Silly Bandz - Abby

In eighth grade, I asked a girl in my English class for a hairtie. She handed me a blue, elephant shaped rubber band. Two things wrong with this picture—1) my hair is curly and rubber bands are hell to remove from tangles and 2) she had a rubber band shaped like an elephant. What the hell? I said no thanks I would ask someone else. The next day she came in wearing about 10 in all different animal shapes and colors. Everyone thought they were dumb, because when you were wearing them they didn’t even look like normal rubber bands, they just kind of looked warped and twisted. Plus the girl was kind of weird. After that I didn’t see them again for about a year and a half. I didn’t even know what they were called.

In the beginning of 10th grade, my eight-year-old sister came home wearing a jillion of them on her wrists, and proceeded to tell me all about how her friend had given them to her and they were called Silly Bandz and did I want the kangaroo or the monkey? The next day she had 3 more and a few had changed because she had traded them with a boy in her class for some rock and roll ones. Apparently animals were not enough. Soon enough—Silly Bandz were EVERYWHERE. Little kids had them, teenagers had them, and one article even proposed that Silly Bandz were being used by college-aged kids to pick up dates at bars. People wrote funny raps about them; google turned up over 1,430,000 hits when “silly bandz” was searched; schools banned them and kids in school traded them anyways.

Even I thought they were pretty cool. I had changed my mind from thinking they were ugly and useless to thinking they were cute and funny. Was I really that shallow? To change my whole opinion on a thing just because everyone else did? What is it about everyone else having something that makes you want it so badly? Do you think it stems all the way from human survival? Maybe if you saw everyone running the other way from a wild beast you would think it was cool to do it too, so you would survive. Think on it.

This phenomenon of Silly Bandz did not end quickly. People still sport these funny rubber bands; in fact I got a couple from CITYtermers just recently (a duck and some Toy Story 3 characters). What is it about these bands that make them so intriguing? Is it their low cost? The maker certainly was conscious of the economy’s status when pricing Silly Bandz. Each packet only costs about $5.00 for 24 Bandz. Is it the fact that you can get them in any shape and color? This certainly would make it appeal to a larger audience. College kids would probably think it was funny to have beer bottle Silly Bandz, and little girls would more likely want a puppy or a princess crown over Spiderman or a racecar.

This trend had definitely had a lot of publicity. It has swept up young and old alike, and been picked up by even high-end newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post (which suggests that there may even be health risks associated with the little bands). But then again—remember the beanie baby explosion in 2001? And the neopets fad in 2004 and webkinz in around 2007? History definitely repeats itself when it comes to trends in pop-culture.

Critics never got nothing nice to say- Eminem

Eminem
By: Lauren K


Contrary to Eminem's beliefs there are lots of people that have nice things to say. Marshall Mathers is one of the most popular rappers of all time right up there with P Diddy (Sean Combs). To be compared to him would be an honor. He had 6 very successful albums out and then poof he was gone. Where had he gone? What happened to the legendary rapper? We hear nothing from him for 4 years and then there was the release of RELAPSE. He was back, or was he? RELAPSE was respectable but not up to par with his past work. Everyone seemed to wonder if this was it, were we never going to see the normal Eminem again? Except then the music world held its breath waiting for the release of his album RELAPSE 2. Last minuet he Twitted "there is no RELAPSE 2". Wait what?! There is no album? Wrong, he deiced last second to change the name to RECOVERY, the music was to different, he said, it needed its own name. This album was either going to confirm everyone’s worries or would crush the music charts. Its Eminem what do you thing? Of cores it was fantastic!! RECOVERY was exactly that, a recovery, it saved his career. RECOVERY sold more than 741,000 copies in the first week (I pre-ordered the album). It was released on July15, 2010 and by August 1st it had sold 1.828 million copies. “Not Afraid” was released as a single in April and was number 1 on Billboard Hot 100. “Love the Way You Lie” followed closely behind and replaced “Not Afraid” as number 1 for the 3 weeks following.

Clearly the world loves Eminem, well what makes him so loveable? Personally I think it’s the fact that he raps about real shit. I mean most rappers rap about blowjobs, but Eminem talks about his real experiences, his mom and daughter, Hailie, and his drug problem. He talks about how he is discriminated against for being white and how his mother was never there in a lot of songs like “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and “My Mom”. Then he has songs about his daughter and some even written for her like "When I'm Gone". One of his most famous songs is “Lose Yourself”, this song is about his life and making his passion a career.

