Barney Miller. Getty Images, ABC Photo Archives.

Characters/Diversity

Barney Miller (1974-1982) is definitely one of my very absolute favorite television shows among several other great shows from the 1970s. Barney Miller had a very diverse cast for a show that began in the 1970s, and strongly contrasts the lack of diversity in mainstream media today as the 12th Precinct police detectives and the reappearing characters identified among different genders, races, ethnicities, sexualities, and abilities.  The characters portrayed and established transcend the often dehumanizing social categorizations as they are portrayed as fully developed characters rather than typical stereotypes. None of these characters were ever constructed stereotypically nor were any of them confined to typical stereotypes. Instead, these characters countered common stereotypes which were addressed and subsequently opposed. No character was ever dehumanized as a sense of humanity was always maintained in each episode that humanized each character by providing a reminder that people are people regardless of their identities--- identities which are often used to excuse and justify violence, injustice, inequality, and oppression.

Patriarchy and misogyny is the one of the major issues within the Black community that is most popularized through popular rap music and this issue is thoroughly explained in Christelyn Karazin's recent post titled, "Why No Self-Respecting Black Woman Should Pay to See “Straight Outta Compton."




Karazin's video addresses many important and too often ignored issues and truths about the misogyny against women of color especially that which continually exists within and because of the black community (that allows for this to happen).

Hip hop and rap culture (which follows an extreme patriarchal basis) allow and continue the mistreatment and marginalization of women of color in the black community as well as LGBQT identities. The devaluation of women of color while elevating women of whiteness, the promotion of violence against women especially women of color, and the glamorization of all forms of criminality are the messages that are conveyed through too many popular rap songs. I'm not saying all rap/hip hop does this, but most of the popular rap songs out today do. This isn't to say that rap/hip hop are the only music types that do this as there is a lot of sexism in the country music industry and few rock songs. However, neither of those two are really as popular--reaching huge, youth audiences--as hit rap songs that do not help the black community. These are the issues that are too often ignored, continuing the marginalization and mistreatment towards women of color as well as Black individuals whose identity also intersects with the LGBQT identity/community.

I always thought that it was popular hip hop/rap music that perpetuates and contributes to the stereotypes, misogyny, and violence against women of color. I don't listen to hip hop/rap so I don't know many names nor the history until watching this video. However, I am aware there are very few hip hop/rap music artists who do not contribute to the degradation and marginalization of women of color and those artists either don't make music anymore (e.g. Queen Latifah) or aren't very popular (e.g. Common).


A recent post from Madam Noire titled, "Another Black Man Bashes Black Women." Women at Madam Noire talk about a recent instance exemplifying the disrespect towards black women by black men in the hip hop industry. The women talk about how these attacks of disrespect, sexism, stereotypes against black women happens way too often on account of black men. They also talk how these men fail to stand up for and defend black women, let alone rectify the false stereotypes they constructed while they are constantly defended and supported by black women. Just watch the video below or click here to see the discussion.

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In the Gender/Women's Studies courses I have taken, there was always a discussion on the oppression, violence, degradation, and overall misogyny inflicted upon women of color, and the sources from which it all occurs as well as the cycle that perpetuates it (which I have addressed earlier in this post). Topics discussed in class included an evaulation of the music and culture that manages to perpetuate the toxic cycle against women of color.  I based a section of my essay for my Feminist Theory course on the concept of intersectionality, which you can read below from page 2 to 5. The part of this essay that really relates to this topic is on pages 3 to 5, where I mention and discuss feminist scholar Kimberle Crenshaw, who coined the term intersectionality. It is within those pages that the importance of intersectionality is emphasized. This whole post relates to the concept of intersectionality, the intersection of ethnicity/"race" and gender. There is only one race as in the human race/species so...

