It's Kind of a Funny Story

I recently watched the movie It's Kind of a Funny Story because one of my favorite actors, Zach Galifanakis, is in it. I first saw Zach in the movie The Hangover, he is extremely funny and very good at acting as that "weird" character that is just kinda off and does strange little things. If you want to see some of his type of humor I suggest you check out some videos he did for Funny or Die called "Between Two Ferns" where he interviews famous actors and actresses. It's Kind of a Funny Story is about a 16 year old boy named Craig (Keir Gilchrist) who is struggling with depression. One he day he decides he cant handle it and he calls the suicide help line, they tell him should go to the hospital. He originally goes to just get medication to try and help but the doctor brings up the possibility of him staying in the psychiatric ward of the hospital and Craig immediately says he wants to do that. He quickly wants to change that decision because he realizes that most of the people in the ward have a lot more serious conditions then just depression, but the doctors tell him he has to stay for at least 5 days so hes stuck. Over those 5 days he starts to find himself with the help of Bobby (Zach Galifanakis) and some others in the ward, he even develops a crush for a girl.

From: FocusFeatures on Youtube

This is probably my favorite scene from the movie, it is during one of there group therapy sessions.

I would say this movie is a "feel good" type movie, its supposed to make you think and then at the end make you happy, and I think it does a very good job of that. It also has bits of comedy, Zach Galifanakis's character is a kind of off person and he has some really funny parts, but he also has some very serious parts. It deals a lot with depression and what types of things can go into a teen being depressed. It talks about school, girls, college applications, parents expectations as things that can drive a teen into being depressed and I think its very realistic. A lot of teens struggle with depression and the movie does a really good job of talking about this topic. 

I really liked this movie, it makes you laugh but it also makes you think about life in a new way. It makes you realize that some people have a harder time dealing with some things and that we all need to understand that. I would definitely watch this movie again and I would give it a 5/5 rating. I watched it with a friend and she also thought it was really good, its based off a novel and are both interested in reading the book.

I would recommend this movie to anyone, its a really good "feel good" movie and I actually felt really happy after watching it. It also has some great comedy and its just an overall good movie. I hope that it gets some recognition because it is really good and should be seen by as many people as possible.

"In Hand, Or Online?"

There are many readers of the Albany Democrat-Herald, of course now many of those readers are taking advantage of the online version. It is important to look at the differences between printed and online versions. What we really want to know is, "are they the same?". I will be examining both, while I do I will explain what I see and think of each.




The primary focus of the Albany Democrat-Herald is current news, local and world wide. This includes but is not limited to tragedy and world issues. There are a lot of local issues and events throughout the printed newspaper. The organization is pretty clean; everything is boxed off and has its own space. I can find that the amount of stories that are pushed in can be distracting, regardless of the organization of them. I have found that most of the stories are kept fairly short. This makes it more comfortable for me. I get the main points and move on. There are a good amount of pictures that are in color. When i turn from page to page, there are quite a few ads that linger on the bottom, like they are the water keeping the newspaper afloat. In reality, I suppose that is true. As I work my way to the online version of the Albany Democrat-Herald, I find that there are a lot of the same exact stories. I believe that the focus of the online versions is to fit the needs of the reader more accurately. There are links that will take you to what you are specifically looking for. I think that if a person is only interested in certain topics, then this version would be the way to go. It makes it very fast and convenient.

I think that the Albany Democrat-Herald will always be one of the most popular newspapers whether it be in print or online. It has built a name for itself and a reputation. Even from the creation of it in 1859 (time line). I see that the most important front page manner of this newspaper is local tragedy. This is something that always catches peoples attentions. We as people want to know what has happened in our community. A couple of the greatest strengths of the printed copy is the ability to move which the online version has more trouble with. I see so many people in coffee shops, restaurants, and offices reading their physical copy of the newspaper, I was less likely to see people with their laptops. As well as the ad space that just doesn't seem to be dwelling in the online version. I think that some shortcomings would be the efficiency and paper waste. It's so much quicker to jump online and get what you want instead of searching through the whole paper, and the online version saves paper...but takes more energy.

