homosexuals in high school

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g8VNUkIemw&feature=related
Bill O'reilly is ridiculous. A lesbian couple was voted "cutest couple" in the high school yearbook. Bill says that they are just rebelling and "ticking off" the adults.

Vicious Hormones

In a large majority of the teen films we have watched, sex plays an important role.
In Heathers- a jock tries to have sex with Veronica but she refuses, and the next day a rumour goes around that Veronica had wild sex with hin.
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Buffy and Angel have an intimate night of sex and everything seems to go right. The next day Angel has returned to his evil vampire ways and acts as if "last night mean nothing". Buffy is left with tears.
In Battle Royale- a group of teenagers must kill each other off and only one survives or they all die. Sexual thoughts are absent , but as we all know teenagers (especially guys) always have sex on their mind. This is elaborated to the point where one guy asks a girl to have sex with him before they die. Ofcourse, the girl refuses and kills him.
In the film O- Odin becomes agressive during sex out of jealousy. Later the girls have a talk about his agressiveness and Desi's friend warns her of such agressive men.
In Hostel- the young men backpackers are lured in to a hostel of torture. They are persuaded by a number of beautiful hot foreign women that "want" to have sex with them. They ofcourse accept and later face the consequences of this decision.

In Ginger Snaps however, the role of women sexuality is expanded and in return portrays feminism and breaks the traditional binary of men/women regarding sex. When Ginger is about to have sex with the horny Jason, he realizes that she is being very controlling and dominating. He says to her " hey take it easy- who's the guy here?". Ginger pauses and her werewolf instincts kick in as she starts biting Jason due to that remark. Ginger turning in to a werewolf during her period implies the vicious women hormones as taking over Ginger. She becomes more vicious, sexual and a feminist with masculine traits that overpower the men in the film. Ginger is no longer vulnerable, looked at as eye-candy, or naive. Instead, Ginger is the opposite- As Michelle and Abert elaborate in their blogs.

I want to adress the role of the parents in this particular film. The parents of Ginger and Brigette brush the surface of their problems and never get to the core of their problems. The surface of Ginger's issues is puberty, hormonal changes, but the core is the fact that she is TURNING IN TO A WOLF. This can be looked at as a metaphor that parents never FULLY get it. In the past films we have watched, we end up complaining about the parent's uninvolvement and often blame them. We have finally viewed a film in which the mother is most involved, but it is not enough. These depictions overall reveal that parents and teenagers will never be on the same wavelength. Their worlds will never coincide. This takes us to the readings for this week:

In the article by Amy Graff, we can also conclude that parents can not fully control or understand their teenage children. Graff states that parents should monitor what their kids watch but they should also keep in mind that they will watch adult films anyway. They can talk about it with their friends, they will find a way. To those parents who believe that they can control what their kids watch- you can only do so much.

sex ed or sex scare

" A thick syrupy , volumnious discharge is not uncommon"- school nurse.

The second reading dealt with sex education. The nurse in the film definetly should be the poster woman for what the reading is trying to adress. The author, Bay-Cheng, is adressing the fact that adults and systems that try to educate students or teenagers on sex are bias, shallow, and basically creating a moral panic or stereotype about teens and sex. The system of sex ed construct teen sexuality and use that to justify efforts to control sexuality issues. The sex ed systems are not democratic or educational - they tend to reinforce the dangers of teen sex and construct them as hypersexual. I would like to end this discussion by adding in another quote from the knowledgeable nurse in Ginger snaps.

" youll have to protect against both pregnancy and STD now, play safe" [ hands the girls condoms ]

Bullies and Bugs

In teen films class , we watched two independant short films. Both dealt with issues of homosexuality, bullying and peer pressure.

- The first film: To Play or To Die, a film about a boy named Kees who is in love with another boy named Charel. Kees is shy, nerdy and socially awkward- is shown being bullied by members of his class including Charel. One day Kees tells Charel to come over and their "play date" results in a fight and even more bullying, the outcome being Kees commiting suicide. This film is Dutch and was released in 1991.

