spicydavid

[spicydavid]

Blog Post #5: Violent Media & Its Psychological Effects

For this assignment, I had decided that I was going to review A Clockwork Orange Directed by Stanley Kubrick.  This film is violent in an absurdly satirical and antihero esque format. It tells a science fiction story about a criminal who takes a procedure that dramatically changes the dynamic of his character.  The movie plays on sexual violence as well as violence in general all throughout this film.  These acts are shown all throughout the film, but the first takes place in scenes like the one at 4:40.  This movie is also chalk full of sexual innuendos laid all throughout the film.  It’s even a key component of Alex’s personality throughout this film, but that is later changed in the film after his procedure at 1:11:30.  After this point, Alex’s character cannot withstand the scientifically manufactured pain that comes to him when he views or partakes in violent as well as sexual acts.  This procedure has also inadvertently been triggered by Beethoven's ninth symphony.  So this point becomes a huge internal struggle for Alex for the rest of the film. This accidental flaw is actually intentionally used against Alex at the climax of the film that occurs at 1:58:15 when the victim of one of Alex’s earlier attacks gets his revenge.  However, Alex is later then miraculously cured from this procedure at 2:02:38 after dealing with this internal struggle for a while.  I would probably not consider this movie to be one of my favorites from Stanley Kubrick.  It’s not particularly a bad film, but the movie didn’t keep me as interested as some of his other films.  It also just felt pretty goofy and pointless by the end of the film.  This movie doesn’t really feel like it has some super deep and philosophical meaning.  However, I think that it focuses more on the themes of sex and violence more than anything else.  This film doesn’t particularly shun these acts, instead, it attempts to accept the harsh reality of these acts occurring in our nature.  Stanley Kubrick conveys these themes mostly in a satirical and goofy nature, but they are also a key point of Alex’s character as well as the internal conflict that he goes through throughout some of the film.  Alex’s procedure that takes place in the middle of the film kind of reminds me of that short story, Flowers for Algernon a little because of the drastic change within the main character.  This movie gets a solid 6.5 out of 10 for me.  The film is not my favorite, but it’s still not a horrible movie.  The dark humor in this feels off color, but the science fiction aspect of Alex’s procedure was a kind of interesting concept.  I thought that it was shot pretty well and that the pacing of the story was fine.  However, the stakes never really feel high in this film, but the criminal and science fiction aspects of the movie definitely makes it stand out.  The central themes of sex as well as violence just feel really childish in a sort of weirdly goofy way, but I think that the comedic aspect of some of these scenes could have probably been done better at some points.  I also thought that the soundtrack of this film was selectively classic and placed well throughout the film.  There’s no denying that some of the scenes in this movie don’t really look good in today's age.  Some parts of this movie definitely feel off color and unnecessary.  Scenes like the one at 10:50 definitely feel more weird and harder to watch in today's age.  So scenes like these  make me wonder what Stanley Kubrick or Anthony Burgess would do differently if they recreated their work today.  Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel is accurate, but not as thorough as Anthony Burgess’ work.  In most cases, the book is better than the movie and this film is no different.  I honestly think that the formatting of literature allows the writer to go more in depth with the world as well as the characters that they create.  Writing just feels more thorough and in depth to me while film feels like a platform that is more accepting of scenes with more than one subject moving within the environment.  Overall, this movie wasn’t really my favorite.  It was shot well and had a nice soundtrack, but it didn’t really keep my attention too well.  This movie is obviously not trying to be serious so I think that it’s ignorant to think that this could genuinely really be encouraging sex and violence.  However, it doesn’t really make some of these scenes feel really weird in a darkly humorous way.  I think that the central theme of this film really focuses on how persistent sex and violence are in our world.  This theme is pushed and later flipped on its head throughout the plot of this film with the science fiction aspect of the procedure that Alex goes through.  The procedure that Alex goes through is detrimental in his character arch.  However, it also serves as a great source of comedic relief near the end of the movie.  The byproduct trigger that's caused by Beethoven's ninth symphony is also used as a recurring gag after the procedure.  This movie is not really my favorite.  It doesn’t stand out or have as big of an enticing setting or theme as I’d prefer.  It plays on dark humor, but I wish that Stanley Kubrick had pulled back a little and given more room for comedic build up.  It was not really super funny to me, but the movie had its moments.  I decided to give this movie a solid 6.5 out of 10 because it just wasn’t a very memorable movie to me.  The film played on dark humor and science fiction, but it failed to be really gripping in both aspects in my humble opinion.  To me personally, this movie wasn’t particularly hilarious or super interesting, but I’d probably watch it again if I had some time to kill.

