Blog Entry #4: Reactions to Maus

For me, Maus turned out to be one of those books I just couldn’t put down. The story had all the essential features to keep my attention: it was funny, sad, and especially shocking. Although I have read other Holocaust survivor books, this one affected me in a deeper way because of its creative approach. I originally thought that Spiegelman’s choice to represent Jews with mice, Nazis with cats, and Poles with pigs would not allow me to take the story seriously. What I actually found was the opposite. I was able to feel sympathy each time Art’s dad recalled an especially painful memory and I laughed whenever Art made a snide comment about his father’s habits and beliefs.

I also liked how Spiegelman explored not only his father’s survival tale but also exposed complications in their current father-son relationship. He linked the two stories together by including outside discussions which occurred while he was at his father’s house interviewing him. Because of this, I learned not only about Art’s father (who he is and who he was) but also, in a small way, about Art himself.

To be honest, I am not completely sure why Spielgelman makes the choices he does in Maus. It seems as though he is not afraid to challenge his audience and his aim is to stand out as a graphic novelist. Perhaps he knew by presenting the Holocaust in a way which no one has before (i.e. in a graphic novel) he would grab the attention of readers who would not otherwise ever be interested in the story.

In terms of the layout, I found the pictures and talk bubbles in the novel helpful when trying to understand the complicated story and sort out all of the small details given. I have never read a graphic novel before but I hope to find others which could entertain me as much as Maus did. I would love to read Maus II in the near future.

Blog Entry #3: The Alice series

At first I was having quite a difficult time thinking about some favorite books that might be considered “pop literature” because most of the books I’ve read in the last few years have been purely academic texts or canonized literature for my classes. I guess I would rather initially read for academic purposes –although often when I am assigned to read a particular book, I end up truly enjoying the book enough to read others like it in my spare time. However, after reading Meg Cabot’s essay about Blubber by Judy Blume (a great book by the way); I was reminded of several similar books I used to read for fun, guidance, and inspiration as a young adolescent. One series of books which particularly intrigued me was the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I believe it could be considered “pop” of the female young adult (or adolescent/teen) genre. I was drawn to the books during my 6th grade year when a friend of mine, Sara, told me they were a must-read. I was surprised to hear she had apparently used the books to figure out how to deal with some of her personal problems. The series follows the growth of main character Alice McKinley who lives with her father and older brother in Maryland. There are currently 20 books total in the series and also 3 series’ prequels. In each new book, Alice is slightly older and she must face the many different complications of her middle and high school years. This can be especially hard at times because Alice has no mother figure in her life. I have not read all of the books, but I have read enough to gain an appreciation for Naylor’s writing and her dedication to the character. Alice is portrayed in a relatable way; she has all of the same worries, thoughts, and embarrassments that seem so abnormal to any perfectly normal adolescent girl. She is not depicted as invincible or heroic, but instead as a real girl who has no choice but to face life’s many obstacles (often times alone). I wouldn’t classify the Alice series as “literary” in the academic/canonized sense because I feel Naylor has a very specific aim in writing these books-she attempts to reach out to young girls, wanting them to know they are not alone. She probably also hopes Alice’s stories will comfort them during a time in their lives of total unsettlement. These are the type of books that would be best read leisurely on a girl’s tear-filled, sleepless nights and not in cramped desk as part of the mid-semester curriculum.

Blog entry #2: The Success of the Teen Drama in My Life

Up until about 2003, my absolute favorite television show was without a doubt the popular teen series Dawson’s Creek. This “coming of age” drama (which told the story of 15 year old Joey, Dawson, Pacey, and Jen growing up in a small New England town)premiered in 1998 and was soon being compared by critics and fans alike to an earlier and similarly successful breakthrough show-Beverly Hills 90210. Not only have I been a mere fan of Dawson’s Creek since its debut and long past it’s run, but I have followed the show so religiously that some might claim I treat it as a hobby. It was not video games or mountain climbing during my adolescent years-but Dawson’s Creek instead. I truly enjoyed keeping up with all of the latest gossip about the show, its characters, and the actors who portrayed them. Unfortunately, after a solid six-year run, Dawson’s Creek was cancelled in 2003. By this time, I owned all of the seasons on DVD and could watch them at my leisure (often a few episodes a day). As much as I admired Dawson’s Creek above any other show, maintaining it as a hobby was difficult once new episodes were no longer being made. Luckily, I soon discovered a new hobby that I like to call my “Dawson’s Creek comparable” (although not my “Dawson’s Creek replacement”). One Tree Hill debuted in 2003 on the same station as Dawson’s Creek (the no longer existing WB-now referred to as the CW after the WB and UPN merger) and in my opinion, spoke to teens in the same way as Dawson’s Creek but in a seemingly more direct and (some might say) improved manner. One Tree Hill is now in its sixth season and is one of the most watched teen dramas worldwide.

