As White As Snow

That title might be a bit misleading since I'm up at Rexburg, you might think I'm writing about winter or something. Not so. Well, actually, speaking of Rexburg, I've had a boat-load of homework and assignments. It can get a bit overwhelming and sometimes I need a break. Sometimes I just go out of my room to eat something, talk to my roommates and/or whomever's in my apartment, go for a walk, or watch a movie/show. On the subject of the latter, I've recently taken to watching lame fairytale adaptions. You know, Ella Enchanted-type films. I got to the Snow White ones and remembered 2012 when all the Snow White adaptions came out.

What is it about that particular fairytale? It's one of the ultimate classics that literally everyone knows along with Cinderella. I don't think it's just because Disney's adapted it, but there's something else about it. The romance, the magic, the symbolism, good vs. evil, the classic witch, a princess, true love's kiss…

I know you're all just dying for it, so I've compiled all the versions of the Snow White story I've seen (which just happens to be 5) from worst to best.

5) Snow White and the Huntsman

Not only is this the worst Snow White adaption I've seen, it's one of the worst films I've ever seen. And I do not say that lightly. It was just so confused with where it wanted to put the focus. Was it on the characters? The action? The romance? It certainly wasn't on the plot, I can tell you that much. It continuously threw in so many new plot points then threw them away immediately afterwards because… no, I can't even say they were necessary for the moment. They were always just there to give it more action and/or to show off special effects. I very, very rarely will skip through a movie, but I did in this one because I was just so bored. I skipped most of the climatic battle because I just didn't care. Also, it changed the original fairytale too much and in weird ways. I mean, I'm all about fresh ideas and new takes, but when it's done poorly and the ideas are just dumb… then no. The one thing I will give it is that the special effects were pretty impressive, unnecessary most of the time and confusing, but still impressive.
Snow White is played by Kristen Stewart. I actually thought she did pretty well. She can actually act despite her robotic performances in the Twilight series. However, the movie continuously says that she is sweet and innocent… Um, no. Her actions keep speaking against her and by the end, she very much is not.

4) Mirror Mirror

I actually kind of enjoyed this one. It was a pretty bad movie by most people's standards (and quite frankly, by a lot of my own standards). It was predictable, tried too hard to be "original" to the point of bizarre, was very much on the "girl power" train, and was a little goofy. But I still enjoyed it. I had fun watching it. The costumes are so over the top and strange and it just adds to to its enjoyability. I wasn't annoyed by most of the changes it made to the original story like I was with Snow White and the Huntsman (the only one was with the apple, I was a bit disappointed). Other than that, I don't really have any complaints, it's just a quirky and bizarre flick which I sort of liked.
Snow White is played by Lily Collins. At first, I didn't like her, but second time around, I thought she did in fact capture the sweet innocence of Snow White very well. I just don't know about her bangs.

3) Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The first adaption I ever saw and probably the reason most people know the story. This version gets such a bad wrap and I don't know why. Have you people watched it recently? It's actually pretty good. When you're a kid watching it, it's probably not very entertaining because there's not a lot of bright colors, upbeat songs, a fast pace story, slapstick, and Snow White has kind of an annoying voice. However, I watched it recently now that I'm grown up and it's actually a pretty impressive film, especially for being the very first full-length animated film. The story is engaging, the dwarfs are each unique and interesting, the queen is intimidating and a total boss, the backgrounds and designs are beautiful, the songs are actually quite good (yes, even "Someday My Prince Will Come", just look past the voice). The climax is super intense, and that funeral scene has got to be one of the saddest scenes I have ever watched! I mean seriously, you don't notice this stuff when you're a kid. It's a pretty good movie!
Snow White is voiced by Adriana Caselotti. Yeah, she doesn't have the most amazing voice especially when she sings. She does manage to portray the character though and that's what matters.

2) Sydney White

Not many people have heard of this movie which is a real shame. It's a modern take on the classic fairytale. I'll just give a brief overview of the plot: Sydney White is kicked out of her sorority house by the controlling president, Rachel Witchburn. With nowhere to go, Sydney finds shelter with seven campus outcasts at their residence, the Vortex. Rachel threatens to tear down the Vortex to make way for a new sorority spa. Sydney rallies together the seven dorks to run for student council against Rachel. Simultaneously, Sydney catches the eye of frat boy, Tyler Prince.
Honestly, it is just a cute, cheesy little movie, not a giant production with an amazing script, special effects, fantastic costumes, or any of that. It is very enjoyable though and the Snow White story is very well incorporated into modern times. I love that sort of thing. I like seeing a classic story reimagined in a different setting (especially if it's done well, which this one is). The way the poison apple is done, "heigh-ho", how the magic mirror is portrayed and the "fairest in the land", "it's looking grim, brothers", and so on. It just made me laugh.
Sydney White (the Snow White character) is played by Amanda Bynes. She's always a laugh. She plays her part very well. She's very good at portraying awkward tom-boyish characters.

