The Hunting Ground

              My choice for the final blog post will be the movie The Hunting Ground. I watched it for the first time a few months ago and I was in shock afterwards. The Hunting Ground is a two-hour documentary that addresses the issue of rape on college campuses. It includes interviews with multiple people of both genders that have experienced rape on college campus; it tells their story and experience with the college after the rape. It also includes statistics and actions taken after these horrendous occasions. The movie was released February 27^th in the year 2015. It has gotten a range of reviews. People either praise the movie for speaking up on the situation, or discourage it for its claims against big name colleges. The big name colleges include the Ivy League schools, Georgetown, University of Chicago, and many other top ranking schools in the United States. The Hunting Ground speaks of how rape is not punished even though it is brought to the attention of the college. Rape is a crime, but colleges choose not to do anything to protect their reputation. Through this documentary, it is revealed that college students who are rapists are not punished at all for the injustice they have committed towards someone else.

            The first theme of the film is hiding the truth. There is a scene with statistics of rapes reported, and punishments taken regarding those rapes. In most, almost nothing was done. Then they showed Honors students who broke something in the contract, and they were expelled. This blatantly shows how colleges and universities do not take rape seriously. Also, with the many interviews and confessions, it shows how this has happened many times but no one seems to know about it. Even I didn’t know. Colleges promote their safe campus by hiding their facts about rape or just do not acknowledge it. The facts are out there, but college is a big industry compared to a single student. If they do not want something to be known, they have all the power to hide that information. The second theme is the power of unity. Individually these stories are told, but no action is taken. When groups were made to protest college rape and news was spreading, it became a problem that was known on campus. When groups went after colleges more action was taken to punish rapists, but they still let them attend their schools. In my opinion this documentary shows all these stories and situations in one well-organized piece. This documentary is powerful enough to change the way colleges address rape. One story was not enough, but how about a thousand stories. That is when the change happens.

            This documentary is beautiful to me because it is going against the system. It is so strong! This film is exposing the truths about the corruption of colleges and universities all throughout the United States. I admire the courage and confidence the filmmakers had in making this movie. It is for the good of others. This film can literally save people from being raped. It teaches safety and hopefully will make colleges take action against the rapist. If colleges do this, then rape will be discouraged and happen less on college campus. The Hunting Ground basically tells the story of the underdog, and I am a total supporter of the underdog. Being the emotional person I am, I was angered while I was watching this movie. How could nothing be done to known rapists? Why are college athletes protected against the system? Everything is so messed up. I think that when things are so obviously wrong but nothing is done to change it, it is disgusting. This movie calls out all the imperfections. It makes me so happy that something dishonorable is being acknowledged for the first time. The justice of the film is so beautiful because it results in more happiness and safety of many people who are in college.

Eminem - When I'm Gone

                 I have had a really hard time deciding what I wanted to do for music, so I chose to talk about Eminem and his song “When I’m Gone”.  Eminem is a rapper, songwriter, record producer, and an actor whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III. Before he was very famous for being a white rapper, but that hype has died down in recent years. He has had many family problems. When he was younger, his father left them and his mother became a druggie. Due to this problem at home, the government took his brother away; Eminem grew up taking care of himself and his family as well as he could. Later on, Eminem married his high school sweetheart Kimberly Anne Scott, and with her he had his daughter Hailie. Eminem was married to Kimberly twice and divorced her twice. Now both parents have joint custody over Hailie. The song “When I’m Gone” talks about Marshal Mathers’ feeling toward his daughter during the divorce. It explains her confusion about the whole situation, and Eminem’s response to that. Not only in this song, but also in many songs Eminem discusses his family hardships and the difficulties he has encountered in his life.

            The first theme in the song is using love as an excuse. From the lyrics and Eminem’s history, he keeps leaving his family to pursue his career. In no way has Eminem been bad to his family. The flaw is expecting the same love when he is in and out of the house. He expects to come home and be loved when in reality his family just wishes he would stay home and stop leaving. He is taking advantage of the family love. He keeps acknowledging that he is going away from home and upsetting his family, but says that he loves them and shrugs aside the problem. Eminem even explains how upset his daughter is about the situation, but he keeps performing for people pushing his daughter aside. The second theme is speaking from the future. The refrain of the whole song is Eminem talking from his grave. He is telling Hailie a message and telling her he loves her and not to be sad anymore. Marshal Mathers can definitely tell her the same thing currently, but chooses to put it in future tense. Eminem is stating and reassuring the idea that he will be away from his family and they again will feel the same about him and wish he were back home. He is apologizing from the future. 

