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MAJOR SPOILERS: Welcome to the last Input 2 for this semester! This week, we discuss the legacy of superhero films and how Avengers: Endgame fits within this genre. How did the Marvel cinematic universe originate? Will these films ever end? Find out this and more on this week's episode of Input 2!
Welcome to the last How It’s Played episode for this semester! We are discussing a recent Norway study, where it said that girls are negatively impacted by games. Is this study valid? How does this play into the greater gender perspectives in the gaming community? Find out this and more on this week’s episode of How It’s Played!
As a young reader, there has always been a wide array of reading options to suit my interests. If I wanted to read a magical adventure story, I’d pick up Harry Potter. If I was feeling more of a dystopian action series, I’d grab The Hunger Games. However the book series that kept me awake late at night reading under the sheets with a flashlight wasn’t Twilight or Lord of the Rings. It was Erin Hunter's Warriors series.
by Emily Reuben As a young reader, there has always been a wide array of reading options to suit my interests. If I wanted to read a magical adventure story, I’d pick up Harry Potter. If I was feeling more of a dystopian action series, I’d grab The Hunger Games. However the book series that kept me awake late at night reading under the sheets with a flashlight wasn’t Twilight or Lord of the Rings. It was Erin Hunter's Warriors series. When it comes to popular children’s book series, the Warriors, sometimes referred to as the Warrior Cats novels, are not only one of the most prominent but also has one of the most active online communities. The series has received numerous recognitions, including various spots on the New York Times bestsellers list throughout the years. The Warriors series revolves around four groups of feral cats living in clans. The four clans all struggle to survive and often get into bloody battles over food, territory, and engage in forbidden romances between cats from different clans. The first six books in the series detail the adventures of Rusty, a house cat that leaves his comfortable life to join ThunderClan. Rusty forsakes his given name and is given the name Firepaw. His struggles integrating into the life of a wildcat while navigating the politics among the four clans comprises the bulk of the series' first six entries. Since the original series, the Warrior Cats books have exploded into a massive collection of novels, featuring 7 series with six books each. Outside of the main series of books, 12 stand-alone books titled “Super Editions” have been released, each chronicling the experiences of a specific character in the series. Additionally, the series has spawned six field guides, a manga series, and 15 novellas. However, what makes the Warriors series so interesting outside of the sheer number of titles is the level of online involvement from fans, especially regarding fan animations on YouTube. When I was about 12 years old, I was obsessed with Warriors. I had every book, novella, and manga that was sold on bookshelves. Eventually I took my love for the series online and began interacting with other Warriors fans on online forums. It was around that time that a user posted a link to a Warriors fan animation titled Yellowfang: On My Own. While the animation has since been removed from YouTube, it had a massive impact on me and ultimately led to a rabbit hole of Warrior Cats animated content. At the time, I was impressed with the anime style the artist choose to animate the cats in and the visual effects throughout the video. I instantly fell in love with the animation and turned to the author of the video, AlliKatNya, for more animated Warriors content. AlliKatNya, now known by Alli Kat on YouTube, was one of the first big names in the Warriors YouTube community of animators. Alli MacKay, began animating Warriors fan animations in 2007 when they were only 13 years old. Alli's “Warriors of the Forest” fan-series quickly garnered a following online and inspired a massive influx of future Warrior animators to dive into the realm of animation themselves, including big names like SSS Warrior Cats, DarkKokiri, TribbleofDoom, and Flightfootwarrior. Soon, there was an over saturation of talented Warriors animators infiltrating YouTube and creating a thriving, vibrant community of animators, voice actors, and viewers. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S60zKT-M54o&t=70s[/embed] Recently, Alli uploaded a video titled AlliKatNya & The Early Days of Warrior Cats Animation (2006 - 2009) in which they detail their experiences in the Warriors animation community. After hearing about their struggles, I became curious to hear more of their perspective. For more clarity, I reached out to Alli MacKay for their insights and more detail into their experience as a young YouTube animator. “As far as I know, I was the first ever person to start creating fan animations based on the Warrior Cats series, and at the very least the first person to upload them to YouTube.” Alli said. They continued, “When I was in 3rd grade or so, I would gather my classmates to play pretend games based on the Warriors series – the other kids quickly grew out of role playing violent cats, but my interest in the books stuck around. When my classmates moved on to other age-appropriate interests, my only option for continuing