Ultimate Fighter

a post by Calvin

I have found myself watching ultimate fighter whenever I see it is on, as opposed to watching anything else on TV. It is definitely more entertaining that watching any other sport, except maybe hockey. My wife has also found herself strapped to the television wound up in a ball of tension moving and throwing punches along with the fighters. Now I like it and she likes it, but she also hates it. She says it makes her feel violent and want to, and sometimes actually, throw punches at me after watching a fight. I think it’s worth taking a few punches in the arm to keep the channel on the fight and off of Oprah or Martha.

Is it too violent? Well, where do you draw the line? It is more violent then boxing, well maybe not. It is more aggressive then boxing and less then wrestling these days. on the one hand, the violence is contained. By that I mean that it is in a controlled environment, but violence is still violence it could be argued. It is no worse than watching a show like CSI where the murders are graphically reenacted in the solving of the gruesome crimes committed.

iPod

a post by Jason

I have been salivating over the prospects of getting an iPod for nearly as long as they have been in their relatively short existence. Over Christmas I was hoping to get one and I was not disappointed. Aside from the fact that it may be the pinnacle of pop culture for me right now I have begun to realize that my expectations of the iPod have been met. I find myself just wandering around on it even in my spare time and it’s not like I have one of the 60gb iPods either.

These cool little toys have completely changed the whole music world for me. I can now carry over a day of music with me to do whatever I please. This is a truly remarkable thing for anyone who enjoys music. Everything from the shape of the iPod to their colours, to their remarkable size makes me love them. I find myself looking down upon all other personal music players. To top it all off Apple offers music for .99 in their online store. They also have videos and free podcasts that we can subscribe to. This is the total package.

Super Bowl

a post by Jason

The Super Bowl is a renowned event in North America. Every year around this time I begin to think of this event. Usually it involves joining with friends to partake in the festivities of the night. The super bowl is an all around great event. First off you have the football, which I think may be one of the greatest sports around. Then to top it all off you have the commercials! I love the commercials. I love them because they usually involve some of the newest and coolest products that money can buy. It’s almost as if the commercials are the bigger event for me and I love football.

The super bowl is the one sports event each year that I make sure I watch at least 30 mins of. I tend to drift from other sporting events, but not the super bowl. Obviously the need to know what’s going on for me is big because the super bowl is one game that’s it. I want to make sure that I don’t miss it and sometimes this can come at a cost, and I know that I am not alone. Some of the greatest sports history has been made at the super bowl. For myself, I think about the last couple of years and what great history has been made in the super bowl. For me this is why the super bowl is so great and why it makes me want to watch it amongst all other sporting events. The fear of missing the big play is not a risk worth taking.

Jack #@ss: the Movie

a post by Calvin


My wife and I were channel surfing the other day when we stumbled upon yet another ‘great movie’ on City TV. No it wasn’t even a ‘Late Great Movie,’ but prime time. It was Jack#@s: The Movie. I must admit some of it was quite humorous, but on the other end of the spectrum, the majority was way over the top. Again I admit that I even found some of the over the top parts a little amusing as well. Yes, I know, I’m a horrible person. Maybe I’m just a little warped. There were many parts that I thought to myself, “why are they recording this? This has even surpassed the point of shock humor.” I don’t need to know where a guy can put his dinky car, let alone see it to verify that it can be done. I guess someone was curious to find out.
I wasn’t surprised to see the movie was airing during prime time hours, considering it is City TV, but it did make me think of the thousands of kids who were at home watching it. I could go into a debate on whether it is the job of these television stations or the parents to control what young people are exposed to, but I don’t think I will. A kid that has no guidelines as to what he can watch will be exposed to a lot of things on TV these days. Not that guidelines would do much anyway considering the majority of teens have a TV in their room. I think that both the media and parents should have some of the responsibility.

Crash

a post by Danielle

Crash.
Bang?
Boom?
The other night, I watched the movie Crash. It has quite the cast: Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Ludacris, Ryan Phillipe, Don Cheadle, et cetera. I had wanted to see this movie for some time due to the fact that I had heard a lot about it. I heard it was semi-depressing- but thought provoking. This summer, people had tried to get me go see it, but I wasn’t really in the “mood”. It’s funny how you almost have to prepare yourself for watching a sad/depressing/thought-provoking flick of sorts, but you really do. Well, finally I was ready.

The movie was based in LA; the whole idea of how people crash into one another. The idea is that- “Moving at the speed of life we are bound to run into each other.” In the movie you have a broad range of people; socially, racially, economically and so on. People in very different places in life; their lives become intertwined- more or less they crash- thus the name of the film.

There were parts when one’s heart just about breaks. Quick story- So there is this guy whose family owns a small convenience store; they hire this other guy to come fix the lock on the back door of the shop. The man changes the lock, but there is a problem with the door. The owner doesn’t quite understand, and well, the door is left unfixed. In the night the store is vandalized and basically destroyed. The owner blames the locksmith and decides in his anger and frustration to go track him down, gun in hand. The owner goes to the locksmith’s house and goes at the guy, long story short- there are some other details- the locksmith’s little jumps in her daddy’s arms just as the owner to the store shoots the gun. I jumped…almost cried… The was fine; the gun had blanks in it…oh my goodness though.

Another heart breaker moment was when the wealthy, well to do woman realizes in her pain, that she has no one in the world who truly cares for her, she hugs her maid- a woman who she treated basically like junk- and tells the maid that she is her best friend. Her realization/ her life, is just plain sad.

The movie, especially in these two moments, is dramatic. You have racial issues all throughout the movie, you have death, acts of abuse, violence, theft; acts of trespassing and being trespassed against. Normally movies have one act or two of this kind, whereas I this movie it’s filled with trespasses. I think I’m still thinking through this movie, it was a lot to take in. I’ll be showing it this week for the film club. I’m curious as to what I will think of this movie the second time through. All in all, it’s a movie I think is worth seeing and is a movie I think definitely worth discussion.

Blue Man Group

a post by Danielle

You know…there are definite advantages to being a student. Blue Man Group sells tickets the day of a show, to students, for $25 a piece. Just show them your nice student card and there you go. Full price, those tickets are $60+. Joel and I both went for $52. As my dad would say that is too good of a deal to pass up. Indeed it was.

