Spring Break
I will preface this by saying I am a very liberal individual, and I support equal rights for all: straight, gay or otherwise. I also do not believe in using religion to define what is marriage, and hope that someday gay marriage will be tolerated, and universally legal.
That said, I cannot understand why people such as Perez Hilton waste our time criticizing Carrie Prejean, perhaps better known as Miss California USA, for her comments regarding gay marriage at the Miss USA competition Sunday.
From a journalistic standpoint, why would someone ask such a question in a public forum if they cannot accept an answer that differs from their own opinion? I think that Hilton cornered Prejean by asking a “gotcha” question. What if she said she supports gay marriage, just to sound politically correct? Would we commend her for what she said, rather than for how she really feels?
Why is the opinion of one beauty pageant contestant worth getting into an uproar? Why is there a media frenzy surrounding how one blogger and judge of the competition reacted to her answer? A better question, perhaps, is why Perez Hilton is a star, but that’s for another discussion.
Sure, her answer reeked of ignorance in the eyes of those in support of gay marriage. I would have cringed had I been there. But at the same time, her answer was respectful and honest. Nowhere in her answer did she condemn someone for being homosexual, nor did she scoff at the idea. She simply said that, based on her values, she feels the way she does. Chances are, she wouldn’t have said anything at all, had she not been prompted by Hilton.
Believe it or not, there are worse crimes against humanity.
The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy still exists in our armed services, and is infinitely more insulting than Prejean’s response to a loaded question. So, where is the outrage?
Some gay couples cannot visit each other in the hospital, or file joint tax returns. Where’s the outrage?
Everyone gets hung up over one culturally insignificant event, rather than taking steps to right society’s wrongs.
If understanding is what Perez Hilton wants, then that favor needs to be returned. Simply put, though somewhat heartfelt, his tirade was an idiotic attempt to draw further attention to himself.
The fact is, a majority of Americans do not yet embrace same-sex marriage, nor do our leaders in government. Funneling one’s energy into attacking one woman’s ideology is a sad waste of resources, and I am sure if the entire pageant was quizzed, the contestants would have fallen somewhat equally on both sides of the issue.
Verbally attacking someone in a blog will not change anyone’s mind. It serves the opposite purpose, in some cases. How about being constructive by helping reverse the numerous other inequalities facing same-sex couples? I believe that, ultimately, that will be more effective in achieving the ultimate goals that are sought.
I have held my breath long enough.
I watched as the newest mentally absent Vin Diesel flick, “Fast and Furious,” took the box office last weekend, shattering April records and besting more cerebral newcomer “Adventureland” by five spots for weekend intake.
This is a perfect example of style over substance, to a sickening degree. Fast cars, hot women, wooden acting and horrible dialogue. They obviously cater to the lowest common denominator. In cases such as this, the financial returns are hard to argue. But do they really have to do it this way?
The highest yield for any film this decade was the more than $1 billion worldwide that “The Dark Knight” took in. This movie had brains, solid acting, great effects, better stunts, and reflected our times and tackled ethical issues, rather than escaping them. Still, few could argue that it didn’t provide some level of escapism, despite its sometimes grave tone. Films like “Fast and Furious” bypass the meat of a good story and go straight for the dessert.
I may be wrong here, but the one thing films like “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight” have going for it is longevity. “Fast and Furious” will have its one great weekend and will quickly decline and eventually, be forgotten, at least until the now-requisite fifth iteration is released. “The Dark Knight” played straight through its December DVD release, and then came back to theaters in January, and still had an audience.
I realize I am comparing apples to oranges here, so I will provide another example. One of the biggest blockbusters this summer is supposed to be “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Someone somewhere at Fox somehow leaked the film on file-sharing Web sites a month early, however. The buzz? Bad. The reason? Appealing to the simpletons, rather than the fans who would pay to see a film more than once. I saw some of the rough footage, which included unfinished special effects. I watched those scenes with an open mind, but was appalled at some pretty simple scenes that really did not need to be CGI-engineered. I mean, Batman really stood on ledges of skyscrapers and stuntmen really fell out of windows for that film. Do we really need a CGI fight atop a building? What do we hire these actors for? Or, for that matter, the stuntmen? Or the director? I don’t even want to see the finished product now, because I know it will be as exciting as watching a video game cutscene.
Future films haven’t escaped falling victim to this mentality. “Where the Wild Things Are,” a Spike Jonze adaptation of the beloved book we all read as children, looks incredibly promising with its amazing preview trailer, set to Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up.” Still, Warner Brothers held onto this film for the past few years, expecting a CGI orgy similar to recent Dr. Suess bastardizations, er, “adaptations.” Jonze went with a more natural, realistic method of portraying the fantasy, but used costumes that resemble treasured Jim Henson films like “Labyrinth” and “Dark Crystal,” with a dash of “The Neverending Story,” for good measure. What did those films have in common? The DVDs still sell fairly well, unlike Jim Carrey’s “Grinch” or Mike Myers’ “Cat in the Hat” films.
Yes, the economy is tough. Yes, there was a massive writers strike that stalled the industry, but why must we pay with sub-par films? Where’s the imagination? For each “Dark Knight” there are about nine “Fantastic Fours.” For each Scorsese, Spielberg or Michel Gondry, there is an exponential quantity of Uwe Bolls and Renny Harlins.
I miss the days, long before special effects were remotely convincing, when the story and performances mattered most. We need another “E.T.” We need another “Taxi Driver.” We need more films that challenge viewers, not cater to their wallets.
Living in Flint off and on for the last fifteen years has taught me that there is always a way, that despite everything that assures you on a daily basis that you won’t survive another day, guess what?
