As Nobody Sings, "What Would Macbeth Watch?"

Macbeth

White Chicks (2004)

White Chicks is a movie about two male FBI agents who go undercover to protect wealthy sisters from potential kidnappers. While undercover, they have to engage in a serious makeover and look completely like them, saying what they would say, dressing how they would dress, and hanging out with people whom they would hang out with. One of the highlights of the movie is that two african american men have to be white girls, and while it may be funny, it portrays this view of men as women. 

Macbeth would likely chose this because, compared to his wife, he is more feminine than masculine. Nonchalantly, Macbeth would tell whoever he is recommending that he has to work really hard to be a man. Act 1, for example, is the time when he forgets to put the daggers back with the guards, and his wife has to do it for him. Here, he realizes that he isn't as up to the task as his wife is, which is maybe why he drastically changes as much as he does during the play when he becomes more in control of things.  

White Chicks is a movie Macbeth would understand the best. He understands how awkward and weird the feeling of being trapped in a body is. From an emotional stand point, it reveals how weak Macbeth is, but how hard he tries to ignore it. 

Blacklist (2013-)

Blacklist follows the story of a highly intelligent man who works for the FBI. Known as Raymond "Red" Reddington, he has ironically been on the FBI's most wanted list for years, but has used his wits to outsmart them. After he blithely surrenders himself to the FBI, though, he becomes the center of attention, and has them wondering what, and how, and why he would do something like this, since he had been narrowly escaping their grip for years. 

Macbeth would chose this show because he relates to the main character Reddington. First off, there is a catalytic event in both Macbeth and Reddington's life that triggers the desire to pursue something. In Macbeth's life, he comes into contact with the witches which makes him hungry for the crown of Scotland. Similarly, Reddington has a past event in his life (still unknown in the show) that caused him to eventually work with the FBI to find whatever he is looking for (most likely revenge on a person). 

Blacklist is a show that Macbeth would idealize and praise. Because of the past event in their, Macbeth and Reddington are willing to go to great lengths to get what they want. Macbeth achieves his goal by killing off friends, and Reddington (who still hasn't caught what he wants), has been killing people through out the show who have something to do with his event to get get closer to victory. It also reveals that Macbeth would do anything to get the crown, just like how Blacklist portrays Reddington. 

Supernatural (2005-)

Supernatural is a show that follows a team of two brothers (Dean and Sam) whose professional job is driving up and down the country extinguishing the supernatural; this includes mostly spirits, but they do involve themselves into other supernatural creatures such as angels, demons, werewolves, vampires, and shapeshifters.  

Macbeth would suggest this show because of how shaken up he was about seeing his friend's ghost. It is safe to assume this because his wife was making excuses to their guests that night when Macbeth saw the ghost and was acting strange. This attraction to the show would likely be due to the fact that he believes in the supernatural, therefore, believing in the methods that Dean and Sam use to get rid of the ghosts (salt, blessing, incantation, religious symbol).

Supernatural is a show that Macbeth would feel magnetically drawn to; he would be mesmerized by the new take on the supernatural, and would probably be wowed by it. He would ultimately go along with what Dean and Sam say in the show. 

Ella Enchanted (2004) 

Ella Enchanted is a movie remake of  Cinderella where a girl named Ella is cursed as a child, and is forced to grow up doing whatever she is told to do, because that is her curse. For example, if someone tells her to hop on one leg while pretending to play the flute, she has to do it; she cannot control it. When she gets older, she comes to this realization where she is going to find the woman who cursed her, and break it, which is the story line of the movie. 

Macbeth would recommend this movie because of it's relation to his life. Macbeth is  told a prophecy and all of a sudden, he isn't controlling himself due to the fact his "fate"  has already been decided on. This would reveal that Macbeth feels like it isn't his fault that he kills Duncan, but rather, fate's fault that he has to commit it. In Ella Enchanted, Ella has to do whatever she is told, even when she doesn't want to, which would relate back to Macbeth. 

Ella Enchanted is a movie that Macbeth would highly agree with. He would use this show as justification to why he kills. In the end, it would show how selfish he is, in terms of killing people to get the crown. 

As nobody sings, "What would Macbeth Watch?"because there isn't a song written for this blog post!

As Jordin Sparks sang, "Take one step at a time."

