after escaping from China. A group of Indian tribesmen take Jones under their wing. After arriving in their village, the tribesmen see that their village has been overthrown by a primitive and violent Kali-worshipping cult. This cult has created slaves from women and children, and partake in civilian killings. This one aspect of the film highlights the Orientalist idea that the Western world stereotypes people from the Middle East are aggressive, violent, and even primitive.
Another clear example of Orientalism in the movie is the fact that the cult eats monkey brains and snakes filled with beetles. The film seems to portray the idea that these foods are "common" for those living in the Middle East, which further skews the way we as viewers interpret the culture/food of those living in the Middle East.
It is unfortunate that the Western world has created movies that often fetishize or even terrorize the culture, religion, and peoples of the Middle East. Through movies such as Indiana Jones, we see the progression of the Orientalist mindset and its ability to seep into our pleasure of watching such movies as Indiana Jones.

Legally Blonde

When we theoretically think about dramatic comedy one would say that it is about how something is so over exaggerated it funny. Though the actual definition it means: a drama where the characters, experience a change for better and work things out with hope for the future. Essentially though when I think about a dramatic comedy about the movie Legally Blonde comes to mind.

Legally Blonde is a movie based around a young girl named Elle Woods who has it all but she wants nothing more then to be Mrs. Warner Huntington III who is her young, smart, college boyfriend. In order to put her plan into action she rallies all of her resources to get into Harvard determining to win him back. But it is not as easy as she thought it would.

Specifically because there are many examples of dramatic comedy that comes along throughout the scenes of the movie. The most important aspect that plays a vital role throughout the movie is that Elle comes from a wealthy family. She has never been the one to have to work for anything because it has always been handed to her from the luxury car , huge house, butlers, and only the finest cloths. In the movie there was a scene where Elle was going to her professor to get help on an essay that she had written. The professor tried to make a sexual advance at her because he did not think she was there about her paper or that she was even intelligent. Then there was the times of no one taking her seriously because of the type of life style she lives and how she looks.

What makes it dramatic comedy is that though is is a comedic thing it is a real time situation. Which would be the stereotypes of because someone looks a certain way, acts a certain way, or has a certain life style that they are looked down upon or not taken seriously.

Fast, Unique, Brilliant- Accepted Student Post

Congratulations, you’ve been accepted to a college! Your hard work paid off, the stress has past, and now you can sit back and relax. Right? Not quite. There’s still one vital aspect of the “college experience” that you have to prepare for- your roommate. Luckily, the incredible invention that is the internet has made the roommate search process incredibly easy. Practically every college has what is known as an “Accepted Students Facebook Page,” where students can post pictures and biographies to capture the attention of future classmates. Unfortunately, with hundreds of students posting everyday, it can be hard to craft a post that will capture the attention of your scrolling audience. Fortunately, most students have evidently mastered the ability of unique bios and pics For an easy to use, original, eye-catching template that will resemble none of the other students whatsoever, follow this form:

Instructions: Blanks should be filled in with appropriate descriptors, while options in parenthesis can be circled to indicate which wording or activities you prefer.

Hi Guys (!!!!! / !!!)My name is ______________(Name), but I go by__________ (nickname that literally has nothing to do with your name)! I go to ___________ (your high school), which is like ______(driving time to the college from your city) minutes from_________(name of college whose page you are on). Like (many / most / all) of you, I am looking for a roommate- or even just some friends before I start at the University. I am going in as (Undecided / a Psychology major / a Business major), but honestly, who knows what I’m going to stick with!  

In terms of a roommate, I am hoping to find someone who would be a great study partner but who’s also (down to / ready for / psyched for) partying and adventures. School is definitely my (first priority / major priority / primary focus) for me, but I really love going out and having fun! I will (probably / definitely) be rushing (#KappaKappaGamma / #SigmaChi), I’m (super pumped / ecstatic) to go to all the sports games and support the_________(mascot of the college whose page you’re on) and tailgate!

Some other (fun / random / interesting) facts about me:

-I was involved with (Pick two: Field Hockey, Soccer, Football, Track, Cheer team, NHS, Model UN, Student Council, Freshman Mentoring, Orchestra, Yearbook Committee)

-My favorite TV shows are (Pick three: Grey’s Anatomy, Parks and Rec, The Office, Hawaii Five-0, Riverdale, Stranger Things, The Bachelor, Friends, Twin Peaks)

-My favorite artists are (Pick two: Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, Lumineers, Drake, Chance the Rapper, Beyonce, Foo Fighters, Green Day)

-I (love / enjoy)  working out but I’m definitely going to need someone to (motivate me / drag me to the gym). Also, I refuse to run.

