Part 1: "Love is Stronger Than Hate"

Senior Pastor Don Braswell

Children's Cartoon Trends

Jacob LaPierre

Trends in Children's Humor

     We all remember Spongebob Squarepants.  A show that not only defined our generation, but continues to do so even now.  A few of us may remember Ren and Stimpy, a slap stick show about a dog and a cat. Today, we have AdventureTime.  This show takes place in the Land of Ooo where Finn the Human and Jake the Dog save the world from giant monsters.  How are these shows all related?  They all possess humor that resounds with almost all of their viewership.  However, they do this in different ways and through different types of humor.  

     Ren and Stimpy came out in the 1990s, during a time of trendy styles of animation and writing.  The creators of this show focused on the slapstick (physical comedy that is based off of absurd situations) aspect of humor.  This sprinkled with adult references and idiotic singing entertained children and adults(to some extent) alike.  The writing was terrible.  The jokes only were funny if they were coupled with an extravagant action by one of the characters.  This type of a show would not survive today because of changes in how people watch TV.

     The trend then shifted to shows like Spongebob.  These shows made use of the actual writing for the characters' dialogue.  Jokes were stand-alone funny and were only sometimes coupled with an action.  The writing catered to the adult audience as well as the children's audience.  Children loved the sounds of the characters' voices and the very distinct personalities of each.  Adults loved the references to real life situations and jokes that were over the heads of the children.  This mixture of clever writing and animation proved to be the golden standard for all children shows.

     Using that golden standard, AdventureTime makes use of clever writing and bright animation to convey humor to the audience.  The writing differs from that of Spongebob because the situations are more absurd, implying that AdventureTime does tend to rely on slapstick like that of Ren and Stimpy.  To balance this out, the writers use very intelligible dialogue to make simple jokes.  The smart language along with dark themes produces wildly entertaining television for children and adults alike.

     We can see that the trend has moved away from the extremes of the two main types of children's comedy.  The Slapstick that was in Ren and Stimpy is only a small part of AdventureTime's comedy.  The clever jokes in Spongebob find themselves in AdventureTime, but in a more intellectual form.  Since the pendulum of audience comedy expectations has swung from slapstick to writing, it now settles over a balance of the two which calls for shows such as AdventureTime.  

Group 2 Roman Davydov Blog Post

           Do you think violent television shows effect the viewers’ morals? Do some television shows portray antagonists as protagonists? Television show “Breaking Bad,” which was aired in 2008 until 2013. It was produced by Vince Gilligan and it is about Walter White, an elderly chemistry teacher in high school who learns of his terminal cancer and begins cooking methamphetamine to provide his family with enough money to live comfortably after he dies. In one of the episodes, Walter begins to question the morality of his actions. Walter White is viewed as a protagonist because even though he commits criminal actions, he does that to benefit his family. With that said, the popular culture was supportive of a criminal’s actions based on the “justifications” of it being with good intentions. The popular culture struggles with the morals of right and wrong.

            People get emotionally attached to the characters in the shows that they watch. David Pierson, author of Breaking Bad: Critical Essays on the Contexts, Politics, Style, and Reception of the Television Series stated “When viewing a drama, we come to like characters whose actions and motivations we judge as proper or morally correct while we dislike characters whose actions and motivations we judge as improper or morally incorrect… This intertwining of affective dispositions and moral judgments permits and governs our emotional involvement in the drama” (Pg 74). Meaning that the viewers’ appreciation of characters is linked to moral judgment. In Breaking Bad, Walter White gets justified for all of the criminal activities he has committed. Rationalizing his actions as being “the right thing to do,” “this couldn’t have been avoided,” “I’m doing this for my family.” People are attached to Walter White.

            According to London Evening Standard, Paul Cheston, a middle-aged woman tried to kill her mother by using the methods from Breaking Bad. In October of 2014 Paul acquired some poison from a drug dealer and tried to slip it into her mother’s coca cola. Her statement was “It was like I saw myself to be some kind of Mexican drug warlord. I would think it through as if I was the main character in Breaking Bad.” Paul Cheston associated herself with the main character so much that she pretended to be him. A much less extreme case would be Warren Buffet, an eighty two year old billionaire and a huge “Breaking Bad” fan. He said that he “would do business with Walter White.” That is because of his tactics and his business mindset. "He’s my guy if I ever have to go toe-to-toe with anyone."

