Blog #7 Reflection/Final

Taking ENG 206-04 has been a great experience and insight on my writing skills as well as learning new material and discovering hidden gems of texts. Even though the class had to be converted online, the zoom calls were entertaining and prompted more interaction with the professor!

The writing assignments significantly increased my writing ability as the more you write, the more you learn! Any time one proofreads an assignment, it helps one’s grammar skills and will constantly improve the writing material. The research and coming up with ideas for assignments were also beneficial in keeping the brain motivated and constantly learning. Each writing assignment tackled a different idea and allowed me to gain exposure to other ideas. The rhetorical analysis assignment was the most effective as it showed how the speaker could be persuasive and influential in the style they present themselves. Also, the importance of language pops up to persuade an audience. All the assignments were entertaining in teaching a new aspect of reading/writing. Each assignment has a focus and topic that strengthens a writer’s ability in a unique aspect. The free writes allowed one to write down a stream of consciousness and explore what people think about in the moment. The reading capitalized on critical understanding of a text. The blogs and major papers elaborated on different ideas. The major themes/background of the text regarding dystopia/utopias are fascinating as it gives a different outlook on society in the future and gives off the show “Black Mirror” vibes. Especially, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” was interesting as it gave insight on both a utopia/dystopia and how one’s morals/values plays a part in one’s actions in the community.

Over the semester, my writing has drastically improved as it got me in the zone of writing daily. The previous semester, I barely did any writing, so to continually do assignments helped my creative mind put ideas on paper and explain my thoughts to an audience. After this course, I have a better understanding of rhetoric and its importance. Through the various assignments, rhetoric truly shone through the various readings, and then applying it and explaining it through our rhetorical analysis assignment was helpful. Rhetoric truly takes part in everyday life and is a crucial skill when having an audience!

As a writer, I have learned to let my writing flow and write the ideas that come to mind. However, I should always proofread and double check my writing as grammatical errors always show up as it represents my first thoughts. I have realized that there are many ideas flowing through my mind all the time about various subjects. Organization and grammar are the keys to finding success in my writing and bettering myself as a writer. Each assignment helped shape my view as a writer and individual, as each tackles a different subject and encourages critical thinking along with improving one’s writing skills.

I am glad I took this class, as my writing and critical thinking have drastically improved. The various assignments and readings were interesting, engaging, and entertaining with the different topics they tackled. Class discussion is also a key in coming up with ideas and bouncing them off others and gaining new perspectives on the same material.

 

Blog #6 Open Letter

Chapman University offers many dining services from its one cafeteria, Randall Dining Commons, to quick services like Qdoba, Jamba Juice, Einstein Bagels, and Starbucks. Although, these services cover the basic needs of nutrition, do they offer variety and quality products along with superior service? Students already spend a lot of money on tuition, so paying a hefty premium for its dining services is not the most ideal financial choice.

Randall Dining Commons offers several stations of food during mealtimes like burger, wok, sushi, Italian, sandwich, and salad stations. A lot of these stations provide variations but being able to create different food for each station each day is the real struggle. There is only a certain amount of food recipes the cafeteria makes before the cycle of food repeats. The recipe must be able to be mass-produced and produced efficiently in a small amount of time to serve all of its customers during the select mealtimes. A student who lives far from home and without a car only has limited options when it comes to food with the hindrance of transportation and accessibility. In addition, Freshmen living in the dorms must pay a “mandatory” meal plan, which gives them a certain amount of meals/week and a certain amount of Panther Bucks to be spent at the dining services Chapman offers like Starbucks or Qdoba. A student usually has their favorite dishes from the cafeteria, but the repetitive and same meal every week can get tiresome or lose its satisfactory value over time. Students usually venture out and skip a meal at the cafeteria and go for a quick bite at Einstein Bagels, yet this is the only “breakfast” option Chapman offers. Qdoba is the main quick service dinner option for Chapman students, which lacks the variety of other options or ethnic cuisines. Yes, there are places in the Orange Circle for students to go out and eat with friends, but the options are limited and pricey. Considering many students already pay for the set meals per week, a student’s best interest would be to maximize their utilization and use up their meals. EVP and COO Harold Hewitt explains that “The amount that students pay for meal plans and Panther Bucks covers employee wages, equipment, maintenance, licensing fees and all other costs for services in addition to the food that is available to them” (Song 2). This leads to Chapman adopting a “board plan structure,” which does not refund unused meals or leftover Panther Bucks at the end of the semester. When asked about the remaining balances, Hewitt estimates that at “the end of last spring [2017], 43 percent of students with meal plans that included Panther Bucks had balances remaining, leaving $22,388.78 leftover…[yet] the remaining balance makes up less than 1 percent of the semester’s entire meal plan revenue” (Hewitt 2). Although $22,388.78 can seem like a small percentage of the total revenue for Chapman, it shows that a lot of students are not maximizing their utilization of their meal plans and letting their money go to waste. The calculation the University does in making the meal plans have calculated the number of meals to the cost of the dining plan, so each unused meal is money lost. A rough calculation of the meal plan, depending on which one you choose, comes to about $10-15/meal. In the grand scheme, many students are throwing money away. Students rarely use their max number of meals each week due to fiending for variation or going out with friends.

With the hefty price of each meal at the cafeteria, many students may want a change of taste, and eat at the other quick service options. However, some of these options at food chains like Qdoba have a price premium because of its location on a college campus. Students are not able to get a fair price on their food options and end up paying more than they need, which leads to a more expensive college experience. Federal data shows that “the price of a typical college dining hall contract has jumped 47% in the last decade…overall food costs across the nation rose only 26%” (Mathewson 1). To see if colleges are charging hefty premiums on food, looking at the average cost of a meal can be insightful with “The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average single American spends about 4,000 on food for an entire calendar year…That means undergraduates today appear to be forking out about 85% more per day for food on campus” (Mathewson 1). Although the high dining costs can be attributable to labor, facilities, and demand for quality food, there is still a premium to be paid by the student. Overall, a goal for college cafeterias is to make a profit, and supplement other areas of academia that do not generate as much revenue. Yet, it is the mandatory pricing of a meal plan into the room and board that is unfair for mediocre service and dining options.

