The littlest redhead goes to...

So I was going to post about this last week, but to tell the whole truth, I just ran out of time! Last week, my media class became a court room; that's right, we held a mock trial in the basement of the JKB. :) The case was about prohibiting the sale of video games to minors, with the two sides being the protection of minors vs. the freedom of speech.  There were many roles for which we could volunteer for, such as bailiff, witness, lawyer, etc., but I volunteered to be a lawyer for the below reasons: I didn't have to write a paper that the rest of the class did! I've always wanted to be a lawyer in real life! (But really I was planning on going to law school for awhile). I love to argue... :) My first instinct was to pick to be on the protection of minors side, but the freedom of speech needed more volunteers...so I reluctantly played the devil's advocate and picked the "road less traveled". Surprisingly, I am VERY glad that I ended up on the side I d

So the assignment I had due in class today was to write a persuasive letter to someone in authority (i.e. a state representative, senator, the FCC, the ESRB, etc.) regarding something that should change concerning media.  I looked through my notes and thought about what I had learned over the course of the semester and decided to write about implementing a book rating system.  I had a hard time choosing who I would address my letter to, seeing as there are absolutely NO review boards for book ratings...so I decided to pose this question to my local government, specifically Utah State Representative, Jason Chaffetz.  Below is my full letter, but I have to add that this is a very important topic! Many books have SO much inappropriate and harmful content, but they are not monitored like video games or movies...and this is not okay!  Children and adolescents become more aggressive (among other negative side affects) when they read about aggression in books.  This detracts from their overal

Okay, seriously society? Why the obsession with zombies?! It's kind of disturbing and gross. I mean with the development of The Walking Dead series and the new Warm Bodies movie...it kind of makes me want to throw up! Both of these look terrible! It's just another ploy to get another SUPER inappropriate series/teen movie out that has WAY too much sexual content in it. So I ask again, why the popularity with zombies? Why can't we be fixated on something/someone that is actually real and good? Something that could solve world hunger or bring world peace? I guess what I'm just trying to express is my distaste for what content is put in these sort of movies/TV series and ultimately what condition the "world" is in...it just ended up to be taken out on zombies...sorry. (I mean, if this were a few years ago, I probably would be doing the same about vampires...) Anyway, just thought I needed to separate myself from the majority of other voices cheering for this

About a week and a half ago, I finished The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde . I was surprised at how short the book was, especially considering that it is categorized as a classic novel, but the amount of content that Robert Louis Stevenson was able to author in 54 pages is astounding. Taking the journey through a respectable man's scientific fantasies made real was definitely something I have never read about before, but was intrigued to learn (despite the fact that it was fiction).  It was actually quite sad to see the downfall of the protagonist, Dr. Henry Jekyll, turning into the madman and antagonist, Mr. Edward Hyde. What I got out of this book is that this transformation is representative of the inner evil we have in all of us.  Why does mankind desire to partake in actions that are wrong, yet strive to live, or have other people see that we live, in the good graces of a moral life? I think that is the ultimate question for all of us to ask ourselves even in this

As of last Saturday I have watched about four Indian (Bollywood) films and am watching another one tonight. I don't know what happened, but I recently discovered these cinematic gems and love them to death! (Seriously they are so good.) But why you may ask? I think the reason why, besides the fact that they are musicals with singing and dancing in them, is the raw emotion that each movie evokes.  These movies are literally tear-jerking! Sometimes they do come across as a little melodramatic and almost soap opera-ish, but I think the drama and cheesiness adds to the endearing nature of them! My favorites so far have been Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Aaja Nachle . The first film is one of India's most popular Bollywood films and I highly recommend it.  The second is not as widely acclaimed, but it is still so good! Another reason why I think I like them so much is the complete and utter romance of the storylines.  These movies (at least the ones that I've watc

A great video explaining the divinity and sacredness of womanhood. I believe with all of my heart that this is one of, if not THE BEST WAY that daughters/children can learn about good relationships and self worth. Happy Sunday. :)

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Young Victoria .  I absolutely LOVE this movie! I guess it's because it's based on an English monarch and I love England. Or that Victoria and Albert's love story is a REAL LIFE love story. They actually were in love! No fiction there. Another reason could be the fact that Rupert Friend (the actor who plays Albert) is fiiiiine.  I mean have you seen his hair?! As for the acting, it's superb. And I just can't get over those British accents! But perhaps the number one reason why I love this movie is because of the beautiful soundtrack! The score is absolutely awe-inspiring and it really adds to the whole movie experience. Not many people know about this movie and that's why I have taken it upon myself to convert everyone! If you haven't seen, go watch it! Then, let's chat. :)

If you haven't watched Parks and Recreation, you are seriously missing out. I recently got hooked on this TV show and now I consider myself a faithful fan. It is hilarious! Amy Pohler combined with the other great members of the cast really make up superb entertainment that is fairly clean and family friendly! I highly recommend it to all!

