That 70's Show

"The Pill"

(Season One; Aridate: February 21, 1999)

Synopsis

     When Jackie thinks that she might be pregnant, Donna panics. She goes to the pharmacy and picks up "the pill," out of fear that their relationship may get out of control at some point. To her mother, she is being a responsible woman. However, her father is more shocked than anything. When Eric finds out in front of Donna's father, Eric bolts out of the room. Later Eric and his parents have a hard talk about making good decisions.

Analysis

     This episode highlights the sense of growing maturity in Eric, while also acting as an eye-opener for Kelso, Donna, and her father. In a time when teen "love-making" was backed by the idea of freedom inspired by social movements of the era, young adults embraced relationships, both romantic and casual more easily.

FutureBook? Really?

     So, this Tuesday a new social network is being released. It's called WhereBerry, and it's getting attention. The site claims to bring people online together for something other than the past and present. Founder Nick Baum says that people can use the network to share future plans and wishes with others. The combination promises to result in more people doing more things that they've always dreamed of. If one posts about wanting to go to a restaurant or the movies, Baum says people will be surprised at how many others will be interested.

     Personally, I believe that this site will be a flop. Facebook is so dynamic that someone can post whatever they want to share with their friends. If they want to post about a future plan, they will, on Facebook. It's the automatic response, so-to-speak, of bored teenagers. It's hard to say if any social network will ever compete with Facebook.

That 70's Show
"That Disco Episode"
(Season 1; Airdate: November 8, 1998)

Synopsis

    The kids want to go to the disco, but Hyde doesn't know how to dance. He recieves private lessons from Mrs. Foreman. Meanwhile, Donna sees them together and think it's an affair.

"Roller Disco"
(Season 3; Airdate: November 14, 2000)

Synopsis

     Jackie asks Hyde to participate in the Roller Disco with her. When he refuses, she takes the unlikely Fez up on his offer. To her surprise, Fez turns out to be a talented dancer, winning first place for them.

Analysis

     Though individually these two episodes seem insignificant, they do emphasize the leisure of disco dancing. The activity became popular due to teenage acceptance of what it stood for- freedom to live. Many of the disco-goers supported gays and minority ideals. It was actually created in response to the growing popularity of rock and roll (and associated lifestyle.) The kids seem to take much enjoyment out of visiting the roller disco because they themselves are unsure of what they really represent as individuals. Also, they enbrace the idea of freedom, and just want to have fun.

That 70's Show

"Reefer Madness"

(Season 3; Airdate: October 3, 2000)

Synopsis

     Hyde was recently busted for possession and put on parole. Mr. and Mrs. Foreman are planning on kicking Hyde out of the basement (his temporary residence), but Eric tries to be the hero. In an attempt to save his buddy, Eric wants to admit to his parents that he "does it too," hoping to make them look like hypocrites.

     Meanwhile, Donna learns that Hyde was actually taking the blame for someone else. She explains to Eric's parents the situation and they agree to let Hyde stay. Suddenly, Eric bursts in and confesses when he didn't need to, setting in the heaviest sense of situational irony. During two episodes that follow, Mr. Foreman cracks down hard on monitoring the kids' activities as a result of Eric's slip-up.

Analysis

     In this episode (and many, many others) the characters reference marijuana use. Its popularity really boomed around the 70's, nicely indicated by the guys behind That 70's Show. However, what I find very interesting is the fact that they ALL do it at one point or another. In today's society (I am surprised to say) people seem to display a little more self control over situations such as this. Perhaps, because of the different social movements going on during that time period (aka. hippies' "Make Love, Not War") the use of the substance became increasingly common. This idea is exaggerated in the world of the program. Confused Eric, snobby Jackie, and even innocent Fez are all sucked into the happenings of "the times." Interesting little fact: "Reefer Madness" is the only episode in which the characters openly call the substance marijuana.

"We're all all right!"

