The U.S. Version of 'Skins': Do not want.

Longtime readers of this blog will know that one of my favorite guilty pleasures in life is the British show 'Skins.' I adore it. Right now the show is currently in it's fifth cycle over in the U.K., which means that we're focusing on a whole new generation of kids, the third overall for the series. The show does not feel tired or ridiculous yet. I'm still addicted to the drama and emotional intricacies of life in Bristol.

Unfortunately, here in the States we've been saturated with “controversy” over the MTV adaptation of 'Skins.' There's the claim that 'Skins' might be child pornography, and then there was the news of it losing it's advertisers because of it's racy content. While I applaud MTV for taking on a show that attempts to deal with teen issues realistically, in my opinion their biggest crime is the plain and simple truth that their incarnation of 'Skins' simply isn't good.

If any of you were to go to Netflix Instant and stream the first season of Skins (or find it lurking on the corners of the Internet), I'm sure parts of those episodes would make you feel uncomfortable. I know I was a little taken aback by the language, the nudity, and the excessive drug use, and I like to think I'm pretty open minded about those things, mostly because I started watching 'Sex and the City' when I was 17.

The American version of 'Skins' makes me uncomfortable in a different way. First of all, they have changed some of the names on the show. They've also left out certain characteristics to the characters that are essential to plot development later on. For example, Cadie, who is supposed to be based on the quirky, free-spirited Cassie, does not have an eating disorder. She also has absolutely no chemistry with the boy who plays Stanley, based on Sid, and it's almost awkward to watch their interactions. In the British series, viewers want Sid and Cassie together from the moment they first innocently hold hands on the trampoline.

I don't think it's the minor details that bug me the most though. To me, the overall tone is completely wrong. The adults on MTV's version are made to look completely asinine. In the British version, the adults make a plethora of mistakes as well, everything from affairs to outright neglect, but they also offer pearls of wisdom. Teachers and coaches provide support and some of the parents take care of their kids in the hour of need as only really good parents can do.

MTV's approach to be in your face when it comes to the drugs and sex, and it seems almost comical to watch a show with some of the language bleeped out. Perhaps 'Skins' would find a much better home on another network that wasn't into titilating and exploiting. Not all of MTV's programming is for those reason, and the creators claim they are trying to depict real teenage life, but it seems to me they've crossed over into something that doesn't quite have the spirit, soul, and emotion of the real and original 'Skins.'

Taking a Moment to Be Serious...

In the 24 hour news cycle we live in, it's hard to ignore when something truly ridiculous or truly sad happens. After a week or so of Charlie Sheen saturaion, it's nice to see the news outlets focusing on something that really matters, like covering the destruction in Japan.

There have been many stunning photographs from that corner of the globe, a place that seems so far away, but at the same time, so close thanks to the immediacy of photography. Amongst all of my thoughts about the destruction and my overwhelming feelings of general sadness, for some reason I was compelled to think of my trip to the Newseum in March.

The Newseum, located in Washington, D.C was by far my favorite thing on the DC leg of my east coast tour last spring. Not only am I truly interested in newspapers and writing, the museum offered a lot of other really cool exhibits, such as part of the Berlin Wall. One of the best exhibits and my personal favorite was the collection of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs.

Dating back to when the prize was first handed out, the photographs were spread out amongst a few walls and included little summaries as well as information about the photograph. I saw some very moving pictures from all over the world, depicting civil war, poverty, political upheaval, suffering, and, in the rare occasion, joy. I was especially moved to see the pictures from Columbine, which won the Pulitzer back in 1999. It was almost eerie to see a photograph I saw so often when I was in junior high in a completely different setting. In some ways, being in the sixth grade feels like a lifetime ago, but the pain and confusion I felt then came back by simply by looking at this picture.

By the end of the exhibit, I was in tears. I wasn't self-conscious though, simply because I wasn't alone. Other tourists were dabbing their eyes as well. That's the amazing thing about photography; it captures what sometimes the words on a page cannot express. It's why we need it and why it is important. I have so much admiration for the real photographers, the ones who risk their lives to tell a story captured in just one frame.