- The second film: Bugcrush, a film abou a teenager named Ben who goes to a public school and is homosexual. Ben later meets Grant who he falls for instantly. There are two problems however : Ben is unsure if Grant is gay and Grant is a trouble maker, a rebel, and a druggy. Grant invites him over one day and explains that he has bugs in his basement that give one an ultimate high when bitten by them. Ben refuses to be involved, but Grant peer pressures him and forces the bugs on Bens body- paralyzing him in to a high and raping him. This film is American and released in 2006.

This is the first time in the course that we have watched a short film. Throughout the summer course we have watched long films and episodes of a tv show. Personally, I prefer long films because I feel they are easier to interpret and you are not left with abrupt endings and a big question mark on your head. I do however, prefer independant films over big-grossing blockbusters. I feel that independant films such as these two films take risks and adress issues not lightly, but heavily. Independant films are not afraid to break the rules, or show too much ( masturbation scene).

Both Bugrush and To Play or To Die tackle issues of teen sexuality. In both films the protagonists only have sexuality on their minds. Sexuality is the plot, the problem and the climax of both films. In the Dutch film, To Play or To Die, we are confused as to if the character is gay in the beginning. He tell his mother he's going to ask some one out from his school, later we see that he goes to an all-boys private school. I believe Bugcrush implies teen sexuality and teen culture as the following:

1) Homosexuals are labelled easily. (When Grant and his friend go in to the forest, Ben implies that he is definetly gay )
2) Sub-cultured teenagers are more likely to be dangerous ( Grant is a druggy, a goth, and a rebel)
3) American culture expresses themselves through fashion ( Grant and his friends dress in black and trench coats etc. )

The Dutch film,To Play or To Die, also implies the following:

1)Being a jock shows one's masculinity
2) its very hard to express oneself in a private school in which every one wears uniforms.
3) Bullying is an international issue, not just an American issue. Watching a foreign film reminds us that bullying is everywhere.

The Readings for these two screenings helped me analyze the adult roles in both films.

In the GLSEN publication, it is stated that " its important that teachers be made more aware of problems that students are having in school and be willing to identify themselves as resources for students who experience bullying and harrasment". In To Play or To Die, the teacher is very aware of the bullying taken place. Compared to the other movies we have watched in this course, it is a relief to see a good teacher role. The teacher doesn't just send the bully to the office, but humiliates him in front of his class. Are foreign teachers more involved than American teachers? In Bugcrush , the principle sees Grant smoking and screams at him, then was about to send Ben to detention just for smiling. Perhaps the principle should be more involved in the peer pressuring that Grant can have on Ben and other students.
The parent roles in both films are somewhat absent. However, Kees's parents are present but go to alot of parties at night, they do call up and check on him and decide to go back home when he asks him to. Grant's parents are divorced and his mom is out of town with a boyfriend he disapproves of. Grant admits that he is troubled due to this matter. Overall, the American parents and teachers are represented worse than the Dutch teachers and parents.

Marissa wrote in her blog that " the media hypes up teen issues of sex, drugs, and violence but not homosexuality bullying and so on"..maybe that is hows by the fact that these films are short and independant, metaphorically saying that they are personal and not a public issue to be tackled yet in mainstream cinema as much. This also made me think of the films Ive watched about homosexuality, and I realized there was another short film I had watched quite similar to these two films.

These movies reminded me of a short film I watched recently called Trevor. This film won an Academy Award in 1994. Trevor is about a boy who is gay and best friends with a popular school athelete ( sort of makes me thing of Kees if he were to befriend the jock). He is slowly turning feminine, and writes in his diary about the changed. Later we find out he likes the school athelete and the rumour goes around that he is gay. He then attempts to commit suicide because no one understands him, but survives the attempt and starts fresh accepting who he is and staying strong. This short film is very inspiring.
Here is the link to the film on youtube ( there are 2 parts)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aei4qUvIzbw&feature=PlayList&p=EB09B8F71885815C&index=0.