to act out the stories was to animate them on the family computer.” While Alli’s work would later become more intricate and utilize stronger editing software such as Final Cut Pro, their earlier work was made relatively simple programs. There was no Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, or After Effects. Instead, Alli relied on programs like MS Paint and Movie Maker to get the job done. Alli said of their earlier work, “I started out by using PowerPoint, setting each slide to 0.1 second, and playing back 5-10 images I drew in MS Paint in an infinite loop.” Because Alli was one of the first major Warriors animators on YouTube, their work drew in tons of views, and shortly after, many other amateur animators began to make their own animations themselves using similar drawing and movie editing programs. Aside from the more professional animations that would occasionally pop up, the Warriors animation community was largely driven by young artists, and for many, served as an introduction into the world of animation creation and video editing. When I asked Alli why the Warriors series in particular was home to so many of these animators they said the following: The Warriors books thrive on their large casts of characters, the unique cultures of each cat clan, and interpersonal relationships between characters. When a series that is so packed with characters lacks official illustrations of said characters, I think there’s a natural urge to visualize what you’re reading about...There’s a whole ton of content to choose from, given the sheer number of books in the series, so it’s ripe for fans to pick and choose which characters and story elements speak to them. Imagine if Star Trek had been a novel series and not a television series – that fandom would be exploding with people’s ideas of what the alien species and Starfleet uniforms looked like. I think that’s the core appeal of the Warriors fandom. Alli’s style obviously resonated with people and resulted in many copycat series and character styles. Alli’s visual inspiration for their Warrior designs stemmed from animator and manga artist, Osamu Tezuka, specifically his Jungle Emperor Taitei series (also known as Kimba the White Lion to North American audiences). Especially in older videos, Tezuka’s influence is present in Alli’s designs, mostly in terms of the recognizable facial structures and body shapes of the cats. After Alli’s Warrior Cats videos gained popularity and other artists used their style as influence, there was an influx of Tezuka inspired Warrior Cats within the community. When I asked what it was like to see their own Warriors style replicated throughout the community, they commented saying, “It was definitely surreal to see the influence my art style had on the fandom at large.” They continued, “I sort of denied it at first and assumed other people were just coming to the same conclusions as I was about how the characters would look, but then I started running into animations that had clearly been traced from my own!” Even small elements of Alli's designs became prominent staples in the Warriors animation community. Notably in their videos, the leaders of each clan all had a visible star on their forehead to help them stand out from the crowd. Because clan leaders are given the -star suffix to their names when they ascend to the top rank in the novels, this stylistic choice made sense and added a unique characterization to the cats. After their videos became popular, the forehead star design nearly became a permanent fixture in Warriors animations. However, like any online community, AlliKatNya’s work received as much criticism as it did praise. Negative, often mean-spirited criticism is par for the course in online discourse, and that can be a lot to handle for someone so young. “When I made my Warriors content, I was 13 years old in a rural Canadian town of 300 people (that I rarely left), so the reach my artwork had was pretty unfathomable to me. Part of me was really bitter about the number of people referencing my art, especially considering that I often saw people praising the imitations while saying ‘AlliKatNya’s art is terrible’ in the same sentence..." They said. While the Warriors series has resulted in a creative boom among young animators, there is a downside. For many young artists, having their work posted online and entering the public spotlight can have devastating effects. In Alli’s case, not only were the designs they created referenced left and right, some of the negative feedback that they received had a lasting impact. To this day I take a lot of those [negative] comments to heart and am extremely self-conscious about my poor drawing skills. I’ve taken so many years of drawing that I doubt I’ll ever start again. Not only that, but I received several death threats and terrifying vague threats, including having my own home address sent to me via private message, urging me to “stop animating such garbage or else...To this day I’m obsessed with checking comments sections on videos and articles to get an idea of the “general consensus” of viewers... I know for a fact that this experience is not unique to me – I’ve talked with several people whose animations went viral at a young age, and I always hear the same things: the negative comments stick with them to this day, and were critical factors in their poor mental health. Though the idea of uploading fan-content is innocent in and of itself, children are