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(05/30/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’m not a very religious person, but if I were the television would be my Holy Grail. Such a beautiful, sleek, glorious object that emits all kinds of images that make me laugh, scream, and cry.But there is an art to watching television shows, especially in the age of on-demand, premium cable, DVRs, and Netflix. No longer do we live in a world where “event television” is a common occurrence. Aside from the Super Bowl, there aren’t many things on TV we think we need to see live. We carry on with our busy lives and television viewing tends to be forgotten. Unless you’re like me and Sunday nights with “Game of Thrones” and “Mad Men” become more important than school or work. But what most people do these days, procrastinating college students included, is binge watch entire seasons or even whole series in a matter of days. In our right-here-right-now, consumption-based culture, this isn’t a surprise. The “West Wing” credits are hardly rolling before I’m on to the next episode. Why wait until later to have what I want now?With many shows today, this “binge watching” is an advantage. Many cable shows, like “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones,” benefit from being watched in season blocks. Their show runners focus on the narrative arc of the whole season rather than an episode-to-episode basis. Sometimes main characters receive little to no airtime certain episodes, but this is hardly noticed when you blow through a whole season one lazy Saturday. Basic cable dramas and sit-coms like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Modern Family” feature plots contained in every episode and are perfect for viewing inconsistently. These shows have season long stories, but they’re so broad that you don’t need to be a die-hard fan to enjoy them. With the recent emergence of original Netflix series, binge watching has reached a popularity apex. Everyone is high-tailing it through the new fourth season of “Arrested Development.” I’m trying to take my time, but I’m sure I’ll be done in a matter of days. The same thing happened earlier this year when I blew through “House of Cards” in a week. Again, these shows have season long arcs that benefit from binge watching. But I now I have to wait a whole year for new episodes to sink my teeth into. I just chalk it up to the price we pay for the impatient society we exist in today.
(05/30/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I consider myself an expert on a couple of things — cable television, Lindsay Lohan’s career and Harry Potter chief among them — but one thing I am no expert on is the Catholic faith, nor any other Christian religion. I’m not really an expert in any religion.But I’m a pretty seasoned player when it comes to not having a religion, which is why I feel I’m abundantly qualified to share my opinion regarding Pope Francis’ recent statements on atheists who do good being redeemed in the eyes of God and Jesus Christ.In a recent homily during Mass in Rome, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of everyone practicing good deeds in the world regardless of their faith. He cites a Bible verse in which Jesus’ disciples were upset because someone outside of their ranks was doing good, but Jesus implored his disciples to see the ability of everyone in the world to do good, not just his followers. This is Pope Francis simply asking for inherently good people to be seen as good even if they aren’t following Catholicism and Jesus Christ.I’ve been a witness to Catholicism my whole life. For starters, I find it to be a fascinating religion filled with beautiful history and tremendously storied traditions. My best friend is Catholic and we’ve had many enlightening conversations in which mutual respect was held for the other party’s ideas and beliefs. As someone raised to simply be nice to people and promote good things in the world instead of evil, even without religious faith, Pope Francis’ remarks mean a great deal to me. Especially when these words are coming from the leader of a church which doesn’t support several things I unwaveringly believe in, like abortion rights and same-sex marriage.When I was 11, I moved to an extremely religious city in central Indiana. Middle school cliques were centered around which church you and your friends attended. Not being a church-going person, this created a great divide for me. I fell in with a group of kids who were nice enough, but they could never get past the fact that I wasn’t a Christian and had no plans of becoming one.Pope Francis’ remarks make me wonder how I may have been treated growing up had my friends realized that I didn’t need to believe in any higher power to be a good person. While I do believe religion can build morality and ethical behavior in people, it is not the only way to have strong character.I know plenty of people who call themselves Christians who are supreme jerks. Religion doesn’t cause good behavior — it’s merely a possible correlation. The same goes for those of us without religion beliefs. We can still be good and righteous people. But it’s only through mutual understanding between those with religious convictions and those without that we ever have a chance of working towards a greater wellness for all people.So that’s why I’m raising a glass to Pope Francis. He may not be my religious leader, but he currently seems to be one worthy of my respect. — wdmcdona@indiana.edu
(05/23/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If Hollywood celebrities have taught us anything, it’s that we should emulate them as often and as thoroughly as we peasant folk can manage. This includes their luscious bronzed skin. Here are a few celebs you should and shouldn’t mirror when catching some rays by the poolside. SHOULDN’T Kristen StewartUnfortunately, Ms. Stewart takes her on-screen role as a vampire too seriously in her personal life. The young and otherwise attractive starlet is rarely seen without her signature pasty skin and gaunt, sunken features. Some light color would do the on-again off-again Mrs. Robert Pattinson some good. SHOULD Kate HudsonThis Oscar nominee is the ultimate California, sun-kissed beach babe. With skin that flawless, you’d think she was actually born on a sand bar in the middle of the Pacific. Her tan is never Cheeto-tinted. Instead it glows with an effortless ethereal sheen. Add the windswept blonde locks and you really can’t go wrong. SHOULDN’T SnookiThe whole cast of “Jersey Shore” deserves a ban from the fake baking, but that is about as likely as the crew going cold turkey on alcohol consumption. But Snooki usually gets the brunt of the criticism, seeing as she tends to look like an escaped Oompa Loompa from Willy Wonka’s factory. This is most definitely a case where less would have been more. SHOULD Jennifer AnistonYou’d have to dig deep to find an example of Ms. Aniston not looking tanned to perfection. Her fresh and clean radiance make her one of the most natural beauties on planet Earth. It helps that the actress tends to keep her palette clear with light makeup that accentuates her features instead of burying them. SHOULDN’T Donald TrumpNot that the Donald is someone you want to model your looks after anyway, but his tan is one of his biggest offenses. You’ll rarely see Mr. Trump not looking like he didn’t haphazardly sweep some dollar store self tanner around his cracked mug. I guess it’s true what they say: money can’t buy you taste. SHOULD Megan FoxShe won’t be winning an Oscar anytime soon, but this actress has got her tanning practices down pat. She has that biker tan that only comes from hours and hours strapped to the back of a motorcycle, cruising down the Florida coast. But Ms. Fox rocks the pale skin just as well as the bronzed look, making her the ideal role model for Indiana girls used to heat stroke-inducing summers and meat locker-cold winters.