One of the things about seeing all the pain and sadness in the photographs is wondering who could cause such things to happen. It was easy for me as a sixth grader to blame the two gunmen for their horrific acts of violence at Columbine High School. It's easy to blame the dictators of various African countries for starving their people. But in the case of natural disasters, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, you can't blame anyone. It's the weather, it happens, and most frustrating of all, it's out of our control.

I'm thinking that assigning blame doesn't help. It certainly didn't help when it came to 9/11 or the Virginia Tech shootings, and it won't help in this case either. Perhaps the only thing that we can do when disasters like this strike, is help where we can. We can pray, we can donate money, we can volunteer our time and resources in any way possible. But after we make our donations we may feel like we're at a loss for what to do next. I don't think we have to be extravagant. We can call our parents or siblings and simply say I love you. We can hug our roommate when they come home, even if they did leave their dishes in the sink. We can surround ourselves with what really matters. I think it's important to appreciate the times of togetherness because you never know when the earth will shake and we will fall apart.

10 Things I Like Right Now

This Book

The Paris Wife

I absolutely love McClain's style and her depiction of Hadley Richardson, Hemingway's first wife. The language of the book is so well-crafted, fun, serious, and everything a good book should be. I simply cannot put it down! I find this time period, and Hemingway himself, more fascinating the more I read. Plus, it's got loads of references to the famous writers and painters who were scattered in Paris at the time. The English major side of me squeals with joy when the Hemingways encounter Sherwood Anderson, James Joyce, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

This TV Show

Parks and Rec

It got off to a shaky start, but the third season of this mockumentary set around Pawnee, Indiana's parks department is absolutely hilarious. I love that these characters seems fresh and exciting. This was once Amy Poehler's show, but now it's clearly an ensemble. Aziz as Tom Haverford is surprisingly deep, but at the same time funny in a "that guy" kind of way. The man who steals the show is Nick Offerman, who plays Libretarian Ron Swanson (who has his own pyramid of greatness). This show makes me howl with laughter every time I watch.

This Singer

Robyn

Her music is dancey and her hair is weird, but there's something about this Swedish-born singer that I absolutely adore. Perhaps it's her style of defying the industry by releasing to EPs and then a full LP in the same calendar year. Or her disenchantment with paparazzi and being famous. More than anything though, it's her great lyrics and thumping beats that really get me. Very rarely does a song about heartbreak make me want to dance. The single above "Dancing on My Own" is great, but I encourage you to listen to some of her others, such as "Hang with Me" and her collaboration with Snoop Dogg, and her full length album "Body Talk."

This Movie

The King's Speech

Yes, I know it recently won the Best Picture Oscar and it's a period drama, but I promise it is anything but boring. Colin Firth, a favorite of mine, plays King George VI, a man who reluctantly became king of England during a turbulent global climate and despite a personal struggle with a stammer. Geoffrey Rush, not dressed as a pirate, plays his unconventional therapist. This is a heartwarming and truly lovely tale of class and overcoming not just personal handicaps, but the kind of baggage we all carry around. I absorbed every minute of it and loved it.

This Restaurant

The Cherry Cricket

I don't know about any of you, but I've always wanted breakfast in the form of a hamburger. Okay, I know that sounds disgusting, but in all reality you can get a combination of all kinds of crazy things on your burger at this little hangout in Cherry Creek. I love the atmosphere, the great drink specials, and the burgers really are very good. I never have a bad meal. Plus, it was featured on the Denver episode of "Man vs. Food" so you know it's good!

This Song

"Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes

The Fleet Foxes managed to make a surprising, but blissful, ear concoction in this song off their upcoming LP. The lyrics can be interpreted as completely hopeful or completely depressed. The instrumentation is what I enjoy most. It blends haunting harmonies, border on bluegrass a la Mumford and Sons, and soars in an unexpected, quiet kind of way.

