Yakkity-yak column

Subsequent to finishing half of my mid terms (considered halfway to freedom), I decided to watch the show Sydney White. It is a college comedy starring Amanda Bynes but what sets it apart from the others is that it has elements of the fairytale; Snow White (hence the title). I cannot deny that there are certain scenes in this modern day remake that can be a bit cheesy for the audience as the producers try incredibly hard to draw parallels to the classic fairytale. Nevertheless, the movie can be use to analyze and discuss; communications 101 style!

Courtesy of those who do not watch the show(or have no intention), here is a synopsis provided by wikipedia.

“University freshman Sydney White has come to Southern Atlantic University to pledge her late mom’s once-dignified sorority. But, while surviving the pledging process wrought by evil campus witch mean-spirited sorority president Rachel Witchburn, Sydney finds out this version of sisterhood isn’t remotely what it’s cracked up to be. Banished to the Vortex, a soon to be demolished house on Greek Row, Sydney finds her rightful place with a band of seven very socially challenged guys. With the help of one lovestruck frat boy named Tyler Prince, she and the dorks campaign to take over student government. Fighting for the rights of misfits big and small, Sydney organizes her gang to revolutionize the system, once and for all.” – Wikipedia (a freshman’s beloved website)

As shown in other movies as well, a typical American college offers many groups of associations or commonly known as fraternities (a phenomenon absent in our local varsities). These segregations within the college mirror a high school groups of jocks, nerds and many others. Such divisions present in any institution are classic examples of group communication whereby the the basis of grouping lies within the individuals’ need for group synergy, cohesiveness, inclusion, control and affection. The show mainly focuses on two sororities; Kappa which belong to the high end of the social spectrum vs Vortex, the other extreme. The Kappas headed by a mean spirited Rachel Witchburn, is what we comm students come to know as groupthink. Typically, the members consists of ditzy and popular girls in the campus. With such similar personalities combined, the group gets too confident and begins to make decisions that they deem to be appropriate for the school. Unfortunately, they made a bad decision: To tear down an old frat house owned by the Vortex and build a summer house boasting of parties and what nots. The characteristics of the Kappa group also involve the tendency to to hold shared stereotypes- they believe that those who do not belong to a highly respected affiliation (like the Kappa) are basically dorks. The Vortex people are the ones suffering from this label for they are not accepted in any other groups, much less the Kappa.

Another reason why the Kappas uphold such an attribute is mainly due to the leader. Since she is a student body president who sets the rules and norms, she places pressure on dissenters. In other words, members dare not speak up rather, they are force to accept, otherwise they too will be part of the Vortex. The trailer below demonstrates bits of the groupthink symptoms present in the Kappas. See if you can spot it!

Contrastingly, the members of the Vortex displays opposite symptoms. Being socially ostracized because they do not belong to any group, they collectively rationalize and admit that they are dorks thus exhibiting signs of withdrawal.

In pursuit of changing their mindset, the main character Sydney White dares to step up to the elites. She portrays the devil’s advocate who shows the Kappas their flaws and that everyone has an inner dork side whether they realize it or not. With the help of other sororities and her faithful 7 dorks (members of the Vortex), she finally succeed in eliminating all kinds of social discrimination and also save the house that the Vortex are currently residing.

After watching the show, I did a bit of reflection. Personally, I think such organisations can be quite silly especially if their goal is to ostracize certain people that do not match their standards. Call me individualistic but sometimes its nice to be on your own; gives you new a perspective. So, the question still lingers- to be (in a group) or not to be? You decide!

Watching Japanese and Korean dramas is like seeing Knapp’s model come to live. Naturally, throughout the whole 10-15 episodes, you’ll see the progression and development of the relationship between the main characters. Since many J and K-dramas are similar in their plots, let’s just rule out one of my favorites to demonstrate.

Take Princess Hours for example.

In the first few episodes, you’ll see how the main characters Shin Chae-Kyeong and Lee Shin meet and eventually came to interact. As suggested by Knapp, this represents the beginning stage. Their coming together was actually initiated by Shin’s late grandfather who was actually an old acquaintance of Chae-Kyeong’s grandfather. Since they have to honor the old agreement as set up by their grandfathers, they end up marrying each other. As a married couple, they have to live together under the royal roof creating opportunities to bond and integrate. This proves to be hard for the young protagonists so naturally they went through experimentation of each other’s personality and quirks. Chae-Kyeong has it rough because being away from her family and coming to a strange place all of a sudden can be quite terrifying. Moreover, she has to learn the different traditions and customs befitting of a royal princess in a short period of time. This creates intensifying moments for the two of them as they learn more about each others shortcomings. Especially Shin who has to endure his wife’s mishaps more often than she. Chae-kyeong on the other hand has to endure his moodiness, unwillingness to join in any family activities and most importantly, his leftover feelings for his old sweetheart whom he initially have trouble forgetting. This stage proves to be quite crucial for both characters as they finally start to let go of their uncertainties. Through ups and downs, they then realized that they do like each other and so out with their secret lovey dovey feelings or “Sarang nayo-s…”. Soon after, they start to be physically and emotionally closer which earned many oohs and aahs of the audience (me especially, I simply cannot wait for the romance part).