(05/23/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Misogyny is alive and well in the Star Trek universe, at least if disgruntled bloggers are to be believed. Screenwriter Damon Lindelof has issued an apology via Twitter regarding a scene that he wrote into director J.J. Abrams’ latest science fiction adventure “Star Trek Into Darkness.” In said scene, Dr. Carol Marcus, played by Alice Eve, strips down to her unmentionables as Captain James T. Kirk unsuccessfully attempts not to ogle her.When I saw “Star Trek Into Darkness” in theaters with my stepfather, we both giggled slyly during the scene in question. I’m not saying the scene wasn’t gratuitous and completely irrelevant to the plot, because it was both. There was nothing added by seeing Alice Eve’s lovely abs. Except, of course, the pleasure of getting to see the semi-nude female form. Irrelevant? Sure. Misogyny? That seems slightly superfluous. Based on columns I’ve written in the past, I’ve been called a misogynist. When I tried to argue that this couldn’t be further from the truth, I was told I wasn’t aware of how misogynist I was because it was so deeply rooted in my psyche. I hate to let my personal experiences with the matter cloud my opinions, but I can’t help but wonder if “misogyny” is just one of those buzzwords people drop in order to get a story rolling.This is not to undermine some serious misogyny that does exist in our society. Recently, Abercrombie & Fitch has come under fire because they sell XL and XXL sizes to men and not women. It’s common knowledge that women make less money in the workplace than men. These are examples of active misogyny in American society. If a girl takes her clothes off in a movie and it does nothing to move the plot forward, that isn’t misogyny. That’s just pandering and stupidity.I’m definitely glad that Lindelof has apologized for the scene. We should be long past needing nudity on the screen to fill a theater. But it’s also high time writers bulk up the roles of females in action/adventure films. This is a subject I’ve written about before, but it always seems to be a relevant topic of conversation, seeing as Hollywood continues to be wary of the female-driven action flick. In “Star Trek Into Darkness,” the cast is overwhelmingly dominated by testosterone. Yes, Zoe Saldana kicks major ass as the only female main character, Uhura. But she’s about all we get. Alice Eve’s character is given a bit to do, but ultimately she just seems to be in the film to set up a love interest for Captain Kirk. Oh, and to take her clothes off. As a young man who goes gaga for a well-produced science-fiction epic, I loved every frame of “Star Trek: Into Darkness.” It’s the first great summer movie and I’d highly recommend it. But the controversy is hardly warranted. The problem isn’t with this one film, and the writers should not be under fire for one harmless underwear scene. The real problem is the money-counting studios afraid we won’t go see these films unless we get the unnecessary, and typically female, nudity. I implore Hollywood to have more faith in moviegoers. I promise, the vast majority of us are looking for substance over skin. —wdmcdona@indiana.edu
(05/16/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ambition is the first word that comes to mind when you listen to the soundtrack to one of the summer’s most anticipated movies, “The Great Gatsby”. Baz Luhrmann, the film’s director and a huge fan of visual opulence in cinema, enlisted hip-hop mega-producer and rapper extraordinaire Jay-Z to executive produce the album. The soundtrack is purposely built around a kinetic fusion of swinging 1920s speakeasy jazz and contemporary hip-hop/rap and R&B. After all, the energy that amplified the Jazz Age could feasibly be personified by today’s hip-hop culture. It’s loud, brash, and never strays too far from the controversial.It’s no surprise that Mr. Beyonce Knowles has pulled out all the stops, firing all cylinders musically and recruiting a plethora of today’s biggest artists to make contributions to the soundtrack. Hova slays the opening track, a classic hip-hop romp musing on everything from Jay Gatsby to 9/11. Beyonce makes an appearance next, lending her smoky vocals to a gorgeous cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black.” Male vocals provided by Andre 3000 seem odd at first, but on a second listen his ghoulish involvement sinks in. The biggest misfire is will.i.am’s “Bang Bang”, a track that unsuccessfully mediates between 1920s swing and unnecessary electronic trash. It’s no shock considering will.i.am has always been a rather weak player. But the party picks right back up with Fergie’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody”. The track firmly commits to a modern day dubstep silliness that pays off in spades. It’s the most fun you’ll have on the whole soundtrack. Beauty pageant queen Lana Del Rey impresses on the stunning “Young and Beautiful”. This Gatsby adaptation wouldn’t be complete without Ms. Del Rey, an airy and ethereal vocalist whose timbre perfectly matches F. Scott Fitzgerald’s opulent and extravagant prose. Other highlights include Goyte’s “Hearts A Mess”, a welcome reminder that the “Somebody That I Used to Know” singer is more than a one-hit wonder. Jay-Z also has up and comer Emeli Sande croon his boo Beyonce’s smash “Crazy In Love”. The cover is strictly jazz age swing, giving the album a modern yet old school spark. The only concern is how well the soundtrack might age. Jay-Z and Baz Luhrmann have jam packed it so tightly full of artists popular right now, one worries that a year from now no one will remember this ambitious risk. Time will have to tell, but for now, let Gatsby’s party rage on.