especially vulnerable online, especially regarding mental health. Extensive social media usage can lead to added stress, depression, and other mental health issues. According to The Child Mind Institute, "teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown to have a substantially (from 13 to 66 percent) higher rate of reported depression than those who spent the least time." Additionally, a 2017 study found that of over half a million eighth through 12th graders found symptoms associated with depression increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015. In short, extensive use of YouTube and other online social platforms can cause younger children and teens to develop mental health issues. For a popular content creator like Alli Kat who was constantly using YouTube, there was little escape from the discourse. “A lot of my day-to-day decisions, like what clothes I wear, what media I choose to enjoy, are still dictated by what others will think of me - to an unhealthy degree. I’m not proud of it and I’m working to change, but this insecurity is absolutely rooted in attempting to please a large internet audience as a 13 year old.” They continued, "In the end, this need for validation burnt me out on art all together – the pressure of making content that pleased everyone and upset no-one became too much for me, and I’m currently taking a break from film making as a result." Though Alli has stopped animating Warriors videos, they have since gone on to make their graduate film Flash Flood: A Rotoscoped Documentary which screened at some LGBT film festivals including NewFest, Inside Out Film and Video Festival, and MIX Copenhagen. Currently, Alli describes themself as being in an "animation rut" and credits that rut with inspiring their present break from film making. However, Alli does have a current project in the works. "I do have an animated film script written, and coincidentally, it’s about this very subject – how my time in an online community as a young child shaped my mental health as an adult. I’m hoping that sharing my experiences will help kids identify unhealthy interactions online and encourage them to take a step back and trust their own judgment, not just those of online strangers." Though Alli Kat has taken a step back from animation and film making, they still upload video essays on their YouTube channel. Nowadays, Alli focuses on discussing vintage 2D animation, exploring topics like origins of popular animated works like Bambi or older Japanese cartoons like UNICO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT84DEFLlY4 Even though their experiences ended up making them step away from animation, Alli MacKay's work still serves as an inspirational force for many people. The extent of Alli's influence did not stop at putting stars on the heads of fictional YouTube cats. Alli showed thousands of people what can happen when artistic inclination meets tenacity. They made content creation attainable in the eyes of so many who would not have gone on to develop their own artistic sides without their example. In fact, Alli MacKay's influence is what led me to start animating and voice acting in the Warriors community under the name "iamsailorminimoon." And that hobby would eventually lead to pursuing a degree in film analysis. Now, there are many takeaways from the story of AlliKatNya. Investing too much time into the internet can be hazardous to one's health. Sometimes, something you once loved and worked hard at can transform into something that leaves a lasting scar on your life. Sometimes the things we do will change us for good and not for the better. Yet there is also the possibility that one person's work can make all the difference for somebody else. If you are interested in Alli MacKay's work, you can visit their website or check our their videos on YouTube. Sources: YouTube, New York Times Best Sellers, The Warrior Cats Official Website, Anime News Network, and The Child Mind Institute Images: The Warrior Cats Official Website, YouTube, and Alli MacKay Featured image: Alli MacKay
Welcome back to this week's episode of Input 2! For this Passover special, we delve into the Prince of Egypt. How does this film accurately portray the holiday? How does this film compare to other DreamWorks films? Find out this and more on this week's episode of Input 2!
Welcome to this special interview with Professor Morgan Leckie, an Assistant Lecturer of English, in which we discuss the latest She-Ra series! How does this series compare with its old predecessor? In what ways did it differ from similar shows like He-Man? Find out this and more on this special episode!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Input 2! With the recent release of Pet Sematary, we take a broader look at the work of Stephen King. How is this horror novel portrayed differently in the film? Find out this and more on this week's episode of Input 2!
Welcome to this week’s episode of How It’s Played! This week, we are discussing Apple’s announcement of the game streaming service. How will this service compete with the already crowded market? Is this another example of Apple creating a monopoly? All of this and more on this week’s episode of How It’s Played.
Welcome to this week's episode of Input 2! Recently, Disney has been releasing its classic films as live action remakes. Are these pure cash grabs or are these meant for bring life to classics? Find out this and more on this week's episode of Input 2!
