Rebel Without A Cause: A Film Critique

        Questioning authority, though not recommended, is quite prevalent in today’s society--but that has not always been the case. In the Warner Bros. film, Rebel Without A Cause, James Dean portrays the defiant and sly 17-year-old, Jim Stark. This film caused an uproar during the time it was released (1955) because questioning authority was simply unheard of. Many critics describe Dean’s performance as mediocre compared to the acting of today, but at the time, mysterious and sultry Dean was the perfect paradigm for teenagers aspiring to be “cool.” His portrayal of Jim Stark revolutionized the image of the typical popular teenager; rather than the meathead jock, males wanted to be (and girls wanted to date) the clandestine bad boy.
       
      In the film, Jim catches the eye of Judy, played by Natalie Wood. Judy constantly craves affection from her father, and openly begs for it, but never gets it in return. Because she does not get this desired attention from her family, she yearns to fill that hole with anyone and everyone else’s attention. Judy displays her naive fixation with attention by leading the “popular” crowd (including her boyfriend Buzz) around like a pack of dogs while she basks in their admiration. She is captivated by Jim’s ambiguity, and falls for him, after her boyfriend is killed in a rather stupid game of “chicken”. Jim endures a similar situation as Judy, having a passive, dull father (who wears an apron throughout the majority of the movie) and a tense, dominating mother (who definitely wears the pants in this relationship.) He craves the attention his parents do not show him, but in a different way than Judy. Jim rebels against authority, hoping his parents will pay him some attention. He has grown accustomed to defying authoritative figures because he is able to walk all over his own father.

         Jim makes friends with a 15-year old boy named Plato (Sal Mineo), who belongs to a divided family, and tries to find his place in the world. Toward the end of the movie, Jim, Judy, and Plato go to a deserted mansion to get away from everything. They act out a weird, juvenile game of “house” with Judy and Jim being the parents, and Plato being the child. Perhaps director Nicholas Ray and producer David Weisbart were alluding to the conclusion that Jim and Judy  rebel against their parents because they believe they could do a better job themselves. They play this little game because it makes them feel as though they are in an authoritative position, a feeling they rarely get to feel, being teenagers. Plato does not have a stable home life, and is comforted by having “parents” who love him, even if it is just pretend.


          Rebel Without a Cause teaches lessons about peer pressure, love, stereotypes, violence, authority, and family. Though the movie is a little outdated, these timeless themes are represented throughout. Not only was this movie momentous at the time of release, but teenagers today can learn from and enjoy it, making it an effective and timeless classic.

Mormons: Loopy But Admirable: An Analysis of Creed or Chaos by David Brooks

David Brooks' theological insight provokes the reader to ponder the arcane motive behind religion. He analyzes popular Broadway play The Book of Mormon by Trey Park and Matt Stone, praising its inventive musical numbers, while critiquing its flawed central theme. Brooks utilizes ethos and imagery to convey his belief in the idiosyncrasy of religion.

Brooks uses vivid imagery to stimulate the reader's senses and to paint a frivolous picture of the Broadway show, while analyzing the religious discontinuities. According to Brooks, “You can feel a jolt of energy surge through the audience of The Book of Mormon about a quarter of the way into the show’s first musical number.” By using the phrase “jolt of energy,” Brooks allows the reader to envision the crowd being charged with energy as a reaction to the play. Because of the questionable subject of The Book of Mormon, he makes the reader contemplate whether this “jolt of energy” was a good jolt or a bad jolt. In the play, “Mormon missionaries find themselves in an AIDS-ravaged, warlord-dominated region in Uganda.” By describing the setting of the play, Brooks provides a look into the extreme contrast between the main characters of the play: loopy and charismatic Mormons, and sick, starving Africans. He hints at the ironic fact that the people in these regions of Africa desperately need medical attention and food before they need the ambiguous teachings of the Mormon religion.

Brooks employs ethos to provide personal experiences, augmenting his argument with further believability. Though "the audience [Brooks] was part of rose up at the end with a raucous standing ovation," according to Brooks, “the only problem with The Book of Mormon is that its theme is not quite true.”  Having seen the musical, relating the experience to the reader provides additional validity in his opinion. Brooks applauds the creative aspect of the play, and the elaborate musical numbers, but accuses the show of displaying a false representation of the Mormon religion. He suggests that “religion itself can do enormous good as long as people take religious teachings metaphorically and not literally,” and goes on to say that he visited an “AIDS-ravaged village in southern Africa,” at which the “vague humanism of the outside do-gooders didn’t do much to get people to alter their risky behavior.” He witnessed the evangelicals trying to push their religion on the Africans, and realized that the religious teachings are not actually true, but are metaphors for the way people should live. By relating these personal experiences, Brooks provides an ulterior glace at the teachings of religion, and how they affect the people of the world.