(05/16/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Disney tends to do no wrong in my eyes. I grew up watching their animated classics and — why lie? — I still watch them all the time. Sure, this stems from my determination to stay a 6-year-old forever, curled up in front of a big screen with vanilla wafer cookies and my worn out VHS copy of “Pocahontas.” But it’s also because, despite the many valid criticisms to the contrary, I’ve always seen Disney films as excellent teaching tools for morality and character building.I say this with full comprehension that many critics find Disney films to portray characters as sexist and overly romanticized, personifying archaic gender role stereotypes while adhering to a white, heterosexual, masculine norm. I don’t believe this is entirely false, but I do believe these critics paint with a broad brush and forgo the positive messages of Disney to light firestorms over the negatives. Still, I’m disappointed in the House of Mouse lately. Recently, Disney formally crowned Merida its 11th Disney Princess. The heroine of the Disney-Pixar film “Brave” is portrayed in the movie as an adventurous, stubborn, young and fiery redhead who is more interested in horseback riding and archery than boys or marriage. While I wasn’t head over heels in love with “Brave,” I applauded the creation of Merida as a princess more in line with Mulan or Aladdin’s daring spirit than Cinderella or Snow White’s passivity. Brenda Chapman, co-director and writer of “Brave,” has put Disney on blast for the sexualized and commercialized rendering of Merida they released for her official coronation into the Princess lineup. Chapman, who based Merida on her own daughter, fought to change the stereotype normally aligned with the Disney princesses.In the film, Merida is of an athletic build, rejects the formal dresses her mom begs her to wear, and lets her wild red hair run loose. With Disney’s rendering, Merida now has perfectly coiffed ginger locks, a cinched waistline, and the off-the-shoulder gown she ripped in the movie. Yes, I realize Disney is catering an image of what they think young girls want to see. This is all about making money. As much as I love Disney, I’m not an idiot. They are a company with a substantially wide profit margin. But they’ve also produced the best film animation in the history of cinema. “Sleeping Beauty,” “Peter Pan,” “Lady & the Tramp,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King...” I could go on for pages and pages. All can be called classic films and benchmarks of the industry. But Disney finally had a princess tomboys could relate to, and they took the safe route and made her into what’s worked and made money for decades.I’ll always defend you, Disney. But it’s time you started celebrating the power of individualism you always teach me in your films.
(05/16/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Expectation can be a tricky thing. Especially when Warner Bros. has been advertising the splendor and opulence of Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” like the holiday-themed five-course meal it is. Not to mention the film is based on what is arguably the single most important work of American fiction in the last century. So yes, Luhrmann’s film embodies all the bells and whistles of a high-risk, high-reward cinematic opportunity. For starters, Luhrmann has gathered the most able and talented cast imaginable. As the audience’s eyes gaze into the glamour and loneliness that is Gatsby’s Jazz Age, Tobey Maguire is a great everyman, his gaze full of the same wonder and charm that made him the perfect Spider-Man. Carey Mulligan, one of the best young talents working today, embodies Daisy Buchanan with equal parts allure and despondency. Why the men in her life fall head over heels in love with her is never in question. And of course, Mr. DiCaprio shifts seamlessly into the role of Jay Gatsby. No other actor could say “Old Sport” that often without it becoming mind-numbingly tedious. But with Baz Luhrmann at the helm, no-one expected this Gatsby to fizzle out quietly. Every frame is flooded with glitter and color, which is understandably not everyone’s idea of Gatsby. Surely not everyone’s idea of Gatsby involves a thumping soundtrack from the likes of Jay-Z, either. But that’s the madness in Luhrmann’s nature. He’s right back in the realm of “Moulin Rouge!” and “Romeo + Juliet,” placing style over substance. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You won’t find more extravagantly staged party sequences in any film since, well, “Moulin Rouge!” If the point was to make me jealous I wasn’t attending parties at Gatsby’s, mission accomplished. Unfortunately, this extravagance also extends to the metaphors Fitzgerald let creep into his words. Instead, Luhrmann throws the green light into the audiences’ faces, never letting it slip our minds that this all means something beyond the surface. He literally puts direct quotes from the novel in text on the screen, as if we couldn’t hear Maguire speaking them. It’s a little pandering, but then again this is the guy who doesn’t ever feel proficient unless it’s loud and proud. “The Great Gatsby” is sometimes nothing beyond visual eye candy. We get beautifully acted scenes of intimacy where the cast is left to shine, but you feel like Luhrmann’s just aching to get to the next great party shot. Maybe I just got too much glitter and champagne in my eyes, but I bought into the whole mad mess. I respected how Luhrmann and his cast almost dared me to disapprove of the film’s majesty and gravitas. It’s far from flawless, but “Gatsby” ends up being pretty great.By Dane McDonald
(05/16/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Teenybopper retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has come under some fire lately. No, not because the store’s clothing trends and style have seemingly never evolved or broken out of the popular middle school demographic, but because CEO Mike Jeffries “doesn’t want larger people shopping in his store.” Reasonable enough. I instate a similar referendum when I throw parties. When people show up to my apartment, I have them step on a scale as they walk through the door, and if the number is not to my satisfaction, I ask them to leave. No harm, no foul. Mr. Jeffries and I operate on the same wavelength. We simply don’t want our brand associated with (gasp) fat people.Specifically fat women, though. Because if a guy comes to my place and he’s on the larger side, it’s probably just all muscles. I know this is acceptable because Abercrombie & Fitch sells men’s clothing in XL and XXL sizes. The highest clothing size the retailer makes for women is a large. Don’t look at it as sexism. Think of it as natural selection. Obviously, only the most desirable of women wear the Abercrombie & Fitch moose on their chests. Because larger women won’t be able to wear the clothing, they won’t find mates, and the throngs of overweight women plaguing this earth will die out. Thanks, Mr. Jeffries. I was stumped as to how to solve that conundrum. Okay, I’m sorry. I’m not sure how much longer I can go on with the satire. I’m making myself nauseous. And that’s coming from a person who considers himself relatively shallow. Is Mike Jeffries just delusional? I don’t know a single sensible person who wore Abercrombie & Fitch clothing beyond the 10th grade. I actually remember one morning freshman year of college where I looked down during one of my classes and realized, to my absolute horror, I was wearing an old Abercrombie & Fitch sweater I had slept in the night before. You know who still wears Abercrombie & Fitch past high school? Basic betches and kids who get dressed in the darkness of their dorm, failing to realize what they’re putting on. The only way I can rationally justify Mr. Jeffries’ words is to imagine the 68-year-old man just has some serious unresolved childhood acceptance issues. Is there another kind of person who would publically say, “ … good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people?” Wake up, Mr. Jeffries. You can pay all the money in the world to attractive models and employees to wear your clothing in advertisements. That doesn’t mean people with actual taste will still wear your clothing once puberty is over.I’m not saying I’m some saint. I find myself acting judgmental towards overweight people sometimes. It’s a stigma that exists in society that I often unconsciously participate in, and while I’m not proud of it, it doesn’t seem like it’s going away. Especially as long as people like Mike Jeffries believe they dictate who’s cool and who’s not. In the meantime, I’m just going to stay the steady course and continue not to wear Abercrombie & Fitch clothing. — wdmcdona@indiana.edu
