Archive for the ‘Film Festival’ Category
What do frappuchinos and birth control have common?
Apparently something.
After discussing binge drinking and pot use statistics, the Fox News naysayer Bill O’Reilly brought up the government’s affordable birth control plan (one that removes co-pays and deductibles).
Take a look at this clip and let us know if you think any of the comments were out of line.
In another segment, a Fox News commentator suggested that, “If you can afford a $5 Frappucino at Starbucks, you can pay your $5 co-pay.” We’re not sure if this really reaches the demographic (not to mention not all co-pays are as inexpensive as $5).
The affordable birth control provisions are set to go into effect on August 1, 2012. It is still unclear how all of the costs will be handled, something left up to insurance companies. Regardless, many see this as a huge win for family planning, especially when considering that half of pregnancies are unplanned. This new provision could lead to decreased unwanted pregnancy rates, and subsequently, less terminations of pregnancy.
And as for the title above, you can let us know.
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“We don’t cast spells on people” says NY TSA former employee who also happens to be a wiccan.
This might be it! The much anticipated Superman: Man of Steel to be released in 2012 may just compete with the Batman craze of 08. Recipes for success: Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Henry Cavill as Clark Kent.
Small, intimate, and breathtaking. Slovenia is the new travel destination that’s off the radar.
FOB: Fresh Off The Boat … literally! Italian fishermen block off boats full of Tunisian Immigrants in protest.
Today’s post is brought to you by the letter H … and H stands for HAIR!
Thanks to the good folks at Sesame Street a generation of children around the world have learned their numbers and alphabet from singing puppets. Now the educational program has tackled a more hairy issue. They have released a video depicting a brown, Sesame Street puppet singing a song about loving her hair. Throughout the video, she sports an afro, cornrows, twists.
The video has gone viral and many, as mirrored in Grady’s Treehugger article, are happy to finally see depictions of black girls accepting and embracing their hair in the mainstream media. She notes the harmful effects of the harsh chemicals typically used in black hair care as reason enough to move towards an embrace of “natural hair”.
The documentary by comedian Chris Rock Good Hair addresses problems for blacks who embrace the natural hair look. In the current cultural climate natural hair still isn’t seen as professional, causing a barrier in job interviews and the like.
Many are happy to see an infectious song promoting this positive message. However, some questions have been raised.
Some viewers seemed upset that this message had to be delivered by a puppet rather than other popular mainstream black idols.
Clearly it will take time for acceptance of “natural hair” both in the black community and the wider American culture. Though some may have some criticism of the video, we think if the film gets kids and adults discussing the issue… it can’t be a bad thing.
What do you think?
Most people don’t regard a twenty year old as “Old school”. But when it comes to TOYS the kids today make us look positively ancient. Where ten years ago we might have a Furby these guys are knee deep in advanced electronics and super-interactive games.
For example, check out the clip above. It is a demo of “Looksley’s Line Up,” a game that’s scheduled to debut in the U.S. soon for Nintendo DSi. This game uses face tracking technology to provide a new ultra-real experience where the landscape moves according to your motions in holding and interacting with the game. …read more.
Are you prone to cases of the Mondays? If so, we’ve got the perfect remedy: song and dance!!!!
This week’s Film Festival’s inspiration came from that popular show called “Glee,” which made its return to TV last week.
So if the spirit moves you, aim for the high notes and bust a move — and see if you can’t get a classmate or co-worker to join you!
We’ve kicked it off with a video featuring the love-to-hate-her character from “Glee,” Sue Sylvester, doing a rendition of Madonna’s “Vogue.” And we dig it.
More wonderful music to follow…
PIXELS by Patrick Jean from ONE MORE PRODUCTION on Vimeo.
Do you ever get the feeling that the world is getting entirely TOO digital? Check out the great animation above that, unfortunately will affirm all your worst suspicions!!
This weekend featured the launch of the iPad. There are people breathlessly saying this new device is the future of reading…
But Wait! People have a pretty bad record when it comes to predicting the future. In fact, we’ve found a funny collection of clips that showcase a few of those goofy predictions.
The clip above comes from the 1930s and includes some wacky fashion predictions of the year 2000. Too bad we never saw their dreams of electric headlights to help women find honest men… or containers for coins, keys, or candy for cuties. (Say what!?)
The past decade has been full of environmental appeals asking us to recycle, make use of reusable containers and bags, and the degradation of the world around us. Some are clearly more effective than others, but this short film by Ramin Bahrani uses the narrative format to create something that’s fresh, strange, and interesting all at the same time. …read more.
It’s Monday, which means if you’re anything like the team at USDemocrazy, your brain already needs a break.
