The New Faces of Female Empowerment
By Paris McGee (4/9/14) Once again, a bestselling novel turns into a box office hit; this time it’s the book "Divergent." The film has been criticized for being similar to the movie "The Hunger Games." But let’s make no mistake; the movie "Divergent" is not synonymous with "The Hunger Games," and the actress Shailene Woodley is no Jennifer Lawrence. However, both actresses embrace the idea of women empowerment and equality through their film roles. In "The Hunger Games," (which I assume 80% of Americans have seen due to the fact that the film earned 161.1 million dollars in box office sales) Jennifer Lawrence plays a sharp-tongued, fearless and strong survivalist, Katniss. She lives in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. In the film, a highly advanced metropolis, named The Capitol, exercises political control over the entire nation. "The Hunger Games" is an annual event in which one boy and one girl between the ages 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding The Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death. In the movie, Katniss is the main character and heroine throughout the film. In addition, "The Hunger Games" became the first female-lead film to top the annual box office in 40 years. The movie "Divergent" also has a female lead character who is a heroine in the film. The dystopian society tests young adults to determine the faction they fit into best. The film follows Tris, a young woman who must choose one of five factions to live in for the rest of her life. The divergent characters in the film do not fit perfectly into any faction and possess characteristics from multiple factions. Shailene Woodley plays the character Tris. Tris is sweet, emotional, and daring “divergent” character who strives to change the government from a dystopian society to one in which people are able to live freely without subjecting to a faction for the rest of their lives. In total, both The Hunger Games and Divergent demonstrate strong female lead characters that are willing to do whatever it takes to change the governments in their dystopian societies. Moreover, the films demonstrate new female roles in Hollywood. Knowing this, is this a new beginning for women in Hollywood, or characters in television roles, or books? |
"Once": A concert with a story and actorsBy Laura Sadowski (3/7/14)
You walk into the theater before the show starts and you feel a little confused. There are actors already on stage singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. Then they bring some audience members on stage with them to dance. It's as if you aren't at the Shubert Theater to watch a musical. But you are. "Once" is a musical based on the 2006 movie, but as British actor and musician Stuart Ward is quoted as saying, “I like to think of it more as a play with music rather than a (traditional) musical.” Comparing "Once" with other musicals I've seen on Broadway, I really couldn’t agree more. Once is about a Guy (he is really listed as Guy on the cast list) who, after his girlfriend cheats on him and moves to New York, has given up on his dreams. In a pub in Dublin, which is the backdrop of every scene in the play, a Girl (listed as Girl) comes in after hearing him singing and playing the guitar and starts asking him about his music. The whole show pretty much kicks off from there. She builds up his confidence and gives him the opportunity to follow his dreams and they end up falling for each other in a very deep way. But, she is already married and feels she is obligated to work out the relationship with her husband for the sake of her daughter. Again, Guy gives up on his dream. But, when his father gives him the means to go to New York, he finally decides exactly what he wants to do. The musical gives you an ending, but leaves more for your imagination, as opposed to the moviem which leaves Guy exactly where he was in the beginning. The music in "Once" is really made to be experienced live and not just through a movie screen. The vibe in the theatre before, during, and after the show was very relaxed and chill. The main set is a pub with mirrors surrounding the walls. Whenever there was a set change, the actors would just add a table or remove a drum set. During intermission, it even became a real pub. People went onstage to order drinks and just stand in the "bar". However, the crew was very strict about not touching anything or taking pictures. It was fun to have the opportunity to experience what it is like to be on that particular stage. Overall, "Once" was a really enjoyable show. The actors didn’t sing or talk to each other in song like they usually would in musicals. When they sang, they were singing the song to express what the words meant. It was like a summary of the scene or what a particular character was feeling. If you listen to the lyrics, they are just beautiful. It feels like the show was created around what the music was trying to tell us. Everything the actors did was because of the music. They moved the set pieces fluidly with the music. They stayed on stage the whole time because they were the musicians as well as the actors. It feels like every choice is made because of the music. Stuart Ward, the actor who played Guy, really stood out in the show. Not just because he was the male lead, but he sang the songs like he wrote them. I know that is the job of the actor, but I felt he blew the whole cast away. I would recommend "Once" for everyone. It really is like going to see a great concert that just happens to follow a story and has actors in it. |
By Avery Wesson
Imagine, a world full of mysterious and powerful creatures, wondrous environments, and a heavenly and open atmosphere. Many of the creatures are new, but many more are old friends. Many are more powerful than they once were. And, during battle, your beloved partner metamorphosizes further. At the press of a button, Evolution, like nature itself, bends at your whim. Before you lies much adversity - Gyms, Leagues, and a sinister organization with evil intentions for this new region. Welcome to the world of Pokémon.
