"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 >

"Connecting the World One Poke at a Time"

A must see clip:




I think this is a very funny and interesting piece of work. It really does beg the question will this be what real life is? We all go on Facebook regularly (some more strictly than others) but most of us don’t think of the impact it might have on us negatively, never mind how ridiculous our actions are such as “poking”.

Mission Accomplished?

The war on Iraq was an illegal and unnecessary war, the Bush administration’s decision that was heavily manipulated was created to be a calling for Americans to unite and get the justice they deserve. However, being such a powerful nation that it is, do they not have a responsibility to act responsibly? There actions affect millions of people directly, and millions of others indirectly.


Within a nation there are people with different opinions and way of life and that is one of the greatest things of a democratic country. That’s why one can be a liberal, conservative or independent and live freely with no danger, or so we are told.

To many people their opinion of America and Americans forever changed and there was no going back after the invasion of Iraq. But it was so interesting, shocking, and satisfying to see American artists through their work share their opinions of the war and the government. They courageously whether they had ulterior motives or not, went against the norm and their own government. They heavily criticized Bush and his administration, they criticized other citizens who were for the war, and the responsibility that we have as people to avoid such things.

Art has been said to be a form of therapy, a way were people can express themselves, and that’s exactly what numerous artists did. Artists such as the Dixie Chicks, P!nk, Eminem, Green Day and Pearl Jam chose to do so. Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, and are allowed to speak their minds. However, many of these artists were criticized (some more than others) for being unpatriotic, uneducated, radical, and wrong for believing in what they do.

The Dixie Chicks are one of the most extreme cases that received horrible backlash. In their documentary “Shut up and Sing”, you can see all the obstacles the group had to endure simply because the lead singer Natalia Maines said “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the United States president is from Texas” at a London concert. [1]
Large networks turned on them, politicians spoke out, riots were created, radio stations boycotted their music and articles were being published right and left discussing the Dixie Chicks. The Dixie Chicks became one of the most hated women in America overnight. All their success, contributions and life were disregarded, and everyone jumped on the “hate the Dixie Chicks” band wagon.

Ironically, around the time the chaos around them sprang up they had their single “Travelin’ Soldier” climbing the charts. This song was as patriotic as it gets, there is after all nothing more patriotic than supporting the troops, but in a matter of days the single was wiped off music charts, and sales declined by 42%. [2] Now there are many reasons why people went against the Dixie Chicks the way they did, but there is absolutely no reason for people to make death threats, spoil the concert tour for other people, and for influential networks to attack the way they did.


Artists such as Eminem, Green Day and Pearl Jam have always had a liberal stance, and have been controversial and that’s why I believe there was less chaos surrounding them. However, P!nk has never shied away from controversy herself, but she too did get a negative reaction and was not even allowed to have her song “Dear Mr. President” played. What was different about her is how raw and honest her lyrics was, she never actually mentioned names but it was very blunt. In her song she asked the president who he prays for (a dig at his religious Christian side), how he can hate his own daughters if they were gay and take rights away from them (his stance against gay marriage and lack of support for women’s rights), and how far he’d come from his reckless days of smoking, drugs and alcohol. She continues to paint his wife Barbara as a pushover, and a woman with no stance. At the end, she notes how he has never had to work for anything in his life and gives him several examples of citizens in his own country that face horrible circumstances on a daily basis.

It’s very obvious why that song would not be allowed to play, but where does the role of freedom of speech, that everyone is so proud of come in? How come she was never allowed to have a chance for her song to hit the charts? Fortunately for her, her song did garner a lot of attention in other countries such as Canada, Australia and many other European countries.

To conclude, there are also artists that are as neutral as neutral gets and recently have produced work against the war. Near the end of the 2008 election Carrie Underwood (an artists in a conservative field) revealed in a TV Guide interview that “I lose all respect for celebrities when they back a candidate”. [3] She continues to go on to say “It's saying that the American public isn't smart enough to make their own decisions. Music is where you go to get away from all the BS. Whether it's from politics or just the world around you, music should be an escape”. [4]

I found this very interesting, as I am very much a fan, she has a point. Unfortunately, when the American media is not portraying everything accurately and fairly then we need people to point that out. Music reaches so many different people and is known to reach people differently than any movie, show, or politician ever could. Interestingly, Carrie has released ten singles and all ten have reached number one, making her one of the most accomplished female artists out there. One of those ten hits was her single “Just a Dream”.