            I find this beautiful for the first reason, the music video. The music video depicts the lyrics just as they are. It is an emotional visualization of the whole problem and it is very sad. I consider Eminem a strong, almost intimidating kind of guy. So when I see this man getting very emotional for his daughter, it is heartbreaking. I think the love a parent has for their child is the most beautiful thing ever. It is unconditional and there forever. Hailie is very upset over everything now, but when Eminem does pass away she will have this song to look back to. The reassuring, loving, positive, and caring message after death in this song just proves Eminem’s love for his daughter. I think that it is amazing how Marshal Mathers went through so many family problems as a child and has found a way to have the biggest love for his own family despite his past. Using the past to make a better future for oneself is such a positive message, and the pain and love shown in this song is the exact representation of Eminem’s evolution from the past. I slightly tear up every time I hear this song.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

          The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a piece of architecture well known throughout the world. It is supposed to be a bell tower of the cathedral in the Italian city of Pisa (. The construction began in August of the year 1173. The tower was completed in the mid 1300s, about two thousand years later due to the construction being interrupted by wars and debt. The architect of the famous tower is not known for sure, but there are many speculations about potential people. Bonanno Pisano, Gherardo di Gherardo, Giovanni Pisano, and Giovanni di Simone are all architects that have worked on the tower; none of them were the original architect of the work. Aside from that, hey call it the leaning tower because it is unintentionally tilted. When it was being built, it was constructed on top of soft ground. Soft ground consists of sand, clay, and shells. The tower began to lean after the third floor was built, and the soil underneath began to shift. Due to this soil issue, the foundation became unstable. It is said that the tower is not only tilted, but it is falling at about two millimeters per year. Today the Leaning Tower of Pisa still stands and is now a tourist attraction.

            The first theme of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is the comparison of expectation to reality. In no way, shape, or form was the tower built with a tilt; it was supposed to be a normal bell tower. When the tower was first leaning, the engineers did everything they could to stop it from leaning. Even with all the efforts to prevent the tilt, the engineers failed and the tower is now at a complete tilt. This piece of architecture shows that expectations will never accurately predict reality. Even with actions to prevent any mishaps, mishaps are bound to happen. The second theme is attraction to the different. Speaking generally, it is only a bell tower. Tourists and people do not focus on that, they only pay attention to the lean. No other bell tower is as famous as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. People focus on the difference in objects. There is even a replica of the tower made in the United States. The obsession with the one flaw basically defines the whole piece of architecture. The difference in this tower compared to other bell towers can be compared to people trying not to be in the “norm”. Everyone wants to be unique to get the attention of others. The Leaning Tower is accomplishing all of this except that it is not a person.

         

        I find the Leaning Tower of Pisa beautiful due to my childhood fascination. I would always drive by the one near Village Crossing in Skokie and would be fascinated in how it stood. How can something that is so unstable stand strong? In a way, to me it represents hope. Everything about the tower is most likely going to result in the fall of it, but it stands against all the odds. It is inspiring, fascinating, and captivating. I also love the tower because the perspective. If you tilt you head the same amount then it is not so weird. I love that depending on the way you look at it completely changes the reputation of the whole thing. Maybe it isn’t the tower that is tilted- maybe it is the world. Sitting there and speculating about the tower really gets to me. Maybe my perspective can be changed that easily with other issues. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is beautiful to me because it’s whole history and result can be so relatable to a normal person. Do I sound crazy? I find myself relating to a tower! The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a flaw that is praised around the world.

The Office

            

             The television series The Office has been very successful in the filming industry. Many people have seen the show or just even know about it. Personally, it is one of my favorite television shows. The Office is a mockumentary comedy sitcom about a paper company. Mockumentary is a type of filmography that includes fictional events presented in a documentary style. Mockumentary filming is also used in the show Parks & Recreation. The Office was aired from March 24, 2005 up until May 16, 2013 (a total of about 9 years). It contains 9 seasons for a total of 201 episodes. It televises the life of everyday employees in a small town company. The cast is the same throughout the majority of the show, with a few characters added and a few removed. The consistency in the set and the cast makes it a show that viewers can find themselves able to relate to. The original show was British, but I will be talking about the American take on The Office. Both the American and the British versions consist of the same style of filming and the same situations that normal everyday people encounter. The Office has been a huge hit with the audience, in my opinion, for this particular reason.

