From the September version of myself, I’d say that I changed A LOT. First of all, I didn’t even want to be in this school. I suffered from an absurd case of senioritis and honestly didn’t want to hear a single thing about school. I wanted to join the Marines or Army and just forget about school, forget about life. But coming to school actually did help me out as a person. I fell in love with the schedule, and definitely came to the conclusion that the fact that I needed to be somewhere at a certain time really helped me get my mind straight.
Coming to school and meeting new people and actually studying something I actually care about really helped me as well because now I don’t mind coming to school. It’s almost like a landing strip for my new educational lifestyle. I was a little freaked out at first, but now, I realized I’m surrounded by a lot of people with similar interests and just a lot of cool people in general. The professors are also very cool; I was actually quite shocked that they would be so down to Earth after all of the horror stories I’ve heard from other college students.
I’ve also developed a lot of hate since September. Hate for the MTA, College, and people. It’s really just a gigantic part of my stress and I have nothing but hate for these things. The MTA has brought me nothing but headaches and anger, not to mention keeping me out in the cold and telling me that trains are unavailable, making me walk absurd lengths. Thank you MTA, for sucking. College is also stressful, not because of the work, or because of the commute, or anything like that. More or less how stupid it works. How the whole signing up process works, and making me take Math. I hate you, math. And people, people have done nothing but piss me off. Walking around ultra slow just to be a pain in the ass, not allowing me to pass by, not allowing me to get to the train that waits for me at the top of the stairs. People, I hate you.
But, I’ve also developed some love. Meeting that person that changes your life is always a beautiful thing. Because of this person I have a new appreciation for life and the people in my life, and life in general. Not only has this person opened my eyes, but my friends have as well. They helped and continue helping me get through my obstacles. To these people: I love you.
And last but not least, this class and all of my English classes were great. I really had a great appreciation for the films we watched as well as the many interesting topics we covered. No lie; this was probably the most interesting English class I’ve ever had in terms of content. Definitely was eye-opening and very interesting to be a part of.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Blog 14: Draft of ENG 103 Research Paper
(SORRY FOR SUBMITTING THIS IN LATE...I TRIED TO GET HOME AS QUICK AS I COULD)
Nicholas Caruso
Major Research Paper
Taxi Driver
The year is 1976. The music is at the top of it's game. The movies that we all adore and love are being born. The city of New York, refuses to sleep. The Yankees are in the World Series, The Son of Sam is roaming the streets, and the streets are on fire. The 1970's were a big time for New Yorkers, we were undergoing some serious changes and to be honest, most of them weren't very good. People tried to make it out of their neighborhoods, some tried to escape depression, some engulfed themselves in it. It was a tough time, and the people that lived through it will never forget it. But during this time, a movie was produced for the people, by a person that really understood the depression, that really understood what was going on: Paul Schrader.
Schrader was going through a tough time during the late 1970's, he had no job, no where to live, no family to go back to. He started writing, and he wrote about something that he thought people could really identify with. A taxi cab. The loneliness of the cab intrigued Schrader so much so that he decided he would write a full story about a taxi driver that can't take it anymore. So in essence, Tax Driver was made for the people of New York that were sick of the streets, that were sick of the people that were polluting their environment. It was made for the people that were depressed, that had jobs that paid nothing, that got you no recognition. Taxi Driver, is the way New Yorkers saw the city they lived in during the 1970's.
New York during the 1970's was a gritty, hard working, dark place to live in. There weren't any of these hipsters and modern day hippies we see today. There was just hard working people, living their hard working lives day in and day out. They did everything hardcore, to the fullest. There was no doing anything half way, it was either you did it with passion, or you didn't. People had to get their families out of rough neighborhoods somehow, and they did it by working multiple jobs and trying to do anything just to make ends meet. People in New York City during the 1970's were completely different then how they are today. They were relentless and didn't care if you were from out of town. If you didn't know where you were going, you didn't know, and no one would help you. It was every man for themselves.
The economy during the 1970's for New Yorkers set the standards of how they felt. How they lives was how they felt, really. If you lived in the projects, you weren't happy about that. If you were middle class, you were content, but still wanted to leave because you were right next to the projects. And the higher class is the only thing that pretty much hasn't changed since the 70's. The city was in a crisis, they had no money. It literally tumbled into a confused state and was declared bankrupt in 1976. With that happening, the welfare spending continued. So with no money left to spend on the economy, the city just spiraled out of control and the crime rate rose. Prostitution, drugs, rape, murder all went up significantly and by the end of the 1970's, which led to nearly a million people leaving the city. Here's a small chart, to show you how bad the crime rate was in the year 1976:
Forcible Aggravated Larceny- Vehicle
Year Population Index Violent Property Murder Rape Robbery assault Burglary Theft Theft
1976 18,084,000 1,125,739 156,988 968,751 1,969 4,663 95,718 54,638 318,919 516,328 133,504
This is where Taxi Driver comes in. In 1976 the movie was filmed during a heat wave and garbage strike, which really to me makes the movie so realistic. It just jumps right into the times and really throws you into the setting, and I'm sure the smell of the city helped the actors climb right into their rolls. Taxi Driver is a film about Travis Bickle, a 26 year old Vietnam war veteran who is now a taxi driver. He's socially inept, is tired of life, but most of all, he's tired of the people he sees on a day to day basis. Travis works the graveyard shift as a taxi driver and sees the worst of the worst. The junkies, pimps, criminals, the “scum of the Earth” as he says in the film. He becomes determined to clean the streets and rid the world of the slime that it produces on a day to day basis in the city that he lives in.