     That 70's Show is a sitcom that revolves around a group of friends living in a fictional city in Wisconsin. Throughout the series the main character (Eric Forman) learns the ups and downs of growing up as a teenager in the 70's. His life is a series of struggles - friends, parents, relationships, misdemeanors, and mostly developing his adult mentality. As the growth of the characters is the most enthralling part of the series, the plot of each episode includes two or three side-plots that involve each of the characters' personal conflicts. With each resolution (or lack there of), new bonds are formed and new trials arise.

 

Trump, Trumped

     During the White House Correspondents’ dinner the guests enjoyed a double feature. Turns out, more than just food was being served when President Obama took some shots at potential candidate Donald Trump. The gathering featured some other classic moments. In response to the nagging over his birth certificate, Obama actually released his birth video.

     This gathering and the comments that followed really opened my eyes, it seems. When I think of the White House, I picture “the government machine” instead of actual people – individuals just like me, earning a living. As naïve as this may sound, it’s the truth. Watching, reading, and hearing the events that occurred during the dinner makes me realize that they too have a sense of humor. The entire Trump bashing can be viewed below.

     Yet, in some ways it’s still the same: put two opposing politicians in the same room and things will surely heat up. So, I guess I’m not surprised that President Obama poked fun at Trump (to the point of questioning his campaign’s potential), because he is, after all, NOT a politician. He is well armed when it comes to business, but from listening to his speeches it becomes obvious that he has no professional appeal. One thing’s for sure. The race for 2012 will be an interesting one.

     Listening to the article as opposed to reading the text article has its benefits. A sound file has the capability (which is very present in this case) of capturing exact quotes. In text you cannot perfectly get a sense of sarcasm or tone of voice. The audio also allows for a better understanding of how a particular sentence is supposed to sound. The fluctuation in the narrator’s voice really says something about the message in the article.

"Obama Roasts Trump"

Google Appeal to Pathos

     Talk about pulling at your heartstings. Last night I came across an article from the New York Times that you can read HERE that involves Google's interesting (and effective) pitch to advertise the Chrome browser. One specific commercial features a father creating a virtual scrapbook of his daughter Sophie using the Chrome tools. While it may seem pathetic, this ad really got to me. It's brilliant. Every aspect of it - the images, the text, the toddler chimes, the pace - comes together to produce an ad that I would consider true ART.

     If you haven't seen this ad on TV or on the internet, I suggest you do so. It might just change the way you view the world of commerce. The content and purpose of the ad (to persuade you to use Chrome) wasn't what stood out at all. In fact, half way through I'm pretty sure I forgot what I was watching. The style and arrangement was very cinematic, almost akin to that flow-of-consciencness style present in The Social Network. Please check this out if you have a free second. I also have posted below another ad from 2009 with a similar feel.

"Dear Sophie"

"Parisian Love"

A New HOPE

     As we enter a new chapter in history, we reflect on the happenings of the past, the struggles of the present, and the hopes and dreams of the future. In light of recent events along with the radical reform of the Arab nations, it can be assumed that the world in which we live will be changed monumentally. As new technologies develop and contact between people becomes easier and swifter, a new generation of humanity emerges - the good and the bad.
     Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al Zawahiri is the most likely to succeed bin Laden as leader. With him comes a greater emphasis on the utilization of the social media. To gain followers, Zawahiri has contacted individuals through sites akin to Facebook and Twitter, bringing his influence a lot closer to home. He has no doubt observed what the power of social networks can do to a country in turmoil, and has decided to adopt similar tactics. It's sad to think that considering the number of teenagers who use these sites, most of Zawahiri's converts are likely to be within that age group. Only time will tell how this unfolds, so speculation is useless. Yet one thing is for certain: the emerging popularity of the social media as a tool for terror has opened up plenty of crevasses for people to squeeze into, and will make it that much harder to track suspects in the years to come. A tough challenge. That hasn't stopped humanity before.