Flickety Flixin

When I think of Lady Macbeth, what comes to mind is beguiling, powerful, ambitious, manipulative... basically the opposite of what was expected of women during the time Macbeth was written. She is basically #goals
Based on shows/movies that I have watched (except How to Build a Better Boy) I would most likely recommend these to Lady Macbeth. Orrrr some teen angst version of Lady Macbeth. Angsty Teen Girl Macbeth.

Revenge: 

Synopsis: Crazy girl assumes a false identity to get revenge on the people that destroyed her father's life. She knows kung fu and has a tech savvy best friend to help her along the way. In order to get closer to the family she is trying to take down, she gets in a serious relationship with their son Daniel. The plot thickens as secrets get out and more people become involved in Emily's life.

Why: Lady Macbeth is not so hell bent on revenge but she does share crazy ambition with the main character, Emily Thorne. In Revenge, Emily Thorne, whose real name is Amanda Clarke, assumes this fake identity to get in with the high class society in order to get close to the people responsible for her father's downfall. It's similar to how Lady Macbeth made Duncan feel at home and all nice and cozy while she was really plotting to kill him. Things got hairy in the show and I stopped watching after the first season, so sorry Lady Macbeth that's all I can say. It definitely shows “Fair is foul and foul is fair” because Emily acts as if she truly wants to be part of that society and even goes as far as dating the son of the people she is targetting. The only way she can get her revenge is to get close to them and get them when they're not expecting it.

Mean Girls:


Synopsis: Naive newbie Cady Heron has been homeschooled in Africa her whole life and has never known what high school is actually like. When she moves to a new town and enrolls in high school she meets "The Plastics", a group of rich, popular girls comprised of Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith. She starts to hang out with them while secretly plotting to ruin them with the help of two outcasts she befriended, Janis and Damien. Slowly she becomes more and more like them when she develops a crush on Aaron Samuels, Regina George's ex bf.

Why: I definitely see why Cady turned into a Plastic -- the glamour, the parties, the boys. Janet and Damien in this case are Lady Macbeth-ing Cady by telling her that she could finally destroy The Plastics if she just sabotaged them while hanging out with them. Cady, like Macbeth, instead of just stopping with the sabotage she becomes the new popular girl. Regina George wants her throne back so to get revenge she says that Cady made the burn book. (SOOOO Mean Girls is not a waste of time, it is totally worth the watch and prepared me well for high school.) The theme of Ambition is shown through Cady's attempts at becoming the new Queen Bee and going for Aaron Samuels.

Gossip Girl:


Synopsis: The show follows a group of rich and over-priviledged Upper East Siders whose life and gossip is chronicled by an anonymous blogger by the name of Gossip Girl. There are turbulent romances and plenty of drama to go around. There are no boundaries for these teenagers and the problems that they run into seem ridiculous as well as far fetched. In this world, the kids act like adults and adults act like kids.

Why: It's the scheming that makes me think Lady Macbeth would watch this. Blair Waldorf is the head schemer in this show but everyone at some point comes up with a plan to get what they want. It's so ridiculous that it's addictive. It may tie in with Prophecies a little bit because all of these rich kids have their futures planned out for them so they do whatever they want to, and go overboard with it, in order to fulfill their roles.


How to Get Away with Murder:

Synopsis: HTGAWM follows a group of ambitious law students and their criminal defense professor through a murder case and soon it is apparent that things are more complicated than they seem. As the case that they are working on becomes unraveled, more secrets unfold and more people die in order to keep the secrets untold.

Why: The murder case gets more complicated with each episode just like every scene does in Macbeth. People keep dying. But I think Lady Macbeth would relate to this because it's all about deception and coercion. Without spoiling too much I'll say that there are multiple deaths that were not accidents... To protect the people they love, the characters go to the extremes. It's fun watching each person squirm and attempt to deal with their guilt.

Reign:


Synopsis: Mary Queen of Scots comes to France to marry King Francis and learn the ropes to rule the court. It follows her and her ladies-in-waiting through their journey to navigate a world full of sexual intrigue, dark forces, and fierce foes. There are challenges when it comes to power and keeping it, as Mary learns while she battles those who oppose her.

Why: Reading Macbeth reminded me of this show a lot. The schemes that Mary and Francis come up with involve deception, killing people, keeping secrets, the usual historical drama shebang. The first season had supernatural forces and prophecies regarding King Francis' death as well as a situation with Queen Catherine's illegitimate child that roamed the hidden passageways of the castle. Needless to say, many people died in order to prevent the prophecies from coming true.

BONUS: How to Build a Better Boy basically what Lady Macbeth attempted to do to Macbeth. I don't see her watching Disney movies but this would be a great start.