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
by Emily Reuben The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board. True crime is currently all the rage. There is a seemingly endless amount of podcasts, YouTubers, books, and documentaries all tackling the subject to varying degrees of quality. With so many choices, consumers have a ton of material to choose from to get their fix. But for many, retellings and evidence of cases isn’t enough; cases without any narrative padding can be too gruesome, or even boring for many consumers. With the rise of true crime popularity we have also seen fictional retellings based off of real cases. Just to name a few we have the biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile starring Zac Efron as Ted Bundy set to release later this year, Martin Scorsese is set to direct Devil in the White City, based on serial killer H.H. Holmes, and even My Friend Dahmer which released in 2017. Following the trend, The Hulu original series The Act released on March 20th to positive reviews, and at the time of writing this article, has currently released four episodes. The anthology series reenacts actual crimes, focusing on one specific case per season. For the series’ first season, the case of Gypsy Rose and the murder of her mother Dee Dee Blanchard is the season’s focus. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_5fqDZCjQo[/embed] Gypsy, a victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy inflicted by Dee Dee, eventually conspires to kill her mother with her boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn. Shortly after Dee Dee is killed, Gypsy and Nicholas were found and arrested. Gypsy was sentenced to ten years in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2024 when she is 24 years old. While The Act does a great job of retelling the case, there is some creative freedom at play. To tell a compelling narrative, some liberties had to be taken to construct a cohesive, interesting narrative for the television format. For those interested in Gypsy’s story who want a non-fictional account, the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest offers a more raw, authentic look into the case. Mommy Dead and Dearest is a documentary released in 2017 and directed by Erin Lee Carr, director of another true crime documentary Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop. In Mommy Dead and Dearest, Dee Dee’s murder is discussed, but the primary focus is the abuse endured by Gypsy. Because her mother suffered with Munchausen, Gypsy was forced to play the role of an incredibly sick child suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and even brain damage that allegedly “made Gypsy have the mind of a seven-year-old child”. Gypsy was confined to a wheelchair, fed with a feeding tube, and had multiple surgeries for her various illnesses, but her illnesses were all fabrications made by Dee Dee. Dee Dee managed to convince the world she was a fiercely dedicated, loving mother who garnered sympathy and monetary donations from those who clamored to support her and Gypsy. Their home in Springfield, Missouri was built by Habitat For Humanity after the pair were supposedly left homeless after Hurricane Katrina. Gypsy was given charitable donations, was a Make-A-Wish recipient, and appeared in the local news. In actuality, Gypsy was needlessly subjected to surgeries by a mother who hindered her freedom and was forced to lie to those around her about her illnesses. Dee Dee isolated Gypsy from just about everyone. While Gypsy had made friends with her neighbor Aleah Woodmansee, her mother would keep her from speaking to her friend, calling Aleah a “bad influence.” In the television movie Gypsy’s Revenge Gypsy states, “I couldn’t trust Aleah because my mother was starting to put things in my head that Aleah wasn’t my true friend and that she was a bad influence on me so I couldn’t be friends with her anymore.” A character not given much screen time in The Act is Gypsy’s father. In Mommy Dead and Dearest the case is relayed by Gypsy herself, journalists, doctors, and so forth but also by members of Gypsy’s family, including her father. These testimonies are incredibly interesting and showcase elements of the case from a personal perspective. “I didn’t reach out to my dad because I grew up with my mom saying all these horrible things about him.” - Gypsy, Gypsy's Revenge Gypsy’s father, Rod Blanchard, was active in Gypsy’s life until around age 10 when she and Dee Dee moved to Slidell, New Orleans. After that, he was hardly allowed contact with his daughter and was not aware of the abuse she endured. Dee Dee and Rod separated shortly before Gypsy was born. According to Buzzfeed, Rod explains that Gypsy was a healthy baby, but as time passed Dee Dee began claiming Gyspy had more and more health concerns, ranging from sleep apnea to a chromosomal defect. While certain instances raised suspicion for Rod, he knew nothing about Gypsy’s local fame and the illnesses. Like everyone else who knew Gypsy, he wasn’t even aware that Gypsy could actually walk. Tired of the constant operations and heavily restricted lifestyle imposed on her, Gypsy did eventually start pushing back against her mother. On June 14, 2015 the Facebook account shared by Dee Dee and Gypsy posted a concerning message that caused alarm: After seeing the message, a concerned family friend called the police. Once the police entered inside the house, they found Dee Dee in her bedroom, stabbed to death, and Gypsy was nowhere to be found. The key difference between The Act and Mommy Dead and Dearest (other than one being a retelling while the other is a documentary) is that The Act allows viewers to see what might have been the daily life and abuse Gypsy faced. Because creative liberties could be made, there is