Entertaining Politics

“Two words of advice: travel alone”

Would you rather travel the world alone or with a loved one? Most people would prefer the latter but actually, it isn't so bad when you travel alone. If you watch this video by John Mayer, you'll understand why you can still have fun travelling the world despite being alone. Being a big fanatic of John Mayer, I dug through thousands of videos of him on youtube to really know everything I can about it. I came across this video that was posted on his personal youtube channel that was about his trip to Japan. Just after finish his album “Battle Studies” in 2009, he set out to take a vacation from all the noise and have peace in Japan. For a long time, John Mayer has been obsessed with Japanese culture to the extent of having tattoos on his body dedicated to them. He is also fluent in their language which can be seen in an interview with Ryan Seacrest during the Grammy’s (2007).

In the video, he starts with playing an acoustic rendition of his song, “Half of My Heart”. It is a brilliant version of the song to set the tone of the video. It feels organic in a sense that all he had was a guitar and his voice. He plays his song while looking out the window which shows his artistic inspiration in his playing. The video proceeds to show what Mayer did in japan from visiting authentic local restaurants to trying out the strangest technological advancements. He goes to a photo booth to take polaroid pictures and enjoys the city life by walking down the urban streets. The look on his face when he came across a Japanese street performer playing a saxophone was genuinely priceless. You could easily tell how happy he was despite travelling alone.

What made this video beautiful was how the song reflected the trip and life of the singer. The song talked about the loneliness that he had to cope with. John Mayer is known for dating very high profile celebrities but also for eventually ending those relationships. he says in the song, “But I can’t keep loving you” which is just a representation of his love life. Having been with so many women, people would refer to him as a womaniser. Although he has bee criticised for this, his musical integrity has not been tarnished. He is still known to be one of the most influential guitar players of our generation. The video is a representation of how he still has fun even with all the criticism he gets and with his work.

More than just his love life, the video also shows his love for fashion by meeting with well known Japanese designers such as the founder of Visvim, Hiroki Nakamura. He’s been a very loyal customer to this brand because of their meticulously crafted products by artisans. Mayer too loves to create clothes and has an extensive collection of sneakers racking up to over 300 pairs. He’s gone in and out of different styles from basic and baggy to slim and fit and finally to a western country-side attire. He really does exhibit a cultural timeline.

Since John Mayer is an avid fan of cameras and taking photos, it’s safe to say that he knew what he was doing. I like how he incorporates his love for filming as well. He conceptualised and directed the angles that the camera would take and how he was going to present the story. The timing of the song mixed with the joyous story worked very well. A good way to describe this video is that it’s laid back. You feel relaxed and somehow still empathise with his experiences even though its just through a lens of a camera.

From this video alone, you can see how travelling on your own isn't as bad as it seems. Videos like this help people and encourage them to live their lives to the fullest. I believe that this is a good way to reach out to inexperienced people. Seeing other people travel and experiencing new cultures shows how united our world is. Isn't that the goal that big organisations and governments want? Don't we all want to at peace with each other? One day, we all shall be amalgamated. Through travelling, we can get there. As long as you know what you want to do, try to enjoy, treasure and make the most out of your experiences. You'll never know what it feels like until you actually try it. Be free and open because life will throw many experiences, trials, friendships, relationships, hardships and more. Don't dream about your life but live it. That is what life is—living your life.

I stayed still, let life move in front of me. Man, am I deep! - John Mayer

Hoard, J. (2001). JOHN MAYER BIOGRAPHY. retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/john-mayer/biography

Square Life. (July 6, 2010). John Mayer - Half of My Heart (Tokyo Acoustic Version). retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrvioH_R_8U

Ever-changing Love 

Very seldom do I get to find a movie that has a unique characteristic about it. This is especially true when I look for a romantic or love film. The generic plot mixed with insanely attractive actors/actresses and their half-decent acting makes me very uninterested to search for this genre. But to my surprise, I stumbled upon a highly rated movie entitled “Her”. This film, created by Spike Jonze, spread like wildfire throughout the whole world. There is no surprise that I wanted to dig into this film as soon as I found it. If you’re a pseudo-film critic then you're going to enjoy this movie as much as I did.

