13
Mar
Celeb Crushes: Harmless or Harmful?
by Ashley Thill
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Living Life, Making Waves
Growing up, I loved ‘N Sync (sorry Backstreet Boys’ fans). My favorite was Justin Timberlake with his blonde, Brillo-pad hair. My daydream involved him singing me a rendition of “Want You Back” and running away with him, but I secretly knew it probably wouldn’t happen. I see parallels today with Zac Efron, the Twilight gang, and the Jonas Brothers.
Image courtesy of Hollywoodgrind.com
I viewed a video on YouTube recently, however, that shook my idea of supposedly innocent celeb crushes. In the video, a 3-year-old girl named Cody cries hysterically for nearly five minutes over her love for another Justin, 16-year-old pop star Justin Bieber. The video ends on a funny note when the phone rings, and she runs off, believing Justin is calling her. The video now has nearly three million views.
Could we take this video as a possible sign about how far our celebrity obsessions have gone since my boy band childhood?
According to an article in Psychology Today, we are hardwired to reach out to celebrities and actually connect with them as people. So, we sympathize with Carrie’s dating woes on Sex and the City, gossip about Tiger Woods’ extramarital affairs, and root for Team Jacob or Team Edward.
By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard about the negative effects the media can have on body image, especially for young girls. Images of frighteningly thin and airbrushed models distort ideas about what defines beauty. We hear about eating disorders and plastic surgery that are female tactics to achieve this “beauty.”
What about Cody and Justin Bieber though? He doesn’t seem to be harming her body image, but could he possibly affect how she handles relationships in the future?
Two British researchers, David C. Giles and John Maltby, have studied the effects of celebrity obsession in adolescents. They divide teenagers into two categories; one group who follows celebrities merely for entertainment and another group that builds intense feelings for celebs. These feelings can often be detrimental. From their study of 191 preteens and teens in the United Kingdom, Giles and Maltby estimate about 1 in every 10 adolescents falls into the second category. They connect these unhealthy obsessions with relationships, especially romantic ones. If a character a teen is fixated upon looks like Jake Gyllenhaal or Megan Fox, the teen may search for a partner who resembles them. But, the effects can be far more dangerous. If a fantasy character has an abusive streak, an adolescent may take this as normal behavior in a relationship and even seek it out.
While I don’t think we need to rid ourselves of the Justin Biebers or Edward Cullens of the world, I do believe in the importance of guiding teens into developing healthy relationships with others. We should not just focus on celebrity couples but focus on everyday couples who have nurturing, strong connections with one another. Real-life love is way better than the made-up stuff.
12
Jan
MovieQT’s 9 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2009
by Ashley Pierce
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Amuse Me, Get Creative, Sit Back
Well film fans, a new year is upon us and with it, a full year’s worth of movies to get amped about! From 
romantic comedies, to summer blockbusters, to fall’s possible award contenders, check out my most-anticipated movies of ‘09:
9. He’s Just Not That Into You – February 6th
Based on the popular novel, this romantic comedy follows a group of twenty and thirty-somethings as they navigate relationships with the opposite sex. This film has one of the most star-studded casts of the new year, including Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, Kevin Connolly, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin, so it might just be the first can’t miss film of 2009.
www.hesjustnotthatintoyoumovie.com
8. The Lovely Bones – December 11th
This adaptation of the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, marks Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson’s, eagerly awaited return to the big screen. The film stars Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) as the young murdered girl who narrates the story and also features Rachel Weisz as the girl’s mother and Mark Wahlberg as her father.
7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – May 1st
The ‘X-Men Origins’ series is a new beginning for the ‘X-Men’ franchise. The first in a series of prequels about the origins of the individual characters, this film explores how Logan (Hugh Jackman) became the mutant, Wolverine. Also starring Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds, this movie is sure to kick off summer 2009 with a bang.
6. New Moon – November 20th
The sequel to 2008’s smash hit Twilight hasn’t even started shooting yet, but will hit theaters just in time for Thanksgiving. While I wasn’t a fan of the first film, I loved Stephenie Meyer’s novels and am excited for the return of Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) to the big screen. Under the helm of a new director, Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), this film has potential to be more than just a box office hit.
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – July 17th
The sixth installment in the “Harry Potter” franchise was originally slated for November 2008 release, but the studio pushed it back to summer ‘09. The fans went crazy, but it only seems to have increased the anticipation for audiences to return to the wizarding world of Hogwarts. In Half-Blood Prince, love is in the air, but there may be tragedy ahead as Harry prepares for battle with Voldemort.
