Witchy Business

Netflix Recommendations for YOU:

Character Netflix List:

The three witches, the "weird sisters" in Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth, were mystical and mysterious with their rhyming warnings and prophetic words. Below are a list of shows the three witches think that you, the Netflix viewer, would be bewitched by. Fair is foul and foul is fair, but all of these shows are fair in enjoyment!

1. SUPERNATURAL

The premise of Supernatural is two brothers searching near and far for their father who has gone missing. They face evil spirits that are supernatural (hence the title of the show). The Three Witches chose this show for you because it involves the mystery of whether these occurrences with the supernatural are actually legitimate or simply superstition and folklore. This is similar to the doubts felt about them in the play Macbeth.

2. ONCE UPON A TIME

A basic summary of Once Upon a Time is traditional fairy tales modernized and put in the setting of real world situations. They have become modernized due to an Evil Queen, which is why the Three Witches have recommended this for you. The presence of this supernatural Queen fating them to a life that they cannot choose is similar to the situation in Macbeth.

3. THE MENTALIST

The synopsis of The Mentalist is the story of an ex-psychic who now uses his manipulative powers to solve crimes for the California Bureau of Investigation. He manipulates his suspects to get what he wants from them. In the same way, the Three Witches in Macbeth manipulate Macbeth (through prophecy) to get him to live out his fate.

4. Pretty Little Liars

The Three Witches are huge fans of Pretty Little Liars. They especially love the character Hannah Marin because of her amazing last name. The gist of this show is the situations that a tight group of friends come in contact with a suspicious anonymous being who knows all of their secrets named "A". At first they think it is their friend Alison who went missing, but once they find her dead body, they reevaluate. This is a recommendation from the Three Witches because they love throwing up mysterious messages in which other characters much decipher, and want you to feel the same intensity through this captivating show!

Double Double Toil and Enjoy,
The Weirdos (aka Weird Sisters)

A Manly Man's Manliness

What makes a man? 

Is it his height?
His strength?
His handiness?
His facial hair abilities?

His body odor? (just kidding…kind of)


The definition of what a "man" should look like varies from person to person and from era to era. It depends the culture and upbringing of a person to create the bias that influences how they perceive men. In the era of Macbeth (or at least the era where Macbeth was set) a man was supposed to be viewed as an aggressive warrior type who wanted to consume power no matter what he would have to do to possess it. For example, when Lady Macbeth was trying to get the courage to murder the king, she wanted to become more like a man, because she thought that it was manly to murder someone to gain power. She also thought it manly to not feel guilt about harsh deeds. In Act I, Scene V, she asks the spirits to "unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood; stop up the access and passage to remorse."

A "good man" is another debatable term that many people react to differently. There are multitudes of songs defining and debating manhood including "I'm Still a Guy" by Brad Paisley. Paisley sings, "These days there's dudes getting facials, manicured, waxed and bottomed, with deep spray-on tans and creamy lotiony hands you can't grip a tackle box. With all of these men lining up to get neutered, it's hip now to be feminized. I don't highlight my hair, I've still got a pair. Yeah honey, I'm still a guy. Oh my eyebrows ain't plucked. There's a gun in my truck, Oh thank God, I'm still a guy." Paisley is perpetuating the aggressive stereotype expressed by Lady Macbeth that a man must be rough and tough. He also brings up the "having a pair" situation…which is awkward to include in an English blog, but what the hay! It's a common topic that many guys bring up when it comes to "manliness".

However, in the song "Ain't Got Nothin'" by The Kickin Grass Band, the lead singer verbalizes that her dad used to tell her, "It don't take britches to make a man, it takes a good woman with a loving hand. And your Momma's in the kitchen frying bread on the pan, so you know we'll be okay." This song implies that a good man loves his wife and has a solid family foundation. This kindness yet again goes against Lady Macbeth's view that only women can be kind. In the same scene as before, she writes, "Yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of human kindness." 