This Evil, This Dagger

Manliness or Manless

Lady Macbeth: Art thou afeard

To be the same in thine own act and valor

As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that

Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life,

And live a coward in thine own esteem,

Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would, ”

Like the poor cat i' th' adage? (Macbeth, 1.7) 

Macbeth: Please, stop! I dare to do only what is proper for a man to do. He who dares to do more is not a man at all. (Macbeth, 1.7)

Men who are not evil begin to be evil because they have the power to make that kind of decision. As much as Lady Macbeth wanted to kill Duncan herself, she couldn't because she is a woman. Lady Macbeth implies that Macbeth is a coward because he fears the consequences of killing Duncan. Because Lady Macbeth is someone Macbeth trusts and loves he does not want to let her down. By letting her influence his decisions he becomes evil. He believes that if he kills Duncan then he can be King and that would make her happy. He is also tempted by the idea of becoming King and the only person standing in his way is Duncan so he thinks it would be easy to do this one thing to get what he wants. Internally he is fighting with the roles that he plays as Duncan's kinsman and subject as well as his host. He is loyal to Duncan and would want to do him right by not killing him.  But the thought of being King is too good of a prize. By crossing the line and commiting to killing Duncan Macbeth becomes evil.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/trump-focuses-his-attacks-on-carson-as-rival-slowly-chips-away-at-his-support/

Trump is kind of like Macbeth when he goes over the top in order to win votes. He's a good businessman but because he wants to be President so badly he makes ridiculous statements and does all he can to get Americans onto his side. This news article says he is attacking Carson because he doesn't want to lose support. Getting Carson out of the way means he is closer to being President. He is representing Lady Macbeth's viewpoint here and is more of a go-getter than Macbeth. He isn't scared to do what is necessary to become President.

Teach to be Taught

Macbeth: But in these cases

We still have judgment here, that we but teach

Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

To plague th' inventor: this even-handed justice

Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice

To our own lips. (Macbeth, 1.7) 

http://www.commdiginews.com/world-news/isis-strategy-shift-raises-global-terror-threat-52018/

http://www.inquisitr.com/2566962/isis-headquarters-in-iraq-destroyed-just-hours-after-paris-terrorist-attack-250-militants-killed/

Macbeth is reluctant to kill Duncan because he knows that bad fortune will come back around. Men who choose to be evil are teaching others to be evil too. Whatever harm he brings to others will come back to bite him in the butt. The cycle of evil continues because everyone will want revenge. An example of this from recent news is the ISIS attack in Paris. They are going all out with acts of terror all around the world. Of course there will be fear and people wanting to stop ISIS so those wanting revenge on ISIS or to scare them into stopping will want to harm them back. There is no definite end to this cycle and men who are evil will end up harming innocent people. 

Thine Eyes Or Are They Mine Eyes

Macbeth: Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going,

And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' th' other senses,

Or else worth all the rest. (Macbeth, 2.1)

When Macbeth is pulling out his imaginary dagger, he says that it would lead him in the direction he was already heading. It's hard to tell whether it's him making the decision to kill Duncan now or Lady Macbeth. It seems that he is seeing eye to eye with her and is convinced that killing Duncan is a good thing. He says his eyesight is either the only thing working or the only thing not working. He is still unsure of whether this is the decision he wants to make or not. It could either be he is not thinking clearly or he is finally seeing the picture. I think evil men will have these thoughts about what they are doing and if it is right. Macbeth's goal was to become King and he chose that path that involved killing Duncan so he became an evil man. The consequence is that even if he regrets it, he'll have to live with what he has done because he can't take it all back. 

Pity

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/05/Pity.jpg/310px-Pity.jpg

Macbeth: And pity, like a naked newborn babe,

Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubim, horsed

Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind. (Macbeth, 1.7)

I think I understand the "Pity" painting now because I went back and read this part. Macbeth speaks about how he should be the one protecting Duncan not murdering him. He should close the door on the murderers face because Duncan is a great and humble leader, his death would be injustice. The news of the deed would be heard eveywhere and so I think Lady Macbeth is seen as the person under the baby and horses as the one being influenced with thoughts of killing Duncan.  The weight of Duncan's dead is over her head. Her physical embodiment is the woman who is sad she can't kill him because she's a woman and she is praying (with the clasped hands in the painting) for the King to be killed so that Pity, as a baby, will ride with angels and horses to spread the news.