So Joel and I went down to the ticket box around noon on Thursday and got two tickets, row F. That night we returned to the theater for the show. It was a quick walk from the subway to the theater. The theater itself is hip. The lobby was crowded…with your small concession stand a.k.a. we sell beer in a plastic cup and supposedly blue martinis---weird. There was also a quaint little corner where you could buy things that conveniently said blue man group on it. Ahh yes…souvenirs. Joel and I stood there, waiting with all the others, slightly wondering how all of this worked.

The doors opened. We found our way to our seats, row F. The theater is made up of the lower seating and balcony, with high ceilings, black walls, very industrial looking. We sat, wondering what to expect. All the rows in front of us, we saw people putting on those clear ponchos with hoods, getting ready for whatever was to happen. Joel and I sat anxious as to what would happen next.

The show was amazing. Blue Man band rocked out up top, on stage the Blue Men did interesting things with food, paint, pipes, signs, and so on. They made their way through the audience, making one wonder what would happen next. It was interactive as well something that I certainly didn’t expect. At the end, lets just say there was the passing of tons of rolls of paper overhead, with strobe lights going, the band playing—pure craziness, yet fun. I think you kind of had to be there. Blue Man is just that- an experience. A little hard to explain, but a fantastic show; Joel and I loved it. We ended our evening over some Second Cup and talking about the show. Blue Man makes for a fun night and if you are a student, it’s a sweet deal.

Death Cab For Cutie

a post by Danielle

The Postal Service is a band that I’ve been in love with for some time now- seriously. Music, has always been a passion of sorts for me, although I’m very picky about the music I like, listen to, and associate myself with. The Postal Service’s cd is called Give Up. As far as I know, it’s the only Postal Service cd. I’ve waited for another to come out for some time now, although I know I would be partly scared to see if it would live up to Give Up, since it is so beautiful. Well, to many people’s knowledge, but not my own, Ben Gibbard the lead singer of The Postal Service is first and foremost the lead singer of a band called Death Cab for Cutie. Joel finally got me into them, it’s one of his favorites and he too is a huge music fan, with a lot of knowledge behind various genres of music, including the whole indie scene.

Death Cab has a new cd entitled Plans. I’ve listened to over and over again. There is a lot of beauty behind the music and the lyrics are complex yet delicate in parts. Sometimes I feel like I really need to listen to the words, to know what story Gibbard is saying but I get lost in the trance of the music, it pulls me in from track one. Joel informs me that I need to listen to some of their earlier stuff; his opinion is that Plans is good, but Transatlanticism is better. The thing about Death Cab, so I’m told from my source (Joel), they are doing new things, like in Plans, revolutionary…yet they aren’t trying to reinvent themselves with each new cd, but are continually producing solid music.

There is something about Gibbard’s voice especially that draws me in; both The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie bring me into that music high of sorts. These bands, I believe, are for dreamers. The music makes you feel; just sing along and dream; I dig it.

Fraggle Rock

a post by Danielle

You know what I love- I love that you can buy old tv shows on DVD now. Thus, I am able to watch again, Fraggle Rock! I was such a huge fan of this show when I was little; being able to watch it now, is just plain fun. For Christmas I got the DVD that has the first episode ever, plus three other episodes. In the opening intro they sing:

Dance your cares away, worry’s for another day.
Let the Music play down at Fraggle Rock.
Work your cares away, dancing’s for another day.
Work your cares away down at Fraggle Rock.

Brings back memories….

Another thing I received this Christmas was a book entitled It’s Not Easy Being Green. It basically talks about the life of Jim Henson and then gives quotes from Henson, the Muppets, personal friends of Henson, et cetera. Jim Henson was a very insightful character himself, as well, his characters held a lot of wisdom behind their words and actions. It’s an interesting thing to think about; those things that we grew up with (Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Captain Kangaroo) in comparison with what children today are growing up with.

For me, watching Fraggle Rock is a fun thing, to reminisce on the things from my childhood, as well, I dream of one day sharing the Fraggles with my own kids. It is interesting to take note of the past vs. present state that children are in these days, not that I’m even that old, but things seem very different. So if you get a chance- check out the DVD, sing along with the theme song, laugh, giggle, and maybe even learn something from the Fraggles.

Reality TV Makes it’s Way to Canada

a post by Calvin

For the last couple of months billboards, magazines, and television commercials have been filled with Much Music’s promotion for this years VJ search. But this year is different than the past VJ searches. This year they have made it into a reality series. So reality TV finally makes it’s way across the border. It just seems like we’re a few years out of date from our American counterparts. Is it too late for us Canadians to pick up on the reality shows, or will they still be ‘in’ for a while longer? Not that we haven’t been watching American reality shows, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Canadian reality show. But like most Canadian programming, will it be any good? Will people really care who the next Vj is? Is it worth watching for the next ten weeks to find out? I’m not sure Much Music VJ’s are placed at the same level of popularity as MTV VJ’s are placed at for Americans. I guess we’ll have to wait and find out. Maybe this is Much Music’s way of trying to bring a higher level of popularity and attention to Much Music VJ’s and the station since for the past few years we’ve seemed to have a shortage of memorable VJ’s. Currently I couldn’t tell you one of the VJ’s names, whereas if you saw Rick the Temp walking down the street a lot more people would be able to say ‘hey that’s Rick the Temp,’ as opposed to seeing a current Vj walking down the street where the most they might get is, ‘hey, isn’t that a Vj from Much?’ Or maybe I just watched Much Music more when Rick the Temp was Vj. Who really cares...

Fity Cent

a post by Calvin

“I’m going to the candy shop ...” a line not from one of 50 Cent’s hit songs, which need not be finished to realize that the song is heading in derogatory direction. But if one can’t tell by listening to the song, the visual images in the music video of scantily clad women will help get the message across. Apparently he’s going to the candy shop to take away the innocence of little kids. Well, maybe it’s not that bad since the radio stations have no problem playing this music at all hours of the day.

One of the most recent debates over 50 Cent was a few months ago when he was coming to Canada to tour. A politician tried to get him banned from crossing the border and touring in Canada for a few reasons; first being because of his criminal record, as well as the fact that someone was shot and killed a year earlier at his show in Toronto, and because of the glorification of violence that he portrays in his music. Does music have an influence on our actions and decisions? I think that although most Canadians would probably not want to start banning artists because of their lyrics, and infringe on peoples freedom to express themselves, I believe that most people would find 50 Cent’s lyrics offensive if they were to actually read the lyrics and not just be listening to a catchy tune. Does listening to music affect the way we think? If a person listens to music that glorifies violence, does a person become more and more desensitized to it? How does the portrayal of all these behaviors as being ‘cool’ affect the youth, or anybody, who listen to it?

