Cultural Differences

For my English 3 class we begin each class with a YouKu video that a student’s chosen. They explain what the video is and why they like it. Today we had one that’s longer than usual, that all the students really liked, though it made me uncomfortable.

Stand up comedian Russell Peters jokes about how white people should hit their kids. While it’s original, I guess, I just didn’t find it funny. I thought it was troubling in so many ways. I’ve always been greatly opposed to corporal punishment and am well versed in it’s negative effects. Still in much of the world it’s common.

At the end of the set, he talks about how rude, angry and rebellious American white kids are. That rang true and I am still wondering why. Why do we accept rebellion and why is it so severe, when other cultures don’t express it?

From My Students

Here are a few short films and YouKu discoveries my students have shared recently.

from Spain

from Pixar

 

VEEP, Season 2 Begins

VEEP,  Season 2 starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus has begun!

Season Two opened with the midterm elections and the VP’s party gets crushed by the opposition. Serina, the VP, sees this as an opportunity to reposition her role in the administration and tries to orchestrate a power grab. Gary Cole plays a despised Senior Strategist for the President, who as usual never appears.

The episode flew by with lots of rapid fire jokes and physical humor involving getting the VP out of the Oval Office after she’s gotten her lip stick all over the President’s rug. It’s one of the best comedies on American television, though I have to say In the Thick of It was funnier. I think it would help to show the opposition party sometimes.

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Paperman

A cute Disney short.

English Vinglish

En route to China, I saw several films including English Vinglish, an Indian film about Shashi, a woman whose husband and children often tease her about her bad English. To make matters worse, they don’t appreciate her talents like her gift for making amazing Indian sweets called ladoos. When Manu, Shashi’s sister in America, needs her to visit to help plan her daughter’s wedding, Shashi’s nervous. How will she survive in New York with such bad English?

In the beginning it looks like Sashi won’t. She’s nervous and overwhelmed by the rude and fast paced society. Yet she takes action and secretly takes English lessons while her sister’s at work. Her classmates and goofy teacher provide a support system and her language improves. What’s more she’s caught the attention of Laurent, a French chef who’s smitten by her beauty and charm.

The film has a sweet and sentimental tone, that wouldn’t succeed in Hollywood. Shashi is innocent as are the other characters. Yet I got pulled in despite the treacle. I was intrigued that the film didn’t follow the typical path that a Hollywood film would. Instead we’re led to a final scene where Shashi gives a persuasive, touching speech in English on the virtue of remaining true to a spouse when a marriage is hit by inertia and overfamiliarity. I was surprised by how fresh that speech was. I think the innocent tone of the film, the color and the spontaneous dancing and singing worked for me.

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For Valentine’s Day: Best Romantic Comedies

For me Nora Ephron leads the pack for modern films and Audrey Hepburn stars in some of the best “oldies.”

1. You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. As a book lover the loss of the book store adds poignancy.
2. Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart. A perfect Cinderella story.
3. When Harry Met Sally with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. Just perfect. I loved the scenes with the older couples.
4. Notting Hill, with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.
5. My Fair Lady, a musical based on Shaw’s Pigmailion, starring Audrey Hepburn and Harrison
6. Roman Holiday, Audrey’s break out film with Gregory Peck.
7. French Kiss, with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline, you get to see France and Ryan. The film’s not terrific but the setting and Ryan make it worthwhile.
8. Annie Hall, a Woody Allen classic, starring Diane Keaton. Sometimes moving on is the happy ending.
9. Something’s Gotta Give, Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson show that even those over 35 can find new love.
10. Philadelphia Story with Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant.

I admit I like any romantic comedy with a smart heroine.

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Here Comes the Groom

Directed by Frank Capra, Here Comes the Groom stars Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman in an entertaining romantic comedy. Bing plays a reporter who’s working in France after WWII since he’s gotten waylaid at an orphanage helping them to get orphans adopted. He’s left a long time fiancée in the US and she’s tired of waiting and waiting for him.