“Just a Dream” is about a young couple who gets engaged during their teens and plan to marry, but the man has to go off to war. The man gets killed in the war, and the female talks about how she always dreamed of walking down the aisle in a white dress for her wedding. But instead she is now walking down the aisle in a black dress for her fiancée’s funeral. It’s a great video with great lyrics and it touched many people’s lives, because of the so many people that lost their lives, and the many incomplete families. This song received very little negativity, and she received several awards and standing ovations after every performance.



Freedom of speech is very much a two way street, there are severe consequences if you speak what you think and it’s different from the norm. These consequences frighten many people, and many people think it’s best to keep to themselves. This is an unfortunate solution and really disregards all the rights and freedom we do have in this part of the world.

But it’s important to realize that the people that choose to not share their opinion or are careful on how they do, have every reason too. People have families, lives and need jobs and money to go on, and if we as a society attack those people like artists then less and less of them will produce creative opinionated work as they fear they will have no way to support themselves in the end.






Sources
[1] ‘Shut up and Sing” TV Documentary. 2006. Directed by Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck
[2] ‘Shut up and Sing” TV Documentary. 2006. Directed by Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck

[3] “Carrie Underwood Talks Hosting the CMAs, Idol and More!” Nov.12.2008. May 23, 2009
[4] “Carrie Underwood Talks Hosting the CMAs, Idol and More!” Nov.12.2008. May 23, 2009

"Good Girl Gone Bad" No, really

FEBRUARY 23

The picture that leaked from the LAPD of a battered Rihanna is published for the most part to create money and buzz. The media should not have spread the photo. The picture has been spread all over the internet. It is not fair to Rihanna because she did not give consent and is probably very humiliated.

Maybe she doesn’t want people to know how she looks like, or is not ready to face the world’s opinion and overwhelming support. She should have had the choice because something like this is very hard to face and needs time.

The main advantage of this scandal is for TMZ, where it was published, and for the police officer, as I’m sure he got paid. However, this could be turned around and Rihanna could be the perfect person to show young girls what could happen and be a strong candidate for preventing domestic violence.

This picture could help Rihanna’s career, and have major repercussions for Chris brown’s life and career. If the alleged attack is true Chris Brown will be even more hated and can kiss his career good bye, at least for a while.

MARCH 2

The fact that Rihanna is back together with Chris brown is very disappointing. It’s very sad what Rihanna chose to do because it paints a very negative picture. What Rihanna is basically saying is that it’s okay if you get physically abused, disrespected, treated invaluably by someone who claims to love you.

It’s giving a picture to so many people like young boys and men that it’s okay to do that to a woman. It will make young girls believe that you deserve that kind of abuse and you should always go back to them and not speak up.

In this case Rihanna does have a responsibility because Rihanna wouldn’t be Rihanna without the support of her young fans. They supported her and looked up to her, what she is instilling in them is not worthy of any number one hits.

MAY 22

With Rihanna’s current actions I think the public is amazed but also tired of her actions. She is going on as if nothing happened and it’s disappointing. It seems the case has been swept under the rug and people are slowly forgetting it ever existed, a perfect scenario for both sides.

I think many of her fans feel alienated, but she is still receiving and overwhelmingly large amount of support. She has been seen hitting fashion shows and the only buzz around her is her always interesting fashion choices.

Interestingly, around the time that the alleged attack occurred actress Keira Knightly released a PSA about domestic violence. It’s an interesting piece, creatively done and at times graphic.

It’s refreshing to see a young Hollywood actress have a voice and stand for something. She has many fans and is a class act, with a promising future. She shows that you can have it all and do so beautifully. It’s unfortunate that many girls don’t feel they have the same options in Hollywood.

