Being a fashion merchandising major at Marist, I’m very invested in how Covid-19 will affect the fashion industry and the change it will bring about. Although most taking this class are not fashion majors, I think this article is an interesting for all majors! What is the Future of Fast Fashion? It’s Complicated by Jasmin Malik Chua wrote an article on the future of fast fashion and how it could come to an end. Fast fashion has already been on the rocks for some time now, due to the negative environmental effects it causes. In the article, Chua states, “The bigger question for fast fashion is whether the model, which hinges on its prodigious volume to make the razor-thin margins work, will survive the pandemic.” She also made a really good point, stating that the hottest purchases right now aren’t fashion items, they are Clorox wipes and toilet paper. This pandemic was an eye opener for many, realizing they were spending money on items they did not need. I’m curious to see the job market I will be entering after this is all over.
I wanted to share with everyone my current obsession on Netflix: Outer Banks. This is a new Netflix Original and is currently the #1 top tv show in the US today! As of now, Outer Banks has 1 season with 10 episodes, and all are phenomenal! I started this show on a whim, and immediately was hooked during the first episode. It’s about 4 friends living in the Outer Banks of North Carolina who are determined to find out what happened to their friend John B’s dad who has been missing for over a year. There are so many plot twists and unexpected events that happen in each episode. Every episode kept me on my toes and wanting to watch more. This is a great quarantine watch and an amazing cast with great chemistry they put together!
Today, I wanted to share a bit of a different blog post. In order to lighten up the mood and ease the tension and stress of the world around us, I wanted to share my newest hobby during quarantine. My mom and I have been filling our time together with lots of cooking and baking, all thanks to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/83/everyday-cooking/convenience-cooking/. One of my goals during my stay at home was to better my cooking and rely less on restaurants to fill my meals. I’ve been having lots of fun finding new recipes to cook and have been having my family try each one for feedback. My favorite meal I’ve made thus far is Spicy Thai Chicken Basil (photo below). I got the approval from my family for this meal and it was super fun to prepare! With finals coming to an end, this can be a fun hobby to pick up with some extra time on your hands. Hope you enjoy!
I wanted to write another blog post on the topic of Fake News. Being the 2020 Presidential Election is near, there have been a mass amount of pictures and videos regarding fakery. Attached is an article I recently read that was very interesting, as it discusses what younger generations, such as Gen Z and Millennials think about the topic. One of the top five social issues that Gen Z cares about is the topic of fake news. About 77% of Gen Z has seen “fake news” about the upcoming election. I think it’s interesting to see the viewpoints of younger generations and which issues they feel strongest about.
I wanted to share one of my favorite videos I’ve ever watched: Before You Think, Watch This. This is a Youtube video I found a few months, and it really did change my outlook on life and how I can live have a happier, healthier mindset. With everything going on, times can feel very lonely and unpromising, which is why I think this video is worth the watch. This 11 minute video is highly motivational, inspirational, and educational. It gives a backstory of Houdini’s attempt to accept the challenge of breaking out of a jail cell. His mind and thoughts took over this very simple task because he was overthinking the challenge of it. This video gives the backstory as well as how you can change your mindset and take control of your thoughts. My favorite quote from this video is, “Your mind is the most powerful force you will ever face, It will tell you lies.”
During a time of panic and hysteria, I really recommend giving this video a watch. It can be difficult to stay positive and motivated through this, especially with having so much free time to think.
Today I wanted to discuss the poem, Sanctuary by Jean Valentine. I first read this poem back in high school for an assignment, and I remember how powerful and moving it was to read for the first time. I thought this poem was perfect for the current pandemic and self isolation situation we are living. This poem asks very strong and powerful questions that make you think hard, such as:
What do you dread?
What happens when you die?
What do you dread, in this room, now?
This poem is a great, quick read for anyone that wants to be moved and challenged in discovering what it is that makes you afraid.
