Season 4 Continued

The other day I blogged about how season 4 was really great for Topanga and her relationship with Cory. While the season was good for her, there was another character who had an even greater season. The real star of season 4 was not Cory or Shawn or even Mr. Feeny. The real star of season 4 was Eric Matthews, Cory's brother. By this, I mean that Eric's character arc seemed to be the main focus as the season began and ended with him.

To understand what I mean, you have to start at the end of season 3 where Eric had learned that he wasn't accepted to any college, so he went on a road trip across the United States with Cory. The beginning of season 4 started with the conclusion of that road trip. Eric realized that he had nothing to look forward to when he got back home and tried to postpone the end of the trip as a result. Cory and his family managed to convince him that he should go back home because running away would not solve any of his problems. He ended up going back home. Flash forward to the end of season 4, and we see that Eric has finally been accepted to a (fictional) college. I would like to argue that not only did Eric have the best character arc of season 4, but the entire season was about him instead of Cory.

Needless to say, Eric does not just change into someone who wants to go to college overnight. He spends the entire season navigating life and trying to understand himself. It is easy to see that he wants to correct the mistakes he made in high school, but his emotions are ruled by the fact that he failed at getting accepted into a college by the end of season 3. I would say that the first half of season 4 is Eric resisting everyone's advice to seek higher education while trying to better understand himself. He does this by trying to get into a relationship (which he sadly never does despite several promising prospects) and trying to get a job (which he does). I would also argue that the second half of the season is Eric fully understanding what everyone is trying to tell him. He understands why he is fired by his dad from the family store. He realizes that he doesn't have to be a townie. Most importantly, he accepts the wisdom of Feeny that Eric could go to college and realize his full potential. As a result, this season makes the show about Eric's journey from the lows of college rejection to the highs of understanding where he wants his life to go.

I think it is important to note that there are other things going on in this season. Cory and Topanga are working on their relationship, Alan Matthews experienced a small midlife crisis, and Shawn did his usual thing of trying to (unsuccessfully) ruin his life. Despite all of these other things, one thing really stands out during the show. When you take a step back and look at the season as a whole, you realize that this season was mainly about Eric's journey.

I am sure some people would disagree with this, and if you do, I would suggest you comment and tell me why you feel that way. Meanwhile, I will attempt to continue with my rigorous attempt to deconstruct the hell out of this awesome show.

Boy Meets World Meets Sebastian

It has been quite some time since I last posted to my blog. Many great things have happened since then, and many not so great things have happened since then. I am in the process of chasing my dream which is to become a counselor/therapist. I figured why not continue to chronicle the random thoughts and ideas that come from this chase. As such, I've decided to continue this neat blog thing.

I don't believe I have mentioned this before, but I love Boy Meets World. The show is from the 90s, but I didn't discover it until the early 2000s. Because of this, I still consider it a part of my childhood. When I got to college a year or two ago, I developed such nostalgia for the show that I ended up buying all seven seasons on DVD. It is truly a delight. I've recently rewatched the entire series and noticed a few things. This is why my next few posts are going to be Boy Meets World themed. I am sure that is not going to be a problem...for some people at least.

It is very hard to find an appropriate starting place for such a lovely TV show, but I figured why not start with something I just noticed: Topanga as a real character. I am going to be so bold as to say that Topanga Lawrence, Cory's love interest throughout the entire series, does not become a real character for the show until the fourth season despite the fact that she is present since season 1. Why is this? It is because of a combination of character changes and a bigger focus on the character later on in the show. This change and bigger focus happens during season 4 of the show.

While Topanga is present during seasons 1-3, she doesn't stick out as a character in my opinion. She is at her most lively during season 1 starting with the kiss she gives to Cory. However, as time goes on, she loses what made Topanga so unique. I believe she sort of mellowed out and became normal over time. Eventually, she becomes Cory's love interest and seemingly just becomes another love interest character. Everything that comes from her character happens to further Cory's character. He says that he loves her first. Cory does everything for this relationship, and this is most evident when he runs away to Topanga when she leaves for Disney World near the end of season 3. My point here is that not only is she not a unique character by season 3, but Topanga just makes the relationship between Cory and her generic by that point as well.