The show also demonstrates the integrating stage which is the fourth part of Knapp’s Model. This is where Shin and Chae-Kyeong start to become an official unit as a couple much to the surprise of their friends and families. Who wouldn’t? They were at loggerheads beforehand with threatenings of a divorce. Fortunately, reconciliation and the growing accustomed of each other sees them through thus they are able to say; “We are a couple”. Lastly, the audience can see them bond even further as the love for each other deepens. This is shown through their re-marriage in a catholic church in Macau since they have not yet married for love. Also, the ending of the show strongly suggests that Chae-Kyeong could be pregnant which shows a high level of commitment between the two of them. A baby on the way could perhaps shoot the potential parents all the way to the interpersonal communication spectrum.

Baby or not, Princess Hours showed much promise especially for those who suffered the same fate and that is arranged marriage. Two strangers who are polar opposites could one day end up loving each other; now that is what I call a fairytale ending!

Paying full attention in class is never easy especially if you have an exciting life (at least you think you have) and a hungry stomach. While the teacher is yakking away up front, you are wondering when is break so that you can fill up that stomach and also fill up on the latest gossips with your friends. Familiar settings? Vaguely….if you’re in denial. I, for one do admit that I drifted off a couple of times during lectures until I realized that I could use some of the information for this post.

For example, I could use a classroom situation to explain the concept of a communication process. Theoretically, a communication process is the interaction between a sender and the receiver. The sender would encode a message and through a channel, the receiver would decode that same message. The sender is of course played by the lecturer, the receivers are students like me. The message would be explaining how the Mayans are sophisticated for their time. The lecturer would use the powerpoint slides as a medium to convey the intended message. Simply put, this is an example of a linear model. Of course, things are much more complicated than that therefore an interactive model was created.

With the new model, there are certain elements added to make it more profound. Back to the classroom example, the message might not get to the receiver due to the newly added elements like noise. The physical noise would come from other students who are not paying attention like their chattering and their laughter.  The psychological noise would come from the students’ state of mind. Were they really focused on the lecture or were they thinking of food? The other element is response that should come from the receiver. This could be in the form of non-verbal and verbal communication. As the lecturer speaks, do they acknowledge their understanding by nodding or by commenting?

However, this then creates a sense of sequential movement by the receiver and the sender which is not really the case in reality. This is why the transactional model is most appropriate in defining communication. Again, back to the classroom example, the lecturer and the students would always interact leading to a dynamic discussion. Lectures are never a one way communication but rather it is a process of simultaneous exchange. Lecturer talks, ask questions, invite people to come up and present while the students actively participates making both sides communicators.

Guess that is enough for communication models….now back to studying other chapters on communication for the mid terms.

Here’s a situation: Say you’re walking down a quiet street, along the way you smell spray paint. You turn and see bright drawings on the wall. Just a few steps ahead, the culprit is finishing the last of his masterpiece. Would you play the Good Samaritan and report him or join him in this artful activity? The former would just make you a party pooper because Graffiti or sgraffio as the Italianos called it are just the coolest fad ever to hit town. There are millions of them everywhere; in the Americas, Europe and even Asia. We heard of it, seen it, some even go as close as to scrutinizing its minute details but do we ever think of where it originates from? Could it a form of communication?

Okay, let’s all go back to ancient times where the stone men have nothing better to do than to play Pictionary on the walls. Yes, those little figure drawings on the rocks can be classified as Graffiti because it is a type of deliberate inscribed marking. But let’s not go that far. The colorful world of Graffiti existed ever since ancient times especially in Classical Greece and the Roman Empire. The images below are what is left of monuments or wall relics done by people at that time.

This was found in ancient Greek City; Ephesus and according to the Greeks, this form of Graffiti is an advertisement of prostitution. The painting consists of a handprint, a heart-like shape, a footprint and a number. It is supposedly to indicate how many steps one would have to take to find a lover, with the handprint indicating payment. The one below shows a figure drawing of a politician done on walls of Pompeii in Rome. Interestingly, besides graffiti of political consigns there are also other kinds that depicts expressions of love, insults and also quotations from famous literary works.

Then there was the Second World War graffiti whereby the Nazis produced writings on wall as a medium for propagandas. The main intention was of course to spark off animosity towards the Jews and the dissidents. That’s not all; another use of Graffiti is to declare protests to the general public like how the German non-conformists publicize their hatred against Hitler in 1942 (The White Rose). And we thought Graffiti is just another illegal painting on the bare walls!