[spicydavid]

Blog Post #4: Rewatching ‘80’s Cinema In An Era Of MeToo & Cancel Culture Interview With Bluto from Animal House

Write a mock interview. Interview one (1) of THREE (3) characters: 1) Bluto (played by John Belushi) from National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), 2) Gilbert (played by Anthony Edwards) from Revenge Of The Nerds (1984), and 3) Samantha (played by Molly Ringwald) from Sixteen Candles (1984). The topic of discussion is rewatching ‘80’s cinema in an era of #MeToo & Cancel Culture.

I decided to interview Bluto from Animal House for this assignment.

“How has the pandemic affected your life? Have things gotten better or worse for you? Is life slower or Faster?”

“The pandemic hit me and my family hard.  School has been shut down so our kids have been at home most of the day and me as well as my wife have been working from home ever since.  Not being an essential worker during the Covid lockdowns had really affected my life.  I was forced to pick up various side hustles, from selling used clothes on online internet stores or going house to house trying to sell Herbalife to my neighbors, I started drop shipping products from alibaba, I started selling merchandise on my store online, I even started to do telemarketing in my free time all in between the various shifts of raising my kids.  My social and partying life is a lot slower nowadays, but my family as well as my work life are faster than ever.  I still keep in contact with most of my friends from the frat through social media.  However, some of them just never adjusted to using social media in their free time.  I’d guess that some of them are just living in the woods and are disconnected from society nowadays.  Life is slowing down for me overall.  The hectic partying years for me seem to be in my rear view mirror and I live a simpler life as I focus on just providing for my family.”

“So what does the average day look like for Bluto in the modern age? What does your routine look like?”

“Whelp, I get up and start working at 5am most days now.  I also work Monday through Friday on most days, but the work is easy and fun in my opinion.  I have to work to feed my family and to pay my rent.  So I make sure to invest my spare money. Like I said in the previous paragraph, I do a whole lot of side hustles in my free time in order to make ends meet.  All of my side hustles are completely online.  Which only makes my work commute as easy as flunking out and partying all semester.  My remote side gigs fill up a lot of time but I like the work I do so it goes by pretty quickly on some days.  It seems like boring work to the average person, but I am always learning new things in the trades and I have learned to make the work fun over the years.  My shift ends at 4:00PM and I have dinner with my family at 5:00PM.  After dinner, I normally spend my time researching worthwhile investments as well as just hanging out with my wife and kids.  We play games and watch movies in our spare time in order to unwind from the jam packed day.  For vacations, we go to the local amusement park in the summer and during spring break.  It’s always a blast for our entire family and we always make sure to make the best of the occasion.  Investing has really been able to help me elevate my financial status.  Researching investments has really helped me get closer to reaching financial freedom someday.  I am still unfortunately still paying for the debt I racked up at the Delta fraternity. I really hope to someday help my children with their investments so they can help their children invest in the future some day.”

“Who are your favorite artists of this time and why?”

“I really like that Kanye guy.  His music is nothing like the blues that I grew up with, but it’s different and interesting!  The way that he mixes his music is really good and he’s made so many popular songs over the past years as well.  Spotify has been a godsend for our family.  I’ve always been a big fan of pop and rock all throughout the entirety of my life.  I also like to listen to Bruno Mars as well as Oliver Tree in my free time nowadays .  Bruno Mars has also had a lot of really popular pop songs come out in the last few years.  I would always hear his songs when I would drive to the grocery store, so they grew on me over the years.  Oliver Tree is a newer artist, but he really is a unique character in the current music industry.  His music is more of a mix of pop and rock.  It’s some of my favorite stuff because it’s great to jam out to at parties.  I was never big into collecting music, but I started a record collection when I left college and got my first apartment alone.  It has grown over the years into a really diverse collection.  Some of my fraternity friends from Delta will randomly send me records as gifts.  I don't know a lot of artists, but I like most of Keith Haring’s work.  I like how simplistic yet satisfying his style is.  I saw some of his work when I visited New York City for the first time and I’ve been interested in learning more about him ever since.  I also love just seeing the street art that comes out of that city.  Some of the graffiti that I have seen while walking around Manhattan is really pretty and super dope.  It really makes the city stand out artistically.”