Personally, I think that a "good man" is someone who is confident in himself, yet humble. He spends time with his family, and makes a point to help lead them toward a Christ-ly love. He is a protecter, but also a willing caregiver. I am not one for setting gender roles in place, and I do not think that a man "leads" by making all the money or not doing any chores around the house, but I do think that a man should set a good example for the rest of his family, as should his wife. A good man will put others before himself and admit fault when he does something wrong. He will love others and will be conscious of those around him. While a good man does not have to live up to all of these "good man" standards 24/7, he should somewhat try to meet these goals of a modern man's "goodness".

Can I get an aMEN?

Behind the Censor Bar

Moris (Israel Meza Moreno)

(b. 1978, Mexico)

Miradas I

2012

Miradas I is a series of "Miradas" made up of black acrylic paint over a highly pixelated photo of a group of criminals. It portrays the one of the most exposing part of someones body - the eyes. While covering someones eyes can be used as an effective form of censorship, Moreno chooses to display this personal feature. This might be so that the exhibit viewer can relate to the criminal, and say "those could be my eyes" or "my friends eyes". 

Created in Mexico City in 1978, it captures the idea that it is harder to identify what criminals will look like. Especially during this time period in Mexico City, there was not a stereotype for someone who was a risk. 

Original Work

My Attempted Sketch


As one can see in the picture of Moreno's original work and my attempted sketch, the eyes are what stand out. It is often said that eyes are "the windows to the soul". Maybe Moreno is trying to reveal the true nature of these criminals, as opposed to having their only identification come from the crimes they have committed.

Moreno uses the dark acrylic paint to make the light parts the focus of the viewer. The box shapes around the eyes create a uniformity in the midst of the different expressions that each set of eyes possess. The slight transparency of the black paint creates an illusion of what is left of the person before they were condensed to only their eyes being visible.

  This work negates the societal idea of judging a criminal from the crime he or she has committed. Moreno strips each criminal of their "masks" and displays the deep connection two people can have through eye contact (the viewer and the criminal). The title of the work Miradas actually means "look" which can be interpreted either from the perspective of the criminal looking out of the black boxes or the art viewer looking in.

The museum exhibit focused on the absence of something in each piece. I think that this piece was chosen to be a part of it not only because of its lack of including the bodies of these criminals, but also because it forces the viewers to have a lack of premature judgement over them as well. Even though this piece is almost forty years old, it still has significant meaning in today's society. One cannot judge the soul of a man or woman by simply a look…a mirada.

find YOUR strong.

This video was posted by Saucony on April 27th, 2011. It was posted on its YouTube channel "AtSauconyWeRun". It is an advertisement for Saucony running shoes. The YouTube channel slogan alone could be interpreted as a play on the phrase "In God We Trust", which evokes an American pride and likeness among Americans. "AtSauconyWeRun" could be trying to ride this bandwagon of pride to play a role in the influence of their shoe brand.

This video stars athletes who are training in unique and beautiful landscapes. They are all runners and they all sweat A LOT. All of the people in the advertisement look like they are at the peak of fitness and are QUITE the human specimens (...hello there!). Everyone in this video is very good-looking (in my opinion), perhaps suggesting these running shoes will help a person reach fitness goals and/or beauty.

The author of this advertisement, Saucony, uses vibrant colors and determined facial expressions to portray confidence among the athletes. This is a persuasion technique. In the beginning of this commercial it asks the question, "What is strong?" It goes on to ask several more questions directed at the viewers including, "Is it YOUR best time or YOUR worst day?"Over and over again, it shows men and women working hard with intense music in the background. This is occurring while a masculine, breathy, motivating man is speaking mysteriously  throughout the video giving possibilities of what the definition of "strong" might be. (How does one get this job??) All the while, he repeats the words YOU and YOUR, insinuating that strength can only be found within yourself. 

The language used within this ad was very open ended, leaving it up to the consumer to decide what strong means to them. This manipulates the viewer into thinking that he/she somehow plays a role in or can relate to this strive for physical strength that the runners share. Personally, I think that this video glamorizes self pride. Whether this is a tactic to motivate an audience or simply persuade people to buy Saucony's shoes…mmmm I'm leaning towards the former.