There is information on this film on this website ---> http://www.thetrevorproject.org/film.aspx

Hostel - " Its just ketchup"

Through out this film course, we have witnessed the following:

- high school girls killing other high school girls
- a teenage boyfriend killing his teenage girlfriend
- a high school class killing each other
- two high school kids killing 12 other students
- teenage suicide

We have discussed and analyzed these teenager's reasons for killing. We have analyzed their dark and twisty world. We have examined the causes for these actions:

- violent video games?
- parents?
- death rock music?
- bullying?

All of these causes can be summed up in to one film, HOSTEL. Can slasher films like hostel be a cause? I will also explain why and how analyzing teenagers from a Hostel perspective is different.

First of all , we have seen films in which parents are neglectful to their teenage children. These parents either wont let thier children go or thier children need them more. In hostel, the teenage backpackers are experiencing one thing teenagers dream of, FREEDOM. Their parents are neither there or gone. The adults in this film are sick elites that pay to watch torture. But hey, he teenagers are free, their ultimate dream of being alone is happening. Eli Roth soon takes that away. When the villian of the film approaches the teenagers, he says " you must choose". With the freedom given to them, teenagers are more prone to choose what's too good to be true. This scene also is a reference to the American democracy, but is more related to our course as a " free teenager's choice". In a way I think the film is saying this to teenagers : you will pay for the freedom and fantasies you have in your head, as a teenager you shouldn't want that.

Lets take a look at Paxton's character. Paxton gets his fingers cut off, witnesses torture, risks his life, and in the end does the torturing himself.

- Paxton's fingers being cut off = bullying?
- witnessing torture = violent video games/media moral panic etc.

The choice of Paxton torturing the villian in the end of the film can be seen as an effect to the " bullying" and "violent video games" he experienced before he got his revenge. This is not to say that Paxton is a messed up teenager, he got his revenge and we can all go home happy. The excess of torture however, can be questionable.

"The babealicious bratislave hostel is the bait that lures victims into a sort of midievil torture chamber for hire, a murder brothel where rich men of all nations can unleash their most bloodthirsty impulses"- Salon review.

the rich men are the ones enjoying the teenager's torture. Who is the audience for the actual movie? I personally enjoy the gore of the film because it is extreme and takes you places you hopefully never will be in. It's not something I can identify with but its something I can escape to, the horror of torture.. where I can always go back to reality because after all, :its just ketchup.

"I thought he wrote movies".

I want to argue that "O" is a good representation of a Shakespeare play. Personally, if Shakespeare were to make movies today, they would turn out similar to the adaptation of Othello, "O". The first reason is that "O" does not include Hollywood's repetitive conventions. Secondly, "O" deals with issues of today as Shakespeare delt with societal issues of his time. The Othello play spoke to audiences of that time as "O" speaks to audiences of the 21st century.

"O" is not your typical Hollywood love movie

- As Hugh wrote in his article, "O" is more dark and serious than other adaptations of Shakespearee.
- "O" includes a sad ending unlike most adaptations such as Clueless and Never Been Kissed.
- " O" takes risks in playing with issues of race.
- "O" also portrays sexuality more so than other adaptations.
- In class it was said that the exhibition of this film took some time because of the risks it included such as it was a year after Columbine shooting.
- The cinematic techniques of "O" is deep and metaphorical. The example most primary to this suggestion is the sex scene in which the juxtaposition of black sking and white skin includes a long take.



"O" deals with issues of today versus Shakespearian times

- High school today is more focused on sports and getting ahead, in the past it would have been about war and honour. "O" portrays the game of basketball as precious, masculine and an honourable sport to play in. Also, the coach of the basketball team shouts at the player as a sargeant would.

- The play "Othello" speaks to teenage audiences today because they experience jealousy and rivalry in High school. However the adaptation "O" illustrated the love between a girlfriend and boyfriend rather than a husband and wife as Shakespeare had done.

- The "tragedy" of today in "O" is not played down as being unimportant and personal such as a girl that's never been kissed. Instead, this film deals with guns, shooting, and raw tragedy of our time - and a year after Columbine shooting.

- One aspect that remains an issue throughout all time is class. Hugo mentions a stereotype in once scene to Roger, in which he says " you rich kids have no patience".

- As it is a movie about teenagers, I enjoyed the way in which gossip and bullying was still demonstrated. I especially liked that they were taken to an extreme and dark version in which the seriousness of these issues can be explored realistically.