Another factor that goes into determining the quality of a college dining service is customer service from its dining services and lines. With better than average compensation for the workers, one would expect better service. At the cafeteria, the workers are always friendly, nice, welcoming, and accommodating, but the service can lack at the other dining services. At Randall Dining Commons, the workers are always sure to greet you when you come in, creating an overall welcoming experience. For students with food allergies or special food accommodation, the chefs are willing to accommodate certain requests. The cleanliness is great, with frequent checks done by workers. However, even with the accommodations, there is only one “Vegan Station” where Vegan eaters have only one option to eat. There is no discount for eating less than the average student as the cafeteria is an all-you-can-eat buffet. So, if a student has special accommodations for food, they may be over-paying for each meal they eat at the cafeteria as their options are severely limiting to usually only a few options for the price of access to everything, yet the inability to consume other choices. As a buffet, the lines are generally short, and there is barely any wait unless it is rush hour, however, at the “quick-service” options, lines and customer service are another story. The Starbucks in Beckman Hall is notorious for long waits as it is the most popular option for a quick bite or great caffeinated option in the morning. Even at the other options, the lines/wait could get long if a student is in a pinch to grab a bite during their passing period. From personal and other students’ experience, the wait can average around 10-20 minutes from the beginning of the line to receiving the order. This can cause students to be late to class and miss valuable information or be a disruption to class. Many students usually look at the Starbucks line and go the other direction because of their horrible experience of long waits, which can be lost revenue for both Starbucks and the University. Sodexo, Chapman’s food services management company needs to hire more employees to keep up with the demand of students for its various dining services. There are many times where employees are cross trained for each dining service and go back and forth between the services to accommodate the shortage of workers. Yet this leads to a shortage of employment and longer waits.

As a private and small university, Chapman cannot adopt the many cafeterias other universities have because of the lack of demand, but this leads to decreased food variety for students. College Consensus gives guidelines on what makes a great college cafeteria, “The name of the game in the best campus dining is health and sustainability…renovated dining halls, innovative recipes, and top-notch ingredients” (Sealey-Morris 1). Many universities can offer many cafeterias and various options, as opposed to Chapman’s small population and only one cafeteria. Although Chapman tries to innovate food options with different/unique food options, the specialized options for vegan, kosher, or gluten-free menus is lacking. The hefty price a student pays for dining is outrageous when taking a whole picture of the dining services Chapman has to offer. The options are given with a lack of variety, long waits for popular food services, and non-refundable meal plans that are not priced according to student’s needs or dietary restrictions call for a rise of innovative changes. In addition, the meal structure and schedule could use a revampment.

 

Works Cited

Mathewson, Tara. “Here’s Why Food Is So Insanely Expensive at College.” Money, 18 Jan.          2017, money.com/why-food-college-expensive/.

Sealey-Morris, Carrie. “25 Best College Dining Halls: Top Consensus Ranked Schools for              Foodies.” 25 Best College Dining Halls | Top Consensus Ranked Schools for Foodies,              College Consensus, 18 July 2018, http://www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/best-college-            dining-halls/.

Song, Leslie. “More than $20,000 Worth of Panther Bucks Were Left over Last                              Spring.” The Panther Online, The Panther, 23 Jan. 2018,                                                                http://www.thepantheronline.com/features/20000-worth-panther-bucks-left-last-spring.

Blog #5 Logical Fallacy

Argument: Against gambling/Stock trading

Stock trading with an intention to make a primary income instead of a passive income can lead to a gambling addiction and mount up a heavy amount of debt in someone’s life. Many try, but few succeed. Yes, a glamorous lifestyle where one can generate unlimited profit, be their own boss, have a flexible schedule, and make money in minutes is attractive, but it does not come with easy difficulty. With the erratic movements of stock trading, predicting each day’s movement is like flipping a coin of whether it will go up or down. Complementing the movements, are arguments for both sides of why movements are made. Tweaking information and news with evidence is easy in hindsight, but predicting a movement in the short term has near the same probability of flipping a coin. However, retirement funds and investing for the long term can be a good strategy as the stock market has only been on an uphill slope and the chances or making some money wit investments for 30 years is very high. The chances of making money fast and easily is slim, and many fall into the trap of this lifestyle, throwing their life savings away. Investing in the short term can be like throwing a dart at the board and hoping one sticks, but not having a target or 100% confirmation it will land.

There are many stock trading gurus out there, and many millennials claiming to make money in seconds with all their predictive outcomes and gains. However, many people fail to acknowledge their losses and overall realized gain (loss). With technology and social media these days, so many people like to post their wins with many YouTubers out there with reputable status (many subscribers) like to show how to trade and want you to sign up for their courses with your hard earned money. Rarely, do these traders give free education even when they are supposedly making millions, and want you to pay for each small part of the entire learning curve. This appeal to authority can work to some extent where someone has built a strong fan base. However, many fail to point out the hard work and low success rate of actually making a substantial amount of wealth. Alongside the “key” YouTubers, they have many members that tell anecdotal life stories of how successful they are. Nonetheless, this is only a small portion of actual people that convert their normal day job to stock trading. Members of stock trading groups appear to be smart and knowledgeable with the amount of money they are making without a college education. However, many beginners are likely trading patterns and technical analysis without much fundamental and economic knowledge in how the economy reacts to certain economic decisions. One stock trader can just point out random lines and say here is resistance and support in hindsight for there is no crystal ball, and they do not really know why specific actions trigger. Yeah, you can argue for anything in retrospect and after an action has passed, yet people say these random patterns to boost their ego.

The stock trading lifestyle is attractive, no doubt, but the lack of self-control and financial responsibility can lead to a gambling addiction, where a trader thinks that they will eventually be successful without putting in any more effort. Top investors like Warren Buffet have grossed millions by investing in the long term. Some people may follow into Warren Buffet’s footsteps without the knowledge that his trading style is different and not suitable for everyone. There is also the bandwagon, where analysts from a popular banking firm with a finance education and a report backed with due diligence are correct. Yet, no one knows where the stock market is going to go in the future. If this were the case, the richest people would be traders, not entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos, who have created successful and innovative companies. A small portion of traders are successful, and some YouTubers want to teach and have success in the market, yet there is no gimmick or simple strategy that will always net a profit. To be successful, one must learn, persevere, and do their due diligence, instead of investing based on someone else’s ideas/opinions. As someone, who has tried to day/swing trade for 2 years, it is difficult to time the market and know exactly where the market will be with all the economic impact and sketchy financials companies can do with their business models.

