Almost Famous

For me, there are a few aspects that can make me truly appreciate a movie. One, a multifaceted plot that carries a powerful message and maybe even some metaphorical undertones. Two, compelling and believable actors. Three, an amazing score. And Four, well planned, meaningful cuts and editing.
I'm not sure how many of these aspects are included in Almost Famous. About ten minutes into the movie, I quite simply stop watching it through any sort of critical lens. It's not one of those movies that is right in your face, demanding some sort of acknowledgement or appreciation, and that alone makes me appreciate it. Of course, after the credits are rolling it's easy to think of the amazing acting performances by Kate Hudson and Billy Crudup and Jason Lee, or the witty, well written script and perfect soundtrack that truly encompasses a time when rock and roll ruled, or even how the long, lengthy cuts play to the mood of the film as whole, but in the moment, when the movie is playing, I am thinking of nothing else. And that is the highest compliment I can give any film, and it is only reserved for a few.

Unsettled

The concept of censorship is certainly nothing new in our society, and the banning of books is no different. For decades books have been banned from libraries or schools or even entire countries, because whatever the author has decided to write about has been deemed unsavory in some way or another. And while, I feel the banning of books, quite frankly is absolutely ridiculous, there is one banning instance that just takes the cake.
Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl chronicles the true events of one Jewish girl and her experiences in Nazi Holland. It is, verbatim, what she wrote in her diary while her family was in hiding during the Holocaust, and has been translated into dozens of different languages and read the world over. However, some people have decided over the years that this book does not deserve to be on the shelf. A county in Virginia banned it for "sexually explicit material," and other communities have removed it from their library shelves because it is "too unsettling and inappropriate for classrooms or leisure reading."
Really? It was "unsettling?" Why on earth would it be "unsettling?" Maybe you were disturbed because it's about the Holocaust. In case you fell asleep in history, the Holocaust was one of the biggest genocides this world has ever seen. It ravaged families and communities, killing people in the most gruesome of ways because of religion or race or perceived sexual orientation. Wake up. Maybe Anne Frank's diary was "unsettling" because it recounts one of the most unsettling events in human history.
So what's really "unsettling" here? The fact that a young girl recorded her real experience in the Holocaust, or the fact that a few people want to keep it from everyone; pushed into a foggy corner to try and forget the things of which humans are truly capable?

Virginity Sale

Recent Sacramento Graduate student Natalie Dylan has come up with a new, controversial way to pay off her college debts. She is auctioning off her virginity to the highest bidder. She's hoping that the bidding will reach a mi lion dollars, and has undergone several medical examinations to prove that she is indeed pure. The auction will take place in Nevada at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch; appropriate seeing as how it is a modern day brothel. It will be interesting to see the price someone is willing to pay for the degradation of the morals she has upheld for over 21 years. Or, more importantly to some, whether or not she makes enough to pay off her debts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSYzuU5fy68

Evasive Parenting

I never watched Sesame Street as a kid, but the identities of the characters were well known to me. There was the mathematical Count, grouchy Oscar, and of course, Cookie Monster. And while, once again, I never really cared for the show, I was shocked when I began to hear reports of parents complaining that Cookie Monster's eating habits were a cause of childhood obesity, and that these complaints had caused the producers to add a "Healthy Habits for Life" segment on the show. Cookie Monster then made several media appearances where he publicly declared that "cookies are a sometimes food."

Now, clearly there is a problem with obesity in America, but are we really so lazy that we're going to blame this dilemma on a puppet? If you're so concerned about your child's health, maybe you should turn off the TV and take them on a bike ride, instead of relying on the people at PBS to raise your children for you. Because, let's face it, you should the biggest influence in your child's life, and therefore it's your responsibility to ingrain worthwhile habits into them. You're the parent of your child, not Cookie Monster. At least, I hope he's not.