Oscar Night

Most of you will remember the inception of this blog and the many rants that was chronicled here about the horrors of being a postgraduate film student. Well those horrors are dually rewarded not by the 74 you get when you know you should have gotten at least a 78; you are rewarded with Oscar night!! yay!

Well it's Oscar Night time again, and as we all know I am a sucker for punishment so I am busy organising it. It's going pretty well, everything seems to be coming together nicely, local businesses are willing to sponsor and I didn't have to use the Nux advert bargaining chip. People are nice! The drama students are putting together two very exciting performances; I think I get get a local band to play if I ask very nicely. The cocktail party is almost sorted and the prizes are almost sorted as well. So it all looks good! NO!!! Because I get asked the following question: Can you get a celebrity to come? not local as in the city but as in the country or like Colin Moss? And oh don't you have a friend at Etv or The Times? I swear I saw on your facebook friends? Ok first of all facebook stalker!!! can I do this? possible do I have time to do this? not likely... SO I am now officially asking people who fit the category (and are willing to help this lost little lamb without a budget) that my oh so demanding bosses seek to please contact me... I am not above begging!!! Thank you.

Fantastic Fiction

I had a chat with DJ today about fantasy particularly the Harry Potter, Lord the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia of kind of fantasy. There is such emphasis on the apparent evil that these works of literature carry, well not so much in the Narnia stories. A lot of er... people find these stories to be satanic and against the ideals of the Christian faith. Homer’s The Iliad was not all that favourable to the ideals of a one God religion but I am yet to see a massive campaign against it. Shakespeare often made mention of witches and heathen gods but hey he’s a genius so what. The Pirates of the Caribbean is all about heathen gods and curses and bringing people back from the dead but there isn’t a problem because Johnny Depp is a true thespian and Orly is easy on the eyes so what’s your beef?
Here’s my beef, what is the big deal? Why is such a taboo that people are being entertained by works of FICTION? Surely the church should have more faith in its members? I recently embarked on a journey to investigate this Harry Potter issue as it were (the paper is a work in progress). The fact that The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe is a metaphor for the cross and CS is a professed Christian makes the Narnia stories ok? Isn’t the ideal of a Christians Life is to understand the dichotomy of good and evil. What is the harm inflicted by Harry Potter? Harry’s journey is a quest of self discovery a young boy learning good from evil and in the end he makes the ultimate sacrifice for those whom he cared about. I highly doubt that Rowling expects anyone to attempt flying with a broom. The point of fantasy or fiction is to create entertainment it carries no truth. Why is it OK to be entertained by Disney, where tales of witches and wizards and the creatures of the night live but Harry Potter creates a problem. The original Grimm stories do not end as happy as Disney alludes, who has launched a campaign against the Brothers Grimm of Disney for that matter.

The Divine Masters Secret

There is a very fine line between I am going to quit and I am quitting. The last few weeks I have to be careful not the cross that line. Back in 2007 when I made the conscious decision to embark on a masters degree I can’t say that I knew what I was getting myself into. Yes, yes I know most academics complain so why should anyone care really. This is true most academics are whiners but don’t tell them that. However, what I have realised with the whole masters thing is that I have been going about it the wrong way. There is no need to panic as the deadline draws near; and the lack literature is nothing to worry about. Losing your hard-drive and 80% of your work is a walk in the park.

The divine secret to getting a masters thesis done is quite simple really. Forget the fact that isn’t much existing literature that works for your research just make it up and find a way to link it to some old dead guy. Don’t worry about the page count, keep pretending that you have to write double your intended pages and eventually it will all come right. Samples, very important the one thing that will work the way it should (well we hope) is your sample, just double the size in-case one area isn’t working properly you have backup. The forgotten art of writing, write things down on PAPER, it feels so much more academic when it’s written in pen and plus you’ll feel so much more inspired. When in doubt lock yourself in a room for two days and type; it doesn’t matter what you type just type eventually you will get somewhere.

On that note here is an update on my masters: two chapters done, one theoretically there and most of my data collected. I think I am doing pretty well considering I intend to have it done by August... it’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks ahead.

Unrequited Love

Today Thabani and Sach came to visit me in my lonesome tower. Emphasis on lonesome as I was abandoned by some people today!!! I haven’t seen Thabz in while, so it’s a always good time when Thabz is around. Amidst the chatter, Sach wanted Thabz to see his new media video which is brilliant! This conversation ended up with issues falling in love and more importantly unrequited love. Personally to me falling love is quite a mission anyhow so I say don’t bother. However this question is what do you do when you fall in love and it is not returned?? In Sach’s opinion it’s must be done subtly, you must weave it in... Like in a movie it should be done in sub-textually didactic way. Your audience should not notice it immediately but by the end they should be aware of it. Act the best friend but secretly be the faithful romantic. On the other hand there is always begging, being subtle is a waste of time, when you can just grovel and beg till the cows come home and see what will happen. You must actively pursue love according to Thabz if you wish to possess it. Possess it?? Now it sounds like love is commodity that most be purchased --- which then relates to the issues of valentine’s day the idea of love come with a price tag and everyone’s emotions and dignity is reduced to something hallmark came up with. What to do with unrequited love? Easy let it go!!

