MAUS

It was my first year in college and I was browsing through the school store with my list of books I needed to purchase for my classes. I was enrolled to take an advanced English class and two of the books I needed to purchase were titled Maus I and Maus II, written by Art Spiegelman. When I found the books I was shocked to see that they were comics. I thought to myself, “what kind of class is this?” shrugged my shoulders, and went about my business with the books in hand.

Maus was one of the last books we read that semester, so until then it was collecting dust in my room. When my professor announced it was time to read Maus, I didn’t know what to think of the book and wasn’t sure if I was excited or dreading the next couple of months, but after reading the first few pages, I was captivated; I could barely stop myself from reading the entire book in one night.

Maus is an autobiography told using the comic form. Spiegelman tells the story of his fathers fight to survive the Holocaust as a Polish Jew. Each type of person is represented by different animals; all the Jews are mice, the Germans are cats, the Poles are pigs, the Americans are dogs, and the French are frogs.

I know from description alone the book sounds silly or childish, however it’s anything but that. The books encompass many different levels of emotion and meaning, and trust me when I say you’ll need a tissue box near by.

Born and raised in Europe, I learned about the Holocaust in school at an early age. History isn’t something I always find interesting, but World War II has always fascinated me. My family traveled to the museum of Anne Franks hiding house, and I saw some of the awful concentration camps where the Nazi’s kept their prisoners, including Auschwitz. Being able to actually see where all the horror took place made reading the book a much more personal experience for me. It felt real, sending shivers down my spine and tears down my cheeks.

The book is a lot like a film. You become very attached to the little mouse on the page and you want so badly for him to survive. You find yourself becoming truly immersed in the pages and before you know it you’ve finished the first book and are on to the next.

My class had several discussions on the book, and though I can’t remember most of them, I know many of the discussions got pretty heated. I took many of the comments personally, as if I was a Jewish Holocaust survivor, and was quick to defend any comment I found offensive.

We also discussed Art’s relationship with his father, Vladek, and Vladek’s character. Ironically he is now a penny-pinching, mean, racist old man. Some of our discussions were very similar to what Things That Mean A Lot address: “Art realizes that in many ways his father resembles the stereotype of the “miser old Jew”, and having to portray him as such worries him. Many of these are, of course, unanswerable questions. To which extent did the overwhelming experience of the Holocaust turn his father into who he is today? What can be traced back to it, and what can’t? What can you expect from someone who went through something as overwhelming as that? What can you demand? And how much can you forgive and tolerate? How do you even begin to make sense of something like this?”

This book had a huge impact on me. Not only does it add to my knowledge about the Holocaust, but more importantly it made the facts meaningful. Tragedies are often hard to truly comprehend until you put a face and a story behind it. Vladek’s story got to my core, like the story of Anne Frank, and the ones I learned about in Auschwitz.

I don’t know why I am so fascinated by World War II; after all it was a terrible time. I guess I am overwhelmed with the idea that such evil could take place during a time that was not so long ago. Because we do not live in it, we often forget that torture and extreme hatred still exists. This book helped open my eyes, especially after the discussions we had in class.

I am ashamed to say I am not an avid book reader. I hate using the excuse, I’m to busy, but that’s often what I say. However, if I do get the chance to pick up a book and read, I always try to pick stories based on true events. I want to be open-minded, not sheltered by the fortunate life I have. I’d like to film a documentary, and maybe someday I can help others less fortunate then myself.

Links:
ThingsThatMeanALot

Once Upon a Time in a Blogger’s Land…

Once Upon a Time in a Bloggers Land…

As I child, I couldn’t get enough of the Disney films. I’d sit my little toddler bottom down on the sofa and become immersed in the world of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White, to name a few. Not only did the songs captivate me, but it was also the world the characters lived in and the beauty of the female leads. When playing with my friends, we’d pick characters and pretend to be princesses, and if we were lucky enough to get our parents to buy us the outfits, we practically felt like we were the princesses.

I can remember falling asleep to the soundtracks of all my favorite Disney movies, which is probably why I still know all the words to this day, and then I’d dream of Prince Eric coming to my rescue from the evil Ursula. I knew then I’d marry a handsome prince one day, and I craved for it.