Over time, he becomes more and more paranoid and decides to act upon his dream of becoming a vigilante. He buys guns and begins to work out every day, he has become fully determined at this point and there's really not much that can stop him. He practices intimidating his foes in front of the mirror alongside his gun slinging skills. Travis goes so crazy that he decides he's going to assassinate a local presidential candidate. Now, not all New Yorkers would go this far to prove a point, but Travis Bickle spoke for the people. He was uninterested in the stupid things most people are interested in, he was much more interested in trying to prove a point, he went out there and got things done. He wasn't a hero, and he wasn't a villain, I'd classify him as an anti-hero. Probably, the best anti-hero ever created. Not only did Travis represent what New York secretly wanted, but he represented the Vietnam veterans, and how tough it was for them to return home and make an honest living with out going crazy in the streets that reminded them so much about the hell they had been through.
In the movie, you see many different examples of the scenery and culture around Travis, as he travels around New York City. At night, the pimps and thieves come out and hang around the same strip in Times Square. As he travels more up town towards Harlem and African-American neighborhoods, he is actually abused by the young black youth in the area as they throw garbage and sticks at his taxi. Also, the youth are constantly letting the water out of the fire hydrant, something children used to do predominantly back in the 1970's. These little key moments in the movie really set you back and definitely have a direct relationship with the time period it takes place in.
Another important aspect of the film that correlates with the time is the wardrobe. The way the people are dressed definitely shows you what kind of person they are. For example, the other taxi drivers along with Travis are very relaxed with the way they present themselves, just regular Joe's working a regular job. As you continue watching however, you see that the pimps and illegal lifers dress more upper class, flashy, and very distinct. There is definitely a way to spot them through out the movie, you just need to keep your eyes peeled.
The financial state of the city is also portrayed very, very realistically. The buildings are very decrepit, the people look depressed, and the money is short. In one specific scene, Travis goes to an adult movie theater and tries to start a conversation with the pretty woman behind the front concession stand. First thing that you notice represents the times are how anyone will work anywhere. This pretty woman is working behind the concession stand an adult film theater, no one would do that now, but at the time, money was tight, and you'd work anywhere you could. Now, here's the most important part of the scene. Travis decides he's going to buy the following items:
1)Chuckles(candy)
2)Jujus(candy)
3)A large box of popcorn
4)A chocolate bar
5)A fountain soda
How much would that cost in the year 2010? Probably about 11-15 dollars right? Guess how much Travis spends? $1.85. All on that. When I first saw this scene, I was shocked. I didn't know that things were THAT cheap back in the late 1970's. All of that food for that much is an absurd concept to me, and Taxi Driver to me, portrays how the economic times were during the 1970's. Another thing that is very accurate about the film and the time is the actual amount of money Travis makes. Through out the movie, it's not certain how much Travis makes, but from time to time, you see his little tin box of fares filled up with single's and five's. This is quiet accurate, and to prove it, I'll show you a piece of a graph:
Charge per
Initial Charge
Mileage Charge
Wait Time
Mile
Minute
Avg-fare
March 1977
$0.75 first 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 60 sec.
$0.70
$0.10
$3.09
July 1979
$.90 first 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 60 sec.
$0.70
$0.10
$3.24
Martin Scorsese wanted to make a statement with this movie. We understand what you're going through. He decided, let's not lie to the people of my city, let's go ahead and create a film in which they can see and say “Hey, I know that place, they didn't change it up at all!”. Because let's face it, people notice when you change the neighborhood they grew up in, or pass by every day. So to me, Taxi Driver is one of the most realistic movies in the way that Scorsese really kept the elements of New York at the time intact and definitely showed the world how bad it was. To this day, Taxi Driver is known for it's portrayal of New York City in the 1970's and it's portrayal of it's citizens at the time.
Works Cited
Browne, Jackson. "Taxi Driver (1976) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
"Taxi Driver: Information from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A combined with free online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedias. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010..
"Taxi Driver: Its Influence on John Hinckley, Jr.." UMKC School of Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010..
"The New York City Taxicab Fact Book." The New York City Taxicab Fact Book. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010..
Nicholas Caruso
Major Research Paper
Taxi Driver
The year is 1976. The music is at the top of it's game. The movies that we all adore and love are being born. The city of New York, refuses to sleep. The Yankees are in the World Series, The Son of Sam is roaming the streets, and the streets are on fire. The 1970's were a big time for New Yorkers, we were undergoing some serious changes and to be honest, most of them weren't very good. People tried to make it out of their neighborhoods, some tried to escape depression, some engulfed themselves in it. It was a tough time, and the people that lived through it will never forget it. But during this time, a movie was produced for the people, by a person that really understood the depression, that really understood what was going on: Paul Schrader.
Schrader was going through a tough time during the late 1970's, he had no job, no where to live, no family to go back to. He started writing, and he wrote about something that he thought people could really identify with. A taxi cab. The loneliness of the cab intrigued Schrader so much so that he decided he would write a full story about a taxi driver that can't take it anymore. So in essence, Tax Driver was made for the people of New York that were sick of the streets, that were sick of the people that were polluting their environment. It was made for the people that were depressed, that had jobs that paid nothing, that got you no recognition. Taxi Driver, is the way New Yorkers saw the city they lived in during the 1970's.