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince
4. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - June 26th
What can I say? I’m a sucker for sequels… Shia LaBeouf is back in action as Sam Witwicky in this follow up to 2007’s summer blockbuster, Transformers. As the Autobots once again defend the Earth against the evil Decepticons, get ready for another Michael Bay special effects spectacular. I’m always stoked for summer event movies, but if that’s not your thing, at least Josh Duhamel is easy on the eyes.
3. Watchmen - March 6th
Based on the most-celebrated and influential graphic novel of all-time, fanboys have been going gaga for Watchmen for months. Set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes exist as a part of everyday life, the watchmen’s mission is to watch over humanity… but who watches the watchmen? My guess is everybody considering it’s directed by Zach Snyder (300). But there’s just one problem, Fox and Warner Bros. are currently locked in a legal battle over rights to the movie. So now, we’re all watching over Watchmen’s fate…
http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com
2. Angels & Demons - May 15th
Tom Hanks returns as Harvard religious symbologist, Robert Langdon, in this much-anticipated and controversial sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Based on one of my favorite novels by Dan Brown and directed by Ron Howard, the film follows Langdon as he continues his fight against the ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati.
www.angelsanddemons.com
1. Star Trek – May 8th
While I may not seem like a “Trekkie,” my dad made my family watch “Next Generation” every night at dinner for most of my childhood and I wrote my first paper in film school about Star Trek: First Contact. That said, it’s pretty easy to see why this prequel to the original TV series might make my list. Directed by J.J. Abrams’ (“Lost,” “Fringe”) and written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers,) early footage screenings have garnered rave reviews. With a brilliant, yet relatively unknown cast, including Chris Pine as the young James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, I’m definitely ready “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
www.startrekmovie.com
21
Nov
Twilight: Audiences Won’t Fall In Love with the Lion and the Lamb Onscreen
by Ashley Pierce
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Amuse Me, Sit Back
The pop culture phenomenon that is Twilight finally hits theaters this weekend. I say finally because after witnessing the hysteria first-hand at Comic Con in July, I’m sure the last few months have seemed like an eternity for fans of Stephanie Meyer’s vastly popular series of books. And I say “pop culture phenomenon” because that’s exactly what this frenzy has become…
Based on the first novel in the four-book saga, Twilight is a tormented love story between a mortal and a vampire. Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, leaves Phoenix when her mother remarries and moves to the gloomy town of Forks, Washington to live with her father. A shy and awkward 17-year old, Bella never quite fit in with the girls in Phoenix and she doesn’t expect Forks to be much different. Of course, she never planned on meeting Edward Cullen (Robert Pattison) either. Charming and inhumanly beautiful, Bella quickly falls head over heels for Edward, only to learn his mysterious secret – he is a vampire. However, Edward and his family are not the typical fanged blood-sucking predators of myth. Instead they choose to live among humans and feed on animal blood to survive. This is not to say that they are not tempted by human blood and the closer Edward and Bella grow, the more intense Edward’s internal struggle becomes as he tries to resist the blood of his soul mate. Matters only become more complicated when an evil clan of vamps arrives in Forks and the Cullens are forced to fight against their own kind to protect the human they have welcomed into their family.
After finishing the Twilight book a few months ago, I was as excited as a 13-year old girl to see this movie. While the novel certainly catered to a very young female audience, I fell in love with the awkward teenage girl, the charming vampire and the Romeo and Juliet-like story of their forbidden romance. Like any “Twi-hard” (the coined term for die-hard Twilight fans,) I was absolutely ecstatic when I was able to score premiere tickets from a friend at the studio. To read about the buzz over this film was one thing, but to push through the crowds of screaming girls to pick up my tickets at will call was quite another. It is a rare occasion that a film can create such hype and usually this sort of anticipation is reserved for big-budget studio blockbusters like Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean. Yet somehow, this low-budget film with no A-list talent was able to create a level of energy that I have rarely experienced in a theater.
While I can appreciate Twilight as a cultural phenomenon, applaud it for its ability to create frenzy among film-goers and predict its inevitable box office success, I just can’t in good faith advise people to see it. As a film, Twilight is flawed in everything from the direction to the production value. I am a huge supporter of small studios and think that they can generate amazingly successful films (ex. New Line’s Lord of the Rings trilogy,) but Twilight’s $37 million budget is very apparent onscreen. The white make-up used to make the vampires appear pale, for example, looks cheap and far from naturally beautiful. While the casting is fairly on point, director Catherine Hardwicke (The Nativity Story) is unable to pull genuine performances from her cast. There is a decent amount of chemistry between Stewart and Pattison, but the passion portrayed in the novel is not conveyed onscreen and the two come off simply as awkward teens with a crush, instead of undeniable soul mates.