plenty of opportunity for character building and dramatic effect. Dee Dee, played by Patricia Arquette, does a great job of being both intimidating and sickeningly sweet. Joey King, the actress who plays Gypsy, is excellent and genuinely looks and sounds like the real Gypsy Rose. Both of these performers work off of one another to make the narrative effective. However, The Act is realistic fiction, so it’s difficult to say just how accurate the interactions between are, more specifically the ones that happened behind closed doors. Because the series is still releasing new episodes, it remains to be seen how the show will handle Dee Dee's murder and Gypsy's subsequent trial. This is the appeal of the documentary format. While testimony is used and adds some drama to Mommy Dead and Dearest, it doesn’t embellish or dramatize the case. It should be noted that, while not disingenuous or manipulative regarding what information is provided to the audience, the documentary does skew towards empathizing with Gypsy and even criticizes her sentencing. There is some opinion provided, so for those looking for a documentary with little input and nothing but facts and evidence, this may be a turn-off. Despite some liberties taken, The Act is incredibly respectful to the source material. A problem many true crime stories based on real cases run into is romanticization of the crime and killer. The upcoming Ted Bundy biopic became highly controversial after the first trailer released, making the character of Ted Bundy appear to be a cool, Wolf of Wall Street-esque bad-boy. It’s easy to forget that these stories are based on real people and real victims are involved, and because of this, need to be told with expert care and respect towards those involved. Luckily, The Act manages to be both entertaining and respectful. In terms of preference, it honestly just boils down to what you’re looking for. If you want a no-frills look at Gypsy’s case, Mommy Dead and Dearest is probably the better choice. If you want a series with character development and a slow build-up, The Act will probably be more satisfactory. Frankly, Gypsy was failed by those around her. Medical professionals could have intervened and stopped the abuse had they been more vigilant. CPS failed to find anything amiss with Dee Dee’s mothering. Neighbors were manipulated and unable to help Gypsy. Gypsy’s father was purposefully kept away by Dee Dee. Whether you start watching the The Act or catch Mommy Dead and Dearest on HBO, the case of Gypsy is a tragic, sickening story of child abuse. Sources: Mommy Dead and Dearest, Gypsy's Revenge, Facebook, Medical News Today, BBC, Buzzfeed, Variety, Rotten Tomatoes, Insider, Springfield News-Leader Images: IMDb Featured Image: Isabella Torres (Illustration) and Emily Reuben (graphic)
Welcome back to this week's episode of Input 2! We discuss the latest film by Jordan Peele. How does the movie Us continue the outstanding film Get Out? Does the film use its horror to accurately portray a deeper meaning through its storytelling? Find out this and more on this week's episode of Input 2!
Welcome to this week's episode of Input 2! We discuss woman's current representation in films and their issues. Do films allow women to have more prominent and progressive roles, especially within action films? Find out this and more on this week's episode of Input 2!
Welcome back to this week’s episode of Input 2! We discuss the latest film in the How to Train Your Dragon series. While the movie does make several improvements to characters, there are still flaws. How does this stack up to the rest of the series? Find out this and more on this week’s episode of Input 2!
On this week’s episode, we are discussing the Netflix adaption of the popular anime series, Death Note. While the series is received well, the movie suffers from several flaws. Is this movie simply bad, or does it spell doom for other adaptations? Found out this and more on this week’s episode of Input 2!
by Emily Reuben The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board. A missing child is a nightmare for any parent. Horror stories of strangers grabbing up children and disappearing with them never to be seen again are used as fuel to reinforce ideas of stranger danger for our children. While many stories become embellished or propagated as fear tactics, the amount of missing children in the United States is a very real issue. According to the FBI, 424,066 reports of missing children were entered into the National Crime Information Center in 2018. Now, this number only takes into account the actual number of reported incidents, not subtracting cases where children were returned to their families. However, the number of children who stay missing could still reach or even exceed that number, since so many disappearances go unreported. In a world of uncertainty, parents must be constantly vigilant and caution their children about the cruelties of the world. However, not everything is always black and white. Bad people don’t wear shirts saying “I’m a kidnapper!” or always look like a cartoon-villain. Monsters dwell within the average person and in many cases don’t show their true colors until it’s too late. That’s why we teach our children to be wary and avoid strangers...right? But what if the monster isn’t a stranger at all? What if the real danger is someone you trust? Sadly, cases of kidnapping and abuse conducted by someone known to the victim do exist. This is the nightmare that occurs in the Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight. The film explores the true story of Jan Broberg who was kidnapped, raped, and manipulated by Robert “B” Berchtold, a trusted family friend, during her childhood. In 1974, Robert Berchtold convinced Jan’s mother to let Jan accompany him on a trip to a horse ranch. It