(05/06/13 6:48pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I was a peculiar child.The kid with his nose buried in a book whenever he wasn’t in motion, the kid who begged his mom to rewind “Aladdin” or “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” multiple times a day, and the kid who cracked his head open five times before the age of six? That was me.I was also peculiar in the sense that I never took gender norms very seriously. On any given day, you could see me acting out stories with my Disney Barbie dolls and later pitting my Rebel Alliance Star Wars action figures against the Empire’s AT-AT Walkers.I frequently tied blankets around my waist and waltzed around my room like I was Rose from “Titanic”. Any pool I entered immediately became the flooding ship and Leonardo Di Caprio and I were searching for safety.It was also common for me to jump around my room with my toy lightsaber, slaying Stormtroopers and rescuing Princess Leia.The point is, I didn’t really care whether it was a “girl” thing or a “boy” thing. I was just in it for a great story, for some adventure.I had all these memories drudged up this weekend because it was May 4, otherwise known as “May the Fourth Be With You,” a play off the popular phrase used in the Star Wars trilogies.I got to thinking about how much Star Wars meant to me growing up as a little thoroughly midwestern Michigan boy. How many nights I spent rewinding those VHS tapes.I remember when my stepdad bought them for me at the local Blockbuster. He had them put on hold and we picked them up together. I remember watching “A New Hope” and pleading with my parents to let me watch “The Empire Strikes Back” right after, but I had to wait until the next night. I remember finding out Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father. I’ve never been the same since.The animated Disney movies of the 90s, “Titanic” and the original Star Wars trilogy all opened me up to a vital truth in my life that still grounds me to this day. I’m a sucker for an engrossing and enthralling story. A story where someone saves the day, someone bursts into song, or someone falls in love. Or better yet, all three.My male peers teased me for having my Disney dolls. I called them dolls while they mercilessly called them Barbie’s. I’m not sure either label made it any better, but I didn’t care. I still brought my Quasimodo and Esmeralda dolls into kindergarten for show and tell. I also brought my toy Millennium Falcon and R2-D2 action figure, potentially just to show the boys I did enjoy “boy” things.This may seem like I was attempting to appease my male cohorts, but I promise that isn’t the case. I didn’t love Star Wars out of a deference to adhere to my gender normative interests.I really just freaking loved Star Wars. I still do. But I love Disney movies, too. And I still swoon every time Kate Winslet comes out from under her big purple hat the first time she sees the Titanic.These are memories and movies that have shaped me into the person I am today.Nothing drives me more insane than when a male friend turns up his nose at watching a romantic comedy, or when a female friend can’t enjoy a shoot-em-up action flick. I understand everyone has personal taste and it isn’t strictly a “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” world.At the risk of this column coming off as a command to be more like me, I just ask we all forgo gender norms for a moment and enjoy a good story together.Because, trust me on this one, we’ve all got a little hero inside of us.
(04/25/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Cruise gets a bad rap. Yes, he occasionally leaps about on Oprah’s couch and practices an outlandish religion, but the man carries an action flick like nobody’s business. His performances in franchises like the “Mission: Impossible” films elude the credit they deserve because we can’t shake the media-saturated persona we’ve come to associate with Cruise. The same goes for “Oblivion;” half the movie wouldn’t work if he weren’t our leading man. “Oblivion” opens with a long and over-explanatory monologue in which we’re told that Earth is now desolate due to a war with an alien race. Cruise’s Jack Harper and his companion Victoria (played by the radiant Andrea Riseborough) still remain on Earth repairing the drones that protect the planet from battle-hungry aliens. But in classic experimental sci-fi form, things are hardly what they seem.Director Joseph Kosinski, who did similarly bland work on 2010’s “TRON: Legacy,” paints “Oblivion” with engaging hues of blue, white and grey. You can’t contradict that the film is lavishly mounted and produced. The postwar Earth is a beauty, which may or may not make sense depending on how hard you think about it. But the script is so overtly cookie-cutter and thin that thinking won’t be to your advantage here. But no fear--there are a few action sequences to cut up the digital landscape porn. Disappointingly, they’re shot through the viewpoint of an excessively stimulated video game. This method isn’t always ineffective, but you’ll end up feeling as if you’re being forced to watch instead of getting to play for yourself. Luckily, the action is carried by stellar musical compositions from the French electronic band M83. Their score vibrates with the same intensity John Williams brought to the Star Wars franchise.The twists and turns are stirring, but unfortunately they’ve been done much more effectively in the past. It isn’t as if “Oblivion” has nothing to offer, but I’d recommend saving yourself a few bucks and watching Duncan Jones’ “Moon” instead. The concepts are practically mirror images of one another, but “Moon” offers the psychological narrative “Oblivion” rigorously lacks. By Dane McDonald
