The Notebook, You Have Met Your Match. [Media Mediation #02]

Atonement is a 2007 film, adapted from a novel by the same name by Ian McEwan. It is the only DVD I bothered bringing with me to college. Not like your traditional romance novel, it follows the life of Briony Tallis, a 13 year old who completely alters the life of her sister with one big lie (I won't divulge too much because, after this post you will want to run out, watch the movie and cry your eyes out over an ending that I refuse to tell you!)

(UK Film poster for Atonement; image courtesy of Wikipedia.)

In chapter one of Media & Culture, the idea that culture is like a map, "pulling audiences toward the security of repetition and common landmarks." Atonement works in the same sense, featuring a boy and a girl who fall in love despite cultural differences and the struggles they go through to be together. Atonement has also become famous for it's Dunkirk scene, which is five minutes long and was filmed all in one take.

Atonement has such a warm, fuzzy feeling. It's a movie you want to go back to, again, again and again. I personally enjoy watching it on cold, gray, rainy days. Even though it has stuck to the traditional idea of familiar stories, Atonement breaks out of the shell and becomes an entirely new story with it's ending. I encourage you. The next rainy day, curl up with a cup of hot cocoa, focus in of Keira Knightly and James McAvoy, and be amazed.

Gleek Out! [Media Meditation #01]

It used to simply be an noun, implying delight and pleasure. All of a sudden, "Glee" is an American phenomenon, with covers of eighties songs, appearances on every red carpet and their faces popping up on every early morning talk show. Every damn Tuesday night my Facebook dashboard gets taken over by a status updates of "GLEEEEEEEEEE! :D" I get it! It's a great show. The music is usual pretty good, and Jane Lynch is absolutely hilarious. Not to mention that really awesome episode dedicated to Lady Gaga (although I'm still trying to figure out why 'Pokerface' is an appropriate duet to perform with your mother, Rachel Berry.)

(Glee cast in their Lady Gaga inspired outfits. Image courtesy of Glamour)

Glee has dominated the airwaves. Their covers are on iTunes, they have a Facebook, and their songs are plastered all over Youtube. I think Glee is in the running with Google to dominate the internet. Convergent media kids. You could listen to Glee, read their updated Facebook status, and download the newest episode all off your smart phone! Besides, like Media & Culture talks about, TV is becoming completely obsolete, because you can watch the latest episodes of Glee on Hulu!

Dare, double dare, physical challenge!

My name is Lauren Stevens, and I originate from Portland, Oregon. (And this is my tattoo, Penelope.)

The summer of 2010, I had the joy of returning to Warped Tour for the sixth year in a row. It's live music, all day. There's merch, and meet and greets with bands, and over priced food. I've been going every summer since I was twelve, so it's a experience that I really find comfort in.

I'd like to write children's books, or work for Scholastic, or even own a publishing company of my own. Anything to really do in that field would make me a happy camper.

Blogging has become a hobby and obsession. Mostly Tumblr. All the pictures and being able to totally connect with people who have the exact same aesthetic. But I honestly hate Twitter. It seems incredibly narcissistic.

However, I adore YouTube videos, like this.