Because I cannot decide which one of these noteworthy shows is truly my favorite, I would like to propose the argument that One Tree Hill is really just an extension of the Dawson’s Creek franchise. Therefore, because of the many similarities between the shows, I can respond as to why I have such a great interest in both of them.

One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek are continually criticized for their unrealistic storylines surrounding characters so fantasy-based that viewers just cannot relate to their extravagant lifestyles. Unfortunately, this critique can easily be contradicted by looking at the number of teens who watch these shows (and other teen soaps) week after week and year after year. I am quite used to being teased for my “obsession” and “over-enthusiasm” about these shows by those who say Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill are poor representations of the actions, language, and relationships between teenagers in a small town. Opponents claim that real teenagers simply are not comfortable enough to assert their feelings about issues such as sex, divorce, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, etc. in such a well-crafted and articulate fashion. Also, the storylines presented on these two shows are often hard for anyone to swallow because the chances of the events playing out so well (or so not well in some cases) in the real world are close to impossible.

I will suggest that the reason I admire these shows may be the same reason that millions of other die-hard fans do as well. My pull to these two teen dramas is not their plausibility. If the goal of the producers was to accurately portray teens in a “realistic” atmosphere, than they would be making another reality show. I do not watch Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill to see real teenage characters but instead to feel real emotions. These shows are reminiscent of the difficulties of growing up and comfort me upon finding myself in a world that appears out to get me at every turn. The shows also offer advice and each episode has a moral, or a universal lesson for its viewers (Shakespeare plays also share this method of teaching). The main proposition of the shows: “You are not alone. These characters are YOU…even if they don’t appear to be at first glance. Get to know them, let them help you.”

As cheesy as this concept may be, Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill have a therapeutic quality to their production which keeps me (and everyone else for that matter) watching. Whenever I am feeling lost, enjoying an episode helps me to find my way-that alone is gratifying. It is also important that both shows have memorable quotes spoken by the characters that are applicable to many situations in my own life. My emotions help to connect me to the characters in the show and bridge the gap between what appears fantasy and what is reality.

A final note: In its fifth season, One Tree Hill made the smart move of jumping four years into the future from the end of its fourth season. The characters are now in their early 20’s. This decision not only increased the overall number of viewers tuning into the show every week, but it also expanded the age range of the viewers-making it no longer just a “teen” drama. Because of the rising interest in the show, especially among adult audiences, I predict at least two more seasons are on the horizon.

Blog Entry #1

I think the most prevalent elements of pop culture in my life at this point in time (and since I can remember) would definitely be the entertainment mediums of film and television. When I was very young, many of my friends and family began to refer to me as “a film geek”-and not without reason. I am always eager to substitute a film or television episode for an actual book because these specific fields of pop culture speak to me in a way that no piece of purely written literature ever has or probably ever will. Steven Spielberg’s E.T. was the first film I ever fell in love with. My passion and genuine appreciation for Spielberg’s work at such a young age was startling to others and I still have an E.T. doll sitting in my room. It is important to me that my admiration of good film and television goes beyond simple enjoyment or entertainment value. I believe film and television visually and auditorally convey complex and untouched ideas, growing controversies, and ultimately attempt to present some verdict (often times a moral one) they hope their audience will buy. I can connect to film and television because I always find an avenue to relate the ideas presented on screen to my own life in an almost therapeutic sense. Film is not just film to me.

In the future, I hope to become an entertainment lawyer. Film, television, and most likely music will all influence my occupation. Pop culture of the time will determine what types of contracts I will be negotiating and what kinds of people I may be prosecuting or defending. A drastic change in pop culture will affect the entertainment industry and vice versa.

I wouldn’t say that I have learned anything new today by listing film and television as the most highlighted elements in my personal pop culture world because this is no revelation to me. What I have been reminded of, through the reading, is how much of an impact pop culture has consistently had on my life because of my personal interest in film and television. I am excited that by learning to affectively study pop culture and its impacts on our society, I will be furthering my own study of film and television in a way that may now be considered academic!