“Are you still the party animal that you were in college?  Or did you outgrow that phase into your adulthood?”

“I still have that college spirit in me!  I’ll never forget those old golden days with the boys.  However, my body hasn’t held up to the same standard that it used to back in the past.  When I was younger, I had more energy, I was more flexible, and I could party a lot more.  Nowadays,  I get tired by 9pm, I get out of breath easily, and my energy is a lot older.  The chaos of college and working had worn my body down over the years.  I still love to party, especially whenever I bump into one of the boys from the fraternity, but over time I haven’t been able to party as hard as I grew up.  The hangovers got worse and my life was only getting more busy.  The nights are still fun, but I have a family to provide for so there’s not too much of an incentive to party every night nowadays.  So I would definitely say that I grew out of my partying phase as I grew up and matured more as a person.  The need to provide for my family has also straightened my act up the most because of how much I love and care about them.  I mostly just spend my time working and raising my kids.  I have become the old man that I used to make fun of as a kid.  I regret nothing, ha ha ha.  I think that I definitely outgrew that phase of my life, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t an amazing phase of my own life.  I met some of my closest friends in my fraternity years of my life and the phase had definitely given me a crew of reliable friends that have my back.  I am super glad that I joined the Delta house and I hope my kids do the same someday.”

“What do you think the next 10 years look like? Are you optimistic or stocking up for the nuclear winter?”

“Honestly, I try to stay optimistic in these crazy times. Whenever I start laying in my sorrow, I just think about my friends from college and how they must be feeling.  Distance makes things hard for me and the fraternity boys to keep in contact, but I hope that they’re all doing well.  I try my best to stay optimistic in these hectic times, but I am also skeptical enough to start prepping for the end of the world.  I wouldn’t call myself a pessimistic person, but I have been stockpiling things in my basement.  Mostly cans of soup and beans.  Also lots and lots of water.  Most of my friends from the fraternity also have some form of doomsday kit.  Some of them have whatever is in their pantry and some of them have full rooms in the basement set up for the end of the world.  Food, beer, and ammunition are the top three stored goods among the boys in the Delta House.  Most of the boys plan on partying more than surviving when the end of the world actually happens, but I don’t think that will be for a while to be honest.  In my opinion, I think that Pessimism really gets people anywhere in life.  Being negative will only really bring other people down with you.  Plus, no one really likes to hang out with people who only bring them down emotionally.  So I try my best to stay positive and driven for the people around me.  It also helps me stay driven towards my goals in moments of doubt.  I think that the next ten years will be good.  If we stay away from war as a civilization, I think that we will progress a lot as a society a whole lot in 10 years.  We’ll probably have magnetic bullet trains by them or at least some better form of better transportation by then.

[spicydavid]

Blog Post #3 - LGBTQI & BIPOC Representation In Media

Based on your working knowledge of queer cinema, choose an existing film that exhibits heterosexual lead characters and present themes that are consequently patriarchal in nature. FLIP THE NARRATIVE and re-frame its story in a manner that is representative of LGBTQI & BIPOC by changing who the characters are based on their ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual preference. Re-write what the plot is based on the framework of queer cinema and re-imagine the narrative of an existing film based on the tone and visual language of the genre. Write a comprehensive plot summary of this film that you are flipping the narrative on.