That’s why for this week’s film festival, we’ve selected some super cool and visually stimulating vids to give your head a break but your attention span engaged.
Just look intently at your computer screen and your parents/teachers/annoying friends will think that you’re doing some critical thinking and won’t bother you.
For every cause, there’s probably a protest song. (Example: USDemocrazy staffers are waiting for approval to release their protest song, “Please, Editor, Take a Shower.”)
Musicians are always looking for ways to help out in the ways they can… And since they usually have more appealing voices than, say, most U.S. Senators, their causes are able to get a lot of attention.
For this week’s Film Festival, we’ve compiled all sorts of protest songs for your inner rebel. Let us know in the comments what your favorite is!
Given the controversy that is war, we’ll kick off with a couple to do with just that:
That’s Donovan singing “Universal Soldier” – a song with compelling lyrics about who goes to war and what’s worth the fight, released in 1965.
Next up, there’s Pearl Jam with “World Wide Suicide” which was released in 2006 as a response to the war in Iraq and criticizes the U.S. government and the detriments of war in general:
Today, the Hip Hop movement has had a huge impact on worldwide youth culture.
But back in 1920s New York, another cultural phenomenon had a similarly large impact on our nation’s culture.
It was called the Harlem Renaissance and it was an exciting time of literary, artistic, musical, and cultural happenings. We have found some cool clips that show a few notable developments of that movement.
The clip above is extremely fun to watch and depicts the Lindy Hop dance craze. The clip comes from the 1941 film Hellzapoppin’.
A few venues in the region served as major cultural centers and helped artists like Billie Holiday, featured in the above clip with Louis Armstrong, find their way to a larger audience. …read more.
Mardi Gras is USDemocrazy’s favorite time of year! Right? Well, if you’re from New Orleans, this is probably one of the most memorable times of the year!
It all started with a bull’s head… or the Romans… actually, we really don’t know how the Mardi Gras that we celebrate today happened. But we’re sure glad it did!
Never heard of Mardi Gras? Well, you’re missing out. Check out the top video of Mardi Gras in 1956, and you can get an idea of the general craziness that goes on, including tons of costumes and parades, and everyone having a good time!
In fact, New Orleans has always had a lively musical culture, and has been known for more than just their win in the Superbowl this year… New Orleans is known for the birth of jazz, from such greats like Louis Armstrong and Wynton Marsalis.
So what could possibly change the greatest party in the world?
Only one of the greatest tragedies in U.S. history. …read more.
We at USDemocrazy are victims. Victims of the SNOWPOCALYPSE, that is.
If you live in the mid-Atlantic region, you know what we’re talking about. If you live in the northern mid-west, you’re probably thinking, “Um, OK.”
And since we are snowed in and absolutely bored out of our minds, we became unnaturally obsessed with snow stories and videos, which we’re sharing here. If you think it’s going to be boring, you’re clearly unfamiliar with how awesome blizzards are.
Snow can make people act crazy. But no one can act crazier than meteorologists, as evidenced by the video above, featuring a seemingly maniacal weatherman flipping out over the most recent mid-Atlantic blizzard. It’s awesome.
What’s also awesome is thundersnow. Haven’t heard of it? Well, the concept is simple: imagine a thunderstorm, subtract the rain, and add a whole lot of snow. And there you have it. They’re pretty rare, so meteorologists get worked up over thundersnow storms as well. For instance, Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel:
And Mr. Cantore isn’t the only one enraptured by this meteorological anomaly:
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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By the standard of contemporary films like Avatar, some old fashioned Hollywood flicks can look completely laughable.
The only thing weirder and goofier than old Hollywood movies are old US GOVERNMENT movies.
Some of these movies may have been well-intentioned at the time but now some smack of awkward propaganda.
The film above is one of the most famous government-issued pieces of all time. “Duck and Cover” teaches children how to stay safe, even with the looming threat of a nuclear bomb. The concept seems a bit silly to us now, but was taken seriously to the point of duck-and-cover methods being practiced in schools.
Cartoons are supposed to be fun and lighthearted, but this animation depicts a disheveled Donald Duck learning the importance of his income taxes.
The Cold War Era of American history included a lot of anti-Communist sentiment. Lucky for us, the US government created this video so that we could learn how to easily identify a communist and get rid of the internal threat.
Veering a bit from the wartime track, the video above is an educational video by the US government on the effects of LSD, a popular drug in the 1960s. Wow, drug education has surely changed in the past fifty years!
These old government films and propaganda pieces may seem corny, but don’t think that similar tactics aren’t being tried today!
Have you seen anything on television or on the news that you think is propaganda? Do you find it to be an effective tool for the government to use to change attitudes? Leave us a comment and get the discussion started!