I also think its because he’s clever. He spits rhymes so quickly and easily that you have to listen to a song a couple times before you can catch them all. All you have to do is listen to one song and you find numerous clever rhymes and catchy beats, some of my favorites from RECOVERY are “You’re Never Over” and “Cinderella Man”.

In general Eminem has made an impression on the music industry and he is not going anywhere. When he’s gone he will not be forgotten. He is a passionate lyricist who changed everyone’s view on what the typical rapper should be.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: An In-Depth Look by Christian

It has teenage girls screaming, fantasizing, and even crying. Footnote: it’s not the Jonas brothers. When was the last time you saw the Jonas brothers with fangs? Last time I saw them they were in some tight pants belting out a bunch of acronyms with their purity rings on. Then who, might you ask, has won the heart of every teenage girl in America? That title would belong to Robert Pattinson (R-Patz), who plays the vampire hero, Edward Cullen, also known as that British guy your sister is obsessing over.

Ever since Stephanie Meyer’s newly acclaimed, bestselling Twilight series has hit both the bookshelves and the movie theatres alike, teenage girls have been swooning, fainting, and even sobbing over the mysterious and “sexy” Edward Cullen. The story focuses on two star-crossed lovers, Edward and Bella, who are so passionate for each other that it’s almost unhealthy, but it still manages to captivate the heart of every girl who reads or watches it and paints the ideal image for “true love”. Basically, it’s like Romeo & Juliet with vampires, which I’m sure has Shakespeare rolling in his grave. Are you kidding me? When did interspecies love get so popular? What did I miss here?
Despite the fact that they may sound like the ordinary couple head-over-heels in love with each other, Edward and Bella are not the norm at all. Let me assure you that they are actually the complete opposite. Edward is a vampire, (who has been around for hundreds of years), while Bella is a pale, neurotic, seventeen-year-old (I smell a felony). After seeing this day-walking vampire at school, Bella becomes enthralled with Edward and it doesn’t take long for the two to fall madly and irrevocably in love. Three movies and a laundry list some of the worst movie lines in history later, the Twilight franchise still remains very much alive and, like the immortal vampires it centralizes around, seemingly undead.
However, conflict seeps through the cracks when a trio of other bloodthirsty vampires catch a scent of Bella’s tasty, nom-nom worthy blood, causing Edward to vow to protect her, even if it means he spends the rest of eternity hunting down the vampires that yearn to suck her blood so much. In the end, Edward prevails and so does love. As if this wasn’t predictable enough, the franchise still has consumed teenage girls worldwide and for some reason has become the biggest phenomenon to hit tween America since Miley Cyrus. Need I say more?
Because of its worldwide effect, there is no denying that the Twilight Saga is an international phenomenon. Through this global intrigue, a subcategory of fans have emerged, like the website TwilightMoms.com and a staggering amount of LiveJournal users that dedicate much of their free time to immersing themselves in the Twilight universe. Although males make up for a miniscule fraction of the primarily female fandom, they are still out there, further showing how Twilight does not discriminate against gender. However, Twilight is also viewed by a significant portion of males as one of the worst things to hit this planet since Justin Bieber. As a result, websites poking fun at the franchise have emerged. They are, in my opinion, a comedy goldmine because it's such an easy target.
One of the most notable aspects of this series is the love triangle between the main characters – Bella, Edward, and Jacob. After Edward leaves Bella in New Moon so she can be safe, Bella falls into intense depression and turns to Jacob. As a result, the two of them fall in love until Edward eventually decides he wants to come back (shocker!). The third installment, Eclipse, focuses on the love triangle and Bella’s choice: the mortal werewolf with airbrushed abs or the immortal, smoldering vamp with feathered hair and porcelain skin? Much to my everyone’s surprise, Bella chooses Edward (*insert sarcasm mark here*). However, in all seriousness, this is one of the most fascinating aspects of the story to me. The Team Edward-Team Jacob dynamic is, in itself, a pop culture phenomenon because it implicates that everyone get involved and voice their opinion on who Bella should choose. In fact, this past summer, when Eclipse was being marketed for its theatrical release practically everywhere I went, there was a Burger King commercial that centralized around the Team Edward-Team Jacob dynamic, encouraging people to get involved and win some sort of sweepstakes.

While its safe to say that most fans have sided with Edward, there are those that sympathize with broken-hearted Jacob. Me? I haven’t even read the books, but I’ll admit I’ve seen the movies. The bottom line is that I don’t really care who Bella chooses. But it feels like everyone else does – and I’m not everyone, am I?