With his fiancée giving him an ultimatum and his editor calling him back to the US, Pete (Crosby) navigates the red tape and returns with two French orphans planning to marry Emmadel. Unfortunately, the fiancée Emmadel is engaged, to a multi-millionaire no less. Pete must act fast to change her mind and find a mother for these kids.

Lots of singing, dancing and comedy ensues. It’s not sophisticated and I wasn’t rolling on the floor, but there was enough originality and wit to keep me entertained.

Dear Writers on “The Office”

Staff Writers
The Office
NBC

Dear Writers,

I’ve been getting caught up with The Office and am shocked at its decline. What have you done? Do you realize that you’ve whittled most of the characters down to one dimensional puppets? As one hulu.com commenter put it, watching The Office is now like watching an old friend on life support. I’ll add that the patient is now showing little to no brain activity.

You’ve crossed several comedic lines and wandered into the land of “Not At All Funny.” While it was somewhat funny, to have Oscar speculate that Angela‘s husband was gay, it isn’t funny to have an otherwise likeable character go behind her back and start an affair with her husband. Oscar has a lot of better choices and many of them could be funny. This one isn’t. At all. He’s now a plotting snake in the grass. Just because Angela’s annoying and uptight doesn’t mean she deserves betrayal or that she’s immune to the hurt. How craven do you think your audience is?

It’s preposterous that Andy can sail off on a sentimental journey without the higher ups caring. In many offices there’d be a real power struggle. And Andy as pure buffoon has been such a weak choice anyway. Michael Scott was weird and weak, but he was a terrific sales person and sincerely cared about his colleagues, often too much and therein lay the humor.

Now Jan’s back in her lower form. At the start of the series she was a type A bitch and symbolized a certain business woman. Then she got nutty and it wasn’t funny. It still isn’t and never will be. The episode where she plotted to get David in for a sales meeting didn’t make sense. Everyone knows the CEO doesn’t make sales calls.

Rumor has it we’re in for a series revolving around Dwight. Hmm. That”ll be tough to work because Dwight’s funny on The Office because he’s surrounded by normal people. I can’t envision watching a show where Dwight is the most normal character. But the real issue is we don’t need to see Dwight so much and we don’t need this season to lead us into your next series.

Erin’s always been too cute and too ditzy. That two men are interested in her is hard to see. She is a good fit for Andy and it’s pure puzzlement why the “young Jim-like character” would have any interest in such an airhead. It makes him look questionable.

It’s not like the world of work isn’t inherently funny. It is. There’s a lot you could do. If I were paid to offer some solutions, I think I could do better than what I’ve seen so far.

Where has the good writing gone? Have you hired people from The Big Bang Theory or other non-funny shows for this swan song season?

Sincerely,

SK

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Adam’s Apples

A very black comedy from Denmark, Adam’s Apples follows a neo-Nazi ex con out to a small church in the countryside led by Ivan, a pastor who’s so optimistic and positive it’s both annoying and just very weird. Adam can’t figure out Ivan the weird priest or the other misfits at the church. He has no faith whatsoever and immediately replaces the cross in his room with a portrait of Hitler.

Ivan tells Adam he needs a goal, something to strive to complete his community service. As a sort of smart aleck response, Adam says his goal it to bake a pie. While most normal priests (or people) would say, “Make a real goal.” Ivan accepts this goal and shows Adam the apple tree out front. This simple goal soon becomes a big challenge.

Plague upon plague befalls Ivan, yet he never lets his faith slip or reason prevail. It drives Adam absolutely crazy, though everyone around him, misfits all, seems to accept Ivan.

The film gets darker and darker, yet ends boldly and on just the right note.

This film is different, fresh and engaging. You can stream it on Netflix.

Remember Bob?

Classic comedy, indeed. I wish he was still on the air.