Do you believe events in your life have been guided by fate or chance? Why or why not? Based on the text, what do you think Shakespeare's attitude was towards fate? Does Macbeth have any choice in his actions or was everything predetermined? Use examples from the text as your support.


If there is such a thing called "fate", then I will not wholly agree on its existence. "Fate", for instance, implies that there are other factors one cannot control; therefore, something to blame. An intelligent man could be working at McDonalds, yet say, "I think it's fate that I'm supposed to not progress in the business world," and carry on his ways in the fast-food industry. That isn't fate, that's laziness. And applying it to my life, too, would be redundant, because I chose everything I did and everything I do. I went to work this morning, came home, and ran. I chose to go to work, I chose to come home, and I chose to run. If "fate" was in control of anything I did today, then "fate" is in control of everybody's mind. 


So was it "fate" in Shakespeare? Did he believe in it?

I think that in hindsight, Shakespeare didn't believe in "fate". He grew up during the time period when supernatural related activity and religion were two large components of life, but he doesn't display it in his plays. He seems skeptical of it. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, the two kids want to be together, but it's the choices that each make to be together that end up falling a part.
 

These choices are similarly used in Macbeth. 


In Macbeth, Shakespeare presents the supernatural activity as an incident that may or may not have happened; he challenges the views of the society. And when he does this, he focuses on the "thoughts" of the characters. 

Act I, scene III presents the three "witches" expressing their views on the future regarding Macbeth.The third witch sings, "All hail Macbeth, thou shall be king hereafter".  What the "witch" says  is not a prophecy, but rather a representation of an idea that could come true. And in Act I, scene VII, Macbeth challenges this idea of being king by wondering if he should murder Duncan, the present king of Scotland. Macbeth says," First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,Who should against his murderer shut the door,Not bear the knife myself. "  Here, he questions why he shouldn't kill the king. However, greed wins him over. Macbeth finishes his monologue by saying, "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erlaps itself and falls on the other". Macbeth concludes that he is far happier as king and desires it more than his loyalty to Duncan. Therefore, it was choice that led him to deciding to murder Duncan. 

As Jordin Sparks sang, "take on step at a time" .... literally, Macbeth took his thoughts one by one and concluded he was going to kill Duncan. What!?

Art

Freebie :)

As Meghan Trainer Sang, "It's all about that bass"..... But is it?

Source: PETA of Florida in 2009

To the left is a picture of one of the many PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) advertisements about not consuming animals, but saving them. It is important to note that PETA encourages people to transform his/her lifestyles to a more distinguished one, like Vegetarianism, or completely going off the consumption of meats, poultry, and seafood. 

So what does this advertisement suggest?

On the surface, the advertisement depicts a large woman in a red, polka dot bikini at the beach. The caption on it reads: "Save the Whales. Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian." But it doesn't literally mean save the whales; it is an analogy comparing whales to heavier women (or heavier men). When the advertisement says "lose the blubber", it is referring to the extra "fat" on a person. 

This advertisement could also be viewed as a double entendre. The statement "save the whales" refers to actually saving whales. It becomes a double entendre because it also means save the heavier women.

 

Of the deadly sins, this advertisement definitely represents Gluttony; it is used as the driving force behind why people should switch from a meat-like diet to a non-meat diet. But looking at this advertisement through a health related lens, two other deadly sins arise: Sloth and Pride. While not all heavier people feel self conscience, some are, which is why this would represent pride (humility); it would then connect with the sin of "Sloth" because it may be interpreted that these larger people don't exercise and don't take care of his/her body.

The audience this advertisement is targeting is heavier people on the outside; however, it is geared more into the direction of women due to the ways in which this advertisement presents itself.

But how does the advertisement present itself, you may ask?

First, a woman was used on the front cover, and not a man. One thing to take into consideration is that women are associated with caring more about their weight, so it seems reasonable that the PETA group would do that. If they target the stereotypical woman who cares about her weight, then mathematically there would be a higher percentage rate for the number of non-meat eaters. 

Going off the fact that women care more about what they look like, the advertisement also dresses the woman in a red, polka dot bikini, with the woman's hand on her hip, and with emphasized "back fat". This alludes to several aspects of a woman: being pretty and confident.

Red is the color associated with love, lust, and power. But the way the woman's hand is on her hip suggests she is angry or upset, and feels like she isn't comfortable outside. Though while the face of the woman isn't showed, a conclusion can be drawn that the woman wants to be out in the beach; she has a desire to flaunt around but she cannot. Also, the "back fat" of the woman bulges out of the bikini, which- to some- may imply that woman only feels pretty if she are skinny.

