Someone just vandalized my car, I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in over a week, I’m apparently not allowed to buy anymore allergy medicine (Seriously, CVS? Do I look like I’m pulling a Breaking Bad?) , and – to top it all off – I have possibly the craziest, busiest weekend ever looming over me.
Like any red (-white-and-blue) blooded American, I’ve been loving the Olympics. I’m currently on my couch, dressed to go out, but now that women’s gymnastics is on, I have no intention to leave my apartment.
There are more muscles in this picture than you can even imagine. Do not even get me started on men’s swimming.
But guys, I really think I’m getting more emotional lately. Maybe it’s because I’m on a Pediatrics rotation right now, or because it’s that time of the month, sorry TMI, oh wait I have no filter. I’ll get sad at the drop of a hat (or a body flopping from the high bar). As much as I love seeing our athletes win, anytime they show any other team crying, I get really sad!
AHH STOP CRYING IT HURTS MY HEARTTT
I mean, I go to work and am surrounded by sick, sad kids. And then on NBC, constant shots of sad kids. Because that’s what they are, kids! They’re 16, 17, and they’ve been living and breathing gymnastics, swimming, whatever sport since childhood. And they come and perform, and only gold can be good enough. And there can only be one winner. (Sensing a Hunger Games vibe here). And every time one of them makes a game-changing mistake, I just imagine that they’ll be beating themselves up for years for it, the bobble on balance beam that cost them the gold.
Um, whatever people say about his face I have a huge crush on Michael Phelps. And I felt so bad for him when he got that silver, because he looked so bummed! And then I felt ridiculous for feeling bad about a SILVER. MEDAL. IN THE OLYMPICS. ALSO HIS 19TH MEDAL.
Don’t get me wrong, I love watching the competitions. But maybe it’s because I’m now older than most of these young athletes, and it seems like the shelf life of, say, an Olympic gymnast, is so short nowadays. People keep saying Phelps is past his prime–he’s only 27! I’m totally projecting, or misplacing sympathy, but if I were in their shoes, I would feel like I peaked in adolescence or something. And there are such better parts of your life than adolescence! I also feel for the athletes that come in eighth place, or the ones that don’t make the semifinals. I mean, these are world-class athletes too! They can’t help if it someone is more talented than they are. I just want to tell them that the important thing is that they tried hard, and did their best, and let’s go to Pizza Hut after the game anyway!
Maybe I’m just feeling extra mom-like after two months on Peds. And when we’ve been learning about how to build self-esteem in children, we’re always told not to praise them for things they can’t help, like being pretty or fast or talented. Instead, we’re told to focus on when they do things, or try hard, or work at their talents to get better. Call me a kindergarten teacher, but congratulating kids on their effort is the way to go. And every time the camera zooms on someone’s parents, and they look all disappointed by a silver medal–this is how children get insecure about their achievements!
Anyway, I could talk about the Olympics for days. I’ll end with this unrelated thought: why do the swimming announcers keep calling the winners “fearless”? They call each race a “gutsy” performance or talk about how the swimmer had “no fear”. I wholeheartedly agree each swim is impressive, but what makes it gutsy? What is there to fear, the wall?
You can have Lochte and the rest, there is only one Olympian with 21 medals–I mean, with 21 units of GOOD EFFORT.
Between the release of the much anticipated Hunger Games movie and the long awaited 5th season premiere of AMC’s Mad Men, I’ve been a pretty happy “fan” this week…
Archery has always been an underrated skill...
Sterling Cooper Draper Price: an equal opportunity employer. =)
I recently read a piece in the New York Times about fiction and neuroscience. (Joceline, as an expert in the human brain I expect you to leave a comment below!) Soaking in stories either by book or film can be a socially educational experience. This tickled me – espeically since fans/bookworms have a reputation for being introverted and odd. Studies show that certain words and linguistic devices we pick up in novels (metaphors, poetic/detailed descriptions, etc.) stimulate our “sensory cortex” (whatever that means…) essentially making our neuro response to fiction identical to that of equal real life experiences. People who are experienced readers/viewers can therefore use their fictional encounters to better navigate nuanced social situations in the real world, making them more observant, tactful, and empathetic. How bout that.
