The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Recently, I had watched Morgan Spurlock's, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. As the director of "Super-Size Me", Spurlock explores how product placement can alter a movie. Throughout the documentary, Spurlock approaches businesses, big and small, in an effort to get them to sponsor his movie. In return, the businesses will receive product placement in the film. The genius part of this film is that it was completely paid for by its sponsors. From lawyers to gas stations, no professional corporation was even mentioned in the film if it did not sponsor the film. Even while talking to a lawyer about the legalities of his film, Spurlock filmed the conversation and inevitably convinced the lawyer to sponsor his film as well. Amist all of these sponsors, Morgan Spurlock also struggles with not giving into the sponsors' demands, as he tries to keep the movie to fit his original vision. I am not the biggest documentary nut in the world, but I highly recommend that you check out The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. It is a brilliant film, with hints of comedy surrounding every scene.

College Confusion

The current date is April 15, 2012. That means that I have approximately sixteen days to decide which college I will attend next year. As a senior in high school, most of my friends have already committed to their respective universities, and I am still left trying to attempt this puzzle in my mind that is a college decision. As I am currently out of town on college visits,  I am narrowing down my decision between two colleges. We shall call these two institutions College X and College Y. Both of the colleges are great educational environments, and they both will provide me with excellent room for growth. Although I know that both College X and College Y will be great choices for me, I want to make sure that whichever one I choose to attend will be the best. However, this late in the game, I must merely use my "gut" feeling to decide which college to attend. Hopefully, once I follow my "gut" I will be on my way toward attending a college that will provide me with four years of learning, growth, unforgettable memories, and unbelievable opportunities.

The Right to Bear Arms

     In my Issues in Modern America class, we started watching a Michael Moore film, Bowling for Columbine. This very interesting film takes a look at all of the facts that could potentially lead to gun violence and, inevitably, the Columbine shooting of 1999. Our media, politics, and societal influences all play a role in violence, and especially gun violence. The film noted that compared to other countries, the United States has thousands more deaths due to gun violence. Comparing the U.S. with Canada, Moore points out that there is more of a fear of violence in the United States than there is in our northern neighborhood country. Above all theories, it seems that the documentary's director emphasizes the corruption in our media and gun control system. Michael Moore stresses the fact that the media portrays violence so much, that it is now a norm of our society. He goes even further to accuse our nation to be one full of fear and danger. It seems as if every single advertisement or news story is an effort to protect us or to make us better. This type of outlook on life, is what drives our nation to be so violent.
     Furthermore, Moore accuses the gun industry for the violence in our nation. It is way too easy to get a hold of a gun today, and it only escalates the gun violence that we have in America. Just because somebody buys a gun today in America, does not mean that we train them properly to use that gun in a responsible manner. Our "freedom to bear arms" is a disfunctional right of ours. It is one that gives us the tools to kill, and it does not properly teach us of the right's true purpose. The second amendment is not one that was designed for the purpose of murder, but rather for protection.
   Although Bowling for Columbine can be quite humorous and ironic at times, it is also a very disturbing movie. One of the most disturbing aspects of the film for me was the coverage of the National Rifle Association's (NRA) Convention, located in Colorado, just a few days after the Columbine shooting. Even though we all have a right to own a gun, I cannot believe that so many people would have the courage to host a public gathering of gun lovers. Just days after a national, and global, tragedy due to a lack of gun control, the NRA were shown to be disrespectful Americans. It sickens me that they would gather themselves, and ignore the sensitivity and outrage of their nation. They are ignoring the requests of a nation that they claim to be "defending for" with their guns. Bowling for Columbine is a very fascinating, liberal, documentary due to the realities that it portrays about our nation's faults.

Air Force One

This past weekend, while on a bus ride to Minnesota with a friend, I watched the movie Air Force One. This 1997 fictional film, starring Harrison Ford, is an adventurous one that is phenomenal to watch. A small group of Russian loyalist-extremists take hijack Air Force One, in an effort to release former U.S.S.R. General Radic. While the White House Senior Staff and everyone on board Air Force One think that President Marshall, (Harrison Ford), has escaped in the aircraft's escape pod, Marshall secretly stays on board in order to save his family and country.

The reason that I love this film is because it is truly a heroic-American tale. As President Marshall works to fight and defeat the Russian terrorists, and the White House staff work to negotiate with their harsh demands, Air Force One displays core American values of honor, pride, and commitment to our nation. I highly recommend that everybody watches this film, whether that be online illegally, through Netflix, or any other mode of video watching. Air Force One is really an inspirational film, and it allows us all to recognize and appreciate our American armed forces, government, and nation as a whole. Join the ride, and watch Air Force One.

KONY 2012

     On March 5, 2012 the world changed as KONY 2012 was released. A media focused campaign, organized by Invisible Children amongst other organizations, quickly shook the world. KONY 2012 is a campaign that aims to make Joseph Kony the most famous man in the world. Kony is currently the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel terrorist group that abducts children in Central Africa, and forces them to become child soldiers. On March 5, the first part of the Campaign's video started to go viral. This 30 minute film spread to over 150 countries in a matter of days, and has now been viewed over 100 million times. Joseph Kony is now a common name, and the demand to bring him to justice is erupting.

     Unfortunately, there have been much politics that have tinted the main focus of the KONY 2012 Campaign. The Campaign's main theme is that we can all agree, no matter what politics exist, that Joseph Kony is one of the cruelest, if not the cruelest, human beings on earth today. He is a terrible man, and he must be brought to justice. There is no dispute over that statement. That core theme is essential in order for this Campaign to reach its success. There have been many critiques about the legitimacy of KONY 2012 and Invisible Children, and they are all addressed at the following website: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html. 

     Everyone should look past all of the politics of KONY 2012, and Invisible Children, and straight to the core of the issue. Since the launch of KONY 2012, there has been much progress. South Sudan, D.R. Congo, Central African Republic, and Uganda have put together military forces to stop Kony and the LRA. Our United States government has joined together to intensify our financial and military commitment toward this conflict as well. We have a great opportunity here to be part of something that is huge, and we have the chance to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people. This is the start of a new journey in this revolution that we call justice. The potential that we have is incredible. KONY 2012: Stop At Nothing.

For More Information Visit: www.KONY2012.com