Extreme Sports

A post by Melissa

This past weekend we took our Jr.High group Tubing up in Barrie. The kids were pumped and I know it'd be a good day - I'd been tubing before. However upon arrival at Snow Valley Tubing Park I realized that I hadn't even been 'this tubing' before! They've got lifts that pull you in your tube up the mountain and then a guy who pushes you down a massive hill that you waited in line for 10mins to get on. Lying in the tube you can't even see the rest of the hill, let alone the bottom due to the insane drop you just paid $20 to race down. But it is FUN!

Extreme sports have become quite popular in our culture...even my younger brothers who had never done anything down a snowy hill but ride on magic carpets until they were 20 are now risking their lives (or at least spines) doing crazy snowboarding tricks like the pros. While these kind of activities are better for young people than delinquency and video games - whatever happened to being able to spend hours in the yard building a snow fort? Kids aren't satisfied with slower paced activities anymore - or are they?(I don't have any of my own :) ) Everything it seems is getting bigger and better, and harder and faster and definitely more dangerous - though I hear more fun. Our culture sure seems to like testing the limits. From everything we've talked about on this blog - T.V., magazines, music, movies, technology - to in this case our bodies and courage. Maybe we're over stimulated, maybe it takes more now to excite us, maybe we just like to have fun. In any case I'm glad some of the really little kids at the Tubing park were wearing helmets...

Underworld

A post by James
I thought immediately when this assignment was handed out that it would be a great way for me to see some movies without the guilt of spending money. And I was right. I went to see Underworld Evolution.

First off I have to say that I saw the first one about two years ago, and from what I remembered it was a half decent vampire werewolf movie. It some minor swearing, no , and a little blood. Unfortunately the second did not live up to these expectations. It seems the director wanted to pummel us with blood, , and bad language. I was a little disappointed to say the least. The whole plot takes off immediately after the first movie, and is very connected to it. This plot is half decent and flows well, but as I said, is very connected to the first movie. The acting is pretty good and the action is intense. It is obviously not a great movie of our time, but neither is it extremely horrible.

My recommendation, if you are sensitive to the aforementioned things, then do not see it. If you want to maintain a certain level of mental purity, do not see it. If you saw the first, and want to know how the series continues, and you believe you can ignore the bad parts, then go see it, or wait for video. It is a classic teen guy movie, with heavy unrealistic action, hot s, and bad language. It is a shame that this is what directors have to make in order to get people out to the theatres.
As a Christian I had two immediate thoughts. 1) If I was a parent I would not want my kid to see this. 2) Should I really watch this kind of movie? Both thoughts were negative, so I assumed that I could have lived without seeing this movie. I am also not they type of person to walk out on a movie, I will watch it no matter how bad. And this movie was fun, and exciting, and I wish it could have had less swearing and .

UFC

A post by Luke

Tonight I watched UFC 57 at my apartment after work with some guys from my building. It was a pay-per-view item that was in the forty dollar range. I simply came home and stumbled onto my roommates watching it, so I joined in. I had no intention of watching this event nor do I know much about this sport. Within minutes I was captivated, sucked right into it. Two men an octagon and pretty much no rules, what could get any better? I sat through three fights and enjoyed every minute of it.

UFC is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing sports on TV. It takes boxing, WWE wrestling, jujitsu and other fighting styles to a whole new level. It is violent it is bloody and it was very entertaining. I was glued to my seat as two men pounded their first on each others skulls until one bleeds to much or the other mans brain looses understanding of where it is.

I couldn’t help but be reminded by the people cheering in the coliseum centuries ago while men were ripped apart by lions and killed by other men’s bare hands. People found that entertaining at the time. What about now, I would not watch someone get killed, of course not. The reality is if something went wrong in the octagon and a hit went to the head the wrong way a man could die, would I then be entertained? What happens when UFC is no longer the Ultimate way to fight? What will come after it that will push the envelope? I think our culture is sliding on a slippery slope, what starts out as radical becomes the norm and then almost tame.

I enjoyed watching the UFC and found it very fun to watch. Was it wrong to watch two men pound on each other? Or is it just another competitive sport where the guys give respect to each other at the end and no harm done? Is there underlying themes presented in such an event that bring out my sinful nature to hurt another human just as Cain did to his brother Able? I am not sure either way, I guess that is one thing I will have to think about.

The Mall

A post by Luke

Often if there is nothing to do on a Saturday, or even a Sunday for that matter, many people find themselves sifting through racks of fresh smelling clothing, staring into walls of formed rubber and leather, trying on this and that, shouting across the wasteland of clothing to a friend saying “how does this look”. We dive head first into the sale bins, hoping to find that one item we just have to have, and for half the price. Often things start to get crowded and we revert into creatures of the wild, the glairing-tiled floors become our desert, the little pond where we throw away spare change our oasis, the hanging cloths on the wall, the vines of our jungle. We trade the economics of buy and sell for the animal instinct of survival of the fittest. You have seen them, lions gliding through the endless isles just waiting to pounce on the next biggest sale, devouring it, leaving little behind for the late coming scavengers. They cut in front just as the next cash was opening up. You glare at them with disgust but take no action for you are well aware of the politics of the food chain.

