The Merrie Monarch Festival is a yearly celebration of the hula and the Hawaiian culture. This year's festival had 30 halaus completing for various titles including Best Kahiko, Best Auana, and Best Overall and took place on the at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo. The 3-part competition was broadcasted of KFVE from April 24-26.
(Merrie Monarch Festival/Extreme Exposure)
Thursday night was the Miss Aloha Hula competition. Thirteen halaus sent their best wahine dancers to complete for the coveted title. This year's title went to Ke'alohilani Tara Eliga Serrao (Pictured left during her auana performance) from the halau Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e under the direction of kumu hula and 1994 Miss Aloha Hula winner, Tracie Lopes. Serrao wowed audiences as she glided on stage during her kahiko and auana performances. Her kahiko performance was especially impressive, showing off her strong dancing abilities as well as her abilities in chanting. Watch her kahiko performance here.
Friday night was the kahiko round (aka traditional hula) and start of the group competition. The kahiko round, in my opinion, is always the most exciting one because the dances are very fierce. Best Kane (male) Kahiko went to halau Kawailiʻulā under the direction of kuma hula, Chinky Māhoe from Kailua, Oʻahu while the Best Wahine Kahiko went to the halau Ka Lā ʻŌnohi Mai O Haʻehaʻe under the direction of kuma hulas Tracie and Keawe Lopes from Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu. However, my personal favorite of the night was the halaus from the Academy of Hawaiian Arts from Oakland, California under the direction of kumu hula, Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu. Both the wahine and the kane performance were breathtaking and fierce. Watch their performances below.
Saturday night (and final night) was the Auana round (aka modern hula). Auana is typically very elegant in contrast to the kahiko and groups were adorned in colorful outfits and flowers. Best Kane Auana went to the halau Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka Lāunder the direction of kumu hula,Kaleo Trinidad from Honolulu, Oʻahu while the Best Wahine Auana went to the halau Hula Hālau ʻO Kamuela under the direction of kuma hulas, Kauʻionalani Kamanaʻo and Kunewa Mook from Kalihi & Waimānalo, Oahu. Saturday Night was also award night. Kaleo Trinidad and his halau took home the big prize of Best Overall Combined and Best Overall for Kane while Tracie and Keawe Lopes and their halau took home Best Overall for Wahine. The rest of the results (2nd and 3rd place winners) can be seen here. I can't say I agree with some of the winners, but I'm also not surprised. The same kumu hulas win every year (just in an alternate order). It's always sad to see some deserving halaus be completely left out in the awarding process, but that's that. Nevertheless, the competition aspect itself is unimportant and the great thing about the Merrie Monarch is that it's a celebration of a beautiful artform, language, and culture.
Click the hyperlinks to watch the award winning performances.
A journey through time and space is the best way to describe the television show, The Mighty Boosh, an off-beat comedic sitcom created by Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. The show chronicles the adventures of zookeepers, Howard Moon and Vince Noir, as they are met by an array of characters like “Old Gregg (an amorous, transsexual deep-sea creature), Naboo (a perpetually stoned shaman), and Mr. Susan (a fabric-y monster who resides in a mirrored netherworld)” (Schroeder). The show mixes a child-like spirit with adult humor like references to drugs and jazz. Here is a summary of my contextual analysis on the show.
(Left to Right) Bollo (Dave Brown), Vince Noir (Noel Fielding), Howard Moon (Julian Barratt), and Naboo the Enigma (Mike Fielding) perform a four-way crimp.
The television series revolves around, Howard Moon (Barratt) and Vince Noir (Fielding) “who work together, live together, and---make journeys into alternate realities” (Schroeder). Series one took place in a zoo where Vince and Howard served as zookeepers. In the series, the two were comforted by a weird, surreal situations like a secret underground laboratory with human/animal hybrids in “Mutants” (S1E2). The two characters also left the zoo at times to go on adventures like in the episode “Tundra” where they go to the Arctic Tundra in search for the Egg of Mantumbi. Series one was particularly different from the other series because it contained an opening scene where Howard and Vince would stand in-front of a curtain and address the audience (breaking the fourth wall) (See clip below). For series two, the characters leave the zoo to become musicians, moving into a flat in London which they share with Naboo (Michael Fielding), and his familiar Bollo (Dave Brown). Their attempts at becoming musicians are mostly unsuccessful. In the episode, “The Priest and the Beast” (S2E2), they struggle to come up with a signature sound and are unable to make a meeting with a record company. They’re awful musicians as suggested in the episode “The Legend of Old Gregg” (S2E5), when the two are chased out of London after a bad gig. In series three, they are employed by Naboo to work at his antique shop. While at the shop, one or both of the characters manage to get some kind dangerous situation. For example, in the episode “Party” (S3E5), Vince is almost beheaded by Head Shaman, Dennis (Barratt), after he catches Vince kissing his wife.