Blog #4 1984

Prompt:

To what extent has Orwell’s vision of the telescreen, which invades Winston’s home, become a reality in our own homes? If you knew your TV, your smartphone, and other devices were constantly watching and listening to you, how would you change your behavior? Consider news, social media, Google Home, etc. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this particular vision as it relates to today? Would you consider giving up your privacy for the security and safety of our country? Should we be constantly monitored to ensure our country’s safety?

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In today’s age of rampant technology, technology is becoming more and more advanced and adaptable to everyday life. Orwell’s portrayal of telescreens is becoming an alarming reality with how much privacy on the Internet is actually secure with data leaks and malicious programmers. Screen usage takes up a large chunk of most people’s lives and consumes a most of a person’s free time. The idea that technology is constantly watching and listening to us is troublesome as many people live private lives from time to time on social media or the Internet. There are many conspiracies out there already that our smartphones listen to our conversations unknowingly, so if the conspiracy is confirmed true, the invasion of privacy will become an even bigger issue. Monitoring can be useful, as demonstrated by target marketing, which targets a specific audience and tailors one’s online usage to their actions with “cookies.”

A lot of people are already paranoid about the security of their data and information being online. Recent leaks of Zoom’s lack of security and in the past with Facebook’s collection of data without notification of the users has sparked debate among the public with a general negative outlook on the issue. The way people interact online can be a representation of themselves, with Twitter representing one’s thoughts and miscellaneous information, while Instagram could be one’s photo-shopped perfect life. If people knew that their devices were continually monitoring their actions, one would be extra cautious when surfing the web and would meticulously choose their actions wisely. The Internet is super beneficial in answering a person’s burning questions. However, some questions can be embarrassing and not appropriate for the general public. Yes, frequent monitoring can help improve the security of the nation, but it gives up the freedom and individualism of a person as one has to be careful what they search up and say, as anything can be used against them.

Constant monitoring is tacky and takes away the possibility of one losing themselves online in being able to take a break from real life. The Internet is a place where people can escape reality and take on an alternate persona where they find enjoyment. Data tracking is useful in many situations by creating an efficient and effective online environment with memory and data collection; however, the collection of unnecessary data and miscellaneous information is when the tracking goes too far along with the distribution of data for profit to many companies. Like everything in life, moderation/balance is key in maintaining a safe and secure environment for the people. There will always be arguments for both sides as monitoring can protect against terrorism, bullying, and harmful actions, while providing a pleasant online experience. However, with monitoring, comes the invasion of privacy, superstitions, and paranoia.

 

Blog #3 Rhetorical Analysis

*link to music video referenced above

Actor, comedian, writer, musician, and director, Childish Gambino a.k.a Donald Glover uses his platform and artistry to form a song “This is America” to talk about the current state of the U.S. and its regulations regarding gun laws. Glover’s movements and attire throughout the video reinforces the themes and messages of the song. Glover is shirtless throughout the video to show his skin color and the pants/shoes he wears is representative of those worn by Confederate soldiers. A reference to the historical violence prevalent in America. The tone is dark/grungy to show the severity of the situation and the graphic message that is being conveyed to the audience. Throughout the video are chaos and darkness emphasizing the seriousness of the issue, to not be taken lightly.

The music video starts off with sweet South African-sung melodies and a man playing a guitar, however the next scene is Glover shooting the man in the back of the head. The video starts off with a “bang” with juxtaposition. At first, the song/video can seem sweet and melodramatic, however the tonal shift with the gunshot throws it off track and introduces the audience of what is about to occur in the video and the graphic violence that will be interpreted. Glover’s movements/dances also imitate Jim Crow imagery. Jim Crow laws were laws that enforced racial segregation in southern U.S. in the late 19^th century. After the shot, the gun is taken away in a cloth while the body is dragged away. The prioritization of the gun and lack of caution with the black body shows the precious care taken towards guns, while black do not have the same dignity. The government prioritizes gun laws over the protection of African American rights.

Next, Glover is seen dancing school children, who are happily dancing throughout the video. The children can be seen as a distraction of all the chaos and violence that is occurring in the background along with the children’s innocence and lack of awareness of what is happening in the U.S. The scene quickly shifts to Glover entering a room and gunning down a choir, which refers to as an allusion to the Charleston church mass shooting of 2015. This brings in referential points of the past to show the still relevant destruction of gun violence and racism. For the Charleston church shooting consisted of a white supremacist targeting African Americans that were having a bible study. The lyrics “Don’t catch you slippin’ now…Police be trippin’…I got the strap…This is America,” shows the racial profiling still happening today and the extra precautions African American s have to take when dealing with the police authority. The insecurity and lack of safety of many African Americans leads to many thinking that they must always have a gun on them because of the violence and injustice that could occur at any time. After the shooting, is a line ‘This is a celly/ That’s a tool,” referring to the media and exposure/awareness that is created with the ease of filming on a phone. It is hard to escape the violence that is prevalent today and separate digitized violence in movies or video games with mass shootings in the real world. Many people can become desensitized to violence and have a lack of emotion towards graphic events that occur and need to be taken seriously.

The video starts to come to a close as Glover is on top of a car and the camera pans out to show a bunch of ‘90s convertible models with their doors open. A commentary on capitalism, where many cannot afford to buy new cars and the stolen property/damages that occur to many people in poorer neighborhoods. Lastly, the video ends with Glover trying to run away from what appears to be police officers. Many African Americans are always on the run and cannot seem to be able to escape the grasps of authority or the injustice in the community.

Amassing 650 million views on YouTube, demonstrates the amount of attention Glover is able to bring to his video and hopefully spread awareness/messages to the viewers. Glover is successful in voicing his concern over the lax gun control laws and the mistreatment of African Americans in the U.S. At the time of posting, the video’s relevance shines with all the mass shootings that were occurring like the Las Vegas shooting or the referenced Charleston church shooting. He masterfully not only creates a masterful song with melodies/beats and meaningful lyrics, but he also chooses to create a video full of imagery/symbolization to get the point across even clearer. So many people are engrossed on their phones so having a music video complement the song is a great choice to provide audience awareness.