What makes us act this way at the mall? Why do we become beast like in our actions? Some of us are the lions stalking the next biggest deal, waiting for the red tag to go up as though it were a white flag of surrender, “I give up, I’m 30% off, I have no chance, I submit to your card of plastic.” We are so quick to buy up the latest trend, the hottest deal and all for what? I have been there; I have waited in the lines that seem endless. I have picked up the leisure pace of a gentle walk to a near run in order to make it to the store before it closes, because God save me it doesn’t open tomorrow until 9:00am. You laugh at this image now, but it’s the truth and most of us have all been there. So why do we do it? We do it for that brief moment of having something new that makes us feel so good inside. It is not a sin to go shopping and get a new dress, or CD, but it is if that is where we find our purpose and existence. Too many people find their salvation at the Mall, or so they think. Even many Christians like myself have substituted the new joyful feeling of Christ’s salvation for the crisp, clean feeling of a new pair of pants that will soon find its place at the bottom of our drawer next to that shirt we bought at the concert we attended three years ago at a youth retreat. I will be the first one to admit that I love to get something new, it makes me feel good and often times I show it off because I feel so superior. I just hope that next time I find myself in a mall I remember how funny it is to think about myself as a wild animal scavenging through the jungle looking for the next prey that will give my fill until I am hungry again.

ebaumsworld.com

a post by Luke

This site is the home of everything that is “funny”, well at least that is what they would think. I used to love this site, I mean some of the videos I still find very funny, but I came to the realization that this site is not one I think Jesus would have gone to, if you know what I mean. We use that little saying so often and yet most of us still enjoy the sinful nature of such activities. I revisited this site recently after being away for some time. I recalled some of the video clips I found very funny, and I realized that most of the ones I found really funny were ones that would be considered very crude. Many have vulgar langue and subject matter that is unfit for anyone let alone a Christian trying to renew his mind everyday. Many of the videos found humor in either, gross things, ual things, faults of other people, extreme things (mainly done by people craving attention). There is one video with a guy letting his friends shoot firecrackers at his chest. I thought this video was funny, but I realized that this young man is most likely craving attention and laughter from people because he does not feel good about himself or really feel accepted. Another video that is no longer on the site, for good reason, showed a home video of a teenage boy who made a music video and song for a that he had a crush on in his high school. This was a real video he had made in the privacy of his room. Some people however got a hold of it and posted it on this website. I watched it and laughed my head off. I thought is was so funny to watch this guy who had a crush sing this really poorly done song and dance. My laughter soon turned to a sick feeling in my stomach when I found out that because of this video, the shame, and humility this young man felt drove him to commit suicide. I felt sick to my stomach because I had thought at one point this was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I was laughing only because someone else’s flaws were published on the Internet not mine. I found humor in someone else’s shortcoming. This site promotes videos that degrade people and find humor in their faults. Some of the videos however are very funny and there is nothing wrong with them, they are much like the videos found on the show Americas Funniest Home Videos. Although it is videos like the young man’s music video that make this site hard for me to go to anymore. Not to mention the and degrading of woman that is also prevalent on this site. I am ashamed at some of the videos I laughed at on this site, but at the time they were very attractive. Once you see sinful things with a new lens, one more focused on God, it is harder to find them as funny as they used to be.

Fall Out Boy

a post by Luke

From Under the Cork Tree
Ok here is a prime example of a band that was at one point underground and relatively unknown to the general population. Most of their fans loved the fact that they were not plastered all over the top billboards. They would pride themselves in saying “I like Fall Out Boy”, because the majority of people they would say that to had no clue who they were talking about. It created this separation between the fans and the general public and brought each fan to an intimate connection with the bands music, until now. The band with their latest album, From Under the Cork Tree, has catapulted them into the next biggest emo/punk bands in North America. They have two songs that made it into the top ten of the Pop 100 charts from this CD, Dance Dance, and Sugar Were Going Down. Now the band is playing in sold out Arena shows instead of musty club venues with cramped stages and small capacity. I will have to say though that I really found this CD a lot of fun. Why, because it is so catchy and fun. If I was to be fully honest with you then I would be able to rip this album apart. As far as originality is concerned there is none. Any young group of friends that has any type of musical talent and can force their voice to sound like a wannabe British rock singer can come up with a band like this. The music is formulaic and the songs are straightforward. They are exactly what I have come to expect from a band that has two guitars a bass, drums and some well-done mastering in the studio. I heard a demo of Dance Dance, before it was fully mastered and “beefed up” as it were, and it sounded like crap I record on my computer with one microphone. I say all this in the end to just say, this is one of my favorite CDs right now. It is so addictive, their songs pull you in, even though they are straightforward and you can predict the next chord every time. I know when the bridge is coming and when they are going to climax the song with a voice singing the course an octave higher then the previous times. No matter how I judge it though, even though I know it is pop-culture now, and the independent flavor is gone, I still thought that this was a great CD. There were songs about relationships, mainly bad ones though. Songs about how the band does not care if they are “number one with a bullet” aka top of the billboard charts. They are in it not for the fame but “for the scars and stories”. I respect what image the band portrays, how they don’t care about being popular but that they just love the music. Well I wish that was true but I bet they don’t mind having all this extra spending money!!

The Cursed DVD Box Set

A post by Vanessa

The emergence of DVD box sets has really changed the way people have been watching T.V. over the past few years, because now if you were to miss an episode of your favourite show you can simply buy the box set of that season and watch it over and over again. I don’t think I know a single person who does not own, or is planning to own, a box set or two. During our first class the most common thing that people would bring to the island was a box set of either a season or a whole series to keep them entertained. Many people may wonder what is the problem with that?

The problem is that people, including myself, don’t know when to stop. The box set controls our lives in a way, people don’t seem to be able to function properly when they get a new season. I know that within my apartment alone we have watched the entire series of and the City, six seasons of Seinfield, three seasons of Smallville, one season of CSI, one season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, one season of The OC, one season of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and one season of Xena: Warrior Princess. All of those shows have been watched since the middle of September to now, I’m afraid to total all the hours of our lives that we have potentially wasted. People don’t do their homework or readings as often as they should because they need to be watching the next episode of something or other.

The DVD box set is both a gift and a curse, it allows you to relive fabulous memories that you and your friends may have shared together while watching a show. It also allows you to remember the reasons why you loved that show so much to begin with, while finding out all the little details you never noticed before. The curse of it is that we can never get enough, we will buy season after season and watch for days and days just because we can. We need to find a balance, so here is my sound ending advice:

An episode a day will keep your grades at an A.

The Cheap Concert Movement

a post by Vanessa

I’m an avid fan of concerts of all types especially when I have a certain specific connection to them in some way. My friend Reg plays in about six bands at the moment and he invited me to hear one of them play a couple weeks ago, and I was so excited but I had no idea what to expect (since I had never heard him play live before). He told me that it would be at the Opera House (which is a moderate size venue downtown) and that it would only cost ten dollars. As a student the fact that it would only cost ten dollars made me extremely happy, not only because of the price but because of what you could potentially get for that price. That night there was a lineup of about eight or more bands playing one right after the other, which is something I have not really experienced outside of the hole in the wall clubs that my friends and I stumble into by chance.