So many different people read the newspaper. I know that a lot of people may believe that just older people are prone to get it everyday, but that is just not true. I believe that many more young people are starting to get involved and read more about local and world wide news. They are wanting to be informed. The only difference is the younger readers are more into the online versions, where as the older generations may not be as technologically advanced.

I would definitely prefer a physical copy of any newspaper. I personally do not read the newspaper a whole lot, but i know people who do and they agree with me. There is just something about holding it in your hands and being able to take it with you. I do believe that both versions serve their purpose well, because there is a demand for both. Most older people want it printed, while the younger generation is moving online. I found it interesting that the Albany Democrat-Herald actually had a facebook as well. This is really reaching out to the younger crowd. I, however do not really read any newspapers, but I have learned that there is an important aspect to each version of a newspaper, whether it be printed or online.

Modern Family

From: ABCNetwork http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTOvZdAqrwM

DESCRIBE:

Modern Family is a comedy on ABC; its on every Wednesday at 9 pm. Every Modern Family episode is centered around three different family's that are all related. The first family is the Dunphy family; theres Phil and Claire who are the dad and mom in the family, and then their three kids Luke, Haley and Alex. The second family is a gay couple Mitchell and Cameron and their adopted baby. Mitchell is Claire's brother. The last family includes Jay, who is Claire's and Mitchell's father, his wife Gloria, and there son Manny. In the episode that I watched the three family's are all getting ready to go to Manny's birthday, but all three of them are having problems getting to the restaurant. Mitchell and Cameron are rushing to get Manny a gift but Cameron keeps getting distracted and it's taking forever. The Dunphy's leave on time but then Claire and Phil decide to race and they each take at least one of the kids. On the way to the restaurant they start having heart to hearts with the kids. Gloria cant find her keys, Jay is teasing her and making fun of her about how she always loses things, and it makes her mad. He eventually finds the keys in his coat pocket, even though he told her he didn't have them. He puts them in her purse because he's embarrassed that he was making fun of her when he had them the entire time. Meanwhile Manny is having problems getting older because he feels like he never was a kid; he always acted too old. He starts doing things that he thinks every kid should do, like making prank calls and mixing sodas together (video above). At the end of the video all the parents in the family are fighting, but Manny makes a speech that makes everybody cheer up.


Most of the ads are for a ton of car companies or car dealerships. There were ads for clothing stores like JCpenneys, quite a few ads for pizza places like Dominoes or Pizza Hut, Apple ads for iPads, a lot of ads for cleaning products or general household products like Ziploc, and ads for fast food places like Taco Time.


ANALYZE:
I think this show is focusing on the standard family and its for ages 16+. Most of the jokes are clean, but some of them are a little more mature or you need to be older to understand. There's a lot of stereotypes with gay couples and then Latinos because Jay's wife Gloria is Latino; so is their son. Usually the show follows a pattern where the characters sit down for interviews and talk about the story, then they show what actually happened. It's kind of similar to The Office. It's different from other shows where they have the, "typical family" because they have an average couple but also a gay couple and an interracial couple.


INTERPRET:
The show has quite a few stereotypes, the biggest stereotype is Cameron. In the show he is half of a gay couple and he's a little more sensitive and flamboyant then his partner Mitchell. The producers never make it ridiculously bad and its never done in an offensive way. They do it in a way so that it's funny and not in a way that's over the top or that makes it seem like all gay men are like that.


I think the ads are focused on the average middle aged family. They are all ads for cleaning products or fast food places; pretty standard ads. I think the ads work really well with the audience the companies are trying to target. If I was from another country, I might be a little offended by the show. They never have any really bad jokes, but to some people might find them a little distasteful.


