Reflection #10

For this particular assignment, I would like to reflect upon watching Unbreakable, and the class discussion we had on Friday, April 5^th. I thought that the movie was good, but I had a hard time getting into it. There was a lot of back story given. Unlike any other superhero movie we have viewed, the back story was not flashy at all. It was rather dull. The most that intrigued me out of the whole movie was the last thirty minutes. I loved seeing how all of the back story was put together. The fact that Elijah was actually the villain did not throw me off whatsoever. I distinctly remember talking about the villain is normally the complete opposite of the hero. Elijah states this in the movie, and that was my first clue.

I really enjoyed the discussion we had about the movie in class on Friday. As a theater person, casting is very important! The right person must be picked for the role. I was disappointed when the movie had Bruce Willis, but no action. This to me is a Bruce Willis stereotype, ass-kicker. Dr. Harrison then asked us the question of if this casting choice was on purpose. This to me was interesting. Not only does this movie give the audience a different side of Bruce Willis, but it also gives the audience a direct connection with the film. The fact that this is not a movie based on action, it can still give the audience something, which, in this case, was unfulfilled potential, as Dr. Harrison pointed out. My disappointment was purposefully just like the casting. It allowed me to feel what David Dunne was feeling. This is a very interesting concept, and brilliant at that. I'm glad my eyes were opened to this type of concept because it is something that I could use in the theater at any time. 

Reflection #9

 If I were going to be a real life superhero, I would probably make my costume out of every day material. I would buy fleece and my a cape out of it. My cape would be two pieces of material tied together on all the ends, kind of like the household throw blankets. I would wear jeans and a shirt with my superhero logo. It would be a red t-shirt with two black C's, surrounded by a tornado. The two C's stand for Captain Compton. The tornado would be part of my symbol, because tornadoes are one of the scariest disasters that hit the Midwest. I also draw some inspiration from Red Tornado. My Hometown is named Compton. It has a population of 350. Since the population is so small, not a lot of crime arises in town. There are two main annoyances in the town of Compton, loose dogs, and kids who vandalize the park in town. One of the items I would carry would be a bag of treats. This would lure the dogs to me. I would also carry a leash so I could take the dog back to it's owner, or hold him until the owner is located. This is something my family has done in the past. Being a dog person, I am not afraid of them, as some people are. Catching them and returning them to their owner would relieve the people who are scared, and the owners who had been missing their dog. In order to help stop vandalism, I will try to catch the teenagers who are tagging the park, and put their skills to work. I will carry multiple cans of spray paint. I will ask the vandals to put their skills into something productive, such as painting murals, or repainting the picnic tables in the park. This will help the community become visually appealing!

The heroes I most identify with is the New York Initiative. I believe that these people are doing some extraordinary things! I would like to instill a group like them in Monmouth. It would be very helpful to the student body. Having something like this in Monmouth would be extremely helpful. Vandalism in the parking lots on campus seems to be a common occurrence this year. If there was a group of people patrolling each parking lot, vandalism would be likely to go down. It would also provide a witness of the vandalism, since there are not any cameras placed in our lots. I believe this would cause a lot of people relief because they would be able to seek justice. When my tires were slashed, I was told tough luck by the administration, although I had a pretty good idea of who did it. Having a group like this would be wonderful. This group could also patrol the routes to and from the bar. I know students have been attacked on their way back to campus before, so some do not feel safe walking that late at night. The New York Initiative would be there for people in need, such as students. This should inspire us to want to help out the student body.

Reflection #8

Part One:

I haven't experienced a situation where my beliefs or my identity has been questioned. In the future, I could foresee someone questioning the experiences I've had in my life. People do this all the time. You meet someone. They tell you a story, and you're not sure if you should believe what they have to say or not. Maybe the story isn't really outrageous, but you question it because of the delivery or the context. I am the queen of bad timing, so I can see why people may not believe everything that has happened to me. This, in my opinion, is a question of my identity because everything we, as humans, experience adds to how our life has been shaped.

Reacting to situations out of pure emotion happened to me all the time. My freshman year, one of my friends did something that made me really angry. I decided to quit talking to her. She was one of my closest friends. What she did was really petty and really nothing to get angry over, but for some reason, I thought it was worth addressing. Just recently, this girl and I have reconnected and decided what happened was really stupid, and shouldn't have ended a friendship that was as good as ours was. When I reacted this way, I did not realize I would shut her out for a whole two years. Looking back, I can't believe I made this decision, but I'm glad we fixed the issue.