Not only does the picture send a message, but the language used in the advertisement does too.  The first major statement is "save the whales". One thing that should stand out is the word "whales", because PETA could have used any other animal (or sea animal), that they wanted, but they chose "whales". The reason to this is becuase PETA is implying that women are in fact whales without having to state it. 

The next statement is "lose the blubber", which is automatically connected to "fat". PETA used the word "blubber" instead of using the word "fat" in order to lesson the harshness of the main idea of the advertisement. "Blubber" is also a word associated with sea animals, so it seemed like an appropriate place for this usage of the word. 

The final persuasive technique (though, I think this advertisement is a bit crude), is how much the advertisement loses the meaning if the heavy woman is not in the advertisement. Picture this: a warm, sunny day in the sand, the waves, and the same message as this advertisement has on it. Most likely,  PETA's advertisement would look as if if they were encouraging people in a positive way. But with the heavy woman, the advertisement is almost attacking large women in a derogatory kind of way. 

As Meghan Trainer sang, "It's all about that bass".... But is it? Because according to this advertisement, it's all about saving the whales, losing the fat, and eating healthy. 

As Holy Eyes sang, "Being God's Child is Higher than Everything"

Chapter seven of Charlotte Bronte's, Jane Eyre, focuses on how all the school girls should act as one, meaning that everybody lives equally, having no more, or no less, than the girl beside her.  This includes learning how to deal with temptation and learning how to live with as little as they need to.  The passage that best describes this theme is when Mr. Brocklehurst says, "I wish these children to be children of Grace." While the phrase is short in length, it is wide in context; it is the umbrella that covers all Mr. Brocklehurst's intentions and purposes of the girls. 

For example, when Agnes and Catherine Johnstone were invited for tea by some friends, they were each given a clean tucker. By the rules of the school, though, the girls are only allotted one. Mr. Brocklehurst responds by saying that Ms. Temple, the teacher, should "not let [these] circumstances occur to often." If these circumstances occurred more often, then the students would expect more, which is what Mr. Brocklehurst is most afraid of.

The scene worsens when Mr. Brocklehurst uncovers that the students have been given extra meals. He follows what he uncovers with a long paragraph explaining his "children [as] children of Grace". Summing up his lengthy speech, it strongly focuses on how the students should not become "[accustomed to] habits of luxury and indulgence" because they need to be "patient [and] self denying". The students should also follow God and only God. Mr. Brocklehurst says that "If ye suffer hunger or thirst for My sake, happy are ye." This means that they are better off being hungry or thirsty, than having what they need. 

Towards the end of the chapter, Julia Severn has curly hair, which clearly sets her apart from the rest of her classmates. Mr. Brocklehurst is unhappy with it, even though her curly hair is natural, so he explicitly states that all the girls should get haircuts.

Charlotte Bronte presents the theme throughout the whole passage by the use of examples and Mr. Brocklehurst's extreme reactions; however, the theme is tied all together with the phrase mentioned earlier: "I wish these children to be children of Grace." One thing that should be noted is that Mr. Brocklehurst uses the word "children" and the word "Grace", which, to the minds of the girls, may sound more appealing to get them to conform to his way(s). 


As Holy Eyes sang, "Being God's child is higher than everything". It is as if these song lyrics were taken right out of the mouth of Mr. Brocklehurst (Or maybe he secretly composed this song name under an alias!). 

As Demi Lovato Sang, "This is Me"

My name is Erin Lindsay Monaghan, and I hate when things change. It doesn't matter what is changing (plans, what I'm eating for dinner, what movie I'm going to see at the theatre) because I don't like it; once my mind is set on something, I stick to it. For example, I told my mom when I was four that I wasn't going to have kids; she could have them for me, or I'd find another way. To this day, I feel that way, and have decided that I am adopting kids. Basically, the only change that happens in my life is when it is out of my control (a testing date, moving, what days I work).  The ironic thing about this is that the meaning of my names correlate with me. My first name "Erin" means Ireland, peace, or green water. Continuing down this earthy path, my middle name, "Lindsay", means Island of the Linden Trees, with my surname "Monaghan"meaning a place where hills gather. It gets scarier because my initials tie everything together too, because they spell out ELM, like the Elm tree.  What I've concluded about myself, and the meanings of my names, is that we don't change; Ireland will stay the same;Linden trees will stay the same; a place where hills gather will stay the same. But, like myself, there is another, stronger force that can change it, and that is Mother Nature, or people. I've also come to the realization that these names, do in fact define me; they solidify who I really am.

