I am exceptionally surprised to find that I am going to be arguing against NPR/MPR on the basis of bias in this blog post. Don’t misunderstand, I still love NPR and will continue to rely on them for news and articles, but I now know that I may need to read more articles on things I find interesting or pertinent from other sources.
This article was published 2/28/23 on MPR about the violent assault on a trans woman at a light rail station in Minneapolis on the morning of Monday 2/27/23. Three men pushed her down a set of stairs then surrounded and beat her, leaving visible brain matter on the pavement. They also robbed her of her bag. This is abhorrent, and the article mentions that it may have been a biased attack on the woman because she is transgender.
This is where I believe that bias in the article may have taken place. They reported all of these things, they included the speculation of it being a potential hate crime (and do not get it twisted, it very much may have been), but they left out details even after they updated the article. They did not include that two of these three men that were later found and charged had multiple bags on them or that they claimed the woman had been slashing at people with what appeared to be a box cutter.
The bias that I think may have taken place here was that the author wanted to present the story in a way to be supportive of the trans community by not including that these men had multiple bags on them and that the trans woman had been waving a box cutter around. Including those facts may have sent the message that this wasn’t a hate-based crime and was instead a robbery that became a horrifying assault when the victim attempted to protect herself.
Surprising me further, I’ll include a Fox 9 article that manages to report all of these facts and still come across as supportive to the trans community.
I hope that this wasn’t a hate crime, I hope that this was random violence and that she wasn’t targeted for being transgender. I also cried myself to sleep that night as my partner held me and told me that we were going to be okay. Even if this was a random act of violence, it is still a vicious reminder that queer communities are not safe, and I will still check my surroundings before holding my man’s hand.
The review produced by Screenrant tries hard to give “The Mummy” movie a bone but ends up killing it even faster. The honest truth of the matter, “The Mummy” tries to be something it’s not and doesn’t even do that well. Giving the audience five reasons why the movie was bad and why it was good.
A Disappointingly Small Scale:
Oddly enough for a movie called The Mummy, the story spends very little time in Egypt, or anywhere comparable, and, instead, sets the majority of its action sequences somewhere around Surrey, England. Which doesn’t really spell rip-roaring adventure to most people.
Even when the movie reaches the streets of London for its third act, the sets and locations feel quite limited, and the color palette is remarkably grey and monotonous.
Response: The movie shouldn’t have been set in England in the first place. At least with the last Mummy movie with Branden Frasier, it was based in China with a Chinese mummy. It makes total sense and at no point are you confused. Was the Dragon Emperor a good film like its predecessors? Sort of, but not quite.However, The Dragon Emperor has many redeeming qualities that make it a worthwhile watch.
Isn’t: Tom Cruise Has Still Got It
There are few movie actors left in the business who have the star power of Tom Cruise and, at age 54, he still brought some much-needed charm to The Mummy.
Not only could Cruise sell moments of tension and action, but his all-around enthusiasm for the process energizes the wearier aspects of the movie in a way that few actors possibly could have.
Response: I’ll be honest, I don’t really know much about Tom Cruise, and that’s OK. Although I did like him in “Interview with a Vampire”. He was very mysterious in his villainy. Although in this movie, he’s just not the guy for the role or anybody for that matter.
Generic Screenwriting
Despite some very talented screenwriters working on the project, The Mummy fails to stand out from the blockbuster crowd and this is mostly its own fault.
The popular MacGuffin of a magic rock is introduced almost immediately in the movie and a predictable course of events feels secondary to the movie’s desire to flesh out a fictional universe that audiences will never actually get to see.
Response: The plot was flat; you don’t need to beat around the bush. This director completely misses the essence and fun of the other films. Branden Frasier, along with the rest of its cast, added too much flavor to the franchise just for it to taste bland.
Stunts
Tom Cruise’s dedication to stuntwork on his own movies is well documented and The Mummy is no different. Having the lead actor actually get inside as many of the action shots as they can brings a lot to a movie and it helps this one feel like more of a romp.
Though a lack of originality holds it back, The Mummy is a movie that’s always trying to be entertaining in an almost slapstick kind of way and the physicality of the action adds a lot of personality to the comedy.
Response: “The Mummy” Franchise is not Mission Impossible, a James Bond movie, a spy movie, Jason Born, or Taken. It’s literally a fantasy adventure, and that’s all it ever was.
Tasteless Updates to the Story
For a movie presenting so many distinct time periods and cultural icons, you’d think The Mummy would present at least one of them in a satisfying way.