Part Two:

We talked a lot about the X-men in class. The two different types of mutations can affect how one lives their life, significantly. If you posses a mutation that can be hidden, you have the ability to have a normal job, and participate in the world as a human being. If your mutation can not be hidden, everyone judges and dislikes you because you are just different. They are similar because once someone knows about the mutation, a judgment has been formed. Whether the audience thinks that it is cool to be a mutant, or it is weird. The person's opinion of you is no longer based solely on your personality or their experiences with you. Take hardcore kids for an instance. These kids are normally full of tattoos and piercings. They go to shows and throw down in the mosh pit. They are viewed by society as menaces, which, most of the time, gives them energy to feed off of. They write music about hate and doing what they want. This is because society has created a mold that they want these people to fit into. Society frowns upon tattoos and nontraditional piercings. The kids are who I hang out with the most at home. They are some of the coolest people I have ever met. Sure I have tattoos, but they are not over the top. The only thing I have pierced are my ears, but I am still drawn to these people because they take their freedom to heart. They do not care if they are judged nor do they care what you say. Society does not like this for some reason. I believe that the X-men can teach kids to not care. These characters have found a group of people that are like them, and they fit in. This can say a lot to kids. To me it says “It's cool to be who you are at heart, and you will find someone out there who is the same.” This is a valuable lesson to learn growing up.

I believe that I most identify with Wolverine. I am very normal looking from the outside, but I feel as if I can be underestimated. I also find that sometimes I come across situations that I do not necessarily want to deal with, but I do because I have to. Wolverine, I believe gets set on an autopilot mode. Although it hurts every time he has to break out his claws, he does it because it makes it easier to complete the task at hand. This is how I am sometimes. I do not necessarily want to say or do something in particular, but I know I have to, so I just get the job done as best I can.  

Reflection #7

 Chopra offers different exercises at the end of his book in order to relax your mind. While doing the first activity, I became more aware of every part of my body and how it moves when I breathe. I'm currently in an advanced acting class that deals with voice and movement. In this class we do a lot of focusing on the natural way our body feels when breathing. We talk about allowing the breath to come from deep in your belly and to release it out the top of your head. While sitting and doing this exercise, my mind wandered to the concepts that we have covered in my acting class. This exercise made me feel relaxed and more in tune with what was going on around me. I believe that I will try to do this on a regular basis just in order to relax.

The second exercise made me feel similar things that the first one did, but when imagining the different things, I felt some gaps. It was like I do not pay attention to the things I was trying to imagine as much as I should have. I tried to imagine touching tree bark. Sure I remember that it I supposed to be rough, but I can't remember the last time I touched a tree. Nor the last time I had my hand on a tree and paid attention to what I was feeling. Imagining different colors was a lot easier that the textures. Again, I believe I will begin to do this because of the benefits.

Most of the relationship in my life are in the pleasure category. I try to surround myself with people who I enjoy, and who will be there for me if I need them. The utility relationships that I have in my life are mostly with bosses or professors. With professors, I need them in order to gain knowledge and graduate with my degree. In return they need me, or the rest of their students, in order to have a career. This benefits them because they receive money to support their family. I benefit because I will have a degree and hopefully can obtain a better career than those who chose not to go to college.

The only relationship that I believe that has the potential to become a relationship of virtue is the one I have with Max. Although he is my boyfriend, and it is considered a romantic relationship, I believe that we both care about one another enough to become a relationship of virtue. In order for this to happen, we would have to put more focus toward each other. With school and work, this is not completely possible. We would have to cut out a lot of the stresses in life in order to focus solely on each other.

Reflection #6

 Throughout my childhood, I would come up with crazy scenarios that I would act out with my friends. We made our own characters and played out the story in the backyard. Most of the time it was about mystical characters who were on a hunt for some kind of treasure. Although I do not remember any of the names of my characters, nor the story line, I distinctly remember running through the backyard with our fake swords and shields pretending to slay dragons and other mystical characters. Although playing pretend was the activity I was quite fond of as a child, there is one specific memory with this particular group of friends I will not ever forget. One day it was raining outside, so we could not play our normal game outside. We decided on playing hide and go seek. I was not the seeker at this point in time so I knew I had to have a good hiding spot. I chose to hide underneath the kitchen sink. There were cleaning products and other random objects that were stored under the sink. I took the time to take out every single object, climb in the counter, and replace each object as it was found. I was small enough that my head would fit in between the sink pipe and the back of the cabinet. I was in place so I waited quietly. I could hear the footsteps of the other kids walking in and out of the kitchen as they looked for me. The seeker had even opened the cabinet and did not see me. I was thrilled. One hour had passed and no one had found me yet. Finally the seeker had given up. All were standing in the kitchen at this point so when I climbed out from under the sink everyone was stunned. I used my creativity to effectively hide from all the others who were playing the game.