Tony's Post

The picture below is of recent University of Connecticut graduate Shabazz Napier. Shabazz

played for the Uconn basketball team during his 4 year tenor. He also brought the school a

NCAA championship with his fantastic play in the finals game.

http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2014/04/07/3423798/uconn-star-college-athletes-have-

hungry-nights-that-we-dont-have-enough-money-to-get-food/

This topic reflects on my paper because it talks about how

Shabazz Napier was a star college athlete but did not always

have enough to eat. The cost of attendance to colleges is

often more than what student athletes get for their “full” ride

scholarships, leaving students without any money to buy

food. Leaving students without the financial means they need

to feed themselves seems cruel and is part of the reason why student athletes should get

compensated.

The NCAA makes billions of dollars from selling the rights to broadcast NCAA games. Per

year it equates to the NCAA bringing in north or 750 million dollars per year. All this revenue is

created from the college athletes playing in games. So without the college athletes, that the

NCAA is neglecting to pay, it is fair to assume that there would not be a 750 million dollar a year

contract for the NCAA. If the college athletes are the ones who are driving this massive revenue

stream, such as Shabazz Napier, then why are they not getting paid, or at least have enough to

eat? This article about Shabazz is not the first one that talks about college athletes having

“hungry nights” either. This is a reoccurring theme in college sports because the “full” ride does

not cover the full cost of attending a college. The picture below describes the massive contract

the NCAA has with Turner Broadcasting and CBS for the next 10 years. It aslo depicts the
average shortfall of scholarships which is $3,222. But what I find to be amazing is the ridiculous amount of money that college coaches are being paid compared to the total scholarship money coaches are getting huge checks. This topic is currently popular in the college sports world because of all of the recent news regarding the well-being of college athletes. There have also been many reports of college athletes taking money from boosters, which is not allowed per NCAA rules and results in the

schools facing budget restrictions from the NCAA for scholarships.

To back track to the article about Shabazz Napier from the beginning of this post, the

Uconn head basketball coach received a $66,000 bonus for getting the team into the Final Four

while Shabazz Napier couldn’t afford a bite to eat. The NCAA needs to change its rules about

players getting paid and players being able to be compensated for their likeness. I believe that

all D1 college athletes should get a true full scholarship so that there is no shortfall between

cost of tuition and scholarship award.

Group 2 Michael Chung Blog Post

 The picture below shows NBA superstar Lebron James wearing an over sized hat. The hat may look like an over sized Fedora to others , but it is actually called a vivienne mountain hat. This hat was first popularized by the musician/designer Pharrell Williams.It is about 8 inches tall and has a 2.5 inch brim.  After Pharrell wore this hat to the 2014 Grammy Awards show the mountain hat became instantly popular.

 

            The hat itself looks ridiculous to me but celebrities such as Lebron James and Jay Z have become fans of the mountain hat. The hat has been known as the Pharrell hat to many people. Pharrell has been known to be a very fashionable person. He created his own clothing lines called Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream. He has made it his signature piece in all of his outfits and has worn it in a variety of different colors. He has been wearing this hat for the past 4 years but it has only become popular as of recently. Pharrell has been known to have an outgoing and flashy fashion sense. The hat looks  ugly to me and I think it crazy how many people have followed this trend just because Pharrell wore it. People who wear the mountain hat believe they are just as fashionable as Pharrell. Now that someone as popular as Lebron James wore it on live television it has become even more popular. The influence celebrities such as Lebron James and Pharrell have over society is amazing. Anything these celebrities wear will become popular no matter how ridiculous it looks.

            I have seen the mountain hat being worn in upscale fashionable places such as in the Soho Section of New York City. The mountain hat is typically common among people who are into the latest fashion trend and styles. More specifically hipsters, hypebeasts and other sorts of fashionistas have become fans of the mountain hat. It will be interesting to see how long this mountain hat is in style for. I have yet to notice NBA fans wearing the mountain hat because of Lebron James. The hat will always be known for being fashionable because of Pharrell, but it is because someone as famous as Lebron has followed this trends shows how much influence Pharrell has on the fashion world.

