If I’m honest, I really wanted to lengthen the title of this
post to ‘Role Models for Girls Who Actually Deserve to Be Role Models’, because
many of the famous women who are looked up to by girls nowadays don’t set the
best examples.
It genuinely scares me when I hear teenagers and young women
say “I just love her” or “she’s perfect” while watching the Kardashians or
Beyonce’s new music video, when Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus are flouncing
around stages in next to nothing singing heavily suggestive lyrics, or Rihanna
posts a new photo on Instagram from last night’s drink/drug-filled parties. I
hate to think that girls are growing up influenced by women who get botox and
ridiculous plastic surgery, go on crazy diets, or have hardly any talent.
Why aren’t our female youth inspired by intelligent women
who are natural and down-to-earth?
So without further ado, here are my top ten role models for
girls who actually deserve to be role models:
10. Carrie Hope Fletcher
For those who don’t know, Carrie is a West End star
currently appearing in ‘Les Miserables’ as Eponine for the second year running.
She is also a YouTube vlogger, and it is her videos that thousands of young ‘Hopefuls’
are inspired by. She sings (incredibly well), makes us laugh, and gives advice
for girls that actually means something.
9. Meryl Streep
There’s one word that sums her up completely: talent. Meryl
Streep is, in my opinion, the best actress in Hollywood. She can do anything.
And what’s more, she is the spokesperson for the National Women’s History Museum.
8. Emma Thompson
She is hilarious. Seriously, YouTube any interview with her,
and you’ll be laughing your socks off within seconds. The reason for this is
that she genuinely does not care what anyone thinks… I think all of us could benefit
from even a slither of her spunkiness.
7. Mayim Bialik
As well as being known for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler in ‘The
Big Bang Theory’, Bialik is incredibly clever. She has a B.S. degree, doctorate
and PhD in Neuroscience, and has written books on parenting. Goes to show how
multi-talented and successful a person can be.
6. JK Rowling
Famous, of course, for creating the world of Harry Potter,
one of the most popular book series of all time. She wrote some brilliant
female characters within it which have influenced fans of the story. Also, she
lost her billionaire status purely due to donating so much of her earnings to
charity.
5. Kate Winslet
One of my favourite actresses. Despite her huge success in
Hollywood, she is still completely down-to-earth and has a very healthy
attitude towards body image. She has hit out at several magazines over the
years for photoshopping images of her and twisting her words on diets and
exercise.
4. Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen is quite possibly one of the most generous celebrities
around. On her show, she regularly donates to needy families in desperate need
of financial help as well as promoting kindness as her sign-off. Also she wants
us all to dance a lot J
3. Malala Yousafzai
Not a celebrity as such, but Yousafzai should without a
doubt be more well known amongst young girls. She is an activist from Pakistan
who spoke about living under Taliban occupation, promotes rights for education
and women, and survived an assassination attempt. This was at the age of 15.
2. Emma Watson
It’s not really fair how she is so intelligent, talented and
beautiful all at the same time. She has also managed to stay grounded despite
being very much in the public eye from the age of 11. And then there’s her
recent HeforShe speech at the UN… Just wow.
1. Jennifer Lawrence
In fairness, J-Law is often mentioned as someone who young
women look up to, and for good reason. She is pretty much everything we want to
be and more: talented, funny, stunning, and real.
Honourable mentions: Oprah Winfrey, Anne Frank, Kate
Middleton, Michelle Obama, Karen Gillan, Audrey Hepburn, Rebel Wilson, Jessica
Ennis, Lisa Kudrow, and Dawn French.
Very recently on my Facebook newsfeed, a (heavily negative) post was made concerning tattoos and piercings in the workplace. This is a subject that involves me as well as many others, so I immediately felt incensed and therefore obliged to write my own blog post about it. I am a teacher in training, starting my second year at university in September. I am not your stereotypical student: I don't drink an awful lot, I prefer to have a night in with my friends, and I am definitely the opposite of a slag (for want of a better word). I am, I hope, approachable to children and the lessons I have taught so far on my placements have been observed as on target or above for this point in my training. Oh yeah, and I have a tattoo. Shockhorrorohmygod!! She must be a disgusting excuse for a woman, awful at what she does and every child she's ever met must have been horribly influenced by that tiny little star on her inner arm!!! First, children and teenagers are not influenced by seeing piercings and tattoos on adults. Children from the age of four to fourteen have asked me about my tattoo, and every single reaction has been the same: they point and say "you've got a star/tattoo on your arm", I nod, and the child carries on with whatever they were doing. No negative influence involved. Second, a tattoo is only skin-deep. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe it either improves or deminishes anybody's ability to do the job they are trained or being trained to do. And third, a woman in the 21st century can and should be able to do as she pleases without being looked down upon just because she has a tattoo. It doesn't make her any less of a 'lady'. In fact, in my opinion the modern woman is just as much a lady if she does have the courage to express herself in such a permanent way. The popularity of tattoos between both men and women is probably higher than any of us realise. I know many adults with ink who are great at their jobs, brilliant parents and respectful citizens. Nobody should be criticised for expressing themselves; if it's not affecting you or anyone else, then you don't have the right to tell others what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Finally, as a trainee teacher, I believe that it is better for children to grow up seeing adults with non-offensive tattoos and piercings. If we keep hiding it from them, then they will see it as unusual and even wrong. These negative issues with people losing jobs over tattoos will stop if we bring up the next generation with the attitude that we can be individuals and have freedom of expression. Surely that's a more positive outlook for us to have? Rant over. :)