1) Once Upon a Time

I'm surprised this is at the top of my list since I fell out of love with this show a while back. But I do have to admit that I really, really enjoyed how they handled the Snow White story. I don't know if they did anything further with the story since I stopped watching (I can't imagine they did since it seemed wrapped up). The story was very fleshed out and thought out. Even though there were some changes made, I still enjoyed it. There was background given to the characters and situations: how the queen became queen and why she hated Snow White, how Snow and the prince met and fell in love, why Snow ate the apple, Snow's relationship with the dwarfs, the huntsman's story, what Snow did after the huntsman let her go, and so on. It was a very good story.
Snow White is played by Ginnifer Goodwin. She certainly looks the part. She can be a tad bit over the top sometimes, but then it is a very dramatic show. I like her in the role.

I Am Sherlocked

It's been a while since I've talked about this show. Like, a REALLY long while. I think the last time I mentioned it was right before the second season came out. And if you know about this show, you know that there's about a two year gap between each season. Now in the midst of waiting for season four, I've decided it was time to bring it up again.

For those who are unaware, Sherlock is a modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm sure most people have heard of Sherlock Holmes-- that detective with the funny hat… I'll expound: In the late 19th century, the stories are told from Dr. John Watson's point of view as he writes down his experiences and adventures with his flatmate (or roommate to Americans), Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is hyper-observant and highly skilled in deductive reasoning. He is employed by the police as a "consulting detective" and helps them with especially baffling cases.

From the 2015 Christmas special "The Abominable Bride"

So basically, all of this is updated into modern times in Sherlock. Instead of it taking place in the 1800's, it takes place in the 2010's. The characters use phones, laptops, emails, and so on. (There was actually a Christmas special a couple weeks ago where the characters were set in the 1800's, calling each other "Holmes" and "Watson", dressed up in the clothes of the time, smoking pipes, riding in carriages, and all that. It was great!). Everithing's all integrated very well in the show. I've read the original Sherlock Holmes stories and I can say that the show does a spot on job of updating the characters, the stories, the setting, etc. There are many references and shout outs to the original stories. All the episodes are based on at least one, if not more, Sherlock Holmes stories.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original mysteries are already very intriguing and engaging, and the show's writers exquisitely update them without taking away any of the suspense or mystery. If anything, they add to them.

The first episode of Sherlock is "A Study in Pink" which is based on the Sherlock Holmes story,
"A Study in Scarlet", which is the story where Holmes and Watson first meet. The episode sticks closely to the original source material, but still manages to surprise you even if you have read "A Study in Scarlet". The same principal applies to all the episodes. The writers throw in their own twists and original material, making it their own without veering too far from canon.

I love Sherlock and John! They are the best aspect of the show. Complete polar opposites and yet still friends. Sherlock is sort of a jerk a lot of the time with his cold calculated reasoning and obliviousness to feelings so that John is always calling him out on it. Their bantering is too hilarious! But then, their friendship is so real! John is the one person Sherlock cares for. Literally.

Of course there's Sherlock and Moriarty. Wow, the way they updated Moriarty. He is such a maniac! But a genius at the same time. Of course, the ever so famous Reichenbach fall is included (if you know the canon, you know what happens there). That entire episode stressed me out so much!

Then Mycroft… His and Sherlock's relationship amuses me on so many levels. Even though they're both such superior intellects, they're still such siblings making childish jabs at each other. Mycroft's not fat in this version so his first appearance surprised me (but then, I suppose that was the point). But all the references to his weight and his diet crack me up (especially from Sherlock).

Inspector Lestrade is there, Mrs. Hudson (as the landlady rather than their housekeeper, which there are many jokes about), Irene Adler, and more.

(left to right) Molly Hooper, Mary Watson, Dr. John Watson,
Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Greg Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson

The second season covered three of the most famous Sherlock Holmes stories: "A Scandal in Bohemia" (Holmes's run-in with Irene Adler, where he is outwitted), "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (when a nobleman suspects his friend of being killed by a demon dog), and "The Final Problem" (when Moriarty attempts to take down Holmes). Now, I think they writers covering the smaller ones and creating more of their own stories.

Ever heard of Benedict Cumberbatch? He's starting to make a name for himself now. (Smaug in The Hobbit? Khan in Star Trek?) Anyways, he plays Sherlock. He is SO good! He's such a good actor, I mean seriously! He's definitely a favorite of mine. How on earth does he memorize those 5,000 word long deductions and then spew them out at 90mph? And Martin Freeman (he's Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit), plays John. Awesome chemistry! Fo' realsies!

Each season consists of three 90-minute episodes. As I said above, there's about a two year waiting period between each season. It's a lot to ask from the fans, but believe me, it is SO worth it! The episodes are so refined, so polished. Every single shot is eye candy, perfectly framed, perfectly angled. Breath-taking lighting! The actors are SOOOO good! The music is amazing! The scripts are so awesome! The costumes are legit! Everything is just so perfect! I mean, literally! I have no complaints.

TRAILER

And if you were wondering, all the seasons are on Netflix (except for the Christmas special since that just came out a couple weeks ago).