I decided to watch the music, “Dance This Mess Around” by the B-52’s. Although the video quality was very blurry and in black and white, I really enjoyed the song! It’s a very light, happy, and energetic song. It definitely brought some positivity during a time where it’s harder to do so and make light of the situation we are in. This song is about just letting lose and dancing your heart away. My favorite lyric of the song was, “Hey, so Fred, don’t that make you feel a whole lot better, huh? I say, don’t that make you feel a whole lot better?” It’s definitely a mood booster of a song and I recommend listening to it!
Today I wanted to give my review of the movie, Marriage Italian Style. I was very intrigued with this movie, as I’ve always loved any classic Italian films. I had not heard of this movie previously, so I was excited to watch and see what the film was about. This movie was filmed in 1964 and is labelled as a “Comedy/ Drama.” \
Within the first few minutes of the movie, I knew I would be intrigued and hooked on it. The first few scenes of the movie introduce the two main characters, Domenico and Filomena. I had not looked up any reviews of the movie prior, or looked up what is about. Initially, I thought this was going to be a movie about the war in Naples, because the introduction of the main characters was them hiding from an invasion of bombs and gunshots. However, this was not the main premise of the movie at all. The movie gets right into giving an overview of who the Filomena and Domenico are, and what their relationship is.
Filomena falls in love with Domenico at the age of 17, when she meets him at the brothel. She was smitten over Domenico and was on and off with him for about two decades. However, Filomena’s feelings were always stronger, she wanted to marry Domenico and start a family with him. Throughout the movie, Filomena’s character develops by straining away from Domenico as she realizes he will never love her the way she loves him.
I definitely did not expect the ending of this movie. After Domenico decides he wants to marry a younger girl working as a cashier at his shop, Filomena’s character completely changes. She reveals she has 3 kids, and one of them is Domenico’s. This was definitely a shocking turning point in the movie, as Domenico had been portrayed as cold hearted and money hungry up until this point. He spends days trying to figure out which son is his, and I finally saw his emotional and loving side revealed.
I thought this movie was very well filmed. This movie showed the evolution of the relationship between Filomena and Domenico over two decades. I was definitely shocked at how the movie fully ended, and was not expecting them to get married.
I loved how Filomena was portrayed and her role in this movie. She was portrayed as a strong, independent woman who at the end of the movie, reveals she has three kids. She kept her children a secret because she did not want anyone to tell her to get an abortion, as no one supported her decision to keep them. The movie shows she always had her children’s best interest at heart, and wanted to make sure they grew up safe and worked for what they wanted. I also enjoyed seeing the change of heart with Domenico, he was very stubborn and cold through most of the movie.
My favorite scene of the movie is when Filomena pretended to be sick and dying. I actually thought she was sick and had very little time left. She pretended to be sick in order to get Domenico to marry her. It was a huge turning point in the movie because I really saw how much she loved Domenico and was desperate for him to love her too. Unfortunately he only married her because he was convinced she was actually sick. After this scene, there was a huge change in character in Filomena and she stood up for herself and her feelings for the first time.
Overall, I would definitely recommend others to watch this movie. If you enjoy watching drama and romance movies, this would definitely be a movie you would enjoy. The director did an excellent job of telling a story that took place over twenty years.
Today in class we watched a video on how sound effects in movies are created. This video showed a side by side clip of the actual movie and the two guys creating the actual sounds. I thought this was really interesting to watch because I never put any thought into how these sounds are created. It was clever to see that for the fighting scenes, they punched a slab of meat in order to create the slapping sound. I think this would be a very unique and fun job to have, as you’re mimicking these sounds through objects you’d never expect to use. It definitely changed my viewpoint on how much work and thought goes into creating a movie, and how the viewers never really think too much into that.
Today in class we watched a Max Hawkins do a Ted Talk on randomizing your life. I actually really enjoyed this Ted Talk, as I thought this was such an interesting concept. I related to this because I am a very spontaneous person and as much as I like a routine, I do get bored of repetition. The picking a random location and moving to a new city for a few months seemed like a concept I would love to do. I’m interested in doing more research on Max and seeing more in depth how he applied the apps to his life. I’m always looking for new ways to switch my daily routine so I do not fall into a pattern. I’m definitely going to download the apps he created and see how well they work for my life.
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