Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Mind of Disney: Disney Films Today, Animation Films, My Issues - Part 1/3

Hey guys,

I return with something different as usual haha and today I want discuss The Mind of Disney.  Now there are different things to discuss in regards to the Disney industry today.  A lot of people right off the bat would look at the current product on Disney Channel and nitpick with their shows & so forth.  Now I can understand and believe me I feel the same way on some things.  Of course some would argue, "well it's for kids, it's not meant for you" but this is different.  I will probably touch on that a little bit but for the most part it's relating to films and what is Disney putting out today on the big screen.  Now first off, I was a 90's kid.  I'm not going to deny that.  I did grow up watching some Disney films.  Honestly, I was more into Disney films than their tv shows.  Like I can remember some shows from the past but I can't say I was hooked on certain Disney shows.  But looking back on past Disney films, it did play a crucial part of my childhood and looking back on what was, it makes ya feel good.  Now I know from the get go, some people will say "that's just part of growing up", or "times change", and I understand that.  I'm 100% aware of that haha.  But recently, looking back on films then & films now.  Yes, time have changed but you can't ignore that certain animated films took off & were successful.

For example, just look at Toy Story.  A great film of it's time and big hit when it came out in 1995.  Fifteen years later, the franchise wraps up with Toy Story 3 which went on to become the highest grossing animated film of all time.  Here ya have a trilogy of films... each film was successful.  I grew up with this franchise.  I grew up with these characters.  So I'm wondering, where is that today? Because it seems like too me, Disney has lost that touch to make something or create something of that caliber or degree.  That certain film that would go on to be successful, spawn a lot of merchandise, and possibly future sequels.  Now some people could point out Shrek and yes to some degree, Shrek is a character or franchise that I would consider to be good example.  Because I enjoyed the first film (sequels are blah to me) but that went on to spawn a franchise, merchandise, and worldwide reception.  I will not deny Shrek of it's success.  However, Shrek is owned by Dreamworks.  So that's their baby and Dreamworks has done a great job of keeping that going.  But the thing with Disney is that for some reason, they struggle to get something off the ground & to take off.  Now of course they have Pixar films but it seems like most of the time, that's what Disney is good for.  You can tell they put more effort into Pixar films and yes, I will not deny they have done a good job with some Pixar films i.e. Cars, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, WALL-E, and so forth.  But aside from that, it's just too me whatever Disney comes up with is just filler crap.  I mean it just seems that way too me.  It's like if it's not Pixar then it's just mediocre quality films.

Now I know there are some films that are not meant for me and I understand that.  But I guess it's just the constant, incoherent garbage that I can't fathom sometimes.  Like I said, I give credit to Pixar and the work they have pulled off.  It's just there are certain Disney films that fall into that category of mediocrity or crap.  Let's name some films: G-Force, Cats & Dogs 2, Tooth Fairy, The Game Plan, Old Dogs, Mars Needs Moms, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and so forth.  I mean the list goes on & on.  So yes I do believe most of these films fall into the category of crap because it seems to me that this is why Disney struggles to come up with something that could create an impact.  It's just a constant thing where it's like they will put out a Pixar film every 2 years or so but in between we have to deal with filler crap.  I don't know.  It's just they don't want to put in hard work & effort to make something with heart or something with charm.  I know a lot of these films are aimed for kids so why should I bash or nitpick with this genre? Well I guess part of me wishes that Disney would put more into their films.  It's like 20 years from now, are the kids of today are really going to remember G-Force? or are they really going to remember The Tooth Fairy? So it's just a matter of putting more effort into your films aside from what Pixar is doing.  Pixar is doing great & have establish great films for people to remember down the road.  They should not have to put out generic crap in between.  Take things simple by establishing a simple story, characters we can connect with & remember, and give films their charm again.  Films like G-Force, Mars Needs Mom, and Tooth Fairy don't have charm.  It's mediocre crap.  So overall, Disney should get off their high horse sometimes and put more into their films.  Be more creative.  Be more simple.  Use more thought.  Don't rely on so much, such as an abundance of CGI, constant usage of 3D tehcnology, or a gigantic budget to pull of something worthwhile.  Disney is better than that and overall, the industry deserves better films.