In my adult life, I use creativity quite often to solve some of my worst problems. The most recent I can think of has to do with the musical Hairspray that we just put on. Nathan Forrestor was our hot dog man. He had a hotdog stand that was supposed to be held up by a strap around his neck. This strap was literally two pieces of rope tied together. He approached me and kindly asked if I could alter this strap so that the cart is a little more comfortable. At this point, we were only a week away form the show, and I had literally twenty other things to do in that week. I looked at him and said “Yep, no problem.” Here I'm really thinking “Great....one more thing.” I decided the best way to do this is grab a strap that usually goes on a messenger bag, or lap top case, and attach it to this contraption. Well doing that was not easy enough. Not the cart hung in front of his chest instead of down by his belly button. I decided to take some tie line, and make an extension on the strap and the duct tape it so that the supports hold in place. Sure this was probably not the most well thought out plan, but it was me thinking on the fly. For the three minutes Nathan was on stage in this costume, it looked good, and it made his neck more comfortable.

In the first ever Superman comic, Clark Kent goes to try and get a job at The Daily Star. He is denied the job by the editor. Later that day, Clark calls the editor to inform him that a mob is attacking the county jail. The editor tells Kent to cover the story. Clark appears as Superman and helps the situation. This allows him to get the full story, as well as, help the people who are currently in the bad situation. After Superman helps out, he calls the editor with the information and receives a position at The Daily Star. Superman is very smart to think up this strategy. He had to use a different tactic in order to get this job. Just simply applying did not work out, so Superman called on his powers in order to get an every day career.  

Reflection #5

 So when it came to this reflection I cheated a little bit. I decided to have this talk with my dad. Now before you judge me for cheating, let me explain to you the relationship my dad and I have. Giving some insight on how my family works may allow you to understand why I believe this conversation was both successful and necessary.

My parents have been married twenty three years. How they have done it, I have no idea. They have been to hell and back during their marriage. Whether it was trouble with bills, or raising two kids, they have seemed to come out on top. My parents goal in life was to give their kids a better life than they had. Trust me, they have completed this goal and have gone above and beyond. In order to do this, both my parents have had full-time jobs. My dad drives an hour and half to work everyday and then an hour and a half home when the day is done. Because of this, we have not had the strongest relationship. My mom was the taxi driver for us when we were kids. She went to every sports event, every play, every concert. If Dad couldn't go, I wasn't surprised. Growing up, I didn't understand why Dad couldn't be at everything, but now, at the age of twenty I get it.

In case you haven't heard me bitching in class about my car situation, here it is. Three weeks ago it was so cold that I couldn’t even unlock my car. Finally when the lock unthawed, the car wouldn't start. My mom was supposed to come down that weekend anyway, but she brought my dad with her too. This was the first time my dad has been down to Monmouth since I moved in freshman year. Dad came with a new battery and the tools to change it. I was more than grateful. My car worked again and I didn't have to worry about borrowing someone else's car to get to work. Last Saturday, on my way home form work, my headlights went out. I called my mom and arranged to come home the following Saturday in order to get them fixed. This plan would work perfectly, until all four of my tires were slashed. My dad took off a day of work to come down on Wednesday in order to set me up with new tires. When, I went home this weekend, he battled with my car for a total of nine hours in order to fix my headlights. Because of him I now have a functioning car.

Yesterday when he was working in the garage, I decided to go out there and see how the progress was coming. He said he has gotten real close to no where. We began talking about the passed week and the crap that has hit the fan lately. This is when I told him how grateful I was to have him. I let him know that although I might not seem so thankful, that I really am. I appreciate everything that he has done and he has dropped the things he needed to do to help me out. This is something that I know his parents would have never done.