That’s all I can think of! If you think we’d be a good match for roommates- or even just friends- add me on insta or sc, cuz I really don’t know how to work facebook (SC:_____________, Insta:__________) (!!!!!/ !!!)

To make your post exceptionally noticeable, attach a few photos that will stand out among the crowd

Photo One: You at the beach with friends, with (Pick two: Floppy hat, oversized sunglasses, bikini, Hawaiian swim trunks, bright towel, flowy cover-up, polaroid camera)

Photo Two: Senior picture with awkward lighting and the logo of the photo company placed (over your face / your shirt)

Photo Three: You at a sporting event participating in a (Camo / Hawaiian) dress up day

Photo Four: You with your (golden retriever / golden labradoodle / tiny rat-dog)

With this innovative template, your post is fail-proof! You will not only get tons of responses from people who are utterly compatible with you, you will also find your forever group of friends that you will remain close with not just throughout the four years of university, but for the many decades that will follow. Stay unique!  

LadyBird

I'm a "dramedy" person - I'm drawn to works that have a nicely crafted flow of comedic moments and dramatic moments, because that's what life is. My type of art and media is one that simply depicts a slice of life, and the more I thought about, the more I realized those can technically fit under the comedy category by Aristotle's definition. The most significant one that comes to mind is LadyBird, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan.

LadyBird has been placed under the comedy category, but for some reason I've felt inclined to argue against that - it's not really a comedy, it's so much more than that. That's when I realized that this is me buying into the negative conception about comedy, writing it off as meaningless. When you really look at it, LadyBird is really funny and contains more lighthearted moments than not, and although it's a bumpy ride, does contain the overall rise in fortune of it's main character, Christine, who has dubbed herself LadyBird. 

I believe this movie is so incredibly important. It's about a teenage girl navigating fairly normal obstacles - senior year and college madness, financial struggles, rocky family relationships, fitting in, extracurriculars, boys, and sex. I think it would be many people's instincts to hear this and immediately dismiss the movie, but that inclination points to a societal trend of belittling teenage girls and their experiences. As dramatic as this sounds, to dismiss LadyBird as a meaningless comedy is to dismiss me and my experiences in high school. That's how deeply connected I feel to this story. Some may argue that comedies sugarcoat life and romanticize happy endings, but one could just as easily call tragedies an inaccurate depiction of life as well. While there is, of course, a great deal of suffering and pain in life, not everything ends sadly. There is plenty of good and to truly depict the human experience, you need to acknowledge the funny and the positive. LadyBird is a snapshot of a teenage girls life, and I see myself so clearly in this snapshot - the ups and downs, trials and tribulations, laughs and tears. 

The Myth of Global Warming

by Nass T. Woman

Global warming is defined as a gradual increase in the temperature of the Earth as a result of the Greenhouse Effect. We all know this is made up by the Chinese in order to decrease American manufacturing to remove competition. We must therefore increase manufacturing - we cannot give the Chinese what they want!

But where’s my proof that global warming isn’t real? It’s cold in July! We’ve had record-breaking cold spells this year and we just got over a foot of snow. I can’t believe anyone actually believes in climate change!

But if global warming was real, wouldn’t that be great? Everyone likes warmer weather! I mean it was cold in Texas last time I was there. Where’s global warming when you need it?! Who needs the icy continents anyway? If it’s killing all the polar bears, that’s less danger for us and the penguins.

We are wasting our time, energy, and money cutting back to stop global warming. We need to be focusing on having cleaner air and more guns. America should be a country of liberty and equality, with no restrictions on anyone’s rights.

References
Fox news
Donald Trump
Wikipedia

More articles you might like:
Why the Earth is Flat
The Biological Inferiority of the Human Female
The Earth was Created in 6 Days, 6000 Years Ago
Trump Bans Science from All Schools
New! Scientifically Sound Correction Therapy for Homosexuals

The Death of Stalin

I recently watched a movie called The Death of Stalin, a British satirical black comedy about the power struggle among Soviet higher-ups after Stalin's death. Despite of its horribly dark setting and every leading character being a monster, the movie still follows the traditional comedic structure.

The protagonist of the movie is Nikita Khrushchev played by Steve Buscemi. He is portrayed as the most likable of the cast, funny and slightly less evil than most of his government colleagues. Following Aristotle's comedic structure, the movie shows Khrushchev rising from his position as the lowest-status and most underestimated member of Stalin's circle to a leader of USSR.