New York during the 1970's was a gritty, hard working, dark place to live in. There weren't any of these hipsters and modern day hippies we see today. There was just hard working people, living their hard working lives day in and day out. They did everything hardcore, to the fullest. There was no doing anything half way, it was either you did it with passion, or you didn't. People had to get their families out of rough neighborhoods somehow, and they did it by working multiple jobs and trying to do anything just to make ends meet. People in New York City during the 1970's were completely different then how they are today. They were relentless and didn't care if you were from out of town. If you didn't know where you were going, you didn't know, and no one would help you. It was every man for themselves.
The economy during the 1970's for New Yorkers set the standards of how they felt. How they lives was how they felt, really. If you lived in the projects, you weren't happy about that. If you were middle class, you were content, but still wanted to leave because you were right next to the projects. And the higher class is the only thing that pretty much hasn't changed since the 70's. The city was in a crisis, they had no money. It literally tumbled into a confused state and was declared bankrupt in 1976. With that happening, the welfare spending continued. So with no money left to spend on the economy, the city just spiraled out of control and the crime rate rose. Prostitution, drugs, rape, murder all went up significantly and by the end of the 1970's, which led to nearly a million people leaving the city. Here's a small chart, to show you how bad the crime rate was in the year 1976:
Forcible Aggravated Larceny- Vehicle
Year Population Index Violent Property Murder Rape Robbery assault Burglary Theft Theft
1976 18,084,000 1,125,739 156,988 968,751 1,969 4,663 95,718 54,638 318,919 516,328 133,504
This is where Taxi Driver comes in. In 1976 the movie was filmed during a heat wave and garbage strike, which really to me makes the movie so realistic. It just jumps right into the times and really throws you into the setting, and I'm sure the smell of the city helped the actors climb right into their rolls. Taxi Driver is a film about Travis Bickle, a 26 year old Vietnam war veteran who is now a taxi driver. He's socially inept, is tired of life, but most of all, he's tired of the people he sees on a day to day basis. Travis works the graveyard shift as a taxi driver and sees the worst of the worst. The junkies, pimps, criminals, the “scum of the Earth” as he says in the film. He becomes determined to clean the streets and rid the world of the slime that it produces on a day to day basis in the city that he lives in.
Over time, he becomes more and more paranoid and decides to act upon his dream of becoming a vigilante. He buys guns and begins to work out every day, he has become fully determined at this point and there's really not much that can stop him. He practices intimidating his foes in front of the mirror alongside his gun slinging skills. Travis goes so crazy that he decides he's going to assassinate a local presidential candidate. Now, not all New Yorkers would go this far to prove a point, but Travis Bickle spoke for the people. He was uninterested in the stupid things most people are interested in, he was much more interested in trying to prove a point, he went out there and got things done. He wasn't a hero, and he wasn't a villain, I'd classify him as an anti-hero. Probably, the best anti-hero ever created. Not only did Travis represent what New York secretly wanted, but he represented the Vietnam veterans, and how tough it was for them to return home and make an honest living with out going crazy in the streets that reminded them so much about the hell they had been through.
In the movie, you see many different examples of the scenery and culture around Travis, as he travels around New York City. At night, the pimps and thieves come out and hang around the same strip in Times Square. As he travels more up town towards Harlem and African-American neighborhoods, he is actually abused by the young black youth in the area as they throw garbage and sticks at his taxi. Also, the youth are constantly letting the water out of the fire hydrant, something children used to do predominantly back in the 1970's. These little key moments in the movie really set you back and definitely have a direct relationship with the time period it takes place in.
Another important aspect of the film that correlates with the time is the wardrobe. The way the people are dressed definitely shows you what kind of person they are. For example, the other taxi drivers along with Travis are very relaxed with the way they present themselves, just regular Joe's working a regular job. As you continue watching however, you see that the pimps and illegal lifers dress more upper class, flashy, and very distinct. There is definitely a way to spot them through out the movie, you just need to keep your eyes peeled.
The financial state of the city is also portrayed very, very realistically. The buildings are very decrepit, the people look depressed, and the money is short. In one specific scene, Travis goes to an adult movie theater and tries to start a conversation with the pretty woman behind the front concession stand. First thing that you notice represents the times are how anyone will work anywhere. This pretty woman is working behind the concession stand an adult film theater, no one would do that now, but at the time, money was tight, and you'd work anywhere you could. Now, here's the most important part of the scene. Travis decides he's going to buy the following items:
1)Chuckles(candy)
2)Jujus(candy)
3)A large box of popcorn
4)A chocolate bar
5)A fountain soda
How much would that cost in the year 2010? Probably about 11-15 dollars right? Guess how much Travis spends? $1.85. All on that. When I first saw this scene, I was shocked. I didn't know that things were THAT cheap back in the late 1970's. All of that food for that much is an absurd concept to me, and Taxi Driver to me, portrays how the economic times were during the 1970's. Another thing that is very accurate about the film and the time is the actual amount of money Travis makes. Through out the movie, it's not certain how much Travis makes, but from time to time, you see his little tin box of fares filled up with single's and five's. This is quiet accurate, and to prove it, I'll show you a piece of a graph:
Charge per
Initial Charge
Mileage Charge
Wait Time
Mile
Minute
Avg-fare
March 1977
$0.75 first 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 60 sec.
