Batman! Spider-man! Why NOW?

I think we can all recognize these two theme songs. The man in a black bat suit and the young teenage boy in a blue and red spandex onesie. Both of them using their power of flying and superhuman strength to save their respective cities. Both of these characters extremely popular on the silver screen today...

 

But I want to pose the question, why are these films being made now? Starting in 2000, there have been over 50 films making over ten million dollars at the box office, many of them pulling in more than one-hundred million dollars. It is easy to say that these film attract audiences. The old and young, the geeky teen and businessman. More than likely if someone were to ask you who your favorite superhero was, you would pull from the films you've seen or comics you've read and answer. But why now?

I don't know if Marvel Comics is just really good at marketing their superheros or if DC Comics hit the lottery having Christopher Nolan direct the "man in black." Either way there is no denying that these films are hugely successful right now. Even the not-so-well made movies with weird plot points, 2011's Green Lantern or this year's sequel Ghost Rider:  Spirit of Vengeance, were successful. So why now? Why can these films be shoddily made and still rake in millions? How come this was not the case in the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's? Why is there an influx now? Is this the movie industry's strategy of trying to make as much money as they can in the dying age of theaters?

Here's my take. People want change. They want hope that someone out there can change their community for the better, especially in the world's economic state. Yes, the actors, special effects, and directing are impeccable. But at the end of the day, don't we all wish we were doing more with our lives? I know I wish I had the nerve to stand up for others being bullied, or stop a robber, or even stand in the way of a bullet. But I don't....So I'm posing an answer. We like to see people rise above the world portrayed in these films, which is some cases is eerily close to our own (you can ignore the pun involving this weekend's Batman film).

So go out and support your favorite superhero. Love them all just the same. Vicariously live through them. And if you are brave enough, take something from these films out into the real world with you. Be brave, be bold, and do what ever a spider can, if you see fit...

Full on Dancing

Like the majority of Americans who pay attention to movies and the actors that appear in them, I am infatuated with Emma Stone. When I saw her on the cover of Vogue this past week, I could resit picking it up, flipping through the pages memorized by her couture outfits. Needless to say, I bought it.

On my way to work this week (I take the bus into Boston every day from my home in New Hampshire), I read and absorbed every detail of the interview. What really caught my eye was something she "borrowed" from fellow actor (and in  my opinion, one of the most promising actors in Hollywood today) Ryan Gosling...

"Picking roles is like listening to songs the radio:  there can be a lot of really great songs in a row, but then one comes on that just makes you want to dance."- Stone via Heller, 75.

Yes, this was in reference to how she picked her slew of non-comedic roles this past year. She rose to stardom in hilariously, witty roles like Jules in the wild party-planning film Superbad, Olive in classically inspired Easy A, and Hannah in the dryly humorous House Bunny. She stated that her most recent roles, including Skeeter in The Help and Gwen from this summer blockbuster The Amazing Spider-Man made her "dance." She saw these characters as empowered women, something she personally respected and roles that may not have fit what she was known for in the world of movies.

Yet I think this mind set is perfect for new grads out there. We just spent two, four or more years of our lives, spending extreme amounts of money, and learning about the world under one specific umbrella. But for what? Where will it lead us and how will we know what job is best for us? Will we ever reach the level of success we believe we can reach?

According to Emma (whose real name is Emily, who knew?) and Ryan, we can only be "successful" if we choose the jobs that make us want to dance. Not sway or bob your head. Full on DANCE!

I know this is how I made the decision for my current job. I work for an affiliate of a national nonprofit. I wanted to help people, make a difference in my city, state, community, the world. Helping people made me happy, made my work worth it. It made me dance.

So dance people! Find that job that makes you want to shake that booty. Fist pump until the cows come home. Grapevine into the future. It is possible to love what you do, but only if we follow Stone and Gosling's advice and find that job that makes you want to dance.

Emma Stone

So You Think You Can Write? Prove It...

The current news about the American economy is not exactly what one would call uplifting.  In fact it is usually downright pathetic.  No one denies that; especially the newest graduating college classes.  As a communication student, I feel that I am no different.  Looking into the future, friends and family want to know the number one concern regarding my entry into the job market.  To every person I answer—how to separate myself in an applicant pool of hundreds of other new-grads and qualified unemployed individuals who have work experience.  

My past internship at Komen MA, I asked my supervisor, the Director of Marketing Communications, this question.  I was expecting an answer involving versatility, knowledge about emerging technologies, or personal and professional charisma; her answer surprised me.  “Go back to the basics.  No one can ignore a really good writer.”  For the next few months this is what I did:  wrote emails, crafted social media posts, composed formal letters to public officials, created posters that included key Komen messaging, developed a script for their biggest fundraiser of the year, generated participant surveys, etc.  Needless to say, my writing skills have developed.  
Do I think this is the only skill that you need to get a job in today’s economy?  By all means, that is not what I was inferring.  Being able to effectively verbalize messages, inhabiting a personality and a professional attitude, and versatility are all important skills to companies who are hiring.  However, a really good, well-developed set of writing skills can almost guarantee a position somewhere in some industry.


This being said, Endicott should really include classes that are strictly writing-designated within the marketing communication concentration.  This way most of the students in the class can practice tailoring messages to different audiences.  I think a speech class should also be included in the curriculum; hopefully this will ensure comfort when speaking to a group of people or an individual.  Another major part of any current job in marketing communication is knowledge of the current social media; a class on this should also be required of students.  


Yet, in the end, nothing can take away the importance of real world, actual work experience.  This is where I learned a majority of my current communications skills; nothing can take the place of this learning environment.

This was written for a college class I took last year... It truly does encompass what I believe in this industry in this day in age... I had to start with this!