More Than Just Halloween Horror

Sitting back comfortably in the darkness of a crowded movie theatre, we flinch instinctively at the gory sight of a man having his leg ruthlessly cut off during the newest horror movie. Slightly nauseated we turn our heads around only to find to our horror a trembling 6-year-old sitting a few seats away in the company of their guardian. Many of us, if not all, have been subjected to this type of scenario at one time or another giving rise to the question: does the fault in letting underage kids see Rated-R movies lie within the movie theatres or in parental judgment?

According to FirstShowing.net, all movies possess a comprehensive rating released by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which identifies appropriate viewer age.

Currently, the MPAA defines Rated-R movies as thematically adult oriented suggesting that children under the age of 17 not be allowed to view such motion pictures without a guardian. However, their advice does not end there, but rather continues in clear-cut detail:

An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.

Yet, parents rarely pay attention to the listed ratings, and instead instill their own set of guidelines exposing their children to potentially harmful psychological effects.

According to a 2006 study done by the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center, horror movies may cause permanent emotional problems in young children.

“Watching 'Friday the 13th' with your child is probably not a good idea. Children under the age of 5 may be too young to actually watch and understand violent movies; however, they are psychologically affected by the scenes they are exposed to,” Dr. Daniel S. Schechter, the study's principal investigator in an interview with Science Daily said.

With a high possibility of inflicting post-traumatic stress disorder upon young viewers, which can follow them into adulthood, parents are strongly advised to rethink their choices.

“It is important not only to follow the ratings guidelines, but to see the movie yourself before you see it with your child and consider how they will likely experience it at their age. Even some movies marketed to children can be inappropriate. When in doubt, parents should consult with other parents or a professional,” Schechter continued.

As Halloween approaches, parents should think twice before making the choice between Paranormal Activity and A Nightmare Before Christmas, selecting movies appropriate to their child’s age and emotional state.

Top image courtesy of Firstshowing.net

Ralph Lauren Does It Again

When we are little we hear “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.” But what happens when what we hold to be beautiful becomes warped and unrealistic?

Recently, Ralph Lauren, a giant in the fashion industry, released a digitally retouched photograph of model Filippa Hamilton making the already thin woman appear skeletal. At 5’10 and 120 pounds, the size 4 model is anything but fat, yet the image shows a grotesquely thin waist and hips to match making Hamilton’s head appear abnormally big.

For Hamilton, who worked for Ralph Lauren since 2002 and considered them her second family, this came as a shock--but not as much as the news of her termination with the company. According to an article in the Daily News, Hamilton claims that Ralph Lauren fired her on the accord that she did not fit into their sample clothing anymore, though her weight had not fluctuated while working for the company.

“They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore,” Hamilton told the Daily News.

Despite Hamilton’s allegations Ralph Lauren did not withdraw their previous statement of the model being unable to meet their obligations under her contract with them. However, they apologized for the photoshopped image saying that it was an accidental mistake on their part.

Yet a few days later another distorted image from Ralph Lauren appeared in an Australian store window. This time it was of model Valentina Zelyaeva whose already thin waist was retouched to alien proportions. With two photograph releases of emaciated looking models all in the same week the probability that both were an accident becomes almost improbable.

Needless to say, the public and the models have exploded in anger.

“Why don't they just show their clothes on skeletons ... or are those not skinny enough?” online blogger Elizabeth wrote in a post on Photoshop Disasters. “One ridiculously Photoshopped image is laughable, but a collection of them is grotesque.”

Another blogger from the same website said, “Aren't advertisements meant to make you buy things? Or is this some Ralph-Lauren-sponsored anorexia-awareness campaign?”

Hamilton is concerned how such releases may affect young women’s perceptions of beauty.

“I think they owe American women an apology, a big apology," she said. "I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy,” Hamilton told the Daily News.

Hamilton is right to worry. According to About.com 7 to 10 million women in the United States suffer from eating disorders. Putting re-touched images of models in magazine and websites sends the wrong message to the populace making young women especially vulnerable and ready to follow such “trends”.

“Young girls have indicated in surveys that they are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of cancer, nuclear war, or losing their parents,” Lisa Berzins, PhD, said at a 1997 Congressional briefing on eating disorders.

With that in mind, it makes one wonder when the fashion industry will make it their problem to worry about providing women with a healthy body image before they become just another statistic.

