Public Enemy - Fight The Power

Oh yeah, while I'm at it, I decided to also post this video of Public Enemy, titled "Fight the Power".
This video also shows clips of the movie "Do the Right Thing".

My Political Science class mentioned this video, for it has an empowering message, as it is a great song. It even has made the ranks of "the greatest song of all-time" lists.

I wont say much about this song though. I think its much worth hearing it.

Video of the Day: Annoying Orange

WOOOW! People might have their opinions about this, but I like the Annoying Orange :) It is, hmm, a bit annoying, but to a point where its amusing rather than super irritating.

Just like some YouTube success stories, this channel exploded into mainstream popularity and has gained a wide audience ever since. With a total of over 1 billion views, it even has its own TV show coming up this summer in Cartoon Network.

Well, hope you'll enjoy. Have a great weekend

Linda Lovelace's Life Worthy of a Hollywood Tale

Hollywood has a thing for tragic stories, right? They are quite as obsessed for tragic stories as they are of ending it with a happy ending. Well, consider this story: A conservative teenager, who all of a sudden rebels against her elders, meets and marries a "pimp", who forces her against her will towards "prostitution" and drugs, and at 23 years old, becomes an overnight sensation due to a hard core porn movie that was made in a cheap hotel room in Florida. The movie as a total worth of $600 million. However, she leaves (or flees) her manipulated husband, becomes a feminist advocate, but later faces personal battles with illness and poverty, all before dying in a terrible car crash in 2002. Sounds indeed like a tragic story, and thats not all what Linda Lovelace, who's life I just described, faced. However, her life is about to be immoratalized on the big screen, twice, and hopefully it sticks with her life instead of finsihing it with a typical happy ending.

Linda endured both physical and mental abuse under her husband's, Chuck Traynor, power. Even when her porn movie "Deep Throat" hit the mainstream, she described in graphic detail what she went through in the set [1]. Yet, she became a popular personality during her days, with her film making over 10x of what it was worth (it cost $30,000 to make). However, this film is credited to ushering "...the infinitely more explicit internet porn that is now only a keyboard click away" today [1]. But this is the view and reputation that Linda Lovelace hated. She became a feminist activist, denouncing the porn industry, right after she left her controlling husband. Yet, she felt used by her feminist "allies". She remarried again, had two children, but only for her second husband to lose his job and both became dependent on welfare. She also became dependent on expensive medical drugs after a liver transplant in 1987. Then after divorcing in 1996, she had jobs both day and night to make it through. A few years later, in 2001, she posed for an adult magazine, and with cries that she was a hypocrite, after she publicly known for bashing out the porn industry, sources say she was desperate for cash. She died in 2002 after crashing in a concrete post in Denver, as she was thrown out the windscreen.

Now, a few years later, 2 movies are in the works for this lady. One, starting Amanda Seyfried, titled "Lovelace", has just finished filming. This project is also being backed up by Lovelace's grown children. The second, titled "Inferno" is based on Lovelace tell all book. If both films are trying to be 100% accurate about her life, then let it be. But as friend and former biographer Eric Danville (whos is speaking regards of the "Lovelace" film) said:

        "The film will try as much as possible to end on a positive note in terms of Linda’s story,’ he 

        said. How does the film portray her? ‘I have to be diplomatic here ... very much as she saw herself...A victim — for want of a better word. That’s the tale that everyone really knows." [1]

Well, I hope for once Hollywood keeps it real. Linda Lovelace story has all the elements worthy of a Hollywood movie. 

Read more at Daily Mail here.

Topic of the Day: Nostalgia (Remembering the 90s)

(This is a personal opinion post based on this 2011 article by CNN.com. To read, click link).

My goodness. Not that long ago, my twin sister, who is a bit of a hard shell (a.k.a. "Hard to Please"), was just super duper excited that VH1 decided to air a special documentary titled "The TRL Decade". We got to see familiar faces and events, such as Britney Spears, N'Sync, P.Diddy, etc during their prime. Plus, not that long ago, MTV's channel Hit List decided to play Boy Band music videos. My twin sister shrieked! In the era that just past us, the 2000s, we were bombarded with gangsta rap, R&B and Hip Hop. She was an ultimate "G" girl, all things gangsta, all things street. But she isn't shy to admit that before all this wave of 2000s pop culture emerged, she was (and very much still is) a 1990s music lover, a'la N'Sync. And who can blame her? She isn't that only one who remembers the 1990s. It seems to me that our "Digital Era" generation is indeed wanting the 90s back. Whether music, TV Shows, fashion, etc....we are definitely remembering the 1990s.

Last night, me and my twin were admiring how much we want a denim blouse. As we were talking, Will Smith character from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was also wearing the blouse of our dremas. And soon after, as I am a huge fan of street style, I also notice that many of the style that teens are wearing today has more of a 90s reminiscent vibe. Denim shorts, ripped tights (although this was in the early 1990s), heavy ankle boots, scrunchies, baggy blouses, large pants, colorful heavy jackets, etc., are all 1990s fashion. And it has indeed return.

