Assignment 1-3: Journal Article Analysis

Seers, Witches, and Psychics on Screen:
An Analysis of Women Visionary Characters in Recent Television and Film

I would like to analyze Seers, Witches, and Psychics on Screen by Karin Beeler. The article is written about women who are Greek seers, witches, and psychics. It is also broken down into three parts by using some visionary women characters from TV shows or movies. Some of the TV shows used are Ghost Whisperer, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tru Calling, Afterlife, and Medium (Beeler, 2008). The movies mentioned in the article are Ghost, Premonition, and The Gift. Each women discussed in the article can see the future, talk to the dead, or mediate. Karin Beeler’s analysis article is just briefly explaining the different visionary women characters and her opinions on them. She also includes some pretty interesting points to explain her reasoning about the feminist theories and the visionary women characters. What makes this article so interesting?

This article has a lot of descriptive information about women visionary characters who play a huge role in our society from the TV and film industries. In my opinion, the article targets both specialized and general audiences. The specialized audience is any woman who is willing to read many articles or books based on women and feminist theories. For example, the book serves as a reference for readers looking for feminist interpretations about specific shows but may not be suited for general readers (Beeler, 2008). The general audiences are women and men who would like to read more about feminist stuff. Karin did a really good job in analyzing this article because it focuses a lot on feminist interpretations of women who have supernatural powers on TV or in movies.

To summarize, this article is about visionary women characters that can see the future and the dead with their supernatural powers during the 20th and 21st Centuries. The first part of the article describes women characters from famous TV shows. Some of the shows include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Hex, Tru Calling and Serenity (Beeler, 2008). All of the visionary women characters Karin have chosen from these TV shows are able to see the future by using their supernatural powers. Their powers can include premonitions, mind-reading, or being psychic. The second part of the article, Karin Beeler decides to compare Joan from Joan of Arcadia and Jaye from Wonderfalls (Beeler, 2008). They are both mediators who like to mediate between others. The only difference is that Jaye’s mediation remains vague.

The third part of the article describes the visionary women characters who can speak to the dead. Some examples of movies and shows are Ghost, The Gift, Premonition, Medium, Ghost Whisperer, and Afterlife (Beeler, 2008). These specific types of visionary characters are also mediators who mediate between life and death. Premonition is about a woman who loses her husband in a car accident. The next day after the accident, the woman begins to have visions of her husband like he is there with her. Ghost is also about a woman who loses her husband and goes through the same thing.

Karin Beeler’s analysis on these visionary women characters can cause a distraction to the readers (Beeler, 2008). The distraction is that the article starts out with a very brief introduction then jumps into talking about the seers and feminism. It will distract the reader if he or she decides to read the entire book. Karin’s third-wave feminist theory made a good point with the conscious choice about Cordelia from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her theory also has an active and viable third-wave choice but the active choices are assumed. The viable third-wave choice is a choice that a visionary character didn’t have because they are given or born with a supernatural power.

The article is logically organized because it briefly talks about Karin’s analysis of the 20th and 21th Centuries visionary women characters from recent TV shows and films that have supernatural powers. Some of the main ideas are clearly presented in the article because Karin analyzes the article very descriptive about third-wave feminism and what effects it has on women. The main ideas were third-wave feminist theory, mediators, seeing the future, and talking to the dead. The text is easy to read because the analysis includes a lot of descriptive details about what to expect when someone decides to read the entire book.

The key idea that I take away from this article is the choices that these visionary women characters had to make when they decided to use their supernatural powers. Some of the choices were conscious, active, and viable third-wave. A conscious choice example is when Cordelia continues using her power despite becoming a demon. An active choice example would be Phoebe in Charmed who is a witch that uses her powers to save innocent people from demons. Lastly, a viable third-wave choice example is Alison in Afterlife who really didn’t have a choice to have supernatural powers.

References

Beeler, K. (2008). Seers, Witches, and Psychics on Screen: An Analysis of Women Visionary Characters in Recent Television and Film. Journal of Popular Culture 2009 , 42(4), 791-792.

