"Her Life....In Not so Serious Ruins"

To tie into our diversity and gender unit in class I have decided to talk and quickly cover the accomplishments of a very successful woman in the entertainment industry- Nia Vardalos. Born in Manitoba, Canada (which automatically gives her positive points) Nia Vardalos is a successful actress and screenwriter.



She is well known for her overnight success in 2002 of the low-budget film she wrote and starred in - “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. The movie made $368 million dollars worldwide and made her an instant success. [1] While some may ponder at the incredible success of “Greek Wedding” others who come from different backgrounds will understand the charm and influence of such a movie. The reason why it did so well not only in North America but worldwide is because of the diversity.

For so many it was as if a camera had entered there homes and there family life. It was a chance for the new generations of immigrant children to finally have someone that understands them and there daily lives after school. Many school children born and raised here that do go home to typical “Canadian” households’ never quite understand and almost appear fearful of immigrant or cultured children. This was a way to inform, appreciate, unite and have fun with the very diverse world we are living in.

However, it was also a calling for parents and grandparetns living in North America. Adults these days are in the unfortunate position of attempting to raise there children with balance of there own history and culture in a different country with different traditions. “Greek Wedding” allowed so many people to familiarize with the characters lives especially Vardalos’ character Toula Portokalos.

Toula falls in love with a non- Greek Man, Ian Miller (John Corbett). In the beginning we see Toula, a single thirty something year old women, try to reinvent her self and get away from the years of humiliation from her past for being different. As she is going through the transformation she meets a teacher (Ian) and quickly falls in love with her. Ian is forced to accept her and her huge, conservative, Greek family and Toula must accept the fact that her life is not how her family always planned it to be. This shows the many obstacles and challenges that real life couples feel nowadays and this was one of the biggest appeals to the movie.

Another reason for its success is the humour and great detail that was added. We see Toula’s dad Gus (Michael Constantine) as the typical protective Greek father who is very proud of his Greek heritage. A perfect example of his pride is when he’s driving Toula and her friends to school and he can’t help but ask and prove “that every word comes from the Greek alphabet”. Other members of the family such as the sympathetic mother, odd aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings complete the picture and bring comfort to people as many of us have similar families.

It’s a shame that movie networks and industry members don’t see the potential and the great business they could have if they were willing to take the chance. At the end of the day all of us are immigrants and have different cultures and traditions. Why shouldn’t we celebrate that, why can’t we give everyone a chance to shine, and if it fails then stop producing them? There is after all nothing like humour, and in a time where there is serious humour lacking in the world and people are colliding, the best way is to celebrate how as much as we hate to admit it, we’re more similar in our own crazy way.

Personally, what I really love and relate to is the character of Toula. In the beginning we see how she feels like the odd one in both her lives, her family and school life. She is an awkward child and can’t seem to ever find her footing. To see her transform and become strong and independent was so great to see. Vardalos has done such an amazing job at capturing her and many other girls’ lives. She is one of the most underrated role models out there; she has a great message, and delivers it beautifully.

She is once again hitting our screens with her new film that hit theatres on June 5th, which not surprisingly revolves around Greece. “My Life in Ruins” has many similarities as “Greek Wedding” and looks to be a great way to bring back Vardalos. I hope she continues to write and create meaningful work that many can relate to, and do it all on her own terms.





[1] “Nia Vardalos says life is far from ‘in Ruins’” All Movies Online Article. June 12th, 2009.

The End of an Era?

For decades now soap operas have been the butt of many housewife jokes and for years the soap industry has been steadily becoming a dying breed. In 1937 Guiding Light was created and was originally a radio drama and after a couple of decades it moved to television. [1] Many soap operas were quick to follow and are still running to this day and they include As the World Turns, General Hospital, One Life to Live, All my Children, Days of our lives and The Young and the Restless.

Soap operas are probably one of the guiltiest pleasures around for women and men. Whether you watch to kill time when you’re at home sick, or as a child had adults who watched in your household, or are a disciplined fan who watches every day, soap operas reach out to many people. Everyone probably has one fond memory of watching soap operas and could probably identify each show’s iconic characters.



For instance, everyone knows The Young and the Restless is home to the beloved couple Victor and Nikki Newman (Eric Braedan and Melody Thomas Scott) and one of its more modern characters is the devious vixen Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford). General hospital is the home to one of the most famous soap couples ever- Luke and Laura Spencer, their wedding was watched worldwide and brought in a record breaking 30 million viewers making it one of the most watched event in soap opera history. [2] Days of Our Lives is of course home to “Bope” Bo and Hope Brady (Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso).



On April 1st media outlets and the soap industry were in shock to find out that after 72 years on the air, CBS’ Guiding Light has been cancelled. [3] September 18th will mark the last airing episode of a daytime staple.

For many this was inevitable, and while this may be true, it’s still very much like losing a part of what made daytime television television. Realistically there are many reasons why soap operas are reaching the end of their run and all you have to do is tune into any show between 12-5 pm to see.

The most creative person in the world runs out of ideas, there is only so many stories that can be told for each character. Although soaps have been known to cross many ethical, moral and scientifical lines for the sake of plots they have finally reached the end, and it’s obvious, painfully obvious. Stories are inconsistent, unrealistic, and character degrading.