Top 12 Doctor Who Episodes

I finally caught myself up on one of my all-time favorite TV shows, one of my early loves, one of my oldest obsessions… Doctor Who. After I finished, I began rewatching and reevaluating some of the old episodes and reminded myself of why I loved it in the first place (because I did sort of fall out of love with it for a bit). As I did that, I created a list. But not a top ten list... a top 12! Because that's what Doctor we're on now :)

(If you don't know what Doctor Who is, you can check out my brief explanation blog post I wrote when there were only eleven Doctors HERE, but the information still stands)

Oh yes, this has been long LONG overdue. So here we go (caution, there may be minor spoilers):

12) The Christmas Invasion- TENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor has just regenerated and manages to land the TARDIS back on earth Christmas day only just before he collapses and falls into a coma. Meanwhile, a space probe sent out by scientists to explore Mars is intercepted by an aggressive alien race who plans to invade Earth and sell the population into slavery. With the Doctor out of commission, Rose and the new prime minister attempt to sort out the mess and pacify the aliens.

I have a certain fondness for this one. I don't really know why. It's not much better than a lot of other ones plus the Doctor is absent for 80% of it (and he's the main selling point of the show). I think it's just when the Doctor does finally show up, it's really good. I mean, we've grown attached to the ninth Doctor-- Christopher Eccleston's Doctor-- and suddenly he's gone and we've got… well, David Tennant. The way he establishes himself is so brilliant, funny, and impacting without being overly powerful and emotional (like it tended to get with later regeneration establishment scenes). You just watch him perform and you think "Yes! That is the Doctor!". One of my favorite bits, the Lion King bit. You really have to watch it to fully appreciate it.
Also, it is interesting to see that the TARDIS and the Doctor are linked in the respect that the TARDIS is out of commission when he is. And it was nice to see Harriet Jones again, also the first mention of Torchwood.

11) Smith and Jones- TENTH DOCTOR

An entire hospital is uprooted from its place and taken to the moon. Strange alien police thugs arrive and begin scanning the patients and staff, searching for a non-human life form. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Doctor had checked into the hospital the day before and is accompanied by a doctor-in-training, Martha Jones, to find the hiding alien before the air runs out, the criminal is not found and the entire hospital is declared guilty, and/or before the Doctor himself is targeted.

I often recommend this episode to people who are first watching the show. It literally has everything in it and explains everything (at least the basic stuff); Who and what the Doctor is, what he does, the TARDIS, the sonic screwdriver, the basic gist of how an episode goes, who a companion is, etc. The plot is entertaining enough too. Lots of people give Martha grief for some reason, but I quite like her.
It's the first time we see the Judoon who come up several times in the future. It's interesting because they're not really bad guys, they're just doing their job, but it becomes a threat when the real bad guy can't be found.  There's a good amount of suspense, but it's not one of the overly dramatic ones where the Doctor gives a big speech about what he's going to do or whatever. In fact, the way he gets them out of the mess is really quite clever. I wish there were more episodes like this. Suspenseful and fun, but not too dramatic and makes you question your humanity and morals at every turn.

10) Nightmare in Silver- ELEVENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor takes Clara and the children she watches to a space amusement park only to find it long-since abandoned and destroyed. Soldiers based there tell them of the war against the Cybermen and how they were wiped out. However, dormant Cyber bugs latch onto the children and begin to assimilate them. Cyber bugs come for the Doctor too, planning to make him the Cyber-planner, but he fights back. He makes a deal with the Cyber-planner, Mr. Clever, that whomever wins a game of chess takes over his mind and can do what they want. Meanwhile, supposedly dead Cybermen reawaken and begin attacking the soldiers and Clara.

Now, I find the plot to be a little complicated (certainly not the most complicated that Doctor Who has ever come up with. Not by a long shot), but it was still engaging. What really sold it for me was Matt Smith's performance. *slow claps* The way he switched between the Doctor and Mr. Clever was so subtle and so dramatic at the same time. The way the internal struggle was portrayed with them talking to each other was brilliant. Then showing the one body changing posture and voice as the two minds switched back and forth. Yes! The performance is so good! Matt's voice just goes colder and his eyes squint up when he's Mr. Clever. You can hardly tell… But you can! It's so subtle, but it's so dramatic! It's difficult to explain. And I loved their chess game too. It made it all the more intense. 

9) The Husbands of River Song- TWELFTH DOCTOR

The Doctor is mistaken for a surgeon who is called to remove a diamond from a cybertronic king's head. When he arrives, he finds River who has married the king and plans to have the Doctor simply chop off the king's head rather than surgically remove the diamond. She fails to recognize the Doctor and he becomes tangled up in her scheme to escape the king's murderous cybertronic body and sell the diamond.

