A Final Blog Post Of My Best to Worst

7. The Art of Racing in the Rain 
6. Orphan Train 
5. The Road 
4. The Hunger Games 
3. Gone Girl 
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
1. The Goon Squad 

An Instantaneous Youth With Instantaneously Horrible Television

In a society where everything is instant, rushed, fast-paced, and never-ceasing, much of the meaning often found in life experiences is lost. The same can be said for contemporary television. Nowadays, producers are so much more obsessed with cranking out new episodes, or yet another unnecessary season in order to make money, that good plot lines become the sacrifice. After the first few seasons (if it survives that long) the storyline of a show quickly becomes tired, overdone, drawn out, or just ridiculous. But because money is the driving component behind the vast majority of contemporary television, the cameras keep on rolling, filming whatever idea the screenwriter can whip up in the allotted time to ensure a continuous cash influx. This is the case with so many popular television shows of today geared for teens, and is also why young adult television shows tend to not last for long (or for far too long). Take Pretty Little Liars, or The Vampire Diaries for example. Both of these shows, though immensely popular, probably should have ended several seasons ago, and have lost viewers because off their producers'  incessant need to draw out a nonexistent plot. In an attempt to hold the captivation of the viewers, instead of taking longer amounts of time and producing fewer episodes and seasons to ensure that each one is the best it can possibly be, directors hastily fling together a series of cliche plot twists dotted with unnecessary drama. This technique is particularly utilized by the producers of Pretty Little Liars, who ensure that each time the characters, and viewers, take one step closer to finding out who "A" is, or feeling some kind of peace and closure in their lives, the characters take three step backwards, trying to make room for yet another transformative discovery.  The demand of today's youth to have instantaneous access to what comes next, has lowered the bar for what "good television" signifies. If the high-speed world took a moment to pause, to slow down, to stop wanting everything in excesses, maybe teen television would play a more meaningful and inspirational role in the lives of today's youth, rather than just another blank abyss for teens to immerse themselves in.

The O.C. O.D.ing With Teen Drinking?

When watching The O.C., you are, at almost any point in time, guaranteed to see alcohol or hear implications of it, particularly in association with the teens. While I don't believe that the show necessarily glamorizes teen drinking as opposed to simply presenting it as a normal part of high school life, it did act as a catalyst for a whole generation of glorified teen drinking, all the way up to shows such as Gossip Girl. Though I agree with the article's view that it inspired a slue of wildly popular television shows jam-packed with the glamorization of teen drinking, I disagree with the article lessening the impact on viewers in regards to seeing teens drink with the fact that the adult characters were actually seen to be drinking more than the teens. Though the character of Kirsten Cohen, mother of one of the teens, is actually the character who engages in the most drinking, these scenes due not affect teen viewers as much as the less frequent ones of the actual teen characters consuming alcohol. This is because the majority of viewers will compare, if not associate, themselves with the teen characters, so even though their drinking is not as recurrent as with the adults, it definitely resonates more when Seth, Ryan, or Marissa picks up a bottle. 

No doubt should be placed on the extent to which television can impact the youth culture. Television wields tremendous psychological effects on the young viewers because teens are at an age where they are seeking role models, while simultaneously trying to figure out who they are as a person. This means they can very easily be molded and will follow by example, and since most teen agers exist within kind of their own social bubble, there is not a vast range of influence they can pursue, and seeing as television today occupies a major portion of time in the average teen's life, often times their sources of inspiration stem from there. Watching shows such as The O.C. can absolutely have huge effects on how a teen decides to life his or her life, or the kind of person they decide to emulate, and eventually become. 

The Hunger Games: Hungry For More

I am here simply to conTRIBUTE a list of 6 reasons why The Hunger Games movie is On Fire: 

1. Physically seeing the love between sisters Katniss and Prim is so moving, it might even top the epic Anna and Elsa. 

2. The incredible special effects make Katniss's fiery outfits look even more awesome than they did in my mind, which is really saying something. 

3. There is much more of him. 

4. The Capitol and its inhabitants are visually portrayed perfectly. 

5. It is so incredibly realistic  it's almost scary. (Okay not almost, it is scary)

6. The movie helps the audience to fall even more in love with certain characters, despite the horrific circumstances. 

The Hero's Journey: Katniss Everdeen

The character of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is often thought of by today's youth as one of the most innovative, unique, and simultaneously relatable characters. However, she, like the heroes and heroines that have come before her, is based on a tried-and-true formula equating to the perfect Hero's Journey. It all begins with Katniss living her normal, everyday life, when she then receives her call to action, when the tides of the story make their first turn. This is when Primrose Everdeen, Katniss's sister, is selected as the tribute for the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers in her place, setting in stone the journey to come. She departs from her ordinary world to the new and unpredictable one of the Capitol. Like any good hero, Katniss finds help throughout the story, in characters such as Haymitch, Cinna, and even Effie. She faces several trials and tribulations in her relationship with Peeta, and later on in the games with figuring out how to survive. She has her first successes when she outsmarts the Careers, one time dropping a tracker jacker nest on them, and the other time blowing up their supplies. Katniss faces many near-death experiences throughout the games, ultimately culminating into the final battle with Cato. Her ultimate success comes with his defeat, and with she and Peeta being crowned victors of the Games. They bring the Hero's Journey by returning home to their very ordinary life, only as very different people who can now live under very different circumstances, but slight alterations indicate the major struggles to come.

We are the Capitol, and We Approve this Message

Starving for Another Taste of "The Hunger Games"

        Reading The Hunger Games for a second time around has been quite a different experience from what I expected it to be. In all honesty, I regarded the rereading as mildly interesting, an easy and mindless read, and not much else. However, Suzanne Collins has managed to recapture my interest even more strikingly than the first time I read it as a mere seventh grader. The story now holds so much more depth and meaning now that I myself am a sixteen year old girl, not all that much different from Katniss Everdeen in that I am simply trying to stay true to myself and my beliefs, while also trying to survive and prosper under the weight of an all-too-common societal oppression. Where Katniss is rough around the edges, and uses her harsh personality to mask any vulnerabilities, I, much like many other teenage girls, hide my true self under layers of makeup, attitudes of not caring, and an abundance of teen angst. The parallels between Katniss and many of adolescent female America are remarkable, making her even more of an inspiration idol, especially the second time around.