Aside from sidelining Egypt, and needlessly adding medieval English history to the mix, the movie makes the particularly tasteless choice to set its opening action sequence in modern-day Iraq with a force that is, while stereotypically faceless and nameless, essentially ISIS.
Response: Making more vibrant environments would have helped the film.
A Combined Monster Universe Isn’t a Bad Idea
While The Mummy oftenfails to frame it in an appealing way, the central idea of the movie isn’t a bad one. Universal alone had been doing monster team-ups and crossovers for just shy of three-quarters of a century before the movie came out.
The movie’s idea to unify everything through what would almost certainly be its Nick Fury figure, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde and a S.H.I.E.L.D.-like organization with its own potential to spin-off and become evil, there are some entertaining promises made. Even if they’re only just that.
Response: Creating a creature feature universe from other monster franchises wasn’t a terrible concept. What was a terrible concept was using “The Mummy” as its basis to debut. The titles below are all the movies that would have been in theaters if Warner Bros. hadn’t ditched the project. I think Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde could have been a smash hit!
The Dark Universe Begins – and Ends. Universal Pictures. …
Van Helsing. Universal Pictures. …
Johnny Depp’s Invisible Man. Universal Pictures. …
Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback. Universal Pictures. …
Dwayne Johnson’s The Wolfman. …
Creature from the Black Lagoon. …
The Bride of Frankenstein.
It Borrows Very Heavily from Much Better Things
Arguing over how original the story really is is something that you could do with every version of The Mummy, from the original in 1932 to everything that it’s inspired since. But the 2017 version chooses much more poorly with extra cultural references and they often end up contradicting the tone of the movie.
The Mummy wants to be a horror movie in an atmospheric kind of way rather than by showing anything overtly horrific or grotesque but it also wants to be an Indiana Jonesmovie, which, of course, balanced its joyful qualities with more graphic imagery. It’s overwhelming visual similarities to the Uncharted series of video games (which were, themselves, already heavily inspired by The Mummy movies) also feels like an aesthetically-confused choice.
Response: Sure….I suppose
It Brings Horror To a Non-Horror Audience
Not everyone watches movies in the same way and people don’t always have the same access to movies. The Mummy goes for as wide an audience as it can because it wants to reach the most amount of people and make the most amount of money, yes, but it actually succeeds in bringing classical horror aspects to audiences who ordinarily wouldn’t get to see them.
Aside from Cruise’s name bringing his own kind of audience, The Mummy was a financial hit in China, a country famous for its stringent censorship laws surrounding, amongst several other things, the horror genre and the supernatural.
Response: If you want horror elements but not a horror movie, go watch Pan’s Labrinth.
It Puts the Cart Before the Horse
So much of what makes people remember the 2017 version of The Mummy as a bad movie is that it set itself such an unnecessarily high bar for success.
Audiences were definitely holding it up to, at least, the first two Stephen Sommers Mummy movies but the gigantic budget and shared universe were both its own choice yet both feel wasted. They transform it into something that audiences actively root against rather than for.
Response: Were they trying to give this movie a chance? The response says it all regarding the film successs.
A Pervading Sense of Humor
Stories of production troubles on The Mummy are easy to believe but, no matter how things really went down, what the cast and crew were able to pull out of the movie is a light tone and some comedic chemistry from its actors.
Cruise is a big star with a knack for making sure his movies are driven by him but not all about him. He creates entertaining dynamics with a wide variety of talented actors that he’s paired with and allows what’s best about them to really shine in the movie, even if it isn’t for every long.
Response: Tom Cruise added nothing to this movie, nor did the humor.
Conclusion
After tentatively rewatching the (2017) “The Mummy” I realized the movie is empty. The characters have no volume, the anti-protagonist is wildly underutilized, comedic conversations are out of place, and the tone of the movie is too dark (the color of the film). The movie is not fun, and it comes off more as a chore for the audience to get through. Ultimately, I was surprised at a few points throughout the movie and bored at the same time.
This blog post contains information on the health components of the usage of social media.
Many individuals who use social media are being reinforced into believing “likes” are a reward. When we feel as though we are liked enough by others, our brain releases dopamine, making us feel better about ourselves.
I am guilty, social media has definitely made me care more about the way I present myself. The beauty standards, especially for women are unattainable and fake. Social media has created filters, photo editing apps, beauty enhancement features. Many individuals, post in order to gain or get a response from others focusing to much of their energy on interactions. Many individuals focus on the feedback from their post and also compare their post to others.