(04/23/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Construction is going to ruin my senior year of college. OK, that’s probably a little dramatic. But it’s definitely not going to make things better for me.I’ve lived in the same apartment for two years now, and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else during my last year at IU. It’s right off the square in the heart of downtown Bloomington, a stone’s throw from the bars and nightlife I have yet to experience in my last few months as an underager. But somewhere down the line, karma’s got it in for me. The company who owns the parking lot in front of my building has decided to become a stabbing thorn in my side. Recently, they sold the parking lot so a hotel could be built in its place.So instead of weeping on my dusty building entrance, I’m determined to stand my ground and stare the face of adversity right in the eye. Bring on your catcalling construction workers with their hard hats and Timberland boots. I’m ready.But still, there are a myriad of construction-related annoyances I’m not looking forward to. For starters, the entirety of my last two semesters in school will be played to the soundtrack of jackhammers and other various, earsplitting construction tools pounding 10 yards from my front door.Not to mention that before the lot was sold, friends coming to visit for the weekend or just stopping by for a few hours could leave their cars in the former parking lot, despite it being a permit lot. I don’t know who patrolled the lot, but they never did a very good job. No one who parked there without a permit ever got towed, let alone a ticket or a warning.Now I’ll be forced to find parking for my friends elsewhere, which would be fine if finding parking in and around campus wasn’t like braving Dante’s nine circles of Hell. Despite my construction woes, I’m still resolving to thoroughly enjoy my senior year. I just might be doing so in earplugs.— wdmcdona@indiana.edu
(04/22/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As this semester and my junior year of college come to a halting close, it comes time for the inevitable reflection on the past academic, and personal, year of my life. It’s been a banner year, which is not to imply that all of my other 20 years have been less than banner. This one just seems a little more special. Maybe I’ll look back in a few years, or maybe even a few months, and see how wrong I was. But for now, in my departing column for the spring, let me tell you all the things I wished I’d figured out a little sooner.First, you are the only person who can take control of your life. Friends, family and the like can heap mounds and mounds of advice on you, but at the end of the day it’s up to you to make the change you strive to see in yourself. Personally, I had to see for myself that my total lack of health awareness was making me the unhappiest. I grasp that this is the biggest of first world problems, but it was the mountain in my life I had to scale. But it never clicked until I made the decision for myself to start taking better care of myself. The only person who could make that choice was me. Second, make time to read for pleasure. You won’t regret shaving a half hour off your pregame or your study session to enjoy literature. You will regret missing out on all the great writing we have available to us today. Third, I wish I had appreciated sophomore year more. You’re no longer a novice freshman, but you still have three whole years of college ahead of you. When I look back, I predict I will see my sophomore year as encompassing my darkest days here at IU. This, of course, harks back to my first realization. This was my own doing. While personal and environmental factors contributed, I settled with being melancholic. I settled for selling myself short and holding on to relationships that only broke me down. I encourage current freshmen to look toward next year and make the most of it. You’ll be a senior before you can say “meal points.” Fourth, my life will most likely always revolve around some sort of ridiculous and brilliant cable television show. Don’t blame me, blame Lena Dunham. But I don’t care, I love it.Fifth, you are not the summation of your blunders. Similarly, you are not the summation of your triumphs. You are an intricate and flawed jumble of the two. Too often there are days when you let one or the other define you. It will probably never become easy, but when you’re at your lowest low or highest high, remember this is just one day in the grand scheme of your life. Whether good or bad, all will eventually pass. Sixth, don’t wait around for people to come to you. Seek friendships. Don’t throw your precious time around with basic betches, but don’t be afraid to expand your social horizons. I’ve become amazing friends with people over this year that I should have gotten to know a lot sooner. I’m most thankful to have another year with them, but I can’t help but think of all the lost time we have to make up. Seventh — and finally — don’t live in fear because you don’t know where your future is headed. I’ve spent far too many days beating myself up because so-and-so got this internship and that person has this job lined up. Meanwhile, here I am, not sure of what lies ahead for me. If you’re working hard and you’re doing you, things will fall into place for you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually.— wdmcdona@indiana.edu
(04/18/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Here at IU, we pride ourselves on our title as proficient partiers. So, kids, take it from a seasoned pro — there are a few simple and easy habits that will ensure you have the best Little 500 Week possible.1. No sleeves all week. The temperature for most of the week will be in the 70s. But more importantly, it’s going to be rowdy. Don’t let restrictive sleeves weigh you down. Spring those tanks from the back of your closet and thrash your pale arms around like nobody’s business. Don’t forget that SPF, though. Burnt shoulders are a no-no. Also, while we’re talking dress code, no fanny packs. It isn’t even ironically cute. Stick to the essentials by slipping your debit card and ID into your phone case or bra. Then, just take your keys and chapstick. Simple is your friend.2. Stick to liquors. Yes, beer’s cheap and easy, but it in turn makes you cheap and easy. Leave the Coors on the shelf this week and stick to liquor. Even inexpensive vodkas, tequilas and rums are acceptable. The beer calories are not worth it, and don’t fool yourself — you won’t be hitting the gym. Save those calories for when you really want them: for the post-party pizza you’ll be ordering. 3. Take a night off. My usual mantra is one day to rage, one day to recover. But since most of you animals won’t abide by that, take at least one day to let your liver breathe. Constantly binging will do nothing but burn you out, and you won’t be able to enjoy the full week of festivities. So pick a night in advance and stay in. Watch TV. Do that paper. Get your ducks in a row. Whatever. Rest up and rage the next day. 4. Dance to Icona Pop.I don’t care — I love the Swedish DJ electro house duo. Every time you hear those banging electric drops, forget everything you’re doing and report to the dance floor. Bonus points if you twerk it out the entire song or trade shirts with a total stranger while complimenting their sick dance moves. 5. Stay with your posse.Birds of a feather flock together, and your friends are going to be the ones you want looking out for you in the craziness this week. From pre-game to party to the walk home, do not leave your group. If you must wander off, take at least one member of your group with you and tell the others where you are headed. Remember — a good pack never leaves a person behind, so when you depart, take a head count and make sure everyone’s there. 6. Bathe in Showalter Fountain Make sure your group makes a pit stop at the IU staple for a quick dip. After all, it’s going to be hot, and we need to keep cool somehow. Bonus points if you and your friends can reenact the “Friends” title sequence while singing a lovely drunk rendition of “I’ll Be There For You.” 7. Don’t be basic. Unfortunately, it must be said. Too often, some basic biddy refuses to keep it cute. Don’t binge to the point of vomiting in a yard or drooling on your tank. Don’t pass out and force your friends to carry you. Be respectful of people’s property by not stealing their possessions or puking on them. Most importantly, just because it’s Little 500 doesn’t mean you forget your pleases and thank yous. Keep it courteous. Keep it cute.