I personally think that the plot of Chinatown by Roman Polanski would be a lot different if the main character was a member of LGBTQI+ as well as BIPOC.  For instance, if Gittes’ character would have interacted within the plot in a different way if he was a gay black man instead of a straight white man.  In this movie’s setting, Southern California in the middle of the 1930s, Gittes would have been seen as a social outcast by many and near the bottom of the social hierarchy.  Especially in moments like 32:45 where he is in public talking with his coworkers.  Unfortunately, Gittes’ character in this scenario would be seen as the odd one out for this time period.  This probably would have made his job more difficult because of the racial and homophobic tension from the people that he works with along with the various tommyknockers of this world who still subscribe to racist, homophobic, and overall inconsiderate beliefs.  Moments like when Gittes is assaulted by the mobsters at 42:11 would have probably been a lot more violent and probably seeded in hatred towards the LGBTQI+ as well as the BIPOC community.  This would definitely be seen as a hate crime in today's age, however,  there would unfortunately be less justice for Gittes’ character in this scenario because of the harsh reality of the time period.  On the other hand of this hypothetical dilemma, Gittes’ love interest would have been a gay man of color instead of a straight white female.  This scenario would have made intimate scenes like the one at 1:24:22 be seen as more taboo.  Since this movie took place in the 1930s, gay black men were seen as outcast of society on some level.  

Before re-imagining an existing film, you are required to define what queer cinema is (using the films below as primary references) by identifying the following:

Is there/could there be such a thing as a “Queer” visual style (using the term loosely to include cinematography, mise-en-scene, and editing)? If so, what does/might that look like?

There are scenes in which Kimberly employs "Queer" visual styles in "Boys Don't Cry" to explore the diverse sexual attraction of different characters in the film. Brandon, one of the lead characters in the movie, fears identifying as transgender due to society's gender and sexual stereotype. Brandon (protagonist character) tries to do things in a masculine way to be called a man. He cuts his hair, wears "masculine clothing," and lowers the voices (2m:12s-12m-35s) to be considered a man. However, his documents list him as a transgender person according to what Candace found out while trying to know his sexual identity ( 23m:16s-23m:52s). Also, many characters try to stereotype Brandon's sexual and gender identity, which are the most horrifying scenes in the film. For instance, when he is arrested and put in a women's cell (65m:04s-65m:20s), Lana does not understand why a man should be in a women's cell, which explains a misconstrued state of affairs is a socially structured society where women feel inferior, and men have to be tough to survive. Characters like John and Tom confronts Brandon over his sexual identity, brutally beating and raping him for refusing to remove his pant so that they can know his gender (5m: 32s-46m:50s), is another scene where Kimberly employs a "Queer" visual style to highlight the struggles of the LGBTQ communities in society forcing some of them like Brandon to identify as men while he is transgender. 

Where or how might race, gender, and/or sexual identities intersect (in particular filmmakers or films) in ways that could be read through their visual style?

Race, gender, and sexual identities intersect through interaction and relationships explored in films. Chasing Army (1997) vividly explores the intersection among race, gender, and sexual identities. Alyssa and Banky (members of the LGBTQ community) and Holden (non-LGBTQ member) are all comic artists who work dependently to achieve their goals despite their difference in gender, race, and sexual affiliations (2m: 12s-5m-23s). Holden and Alyssa fall in love regardless of their sexual attractions ( 23m:12s-25m:34s), and their relationship becomes stable until Banky reveals Alyssa was involved in a threesome with two men while she is a lesbian (32m:15s-35m-15s). The friendship between Holden and Bank is a phenomenon that grows stronger despite Banky being gay and having an attraction to men ( 2m: 12s-5m-23s). The harmonious relationship and interaction between these characters kill the stereotype that the LGBTQ community faces in society. As evident in the physical and emotional relationship between Alyssa and Holden, people with different sexual attractions can get involved in a long-lasting relationship that is peaceful and friendly. 

Considering the power of Hollywood film language to shape and influence audience perceptions and emotions, could it likewise be possible for a queer film, using the power of a queer aesthetic, to (even just a little bit) shape and influence the perceptions and emotions of its audience? That is, can a queer film, in some way, queer an audience? 