On the internet nowadays all you have to do is a speedy Google search to find some crazy ideas that someone has seriously mulled over and uploaded, probably in a blog... *shiftily avoids eye contact*. Many of these ideas are well-considered theories about all kinds of different things, for example real life events, political and media conspiracies, or TV and movie backstories. Popular TV shows, films and media companies come under scrutiny pretty much constantly, and the result of this is many fan theories. Famous ones include Illuminati involvement in practically all the things we watch, that incredibly clever Pixar theory, and everything that Disney has ever done (side note: I like Disney, leave it alone). Recently I read about some lesser-known theories, or conspiracies, primarily based on children's TV shows. These included (WARNING: some of these are quite disturbing and could change the way you look at these shows forever):
The main SpongeBob SquarePants characters representing the seven deadly sins
Wanda and Cosmo in Fairly Odd Parents representing Timmy's anti-depressants
The Recess characters being the ghosts of children residing in a disused playground
However, the one that had the most impact on me was a theory about the best TV show ever made for 90s kids: the Rugrats. And it's really not a nice one. The theory goes that the babies Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil are figments of Angelica's imagination. Tommy was still-born, explaining why Stu spends much of his time in the basement inventing toys for his son who never had the chance to play. Chuckie died with his mother, giving cause for Chas's nervous tendencies. Finally, Betty and Howard had an abortion, so Angelica invented the twins as she didn't know the gender of the baby(ies). Yeah. I told you it wasn't nice, but it's also difficult to find any reason for it not to be plausible. After all, it does explain why Angelica can speak to both the adults and the babies. But what about the other children? Dil: Angelica's cousin, being newborn, would've been too young to understand her characters and games for a while. Some people have gone so far as to say that once he had grown to question her imagination, Angelica hit him and caused brain damage, meaning that he played along in the future (I'll get to why she would do so later). Kimi: The step-sister of Chuckie moved to America after her mother married Chas. Kimi previously lived in Paris, so it is not out of the question to assume that she only would've spoken French. After all, the babies couldn't speak to the adults anyway, so it would be very ambitious to think that she could have been fluent in two languages. Therefore, similarly to Dil, Kimi wouldn't have understood Angelica. Susie: The angel to Angelica's devil, if you will. Susie seemed to be very understanding of the babies despite her young age of three or so. This caring nature could have extended to Angelica, where instead of ignoring her wild imagination, Susie played along to make her believe even more. What's more, Susie's parents were doctors, so it is possible that she might have picked up some of that sympathy from overhearing them. Finally, Angelica herself. Some of the detailed theories say that Angelica's mother either left or died when she was a baby. Her dad remarried to a woman with very little time or love for her stepdaughter. It's because of this that she becomes attached to her Cynthia doll, who she sees as the perfect female role model. She has very few friends or other children to play with as Dil is not yet born, Kimi is still in France and Susie is not around all that often. This makes her very lonely, and it results in her creating the babies in her imagination to play with and boss around in order to gain some control. The theory goes on to explain that her mental state continues to decline as she grows up, meaning that she might lash out at anyone who tells her that the babies aren't real (Dil, for example). After all, in many of the Rugrats adventures Angelica is the cause of the babies getting into trouble, and she also often gets the blame in the end. It is in fact Angelica who comes up with the ideas, convinces herself to do them through talking to the babies, carries them out by pretending she's watching the babies do it, and then gets into trouble, the adults ignoring her repeated blaming of the non-existent babies. Thinking about it creeps me out. I really don't want to believe this theory, but like many of the others out there, it's feasible and the more I consider it, the more I'm inclined to see this as the truth behind the writers' ideas. I just really really hope it's a coincidence and the person who came up with this first is just very clever.
Some may call it copying, but I call it inspiration... I'm following a similar blog structure as the amazing Charlotte's. And Jake already did it as well. Get over it. However, I'm going to do the personal/flatmate edition first and leave the academic till later. Or just do this one and not bother with the second... I'll wait and see. Zooming back to summer 2013 before moving to uni: I'd just been on holiday with three of my best girls and A Level results day was fast approaching. I tried to push it to the back of my mind, but the trouble is the back of the mind is still part of the mind, so that niggling anxiety was there to stay until the fateful morning in August. I woke up early. I opened my laptop. I logged on to UCAS. 'Congratulations! Your place at University of Winchester to study Primary Education with QTS (4 years) is confirmed.' The relief that flooded me was indescribable. It meant I could really start buying things for moving away, and I could tell people I was going to Winchester without having that addition of "hopefully, if I get the grades." It also meant that a new bit of panic became prominent in my mind: good Gallifrey. I'm actually moving away. I'm moving away on my own. And I would have to meet new people. My accommodation offer confirmed a couple of weeks later, and I immediately hopped on to Facebook to join in with the huge number of freshers trying to find their future flatmates in the hope that it would calm me down before moving in to Queens. I typed 'Flat 19 anyone?' on a few posts and pages and waited, then popped up the first reply from another girl. Another Emma. We chatted for a bit before another reply came through. This one was Charlotte. That process continued for around a week before we'd found no less than seven of us, and we were all girls. After a fair amount of Facebook stalking and group chats, I decided that everyone sounded brilliant. Anyway, September came around and it was time to start packing everything. That was when the nerves started up again, but I ignored them as best as I could. I went