Quality Vegan Pizza






One of the more challenging aspects of veganism, excluding the arguments against the vegan lifestyle, is going out to eat. Finding a vegan restaurant that is nearby can be really difficult and inconvenient unless you live in a city. Driving all the way to the city to dine at one or a few vegan restaurants is a bit ridiculous to do on a regular basis or anything more than once in a while. So it's really nice to find regular, non-vegan restaurants that can work with the vegan diet/lifestyle.. there is even a vegan menu for Mellow Mushroom.





There are a few pizza places I really enjoy that offer both quality food and vegan options. In the past few years, I have found that Mellow Mushroom and Maddio's Pizza Joint are nearby pizza places that make for great alternatives to vegan restaurants. Both restaurants offer vegan options and their regular crusts are vegan (you can still ask to make sure). Mellow Mushroom also offers a gluten-free, vegan crust that is much lower in sodium than the regular crust and is made of ancient grains- I didn't take a picture of that one though.

Mellow Mushroom is my very favorite non-vegan restaurant and in the past couple months, I have probably ordered and eaten there so many times I don't even know the number. But if you're looking for or longing for a vegan pizza that is baked fresh, with really fresh ingredients, and not some prepackaged, frozen, vegan pizza, I highly recommend visiting a Mellow Mushroom restaurant.






One of the great things about Mellow Mushroom is that if you order Daiya vegan cheese and/or make it known that you're vegan, they already know not to add butter, parmesan, or any other non-vegan items to your pizza. And this is awesome because I too often forget to (verbally) provide the common vegan list of what-not to add to my meal- "no butter, no eggs, no meat, no dairy, no milk, no etc." I often forget to include all of these no's when placing my order at a regular/non-vegan restaurants because I usually eat out at vegan restaurants and going out to a non-veg restaurant is not something I usually do unless I'm familiar with the place (and I am very familiar with Mellow).

The same thing also goes for Maddio's Pizza, only you can see how the person prepares your pizza, and you will also notice that they usually change their gloves after making every pizza (if not, just ask for them to do so).  I'm pretty sure that the Mellow Mushroom and Maddio's chains are nationwide in the U.S., and they should provide vegan opinions such as Daiya vegan cheese, tofu/tempeh, and of course a variety of fresh vegetables.

Last time I went to Maddio's, I didn't take a picture of the pizza itself, but here's one of the take-out pizza boxes with a vegan dessert I made later on (will share the recipe of the photos below in a later post).



Fast forward to 2020, Atlanta has an awesome small business chain of ALL VEGAN pizza restaurants called Plant Based Pizzeria! So if you're in ATL and would like a place where you don't have to triple check for non-vegan contamination

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On another note regarding representation in media, I came across a number of articles that not only mention Olivia Wilde's part in the UCLA "State of Female Justice" panel, but also also examine the usual sexism within the film/television industry and media in general. This article led me to a great discussion panel from Laura Flander's GRIT TV. 






This State of Female Justice panel features some really great and inspiring women Eve Ensler, Ashley Franklin, Susan Burton, Olivia Wilde, and Kimberle Crenshaw. I'm actually familiar with Crenshaw's works since I have read a few of her essays on intersectional feminism and how women of color are greatly disadvantaged/marginalized in the legal system in my feminist theory course.

I highly suggest that this video be watched in its entirety because it is brilliance. These women accurately articulate only a few of the major and severe, complex systemic issues women still face in our society, showing that there is so much more that needs to be done to create positive change for women.

Bridesmaids and Miss Congeniality are both funny female-dominated films but even more hilarious and insanely funny is The Heat. This brilliantly hilarious and completely outrageous buddy-cop comedy has Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy breaking female stereotypes, which is still scarce to the film industry.

Sandra Bullock. Melissa McCarthy. The Heat. Dir. Paul Feig. 20th Century Fox. 2013.

Melissa McCarthy. Sandra Bullock. The Heat. Dir. Paul Feig. 20th Century Fox. 2013.

