The Bigger, the Better, the Much Much Taller iPhone 5

After we had the intro to satire today, I went on YouTube to look for examples of satire. I found a video about the iPhone 5 and it was hilarious. Watch the video and I think you'll know what I'm talking about.

iPhone 5 Parody video

This video is a perfect example of a parody. The creators of this video are poking fun at the fact that Apple is making a big deal of the changes between the previous iPhone and the iPhone 5.  They use hyperbole and exaggeration to show how they made the new iPhone longer than the old one.

Satire is really an interesting concept.  What interests me the most is this question: Why do we continue to laugh at things like this video if they are sometimes targeted at us? For example, people who absolutely love the iPhone 5 because of its changed length most likely won't be offended by this video.  They will probably laugh along with the rest of us, even though the video is somewhat targeted at them.  You'd think that we would be offended , but perhaps the funny component of satire overpowers that part.

Here is another parody about the Wii Fit. I didn't think it was as funny as the iPhone 5 video, but it's still pretty good: Wii Fit Parody video

This video is another example of satire because it points out that people are spending hundreds of dollar on a "white thing" that does all the same things people can do on their own: leaning, sticking their leg out, dodging soccer balls, looking at charts, etc.  The main criticism in this video is that people use the Wii Fit as a means of exercise when they should actually exercise on their own, without a $300 white board.

Pride and Prejudice vs. Twilight

I got home from my Reading Extravaganza discussion about Pride and Prejudice when I realized I haven't blogged this week. And since Breaking Dawn has gotten so many people sitting on the edge of their seats (even though practically everyone's already read the series), I thought this topic would be very appropriate for a blog post.

So let's get straight to it. Pride and Prejudice vs. Twilight. What are some similarities and differences between these two tales?

                           

At first glance, it seems hard to find some similarities between any aspect of these stories, whether you're discussing books or movies. However, take out the vampire aspect of the Twilight series, and I think you'll agree that there are some similarities. Mr. Darcy and Edward are both very dark, mysterious characters who are unwilling to succumb to their emotions and admit that they are in love with Elizabeth and Bella. Both Elizabeth and Bella stand out from what the reader expects. Elizabeth is very outspoken compared to women of her time and isn't as mellow as a woman was expected to be. In Twilight, the reader expects Bella to stay away from Edwards' mysteriousness but she invites him in. 

It is easier to find differences between the two. Obviously, the Twilight series isn't even realistic because the Cullens are vampires. More importantly, the relationship between the two couples differs greatly. Elizabeth represents something unheard of at the time Jane Austen wrote the book: a strong, independent woman. Conversely, Bella is so dependent on Edward that, according to my Reading Extravaganza facilitator, she would "suck the life out of him" (not a very good joke, but they're not my words).  The endings are also different. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are together in a healthy relationship. Although Bella and Edward are also together at the end of Twilight, I consider their relationship to be very unhealthy. Bella is extremely dependent on Edward and can't even live with the thought of not being with him. Then again, this is my opinion, so to anyone on Team Edward, you're entitled to your opinion too. 

I just thought our discussion took an interesting turn with respect to comparing Pride and Prejudice and Twilight. Just to clear things up, I am not a Twilight hater, and I plan on seeing Breaking Dawn sometime over Thanksgiving weekend. To Mr. Mullins, I know you hate Nicholas Sparks, so I can only assume that you don't like Stephenie Meyers that much. Sorry if this blog post caused you any pain. It won't happen again. :)                                                       

Election Day

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Election Day always creates an interesting discussion. In my A4 class yesterday, I was complaining about how I'm only seventeen, so I can't vote. The teacher then said, "I hate to break it to you, but this is Kentucky so it doesn't really matter how you vote." I can see where he's coming from seeing as Kentucky is die-hard conservative but that really made me wonder, why don't some Americans care about voting?

I think part of it is because people think there isn't a direct incentive to voting. Besides getting an "I Voted!" sticker, Americans don't immediately experience some type of reward. On the flip side of that, there really isn't any punishment if you don't vote.  No one from the government is going to come after you if you don't vote. I disagree with the viewpoint that there are no incentives. My grandparents moved here to live with us because they can't really support themselves all alone in India, which means that they have to get medical insurance in case of an emergency. So this election really affects my family because the opponents differ on their views with health insurance. I think that just because some people aren't affected by the candidate's decisions, they shouldn't be so apathetic.

I also don't understand why people think that voting won't affect them. In case they haven't noticed, the economy isn't exactly the best economy in the world (literally) and the economy affects EVERYONE! If you have a job, that's part of the economy. If you're a college student, that's part of the economy. Whether you're rich or poor, that affects the economy. If you pay taxes (which hopefully you do), then that's part of the economy too. People are under the false impression that voting won't affect them but each candidate has different views on economic policy. 

And then there are those people who say that they would rather refrain from voting rather than make an uneducated choice. My answer to that is: EDUCATE YOURSELF! It's okay to be ignorant of politics, I'm actually not a huge fan myself, but seriously? This is the age of the Internet and even though Wikipedia may not be the most reliable source out there, there are hundreds of other websites that will educate people about the candidates. If you don't know anything about the candidates, look it up! At the risk of sounding like a motivational speaker, you are in charge of your own knowledge, so take responsibility! 

I understand if you're not a citizen or something, I'm not asking you to commit voter fraud. But seriously, if you can, just vote. I don't care who it's for, just vote for the right reasons.