$0.70
$0.10
$3.09
July 1979
$.90 first 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 1/7 mi.
$0.10 per 60 sec.
$0.70
$0.10
$3.24
Martin Scorsese wanted to make a statement with this movie. We understand what you're going through. He decided, let's not lie to the people of my city, let's go ahead and create a film in which they can see and say “Hey, I know that place, they didn't change it up at all!”. Because let's face it, people notice when you change the neighborhood they grew up in, or pass by every day. So to me, Taxi Driver is one of the most realistic movies in the way that Scorsese really kept the elements of New York at the time intact and definitely showed the world how bad it was. To this day, Taxi Driver is known for it's portrayal of New York City in the 1970's and it's portrayal of it's citizens at the time.
Works Cited
Browne, Jackson. "Taxi Driver (1976) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
"Taxi Driver: Information from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A combined with free online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedias. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
"Taxi Driver: Its Influence on John Hinckley, Jr.." UMKC School of Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
"The New York City Taxicab Fact Book." The New York City Taxicab Fact Book. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Minority Report Response
I believe that in a society, there should be security. I believe in enforcement of the law, I believe the punishment should fit the crime. Call me evil, but it's really what I believe. I'm a firm believer in having security and making sure the people of a certain region are safe. With out rules, there is Anarchy, with Anarchy, there is nothing. Anarchy isn't anything to be proud of. People think that having no rules or laws would lead to peace meanwhile, in reality, it would lead to people just getting killed in cold blood and the formation of tribalism. If one want's a fully working government, then one needs to realize there must be rules. Rules may be annoying from time to time, but with out them, there is no order.
Now, there is fine difference between freedom and government. The government has no right to infarct upon your freedom. For example, wire tapping, following where you go on the internet, watching what you buy, etc. That is just wrong, and unethical and I do not believe in this. In Minority Report, the police can arrest you for crimes that haven't even been committed yet. I personally think that this is wrong because you can never be 100% sure that these crimes WILL be committed. It's not always true, and the movie demonstrates that. It's intruding someone's life and I think it would be wrong to add something like that in our government should never add.
I think that if you are caught out in the open committing a crime, you deserve a punishment. I do not, however believe that if there is no known way of knowing that you are about to commit a crime, you should be able to have the freedom to do so. Now, that might sound odd, but hear me out. You need to understand that things happen for a reason and if you mess up the flow of life, and the life cycle in general, what is there to have? If people can't experience loss, or death, how are they ever going to fully understand life? Which is why I believe the precogs and the foreseeing of the future really shouldn't become a reality. You are messing up the life cycle and that's really not fair to humanity as a whole. To me, life is a beautiful thing, and so is death in many ways. You grow from it and learn a lot more than you can imagine. Taking away the rights to have people taken away is ruining a lot of people from feeling a certain way, which can ruin a lot of things from happening.
Now, there is fine difference between freedom and government. The government has no right to infarct upon your freedom. For example, wire tapping, following where you go on the internet, watching what you buy, etc. That is just wrong, and unethical and I do not believe in this. In Minority Report, the police can arrest you for crimes that haven't even been committed yet. I personally think that this is wrong because you can never be 100% sure that these crimes WILL be committed. It's not always true, and the movie demonstrates that. It's intruding someone's life and I think it would be wrong to add something like that in our government should never add.
I think that if you are caught out in the open committing a crime, you deserve a punishment. I do not, however believe that if there is no known way of knowing that you are about to commit a crime, you should be able to have the freedom to do so. Now, that might sound odd, but hear me out. You need to understand that things happen for a reason and if you mess up the flow of life, and the life cycle in general, what is there to have? If people can't experience loss, or death, how are they ever going to fully understand life? Which is why I believe the precogs and the foreseeing of the future really shouldn't become a reality. You are messing up the life cycle and that's really not fair to humanity as a whole. To me, life is a beautiful thing, and so is death in many ways. You grow from it and learn a lot more than you can imagine. Taking away the rights to have people taken away is ruining a lot of people from feeling a certain way, which can ruin a lot of things from happening.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Special Project: MOMI activity
The narrative I understood from the Museum Of Moving Image was that it followed how film and entertainment progressed over time. It started off with merchandise and how it affected entertainment. Personally, if I ran the museum, I would have made this the last thing on the tour since that would be the last thing that someone would worry about in the entertainment business. The next thing we saw was the headshots. This is vital to film and television because without entertainers, we wouldn’t have anyone to entertain with.
After that, we saw the makeup and the wardrobes from film and television of the past. This is also vital to telling the story of how entertainment outlets get their character and help flesh out the characters. Next came the cameras. Obviously, the most important because without cameras, there would be nothing to capture what the directors intended. I enjoyed watching the cameras evolve over time from a technological standpoint. Seeing cameras go from a little wood box to a steel thousand dollar contraption was actually really breathtaking in a way. Because, not only did it show a change in entertainment and film, but humans in general and how far we’ve gone. I think we can actually take the exhibit on the cameras as a little metaphor for human beings.