By adopting the form of a comedy, while simultaneously acknowledging the atrocities of the Soviet regime, the movie accomplishes an effect that a documentary or a serious character study couldn't. It strips the air of super-humanness from members of the Soviet elite, exposing them as mundane and laughable.  In doing so, it fundamentally undermines the glorification of people like Stalin as "cruel but just". After all, it is no coincidence that today's Russian government, which often appeals to the "glory" of the Soviet past, banned the movie from a theatrical release.

Get Out

The movie Get out is a horror-satire film about racism that shocks and entertains the audience. This is a film of metaphorical tale of racism in society, it is a funny film yet scary. Chris a young black male, travels for the holidays to meet the family of his white girlfriend, which he finds out later the family's secret. The family brainwashes and enslaves African Americans for the beneficial characteristics that a black body provides. Where the comedy comes in at is after generations of coexisting together, this movies provides a black perspective of how nothing has improved. We as a society depicts change and equality of a surface and does everything to downplay racism knowing it still exists and is thriving. The comedy also comes from the fact that black bodies are generalized as dangerous, dirty, and less than whites but in the movie they are depicted as glorious and something that appeals to whites enough to be a successful business. The fact that our oppressor is envious of us is hilarious, we are nothing and aren't as good as them in their eyes and yet they need us to prosper in life. They created a binary of Black vs White but in reality they themselves can't handle their own creation.

White Chicks

White Chicks is a comedy movie produced by the Wayans brothers, who have produced and starred in many popular comedy films. This movie follows two FBI agents Marcus and Kevin who mess up a drug bust and their punishment is to escort socialite sisters (Brittany and Tiffany) to their weekend in the Hampton's where they will be used as bait to capture the socialite kidnapper. When Marcus and Kevin get into a car accident with the sisters, they refuse to go to the Hampton's so the agents decide to disguise themselves as Brittany and Tiffany to save themselves from getting fired.

I've seen this movie several times (so many times I've almost remembered every line) and although it hilarious it uses humor to critique many things but specifically the film critiqued people of higher class (typically white people) and the intersection of race and class. Throughout the entire film, the upper class is critiqued about what they gossip about like shopping at Saks fifth avenue is better than shopping at Gucci. The film also criticizes the fact that when there is a black man who is upper class, he begins to disregard the fact that they are black. Terry Crews plays a character named Latrell who is a famous football player who has an obsession with not only white people (specifically women) but the color white in general which is where the humor comes in on this serious topic.

Classic

One of the funniest movies I have ever seen, and one that famously spotlights the many positives of the great city of Chicago, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Matthew Broderick famously portrays Ferris Bueller, a high school senior whos got it goin on. Good lookin girlfriend, an entire school that worships the ground that he walks on, and most importantly, a best friend with a drop dead gorgeous car. Cameron's father's car, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spider 1961. As Ferris would put it, "Its so choice." 

Its clear to all viewers that Ferris is living the life that all of us dream about. One of the most famous scenes from the movie is the parade. Where Ferris gallantly hops on stage and serenades the crowd with two amazing songs. 

The significance and hilarity of this movie can not be understated. A symbol of a Chicago generation, it will remain a staple of Chicago movie history for the rest of time. The movies countless funny scenes, professional directing, and perfect casting create a timeless experience for any age. 10/10

Supergood

The movie Superbad follows three misfits that attempt to fit in with the popular crowd, nearing the end of their senior years of high school. This effort is ultimately challenged by their dependency on one another and their inability to escape social awkwardness at every turn.

Superbad accomplishes the idea behind Aristotle's definition of comedy, by providing a hero to the story, ordinary characters, and a happy ending. The hero in the film took the form of two characters, Evan and Seth, in their struggle to impress the girls they like Jules and Becca. In their efforts to impress the girls, they attempt to use their friend's fake id and nonexistent charm to win them over. Additionally, Evan and Seth double as heroes and ordinary people that fit Aristotle's scheme to a comedy. Evan, Seth, and their other friend Fogell play the largest roles of ordinary characters, by acting as overly  goofy versions of typical high school students. Their roles clearly fit Aristotle's idea behind ordinary characters, who play their part to the tune of eventually obtaining their goals. After the evolution of the characters and the story, Aristotle's happy ending comes in to play as they eventually have an opportunity with their dream girls, even after screwing their first chances up. The movie also included sexual jokes to relate even further to Aristotle's version of comedy.