            The first theme presented in The Office is unity through difference. The show consists of characters that have differing personalities, races, sexualities, and opinions. Each character is distinctly different form the other, but the show brings them together. They interact on a daily basis and have parties together. In reality, people think that others only hang out with those similar to them. The show allows for the viewers to engage in the interaction of people who are complete opposites of another. The second theme is happiness in the ordinary. Even in the show description, the characters are described as everyday people. How is it that people can watch everyday people for 9 years? Everyday people are he most relatable and the actions and the interactions are similar to that of the viewers. That is why every joke, every kiss, every dilemma, and every conversation is an enjoyable thing to watch. The happiness is not found only in weddings and parties, but through a normal day of a person. The show presents a positive image for everyone to show that no matter what the situation is, it can be a good one. Aside from the comedy, the characters in The Office are genuinely happy with their ordinary lives.

            I find beauty in The Office because I like that it covers situations that can be related to. Work problems, racism, confrontations, unnecessary fighting, and gossip. Even with the comedy, I think it was very surprising how many serious issues were addressed. I think that it is important for even shows that are made for entertainment show how these issues are bad and how they need to be fixed. The show offered both the problem, people standing up against the problem, and a solution for it. It offers advice on how to handle these situations in “real life”. I also find beauty in this because it becomes very sentimental. As said earlier, the environment and the people are the same for the 9 seasons. As soon as it ended I cried forever. I think that if a person is able to have an emotional attachment to a show that it was very well made and it has to be beautiful. I felt as if I knew the characters and I was in the office with them everyday. I want to know what happens next. I feel like I was a character in the office, but now the show is done.

Lincoln Memorial

          The sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, also known as the Lincoln Memorial, is a masterpiece. The sculpture is the perfect transition from ancient to modern work. Henry Bacon is the architect that made the Lincoln Memorial, and this work was his final project. A Lincoln Memorial bill was passed in 1911 to get the project going, and the work itself was completed on May 30, 1922. Henry Bacon styled the structure to replicate the look of a Greek temple. Every aspect of the sculpture is included to represent facts about Abraham Lincoln. There are 36 columns on the outside that represent the number of states in the Union at the time Lincoln died. The whole thing includes stones from five different states. The stone from Colorado is white marble and it is located on the exterior. The stone from Indiana is limestone and it is located on the interior walls. The stone from Tennessee is pink marble and this makes up the flooring of the structure. The stone from Alabama is marble and is used for creating the ceiling. The stone from Georgia is white marble, which makes up the whole sculpture of Abraham Lincoln located inside the temple. Later on after the sculpture was completed, a light was installed inside to illuminate Abraham Lincoln. The sculpture itself can be seen when visiting Washington, D.C.

        The whole piece itself focuses on the significance of Abraham Lincoln in American history. The first theme expressed in this sculpture is representation of power. This theme is seen through all the placement of object in the Lincoln Memorial. The selection of Greek styled structuring brings a sense of grandeur to the piece. The stairs leading up to the statue represent the high level Abraham Lincoln is on. Others need to walk up to see him. Also the statue is placed directly in the middle with a spotlight focused on Abraham Lincoln. All these items combined together make him seem like a King. The second theme is lost in time. It looks like an ancient building with a king inside. America never had ancient Greek structures and America has never had a king. The whole sculpture does not look like it should even be in America. It is Americanized only through the use of Abraham Lincoln on the inside. The structure looks misplaced with the surrounding streets of America that it quite literally looks like it is lost in time. Maybe that was done on purpose. Abraham Lincoln is also lost in time; he will never ever be seen again and everything he has done will only be known through the past.

            I think this piece is very beautiful. I am a person who likes geometric patterns, equality, and balance in objects. What is on the left is the same as what is on the right, and what is out of the ordinary is all placed in the center. Another aspect is the color white. The white makes it look really crisp and sharp. It looks clean, and the white really enhances the shadows in the Abraham Lincoln Statue. Any other color would have made it ugly. I say this because it is so big and bold that the white balances out. Black would have been too gloomy for this and especially because it is a sculpture, shadows are only seen through the way the light hits it. The one thing I dislike about the Lincoln Memorial is the quote inscribed above the statue. It is so powerful, attractive, and appealing that I feel the message the quote gives is already expressed through the way it looks. This does not really include the memorial itself, but the other pieces of architecture that are placed by the memorial just enhance the beauty. The whole scenery would not be complete without the Lincoln Memorial and vice versa.