The last few things we’ve seen were the sound technology and how it’s used in modern films. This makes sense to put at the end of the tour because editing is the last thing to happen when a film or television show is done filming. This was also very interesting because I got to see firsthand how much work is actually done in order to create sound effects and how they are added to the film by using high end editing software. The final thing we saw were the televisions and the movie screens. This was a perfect ending because this is the final step in entertainment! The way we project what we want the audience to see. This was also very much like the cameras exhibit. We went from small screens to these gigantic flat screens in a matter of a few decades, I think it’s a beautiful thing.
After that, we saw the makeup and the wardrobes from film and television of the past. This is also vital to telling the story of how entertainment outlets get their character and help flesh out the characters. Next came the cameras. Obviously, the most important because without cameras, there would be nothing to capture what the directors intended. I enjoyed watching the cameras evolve over time from a technological standpoint. Seeing cameras go from a little wood box to a steel thousand dollar contraption was actually really breathtaking in a way. Because, not only did it show a change in entertainment and film, but humans in general and how far we’ve gone. I think we can actually take the exhibit on the cameras as a little metaphor for human beings.
The last few things we’ve seen were the sound technology and how it’s used in modern films. This makes sense to put at the end of the tour because editing is the last thing to happen when a film or television show is done filming. This was also very interesting because I got to see firsthand how much work is actually done in order to create sound effects and how they are added to the film by using high end editing software. The final thing we saw were the televisions and the movie screens. This was a perfect ending because this is the final step in entertainment! The way we project what we want the audience to see. This was also very much like the cameras exhibit. We went from small screens to these gigantic flat screens in a matter of a few decades, I think it’s a beautiful thing.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Blog 12: Outline of Major Research Essay
Outline:
1)Explain New York in the 1970's
2)Explain how Taxi Driver depicted it
3)Keep explaining
4)Explain how the movie contributed to that time period
5)Conclusion
1)Explain New York in the 1970's
2)Explain how Taxi Driver depicted it
3)Keep explaining
4)Explain how the movie contributed to that time period
5)Conclusion
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Media paper
Nicholas Caruso
Media Paper
When I think about someone or something that changed media as we know it, I think about controversy. And when I think about controversy I think about violence, sex, drugs: all things that put into one pot and stirred up can become a heinous concoction. Few forms of media can create such a dastardly brew, but the one I’m talking about is in the gaming industry. That’s where Rockstar Games comes in. Rockstar Games is a video game developer and publisher, based in the United States. They are well known in the gaming industry and outside of it, due to the relentless titles that have produced over the past twelve years When Rockstar Games are brought up in a conversation with non gamers; they instantly think a negative thought, that’s how big of an impact they have had on our society. They have had such an impact that politicians have waged full scale wars against the company, in hopes of burning it to the ground to never hear a peep from them again. But Rockstar is relentless; they fight the system and show that nothing can hold them back.
Rockstar Games was founded in 1998 in New York City, around the time when gaming was starting to rise in popularity more and more. The games produced around those times were very good, but none of them really dealt with real life situations, true to life characters, or anything really out of the realm of science fiction. This is not saying that games back in 1998 weren’t violent, but when Rockstar moved into the picture, they took things to a whole new level. It took a couple of years to get Rockstar into the gaming industry’s eye. Four, to be exact. In 2001, Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto III. This game single handedly changed gaming history, and revolutionized how gaming is seen in the publics’ eye.
GTAIII was the first of its kind, in terms of story, style, and most of all, its ambition push the industry to its limits. The game was extremely violent for its times. Gamers could steal cars (as the title would elude), pick up prostitutes, kill innocent pedestrians, and much more. The games story was also, dark, gritty and very unorthodox considering the time period in which it was developed in. The industry ate it up, it was a masterpiece, but not everyone thought so. Wal-Marts all across the country started checking I.D’s for everyone who purchases a game rated M for mature. The lawsuits started to rain down on Rockstar’s head, and made one of the greatest enemies known to the freedom of expression.
Enter Jack Thompson. An activist and former attorney with a gigantic chip on his shoulder. Infamous for attacking N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton CD and 2 Live Crew. To understand where Jack Thompson stands on the freedom of speech I have chosen a quote regarding 2 Live Crew’s lyrics, said by Mr. Thompson:
"I understand as well as anybody that the First Amendment is a cornerstone of a free society—but there is a responsibility to people who can be harmed by words and thoughts, one of which is the message from Campbell that women can be sexually abused.”
Clearly, the man is delusional. He has proved more than once that he doesn’t even know what he is saying half the time, and most importantly, he shows no interest in caring about what other people think. He doesn’t understand the fact that people can make choices, no one can get brainwashed from a video game, no one can get brainwashed from a song, it’s all a persons choice. And if someone even considers using gaming, music, movies, or TV as an outlet to find a way to kill, rape, or murder, those people have a physiological problem that was never taken cared of or evaluated before they were put in a situation where they were in front of a Grand Theft Auto III, or if they put their headphones on to listen to Straight Outta Compton.
During the first few years of GTAIII’s release, many crimes were committed and pinned on the game. Most of these crimes involved a teenage male murdering a family member or close friend, then usually blaming the video game for putting the ideas and encouragement. Jack Thompson always felt the need to intrude and make the situations worse and because of this, he became public enemy number one in the eyes of gamers. This man was a renegade that would stop at nothing to put Rockstar Games down. But what Mr. Thompson didn’t realize was that Rockstar was a renegade company in their own right. They made games that changed entertainment as we know it, and because of that no matter what, business was always good for Rockstar.