MANHATTANS ELITE

by Miles Brenninkmeijer

Money. High Fashion. Hot Girls. Hot Guys. New York City. Drama. Gossip. It’s bound to be pop-culture. Which is why this hit series, Gossip Girl, is what people cannot get out of their heads. Whenever I’m not watching it, I ask myself, what is it that is so addicting? But as I sit on my couch, with my phone in my hands texting my friends to see if they’re wasting an hour just like me that could be put towards reading that section from our history book that the whole class has been dreading, I seem to find my answer. It’s unhealthy relationship that I am well aware of. What doesn’t help my unmanly obsession with the show is that my mother is a fan herself. So as I am up in my room, trying to complete that horrid history reading, my mother calls me to join her on the couch, I can’t make her sit alone, that’s just rude. She herself is addicted to it. It’s taking over all generations, young and old. My mother finds herself on the couch every Monday night due to the relationships that she built with the characters. Chuck Bass, your stereotypical rich douche bag. Daniel Humphrey, the sweet and intellectual NYU undergrad. Nate Archibald, everyone’s favorite, even my mothers. Serena van der Woodsen, the pretty tall blonde one who everyone wants to be. Blair Waldorf, the sophisticated, wealthy, perfect girl. Jenny Humphrey, younger sister of Dan Humphrey, the rebellious Brooklynite. And last but not least, Vanessa Abrams the modern day hipster bohemian long family friend to the Humphreys. What is so appealing to the avid followers of this “so horrible yet so good its bad to admit” too television series is that everyone who watches it can see themselves or can relate to a specific character in the show. But isn’t that what all televisions show are about? But why does this show specifically get their spectators hooked? The situations they experience are so abnormal that it makes the high school drama going on in your real life sound normal. It’s an escape from the real life. But that’s what all television shows are nowadays. Everyone loves good music, great clothes, money, beautiful people and New York City all in one, and Gossip Girl has combined all of those oh so well into one beautiful, over the top, OMG moment, jaw dropping, and simple yet complicated, addicting show.

Which character are you? Find out.

XOXO.

THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH

MARY T.

I must acknowledge a sad fact of our generation- most people reading this have more than likely never seen the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch, with Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell. You’ve probably never even heard of it. That being said, out of this movie came an image so iconic that although you may have never heard of the film itself, I would find it impossible to believe that you haven’t seen this picture. The real reason I’m writing about it is that it’s one of my favorite movies. I’ve watched it since I was a little girl, and I can quote lines from memory. I also find it interesting that an image so famous could have come from a now nearly obscure and outdated film.

The film opens on a steamy Manhattan summer day, as a man named Richard sees his wife and young son off on a trip to the seaside. It is, the narrator explains, a common practice for the working husbands of the city to send their families away for the hottest months while they remain behind to make the money. This results in, to put it delicately, much foul play by the smoking, drinking, cheating, and newly tattooed summer bachelors of New York. Richard, a naïve and goofy middle aged man with an imagination constantly in hyper drive, grits his teeth and avoids the many temptations that present themselves to him in his first day of freedom, insisting to himself that he will remain loyal, sober, and generally stay out of trouble. As he sits in his apartment, half heartedly attempting to get some work done this first night alone, he encounters a beautiful blonde girl he had seen in passing early in the day. Quickly, all of his resolutions go out the window, and he enters into a half imagined, always silly relationship with the nameless girl on the top floor.

In terms of turning windows into mirrors, one of the questions I had about this movie that intrigued me the most was what it was about the relationship between Marilyn Monroe and this married man that seemed so entirely innocent and fun. What I realized about myself through asking this, is that in any other real or fictional situation in a which a husband cheats on his wife, I would be utterly and entirely against it. I would judge the woman, I would judge the man, I would snap judge (and harshly judge) the whole situation. This question stuck out to me the most, I decided, because I felt differently in this movie than I would at almost any other time, and I wondered what it was about the characters that had this effect. What was it about Marilyn Monroe that made her seem like seem sexy, adorable, and sweet, rather than trampy or slutty? What was it about Tom Ewell that made him goofy and naïve rather than horrible or unfaithful? I think the answer lies in the innocence and humor that sugarcoats every scene of this movie. Richard’s character is made to seem as though he honestly just doesn’t know any better, the girl’s as though she’s just a little lonely and too cute to help herself, and the wife’s as though she knows her husband is a little ridiculous, but it’s just the way he is. All in all, the movie comes across as a playful romp rather than a shocking and heart wrenching portrait of adultery. It does help as well that they never share more than a kiss, but I think that it really has nothing to do with the seriousness of the action, and more with the way the movie was filmed and written.