What about TV? Remember when TV wasn't all reality television shows? I remember school based sitcoms, such as "Boy Meets World", "Saved by the Bell", "Sabrina", "Sister, Sister" and so on. "Dysfunctional " or close knit families such as "Married with Children", "Fresh Prince", "Friends", etc., targeted adults. Nick cartoons such as "CatDog", "Doug", "Hey Arnold", "Rugrats" were meant for kids. Oh, and a bit of "Horror" such as "Goosebumps" and "The X-Files" were meant for thrill seekers. Oh, and music! Remember Nirvana? Or NWA? Or how about pop music that invaded the late 1990s such as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, N'sync, Christina Aguilera, and so on. Remember that most of them started out in Disney? And when their careers were taking off, remember they were extremely publicized in Disney Channel? I can keep going on and on, but I have to admit, a lot of us really do miss the 1990s. 

But why? Why all of a sudden this sudden urge of reviving the 90s? Now a days, I tend to see so many re-runs of "Save by the Bell" and "Boy Meets World". Teen Nick has also been playing late night airings of old 90s shows called "The 90s are All That". Stars of the 90s are having a career boom, such as Tia and Tamera Mowry with their reality show in the InStyle network. Melissa Joan Hart of "Sabrina" and "Clarissa" fame has her show along with 90s heartthrob Joey Lawrence in ABC Family (Melissa and Joey). 

So how come? Well, simple. You just want to remember the good old days of your fun, careless youth. With our current economic climate, people are struggling to find some ways to live, whereas the 1990s, you didn't have to work at all [1]. Just like the CNN article explained, ".... young Americans are trying to navigate the murky waters of the economy and their future prospects." In my personal opinion, I also remember that the 1990s was a carefree era of a pre-9/11 decade. After the attacks, everything changed. A suspicious, yet a somewhat dark mood took over. Bubblegum pop didn't seem to fit well with the traumatizing vibe, and the happy sitcoms werent all that amusing when our world was just so shattered.  So, reminiscing the 1990 just tend to put a huge smile on people's faces. And thanks to Facebook and other social media devices, the entertainment industry decided to re air back some of the 1990s shows, especially from Nick, due to so much buzz of users wishing they had their 90s Nickelodeon back [2].

I have to say that the 1990s was a great era for many of us, especially for pop culture. With reality television bombarding every channel and network, and music is all visual and not for the ears, everything seems a bit fake. So, I have to admit that, deep inside me, I wish we had the 1990s back. 

The Hunger Games Official Trailer

Now I KNOW some of you are going to watch this in a few minutes (perhaps you are already waiting in line) but this movie, which is a based on the book series of the same name by Suzanne Collins, is set to explode this weekend. So, all I can say is, ENJOY! Must of you already know so much about this more than I do. But I must add, I am glad that kids are so in love with book series...and for it to do a movie about it, is pretty much solidifying the teen interest in books :)

Oh, I think this is a nice article too. Its about leading star Jennifer Lawrence, and being compare to an all-time Hollywood legend. Take note, I smell uber-legend in the making in her!

Jennifer Lawrence compared to Laurence Olivier (by ABC7)

Our "Idiot" Culture

I know I have posted this before, but I just want to put this on display because my professor did in fact discussed this, and he couldnt be any more right. Our society is obsessed with idiotic tactics, and it has indeed made this culture, well....dumber.

Dont believe me? Read both these article. And I must say, I couldn't agree more with Jonah Hill. The article is a bit old, but he does repeat what my professor meant to said...

"The Kardashians are as famous as our president. What does that tell you about how skewed our society is?" [1]

1) Jonah Hill takes aim at Kim Kardashian....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2074072/Jonah-Hill-takes-aim-Kim-Kardashian-Its-disgusting-culture.html

2) Jon Hamm Fires Back....(this is more recent)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2117100/Mad-Mens-Jon-Hamm-fires-Kim-Kardashian-f--ing-idiot-insult.html

Sex and the Media

via CNN

Women. It is known that in the world's most richest nation, 51% of the population are female. Amazing. Yet, for some reason, despite the major boom, I, as a women, still feel a bet rejected in this world. Maybe it has to do with the fact that because I'm a girl, I'm viewed as the sex that cant do as great a job as the opposite sex. Or maybe because, thanks to this world, females are viewed as sexy, sultry, objects. And it seems that, based to this description, that is ALL how the world see us!

Well, in this article, titled "Sex, lies and media...", it discusses how, thanks in part to social media, "women are objectified...", all thanks to the "constant barrage of images from all forms of media, may of them connecting products to a pair of breasts and a coy smile". Also in this article, it mentions the documentary, "Miss Representation" directed by Jennifer Siebel-Newsom, in which she explores the topic of what is true beauty in the eyes of the media...to which it already has a mass following. Main point: women are being viewed as these stereotypical sex objects (in the workforce, or wherever) rather than in a positive light. Instead of smart scientists, or CEOs, in this reality, women are viewed as sultry perfume ads or selling cigarettes and beer. This article also targets the issue of weight, image, looks, etc.

