Mac-Binge: a netflix queue

Being a royal is not as easy or glamorous as it seems, just ask Macbeth. To relax, when he isn't yelling at witches, washing his hands, or plotting a murder, he enjoys a little screen time (okay, maybe a lot). His Netflix queue is not only entertaining, in fact, it is also quite revealing:

1. Pretty Little Liars- the guilty pleasure chick-flick
Macbeth added this show to his queue a while ago, "for Lady Macbeth," and kept watching because, really, who is A? As he watched he unconsciously picked up some ways to avoid spilling the truth. This came in handy when he chose to kill poor Duncan, and needed to get away with it.
2. Ghost Adventures Collection- turning viewers in to not-so-skeptics after all
This show is a classic and a must when you live in an old Scottish castle, with who knows how many wandering spirits. Macbeth enjoyed this show, but not too late at night, because ghosts freak him out. (he did pick up some tips for communicating with the ghosts in his own castle, though) These images definitely helped fuel his particular hallucination of Banquo as a ghost.
3. The Thin Blue Line- the post murder movie
A documentary that Macbeth added shortly after Duncan's blood had been rinsed off the walls. A director shows the life and story of a murderer, portraying him in an innocent light. Macbeth used this film to attempt to cope with his own feelings of guilt; he was trying to see how the blame could be placed elsewhere.
4. A Christmas Carol- a holiday classic?
While the holly jolly movie has been a reoccurrence in the Macbeth household each winter, it is much more than that now. Scrooge is considered a dark and mean man and is plagued by ghosts; they help him recognize his guilt and be renewed. Macbeth wonders if he too can be changed or saved and finds comfort in others feeling similar guilt. 
5. Charmed- the wyrd world of witches
 Macbeth and Banquo used to Netflix and chill, as friends, and this was a popular choice. They were fascinated by this drama of three sisters who interact with the supernatural, and who might be supernatural themselves. The boys definitely believed in the supernatural and thought this would give them some nifty insight. The witches on this show don't have beards (lame), but this explains the confusion about those uglies on the heath.

"is it too late now to say sorry...?" -Macbeth

Evil is defined here as morally bad and while morals are a unique concept to each individual, there appears to be a clear stereotype about who or what is considered evil. This stems from the belief that hurting others is immoral, and for most it is an unnatural decision; so why would anyone decide to take the initial steps towards being evil?

There are a plethora of reasons that an individual would suddenly change the alignment of their moral compass but none of these may trigger such a reaction unless he or she is internally weak. This is not limited to a weak mind but one could be excessively emotional, have suppressed desire or hate, unfulfilled potential, fear or discontent. As this character would have previously been seen as a protagonist or moral person, these would be masked or contained, either by their taught set of principles or a wish to be socially accepted. One example is Peter Pettigrew from Harry Potter; he is a coward who is easily broken in the face of evil. In Macbeth, the thane and eventual king appears to be discontented and is emotionally manipulated in to his crime, to some extent. 

The initiation in to evil is not the same for each of the turned individuals. It could be triggered by an event of some kind, a realization, an internal or external pressure, or a heightened emotion. In Macbeth, the play's namesake is started off on the "primrose path to everlasting bonfire" when he hears the Wyrd sisters, the witches, tell the prophecies. While at first he seems shocked, he quickly realizes his desire for the power they described and that it may not be acquirable in a pleasant way. The play also illustrates the influence of external pressure, in the form of Lady Macbeth. Her desire for power is much clearer than Macbeth's and she taunts and bullies him in to committing the deeds. 

The consequence of the turn to to evil and the dark actions that follow is that a ghost will cause you to disrupt your own dinner party. Well, at least that is how Macbeth experienced it, his guilt. Guilt leads to self-hate and paranoia or fear. The paranoia will lead to isolation and an unstable temper. For Macbeth, he comes to the conclusion that he has descended down the path too far to turn back, driven by fear of losing his new conquest of power. His hallucinations of the dagger and Banquo's ghost, and his dramatic response to the blood on his hands all stemmed from his deep feelings of guilt, and his refusal to accept such.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. GENESKY!!! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!!!

Art of Another Age #throwback

Adoration of the Magi, ca. 1520

Attributed to Master of James IV of Scotland (Gerard Horenbout)

Ink and tempera on vellum; 6 5/8 x 4 4/5 in.

This piece was most likely produced in the Flemish region, near Belgium. It is a manuscript page illustration, from a book of devotional prayers. It is an example of religious medieval art.

