Gamer

I must admit, I was very disappointed in Gamer. I was intrigued by the concept- gamers controlling actual real life people in battles. Gerard Butler is awesome, and the action scenes were pretty much what I expected. I even enjoyed the basic storyline of Kabel being driven to succeed in order to return to his family. The movie definitely made some very good points about our society. It pointed out how sick we really are- and showed how easily we could resort to something like the Romans and their gladiators for entertainment. That much of the movie, I was ok with. The part that I found disturbing, was the other version of the game, in which people payed to control other players in ordinary life. The movie features people at their worst- lazy slobs, living their lives through controlling attractive people in virtual reality. These scenes consisted of mostly sexual images- half naked (or mostly naked) women performing erotic acts for the entertainment of the men controlling their characters. This was disturbing for several reasons- first of all, these were real people being controlled- forced into these acts with no choice in the matter. Second, because it objectified women- I went to see an action movie, and the pornographic element really bothered me. (Especially as a teacher- since one of the main characters was a 14? year old boy, who was viewing a lot of the sexual material.) However, the most repulsive thing about it, I realized, was how true it is of our society. If given the chance, I have no doubt that many people would actually take part in this type of thing. It says a lot about how women are treated and viewed- as sex objects who are there for the entertainment of others.
All that to say, the movie was not what I expected- It was a far darker commentary on society than I had expected, and was far less of a mindless action movie. I'm not sure how many people even realize the depth of the movie, or whether it was even intentional. If any of you have seen it- leave your thoughts in the comments, I'm interested to see how others viewed it.
Bottom line: not a movie I'd recommend, and not one I'd see again. I even contemplated leaving the theater at several points...

Graphic Tees: Who should be blamed?

We all know that there are some horribly offensive tshirts out there. If you don't believe me, check here for proof. Tshirts with sexually explicit phrases, generally targeted at teens (and sometimes even younger children) are becoming increasingly commonplace. The majority of them are degrading towards women. Who should be blamed for these?

• The designers: They came up with catchy phrases that they thought were appropriate for clothing, and knew that they could probably make money off of them. They had stores and target audiences in mind, and played on the rebellious nature of that age group. Young people like to wear clothing that is shocking, and what better way to shock people than to wear a tshirt with sexually explicit and offensive words?
• The stores: Stores that sell these types of shirts are supporting the designers, as well as the ideas presented on the clothing. They also target audiences, providing young people- often those who are too young to fully comprehend the meaning and consequences of their purchase- with a product that is marketed as something "cool", that will grant them status or approval.
• The models: Models, especially women (note the picture above) are allowing themselves to be used. The model in this picture is, in effect, telling us that she's ok with being raped if she's drunk. Now, I know that it's flattering to be chosen as a model and to have your picture in public advertisement- but is wearing a statement like that really the kind of public attention you want? Personally, I think I'd prefer to have the kind of attention you'd get from refusing to wear such an offensive shirt in a magazine, and for pointing out that it's not funny and rape is never OK.
• The purchasers: Those that purchase the clothing are supporting an industry that is making a profit off of offensive material. Even if someone purchases the shirt as a joke/gag gift for a friend rather than to be worn regularly, they are sending the message to the company that the merchandise is funny, entertaining and harmless.
• The users: The people who wear the product are not only fulfilling the same role as those that purchase it alone, but are also serving as advertisements for the company. They are propagating the messages on the clothing, and aiding in the desensitization of others, whether it is their intention or not. It sends the same message- that it's entertaining, acceptable and harmless.
• The rest of us: Even if we find it repulsive and don't support the companies by buying the products, we aren't making a difference unless we do something about it. I know there aren't many of you reading this yet.. but I plan on making a note of any clothing like this as I come across it in stores... Maybe I'll post it on here, along with the companies and contact information. The only way that this type of thing will stop is if people actually take the time to show that they don't find it amusing. I'm going to make a concerted effort to start taking the time to write to companies about things I find offensive and demeaning... I hope some of you will too.