I was introduced to this new term called FOMO, which stands for Fear of Missing Out. Many fear not making memories and missing out on experiences. Missing experiences can often lead to anxiety and depression. Often, many individuals find out through social media that they were not invited to an event. Not being invited to an event that all your friends are at can cause overthinking, provoke thoughts and negative feelings.
It is important to remember that this is a real thing and often can make us as humans feel bad about ourselves. I bet, we can all agree we’ve been left out of something and has affected us negatively. Social media has made it seem as though others have better lives than the ones we do and are having more fun than we are. It is important to remember that this phenomenon is becoming normalized due to the consumption of social media. There are helpful coping methods to deal with the fear of missing out. It is important that many focus on what they have rather than what they lack. Doing healthy things for example like journaling and finding meaningful connections can help with the negative health affects of FOMO and the negative affect of social media.
Social media has many benefits if used positively. It allows many to share their ideas, connects individuals, and many get news and information from using social media. If used negatively it can impact your health by creating depression, anxiety, and feeling lonely.
If you find yourself de-prioritizing your self over social media, noticing that relationships are being affected, noticing that you’re falling behind on priorities, and comparing yourself to others and getting jealous, social media has affect your mental health.
to decrease my usage on social media. Social media has definitely affected my mental health. I have found myself worrying about things that don’t matter due to social media. I have often taken social media breaks to focus on myself.
“Social media has created a society that cares about “likes” rather than meaningful connections. Social media can be damaging towards our mental health. Some helpful tips include talking breaks from social media and finding meaningful connections”.
What is the prevalence of homelessness in Minnesota? What are the circumstances that led to those experiencing homelessness? Is there anything we can do?
Wilder Research conducted a study in October of 2018 which included 4,279 face-to-face interviews and a head count of people experiencing homelessness. On one single night (October 25, 2018), Wilder Research counted 10,233 people experiencing homelessness. Back in 2015, the head count in a single night was at an estimated 9,312, and has continued to rise at an alarming rate of 10%. Homelessness by age group is also alarming: 43% are between the ages of 25 and 54, 10% are adults over the age of 55, 15% are unaccompanied youth ages 24 and younger, and 32% are children ages 17 and younger with parents. While these numbers remain steady, children and youth are the most dis-proportionally affected by homelessness.
Circumstances
The face-to-face interviews conducted by Wilder Research helps us understand the contributing factors that have led so many people to these living conditions. The most prevalent reason is the availability of affordable housing, so limited resources for affordable housing is the foundation of the change we need to see. Another prevalent reason is the fact that the majority of the homeless population has a chronic mental or physical health condition. This is a direct correlation, because those who lack the capacity to sustain employment ultimately have little to no income. These are only a couple of factors listed, but you can read the rest along with additional statistics at Homelessness in Minnesota.
What can we do?
When it comes to this public issue, there are many things that we can do as individuals to help those who face difficult odds. From giving donations, to handing out food, to volunteering, there are a multitude of ways we can have a positive impact. Simply Google how you can help in an area near you and support those who could use your help.
To start apartments are great for those: living in a large city, do not need a lot of living space, trying to save money, fresh out of college/currently in college, or really a multitude of reasons. From my experience, currently I live in an apartment complex and have some strong opinions on the positives and negatives of apartment living.
First, it’s a great place to start when you don’t need a ton of space but want to get out on your own. My apartment has everything I need in it and was even tough for me to fill the mere 700 square foot place! I also love the amenities! I think it is awesome to have gym on site. After work I can just walk right over to the gym to get a workout in without having to leave the complex.
Now… in my situation there are a few things with apartment living that I could do without. Personally, I don’t like having neighbors all around (but obviously that’s what comes with living in an apartment) and it can often be noisy. The place where I live made it look super nice on the initial tour but skipped over some stuff that may have deterred me from living there. Now that I am living here I’ve realized that a lot of the work inside the apartment is poorly done and often breaks. It is stuff like not finishing things correctly or cleaning up paint that spilled in places it shouldn’t be. That’s just a few examples of what I’ve noticed so far living in an apartment.
Opt for the easy pre-lit artificial Christmas tree or purchase the real deal? In my opinion I think that the real Christmas tree gives off the holiday vibe. I love going with my family to pick out the perfect tree for our house and then bringing it home and getting it all set up to be decorated. Ohhh and the smell! The fragrance that the real tree brings really ties it all together. There’s nothing like coming home with the house decorated for the holidays and being greeted with the smell of a real Christmas tree! What are your thoughts on real vs. artificial Christmas trees? Though I am all for the real trees I do understand the convenience of having the artificial tree. Let me know your thoughts!