June 12 (Updated)

The Rihanna and Chris saga continues with more details being revealed. The first one being that Rihanna has been subpoenaed and must testify in court. This in the grand scheme of things is not the worst thing that could happen. However, it seems every chance Rihanna gets she tries to come off as if nothing ever happened three short months ago.

It’s disturbing and at times scary to see her nonchalant actions. 95% of males engage in dating violence and that’s not a statistic to be proud of or ever defend no matter what the circumstances are. I say this because in the past few days it was revealed that Rihanna and Chris asked to be seated beside each other at the NBA playoff game (people.com). Fortunately, this did not occur because of sudden change of plans.

This whole situation does not make sense. Charges are still being pressed but it seems that both parties are trying desperately to sabotage this case, which begs the question why are they even pursuing it? I think that Rihanna is desperately trying to fix her image of a pushover girlfriend every chance she gets. She has been seen with many interesting famous women such as Katy Perry and Fergie.

Also, there has been an update with Jasmine. Jasmine is the little girl that is a huge fan of Rihanna and was fighting leukemia. Rihanna heard of her story and met her, after meeting her a couple of months ago she arranged for numerous people to be tested as potential donors. It has been released that they indeed did find a match for Jasmine and is recovering, a happy ending to one chapter of Rihanna’s life.

However, the court case and her relationship with Chris is still unclear. No one really knows where she stands and what she is going to do next. Hopefully she will do what’s right by her and perhaps for other women who have been in her situation or worse.

The new American Idol

In the summer of 2008, American Idol announced a new addition- a fourth judge. In a matter of hours the internet was buzzing. Everyone had their own theories of why this fourth judge was being added.

One of the most popular theories was that Paula Abdul, Idol’s resident kind and at times distractive judge was leaving. Abdul immediately issued a statement that she was not being replaced, and that she knows the new judge. The new judge turned out to be singer/songwriter Kara Dioguardi. Others went on to say this was a ratings ploy, because Idol had experienced a decline in ratings the previous season. Although, I believe there is substance to that, I think more than anything it was the hope of the judge’s interaction would become newsworthy.

The media and we as a society are very quick to judge and closely analyze women. Were Kara and Paula going to dress similar? Were they going to argue? Is Kara the female version of Simon? How were the other two men (Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell) going to react?
People were very scared of change, rightfully so. American Idol has become a staple in many North American homes, and culture. There are so many versions that stem from Idol worldwide. Each one of those judges has established their presence on that show.

Randy is the neutral, technical judge. Paula is the comical relief, with her always positive criticisms. Simon, well Simon is Simon. He’s the brutally honest and sometimes overdramatic judge that everyone wishes they could be. Although all three have creditability with the many years in the music business, they were still missing something on that show.

Personally, I wasn’t too crazy of the idea of a new judge and I was ready to heavily judge her premiere episode. To my surprise, along with many other people’s she was a positive change. She somehow merged with the other three, but still made herself unique. It didn’t seem too forced. In the beginning it was awkward, but she quickly grew on people.

Kara is a very accomplished songwriter, writing for artists such as Pink, Rascal Flatts, Christina Aguilera, and Carrie Underwood. She has over a 100 hits to her name. (www.karadioguardi.com) Along with that she has plenty of experience of failed career chances. She has made albums that have never sold, been in bands that were unsuccessful. This gives her a tremendous advantage; she has been in the business and has been criticized and has been given second chances. That’s something that she regularly addresses and is evident in her criticisms and comments.

Another important part of her is she understands the business side very well. She has approval from the business side and the creative, artistic side. Again this separates her from the other judges. The last thing that really works in her favor and sets her out is her look and personality. She’s very much a “girl’s girl”, she’s a lot about the female empowerment. She doesn’t act or come off as superior, she acknowledges her flaws, makes fun of them, but never lets them get in her way.

With the news that she only signed on for one season, and she might not be coming back Idol received their dream reaction. Everyone once again started buzzing and sharing their opinions. It’s been said she’s coming back, but it has not been confirmed. I hope she does come back as I believe she is very fair and more than qualified to do so. She is a mixture of all three of the judges- she understands the technical, realistic, artistic and emotional side.