out with my friends Jessica, Christine, Natalie, Mike and Jamie one last time before we all started our new academic years, which was a little bit emotional, not gonna lie. September 14th arrived and we left Devizes for Winchester. I was due to be first to move into the flat, which I was happy about as I could settle in before introducing myself to everyone. As I thought, I was first there and carried my stuff up to my new room with the help of my parents and a couple of students. As we left for Sainsburys to buy my first weekly shop, I met the first of whom I was going to be living with. I said a quick "hello, nice to meet you" as Jessica carried in a massive box full of kitchen equipment (hehe) and hurried off. When I returned laden with carrier bags, doing absolutely nothing for the planet, a few more rooms were inhabited with those girls I'd met over Facebook. My parents left, my Mum just managing to hold it together (:P), and I sat at my desk wondering at what point it was acceptable to knock on someone's door. Eventually, we ended up in Big Emma's room and had a nice long chat. I felt comfortable around everyone so far. The next day, Claudia and Charlotte arrived and we all decided to go to Bierkeller. I felt comfortable around everyone already, which was good as we stuck to each other like glue during freshers week. Our courses began, Jessica and I joined a great choir and we went through two birthdays, a pretty epic Halloween dress up, and a couple of questionable nights out (karaoke at the County Arms, or the UV rave *cough* Jessica and Charlotte *cough* :P). Then, in mid-November our Italian flatmate Elisa decided to leave, and we suddenly had an empty room. Cue a shocked/excited tapping on my shoulder at choir one Wednesday afternoon. I turned around, and Jessica whispered "it's a boy!" I'll be honest, first I thought who on earth do we know that was heavily pregnant and could've given birth? Then I realised. The empty room was going to be filled. With a boy. This was a massive shock because we were an all-girl flat, and the addition of a bit of testosterone was simply unimaginable at that point. Little did we know that scary boy would become a wonderful big brother. Jake moved in and settled rather quickly. I don't remember the point at which he became integral to the flat atmosphere, but he did. In fact, there wasn't an exact moment when I knew that I was now friends with anyone in the flat. I just knew we were... When you give each other insulting nicknames, you must be (Bilbo and Three Balls). Just like the speed of this year, I'm going to whizz through Christmas and semester two. We watched a huge amount of movies (Queer Duck included ;), I got mostly everyone (Jake) into Doctor Who, made fun of each other's accents, went to quiz every week, went on placements, listened to Charlotte on her radio show, created the 'Fit Man Board', went bowling, sent a vast number of *attractive* snapchats, told Jake off a lot, skateboarded down the corridor, wrapped Jessica in cling film, played Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity (lol), Poker (double lol), COD that one time (triple lol), got a little bit addicted to Flappy Bird and 2048, and generally had an awesome time. Now the time has come. The end of the year has actually come around, and we've started to move out of flat 19 for the last time. Big Emma and Jake have already flown the nest, and I'm not gonna lie, there were one or two tears shed (I'm so pathetic) TOTES EMOSH. I will miss the flat. But it's been great while it lasted, and our new house will be the same. Jake, you've just got to stay over a lot. You'll have your own cupboard, what more do you need? ;) So, a few shout outs to some super cool people. First everyone back home: Mum, Dad, Lucy, Jessica, Christine, Natalie, Mahala, Mike, Jamie, Thomas and everyone else (you know who you are). Thanks for all the support and luck before and during my fresher year. As much as I have loved being in Winch, I did miss good ol' Devizes. Second, some awesome people I've met this year. Rosie, thank you for being a fantastically supportive placement partner. Everyone in group 10, you're all great :) Third, everyone who lived in Flat 19 this year: Emma, Jessica, Charlotte, Jake, Claudia, Beth, Camilla, Elisa and Christina. You were brilliant. I'm so glad I met you all and I think we were so lucky to have been put together. And finally, a special mention for the Famous Five. You guys have wriggled your way into my life in the most incredible way, and you are as much my best friends as the seven I have back home. We've had an overwhelming number of highs as well as a couple of lows, and I think we've become life-long brother and sisters. I wish there were better words to say than thank you. I love you all, and I'll miss you a hell of a lot over the summer. Don't be strangers. (Apologies for the soppiness. I'm talking to you, Miss House... ;) J x C x J x E x
Doctor Who, in its astounding fifty year run of time and space, has produced several loose ends still waiting to be tied up neatly. Ace (how did she leave the Doctor?), Captain Jack Harkness (What about those two years of missing memories?), and Sally Sparrow (just what happened to her after Blink?). Not to mention the many Time Lords and Ladies with unfinished stories left to tell: Susan Foreman, the Meddling Monk, the Valeyard, that mystery woman in The End of Time, and of course, the one-episode never-spoken-of-again Jenny.
To recap, Jenny was introduced in The Doctor's Daughter, a series four episode first broadcast back in 2008. We saw her birth on the planet Messaline as the Doctor (played by David Tennant) had his DNA forcibly taken and put into a progenation machine, meaning that his cells multiplied and produced offspring with the genes of one parent. Jenny, played by fifth Doctor Peter Davison's daughter Georgia Moffett, was brutal and tough due to her purpose as a soldier, before learning from her Dad that she didn't have to be that way, that she had a choice. She was athletic, enthusiastic, stood up for herself, and incredibly brave: all the makings of a great companion. So it was a shock when *SPOILERS* she died in the Doctor's arms after taking a bullet for him. Just when you thought that our favourite Time Lord was about to get some kind of family back, some roots to Gallifrey, someone to really look after, T Davies smashed all our fangirl/boy hopes. Then, right at the end of the episode, just as you were resigning yourself to the fact that it wasn't meant to be, Jenny jumps up and into an escape pod, soaring away from Messaline with a grin: "I've got the whole universe! Planets to save, civilisations to rescue, creatures to defeat... And an awful lot of running to do."