Blogging Hiatus...

So I have been away from my blog desk for a bit, this has been the eventuality of an overworked masters student. The past few weeks have been rather eventful, the attacks have kept me and many I know on our toes. It has led to some interesting results in the mind sets of many people. People are afraid out there and people are being paralysed by that fear, which is worse than what they fear.

On the upside of the eventful past weeks, all my marking is done!!! What a fantastic feeling to be done with all that!!! I was very impressed with the student films and their blogs; they have really grown from the reluctant naggers they were to intellectually capable individuals. It has been a marvellous experience teaching the course, I feel my new media message has indeed been heard.

My masters has unfortunately been on hold for a bit, as I lacked inspiration but I am ready to come back kick some academic ass. Ok I am just ready to get back to work. And hopefully I shall do some blogging along the way...

You're lsitening but you're not hearing...

I had the fantastic pleasure of running a discussion in the 3rd year journalism class today. Before I begin this discussion I would like the 3rd year class to take their emotions outside.

David Bullard, oh I miss lunch, was the topic of discussion today simply because it's a very good case study for journalism students. The class was asked to read the article and accompanying texts then they were to answer a series of questions. It’s simple enough right? Hell no! The class was immediately divided in their opinions about the message the article presented. Some students found it offensive others found it humorous. However this is not what this is discussion about; this discussion is about the fact that students think it’s ok for people to hold their prejudices for as long as possible. I was completely taken aback by the fact that the students think that their experiences from visiting a country gives them an authority to sum up that country. What’s more interesting is that it's ok to criticise other nations but when someone criticises South Africa, even a South African it is unacceptable.

The entire class sat and bickered and talked at each other but did not give each other the opportunity to truly hear what the other was saying. The scary thing is someone from that class might be in charge of the country one day and I am very worried that they would govern with these prejudices.

It's very disturbing that educated media students’ think the media is an authority on everything and are unable to differentiate between a country and the countrymen or the meaning of opinion and how it expressed. It's is indeed a sad day for me to realise the level of ignorance in educated people very high.

Toils of teaching new media

since i started teaching this course, something or another has gone wrong. first the hand books were delayed, then the labs were unavailable then the computers had issues, let's not forget load-shedding. oh yes there is the 'near death' expreience. but nothing beats realising two weeks before the major assigment is due that the students haven't read the question, i shudder to think what they've been doing. indeed it's fun to teach new media. fun

When you miss a call

So I had the very clever idea that myself, Dj and Sandy should watch one missed call. Yes jap horrors are cool! the grudge is legend, the dodge kid and the freaky cat. however i have decided that they are hazardous to my arm, dj got spooked and grabbed my arm lots of times. I wont lie i got spooked too there was a freaky baby and i'm not sure how i feel about my cellphone. At least i didn't get a miss call during the movie.

The Michelle! True KZN Story

The stories that have manifested about the current strike at the PMB campus at UKZN has caused me to lose faith humanity and supposed "eye-witness" account of the events. Students have come forward with stories of assault, vandalism and terrorist behaviour. Most students have even gone as far as to call the strikers ignorant terrorists who should be happy they are getting an education. This sort of thing really rattles my cage; the real ignorant students are those who are quick to judge the strikers cause without proper information. Most of these students sit and pass off pseudo-intellectual comments on the animal-like behaviour of the striking students without knowing the reason for the strike. For the last two days I have followed the strikers around campus, I have gotten in the face the SAPS in order to get the true story... and the are facts.

The memorandum handed to the Executive Dean of Students Trevor Wills, stated that students are being forced to share single beds with one another after paying more than 70% of the housing fees, some of the students have their belongings in passageways are sleeping in sleeping bags. The memorandum further addresses the issue of housing waiting lists, in which many students are on throughout the duration of their degrees. The SRC also refuses the Council’s decision to build new residences for Westville, Howard College and Edgewood before Pietermaritzburg; they feel that Pietermaritzburg has greater need for new residences than the other campuses because the city’s infrastructure does not provide enough alternative accommodation. Another issue which students have raised, is the immediate dismissal of Vasanthie Naidoo, Director of Student Housing, who has allegedly failed to address the long standing issues surrounding student accommodation; and Reverend James Ngomane , Deputy Dean of Students, who they allege to have stifled students’ social growth and continues to undermine student leadership on campus. The strikers feel they need to continue with their strike until their demands have been met. I have yet see to any evidence of vandalism and injured students.

If you still in doubt watch this and this

And that is The True KZN story!

Letter to Ms Pitcher

Dear Ms Pitcher,

Kindly refrain from telling the world I am mad, yes I have done some out of ordinary things such as eat a whole cake and purchase my education worth of DVDs in one day. I am not an addict, I simply enjoy the things that I enjoy. Just like a shoe obsessed woman and a car crazy guy, my obsessions just happen to lead to possible death by chocolate and bankruptcy. Let he without vice cast the first stone. So Ms Pitcher do refrain from telling the world I am mad.

Kindest Regards,
Elle