Of course, this film has several elements about it that stray away from the mainstream romantic films. These elements are what made it so appealing and fresh. The incredible Joaquin Phoenix stars in the film portraying Theodore Twombly, a man who is suffering from a failing marriage. I find it very ironic how his job is a complete opposite representation of himself. He works for a writing company wherein he composes letters and poems for people all over the world who can’t. After they send in their information about themselves and the person they want to send it to, Theodore will create a message to send. He is, in a way, a medium for people to communicate.

Other than the irony of his job, it’s interesting to note the way he carries himself throughout the film. The first few scenes show the lonely lifestyle of Theodore in a utopian society from walking home alone to playing video games all night. Throughout the whole movie you can see him looking out into the distance which exhibits his loneliness. But he came across an advertisement for an OS (Operating System) that was more intelligent and capable of learning. He was shocked to find that the OS was almost like interacting with a real human being. The voice acting of Scarlett Johansson beautifully portrayed the feelings and emotions of the Samantha, the OS. The two grew together by spending time, running through the city streets and talking endlessly before going to bed.  The relationship between them was more than a computer to a man. The relationship grew to a strong receptive friendship and eventually to a romantic level.

I like how the movie addresses love. It shows the different sides and real problems that come with love. When Theodore and Samantha got together, they fell into a romantic abyss. They would do everything together. Despite her not physically being there, they were still able to make it work. This can be compared to a long distance relationship. The struggle of not seeing and being with each other can be a very big obstacle. In this case, they'll never be able to physically be with each other but that didn't stop them from trying. Theodore said, “ That’s normal. When you first start going out, thats like the honeymoon phase. It’s normal.” He is referring to the quick outburst of love when you first start out. You want to do the sweetest things or the most heartfelt actions but eventually it will come crumbling down. When it got to this point, they started to have problems. Love has many complications. Those complications are sometimes the reasons why certain people do not want to get into a relationship. The commitment to another person as well as the idea of working together through everything is hard to take in.

Love is more than just the romantic dates or the long displays of intimacy. Love is cooperating, compromising, sacrificing and many more. What makes Her so great is the fact that Theodore truly loved. He risked everything for love but eventually it fell apart. He took the risk of knowing that he could lose his wife. Even after the separation, he couldn't get over her. Every girl he’s been with since the separation would always give him flashbacks of his wife. He still loved her no matter what. That is what true love can do. You can still love the person even if that person doesn't love you back. It’s painful to realise this but this is how the real world works. In our society today, with the ever changing norms, this film tries to address how technology is evolving with us. I believe that the plot in this film will become a reality very soon. Even if the story is quite abstract, our society will open up to this idea because we are at an age where expressing oneself is important and essential of being a person. We respect each other in the way we live, love, and work.

Although many films portray love as a wonderland, the exceptional few bring out the truth in it. It is good that people have this beautiful perception of love. It encourages them to dream big and act with great gestures. However, they should be aware that they can be a Theodore Twobly despite being the best person they can be. Are you willing to take the risk that love offers?  

References:

Figure 1. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.newdvdreleasedates.com/m1714/her-dvd-release-date, on 23 March 2016.

Figure 2. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/her-what-critics-are-saying-669998, on 23 March 2016.

Her. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/

   A few months ago, I was talking to a friend of mine about TV shows because of our common interest in certain genres. We happened to talk about a certain series entitled “Breaking Bad” directed by Vince Gilligan and starring the incredible Bryan Cranston. The show was about this man who cooked meth and had bad dealings with certain people. It revolved around the decisions he made and he people he encountered that eventually lead to the biggest spoiler that i will not mention here. While talking about this show, my friend happened to mention another show somewhat similar to this one which caught my attention. He said that the show also revolved around drugs, gore and everything in between. Of course this definitely got me excited and just with that small description I was hooked. Fast forward to a couple of months, I finally got around to watch the show and mind you I had no preconceptions of this show other than the description of my friend. I knew nothing about the setting nor the characters. I was basically starting from scratch.

