Part 3: Entertainment Discourse

Part 3: Entertainment Discourse- Chapter 5: Main Assignment p.127

Click (2006)

I have different favorite movies for different reasons, but on one of the most basic emotional levels this movie takes the cake. My entire life has been filled with ling conversations with my dad about how the most important thing in life is and will always be relationships. This movie embodies that idea in such a beautiful way, and it's full of humor too!

I saw this movie when it came out 9 years ago and I remember one of the sweetest moments with my family concerning my then-six-year-old sister. My sister has always been extremely perceptive. Since she was little, as with this case, she could always follow a storyline without getting distracted or confused. It was always amazing to us how deeply she could follow a story. As we watched this movie in the theater, one of the final scenes of the movie that was very emotional was playing, and as we watched this scene unfold we hear my sister sniffling. We all look and she has tears streaming down her face. You just know that in that moment she put herself in the situation, and was experiencing the emotions as if she were a character in the movie. And all of this at the age of six! 

This just served as monument in my mind to the teaching and understanding that our dad bestowed upon us as children.

Years later my mom got into a very bad car accident. She lost control of her vehicle on the interstate and flipped her car several times, at least one of which caused her head to strike the pavement while her car flipped. For the reader's sake currently, my mom is perfectly fine. She made a quick and speedy recovery. When this happened, however, I remembered this movie and how it made me feel. I thought of how I could have lost my mom just like that and everything would be different. Suddenly, I could relate to those feelings that I had felt years earlier and I was able to make that emotional connection from something I had witnessed through entertainment and was now experiencing those same emotions in a real life event.

My dad has often been told he looks like several celebrities, one of which is Michael J. Fox. Michael J. Fox has also been a fairly inspiring figure for my life. I remember watching a section of a documentary on him and how he would fight through the hardships associated with the onset of Parkinson's disease to continue acting. I always thought that was admirable compared to the alternative of falling victim to those hardships and giving up on doing what you love. I feel as though my dad has tried to instill those same principles in me during my upbringing.

Part 3: Chapter 3: Exercise p. 76- "Decision Scene"

(This entry was originally intended for the Family Discourse but I felt that it fit better within the scope of entertainment)

I have been playing video-games for almost as long as I can remember. I remember my dad playing computer games when I was 5 or 6, so he got me easy games I could play. I remember those games explicitly. While I love playing video-games I really only see it as a hobby and not a very impactful part of my life. However, my memories both of and around video-games are some of my clearest and detailed memories. That being said, I have come to appreciate and greatly enjoy the moods and atmosphere associated with the challenges involved with video-games. Especially considering the multiplayer aspect of video-games. I'll give you an example...

This is an actual clip of me playing a video game accomplishing what some would say is an impressive feat by wiping out the entire enemy team. I remember this specific instance and the excitement and pride that I felt as a result. Sometimes there can even be quite a bit of frustration and anger leading up to a moment like this, but it's always worth it because of the sense of accomplishment I get from an achievement like this one.

Similar feelings of excitement and pride can be expressed in different forms such as completing different kinds of challenges or even music. Here are some examples I have found that evoke similar moods and atmospheres in my opinion.

(You have to watch on YouTube)

I really enjoy soccer and Lionel Messi is one of the best players in the game. Watching him play definitely gives me excitement, and in the sense that I root for him, I get a sort of pseudo-pride in watching him do well.

*Disclaimer* Most people will probably not like this music... That being said, this is a Christian music group that has very inspiring lyrics and I have grown up listening to this music since my early pre-teen years. When I listen to their music it often gives me a feeling of excitement and pride for being a Christian considering how the lyrics relate and apply to my beliefs and my life.

Part 3: Chapter 5: Exercise p. 165- "Fetish Screen"

(Perhaps this would be more appropriate for the family discourse)

I don't think I have anything currently that serves as a "fetish" honestly. The first thing that comes to mind is how I had a lot of stuffed animals as a kid, but I had a particular stuffed dalmatian dog, from the 101 Dalmatians animated movie, that my mom got for me during a trip to get me band-aids after I had gotten hurt at home. 

That stuffed animal meant a lot to me as a kid. Eventually I passed it on to my sister. I believe that that object served as a reminder and confidence in the recurring theme of my parents' love for me. Eventually that idea became embedded in me and I no longer needed an object to reaffirm that feeling.