9 Matching Annotations
  1. Jun 2024
    1. What Is Greta Gerwig Trying to Tell Us?

      The author is asking in her title "What is Gretta Gerwig Trying to Tell Us?" I think a possible answer lies in the history we learn how in college Greta was "an English major who did improv..." One classic game that is played in an improv group is "yes, and...", the 'and' could be anything. The end of Greta's movies show the hero making a decision for herself and essentially saying 'yes'. There is always an 'and' after, but the audience is left to insert their own lived experience to ponder what the 'and' could be. The most important thing is the 'yes'; or the decisions people make, and in terms of her movies, the paths women choose to make their lives better.

    2. The thing about those big Gerwig monologues, though, is that they always end in that same self-actualized happy place, without the complications of what comes after you get to be seen as a person, which is maybe why they feel good to watch. Her movies enact a fantasy in which the biggest hurdle is deciding you want to become something. The rest, they seem to imply, will work itself out.

      It's true we don't learn the complications that come with our decisions until we've lived with them for a while The happiness comes from these characters knowing they've made the decisions themselves. I don't agree that they imply the rest "will work itself out", rather, the movies leave you feeling like there is hope that the future will be better than the past.

    1. The survey company QuestionPro estimates that Ms. Swift’s concert could generate some $4.6 billion in economic activity in North America alone, taking into account both stadium capacity and people’s reported spending plans on things like tickets, merchandise and travel. That would be roughly on par with the revenues the Beijing Olympics generated in 2008, after adjusting for inflation. Beyoncé’s shows are expected to spur $4.5 billion in spending, based on a separate QuestionPro survey.

      It is amazing that these women's concerts are generating as much economic activity as the Beijing Olympics. It was entertaining to read how creative companies were at marketing in order to capitalize on the concerts.

    2. And in Los Angeles, public transit stayed open late to ferry concertgoers. “We’re enchanted that Taylor Swift fans have given a big boost to public transit across the United States this year — and we’re looking forward to spending our midnights with many of you very soon,” the city’s metro system punned on its website — referencing Ms. Swift’s song “Enchanted” and her recent album “Midnights.”Image

      This is one of the several examples of companies using the free marketing that these concerts offer. They did their own take by staying open late and welcoming crowds to spend their 'midnights' with them, which was also the name of an album. This is creative and a good way to create revenue from a popular event.

    1. When Swift started dating Kansas City Chiefs football star Travis Kelce, his games suddenly started seeing a massive increase in viewership. Notably, it spiked 53% among teen girls age 12-17 when Swift showed up to one of the games.

      Before Taylor Swift was seen at a Chief's game I had no idea who Tavis Kelce was, but now I know who he is, and so do many more like me. It is reported in several places that Kelce's jersey sales went up 400% after Taylor wore one. Taylor Swift brings a powerhouse of marketing to anything she endodses.

    1. Woman’s lot, on the other hand, remains as knottily problematic as ever, and Robbie’s challenge is consequentially an uphill one. Unlike Ken, Barbie is to be permitted no real flaws which might round out her character but undermine her gynocratic sanctity

      I disagree with the author, Barbie is part by part introduced to her flaws, she feels altered, but ultimately she finds strength and joy through those flaws. The film also highlights the exiled & flawed Barbies as having value and being the people who can be relied upon because they have 'lived experience'. Any form of 'gynocratic society' is a welcome change in film or in real life. The world is dominated by androcratic societies and it's ok for people to be a little uncomfortable about seeing one depicted. It seems to make the author unhappy even though the inhabitants of Barbie Land are more content than most societies.

    2. it has frightened some male pundits out of their wits. Toby Young has accused it of “unapologetic misandry”, while the Critical Drinker considered it “114 minutes of spiteful, bitter, mean-spirited, borderline unhinged hatred of men”. And, briefly summarised, the film does indeed sound like an almost ridiculously over-the-top feminist homily

      There were and are plenty of men who feel threatened by movies that highlight the need for change in our society -to one that is more gender-equal. The author of this article makes he opinion clear when he calls the film "ridiculously over-the-top feminist homily. Basically calling the movie a ridiculous feminist religious sermon. Since when is feminism a religion? The world in general has been designed with men in mind. One example is how women are injured substantially more than men in car accidents, because car seats and seatbelts are designed to keep an average male body safe. I think the way the men are portrayed is at times over-the-top, but perhaps Greta was trying to make the movies less threatening to men by doing so, while also highlighting how unequal our society is.

  2. Jun 2021
    1. Angelo: Yes, it was very difficult. Growing up like, up until middle school, I was all about school. I was in honors, AP classes, all of that. There was a point where one of my teachers—one of my reading teachers—basically just had me by myself because whatever she was teaching wasn't enough for me. She had me on a college level reading. I forgot the book, The Count of Monte Cristo? The Count of Monte Cristo.Isabel: That's definitely college level [Laughs].Angelo: Yeah. So—Isabel: In what grade?Angelo: I was in the eighth grade. And so that was awesome for me because I feel like, “Okay, I'm not from here, but they're praising me, and they're saying I'm doing good." And I'm sorry, what was the question?Isabel: No, no, that was perfect. I was just saying it's a hard dynamic, like refusing those opportunities.Angelo: Yes. And so after middle school, I was also into poetry a lot. I got a reward and I was asked to go to Nevada to receive the reward in front of a bunch of people. The website was legit—it was if you search poetry on Google, it was the very first one that came up. It was even to a point where you search my name and my poem came up. I got a mail certificate inviting me to Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada to receive that reward. I ran around the house; I told my sister. But at the end of the day, it was that risk of if we go, we're going to get pulled over, and we're going to get deported. So, you can't receive that certificate.Isabel: And this is a poem you've written yourself?Angelo: Yes.Isabel: What was it about?Angelo: I think it was a love poem, it was most definitely a love poem, yeah.Isabel: I love poetry too. I only imagine how awful would be to when you pour yourself into a piece of art, like poetry, and then get recognition for it, and how amazing that feels, but then having that last hurdle that you can't go over.Angelo: Yeah. So, once we got that established that "No, you can't." Basically, for me it was like, “So what's the point? So what am I working for? If I finish high school, I'm not going to be able to go to college, what's the point?” And I really never saw a future after middle school.Isabel: Yeah, I feel like some students in high school have a hard time staying motivated knowing that they might be able to go to college someday. So, like being a high school student and knowing that you can't because of the law, I can only imagine being very discouraging in terms of doing that work. You mentioned you stopped going to school midway through your junior year, so what happened there and where did you go from there?Angelo: Well I dropped out of school because I had a baby. So from then on it was basically work, work, work. And that was basically my life after junior year—just work and work.

      Time in the US, School, Working hard, getting good grades, Extracurricular activities, poetry, Struggling, Dropping out, Immigration status, lost opportunities, in the shadows

    2. Isabel: Did you have anyone to talk to about this or is this really something that you just had to go through individually?Angelo: My sister, me and my sister—my sister's one year older than me—it was basically me and her. If it was her being offered something, we would just console each other. We would just tell each other, "No, you did good. It doesn't matter if you don't get the reward, it doesn't matter if you don't get the prize, you did it, you got that mail certificate." So it was just me and my sister.Isabel: So like in those situations, you might receive potential opportunities but like, no, you can't pursue them?Angelo: Yes, it was very difficult.

      Time in the US, School, School, Working hard, Struggling, Feelings, Solidarity, Family, Immigration status, Lost opportunities