In 2002, Rockstar released a sequel to Grand Theft Auto III, GTA: Vice City. This game took the idea of the previous one and made it fifty times better. The story resembled the Al Pacino classic: Scarface, except was grittier and more violent. To sum up GTA: Vice City, it was a great success as many would assume. But, like its predecessor, it was followed by controversy. This game was so “bad” in the eyes of the Australian government that before its release, it was censored. The game was literally just censored, watered down, and over all destroyed because of how the government thought it would effect the youth. Not until 2010 were the censors removed from the game. That’s eight years, eight years it took a whole government to realize what a foolish move they had made. Oh, and let’s not forget Jack Thompson. He helped out the families of two idiot kids who decided to murder a bunch of people. Both times, the theory of the game having anything to do was rightfully dismissed. You want to know why? Because the kids were on anti-depressants. They were both psychologically malformed, therefore saying a video game helped them want to alone makes no sense. You have to have a real problem to go about doing something as drastic as murdering your father, step mother, and step sister. That’s what Cody Posey did in September 2006 at his ranch in Hando, New Mexico, and Jack Thompson was there to try and take Rockstar down, once again.
In between 2002 and 2004 Rockstar released more games that broke the usual template of what a game should be. Such as Max Payne 2: The fall Of Max Payne, Manhunt, and Red Dead Revolver. Out of those three, Manhunt brought the most controversy to Rockstar Games. In order to understand the games controversial background, you need to know the basic plot to the game. You play as a guy on death row who is dropped into an abandoned city and is the main star of a snuff movie. Basically, you need to kill your way out of the city and once you follow the directors’ orders, you will be released. So basically, you spend 95% of the game killing people. From firsthand experience, this game is brutal to say the least. The executions are so realistic; I could understand people getting physically ill from playing this game. The game was so graphic in fact that if you live in New Zealand and posses the game, it counts as an offense. Bottom line, Manhunt was made to brew controversy. Here’s a quote from a former Rockstar Games employee Jeff Williams on Manhunt:
“There was no way to rationalize it. We were crossing a line."
Fast forward to the year 2004. Rockstar games is on top of its game, a sequel to GTA: Vice City is released. GTA: San Andreas, the highest selling game on the Play Station 2 with 17.3 million units sold. Again, Rockstar pushed the boundaries and really strutted their stuff with this one. At the time of its released, I remember personally getting the game, and I remember all of my friends getting it. Looking back on it now, I realize that Rockstar had the industry in the palm of their hands. They were really in control of everything and continued to rake in the cash. GTA: San Andreas was one of those “must have” or “must own” titles for its time, and I still believe every hardcore gamer should give it a spin, it’s definitely worth it.
What GTA: San Andreas is mostly remembered for is something Rockstar probably wishes was never discovered. Within the story line of the game, the main character, CJ, is required to date in game girlfriends. The gamers’ job is to play little mini games in order to win you’re girlfriend over. Well, Rockstar had added a little “something” to the mini games. It’s known as Hot Coffee. A little mini game in which the players are to basically take the girlfriend into their room and have sex with them. Now, Rockstar got rid of the mini-game by basically burying it in coding. That didn’t stop hackers to find the game on the PC version, and when it was found, the gaming community exploded. No one thought Rockstar would go THAT far, not only did they thing Rockstar wouldn’t go that far, they thought it was nuts to try and hide it!
As you probably could have guess, Jack Thompson jumped right on this burning freight train and just added to the fire. Accusing Rockstar of trying to brainwash the youth by “training” them to be violent. A new face appeared in the political spectrum, Hilary Clinton, our very own Senator! She joined the Hot Coffee party by taking sides with the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). With ESRB (one of Rockstars’ main villains), Jack Thompson, and Hilary Clinton against Rockstar, New legal actions were taken against the company, including the Family Entertainment Protection Act. This was a bill enforced and shown by Hilary Clinton which basically says that if you sell a Mature or AO rated game to a minor, you will be charge a $1000 fine or be sentenced to 100 hours of community service. This onslaught brought forth to Rockstar a gigantic headache. 85% of the gaming market had been forced to remove Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from their shelves. All of the games in production were recalled. People began trying to sell their copies on eBay in hopes of trying to make some major coin, and failed due to eBay taking them down from the main pages due to the fact that it went against its terms and policies.
Growing up during Rockstars prime as a teenager, I really got a first hand look at how they changed Gaming as a media outlet. For example, they changed the way games are played. Before, everything was very one-dimensional, but after the release of Grand Theft Auto III, games have copied it's template countless, and I mean, countless times. Rockstar titles literally have their own style and way of presenting their stories and quiet frankly no one can match up to them.
Like I said, I grew up during the era of THE Rockstar games, and I really got close to seeing how they sold. Having an uncle that has a video game store, I grew in and around that place. So, I would see, first hand, how these games would influence and sell to the market. People would line up outside the door to get a Rockstar game. No exaggeration, the line would be outside of the door. I remember peoples' parents complaining because their kids would do stupid things and blame the acts on the games. It would happen quiet frequently to be honest and I remember it bothering me at the time, same as it does now. If you're kid doesn't understand how certain things work, they shouldn't be able to even get near a gaming console or watch certain movies. This whole trend with children playing violent video games stirred up a lot of controversy in my neigborhood as well as the world.