Superbad's use of heroes, ordinary characters, happy ending, and sexual jokes clearly fall within Aristotle's definition of comedy, but these aspects do not necessarily make the movie have a strong purpose. I believe this movie does an excellent job at using the components of Aristotle's comedy, but the movie does not have a significant purpose outside of being amusing. I believe that the comedy is a meaningful art form, and even more so when it clearly follows Aristotle's structure, but I don't believe this movie represents the deeper meaning that comedies have the potential of accomplishing.

Things I should hate about "10 Things I Hate About You"

10 Things I Hate About You is a classic 90s romantic comedy starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger. It is a modern take on William Shakespeare's play, The Taming of The Shrew. In the movie, Julia Stiles plays Katarina Stratford, a grungy senior that is feared by most of her High School peers. Also called Kat, she takes on the role of the "classic hero" by Aristotle's definition as she is likable for the way that she is undeniably herself while most of her high school is filled ordinary, conforming people. Kat has a younger sister Bianca who is sought after by all the boys at school. However, Bianca isn't allowed to date anyone until her older sister Kat starts dating, per their father's rules.

The real thick of the movie begins when a young boy starts paying Heath Ledger's character, Patrick, to take the scary sister, Kat, out on dates. As I'm sure anyone could guess this typical comedy, by modern expectations and by Aristotle's rules, ends happily with Patrick falling madly in love Kat, and her little sister Bianca ending up with the somewhat nerdy boy that set up her older sister with the only man on campus that could handle her individuality.

I personally love comedies, especially romantic comedies because they give people a chance to get lost in a story and forget about whatever problems they may have. I think that although some movies have a certain purpose or message to get across about the human condition, most of those movies probably aren't comedies because in our modern day, comedies are really just out there for a bit of simple entertainment.

This movie generally followed Aristotle's frame for a comedy, and it may have helped that the movie is based on a Shakespeare play. Although this film didn't provide a super deep message or social commentary, it does play into the idea that being yourself is always your best option, and that sometimes in life you have to let down your guard.

Comedy in Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids was somewhat of a quintessential movie for me when I was younger. The first time I saw it was during my 11th birthday party. I had a bunch of my friends over for a sleepover and we were trying to decide what movie to watch. One of my older, definitely more grown-up, friends suggested that we watched Bridesmaids. It was, to my knowledge, the first R rated movie that I ever saw, and I thought that it was absolutely hilarious. It was somewhat of your standard “chick flick”, a movie that revolved around women dealing with comedic aspects of their lives. This also was probably my first introduction to SNL because I remember being absolutely obsessed with Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig. While seemingly silly, and often displaying single-dimensional women, this dramatic comedy most certainly qualifies as a meaningful art form in my opinion.
The movie centers around Kristen Wiig’s character, Annie, as she navigates the ins and outs of being her childhood best friend’s maid-of-honor. However Lillie, the bride played by the absolutely hilarious Maya Rudolph, as entered a new realm of adulthood with friends that seem quite different than Annie. Specifically, Annie fight with Lillie’s new friend Helen who seems to one up Annie in almost everything she does. As the story progresses, we learn that many of Annie’s insecurities surrounding Helen and Lillie’s seemingly perfect friendship stem from other parts of her life. The movie evolves into a more heartfelt story about growing up and changing friendships as people enter into adulthood. It also displays a wide array of women that are each flawed in their own way, yet equally as interesting and unique.
While, maybe not as much of one at the beginning, the movie definitely develops into a meaningful art form that perfectly, using elements of satire and irony, shows the challenges of growing up. The main characters all come to realizations by the end, and end up much better off then they were at the beginning. There were a lot of important life lessons that I learned from this movie, and I’m happy that I watched it, even though I may have been too young, with all of my closest childhood friends.

Get Out

Although this now Oscar winning movie was in the category of horror it can also be scene as satire depending on how you look at it. This movie attacks the binary of white vs black in a way many other films chose not to. The film forces you to look at it through a black perspective, which means with skepticism. But the thing what makes this interesting to analyze as satire is the fact that the film is itself is not satirical but the binary and the way it is attacked. Something that has been a touchy issue for as long as we can remember seemed to be improving on the surface but as we can see from the movie and the perspective its written in nothing has truly gotten better.

Get Out displays the fear of blacks dating their previous oppressors but in a deeper way. Yes it touches on the racist comments that we may only catch but it also touches on the idea of returning to the older days on a lower scale which is private slavery. Essentially, this is just showing the fear of a black dating a white and it is satirical because the relationship has supposedly grown and become better but in reality it didn't.