Melissa McCarthy is the tough and outrageous local Boston city cop while Bullock portrays the uptight, always correct and labeled "arrogant" FBI agent who have to learn how to work together in order to solve an important case. Bullock and McCarthy are absolutely hilarious leads in this action-comedy as they bring something new to the film industry one joke at a time. This something that audiences don't really get to see enough is women at the focus of the film, not as mere accessories in the background told to do "pretty", but as talented and hilarious women in the forefront who work hard and are the best at their jobs.

Despite the fact that there are many, usually dramatic, films with leading actresses depicting strong and powerful women, the majority of people these days seem to go more for light comedies and action as opposed to intense, powerful dramas (depending on the names of the leading actresses/actors). And this film is exactly that; it is both an action and comedy genre. The only difference between this and the majority of action-comedy films is that the main characters are female.

Sandra Bullock said, "I’ve always wanted to do a female buddy film, the kind the guys get to do. This didn’t have anything to do with getting a guy, and it didn’t involve shoe shopping. It was about two human beings who are great at what they do..." Director of The Heat, Paul Feig has said, ''I would love to erase the term 'chick flick." While on late-show Jimmy Kimmel Live, Feig exclaimed that The Heat is a "female buddy-cop comedy with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, which you can't go wrong with!" 

This film is honestly the funniest movie or show I have seen in a long time and really does give headway to doing away with the overused and sexist term "chick flick." It has the action, comedy, a great leading cast of two hilarious women, and cannot be underestimated as that terrible sexist term "chick flick." There really should be, just as there is a need, for more films like this.


REDBAND TRAILER



I don't think the those super-short trailers on television give the film real kudos and show how funny it really is. The Heat was so good and entertaining, I can't wait to see it again.

Almost anyone who watches television either knows, or should know, the power behind it. As television viewers and movie-watchers, it is always important to remember that there may be good aspects to media just as there are detriments.

Kilbourne, Jean. Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women. Cambridge Documentary Films, Inc. 2010.

In my recent Sociology course which is both my most favored, yet most infuriating [towards society, inequality], course of this past semester, a documentary was played and viewed by the class. Classmates and I watched Killing Us Softly 4, the latest and most recent installment to the series of documentaries, all titled Killing Us Softly.


The documentary analyzes the severely dysfunctional correlation between media and women. Most importantly, the abysmal way in which media depicts women, detailing the harshly unfair treatment, silencing, violence, subordination, and complete dehumanization of women.  This is never acceptable and should never be tolerated or even considered to be widely displayed and advertized, or universally exemplified but unfortunately, it is. And it has apparently only become worse, increasing in subtle negativity and severity over time.



For decades, women have be told and continue to be told- both directly and indirectly- to be a certain way and fit into these narrow, unattainable standards. Which is the reason for why women will spend outrageous amounts of money, or feel they need to do so, on products that do not and will not work. Not to forget the dangerous and deadly lengths women put themselves through just in attempting to get somewhere they will never be. This often leads to women feeling insecure with a severely lowered self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders. Surprise.

This does not only affect women but men as well, only to circle back and negatively affect women once again.  In other words, these unattainable and drastically unrealistic images and ideals of women play into the minds of men, making them judge women even more harshly they initially would. In addition to this, the usual depictions of men in advertisements are displayed to appear as having these strong, masculine qualities- again, nothing embarrassing, dehumanizing, or subordinating. Instead, much like the major socialization process regarding males, the value of anything feminine or any quality associated with the concept of femininity such as compassion, caring, or the ability to communicate is either ignored or unwanted; thus, devalued. Which leads us to this society where the masculine male dominates and the submissive or passive female does not (in most cases). Nothing good or beneficial can result from ideas like this and it benefits no one. All it does is make the inequality gap wider.


There are several examples of media, not all, that basically tell women to be, look, and act a certain way, that fits into this narrow and unattainable mold. I do not agree with this and do not accept it, yet alone any other severely negative subliminal messages targeted towards hurting, dehumanizing, and killing women slowly.