You will.
I swear I could almost hear the sighs of relief from the GM HQ when they found out that most likely the government will be forcing them into a controlled bankruptcy…it’s like, well, we’ve been fighting for a long time…we’re tired, here, you do it…
The American auto worker is now a relic. The American worker no longer has a voice, or any power or even a stick to put a sign on…
According to the story on the front page of the New York Times today, even if the U.A.W. resists a “judge [can still] approve a sale even over creditor objections in an emergency under Section 363.”
My interpretation of this is much simpler: It’s over. Resistance is futile. We brought this on ourselves by not isolating and making social lepers of Hummer drivers.
(Also, blame is not helpful in these situations.)
It’s going to take awhile to get things back on track, but they can and will get back on track.
“I’m not worried about Flint getting through this,” Genesee Early College student Kai Williams, 16, remarked yesterday. “It’s the rest of America I’m worried about […] those people who are used to always having whatever they want, they’re the ones who are going to really be feeling this.”
If living in Flint has taught us how to be poor than it has also taught us how to imagine our lives rich in things that money will never be able to buy: Community, art, music and the appreciation we have for our children as we combine resources for schools and make our college campus’ centers for learning and development for everyone.
As the sun sets on the age of the automobile, Flint, in its many years of hardship has become wise, and all those things that nearly killed us, didn’t.
We know in the very core of our beings that lamentation of things lost doesn’t bring them back. We know that the quicker we accept the facts and go about implementing the next plan the better. Everything we have been through has prepared us for THIS.
In what may be dark times ahead, the world will be looking for answers and I believe the good people of Flint are prepared to step up in these time of uncertainty, and be leaders, by example.
A memorial service will be held for Dr. Matthew Hilton-Watson (Dr. Matt) today at 3 p.m. in the UM-Flint Theatre, 251 French Hall. We will provide updates for those unable to attend. Please stay tuned.
I joined The Michigan Times in 2001. It was my first paid writing gig, and since that date I have held the titles of managing editor, features editor, webmaster, layout editor, assistant editor, copy editor, music critic and senior staff writer.
I credit the paper for drawing me into journalism, even if my quest to become a journalist prolonged my college career to about twice the length of your average non-Ph.D. student.
During my time here, I came to know and love Flint. I wrote for The Flint Journal for about three years, and made several great acquaintances while there, and gained some priceless insights into the newspaper world. I was saddened to see the recent announcement this week that they are abandoning the daily format and switching to three print issues per week. I work at a competing newspaper in Fenton, and I think the shock waves were felt all the way down in Fenton.
It is amazing how much Flint has changed since my first year here. Not only has the campus embraced the college atmosphere and has expanded exponentially FYI: The William S. White Building was a vacant lot during my freshman year. Imagine that.
The Michigan Times has a Web site. This wasn’t the case when I joined the staff nearly eight years ago. The Michigan Times is an award-winning newspaper. This definitely wasn’t the case when I joined eight years ago.
I have so many people to thank for helping me continue to love what I do each day. As we approach these last few issues with the current staff (in addition to myself, Mike Stechschulte and Tim Jagielo are both graduating), I am sure there will be plenty of reminiscing and looking back.
I’ll list those who deserve specific thanks, in no particular order. If you feel left off the list, please let me know.
And last, but not least, these people deserve extra special mention. Without these people, we wouldn’t have a newspaper.
I was saddened last week to hear the news of “Dr. Matt.”
Our features editor, Jordan Climie, called me to report some sad news from campus shortly after it happened. I didn’t really know how to respond at the time.
I didn’t personally know Dr. Matt, but witnessing the entire campus community come together following his untimely death was an astonishing sight. It was obvious, from this writer’s view, that he had a large impact on his students.
It reaffirmed my belief that the University of Michigan, all three campuses included, chooses the absolute best to lead its students. While I never took a course with Dr. Matt, I had a few “Dr. Matts” guiding my academic career, which I hope to wrap up this semester. I know their lessons will follow me through my career and life. I couldn’t imagine feeling what his students are feeling, but I do understand what he meant to them, and I wish them all the best in dealing with this tragedy.
I want to run a poll to figure out at what time students go to bed and get up in the morning. This assumes you don’t have to work late or have late class, and you don’t have to work early or have early class the next morning. At what time would you go to bed and get up in the morning? Please reply in comments. Thank you.
I am about to start a blog topic for three days, covering the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Compelling 2008 Conference. There are several different tracks that are similar to small groups. Tracks may all have different topics but the purpose is to strengthen one’s relationship with God and learn important leadership roles that we carry back to school with us.
“Compelling gives us the opportunity to meet people from the different chapters around Michigan, and interact with fellow Christians for the purpose of spreading God’s love,” said Tim Good, a senior in his second year at Compelling.
This hopes to be an annual conference, and is in its second year.
“Compelling ‘08 is a chance for all of the Michigan chapters of IVCF to get together and to kind of reestablish our vision and learn a variety of things to help us be more effective as Christian leaders,” said Jason McLaughlan, IVCF president.
Compelling 2008 was a spiritualy emotional weekend for all who went. The students who went learned leadership skills, evangelism skills, praying skills and other skills that they will take with them back to campus.
One skill taught was evangelism, and how to share the Bible with others. The weekend was filled with worship, prayer, fun, and of course having fun with friends. This is only one of three conferences that InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) does each year, the other two are a spring conference, a weekend-long and a week-long one in the Upper Peninsula, called Chapter Focus Week.
The Student Voice of the University of Michigan-Flint. The opinions on this blog do not necessarily represent the views or stances of the newspaper.
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