(04/15/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This is embarrassing. I still watch “Glee.” Trust me, I know this makes me the most basic human alive. In the vast sea that is of all my serious television viewing, it’s a weekly reprieve to turn my brain off for an hour on Thursday nights. But this week’s episode essentially drove me to the brink. “Glee” aired an episode unmistakably inspired by the Sandy Hook shootings. In a show that is already a beacon of unapologetic manipulation, this took it much too far. First of all I should say that while I did take issue with the episode’s content, I don’t believe it was “too soon” by any means. I don’t believe “too soon” is a relevant argument in any scenario.Regardless of what the clichés say, time does not heal all wounds. So you might as well deal with the harsh realities in the here and now rather than waiting for a convenient day in the future when enough time has passed. I can’t imagine how the families and friends of the Sandy Hook victims could feel about this “Glee” episode or even on a day-to-day basis. But whether this episode aired now or in 20 years, it will never become easier for somebody with personal ties to handle. Trauma will always exist in some form, so my issue isn’t with the timeliness. If anything, that is one of the episode’s only redeeming qualities. For starters, the episode was titled “Shooting Star.” Really? Come on, now. “Shooting Star”? Was “Homicide Sparkle” already taken? This is just about as tasteless as it gets. The writers took an extraordinarily hypersensitive topic and spackled over it with a glittery sheen. But God forbid “Glee” handle anything with a touch of propriety. The show’s episodes that deal with homophobic bullying and eating disorders have been anything but sensitive, using inappropriate humor to water down the sobering subject matter. Furthermore, the show’s producers and the FOX network did absolutely nothing to reach out to the Newtown, Conn., community or the families of the Sandy Hook victims. A separate organization reached out to them instead of the people responsible for producing the episode. They felt the inspiration of the school shooting was in the realm of their creative rights, but a friendly phone call or email was apparently too much of a hassle. After all, exploitation can wear someone out. It must have just slipped the producers’ minds. But just when I thought the episode’s storyline could not have been handled any more poorly, the identity of the shooter was revealed. Becky Jackson, a cheerleader with Down Syndrome, brought a gun to school because she was upset everyone would be graduating and moving on from high school. The gun accidentally went off, and this was the cause for all the panic.That was when I couldn’t bear to keep watching. Had the writers actually decided making a girl with a mental disability bring a gun to school was a good narrative plan? Not that choosing any character to bring a gun to school is an easy decision, but Becky, who currently represents one of the only characters on television with Down Syndrome, was the choice? Why tarnish a character that has been an overwhelmingly positive voice for people with mental disabilities? It’s obvious. Making Becky the shooter was an easy, cheap twist. No one would have expected it. Personally, what I didn’t expect was for the writers to play out a sensitive incident with such neglect for class or decorum. While I congratulate “Glee” for tackling timely topics and giving a voice to a much needed representation for minorities of all types, I would implore the showrunner to ease up on the topical relevance if they’re going to drop the ball like this. It isn’t a sin to have art reflect life, but it is a sin when art exploits life for exploitation’s sake. — wdmcdona@indiana.edu
(04/11/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s a wonder that young star Elle Fanning is only 15 years old and so incalculably talented. It’s an even greater wonder when you watch her embody one of the titular characters in Sally Potter’s “Ginger & Rosa.” Fanning portrays 17-year-old Ginger, a role she shot when she was still 13. The age difference is all but unnoticeable. Both Ginger and her best friend Rosa, portrayed by Alice Englert with an exuberant aura to counter Fanning’s quiet power, are growing up in Cold War-era London. Ginger fears nuclear holocaust and her budding sexuality while Rosa endures an absent father and a distant mother.Director Sally Potter writes and shoots intimate moments instead of staging ostentatious scenes. The two girls attempt to shrink their jeans in a cold tub while reading comic books. Ginger labors to keep her composure as her father commits unbearable acts in the next room. These are moments Potter makes you feel you’re intimately permitted to witness. There’s never a moment of exploitation or manipulation.But as Ginger fears a bomb will implode in her physical world, an even larger threat manifests and implodes in her private world. Her struggle could have easily teetered into melodramatic territory, but it’s Fanning who balances the scales. She produces the meditation and intuition of an actress far beyond her years. It’s on her shoulders that “Ginger & Rosa” becomes the poignant coming-of-age drama we didn’t realize we were missing. By Dane McDonald
(04/11/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While Netflix is great for watching hours upon hours of TV shows, it’s also a treasure trove of movies you may have missed because they either never received wide enough theatrical release or the box office numbers were so low that studios rushed them to DVD. Here’s a small smattering of the best Netflix movies that should have a place on your instant watch queue. “Take This Waltz”: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah SilvermanA vibrantly colorful story of girl meets boy, but girl is already married. It’s full of small, private moments orchestrated with a tender but fierce touch from director Sarah Polley. All four leads are marvelous, but star Michelle Williams is just as radiant and phenomenal as ever.“Compliance”: Ann Dowd, Dreama WalkerA middle-aged fast food restaurant manager’s morality is challenged when a police call makes her carry out questionable acts on a young employee. It becomes a grimy and disturbing study almost completely free of genre, which works in symmetry with Ann Dowd’s nuanced everywoman performance.“Bachelorette”: Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Rebel WilsonThree ethically challenged bridesmaids embark on a raunchy evening out to save a friend’s wedding. It’s bound to be polarizing, but Leslye Headland directs her trio of leads to dizzying heights of hilarity. Girls behaving badly has never looked this good. What ends up a surprise is how relatable and likable the characters end up being, all without sacrificing their admirably bad behavior.“Young Adult”: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Patton OswaltA teen lit writer heads back to her hometown to relive her glory days and win back her high school sweetheart, who just had a baby with his wife. The film is a mature and unapologetic turn for writer Diablo Cody, who restrains some of the outlandish humor she used in “Juno.” Star Charlize Theron already has an Oscar, but this is the role of a lifetime.“Weekend”: Tom Cullen, Chris NewTwo men spend 48 hours together after meeting in a nightclub, meeting briefly but impacting each other’s lives in a profound way. It’s a brave and naturalistic meditation on modern sexuality and what effects they have on love.“The Switch”: Jennifer Aniston, Jason BatemanA woman decides to have a child via artificial insemination, but due to a jealous best friend who may or may not harbor feelings for her, the sperm donor may not be the father. What could have been a cheap Lifetime movie is instead a surprisingly emotional and well-acted comedy with real dramatic depth and thought behind it.“Warrior”: Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Joel EdgertonTwo brothers separately train for a mixed martial arts competition, one looking to repent a catastrophic past and the other seeking to provide for his family. Nick Nolte dazzles as their alcoholic father in an emotional and thrilling roller coaster that packs a solid punch.“Like Crazy”: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer LawrenceA tale of two young college students, one American and one British, falling in love for the first time but then separated by an ocean and an expired visa. The connection is perceptive in this love story that is both raw and overwhelmingly modern.“Melancholia”: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer SutherlandA couple celebrates their marriage as a planet called Melancholia rockets on a crash course towards Earth. Themes of post-apocalyptic universality and family ties abound in this visionary portrait of rather unlikable characters. It’s equal parts poignant and visceral.
