Low-Budget Halloween

It's Halloween and there's a costume party to attend and you want a great costume but you're a student and don't want to spend a lot of money on it... Good thing Ragstock put together a low-budget advertisement to tell you that they have a lot of options for you. They show you many images of young people, like yourself, dressed in costumes from decades past. Flashing, popping words and swirling background designs compliment the announcer's speedy delivery of the information - but you already know about Ragstock, being a cheap student and all, so really you don't need a big, expensive commercial like younger kids or older adults might need to be convinced. All you need is something to get your attention and remind you that Ragstock is the place to go for that perfect (and cheap) Halloween costume.

...and they lived happily ever after

There is a basic formula behind romantic comedy films. The lead female is young, thin, beautiful, sweet, and very feminine while the lead male is bumbling and awkward, inept, and NOT young, attractive, or sweet. Often the setting occurs in an idyllic daily life situation such as a beautiful beach, a pleasant outdoor park, a large upper-middle class home, or just in a generally clean and open space. The storyline includes a chase scene, a rescue scene, and a fight scene before they live happily ever after. A common theme is that love conquers all, and heterosexual marriage is the norm. The basic formula is narrow, yet films that follow it continue to do well at the box office. Is it part of our dream of idyllic American life? Do we feel comforted by the predictable storyline and characters? Is this comfort driven by our fear of the unknown? Or what else?

...Just for fun, here's a twist on the classic romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally...

Interview with Grandma

When I asked Grandma what she likes about watching her favorite show, a soap opera called The Young and the Restless, she told me, "It has a lot of problems but it makes me feel thankful that I don't have them." I remember hearing the theme song and seeing the familiar characters on her small soup-pot-sized, barely-colored, way-before-HDTV television set that sat rooted on the edge of her kitchen countertop as she scooted around accomplishing her daily tasks in her Ohio home. That was the beginning of her time as a Y&R fan. Now things have changed. Now Grandma can record her favorite show and watch it when it is convenient (I caught her watching it on a Saturday when the show is not broadcast on TV). Now Grandma can watch her favorite show on a flat-screen, HDTV big enough to rival the size of a baby elephant. Now Grandma can pause her favorite show if the phone rings or the dog needs to be let out. Now Grandma resides in Minnesota. But a few things have not changed, like the time and channel that the show comes on, the characters who make up the backbone of the show, the amount of problems that the characters encounter, and Grandma's devotion to the show. And also Grandma's gratitude - not just that she doesn't have the problems but for all the sweetnesses and comforts of life and family.

Learning How to iMovie

This is my first experiment with iMovie. Let me know if it makes you dizzy... I don't know if I got the timing down yet. On September 26th, around 5:00 pm, I visited my favorite lake in the City of Lakes and shot a few photos. I left out a few of my favorite landmarks because the photos just didn't turn out well. If you enjoy the same lake, what are your favorite landmarks?

Go Irish

On Saturday, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Boston College Eagles in South Bend... and two days ago this video was posted on YouTube. A parody of the Bud Light Real Men of Genius ads and Notre Dame fans, it evokes the competitive spirit of two college football teams about to do battle. The entire video is composed of realistic and relevant still images set to the memorable tune and voice of the "Bud Light Real Men of Genius" commercials. My guess is that it was created by a BC fan to make fun of ND fans (no, really? you say...), and yet, the best knocks have a grain of truth and a bit of audacity.

Beauty and the Industry

A friend of mine sent me a link to this Dove ad about the influences of the beauty industry on young girls. It begins with a close-up of one young girl in slow motion, then goes to high-speed images of messages from the beauty industry. The same song plays throughout and the beat of the song corresponds to the speed of the images flashing. I think it's a highly modified version of a Beatles song?

Anyway, the message of confidence and not needing to conform to the beauty industry's version of attractiveness is an important one.