Angel's Portfolio

One Direction, 2014 For this last blog post, I thought, what better way to showcase what I've learned throughout the year than relating it to my favorite boy band? Get ready to experience all of the ways I have grown as a writer (and how that relates to One Direction). Happy reading! :)              #1: Write about things that interest you and that you have a passion for (Zayn)     It’s no secret that Zayn Malik, one of the original members of the band “One Direction”, decided to pursue a solo career in 2015. As millions of adolescent hearts broke around the world, it seemed to be a huge relief for the pop star. Many are quick to judge Malik for leaving the band so abruptly, but it was ultimately the best decision for him creatively and mentally. He realized that he did not enjoy the music he was making in One Direction and it really affected his well-being. While it did hurt my fangirl heart to hear him say this following his depa...

Better an “Oops” Than a “What If” Little Miss Sunshine starring Steve Carell and Abigail Breslin is an amazing film which is as comic and sweet as it is tragic. Just like the yellow Volkswagen bus that is a prominent feature throughout the film, the audience is taken through many ups and downs that leave us with a few inspiring messages. At first some might believe that this film is simply about a dysfunctional family's journey to their daughter's beauty pageant, but in reality, it's about how the family challenges societal standards of success and the "American dream".  In many ways Little Miss Sunshine critiques the way society has put a blind emphasis on competition and self-entitlement, which distorts our perceptions of true success. Characters like Richard Hoover who believe that people are either  “winners or losers” contribute to social norms that limit individualism and self-expression. He is the epitome of a person who attempts to chase success through to...

  In the Wake of Misconduct  If you were to step into my bedroom, there are many things that might draw your attention: the original artwork adorning my walls, my record collection, and the posters covering almost the entirety of my room. Posters of artists, entertainers, and bands such as The Beatles whom I’ve grown to admire, but also people who've made personal choices that have made their character difficult to tolerate. In the age of the Me Too Movement and more recently, cancel culture, revelations of artists’ misconduct are continually surfacing. It poses the question of whether or not we should continue to support the art originating from controversial artists. When artists from all industries are being criticized for their moral shortcomings or problematic behavior, we as a consumer-based society should ask ourselves, should we separate the art from the artist? When stomach-turning accusations, like those of R-Kelly, come to light, it is understandable that some wou...

Takes Two to Quarrel, But One to End It When moving head first into an argument, many people seem to only focus on winning and proving that their stance is correct. Although it is nice to “win” an argument, only focusing on that aspect tends to cloud our judgement and reasoning. In order to end any conflict in a more effective way we have to actively use the tools that allow us to have reasonable arguments.  In Gary Hatch’s “Arguing in Communities”, he highlights the most important aspects of crafting reasonable arguments. He first explains that misunderstandings and difference of opinion stems from language barriers and people’s diverse experiences. So, in order to resolve our differences, we must learn to negotiate them. In any argument it’s easy to want to ignore the other side’s point of view, however, willing to live with other’s opinions will eventually lead to greater clarity in where our differences lay. This is key to understanding that sometimes arguments do not have to e...

The Triumphs and Tribulations of Writing Analytically Looking back at this massive unit, I am very proud to see how I have evolved as a writer. Before starting unit two, I feel I didn't truly understand the importance of writing analytically. I would simply spill out all of my thoughts and ideas onto paper without thinking of all the different layers to the piece I was writing about. From the op-docs to the New Yorker, all of these assignments have allowed me to communicate and support complicated ideas. Although at first it was tough for me to understand how to think and work critically, I ended up developing skills that not only apply to my writing but also everyday life.  Starting out this unit by watching “Tough Guise 2” was a great opportunity for me to look at how other composers effectively use analysis. It showed me that a composer's work whether it is a documentary, article, or artwork has many different ideas layered into it. Being able to discover the underlying mess...

Angel Luangaphay Ms. Schilly WRT 105 18 March 2021 Looking Through a Creative Lens: Activism in Art  In our world’s current state, it is difficult to not be confronted with the ways it is constantly changing. There is hardly anything in life that isn’t continuously being transformed, some changes are good or bad, while others create fear and anxiety. What will happen to our society today, the next day, and the day after are questions that we constantly ask ourselves - but if we are sure of one thing, it’s that we are in control of how we perceive and implement change. Time and time again we see instances of inequality, racism, and police brutality infiltrating our society, but it seems that our pleas for change are not being met. Protesting is the language of the unheard and comes in many forms, one of them being art. Many artists utilize their art to call attention to issues in our society while also representing the human experience through an artistic lens. Although some forms...

    If I were to ask you to think about what comes to mind when you think of police officers and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, you would most likely have completely different ideas. When people think of police officers, ideas of authority, protection, and even violence come to mind, while Dorothy could be considered a symbol of innocence and nostalgia. But what happens when we combine them together? What is the significance of using two compellingly opposite characters to portray a deeper meaning? The art piece “Stop and Search” by the anonymous graffiti artist, Banksy, is illustrated in his usual black and white stenciling technique. However, similar to all of his art pieces this particular work is also rooted in satire and an anti-establishment agenda.  This artwork is particularly relevant because it confronts an issue that has been present in our society for decades: police establishments becoming increasingly invasive and controlling rather than protective. W...

"Nowhere to Hide" by Barry Blitt Every week the widely popular publication, The New Yorker , features essays, criticism, cartoons, and journalism. In addition, they are also known for their well-illustrated and often satirical cover art. The artists behind the covers utilize their art to highlight social and political issues that surround the atmosphere of New Yorkers and Americans in general. In the last week of November 2017, the magazine published a cover that addressed a certain social issue called “Nowhere to Hide” by Barry Blitt.  The picture contains a man standing in the middle of an apartment or office room. The man is standing in the middle of the room facing the window with his robe open and exposed. From the artist’s perspective we only see the back on the man. He appears to be a white male who is bald and is wearing a blue robe with his bare legs visible under the robe. The room that he is standing in is big and extravagant, with high ceilings, a large gold frame...

 

The overall message of the documentary Tough Guise 2 perfectly describes what toxic masculinity truly is, a socially constructed expectation of masculinity as inherently violent, invulnerable, and unemotional. However, as I watched the documentary I was presented with new information that shines light on how american media and pop culture so often reinforces these stereotypes. I have always felt that the stereotypes around masculinity were fueled by generations of outdated culture and social norms that people refuse to change, but I now realize that this is due to multiple external factors that continue to normalize these dangerous ideals of manhood. Examples from the documentary include mainstream media and the entertainment industry being ignorant of their failure to empower a new generation of young men by continuing to play into the narrative that men should be emotionless and aggressive.               The media time and time ag...