"Blackfish" Movie Review

    Alright, time for a controversial film! 

    Blackfish is a documentary that details the story of Tilikum, a captive orca at SeaWorld who has been responsible for the deaths of 3 people, most notably Dawn Brancheau. The film follows this majestic beast from his capture as a baby to his growing aggression that has led to publicized incidents, most debatably caused by being kept in a 20-foot tank most of the time and ripped from his family at such a young age. While focusing on Tilikum, the movie also discusses some of the other orca whales at SeaWorld that have caused similar incidents, such as Haidi II and Nootka V, and addresses the question of how orcas should not be kept in captivity. 

     This documentary gets its point across really well. Instead of demonizing killer whales, the film explores the causation behind their aggression and details why such incidents have occurred. The real enemy here is not Tilikum, but SeaWorld, for neglecting the psychological safety of whales in favor of money. SeaWorld knows this, which is why they neglected to be interviewed for this film and then responded by saying the film was inaccurate. Yeah, right! 

     Save the whales, you guys! 

     (P.S. If you want to know about the foundation that has been erected in Dawn's honor, please click       

       here.) 

Overall rating: 9/10

I'm A White, Secular American And Your Culture Looks Delicious

   Many of you probably saw this title and went "What?" 

   So let me explain:

   It's happening a lot more these days. As the number of nonreligious white Americans begins to increase, so does the interest in other "alternative" cultures. Kids who grow up without a strong cultural identity (which can include religion) end up going through that identity crisis all of us experience at around the time of adolescence. Only, imagine that crisis magnified a few hundred times. 

  I saw it firsthand in high school. Though there are a lot of people at my church, there was also a hefty number of non-religious kids at my school. These were the self-proclaimed atheists who deemed religion to be manipulative and (in their words) "ultimately fucked up". Understandable, I suppose, because it most likely stemmed from the main teenage mantra that emerged in the 60's and has since become the battle-cry of modern adolescence: "Everything my parents and elders teach me must be wrong, so I will push myself as far away as I can." This has led to my generation actively seeking out alternative, "cool" beliefs and cultural practices all for the sake of claiming individuality. 

   And thus we have the problem of culture expolitation. 

   I did not realize how prevalent this was until last October, when my sister and I went into a pagan shop in Sugarloaf to get incense. As we were paying, we spoke with another woman who revealed herself to be a practicing witch, and the three of us watched as a group of college Hipster kids walked by with a stack of Tarot cards, shuffling them like Pokemon cards and giggling over how "cool" they were. I saw the woman next to me roll her eyes, but in a way that suggested that this wasn't the first time she's seen such a thing. For some reason I was irritated by the whole situation. Did these people ever stop to consider how wearing a pentagram or buying Tarot cards when you aren't a Wiccan is something that real Wiccans might take offense to? Did it cross their mind that certain people might not enjoy the fact that white secular Americans believe their culture to be a "fad" or a silly game instead of something to actually be taken seriously and respected? This drove me to the point of buying the last micro-book of spells at a local supermarket because I was terrified of it ending up in the hands of a yuppie kid. 

   It got me to thinking, and I realized that kids my age were trying to find a group to latch onto in order to feel accepted. And because the whole "I'm-a-special-and-unique-snowflake" message is infiltrating the mainstream, there are a lot of people experiencing cultural exploitation, namely the pagans, Indians, Asians, and Native Americans. Those who claim to be a part of these groups when they aren't are only insulting these people and treating their culture as something that is temporarily cool, and is a trend that won't last forever. 

  I personally don't give a flying fuck that Christianity and Conservativism isn't considered to be "cool". I know I am not a completely unique and special snowflake, and I hate it when people believe themselves to be one because in reality, we are all pretty normal (GASP). 

   Let me put it to you this way: cultures are not "fads". They are not some type of club you can join for a certain period of time until you get bored. You want a cultural identity? Look to your parents, your grandparents, and extended family. Remember who you really are and where you came from, because it is nothing to be ashamed of. There is nothing "boring" or redundant about a culture, no matter how many people belong to it. In fact, the most obvious way to be average is to act as if you don't need to belong to anything. Because guess what? There are hundreds of people who are trying to isolate themselves with the same thinking. 

An Amazing Look Inside The Womb

http://www.buzzfeed.com/personhoodusa/top-10-mind-blowing-images-of-human-life-in-the-wo-drqv

Mindblowing pictures are in the link above!