Finally, I come to the portion of this blog in which I describe others points of view. The movie has seen mixed reviews. However, one thing that I found interesting is that is still being reviewed today, on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, just as it was over 50 years ago in the New York Times. When I asked around at CITYterm about the image of Marilyn standing over the subway vent with her white dress around her shoulders, Abby Cali said: “Marilyn Monroe is an icon of our society back in the 50’s and ’40s and that picture shows the era because it was the time of all the pinups and she’s innocence and seduction at the same time. She’s a sex symbol.” Wyatt Scruggs said that the picture “represents that she’s a sex symbol but she’s trying to stay classy because it’s a candid picture so it shows that she’s a sexual icon to many men and some women and she knows that, but she stills stays classy with the clothes she wears and all that.” Some people find this movie to be a bust, while others hail it as a classic, but either way, to me it will always be hilarious, iconic, and thoroughly excellent.

Where is the line between a real hipster and a wanna be hipster? By Amelia

A hipster can be defined in many different ways. A hipster is a person who thinks they are too cool for everyone. In ordered to be cooler than everyone else they have to find things that no one else knows about. Eventually the hipster’s worst nightmare happens, the “cool” thing they found is now mainstreaming. All of their indie music is on the popular radio stations, and they have to fall onto plan b: Lil Wayne. A hipster will say Lil Wayne is cool because he is so popular and that is ironic. A hipster is ironic, wear vintage clothes, pretend their poor but live off of their parent’s money, and drink pabst blue ribbon.

When hipsters staring to emerge, everyone wanted to be a hipster. But the first rule of being a hipster is you can’t want to be one, and you can’t say you are one. Once hipsters became cool and well known many people started becoming one. After more people wanted to be a hipster, American Apparel along with Urban Outfitters emerged. All of a sudden there was a new type of hipster emerging. These types of hipster are known as poser hipsters. These people want more than anything to have the word hipster attached to them. Poser hipsters want to be viewed as a real hipster but they never will because they don’t give off the right vibe when they are wearing only Urban Outfitters or American Apparel. This new breed of hipster puts the real hipster in a dilemma. The original hipsters now have to try harder to find unique and ironic clothing, bands, and phrases to say.

For people who opt out of this culture they find it amusing to make fun of hipsters. People have created look at this fucking hipster where people post pictures of hipsters they see. The onion has also created articles about hipsters calling each other hipsters. This new age of people has created stores, websites, t-shirts, and much more.

I think a true hipster is someone who doesn’t have to try hard to be cool. They can roll out of bed and throw on old clothes and still look good. A hipster is someone who lives off of their parent’s money but pretend they don’t have a lot of money by wearing old vintage clothes. They drink pabst blue ribbon, are ironic, listen to popular music (it is so popular that it is ironic to listen to it) or indie music, hate mainstream culture, and can never call themselves a hipster. A poser hipster tries hard to become a “real” hipster but it will never happen because they are trying. A poser hipster wears too much American Apparel and/or Urban Outfitters and secretly is happy when someone calls them a hipster. Being a hipster is a way of life that only a few can truly acquire.

Do you want to know if you are a hipster? Just take this quiz!

Blackberry vs. iPhone: The Never Ending Feud

By Phelix

Ever since the Iphone came out in January of 2007 it seems to have dominated the cellular scene but for those diehard BlackBerry fanatics, the iPhone is just another opponent.
The iPhone, a touch screen masterpiece was put on the market on January 9, 2007. It has many functions, including a camera, text messaging, Ipod, web browser, e-mail, Wi-Fi connectivity and, of course a phone. The idea for the development of the iPhone came from Apple CEO’s Steve Jobs’ inquiry into touch screen technology. Since the unveiling of the original iPhone , Apple has come out with three more models including the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3Gs and the iPhone 4. With each model the iPhone upgrades it’s software and it’s capabilities. For example, the newest addition to the iPhone family (the iPhone 4) is able to videochat via the phone with a software called Facetime. Apple says of it’s product, “While everyone else was busy trying to keep up with iPhone, we were busy creating amazing new features that make iPhone more powerful, easier to use, and more indispensable than ever. The result is iPhone 4. The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone. People have been dreaming about video calling for decades. iPhone 4 makes it a reality.”