Assignment 5-1: Weekly Written Analysis 5

For this week, I would like to do an analysis on the Twilight Saga Book Collection. The series is about vampire-based fantasy/romance novels by Stephanie Meyer. Isabella “Bella” Swan is a teenage girl who moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her father. Bella needed some time away from her mom and Phil since Phil travels a lot with the baseball team. Within a month or two, Bella finds her life changing when she falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. Edward is a vampire who was in a life or death situation back in 1918 with the Spanish influenza when Dr. Carlisle Cullen found him. Edward’s mother is the one who asked Dr. Cullen to save Edward. The series is told from Bella’s, Edward’s, and Jacob’s point of view.

The first novel, Twilight, was release back in 2005 which quickly gained popularity. Now there are over seventy million of copies being sold worldwide with translations with thirty-eight other different languages around the globe. All four of these books have set a ton of records for being the biggest selling novels of 2008. Twilight has won eleven teen choice awards and many other numerous awards.

I am a fan of this series because I am a vampire freak. All movies that deal with vampires, I will watch them all regardless. Some maybe stupid with no plot and others may keep me on my toes. I have read all four of the books and will read them all again on my spare time. When the book series first came out, I noticed that there were quite a few people buying the collection at Barnes and Noble. At first I thought it was just another stupid book collection that I wasn’t interested in reading until after the saw the movie, Twilight (2009). The movie is what changed my mind because I went out the next day to buy all four of the books.

Assignment 4-1: Weekly Written Analysis 4

I would like to analyze the TV show series Cold Case. Cold Case is another one of my favorite TV shows to watch on Sunday nights. Cold Case is about a lone detective name, Lilly Rush, who investigates “cold cases” in Philadelphia. Lilly will not let these “cold cases” remain unsolved. She will do anything in her power to interrogate all the witnesses that were involved in these crimes. Lilly Rush seeks advice from her respected mentor, Lt. John Stillman.

On the team are Det. Scotty Valens, Rush’s confident and strong-willed partner, Det. Will Jeffries, who’s been around long enough to serve as Lilly’s link to the past and Det. Nick Vera, a tough cop who’s considered the go-to guy for getting a confession. Lilly makes it her business to ensure that no victim is ever forgotten. Lilly has been abused by her mother when she was a young girl.

I think that Cold Case is the best show in the drama genre along with Law & Order: SVU, and CSI: Miami. The show has excellent story plots to follow in all the episodes. I also think that Cold Case is similar to Law & Order: SVU because both the characters, Olivia Benson and Lilly Rush, have had abusive pasts when they were younger girls. Lilly grew up with an alcoholic mother who didn’t love her. Olivia grew up by being molested by her father who was a pervert.

I get the creeps from watching Cold Case because it makes me live in fear a little because anyone can be a victim someday. It doesn’t matter if we have rapists, murderers, or psychos in this World someone will always be someone’s target. All I can continue to focus on is living my life and just be careful who I hang out with. I also have to be careful where I choose to go shopping.

Assignment 3-1: Weekly Written Analysis 3

For my written weekly analysis for this week, I would like to analyze about the BlackBerry phones. Everyone I know think they’re the greatest phones out there but I don’t think so. I heard about a few problems with them like the ball in the center of the phone either falls out or quits working properly. My uncle keeps asking me if he buys a BlackBerry would he be able to take his stuff off his computer and put it on the phone. I really don’t know the answer to his question because I am not a cell phone person and I don’t know a whole lot about them either. The only thing I know about the BlackBerry is that it is just another cell phone with a keyboard and internet access.

I am going to discuss about my experience with the BlackBerry while I was waiting in the Verizon store for my phone to be updated. I was told that it would be an hour before I get my home back. So while I was waiting in the store, I decided to check out these more advanced phones they had on display. I went directly to the BlackBerry phones to see for myself what they were like and how to use them. After getting mad with one of the BlackBerry phones, I went over to the touch screen phones section to see if they were any better than the BlackBerry. I got mad with the BlackBerry phone because I wasn’t able to bring up the menu using the keys just this stupid little ball in the center. The touch screen phones ticked me off too because I was trying to press an option on the screen and it wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do. After I became very frustrated, I went to find a seat to sit down and wait. At first, I thought the both the BlackBerry and touch screen phones were cool, but now I dislike them both.

