Graphs with Lines

           At times during the year in class we have talked about archetypes in literature, looking at archetypal story lines such as the redemptive story arc, and other very simple plots which are represented in many different stories and ways. Today, the topic was revisited, except in the form of the movie Avatar, which consists of typical ideas such as the idea of another planet, humans trying to take over the natives, and then a white guy saving the natives by being the best fighter anyone has ever seen. The fact is, while it may be a great movie, James Cameron (or Jim, if you know him well) wasn't exactly the most creative when it comes to writing and producing his hit movie. Which, if you think about it, isn't exactly a surprise, because known archetypes are what sell. The white dude integrating into a foreign society and saving the world sells. If you don't believe me, the almost two billion dollars its made speaks for itself.
           And this got me thinking: What other movies use a tried and true formula to please viewers. And, after thinking about it for a few minutes, I realized that basically every movie does. But the first this that came into my head was my all time favorite movie, the Hangover. Now, if you haven't seen the Hangover yet, you need to put it at the top of your Netflix cue, because it rocks, but I'll summarize it for you anyway. Basically, four friends travel to Vegas for a bachelor party, where they have the time of their lives, only to wake up the next morning to find the groom to be is nowhere to be found. The rest of the movie is spent piecing together clues, bonding, and eventually finding their lost friend. In the end, they make it back to the wedding right before it starts and everyone is happy. The storyline, which is represented by a great start, a sharp decline, and then a gradual rise back to the top, is a clear redemptive story arc. And so even though the plot itself may have been something new, the storyline is nothing new. What are some other movies that follow the same archetype as Avatar or the Hangover? And what are some other story lines that come up over and over again in movies?

Choices at New Trier

        Recently during class we talked about the "branding" of President Barack Obama, and how he has become more of a corporate brand than any other president in history. Obama has become more like Nike than like Calvin Coolidge, marketing ideas of change, and slogans such as "Yes We Can", in order to garner support for his presidency. The Brand of Obama is one marketing change for the United States, in order to distance himself from George Bush. And while we were talking about the benefits and negatives of the Obama Brand on his presidency, the brand of another subject came up: that of our high school, New Trier.
        So what is the Brand of New Trier? First, lets look at the definition of what a brand is. According to Merriam Webster, a brand name is "one having a well known ... or marketable name". So what aspects of New Trier does the school market to its students and beyond? One focus, especially now that we are coming up on class selection for next year, is choice. Whether its the sheer number of classes we can take next year, from Yoga and Self Defense to Music Theory to Architectural Models. There are also other ways this message comes through to the students: this year we were given a book detailing the number of clubs available for students to join, from Communist Club to Zombie Survival Club. What are some other ways that New Trier markets itself as a school of choice for its students? And what are some other brands that represent New Trier?

From Ashes to Roses

       As I was watching the Rose Bowl on New Years Day, with the Ohio State Buckeyes facing off against the Oregon Ducks, I though about how impressive it was that the Ducks, under first year coach Chip Kelly, were able to save a season which started out on the wrong foot, to say the least. In the aftermath of their 19-8 loss at Boise State, Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount punched a Boise State player and was suspended for the remainder of the season, which I blogged about here. To say that everyone had written off the Ducks would be an understatement. But then, they started winning. After handing USC their worst loss in twelve years, the Ducks became a contender for the Pac-10 champion. And when they only needed to beat their biggest rival, Oregon State, to get to the Rose Bowl and win the Pac-10, thought unthinkable after their horrendous start.
       And for their big game, the Ducks reinstated their senior running back Blount. Coach Kelly said there were certain academic and behavioral conditions Blount had to meet before he would get reinstated.  And Blount helped the Ducks get to the Rose Bowl, where although they would lose to the Buckeyes, the success of the season was obvious. Earlier, I blogged about how I thought Blount deserved a second chance, a chance he got and took advantage of. After Blount's actions in the beginning game of the season, did Blount deserve a second chance? And how have his actions and subsequent reinstatement affected your opinion of him? Is he still a player with an anger management problem, or is he a guy who made a mistake, but learned from it and has redeemed himself?

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

            During class, we have been studying the role of children in America. Today, we talked about children's books, and the messages or morals that they contain, beyond just the story itself. One of my favorite books growing up was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett. The story is about a town named Chewandswallow, whose only food comes in the form of weather. Whether it rained milk in the morning, or snowed mash potatoes in the evening, there was always something to eat. Although the town was happy for a long time, eventually the portions started getting bigger. Weather such as pancakes the size of buildings and bagels the size of people started to destroy the city of Chewandswallow. Soon, people were unable to live in the town anymore, and they moved to other parts of the world, where although they had to shop for food at grocery stores, they adapted and lived normal lives.
            Although I can't remember exactly what I thought as a kid, I'm pretty sure I liked the book because of the food and the pictures, not for any meanings that I took from it. But even if I wasn't aware of it, the phrase "too much of a good thing" was getting instilled into me from the book, because although pancakes are delicious, having one on top of my house isn't quite as pleasant. Although its an idea I take for granted now, who knows how much I knew about it when I was five? And if I didn't really know much about it, I'm curious as to whether it actually helped me to formulate my set of ideas that I have now. Do hidden messages in children's books help get kids to conform to an idea, or are they more like Baby Einsteins?