EVALUATE:
In a way Modern Family reflects society, it shows how open the American life can be with a gay couple and an interracial couple. Definitely it is a parody because the families are usually put in ridiculous situations that would probably never happen, it's meant to be funny, not serious. I like Modern Family, its pretty funny. Its not my favorite show and I don't usually make a point to see every new episode, but I do watch it if it's on because it's usually entertaining. Almost every critic has given Modern Family a really good review. It has a average score of 87/100 for the first season on Metacritic. Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune said that, "The themes about family life and its stresses are nothing new, but you couldn't ask for better execution." Most critics favor the show, which is similar to my opinion. Some critics also cite the same stereotypes that I do, mainly the gay stereotypes that the show has. Bruce Feiler from the New York Times talks about how when the show first aired fans were complaining about how they never showed the gay couple kissing. 


ENGAGE:
I watch Modern Family every now and then, not every week but i'd say a couple times a month. I have some friends who really like show, I talk to them about it but I am not a huge fan or anything.

CONCLUSION:
I noticed that a lot of the ads were focused on the middle class family; I think that is the shows main audience. Like I said, I don't watch it a lot but my mom and step father watch it every new episode. I think that the ad companies did a good job of realizing who watches Modern Family, making ads that those people would like.

Allstate Mayhem

by /Sizemore/ flickr.com

The allstate commercials have caught my attention within the past few months. I am always waiting for new ones to come out. I think that they are absolutely hilarious. This is a great example of good advertising; it grabs your attention and it is easy to associate with your own life. These are everyday situations that frustrate us so much.

From: Allstate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Sjld5yy3Q

The first time that I saw this video, i was at a friend’s house and we both were laughing hysterically. It is focusing on Dean Winters playing the role of a teenage girl. He is driving through a parking lot in a pink Durango. As the camera zooms into the car you see him with a girly phone, pink sunglasses on his head, and bandages on his face. The dialog sounds exactly like what a teenage girl would say, it’s just funnier when you hear it in his monotone voice.

As he is driving through the parking lot, he is texting his, “BFF”; she says that she kissed a boy and it’s a boy he likes. He gets “emotionally compromised”. The use of technology is the cell phone; I definitely see the connection with the use of cell phone and the wreck itself. Aw, the distraction that a teenage girl goes through while driving. It does incorporate a bit of the association principle and myth. The first is that the teenager’s life has little to do with allstate. Of course this affects the emotion thus puts stress on her driving, but in the overall picture there just isn’t a whole lot in common. As for the myth, there is a made up storyline, the texting teenage girl in the pink Durango.

This video is something that I personally have not seen before. I think that it is new and different. I believe that the target audience would be middle aged couples with kids. That would explain the teenage girl. They are saying “hey you, with the hormonal teenage girl; get insured! We are the best.” There is a huge stereotype in this advertisement, the teenage girl and how most of them typically act. It’s funny because when my boyfriend’s daughter saw this commercial she rolled her eyes and let out a omg. What a surprise that was. Of course she probably thought it was stupid, but to everyone else it is easy to see how it rings true.

I think that the message in the advertisement is clear. It is telling consumers that they better have the best coverage on their vehicles, because you never know when mayhem will strike. I also believe that the other allstate commercials are clear in their message as well. They give great real life examples to make you think about what kind of coverage you have. These are very memorable commercials, because they are funny and you always want to see what they come up with next. I have found myself saying, “Have you seen the allstate commercials?”

In working on this assignment, I have learned to look deeper into the world of commercials and the effectiveness they have. Whether or not the ad works and generates a consumer base is vital to the company that is spending the money to put out the ad in the first place.

Links to other allstate commercials:

Large espresso mayhem
GPS mayhem
Jogger mayhem

words for the wise

Greatest song ever.

All hail the hippos

This is a picture from dfb on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/geodanny/4088407759/

With a Y

Bryan with a Y. Mindy with a Y.