Game developers Gamefreak have finally outdone themselves. This is indeed the best Pokémon main series game to date. Let’s break this game down a little bit more:
Pokémon X and Y has quite a bit of new content added in the new region of Kalos.
Pokémon: First and foremost, are the brand new Pokémon, and Gamefreak has done a great job there. Previous games like Pokémon Black and White were highly ridiculed for the “lack of originality” in Pokémon designs, which is essentially people being fussy about there being Pokémon based off of trash and ice cream. While “originality” is always a problem for Pokémon – considering many pokémon are just animals with punny names and anime eyes – no one seems to complain too much about the pokémon or their designs except for Klefki and Honedge, the Keyring and Sword Pokémon, respectively. Furthermore, many older Pokémon have gotten boosts in the form of Mega Evolutions, allowing them to transform into even stronger forms. However, the number of new Pokémon is just under 70 which, when compared to Black and White or Diamond and Pearl, is horribly tiny even when the 28 Mega Evolutions are factored in. But, this does offer the opportunity to catch some old favorites like Mawile, Absol, or Haunter.
Mechanics: Pokémon has done something they haven’t done for 15 years – added a new type of Pokémon. The new Fairy type balances out the grossly overpowered Dark, Fighting, and Dragon types, while giving the Poison and Steel types more boosts. Many people are unhappy with the Fairy type, which isn’t too big of a deal considering Fairy types are subpar themselves and have only a few stand-out Pokémon, like Mawile, Gardevoir, and Carbink. Also added to the mechanics are some status effect changes, namely Grass types being immune to Spore moves and PoisonPowder, Poison Types are immune to Poisoning, Electric types immune to Paralysis, and Rock types gaining an evasion boost in a sandstorm. One unfortunate change is the Steel type’s loss of resistance to Dark and Ghost types, effectively crippling many previous giants like Metagross, Jirachi, and Bronzong.
Story: ***SPOILER ALERT***
This game’s story is a little scattered. You begin in Vaniville Town and meet your neighbor – Calem if you’re female, Serena if you’re male – and get a Pokémon and proceed to Lumiose City to speak with Professor Sycamore. Strangely, The Gyms take a backseat to whatever else happens. And this is where problems arise. The story is clear in the beginning, but with a Gym battle later there’s nothing to go on. The Gyms are barely mentioned in the beginning of the game and Professor Sycamore is instantly established as most relevant. After receiving one of the classic starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle), Sycamore drops off the face of the Earth and you have a loose idea of what you’re doing. Mega Evolution, apparently, is the “main plot” if one could call it that. It has loose reinforcement, and most Mega Evolutions aren’t available until Postgame, so why bother? What does this research hope to attain and if it is so important, why are all the Mega Stones locked until Postgame?