But then Season 4 happens. In that season, Topanga cuts her hair and, in the process, becomes an actual unique character on the show. I often wonder why someone as beautiful and awesome as Topanga ends up with Cory, but this is because she is just as neurotic and somewhat crazy as he is. Season 4 shows this. In this season, we see that she is a very human character who cares about family and lies to Cory to hide the fact that she's not ready for a "physical" relationship. I think the best part about the season is when she shows that she becomes part of the relationship by running away to Cory. When her parents move to Pittsburgh, she runs away to Philadelphia because of how much she cares for that weird guy. In my opinion, I believe this is the moment where Topanga becomes a legitimate character, and it is the moment where Topanga and Cory's relationship becomes the most memorable. Realistic or not, I suppose Season 4-7 are the reason why I desire to have a relationship that is as strong and wacky as theirs is.

I suppose not everyone would agree with this. If you are reading this and think I am an idiot, please feel free to let me know. Season 4 is also a great season for Eric, Cory's brother. I plan on blogging about that in the near future as well so stick around if you want some good reading.

Superman Examined

Every so often, Hollywood decides that the world needs another Superman movie. They announce that something is in the works, the public gets a little excited, and then everyone hypes a movie they know very little about. In the end, the result is an okay movie that doesn’t do anything except update the originals with graphics and attempt to make Superman appeal to the public. I am here to argue that Hollywood fails in the latter.

Let me just say that I think Superman is neat. Depending on the era he was written in, he could fly, shoot lasers, use x-ray vision, and ignore bullets to the face. He was pretty awesome to me when I was younger. I loved the first two Superman movies with Christopher Reeves. Supes 3 and 4 were a tad bit unnecessary. Furthermore, I believe that Man of Steel and Superman Returns attempted to create something new for Superman. They attempted to some degree, but they failed to another degree. These movies did not fail because of horrible stories, terrible acting, or bad CGI. These movies failed because Hollywood does not understand the truth about Superman. While he is an important addition to the DC Universe, Superman can never have a truly good movie made about him because he is, for a lack of a better word, boring.

Superman has all of these powers, a fantastic backstory, strong morals, and reasons to fight. But this Kryptonian is boring for two reasons. In any Hollywood movie, you need to give the main character an edge. This character has to be good but with some flaws. This description does not match Superman. If you give him flaws, he ceases to be Superman, and starts being a generic superhero. In a way this can be attributed to early writers who wanted to make him as awesome as possible. But this character simply isn’t appealing anymore. The other reason Supes is boring is because everybody needs a weakness, and this weakness has to be legitimate. Some characters have multiple weaknesses, and this is good as long as it doesn’t make their character seem like a helpless loser. Superman has only one weakness: Kryptonite. Unfortunately, this one weakness is used repeatedly in the same way and turns him into a helpless loser. Think about it this way: When you take Bruce Wayne’s money away, he can still do Batman stuff. But when you toss some Kryptonite at Superman, he weakens. He stops being Superman. His morals mean nothing because what use are they if you have no powers to enforce them. By having Superman be weakened by Kryptonite and making him almost too perfect, you make Superman into a character that no one can really root for because we always know he wins in the end.

On the other hand, maybe this isn’t all the writers’ fault. Perhaps the people to blame are the viewer’s themselves. I am going to posit the belief that the reason Superman seems so boring is because we cannot identify with him. Everyone loves Batman (as indicated by his movies), Iron Man is pretty cool, and Spider-Man is clearly a favorite to many. What do all of these characters have in common? They are all human. More importantly, all of these characters are flawed humans that viewers can identify with. In the comics, Iron Man had a drinking problem, but he still did great things. Batman has parental issues but this does not stop him from scaring criminals. Spider-Man let his Uncle die by accident, but he still fights the good fight. I argue that these superheroes (and others) are favorites because they are humans that viewers can identify with. Viewers love watching these heroes because they represent that even though humanity has problems and flaws, they still have the capacity for good. Viewers can’t see this in Superman movies because Superman is too perfect. He’s a space alien with one weakness to Kryptonite. People can’t identify with a space alien, and they will never be able to be as perfect as he is. In the end, we find his movies boring because there is nothing that connects us to him.