I just love the Doctor and River's interactions in this. Even when River doesn't know it's him, it's so sweet and so fantastic. I mean, nothing against Matt Smith because he is a doll and I love him, but really this couple seemed a lot more natural and well… together. Eleven and River were cute and everything, but they were a lot less… I don't know. Like it was more physical and shell-like. Twelve and River, when they're together, you could just feel that they were a team and that they cared for each other. (Not hating on Eleven/River because they did have their moments). The way the Doctor looks at her! *puts hand over heart* How can you say that he doesn't love her back? I will fight you!
I love jealous Doctor. Ha! And of course, River up to her usual antics. It's all a pleasure and a joy.

8) The Lodger- ELEVENTH DOCTOR

When the TARDIS struggles to land and the Doctor is expelled from it with Amy inside, he becomes flatmates with a fellow, Craig, who lives near the problem. The Doctor attempts to live as a normal person while simultaneously investigating what is stopping his ship from landing… which seems to be coming from the flat above Craig's.

Such a funny episode! The Doctor trying to be normal. You can imagine. When he stumbles out of the shower and attacks with the toothbrush XD Plus James Cordon as Craig! The two actors play off each other so well, I love it so much. It's not a particularly interesting story in respects to many others, but I love the characters, the dialogue, the acting, and everything.
(Also, check out Closing Time, when the Doctor pops back in on Craig again. It was SO close to making the list)

7) Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead- TENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor receives a mysterious message on the psychic paper telling him to come to the largest library in the universe. When they arrive, they find it completely empty, but are soon joined by a team of archeologists who have come to investigate the library's vacancy. What happened to everyone? And what is in the shadows?

Easily one of the scariest monsters in Doctor Who, the Vashta Narada. I thought I was over it, I've seen this episode(s) a thousand times years ago, but I watched it the other night and then had to go downstairs and I got really uneasy being in the dark. It's interesting how the episode(s) play out because you're just so confused for the large majority of the time. Like who the heck is that little girl? What's she got to do with the library? Where in tarnation is Donna at? And so on. Very Steven Moffat-ish. Now that I'm over the initial frustration of it, I appreciate the cleverness of it all. I'm also impressed by the monster. Doctor Who always tries to create monsters out of nothing, fears everybody has, or whatever and sometimes it falls right on its face (really? Eye booger monsters? Give me a break!). But this one took a fear that pretty much everyone has at some point (fear of the dark) and turned it into something even worse and almost believable.
Then of course, there's the introduction of River Song. Oh, if only we knew then all the complicated plots and twists that would soon follow.

6) Time Heist- TWELFTH DOCTOR

The Doctor and Clara awaken at a table with two other people and a recording of each of them saying that they agreed to a memory wipe. They are then briefed on an unbreakable bank which they have apparently agreed to break into with an unknown target. Among many threats in the bank, the greatest is the Teller, a telepathic sort of sniffer-dog alien who can read guilt and kill you by melting your brain.

It's just a very entertaining plot. A sort of Now You See Me type episode. These four people have absolutely no idea why they're breaking into this supposedly unbreakable bank, because the less they know, the safer it is since the Teller reads guilt. It's very intense. I like how it's a group effort with everyone's separate abilities combined. Also the mysterious "Architect" who's present all along the way, helping them. It's suspenseful and engaging. I just really enjoyed it.

5) Human Nature/The Family of Blood- TENTH DOCTOR

John Smith is a school teacher at an all boys boarding school in the early 1900's. He is a little bit clumsy and awkward, but still quite brilliant. He fancies the school nurse and is tended to by a maid, Martha. He spends a lot of his time writing down his strange dreams into stories; that he is a time traveling alien who visits other worlds and saves lives. 

This one... You're just sitting there like "What is going on?". Because this guy looks like the Doctor, but he's not acting like the Doctor. Is he pretending? Is it a dream? Martha is there and she almost seems to know what's going on. But WHAT is going on!?
And when you find out what is actually happening and that choice has to be made… oh! Your heart is just torn to pieces! Seriously!

4) The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances- NINTH DOCTOR

The Doctor and Rose land in 1940's London and become separated. The Doctor comes across scavenging orphans. They all are afraid of a certain little boy wearing a gas mask and calling for his mummy. The Doctor is instructed to not let the boy touch him. Meanwhile Rose meets a charming Time Agent from the future, Captain Jack Harkness, who believes they are there to buy his product.

Another classic Doctor Who episode. "Are you my mummy?" Yeah, say that to a Whovian, it'll send them running. I like watching everything play out and then come together in the end. Just all the subtle little things in the beginning that you wouldn't think are important, but then end up being key plot points.
Also, the introduction of Captain Jack Harkness ("and who are you?" XP). I wish he'd come back, I loved him. Then, of course, Nine had to be on my list somewhere! People who skip him should be ashamed of themselves and their parents for having them!

3) The Doctor's Wife- ELEVENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor is summoned to the outer reaches of the universe by a distress beacon of the Time Lords. Once arrived, the TARDIS matrix dies. While investigating, they meet the inhabitants; the Patchwork People and their master, House- the intelligence. One of the Patchwork people is particularly drawn to the Doctor, calling him her "thief". She is declared mad by the others and locked away. Meanwhile, the Doctor investigates and realizes he has been tricked. House was after the TARDIS, wanting to devour it. However, it is impossible to devour it with the matrix inside, but since it's gone, House can get in. But TARDIS matrixes can't be killed so therefore was removed… so where has it gone?