This CD

21-Adele

I'm pretty much obsessed with this CD, but before I praise this epic, timeless album, I must first say that Adele's voice is truly beautiful. It's so distinct and so flawless. Having a voice like her's is rare, and what's even rarer is that there are no cans of whip cream attached to her boobs and no popping out of egg and people are still paying attention to her. That's how powerful her instrument is, and she uses it on this album to lament heartbreak. Her experience is so personal and so raw that I feel like she's understood every crumbled relationship I've been a part of. Her best tracks, besides the Johnny Cash inspired ">"Rolling in the Deep", are "Set Fire to the Rain" and the beautiful "Someone Like You." I absolutely adore Adele.

This Man

Stephen Colbert

I find Stephen Colbert to be a giant ball of amusement. His sense of humor is unlike other's on TV. He's so good at his ridiculous 'character' on 'The Colbert Report' that I sometimes think he is that way in real life (not so, or at least so I'm told). I find him charming and smart, a lot of things that Jon Stewart is as well, but for some reason, Stephen seems more ridiculous and I love him for it. Also, I hear he is a huge nerd in real life and this makes me respect him more.

This Video Game

Beatles Rock Band

There are few things I love more in life than the Beatles and pretending to be a rock star, and this game is a heavenly combination of both. The graphics are trippy, cool, and make you appreciate the growth of The Beatles. I like playing Rock Band in general (even more fun when the roommate and I make it into a drinking game), but getting to rock out on 'Day Tripper' and 'Hello, Goodbye' is as close as I'll get to a rock and roll lifestyle.

This Cookbook

Hungry Girl

If you know me at all, then you know that I have quite an appetite. This is sometimes not a good thing, but I feel like I've found my kindred spirit in Hungry Girl. The book contains loads of recipes, all of which are good for you! True, she substitutes some of the good things in life with healthier options, but I figure it's fine when it still tastes good...and it does. Check out her plethora of books or her website!

The Books that Made a Difference to Me

Reading has been a part of my life in so many ways, and not just because I read for fun or majored in English at Xavier. I remember very clearly my parents reading to me and my brother every night before we went to bed. Even more vivid than that are my memories of talking about books with my grandmother. She works in a library, which used to be her childhood home, and I owe a lot of my love for books and writing to her.

With the foundation she helped me build, I was able to explore a very vivid, fascinating world, all in pages of the various books I read. Here are the six books that made a difference in my life.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-Betty Smith

I remember reading this book as a summer reading assignment in high school and I loved it more than any book I read my four years at Holy Family. The sweeping epic that was sad, scary, and tragic as well as fascinating completely captured me. I've been meaning to reread it now that it's been almost ten years. I hope I love it even more.

The Rapture of Canaan- Sherri Reynolds

One of my favorite classes at Xavier was Faith and Doubt in Modern Literature. This book was one of our assignments and I absolutely loved it. I was absorbed in the idea of the occult and I zipped through this book in about two nights. The words were like songs, our heroine was brave and admirable, and I still think about this book from time to time.

Eat, Pray, Love- Elizabeth Gilbert

Rarely am I ever moved to tears by a book, and it's even rarer for me to highlight part of a book, but both occurred while reading this memoir of a woman who goes across the world to find herself. There's been a lot of EPL hate since it's release, but I find it all to be circumstantial and from people who clearly haven't read the book. I go back over it again and again to hear Liz's thoughts on love and God and I feel like she is one of those rare people who really understands the mental turmoil of women who weren't born to lead that average life.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling

Scoff all you want, but this book represented a lot for me. It was the end of my childhood, since I essentially came of age with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as the end of a publication phenomenon that I shared with the world. Aside from the abstract, personal reasons that I loved this novel, I was completely floored by its message of love, it's Christian symbolism, and the fact that an elf died and I sobbed for a full five minutes about it. Thank you, JK Rowling! You are my childhood. I read this book my sophomore year of high school and it was the first time I remember getting in a heated debate with an idiotic classmate over the moral center of the book. I figure if the book made me mad enough to actually talk about it in class, it must truly be a classic. Steinbeck has such a way with words and plot that it's hard for to grasp that this came from one man's imagination.

Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck

I first read this book as a sophomore in high school and it was my first memory of ever correcting someone who said something idiotic in class. I know that sounds harsh, but in reality it was one of the first books to make me see morals as something of a grey area. A sure sign of a good book is one that makes you think. Steinbeck's style seems flawless and effortless. His knack for a story layered with meaning and poignancy is enviable to say the least.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Safran Foer

My friend Clay recently called this book "the saddest book in all of history." Though this is a debatable statement, his sentiments are spot on. The story of a little boy who lost his father in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but is determined to find the key to his mailbox, is told in undertones of great sadness. The importance of Foer's work is not how sad it makes you, but how it captures the feelings of an entire nation in a little boy.

Resurrecting the Blog for Lent (no pun intended)

It's been a while and it's been far too long. I haven't written in this thing since summer, and I used to write here all the time. Sigh. Like a lot of people, I got caught up in getting my early 20s life together and unfortunately, this blog fell by the wayside.

But, faithful readers (and by faithful readers I mean Laura and my mom), I was struck by blind inspiration while at Borders today and decided that my Lenten promise will be to write in this blog every day for 40 days. I mean, I'm practically like Josh Hartnett in '40 Days and 40 Nights' except I'm not giving up sex and I'm a girl. So in other words, not at all, but it's the only pop culture Lent reference I can make, so go with it.

So, we must set up some rules for this thing, as with all blog challenges. The first and most obvious is I must post an entry every single day, including Sundays. Taking Sundays off is for the weak. Also, the blog entries must be about 300 words long unless it's a list entry, like '10 Things' in which all the lists must include 10 things (obviously). If I miss a day (heaven forbid) then my faithful readers can challenge me to do something (within reason).

Alright, so what should you all expect to see? Well, I'll be bringing back the '10 Things' as well as my Secret Shames. Maybe I'll even come up with a new segment.

I also understand that some people reading this may have never come across my blog before. Well, if you look to your right there is the archives as well as the tagged subjects (and there are some handy links above as well). Take a moment to familiarize yourself if you would like. Also, feel free to comment! I like to hear from people. Though, now that I've asked you to, I'll probably get one comment during the 40 days of Lent.

Alright everyone, t-minus five days until we go 40 in a row. Ready?

Another Serious Moment

So I've definitely been neglecting the blog since moving back to Colorado. I have no excuse, really, except to say I've felt less compelled to write in it so I simply haven't. There isn't much to say, really.

Since moving home I've had a hell of a time finding a job. There's been lots of interviews, a few misleading phone calls, broken promises, and networking opportunities that looked hopeful, but didn't end up panning out. I was pretty downtrodden and frustrated. I was in full swing of the Emily pity parade and I let everyone know how pissed off I was.

I was in the Arvada area and decided to stop by my grade school church, Shrine of St. Anne. I haven't been to St. Anne's in years, yet I think about the place a lot. I would not say I'm Catholic anymore, or particularly religious to begin with, but I figured that maybe if I went to a quiet place and asked God for a little help, it wouldn't hurt. I know there's a tiny chapel tucked away in the church that houses all the candles and part of St. Anne's ankle bone (though how they've confirmed this, I have no idea) and I've always wanted to see it.

It was probably the middle of the day when I went in, went to the back chapel, lit a candle, and folded my hands like the little girls in first communion photos, and prayed. I wasn't there long, maybe 15 minutes, and when I came out I saw a man kneeling in one of the pews, his hands clasped together so hard it looked like he was holding on to something valuable. He was talking softly and crying. I couldn't hear anything except for the words 'God,' 'please,' and 'help.'

Here I was thinking I was having a rough time. Clearly something in this man's life was bothering him so much he was emotional. Whatever it was, it was probably something more serious than 'please can I get a job so I can pay for my smartphone, new clothes, and a ski pass.