Any ways, it's been good discussing the first topic.  Yes it's been a lengthy topic but once I start venting or whatever it's hard to stop.  But I hope you enjoy this first part and stay tuned for Part 2 in which I'm going to discuss my thoughts about animated films & just different things in regards to Disney animation films.  Well it's been good & thanks for tuning in.  Take care.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Random Blog: Thoughts on Intolerance & Fake People - Part 2/2

Hey guys,

Welcome back & tonight I'm bringing you Part 2 of my topic.  Last time I shared my thoughts about intolerence and why I stand up for those who are different.  But tonight I'm coming at you with the topic of fake people/friends.  This is something I've wanted to talk about because when it comes to fake people/friends, it something that is serious and it's happening all around.  First off, it's hard for me to put up with fake people.  Because the thing is about fakes is that they make it so obvious about themselves and their personality is so transparent.  For example, fakes don't appreciate candor.  It's like too me the definition of a true friend is someone that you can honest with and they would understand you're situation.  Being able to work things out is the best friendship.  Fake people however refuse honesty & that's why when you're honest with someone who is fake, it results in that person looking the other way.  They refuse the truth because they know that you speak the truth in regards to who they are.  They don't want to understand where you're coming from.  A person who is fake stays true to himself and doesn't want anything to ruin their image.  That's why fakes are hard to deal with because they are so concerned about their reputation instead of working things out.  So they often reject honesty because they can't handle it.

Now there are other reasons as well.  Some times we blame society for causing people to be fake.  Because we live in such a superficial society filled with different things that can control your mindset of things around you (i.e. priorities, education, career...) or the way we connect with others.  I mean some think fake people is just something that occurs throughout high school but it's everywhere. Even though a lot of people deal with drama in high school but fake people are not contained in one place.  It's widespread.  So to say we only deal with fake people in high school is a false statement.  But like I said there are other reasons.  Fake people often don't want to escape their comfort zone.  For instance, some times in your life you come across someone who is different (i.e. a friend who is gay/bisexual, atheist, and so on) and this kind of goes back to my first topic.  But I think a lot of people (or fake people) are so concerned about how they look when it comes to friends who don't conform to the normal life style.  It's like they will acknowledge them & it's easy for someone to say "I'm friend no matter what.".  But I think sometimes people are so caught up in what the majority is doing.  It's like it's easier for one person to hang out & to satisfy a group of friends by being part of the group but it's like ya might have one friend over here who is different & probably has a hard time fitting in.  A friend who is constantly picked on or whatever for being different, and I'm thinking "hey... he or she probably needs someone to hang out with."

That's why some times I get so damn frustrated with people who just want to please the crowd instead of being the better person by being there for someone who is different.  It's not like they have a disease or something.  Now like I've said before, it's easy for someone to say "look I'm your friend no matter what" but sometimes I just think people are so damn caught up in their image.  I'm not saying everyone has to conform to this or that but some times ya got to be the better person.  So what if someone is gay, bi-sexual, or atheist? They are still human beings & at the end of the day, everyone needs a friend.  Everyone needs someone to talk to.  It's not about how ya might look or what others might think, it's about being a better person & having a more positive attitude towards the people who are often rejected.  So what if your friends might think something is wrong with you? It doesn't matter what they think.  That's why some people just need to get off their high horse every once in a while.  Escape your comfort zone.