@ Ms. Genesky

http://www.50-best.com/images/happy_birthday_memes/stay_gangster.jpg

Crowther, John, ed. “No Fear Macbeth.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

Shall I compare thee to a "Reliquary Casket with Scenes from the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket"? Thou art more lovely and more temperate

During 1000-1400 A.D. in Great Britain and Ireland, there were political conflicts between them centered on the Scandinavian presence and links to Normandy. At the Battle of Hastings the Normans defeated the English and became the new rulers of the English Mainland. The marriages between English rulers and great Norman families created strong, long-term connections. Art and architecture in England, with the arrival of the Normans, reflects French influence. Cathedrals such as those in

Durham, Canterbury, Ely, Wells, and Lincoln were erected. 

Christians believed in the power of relics. Relics are the physical remains of a holy site or holy person. They were important because Christian believed in afterlife and resurrection, the power of the soul, and saints as advocates for humankind in heaven. The holiest relics were associated with Christ and his mother. The possessors of relics were bestowed honor and privileges so many monasteries and cathedrals sought them out. Reliquaries stored and displayed relics and were often made out of gold, silver, ivory, gems, and enamel. They were often covered with narrative scenes from the life of saints.

This is the Reliquary Casket with Scenes from the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket
It was created circa 1173-80 and is either English or German
It's made of silver with niello and a gemstone; 2 1/4 x 2 3/4 x 1 3/4 in
It was created to contain a relic of the martyred saint Thomas Becket
"The long sides of the reliquary display a brief narrative of the saint's martyrdom. On one side, the lower rectangular panel shows the four knights assaulting Thomas, while on the triangular lid above, an angel makes a sign of blessing over the event. On the other side, the lower panel shows Thomas' body lying in state, while above, an angel cradles a small child, the symbol of the saint's soul as it rises to heaven" (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

According to the Met there is an inscription: INTUS SANGUIS EST SANCTE TOME SANCTUS TOMAS ACCIDITUR
[Translation]: Within is the blood of St. Thomas, and St. Thomas is killed

The Reliquary by Me

Computer paper size

pencil on paper

November 2015

Becket was born in Normandy to an English family and quickly found his way up the ladder in the house of Theobold. He became the archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. He and King Henry II were friends and King Henry thought that meant he would have control over religious institutions. He was wrong because Becket stood against the crown and reserved the rights of the church instead of allowing King Henry to change them for his own gain. King Henry was angry at Becket for refusing to absolve some excommunicated bishops so he sent for a group of knights to murder him. 

This reliquary focuses mainly on the martyrdom in Becket's life. This enables those viewing the reliquary to know exactly what his importance as a saint is. The message is still the same today even in a modern setting. This reliquary illustrates this story and shows Becket as a good guy that was taken to heaven by angels. Becket's facial expression is serious while the knights look bellicose. It is kind of interesting that from Canterbury Tales, knights were seen as very respectable and esteemed but here it looks like they are just doing the King's dirty work. It was most likely made by followers of the church by the depiction of angels blessing the scene and Becket being seen as a martyr rather than a traitor to the king. Also, because reliquaries held very valuable items from saints that were thought of as spiritual connections between life and death, the box itself is made to be very decorous and appropriate for housing such value.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/relc/hd_relc.htm

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/becket.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/17.190.520

Rural Academy Theater - Freebie Blog Post

The Rural Academy Theater was cool. I was already expecting it to be amazing but it's crazy that they travel around by horses, bikes, and a caravan. It was also a great opportunity to show Corwin's hidden talent -- foot dancing,

It was so good we bought their album. It was definitely an experience to remember. I mean, what other opportunity am I going to get to see Corwin eat stale bread on stage in my lifetime?

It also gave me inspiration for the Canterbury Tales project. It showed how Chaucer's style can be adapted into a totally different story but utilize the same elements. Another thing that really surprised me was that almost everyone in RAT had an accent. It sounded like a Scottish or Irish accent... one of the actors said that some people were from Scotland and others practiced their accents. It was a very unique experience.

 (Sidenote: I definitely should have recorded the foot dancing... now I want to see it again.)

This is What Convincing Smells Like

This is an advertisement from Old Spice in 1978 for their Musk for Men cologne.




Denotative examination: 

The models are both white to appeal to mainly white people or those who desire the white lifestyle. During the 1970s most of the Old Spice advertisements showed the stereotypical All-American lifestyle and had a nautical theme to prove to the consumers that Old Spice was cologne that fit with that kind of living. It was all beaches and sunshine, big boats, and good-looking couples having fun.

The man has a very piercing gaze which is likely to attract females to the advertisement. The man looks in control, like it's effortless for him to attract women. The woman cannot keep herself away from him. Old Spice is trying to persuade both women and men to purchase the Old Spice because it makes men look cool. Old Spice is easily accessible for any man and is targetted at the men that might need help with confidence, especially if they need a cologne to make it convincing.