Assignment 2-1: Weekly Written Analysis 2

iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc. and launched on October 23, 2001 (Ipod - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2009). The product line-up includes the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touch screen iPod Touch, the video-capable iPod Nano, and the compact iPod Shuffle. The iPods all use the Apple’s iTunes software which transfers music to your iPod using certain versions of Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems (Ipod - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2009).

I own a 3rd Generation iPod Nano that is black. The only problem I have with it is that it freezes up on me once in a while. Other than that, I love it because I don’t have to carry my compact disc cases around everywhere I go. In my opinion, I think that the iPod is the most portable media player there is out in this World today. I also think the price is a little high for any of the iPods because I ended up spending $250 on mine which includes a two year protection plan at Best Buy.

Some of the lawsuits and criticisms Apple had to face were patent infringement, battery charges, reliability and durability, and allegation of worker exploitation. In 2003, class action lawsuits were brought against Apple complaining that the battery charges lasted for shorter lengths of time than stated and that the battery degraded over time (Ipod - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2009). The lawsuits were settled by offering individuals either fifty dollars store credit or a free battery replacement (Ipod - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2009).

Assignment 2-2: Icon Analysis

Three icons I chose to do an analysis on are Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, and Nike. The first two icons who are actors are best known for their stand-up comedian acts in their movies. I have chosen to write about them for my icon analysis assignment. These icons make a huge difference in the World today. Who knows, of these two great comedians may become legends one day. My last icon, Nike, is a huge seller for athletes all around the World. Nike has been around since 1959 which started in Phil Knight’s trunk.

Jim Carrey is a stand-up comedian who is best known for his multiple characters. He was chosen by the People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. Jim Carrey did win nine MTV awards in 2001 setting the record for the most MTV movie awards won by any person (Biography for Jim Carrey, 2009). Jim was ranked number five in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s in 2003 (Biography for Jim Carrey, 2009). Lastly, Jim Carrey had been nominated for five Golden Globes but was recognized for his comedic performances.

Jim Carrey's comedian movies include Bruce Almighty, Liar Liar, Fun with Dick and Jane, Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself & Irene, The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The Number 23 and The Cable Guy were two of Jim Carrey's non-comedian movies. Both of these movies dealt with obsession and insanity. After reading about Jim Carrey's ups and downs with his movies, he still remains the best comedian.

Back in 1994, Jim Carrey was seen in the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective where his extensively physical brand of humor came into play. Another movie called, The Mask, was a test to see if Carrey could continue on with his hilarious features. I have watched every single movie that Jim was in except for his earlier movies. I will still always look up to Jim Carrey as my role model because the man sure does know how to cheer people up.

Adam Sandler is best known for his stand-up comedies as well. I have seen him in movies like Big Daddy, Happy Gilmore, Bedtime Stories, The Water boy, and The Wedding Singer. Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, The Water boy, Big Daddy, and Little Nicky all included juvenile antics and some offensive stunts. However, Adam Sandler was able to keep his fans laughing. Adam owns a production company called Happy Madison Productions (Adam Sandler (I) - Biography, 2009).

Adam has continued to vary his work from broad comedies to more weighty material (Adam Sandler - Biography, 2009). Like the remake to The Longest Yard, he played as a convict who organizes a football game between inmates and the guards. The following year, Sandler played an architect who discovers a remote control that gives the power to fast-forward or rewind his own life in Click. Adam earned some positive reviews for his performance with Variety calling him "compelling" and "excellent." His return over-the-top comedy he is most famous for, where he produced and starred in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (Adam Sandler - Biography, 2009).