Now fast forward to today’s world, modern graffiti still have the same intentions (public declarations and etc.) as the ancient graffiti but with a twist: Glaringly bright colors, unique designs and a whole lotta funk! Just take a look at the Yankee streets, subways and not to mention the Harlem slums. Each work of art has its own personal touch like how these Graff artists sign off their masterpieces with their names or initials. They call it tags, and it becomes increasingly popular because that would make them known and somehow infamous! Due to the passion for spray paintings started by American pioneers, Graff mania went on to other continents like Europe. The Graff artists there make their statements by painting on the trains too because that’s how they get traffic (millions of people can see their artwork). Moreover, with the influence of hip-hop culture, European graffiti gets more creative and bolder as the American ones. Even Asia seem to have caught the Graff bug with so many Graffiti pieces on the walls. Graffiti is so phenomenal that it’s surprising how the Great Wall of China hasn’t been tampered with! What’s even more worth wondering is how these artists can create such massive paintings on the walls with just a mere spray can? Though now, they have resorted to other innovations like oil-based chalk, paints, stencils and many other things we never dream of using. It goes to show that these artists are just as passionate as all the other famous artists. It seems that they could express their feelings and other creative thoughts through paintings on walls. Graffiti to them is like a device to show off their skills and talents. It is the same concept as say…American Idol which is the most watched reality show ever to hit the telly as it showcases young singers belting off tunes at the top of their lungs. Competitive? Yes and in the Graff world, it’s the same thing. This is why some of the art scribblers are well known because their pieces are extraordinary! First top on the list is 3A crew, founded by Ges; a Graffiti writer. Their pieces are mostly abstract and wild on a toned down background so that their drawings stand out more. Another advocate of abstract art is Dzine. His work mainly revolves around superposition of pictures centralized on the walls and also textures. He’s more into designs and so his pieces are more definable unlike most Graffiti works.

Street art has gain popularity from every angle and now we even see designers joining in the fuss and buzz of Graffiti world. They are mainly designers from the clothing line and so instead of admiring it only on the surfaces, we see people WEARING Graffiti! Hats off to the designers for they have cleverly turned street art to street wear with the production of ‘Graffitified’ clothes! Now, not only the artists could declare but also society wearing them. For the designers, it is a new strategy to spice up the boring designs on clothes. Famous logos on plain colored t-shirts just don’t look great anymore but with the spunk of a little Graffiti, t-shirts look incredibly cool and fast gaining popularity among the younglings. T-shirts are the most affordable piece of clothing and they look good with everything; skirts, jeans, you name it! So, splashes of graffiti on the t-shirts make them even more worthwhile to get…well….more. The impact of Graffiti on t-shirt designing has taken over the E-world too. There are websites like Alphabetiks.com and skatesonhaight.com selling off ‘Graffitified clothes’. They even have a designing contest where Graff artists can showcase their talents and their reward is: To see their art on t-shirts!

Interestingly, there is another kind of design that is taking the fashion world by storm. Graphic art, it seemed to have also influenced t-shirt designers as well. Like Graffiti, it also depicts any sort of expressions that can be as bold and daring. Many of the t-shirts that we see today are graphically designed and they are sellable, at fast rates too. Besides, the webbies mentioned above, take a look-see at skinnymunster.com or threadless.com. The t-shirt designs and motifs are one of a kind and limited. Graffiti, graphic art….we are too spoilt for choice! But all in all, both forms of design seem to express a mutual view: Declaration against white walls!!! Or in the fashion world, white tees!

Like many girls, I absolutely love the idea of being presented with heart-shaped candies, the “no reason” flowers and be surprised by a candlelight dinner on the beach. This preconception romance was further ignited when I recently caught the show 27 dresses last weekend. It was a typical romantic comedy with the typical boy meets girl script. Katharine Heigl convincingly portrayed a prototype- down on her luck(but gorgeous) type of a girl while James Marsden played another prototype: good-looking but very cynical writer. They met and being polar opposites of each other, they bickered and argued every time they bumped into each other. What makes the bickering scenes funny was that they used really fast but comprehendible sentences while retorting. There were also enough original comebacks and quips to keep the audience laughing until they forgot what the characters were actually arguing about. Moreover, there were animated actions to exaggerate the already comic situations and this what makes the show entertaining. One that was particularly memorable to me was when Heigl’s colleague slapped her cheeks real hard when she said “I love you too..” to her boss whom she absolutely has a crush on. It was scenes like this that keeps the show going and not mundanely romantic, which is the essence of a romantic comedy.

Of course, there are the scenes that would moved us girls to tears. One of which would be the ending where everything would come to light and hearts would be revealed. During such touching scenes, non-verbal communication plays a huge role in convincing the audience. I was particularly moved when Heigl hold her tears and emotions upon hearing how her sister was to get married to a guy she loved (or so she thought). There was also one point of time where she was so angry with Marsden for using her for his cover story but words could only say so much and so she used her piercing eyes and quavering mouth to convey that anger. The setting also contributed to the atmosphere of these emotion filled scenes. For example, there was the use of thunder and rain to portray outbursts feelings of passion. The use of songs like the slow number that slowly waltzed when the main characters embraced and kissed each other towards the end was also part of communicating the idea of romance to the audience.

All in all, 27 dresses was definitely a feel good movie that anyone (who has a general situation romantic comedy schema) would appreciate. Its vibrancy was not only played up by the actors but also by the busy and colorful background of Manhattan( I think) and not to forget the bridesmaid dresses that she has from those 27 weddings!

Here’s the trailer I’ve uploaded, enjoy!