There is a whole new movement of the cheap underground concert that I absolutely love. Even though these types of concerts are not as flashy and technically appealing as going to a U2 concert, but when it comes to playing for the love of music there is no difference between Approaching Zero (my friend Reg’s band) and Coldplay. With every concert I’ve been to there has always been this sort of energy that comes from the performers and their passion for what they are doing. Passion can sometimes be tainted by the alcohol and the bands that use ridiculous gimmicks to get s to remove clothing among other things. That was the one part of the concert that I did not understand or appreciate, these guys are not famous and they can not offer their fans anything besides a good show and yet they have that allure that brainless s fall for time and time again.

With this movement of the cheap concerts I think that more people are able to appreciate great music, because all of the bands that I saw that night (SOLD, Menace To Sobriety and Approaching Zero) are in love with their music and are extremely talented. They are able to reach a wider audience, not only because it was an ages show, but because people are now realizing that you do not need to pay forty or fifty dollars to hear great music they have the chance to hear and support local talent.

Poker

A post by Alex

There's two sides to this one, and it can get deeper than any of us want it to if we really dug into it, so I'm gonna try and keep it light.

I'm a huge fan of playing poker, and poker I'm sure was a huge fan of the NHL lockout seeing as it's popularity multiplied by about 3000% in that time. Surprisingly enough though the popularity has not gone down all that much since NHL is back on, I'm sure in a couple of years it won't have the same draw it has right now, but think about the people manufacturing these products who just picked up a whole generation of new poker players (the high-school kid). I was having an all-nighter with a group of gr.10 guys, and after the XBOX and the food they brought out the poker chips, 4 of them had these nice and shiny silver cases, each with about 600-1000 poker chips clay of course. We all sat around a big table and they picked their favourite character from the "World Poker Tour" then we got started. No real money is involved by the way. We played for about an hour, and interest slowly died. A couple of times guys would say, we should play for a little bit of real money, just to see how much more interesting it gets, but we stayed far away from that.

When seen as simply a form of entertainment, and a chance for a bunch of guys (and s if they choose) to gather round a table and laugh, and get upset, and excited, Poker is a great thing. However, like any other thing that can, and most likely will, lead to some sort of addiction, one must be extremely wary when playing with something of value. My brother plays every Sunday night, everyone throws $10 in a pot, and the winner takes 75% of it, second place gets the rest. He's invited me down numerous times, and I can't tell you how tempted I am, just to add that extra element of danger, but then I realize that a)I worked for this money and to lose it so easily is stupid and b)this money actually belongs to God.

Moving to the other side, I have heard kids say, "I'm gonna spend $10 to see a movie and not talk to my friends, OR I could spend $10 to play poker for 3 hours and talk to everyone, what's the deal." I say to them, ask me that again when you're 45 and have wasted your money away every weekend, sure you win sometimes, but you've probably lost more.

To finish off I guess I just want to say that it can be extremely fun with the right group of people, so why not keep it that way. I've never heard of anyone playing Monopoly with real money but that's still fun.

Cathedral of the Consumer, Mecca of Materialism, Synagogue of Stuff, The mall

A post by Adam

Shopping, shopping, shopping, it is the thing to do in our societies and in this stage in our civilization is has become a pastime. Walking through a mall today I had to wonder ‘what are all these people looking for?’ Some of them I am sure many are just looking browsing seeing if there is anything they would like.

I like stuff, I will admit and I am sure you can see from my other posts that I think stuff is good, fun and I have grown up and lived my entire existence in a materialistic society it has only been in recent months that I have even questioned my way of life. I care about the world and people in other countries but I never understood what it means for me to change how I live to have an effect on them, my fiancée and I have a sponsor child and give to church and campus crusade but we like stuff. We are getting married in a few months and we are doing a lot of shopping and registering so that people can give us gifts to celebrate our wedding, and so that we can set up our new home together.

The mall is the place to get all kinds of stuff, but most off all it is a place for fashion, style and entertainment. I worked in a clothing store for a year, it is a very different world, superficiality rules and it is all about the clothes and what you are wearing. Some people would ask us when new stuff would come in just so that they could be the first to have it. Some people came to the mall extremely regularly.

Shopping is the service, buying is the sacrament and what you take home is the blessing. Are we so materialistic? Do we need to shop so much? I am waking to the knowledge that our society is ruled by stuff, distractions rule over our lives. I can’t even imagine what life was like before the modern era. What did people do with their time? I am sure they worked long and hard, spoke to each other, played games, had a faith. I think it is time we really evaluated our way of life and as I become more self aware, I see this and am learning.

Epic Movie, Even in the Making

A post by Adam

I have recently watched the Lord of the Rings series, special editions, w/ commentaries. Talk about a movie marathon. These movies have become my all time favorites over the past few years. The story is epic and involving, the plot is classic and dynamic, the cinematography is exceptional the score beautiful. Every time I watch these movies I enjoy them, they even ease my soul and can melt the stress away from my day. They act as an escape to another world and another time.

The thing that really got me is how much work they really have to put into making a film like this, it is incredible, how much work they put into trying to get my money, thankfully this film is a little different than that, this film was done also to tell the classic story well and respect and excellence were among the motivators, as well as passion and ommunity. Is Lord of the Rings pop culture? Yes it is huge! The movie sales and DVD sales, alone would make it so but from action figures and video games to lunch boxes its pop cultural stance is huge. I would like to state that this is one part of pop culture that is good for people for the most part.

It is a reality of the first world to have entertainment and that entertainment to be huge, but if the content of most pop culture we as true and well spirited as LOTR then we would have to say pop culture is in good shape. There is fantasy violence granted but it does not promote undue violence, they are all looking for peace, good fights evil and eventually triumphs despite hardship. I know I am biased by epic movie that grab my attention and really meet a longing in me to be part of something big and make a difference in this world, but I think it brings out that passion and does not satisfy it which is good because it can inspire.

It is good storytelling, modernized, visualized and brought to life on the screen, stories are meant to move us and give us something to think about, or aspire to be, there is so much character in LOTR that I can’t deny that this is more that just a movie, it is a message, a warning about evil, and temptation, the value of true friendship and that hope that good will eventually win out over evil.

Buying in to watching people play games

A post by Adam

I watched, Hockey Night in Canada: Leafs vs. Senators and a Sunday afternoon NFL playoff game. They call them modern day gladiators, warriors, heroes and champions. I love watching hockey and football is okay in my opinion. So it was interesting to think of the mentalities of the millions of fans watching cheering, booing and hoping that this will be the year that their team makes it.