This documentary is a good starting point for discussing the issues of media and women, but it manages to leave a lot out intersectionally. Intersectionally, women of color in these magazines and advertisements are altered to fit this same mold and absolute impossiblity to look like white women. Ridiculous. Fortunately, a bit more publicity and awareness has been put on the issue of white-washing/skin-lightening to many women of color in advertisements like Beyonce, Rhianna, and Kerry Washington.  You should really read this piece from Beauty Redefined, that provides a more thorough discussion of "Beauty Whitewashed: How White Ideals Exclude Women of Color."
Another piece at Adios Barbie asks, "Why Are We Still Whitewashing?"

 There are so many issues in the world and our own society where media has some type of influence, sometimes negative through fueling the issue [e.g. discussion of this post] or positive through informing, educating, and bringing awareness to audiences.

In a world of pretentious yuppies and superficial social-climbing aristocrats, it just wouldn't make sense for all of them to keep their heads on straight and remain, if ever were, sane.  American Psycho is the satirical film depicting this concept through Christian Bale's performance of a character whose mind slowly but forcefully shatters while his psychological reality goes with it. It is also the perfect depiction of white male privilege and entitlement at its worst.

Christain Bale. American Psycho. Harron, Mary. Lions Gate Films. 2000.

Bale depicts a notoriously narcissistic character who not only strives to be the best, but is convinced that he certainly must be because in his mind that is how he sees himself. This character resorts to the extremes of killing the person who upstages him as though they are nothing.. but ordinary. Bale brings a somewhat shocking, yet accurate look at what a privileged, violent egomaniac looks like in this early 2000 movie. It would be an understatement to say that his character cares too much about himself and how he is perceived, because it has become embedded in his mind and evident in his persona to think that everyone has to know and see him as a "big shot", a somebody of importance when he clearly isn't. The character moves along the two extremes, accentuating the psychopathic and egotistic. The female-directed (Dir. Mary Harron) film does not forget to show the misogyny extricated by this character. Myriad scenes exemplify the character's misogynistic, psychopathic tendencies from preying on, objectifying, and murdering women. But it doesn't stop there he further traverses the streets to kill other innocent people, a homeless person, then slashing co-workers and, by the end, killing anyone who cross his ridiculous inhumane path.

Christain Bale. American Psycho. Harron, Mary. Lions Gate Films. 2000.

By the end of it, through the bloodshed, we see a character psychologically breaking down, struggling to cope with who they really are after realizing what they have become and what they have always been.

One that expresses in extreme measure, the ridiculous and the absurd to the point where the audience questions whether the scene was one that actually happened or if it was just imagined by the character. Through all the absurdity of this killing satire, the point comes across in shocking ways. The biggest problem and most important point of this is that he still gets away with it because he is the result of as well as the embodiment of a misogynistic, white Capitalist male privilege and entitlement.

Lindsay Lohan. Mean Girls. Dir. Waters, Mark. Screen. Fey, Tina. Paramount Pictures. 2004. Movie Poster.

From an observatory stand point I, as most people, have noticed the almost scary, crazed-obsession some youngsters seem to have on a certain teen comedy: Mean Girls. The strangest thing about this phenomenon is how some girls seem to really love this movie, yet never seem to learn anything from it.  I'm not crazy about this movie and I don't necessarily like it, but I do appreciate the feminist effort satirically brought on by Tina Fey.


I imagine that the effort is to try to teach or encourage young women to stop and discontinue the internalized misogyny they inflict upon one another. Mean Girls is a movie that tries to convey this message with the use of satire through the weird-school chaos and overall silly comedy as a method of making fun of and addressing the messed up ways in which young girls AND even women, inflict and perpetuate this patriarchal, misogynist hate onto one another.

Tina Fey. Mean Girls. Paramount Pictures. 2004. Film Still.