Overpriced "Boho" Is Running Rampant!

     Now, I hate the word "Boho" to begin with. It sounds way too much like "bimbo" and implies a message that real Bohemians are not trying to send. Using "Boho" to describe a fashion is just another cutesy girl, teeny-bobber device magazines use to sell their crap. But the problem is that even though there are decent Bohemian styles out there right now, the hyprorisy lies in their pricing. 

     If you go on Free People, you will probably see some pretty cool threads. Innovative? Yes. Beautiful? Absolutely. Affordable? Not in a millenium. 

     For instance, earlier today I was looking at dresses on that site, and one that displayed a simple South American design and labeled as an "Inca" dress was priced at $390. (Yes, you read that correctly). Even thr richest Bohemians would not pay $400 for a freaking polyester dress made in LA (and probably put together in a factory), unless it was designed by a close friend or done exclusively for them. True Bohemians do not need clothes to sell the idea of who they are. To them, clothes are a side effect of their lifestyle. I am tired of girls going around thinking, "People will totally think I'm innovative and mysterious and interesting when I wear this overpriced but totally fashionable ugly, printed, $500 denim dress." If you physically have to work hard to put together a creative outfit, you are not a Bohemian. You are a Hipster. 

     Another example of this exploitation is the new jewelry line by Kim and Zozi, who have designed their self-proclaimed "hippie bling" to sell at Nordstroms. Because of course the original hippies from the 60's would absolutely drop $165 for a "hand-beaded" bangle bracelet that was probably made in a sweatshop somewhere in Polynesia. I could make that bracelet myself; or at least by it from someone else who has a little jewelry stand at an arts festival.

     If you've been reading this blog, you probably have some sort of an idea of the behaviors of the historical and authentic Bohemians. They do not make spectacles of themselves, nor do they put up a front. 

    Want some real Bohemian threads? Don't go anywhere near the designer labels. Their designs are manufactured and only seek to exploit creativity for profit. Also, make sure you know exactly where the clothes you have came from. 

What Current Websites Would Be Like If They Were People

Pinterest: As a typical white suburban mom, Pinterest lives in a neighborhood surrounded by other white suburban moms that fix gourmet meals each day, from recipes that have at least 3 adjectives in their name. Her perfect house has an indoor water slide, a redone barn, a perfect shabby-chic kitchen, and a closet filled with vintage clothes. She has no job of her own other than crafting homemade pastel things all day long for her children and planning her 3rd wedding. 

Etsy: A Hipster kid who has nothing better to do than make something she believes is unique and cute while pricing it outrageously high in an attempt to pay off her student loans. She knows you need to put an owl on everything in your house and she is willing to do it while in an upcycled dress made of old shirts. 

Offbeat Bride: While many see her as nice and pretty, she does not seem to know what wedding trends are nerdy-but-cool, nerdy-but-tacky, and the ones that are labeled as "quirky" so that they are of course done to death over and over again. She is always dressed in a white dress with rainbow lacing and red converse sneakers, and serves her cocktails in little Mason jars with people's names on them. Just don't ever mention to her that her theme has most likely been done before. 

Facebook: Usually alternates between an annoying teenager and TMI suburban mom. They both find it necessary to tell everyone what they are doing, comment on everyone else's business, and "like" everything just to get on people's good sides. Problem is, this person can be a little too invasive sometimes, and incredibly annoying. 

Twitter: Even more annoying than Facebook but about ten times more stupid. Twitter cannot even speak in full sentences and is always making grammatical errors. Plus, he finds the hashtag symbol to be badass but we all know he's just a wannabe. 

Youtube: It is hard to say what mood he will be in on a given day. He has seen everything about everyone and has tons of life lessons up his sleeves, but occasionally he can turn into a lazy and vulgar person, sitting on the couch in his sweatshirt and making social commentary every so often. Be sure to only catch him on his good days. 

Wikipedia: Sure, he's literary, but we also happen to question his resources when he spouts out things that don't make sense. By this point we see him as less of a notable source for facts and more of someone who would help write an essay on conspiracy theories. 

Google: He's so big, so amazing, and so full of information that people are intimidated by him. He is innovative and flexible and will help you in any way he can. 