Can You Win The Nobel Peace Prize?

It is no mystery that last week the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee awarded U.S. President Barack Obama with a Nobel Peace Prize. Neither does it come as a surprise that the controversial decision brought on mixed reactions. Yet the question that has grasped the minds of the masses is how exactly does someone win a Nobel Peace Prize?

Not to shatter lifelong dreams, but contrary to recent popular belief, the win does not come from fruitless promises. According to an article on About.com, the process is complex and overwhelming, starting with nominations that can often be kept secret for fifty years.

According to the Nobel Peace Prize website, nominees are chosen from a specific pool of candidates ranging from non-profitable organizations to government officials on the ground that they “have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

In spite of that, the person who is selected by the committee does not have to have their work completed. It is the initiative that counts and merits the triumph, which is to serve as a significant turning point in fulfilling the suggested tasks.

When picking the winner, the pool of contenders is shrunk down to 5 to 20 people, and further reviewed and debated across the board of committees, until a unanimous vote is made.

So, how exactly did President Obama walk away with such an ostentatious title when he himself has only delivered promises, and thus far no evocative actions?

According to The Lede, the New York Times news blog, the answer has been the subject of arguments across the world with some people claiming Obama is more than merely a politician, but rather “the new spirit of dialogue and engagement on the world’s biggest problems.” Others, however, are disgruntled with the committee’s choice, emphasizing that nominating a person who had only been in office for 12 days shows the problems of today’s society.

According to The Lede, the renowned director of the Norwegian Center for Human Rights at the University of Oslo and human rights title holder in Norway, Nils Butenschon, said that Obama had not yet accomplished acts of substance, and therefore, should not have been nominated this year.

“It seems premature to me,” Mr. Butenschon said. “I think the committee should be very careful with the integrity of the prize, and in this case I don’t think we are in a position to really evaluate the full impact of what this candidate has achieved. Sometimes of course the prize is awarded to people who are in the process of making history, so to speak, but in this case I think it is too early to know that.”

Nonetheless, despite the steadfast steaming reactions, the committee remains silent about its decision saying only that Obama was chosen for "his extraordinary efforts" in promoting diplomacy between nations and peoples.

Obama’s win is not the first one to spark controversy. According to Newsweek’s blog, Wealth of Nations, Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, and Woodrow Wilson are a few who were thought to be undeserving of wearing the same title as Mother Theresa due to their past histories and spoiled efforts.

Still, as Newsweek’s blog put it, “the dual warlike and peacemaking natures of these laureates are perhaps appropriate: we wouldn't be the first to point out the irony of a peace prize named for the man who invented dynamite.”

Movie Prices on the Rise

The sweet memories of a single trip to the movies costing $8 with an order of a large soda and popcorn to match are long over for movie lovers.

As movie matinee prices skyrocket to an approximate range of $13 to $15 at many theatre locations, due in part to a recent 30 percent increase, one is looking at an approximate $60 setback for a family of five, before even thinking of hitting the concession stand.

According to an article in The Seattle Times, the cause of instantaneous wallet thinning at ticket stands has been a direct hit of escalating corn costs nationwide.

Changes like this have left movie goers frustrated and wishing for theaters to reconsider decreasing ticket costs to $5 or $8.

“Paying $13 for a ticket plus the price of a drink and snack makes me just want to wait for the DVD to come out, so that I may rent it instead of throwing away my money to see something that I might not even enjoy,” said, movie fanatic, 22, Chris Wood.

Forest Hills Resident, 45, Henry M, couldn’t agree more.

“I do not understand why ticket prices cannot remain at the mere price of $5 per ticket. They should just increase the concession stand prices. Why should I have to pay for something I do not even buy?”

According to The Seattle Times, spokesman for AMC, Justin Scott, proclaimed that corn was not the only impactful circumstance. Numerous economical factors went into consideration over the increase of ticket prices, leaving theatre companies with no other choice, but to spike the costs.

"It's not one or the other, concessions or tickets," Scott said. "A lot of factors are considered to find the right balance."

Even so, the complaints though quantitative, linger in silence as no thunderous protests have been made to counter the increases, which might not prevail anytime soon.

Yet, even in this downturn economy, the movie business is not faltering. Rather, surprisingly enough, it is doing better than in past years with a 17.5 percent increase.