Let’s look at some common Disney themes:
-Friendship is important
-Family is important
-Good conquers evil
-Women are always beautiful
-Villains are often ugly
-The women needs rescuing
-The women is waiting for her prince charming
-The women’s role is to find her prince charming, marry and bare children

What we don’t see often if at all:
-Leading characters that are not Caucasian
-Gay relationships
-Women heroes

Now that it’s 2009 and I look back at the films I grew up watching, I don’t think Disney is any kind of negative for children. Most of their films truly do have a good message. Although many of their themes may be outdated, that’s all they really are, outdated, and that’s no ones fault but time itself. Disney should be credited for evolving with time. Their story structures are changing, which brings me to my first point.

I took a screen writing class and the first thing you learn is story structure. You need a lead character or hero, someone who is likeable and in that, they should also be attractive because an audience wants a likeable and attractive character. You also need a villain, without a villain you don’t have a conflict. You need a conflict, without one there’s no reason for the audience to invest any time into your story, and in that conflict you often have someone who needs saving, traditionally a young lady. So you have your attractive hero, you have your conflict, and you have your villain.

Disney follows this traditional story structure in their films not because they are sexist or unoriginal, but because that is how you tell a basic and good story. With time the hero’s have changed, and the stories are evolving to keep up with the beliefs and ideals of today. Take Mulan for example. This is a story about a young girl who went against societies norms. She is everything women activists stand for and Disney exemplifies that in their film.

Disney is also making a film to be released this year called The Princess and the Frog. According to IMDB, it’s “a fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age.” I believe this will be the first Disney film where the lead woman is African American. Although some may argue that she is black with Caucasian characteristics, I would argue back that even Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty have unrealistic Caucasian characteristics; they might as well be Barbie.

Still, we are seeing a change in Disney films. As time changes and racism diminishes, I believe we will see more and more African American lead characters and other ethnicities as well. We are already seeing the role of women change in these films, so there’s no limitation to what Disney might do in the movies to come.

My life is no Disney story, but I think you come to realize that as you age and we’re able to distinguish the differences between our realities to the fantasy we once dreamed of when we were younger. I’m not upset about it and I won’t be suing Disney for their false “promises.” I loved growing up with Disney films and I’ll be sure to have all the films for my kids. As a film major, I’ve learned that film is used as an escape from the reality we are living, often during hard times like a depression, and the audience, old or young, wants this for the most part.

I have not been hurt or traumatized by the roles women play in the early Disney films, and I think children are too young to truly understand those meanings anyway, especially as society differs in the reality today. I know my friends who grew up watching these films feel the same way, and my parents do too. Sure film does in some way influence us when we are younger, but we are also and more greatly so I believe, influenced by our parents, our home, our culture, our society, our teachers, and our friends, so much so in fact that the Disney films truly bare no weight when included with everything else.

Additional Links:
Blogs on controversy over Disney films

Question(s) of the day!

Question(s) of the day: Hello my fellow bloggers! So, here are some interesting questions my professor of mass communication posed for me:
- How are sites like Facebook impacting the communication style of your generation, the Millennials?
- How are these social networking sites impacting the classroom and/or the workplace?
- How are sites, like YouTube and Twitter, impacting the professions of journalism, advertising or public relations?

I researched a couple of different articles to find the answers to the questions above, and I found them quite interesting.
Other Articles:
Myspace & Facebook article
Millenial Generation
Twitter Journalism
Journalism for the 21st century

To begin with, the internet is moving away from “information retrieval” to user generated content (UGC). For those of you unfamiliar with the term user generated content, think of traditional producers, however, in this instance the internet is allowing everyone to act as their own producer, regardless of their education or networks. Examples of user generate content include wikis, blogs, and social networking sites like facebook, myspace and mypage.

Millennials are now able to interact on a minute-to-minute basis. WE can create our own profiles, share our opinions about current events, talk about our lives, and share our photos with our friends. We do not write letters or talk for hours on our phones anymore, now it is all about communicating through our social networking technologies, and we ca not get enough of it.

On facebook today, there are over eight million students, 94% of which are undergraduates. The average student has about 145 friends from the school they attend and 127 friends listed as “other”. There are approximately 297,000 faculty/staff members on facebook. The social networking sites pose new obstacles for schools and colleges.