Films can queer audience perception and emotions, as evident in the Mysterious Skin (2004). The baseball coach uses sexual language to trigger the emotions of Brian and Neil (eight-year-old boys) and molests them sexually (14m:37s:15m: 11s). The language used in this scene can influence the emotions and perception since it sounds unfair and harsh for the young boys to absorb. Additionally, in the scene where Neil encounters an old man and persuade him to engage in sex-for-money, the old man asks him, “so you are into older people, son” ( 22m-07s-24m: 20s), the scene can shape and influence the audience emotions since Neil is a young man who can opt for better activities rather than selling his body. The scene also brings the older man as a careless and reckless man who tarnishes the reputation of the LGBTQ community. When Neil encounters a gay who tells him to put on a condom for fear of contracting a disease like AIDs ( 60m:12s-61m:17s), the scene can shape audiences' emotions since throughout the scene; he is the only man who appears caring and concerned about Neil’s life. The man also changes Neil's perspective on sexuality from not just for commercial and intimate purposes to caring and building a long-lasting emotional connection. 

Work Cited

Araki, Gregg. Mysterious Skin (2004), Fortissimo Films, Antidote Films, Desperate Pictures, 3 May 2004, Accessed 16 March 2022.

Mosier, Scott. Chasing Army. Miramax Films, View Askew Productions Too Askew Prod., Inc., 4 Apr. 1997, Accessed 17 Mar. 2022.

Peirce, Kimberly. Boys Don't Cry, Hart-Sharp Entertainment Independent Film Channel Killer Films, 8 Aug. 1999, Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.

[spicydavid]

Blog Post #2 African-American Heroes In Cinema

To this very day, No one is really sure whether life imitates art or if art imitates life.  It can be surreal at times to see how much art can overlap with reality while still conveying a strong message to the viewer.  Character types have been formed within our society and have been mirrored within human’s art for hundreds of years.  In my day to day life, I would say that It's important to have a sense of self awareness of the things that you say and the actions that you take in life.  However, I don’t really think about my personal character archetype a lot, because it honestly can feel like I’m stereotyping myself.  I’d still consider my goals to be positive overall, so I guess I would consider myself to be the hero of my own narrative within this crazy thing we call life.  These Character types arcs, which can be seen throughout art as well as society, have unfortunately been pushed onto our population by the mainstream media as well as Hollywood movies.  Character archetypes in our media are sometimes seen as rude or stereotypical because of their broad nature and the tendency to punch down on these archetypes.  However, if utilized correctly, character archetypes can be used to reveal motives and personality traits as the character has experiences within the story.  A good use of character development can completely change the course of a movie for the better.  A good example of a quality character in cinema would be Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Django Freeman in the 2012 western film called “Django Unchained”.  His character fights for what he believes in and stands in the face of adversity.  Even when he is in the outgroup of society, he is persistent in what he wants and eventually fulfills his role within the hero’s journey.  We first meet Django in the midst of Texan slave trade two years before the civil war had begun in America.  Django is shown to be a rugged and vengeful individual, but these character traits are mostly caused by the society and the racist time period that he lives in.  He is a victim of the slave trade in America, but brought by Schultz and eventually given freedom.  In this plot, Django is seen as the protagonist and Dr. King Schultz is seen as his confidant.  These two characters embark on a journey to find the Brittle Brothers and claim their bounty.  Who serve as the first antagonists within this film’s plot for Django and Schultz to get after.  Django seeks vengeance against his prior owners and wishes to reunite with Broomhilda von Shaft as a free man.  These desires encourage Django to help Dr. King Schultz claim his bounty and are the driving force behind the rest of the plot.  These are the hero's desires within the hero's journey.  After claiming this first bounty, Django and Schultz end up partnering as bounty hunters in the snowy alps.  For a while after, the two companions synergize well together and handle bounties in a timely manner with each other’s help. Schultz and Django are able to make money while sharpening their shooting skills.  However, Dr.Schultz and Django soon end up traveling to Mississippi, specifically on the candy land plantation, because of Django's persistent desire to see Broomhilda von Shaft again.  This driving force is a recurring theme in Django’s story and it is what pushes him to later rebel against the Candies.  I find it eerily genuine to see Jamie Foxx break the fourth wall and look directly into the camera when he says “This is my world and in my world you have to get dirty.” at 1:17:52 in Django’s conversation with Dr. King Schultz.  This sentiment correlates with Django's rugged personality, but it also lines up with the sentiments of the most cut throat individuals of our time.  Which tends to bring out an inner conflict of morality versus profit in many characters that are like Django.  It could be argued that a hero shouldn’t have a mentality like this, but I’d argue that an unfair and chaotic world encourages our hero to “get dirty” in his pursuit of freedom with Broomhilda von Shaft.  After a tense attempt to run off with Broomhilda von Shaft by lying about an inquiry to make a purchase with Calvin Candie, Schultz is killed and Django is sent to work at a mine.  In the eyes of the hero’s journey, Django is in the belly of the whale at this point.  However, Django reiterates the previously mentioned sentiment and “plays dirty” by tricking his captives and revolting against them.  Django uses his desire to be with Broomhilda von Shaft as the driving force behind his revolt and wins in a final stand off against the slave owners of candy land.  Overall, I would say that Django’s character plays well into his narrative and the world around him.  Although Django contradicts and clashes with most characters that he is near.  His driving force of seeking vengeance and saving Broomhilda von Shaft was successful by the end of the story.  Django’s character has gone through all the motions of the hero on the hero's journey and has fulfilled his desire, so I’d definitely consider him to be the protagonist of this film.  I think that Django’s character had spoken volumes in the time period that he was in.  His gun skills gained from becoming a bounty hunter with Dr.Schultz as well as the fact that he was willing to put his life on the line for what he believed in definitely served him well in the long run.  Django empowered most of the other black characters within the film and serves as a rebellious hero who is only really seen as culturally righteous as history goes on.  Django is an outcast character in this society, but like any good character, he is persistent and driven by the pursuit of his endeavors.  Django’s serves as a totem of perseverance and is indisputably seen as one of the many great African-American heroes in modern day cinema.  In the face of adversity, Django fought for people who couldn’t during that time period.  