I would normally not consider myself one who cares much for Hollywood (or the drama that goes along with it), but I do have to admit that the Oscars were mildly fun to watch.  I know of several people who watched them and it just surprises me that that many were.  I guess we all can't help but love the glamour to a certain extent.  :) Actually, I was pondering why so many people tuned in to the night on the red carpet and I think it is because it makes us feel a part of something bigger.  It brings back a little nostalgia, especially with the  amount of singing and dancing in the program this year! As for the host, who knew Seth McFarlane had such a good voice?! Definitely not me.  It really brought back the memories of how Hollywood used to be. As for the winners, I can't complain! I am VERY glad that Daniel Day-Lewis won for best actor.  While playing the part of Abraham Lincoln, he never once went out of character. Not even on set in between scenes! If that's not

I love Indian dance! I saw this video a few weeks ago and thought it was so legit! I am currently in an Indian dance class right now, but our Bhangra routines about about 1/4 of how long theirs are...they must have rockin' calves!  It's crazy to me how much Indian culture/dance is now being portrayed in America's media. They have a pretty big industry themselves, but it is finally starting to catch on here in The States. This particular group is from California, but they dance like they are in India. It's awesome!  This new fascination with India makes me wonder, why so popular now? Why the sudden interest in Indian films/media? I mean, their storylines and acting can get pretty cheesy, but we seem to love them still. Does it remind us of how it used to be in American films? Is it because we love the constant singing and dancing? I'm not sure if I quite know the answer to this, but what are your thoughts?

After watching the season three finale of Downton Abbey, I only have one word to say...WHY?! Why did it have to end that way?! Why, when everything was resolving, did everything have to completely turn upside down?! If you couldn't already tell, I like happy endings. In fact, I love them. I seriously HATE it when movies, television shows, literature, etc. end badly! Call me traditional, but I just can't get over those fairy tale endings! Okay, but really creators of Downton....did you have to kill off another one of the key characters? And in the same season too? Now, I understand that the actual actors are looking for a little more freedom and wanted to leave Downton Abbey on their own, but I honestly think that the show won't be the same. I would like to believe it will be, but I just don't know if it can recover from the blows it has been dealt this season. All we can do is wait...time will tell (unfortunately another year!). Alright, so you are probably wond

            Recognize this song at all? :) Almost anyone can attest to the fact that I have a great love for Arthur ! (Seriously, just ask my roommate how many times I reference Arthur in a week...ha ha).  I love both the books and the television program.    Arthur tells the story of an 8 year old aardvark and his adventures in Elwood City.  These adventures usually consisted what happens in the daily life of an 8 year old, and also included some kind of moral lesson that either Arthur or one of the supporting characters learned.                One important reason as to why Arthur  was my favorite is because of the variety in topics that each story was about.  I felt that I could relate to Arthur’s every-day experiences, like writing to a pen pal, or participating in a spelling bee.  This ultimately made it easier for me to feel normal as a kid.  I also liked how Mark Brown (the author) penned Arthur to make mistakes; it made him seem more real and relatable.  One of

Alright folks. I've been meaning to do this for a VERY long time. Literally almost a month. So sorry it has taken me so long! What I'm talking about are my opinions on th e BYU production of 'The Phantom of the Opera'! *I just have to start by prefacing that 'Phantom' is not my favorite musical. In fact, I generally have a dislike for it because of its weird plot and lacking story line  However, my views previous to seeing BYU's production have changed as detailed in the following post.* First of all, can I just say INCREDIBLE!!! As a whole, the musical really was astounding. I was SO impressed with the vocals, acting, set, the live orchestra...everything! I didn't know what to expect, but whatever my expectations were, they were blown out of the water. I loved the interpretation of the set. For example, how they used the fringe to reflect pictures and videos throughout the play...brilliant! This element really added to the boat scene, the cem

A list of my top 5 favorite books: 1) Jane Eyre 2) The Scarlet Pimpernel 3) Dracula 4) Harry Potter  (The whole series...although the 6th is my favorite in the series) 5) Pride and Prejudice

