Netflix and Existential Pondering

Macbeth’s Netflix Queue:

Macbeth is a naturally born leader who struggles to control his inner demons after killing his friend Banquo and the former king Duncan. A majority of his decisions are based off personal gain or are motivated by Lady Macbeth’s persuasiveness. Macbeth also fails to regain control of his life after performing these questionable acts, and instead lets his life deteriorate into madness. These are the TV shows that best represent Macbeth’s fears, desires, and deepest beliefs about power.

The Walking Dead: Rick Grimes, the leader of the Atlanta surviving group, does whatever it takes for his family and friends to survive. The beginning of the show sees Rick’s strong morals and authoritarian nature flourish under the pressure of a zombie apocalypse, much like Macbeth’s inner warrior nature. However, as the show goes on, Rick becomes more and more tyrannical, and his decision making is questionable at best. The show’s portrayal of him makes it very difficult to see if Rick and his team are the heros, or the villains. Macbeth’s morals similarly deteriorate over the course of the play, and he would be able to relate to all the issues that Rick has with maintaining his power, like with Shane in Seasons 1 and 2. Rick also struggles with the weight of human existence, as it is known that there are 5000 walkers (zombies) for every single human on the planet. Similarly, Macbeth struggles with living after taking both Duncan and Banquo’s life, but both characters manage to persevere and continue their suspicious decision making.

Stranger Things: (minor spoilers) Stranger Things is a nod to the 1980’s classics, created by Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter, that enthralled audiences with their horrific and mysterious plot devices. The stars of the show include Mike, Eleven, Dustin, and Lucas who search for their missing friend Will Byers after he disappears after an unnatural storm. After the second episode, the supernatural is introduced through the form of alternate dimensions and a Demogorgon - a humanoid monster. Macbeth could relate to the struggles of fighting otherworldly forces, the Demogorgon in ST, and could see the traits that he once admired in the kids - bravery, intelligence, and innocence. He would empathize with the main character, Mike, and see him as a child-like version of himself before his warrior days. Ultimately, this might reveal that Macbeth isn’t happy being a leader, and could show him that not all fights with the supernatural can be won.

Daredevil: Arguably one of the better superhero shows to be present on Netflix, Daredevil features a lawyer, Matthew Murdock, who, despite being diagnosed as blind, can “see” things around him because of a radioactive substance. Coincidentally, he also is an expert fighter because his father was a professional boxer and he uses these special skills for the “betterment” of the rest of Hell’s Kitchen. Matt often struggles with issues from his past, like his father’s suspicious death, his old teacher’s harsh tactics, and his own violent tendencies. Macbeth shares an abundance of these characteristics with Matt: he is a cunning warrior and lets his inner demons have too much say in his decision making. Both Macbeth and Matt try to fight their way out of personal issues, and it often leads to someone they care about getting hurt or killed. This would show that Macbeth may not believe that he is the “villain,” but rather that he is simply trying to conquer his inner demons while being a strong leader.

A Gifted Man: This CBS show, on air for one short season, is about a young and extremely talented neurosurgeon named Michael Holt. Michael is coping with the death of his ex-wife, Anna, with whom he was close with despite their recent divorce. Anna soon begins to appear to Michael in the form of a ghost, which only he can see, even if others are in the same room. A friend of Michael’s, Anton Little Creek, eventually senses Anna due to his shamanic skills, but is never able to see her. The show is written about Michael’s efforts to figure out why Anna continually reappears and what can be done to fix his immediate problems. Similarities are apparent between Macbeth and Holt; both are competent, strong-willed men who have a fear of the supernatural, even if it is trying to help them. Both of their lives quickly change from orthodoxy to all hell breaking loose seemingly overnight and it takes a mental and spiritual toll on each individual. Michael’s deceased ex-wife also helps him make critical decisions, something that Lady Macbeth attempts to aid Macbeth with. This would prove that Macbeth’s actions are motivated by his fear of the supernatural and his desire to regain control of his life.

Corrupt Macbeth is Corrupt (Spoilers)

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton
To what extent would Shakespeare agree with this statement? Use the play and your own experience as your support.