So overall, fakes are something I could discuss all day.  I'm not saying I'm perfect, I do have flaws.  But I think we could all be better people.  We can do that by being there for people who are different from everyone else.  People who get teased, picked on, bullied, and so forth.  It's not going to ruin your image or reputation by being the better person.  It's not up to your friends.  It's not about what the majority of people think.  It's being a good person.  Now I'm not saying I have all the answers and yes, we deal with fake people on a daily basis.  But we have to be better than that.  Being fake means everything about you is transparent.  It's pretty much putting on an act to conserve your image or reputation and I still deal with people like that.  But all in all, I am what I am and I'm proud of being who I am.  So it's been good discussing this.  I know some people hate to read but I have fun blogging about stuff & I wanted to share my 2 cents about 2 very interesting topics.  But thanks for tuning in & take care! :)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Random Blog: Thoughts on Intolerance & Fake People - Part 1/2

Hey guys,

I return with another trivial topic & I want to start off by asking ya this: Why do we deal with intolerance on a constant basis? Why are people so caught up in wrecking the lives of others because they don't conform to the normal life style? These 2 questions are just the beginning of what is going to be a very interesting discussion.  Now there are different ways to observe or to define intolerance.  But the thing that frustrates me the most is going out into society & it's a constant issue.  Now of course, everyone is different.  Everyone is unique in their own way.  I mean if we we're all the same then how could get along with ourselves or other people? If everyone was the same then easily this world would become more generic.  It's that simple.  Now intolerance is something I gripe about every now & then with good reason because I believe every one should stand out and be different, but yet that quality is often the target for hate or unfairness.  So why do we put up with it? Why is it that we often hear of people getting beat up, picked on, or whatever for being different? It's just frustrating when I hear people who live a different life style being the target for hate.  Teenagers that are gay/bi-sexual are constantly being caught in these situations which have lead to depression & sometimes suicide.  People who are atheists are being ridiculed for choosing in what they want to believe & it's frustrating that society is constantly rejecting them because they choose to not believe in God.

It's just sick and it makes me sad when I hear of these things happening around me.  I don't understand why some people have to be so caught up into conforming of what's right, living the right life, and sometimes that mentality drives them to spreading animosity towards others who are different.  I do blame society in a lot of ways.  Society has become so righteous & correct that we have to conform to this or that and if we don't, then we are tossed out like trash.  Now of course ya got Christians which I can understand the arguments when people go after Christians.  But I'm not here to bash Christians.  Christians are defined in different ways & no one is perfect but I see it as they can believe in what they want & it doesn't bother me.  A lot of people go after Christianity for many reasons because they conform to certain beliefs & often they spread those beliefs but I can't let that bother me.  Because even though I disagree a lot of things in regards to Christianity, believe me.  But it's our responsibility to have the same attitude as well against intolerance, unfairness, and injustice.  I mean it's not going to do any good or make someone a better person if we go after Christianity by attacking or nitpicking with their lives, or whatever when we should be more about standing up for the ones that have been rejected from society.  The people who are gay/bi-sexual, atheists, and so forth.  We need to focus on the positive & be there for those who are different.  We can't dictate the lives of others or tell people how they should live.  Now ya can say sometimes Christians can be that way a lot and I can agree in some ways.  But at the end of the day, everyone has control of their own lives & how they choose to live it.  Society is that way too because a lot of times ordinary people are driven by hate, intolerance, or hypocrisy.  It's everywhere.  It's not just in one or two places, it's widespread & it's an everyday problem.

So I do believe intolerance is a disease.  Some might say the same thing about homosexuality, atheism, or whatever but displaying animosity against those who are gay, atheists, or whatever does not make them the better person.  It doesn't justify anything and it amazes me that some people are caught up in this mindset of going after someone different is the right thing to do & brings them peace and it's just stupid.  So there is nothing wrong with being different.  It's better to stand out than to go with the flow.  But overall, I stand up for being different.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Now sometimes society, sometimes Christianity can try to persuade you to think differently.  But the bottom line is that there is nothing wrong going against the grain.  No one has to conform to society & living the normal life because really in the end,  normal is overrated.  That's just my 2 cents.  So I hope you enjoyed Part 1 and stay tuned for Part 2!

Wrestling: My Thoughts, Why so much backlash?