 

Wix Link (Visual)

https://byee05.wixsite.com/website

Blog #2 Literacy Narrative

Hate writing, but love reading a possibility? Growing up, I was rarely encouraged to write stories or reflect upon life; however, I read a ton of books to get AR points in school, yet my math grade was higher than my English grades through elementary and middle school. As time went by, my appreciation for writers and stories grew because I lacked the originality to come up with ideas and stories for various projects and essays.

In elementary school, I had a speech therapist because I could not pronounce the ‘r’ sound correctly. In addition, I am a relatively awkward person that stumbles upon my words, which makes it hard to formulate concrete and well-structured paragraphs/sentences. In writing, I tend to write down the first thoughts that come into my head, and those are never grammatically correct. This has hampered the effectiveness of my writing and has created a dislike towards writing. Reading my poor grammar sentences in my head sounds correct because it reflects the way I talk, but to others and my teacher, the sentence structure is mediocre and lacks coherency.

From a young age, my parents read me nighttime stories and instilled this love for reading in me from the various children’s books read before I went to sleep. In elementary and middle school, there was an AR program where students had to read books and take quizzes/tests on the material and were given points based on their performance and length of the book. This motivated me to read long book series such as A Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson. The joy of reading is being able to lose oneself in a fantasy and see all the imaginative and creative ideas authors create from the characters, world-building, story, and themes craftily executed. I would totally lose myself in the engrossing stories and keep on reading because of the well-placed cliffhangers at the end of chapters. However, as I started to grow up and graduate towards high-school, gone were the children’s books with imaginative worlds or big pictures, and in, came real-world situations with long texts and underlying themes. This is where my passion for reading dipped, and I started to lose interest in reading for school. In addition, students had to reflect upon the material and write essays instead of taken fact-based questions from the book. Although the teaching and reading provoked critical thinking, I lacked interest in the mundane and more history and non-fiction focused books. My interest in writing and reading greatly decreased throughout my career, however, it had a silver lining, for I found a new interest in films and the beautiful scripts written.

As a person that has a great appreciation towards creativity and ingenuity, simply because my thought process lacks creativity has geared my passion towards reading over writing. As I watch films, I have a great appreciation towards the screenplay and dialogue of the characters, whether it be jokes, the banter back and forth, or the amazing stories put on display. As a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s style of a film with crafty dialogue and banter without flashy action and a great story like Gone Girl and Inside Out have become some of my favorite films. The script is a crucial element that either makes or breaks a film in my rating or recommendation as a story should be believable to some extent, have a coherent storyline, and an intriguing premise.

Despite my indifference to writing, I do not dredge writing and am able to envision another’s story or idea, however, I am rarely one to come up with an original idea, but instead, need to be given a goal/thesis. Hopefully, as I continue to write and aspire to be unique, my love for writing increases

Blog #1 – 3 Audiences

*Losing $$$$ gambling at Morongo Casino

Hey Mate,

I missed you this weekend. I wish you could have joined me on my trip to Morongo Casino. Wow, was gambling an adrenaline rush with a huge roller-coaster of profits and losses! I was able to experiment with playing slot machines, poker, and Blackjack. Slot machines are a hit-or-miss where you can have a big win, but then a period 8+ spins of no luck. My biggest win on slots was $150 off a $2.50 spin! For poker, a word of advice, “video game poker” is not the same as real-life poker….poker faces are real, and some people are great at bluffing. For me, I could not contain my excitement and would smirk whenever I got a good hand. As far as Blackjack goes, I spent most of my time playing the Single-Deck Blackjack as the probability of winning is almost 50/50 with some edge to the house. I made huge bets ranging anywhere from $15-500 per hand. In the end, my $500 bets costed me, and I will have to work 2 months to recoup my losses. 😥 All in all, gambling was an experience, and I wish you could have been there with me at the tables.

Best,

Brian

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Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for letting me borrow the car for the weekend! Morongo had its up and downs, but mostly downs for me. I know I said that I would pay for the gas($20), but I am in a tough situation and was wondering if you could cover the gas for the trip? I have made some huge gambling mistakes and am still learning. Although the money I gambled with was mine, it was still a hefty loss for me. You were right when you said it is rare to be successful at gambling, for the house definitely has the edge and experience definitely matters in poker. I will say that if I do decide to go back, it will not be anytime soon. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be working more than I am used to, so I might not be able to make it to some family events. For the coming weeks, I hope you can understand my situation.

Your son,

Brian

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Dear Statistics Professor,

Unfortunately, I woke up with a high fever and am unable to make it to morning class. If you could let me know what was taught and send me the necessary documents/presentations that would be great!

Also, your last lecture about probability and odds really caught my attention. I recently played Blackjack at a casino with a single deck and tried to count cards and determine the probability of the dealer receiving a bust card. Although I am no math whiz, who can do numerous calculations in my head, I had some success and some failures for it is all just a probability. I do wish I could be Raymond from the movie Rain Man and win Tom Cruise millions with a genius brain!

Have a great day, and I am sorry again for not being able to attend the lecture today!

Best,

Brian Yee

Blog #9 Reflection

 

“A Farewell to an Amazing Class”

Wow! I absolutely loved my FFC class “Los Angeles in Film and Fiction.” I had such a fun time discussing film’s and literary texts’ impact and reflection on Los Angeles. I have learned that any subject can be analyzed from its lightning, camera work, language, color, and much more, but most importantly, the location plays a character and contributes to the work’s overall theme. I love everything about the class from film screenings to class discussions to blogs. Also, the class gives all the necessary tools and academic research to excel in the future like looking at library databases or finding credible sources do research projects.

The film screenings were enjoyable by being given the ability to watch an older film in an actual movie theatre and have the complete theatre experience. Watching a film in the dark environment of a theatre with people who have a passion for movies is so refreshing (without crying and screaming children).