Jenny has never been seen, heard, or even spoken of again in the Whoniverse (as far as we know). However, that almost six-year cliffhanger has produced a vast number of FanFictions dedicated to the character which for the writers, myself included, and the readers, myself included, a little bit of closure while Moffat thinks up a way to bring her back for real... Hehe. (SHAMELESS SELF ADVERTISEMENT: if you're interested, my fic The Anomaly is basically a Who/Torchwood crossover series rewrite with Jenny included, which you can find at: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9266013/1/The-Anomaly) Because Jenny, despite only being in one 45 minute episode, is remembered and loved so fondly by the fandom she is automatically associated with any kind of secret or mystery that pops up in the show. For example: Take yourself back to Saturday 28th June 2008, around 7pm. You're watching The Stolen Earth. All of the Doctor's companions and friends are returning: Rose, Captain Jack, Sarah Jane, Martha... Could his daughter make an appearance? Sadly not. 11th April 2009. Right at the end of Planet of the Dead, Carmen makes her chilling prediction: "It is returning through the dark..." Could it be Jenny? New Years Day 2010, and no. It's actually Gallifrey. 2011 and series 6's story arc consists of the question who is River Song? Some suggested that the imprisoned doctor was an older regeneration of Jenny, which to be blunt is just plain wrong. Once we'd discovered the identity of River/Melody and her parents had departed the TARDIS in 2012, a brand new mystery woman presented herself in the form of Clara Oswald. Could this companion, twice dead already, be a version or three of Jenny? Alas, no. The Name of the Doctor told us so. However, eleven has now passed the TARDIS key on to twelve, and with him will apparently be brought a 'back to basics' approach. From what we know already, this is looking true: a brand new regeneration cycle, Gallifrey back (trapped in a pocket universe, but still, it's around), plainer attire, and two teacher companions. This is where my theory comes into play. So, a new regeneration cycle brings back a similar Doctor to the first, William Hartnell. When Hartnell began the show back in '63, the companions who travelled with him were Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, his granddaughter and two teachers respectively. Capaldi, number twelve, already has his teachers on board (Clara and Danny Pink), but what about the familial relation?
... Jenny.
Could Jenny make her long-awaited return to travel the universe with our established TARDIS crew? It's worth noting that Steven Moffat personally requested that she did not die in The Doctor's Daughter, and he is the sole reason for her staying alive. He must have some kind of plan for her, and a brand new era of Doctor Who would be the perfect time to do it. My fingers are crossed!
One of the most ambiguous and oldest questions in human history that will always begin detailed conversations and a plethora of stories, goes something like this: Do you believe in ghosts? It is a phenomena that remains unanswered, even after all the years of discussion and
The castle - first built in the 1100s
and rebuilt in the 19th century
research. Just think of all the things the human race has achieved - advances in medicine, technology, space travel - yet the simple idea of a ghost hasn't been explained. This is one of the reasons why the topic interests and scares me simultaneously. Another is that I'm from a small town in the south west of England which dates all the way back to the early 12th century. There are over 500 listed buildings, including houses, pubs, churches and a castle. Given its history, my little hometown plays host to many a ghost story and some of the most reputably haunted places in the country. When you can find tales and myths about buildings that you know, in my experience it automatically becomes more interesting and inclusive. But do you actually believe, I hear you ask? My answer to that question is yes. I definitely believe that there is something paranormal there. It's hard to deny when some of my friends and family have had spooky experiences, and I've had one definite encounter myself that I just can't explain. When someone you know to be fully sane and rational tells you that they have seen or felt another presence, it's hard to deny, and that is what I would say to non-believers. Not that they don't have the right to not believe, and I understand to some extent the phrase "I have to see to believe", but those who dismiss stories as "rubbish", even if they hear them from people they trust, could re-evaluate their reactions to them. You don't have to believe every detail of said story necessarily, but respect that the person believes that what they experienced was true. OK, preach over. I mentioned above that I have had one experience with what I believe to be a ghost, and in the interest that you trust my sanity, here is the story:
Fuengirola beach
I went on a summer holiday to Fuengirola in Spain when I was twelve. It was with my family, the weather was beautiful and the place was fairly busy. Not your typical setting for a ghost to appear, right? Well, we were staying in a block of apartments, one of which was rented out to holidaymakers. I shared the small room with my sister which had one single bed that I slept in and a pull out mattress thing that she had, so on one side (the right) I would face my sister and the wardrobe, and the other (the left) would be the curtains. This room layout is important, I promise. One night, I woke at around 3am for no apparent reason and begrudgingly opened my eyes (note that I was laid on my left side, facing the curtains). There before me was a fuzzy outline of a person, right by my bed. In my still sleepy brain I concocted a theory in which I had turned my whole body around so that my head was at the foot of the bed, and the person was in fact my sister who was being weird in her sleep (she used to do weird things in her sleep). As I became more awake, however, I realised that I was still the correct way up. I immediately looked back at the figure, which was still there, but was now clearly not my sister. The more I stared, the less fuzzy the person was. It was an old woman, dressed in heavy rags and maid/nun-like attire on her head. She was very still and staring right back at me. I must have gone through a thousand different explanations in my head, the most prominent of which being that I was still half asleep and imagining it, so I tested my theory. I looked away for a couple of seconds. I looked back. The old woman was still stood beside me, just as, if not more, solid. I blinked. Still there. Blinked again. Still there. And this is the thing that makes me really believe that the old woman was a ghost. In my experience, if you see something at a glance or in a sleep-addled state, when you look back the thing is gone, and you resign it to your wild imagination. But the old woman was staying, no matter how many times I looked away or blinked. So, I did what all sane people do, and threw the covers over my head, staying that way despite the uncomfortably hot temperature until morning. I am now nineteen and it's been almost seven years since that happened, yet I can still recall every detail. I don't care what anyone says, I am convinced that the old woman I saw was a ghost.