 

           Pharrell put the hat he wore during the Grammys up for auction in March 2014 and was bought by the fast food chain Arby’s for $44,100. The proceeds went to the charity he founded called From One Hang to Another. This will also make Pharrell more popular and more well known in a public relations standing. Arby’s bought it because it looks similar to the hat in the Arby’s logo. It has become popular on social media because it now has it’s own twitter account. The hat would never have become popular if Pharrell didn't showcase it at the Grammys. 

           Will Pharrell continue to have more fashion trends that people will follow? I think that his influence stems from his rise in popularity over the past few years. He was featured on the songs Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke and Lucky by Daft Punk. The general public knows Pharrell for his recent songs he has put out and been featured on even though he has been making music and designing clothes since the early 2000s. As he continues to become more popular and the more he is on T.V the more people will notice his wardrobe and fashion sense. Pharrell will continue to bring out unique accessories and pieces of clothing that will become popular just as the mountain hat did.

            Why is society so influenced by celebrities? People look towards celebrities as role models. Many people admire celebrities because of their personalities and feel like they have some sort of connection with them. The majority of people who follow celebrities are the youth in our society. The younger generation of society still doesn’t know exactly what they want to be when they grow up, so they can align themselves with becoming famous one day or becoming known. They may imitate the actions, behaviors, and styles of celebrities in hopes of one day becoming one. The overall portrayal of celebrities and celebrity’s lifestyles in society alters the youths’ desire to have the same lifestyle. 

Sustainability

Greg Klyachman
EXP201
Blog Post


Sustainability and climate change are two growing issues that have caused a large amount of discussion. On one side, environmental activists are pushing for harsher environmental laws, business standards and incentives for sustainable energy. However, on the other hand, some claim that climate change, more commonly referred to as "global warming," is a myth.  While humans have advanced society, several sources are dedicated to proving the negative effects that humans have had on Earth.

Sustainability is defined as the practice of harvesting or using a resource in a way that does not deplete or permanently damage that resource. This mindset can be applied to non-renewable resources like fossil fuels, but also to renewable resources like water and many minerals. The broad nature of sustainability is perhaps its best aspect-- it can be applied to almost all parts of life. 

Sustainability is fundamentally reducing, reusing and recycling Earth's resources. Sustainability relates to ecology, society and the economy. Ecology is the science of organism’s relation to one another and their physical surroundings. Sustainability is prevalent in this science because with proper action and more knowledge humans can affect the Earth in a less harmful way. Many of our practices endanger the Earth and leave a lasting mark on it. Practices like hydraulic fracking are also dangerous to other members of our society. And finally, businesses must be held accountable for their community and all of the people that are stakeholders in the company.

After watching Chasing Ice, a documentary that follows the melting of ice caps in the Arctic. This film shows picture evidence of the melting of ice caps and glaciers. The disappearance of these giant ice sculptures into the ocean shows that the temperature in the Arctic has been increasing over the years. 

 

Debatably our most important resource, fresh water, has been melting into the ocean and becoming undrinkable. In addition to effecting humans, the melting of these glaciers effects wildlife like bears and seals in the area. 

Another film, Gas Lands, focusses on hydraulic fracturing, a new method for extracting natural gas and oil from the ground. While this practice has driven the price of gasoline down to below 3.00/gallon in some areas, "fracking" is devastating for the environment. Gaslands shows the effects that untreated and dirty water left behind from the process does to the people and animals living in the area. Mostly filmed in Pennsylvania, some people's water faucets catch flame when run near a match, countless wildlife dies, and the drinking water nearby becomes contaminated and poisonous. 

These films not only question each person's contribution to climate change and the deterioration of Earth, but also analyze business's role.  These films question the ethical implications of profit and attempt to show that environmental effect should be just as important as revenue in the business world. These films are showing a shift in the popular culture's thinking. Now, rather than debating the existence of climate change, people are taking initiative to inform others and practice more sustainable means of living. 