I fully intend to use the above information to justify my continued love affair with fiction – whether on screen or in print. I therefore (without shame) will now dive into the two subjects I wanted to talk about in the first place…
Hunger Games
So, I jumped on this bandwagon pretty late. I read all the books in one weekend about two months ago and I was relieved to discover that the hype around the trilogy was justified. Also, I’ve always had a soft spot for good quality contemporary young adult fiction.* Ask former LiL blogger Lauren. The two of us used to really nerd it up in elementary school over Tamora Pierce…Oh, and no one had to make a movie adaptation for us to like it. Just saying. =)
Anyway, I found the books really interesting – more for the story and characters than the actual writing. Katniss Everdeen was refreshing as a young adult heroine. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that she’s a compeltely orginal invention, but it was nice to see a female protagonist whose virtue doesn’t stem from being outwardly angelic or overly idealistic. In fact, I read Katniss as endearingly unlikeable (if that makes sense…). She’s a good person, but not always a nice person.
Overall, I liked the film adaptation. I thought Jennifer Lawrence did Katniss justice and the pacing of the movie was well-done. I appreciated the purposefully chaotic handheld camera touches during the shots in the arena and in District 12. A few elements of the novel were, however, lost in translation. Without Katniss’ first person narrative, her relationships with Peeta and Rue were simplified – an unavoidable cost of a movie adaptation, I suppose.
If you haven’t seen/read Hunger Games and have no idea what I’m talking about right now, I apologize. As penance, I shall post this genius Beanie Baby Hunger Games video which is both hilarious and informative. Apparently some UVA students made it. I’m unspeakably proud.
Mad Men
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Mad Men fan. Heck, I made everyone on this blog write up a themed week based on a memorable episode from the show. Mad Men is the one television show I actually watch and follow in real time – no excuses. This means that when I move to a new apartment in April and no longer have access to cable, I will either 1) drop-in on friends at 10pm on Sundays (convienient, right?) or 2) strategically time my workout in my apartment complex’s gym so that I can watch AMC on a communal television. Obviously, I’m very stingy…stingy, yet dedicated.
Anyway, the 18th-month wait was definitely worth it. The series is now in 1966 and I’m excited to see what the characters are going to do when faced with Civil Rights, Vietnam, shorter skirts, plaid suits, and Don Draper’s new French Canadian wife. It’s still too early to tell whether she’s brilliant or crazy. See for yourself:
Some choice moments from the 2-hour long episode (besides the deliciously awkward party song above) include:
A man holding a newborn [incorrectly] while a cigarette is dangling from his mouth.
Good ole fashioned sexual harrassment in the workplace (though, at least in this season, the men feel guilty when caught…progress?)
I’m so excited that this show is back on the air. If you have Netflix, I believe you can watch the first four seasons streaming online. It’s definitely worth your time. The writing and acting is fabulous. I know that’s what everyone says…but they say it because it’s true.
*No, Twilight does not fall into that category. Sorry. I’m very opinionated about this. In fact, you can read a crazy rant about my distaste for that series on an old blog that Joce and I used to keep in college.
Scene: It’s the first day of classes/an internship/a job/a new living situation and I’m dipping my toes in the water. I smile. I nod. I hold back the reins on my personality. After all, there’s no reason for these people to realize this quickly how nerdy/dry/off-beat I can be, right?
Right.
Then, like manna from heaven, someone says something. The cue can be casual or random like “I’ve made a huge mistake” or “Blerg.” To a normal person such an outburst has little meaning. I, however, do a double take, smile widely, and silently note the existence of a pop culture kindred spirit in the room.
I couldn't make the Rally to Restore Sanity/Keep Fear Alive, so I asked my friend to make a "Bartlet for America" sign. She did. It was awesome.