And this is why I’ll be rooting for Batman in any Superman vs Batman movie. But this is just me. Let me know if you think I’m wrong or super wrong. 

If You Could Have a Theme Song...

So I haven’t really updated my blog all summer. It’s been a wacky summer, and I just haven’t gotten around to it. Luckily, I am back with my random thoughts concerning cheesecake, superheroes, and lists.

Have you ever wanted to walk in a room and have a song announce your presence? Have you ever wanted to make mundane tasks like brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, or doing the dishes? I know I have. This is why I believe life would be much cooler if I had a theme song. Just like certain baseball players, pro wrestlers, and late night talk show hosts, I want something that says “Sebastian has arrived, motherhuggers.” Not just that, but I want a theme song that plays when I start doing boring tasks to enhance those tasks. Doing boring math homework? How about we incorporate the theme song from the Elder Scrolls while you Fus Roh Do those complex equations? Balancing your checkbook? Enhance this task while Kid Rock’s “Cowboy” plays for you. If these songs don’t tickle your fancy, there are a plethora of others that you could use as your theme. Or you could create your own.

As for me, I’m thinking that something Daft Punk mixed with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” would be a pretty awesome combination that would make a fantastic theme. However, since such as combination does not exist…yet, I’m going to have to say that my theme would be Chayanne’s “Torero.” Yes, the song is in Spanish (We listened to the song my sophomore year in high school, so I know most of the lyrics), but I feel this is the song that I want to announce my presence.

However, this is just me. What song do you want to claim as yours?

But What Does NCORE Mean?

I’ve spent the past couple days explaining what I did at NCORE and what I did in New Orleans. I’ve claimed to learn quite a bit. But what does this mean for my life and for everyone in general? I can say I learned a lot, but unless I can apply this stuff to real life, it means very little. So here are some things that I am taking away from the experience.

First, I am now more aware of the privilege that I have been afforded being a white male in this white-dominated, patriarchal society. One thing we discussed at NCORE was social identity. I have come to identify as a white male. I am still trying to understand what this means, but I know that I am given a great deal of privilege just by being a white male. I know that I am treated better because of this, and I know that I am given more opportunities because of this. Just knowing this means nothing, though. I have to help make others aware of this, and I have to work so that other races and ethnicities can be given the opportunities that I have been given. I’m talking about an even playing field where the same amount of work by two people, regardless of their backgrounds, will earn them the same reward. My point here is that I’ve given privilege without working for it. I certainly do feel bad about this, but I’m not going to sit here just feeling guilty. I’m going to go out and make sure this unequal system becomes fairer.

Second, I’ve developed more of an understanding of what my social identity is. From what I can gather, I’m a lower-to-middle class, 20 year old, nerdy, heterosexual, white, male first generation college student from the Midwest. To be honest, I only know what some of those things mean to me. Some are more cogent to me than others. I am completely unaware of what my ethnicity is. I want to say I am “American” but what exactly does that mean? This has made me realize that I am still on a journey of self-understanding. I’m thinking I’m going to be learning about myself for years to come. What does this mean for other people? I think this means that others could be developing their identities like I am. Furthermore, someone may identify as something that others do not see them as. So I may call someone African-American, but they could identify as something else. The point here is that I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I should let others introduce their identities to me. In addition, certain identities come with drawbacks or advantages due to society and history. It is important for us to fix this because no one should feel like their identity is a curse.

Finally, I’ve learned that society has a long way to go to achieve racial and ethnic harmony. At the moment, there is so much inequality, prejudice, and unpreparedness in relation to race and ethnicity. Our country, and others to some extent, has a lot of work to do if racial equality is ever to be achieved. I realize that we have made some great strides in the past, but we still have work to do. The existence of hate groups as well as the Fisher court case proves that we still need to work. I feel like we are at a place where we can move forward, we can stay where we are at, or we can regress. All are likely options, but they only one we should pursue is going forward. Think about it, do you really want future generations to see ours as a hateful one? Do you really want your children to grow up in a prejudiced society? We have to keep pushing and trying so that the world of tomorrow is a better one.