Did this bother Rockstar? Did Hot Coffee really bother them? Did making children turn into sociopaths bother them? No. They moved on, they continued to create masterpieces. They continued to brew their trademark controversial beloved games. Now, Rockstar is one of the most recognizable icons in entertainment. Almost any teenage male has played a Rockstar title, and it has even spread to the older ages as well. The games continue getting pumped out, on and on and Rockstar shows absolutely no sign of ever stopping.
Media Paper
When I think about someone or something that changed media as we know it, I think about controversy. And when I think about controversy I think about violence, sex, drugs: all things that put into one pot and stirred up can become a heinous concoction. Few forms of media can create such a dastardly brew, but the one I’m talking about is in the gaming industry. That’s where Rockstar Games comes in. Rockstar Games is a video game developer and publisher, based in the United States. They are well known in the gaming industry and outside of it, due to the relentless titles that have produced over the past twelve years When Rockstar Games are brought up in a conversation with non gamers; they instantly think a negative thought, that’s how big of an impact they have had on our society. They have had such an impact that politicians have waged full scale wars against the company, in hopes of burning it to the ground to never hear a peep from them again. But Rockstar is relentless; they fight the system and show that nothing can hold them back.
Rockstar Games was founded in 1998 in New York City, around the time when gaming was starting to rise in popularity more and more. The games produced around those times were very good, but none of them really dealt with real life situations, true to life characters, or anything really out of the realm of science fiction. This is not saying that games back in 1998 weren’t violent, but when Rockstar moved into the picture, they took things to a whole new level. It took a couple of years to get Rockstar into the gaming industry’s eye. Four, to be exact. In 2001, Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto III. This game single handedly changed gaming history, and revolutionized how gaming is seen in the publics’ eye.
GTAIII was the first of its kind, in terms of story, style, and most of all, its ambition push the industry to its limits. The game was extremely violent for its times. Gamers could steal cars (as the title would elude), pick up prostitutes, kill innocent pedestrians, and much more. The games story was also, dark, gritty and very unorthodox considering the time period in which it was developed in. The industry ate it up, it was a masterpiece, but not everyone thought so. Wal-Marts all across the country started checking I.D’s for everyone who purchases a game rated M for mature. The lawsuits started to rain down on Rockstar’s head, and made one of the greatest enemies known to the freedom of expression.
Enter Jack Thompson. An activist and former attorney with a gigantic chip on his shoulder. Infamous for attacking N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton CD and 2 Live Crew. To understand where Jack Thompson stands on the freedom of speech I have chosen a quote regarding 2 Live Crew’s lyrics, said by Mr. Thompson:
"I understand as well as anybody that the First Amendment is a cornerstone of a free society—but there is a responsibility to people who can be harmed by words and thoughts, one of which is the message from Campbell that women can be sexually abused.”
Clearly, the man is delusional. He has proved more than once that he doesn’t even know what he is saying half the time, and most importantly, he shows no interest in caring about what other people think. He doesn’t understand the fact that people can make choices, no one can get brainwashed from a video game, no one can get brainwashed from a song, it’s all a persons choice. And if someone even considers using gaming, music, movies, or TV as an outlet to find a way to kill, rape, or murder, those people have a physiological problem that was never taken cared of or evaluated before they were put in a situation where they were in front of a Grand Theft Auto III, or if they put their headphones on to listen to Straight Outta Compton.
During the first few years of GTAIII’s release, many crimes were committed and pinned on the game. Most of these crimes involved a teenage male murdering a family member or close friend, then usually blaming the video game for putting the ideas and encouragement. Jack Thompson always felt the need to intrude and make the situations worse and because of this, he became public enemy number one in the eyes of gamers. This man was a renegade that would stop at nothing to put Rockstar Games down. But what Mr. Thompson didn’t realize was that Rockstar was a renegade company in their own right. They made games that changed entertainment as we know it, and because of that no matter what, business was always good for Rockstar.
In 2002, Rockstar released a sequel to Grand Theft Auto III, GTA: Vice City. This game took the idea of the previous one and made it fifty times better. The story resembled the Al Pacino classic: Scarface, except was grittier and more violent. To sum up GTA: Vice City, it was a great success as many would assume. But, like its predecessor, it was followed by controversy. This game was so “bad” in the eyes of the Australian government that before its release, it was censored. The game was literally just censored, watered down, and over all destroyed because of how the government thought it would effect the youth. Not until 2010 were the censors removed from the game. That’s eight years, eight years it took a whole government to realize what a foolish move they had made. Oh, and let’s not forget Jack Thompson. He helped out the families of two idiot kids who decided to murder a bunch of people. Both times, the theory of the game having anything to do was rightfully dismissed. You want to know why? Because the kids were on anti-depressants. They were both psychologically malformed, therefore saying a video game helped them want to alone makes no sense. You have to have a real problem to go about doing something as drastic as murdering your father, step mother, and step sister. That’s what Cody Posey did in September 2006 at his ranch in Hando, New Mexico, and Jack Thompson was there to try and take Rockstar down, once again.