"O" speaks to audiences of today as Othello speaks to audiences of that time

- some like to be critical in saying that "O" did not include the Shakespearian old english language of Othello. I would like to argue that an adaptation should not, it should be remade in to today's society and for that society. Language is how we understand each other and if we want to understand the play Othello in a movie, it should contain the universal english language of today.

- In including race as an issue and stereotype, audiences today will relate more to the film and the whole concept behind Shakespeare's Othello.

Overall, If Shakespeare were alive today and decided to become a director,Othello would be adapted in a similar way as "O".

Other Comments

I believe Heathers was the film I related "O" to the most in that Hugo and Roger's plan is to make the killings look like suicide.

I want to suggest that Michael's character could have been a bit more threatening. He was very plain and outsiderish.

Why?

Throughout the entire film, "Elephant", I was trying to figure out why two teenage boys would do something like this.I was hoping I would "crack the code" by the end of the movie. The movie ended and the question "why?" remained. I didn't stop and realize that nobody knows why. Not the parents, peers, teachers, governments, or media.

Scholars such as Mike Males in his article , "Myth : Teenage Violent Thugs", discuss issues such as school shootings and I believe the discourse around this article is created by asking that same question, WHY? Mike Males also examines the "who is to blame?" factor of school shootings such as columbine or teen violence in general. In this article and during the columbine shootings, President Clinton was sending troops to bomb foreign countries and practicing violence. This was displayed in the media on televisions where teenagers can tune in every day. Males believes as a role model, the president should be part of the "who is to blame?" aspect. Marilyn Manson was accused of ifluencing the teenage shooters of Columbine High School , in that his music was devilish and promoted anger. Here is Marilyn Mansons' reaction to this, and as you watch, notice what Manson says about the president at that time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90xJVOUuV-I


Mike Males mentions that "the distinctions between the mindsets of heavily armed urban gangs and heavily armed adult governments are not immediately evident". This statement shows that the least powerful are the most to blame, or seen to be blamed (in the media). The urban gangs obviously have less voice than adult governments , but Males says that there is almost no difference between their thoughts and plans. Society and the Media tend to "blame the teenagers" as we saw in Battle Royale. Perhaps we could be blaming the adults or at least examining their role in the weakness of these teenagers.

Personally , the audience for this film I believe were parents and teachers. I don't see how teenagers can enjoy this as a film. Elephant doesn't have any drama and doesnt illustrate teenage relativeness. The only part that does may be where three girls were talking about how cute a guy was. I feel that parents that watch this hear the children when they dont in reality. They don't understand what goes on in school, and this film shows that. It shows how teenagers are when they are loners, or bullied, or how hard it is that the principle doesn't understand what's going on. Three girls are heard discussing the annoyance of thier mother's looking through their room and explain why they dont like it and how they can negotiate trust with their mothers. Classical music may also portray that this movie is for adults, and its slow, close-up on the teenagers is something parents may not see everyday in thier children. A teacher watching this film will get effected and think again when demanding a shy girl to wear shorts.

sidenotes : I was shocked and confused as to why eric and dylan shoot people in the library? If their target were bullies and jocks, what did poor michelle have to do it? Most independent teens from my experience go to the library, and thats where most of the kids were killed. Its sad.

The date of the shooting was April 20th. 4-20?! Just throwing it out there.

"most of all have fun!"- dylan -- very disturbing quote before they went off to kill students.

I was also shocked at the fact that no hesitation was shown while eric and dylan were in the car on the way to school. No change of mind, nothing. I wonder why the director chose to do that. Maybe to illustrate the point to which dylan and eric had been planning this and how nothing ever gets better.

Interesting fact: the makers of south park are from littleton and went to columbine school before the shootings. Apparently, they were loners and hated it. I wonder if the anger of south park is how they took it all out?...I used to take it all out on my friends or parents. What if you dont really have any?..

I dont think we'll ever know exactly why but alot of things can help the WHY never exist.

1) stable family
2) no guns in the house
3) no bullying
4) a friendly high school
5) the list can go on..