Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Film Review

     Where to begin, Dr. Horrible’s sing-a-long blog is quite an abstract web show. This three act show at first glance appears to be a corny, comedy show, however in the end of the last scene the tone changes and things become more serious.  Dr. Horrible’s sing-a-long blog is a low budget web show that was made during the writer’s strike. This sort web cam documents  the life of Dr. Horrible and his love for Penny, a girl he always sees at the laundry mat. While Dr. Horrible is trying to steal wonderflonium, Penny comes up and talks to him, however he ignores her and focuses on his task. As a result of trying to steal the wonderflonium, Dr. Horrible loses control of the car he is controlling and ends up almost hitting Penny, that is until Captain Hammer comes to rescue her. They fall in love and Dr. Horrible becomes jealous and plots to kill him. When he finally creates the death ray and shoots it at Captain Hammer it only freezes him. By the time he goes to actually kill him Captain Hammer pins him to the floor and when he tries to kill Dr. Horrible, misses and shoots at Penny instead. As a result of this he flees and Dr. Horrible runs to her aid, however there is nothing he can do and Penny ends up dying. Dr. Horrible then joins “The League” a group of evil men that he has been trying to team up with, after his accident they invite him in and he accepts.      

       Personally, when I first began watching this web show I did not think I would like it very much. I never had watched a web show before, so I had no idea what to expect. At first I did not enjoy it. I thought it was going to be one of those weird shows where the actors were trying too hard to be funny and not succeeding. However, after watching it for a little while, I found myself beginning to enjoy it more and more. There was definitely parts of it I did not understand, especially the ending,  but overall I ended up liking it more than I thought I would originally. This web show ended leaving me wanting more however, this could have been because I felt that the ending was very random and abrupt. The part I enjoyed the most about this show was the songs. They were very entertaining and funny. The lyrics did not flow like most songs you hear on the radio, they were more monotone. They were definitely made to be humorous and not to be taken serious by any means. 

       The one part of this film that caught me off guard was when Penny was shot with the death ray, the film had been so funny up to this point I was not expecting that to happen. It was a sift in tones, after this happened the rest of the film seemed to get more serious. For my first time watching this I was under the impression that the whole show was going to be a comedy, but when this happened I quickly realized I was wrong.It was really easy to see that there was an underlying meaning to this web show when this happened. Overall, I think that this is a good, sort, humorous show to watch. If you are looking for something to get a laugh out of this is the show for you. Give it a chance. You might not like it at first,  but the more you watch it, the more it will begin to grow on you.      

The Exception of the Dark Knight

   The use of the exception in the Dark Knight refers to Batman. He is the only exception to the law. He is friendly with the police chief and is able to break many laws in order to stop criminals and fight crime. Not only is he able to make Gotham a safer place, he is able to save lives. He is considered the exception because they things that he does are all above the law. He is supposed to be viewed as a positive aspect of society, a “super hero” because he protects the city and fights crime, however some portray him as being a negative to society. For this reason, the use of the word exception is viewed as being a hinderance to society, because he is viewed as the person bringing all the villains and crime to the city. At the end of the film, Batman goes from being a hero to naming himself as a villain. He is running away from all the people who want to catch him and put him away because they view him as being the cause of all the devastation that occurred in Gotham. When he leaves at the end of the film it sends mixed messages, he is a villain running from the police, yet a hero for what he did and the lives he saved.   

Nuclear Family

     The Simpson essay and the movie The Incredibles can be related by the fact that they both have to do with the idea of the Nuclear family. This means that they deal with the family unit versus the individual. Although sometimes both of these family are not the most coordinated and often times disorganized and all over the place, it is better to be united with family than to try to tackle things on your own. Both families embody the concept of team work and sticking together no matter what. They work off of one another to complete the tasks ahead of them,if one of the members veers in the wrong direction there is always someone to help him out and get him back on the right track. As separate forces the individuals of these families are not able to get anything done and look questionable performing certain tasks. As a family however, they are able to accomplish there goals and the work that they have laid out in front of them. Overall, what the essay and movie had in common was the idea that doing things as a family is more efficient and overall more beneficial, than doing something alone, without any help or support. 