The Sixth Sense - great movie, but not what I believe ghosts to be
Whenever Walt Disney's world-famous animation company releases another popular kid's film, somewhere out there someone will nitpick every detail in order to find some kind of controversy within, and the most recent 'Frozen' is no different.
This particular wintery movie has attracted more negative attention than most, one controversy being over homosexual undertones. The article that I read begins with the opinion of Kevin Swanson, who accuses the film of being the devil's work and encourages women to be lesbians. Funnily enough, however, he doesn't mention any specific moments or plot points within 'Frozen' that displays this "evil", as he bluntly puts it. Kathryn Skaggs is another that is mentioned in the article. She apparently believes that 'Frozen' tries to normalise homosexuality in society by "celebrate(ing) that which is contrary to the commandments". She also focuses on the Oscar-winning song from the movie 'Let It Go', calling it "rebellious", "careless", "anti-obedience", "regardless" and "selfish". The LGBT community have in fact chosen the character Elsa from 'Frozen' as a mascot, almost, for empathy and unconditional love. But, spokespeople from that community themselves have said that the film doesn't necessarily link directly to homosexuality, it just has parallels. Elsa, trapped within her own secrets because of her society's views, could be a figure for any kind of person scared of how they might be perceived, be it homosexuality, physical and mental disabilities or even racial differences. Before reading this article, I had never heard anyone who has seen the movie say anything about homosexuality in relation to it. And actually, even if it does, does that matter? Surely a film that promotes acceptance within society is a good thing? Won't that idea stay with kids as they grow up, so that we will eventually have a respectful society in which everyone is included and happy to be themselves? Why has this been twisted into a negative thing to teach our children?
Imagine the amount of criticism that 'Frozen' and Disney as a whole would have received had there not been some kind of moral lesson to learn from it. Critics would have blasted the film as pointless and unnecessary, wouldn't they? Aren't we supposed to learn from what we watch? That's what makes Disney the biggest animation company in the world; their films have meaning, and many before 'Frozen' have had the same theme of acceptance: 'Dumbo' and 'Beauty and the Beast' being just two.
Differences give people different skills.
Beauty can be found inside and out.
Mark Saal, a blogger, sums it up nicely: "Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. If you look hard enough, you can find a hidden homosexual agenda in almost any song, movie or any other work of art." And that works with any kind of controversy or criticism towards anything in the media. Disney films have had accusations made against them for years, practically since Walt himself began his wildly successful company, and I don't believe that people are going to stop any time soon. Whenever anything is popular, someone out there will purposely find fault and shout about it from the rooftops, making everything seem more dramatic and far worse than it actually is. Why can't we leave it alone and appreciate a Disney film for what it is: a happy, meaningful story that kids and adults alike will carry in their hearts forever. In the words of Elsa, just let it go!
Living in a flat in uni halls with seven other people could be a difficult situation to struggle through, depending on that group of people. Fortunately, the super cool awesome amazing lot I live with are super cool, awesome and amazing, so we get on famously. Even in a small space with seven girls and one boy. Some might take pity on our honorary big brother, but seriously, he gets dinner cooked for him, cleaned up after in the kitchen and he can actually tell his mates that he lives with seven (AH-MAZING!) girls... Yeah, he loves it ;) And despite the fact that he enters the kitchen saying "relax, females, I am here" (as he literally just did as I wrote this sentence) and takes pride in the fact that he set the whole block's fire alarm off making toast, we do kinda like our Jake. I'll start with the cons of living with a boy, though. Number one, top of the list, is that they are so so sooooo annoying. Again, literally as I wrote these here words, he stole my slipper, made fun of my height (I'm really tiny) and sat on me so that I couldn't type (biting my hair simultaneously). They can also be pretty disgusting at times, for example showing you his mushed up food in his mouth, burping loudly and telling questionable stories, the most recent (about twenty minutes ago) being one about peeing and smoking at the same time. Lovely. One that might be unique to our boy is his cockiness, and I mean pushing the arrogant boundaries cocky. Another is his loudness in terms of his speakers and phone ringtone, which can be heard over the TV and on occasion, have been known to wake some of us up. Actually, the speakers wouldn't be that awful during the day if the music blasting from them wasn't so terrible. Some of it isn't too bad (the Kooks, for example), but honestly, the majority is just noise. This bad choice doesn't stop at music, however. Oh no. Movie selections in our flat take anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour or more because of those, shall we say, conflicts in opinion (let's be honest, who likes the Green Lantern but not the Dark Knight?) Despite all these 'quirks', Jake does have good qualities, too. His big TV, for example, so that we can watch his awful choice in films with him almost every night. He's also pretty good at fixing computers and other tech, like the new iPad I bought today (he helped me find Snapchat on the App Store. Thanks love!) Because of his annoying and cocky traits, he can actually make us laugh quite a lot, particularly when bigging himself up or asking us kitchen questions (silly ones). He also dances like Miley Cyrus or an Inbetweener sometimes. That's always hilarious. But the best things about living with a boy, and just one rather that multiple boys, is that you get a lovely big brother who looks after you when you need it, helps you carry heavy things (sometimes :P), gives you really good hugs and teases you like there's no tomorrow. I'm told that's what a big brother is supposed to do, and Jake is certainly fulfilling that role. It's just one of the many things that makes our uni flat feel like home.