(04/11/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Death is knocking on Don Draper’s door. Or, at least he thinks it is. The sixth season premiere of AMC’s critical darling “Mad Men” finds our favorite philandering, antiheroic advertisement executive reading “Dante’s Inferno” on the beach in Hawaii — or maybe we’re supposed to recognize it as paradise. Series creator and writer Matthew Weiner lays the symbolism on thick as death and mortality haunts the entire episode. From his doorman’s heart attack to the passing of his co-worker’s mother, death abounds. While Jon Hamm, always the faultless leading man, handles the material in strides, it becomes a touch repetitive. Don has struggled with this identity for five seasons now, so it would be pure romanticism to think he’d change a bit for season six. But what has changed is the medium through which Don deals with his crisis. Last season, he hesitated to celebrate a 40th birthday. Now, he imagines drifting off into the Hawaiian horizon and never coming back. Someone please remind Don he has a ridiculously swanky Manhattan apartment, a job where he can drink and smoke to excess, plus a stunning French-Canadian actress wife. But if the arc of this season is to be death, then let us not forget what has been the arc of the entire show. From Don’s long suffering ex-wife Betty Francis to Don’s young protégée turned ad executive Peggy Olson, “Mad Men” has truly revolved around the rise of feminism and the expansion of women’s roles, be them at home or in the workplace. While Peggy is off on her own now, becoming more and more like the shark Don trained her to be, Betty continues to suffer in the home. It’s a dynamic parallel, especially given that neither woman is written or acted to be particularly likable. It’s their stories that have always been our eyes into this superfluous world of 1960s Manhattan. And while I’m the first person to champion non-normative body types on television, can we please do away with Fat Betty Draper? It’s one thing to celebrate bigger bodied women on television — it’s another to make January Jones suffer through the fakey fat suit.But narrative repetitions aside, you would be a fool to miss the cinematic experience that is watching “Mad Men.” It’s the rare show that transcends the television format and comes close to the level of artistic value usually left reserved for film. While the individual episodes themselves have steady arcs, it’s a full season of “Mad Men” that must be experienced before an opinion can be formed. While other shows rely on episode-to-episode spark, “Mad Men” instead takes its time, easing into plots and allowing slow yet meticulous character development. After all, it’s going to take time to see if Don Draper is on his way to meeting his maker. By Dane McDonald
(04/08/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This isn’t an uncommon occurrence anymore. A friend or acquaintance, or maybe a random stranger whose conversation you happen to pick up, says they listen to Ke$ha, or they watch “The Bachelor.” Or maybe their favorite movie is “Glitter,” featuring that falling star Mariah Carey. You recoil in fear, in judgment, in absolute astonishment. How could somebody living a civilized life confess to such unspeakable acts? They notice the wash of terror on your face and immediately jump in. They say, “Oh, don’t worry. I’m doing it ironically.” But what do we mean when we say we do things ironically? Though the actual definition of ironic hardly carries much weight anymore, I’ll give it to you anyway. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary — which I used online, of course, I wouldn’t use a real dictionary unless I was doing it ironically — irony is “the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.” So what this means, essentially, is whatever you’re doing, saying, watching, listening to or whatever, you’re doing for reasons opposite to those originally intended. For example, you rock out drunk in basements to Justin Bieber because you’re actually making fun of his music and prepubescent baby face. Either way, you still know all the lyrics to “As Long As You Love Me,” and you can’t deny it. While I don’t want to blatantly champion doing things ironically, I still have to admit it’s a vast improvement from saying something is your “guilty pleasure.” Just because you like Miley Cyrus doesn’t mean you have to label her a guilty pleasure. Miley is awesome. Don’t feel guilty about it. And if Miley haters hound you, just jam out to “Party in the U.S.A” together. Come on, no one can resist that hook.But doing things ironically doesn’t just extend to love of trashy pop music and brain-dead television. This is where I end up the most culpable myself. I’m the literal king of saying things “ironically.” Any time I use an OMG or an LOL in a text message, two things happen. One, I tell myself I’m doing it ironically and the receiver of said message knows so. Two, a small part of my soul dies because bad grammar in text messages kills me slowly like a black plague. But all this still raises the question, why do we do things ironically in the first place? Is it a sense of shame? In a world where we are constantly told what we should and shouldn’t like by a myriad of sources, we sometimes choose to stand our ground and own up to what we love. But we’re doing so with the added post-script of embarrassment.Or perhaps your inner circle would judge you for liking something too “mainstream” when the rest of the world is pretty much on board with it. Maybe a super hipster actually loves “Jersey Shore” but can’t admit to it unless they coda their love with a dash of humiliation. We’re allowed to own our obsessions, just not unashamedly. But when is the final frontier of irony going to be reached? Eventually, is it going to be ironic to do something ironically? Will the vicious circle ever end? I’m not sure, because as far as I’m concerned, we’re still going to use irony as a crutch regardless. Either way, own up to what you love, what you say and what you do. Because at the end of the day, no one really cares that much if you’re obsessed with Taylor Swift, be it ironically or not.— wdmcdona@indiana.edu