   The intro of the show Narcos begins with a song by Rodrigo Amarante, a Brazilian singer and song writer. It was a latin american influenced song with the lyrics even being in the native language. There were plenty of vintage scenes which I think were actual footages of the characters since the show was based on a true story. There were a lot shots of cocaine (bags of cocaine, clouds of cocaine, shipments of packages of cocaine), a lot of money and also of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). You can already make out what this show will be about. The intro really gave a feel and setting of the show which was in Colombia around the late ‘70s.

   Going into the actual story of the show, the director portrayed the story in a very brutal manner. He showed a very strong and explicit message through the acting, camera angles and the use of various visual techniques. I believe his methods of conveying the story were very good because not only did the actors/actresses do a very good job, the choices he made and even at certain times very simplistic worked very well. The story talked about a man named Pablo Escobar who was introduced to Mateo Moreno who was a chemist. The chemist started a business with Pablo since Pablo had the capital and resources to produce and distribute cocaine. This business was very profitable although very risky because it was obviously illegal. What made this business very risky was the fact that they were distributing outside of Colombia to the United States where drugs is a very serious issue and would definitely be a grievous crime. Eventually the DEA got involved and were sent to track down the drug lord responsible for the distribution.

    The show is not only about the conflict between Pablo Escobar and the DEA. The show talks more than just that. It also shows the corruption that was very prominent during that time. They show scenes of bribery between the local police and even the government. Pablo bribes politicians to be in his favour and to allow him to continue what he does. In several episodes, you can see Pablo bribing police officers to let his trucks (full of cocaine and other illegal objects) pass through certain road blocks. The country is so messed up that Pablo was a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. His connections and shady dealings really showed how Colombia worked backed then in corruption. I really find it funny how people during that time looked up to him. How could they not see through his hypocritical lifestyle? I can’t say that he did not do good in Colombia. He set up schools and hospitals because there was a lack of funding and resources though many believe it was just a ruse for him to hide behind so people would take his side. He gave money to the poorest of the poor and gave them opportunities to make a living. I guess that is why some people would agree that he helped Columbia in its welfare but nonetheless I do not believe that the ends should justify the means.

   I think its incredible how movies, shows and other forms of media can convey strong messages while also making it very interesting. The art that was put into this show is the reason why it was critically acclaimed with very good ratings. IMDb, a database for shows and films got a positive reception from over 81,000 users. With a lot of people who are into these forms of entertainment, it is a very good idea to send a message with these means. It is very touching to watch this show because I was able to sympathise with the characters in the show. I mourn for those who lost their lives during those dark times and I think this show does them justice.

   This isn’t the only show that expressed the truth about the political issues during that time. Many shows, films, songs and other forms of media have been able to portray a strong and accurate representation of various political issues. Though many abuse and alter the stories, we can always find out the truth. With media, we can express our views to a big audience. We can share through many forms of media such as the internet. This website is a form of media. It makes it so much easier for us to communicate and to spread knowledge and talk bout issues. Politics is already messy. There are many political views and seldom will everyone agree on something. Some people say that media distorts politics but I say that politics is self distorting. Media is a medium that we can use to express our views and I don’t think theres anything wrong with that.  

Reference

(2015, September 18). Pablo Escobar – the real story behind Netflix’s Narcos. Retrieved from http://www.theweek.co.uk/65314/pablo-escobar-the-real-story-behind-netflixs-narcos on February 28, 2016.

(n.d.). Narcos. Retrieved from from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2707408/ onFebruary 28, 2016.

Figure 1 (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ovguide.com/tv/narcos.htm on February 28, 2016.