I ship the Doctor/TARDIS so hard, it's not even funny! Yes, that may sound weird to some people, but it is alive after all. And besides, she's always there for him, she takes care of him, she dies when he does, when he's upset then she's upset, he talks to her and tells her his deepest secrets and fears. In the end, after everyone else is gone, it's always just the two of them. (Also, can I just say, in the episode The Husbands of River Song, the TARDIS knew he was upset so she projected foam antlers on top of his head in an attempt to cheer him up XD). In this episode, they finally get to speak with one another. It is so glorious! We learn more about when the Doctor first stole her and what the TARDIS is actually thinking and how she feels about the Doctor (and the other way around). I love this episode so much!
And as a side note, Rory and Amy's trippy experience in the House-inhabited TARDIS is kinda interesting too.

2) The Day of the Doctor- EIGHT AND A HALF, TENTH, AND ELEVENTH DOCTOR

In the midst of the Time War, the Doctor steals a weapon of mass destruction, the Moment, intending to use it to destroy the entire race of Daleks and Time Lords. The Moment speaks to him and attempts to talk him out of it. It shows him his future. He meets the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors as they come together to figure out the meaning of a Gallifreyan painting, stop an alien invasion, and perhaps even prevent the total genocide of two races.

The 50th anniversary special. Of course it was going to be absolutely, breathtakingly superb! The drama, the mystery, the humor, the fun! Everything you love about Doctor Who intensified by 50! ;P Obviously the best part was having three doctors together and interacting with each other. I loved seeing David Tennant again (he was my Doctor after all). And John Hurt was excellent as the forgotten Doctor. I thought for sure he would be dark and gritty, but he was upbeat and clever just like the other two. Eleven and Ten together was just too good to be true! Ah, they were all so funny together. I loved their bantering. Because they are all the same person. How would you cope if you met yourself? (10:"You've done this before. What happens next?" 11:"I don't remember." 10:"How do you not remember this?" 11:"Oi, it's not my fault. You're obviously not paying enough attention!"). The climax! Oh! And of course, that twist ending!
(Yes, that is the Eighth Doctor in the picture, he was present in a minisode prequel The Night of the Doctor)

1) Blink- TENTH

"Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink! Good luck."

Sally Sparrow begins coming across strange messages addressed from the Doctor which predict her every move and instructing her on how to avoid danger. She meets up with strange angel statues that seem to move every time she looks away. She teams up with her friend's brother who has come across an old recording of the Doctor which has been hidden on several random DVDs. They learn that the statues are not statues at all and are actually monsters that will send them back in time if they're touched. However, they can only move when you're not looking, even in the blink of an eye. The Doctor was touched and is stuck in the 60's so needs Sally's help to send him his TARDIS. 

Alright, fellow Whovians, you all knew this was coming. This is pretty much the universally-agreed-upon best Doctor Who episode ever made. And with good reason. I promise you, if you haven't seen the show and you watch this episode, then don't like it… you will not like the rest of the show.
The Doctor himself is barely even present for like 95% of the episode, but his presence is around in messages, videos, and such. The episode really shows you the magic of time travel and how it can be used to an advantage when tweaked properly. It's so cool how all the messages show up exactly on time, not just from the Doctor, but from the Angel's victims. Those Angels are FREAKY! Hands down, the scariest Doctor Who monster!

Talents

For some reason, when people find something impressive about you, they'll express it to you by saying, "wow, I wish I had such natural talent" or "you definitely take after your parents". Which, alright, I see what they're trying to do, but honestly, that just sort of takes away from all the hard work that goes into what was done.

For example, I make movies. Just stupid little home videos mostly, but over the years I have come to be very familiar with editing, music, transitions, appropriate titles, framing, and so on. I'm no professional, but I'd consider myself very knowledgable. I have an entire YouTube channel filled with my work. Every once in a while, my dad has to make a video for church, work, or whatever, and always asks for my advice on something because I have a lot more experience in the area. (Of course he doesn't always listen to my tips, but…). So then people see his videos and think "wow, that was really great!". Cut to later and I'm supposed to make a video for somebody. I present the video and someone comments, "you definitely take after your dad". No, no, no! I know they are not trying to offend, but the issue here is that I am the one who has been putting so much work into making videos over the years and just because my dad's work is put in the spotlight more often, it is assumed that he has the talent and I "take after him". No! I work hard at developing my talents. In fact, he often asks ME for advice! And not to say that he doesn't have talent, but honestly. We're two separate talents! Sorry, I'm not here to get riled up, just to point out a flaw.