Electronic mentoring is becoming increasingly popular and students communicate with their professors almost entirely on these social networking sites when outside the classroom. Students feel those faculty members who have a facebook are more approachable and view the instructor and the class in a more positive light. Students also feel more connected to their school when the institution has its own social networking site.
(These numbers provided by www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=A7F0F1CC-92E6)

Media convergence has changed the direction of classic journalism as we know it. Multimedia storytelling is transforming journalism into a mix of video, audio, and print. Twitter is now the source we go to for breaking news of major events and acts as a tracking device for our most adored celebrities. It is one of the most popular micro-blogging sources out there today with over 32 million accounts.

Journalists are looking to Youtube to share their stories with the world in a new and creative way. Even those without degrees are sharing their stories and finding the journalist within. Although finding trustworthy sources has become an issue on these new sites, bloggers and vloggers are making sure to question supposed “facts” so that we may have a better idea of what is accurate news and what is not.

Analyzing the articles:

I thought the articles were incredibly interesting and educating. We take for granted how technology has changed the way we see and interact with the world. It is hard to imagine that just 8 years ago I did not own a cell phone or feel the need to have one. Now, I would go absolutely insane if I did not have my phone attached to my hip. The social networking sites are truly changing the way we learn at school, get our news, and communicate with our teachers, friends, and family.

I do not think I can watch television without some kind of twitter or facebook reference; it is in the newspapers, on the radio, and even in movies. Imagining what our world will be like five or ten years from now is truly a mystery. Technology is changing so rapidly, keeping the world and people thousand of miles apart connected, while face-to-face interactions and romantic love letters seem to be a thing of the past.

Surf’s Up at Dexter Beach

Hello world and welcome to my most recent blog! Today I was given the task to watch a television program that advertises a website dedicated to the show. During the show, I explored the website and I will be discussing in my blog what the site serves. So, hop on my internet surf board express and enjoy the ride!

One of my all time favorite television shows is Dexter, a Showtime television drama series that airs every Sunday at 9PM. The show follows a serial killer who works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a blood splatter analyst. However there is a twist, Dexter, played by Michael C. Hall, only kills murders that somehow slip through the laws’ fingertips.

Dexter’s main page is on the Showtime website. When the page opens, you can hear the Dexter score which puts me in the mood to put in one of my Dexter DVDs. There are several pictures of the main cast on the different pages and a Dexter-like atmosphere with blood splatter designs for lettering. The choices that an internet surfer has to choose from include Latest Clips, Episode Guide, Cast and Character, Special Features, Video Channels, TV Daily Schedules, Series Information and the Showtime Store. Along with those options, there are also advertisements for the new Dexter game, extended scenes and exclusive interviews, special offers and “Change the Baby” where you can surprise your friends with a killer expression on a baby’s face.

On the right hand side of the home page site, there is a link called Discuss and Connect where you can “Become a Fan” by joining the Dexter Facebook. You can also join the Dexter Wiki group where you can contribute what you know about Dexter, get alerts and e-mails for Dexter reminders and updates, and finally take part in the Showtime Dexter Talk on the Showtime message board.

As you can see, there is a lot to do on this website. It is extremely entertaining and with all the different activities and communities on the site, I found myself surfing the pages for a good hour or two. The website is also quite informative, especially for those interested in the cast, information about the show, and upcoming episodes. It is also inviting to participants. As described above, there are all kinds of links that allow Dexter fans to talk about the show and share their knowledge with others.

Incorporating what I’ve learned:
From observation alone, there are a couple of key terms envoked by the site which we have learned about in class. The first is cross-production. If a product is successful then a company can make profits from turning the product into a slew of other products. Because Dexter has become such a big hit, they are now selling jewelry, shirts, and mugs to name a few. Not only are they able to make money on the show, but now they are making money on by-products.
Dexter has its own wiki site. From class, we have learned wiki is the Hawaiian term for quick and deals with open source software where everyone can access the site and anyone can change it, like Wikipedia for example. Dexter Wiki allows users to go on and share what they know about the show with the internet world.

Things I would change about the site:
I would like for the Dexter site to have its own isolated page. Although I thought the site was quite good, it was sometimes difficult to navigate and I would find myself on other Showtime pages that did not deal with Dexter. If Showtime could create a link that is solely about the Dexter TV show I think it would really enhance the site and help keep surfers focused on the page without getting lost on other sites. I really enjoyed the special features and cast information on the site because it is something I am always interested in; this was probably my favorite feature on the site!

If you have not already, go check out the site on Showtime, and definitely watch the TV show, it is awesome!
Dexter web site
Dexter Wiki