The class discussions are insightful in getting other’s opinions and perspectives on certain topics. For example, in Mulholland Drive, things are open for interpretation and people are encouraged to discuss their ideas. I appreciate films even more, especially those from the 1900s because of the great innovations that were contributed to the film industry. This class is also a great reflection of history as many films reflected what was happening during the time the work was being done like fears of the unknown or the harsh reality of Los Angeles and its riots.

The blogs are such a great addition to the class. Even though some readings are long and overwhelming to read in such a short period, the blog aspect is always entertaining by being able to express one’s opinions on a certain work. The interactions between classmates with comments is a great touch because it creates involvement with others.

 

All of the texts covered are great, but my favorite has to be Drive because of Ryan Gosling. The depth and analysis of the film are so intriguing that the more one analyzes, the more one discovers the subtle details of the film. Also, watching Drive got me into watching other films with Gosling like The Nice Guys and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Lastly, this is one class I enjoy talking about with others and a great introduction to my college experience!

-BY

Blog #8 All Involved

Resources
Novel: All Involved by Ryan Gattis

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“Having a Presence While Dead”

Los Angeles has made multiple appearances in disaster, apocalyptic, and monster movies. In these movies, there is usually a take over Los Angeles and Hollywood with people running away and buildings being destroyed with over-the-top destruction to engage popcorn flick audiences. However, in All Involved, Ryan Gattis describes Los Angeles in turmoil following the events of the Rodney King trial where riots start to erupt described with gritty and brutal violence. The novel also takes place where the police appear to be absent in the neighborhood and instead gangs run the area. 17 different perspectives are portrayed through these events and are all linked together and connect to Ernesto Vera. Jeremy Rubio, Ernesto’s co-worker, uses graffiti as a remembrance for Ernesto for even though Ernesto is dead, he still has a presence with the people that surround him. The graffiti is a “way to remember…for…the city that killed him…It’s a middle finger and a headstone all rolled into one” (310).

Ernesto introduces the novel and is the first perspective portrayed in the events of the riots. Ernesto is someone who has a routine, working a taco truck with an aspiration to become a sushi chef. In the middle of the day, Ernesto notices, “smoke, four black towers going up like burning oil wells in Kuwait. Maybe not that big, but big” (5). He makes a note to say, “not that big,” to show that this is a usual occurrence and is not a threat (5). His current job is temporary as he is “just taking care of what [he needs] to take care…counting months till [he gets] out” (6). Ernesto notes the cultural difference that makes up Los Angeles as he talks about how with sushi and avocado “some chefs took something I was so bored with, something I see every day and turned it into something else” (7). Los Angeles is filled with different cultures and has a variety of different things. Los Angeles is unique and has its own personality with its ethnic diversity, sprawled urban environment, and notoriety of being home to Hollywood, all the while maintaining a community. Ernesto sees Los Angeles as a place to thrive and have a career for it is home to the American Dream.

Later on his walk, a car starts to drive alongside Ernesto that might pose as a threat. Ernesto thinks, “I’m not involved. No cholo uniform. No tattoos. Nothing I’m clean” (8). Ernesto does not want to cause any trouble for in these times, he knows that any furtive movement or action might set off an occurrence, so he does the best to mind his own business. However, the car notices that Ernesto is the brother of the gang leader, Lil Mosco. In order to deliver a message, the thugs get out of the car and brutally attack Ernesto eventually murdering him. This event and other events later in the novel are described in gritty detail, for example, Ernesto sees “the bat [come] down again and again. I catch one in the neck and my whole body goes numb (10). Ernesto was innocent in this situation and did nothing menacing yet paid the price of being related to a gang member and gets swept into the chaos. Lil Creeper makes note that during these time, “Ernesto gets killed and it’s not peace no more. It’s war” (89). The death of Ernesto serves as a catalyst to the future events and stirs up the emotions of everyone surrounding this event and all hell breaks loose.

The neighborhood has an absence of law and order as the police could care less what happens to these civilians. Nurse Gloria “called 911 five times and only got through once, but then got put on hold and they never picked back up” (138). Later she has to “pay the drivers extra [then] they started listening…I had to lie” (138). This description can apply to many people in Los Angeles as many are struggling to live and will try to get money out of anything. In addition, Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, which is full of lies with the idea of becoming a celebrity easily and fast, obtaining success in no time.

Everyone is involved. All of these perspectives are affected by these riots and are a part of this crazy chaos that is permeating throughout the city. Another example of a person being involved in this chaos is Nurse Gloria who “can’t get Ernesto Vera’s body out of [her] head. It’s like it’s burned in me permanently” (13). Gloria mentions that helping Ernesto is “part of what [she] asked for, I know. It’s my job” (137). Even though Gloria never asked to be put in the position of trying to help Ernesto, it is her duty and is what gets her involved in this chaos. Many people get connected and involved in events that they never intend to be involved with but are as a result of another’s actions. All of the ruthless and gritty violence depicted reveals the cold hard truth of riots in Los Angeles. Violence is not pretty and not something to be taken lightly.

-BY

 

Blog #7 Driving

Listen to the song while reading!

Resources
Film: Drive dir. Nicolas Winding Refn (2011); Double Indemnity dir. Billy Wilder (1944)

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“A Nocturnal Perspective of Gritty LA”

Los Angeles is known for its driving and transportation. The city is a huge urban sprawl filled with freeways, streets, and traffic. However, in Drive, driving is depicted as a job, a routine where Ryan Gosling tactically finds the best route in the maze of Los Angeles. In Double Indemnity, driving causes characters to make irrational decisions and plays a key role in a murder.

From the opening scene of Drive, the meticulous driver has everything planned out to the second and is in control of the situation. The exhilarating car chase scene shows the driver’s tactics by utilizing light and dark to conceal the vehicle and times the chase to a sports game. As the movie progresses, the audience sees that driving is a part of the driver’s life and acts as his home, as his life revolves around cars by being an auto mechanic, stunt driver, and getaway driver. These life aspects are all a routine in his life and the driver is portrayed as lonely without a real purpose until he meets Irene and Benicio. Irene and Benicio are helpless as shown in the scene where their car breaks down and the driver is there to fix it. Also, the scene where the driver takes Irene and Benicio on a joyride through the LA River, a truly ecstatic and joyous scene is presented filled with bright sunlight and the upbeat “A Real Hero” in the background. Usually, the LA River does not even look like a river lacking a steady stream of water and instead is filled with trash. However, the driver is able to turn this dump into a beautiful scene where he, Irene, and Benicio are away from all the notorious crimes in Los Angeles and can enjoy a mile stretch of paradise. These are some rare moments where the driver smiles and is in bliss.