Even the evil organization in this game is underwhelming. Ruby and Sapphire’s Team Magma and Team Aqua tried to expand the land or the sea, respectively, Diamond and Pearl’s Team Galactic wanted to completely reshape the world/universe, and Black and White’s Team Plasma wanted a world in which all Pokémon are free plus some strange twist in which the leader only wants to rule the world. But this game’s Team Flare wants to make the world more beautiful? How? Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, and Team Plasma all had methods with which to do it – Legendary Pokeémon. While each could complete their goals with the Legendary Pokémon (i.e., using Groudon to make the land rise, using Kyogre to make the sea rise, using Dialga and Palkia to start the universe over, using Reshiram or Zekrom to gain complete power), Team Flare has no real use for the Legendary Pokémon. Sure, Xerneas can create life, but Lysandre, Team Flare’s obvious boss, wants to “rid the filth from the world” so that would means he could use Yveltal. But he also states that the world is beautiful itself despite this “filth” so, what is Team Flare trying to accomplish?
Eventually, Lysandre comes out to say he’s activating some obscure doomsday device with the power source being either Xerneas or Yveltal. Hold on, Yveltal being a doomsday device is understandable, what with him being a Pokémon of Destruction, but Xerneas? The Pokémon of Life? It seems obscure.
Also underlying the plot is Pokémon Trainer AZ who reveals himself as the king from 3000 years ago and said he used the doomsday device to give his Pokémon, Floette, eternal life by killing hundreds of innocent Pokémon. What? No. Because of this, Floette leaves him and he goes a little crazy. But after the Pokémon League is conquered, AZ battles the hero, loses pathetically, then Floette comes back making for a truly emotional scene.
***SPOILERS END HERE***
Wireless/Social Settings: While it is a little unclear as to how most of it works, players are no longer limited to being in a Pokémon Center to use online or local features like trading, battling, or Game Chat as all of it is now done through the PSS or Player Search System. Nothing much has changed other than the layout though. One new feature is called Wonder Trading. Wonder Trading is, essentially, getting a random Pokémon from someone random online for another of yours. The catch, they can’t find equal matches for what they’re giving away so you’ll either get lucky and get something good, or get something subpar. It’s all luck and definitely not worth giving away actual good Pokémon.
Customization: Now we’re really into the true selling point of this game. Pokémon X and Y now gives players the option to buy clothing to customize their avatar which shows up online and to friends through the PSS. My only criticism is the lack of Boutiques in this game, especially considering this is definitely this game’s biggest selling point. There are only about a half dozen Boutiques in which to buy clothes, which is a lot of waiting for the right merchandise to roll around.
Final Word: Pokémon X and Y is all content. Easier access to Wireless and Online features, New Pokémon, New Types, New Mechanics, Customization, and Mega Evolution are definitely compelling, but the lack of a clear consistent story will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the more story-driven players. All in all, everyone who plays Pokémon, or even those just starting, will love this game and it is a definite must-buy as it is sure to be one of the best games of 2013.
Imagine, a world full of mysterious and powerful creatures, wondrous environments, and a heavenly and open atmosphere. Many of the creatures are new, but many more are old friends. Many are more powerful than they once were. And, during battle, your beloved partner metamorphosizes further. At the press of a button, Evolution, like nature itself, bends at your whim. Before you lies much adversity - Gyms, Leagues, and a sinister organization with evil intentions for this new region. Welcome to the world of Pokémon.
Game developers Gamefreak have finally outdone themselves. This is indeed the best Pokémon main series game to date. Let’s break this game down a little bit more:
Pokémon X and Y has quite a bit of new content added in the new region of Kalos.
Pokémon: First and foremost, are the brand new Pokémon, and Gamefreak has done a great job there. Previous games like Pokémon Black and White were highly ridiculed for the “lack of originality” in Pokémon designs, which is essentially people being fussy about there being Pokémon based off of trash and ice cream. While “originality” is always a problem for Pokémon – considering many pokémon are just animals with punny names and anime eyes – no one seems to complain too much about the pokémon or their designs except for Klefki and Honedge, the Keyring and Sword Pokémon, respectively. Furthermore, many older Pokémon have gotten boosts in the form of Mega Evolutions, allowing them to transform into even stronger forms. However, the number of new Pokémon is just under 70 which, when compared to Black and White or Diamond and Pearl, is horribly tiny even when the 28 Mega Evolutions are factored in. But, this does offer the opportunity to catch some old favorites like Mawile, Absol, or Haunter.