During the past one or two, Sandler served as a producer for The House Bunny, which was about a sorority house comedy starring Anna Faris. Bedtime Stories, Sandler's character was to tell his niece and nephew bedtime stories, which came true. For this year and next, Adam will star in a comedy called "Funny People" and "Grown Ups" which is set to be released in 2010. In addition to his acting, Sandler has made several comedy albums Adam first Grammy-nominated was "They're All Gonna Laugh At You", which became an instant his and expanded his fan base among young people through offensive songs and sketches (Adam Sandler - Biography, 2009).

I have chosen Adam Sandler as my second icon because he likes to star and produce a variety of movies. Adam is my second favorite comedian because most of his movies stick strictly with comedy where Jim Carrey's jump around a little bit. In the future, I hope Adam Sandler receives a lot of recognitions for his work.

My last icon I am going to analyze is Nike. Nike is a winged goddess of victory according the Greek mythology (History). A Greek would say, “When we go to battle and win, we say it is NIKE.” Nike is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the world’s greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement (History). The NIKE ‘swoosh’ embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization (History).

Nike machine began as a small distributing outfit located in the trunk of Phil Knight's car (History). Knight's brainchild grew to become the shoe and athletic company that would come to define many aspects of popular culture and myriad varieties of 'cool.' Nike emanated from two sources: Bill Bowerman's quest for lighter, more durable racing shoes for his Oregon runners, and Knight's search for a way to make a living without having to give up his love of athletics (History). Bowerman coached track at the University of Oregon where Phil Knight ran in 1959. Bowerman’s desire for better quality running shoes clearly influenced Knight in his search for a marketing strategy (History).

In 1963, Phil Knight traveled to Japan on a world-tour, filled with the wanderlust of young men seeking a way to delay the inevitable call of professional life. Seemingly on a whim, Knight scheduled an interview with a Japanese running shoe manufacturer, Tiger – a subsidiary of the Onitsuka Company. Knight presented himself as a representative of an American distributor interested in selling Tiger shoes to American runners (History). In 1964, Knight sold over $8,000 worth of Tigers and placed an order for more (History). After cresting $1 million in sales and riding the wave of the success, Knight devised the Nike name and trademark Swoosh in 1971 (History).

Nike maybe the most popular brand of athletic shoes but there are other companies like Adidas, Reebok, and New Balance who are competitors. I own a pair of Nike running shoes, cleats for softball, and sandals. All three of these items are the most comfortable shoes I have bought to wear. I have tried Adidas and Reebok but they lack comfort. New Balance is another comfortable shoe to wear when you are considering walking a lot.

References
Adam Sandler - Biography. (2009). Retrieved August 27, 2009, from tiscali: http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/adam-sandler/biography/142
Adam Sandler (I) - Biography. (2009). Retrieved August 27, 2009, from IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001191/bio
Biography for Jim Carrey. (2009). Retrieved August 27, 2009, from IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000120/bio
History. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2009, from Nike History and Timeline: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CLASS/am483_97/projects/hincker/nikhist.html

Assignment 1-4

Weekly Written Analysis 1

NCIS or Naval Criminal Investigative Service is one of my favorite television shows to watch along with Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. NCIS premieres on September 22, 2009 for their seventh season and I can’t wait. NCIS television show is about federal agents who work for the United States Navy, but some of their investigations involve the United State Marine Corps. These federal agents all work as a team to solve these criminal investigations that may include criminal offenses and crimes, within the Department of the United States Navy. Lastly, the NCIS team also conducts criminal investigations on high-profile cases. Some of the high-profile cases include the death of a Marine, bombings on warships, terrorist threats, and kidnappings.

After I watch each episode of NCIS, I think about what is happening today with our country and other countries. Everyone around the world seems too greedy or crazy because we have nuclear missiles being fired, the Iraq war since 2001, serial killers, a lot of kidnappings, and terrorist threats. I try not to think too much about what is going on because I can’t do anything to stop them. The terrorist threats will keep happening because of the Iraq War that started back in 2001. Kidnappings also continue to occur all the time because the police catch the wrong suspect. It is sad that we have sick people this world that love to kill as a hobby.