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And then there is Anna Quindlen, who remarks in her essay, "The Name is Mine", that, "there are two me's, the me who is the individual and the me who is part of a family of four". I wholeheartedly agree with that statement because, while I am not a different person, I act differently according to my surroundings. 

Most of you know that I am very quiet person, and I can't get up in front of people to talk to save my life. I also have a difficult time during discussions to say what exactly I want to say coherently, because most of the time, I jumble whatever I am going to say up. But when I get out of my school surroundings, or, at least out of a group of thirty kids my own age, my body relaxes. For example, I work at a retirement facility as a waitress, but the me who works there is a different me who goes to school. I am a very loud, assertive worker too, and I talk to anybody and everybody. The me who preforms at Open Mics are also different, because I have to talk and sing and pretend I just didn't mess up what I sing. 

As Demi Lovato sang, "This is Me", because this really is me; a grounded, quiet-but-not-quiet person. And I'm okay with that. 

As Hall and Oates Sang, "So Close, yet so Far Away"

We are the Other - David and Lou, South Minneapolis, MN (2012)

They were like an echo. Whatever question I asked one would answer and then the other would nod in agreement or repeat the answer. They met seven years ago when Lou (right) moved here from Chicago. “I don’t ever want to go back,” he said. “It’s hard for a young black man there. Mofos robbing each other.”

David lives a block away in the house he grew up in. They are “brothers from another mother” they said. Some other things they are:

“We love women.”

“Real recognize real.”

“We’re two bosses, entrepreneurs. We’re always gettin’ it.”

“Whatever gets the money, that’s what we’re into. And family. That’s about it.

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Let me be clear: this photo is not like any other photo; it is a photo of culture, of race, of dignity, of ethnicity,of man, of friendship, of life. It demonstrates how close and how far away two people can be, even if they're only feet away from each other, which is why I chose this particular photo. 

At a glance, the photo depicts two men sitting on a porch, one white, and one black. It looks as though they are enjoying each others company, and channeling some of the same energy.

But if you look deeper, you can see how the men hauntingly mimic each other; like the way both hunch over slightly, with their heads hanging over their bodies; the way their left arms bend slightly less then ninety degrees, clutching the hand; the way they wear their rectangular facial hair, surrounding the lips; the way their faces fall, as if sharing the same pain. The way they share their body language demonstrates how close the friendship the boys have, and how much they have rubbed off each other.

Besides how close the two men are, the photo also swings the other way by demonstrating how unalike they are. In the photo, the white man is wearing lighter clothing, and is sitting on the lighter side of the porch, where as the black man is wearing darker clothing, sitting on the darker side of the porch. Not only is the appearance of color important to their separation, but how ironically there is a porch beam barricading the white man to the left, and the black man to the right. This separation represents how the white man will never understand the black with his culture and background and vice versa.    

When I think about The Handmaid's Tale and connect it to the photo, I see the men representing the "others" together, and the "others" individually. 

They represent the "others" together because of how close they are. For example, in the book, the ultimate goal of the handmaids was to become one, and function as one.The unison that Atwood wrote that the Handmaids should have is depicted thorough Huie's photograph because even he himself wrote that the two boys "were like an echo" to each other. The resemblance of the two men cast them out of society and into their own "others" group. 

The two boys also represent the "others" individually because of the distance in culture and background. First, the black man grew up in Chicago and had a rough time there, setting him a part from his friend who grew up in Minneapolis. The difference in ethnicity most likely put the black man at a rougher point (stereotypes, racial profiling, unconsciously thinking that blacks are not superior to whites) than the white man, and because of that, suffered. In The Handmaid's Tale, the groups are set up based off of the background of each person. If these two men in the photo were placed in the society, they would go their separate ways, and get casted out into their own "other" groups. 

I've concluded that Atwood wrote to specifically divide each group in society, creating the "others", and unified the groups within, similarly to that of Huie. In both cases, color divided the groups, and shared feelings drew them together. 

As Hall and Oates sang, "So close, yet so far away", which represents both the book and photograph, and how the "others" group is formed.