was then that Berchtold drugged Jan, convinced her she was abducted by aliens, and moved her to a motor home in Mexico. Being only a child at the time, Jan was vulnerable to Berchtold’s lies. He told her that not only was she was half-human half-alien, it was also her mission to bear his child, or else a terrible fate would befall her family. This lie paired in conjunction with the trust she had for Berchtold previously, making Jan completely believe everything her captor told her. To her, Berchtold was like a second father. Why would he lie to her? Berchtold married the twelve-year-old girl in Mexico, where the age of consent is only 12 years of age. He told Jan that he loved her, ultimately making Jan believe that she wasn’t being raped or kidnapped at all and that nothing was wrong with Berchtold. He even made contact with Jan’s parents to ask for formal permission to marry their daughter since his marriage to Jan would be invalidated if he returned with her to Idaho without her parents' consent to marry. Eventually Berchtold was captured, and Jan was returned to her family, but after being groomed and manipulated, she was still unwilling to point the finger at Berchtold. She was convinced he loved her and was crucial to the “mission” of protecting her family. In many cases, this would be the end of the story—but here, the situation only becomes more complicated. The controversy of the documentary largely stems from the events following Jan’s return home and how her parents Bob and Mary Ann handled the ordeal. It is important to note that Jan and her family are victims, so any criticism of Bob and Mary Ann needs to be handled with care. It is easy to watch the documentary from the comfort of your home and thrust blame onto someone on screen, but what we are seeing is a highly condensed and simplified series of events. The grooming and manipulation of Jan and her entire family stemmed over a course of years, making Bob and Mary Ann unquestionably trust Berchtold and never once question his actions. However, this argument can really only be made when Jan was kidnapped by Berchtold for the first time. Before this kidnapping, it is reasonable to assume they had no reason to question the man. This excuse cannot apply after Berchtold was found and Jan was returned. After this, any reasonable person would know that Berchtold is dangerous and their children, especially Jan, should be kept away from the man. Thus, we get into the controversy of Abducted in Plain Sight. After Jan was returned, Berchtold was indicted on kidnapping charges, but was ultimately set free. This is because Bob and Mary Anne signed a form stating that Jan was not being held against her will. Why would they sign this? Because Berchtold threatened to unveil one of Bob’s dark secrets. Bob had once performed sexual acts on Berchtold when he asked Bob to “relieve” him. The fear of being labeled as homosexual outweighed his desire to pursue justice for his child. Mary Ann was also seduced by Berchtold. After Jan was returned and Berchtold was released, she entered a sexual relationship with Berchtold for eight months. During this time, Berchtold was not only allowed to see Jan, but he was allowed to sleep in her bed under the guise of “therapy." The story only gets worse from here. Berchtold is continually allowed to contact and further manipulate Jan into her adulthood, all while her parents refrain from taking meaningful action. Now, the documentary did omit a scene that many call “a game changer” regarding how Jan’s parents handled the situation. After the film blew up online and criticisms of Mary Ann and Bob were rampant, the film’s director Skye Borgman explained details around a situation involving Mary Ann and her brother confronting Berchtold with a gun. While this does show that the family was concerned about Jan, it still doesn’t negate the fact that the family did not press charges, allowed Jan’s abuser to repeatedly contact and further abuse Jan, and failed to fully involve the police for many years. Mary Ann and Bob exemplify some of the worst aspects of religious devotion. The Broberg family are members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, and while there is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with that, Mary Ann and Bob placed their religious beliefs and ideologies above the safety of their own child. The church places an emphasis on forgiveness, which is, in theory, a beautiful thing. However, Mary Ann and Bob took the notion so far that not only were Bob and Mary Ann able to forgive their child’s abuser, but basically excuse him of past wrongdoing while he was actively playing a role in the family dynamic. The issue of how the church perceives homosexual relationships also plays a role in Bob’s decision to not bringing charges against Berchtold. Currently, the Church of Latter Day Saints has a relatively progressive view of same-sex relationships, stating on their website that these relationships are not unholy. The instead condemns the breaking of chastity stating that “Sexual purity is an essential part of God’s plan for our happiness.” However, same-sex relationships were not perceived as openly as they are now. Spencer Kimball, the president of LDS from 1973 to 1985, wrote various pieces condemning homosexuality. One of his more notable examples is Hope for Transgressors written by Mark Peterson and himself. The piece describes homosexuality as a “transgression” and something that can be cured by activities like dating members of the opposite sex or praying. The church has also made controversial statements such as homosexuality resulting from a lack of attention and that electroshock therapy can be used to convert homosexual men into straight men. So while the church may be changing its views today, the attitude during the time