The other common response to talents is "I wish I had such natural abilities". Again, it's not meant as an offense, but it does take away some of the idea that I haven't worked hard at what I do. For example, my artwork. Art is hard even for people who are "naturally" good at it. And I get it, some people are better at it than others. Just like some people are better at math than others. I can't do math to save my life, but I don't consider it a "natural ability". When someone is good at something, even if seems to come easily to them, they still have to work hard at it on some level. I am a "natural" artist. However, I have taken several art classes over the years. I have sat through boring lectures on art history, I have memorized the color wheel, I have learned the concepts of depth perception, I've learned how shadows work when light falls on an object, I've learned how to mix colors, I've learned to use different art mediums, and so much more. It was not easy! I started out like anybody else did: as a three-year-old with a box of crayons and scrap paper scribbling random shapes. I just progressed as I got older because I love to draw. Honestly, I didn't produce anything truly impressive until high school when I began taking art classes.

Alright, my ranting is over. I do appreciate compliments and I will take what I can get. But I'm just putting this out there to help people become aware. I know it's hard to come up with words to express when you're just so impressed with something, and usually those are the two things that come to your mind and you think "yes, that sounds good". But if you can help yourself, try to just stick to "that is amazing/impressive/awesome" or something of the like. I may be the only one with this opinion, so you probably don't have to worry TOO much, but if you're looking for small ways to improve yourself, I'd say this is one way to go.

Families

Recently the church has put out a new policy that children who have gay parents are not permitted to get baptized until they are eighteen years old.

In all honesty, when I first heard that I thought it sounded a bit harsh and would most likely spawn so many debates as well as give people just another reason to attack us and call us haters. I and many people have been trying to emphasize previously, the church does not hate gay people, we have nothing against them and we do in fact see them as equals. We only disagree with their lifestyle. The church believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that it was actually set apart by God himself. If someone chooses not to live this lifestyle, we respect that, but we also know that it is wrong in the eyes of the God that we love and worship on a daily basis.

So on the subject of this policy change… I did think it was a bit harsh and illogical at first. Isn't it the goal of our church to bring as many people into the fold as possible? What if there's some kid who really wants to be baptized, but cannot because they have gay parents? That's not the kid's fault. So they have to wait? How is that fair?

Then I began to think… The one thing more profoundly impressed upon us than missionary work in the church is families. Families are central to the Lord's plan for us. Heck, we have an entire document dedicated to families, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". Even if a family is comprised of two dads or two moms, a family is still a family. What does this have to do with the policy change? Well, the fifth commandment tells us to "honor thy father and thy mother". If a child of a same-sex couple were to get baptized, it may break up the family. It is because the gay couple are directly not living the standards, acutely breaking one of the Lord's most sacred laws that this policy is in place. You know that this policy also applies to polygamists? You also have to wait a year after your civil marriage before you can enter the temple to be sealed. Marriage is so sacred to the church.

Basically, I think that this is here to keep families together. It is here to respect the gays, not to hurt them. On the surface, it may seem like an attack on the same-sex couples, like a prejudice against them and their families, but it's not. Nowhere does it say that they can't come to church or that they can never be baptized. The parents themselves can even come to church if they desire, anyone and everyone is welcome.

We-- the members-- know that missionary work is important to the church and that nothing should hinder it, so why would something like this policy be put into place unless it came from a higher call? Surely it must have a legitimate, important reason. My advice as a humble member, if you are doubting or questioning it, remember the words of Moroni: "I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Moroni 10:4).

Don't Be Two-Faced

It's that time of year again where I talk about my Halloween Costume! (Read least year's) I think this year may have been one of my more elaborate ones. This year I was Harvey Dent/Two Face from Batman, specifically the one from the animated series.

I was inspired by my last two costumes because they were both batman villains as well (the Joker and the Riddler). I looked at couple different villains in a number of superhero universes, but ended up coming back to Batman's because his just seems to have the most recognizable and the most fun. I had actually considered Two Face in the past, but decided that his costume and makeup was way too elaborate to pull off… this year I decided I was up for the challenge.

I chose the animated series version because I found his suit pre-made online for a decent price so I didn't have to worry about making my own outfit. That's literally what decided it. I just typed "two face costume" into my search tab and looked for the best looking and cheapest outfit I could find.

Next, I made a list of everything I would need (not including makeup):
White or gray hair dye
Fake gun
Silver dollar
Black shirt
White tie
Blue glove
Black and white shoes (one of each)

I found the hair dye at… Target I think?
I ordered the gun online for an excellent price.
I also found the silver dollar online. Would you believe that two-headed silver dollars are cheaper than real ones? It was like $5 where a real one is more like $80. After I got the coin I defaced one side using a sharpie and a knife.
I already had the black shirt from my Riddler costume.
I might've ordered the white tie online… Or I found it at Khol's? I actually can't remember.
I found blue doctor's gloves online for super cheap. They were way too big, so I kept them on with a rubber band. They were the perfect color though.
By a stroke of luck, I had both pure black shoes and pure white shoes. I had had the black ones for years and then had recently ordered the white ones for my Animaniacs cosplay photo project.