[spicydavid]

Blog Post #1 - Examining Youth Culture

Which character in any of these stories do you identify with the most and why?

I would probably say that out of the media I’ve watched, I probably relate to John Bender from the Breakfast Club and Fourth Grade from the Mid90s  John bender is an anti-authoritarian charater.  He cracks jokes at almost every single person who is above him in power.  At 18:50 Bender is seen getting into a faceoff between him and his teacher which gets him eight more weeks of suspension.   While I think this is a bit overblown, I definitely think that it’s healthy to question authority.  I also think that his character had done a good job in staying relatively witty in his rebuttals.  Questioning will only either further validate ideas or break them under the pressure of questioning.  So I can understand that part of his personality, but he still can be pretty harsh sometimes.  I’m not too much of a talker and I like recording stuff, so I saw myself in Fourth Grade.  I also thought that the skate video he makes and presents at 1:17:21 was really well made.  You can tell that he had fun recording with that fisheye lens.

2. Identify three (3) common themes that are present in these stories and elaborate if they are relatable to contemporary youth culture. Draw from your personal experiences and elaborate on how these themes may have impacted your adolescent life.

Partying, drugs, and violence are all prominent within these stories.  A party with drugs is seen in the Mid90s at 43:05 and a rave with people on ecstasy is seen in KIDS as well at 57:40.  All of these movies also include some sort of fight seen throughout the film.  From personal experience in my own life, I try to steer clear from the party scene.  I think that the long term negative effects of most drugs are undeniable, but I don't really think that anyone should be in jail as long as they’re being safe,responsible, and having fun.  I only really stay away from the party scene to dodge lowlives who eventually get the cops called on them for being too strung out and loud.  I also completely try to avoid fights, I’m not one to really go out of my way to disrespect people, and I know that sometimes it's just not your job to intervene.  I remember this one time when I was in my early teens I was walking with my sister in Manhattan late at night after seeing a Broadway play when I saw this guy dressed as Spiderman and another guy dressed as Elmo fist fighting each other.  It’s funny to think about looking back and I wish that they weren’t fighting to begin with, but I knew that it definitely wasn’t my job to intervene.  So me and my sister quickly got out of there.  