Think about how many times we use the word 'I' everyday. Or some form of it at least. 'I want a better job' 'I need a new house' 'I've got to stop eating that' 'I want him/her to love me.' Then think about this: odds are, when you're having a tough time, there is someone out there who's having a worse time than you. There's no way to really know, but if anything I do know there are people worse off than me, like people who don't have a job and need one so they can provide for their families, or people living in terrible and sometimes terrifying conditions.

Things will improve for me eventually, they have to, but for the man in the church whatever is wrong in his life may take longer to improve, if at all. Later that week when we have dinner as a family my parents, being good religious people, sometimes make us say a special prayer for someone. Usually I try to think of terrible things that have happened in the news and use that as my special prayer. Lately, my special prayer has been for all the unemployed, including, selfishly, myself. But, for the first time, I felt a real sincerity when I mentioned this man and prayed for him. He needs it more than I do.

Mockingjay: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Recently, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy was released. I had been looking forward to the release all summer, since I had started the series over a year ago and I was eager to see how it would all end. I read the book in one day and I have lots of opinions on it. There were parts of it that I absolutely adored, parts that I didn't like so much, and parts that were just plain ugly.

**SPOILER ALERT*** If you plan to read the Hunger Games and haven't, don't read any further as there are massive spoilers in here ***END SPOILER ALERT***

The Good

• Katniss saves the day by using her brain. Readers of the series know by now that Suzanne Collins, the author, will throw in a twist of some sort. She did previously and she waited until the last possible minute to throw the biggest loop that made me say 'WHAT?!' At first, I was annoyed that Katniss did not kill President Snow like she desperately wanted to. I really wanted that guy to die at her hands. Instead, he chokes on his own blood and the single arrow meant for him slays Coin. But when I stepped back to think on it, it made complete sense. President Snow was one death's door anyways, and Coin had all the makings of a future dictator that would allow for history to repeat itself. So she ended up making the best decision for all of society in the end. She did what she thought would help prevent this kind of war all over again.
• Katniss choses Peeta, not Gale. Sorry to all the members of Team Gale, but the eerie sibling/cousin comparisons and the fact that something always seemed a little off with Gale never sat well with me. Now, Collins shoved him aside rather quickly, which I have mixed feelings about, but I'm glad Katniss ended up with Peeta. It's not just because Peeta is the more artistic, emotional one, but it's because I see him as someone who balances out Katniss and she needs that. Plus, the kid had been through a hell of a lot in the last book and I really wanted him to catch a friggin' break
• District 13 wasn't some awesome utopia. It would have been easy for Collins to make District 13 out to be some sort of Oasis in Panem, but she didn't. Instead, the world was sort of Orwellian and an interesting personification of the counter reponse to the extravagance and materialism of the Capitol. Perhaps Collins is saying that really a middle ground is what's best.

The Bad

• Love triangle resolution. Poor Gale does get sort of pushed to the side and things are not really wrapped up. It's never made clear if it was his bombs that killed all those children, but maybe we're not supposed to know. I didn't want Katniss to chose him in the end, but I was hoping they would at least have some major fight/discussion instead of such an abrupt dissolution.
• The violence. I'm well aware that war is ugly and characters you like are going to die, but I really could have done without a huge gathering of children all dying terrible, graphic deaths. I already have an issue with reading/watching children suffer (I can't do it, basically) and this was almost too much for me to handle.
  
  

The Ugly

• Unnecessary deaths. DID PRIM REALLY HAVE TO DIE!? That seriously broke my heart and I found it completely unnecessary to plot and Katniss' character development. It was just plain horrific. Plus, I feel super bad for their mother. Hasn't she lost enough? Hasn't Katniss lost enough? Again, I know war is ugly, but seriously. And Finnick. Ouch. It was like the death of Fred Weasley all over again except this time the character had a wife and (eventual) child! Ugh! Breaks my heart.

Overall, I was more satisfied with the conclusion than I expected. I know a lot of people were upset about the love triangle, but frankly I don't think the books are necessarily about that (it's not Twilight!). Instead it's political, dystopian fiction. I would argue that the best book is the first one. It's strange because looking back, that book seems like child's play compared to what happens in the final installment.