of Jan’s abduction towards homosexuality was not kind. Again, religion as a whole isn’t bad, but neglecting the needs of your child is. Putting religious beliefs before the welfare of your child is bad. Not reporting abusers for fear of how your church will perceive you is bad. This documentary is hard to sit through. The parents are infuriating. The abuse Jan endured is terrible. The fact that Robert Berchtold had abused multiple women prior to Jan and received little more than a slap on the wrist is horrifying. But Jan’s story is more than her abuse. She is a successful actor, writer, and singer co-starring in Maniac with Elijah Wood and appearing in multiple series such as NBC’s Harmful Intent and HBO’s Slaughter of the Innocents. She has also done various stage shows such as My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music. Jan and her mother wrote Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story, the basis of Abducted in Plain Sight detailing Jan’s experience. Jan has turned towards activism, speaking out against violence against women. For her activism, Jan received the Woman of Achievement Award from the St. George Chamber of Commerce in 2008. Jan’s experience, while extreme and bizarre, is indicative of a much larger problem. Violence against women and children, especially by people they know and trust, is a topic we as a society need to address head on. Abducted in Plain Sight is garnering attention for the crazy scenario and questionable actions of Jan’s parents, but really the documentary should be gaining attention for its discussion of religion, human selfishness, manipulation, and abuse that can occur from those we love and trust. More importantly, we should realize these cases are very real, and the victims aren't just faces on a screen. Jan’s experience should serve as a call to action to further protect children from abusers, and in some instances, from incompetent parents. Sources: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Outpost For Hope, ABC,UNICEF, Cosmopolitan, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Hope for Transgressors, St. George News Images: IMDb, Cinema Crazed Featured Image: Isabella Torres (Illustration) and Emily Reuben (graphic)
Welcome to this week’s episode of Input 2! We discuss Fox’s Rent Live and how it compares to its movie and stage predecessors. How did this movie handle the topics of AIDs and LGBT representation? Find out this and more on this week’s episode of Input 2!
On this week's episode we are discussing the loved and hated topic that is known as romantic movies. With Valentine's Day being a great day to dive into the world of love and romance, what better time to bring up these movies?
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and time is running out to get a date, some flowers, and to express your undying love to another human being. The stress of finding a perfect gift and a person to give it to can be overwhelming. But hey, the stress is better than ending up lonely on Valentine’s Day…right?
by Emily Reuben Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and time is running out to get a date, to buy some flowers, and to express your undying love to another human being. The stress of finding a perfect gift and a person to give it to can be overwhelming. But hey, the stress is better than ending up lonely on Valentine’s Day...right? What if I were to tell you that you can eat those fancy candies yourself and keep that adorable teddy bear while still having a relationship? The video game industry has you covered, friend. Marriage and dating are factors in many role-playing games, and with the amount of dating simulators on the market, finding a suitable digital romance is a breeze. Let’s be honest, what’s the point of a physical relationship when you can have a virtual one with little-to-no commitment? Chocolate is expensive and once you spend the money and eat it, it’s gone, but games can last a lifetime. So, are you lonely? Do you want a quick and easy relationship with no consequences or expectations? Do you want to play some video games instead of reserving a seat at some overrated, crowded eatery on Valentine’s Day? Then sit down and scroll through, because this is the list for you! 1. Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons In Harvest Moon you can live two fantasies: finding a lover and becoming a wealthy farmer! Now, the latter may sound strange to some of you. After all, don’t we play video games to avoid doing work? Why would you want to play a game about farming and chores? Because the Harvest Moon series is delightful. It’s a low-stress game where you can decide what crops to grow, what minerals to search for, who in town to befriend, and even which wife or husband to pursue. Now to be transparent, getting a date in Harvest Moon does require some leg work. You’re going to have to give gifts and buy a nicer house, but hey, that’s better than spending real money. From the Nintendo Entertainment System to the Nintendo 3DS, the Harvest Moon series has tons of entries with various bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from. If you want my personal recommendation, go for A Wonderful Life/Another Wonderful Life if you want to focus primarily on marriage and raising a family. Other great choices are Magical Melody on the GameCube, Friends of Mineral Town/More Friends of Mineral Town on the Gameboy Advance, and Animal Parade on the Wii. Now, we have to address some inconsistencies with the series. First off, modern Harvest Moon titles are almost universally regarded as terrible. This is because the modern Harvest Moon games aren’t even Harvest Moon games at all. Marvelous Interactive, who had produced the series since 2002, established an American division that they named Xseed Games. However, Natsume owned the right to the Harvest Moon name and they decided to continue making farm games under the Harvest Moon moniker, though these games are not terribly resemblant of prior games in the series. The actual Harvest Moon games rebranded into Story of Seasons. So now we have both Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons on the market, but Story of Seasons is the actual Harvest Moon we all know and love. Confusing right? Long story short, if you don’t want to play older Harvest Moon entries, jump into Story of Seasons and avoid modern Harvest Moon titles like the plague. 