Screenwriter, Melissa Rosenberg, seems to have done a fine job of keeping the film true to the novel in terms of plot, but she’s done little with the dialogue. True, the dialogue in the book is somewhat cliché, but hearing the characters speak the corny lines onscreen inspires laughter in scenes that are not meant to be funny. Most disappointing is the fact that the studio and the filmmakers have missed a huge opportunity. The release of the film could have expanded the Twilight audience beyond simply fans of the novel, but the film is so poorly constructed that it is doubtful that anyone unfamiliar with the book will appreciate it.
That Girl says: “Leave It! I say this with much disappointment, but Twilight is nothing more than a poor film adaptation of a hit novel. I appreciate the buzz the film has created and trust that “Twi-hards” will enjoy watching their beloved story unfold on screen, but the film’s poor execution will not impress anyone beyond devoted fans. If you really want to appreciate the story of how ‘the lion fell in love with the lamb’ take a bite out of the book, not the movie.”
Release Date: November 21st, 2008 (Wide Release)
Running Time: 122 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Company: Summit Entertainment
Cast: Kristen Stewart – Bella Swan
Robert Pattinson – Edward Cullen
Billy Burke – Charlie Swan
Peter Facinelli – Dr. Carlisle Cullen
Elizabeth Reaser – Esme Cullen
Ashley Greene – Alice Cullen
Nikki Reed – Rosalie Hale
Jackson Rathbone – Jasper Hale
Kellan Lutz – Emmet Cullen
Cam Gigandet – James
Edi Gathegi – Laurent
Rachelle Lefevre – Victoria
Anna Kendrick – Jessica Stanley
Taylor Lautner – Jacob Black
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Official Site: www.twilightthemovie.com
1
Aug
It’s a Wrap on Comic-Con 2008
by Ashley Pierce
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Amuse Me, Get Creative
Comic-Con International 2008 kicked off Thursday, July 24th and ran through Sunday, July 27th, bringing a record number of fans to downtown San Diego. Beginning in the early 1970’s, Comic-Con started as a small gathering of graphic novel aficionados devoid of press coverage and movie stars. Since then, Comic-Con has grown into a huge platform for the entertainment industry to launch films, television shows, and video games to potential fans and bloggers. Studios screen never-before-seen footage and invite celebrities and filmmakers to participate in panel discussions with hopes of generating positive buzz for upcoming projects. This year, for the first time since its humble beginnings, the event sold out its 125,000 passes well in advance of its start date and no tickets were offered at the door. It was nothing short of entertainment to watch the worlds of Hollywood and Comics collide in the San Diego Convention Center and while it is close to impossible to discuss all the happenings of the four day event, here are a few of the highlights.
While the actual convention began on Thursday, doors were opened to four day pass-holders for a special preview night on Wednesday. Crowds of people packed into exclusive premiere screenings of the pilot episode of Fringe, the highly anticipated new series from J.J. Abrams, the creator of Lost. Thursday was expected to be a strong day with Fox previewing X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Max Payne, but the real surprise was the crowd of 6,500 teenage girls and their moms who waited in line for hours to watch the panel for Summit Entertainment’s adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer vampire novel series, Twilight. Comic-Con has historically been a fan-boy event, but this massive fan-girl turnout shocked exhibitors and opened doors for the ‘Con to reach an even larger female audience next year.
A counter to Thursday’s unexpected female influence, Friday was deemed Star Wars Day in anticipation of the upcoming Warner Bros.’ release Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While there were many popular panels, WB stole the day in general with a panel for one of next year’s most anticipated superhero films, Watchmen. Saturday offered presentations for a number of popular TV series including Chuck and Pushing Daisies, but the highlight of the day was the Sony panel for Pineapple Express. Judd Apatow moderated a Q&A with Seth Rogen, James Franco and the rest of his creative team which proved to be one of the funniest moments of the weekend. Sunday was a much slower day as many opted to head out early and beat the traffic, but for those who stayed, the day was coined “Kid’s Day,” with a number of special programs aimed at children. The convention wrapped Sunday afternoon with a hysterical screening of Buffy the Musical.
This year was my first trip to Comic-Con and, although I was completely “Conned-out” by the end, it was definitely a worthwhile and unforgettable experience. While it may sound like a mecca for geeks (and in many ways it is,) the opportunity to see celebs and attend guest-only Hollywood parties has helped Comic-Con evolve into a mecca of pop culture. This is an event where there is truly something for everyone and with this year’s newfound female presence; I can only hope more women will join me at the ‘Con next summer.