 I just can't get over the fact that no matter how many times girls watch this movie, many still fail to understand and actually gain something from the whole meaning of the movie, which is my motivation for creating this post. I am aware that this is a movie, it's satirical, it's entertainment to bring about laughter- yes. But at the same time, it doesn't mean there isn't an important message to be learned. It also doesn't mean that issues facing girls and young women in schools is getting any better either.

Rachel R. White even writes about this girl versus girl hate in her article asking "Why Do Girls Slut Shame Each Other?" 

I also came across another great article that relates to this very issue, addresses the double standards, and how harmful its effects can be:

Girls are shamed for being sexual, and shamed for not being sexual—they’re insulted regardless of what they do or what they don’t do. Meanwhile, a boy who professes to have had many sexual encounters is called a player. This is praise (or, at the very least, not insulting in the same way words like slut and prude are meant to be). There is an obvious double standard. My age group assumes that calling a young girl a slut or prude is OK; but it is not OK. It is shaming and demeaning.

We are smashing the confidence of young girls each and every time we stand by and let them be called sluts. 

There is a scene in the movie in which, writer and actress, Tina Fey tells all the girls that they shouldn't call each other these vile and offensive names, because it just gives boys a reason to think it's okay to call them such things. And that's true. Some guys who mistreat others in schools are too ignorant and unaware to realize what harassment and violence against women (and anyone) really is. These terms young women use to hurt one another are not okay nor excusable for anyone to use against as a verbal weapon. The way people treat and talk to each other today in society is not acceptable, it's completely disrespectful and ignorant. It is also not something that anyone should just have to deal with, but something we need to actively change. When we see someone exhibit disrespectful and violent (which can take place in both verbal and physical form) behaviors and/or attitudes, we need to say something or do something about it. We need not accept and excuse, thus, perpetuate that kind of behavior. Instead, we should do something, explain why it is not okay, and show alternative ways of dealing with any underlying conflicts. It is important that we take these actions to create positive change, educate others, and create a compassionate society.

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This blog post was written during my last year of high school so keep in mind that this was created during 2012 when I was observing this behavior happen right before my eyes as well as in the media.

 

 

In the event of my last day of high school, I thought I should do something special: I'm going to countdown some of the best high school films or just a few favorites according to year. Specifically, I'm talking about youth-related movies that address serious issues and convey important messages that pertain to youth culture.

1.  Breakfast Club (1985)
Comedy-Drama

The Breakfast Club (1985). Hughs, John. Universal Pictures. Film poster.

The Breakfast Club is a youth-centric 80s film that is still quite relevant to high school students today. It's a captivating film that both closely examines and shatters trite high-school stereotypes and stereotypical personalities which form as a result of selectively esoteric cliques and labels that are difficult to eradicate. Although times have changed in terms of the confining high-school labels and hierarchies (as audiences may see in 21 Jump Street), students still face various issues regarding harmful methods of exclusion and harsh judgmental criticism. However, all schools are different and the issues that students may encounter vary as well. I didn't really have any of these issues in high school, more in middle school, but that could be because I made sure to find other intelligent, determined, and very sensible students to be around and didn't waste time with other students outside of school (in other words, I just stayed home studying all the time like I do now in college so there isn't any drama to deal with there).

Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, etc. The Breakfast Club (1985). Dir/Writ. Hughs, John. Universal Pictures. Film Still.

 
One of the most important scenes, and most memorable scene for me, in The Breakfast Club is Emilio Estevez's character speech about how "we're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it." This quote really had me thinking. I've often used it to get people to understand another person's perspective and bring attention to the fact that this is a fact. We all are different and strange in our own ways, some people are just more open and honest about it. Another major part of this quote relates to our insecurities with the actions, thoughts, and behaviours that are considered normal by society, and our stringent conditioning which feeds into our insecurities and forces us to follow those (usually unnecessary and discriminatory) social norms. Near the end of the film, specifically in the scene with that quote, we see these characters really want to be able to be friends and continue a relationship, but are so concerned with what everyone else thinks and too insecure to fully counter and resist the social norms and confinements of the groups/cliques of which they belong.