Despite the strong bond, the two characters are stark contrasts to each other. One of those differences is musical preference. Howard takes pride in liking things that are “deep and meaningful” (“Howard”) which he believes sets him apart from Vince. One of these things is jazz music. Listening to jazz gives Howard an elitist complex and he often criticizes Vince for his love of contemporary music as seen in this scene for the episode “Electro”.
Howard is more mature compared to Vince in many ways. For example, He’s very practical as seen in the episode “Call of the Yeti” (S2E1) when he designs an all-in-one explorer suit to minimize the amount he has to pack for a camping trip. Vince, on the other hand, tries to pack every outfit he owns.
Vince has “a very flamboyant and extravagant clothing style” (“Vince”) and is known for making a few costume changes throughout an episode. Throughout the show we see Vince go from mod (“Jungle”), new wave (“Electro”), goth (“Nanageddon”), glam rock (“The Power of the Crimp”), and punk (“Journey to the Centre of Punk”). His changes in fashion interests have no reason except for the fact that he saw it in a fashion magazine. Therefore, none of his looks are original though he’s adamant that he’s a trendsetter in the episode “The Power of the Crimp”. The episode “Journey of the Centre of Punk” as a reflection of Vince’s superficial approach to fashion. In the episode, Vince mimics the punk attitude, compromising his usual cheery self into one more angry. However, when Howard asks why he’s so angry, Vince has difficultly coming up with a reason, but eventually responses that the climate change is making it difficult to straighten his hair which shows that he’s not that connected.
The show’s genre is considered surreal humor because the show dealt with weird settings and characters which was elevated by its cartoon-like sets and costumes. Fielding was part of the reason for the show’s signature look. He used his art background to come up with the show’s strange characters (characters like the Hitcher and the Spirit of Jazz came from his art) and sets (Adams). Another reason was that show was only shot in studio where the creators and small production team built sets and props. The show looks low budget although the show itself did not have a small budget. This look was on purpose as Fielding discuses in an interview with The New York Times. “We wanted to make everything look like we’d created it, because that’s what we’d always done” he tells interviewer Dave Itzkoff. This method was an advantage for the show because they were able to make a joke out of it. For example, in the episode, “Bollo”, the ghost of Howard breaks the fourth wall by saying that they couldn’t make him look invisible because they spent the budget on Vince’s hair.
The show’s use of animation and music also added a unique look. The animation was done by Fielding and college friend Nigel Cohen and is used to illustrate a story that occurred in the past (kind of like a flashback). For example, in the episode, “Jungle” (S1E5), animation is used to tell Vince’s backstory of being raised in the jungle.
The show’s music was written by Barratt who had a musical background before pursuing comedy (Adams). The episode “The Priest and the Beast” shows the range of purposes the music serves on the show. The musical numbers sometimes shows movement through time as seen with the song “Search for the New Sound” which shows musicians, Rudi and Spider Dijon’s journey to find inspiration. Like the other musical numbers, the scene is the closest a non-drug user will get to an LSD trip and in the scene, Rudi becomes an eagle, Spider receives hooves (which he happy uses to play the bongos with), and a rabbit starts playing the guitar.
However, the most notable thing to mention in relation to music on the show is “the crimp”. A crimp is like a rap performed by two people in unison. It is usually just shows the connection Vince and Howard has because it is something between only them and not known by others. Howard and Vince perform the Twisty crimp below.