**SPOILERS ABOUT THE PLAY BELOW (don’t read if you don’t want to know plot details)**

John Dalberg-Acton, the brilliant man behind the aforementioned quote, was a Catholic politician and writer. The full remark, stated by Acton was, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” This has deep-rooted connections to the play Macbeth, as, after Macbeth is named king, he proceeds to act questionably and corruptly.

It’s important to mention that Macbeth was not BORN corrupt - his increasing power caused increasing corruptness. Macbeth begins the play as the Thane of Glamis and quickly encounters the Weird Sisters who predict that he will eventually become Thane of Cawdor and replace Duncan as king. This prophecy, coupled with other events in the beginning of the play, plant the seeds of corruption in his head that lead him to kill both king Duncan and his best friend Banquo. In Act 1, it is revealed that the Thane of Cawdor, who fought with Macbeth in a recent battle against the Norwegians, was a traitor, and consequently was executed. This caused Macbeth to be promoted to both Thane of Cawdor and Thane of Glamis, part of the Weird Sisters’ prophecy. The Thane’s death  prompted Macbeth to think that the prophecy might become true if he (Macbeth) took action.

Macbeth’s new position of power combined with the prophecy lurking in the forefront of his mind directly caused his downward spiral into insanity. Influenced by Lady Macbeth and his new position of power, he commits regicide to take a step closer to becoming king. Macbeth is a seasoned warrior, yet Duncan’s death haunts him greatly, evidenced by the apparition of his bloody dagger. Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain flee, and Macbeth is crowned king. However, he is worried about his kingship because Banquo and Fleance are suspicious and because the Weird Sisters prophecy stated that Banquo or Fleance may be king instead of Macbeth. Uneasy, Macbeth hires three murders to kill both Banquo and Fleance, but only Banquo ends up dead.

Macbeth’s ultimate corruption is revealed when Macduff’s betrayal has become transparent to the whole kingdom. The king now decides that the only justice for this treason is death for his whole family! He sends murderers to Macduff’s palace, and they cut down Lady Macduff and her whole family, with the exception of Macduff, who is on his way to visit Macbeth. It is quickly revealed that Macbeth is responsible for the murders, and Macduff leaves to gather troops and start a war.

With reference to Macbeth, Shakespeare would agree with this quote to a great extent. Macbeth, evidenced by the correlation between his rise of power and his increasing corruption, is a prime example of a leader whose main focus became obtaining and retaining authority by all means necessary, including murder and deception. In reference to the play’s historical context, Shakespeare could be sending a message to James I about his fear of being dethroned - a result of the Gunpowder Plot. I think that the play was written in a way for James I to THINK that he is similar to Banquo and that his fears are justified, but in reality it was written as a warning to him about what may happen if he continues to place his power over his responsibilities as king. This is just one of the many occurrences of appearance vs. reality in the play, an overarching theme of the play by Shakespeare.

#IBBadAtArt

First off, I want to apologize for the people - I literally cannot draw anything except for boxes (and even then I can't do such a great job).

The art piece that I will analyze was created in the mid 1170's using gilded silver and glass cabochons (a fancy word for a polished piece of glass). It is formally titled "Reliquary Casket with the Scenes from the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket." A reliquary casket is used by the Catholic Church to hold articles of saints that are holy. Its dimensions are 23/16 x 23/4 x 17/8 inches which seems to me, pretty small. The artist is unknown but we do know that its origin is from Britain or British culture.

The piece was created with the intent of memorializing Thomas Becket's martyrdom against King Henry II, as each side of the casket features some form of tribute for his sacrifice. The writing on the front of the says, "S Tomas Occidit" or "Saint Thomas is killed," while on the back the writing says, "T Sanguis e s Tom" which is an abbreviated way of saying, "Inside is the blood of Thomas." The size of the container makes more sense now because a container wouldn't have to be big to hold a little bit of blood. Each of the sides represents something about Becket's life - the front side is an image of him being assaulted by four knights, the left side features an angel carrying his soul to heaven, and the image over the lock shows an angel blessing Becket. This piece was clearly made with the intent to commemorate his sacrifice for the good of the Catholic people.