With graduation nearing, I am struggling with what to do next. Do I stay at my current job that I kind of enjoy in hopes that I will eventually have the chance to move up in the company or look for a job with a new company? I can’t be the only one with this contemplation right? I like the company I work for now but I don’t really enjoy the work I am currently doing. In my case I will have the opportunity to move up within the next few months but the question I’m asking myself is if I want to stick it out in the hopes that I MIGHT move up. I think overall it’s important to built rapport with the company I am at and just be patient that it will all work out. Any advise from you all would be great!
The best things in life are sweet, so why not throw an all dessert party?
The trick to that is making sure you start the party a little later and let your guests know that it will be all desserts. That way when they arrive they will have already had a meal and will be ready to indulge into your delicious desserts!
In preparation for your party, make desserts that you can freeze a week prior and make the rest the day before the party. The cupcakes pictured above at the party my family threw were made in the weeks prior to the party and kept frozen until they day before. Then we took them out of the freezer, let them thaw out and frosted them so they had the fresh frosting on top. They still tasted fresh and our guests loved them!
Having a unique party that was all dessert was a fun way to get family together and enjoy something different!
I have several issues with MediaTakeOut but more specifically the category MTO NEWS. Fake news is a problem and they take it to a new level. The MediaTakeOut site is full of gossip and even that is unreliable. It claims to be the most visited urban website in the world, that makes the idea them delivering unreliable “News” even more disturbing.
The first thing that is listed on their “News” page is their MTO SUPER WORLD EXCLUSIVE that is telling us celebrity Rihanna is pregnant and they have PROOF! The post said she is DEFINITELY pregnant and they can prove it because “her NOSE IS SPREADING”. They say they witnessed her go out and she wasn’t drinking or doing drugs. Beyond the fact that they do not make me confident in their sources, by chance the news could be true. If it was I still wouldn’t believe this website. The site uses bad grammar and has spelling errors stating that she “Also she DIDN’R SMOKE WEED.”
So why be outraged, it’s just a rumor right? Well after scrolling down I see a post about people being mean to Beyonce’ and then an explicit post about a possible rape. The post about the rape has a video of the incident occurring. I have removed the hyperlink below because I believe the content is unethical.
SHOCK VIDEO: New VIRAL VIDEO Shows EXTREMELY INTOXICATED Girl . . . Getting A TRAIN RUN ON HER In A Parking Lot . . . And People Online Are ASKING . . . Is This A RAPE????
I want to reflect further on this for a second. I think that they could have potentially used this terrible event to create awareness. But re-posting the pornographic non-consented footage wasn’t the way to do that. The thought provoking question is questioning rape culture but they don’t seem even aware of such thing.
This site has links to share these outrageous posts, further perpetuating the fake news, and sexual assault. This platform could be used to engage with the urban community and organize for social change. Instead it is making many false claims and damaging the minds of the people who do not think critically enough to fact check.
You have probably seen a friend or two posting on Facebook with #sensory but what is sensory? Growing hands on kids defines The Sensory Processing System as “basically comprised of the brain, spinal cord, and neurons. It is the neurological wiring by which we perceive and process sensory information coming from outside and even inside our bodies.” (Greutman, 2015) When we talk about sensory for babies, toddlers, or children we are usually talking about an activity. “A sensory activity is anything that involves the 5 senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight)” (Greutman, 2015). These activities can be nearly anything as long as they involve one or more of the 5 senses. They can be messy, fun and can keep even the busiest babies attention. Where is the line between sensory and behavior?
My one year old pictured here gets her hands on everything! The cover photo captures her with an item found in her brother’s room; it was shredded paper from a gift. My husband gets upset with her and wants to take everything away right away. But I look at it as sensory! You can see her mind working about the texture, color, sometimes taste, smell or sound. He sees bad behavior and I see sensory.
She was very into a bowl of pomegranate seeds, she ate many, she squeezed them, dropped them in the bowl to hear the sound, she took them out and lined them up, she popped them and felt the juice run down her hand. So yes it gets messy but is it a child misbehaving or learning? I say learning!
These supervised activities and more are just things that kids do but without them they could be deprived of valuable sensory.
MDST 485 Class Blog 