After having this conversation with my dad, he thanked me and happily got back to work on my car. It felt really great to tell him how I felt because it is something that I have never done. Earlier today, I got a call from him. He just wanted to know how the drive went. He asked if the headlights worked still. He also told me that the dipstick to my transmission fluid was broken and that he ordered one to be sent to the O'Reilly's here in Monmouth. This is something that did not have to be done, but my dad did it anyway, just to make sure I was safe.

Throughout growing up, my parents have no longer been annoying or pushy. They have been my saviors. Although my family doesn't express it very often, we would be no where without each other.    

Reflection #4

Part 1: Getting off of work is the best part of my day.  As I drive home I think about the plans for the evening. I proceed to park my car and walk to my dorm. I'm getting ready for the night, when I get a call from a very close friend   She states that there is a man standing by my car with a knife in his hand.  I immediately take off running toward the parking lot.  My car is now in sight but I do not see anyone near it.  I slow down to a jog, and then to a walk.  The sound of rustling is heard.  I slowly creep to the passenger side of my car and see two men wrestling.  I recognize one of them.  It's Superman!  In shock I whisper,"....Superman." I then notice that two of the tires on my car are slashed. Superman had come to stop this menace.  He turns to look at me, keeping the man pinned down with ease.  "Young Lady, I caught this man in the act.  I will have him thrown in jail. Unfortunately, he already got to two of your tires." Superman grabs the man by the back of his shirt and begins to bound over the buildings of Monmouth. I see that Superman has dropped an envelope that contains three hundred dollars.  There is a note inside it that reads, "I hope this covers the cost.  Be safe out there."  Superman had done it again...and this time it was for my benefit.  

Part 2: One point in my life where I experienced nostalgia was this summer, while I was a camp staff member. During camp, we were not allowed to have our cellphones on us. This cut off most contact we had with our family and the rest of the outside world. I longed to talk to my mother. She is the person in my family that I am the closest to. She gives me advice and just informs me about what is happening in our house. Without this contact, I did not know about anything that was going on with our family. My mom is the tie between me and my family while I am away. This tells me that I should begin to get closer to my dad and brother so that they can inform me about events that are happening around them, instead of my mom telling me all the news.

Reflection #3

 Ahh...a blog that can be about anything....this will be fun! First I'd like to say that I have a post on here called “Superhero Related Things.” I update it every once in a while with memes and various things I find on pinterest so you might want to check that out!

Okay so back to the actual assignment. For this particular reflection, I would like to talk about the Silver Age. We did a reading in class by Grant Morrison and he explained the in's and out's of superheroes during this age. I think that this section was one of the most interesting that we have read so far. This particular made superheroes seem very real. The topics that were introduced in this era are very raw. Since Dr. Fredric Wertham analyzed every move that superheroes made, it made the comics seem more of a taboo. Sexuality and drugs were now engrained in these stories. I think this adds depth to the characters and creates a more interesting adventure. Now, the fact that parents spoke about this does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that the writers even thought of these ideas. The fifties are very stereotypically clean-cut and innocent. Just think of Leave It to Beaver. That's the typical family back then. Of course the code authority comes in and shuts down all the fun. I like that some writers still produced their comics without the seal. Nothing like sticking it to the man.

As the comics with drugs and sexuality hit the stand during this period, writers were also developing superhero families. It seems as though the writers were trying to balance the good and the bad. During this era people in Superman's life began to have there own comics. Lois Lane and the Pal Jimmy Olsen were establish comic stars at this time. The kicker with Jimmy is that he is a cross-dresser. This, again, creates a little more edge to the story. At this time cross-dressing was probably thought to be a strange action. Writer break down those stereotypes with Jimmy because he cross-dresses in order to perform good. This to me is an awesome way to teach kids that something that maybe “strange” is actually good.

I think that it is ironic that writers were involving drugs in their stories but also introduced families in the same era. The writers tried to make the superheroes easier to relate to by giving them families and a home life. In my opinion, comics really flourished in this time. They had secret identities, and they came across many different types of problems. This made the comics far better than the early ones. A more developed story turns out to be a more interesting one.  