(04/04/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Regardless of whether or not the onslaught of red equality signs on Facebook last week had you decrying passive activists or cheering in unity, we can all agree it’s a pretty awesome time to be gay. It’s an even better time to be gay on television, though. No longer are gay characters restricted to stock roles and forced to play flamboyant sidekicks or butch ladies. Writers are now fleshing out gay characters and giving them defining characteristics beyond their sexuality. In honor of the Supreme Court hearing cases regarding same-sex marriage, here are the finest queers television has to offer. 1) Ian Gallagher (portrayed by Cameron Monaghan) on “Shameless” You don’t get further away from the gay stereotype than Ian. He’s a high school student in Army ROTC who dreams of attending West Point. While sexuality is important to Ian’s character, it hardly labels him. Like most of the Gallagher clan, his focus is keeping his rag-tag family together at all costs. Growing up on the tough streets of Chicago, Ian brawls with the best of them. He conducts a particularly volatile relationship with his on-again-off-again hook-up, Mickey. Their relationship, though rocky and unconventional, is one of the most gritty and beautiful on television. 2) Elijah Krantz (portrayed by Andrew Rannells) on “Girls”Just because Elijah is one of television’s best gay characters doesn’t mean he’s the most likable. He’s main character Hannah’s ex-boyfriend and one-time roommate who attempted untimely sex with her best friend, Marnie. Not anyone’s ideal gay BFF by any means. Sure, he shoots out comedic zingers with the greatest of ease, but he comes off as grounded and organic, thanks in most part to Rannells’ performance and Lena Dunham’s writing. 3) Santana Lopez (portrayed by Naya Rivera) on “Glee”Okay, sure. “Glee” has gone way off the rails since its stellar first season. But fiery Santana has been more than enough reason to stick around. She’s unapologetically crass while still maintaining a vital emotional crux that makes her character one of the most well-rounded on the show. Plus, she says great things like “I am 1000 percent sure that I’m actually going to be famous, just like I’m 1000 percent sure that our man-child piano player keeps a petite Eurasian locked in a trunk underneath his bed.” 4) Lana Winters (portrayed by Sarah Paulson) on “American Horror Story: Asylum”Lana might be the toughest broad on my list. A lesbian woman in a time where she had to keep her sexuality a secret in order to avoid societal shame, Lana was committed to a mental institution and forced to fight tooth and nail for her freedom. Furthermore, she suffered brutal rape and a pregnancy following her kidnapping by the serial killer and asylum shrink, Dr. Tredson. But after all the death and destruction, it was Lana left standing. 5) Marshall Gregson (portrayed by Keir Gilchrist) on “United States of Tara”Marshall’s story may the best of them all because of how nonchalant it went down. From the series get-go, we weren’t outright told if he was gay or not. He was just a kid growing up in a dysfunctional family. His sexuality wasn’t important — his sanity was. Sure his sister taunted him because of his cupcakes, but it wasn’t gay bashing. It was commonplace sibling teasing. When Marshall did come out to his father, his dad was headed out to grab dinner and simply replied, “Good. So you want anything?” If that isn’t an indication that things are getting better, then I don’t know what is.
(04/04/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As HBO’s epic “Game of Thrones” returns for a third season, the battle for the Iron Throne is as contentious and volatile as ever. While blonde and psychotic little Joffrey Batatheon currently reigns, he’s got an abundance of opposition. Robb Stark is battling his way toward King’s Landing, but can he take the pressure of the crown? Everyone’s favorite Khaleesi, Daenerys Targaryen, has her pet dragons in tow and seeks an army to take back the throne her father once sat on. Stannis Baratheon, recently defeated at the Battle of Blackwater, licks his wounds in a cave with his insane redheaded witch mistress. Plus, I’m pretty sure there are like, 12 other people vying for the Iron Throne, but it’s hard to keep track of so many characters spread across such a vast land. But that has always been one of “Game of Thrones” many strengths, juggling multiple story lines and running them simultaneously with the precision of clockwork. All in all, there’s only so much time we can spend with each character in a season, let alone an episode. Which is why the third season premiere is unfortunately Arya Stark-less. Same goes for Jaime Lannister and his captor Brienne of Tarth, last seen headed to King’s Landing to negotiate the release of the captive Stark girls. But rest assured we’re bound to see these characters soon enough.I am happy to report I’ve finally almost got every character’s name down. I can also probably vaguely explain each character’s intentions as well, though that’s always been tricky in the land of the Westeros. This goes back to the show’s necessity of handling so much all the time. Most of the time when I’m watching “Game of Thrones,” I’m only 75 percent aware of what’s actually going on. But that only speaks to the show’s brilliance when I don’t exactly know what’s happening. Every scene is directed with such exactitude, each piece of dialogue so expertly timed to deliver the bite it’s worthy of. While the tail end of last season relied on grand battles and showmanship, this season begins with a series of dialogue-heavy exchanges between small groups of players. But it’s just as exciting, so have no fear the momentum will halt. And if the first episode is to be a jumping-off point, it seems the ladies of the Westeros are bound to have their finest season yet. Not only does Daenerys get more badass as the show progresses, but King Joffrey’s new fiancé Margaery seems to have her eye firmly on the prize. Let us not forget she was the woman more than ready to marry a gay man just to call herself Queen. We can only imagine the manipulation she’ll subject Joffrey to. In a show built on masculine brawn and swords, the feminine touch may prove to be the most influential of all. By Dane McDonald