My graduation robes were used twice. First, to actually graduate. Second, to dress up for a themed party.
So, I might not follow whichever B-list star is competitively dancing/singing/skating on any given week, but I am a loyal fan of several select (and in my opinion, awesome) entertainment phenomenons like The West Wing, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Harry Potter, The Office and Mad Men. It also doesn’t help that I’m an auditory learner and, as a result, can easily pick up and quote phrases at the drop of a hat. This inevitably results in random daily inserts like, “I want to go to there” and “If you are a racist, I will attack you with the north.” As you can imagine, this amuses me greatly and confuses others to no end.
I’d like to take a moment to defend fellow fans. I acknowledge that we’re a nerdy bunch that do irrational things like watch movies at midnight or dress up on festive occasions. Still, I believe fan culture in general to be a good thing because…
1. It creates communities
Have you heard of the Harry Potter Alliance? With a somewhat cheesey tag line “The only weapon we have is love,” they are an interesting network of fan communities that apply the rebellious, justice-seeking attitude from the Harry Potter series to the real world. Chapters of this group adopt causes in their communities to fight for (think Dumbledore’s Army). I know this sounds weird, but they’re putting their grassroots fanbase to good use.
2. It spices up our everyday reality.
Recently, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont spouted out an epic, long-winded speech (not technically a filibuster, but it saluted to the concept). I watched it in real time because my Twitter feed notified me of the political drama. You want to know one of the most interesting bits about his verbal idealism and determination? A parallel was immediantly drawn between the real life senator and a fictional one form The West Wing,Howard Stackhouse. As a West Wing fan, I immediently jumped on the bandwagon of hyperrealism. Though Senator Sanders did not break the record of Stackhouse’s similarly charged fictional filibuster, his was…well….real. Also, anyone else who has followed this show knows that the series ended with an interesting presidential election between a young, minority democrat campaigning for change and a older maverick republican. Guess who won?
Is Aaron Sorkin writing our lives?!
3. It sparks creativity
If you haven’t seen this, you should. It’s pure genius. Surprising what can come from a group of determined, talented college students, uh?
And yes, that’s the kid from Glee. Clearly, he is a fan just like me.*
So ends my defense of fandom. Just beware…there are more out there like me and many are far crazier.** If you remain unconverted and are still laughing at me because of the above pictures, then so be it. I am at peace with my life.
Allow me to explain. I like to believe that I have a sophisticated taste in the arts. I enjoy reading plays by Samuel Beckett, poetry by E.E. Cummings (an aside: did you know that Edward Estling did not want his name spelled ee cummings?), and watching movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Up in the Air. I pride myself on being a dignified consumer of popular culture. I watch HBO miniseries, read Time Magazine, and listen to NPR.
I’m an English major fergodsake. I’m supposed to be uppity. This is why I always pooh-pooh trends in popular culture when they first become well-loved. Have I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? NO! I’m too good for that! I only read Jane Austen and Daniel Defoe. You know, dignified authors.
It’s funny (and Denise will love this, especially), after I took a class at UVA on English novels, I learned that the genre originally freaked out parents. Their daughters were learning things about love! And sex! And freedom! I was reminded of this the other day when I had a heart attack about a lewd act that video game characters perform in Call of Duty. I’m a crotchety old woman complaining about video games “rotting kid’s brains.” That’s what they said about the novel! So, what’s the answer?
Okay, I have a tendency to ramble on. Let me make my admittance: I love Twilight books and I love Glee. I’ve been watching Glee all week, and I’m head over heels in love with Mr. Schue. I want to sing like Rachel, and I want to look like Quinn. I want Finn to be my boyfriend. (Don’t even get me started on my feelings towards Twilight…) Every time someone suggests something to me along the lines of Glee or Twilight, I cringe. Usually, a few months later, I’m a convert.
There. It feels better to have it all out in the open.