Hey guys,

I'm coming at you with my first blog for this page.  Well technically the first topic I want to discuss & that's wrestling.  First off, I won't go in-depth with current thoughts about the business (i.e. talking about certain wrestlers, my favorite wrestlers, matches, and so on) but today it's more of going over my thoughts.  Wrestling is a broad topic but the most part I do enjoy the sport.  Now there are different types of wrestling.  A lot of people think wrestling is Olympic-style.  But I am more of fan of the sports entertainment and I've been hooked if I had to think back since 1996.  Because too be honest, I don't remember watching a lot of cartoons that much especially in the growing up in the 90's.  I was more hooked on stuff that was entertaining.  For example, I was hooked on game shows (yes, even game shows that Nickelodeon put out) even other shows such as American Gladiators and so forth.  I'm not saying I never watched cartoons but I remember being about 7 or 8 years old & being more drawn to entertaining shows.  So back in 1996, I got hooked on wrestling and 15 years later I can say that I still enjoy it from time to time.

Now of course I knew it was fake.  That was no surprise too me.  But it was just at the time I really enjoyed what I saw.  So many interesting characters, story lines, and some damn good matches.  Now we can say the industry has definitely changed but I've always been a fan of the sport and still today at the age of 22.  Now like I've said before a lot of people have different perspectives on the sport.  But I'm a fan of sports entertainment.  So I do enjoy the mixing of characters, mixing of styles, and so forth.  But throughout the years, wrestling in the form of sports entertainment has received a lot of backlash.  Now there is some arguments that are perhaps understandable but I've never understood why so many people bash it.  I mean people constantly put it down by saying "it's fake", "it's gay", "not really a sport", and so on.  First off, it is a sport in my opinion.  Just because its labeled as sports entertainment doesn't minimize the fact that people do get hurt or suffer injuries.  Now like I said it is sports entertainment, but ya got to keep in mind that it requires constant physical contact.  Every wrestler has a background in wrestling for a reason.  It's not like they just put 2 guys together and expect a solid match.  That's why wrestling is a tough profession because even though a lot of people pick at it for being fake just because something is planned out or choreographed doesn't mean that anything bad can't happen.

So I don't understand why it is often the target of scrutiny.  I mean just look at other sports.  For example, football.  Strategies in football are planned out and then put into action.  Same thing with wrestling.  Yes, things are planned out and the difference between both sports is that in wrestling the outcome is set.  But anything can happen in regards to physical contact.  Wrestlers have often broke their necks, legs, arms, suffered spinal injuries, and so on.  Plus, being on the road 300 + days a year can cause wear & tear.  It's not like that have a few months off to compose their bodies or to gather energy.  That's why I have so much respect for the sport.  I'm not saying that everyone has to agree but I just don't understand the constant backlash.  Also, a lot of people go along with this notion "well if you enjoy wrestling, then you're dumb & you lack intelligence"... and too me it's just funny how often people say that but yet vial crap like Jersey Shore is so much better??? So I don't understand how often people bash wrestling for being fake but an entire country can get behind and condone crap like Jersey Shore or Dancing With The Stars.  I mean if you enjoy it, that's fine.  People can use the same argument.  But I'm not going to bash this person or that person for liking something of that nature.

But all in all, it's been a good discussion.  Everyone has different opinions and at the end of the day, it's all good.  So I can't complain much.  Like I've said before wrestling has changed but I'm always a fan of the sport.  Maybe one day I will go into my favorite wrestlers, matches, or whatever.  But today was more of sharing my thoughts about the sport & why I do enjoy it and respect it.  So I hope you enjoyed this blog and stay tuned for more random blogs.  Take care.  :)

Friday, November 11, 2011

John's Blog: Introduction

Hey guys,

Welcome to my blog.  This is sort of an introduction so I'm not going to take too long but I just wanted to introduce myself.  My name is John.  I'm 22 years old & I live in North Carolina.  I love watching movies, playing video games, hanging out, and listening to music.  I'm a nice guy and I like having fun.  That's pretty much the basic things haha... but for this blog, I will being posting random stuff.  Just random topics, random thoughts, and so on.

So I hope enjoy some upcoming posts.  Thanks for tuning into this short introduction & take care.