Masked Identity Introduction

Masked Identity Introduction: 

   By putting on a mask the wearer is transformed, representing the character behind the mask they are wearing. They become one with the mask. Throughout the film V for Vendetta masks are used, whether it is V’s Guy Fawkes mask or Evey’s subtle mask. These masks become the characters and unite the characters with one another. The mask not only serves the purpose of hiding the identity of the person wearing it, but it also singles him out and make him appear different than anyone else. Masks have always been used to transform the identity of people, in V for Vendetta this act of having a masked identity becomes more than an act, it becomes a lifestyle.

Hauerwas Blog on September 11th

     Hauerwas’s reading on September 11th was different that I expected. I found it interesting that Hauerwas believed in order to be a Christian you had to also be a Pacifist. That being a Christian meant that you automatically had to be against war, because God does not promote violence. This is true, but many Christians today are supportive of the war because of the certain circumstances we are in, and what happened on the day of September 11th. Many Christians are even fighting in the war, risking their lives for our freedom. I was really surprised by the fact that Hauerwas said he did not take part in the “Star Spangled Banner.” He feels that we should not be singing to our country, but instead to God and God alone. This is a point I have never thought of in singing that song. 

     Hauerwas also believed that America could not make an identity for itself without war. He felt that Americans thrived off of war and used it as a way to make a name for itself, that they had no concept of the real effects of it. He saw no other point in this war. He felt  that this war could become the “never-ending war,” giving the country a lasting identity. There are two of the reasons that I found Hauerwas reading to be interesting and insightful. His approach to September 11th was completely different than what I would have thought of.

Thoughts on Klein's China read

     Reading Klein’s piece on “China’s All-Seeing Eye” was every interesting to me. I knew that China was a communist country and that it was very strict and watched what the people did, but I was not aware of the extent to which they watched society. The people are constantly being monitored, whether it is under radio, Internet use, or cameras set up in work places and all over the city. I found it very interesting that Klein would talk to people at U.S. companies that were supporting these tests, about the new face recognition monitoring programs being tested. The people at these companies would try to deny that they were assisting in the conducting of such things, or that what they were doing was wrong to begin with or an invasion of privacy. The most surprising thing to me was that the process of searching and watching individuals is spreading to places beyond China. The “fly clear” technology is being offered to any traveler. It is being marketed as “an easier way to travel” because you would no longer need to bring your passport and other forms of identification. This may be easier, but many people may not be aware that by getting one of these cards, they are sacrificing their identity. Now anyone can trace them and find them. Our privacy is becoming more and more violated and we are losing the benefits of freedom. Technology can be good and helpful; however it can be corrupted and used in ways to undermine some of our basic freedoms and privileges. Klein also reminds us that we must remain constantly diligent in protecting the freedoms that we have all fought so hard to obtain. 

Double Consciousness

     The term double consciousness can be used with superhero studies in the way that many of the characters or “superheroes” have identities that are divided into several, different aspects. Many of the superheroes we have learned about so far have lived two lives, that of the everyday citizen and that of a superhero fighting evil and saving the world. By reading the essay by W.E.B. Du Bois and learning about double consciousness we can see other examples of this idea played out in history. We are able to see that this concept of having two different identities is not just something that is seen in the movies, it is real. Just like the black people had to endure the times of racial discrimination and slavery, superheroes had to endure the backlash of society and threats from their enemies. If they had not kept their “superhero” identities undercover they would have been exposed and could have become a target for their enemies. Likewise, the black people were discriminated against by society, the superheroes at times were discriminated against as well, not because of the color of their skin, but because they were “different” than everyone else.  However, in the end the superheroes would always come out on top and change society’s view of them. To an extent the African Americans were able to do the same, after much perseverance they are now accepted by society more than they ever could have imagined a generation ago. These are the reasons double consciousness relates to the study of superheroes.   