Mechanics: Pokémon has done something they haven’t done for 15 years – added a new type of Pokémon. The new Fairy type balances out the grossly overpowered Dark, Fighting, and Dragon types, while giving the Poison and Steel types more boosts. Many people are unhappy with the Fairy type, which isn’t too big of a deal considering Fairy types are subpar themselves and have only a few stand-out Pokémon, like Mawile, Gardevoir, and Carbink. Also added to the mechanics are some status effect changes, namely Grass types being immune to Spore moves and PoisonPowder, Poison Types are immune to Poisoning, Electric types immune to Paralysis, and Rock types gaining an evasion boost in a sandstorm. One unfortunate change is the Steel type’s loss of resistance to Dark and Ghost types, effectively crippling many previous giants like Metagross, Jirachi, and Bronzong.
Story: ***SPOILER ALERT***
This game’s story is a little scattered. You begin in Vaniville Town and meet your neighbor – Calem if you’re female, Serena if you’re male – and get a Pokémon and proceed to Lumiose City to speak with Professor Sycamore. Strangely, The Gyms take a backseat to whatever else happens. And this is where problems arise. The story is clear in the beginning, but with a Gym battle later there’s nothing to go on. The Gyms are barely mentioned in the beginning of the game and Professor Sycamore is instantly established as most relevant. After receiving one of the classic starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle), Sycamore drops off the face of the Earth and you have a loose idea of what you’re doing. Mega Evolution, apparently, is the “main plot” if one could call it that. It has loose reinforcement, and most Mega Evolutions aren’t available until Postgame, so why bother? What does this research hope to attain and if it is so important, why are all the Mega Stones locked until Postgame?
Even the evil organization in this game is underwhelming. Ruby and Sapphire’s Team Magma and Team Aqua tried to expand the land or the sea, respectively, Diamond and Pearl’s Team Galactic wanted to completely reshape the world/universe, and Black and White’s Team Plasma wanted a world in which all Pokémon are free plus some strange twist in which the leader only wants to rule the world. But this game’s Team Flare wants to make the world more beautiful? How? Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, and Team Plasma all had methods with which to do it – Legendary Pokeémon. While each could complete their goals with the Legendary Pokémon (i.e., using Groudon to make the land rise, using Kyogre to make the sea rise, using Dialga and Palkia to start the universe over, using Reshiram or Zekrom to gain complete power), Team Flare has no real use for the Legendary Pokémon. Sure, Xerneas can create life, but Lysandre, Team Flare’s obvious boss, wants to “rid the filth from the world” so that would means he could use Yveltal. But he also states that the world is beautiful itself despite this “filth” so, what is Team Flare trying to accomplish?
Eventually, Lysandre comes out to say he’s activating some obscure doomsday device with the power source being either Xerneas or Yveltal. Hold on, Yveltal being a doomsday device is understandable, what with him being a Pokémon of Destruction, but Xerneas? The Pokémon of Life? It seems obscure.
Also underlying the plot is Pokémon Trainer AZ who reveals himself as the king from 3000 years ago and said he used the doomsday device to give his Pokémon, Floette, eternal life by killing hundreds of innocent Pokémon. What? No. Because of this, Floette leaves him and he goes a little crazy. But after the Pokémon League is conquered, AZ battles the hero, loses pathetically, then Floette comes back making for a truly emotional scene.
***SPOILERS END HERE***
Wireless/Social Settings: While it is a little unclear as to how most of it works, players are no longer limited to being in a Pokémon Center to use online or local features like trading, battling, or Game Chat as all of it is now done through the PSS or Player Search System. Nothing much has changed other than the layout though. One new feature is called Wonder Trading. Wonder Trading is, essentially, getting a random Pokémon from someone random online for another of yours. The catch, they can’t find equal matches for what they’re giving away so you’ll either get lucky and get something good, or get something subpar. It’s all luck and definitely not worth giving away actual good Pokémon.