The grittiness of Los Angeles is shown through the crimes the driver commits and the violence that ensues with gangs. Even though the driver tries to be a moral person by protecting Irene and her family, he does so through crime and violence. However, the driver only sees his hands as being “a little dirty,” even though he is a shark like all the other criminals. Like a scorpion, he has an instinct for crime. Near the end, he imitates Hollywood by confusing reality with a movie as he puts on a mask before the confrontation with Nino. The driver turns into a superhero with his scorpion jacket and mask trying to better the lives of Irene and Benicio amid the grittiness of Los Angeles.

In Double Indemnity, the film starts right away with a car speeding down the dark streets of Los Angeles. It is later revealed that the character just murdered a person. Walter Neff, an insurance salesman, meets Phyllis a beautiful femme fatale. The two collaborate together to murder Phyllis’ husband. At night, as Phyllis drives Dietrichson to the train station, Walter is hiding in the back seat with darkness concealing his position, soon Walter strangles Dietrichson and kills him. Later, Walter boards the trains and pretends to be Dietrichson and jumps off the train pretending Dietrichson suicides. In the made-up story, the train is seen as a killer to Dietrichson. Phyllis was waiting in the getaway car and flashes her lights two times symbolizing the two murders that she has been an accomplice in, her husband’s death and Lola’s father. “Straight down the line” is repeated throughout the movie, which describes how a train goes one way on a track, but it also shows that Walter and Phyllis are in it together until the end. The urban environment is filled with crime and the dark streets covered in smog could represent the thin line of immorality of Los Angeles. Walter descends into a moral darkness that is Los Angeles in order to get a girl and money. Wealth and sex can characterize the sins of Los Angeles.

Throughout the films, traffic is rarely seen, but in reality, Los Angeles is usually hammered with crowds 24/7. Drivers can be reckless and obstructive, but as shown in Drive, the driver can be calm and skilled to excel in fast car chases. Los Angeles can be described as having tons of streets and alleys where characters can hide and never show their true self. In both of these films, transportation plays a key role in the plot and catapults the characters into making irrational decisions that end up being crimes that revolve around a woman. The characters get caught up in sticky situations and since they are in it until the end of the line, they find themselves trying to crawl out of a pit only to be unsuccessful because of their sinful nature.

-BY

Blog #6 Bradbury Building

Film: Blade Runner dir. Ridley Scott (1982)

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“Turning the Bradbury Building into a Horror Setting”

Today, the Bradbury Building is so iconic in Los Angeles thanks to the many versatile roles it plays in films, but the one film that catalyzed its success is Blade Runner. Ridley Scott expertly transforms the Bradbury Building into an antiquated space that displays a futuristic aesthetic.

From the opening scene, Los Angeles is shown as a dystopian futuristic city with flames coming up from buildings and a thin layer of fog covering the city. There are numerous aerial shots of flying cars along tall skyscrapers with huge advertisements to show the commercialization of Los Angeles. In fact, the main light sources come from advertisements and neon signs that permeate through the constant rain. The constant rain combined with the night sky build an atmosphere that depicts a place that has gone to waste. The environment consists of: streets bustling with people, crowded market shops, and smoke/fog, which creates an overall claustrophobic atmosphere. The Bradbury Building is home to Sebastian and his creepy “friends,” but since the building is not advanced it is left to deteriorate. The building plays a central role in the film and sets up the tone for the climax of the film. Rick Deckard arrives at the deconstructed building staring up at the vertical building, while an amazing score plays in the background to set up the suspenseful scene that is to come. The building appears to be empty with its dark hallways, mannequins lying around, and a bright blue skylight. Also, the eeriness of the building and echoes present emptiness to the building. Instead of taking the elevator, Deckard slowly creeps up the staircase to build the suspense and give more camera angles of the place. When Deckard enters the room, there are tons of toys around, yet there is still emptiness. The stillness of the room with a bunch of toys creates a horror setting, adding to that is the audience knowing that Pris is alive in the room. Throughout these scenes, light seeps through the cracks in the building creating a strobe light effect, which is a horror effect because of the constant flashes of darkness creating mystery and tenssion. Finally, a fight breaks out releasing the tension, soon Roy enters the location and turns into a half-naked maniac breaking through the crumbling and dusty walls. Fear is a big theme in the film, as Roy says, “Quite an experience to live in fear, isn’t it? That’s what it is to be a slave.” In this society, capitalism is evidently shown as the rich exploit the poor and the rich live at the top of tall buildings neglecting society at the bottom. Scott masterfully creates the perfect setting for the climax of the movie and stylized it to fit into the polluted wasteland of the Off-world.

On the other hand in 500 Days of Summer, the Bradbury Building keeps its vintage Italian Renaissance architecture. The whole building is filled with sunlight reflecting off the golden structures creating visual glamor. The building plays a role in the final scene of the film and accurately portrays the “hopeful” theme of the film.

The Bradbury Building has its own character in every film and the only limit is the director’s imagination.

-BY

Blog #5 Mulholland Drive

Film: Mulholland Drive dir. David Lynch (2001)

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Option 1 (Metafiction & Hyperreality)

” A Crazy Ride Through the Winding Mysteries of Mulholland Drive”

Since the film is open to interpretation, I interpret the movie as having two parts with the first 2/3 being a dream of an aspiring actress in love with a beautiful woman and the last 1/3 being the nitty-gritty reality of a woman failing to become a star without any friends. Like Mulholland Drive, the film has amazing scenery and views with a style capturing a neo-noir style, but with windy roads of danger and mystery.