The image depicts the Biblical story of the three kings, or magi, presenting gifts to the baby Jesus Christ in the stable; it also shows their journey in the outer frame scenes. Because the illustration was painted in the “window” or “portal” style, the central scene is shown in the middle in a frame that appears to float in front of the bordering scenes. This allows for more of the story to be shown because the image is not made up of just a single scene. The subject itself maintains the traditional story line- the magi visit King Herod, journey to Bethlehem, and bring gifts to the baby Jesus. This accuracy is probably because it serves as an illustration in a religious text. The artist uses illusion of depth, not a simple flat style. He uses form created by shadow and texture to manipulate the viewer's perception, This is how the frame appears to float and yet the consistent landscape in the background brings the scenes together.

The color palette used in this piece was light paired with bright. Red, yellow, blue, and green are the most vivid and are used to contrast each other. The red robes on the kneeling king and blue robes on Mary are a bold combination and draw attention to the baby. The central characters, the royalty and family in the stable, are clearly wearing brighter colors than the other people. This draws focus to them and their clothes may also reflect wealth and power. It is also interesting to note that Mary and Herod are portrayed with the same two colors, though this is most likely to create a visually balanced aesthetic because they are on differing sides of the image.

The light distribution in the piece seems even between the central and border scenes, though it is slightly darker at the top. This is because of the dark stone doorway, wood of the stable roof, and darker blue at the top of the sky, The cast shadows present make the scenes more realistic and helps create illusory form in the buildings and frames by creating depth.

The use of the ink and tempura results in a clean texture that appears smooth. The artist creates implied textures in the rough stones, flowing robes, engraved columns, and smooth frames.

The composition of the illustration is quite interesting due to the artists choice of the illusory window style. The deception is that the central image appears to be floating in front of the other scenes surrounding it. This central image is enclosed by a gold frame, rounded at the top, and baby Jesus is clearly the focus within this frame. He is the lightest subject in this scene, surrounded in a white blanket, and positioned near the lower middle. The royalty lined up in rich color then draws the eye of the viewer to the arched door, to the barn animals and roof.

The upper background landscape, visible across frames, features a fading blue sky, lighter hues in the hills and ground and smaller figures. These do not draw as much attention and show distance and depth. Moving down, the lower scene with Herod and the magi of similar colors as the middle scene though just slightly duller, due to surrounding grey stones and buildings. The figures are just slightly smaller, and the magi appear to be kneeling less than when in the stable, though Herod stands, appearing dominant. The vertical columns draw a visual connection between the images and guide the eye up and down. The structure was effective because it allowed for a story to be told in a single image. It shows the interaction with Herod, the journey of the magi, and their adoration of Jesus. This combination in a single image is effective in a devotional book with limited pages for illustration.

The illustration was created with the purpose of communicating a religious story in an aesthetically pleasing way. The format serves to stimulate the viewer as they experience the devotional prayer book. This piece clearly depicts a story as told from the Bible; it is not communicating a unique message from the artist, though it can provide insight in to the values of the 1500's in Europe. The intended audience would have been Christian, most likely Protestant or Catholic, depending on where the prayer book was circulated. While the journey of the magi would have taken place far in the past, these people are depicted in clothes that share characteristics of the popular noble style of the 1500's. There are large, puffy sleeves, draping robes with large collars, chest plates, though the outfits seem less ornate or intricate. The style of building is also similar in style to the time period. This inclusion of contemporary style would help the original viewer to be comfortable and connected to the piece. Today, almost 500 years later, this artwork is still significant. People still practice Christianity and read the Bible, so the story is still understood and relevant. This illustration offers insight about its subject matter, the time period it originates from, and its artist; it serves as a historical source and an exemplar of visual art. 

(image courtesy of http://www.metmuseum.org)

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I went to the play!!!!

I went to the Rural Academy Theater performance! It was super great! #frackingisbad #parasites #corwinatestalebread #itwascold

<<<<< click here to feel like a newborn human with a beautiful soul while also being nostalgic for things that never happened and crying for no reason >>>>>

3 DAY WEEKEND GOT ME LIKE:

Freebie!

This is my one freebie for the first semester! Cool...  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯      

(a nice photo from my trip to Boone!)

 

hall of name

Image: http://www.thefeministwire.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/05/Name.png

(1) My name is Kaylee Ann. I go by Kaylee. My parents chose my first name because it means “keeper of the keys” or “pure” and gave me my middle name because it is a maternal family tradition. When I was born, my grandparents were a little shocked by my parents’ choice because the name was not directly derived from the Bible, though now they do not seem to mind. As I grew, my name was one of the first words I learned and I was able to recognize myself as Kaylee. Although I imagine this is true of all children, my name was important to me and became a title, a link to myself. My name is me and, especially as a child, there was no distinction between me and the name Kaylee. My name is a part of my identity. There have not been any very famous celebrities with the name Kaylee or situations involving any Kaylee’s, so there are not many general connotations associated with my name. This has allowed me to adopt this name and not feel much outside pressure or stereotyping about how my name defines me. I do not feel that it defines me so much that my name is a title for my being and person. I believe that I am working to establish a definition for my name so that those around me will associate “Kaylee” with my traits.