The topic in class this week has been music! If you think about it, music influences almost everything! We can experience some of our best moments with music. It also can be a VERY effective tool in helping us to figure out our identities.  At the end of class today, my professor asked us, "What's your song?". Now I do have to say that I knew almost immediately what mine would be (thank you Brooke for making me pick a theme song a couple of years ago!), but it was still great for me to think about why this particular song was mine. The song I picked was "Dancing Queen" by ABBA.  :) If you know me, this song makes complete sense! I love dancing and have been doing it for a very long time. Every time I hear this song, I can barely contain my urge to dance! I also love this song because it reminds me of my sister, Sara. When we were younger (I was probably 11 and she was 14), we would put on our ABBA Gold CD and do some choreography we had made up to this s

As I was listening to an online radio station today, a song came on by Mumford & Sons. They have become a new and recent obsession of mine and I had to ask myself why? Why did I start listening to them in the first place? Regrettably, my answer to that is because of a boy. Well...because of a boy and some friends of mine. They all have been urging me to listen to Mumford & Sons for weeks, and once I finally caved in, I decided I really liked them! When I came to this conclusion, however, I realized that my friends have some of the strongest influences on me! And perhaps even stronger than those are the opinions of the boys I am interested in dating! Now to me this sounds like something that would happen in Junior High, but I would bet that this still happens to most of us. It's not because we are easily persuaded and incapable of forming our own opinions. On the contrary, it's because we value what our friends (and potential boyfriends/girlfriends) say. The people who

What is it: one of my new favorite shows on the telly! When it became a favorite: over the holidays Why it became a favorite: Multiple answers to this one... :) Why I consider 'Sherlock' one of my new favorite television shows: Because it's British and I love almost everything British. Benedict Cumberbatch  is the PERFECT Sherlock Holmes - his wit and tendency to be a smart-Alec  only make him that much more lovable. Martin Freeman = Bilbo...need I say more. The location of the show brings back so many good memories! I love listening to the differences in their English dialect and vocabulary...it makes me feel really cool when I know what they are talking about and other Americans don't :) It is a great drama series that really keeps me on the edge of my seat!  It's refreshing to see real actors on T.V. Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is hilarious. I've included just a few reasons why I love it and so feel free to comment on wh

On Monday, my roommate and I decided to treat ourselves to a movie after a day (mostly) full of homework.  In accordance with and completely coincidentally, we decided to go see the new Steven Spielberg movie, 'Lincoln'.  Being Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we felt very patriotic and satisfied with our decision. Overall, the movie was really great, but it came as a surprise to me that the film only showed the last 4 months of "Honest Abe's" life.  I guess I was expecting 2 1/2 hours of Lincoln's whole life in a nutshell!......but apparently that would be a lot to cram into a movie. :)  However, it got me thinking about why the film-makers only wanted to show this small period in time.  I came up with this answer: the last few months of President Lincoln's life were VERY important in U.S. history. The abolition of slavery happened, which ultimately began the process for attaining equal rights. Now I may be starting to sound like a little bit of a ner

Although media has the stereotype of being solely "bad", messages displayed through media like this remind me of reasons why media can be a good thing! I am a big proponent of Mormon Messages. I truly believe that they can uplift, inspire, and teach us many new truths, as well as remind us of many old ones. Brittany's story of hope in the midst of despair really touches me. The amount of service that she gives is absolutely astounding! I am just blown away that she can get up every day, try to live a normal life, AND still think of others enough to make sock monkeys and coloring books for donations. That is one special girl. I hope that her story inspires you as much as it inspired me! God does lift us up and will continue to lift us up no matter what. He loves us that much and more! Have a great rest of your Sunday! Katie

Hello there! It's been awhile since I last posted, but I now have the wonderful opportunity to post a lot more because of a class I am in this semester! Currently, I am enrolled in SFL 358: Media, Family, and Human Development.  I will be learning all about how media affects families, their interactions with each other, and individual family member's personal identity development. I'm stoked! For this class, I am required to post twice a week about some form of media...this would include my thoughts, beliefs, or perceptions about the media selection I chose. This week, I decided to post about nothing other than one of my greatest loves. DANCE. I have been dancing for over 10 years now and all I can say is that it is a part of who I am.  I love it. I love watching it, I love doing it, and I love performing it. The clip I chose to feature in this post is a performance/competitive piece done by a BYU couple at the National Dancesport Championships in 2012.  The reason