Reflection #2

 By looking back on our class discussions, I realize that superheroes always rise to the occasion. Whether they are created during the occasion or if they have already been around. For example, Captain America is a superhero that was created during the occasion. He was created to defend America during the Second World War, but Superman always just happens to be near when an event escalates. This concept has caused to think about my life and how I can deal with certain situations. Although I was not created for a certain occasion, they happen all of the time. I need to evaluate the situation and act accordingly instead of ignoring it, like humans sometimes do. Doing what is moral is not always the easy thing to do. A lot of people are scared of what others might think. I personally just try to do what I think is right in every situation, although many may not agree. Today's society revolves around the opinion people have on others. This does not make it easy to do the right thing all the time. For instance, a kid at school is being bullied by the same group of kids every day. Do you stop it? What if the bullies make you their new target? This can be hard. The superhero would of course stop the bully, but every superhero is laced with courage. After our conversations, I believe that picking the most correct option is going to be a continuous struggle throughout our lives.

Superheroes often value that they have two identities. This creates a balance between the superhero and their personal life. Since superheroes are not the most popular amongst the criminals or villains, another identity also them to be safe when they are not fighting crime. This identity gives them a break from the cat and mouse chase. I believe that every person has a secret identity even if they have not tried to establish one. Each person has a list of secrets that no one else knows. As a college student, I find myself in many situations that I am talking in class or with professors. This is a lot more professional than my every day life. Being in these situations causes me to have a filter, depending on the professor. Everyone acts differently according to what situations they are put in. I am included in this. When I go to an interview, I put on a “costume.” When I am being my complete and total self, I am usually around my friends or my parents. Some of the people I know can not even be themselves around their parents. I hear a lot of people saying that their parents don't know they drink, they aren't allowed to cuss in their house, or smoke. My parents have always allowed us to be ourselves and to say what we want. I was raised by parents who believe that strict parents often have the worst kids because they are more likely to break the rules. In a professional situation, I try to be myself but I watch what I say. I try to use more professional language that I would not normally use in an everyday setting.

To em, superheroes teach us that you can turn the identities on and off as you please. Superheroes are acting completely like themselves when they are fighting crime and using their super powers. When they are the everyday person, they are hiding a lot of things. This sends the message that being your complete self is better than hiding all of the things that has happened to you in life.

Superhero Related Things!

Reflection #1

 Throughout my childhood, I did not have a favorite superhero, nor did I read comics.  I knew the basics about some of the superheroes, but my knowledge was not extensive.  Superhero movies was the only exposure I had to them.  After reading the assigned articles for class so far, I would have to say I have grown fond of Batman.  a superhero that most of society can relate to.  He does not have superhuman strength nor can he ignite anything on fire.  Batman uses technology.  With his extraordinary belt and his batmobile, Batman can effectively fight crime.  The city of Gotham is protected by him.  The murder of his father and mother is the reason why Batman makes a point to protect his city.  I believe this is a very believable cause and this can inspire kids to want to do the right thing. 

Detective Comics decided that Batman could no longer fight all of the crime in Gotham alone.  Robin was introduced to Batman and the sales of the comic doubled.  I believe that by adding Robin more kids related to the comic.  Not only is there a grown man fighting crime, there is a teenager who helps him to the best of his ability.  Robin was a necessary character because Batman faced many villains with many different characteristics.  The Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy were all very different.  And each character was portrayed very well in film versions of Batman.

As I have mentioned previously, I did not read comics when I was younger.  that being said, my interactions with Batman are very slim.  Most of my thoughts have been from the past few days.  There are two times that I can remember about mt interactions with Batman. Tim Burton's film, Batman Returns is the first movie I remember ever watching about Batman.  The movie was produced in 1992, which is the year I was born.  I was very young when I first watched this movie, maybe seven or eight years old.  Danny DeVito as the Penguin is the character that sticks out most in my mind.  He had a prosthetic nose and heavy white make-up. His teeth were the grossest part of his character.  Today I enjoy the fact that the penguin is a very grotesque character in this movie.  When I was little, this creeped me out to no end.  Batman defeating Penguin definitely made me feel a lot better about this movie and made me trust Batman.  The second encounter with Batman that I had was when The Dark Knight came out.  I remember being impressed with the effects of the movie and how amazing the actors were.  At the end of the movie, the Joker is arrested, which, from what I've read, is a classic way to get rid of supervillians.  This movie was one of the best action movies I had seen in a long time.  I again found myself gaining trust for Batman and enjoying his character.

In any given situation, I believe that Batman would give help to whoever needed it at that moment. With that being said, he would do whatever he could to solve my problems or to help me deal with a situation that I needed help with. Batman is one of the superheroes that I would rely on to help me because he went through really hard situations in his life and he had to deal with them by himself. Through this class I hope to learn more about batman and his journey and hopefully I can relate to some of the events he has had to face.