The artist uses a variety of materials, including gold and dark metals, to honor Becket. Gold is an expensive material and was used for making a statement about a certain topic - like saluting a martyr. Similarly, the darker metals that are used to help create the images on the side represent the sadness that underlies the artist's intentions; it's clear he didn't want Becket to die for his actions. The red jewel on top is also proof that Becket was a revered figure - not many people had a container that had BOTH gold and a jewel on it.

The work itself is a combination of praise for Becket's sacrifice and a lament for his life. The artist is telling the followers of Catholicism that Becket's sacrifice was unnecessary, but heroic, and that every follower should be willing to risk their life for their beliefs. This was evident through the historical context, as Becket's death was facilitated by King Henry II, a figure that the Catholics absolutely despised. In memorializing Becket's death, the artist also portrays King Henry II as a villain and demands a call to action against him (possible assassination?) In modern times, this piece could be a representation of the the hypocrisy associated with religion. Two similar (peaceful) religions were in conflict and it led to the death of an innocent and brave man. This idea of conflicting religions is something that we deal with in modern times as well - evidenced by the clash between condemned Muslim and Christian groups and their normal followers.

Canterbury Tales and Jane Eyre

This is going to be my freebie for the semester :)! Treating myself cause it's the end of the quarter

Seven Deadly Sins

Advertisement:
- Created by Calvin Klein (taken from video segment)
- Advertising new women's perfume called Reveal
- Posted on YouTube on June 11th, 2014

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enzT6uBZgZQ
Link to ad itself: http://www.nstperfume.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ck-reveal-wide-s.jpg

Calvin Klein is a popular company that sells clothes, accessories, and perfumes. Their perfume ads are typically promiscuous and licentious to help appeal to their audience's sensual and emotional feelings. This particular advertisement, for a women's fragrance called Reveal, a man and a woman, both with model-esque features, are in an embrace. The woman is looking at the reader seductively, while simultaneously holding onto the man's shoulders. To enhance the already-sensual nature of the ad, ambiguous buildings and a sunset are seen in the background, covered by dark rosy pink curtains. The only words on the ad itself are, "Reveal," with both the company name and the product underneath the text. The focus of the image is clearly the product, with the two lovers added on almost as an afterthought to the right of the company and product names.

This ad thrives on ambiguity and mysteriousness because the creators recognize the connection between uncertainty and sexual tension. The name of the product, Reveal, is a nod to lust, as the man is shirtless, and the woman is wearing a revealing shirt. The whole background of the photo is covered in alternating splashes of light and dark, but the light "coincidentally" shines on the perfume, while the two lovers are shrouded in darkness. The contrast between light and dark also creates feelings of passion within the reader and causes them to become envious of the beautiful couple. Another key technique employed by the advertisers is having minimal words on the ad itself; it draws the reader's attention to the product while simultaneously being envious of the lovers in the dark. Color is also used cleverly within the ad. The casing of the perfume matches with all of the colors in the background. This creates a feeling of connectedness between the perfume and the lovers, as if the advertisers were saying, "If you (women) wear this perfume, men will love you." These four varying techniques all subliminally or openly persuade the reader to buy their product.

The intended audience of the advertisement itself is prospective buyers of the perfume Reveal. While the fragrance itself is designed for women, men also might purchase it as gift for their girlfriend, which simply means another target market for the marketing company to acknowledge. They do so successfully by including a man within the ad itself; this addition gives the reader the idea that if they buy their girlfriend/wife/lover this perfume, then she will enjoy it. The purchasers of the perfume would most likely be both economically well off and a high end shopper because Calvin Klein is a popular and expensive brand name for perfumes. The creators of the ad are manipulating the Western ideals about sexuality for both men and women, and playing off of each gender's insecurities. The ad appeals to men because they will be able to please their girlfriend, and it appeals to women because the fragrance will help attract men.

My first name was given to me because both of my parents liked unique names. Spencer quickly rose to the top of the ranks, but my parents also toyed with the name Xavier, a famous saint in Roman Catholic history (my whole family is Catholic). When I was born, I was officially christened Spencer. While my first name is bland, tasteless, and lacks any sense of metaphorical meaning, my middle name and last name are the remnants of my father and grandparent's culture. In 1970, when my father was 7, he and my grandparents moved from New Delhi, India to Franklinton, North Carolina. In 1970, New Delhi had a population of 3.5 million people and more significantly, a population density of 2358 people per square kilometer, compared to Franklinton, which had a population size of just over a thousand people total. New Delhi had twice as many people in a kilometer as Franklinton had in its whole city.