Works Cited
Adams, Sam. "The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding." The A.V. Club. N.p., 23 Sept. 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Mutants." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 25 May 2004. Television. (Series One, Episode 2)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Bollo." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 1 June 2004. Television. (Series One, Episode 3)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Tundra." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 8 June 2004. Television. (Series One, Episode 4)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Jungle." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 15 June 2004. Television. (Series One, Episode 5)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. “Electro." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 29 June 2004. Television. (Series One, Episode 7)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Call of the Yeti." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 25 July 2005. Television. (Series Two, Episode 1)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "The Priest and the Beast." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 2 August 2005. Television. (Series Two, Episode 2)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Nanageddon." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 9 August 2005. Television. (Series Two, Episode 3)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "The Legend of Old Gregg." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 23 August 2005. Television. (Series Two, Episode 5)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Journey to the Centre of a Punk." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 22 November 2007. Television. (Series Three, Episode 2)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "The Power of the Crimp." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 29 November 2007. Television. (Series Three, Episode 3)
Fielding, Noel, and Julian Barratt. "Party." The Mighty Boosh. Dir. Paul King. BBC Three. 13 December 2007. Television. (Series Three, Episode 5)
Fan-anonymous member: Little Monster cosplaying in Fame Era Gaga wig (Eyes blacked-out to protect identity)
I've been quite obsessed with a number of things in my life; although, I don't always like to admit it at times. I tend to keep my fan ways under wraps and on tumblr. Nevertheless, I think there is nothing wrong with being a fan of something as long as kept under control. Now, what is considered "under control" is hard to define. I've consider my fan behavior at times quite out of control like checking fansites constantly or participating in fan forums, but to some hard core fans that is pretty minimum. I guess "under control" should be defined "as long as it's not hurting anyone" and most fans don't mean any harm. Although I've met some extreme cases in my life, most fans I've known have been really cool and realistic about what they "stan" for. We are not crazy all (okay maybe just a bit).
Anyway, I've belonged to many fanbases in my life. Most of my fan activity is in music related fanbases because I don't really get attached to television or films. For the most part, belonging to fanbase has been a positive experience. It's good to be able to come together and just talk about something you really like. I'm always taken by how creative some of these fans are with their fanfiction and fanart.
Even though, I'm a writer, I've never wrote a line of fanfiction. I have found fanfiction at times somewhat creepy especially when 13-16 year old girls write themselves into relationships with 30-40 something year old men. However, most fanfiction I have to admit is quite clever and can take a tv series or movie into another dimension and keep it alive even after the movie ends or series is cancelled. Regardless of own my hesitance, I will alway defend fanfiction because it has encourages young people to read and write.
Before watching the documentary, Side by Side, I didn't think much of using digital versus film. Of course, I'm not that young, I still remember the days of using cameras with film. It was a frustrating experience because I had no idea whether the picture you took came out or not. Then, I had to wait a few days for the film to be developed, just to find out that half of my shots didn't come out.
As illustrated in the documentary, filming with cameras that used film was just as frustrating. One roll of film can only shoot around 10 minutes of footage and would have to be changed constantly throughout the filming process. Then, it would have to be taken to develop overnight. However, what seemed the most frustrating was the editing process of cutting pieces of film and combining it to other pieces of film. In a sense, this process made filming at the magnitude of a professional filmmaker less accessible to the average Joe because it took certain skills and at times, it was very costly.
The digital camera presented a bunch of new possibilities for filmmakers, both professional and amateur. Digital cameras are 10 times more convenient to use. Of course, the biggest benefit of digital is that fact that you can preview shots at any given time. However, the use of digital also bring new possibilities in the filming and editing process. You can shoot hours of footage at a time and edit it through a software program. Also, adding effects tends to be easier when using digital.
It seems like digital easily wins the round about what medium is better, but in the beginning, most professional filmmakers and other members of the industry was hesitate about using digital. Part of the concern was that it took the artistry out of filming. There are subtle differences between film and digital. For example, there's a bit grittiness to film that you don't get with digital. Also, from personal experience, film tends to capture light in a different way than digital. Other than that, the differences are not so obvious.
The use of the digital camera made filming and photography more accessible to the average person and people really don't need to go to film or art school anymore to be a filmmaker or a photographer. Almost everyone now can shoot a film and edit it in iMovie or take a picture and edit it in Photoshop and get a decent quality product. Some take this as slap in the face and proof that the medium of digital is depleting the quality of filming and photography. But, others have accepted digital with open arms and has adapted to the change.
Here's the trailer to the documentary, Side by Side. It's a very interesting documentary and I recommend it for anyone interested in film. (A lot of well known people are in it too)
Also, here is a link to a interesting article I stumbled upon while doing this post for further reading. The article is about how digital vs. film affects still photography.
The Walt Disney Company was "started in 1923 in the rear of a small office occupied by Holly-Vermont Realty in Los Angeles" ("The Walt Disney Studios-History") by Walt Disney and his brother Roy. In this small office, the two brothers "produced a series of short live-action/animated films collectively called the ALICE COMEDIES" ("The Walt Disney Studios-History"). In 1928, Disney's trademark character, Mickey Mouse, was born.
Famous Disney cartoon "Steamboat Willie" featuring Mickey Mouse
In 1937, Disney's first full length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, "was released to critical acclaim and worldwide success" ("The Walt Disney Studios-History"). The success and demand encouraged Walt to expand the company and he purchased 51 acres of land in Burbank, California to build a new animation studio. In the new Burbank studio, Disney went on to create many of its most famous animated features including Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Bambi, and Peter Pan during the 1940's to 1950's.