Hyperreality- The first part of the film can be seen as a hyperreality because Betty fails to confront the reality of her situation. Betty, an aspiring actress, who is trying to become big, comes to Hollywood. In the beginning, Betty is perceived as ditsy for she does not appear to be alarmed to find a complete stranger in her shower, does not call the police, or take precautions. Instead, Betty trusts the intruder and takes Rita’s statements as the truth. In Betty’s rehearsal with Wally, she shows off her acting skills and goes all out to the point where she engages in sexual actions. This is what Betty wants, applause and complements by the cast telling her how great she is as an actress. However, as the film comes to an end, Betty aka Diane in the last part does not make it big in the film industry and instead sidelines films of her friend Camilla as Camilla grows romantically close to the director. The increasing romantic relationship between Camilla and Adam angers Diane and eventually leads her to suicide to end her dark and depressing reality.

Metafiction- Throughout the film, David Lynch utilizes illusions to portray the madness of the film while also emphasizing the idea of a viewer’s perception. In one scene, a man talks about a dream, where he encounters a terrifying face behind the diner. Eventually, he runs into this bum behind a dumpster and faints, which reminds the viewer of absurdity and the dream-like state of the film. Also, an older couple, whom Betty first meets at an airport has a lingering shot in a cab laughing but without sound, creating a creepy and disturbing tone. Later they appear in the film in the bodies of cockroaches and can represent Betty’s past creeping on her. Lastly, a gruesome, yet comic scene of a hitman murdering his target, but then leading to more murders because of an accident. The comedy of the coincidence of all these witnesses appearing and the scene ending with the hitman shooting a vacuum cleaner is Betty’s fascination of hiring a hitman to kill Camilla.

The examples of hyperreality and metafiction utilized in the film helped me interpret the film, however, Mulholland Drive is open to interpretation and is filled with mysteries. The lasting impression the film leaves on its audience by having them think about it days after viewing and needing multiple viewings to pick up on more clues catalyze the film into becoming a masterpiece.

-BY

P.S. Lynch actually despises interpretations of MD for in Writings about David Lynch, he wrote, “As soon as you put things in words, no one ever sees the film in the same way.”

Blog #4 Noir & Neo-Noir

Films: Double Indemnity dir. Billy Wilder (1944); Chinatown dir. Roman Polanski (1974);
Readings: Robert Towne, “Preface and Postscript to Chinatown” in Writing Los Angeles 677-683

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“Gangsters, Booze, Smoking, Money, Lust, High-Speed Cars“

What’s there not to like about noir and neo-noir films?

Film noir started in the early 1940s and one of the more popular films to start these crime dramas was Double Indemnity. Noir has a cynical perspective consisting of lead male detectives, murders, smoking, sexual appeal, femme fatales, great dialogue, and contrasting lighting to reflect upon the immorality of Los Angeles. In the 1970’s, film neo-noir started to characterize the noir films with a lot of the same characteristics but reflected upon the sociological horrors as opposed to noir’s psychological horrors. Chinatown is a perfect example of a neo-noir with its corruption.

Wilder’s Double Indemnity opens up with a car speeding down the dark and desolate streets of Los Angeles making reckless movements and ignoring red lights. The sources of light in this scene come from street lights as the car speeds through the night setting the dark and ominous tone. The soundtrack also heightens the sense of urgency. In the beginning, the audience not only sees noir tropes but also realizes that most of the movie is from a voice-over as Walter Neff claims, “Dear Keyes…I just want to set you right about something you couldn’t see because it was smack up against your nose…Yes, I killed him for money and for a woman. I didn’t get the money and I didn’t get the woman” (Double Indemnity). In the voice-over, Walter reveals his selfish motives for wealth and sex, as he does not ask for forgiveness but instead relishes in his genius crime. This is one way the film portrays psychological horror as Walter seeks pleasure in his crime. In another voice-over, it is discovered that both Walter and Phyllis had different intentions when they first meet as Walter was focused on Phyllis’ anklet. Throughout the movie, Phyllis wears elegant dresses to play her role in society by using her curvaceous figure along with sexual body language to entice Walter into her plan. Walter repeatedly calls Phyllis “Baby” as if he is in control of the situations, where in actuality Phyllis is the deceiver and has the upper hand. The film also masterfully uses lighting to display Walter’s shadow representing the guilt of his actions and how it cannot be undone. He also hides in the shadows to try and forget his past. In the big city of Los Angeles, Walter is confused, lost, and lonely which is why he fell weak to Phyllis.

Chinatown is a highly acclaimed film as it accurately portrays corruption at the root of Los Angeles. The film hits all the marks of a neo-noir film by addressing the sociological horror of a fraudulent social structure. The film never misleads the audience into a happy ending from the beginning: of a woman pretending to be Hollis Mulwray’s wife, to a dead body found at a reservoir, to a mysterious drought occurring, all the way to the famous last line “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown” (Chinatown). Los Angeles plays a central role in this film as darkness looms over the immoral city. Jake has failed before when he worked in Chinatown and ends up failing again as he misjudges the safety of Chinatown when he tells Evelyn to go there for her protection. In Chinatown, there is deception and treachery. Chinatown puts a twist on greed for “greed wasn’t represented by money–land and water respectively did that” (Towne, 679). A major plot in the film is Cross and his men tricking the public into thinking there is a drought and they commit a “truly murderous act in the movie…laying waste to land and to fragile communities” (Towne, 679). It is revealed that the public was deceived of the drought, so it was sold to Cross and other landowners who put the land in the name of oblivious elderly in order to gain profit. In the final scene taking place in Chinatown, Cross remains calm throughout the scene because he already knows the outcome because of the unbridled capitalism and individualism that encompasses Los Angeles. Jake stands no chance in the final scene because he remains powerless against Cross, a wealthy and respected businessman. Los Angeles is filled with crime and fraud. Nowhere is safe!

Los Angeles has a negative portrayal in these movies as a bunch of sinful nature is explored through murder, deceit, femme fatales, etc. Los Angeles is a morally impoverished city, where crime runs rampant without a reliable police force for protection. Money plays a key role in each film as Phyllis seeks a fortune and rich business owners like Cross take advantage of the underprivileged . The main characters are lonely and end up seeking purpose in a city of darkness, where they lose themselves in Los Angeles’ immorality and mysteries without an escape. Los Angeles’ pollution combined with the contrasting lighting covers most of the beauty Los Angeles has to offer.