10 Aspects of Current Popular Culture That Need To Die

 

1. Zombies, zombies, and more zombies. C'mon already! The Walking Dead, Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, zombie survival kits, zombie jokes, zombie shirts, zombie printed stuff...Let's be honest here, people, the only reason we try to love zombies is that we are trying to distance ourselves from the vampire/werewolf phenomenon that was born out of Twilight. But the truth is, zombies are gross. Really gross. And I can hardly wait to see what ridiculous obsession people will come up with once zombies fade away. 

2. Exploiting rednecks and southerners. I understand that there is a show for everything now. But considering that being a suburban liberal is mainstream now, it's no surprise that many shows like Duck Dynasty and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo are aired to make those suburbanites go, "Aha! Look at the stupid Walmart people! We're so much better than they are!" And maybe you are better than they are...in a much shallower kind of way. 

3. Trying to be a "cool nerd". Also known as a Hipster. I'm sure I am not the only one who is getting tired of seeing steampunk, My Little Pony, and scads of other "hip" nerdy stuff. Let me put it to you this way: If you are trying to be hip, then you aren't really a nerd. You're just as mainstream as everyone else.

4. Trying to be a cool parent. This is perhaps the most annoying thing on the list. I cringe when I see parents using the words "totes", "adorbs", and "totally". (Not that anyone really says "totally" anymore). Parents are never really going to be cool, because if they are, then their children are born cool and cannot experience the true teenage rebellion that would have made them cool. They are essentially doomed to exist inside of a paradox. This issue was addressed on a recent episode of The Simpsons if you want to look it up. 

5. Dubstep. It makes no sense, and it can hardly be called music when it has the sound of a computer having a seizure. I don't care who calls it "art"; essentially, it's dumb. 

6. Obsessing over Nutella, waffles, bacon, muffins, and cupcakes. I thought we were supposed to be advocating for crazy-healthy bland food? Maybe people just love to fantasize about what they could eat if they wanted to....just eat it, for the love of criminy! I'll admit that Nutella is good. But for crying out loud, people, give it a rest already with the Nutella recipes. (I'm looking at you, Pinterest).

7. Anime. The problem with anime is that it pretty much looks the same no matter who draws it. So really, how could one be able to tell them all apart? Newsflash: you can't! What is the entire fascination with Japanese culture anyway? If you want to know the truth, read this article: 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Living In Japan

8. Chuck Norris jokes. How does Chuck Norris feel about all this? We know that he isn't really a superhuman, though he is a badass, so the jokes should stop. They're getting old. 

9. Merging fandoms together. Horrifying as it is, there are too many people making cartoons that merge Harry Potter with Mean Girls, The Avengers with Twilight, Harry Potter with Twilight....STOP! They should all stay in their respective universes. Merging them together just discredits them and it makes no sense. 

10. Supporting everything! How many people have you met that proudly wear a ribbon of every single color in existence? One for breast cancer awareness, one for gay rights, one for domestic violence, one for autism, one for pancreatic cancer, one for cyberbullying.....MAKE IT STOP! Become a doctor or a medical engineer if you want to fight cancer that badly. Money isn't enough; we need manpower. 

Pinterest Crafting

   Okay, so most of you know by now that I'm a bit of a Pinterest addict. But most of the projects I pin I don't actually end up doing, and I'm sure this is true for a lot of other people. Maybe it's because we feel that our version of the project will never come out as good as the original (see the website Pintrosity). However, you can successfully complete a craft even with a few minor alterations. If it is completely the same as the original, then it isn't really that creative anyway.

For instance, here is the original pinned craft for a beaded pendant:

And here is my version: 

The perfectionist crafter is a gene instilled in most of the Pinterest users, which is why many of our boards are filled with complicated projects we pretend we will eventually do, but in reality we forget all about it. Here are some tips for getting yourself motivated to start crafting again: 

   1. Pick a craft, any craft. You have to start somewhere, and one completed project usually leads to another.

   2. Assess the skills and materials needed. I can understand if you don't want to make an ottoman out of an old tire or hand-paint an entire cabinet right away. But many crafts range from all types of difficulty levels, so you should be able to find one that is easy for you. 

   3. Don't worry about perfection. Realize that many of these projects are formulated by skilled experts. So what if your candy corn cupcakes are a little lopsided or the buttons you made into a necklace aren't all the exact shade of blue? Imperfection is beauty in its own right.