Now for the make up… I was not quite sure how I was going to go about it. I didn't just want to paint half of my face blue and call it good, I really wanted to get intricate. I looked up a couple pictures online and found some interesting ones. There was one girl who I decided to model after:

At the time, I thought her makeup was the best I had ever seen… But then I thought, "OMG YouTube! Make up tutorials!"

So I went to YouTube and found a couple different ones which all had some good tips, but by far the best one was for the Two Face from The Dark Knight. She full on covered her face and scalp with make up and everything and texturized it. It looked real!

And she made it so easy. It was a surprisingly simple process, so I thought, "I could do that." However, I was already doing the animated series' Two Face. So after some thinking, I thought of how I could assimilate her process into my own.

All my supplies included:
Liquid latex
Cotton balls
Light blue, dark blue, black, white, and yellow face paint
Fake nails
Fake moustaches

I applied the liquid latex to my face using a Q-tip in certain spots like on my cheek, my forehead, and my chin, then broke up the cotton balls and stuck the pieces on. Then I texturized the cotton with the latex, making it look sort of bumpy or scabby (the thing with liquid latex is you DO NOT want to get it on your hair or eyebrows because it WILL pull it out and hurt like a mother hugger).
While it was drying, I used the latex to stick cotton all along the side of my mouth. This would serve as the mouth. I cut the fake nails down to the size that I wanted and used the latex to stick them on accordingly. Then I rolled up some cotton into snakes and glued it all along the outside of the teeth, creating the lip. I could have let it all dry naturally, but I was crunched for lime, so I used a hairdryer.
Once everything was dried, I began painting over it all with the light blue, covering my neck and my ears. Once that was done, I painted the lips black as well as around my eye. I began to use all the other colors (except for yellow) to lust give the texturized skin highlights and lowlights. I went over the teeth lightly with the yellow so that they didn't look to pearly white and int between them with the black.
Then I took two of the fake mustaches and cut them to form the right shape of the eyebrows. The stickiness on the backs would stick on my mack up, so I had to use liquid latex (being very careful not to put any on my real eyebrows).
I did actually have a white contact to pop in, but it was really irritating my eye that day, so I had to leave it out which I was kind of bummed about. I had worn it plenty of times before and it was fine, but of course on the day that it mattered, it wouldn't cooperate. Oh well.

As for the makeup on the other half, I full on went prom makeup, meaning I put on all my special occasion stuff. I winged my eyeliner, I covered my entire face with all my foundations, I wore my makeup super thick, I even had on mascara. I wanted that half to look as perfect and flawless as possible to contrast with the hideous side.

The entire process took about an hour to complete.

Before I started my makeup, I had to do my hair. I simply parted it down the middle and then ratted one side. After I ratted it, I had my mom spray dye it outside while I held a towel over the other half. Once that was done, I got my dad's hair gel and combed the other side back, to contrast the crazy side.

So there you have it! It was a process, but totally worth it, I think. It actually wasn't all that hard, just time consuming. And look how it turned out:

Until next Halloween!

Annoying Characters

Characters are difficult to write, especially for a TV show since they have to remain lovable and endearing for a long amount of time through ups and downs, twists and turns, and whatever adventures and/or mishaps they may get into.

I have said so many times in the past that the plot is what always brings me back to a show, but characters are a very close second. If I don't find the characters endearing, then the show automatically loses my interest. You have to stay invested in these characters lives, you have to care about the decisions they make, feel their hurt, share in their joys, get angry when they are, burn in second-hand embarrassment when they do something stupid, and all that stuff. When you experience that, you know that you have come across an well-written character.

I have watched several shows in the past that have been amazing, fantastic, mind-boggling superb… but there was one character that was flat and they always made me groan every time they were on screen.

Now, when I say "annoying character", I don't mean those that are written intentionally to be annoying like Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter or Joffrey from Game of Thrones, I mean those who are written as the protagonist or the best friend or love interest, sometimes the antagonist (but not usually) and turn out to be the most irritating person on the planet! They aren't meant to be annoying, but as a result of sloppy or lazy writing, that's how they come out.

For some reason, this happens the most with female characters. With all the feminist issues today, it is really difficult to write an interesting and strong female character. They are either written as simply the love interest with no personality at all, or if they are around for an extended amount of time, writers often don't know what to do with them and end up making them really obnoxious.

I've come up with only two examples of some severely annoying characters just because I know that my commentary on the subject may get a bit lengthy:

SAM PUCKETT from iCarly

So I didn't watch a whole lot of this show when I was young, but apparently it was SUPER popular. I did watch it a little though, I remember it pretty well. It's a pretty funny show, following in the footsteps of Drake and Josh, one of the most hilarious shows of my childhood. It sort of has the same spirit and odd humor that D&J had, but then there's this character… Sam. Grrr! She rubs me in all the wrong ways! So, I think what the writers might have been going for was a tom-boyish, sarcastic, mischievous sort of character… but it totally bombed. She comes across as a trouble-maker who gets everybody else into trouble, who insults everybody, who picks on people for absolutely no reason, who mooches, who is happy to let others take the blame for her wrong doings, and to top it all off, she feels absolutely no remorse and never learns her lesson. One of the worst episodes was one where she hacked into the school system to change her's, Carly's, and Freddie's grades. Then she made Carly and Freddie swear not to tell, so the guilt ate Carly and Freddie alive and they literally tormented themselves the entire episode. The two of them even got caught hacking into the system while trying to change the grades back and got in trouble for it. Finally at the very end, Sam confessed and got detention, but THEN she hacked into the system again and changed her detention hours! Seriously! After all that, she didn't learn a thing! She just got right back to it! And that's how it is all the time!
She does such horrible things and even openly proclaims that she doesn't care that it hurts other people. She is so mean! She always insults everyone, especially Freddie. He never does anything to her and she simply insults him nonstop every time they're around one another. It's borderline abuse, I tell you! See, I might be able to let it slide if he hit her back with something, like some sort of witty banter or something. Beatrice/Benedick style, ya know? But no, she only attacks him and he just takes it. Sometimes other shows have awful characters who do awful things, for example, Barney from How I Met Your Mother. He almost has no moral compass. He does so many terrible things all the time (serial womanizer, lying, deceit), but he still manages to remain one of the most loved characters on the show? Why? Because while he has his flaws, he has other redeeming qualities that are as equally prominent as his bad ones (love for his friends, quirkiness, loyalty).
All of Sam's antics are meant to be funny, but when it comes down to it, they're not. She's a bully. I think the writers might have been aiming for a sort of Megan character like in Drake and Josh. Megan was mean, did terrible things, and never learned her lesson, so they might've been trying to do something similar here. The thing with Megan though is that she was so exaggerated. She wasn't just mean, she was evil. It worked because she was a little girl with so much power and deviousness. It was on the fence of believable and ridiculous. With Sam, you actually see her type in the real world whereas it's harder to find a nine-year-old who has video monitors hidden in her room.
The reason Sam irks me so is because this is a kid/tween show and she is meant to be a role model for the viewers. Now, I've never been so on board with the preachy cheesy kids's shows with the "shove-it-down-your-throat" morals and picture perfect role models, but this girl is just ridiculous! Kids might be attracted to her because she is funny and charismatic, that's not good! Other than her crazy, silly behavior, she's got nothing going for her. I honestly do not understand why Carly is friends with her. What does Sam ever do for her except get her in trouble? What is the appeal?

BARBARA KEAN from Gotham

This has got to be some of the sloppiest writing on a character I have ever seen. The show is great and the rest of it is super well done… but this lady, argh! They could have made her so good and so interesting, she had a lot of potential… but no. They HAD to follow all the bad cliches and on top of it all they HAD to make her a lesbian just because it's a popular trend right now. Literally, that is the only reason. It is SOOOO forced! I mean, go ahead and write gay people. Whatever, it's cool, I ain't homophobic. When it works, it works... but when you go and write THIS CRAP! No!
So let me lay it out here: She is the main character's (Jim's) love interest, in fact she is his fiancee. Yes, HIS fiancee. Let me tell you, right from the get-go you come to realize that all she is there for is to create problems. She's the stereotypical "let me in, trust me, I want to share your burden" type of love interest in you often see in drama flicks. Which I could let that fly except for when she is eventually let in (despite all of Jim's warnings that he is trying to protect her) and everything suddenly comes crashing down around her because of it just like Jim said it would, what does she do? Does she stand by her love like she said she would? Does she remain strong-willed? No! She runs away and cries about how she can't handle it! What??? This is not the kind of woman Jim needs by his side! She is whiny and whimpy and naggy. Seriously, all she has going for her is that Jim "loves her". He keeps saying so over and over again and gets really emotional when he does so… but why? Why does he love her? She hasn't given him any reason for it. She's not funny, she's not smart, she's not brave. She's kind of pretty I guess, but I've seen better. Honestly, he could find better!
But it gets even worse! Now, love triangles really are not the best idea, but sometimes they work. They're sort of overused and have SO many cliches of their own. You have to be very careful when using them. How does Gotham handle it? NOT GOOD! Not only is Barbara's ex-lover a woman, but she works with Jim and is constantly trying to steal Barbara back by trying to prove that Jim is a bad person.  In fact when Barbara runs away because of the stress Jim's job brings, she runs back to this woman and they make love. For crying out loud, that would be bad writing even if this woman were a man! I mean, Barbara never actually broke up with Jim, she only said she was leaving town and then she goes and basically cheats on him! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES A PROBLEM WITH THIS!?!?!! But people are so blinded by it because of the lesbian love! "Ooh look at the two women kissing! We can overlook the major plot-holes and character flaws because two women are in bed together! All is right in the world!". The writers flubbed up big time by making her gay. If they wanted to put a gay person in there, they should have put it somewhere else, not as the main character's love interest! Could they honestly think of no other way to make her interesting than by playing on the popular trend? "Oh she's a lesbian. Now everybody will love her!" My GOSH! It makes me so mad!