Sustainability, clean energy and "going green" has become a trend among many people and is starting to become adopted by businesses like Chipotle, Whole Foods and Cisco. In a market where profit and revenue dominate self-interest, sustainability is opening up a whole new way to analyze and rank companies. A shift from a focus on profitability to sustainability is a growing trend in the world's market. 

Kyle Robert | Blog Post

Kyle Elizabeth Robert

EXP 201 – 012

Professor O’Dell

Blog Post | Analysis of Frozen’s “Let It Go”

            “Let It Go” is the most popular song in Disney’s very popular animated feature film Frozen, which came out in November of 2013.  The song was composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who are a husband-and-wife songwriting duo.  The original version of the song, the version created for Queen Elsa, the film’s main character, is sung by American actress and singer Idina Menzel.  A second version of the song, a pop version which was played at the beginning of the closing credits for the film, was also composed by the couple and was performed by singer Demi Lovato.

            The song is about one of the main characters in the film, Queen Elsa, who has just abandoned her kingdom after her magical ability to create and control ice and snow is exposed to the public.  She goes to the mountains, far away from her kingdom and the people who now know her secret, and she realizes that she no longer needs to hide her powers, which she has done since childhood.  She rejoices in letting go and creates a giant snowman that is living and an ice castle because she can now use her powers without any limits.

            “Let It Go” was extremely popular with audiences, and received huge acclaim from film and music critics.  Young children and adults alike have a sort of “obsession” with the film and the song itself.  The song has won many awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Song.  It is the first song from a Disney animated musical to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 since “Colors of the Wind” hit number four on the chart in 1995.  As of August 2014, the song has sold 3,430,000 copies in the US.

            Although the target audience for the movie and the song is young children, specifically young girls, they seem to appeal to so many more people than that!  I think the fact that Frozen and “Let It Go” are such a big phenomenon means that the genre of children’s musicals is quickly rising in pop culture.  Disney movies are no longer just for little kids; it is now acceptable for people of all ages to enjoy films like Frozen.

                        There are so many reasons why this song has gained so much popularity, one of the most obvious being that adults, teenagers, and children alike can all relate to the theme that the song is tapping into.  Everyone has a reason to feel shame and fear, and in this song, Elsa overcomes both of these feelings, in exchange letting her unique power out and accepting that she no longer needs to live in fear of what she has been dealing with for her whole life.  People everywhere can relate to this positive message of learning to love oneself just the way you were made, and learning to overcome life’s challenges.  It doesn’t matter the situation, everyone can bring their own interpretation of the song to action in his or her own life, and this is one of the reasons for the overwhelming popularity of the song in today’s modern culture.

The message of this ballad resonates well with almost everyone.  Kids who are hiding their differences in order to be accepted by others, who want to let go and show the world who they really are, or better yet, find out who they really are, can look to this song for guidance.  People in the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender community who have yet to come out and let the world know about the secret they have been hiding in order to feel more “normal” or accepted can use the lyrics of “Let It Go” as a reminder that it is absolutely okay to be who you truly are and to show it!  The lyrics “Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know/Well now they know!” speak to the LGBT community in saying that now is the time to “let them know.”  This song has been seen as an extension of the popular “It Gets Better” videos in which a member of the community who has “come out” tells members who have yet to “come out” that it is okay and that their lives will eventually “get better.”  These videos are a comforting outlet for LGBT people who have not yet “let it go,” and “Let It Go” has been powerful in spreading the message that these videos are sharing even further.

I think that the hype for this song has a relation to the hype for other famous pieces and musicals, such as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Wicked,” “High School Musical,” and other movies and shows that have had huge followings over the years.  I think that in each of these shows and movies, there is are songs that have risen to the top, and they are usually about overcoming obstacles.  For example, in “Wicked,” the song “Defying Gravity” received so much acclaim and a huge following because it is about being yourself and not being afraid, which is the same message that Frozen’s “Let It Go” wants to give the audience.

Frozen "Let It Go"

Wicked "Defying Gravity"

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