After all, it would make Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and various other civil rights activists proud of us. 

What I Learned from New Orleans

You all probably know what I learned from the NCORE conference while I was in New Orleans, but I am sure you are wondering what New Orleans taught me about race, ethnicity, and diversity. You wouldn’t think it, but I learned just as much about those topics as I did during all the presentations at NCORE.

For probably the first time in my life, I felt like a minority. I was in a city filled with people who looked nothing like me, came from different backgrounds, engaged in different cultures, and who had been in the city longer than I have. I was only in New Orleans for a couple of days, but I can only imagine what life would be like if I lived there permanently. Still, this experience put me in the shoes of a minority, if only temporarily, and I felt out of place. I am guessing that minorities in this country today must be feeling some of that. I can use this feeling in the future as a peer mentor or a therapist. It has helped me to feel more empathetic towards other races, and I think this is a good thing.

Another thing I learned from New Orleans is that not every city in the United States is the same. I previously thought that a lot of the bigger cities were the same. My only experience with large cities came from my time in Florida and seeing cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Des Moines. New Orleans is clearly like none of those cities. I’m guessing this mostly has something to do with the location and history of the city. The streets are different from any other city I’ve been through. There are large crowds that sweep throughout the city, and street performers are aplenty. How does this relate to diversity? It shows that cities themselves are diverse. It shows that I have had this preconceived notion about what makes a city in my head, and that notion has been busted. This tells me that I should keep an open mind towards things like this.

Most importantly, New Orleans taught me that I should never go into a situation with stupid stereotypes in my head. Basically, I went to the city believing that it was still majorly devastated after Hurricane Katrina. I believed that gangs ran around the city, and I was going to get robbed while I was there. I had all that in my head, and I am sorry to say that I ran with a stereotype that I heard most often. I am happy to say that stereotype was busted. I know that there may be some gangs in the city and some areas are still in need of repair years later, but all of this was not as extreme as it was in my head. Part of this is general ignorance while the other part is the media making a bad situation sound even worse. I’m glad that the team leaders for my college sent us on a tour of the city, so I could eliminate my preconceived notions. This makes me think about what other cities and people I have preconceived notions about.

So New Orleans helped to enhance my learning about NCORE. But what does this all mean? How am I going to apply this knowledge to the real world? If you want to know the answer to that, you will have to read my final blog post on the subject tomorrow.

Actual NCORE, Part 2

So here we are. Part two of my NCORE experience. This starts on the Friday of the conference week. The keynote speaker of the morning was a wonderful lady by the name of Joy Harjo. She is a Mvskok/Creek tribal member who has made a living with poetry and jazz. She talked about how New Orleans was once home to Native-Americans, and she played a fantastic song with other musicians on stage. It was wonderful. It has also contributed to my knowledge and awareness of Native-American affairs which, if you recall my previous entries, I am very passionate about. Another session I attended that day was an interactive session where we were able to write poetry that related to our social identities. I may not have said this before, but I really like poetry. This session taught me about a new way of writing poetry in addition to allowing me to think more critically about my identity.

Saturday was much of the same except the presenters kept thanking us for coming despite the fact that it was Saturday, and we could have partied hard the night before. I ended up learning about the history of Asian-Americans in the United States which happens to cross over with the history of Hispanics and African-Americans. Did you know that Jay-Z has Asian heritage? Later on Saturday I decided to attend a session about African-Americans because I had not gone to one since the conference started. I ended up learning about HBCUs (Historically black colleges and universities), and how they help students of color better than Ivy league schools. The session taught me a good deal of information and let me know more about diversity. I was happy by Saturday night.

Along with attending sessions, our college’s NCORE team had discussion sessions after each day. Our discussions ranged from undocumented immigrants to the appropriate usage of the “N-Word” and everywhere in between. All of our discussions divided the group, but it was interesting to listen to everyone’s opinions. However, listening to everyone really drained a lot out of me. Our group was incredibly diverse, so to listen to how racial issues affected their life really caused me to change the way I think about the world. I will talk more about that on Friday though.

The point here is that NCORE taught me a lot.