Ally Sheedy. The Breakfast Club (1985). Hughs, John. Universal Pictures. Film Still and Quote. The issue/double standard described in this quote is discussed in the 'Easy A' segment of the post, below.

I could go on discussing and analyzing this film but I really just wanted to focus on a few of the high school aspects of it all. I really recommend this film, it's a pretty great 80s classic. Viewers can easily find understanding in what they see. One might realize the way they perceive others and how that way might not necessarily be fair and that others' feelings and perspectives should often be considered too.


2.  Easy A (2010)
Comedy-Drama

Emma Stone. Easy A (2010).  Sony Pictures. Film Poster/Film Still.

Easy A proves itself as another teen-centric film that is not to be confused with all of the other crappy "teen" films. It is a comedy that acknowledges a myriad of serious issues harming American youth, female youth in particular. The film takes place in a conservative "bible-belt" community where the subjective idea of purity and religious righteousness are heavily imposed upon the highly impressionable and credulous insecure youth. Rachel Rabbit White describes it best in an amazing and accurate piece that relates to the central issue of this entire film, in her article she writes, "I grew up in a small, conservative town. Needless to say, people did not have the healthiest attitudes about sex. . . In this view of sexuality, where there was no more than 'don't do it,' consent and it’s many layers wasn't an issue. As a woman in this culture, there was no learning what you like and asking for it. There was no sex beyond this one act."

In the instance of this film, major issues relating to sexuality are examined and comedically emulated in this setting. One of the most important cultural issues addressed in the film are the extremely patriarchal and inexcusable double-standards that young women too often have to endure. For instance, Olive's character is perceived as a number of insulting slurs (words more severe than "harlot") by both female and made classmates. If the Olive character was a male, this would be completely different- and such a character would be widely accepted and congratulated as fitting the "masculine" ideal (which is no doubt toxic), not dehumanized and vindicated as nothing but a sex-object (as we see with the female character). These type of double standards are especially worse in an immature environment (e.g. high-school setting like the film) and unfortunately anywhere, really.

Another important component of the film is its depiction of the kudzu-like spread of rumors and how the majority of such rumors are untrue and worsened over time, and female students are usually the targets of slanderous rumors and insults. Then others who believe or continue to spread defamatory remarks only further exacerbate the already severe problem, which shows just how quick people are to judge one another over a falsity, and how it leads to an even greater, though no-less negative, reputation for the victim (who, if a woman, will be unfairly blamed regardless).

All of these complex issues which negatively affect young women are depicted and emphasized in this film, which is good for the fact that it creates awareness for those/girls who may be in similar situations as the Olive character, and hopefully somehow helps to mitigate some of the problems they may encounter. There's also hope that movies like this might help young people realize how unfair and cruel young people are towards one another. And maybe help to minimize the amount of odious victimizers/bullies and lazy/scared bystanders to realize how ridiculous and lowdown they really are, because hopefully they will wise-up and realize that they can be better. In other words, bystanders need to stop doing nothing, and start standing up for or protecting and helping those in trouble situations/those being bullied- we see the adult-version of this (meaning adults who should already know better, not immature high-schoolers) in the really great ABC show "What Would You Do?" In this case, the issues are reflected through the way students cruelly react, mistreat, and harass the main character, Olive (Emma Stone), for actions she didn't even take part in. And even if she did, she or any other girl, should not be and does not deserve to be treated or harassed for it. Not just a woman, but any human has the right to do whatever they chose with their own body, and should not be penalized for being comfortable with themselves, their choices, and/or their sexuality as most young women often are.

Throughout the film the protagonist, Olive (Emma Stone), is shown having to experience and tolerate all of these issues and more, until she finds her way to overcome it. As a film, Easy A exemplifies a really important factor as a comedy-drama with its balance between serious and funny. This is a film that can address and portray these serious societal issues, while remaining refreshingly light and comedic.