Customization: Now we’re really into the true selling point of this game. Pokémon X and Y now gives players the option to buy clothing to customize their avatar which shows up online and to friends through the PSS. My only criticism is the lack of Boutiques in this game, especially considering this is definitely this game’s biggest selling point. There are only about a half dozen Boutiques in which to buy clothes, which is a lot of waiting for the right merchandise to roll around.
Final Word: Pokémon X and Y is all content. Easier access to Wireless and Online features, New Pokémon, New Types, New Mechanics, Customization, and Mega Evolution are definitely compelling, but the lack of a clear consistent story will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the more story-driven players. All in all, everyone who plays Pokémon, or even those just starting, will love this game and it is a definite must-buy as it is sure to be one of the best games of 2013.
Pretty Little Liars
The wildly popular ABC Family show "Pretty Little Liars" is drawing teens in every Tuesday. If you haven’t heard about this show you should tune in.
The show centers on four girls (Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily) whose clique falls apart after their friend Alison goes missing one night. A year goes by and the girls start to get text messages from “A’’ who knows all their secrets and lies. At first, they think it’s Alison, but then her dead body is found! Now the girls realize it’s somebody else who has been texting them.
Throughout the show, the girls uncover things they didn’t know about their friend Alison. They also find out that “A” was the one to target Alison first.
According to Hollywood Reporter, the show attracts more than 3 million views per episode. On Twitter it receives 10,000 tweets per minute and 70,000 more towards the end of the episodes. On Facebook, it has over 11 million likes.
The series premiere debuted on ABC Family on June 8, 2010 with 2.47 million viewers, making it the most-watched show of the summer. Critics gave it four out of five stars, calling it addicting and saying it reels you in and leaves you wanting more.
"Pretty Little Liars" even attracts women between the ages of 18-34, which is surprising because the show centers around teenagers. I like this show because it’s full of mystery, drama, and thrills. The girls are awesome actors and make their characters really great, lovable people.
My favorite character in the show is Emily, who is gay and the athlete of the group. She is kind of quiet and shy, but throughout the show her character starts to grow more confident and accept herself for who she is.
"Pretty Little Liars" airs Tuesdays at 8:00 pm on ABC Family. New episodes begin January 7, 2014. Start watching this show; you won’t be disappointed.
The show centers on four girls (Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily) whose clique falls apart after their friend Alison goes missing one night. A year goes by and the girls start to get text messages from “A’’ who knows all their secrets and lies. At first, they think it’s Alison, but then her dead body is found! Now the girls realize it’s somebody else who has been texting them.
Throughout the show, the girls uncover things they didn’t know about their friend Alison. They also find out that “A” was the one to target Alison first.
According to Hollywood Reporter, the show attracts more than 3 million views per episode. On Twitter it receives 10,000 tweets per minute and 70,000 more towards the end of the episodes. On Facebook, it has over 11 million likes.
The series premiere debuted on ABC Family on June 8, 2010 with 2.47 million viewers, making it the most-watched show of the summer. Critics gave it four out of five stars, calling it addicting and saying it reels you in and leaves you wanting more.
"Pretty Little Liars" even attracts women between the ages of 18-34, which is surprising because the show centers around teenagers. I like this show because it’s full of mystery, drama, and thrills. The girls are awesome actors and make their characters really great, lovable people.
My favorite character in the show is Emily, who is gay and the athlete of the group. She is kind of quiet and shy, but throughout the show her character starts to grow more confident and accept herself for who she is.
"Pretty Little Liars" airs Tuesdays at 8:00 pm on ABC Family. New episodes begin January 7, 2014. Start watching this show; you won’t be disappointed.