OK, I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I adore
Leonardo DiCaprio. I tend to do the same in real life, too, so much so that when
I recommend a Leo movie to people, many say “you only like it ‘cause Leo’s in
it”. And yeah, that’s probably true with a couple, but it can be easily argued
that an actor can make or break a film. The reason that I love Leo so much
(other than that beautiful face and gentlemanly charm) is because you can
guarantee that he will give a standout performance whatever you see him in.
That is why he really
deserved the Oscar that he missed out on last night. Matthew McConaughey, clearly
brilliant in Dallas Buyers Club and
also worthy of the best actor award, has given fine performances during his
career. But, it has to be said, many were in rom-coms and chick flicks. Matthew
might have deserved the win for his accomplishment this year, but Leo has
deserved it for the majority of his time (almost a quarter of a century) in
Hollywood.
Leo and Robert DeNiro in This Boy's Life
His first major role in a
drama film was at the tender age of 16 in This Boy’s Life, starring opposite
Robert DeNiro. Leo plays Tobias Wolff in the biographical film depicting an
abusive relationship with his stepfather. Leo won the part after wowing Mr
DeNiro himself at an audition, and followed through with his powerful newcomer
performance in the film. DeNiro even told director Martin Scorsese to look out
for “this kid” around a decade before their first collaboration.
Leo’s next role was as Arnie
in What’s
Eating Gilbert Grape?, the mentally disabled younger brother of Johnny
Depp. If you haven’t seen this film, then do it purely for Leo’s performance.
It is just incredible, and even earned him his first Oscar nomination for
supporting actor at the age of 18. In fact, his performance was so realistic
that people were shocked to discover that he did not actually have a mental
disability when he arrived on the red carpet.
Leo in Total Eclipse
The Basketball Diaries was released in 1995, and was arguable Leo’s first
leading actor role. He plays Jim Carroll, a young drug addict and writer living
in nineties New York. The movie is shocking in terms of the explicit and honest
nature of the scenes, which is down to Leo as he gives a poetic portrayal of an
extremely troubled boy, and yet, doesn’t glamorise it in the slightest. The same year, Leo starred in the relatively unknown, low-budget European film Total
Eclipse, which tells the tragic story of poets Rimbaud and Verlaine
(played by David Thewlis) in 19th century France. Leo is vile as
Arthur Rimbaud, giving an arrogant performance which somehow retains a kind of
love/hate charm that makes you feel sympathetic for the character.
The Titanic flying scene
Leo in Romeo + Juliet
It wasn’t until 1996 that
Leo’s first big breakthrough came in the form of Romeo + Juliet as one
half of the most famous literary couples the world has seen. He gives a
beautifully heartfelt performance opposite Claire Danes, who said that she
couldn’t help welling up whilst filming the final death scene because of Leo’s
moving speech. A year later, however, brought the blockbuster that essentially made
his name: Titanic. His performance as Jack Dawson isn’t often put with
his best, but a character who is so open and passionate must be more difficult
to give depth, and Leo does this brilliantly.
After 1997, he could pretty
much do anything he wanted. However, Leo chose to appear in meaningful and
carefully crafted pieces of work. The first was The Man in the Iron Mask,
where he plays twins Louis XIV and Phillipe, two characters who couldn’t be
more opposite: Louis is selfish and egotistical, while Phillipe is the poster
boy for innocence and sensitivity. This film is unique in that it evidently
displays Leo’s versatility and shows that you can love and hate him
simultaneously.
Leo in The Beach
Next came a film that didn’t
meet with much critical acclaim, but Leo said himself that he chose it because
of the subject matter of isolation; he could relate due to the world’s hugely
positive reaction to him after Titanic.
The
Beachis a dystopia-like tale
of a group of people living in secret in a tropical paradise. Leo portrays traveller
Richard, whose mental states takes a delicate decline, surprising the audience
when the obvious breakdown begins. Ultimately, though, that breakdown is
believably inevitable.
Leo and Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York
Leo and air hostesses in Catch Me If You Can
The turn of the millennium brought
new, tougher roles to Leo’s repertoire. Gangs of New York was released in
2002 and marked his first work with legendary director Martin Scorsese. Leo’s
character was Amsterdam Vallon, an Irish man leading his people into battle
against Daniel Day-Lewis’s Bill the Butcher in 19th century New
York. This was Leo’s introduction into proper blood and gore fighting, and
remains one of, if not his most, gruesome films. The year after, Leo starred in
Catch
Me If You Canas Frank
Abagnale Jr, who posed as an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer as well as
forging millions in bank cheques before his 19th birthday. It is an
impressive story, and an incredible feat for Leo to successfully play a 16 year
old at the age of 28, giving a sad and sympathetic light to a charming
criminal.