Movie poster from 1937.
From the animated feature Alice in Wonderland (1951)
The Walt Disney Company has five subsidiaries. The Disney Media networks "comprise a vast array of broadcast, cable, radio, publishing and digital businesses across two divisions – the Disney/ABC Television Group and ESPN Inc" ("Company Overview").
The Walt Disney Parks and Resorts subsidiary covers Disney's many theme parks and vacation destinations. Walt Disney wanted to create "a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment" ("Company Overview"). This lead to the creation of first Disney theme park, Disneyland, which was opened on July 17, 1955 in Anaheim, California. Now, the Disney company is the leading provider family travel and leisure destinations with "11 theme parks and 44 resorts in North America, Europe and Asia, with a sixth destination currently under construction in Shanghai", a cruise line (four ships total), and the Disney Vacation Club," which provides guided family vacation experiences to destinations around the globe" ("Company Overview").
Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California.
The Walt Disney Studios subsidiary is the foundation of the company and "brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world" ("Company Overview"). This subsidiary contains many parts since Disney is involved in a number of mediums. The company's "feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed" ("Company Overview"). The Disney Music Group contains the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels "as well as Disney Music Publishing" ("Company Overview"). Lastly, the Disney Theatrical Group "produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!" ("Company Overview").
Snow Queen Elsa from Disney's latest animated feature Frozen
Disney consumer products "is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and its affiliates that delivers innovative and engaging product experiences across thousands of categories from toys and apparel to books and fine art" ("Company Overview").
The mecca for all Disney consumer products, the Disney Store.
Disney plush items: I want them all.
Lastly, Disney Interactive provides "high-quality interactive entertainment across all current and emerging digital media platforms" ("Company Overview"). This includes mobile, online, and console games and online virtual worlds.
Works Cited
"Company Overview." The Walt Disney Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/company-overview>.
"The Walt Disney Studios - History." The Walt Disney Studios. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. <http://studioservices.go.com/disneystudios/history.html>.
Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum in Magnum PI. (Photo Credit: Fanpop.com)
During the first week of multimedia class, we watched the pilot episode of Magnum PI titled "Don't Eat the Show in Hawaii". It always an interesting and entertaining experience to watch a show based in Hawaii. As someone who has been born and raised there, I can't help but argue that these shows give only a narrow view of what Hawaii is and only highlights the glamourous side of white sandy beaches and palm trees or the more sensational side of corruption and drugs. As a critic, I have to admit that this episode follows the same trend, yet as a viewer, I was greatly entertained by the episode's thrilling story line and couldn't help but find main character, Thomas Magnum and his amazing mustache, likable.
From the opening credits.
Here are some excepts from my media literacy essay on the episode.
[Background of the show and episode] "Initially, the show was supposed to take place in Los Angeles, but when the Hawaii Five-0 series ended, CBS and creators refashioned the concept to take place in Hawaii so that the production unit didn’t have to move out of the islands. The show is about a private eye named Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck) who lives on tropical estate owned by a writer. The two-hour pilot titled “Don’t Eat the Snow in Hawaii”, originally aired on CBS in May of 1980, introduces us to Magnum along with other recurring characters. In this episode, Magnum is trying to clear his deceased friend Dan Cook’s name by finding the real murderer after Cook’s death is falsely ruled a drug overdose."
(Left to Right) Rick (Larry Manetti), Magnum, Higgins (John Hillerman), and (In back) TC (Roger E. Mosley).
"The episode does a particularly good job at introducing us to the main character. The camera angles give us the illusion that Magnum is at our level and that we can relate to him. Occasionally, Magnum even breaks the fourth wall by looking directly at the camera. We also get a hear what’s going on in Magnum’s head through voice overs. The voice over also gives us closure about whether or not Cook’s name was cleared at the end of the episode. Magnum’s devotion to finding out the truth about his friend’s death shows how loyal and how much he values friendship. His relationships with other characters like Higgins, TC, and Rick are also “well established” (“Detective Digest”)."
"You looked Magnum!" Magnum (Selleck) breaking the fourth wall by smiling at the camera.
