Kids in Mind App

In the past, I have been pretty naive going into movies. I don't really know exactly what will happen or how clean the content is. I am grateful for the kids in mind app that let me see ratings for sexual and violent content and profanity. It writes out specific scenes that may even be of question. Before I see a movie, I always like to look at the ratings on this app to see the content breakdown. Although it may be a subjective rating system, I think it offers a lot more information than a basic PG-13 rating. Warning that it does indeed describe inappropriate scenes for some movies. So far, I have liked it and it has helped me in my decisions of whether or not to see a movie. 

Disney Remakes

I've sometimes thought how Disney can continue to make up new story lines for movies. Don't you think anything that could be done, has been done? Obviously that's not the case. However, lately there have been several remakes of old, classic Disney movies. The storyline and characters are already in place, making it easier. Perhaps this is where the next wave of movies ideas will spring from. I've enjoyed them so far and am curious if remakes of old movies will replace those old ones. Will me kids grow up on the cartoon Disney movies or the recent ones? 

March Madness

March Madness is in the air and brackets are all over the place. I think March Madness is a way in which media helps connect people throughout the country. It is a time where basketball enthusiasts, or anyone that really likes basketball, can watch intense games for a chance at winning the championship. So much emotion is put into these games and I love it! During class, I'll see students watching games on their laptops (I've been guilty of that too). While it is distracting in class, I love basketball and it's a chance for my siblings and I to come together throughout the week to watch whatever game is being played. 

Unbroken

I recently watched the movie Unbroken, a true story about an Olympic runner who became a prisoner of war in Japan, and man was it intense. I don't handle emotional and intense movies very well so I don't know why I decided to watch it... peer pressure. However, the movie was extremely well done and the acting was incredible! It gave a great message of strength, perseverance, and forgiveness. However, the majority of the movie is very heavy and I walked away feeling depressed, rather than uplifted. I think that might have just been me personally, though. I have a hard time watching someone get beaten to death, over and over again, even if it's supposed to be inspiring. There were definitely several inspiring moments, but I felt that the graphic violence somewhat outweighed that. I do believe that the actors did an incredible job though and I would recommend it, but with a warning that it's sad! At least for me. I am also visiting Auschwitz in Poland this Spring so that might be a reason why it affected me the way it did. Overall, it was a VERY powerful movie.

YouTube- the Good and Bad

Lately, I've been thinking about how YouTube can be used for both good and bad. I have a BYU Speech on YouTube bookmarked on my web browser and another one of a classical piano video. It is a great and effective way for artists of all different kinds to send a message to the masses. However, I believe that YouTube can be dangerous, not only because of inappropriate material that can pop up or is easy to find, but because of how much time can pass when browsing YouTube. I'm sure many of us have been in a situation where we are watching a video and another video on the side bar looks entertaining, and so we click. And then we click on another video, and another until we end up watching the most random video about cats or behind the scenes footage of the Hunger Games. I'm reminded of the scripture in 2 Nephi of how Satan will pacify us and lull us away. I love YouTube for the uplifting and funny videos I can view but I am also becoming aware of how easy it is to waste time. 

Photoshop

I liked our lecture in class about photoshopping in the media. Too many young teenagers compare themselves to what they see in magazines and/or advertisements. I believe that the thin ideal is very prevalent among the media today and is truly influencing how young adults view themselves. Photoshopping is just giving viewers a false view of beauty and I would be curious to see what would happen to magazines and advertisements if photo-shopping became illegal. I found this video online about real women being photoshopped and their reaction to it. I love how they realized that their flaws, if you can even call them flaws, define who they are. 

LOST

A while back, my very favorite shows was LOST. My family and I were obsessed with it. I was hooked from the very first episode, probably because of how dramatic the show was. Seriously. Constant drama. I loved all of the different personalities on the show and each episode always left you with a cliff hanger. However, as the show progressed I found it getting more and more confusing. Halfway through the series I stopped watching because of how confused and frustrated I would get. It got me thinking, how do some series keep viewers' attention for 10+ seasons? How do certain series manage to maintain their viewers' intrigue? 

Basketball Stereotypes

I saw this video on Facebook and it had me laughing out loud; I had to share! I love how creative the guys were in coming up with these hilarious yet true stereotypes. I've sent the video to some family and friends and they have been able to identify themselves as one of these stereotypes. If you have the time to watch it, do it! I think I've watched it three or four times. Their acting is hilarious and the clip is very entertaining! 

Dance Moms

I was thinking about our lecture on reality tv and the harm it can do for children. I was particularly thinking about Dance Moms and how popular it has become (one of the dancers has 2.6 million followers on Instagram). I have seen it before on tv and was shocked at how rude the women, more so than the girls, were. Sometimes I believe that the confrontation that takes place in front of the girls is damaging to them. These poor girls should not have to watch grown women (mostly their moms) be aggressive towards one another. These moms are usually dolled up with their diamonds and dresses, constantly yelling and complaining. What I do not understand is how mothers would subject their children to this kind of confrontation. What message is that sending to girls who want to dance? How will young viewers treat their mothers?  But why do so many people watch it if it is full of contention and relational aggression? I have caught myself switching through the channels and stop on Dance Moms. Maybe it's because I am not use to that much drama in my life and that it is exciting. A part of me wants to see if people can truly be that crazy as well. The show is extremely entertaining, but a terrible model for viewers. 

ESPN

The BYU-Zags game got me thinking about sports broadcasting and how much ESPN is a favorite channel across the country, particularly for men. Sports provides an environment where emotions run high and people can bond with each other. I have fond memories of watching ESPN's top not ten every morning before my brother and I took off for early morning seminary. I loved the commentators and how funny the clips were. I love sports but don't always have time to sit down and watch a full game. It's convenient to turn on ESPN and get the games' highlights. I also love how ESPN has a sidebar that lets you know what topics the anchors will be discussing next. Growing up, ESPN was usually background media. Now that I am at BYU, I watch ESPN more frequently to watch BYU football or basketball play. Here is ESPN's top ten plays of 2014.