Hunger Games vs. Twilight

With the release of the highly anticipated Hunger Games movie ever looming, I have become intensely offended with the media’s constant comparison of the Hunger Games and Twilight. Any person that has read the Hunger Games books and the Twilight books (or seen the movies) can tell you that these series are completely different.  The only real similarity I can think of between these two books is the crack like addiction that they instill in their readers.  Withdrawal like symptoms (shortness of breathe, shakiness, cold sweats, and fever) seemed to precipitate in myself when my life pulled me from reading both Twilight and the Hunger Games. I would find myself not going to parties, because I couldn’t put these books down. Stephanie Meyers brainwashes her readers somehow to keep reading her crappy books. Exactly how she does it is still under my own personal investigation. Luckily, I snapped out of my mind warp before I wasted my time reading the last book, Breaking Dawn.  The Hunger Games, unlike Twilight, is a fantastic series with actual themes, suspenseful and compelling storylines, and admirable characters. Here is a list further describing the differences between these two book series.

First, the main characters of these series couldn’t be more different.  Katniss Everdeen is a strong, self-sufficient, and brave young woman willing to sacrifice her life for the safety of her younger sister. She also stood up to her repressive government and became the face of the rebellion against it. So in much fewer words, Katniss Everdeen is a badass.  Bella Swan, on the other hand, is a bland, dependent, whiny, selfish, and desperate individual that seems to lack any common sense. The ONLY thing that matters to her is being with her vampire boyfriend. She doesn’t seem to care about the years of vampire werewolf conflicts that will ensue from her decisions. I can’t believe I just used the term vampire werewolf conflict in a sentence, but I digress. The most disturbing thing about Twilight is that Bella is not the type of female role model young girls should be aspiring to be. For the past fifty years, woman have been working towards becoming financially and emotionally independent from men and Bella Swan’s weak and dependent nature seems to undermine all the progress this women’s movement has made.  I wish Katniss and Bella could somehow face off in a Hunger Games. We all know who would survive that match up.  Bella would probably be in a fetal position crying for Edward to save her, because heaven forbid she actually save herself.

Second, the Hunger Games has relevant and thought provoking themes.  The Hunger Game’s pages contain themes of survival, sacrifice, injustice, and courage. The only theme from Twilight (if you can call it a theme?) is desperation.

Third, Stephanie Meyer’s is unbelievably arrogant and can’t just accept that she wrote a silly book meant for mindless reading. She even had the nerve to compare herself to Jane Austen!! Lets just wait about 250 years and see if your tween love story stands the test of time, Stephanie.  Plus, Austen’s books are satirical depictions of the late 18^th century’s views on status, marriage, and wealth.  What satirical depiction of the 21^st century are you trying to make Stephanie? Maybe it’s that relationships with supernatural beings are difficult. Oh wait, vampires aren’t real!!!

Fourth, the Hunger Games movie actually has a decent cast. Jennifer Lawrence is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Oscar. Donald Sutherland, Josh Hutcherson, and Stanley Tucci have all proven themselves as well. But, where do I even begin when it comes to the Twilight cast. Taylor Lautner should never ever be allowed to star in any major motion picture.  He is worse than Kristen Stewart in my opinion (but not much). Kristen Stewart’s form of acting involves a lot of blinking and looking incredibly uncomfortable at all times. Stewart’s awkwardness on screen really isn’t that surprising considering how painful awkward she is in real life.

So basically, the Hunger Games rules and Twilight drools.

 

Child Beauty Pagents….

Since TLC’s reality show “Toddlers and Tiaras” premiered a couple of years back, I have been horrified by the travesty of child beauty pageants. On the surface, these competitions may seem harmless, but when you pull back the glittery curtain of kiddie beauty pageants you will discover the horrifying truth that lies beneath. These pageants are thieves of their young contestants sexual, emotional, and developmental innocence. This statement may sound dramatic, but let me provide you with a clearer picture on why I feel this way.

First, these pageants display toddlers prancing around on stage dressed up in skimpy bikinis and costumes.  The contestants pure young faces are unrecognizable under layers of make-up that make them seem eerily mature. These pageants seem to blur the line of sexy and cute. You might be wondering what the parents are doing while their children are provocatively dancing around on stage? Well, they are clapping and cheering while their children demonstrate stripper like tendencies.  I bet Chris Harrison from To Catch a Predator would have a field day rounding up sexual predators that hang around these pageants. As a society, we are usually so careful in protecting our children’s sexual innocence, but unfortunately these pageants have slipped through the cracks.

Second, the superficiality of kiddie pageants can be detrimental to a young child’s developing self-image.  Toddlers need positive reinforcement and success to shape a healthy self-esteem. But beauty contestants self-worth and body image rely on the judges opinions of them. Therefore, toddlers become aware of the flaws in their body at an unnaturally young age.  It’s not normal for toddlers to feel the need to wear make-up or to get spray tans to fix their imperfections. Even the natural imperfections of a young child’s teeth are being judged, leading many contestants to wear flippers. This pageant world’s rigid sense of what makes someone beautiful is unrealistic and shameful.

Third, Pageants send an “its your job to be pretty” message to girls. Through their pageant experiences, the contestants believe that being pretty gives them love, attention, and acceptance. Being physically beautiful becomes their main measure of self worth.

Fourth, parents are willing to exploit there children for money and an ego boost. These parents force their three year old to practice hours a day and expect results. They treat their children like show ponies that can be trained into becoming their own personal money-making machines. These parents need to stop relying on their 3 year olds to provide an income. I wonder if getting a job to support themselves has ever crossed these pageant parents’ minds.

Perhaps the saddest aspect of this pageant lifestyle is that contestants aren’t free to experience the joys of a normal childhood. The contestants are forced to wear make-up, learn routines, and act poised. Growing up is a period for a child to learn and experience the world around them, not a time where they are forced to look and act like adults.

So, the moral of this long tirade is DON’T EVER ENTER YOUR CHILD IN A TODDLER BEAUTY PAGENT!!! Hopefully, I will have a more uplifting blog soon. Thanks for reading.

Oh and here is a link to the most disturbing video i have ever seen about beauty pageants.

Anthony Davis’ Eyebrow

As a University of Kentucky student, Anthony Davis’ uni-brow has been a constant hot topic among my friends and I. When I first laid eyes on his recklessly out of control brow, I was in shock. How could anyone think that looks good I thought to myself. And more importantly, how come none of his friends have been kind enough to hack that thing off in his sleep or at least tell him that a little brow upkeep would do him some good. I wanted that thing gone.

But as the season has progressed, I noticed how powerful a statement his brow is making. His brow seems to be something that students have been rallying behind. Students strongly believe in the  “Power of the Brow.” In some odd way, I have found myself feeling a strange affection toward his one single brow. By now, I’m sure he has heard media or even his friends talking about his bushy unruly brow, but he has still proudly sported it at every game this year. I think I have grown to like the brow because in some weird way, Anthony Davis’ brow has become a celebration of individuality. If having a large and now famous uni-brow makes Anthony Davis happy than who am I to judge. It doesn’t matter if you are team brow or not, Anthony Davis uni-brow is going to be legendary.

Lastly, I would like to share my theory for Anthony Davis’ lack of eyebrow treatment. I think he uses his uni-brow as a dating tool.  All the women who are only interested in his fame and potential fortune will ask him to shave it. He will know when his true love comes along, because they will see beyond his lone brow. But I might be reaching just a little.

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