BlackBerry, a line of smartphone devices, was developed and designed by Research in Motion (RIM) in 1996. Each BlackBerry device is supposed to function as a personal assistant with address book and calendar capabilities. It supports music and video playback and can be used as both a video and still camera. One of the things that Blackberry devices are known for is their ability to send and receive e-mail and Internet data wherever network coverage is available or through Wi-Fi connectivity. However, each BlackBerry is mainly one thing, a messaging phone. BlackBerry has the largest array of messaging features in any smartphone today including auto-text, auto-correct, text-prediction, multi-language support, keyboard shortcuts, txt emoticons, push email, social networking, BlackBerry Messenger, and threaded text messaging.
Now, here’s the question. Which phone, the iPhone or the BlackBerry, is more generally liked by our generation? I asked some people my age and this is what I heard:

Question: If you had the chance to choose an iPhone or a BlackBerry which one would you choose and why?

Henry B. (iPhone Owner): “I love my iPhone. For one, I really like Apple products and own a lot of them. I like the ability for me to connect my phone into everything I have in my house that is Apple. I feel like Blackberry’s are supposed to be for business men in their 40s, which I am neither. Also, I’ve heard that John McCain helped create BlackBerry, and whether that is true or not I wouldn’t want to support him. I just think that the iPhone is overall, waaaaaaay cooler.”

Amy D. (BlackBerry Owner): “I was drawn to the Blackberry because of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) and the real keyboard. I’m not big on touch screen phones.”

Juliana R. (iPhone Owner): “I love the iPhone’s touch screen and the sleek design of it. I find it much easier to navigate than any BlackBerry.”

Lara L. (iPhone Owner): “I have an iPhone, and I love it. All of my friends have them but it was a difficult decision for me just because my entire family has BlackBerrys. The iPhone is really aesthetically pleasing as far as the way it runs. It’s like a miniature computer, for example the internet looks exactly like it does when you are on an actual computer. Another thing that I like about my iPhone is that it doubles as my iPod, allowing me to carry less. The only thing that would make me interested in the BlackBerry would be BlackBerry Messenger. The people that I know that have BlackBerrys all say that BBM makes texting so much easier. But on the other hand, Apple’s advertising is very appealing to a lot of people which helped me make the decision to get an iPhone.”

Amelia: (BlackBerry Owner): “I, for one, hate AT&T, which automatically makes me lean towards the BlackBerry. Other than that, BlackBerrys has been around longer than iPhones and, from what I know, they were created for business men. These things make me think that the BlackBerry is more reliable than the iPhone because it was built for organization and has had many years to update and add on to their original model. I also think that the Blackberry is more sturdy, and harder to break.”

Kevin M. (iPhone Owner): "Through this BlackBerry and iPhone feud a broader concept has arisen. Cell phones are an extension of identity for this generation. Tech savvy kids debates over which gizmo is cooler. But what it boils down to is what is newest. New things are cool. iPhone users defend their identity with a fiery passion because the iPhone "revolutionized" phones, it is more than a phone. It's media service. Games, music, video, etc. and all with fantastic quality. BlackBerry users are stuck up on the fact that it is the business phone, whatever that means. BBM is a joke. I still don't know what is so cool about it. And the BlackBerry's versatility is limited."

Janea H. (BlackBerry owner): "The only reason that I have a BlackBerry is because of BBM and because I really don't like touch screen phones."

I then asked people who own neither a BlackBerry or an iPhone and got these replies.

Mary T.: “If I could, I would choose the iPhone. For one, my parents have it and from what I know, they really like it. The touch screen is really cool to me and also having a phone, iPod and camera combined would be really convenient. I think another thing that makes me want an iPhone is that I know and have heard so much more about it. Maybe if there was more advertisements about BlackBerrys I would feel differently, but right now I like iPhones.”

Abby C.: “I would choose the iPhone if I could. But the thing is that I already have an iTouch and it would be an iPod overload to have both an iPhone and an iTouch. In that respect I would have to choose the Blackberry. Plus it’s better for texting.”

Lucy C.: “I like the BlackBerry. It does pretty much all the same things as the iPhone does except it has BBM. Also the iPhone seems a lot less sturdy and easier to break.”

Personally, I have a BlackBerry and love it. I had an iPhone before and the only thing that I did not like about it was the touch screen. It’s easier to type when you can feel buttons, and having no buttons was awkward and inconvenient. On the other hand,
the thing that I really loved about the iPhone is the amount of space it held for media. It made my music experience a lot easier.

According to the opinions of the ten people I interviewed, the outcome is 4:6, with the winner being the iPhone.