They make it sound like that one bottle of Old Spice is all that a man needs to attract women. They place the products under the slogan "Very convincing" to associate the use of the Old Spice with the attraction of women. At first glance the ad displays Pride through the man's confidence. He knows that the woman is interested in him, whether it was because of the Old Spice or not. Most men would want that so the ad promotes envy in male consumers.

(An Ad from 1978)

Connotative Examination:

The image shown is of a woman draping herself over the man. It is very suggestive and implies her lust for him. He is seen as very handsome and confident. In 1978 Old Spice was popular because they promoted the image of an irresistable manly man, which persuaded men everywhere to want to buy it.

The text in the bottom left is definitely aimed at women shoppers. It says that the Old Spice is a great gift for a sensuous man, so women should give it as a gift for their significant other. Old Spice's favorite word to use then was sensual, which means "of or arousing gratification of the senses and physical, especially sexual, pleasure" according to Google Search, evokes that lustful desire in women for their man. It is appealing to them so they want to buy Old Spice.

They describe the scent as "a very different musk with unmistakeable intentions" and suggests that it's good for couples and... romance. Saying that the scent is long-lasting also appeals to females because they definitely want their man to smell good. Stank men aren't desirable.

The repetition of the theme "Made just for men" drives the idea that Old Spice is a necessity for every man and convinces girlfriends, wives, maybe mothers that it's an appropriate gift for the male in their life. Ok maybe not mothers. It definitely shows the sin of Lust for both the man and woman. The text suggests that Old Spice's Musk for Men is a scent that both women and men could enioy while they're sleeping together.

(Wish I was that manly) (SO SENSUAL)

The Fame's in the Name

My name is the most unique, visible part of me. My personality is pretty weird too but that can't really be put on paper. My parents wanted to be cool and hip so they picked Madyson. I don't know the actual reason, but I do know there aren't that many people with the name Madyson so I think they achieved their goal. From Think Baby Names, the name Madyson means "son of the mighty warrior", which is definitely not me. I think my name is pretty cool. It's unique in the US and in Vietnam. Since my full name is Madyson Quynh Ho, I feel like it's all pretty uncommon in the US. I could probably never want to change it either because whatever I change it to would be either #basic or really weird. I would say a name is just an arbitrary label but for some things there really is an art of naming. Otherwise, there wouldn't be 20 different shades of orange crayola crayons...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lissalou66/2360901963/

http://www.factslides.com/imgs/Backrub.jpg

I read another article about what's in a name for big companies such as Google. Google used to be called BackRub, and I could never imagine what it would be like to go and say "Let me BackRub that real quick". Best Buy used to be called Sound of Music. They were a music store in the beginning and after a tornado hit the largest store, they hosted a "best buys" sale in the parking lot which led to the adoption of the name Best Buy. Nike used to go by Blue Ribbon Sports until the company's first employee proposed they change the name to Nike after the Greek goddess of victory.



I guess a name can make or break a company. Based on the article, the name is a label that can define what a company does, their story, what they are trying to achieve. We all know what Google is and what it does. The images attached to the name make it memorable and iconic. Whenever I think about names and labels, I think about fashion labels. They are more important to society than we like to believe. It does make a difference that a shirt is from Dior or Yves Saint Laurent and not Walmart. 

"Fashion is a $1.2 trillion global industry, with more than $250 billion spent annually on fashion in the United States, according to industry analysts. Fashion and apparel industries employ 1.9 million people in the United States and have a positive impact on regional economies across the country" (According to This Document from the Joint Economic Committee). 

People take branding too seriously -- they just want the luxury associated with a tag.

http://fashionovert.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Top-Popular-High-Fashion-Clothing-Brands-Names.jpg

Anna Quindlen's essay, "The Name is Mine" was interesting to me. She addresses the problem that most women will have in their lifetime -- choosing to become part of a whole or not. The thing about being an individual and being part of a larger whole is that the choices I make are influenced by both. As an individual I think I can be more spontaneous. I worry less about fitting in and worry more about what I want. Being a part of a larger whole means that the choices I make have to benefit everyone. This can affect my morals and ethics because it involves the other person's emotions and values. The pressure of needing to conform and fit in is typical to be part of a whole.


The only dilemma I can remember about being an individual was during my freshman year. I was part of GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance)  and I liked it because a lot of my friends were part of it. I supported LGBT rights but my Dad didn't. He didn't want me to participate but I went anyways because I couldn't leave my friends. As an individual I would rather be part of the GSA whole than my family's whole since I didn't agree with them. Everyone has to be a part of a whole to some extent, but I guess choosing which whole  is what individuality is for.