In between 2002 and 2004 Rockstar released more games that broke the usual template of what a game should be. Such as Max Payne 2: The fall Of Max Payne, Manhunt, and Red Dead Revolver. Out of those three, Manhunt brought the most controversy to Rockstar Games. In order to understand the games controversial background, you need to know the basic plot to the game. You play as a guy on death row who is dropped into an abandoned city and is the main star of a snuff movie. Basically, you need to kill your way out of the city and once you follow the directors’ orders, you will be released. So basically, you spend 95% of the game killing people. From firsthand experience, this game is brutal to say the least. The executions are so realistic; I could understand people getting physically ill from playing this game. The game was so graphic in fact that if you live in New Zealand and posses the game, it counts as an offense. Bottom line, Manhunt was made to brew controversy. Here’s a quote from a former Rockstar Games employee Jeff Williams on Manhunt:
“There was no way to rationalize it. We were crossing a line."
Fast forward to the year 2004. Rockstar games is on top of its game, a sequel to GTA: Vice City is released. GTA: San Andreas, the highest selling game on the Play Station 2 with 17.3 million units sold. Again, Rockstar pushed the boundaries and really strutted their stuff with this one. At the time of its released, I remember personally getting the game, and I remember all of my friends getting it. Looking back on it now, I realize that Rockstar had the industry in the palm of their hands. They were really in control of everything and continued to rake in the cash. GTA: San Andreas was one of those “must have” or “must own” titles for its time, and I still believe every hardcore gamer should give it a spin, it’s definitely worth it.
What GTA: San Andreas is mostly remembered for is something Rockstar probably wishes was never discovered. Within the story line of the game, the main character, CJ, is required to date in game girlfriends. The gamers’ job is to play little mini games in order to win you’re girlfriend over. Well, Rockstar had added a little “something” to the mini games. It’s known as Hot Coffee. A little mini game in which the players are to basically take the girlfriend into their room and have sex with them. Now, Rockstar got rid of the mini-game by basically burying it in coding. That didn’t stop hackers to find the game on the PC version, and when it was found, the gaming community exploded. No one thought Rockstar would go THAT far, not only did they thing Rockstar wouldn’t go that far, they thought it was nuts to try and hide it!
As you probably could have guess, Jack Thompson jumped right on this burning freight train and just added to the fire. Accusing Rockstar of trying to brainwash the youth by “training” them to be violent. A new face appeared in the political spectrum, Hilary Clinton, our very own Senator! She joined the Hot Coffee party by taking sides with the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). With ESRB (one of Rockstars’ main villains), Jack Thompson, and Hilary Clinton against Rockstar, New legal actions were taken against the company, including the Family Entertainment Protection Act. This was a bill enforced and shown by Hilary Clinton which basically says that if you sell a Mature or AO rated game to a minor, you will be charge a $1000 fine or be sentenced to 100 hours of community service. This onslaught brought forth to Rockstar a gigantic headache. 85% of the gaming market had been forced to remove Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from their shelves. All of the games in production were recalled. People began trying to sell their copies on eBay in hopes of trying to make some major coin, and failed due to eBay taking them down from the main pages due to the fact that it went against its terms and policies.
Growing up during Rockstars prime as a teenager, I really got a first hand look at how they changed Gaming as a media outlet. For example, they changed the way games are played. Before, everything was very one-dimensional, but after the release of Grand Theft Auto III, games have copied it's template countless, and I mean, countless times. Rockstar titles literally have their own style and way of presenting their stories and quiet frankly no one can match up to them.
Like I said, I grew up during the era of THE Rockstar games, and I really got close to seeing how they sold. Having an uncle that has a video game store, I grew in and around that place. So, I would see, first hand, how these games would influence and sell to the market. People would line up outside the door to get a Rockstar game. No exaggeration, the line would be outside of the door. I remember peoples' parents complaining because their kids would do stupid things and blame the acts on the games. It would happen quiet frequently to be honest and I remember it bothering me at the time, same as it does now. If you're kid doesn't understand how certain things work, they shouldn't be able to even get near a gaming console or watch certain movies. This whole trend with children playing violent video games stirred up a lot of controversy in my neigborhood as well as the world.
Did this bother Rockstar? Did Hot Coffee really bother them? Did making children turn into sociopaths bother them? No. They moved on, they continued to create masterpieces. They continued to brew their trademark controversial beloved games. Now, Rockstar is one of the most recognizable icons in entertainment. Almost any teenage male has played a Rockstar title, and it has even spread to the older ages as well. The games continue getting pumped out, on and on and Rockstar shows absolutely no sign of ever stopping.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Blog 10: Gattaca
I somewhat agree with Annas hypothesis, in a few ways. Well, first off, I think if something is the original, let's say, for example, a video game system. You have the first generation: Nintendo Entertainment System. A few years later, Nintendo finds a way to make it a better experience and release the Super Nintendo. At this point, everyone has a Super Nintendo, but still remember the Nintendo and sometimes remember it for nostalgic value. In reality you need to stay with the times or else you're behind. So, in a way, it's a choice of the people.
What would happen is, the new humans would be superior in many ways. Flawless, beautiful creatures, but here's the thing, they aren't really REAL. The first generation of humans would be the ones that would be remembered for being the original. And the original are the ones that are perfect in the way in which, it's natural, you can't fix something that isn't broken, you can only corrupt it. And messing with genetics and human life is just altering something that is already perfect.
What would happen is, the new humans would be superior in many ways. Flawless, beautiful creatures, but here's the thing, they aren't really REAL. The first generation of humans would be the ones that would be remembered for being the original. And the original are the ones that are perfect in the way in which, it's natural, you can't fix something that isn't broken, you can only corrupt it. And messing with genetics and human life is just altering something that is already perfect.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)