These same millions find Identity in their teams, using we and them language to associate with a team. I am a Senators fan; I watch them when I can on TV and like to go to at least one or two games a season and do not mind spending a little extra on seeing them in the playoffs. We look really good this year, I know every player on the team by name and can recognize them and hey Mike Fisher #12, went to my church. That is exciting stuff.
I realize that sports is watching people play games but there is so much more to it than that once you favor one over another. The Olympics are just the prime example most people are not even cheering for the person but for the flag that they bear. Sports feeds our desire for victory, in this Sens vs. Leafs game the Sens ted and I was ecstatic, but all the Leafs fans could do is bring up past failures of the Sens and how even though the Sens are winning 6-0 that the Leafs would beat them if it were playoff time. This is the plight of a fan.

Speaking about the Sens as pop-culture; they take my time and my money to some extent but I believe I get my money’s worth on my entertainment dollar, I admit it is an indulgence and a complete rip when looking at it from the outside. Looking at football fans I can only understand the hype thought assuming they enjoy their teams as much as I enjoy the Senators.

Some positives to sport is that although it has cause some riots and lots of brawls it has probably prevented a lot more violence, it is a diversion and it is a place to put your anger and frustration, and for some their pride. Teams battle against each other, have clashes and all out wars! The fan sits and lives this out vicariously through watching, keeping stats and knowing which way the wind will be blowing come kick off of the big game.
To check out the best team in the NHL just visit: http://www2.ottawasenators.com/eng/index.cfm

Swigging Coca-cola Zero

a post by Adam

I enjoy drinking Coke. I always have. I couldn’t tell you what it tastes like except maybe that it tastes good, it’s fizzy and best when nice and cold. I have recently experienced Coca-Cola Zero, which I believe is a wonderful marketing scheme, they say it tastes more like regular Coke than diet but still ahs no calories. I bought a 12 pack and I tried it and as far as I can tell they are right, in that I mean it does not taste as bad as Diet Coke.

I know I am taken in by it as pop culture because for example water, from the tap, is free (bottled water is a whole other story) and much better for me than coke, I have spend my $4 on something that and I know I will spend more on later. It is simply more enjoyable than water most of the time.

I also know that the name Coca-Cola is weighted with corporate agenda, advertising rivalry and is more culturally diverse than almost anything on earth. It seems anywhere there is money to buy goods Coke is there, in the slums of Mexico and in Middle of India Coke is there. For the extent of Coke’s reaching see the movie:
“The Gods Must Be Crazy” (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800071144/details)
This movie is a great example of how Coke finds its way into almost any civilization.

I know only the more choosy and wealthy areas get special things like Coca-Cola Zero and for that I am taken in because they know that if there is a calorie free good tasting diet pop out there I and many others who are told not to drink their calories will buy it.

As for a guttural reaction; my stomach loves a little Coca-Cola it does not bother me a bit, not sure what it will say in 20 or 30 years but that is another story. Coca-Cola Zero for now is my drink of choice until I hear Coca-Cola and an abusive company or that aspartame really does damage your body, but if these things are not drawn to attention then I say all things in moderation.
Cheers: here is to consuming liquid pop-culture!

Relevant Magazine

a post by Jason

It all started with the face of Bono on the cover of an issue of Relevant magazine and my eyes were hooked. It took me close to a year before I subscribed myself to what I think is the greatest religious magazine on the planet and my personal favourite of all magazines period. As a Christian, I have grown used to the junk that we call progressive culture literature for twenty somethings. Relevant is what I consider one of the best alternatives.

Since having this subscription for a year and a half I have begun to really delve into the culture of Relevant magazine and I love it. For myself, Relevant has completely changed my interaction with faith and progressive culture. I wasn’t sure if faith and progressive culture would mix at all but this magazine has definitely made me a believer. This magazine has bridged the gap for me between faith and pop culture. This magazine has it all. Different issues cover different subjects.

Relevant has been nothing but a positive experience for me. It has offered both insight into the world and also giving a sense of where the church belongs amongst what the world offers. Personally, the only negative aspect of the magazine is the view that some of their writers take on church culture. I realize though that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions.

Blogger

A post by Jason

I have had my own blog for almost a year now and have updated it only about two times. I became attracted to this type of publishing of my own personal thoughts through reading the other posts of people in the youth group that I help out with. I thought that if I was to connect with some of these people that I should try and indulge myself in their thoughts.

I never really understood what this was all about. I didn’t get what the attraction was. Then I started reading some of the people in my youth group’s posts on their sites and I found that this could be a gateway into something truly remarkable in their lives, although I still don’t understand the point of putting your whole life online for everyone to see! Is it that you want everyone to see your life? Or maybe is it that you want to get noticed in a different kind of social group! I’m not sure. For me posting all of my thoughts and pictures online seems kind of scary.

On thing is for sure and that is that we need to acknowledge the fact that our high school students that attend the youth groups that we run or help out with are not ashamed to use this form of media to give a glimpse into their lives. As a leader in my own youth group I feel as though I can gain excellent insight into the lives of our students through their web postings.

Battlestar Galactica (TV Show)

By Jamie

This is the number one TV show of 2005. (according to TIME.com) As a fan
of the original series (1978-1979) I was sceptical of the success of this new (and radically improved) series.

A quick description of the shows pilot episode (in mini-series format): The Cylons (former robot slaves of man) declare war on humanity (which lives far away on 12 planets). They wipe out billions in an unprovoked nuclear first strike. The Colonial fleet is all but eliminated leaving just a handful of ships including the soon to be decommissioned Battlestar Galactica (soon to be a museum). Galactica is crewed by the misfits of the military and a crew that never expected to be involved in real duty. The government is all but eliminated except for Laura Roslin, the Education Minister becomes the President of the 12 Colonies. The Cylons improve on their maker’s designs and now look like their creators. They infiltrate the human colonies and military placing sleeper units with the survivors. The real twist is that some of the human Cylons believe they are fighting a holy war that is being directed by God. The survivors follow Commander Adama's lead to find the remaining 13th colony of Man, which is Earth (same conceit as the last series only this time it was a ruse to give the survivors hope but turns out to have some truth in it).

The religious story line reflects the worldly problems of today.