It seems like all of the runners shown in this advertisement have a fairly well-to-do economic background, considering they all have quality, name-brand running gear. Also, to be able to travel/live in these picturesque places might be expensive. Socially, they all appear to have been brought up with the idea that pride is essential to success. Achieving victory (personally or otherwise) could be all that these runners strive for, thus creating this same state of mind for the consumers of Saucony's shoes.

so many things, so little time...

FREEBIE!

That which we called a rose by "Marlin" it would still smell delightful...

M-A-R-I-N.

Marin Kimberley Herold.

No,
not Maria
or Marn
or Martin
or Marline
or Marvin
or even Marlin (you'd be surprised at how many times this happens).
Simply Marin.

My name is the sort that makes substitutes apologize in advance, baristas squirm, and employers stumble. The first reaction to it is usually, "I've never heard that before" or, "How unique" followed by a five-minute-later checkup, "What was your name again?"

At first it bothered me when people said it wrong or gave me silly nicknames to cover up for the fact that they did not want to spend the time learning how to pronounce my name. But as time went along, I realized that I was not defined by my name and that no matter what people called me, I was still who I was. I was my happy-go-lucky, talkative, goofy self no matter what name I was labeled as.

This realization; however, does not stop me from loving and relating to my name's meaning. According to www.behindthename.com, the name Marin comes from the French, Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and Macedonian form of "Marinus", which is a Latin word meaning "of the sea". I have always loved going to the beach, but I think I relate more to the history of WHY I was named Marin as opposed to the actual definition of "Marin".

My parents met in Pacifica, California, which is about twenty minutes south of San Francisco. When they dated, they would spend much of their time mountain biking across the beautiful scenic trails of Marin County, CA (about an hour away from San Fran). After a four-hour biking trip, they would cool off at a local general store for some refreshments and live music. These afternoons of bliss in the hills of Marin County were times they found joy together. When they found out I was joining the fam, they wanted to provide a name that would pass down a life of bliss and satisfaction found in these hills of Marin County.

So here I am, blissful and satisfied Marin Kimberley Herold, ready to take on life.  I will still always introduce myself as "Marin/whatever you want to call me...as long as you call me!", but I know that my name is special to me and given to me for a purpose.

As an individual, I am confident and proud of who I am and my name's personal history. As a fellow human being of this world, I know that a name is just a label, and that it is what you choose to do with your life that provides the definition of who you are. In my life, I strive to be a light for others.

I am "two".
I am a daughter to my parents.
And I am a friend to you.

I am Marin.

Othering

From the Archive - We Gave Them An Inch, Fargo, North Dakota (1999)

http://know.wingyounghuie.com/page/2

At first glance of this photograph, I see a man with a confident stance. He is wearing sunglasses that block the vision of the viewer from seeing his eyes which prohibits him/her from making a connection with the man. He is standing in front of a shop that seems to be somewhat empty. He is wearing sturdy jeans, a bracelet and a T-shirt. As I dig deeper into the photograph, I notice the man has scarred arms. He is seemingly Native American in looks and as I read his shirt which reads, "We gave them an inch and they took 5000 miles", I confirm that my assumptions are correct. His shirt is referring to when the Europeans first colonized America, which was primarily home to the Native Americans. This man presents himself in a way that encourages the concept of "othering". He presents himself as "unlike the rest of us" by wearing a shirt that uses the words "We" and "They". This is meant to influence a specific audience. If the audience happens to be fellow Native Americans, the use of "We" and "They" provides a sense of camaraderie within the Native American community by this use of "othering". However, the opposite effect is accomplished when the audience happens to descendants of the European colonizers. This diversity of audiences provides different perspectives of the same topic of this "othering". It can make people feel included or isolated. 

As presented in this picture, Margaret Atwood also uses the concept of "othering" in her book, The Handmaid's Tale. She displays Offred as a character that does not fit in with society in her thinking and perspectives. Some readers might relate to Offred by feeling like an outsider in their community, while others might feel distant from her because of their devotion to the specific culture that surrounds them. Every perspective will very due to this ever-present diversity of audiences.