The Evaluation (Blog Post #6)

This semester has been a good one and it was certainly good on the part of writing. I had spent a lot of time away from the pen and paper and trying new ways to analyze my thoughts and it’s been really good to get back to it.

The greatest thing I’ve discovered so far this semester is learning what “texts” are and how they are more than just reading a book and talking about how it made me feel. The things we’ve read in class are REAL things that apply to me. It’s interesting to have light shed on them.

I never really thought of pop culture as something that can be analyzed and discussed in class. For example, the aspects of gay marriage have always stayed pent up in me and have always stayed tucked away in my brain and it was good to write about them.

I think I’ve rediscovered my love for writing over the course of this semester. It was such a big part of what I did in high school (especially my senior year) and it was nice to relearn something’s I had forgotten. It’s a good outlet for me, as life gets crazier and crazier.

I am in full agreement with my grade and with the way the class is conducted. It is such a fun and safe environment to explore our thoughts. I have never felt that I would be judged by my opinion. Not only was it a “writing class” but it was a “thinking class” too. Also, it’s important to have my classes conducted in this way because it reminds us that we have to connect with the culture around us. We need to connect and stop the world from spinning for a second and just write about how we feel.

Explore Pop Culture (Blog Post #5)

Because I am a Musical Theatre major and my passion is theatre, I'd love to explore Broadway musicals as pop culutre. Broadway has been very much affected by the changing world around us. It isn't all tap shoes and bright lights. Broadway has made some series changes through its years and years of shows.

These days, Broadway shows are extremly expensive to produce. In order to stay open more than a month the show must earn back most of it's profit in the first 2 weeks of it's opening! Producers are taking smaller risks in new shows for the fear they may flop and they're pumping all of their money in musical stage versions of Hollywood movies. Not only that, they are reviving old shows and putting Hollywood stars in them to bring in bigger audiences!! It makes getting work as an actor on Broadway that much harder. AND ANOTHER THING, they are creating shows based on a singer's hits. I think it's really sad that not it's not about making art half the time. It's about making money. Sure that's what our world is about but does it have to be such a big part of Broadway?

In my second essay I would love to explore the relationship between Hollywood and Broadway and how they are helping each other (if at all) and how it is hurting artists today who cannot express themselves because they're being overshadowed by the huge Hollywood sign.