The Meaning of Life is . . . Nothing? My Review on Rick and Morty

Hey everyone, this post is my thoughts on the popular TV show Ricky and Morty.

For those that don't know about the show, Ricky and Morty follows the adventures of an average boy named Morty, and his genius alcoholic grandfather Rick. They travel through different dimensions and space, meeting all kinds of creatures and having crazy adventures.

So, I have mixed feelings about this show. My initial reaction was I didn't like it. It was way too crude and violent for my tastes, and I felt the plot didn't go anywhere.

But then I thought about it. And I watched this video that talks about the philosophy behind Rick and Morty.  And finally, I noticed the show had references to these kinds of philosophies, whether it was in the dialogue or in the imagery. So I took a closer look at what Rick and Morty was trying to say.

10 Things I Love About Utah

Hey everyone!

So I'm going a different direction than my usual topics and I want to talk about Utah.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of people hating on Utah. Maybe since I'm a native Utahn, I'm a bit biased, but I happen to really like Utah. So that's what this post is about: 10 things I love about Utah.

This is in Provo Canyon, right by Bridal Veil Falls. 

1. The mountains

I'm totally a mountains girl. I'd much rather go to the mountains than the beach. And I really do love the mountains in Utah. Since we're in the middle of the Rockies, we've got all sorts of options for hiking, biking, and anything mountain related. I love that I can drive anywhere and within an hour, I can be at an awesome hiking trail. And the sights I've seen are breathtaking.

2. The national parks

I seriously don't think any other state has as many national parks as Utah does. And they're all absolutely gorgeous. From Zion's National Park to the Ashley National Forest, there's something for everyone who wants to enjoy the outdoors.

3. The people 

I know you might think I'm crazy, but I do love the people in Utah. Yeah, there are some judgmental jerks, but there are also some of the most wonderful and sweetest people that I've met.

Cartoon Fest! My Favorite Cartoons from 2000-2009

Hey everyone,
I know, I know, it's been way too long. I got a new job and moved, and my muse was being stubborn. But I've written up a bunch of posts and plan on posting once a week. So here we go!

So you've heard the whole thing about how 90's cartoons were the best and anything after the new millennium is just garbage, right? It's always the "you're a true 90's kid if you liked this show. . ." and so on.

But I'm going to have to disagree.

Yes, I think the 90's brought some great animated shows (Arthur, Animaniacs, Dexter's Labratory, Batman the Animated Series, X-Men, Spider-Man, The Magic School Bus, Gargoyles, etc). But I also think people forget about the early 2000's which brought another wave of amazing cartoons.

And I might even argue that most of these shows are arguably better than the 90's ones (cue the torches and pitchforks!)

So that's what I want to talk about: my favorite 2000's cartoons. I may be a bit biased since these cartoons are the ones that I grew up with, but I still think these shows are pretty fantastic.

The Truth Behind Syndrome: My Look at The Incredibles' Villain

Photo credit: pixar.wikia.com

Hey everyone! I don't have much to report so on with my post!

I was watching The Incredibles the other day, and I remembered why I love that movie. It's really solid, particularly with its characters. Each character has multiple layers, even though they're based on superhero and family stereotypes. What makes these characters so fascinating is that Pixar basically took all these stereotypes and turned them on their heads. But what I really want to talk about is a character that some people tend to overlook, which is ironic since he's the villain. Yes, I want to talk about Syndrome/Buddy.

You really shouldn't be surprised; I've always liked villains and Syndrome is probably one of Pixar's best villains, not necessarily because he's the most powerful, (although the weapons and technology he built were very impressive) but because he's the most human and the most complex. But to understand Syndrome, we need to look at his earlier version: Buddy.

Batman and Robin: Why Robin is Needed

source: imgkid.com

Hello everyone!

I am now an official BYU Alumni! Now I have to be a real person. Yay.

Anyway, I never thought I'd be the one writing this, but this post is all about Robin and why Batman needs Robin as a person and as a character.

Yep, you heard me right: I'm defending Robin. Me, the girl who didn't like him at all at first. Is the world coming to an end? Have I finally lost it?

(Well maybe, but that's beside the point.)

Now in my defense,  Robin's portrayal in the beginning left a lot to be desired. His character in the early 50s and 60s comics was just plain cheesy and stupid. And his portrayal in the live-action movies and series wasn't much better (holy heart-failure, Batman!). I generally saw him as annoying and useless.

It wasn't until Batman The Animated Series that I began to see the value of Robin as a character.

So that's what this post is about. As I talk about this subject, I'm going to be referring mostly to the Batman The Animated Series, though I'll probably use Young Justice at times as well. I'll also be referring only to Dick Grayson, the first Robin. (I'm saving the other Robins for another post!)  So here we go: Why Batman needs Robin.

LDS Cosplayers and Modesty: The Constant Struggle

Hey everyone! I know, it's been a month, but believe me when I say that I've been overwhelmed with school. Between readings, assignments, presentations, and final projects, I haven't had much down time. But this post is actually related to my folklore project, so if I could get some feedback on this topic, that would be great!

Me dressed as a ninja turtle with a girl dressed as Zelda

So this post is about cosplaying and the struggle that many LDS cosplayers have with modest costuming. I'm sure most of you know about cosplaying, but to give a quick definition: cosplaying is the act of dressing up as a character from a known TV show, movie, book, video game, etc. It has a lot to do with popular geek culture. Most people cosplay at comic and anime conventions, so it happens in a specific place.

My folklore class has been focusing on how things are folkloric. Really, the basic idea of folklore is the everyday culture of people, whether it's family traditions or the weird things you and your coworkers do at the office. Folklore focuses on many different things, but I looked at two elements of folklore in cosplay: community and identity. Cosplaying creates a community because it's a type of performance where people from different locations will gather in one place to show off their creativity and love for a fandom to others. It also creates a community online. There are lots of blogs, youtube videos and posts on tips for cosplaying from buying cosplay to making certain elements of a costume. Cosplayers all band together to show their knowledge and help others create their costumes.

Serious Cartoons: The Underrated Medium

Hey everyone!

Well, I'm halfway through my final semester at BYU! I'm both excited and terrified. Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I've been pretty swamped with school and work. This post is something I've been working on for a while and I finally got it ready!

So I was recently talking to someone about an anime show that I really liked. I mentioned that it was really violent, and that person just blankly stared at me and said, "But it's a cartoon." I've also heard the statement, "it's just a cartoon," which implies that it couldn't have any substance.

You would not believe how many times I've heard this idea and how I've tried to convince people otherwise. But a lot of people just can't get past the misconception that cartoons can't be violent or profound because, well, they're cartoons. They're supposed to be for kids, right?

Well, not as often as you think. A lot of people have difficulty taking animation and comics seriously.

The Joker from The Dark Knight Returns. Yep. Lot's of blood. 

To be fair, the idea of taking animated shows seriously probably feels like a joke to a lot of people. Cartoons are generally associated with kids, so people assume that if it's a cartoon, it's a kids' show. Even the word cartoony has become a definition for something seen as lighter and more childish.

But in reality, I've seen many animated shows with incredibly adult situations that no child would be ready for. The same goes for comics. Most people assume that comics are for kids when really the exact opposite is the case, particularly in the case of DC comics and Marvel. Sure, they have comics for kids, but their main stuff deals with a lot of adult themes. A hero is always getting beaten within an inch of his/her life and there's often a sexual theme going on as well. And there's blood. A lot of blood.