3.  First, explain how a soundtrack of a film/TV series impacts the narrative of a story. Second, create an Apple/Spotify playlist of ten (10) songs that best define your adolescent experience, and embed this playlist onto your blog. Third, briefly explain what each song means to you.

Just like the music itself, a soundtrack to a movie can clearly capture how characters feel and relay these emotions to the viewer.  They push the narrative and truly create a playlist of their world.  I think that soundtracks really capture the culture and character arcs surrounding these films.  I would say that the following songs could briefly describe moments and time periods in my adolescent life.  “Changes” by Charles Brandley and The Budos Band, “Crazy = Genius” by Panic at the Disco, “How far?” By Gorillaz, Tony Allen, and Skepta,”Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool, Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi, MGMT, and Ratatat, “Woodstock” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash & Young,”Takin’ Care Of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “Through The Wire” by Kanye West, “Adventure of a Lifetime” by Coldplay, and “Going Up The Country” by Canned Heat.  I think that “Changes” by Charles Brandley is a good depiction of most of the emotions felt during change in my life.  The initial uncomfortability of change and the eventual settling can be felt in this song even though it is never blatantly said by Charles.  “Crazy = Genius” is a pretty nostalgic song to me.  I still can remember jamming out to this song in middle school and thinking that everyone would think that I was weird for liking alt-rock.  I’ve come to realize the importance of thinking for yourself from this, because a few years later Panic at the Disco became mainstream and completely normal to like.  “How Far” is a more recent song but it’s had an impact on my life and work ethic.  I don’t really listen to much UK rap except Slowthai, but I like Skepta's features in this song.  I love the line “Wah gwan, brudda? Time to hustle for the money, give a change to your mother” and “always gonna be a Judas at the last supper” because it’s real.  Gorillaz highlights how cutthroat this world really can be at times and their song isn’t fluffed up in any way to soften the blow of this reality on the listener.  It’s beauty is in it’s harsh honesty.  “Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool is pretty much just a party song.  This song just has such a good energy to it, so I like keeping it around.  I also like the amount of crowd interaction in this one.  I’ve heard “Pursuit of Happiness” when I was a lot younger and I never really forgot about it.  This song is so optimistic and talks about the pursuit of dreams.  Following my dreams is really important to me so I think that this song just stuck with me.  It still gives me goosebumps when I listen to it sometimes.  “Woodstock” also emulates this energy of a dreamer.  I absolutely love the line “cause we got to get ourselves back to the garden”.  I think that the pursuit of the garden may be a metaphor for the pursuit of artistic skills and dreams.  The garden is different for everyone, but it is full of ripe fruit for the taking.  “Taking Care of Business” is really just a song about working.  Working all day at a job you hate can feel super repetitive and drawn out, so it feels good to get creative work done.  I think that this song does a good job in replicating how blue collar artists feel when they are put into a capitalist society.  Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten was to treat my art like work, but meeting my creative potential can become a struggle in a world with supply and demand.  “Through The Wire” by Kanye West is just a good song honestly and I like the message.  The song itself is really well made, but I think that the message behind this work of art is more important to me.  Kanye had gotten into a car accident before creating this and actually recorded this song with a plate in his chin as well as wire mesh over his jaw.  This implies the name of the song “Through The Wire”, but it says alot about Kanye.  Working towards your creative goals after nearly dying is simply admirable and inspiring.  “Adventure of a Lifetime” by Coldplay is definitely overplayed, but I still like the message.  I think that the “Adventure of a Lifetime” implies enjoyment in the lifestyle that one lives.  Personally, I believe that one will not enjoy their life if they hate their lifestyle.  All the money doesnt mean too much to someone who hates their job and has no friends.  Besides that I really like the music video with the monkeys.  “Going up to the Country” by Canned Heat is one of my all time favorite songs.  It reminds me of playing Skate 3 on my Xbox 360 in middle school, the chords are super easy to learn on ukulele, and it’s a super feel good song.  I think that the line “Cause you’ve got a home as long as I have mine” is super wholesome and is a really nice thing to tell someone.  Overall, this song just makes me nostalgic and makes me wanna skateboard more in my free time.  

You can find this playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ziz7pyxIfj3KjLo5dSZgy?si=26e95293778c409d