The twist of gender roles for the main characters has added spice to the old shoot'em-up television show. The introduction of a better plot line reflects on the world today. The show has religious fundamentalists, sleeper cells, civil-liberty crackdowns, political swashbuckling, so it is inline with today's attention challenged viewers.

The writing and performances are top notch and the introduction of more flesh on screen (still within TV censor limits of course) has set the bar even higher for worldly-desire-satisfaction fans who enjoy peeks at steamy ual encounters with the show's characters.

This is a show for today's youth who want to escape reality but still be able to relate with the more complicated plot. There is plenty of action to keep one's attention span. The first season ends with the overused cliff-hanger to make sure the viewers tune in next season.

The timing of this show follows in the wake of the multiple Star Trek series which fills the vacuum that those series left behind. The difference between this series and its predecessor is that the Cylons (the bad guys) are 'badder' and they now look like us as opposed to oversize toasters with hockey equipment for protection.

I give it two up.

The Famous People Magazines

This may be a little weird to some people who are going to read this but I love reading about famous people. It all started about five or six months ago when my friend Justin and I got a membership to a gym right down the road from Tyndale (if anyone wants a membership talk to me). We would go and lift weights and then we would go on the cardio machines, at first we would just talk to each other on the machines for like a half an hour. All of a sudden one day I went over and grabbed an US weekly magazine, it was all over. When we first started into reading them it was when the whole Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston thing was going down. It got me hooked I just couldn’t get enough of hearing about what was happening with Brad and Angelina and Jenn and Vince. When I am reading these magazines I feel kind of weird I am so infatuated by people’s lives it is pretty weird when you really think about it. The funniest thing I think about this whole thing is that my friend Justin and I don’t just read them we are like teen-age s we have to tell each other about what is happening. So as if it is not bad enough that we are reading and looking at these pictures, but we have to gossip about it too.

One thing that these magazines do is that they pass the time when I am running. It is kind of funny how these magazines get us hooked onto wanting more. Like right at this moment I want to know what is going on with Jess and Nick and if they will ever get back together. I know I am not alone in saying that I love reading about famous people, it is also sort of funny because I think that I am ashamed of the fact that I read these magazines cause when I go get one and there are people at the gym I don’t feel right.

We're Going to the Superbowl!!!!!

A post by Chris

The Super Bowl is such a great sport extravaganza; it is probably one of the greatest sports events in all of sports. A bunch of my friends were out the other night and we were talking about going on a road trip in the summer, we had a bunch of ideas to go some where hot and just to have fun. All of a sudden it hit me Toronto is only about 4 or 5 hours away from Detroit. I looked at my friend and I was like let’s go to the super bowl, he looked at me and was like LETS GO TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!! Then about ten of us were like WE ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!! So the plan was set Saturday morning ten of my friends and me are going to go on the best road trip of our lives we are going to go to Detroit and sit in the parking lot and take in all the hoopla that is the Super bowl. If you are any kind of sports fan at all you can understand the feeling that we all have right now it is going to be so great seeing famous people and taking in all the great food at the tailgating party.

The first thing that I did the next day after we came to the realization that WE WERE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL was I went on-line and tried to look at what kind of things were available for us to do. I found out that there is a thing all day on Saturday that is called the NFL experience what this is, is that you pay 15 dollars and there will be games and contests and NFL players signing autographs all day on Saturday. The next day Sunday we are pretty much just going to hang out in the parking lot, the only problem that could arise is that we don’t really know how we are going to watch the Super bowl. It would stink if we go all the way there and then don’t even get to see the biggest spectacle in sports. This will be the greatest road trip of my life so far and probably ever, well I don’t know if you can call a honeymoon a road trip but yeah it is up there.

I have been watching football all of my life my dad brought me up a Miami fan and every Sunday I go up to the TV lounge at Tyndale and I sit down for about 8 hours on Sunday and watch football. Sometimes people feel like they waste time when they watch so much TV but for me I don’t see it as wasting time, so what I am lazy on Sunday. So the fact that we are going to go to this game is just so huge. Everyone I see I tell I am going to the Super Bowl and then there reaction is usually where are your seats? I come back and say they are in the parking lot, but I don’t care this is going to be amazing.

I-Pod Troubles

A post by Chris.

Its Christmas morning and I pretty much know that I am getting an i-pod nano for the occasion. So I wake up, go to church and when we get home I begin to open my gifts and there it is an i-pod. The first thing I look at is the directions on how the thing is supposed to run and it seems pretty self explanatory the only direction is to the effect of plug into the computer and you are all set. So I install the program and plug in my i-pod and away I go and then it happens the i-pod is frozen and for some reason I can not get it unfroze. Here I am on Christmas morning with a gift that I can’t even use because it seems to be frozen. I then begin to call all of my friends and even my family to see if anyone can help me, I finally figure it out myself and begin to load songs on the i-pod.

The i-pod is so great when I am doing work or going for a late night walk to pizza-pizza, I just plug in my headphones and the noise around me is gone. Even as I am sitting here writing this pop culture log I have it plugged in and all the noise around me is silenced and all I can hear is Hillsong blasting in my ear. The only bad thing that I would say about the i-pod is those little headphones that it comes with they hurt my ear so much. I have the big ghetto studio type headphones with a nine foot long cord with these I can’t hear a single thing even tough turtles is trying to talk to me.

fish and Phish

a post by Nyssa

What do fish and Phish have in common? Well if you told me only a couple of years ago that I would learn to love both, I would not have believed you. But it’s true, I discovered that fish isn’t the grossest food ever, and I have also discovered that Phish produces great music. I’m now a fan. I’m not too sure why I didn’t like them for such a long time, but what I am sure of is that I think their great now!

Recently, I have been listening to Phish’s Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995 (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2005). There is so much to discover and devourer on this three CD set. The songs are fun, some pointless yet some thought provoking and all are very pleasing to the ear. Phish is such an incredibly talented band. Though they are not together any more, the early to mid-nineties were blessed by their presence. Not only is it their music and song writing that wonderful, but also the shows that they have put together as a whole have been a creative masterpiece. This album is a good example of what a Phish concert is like. The stories that they tell are creative and entertaining, such as Gamehendge Time Laboratory, which is a place that they describe is where Colonel Forbin (a character in some of their songs) creates the recipe for time so that the world can have another year. Okay, so this might be ridiculous, but it is fun, and the crowd sure does love it. Some of my favourite songs on this album are Axilla, Pt. II, Weekapaug Groove, The Lizards, and Chalk Dust . All are enjoyable songs due to their excitement, energy, and Phish’s talent. I would suggest this album, and other Phish albums, to those who are looking for an exciting trip into fun, silly, and quality music.