The goal for a show to succeed and be consistent is long gone; the never-ending changes of senior members of the show heavily affect the outcome of the show. The main problem is that new directors, writers, and producers are coming in with big plans to completely change a show and generate unrealistic ratings. These people try to change everything they can even if they have to ignore the show’s history and there loyal viewers. They begin to change characters and rewrite history however they please, and the network officials have nothing to say as all they care about is money and ratings.

Soaps are one of the most unique mediums out there, and I personally don’t what to see them completely gone. However, I would love to see better writing and consistency with the characters. A lot of the times there appear to be little or no effort and there writing comes off as being lazy. The audience does not want crazy stunts and sex scene after sex scene, all they want is some good character interaction. Another issue I have with soap operas that I wish they would address is the lack of female empowerment.

It’s very common to see females being used on television in general, but I feel soap operas a lot of the times pass the line. I don’t enjoy the dumbing down female characters to make the men look better, as executives believe that they have to cater around the large female audience. This also insults all women; we do not only watch TV to see good looking guys with their shirts off walking around town doing obscene things and insulting women’s intelligence.

After all was it not As the World Turns that had one of the first female characters (and the oldest) Nancy Hughes face the troubles with her marriage and she took the bold step of joining the work force, she became one of the first women in series to do so. The controversial issue of abortion was also one of the first to be discussed and incorporated into stories on television (All my Children). All my Children were also one of the first to openly discuss and create a lesbian relationship between the two female characters, Bianca and Maggie (Eden Riegal and Elizabeth Hendrickson).



Women have been loyal supporters and it is unfair for the soap industry to treat them as such clueless, and plot driven objects. It’s not to say however, all the women are treated to that extreme, because the men also have a fair share of cluelessness being portrayed. But I believe that female portrayal is much more of an insult. There is so much potential and as the saying goes when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. It’s unfortunate that the soap industry does not see the potential and try to work with what they have; they have one of the most loyal audiences around and have plenty of opportunities to continue and make something big.

[1]”Guiding Light Cancelled” New York Post Online Article. Michael Starr. April 1st, 2009. June 11, 2009
< http://www.nypost.com/seven/04012009/tv/guiding_light_cancelled_162386.htm >
[2] “ Luke and Laura’s Almost-20th Wedding Anniversary” Soap Central Online Article. Dan J Kroll. November 15th, 2001. June 11, 2009
< http://www.soapcentral.com/gh/news/2001/1116-lukelaura.php >
[3] ”Guiding Light Cancelled” New York Post Online Article. Michael Starr. April 1st, 2009. June 11, 2009
< http://www.nypost.com/seven/04012009/tv/guiding_light_cancelled_162386.htm >

Happy Birthday to the Gift that Keeps on Giving!

It’s made up of flipping shapes made of four connected squares, and the object is to make them fit as they drop faster and faster. It provides hours of endless pleasure, and this week marks its 25th birthday! Tetris the iconic game machine created in the 1980s celebrates two and half decades of serious game life.

It was created in 1984 by a Soviet Programmer and has since become a worldwide phenomenon. They were once only available on Nintendo’s but have since grown to become available to every possible gadget such as Blackberries, Facebook, and Iphones.[1]

No matter who you are or what background you come from, we have all enjoyed a good game of Tetris. Alexey Pajitnov who was 29 at the time worked at the Moscow Academy of Sciences when he created the game. He claims that all his life he enjoyed puzzles, mathematical riddles and diversion and that is how the creation of Tetris came along.[2]



Tetris has been such a big part of popular culture that there have even been scientific experiments done to further understand the game. The Massachusetts Instituted of Technology concluded in 2002 that the potential combinations are so varied that not even a computer could calculate the different combinations.[3]

Tetris has had a long and tumultuous business life, with Pajitnov not gaining licensing rights until 1996. It has expanded to every possible technological medium and has sold 125 million copies.[4]

Personally, I enjoy Tetris very much but like a fellow player stated in the article you grow to have a love-hate relationship with the game. You love it because it provides hours of entertainment and motivation, however, if your not careful it can easily drive you to insanity! The need to win and outsmart the computer is so powerful and is so rarely done it can drive anyone to craziness. What I most enjoy about tetris is the simplicity. No fancy music, graphics, controls or other gaming gimmicks. All it consists of is a box, shapes randomly dropping, and three controls (left, right, down). I think it’s going to continue to be a staple in everyone’s house and will always outshine the never ending flashy, complicated games that are produced nowadays.

We all have memories of playing Tetris, whether it’s winning or losing, playing with a parent or a friend, playing during your free time or sleeping time, to playing on your couch to on the train with your phone. It’s something that so many people have in common and gives so many of us some of the greatest moments.

Like the creator said “Technology changes a lot, but I can't say people change a lot." [5] There is no doubt Tetris will be around for a long time and is receiving a well deserved celebration, happy birthday!



Source for [1]- [5]
“Tetris Turns 25 and Becomes a Gaming Icon” CTV.CA. The Associated Press. June 2nd, 2009. June 10, 2009
< http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090602/Tetris_25_090602/20090602?hub=SciTech >