According to The Numbers, a site dedicated to movie trends since 1995; this year ticket sales have exceeded the one million mark.

Though contradictory to the circumstances, the outcome is not all that startling to the movie franchise. According to an article on CNN.com, people are searching for outlets where they can forget about their overbearing problems if only for a little while.

“Films are a good form of entertainment during a recession because you can sit back and -- sad or happy -- you lose where you are and you go into the movie,” chairwoman of the film studies department at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Jeanine Basinger, said.

Hence, movie theatres will not relent unless boycotts and protests ensue, seeing as their revenues have been anything but negative.

Research data used for this article can be found here.

Social Life Lacking?

At first glance the social life at St. John's University may appear bountiful and promising, yet given a closer look the idealistic college experience vanishes for many incoming students.

With a grandiose number of events, academic clubs, and student organizations, which continually increase in number, it may come as a surprise that there is a problem with an intricate part of campus life. Yet, though the opportunities are endless, the problem lies in the e-mail notification system that is supposed to inform the students of upcoming events.

According to St. John's University senior, Stephanie Sica, the e-mail notifications are not adequate and do not arrive in a timely fashion, especially for students living off-campus.

"I get e-mails the day before or the day of not giving me enough time to decide if I’d like to go.”



Journalism major, Kevin Coltrinari, couldn't agree more.

"They should focus on getting it out there. It is only there if you're looking for it."

Albeit the evidential and current problem, students are satisfied with the events that are available, when they do hear about them.

Recently, the Fall Movie Series have been creating quite a commotion amongst the student body with free movie showings of popular blockbuster hits like “Public Enemies” and “Hangover,” which are available with a SJU student ID card. Those who are not members of the University can equally enjoy this event with their friends, but need to pay an entrance fee of $5.

Nevertheless, the event is not without its problems with unusually bad picture quality and sound, making the wait for the DVD more worthwhile than sitting in the tightly packed sardine seats of the Little Theatre.

“They were really bad quality. It looked like they were filmed on VHS,” Sica said referring to the Saw movie series she had seen in the past two years.

Taking into account the facility improvements occurring on campus, students sit in hope that the university will fix the problems that have ensued and prevented the expansion of a vigorous St. John’s community.

Art Knows No Limits

When told to think of the word ‘art’ our minds immediately conjure up iconic images of Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” or Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans.” Not once do we think of the ordinary and unattractive. Instead, we overlook them, questioning their very existence in the world of art. Yet, this October comes an art festival, Art In Odd Places, manifesting simplistic objects found in our every day lives as extraordinary, stating that art knows no limits.

With the help of 60 artists, New York City’s 14th Street is being transformed into an outside museum as disregarded objects, signs, installations, and live acts flood block after block, giving life to the age old adage: “art is all around us.”

According to the Director of Art In Odd Places, Ed Woodham, the month long festival is intended to not only give passerby’s the chance to interact with artwork in the public domain, but also to relate to the art history of 14th Street.

“In 14th Street, we had a site uniquely calibrated to encourage art that manifests the signs of our times while also being a signpost toward future possibilities,” said Woodham.

Though each of the projects is meaningful and exquisite in nature, Polish artist, Olek’s, sign performers are one of the highlights of this festival. Perched outside public transportation stations and dressed in vibrant crocheted camouflage, stand ordinary people carrying signs from various countries, instilling a silent message of artistic dialogue.

However, the journey into art does not stop there with each day being filled with 10 to 15 acts, such as artist San Randolph’s money hunt, where $1 and $5 bills are hidden for passerby’s delight, or artist Tim Thyzel’s portable water fountains made out of umbrellas and water bottles.

Last year, the overly popularized project was of LuLu LoLo, the 14th Street Newsboy, who would shout out headlines from her newspaper “14th Street Tribune,” solidifying the importance of New York’s history.



According to guest curators, Erin Donnelly and Radhika Subramaniam, the goal is to take commonplace domestic and industrial objects like cardboard boxes, and give them the chance to be something else in a creative sphere.

“We invited artists to explore the freedoms of the public realm and find imaginative apertures in it,” they said.

Therefore, watch your step the next time you tread the streets of New York City, since you never know when you might stumble upon a piece of art.

The festival runs from October 1-26. For more information go to: Art In Odd Places or visit a map of the scheduled events.

Top Image courtesy of Art In Odd Places and Olek