My middle name, Mohandas, is a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, whose birth name was Mohandas Gandhi. My father wanted a part of his culture to be with us wherever we go, and each of my siblings' names is a related to our Indian heritage. Similarly, our surname, Maingi, is a reminder that we, as a family, were immigrants from a poor country, and to be grateful for the life that we live in America. My grandparents were upper class in India, but because of Indian-American monetization, they were lower middle-class when they arrived in America. I think the main reason my father wanted a part of his culture to be with his children is because he knew that we would grow up America and know next to nothing about our real culture. Neither my siblings nor I speak Hindi, and we are not Hindus or a Buddhists, as the overwhelming number of Indians are. We grew up American, but through our names, our past will always be with us.

Because of the dual nature of my race, I struggled with coming to terms with the idea that I wasn't like everyone else that was around me, specifically from elementary school to middle school. I went to a private Catholic school, and it was quite lacking in the racial diversity department. I was one of the only "ethnic" kids there, even though I was born in America and had assimilated into white culture. I was embarrassed by my middle name because I didn't understand the nature of it, and for years I never told anyone my middle name. As I grew older, I understood why my parents chose the way that they did, but it still resonated within me that I was different than others, and I thought different meant that I was worse. In reality, it simply means that I'm unique, but being American and Catholic and not being white, set me up for occasional racist or inappropriate remarks, and I thought for a long time that I wasn't good enough for the rest of the people that I knew. Later on, I was told by my father that America itself is a melting pot, and that everyone in our country came from somewhere other than here. That realization alone helped me be happy with who I really am: an American with Indian heritage.

Photo Details:  Charles and Hai at Tip Top Haircut, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2012, by Wing Young Huie


http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzocfmBnmp1r3166lo1_r1_540.jpg


When I first looked at the photo, my eyes were immediately drawn to the focus of the image, a chalkboard that was on the lap of the African-American man in the barber chair. The chalkboard, said, "I am a fair minded person. I wish the world would be the same." Immediately after that, I realized that the photo was in black and white, and a man, presumably of Asian descent was cutting the African-American man's hair. The Asian man has a look of intense concentration on his face, and he has two different tools for cutting hair. The background of the photograph has a picture that is blurred, but combined with the statues surrounding it, seems religious. Just over the patient's shoulders, there is a bouquet of flowers. After a few more moments of examination, I noticed that the man holding the sign, had his eyes closed, which allowed me to infer that he was either angry or saddened. After reading the commentary, I learned that Huie chose this photo of the man with his eyes closed, compared to one with his eyes open, because he thought that it was a better representation of the sign on his lap. This intrigued me, and made me rethink the coloring of the photo. Eventually, I came to believe that Wing Young Huie chose black and white to symbolize the divide between the two races within American society. While the patient obviously has a darker complexion, the barber is lighter. However, when he is compared to the blankness of the white, he doesn't quite blend in to the background, and more symbolically, the rest of white society.

Huie's image on the surface portrays the "others" differently than Atwood, but they're connected on a much subtler level. Atwood often uses imagery to show how outcasts in The Handmaid's Tale are shunned and marginalized. Huie does something similar within his photograph, specifically choosing reduce the photo's colors to black and white. Within the photo itself, there is a stark contrast between black and white, evidenced by the lack of grey. In The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood uses the society's and the government's harsh rules that are "black and white" to punish the "others." In some cases, the government of Gilead punishes former respected figures, doctors and revolutionaries. The "blacks" in Gilead's case are anti-government firebrands, like Moira or Ofglen, while the whites are simply those who assimilate to the culture, like Offred. The photographer could be represented by all the enforcers of Gilead's laws.  In contrast to the aforementioned,  Huie's photo captures the image of a hardworking barber and a frequent customer. The patient and barber are two different races, which indicates that even thought they come from different cultures, they can still have respect each other. I find that idea to be very powerful, and equally revealing about a person's true nature.