The Cave

      I think it would be better living outside the cave. Being in a cave all of your life is very limiting, once you see what the outside world has to offer. I feel that once someone goes out of the cave and sees the beauty in the rest of the world: the sun, trees, grass, real animals and people, it is not longer an illusion, but a reality. The prisoners living inside the cave are limited to thinking that the shadows they see casted upon the walls are reality. However, going outside the cave, the idea of the shadows being reality soon becomes an illusion. The reality is outside of the cave. Although living inside the cave can protect one from the elements of the outdoors, going outside of the cave is much more rewarding. Once one sees what going outside of the cave has to offer, no one will be content returning to their old lives of staring at shadows on a wall. The shadows casted are not identifiable with the true reality of what is outside of the cave. If a prisoner inside the cave saw an animal, they may not be able to recognize it outside of the cave, in its true form. For these reasons I feel that life outside of the cave would be better.    

comparing through paraphrasing

     “The Gospels According to Spider-Man” by Richardson and the “What about Privilege” article by Johnson are similar in the fact that they deal with power and privilege to some degree. Spiderman has great power and privilege in having super power abilities and being able to help many people. He can handle situations that the police and fire department cannot control. Spiderman and the Green Goblin are pitted against each other on the basis of morality, one good, the other bad. “What about Privilege” talks about how different groups of people in society are pitted against each other, not necessarily through good and evil, but because they may look, act or think differently. Many people deny and discriminate against others based on their morals and values, Spiderman and the Green Goblin do the same. They both have different intentions in mind and will do whatever it takes for their intentions to be fulfilled.

      A significant line from Spiderman is “with great power, comes great responsibility,” which means that with great power comes great privileges and opportunities. Spiderman is now a hero because of what he is capable of doing. He is an example for all. The same is seen in society; those with success have bigger houses, nicer cars, and greater opportunities. Both of these articles imply the premise that the more power you have, the more privileges you possess. Both articles also deal with differences, in the case of Spiderman the difference of good versus evil.  In “What is Privilege” these differences tend to isolate one group from another. That is why  “The Gospels of Spiderman” and “ What is Privilege?” have much in common. 

Example of Privilege.

      An example of Privilege can be seen in Religion. For example, during the Holocaust the Jewish people were persecuted for their religious beliefs.  Non –Jewish “blonde hair blue eyed” Germans were considered a “superior race” and not subjected to any of the atrocities suffered by the Jews. There was nothing to make the Jewish people different from the non -Jewish people. The Germans, for no other reason, were considered the “privileged ones.” The Jewish people were brutally attacked, tortured, and killed; their freedom was taken away completely, while many of the other religions went on living their everyday life. The non-Jews did not protest the unfair treatment of the Jewish people out of fear that they too may be subjected to the same treatment. They felt privileged that they were able to live above such treatment, so they just ignored it.

     The non- Jewish people were privileged, in the way that they were able to live their lives, while thousands or Jewish people were being killed in gas chambers each and every day. What gave the rest of German society the freedom to live their everyday lives free of torture and death while the Jews had to suffer tremendous injustices?

    Today as we look back and reflect on this time, it is hard for us to believe that this type of cruel and inhumane treatment of the Jewish people was allowed to happen. It should serve as a warning to us all that when anyone of us looses the privilege of their freedom at the hands of another, that we as a society all suffer. To be privileged in any way is to have something valuable that others are denied, that is exactly what happened with the Jews and non-Jewish people, in Germany during the Holocaust.

 

About Me

My name is Stephanie Pugh and I am 18 years old. I was born and raised in Camarillo, California. I am a recent graduate from Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Ca.  I am currently a freshman at Azusa Pacific University. Some of my favorite things to do are watch movies, listen to music, hang out with my friends, go to the beach, bake and take pictures. I love animals and have a golden retriever named Sara.  My favorite color is purple and I love Mexican food.  I have a passion for traveling and have been to Oregon, Washington, Delaware, and Washington D.C. Over spring break of this year, I was blessed to travel to Romania on a Missions Trip. It was definitely the most memorable trip I have ever been on. I learned that little things can make an enormous difference in the lives of people who have nothing.  The trip made me extremely grateful for all that I have, and all of the opportunities that are available to me.

     This semester I hope to grow not only in knowledge, but also in my relationship with Christ. English is one of my favorite subjects and I have always enjoyed writing. I am excited to be learning it in a new way, through watching films, not just in-class lectures.  I hope to leave this class at the end of the semester having become a better writer and a more well- rounded person. I hope to improve my grammar and debate skills and learn more about various superheroes through the films we watch in class.  I look forward to learning new things, and being able to apply them in class. I am excited to see what this semester has to offer me.