The Aviator. Anyone who has seen and knows this film just can’t
argue that Leo is one of his generation’s best actors. He plays the infamous Howard
Hughes, a pioneer of film and aviation who spent his life suffering from severe
obsessive compulsive disorder, and this gave Leo his second Oscar nomination
and his first for best leading actor. His dedication to the project meant that
his portrayal was poignant and tender, gifting the late Hughes with an
understanding tribute by altering society’s negative conception of him. He also
shocks; by the ending of the film, Hughes is pathetic and decrepit, a huge
distinction from the earlier image of a youthful and ambitious man. Leo became
so inherently fascinated with playing this character that obsessive compulsive traits
from his childhood returned, often making him late to set due to having to
count chewing gum stains on his way. The
Aviator, in my opinion is Leo’s best performance to date, and one that will
be tough to beat.
Leo and Jack Nicholson in The Departed
Leo in Blood Diamond
Leo’s third film with
Scorsese was The Departed in 2006, a story set in Boston depicting the
complicated and violent relationship between police and gangs within organised
crime. Billy Costigan, Leo’s character, is an undercover state policeman
operating in Jack Nicholson’s gang. He is constantly conflicted and stressed,
Leo playing this confidently. The same year brought Blood Diamond, a serious
film about the trade of conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone. Leo plays Danny
Archer, a cynical trader who helps a trapped fisherman find his family. Not
only does he speak with a convincing South African accent, but he gives Archer
a dark past that the audience can easily understand as the reason for his hard
exterior during the film.
Another of Leo’s more
underrated performances was as Frank Wheeler in Revolutionary Road.
Opposite his Titanic co-star and
real-life best friend, Kate Winslet, he plays one half of a suburban American
couple in the fifties. However, this couple feel trapped within their family
lives, and the film portrays their slow marital decline. Kate was utterly
fantastic in this film, thoroughly deserving of her Oscar recognition for her
incredibly successful year, but I think this slightly overshadowed Leo’s fantastic
performance and made him forgotten by the Academy. Kate, in her Golden Globe
speech, summed his work up perfectly: “your performance in this film is nothing
short of spectacular”.
Leo in Shutter Island
2010’s releases began with Shutter
Island, a psychological horror film set in a fifties mental asylum. Leo
is US Marshal Teddy Daniels, a determined man haunted by the ghost of his wife
and the mystery surrounding an escaped patient. The flashback scene in the
lake, though, is the one which really impresses. Those cries are full of
emotion and is simply heartbreaking. The second release was the hugely popular
sci-fi hit Inception, in which Leo plays Don Cobb, a professional thief
who steals secrets from his victims in their dreams. Again, the standout scene
for me is Mal’s suicide, where you can see his desperation growing as she
threatens to jump.
Leo in Inception
Leo in J Edgar
J Edgaris a film often forgotten as one of Leo’s most recent. He
portrays J Edgar Hoover, the notorious FBI director who is alleged to be a
closeted homosexual. Leo is heart-rending in the scene after his mother (played
by Judi Dench) has died, dressing in her clothes and jewellery in utter despair
and impulse. And later, in full aging makeup, he still manages to keep his face
miserably expressive.
A part that I am still shocked
that Leo didn’t get an Oscar nomination for is the evil Calvin Candie in
Tarantino’s Django Unchained. His first film in years in which he does not
play the lead, Leo is despicable and disgusting as the Southern plantation
owner, making the audience genuinely hate the sickening character. It is also
his first (obvious) role as the villain, and he settles into it incredibly well
despite his onset concerns about using that
word to describe his co-stars such as Jamie Foxx.
Leo in The Great Gatsby
Returning to Baz Lurhmann’s glamorous
directing world for The Great Gatsby in 2013, Leo plays another of the world’s most
famous literary characters. Jay Gatsby is one that has been played and analysed
hundreds of times over, yet Leo still manages to bring his own unique charm to
the role. He is clumsy and romantic, making us swoon and fall for him all over
again as he introduces himself as Gatsby during one of the massive party
scenes. He makes us want to be his only love, married Daisy Buchanan (played by
Carey Mulligan) just because of the way he looks at her, and turns the tables
on her character’s reputation frequently.
Finally, the one that he
just lost out on. The Wolf of Wall Street is controversial, ambitious and
shameless, something that the Academy doesn’t like. Leo, though, gives another
of his best performances as Jordan Belfort, and again, in a film that he has
been incredibly passionate about making for years. In the film, we see another
side of Leo that we don’t usually get – his comedic performance is hilarious,
especially during the Quaalude sequence (you’ll know it if you’ve seen it). He
is also disturbingly inspirational as he gives his loud and profound speeches.
Despite its reputation, The Wolf of Wall
Street was one of the best films of the year.
Clearly, throughout his
career Leonardo DiCaprio has given some incredible performances which have
either been ignored or just not recognised by those award panels. He has definitely
deserved more than he’s had recognition for. Who knows? One day, maybe he’ll
deliver a performance so stunning that the Academy just won’t be able to deny
him that gold statuette, and the internet will implode (note: don’t go near
Tumblr when that day comes).
The Academy Awards 2014 was
a good show. Not the best they’ve ever had, but still, there were poignant,
powerful and absolutely fricking hilarious moments, none of which happened with
Alex Zane in his UK studio.
Seriously, we could have done without so much cutting back and forth. It was
distracting from the dresses!