To read the article, click here (or click the article title above)

In Memoriam: Jesus Javier (1949-2012)

I feel like I should do this, for I have a lot to thank to this man. Jesus Javier, the renowned Hispanic news reporter who was currently Vice President of Noticias de Estrella TV and was also the anchor of its weekly night news, has passed away. He died this past Monday after losing his battle with cancer. 

His resume is impressive. He graduated from UC Berkeley after studying Electrical Engineering and worked for Univision as an anchor in cities such as San Antonio and San Francisco. However, it was working for KMEX 34, Univison Los Angeles, where he gained extreme recognition, where we stayed from 1993 to 2000. He also worked for KVEA-TV Channel 52 (Telemundo) and, most recently, Channel 62, KRCA. Jesus Javier also got prestigious awards such an Emmy, a Golden Mic Award from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California (for a special investigation he did titled "Infierno Bajo Cero"), and a silver medal at the NewYork International Film and Television Festival (for "De Leyes y Papeles" as Best Documentary). [1]

With so much honesty, I have to say I was deeply saddened by his death. Since I was a young toddler, I began to watch the news because of him (to which I've become a news junkie ever since). His deep, impressive voice was his best feature that I really admired, and I just loved looking at him because he had this rough, but sweet, professional appearance. And I guess I wasnt the only one who loved this man. He was the reason why Channel 34 6 o'clock news was number one for a long time in Los Angeles. This man truly had charisma, as well as passion for his profession.

So Jesus Javier, may you rest in peace. 

Social Media and Current Events

via National Geographic 

About a week ago, Japan marked the 1st anniversary of one of the nation's most awful natural disaster, and indeed, one of world's most deadliest earthquakes. In memoriam, the nation stood in a moment of silence to not only remember the earthquake victims, but in an evil 1-2-3 punch, it also recalled the massive tsunami and the ever menacing nuclear disaster in the Fukishima plant that happened as well. The aftermath was horrible. The images were astonishing. Yet, it wasnt the reporters that told and recorded the incident as it happen. It was the civilians, whom, with a quick instinct, captured the tsunami and earthquake as it occurred. And with a touch of a button, they instantly uploaded their images to social medias.

I guess my point is, social media is taking over the regular reporter's work. Just as fashion houses are heavily depending on fashion bloggers to attend their runways, it seems to me that the news media are heavily depending on eye witnessing civilians to upload their images to social media in order to make the news spread quicker. From the Arab unrest of last year, to the London riots, the regular joes are indeed the ones reporting the news to the world. Looks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,etc. users are making ABC, CNN, FOX and other reporting networks make a run for their money.

For instance, Mexico just experienced a 7.4 earthquake near Acapulco today. But it wasn't the news media that broke the news to me. It was through Facebook, where my friend updated his status saying "7.6 earthquake hits between Acapulco and Mexico City, thats actually a pretty big quake". 

Below is a link that discusses the Japan earthquake, as well as the images that many witnesses captured.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/09/world/asia/japan-tsunami-video/index.html

...and God Bless the people of Japan.

Oh Yeah...Another "Topic of the Day": Parody

Blah ha ha ha!!! Oh wow, I loooove parody's! Nothing like a good ol' tease on celebrities. When I think of parodys, I think of one show...MadTV. I remember when me and twin would always watch the show cause they made fun off everything and everyone.

Like in this case. Above, you'll see a music video from 2000s boy band B2K (hey..., this type of music was HOT back in the day! I have no shame!) titled "Bump, Bump, Bump".
But below here, you will see MadTV's take on "Bump, Bump, Bump"...starting Kim Jong Il :)

Oh great times! Well, enjoy!

Topic of the Day: "Kitsch"

Oh vulgarity. Almost 2 weeks ago, the U.S. entertainment industry celebrated their biggest and brightest stars in the Academy Awards. Now that its all over, its as if America totally forgot about cinema's biggest night and went straight back to the "wannabe" celebrities. Wait, scratch that...they ARE celebrities! But what sets them apart is that they're not famous because of their talent, or philanthropy...they're famous because of their "vulgar" taste in having fun; their "kitsch" lifestyle. 

Most of these overnight celebrities are reality stars, like "Jersey Shore" or "Kardashians". But what really is it about them that makes America get so obssessed with these type of people? Do they think its a quick acess towards fame and fortune by acting all trashy and sexy? Or is it because we can relate to these people? Who knows, but one day..just one day...the U.S. would finally say "adios" to these "celebrities".

Oh, for a quick read, here's an article about a celebrity (this time a real celebrity) who bashes on these overnight celebrities:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2112783/Mad-Mens-Jon-Hamm-hits-cult-celebrity.html