Post 38: Extremes and Passing Fads

I find it interesting that it seems that people no longer dwell in the grey-zone when it comes to celebrities. What I mean by this is, that a lot of people these seem to love or hate a celebrity, but rarely fall in the area in between. I understand that it is the extreme-fanatics and haters are most likely to share their opinion and are most vocal about it.

However, it seems pretty common that people love or hate a celebrity. Justin Bieber has fans that would go to the extreme of causing themselves harm to get him to stop him from smoking marijuana. While on the other hand, there are many people who constantly insult and slander him by insinuating he is gay, a girl, or deserves to die because they dislike his music. Miley Cyrus has loyal fans who aspire to be like her, saying her 'not exactly model behavior' is just her defining herself. Others say she should disappear because of her behavior.

It isn't just celebrities that seem to be stuck in the either love-or-hate view. Movies and T.V. shows are being put their as well. 

Twilight is something people seem to either love or hate. Some people even go so far as to make jokes about killing or wishing for the death of the writer. No one seems to simply say, "I didn't like it, I wouldn't read it. So, that is that. But that doesn't mean that the writer should suffer for it."

Same with Justin and Miley, no one seems to say, "I don't like their music, so I won't listen to it. But that doesn't mean  that I hate the artist." You may disagree with their choices, but unless you have met them you don't really know them. Most of the information about them is based on rumors and gossip made up by the media for entertainment. You can pick up two magazines and find completely opposite things. 

It was funny, when I was at the newsstand in the airport recently I saw two magazines right next to each other. One reporting a potential proposal between a couple, the other reporting a potential break up of that same couple. 

Anyway, before I get two side-tracked I want to go back to Twilight. No, I don't want to actually talk about the book or movie, I want to talk about what people say about Twilight. 

When Twilight first came out, I will admit I was really excited. I like vampires, and am a massive Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I started reading it, and it wasn't the best book ever. It was drama, it was romance, but it wasn't anything new. Vampire/Human love relationships are not a new thing. And I have, and had, read quite a few really good stories with that plot online by unpublished authors. 

Which leads me to the first thing that annoyed me about the book. Not that it was bad, but that there are better authors out there who still haven't received the recognition for their skill that they deserve, more that Meyer. I also was bugged by the sparkly thing. 

Anyway, at the time I had quite a few friends who were also reading Twilight. Some, really liked it. At least, they said they did. A few even had posters on their walls. Some pre-ordered all the sequels. When Twilight was 'in' and everyone was talking about how great it was, they were all for it. 

A couple years later, and now Twilight isn't as popular. There are many more Twilight-haters and suddenly, they hate Twilight. I would understand if their opinion of the book changed later on, but they act like they never liked it. I know they liked. I find it frustrating. If they like it, why not say so. If they don't, why ever say that they did.

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I like Justin Bieber's song, "As Long As You Love Me". I still sometimes watch Sponge Bob and as of late, I am a little bit obsessed with the Muppets. 

Why hide what you like because someone else may not also like it? I mean, I do understand why they would do it. They're scared of what people will think, but it just seems like they would be happier if they didn't worry about it. And why hate? I mean, what is wrong with good, old-fashioned indifference?

Have you ever changed your view when popular opinion changed?

Did you ever like Twilight? 

Post 37: Procrastination and Reality TV - Love

I want to say that this post was inspired by something I was doing productively, but it wasn't. I was procrastinating. I am a master procrastinator. I can write a B+/A 5-page paper in 4 hours if I have to. I did once, (which is how I know). I still write them in 4-hours, but I do it days before it is due so I can come back after awhile and check it to make sure it makes sense and is well-written.

Today, I found myself bored with my essay topic (Philosophy- Metaphysics) and found my mind wandering. I would like to clarify that I don't actually find the essay-writing as boring and tedious as I think it will be. It is like...eating an apple, I generally accept that I like apples but I don't realize how much I like them until I take that first bite. These essays are like that, after the first page and a half. The first page and a half is a lot of talking about an argument and summarizing, the last part though is when I get to argue my opinion and then provide counter-arguments and then responses to those. And I actually quite enjoy that.

But, I hadn't gotten to that part of the essay yet. So, I was kind of unfocused and talked myself into browsing YouTube a bit before I continued. Which in theory doesn't sound like a bad idea at the time, it sounds like a 'I will just clear my mind' thing, but ends up being a 'oh, look it has been two hours' thing.

So, while I was browsing YouTube I saw part of the Step-ford Wives movie, the newer one and it talks about a reality TV show called, "I Can Do Better" about how they take a married couple, separate them and pair them up with prostitutes/really attractive people and then at the end they can stay with the people or they can go back with their spouse. It called them prostitutes, but I don't know if that is actually what they were. I mean, they looked more like models. And from the prostitutes I have seen while driving through down town, they don't look like that. If they did, they probably wouldn't be prostitutes.

Anyway, I am genuinely surprised that it isn't a real show. Or rather, that there isn't something similar.

The closest I know of is "Parental Control" where parents who don't approve of who their kids are dating pick a new potential partner and then the person has to watch their girlfriend/boyfriend date them while they watch with the parents that hate them. It is pretty bad, but like a train wreck some part of me wants to watch the chaos unfold. (Though, I never understood that expression. As it is I try and avoid looking at car accidents, no matter how big because the potential gore factor alone freaks me out.)

But both this fictional show and this reality TV show bring up an interesting point for me. A point that comes up in TV shows all the time.

What does it mean to love someone?

In Grey's Anatomy, a show my mother loves a lot, there is a character who goes to her ex-boyfriend and says she loves him. He says she is engaged. And she basically responds that if he loves her, she will dump her fiance.

If she truly loved him, what would it matter if he loved her or not in whether she would call off the wedding or not? She clearly doesn't love her fiance or she wouldn't be so willing to call off the wedding. But she doesn't love her ex-boyfriend enough to call off the wedding before he says he loves her too. So, it is like she is taking that metaphor about only leaving one boat when one foot is securely on another boat seriously.

In "Parental Control" whoever it is almost always says they are in love with the person their parents hate, and yet all it takes is one date with someone else and they are willing to end that relationship?

Why? Because they feel like they can do better.

I don't know how others feel, but I don't think I would want to be with someone who seems kind of wishy-washy about the way they feel. If they were willing to dump someone they had dated for years after one date before, isn't it likely they might do the same thing again to me?