Anne Hathaway
Sally Hawkins
The worst dressed
this year, in my opinion, was Anne
Hathaway. Her gown was pretty much the same s last year, just in a
different darker colour with jewels added. Anne was closely followed by Sally Hawkins, nominated in the best
supporting actress category for Blue
Jasmine. The high neck and long sleeves would have been lovely if the
sparkling pattern (also fine had it been on a short-sleeved dress) wasn’t so…
sparkly. And for me, that’s a big thing to say (I like sparkly things). The
three best dressed gals were Cate
Blanchett, Sandra Bullock and Kristen Bell. I don’t usually like Cate’s
choices, but this year she had just the right amount of glitter on a beautiful
coloured dress. Sandra always looks amazing, and 2014 was no different with her
dark blue gown. And finally, Kristen Bell as an unusual choice. I’m not sure
exactly why I like her light grey dress, but I know that I really really do.
Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Kristen Bell
The boys often get
overlooked in terms of their tux choices, but I’m going to choose the best and
worst for them, too. Pharrell Williams’
red carpet suit shorts are the obvious for worst (I know you’re in LA, but come
on). The other one is Matthew
McConaughey for his cream jacket on top of black – it just looked weird.
The best dressed guys is a tougher choice, and I couldn’t narrow it down to
less than these five: Jared Leto,
working the light suit a lot better than his Dallas Buyers Club co-star, and rocking the red bow tie; Leonardo DiCaprio, just ‘cos he always
looks good; Benedict Cumberbatch,
for the same reason; Jim Carrey, who
looked rather chiselled in his shiny blue tux; and finally, Jason Sudeikis, also looking handsome
in a deep blue suit.
Pharrell Williams, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jim Carrey, Jason Sudeikis
It wasn’t only the outfits
we were looking at on the red carpet, though. There were a couple of, shall we
say, mishaps, number one being J-Law
falling over (again). Apparently, she tripped over a cone whilst waving to
fans. Gotta love her <3
The Cumberbomb
The second was Benedict’s U2 photobomb that can’t be described as anything other than
spectacular. And it’s got to be said, it’s impressive that a British guy who
didn’t really have too much to do with the Oscars has Cumbersnatched (get it?)
the limelight by doing something that wasn’t even on TV… you did good,
Cumberbum *massive well-deserved round of applause*.
Ellen's tweet
Another brilliantly famous
photo taken last night was Ellen’s
Hollywood star selfie, which has broken records by achieving 2.5 million
retweets as it currently stands (1.50pm GMT 03/03/14). The picture was taken
during the ceremony as Ellen invited the likes of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts,
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong’o,
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing
Tatum, Jared Leto and Kevin Spacey to join in. And it is one
cool selfie.
Speaking of our 2014 Oscar
host, how brilliant was Ellen DeGeneres?
She was just as I expected: natural, funny, down-to-earth, and miles ahead of Seth MacFarlane’s awkward performance
last year. In fact, the ceremony might have been pretty boring if it weren’t
for her selfie ^^ or ordering pizza. A well-selected host, and one I hope the
Academy chooses again. Congratulations, Ellen!
The song performances were
pretty good this year, too. Pharrell
Williams (once changed out of his shorts) gave a fun and uplifting opening
to the ceremony with ‘Happy’ from Despicable
Me 2. U2 were just as you’d
expect U2 to perform their track ‘Ordinary Love’ from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Idina
Menzel was wonderful, despite the one bum note, in the song ‘Let It Go’
from Frozen (I wish I could sing like
her). Finally, the surprise performance of the night had to be from Pink during a tribute to 1939’s classic
The Wizard of Oz. She was simply
stunning.
Cate Blanchett's Oscar win
Matthew McConaughey's speech
Finally, at 4.30am
GMT the big awards began: Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Film. It wasn’t a
surprise that Cate Blanchett won
after her triumph at both the Globes and the BAFTAs, and honestly, the Best
Actress category this year wasn’t overly impressive (it was missing Emma Thompson). Best Actor, however, I
was much more interested in. In my opinion, it was a three-horse race between Leo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey and Chiwetel
Ejifor after each of their individual wins at the Globes and the BAFTAs,
and I so so so so so wanted it to be Leo’s night. So much. So so so much. However,
deep down in my heart I kind of knew it was going to be Matthew’s. And he did
deserve it, but come on, Academy. LEO!!! (More on this in a later blog, mark my
words…)
Steve McQueen's celebration with Lupita Nyong'o and good old Ben
Best Film was not
quite as obvious as it has been in recent years. Nine of 2013’s movies were
nominated, and the frontrunners were 12
Years a Slave and Gravity. As
much as I wanted the Academy to throw us a massive curveball and get Will Smith to read: “And the Oscar for
best film goes to… The Wolf of Wall
Street!” I knew that was never going to happen. So, I’m quite content that 12 Years a Slave pipped the
overly-glorified Gravity to the post.
Gravity was
the clear winner for most Oscars this year, and as much as many of the
technical awards were well-deserved, I don’t think it was worthy of quite as
many as it received. Share them out a bit, Academy! Where were The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle’s awards? Surely they
both justify more than nominations? And one that definitely required more than
the nods it received was Saving Mr Banks.
However, I am very happy that The Great
Gatsby won both the Oscars it was nominated for. Well and truly deserved.
Those sets and costumes were incredible.
Overall, the Academy Awards
2014 were entertaining and full of surprises. Ellen DeGeneres was a wonderful host, (most of) the awards were
deserved and the performances were brilliant. Just let Leo have his turn next
time, OK?