(2) Duality is the contrast of two aspects of one thing, or in my case, one person. I am a different persons in different environments. I do not believe that either of these persons is my “true” self, but that all of them are part of a greater whole. While my mannerisms, actions, or words may change, my core values and beliefs are constant. My environment can change how I think or how I behave. I am an introvert, always have been, and so I am much louder and sociable around people I already know, or in small groups. In larger groups, particularly around those whom I do not know, I am usually quiet; I am still thinking in the same way, but not willing to vocalize myself in the same way. I generally exist more as an individual with less people around, because I allow myself to fall back in to a group.

This coexistence of selves is also present when it comes to my family. My role in my house is a sister and step-sister, and the oldest daughter. I have responsibilities; I help my parents, drive my sisters around, and am generally viewed as studious. My family is important to me and they all helped to shape me in to who I am, but I am more than just a sister or daughter. I am also an individual with personal goals; I have my own ideas about where I want to live, what it means to successful, as well as about politics, religion, and even humor. It is not that they do not know me as an individual, it is that they perceive me through a tainted lens. My loyalty to my family is one part of me and most of the time takes precedence, especially because I live with my family. The duality is usually only a dilemma when my loyalty is split, like between spending time with family or friends, or working for my own goal or helping a shared cause. 

"Othering"

Photo courtesy of http://know.wingyounghuie.com/page/3

This photograph is part of Wing Young Huie’s collection Looking for Asian America: An Ethnocentric Tour. It was taken in 2001 in Baker, Montana, is called Demolition Derby and was posted on Huie’s blog in April 2012. In the background, the photo features a large crowd of various people and families seated in what appears to be a small stadium. Everyone in the background is white, they are of varying ages, dressed and arranged casually along the rows of seats. In the center foreground, a single Asian man stands alone. He is dressed in blue jeans, a leather belt, a short-sleeved beige button-up and a watch. The event seems to be popular for this community, and in general the people appear to be having fun. The Asian man’s facial expression is somewhat solemn and less excited than many of the other faces pictured.

On a deeper level, this picture speaks about racial identity and community. The Asian man clearly stands alone, not just physically but also in the sense that he is different than everyone around him; the rest of the people are white. While his attire is the same, his pensive face conveys his real sorrowful feelings about the situation. Described by Huie, on his blog, as looking “Photoshopped in,” this man clearly does not fit in. Some viewers could see this photograph as an image of inclusiveness because an Asian man is at this mainly white event, but the details of the photo make it clear that Huie is attempting “other” this Asian man. It is important to note that Huie identifies as an Asian American and how this may have prompted him to wonder about how this particular man feels, in comparison to how he appears in the photograph.

The way that Atwood presents “othering” in The Handmaid’s Tale is different than how Wing Young Huie does so in this photograph.

The perspective of Atwood’s narrator, Offred, a rebellious handmaid, allows for a better understanding of the main character and those on her side, while many secondary characters become “others.” In Huie’s photo the emphasis on the main figure that sets him as different from everything and everyone else in the scene. Furthermore, being of different forms, a novel and a photograph, the way the author and artist convey their messages are unique.

In Demolition Derby, Huie uses an interesting balance of contrast and integration. The main figure stands out, but at first glance his neutral colored shirt allows him to almost blend in to the crowd behind him. However, his position in the center foreground clearly sets him apart from the slightly unfocused white audience in the background. Compared to the general messiness and casual look of this said audience, the Asian man seems to be very clean and statuesque. His face is also turned in a different direction than most of the other people pictured and his expression is wistful, or even sad. The effect of using these visual layout tools is that the Asian man in the foreground is portrayed as separate from the rest of the situation. He appears lonely; his transparency furthers the idea that he might feel overlooked or ignored in his community. Although the man seems to accept his role on the outside by dressing nicely, his face reveals that his clothes are a facade used to disguise his lack of belonging. 

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood uses language to create a format and style that clearly shows the differences between Offred and the other characters. Because of the perspective of the narrator, the clearest “othering” is seen towards the beginning before Offred has the opportunity to understand deeper motives and identify with secondary characters. She originally feels very alone in her new household in Gilead and perceives her superiors, the Commander and his Wife, as cold and foreign. Her early musings about them are fairly simple and observant, because she is distanced from them. As she gets to know them, particularly the Commander, Offred explores the idea of humanity and her descriptions become less critical and more emotional.

Another example of how Atwood creates “othering” in the novel is the use of color as a symbol for each social class. The visual difference furthers the social distance between the groups as it creates an easy indicator of who has the power in a situation.