-BY

 

Blog #3 (Hollywood)

Film: Sunset Boulevard (1950) dir. Billy Wilder
Reading: William Faulkner, “Golden Land” in Writing Los Angeles 131-151; Budd Schulberg, “A Table at Ciro’s” in Writing Los Angeles 273-283

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“The glamour of Hollywood is a facade for the ruthless and cutthroat reality”

In Sunset Boulevard, a once famed and acclaimed silent actress Norma Desmond had great success, but once she got old and the film industry started to modernize with sound, she fell off the map and has not appeared in a film for over 20 years. The last scene is Norma coming down the staircase doing a monologue saying, “This is my life. It always will be. There is nothing else. Just us, and the cameras, and the wonderful people there in the dark” (Sunset Boulevard). As Norma is descending down the stairs, she is accepting her descent into madness.

“A Table at Ciro’s” talks about the desperate actions people make for their slim shot at becoming famous. When big shot A.D. Nathan asks Jenny to dance, an aspiring actress, “she tried to smile, tried to be having a terribly good time…this is part of the job” (Schulberg 277). Even though A.D. is much older than her, Jenny comments that “this is what makes a great actress, she thought, sorrow and sacrifice of your personal happiness” (Schulberg 279). Jenny is acting out the saying “fake it till you make it” for the chance that A.D. will make her a star. As the story ends, A.D. gets off the phone from the Board, who has asked for his resignation. Just like that, he no longer has influence over others.

In “Golden Land,” Ira is disgusted with Los Angeles and all the fake people living there for the people are described with “bronzed, unselfconscious bodies…beautiful as gods and goddesses, with the minds of infants” (Faulkner 147). Los Angeles has this outside appeal to others, but once people start to dig deeper and invest themselves in the city they find out the truth. Ira is a drunk who needs “two aspirin tablets and [a] half glass of raw gin…rose from…dreamless stupefaction of alcohol” (Faulkner 131). Ira shows his violent and abusive side in response to his son, Voyd, arguing with him, “Ira stood above him, gripping him…by the face…” (Faulkner 137). Ira’s irrational behavior and immorality come out in these scenes and he becomes one of the many wicked people that live in Hollywood.

Sunset Boulevard characterizes Hollywood as a star machine as it consists of an endless cycle of celebrity worship and obsession with youth.

“A Table at Ciro’s“ has a cynical take on Hollywood engulfing people with the mindset of becoming celebrities with fame and success.

“Golden Land” has an immoral approach to Hollywood as it shows commercialization alongside corruption.

-BY

Blog #2 TDOTL

Novel: The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West

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“West’s Cynical View of Los Angeles”

In the novel The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West, Tod Hackett is an aspiring artist, who travels from the east coast to the west coast to capture Los Angeles. When Tod Hackett first arrives in Los Angeles, he sees a majority of people in “clothing [that] was somber and badly cut, brought from mail-order houses…they had come to California to die” (West 60). This sight is what drives Tod to make a painting “The Burning of Los Angeles.” Clearly, most of the people depicted are not wealthy or successful, but make up the lower class with nowhere else to go. They wander around aimlessly and bored, which eventually paints the perfect picture for Tod. Although Tod marvels at the sights of Los Angeles, he gives an alternate perception that is not seen in media, the chaotic and brutal violence that encompasses Los Angeles.

Towards the end, destruction occurs as the streets are littered with people, who “[make] up the lower middle classes” and when new groups arrive in the madness, “they had become part of it, they turned arrogant and pugnacious” (West 177). Tod makes note that the people’s lives have “been tricked and burn with resentment…They have slaved and saved for nothing” (West 178). The people are resorting to anything that amuses them, even if it means violence, for even the innocent newcomers, are joining in on all of the chaos. A lot of people come to Los Angeles in search of the American Dream, which promises a place for them to thrive, where in reality people are unable to find success. Hackett’s painting is depicted with a “mob carrying baseball bats and torches…No longer bored, they sang and danced joyously in the red light of the flames” (West 184). Tod is literally painting the mass destruction around him and the despair of the citizens. Los Angeles is in flames with mobs crowding the streets, however, the mob finds happiness in their brutality. The true disaster is the fact that the mob relishes in the violence and destruction as it serves as a spectacle for them. Tod finally gives in to his own painting for in the last line he laughs and “began to imitate the siren as loud as he could” (West 185).

Even though the fictional painting of West is harsh and critical of Los Angeles, it paints reality. West is literally painting the scenes that are happening around him and even experiences it firsthand as he descends into madness in the last line. The citizens have lost all hope for they are lashing out upon their unachievable dreams and are causing destruction to the city that has fooled them all.

-BY

 

 

Blog #1 FFC

The FFC class “Los Angeles in Film and Fiction” is unique, engaging, and a rare gem. A class where students come together to watch movies about Los Angeles and discuss their significances. Count me in!

Born in Southern California and less than an hour drive from Los Angeles, I have made numerous trips to Los Angeles because of the variety it offers like seeing a movie at Arclight Hollywood, experiencing events at the Staples Center, or eating the delicious food of all types of cultures. Los Angeles has tons to offer from amusement parks, museums, beaches, film set locations, and much more all within an hour drive. There are also numerous opportunities to spot celebrities as there are multiple red-carpet premieres at the TCL Chinese Theatre and multiple striving businesses in LA.

I feel so fortunate to say that I live in Los Angeles because people out-of-state perceive Los Angeles as one of the destinations for the American Dream, a place where big Hollywood movies are made, and the fact that Disneyland is so close to Los Angeles. On the other hand, making trips to Los Angeles is not always so glamorous as Los Angeles is heavily populated and polluted, which results in tons of non-stop traffic in the smog-filled city.

One of my favorite films Nightcrawler (2014) starring the cynical Jake Gyllenhaal, fantastically portrays the horrors of LA and its gritty environment as night falls over the city. The film talks about how even though after dark, the news never stops as there are always events happening in LA.

This scene from the film captures the mindset of the ambitious people striving for success.

I love the opening scene in La La Land (2016) because of the situation it captures. Even though people are stuck in the horrendous LA traffic, everyone breaks out into an upbeat and fun musical piece where people try to forget their current situations and make the best of it.

In conclusion, I look forward to hearing people’s perception and opinions on the upcoming books and films we will be immersing in throughout this semester!

-BY