[On the main character, Thomas Magnum] "Magnum is such a quintessential alpha-male with the chest hair, “monster bod” (Vanneman), and all. He likes beer, cars, and having fun, but interestingly enough, “never seemed terribly interested” (Vanneman) in women. He refuses an offer to swim with the two playboy bunnies that were staying at the estate and instead takes out a beer and continues making some phone calls. He also rejects Alice’s offer to begin a romantic relationship which in a way I respected that gesture because he didn’t want to take advantage of her emotional state, but I also figured that it’s partly because of the fact that he doesn’t seem interested in settling down with anyone. In his journal article, “Tight Pants in Paradise”, Alan Vanneman refers to Magnum’s relationship with women as “an odd blending of father/big brother and cabana/stable boy” and despite being considered “irresistible to women”. I don’t see anything wrong with Magnum’s lack of interest in relationships. It’s obvious that his main focus is himself and he’s living out the young man’s fantasy of living in paradise and driving fast cars."
Magnum testing out the security system at the estate owned by wealthy writer Robin Masters.
[On the lack of minorities] "I can’t help, but complain about the lack of “locals” and other minorities since the show takes place in one of the most diverse places in the US. Every major character on the show is caucasian except for TC (who is African American and we all can assume why he’s there). There’s a few minor characters who are non-caucasian, the medical examiner (played by a Japanese American actor from Hawaii. Yay?), the valet worker (who is supposedly local, but who knows if the actor was), Snow White (who is supposedly Asian (right?), but is played by a Guatemalan actress), and the thug that kills Cook (who is supposedly local, but I doubt that the actor was Hawaiian or from Hawaii). Other than that, it’s a “haloe” world and the locals are just accessories. Vanneman writes about the “astounding condescension to the actual Hawaiians” and states that the purpose of the natives is just “providing local color by dancing the hula and producing native art that is collected and appreciated exclusively by wealthy whites”. I did get that particular vibe from this episode even though that quote was referring to the show as a whole since one of the only prominent “local” characters in the episode was a bad guy and the fact that the locals were just sprinkled around for color in scenes like at Rick’s nightclub. As far as the part about serving the wealthy whites, I don’t think this particular episode gave that idea at all. However, I wouldn’t be surprised because a lot of these Hawaii based shows (Magnum and the original and current Hawaii Five-0) has portrayed Hawaii as this playground for the wealthy."
Pamela Susan Shoop as Alice Cook, Dan Cook's Sister
[On the portrayal of women] "One thing I also didn’t like was the strong undertones of women being presented as fragile and emotional beings that handle anything (Magnum even suggests this when he comforting Alice in one scene). The “Alice” character “lack[ed] interest and definition” (“Detective Digest”). I rolled my eyes so hard when Alice randomly runs out of the car and screams in the rain (like what was that about). Don’t get me wrong, I understand that her brother just died and it’s normal to cry, but you can tell that this show was written by men because the only purpose of the Alice character was to “act upset and emotionally needy” (“Detective Digest”) just to prove the stereotype that women are weak and need the constant guidance of men (disgusting)."
This doesn't need a caption, obviously.
Despite some of these observations, I couldn't help but enjoy this episode of Magnum P.I. It was indeed entertaining and that’s all the really matters right? I encourage everyone to check the show out. The first six seasons are available on DVD and this particular episode is available online on Youtube (For ethical reasons, I cannot give a link, so search for it yourselves!) and probably Hulu, Netflix, etc.
Works Cited (and for further reading on the episode and show)
My name is Victoria (Vicky for short) and I'm a Junior at Hawaii Pacific University. (I'm not going to include a picture of myself because I'm not much of a selfie person, but rest assure this blog will be picture and video heavy.) I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. I'm currently studying business and would like to start a business one day. My hobbies include writing, listening to music, traveling, making collages, and sewing.
Cinderella's castle at Disney World (Photo taken by me, 2011)
My media interests mostly involves music. Some of the artists I like to listen to are Green Day, System of a Down, Culture Club, Dead or Alive, and Lady Gaga.
Green Day (Photo from musically.com)
I also like watching television as well. My favorite TV channels include the Food Network, Bravo, Comedy Central, and TLC
.
"Chef" Micky Mouse and Chef Robert Irvine (from Food Network's Restaurant Impossible) (Photo from eater.com)
Some of my favorite television shows include Chicago Fire, Real Husbands of Hollywood, Bones, Hawaii-Five 0, Restaurant Impossible, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Left to Right: Team Captain Phil Jupitus, Guest Host Jack Whitehall, and Team Captain Noel Fielding on the British panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks on BBC2 where celebrities and comedians complete against each other by answering music-related questions. (Photo Source BBC / Talkback / Brian Ritchie). I had a hard time finding a clip that fully summed up the dynamics of the show, but below is a taste of the shenanigans that occur.
This blog was created for my Multimedia class (hence the name).