Wireless Internet

A post by Nyssa

If anyone reading this lives within Tyndale residence, you will know and feel the agony that I am going through. As a student one learns to rely on the Internet for many reasons. Some of those being school related reasons, work, and for procrastinating. But this week as students here at Tyndale, we have not been able to use this piece of technology in the comfort of our own rooms. For some reason the wireless Internet here has been off line for the past week, and rumour has it that it will continue to be off line for a while still. The only way that one can use the Internet is by going down to the computer room on second floor. But who wants to make that huge effort to go downstairs to use it?
Through this time that we have not had the opportunity to use the Internet on our personal computers, I have come to the realization of a few things. First of all, the majority of the population that has easy access to the Internet on a regular basis is consumed and devoured by this power. We allow the Internet to own so much control over our lives. It eats away at our time spent with others, with God, and even with our true selves. It is true that the Internet can be used positively, but I am just saying that just like anything else, it is so easy to abuse it and use it at unhealthy levels.

Even though this time is annoying because I can’t check my e-mail as often as I would like, or that I can’t be on MSN all day, I think it is a good break. Maybe through this time that the wireless network is off line, we as students here at Tyndale will use our time in more productive and constructive ways. You just have to walk down a few stairs to use it if you really want to, so things that do need to get done can, but no one is going to stay in the computer lab all day long if they don’t have to. It is good to realize that there is more to spending our time then just spending it by being on the Internet.

Alfred Hitchcock

A post by Nyssa

Over the Christmas holiday’s, something that I discovered and enjoy thoroughly are Alfred Hitchcock’s films. They are all classic films that deserve to be watched and enjoyed by many. Though while watching some of Hitchcock’s earlier work one must look past the black and white and the poor effects, they all continue to be great stories.
One of them that I recently saw and liked a lot was his 1936 film Sabotage. Starring Sylvia Sidney and Oskar Homolka, this is a film that will grab you and will not let go. It is a film based on the novel The Secret Agent written by Joseph Conrad. Without giving the story and ending away, it is a film about a secret agent, a terrorist, and victims trapped in the midst of scandal. I have found Hitchcock’s films to be a wonderful enjoyment due to the quality story line and gripping mystery and suspense. They are films that aren’t filled with , drugs, and bad language like most of today’s movies are. That is something that I do really appreciate about his films. They are straight to the point, gripping films without all the extra-added baggage. I would recommend any of his films to those who are looking for a great storyline, gripping suspense and intriguing mystery.

Keller Williams Concert

a post by Nyssa

Keller Williams
When someone first thinks of a hippy, what would come to mind? Smelly, dirty, or rebellious? These are stereotypes that have been placed upon them, but in my opinion they are great people. They are creative, fun, embrace community, and most of all produce and enjoy great music! On Friday, the 20th of January 2006, I went to a concert at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on Bloor St. The musical artist that myself and two other friends went to see was Keller Williams. To describe his music, he is an amazing guitar player. He writes songs, with no other purpose than to have fun and to put on a good show. But this show was more than simply music to be enjoyed. The atmosphere that had been created, added much more to the experience as a whole.

Keller attracts a certain breed of people. Mainly attracting those who bring a unique atmosphere along with them. Hippies or bohemians were the majority at this specific event. The sights, sounds, and smells that were there created an atmosphere and environment like no other. The appearance of the people in attendance was more individual, creative, artistic, and unique than people that one would normally meet or see. It’s funny to think that in this culture tie-dye is accepted and enjoyed by many. Who would have thought?! Also, while in a fairly small venue, there are approximately 1500 people crammed closely together. At the same time that all these people are in tight and close quarters, they are all dancing and bouncing around: working up a good sweat. Need I say more about the smell in the venue? Along with this, the smell of marijuana was noticed every so often. This might have been the reason for the carefree nature of most of those in attendance. But what sort of hippy event would this be without it?

Overall though, Keller Williams is a wonderful performer. With all of his guitar loops, various mouth sounds, humorous lyrics, and body movements, Keller puts on a stellar performance. He is unique in every sense of the word. His talent and humour were admirable and entertaining. That was the reason for going: to get together with close friends and have a good night through enjoying great music together. And that is what we got. All in all, this was a wonderful experience and I am so glad that we went.

The Truman Show

a post by Melissa

I'd seen this movie before but when I saw it was on T.V. this weekend I decided to make it a research project and reflect on it for this class...Who am I kidding?...I was procrastinating and now feel guilty enough to put the wasted time to good use!

Actually if you have ever seen this Jim Carry flick you'll know that it is a great movie to talk about when studying pop culture, especially given the recent and continuing craze over reality T.V. This movie takes the idea of reality T.V. to the extreme. Based on a man (Truman) who has literally grown up on television the movie is about how he eventually finds out that his whole life and all he's ever known was really a hoax and the setting of a 24hour a day reality T.V. show. Countless millions have watched him his whole life, and have a vested interested in everything Truman even including his sleep patterns. When Truman beings to realize that there is something suspicious in his world and longs to know more of life outside his small town a debate picks up among those in the real world (well, 2 people at least) as to whether or not he should be able to leave the 'show' and if in fact life in the 'real world' would be better than what has been created for him. An interesting question! Once Truman discovers the truth and leaves the created world, all the people who have been watching him for so long clap with approval. I wonder why then they were so eager to abandon their 'real life' to devote so much of their time watching someone else live theirs?...I suppose I could ask the same question of myself...

I'll admit that after watching this show I did wonder what it'd be like to find out that your whole life had been scripted and everybody was watching you, and may have had to ask my parents if they really were my parents...

In consideration of the vast number of reality T.V. shows out there today, I realize that they do not contain the same ethical dilemma in that the people on the shows know they are being filmed and watched. However, the question still stands..."why do so many people want to watch other people live life (sometimes in the mundane or tedious everyday way, and sometimes in an extreme and actually unrealistic way) instead of engaging in their own worlds?" Then, what about those who are so wrapped up in the private details of a celebrities life?

I know people don't spend their whole day watching T.V. but some are close, and even if only for an hour many enjoy the escape it offers. Why do you think that it? And do you think it is a problem?