From other + -ing

Othering in The Handmaid's Tale

The word "othering" of course has a very specific role in The Handmaid's Tale, written by Margaret Atwood, as a device for casting people out of the society. In the Republic of Gilead, order and sameness is valued in order to establish clear lines between classes of people. These rules extend to their names, relationships, choice in wardrobe, roles in the household, and even what stores they can shop at or events they can attend. Women are cast from the society as unimportant, pointless.. a useless object.


"This is the kind of touch they like: folk art, archaic, made by women, in their spare time, from things that have no further use. A return to traditional values. Waste not want not. I am not being wasted. Why do I want? (Atwood 7)"

Handmaids in the society are the ones that make the babies and are therefore very important. One reason "unwomen" are an inherent part of the society may be because Handmaids are so valuable. An "unwoman" is like a defective product. There is no use for them. But a perfectly fertile handmaid is what is important. They carry the babies and they birth them. If an infertile woman was put out there to have the babies, there would be either very unhealthy babies or just a bunch of still-borns. By weeding out the "unwomen" the Republic can increase their chances of having healthy babies. The controversial part of that is that there is no such thing as an "unman". Commanders are encouraged to keep having sex with the Handmaids even if they cannot produce the sperm needed to conceive. It may not be as important for them to be able to produce sperm because the Handmaids rotate so often. The esteem of the household comes from having a baby and the only way to do it is to have a handmaid and sperm. In this way, the Commander can be seen as dispensable in the master plan. At first it may seem that the Commanders are the ones with the most power in the household but that is not true. Atwood most likely would agree that despite being alienated in several ways to attempt to restrict their freedom within the society, women are the most essential part for the growth and prosperity of Gilead. They have their own unique power most recognizable in this scene where Offred and Serena Joy plan to dupe the Commander by setting Offred up with Nick. With their positions as Wife and Handmaid they are hesitant to commence with their betrayal despite knowing it's the only way to accomplish their goal.


"This idea hangs between us, almost visible, almost palpable: heavy, formless, dark; collusion of a sort, betrayal of a sort. She does want that baby (Atwood 205)."


Othering in Wing Young Huie's Work


"(1) “We are the Other” is new work presented as a serialized photographic novel that infuses several concepts to connect people who don’t know each other well or at all."

photo by Wing Young Huie

A photo of Hai in Minneapolis, Minnesota from the "We are the Other" collection by Wing Young Huie (2012)

 Wing's Blog Post

- A denotative examination: He is an older man that plays the guitar and works in a barbershop. It looks pretty old-fashioned -- not much is updated and the hairstyles and photos are dated. Hai is dressed in his best suit and playing his instrument for the picture; he is looking his best. He is a man that works simply for income and food to eat. He takes pride in his work and enjoys it but still wants more.

- A connotative examination:
He is a man that has been through many events in his lifetime. Settling down and working in his barbershop is a way for him to live a quiet life without a ton of drama or worrying. Many do not know about his passion for music. He never gets bored waiting for customers as he is always thinking about music. He has been through and experienced loss and migration, burning bodies in India, sights in Alaska and Wyoming, the death of his mother and memories of his homeland Vietnam before communists took it over -- all of which has been mentioned in the 40 songs he has written in the last 20 years. He was inducted into the South Vietnamese army at age 20, served as a radio operator for 14 years, was briefly captured by the Viet Cong and spent a week as a POW before escaping. He became a barber in Vietnam of which he recalled that the barber, not the customer, chose the style of hair because communism made people afraid of choice and thought it'd be better to leave the decision up to the barber and not argue... or you would be killed.


Wing Young Huie communicates that a person is not defined by how they look or act but are defined by their experiences in life and what they have accomplished. Instead of being just an ordinary barber, Hai has had the experience of surviving a war-torn Vietnam, loss of his family, and working toward a brighter future in America. His experience with Communism and it's harsh regime has shaped him into the man he is today: a barber that enjoys his job and is in truth not fundamentally different from any other American looking to live the American dream.

“America knows how to build a civilization,”  “What better way to understand American culture than to make people look nice? My clients come from all over the world: Mexico, Laos, China, Cambodia, Russia, Africa. You don’t have to be a politician to affect a community. You can just be a small business owner.” - Hai 


So... 

All in all, othering can be found in any society. In both The Handmaid's Tale and in Wing Young Huie's work, othering is a product of authoritative pressure. Each individual has their story in which they will be affected by regime or governmental statures that restrict them in some way. Othering is a product of society but whereas "Unwomen" are shameful and undesirable, people in Wing's series are made to seem personable and worthy of attention.