After seeing The Book of Mormon, New York Times columnist David Brooks came to the conclusion that religion teaches a structure by which people should live their lives, rather than a history of factual stories, as many religious people believe. He divulges his beliefs through his eloquent use of ethos and imagery, relating his own encounters and describing his religious viewpoint in detail.

Kill 'Em! Crush 'Em! Eat 'Em Raw!

1. John McMurtry's essay begins with a personal anecdote about the results of playing sports —

especially football — since childhood. When he can no longer ignore his physical condition, he

seeks treatment and is hospitalized. How does the anecdote lend credibility to his argument?

McMurtry appeals to the reader's emotions by employing ethos and pathos in his argument. By sharing a personal experience, he has made it easy for the reader to relate, thus share similar views on the issue. By talking in depth about the horrors of his "acute herniation," he forces the reader to sympathize with him, thus be more likely to side with him on the issue.

6. Consider the language of football, especially the words shared by the military. What sports
other than football have a militaristic side?

Virtually all sports have a slight militaristic side simply because of the competition. Sports such as hockey, soccer, rugby, and lacrosse are especially rough and dirty much like a military setting. Sports such as basketball, football, and baseball deal with complex plays, much similar to military tactics.

7. Who is McMurtry's audience? Is it necessary for the reader to understand or care about
football in order to understand what McMurtry is saying about society? Explain.

McMurtry addresses all people who have a connection with football. Whether it be the coaches, players, aspiring players, or their parents, most people can get useful information in making the decision to play or not to play.

2. Paragraphs 5-7 compare and contrast football and war. Is this comparison convincing? How
does the comparison appeal to logos?

The comparison is convincing because of the similar terminology and tactics. By delineating the likenesses between war and football, he makes apparent the harmfulness of playing the game. He appeals to logos by mentioning the ways players can get hurt so easily.

standardized testing here to stay

An easy indicator of a student's preparedness for the next grade level is his/her score on the national or state standardized tests. These tests are important because they assess students on all the knowledge accumulated over the year, and determine how well the students retain all of it. The tests are also important because the students' scores indicate whether the teachers are teaching the same material at the same rate and efficiency as the rest of the country or state.

Though taking these tests can seem like a drag, what other way of assessment is there? Testing is virtually the only way of evaluating students on their knowledge. Standardized tests also prepare students for college-level tests such as the ACT and SAT.

Standardized testing is an effective way to bring about improved instruction and performance.

Dress Irresponsilby

This clothing ad by Pacsun displays pathos because this attractive teen looks like she just had a good time at a party, and now she is lying on her bed, with a carefree attitude. This draws girls in because they want to be like her. They want to have attractive clothes, go to parties, and express themselves like the girl in this ad.

Ethos is represented because the clothes on her bed are from Pacsun, and are cute and appealing to teens. Pacsun is already a fairly well-known clothing store, and people know they have nice clothes, so they will shop there.

This ad displays logos because some girls are irresponsible with drugs or alcohol, but it is okay to be irresponsible with clothing. Being irresponsible with clothes means to be unique, rather than dressing trashy.

I should be a comedian.

Play is definitely a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. Just imagine a world without laughter.. Depressing, right? Henry Ford's philosophy was,

"When we are at work, we ought to be at work. When we are at play, we ought to be at play. There is no use trying to mix the two."

Though too much play and laughter in a workplace can be bad, it is necessary for an enjoyable life. A large portion of a person's life is spent at work, so why not make it fun? Southwest Airlines's mission statement reads:

"People rarely succeed at anything unless they are having fun doing it."

For my expermient, I chose a cartoon online and added a caption.

"So... What will our kids look like?"

Another option is to analyze a joke.

"A man and a giraffe walk into a bar. They buy some beer and get really drunk. The giraffe got so drunk that he passed out. The man started walking out the door when the bartender yelled, "Hey, you can't leave that lyin' there!" The man yelled back, "It's not a lion; it's a giraffe!"

This joke is funny (to me, anyway...) because of the pun involving the homophones "lyin' (lying)" and "lion". The man was either trying to be funny, really stupid for taking him literally, or just really drunk. Now that I've explained this joke, it isn't as funny.. Oh well.

...Another option is to play some games. Here are two of the countless 100%s I've made on rockband drums on expert. ;)