3.  21 Jump Street (2012)
Comedy-Action

Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill. 21 Jump Street (2012). Columbia Pictures. Film Poster.

I know I've talked about this movie before but this post will be centering on a different subject-matter.
When I saw this movie, I thought it was completely on-point with it's depiction of how high school has changed in the past few years. Not all high schools are like the one in '21 Jump', but my high school was for the fact that most of the students were really chill and there wasn't really a popular group (there were people that could be considered popular, but they were only popular for being really nice all the time really), everyone just hung out with people they liked, even if that meant going outside the group of which one usually eats lunch. This was cool. And as Channing's character, Jenko, describes these "crunchy granola dudes" who are on the more "popular" side of the school seem to be the students becoming more aware of the issues in the world- inequalities, oppression, environmental issues, politics, conflicts, etc. which all affect every aspect of our lives in some way- environmental and political/legal issues especially (I ought to know, I have become that type of student). The point of emphasizing this change was to show that the overrated social hierarchy has dispersed, so much so that's nearly almost nonexistent. Or at least, overall or on average, the hierarchy isn't as bad as Breakfast Club. However, myriad issues still exist for girls, which we see exemplified in Easy A.

Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill. 21 Jump Street (2012). Film Still.

Also, it wasn't until I saw this film that realized how adorable a subtle bromance can be, which there are a lot of in high school and perhaps even after high school, I'm sure. I don't know if it's become a growing trend or what, but even before the term was coined, these close-guy relationships have always been around. I think  the best way to look at it, is in a positive light because it's clearly not going anywhere any time soon and that's not a bad thing. It's actually really sad, unfortunate, and harmful that guys can't express how they honestly feel or what they really think without trying to display the false bravado of the misogynistic masculinity. There are several articles that address such issues on The Good Men Project, and writers of the website show that it's advantageous when guys do not to sucumb to or try to attain the hyper-masculine ideal, but become more caring, compassionate, selfless, honest, etc. It's better to see guys asserting more of the female-gendered characteristics, like compassion, than having them think that they need to prove a toxic masculinity that only results in violence, pain, and harm to others (most importantly women) and themselves.


On a different note and speaking of breakfast (Breakfast Club), my last day of high school breakfast was a recipe you can find here, but something I decided to make while watching the DVR recorded Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson was a really nice episode with Mila Kunis. Even though I wasn't able to watch the whole show at the time, what I was able to see that it was funny as usual. I love it when Mila Kunis is on the show, but also Craig's Michael Caine impressions are hilarious.



What are some of your favorite high school/"teen" movies and the messages or meanings you interpreted behind them? Feel free to share your thoughts on any of the many different topics in this post, and perhaps join the discussion.

Title: Nirvana

Three words: Movie. Theatre. Etiquette.

If there's one thing that I enjoy, as someone who loves films, it's going to the movie theater. It's always nice to get out and see something great, but what isn't so nice is when other people feel the need to ruin the enjoyment. I think that any and all of us who love films and love going to the movies can agree that we don't need anyone disrupting the peace and pleasure of the movie theater. I mean.. don't we already have enough to deal with when it comes to the price for one movie ticket. We don't pay good money and sit there just to have other people ruin the whole movie-going experience. That's not what movie theaters are for. So I think we could all contribute (me as well by writing about it) in making the movie-going experience enjoyable as it should be.

Fight Club. Fincher, David. 20th Century Fox. 1999. Film Still.

2. Texting/having phone on (Spoiler alert: It is both distracting and annoying. Who knew?)
3. Yelling at the screen or talking to the screen
4. Bringing, more like, eating smelly and/or loud foods
5. Doing anything that disrupts the peace. Keep it peaceful people.

# All of the above, just being completely inconsiderate to others (which, in general, is an unfortunately huge problem in society).
                                 We all know better and if we don't, we should.


An almost full list of things not to do while in the movie theaters.
If I missed anything, feel free to post a comment. And remember when in the movie theater, or anywhere for that matter, violence is never the answer.