2. Stardew Valley It would be criminal to add Harvest Moon to the list and not include Stardew Valley. The indie farming simulator is based on the Harvest Moon franchise, but is far better in many respects. There are tons of collectibles, plenty of customizable options for your farm, lots of objects to craft, various animal and crop types, a large map, and constant updates to the game. When it comes to marriage, the rules are similar to Harvest Moon: all you really need are some home upgrades and to give some gifts, and there you go; you’re married. Something that Stardew Valley does better than Harvest Moon is inclusivity. Sadly, older Harvest Moon titles require you to buy a specific version to play as a boy or girl, and many games don’t have the option to play as a girl at all. Additionally, all of the marriage options limit you to a heterosexual relationship. In Stardew Valley, you not only have the option to play as a male or female, but you can marry any of the bachelors or bachelorettes no matter what gender you choose. Stardew Valley is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam if you want to go ahead and grab your hoe, spread your seed, and plow your fields. 3. Skyrim What’s awesome about Skyrim is you can go slay dragons, kill bandits, and then come home to a loving spouse (or completely ignore them like I do). For a small fee of 200 gold, you can buy an Amulet of Mara and marry the man or woman of your dreams. Marriage in Skyrim also gives you some added perks, such as the “Lover’s Comfort” bonus when you sleep in the same bed as your spouse which increases how quickly you gain skills. Skyrim doesn’t limit who you can marry. You can be a female Nord and marry a female Dark Elf, a male Khajit who marries a male Nord. There are almost no restrictions... well almost. Not everyone in Skyrim is eligible for marriage, but out of the list of available partners, anything is fair game. Skyrim is available on practically every system known to man, so nothing should stop you from your perfect match today! 3. The Sims The Sims series lets you do almost anything you could think of. Want to make a world-famous author? No problem! Want to build a mansion and fill it with nothing but self-portraits? Perfect. Want to make a sim to keep trapped in your basement to make easy cash for the family living above ground? That’s kosher. The freedom in The Sims is unparalleled, and this is especially the case with character creation. The Sims allows you to not only make yourself in-game if you so choose, but you can make anyone else to your exact specifications. You can quite literally create your ideal specimen of a mate. Take your long, tan, and handsome date around Sunrise Valley, buy them dinner, and go home for some WooHoo. If you want to add some spice to the relationship, add some Vampirism to the mix and you can live out your own Twilight fantasy in no time! Though The Sims 4 has the most aesthetically pleasing Sims, you can pick up earlier versions of the game for much cheaper if you feel the urge to craft your perfect soulmate. 4. Emily is Away Emily is Away is a free-to-play interactive visual novel set in the ancient AOL Instant Messenger. The indie game centers around you and your relationship with Emily as it grows throughout and after high school. You customize your profile, click links Emily shares with you, and navigate between chats, all of which results in an insanely nostalgic feel for those of us who grew up with the primitive internet. The game is unique for its ability to flesh out characters using only text. It’s easy to become attached to Emily and the cast of characters. As the story progresses, relationships grow, dissolve, and change, just like they do in real life. The game does a great job emulating the happiness, drama, stress, and sometimes even panic that can occur when you talk to a crush online. If you’re looking for a simple high school love story and a hit of nostalgia, Emily is Away is the perfect title to try out on Valentine’s Day. If you like it, you can also check out Emily is Away Too! 5. Clannad If you like Japanese dating sims and visual novels, you’ve probably heard of Clannad. The visual novel was so popular that it has been adapted into anime, movies, dramas, and CDs. What makes Clannad so appealing? In the game you play as Tomoya Okazaki, a high school student labeled as a delinquent. Now admittedly, this isn’t exactly a dating simulator. It’s a visual novel, meaning there isn’t any real customization or major choices in terms of how things play out. However, there are branching plotlines and five possible endings that result in different outcomes, though only one is the true ending. To get the full story, you’re going to have to do multiple replays. If you like the cute art style and are looking for something more leisurely and not as intensive as the other entries on this list, give Clannad a shot. The visual novel is available on various platforms including Android, PSP, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, Windows, and the Nintendo Switch. 6. Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator Do you dream about daddies? Or alternatively, are you the daddy others dream about? Well fire up Steam and prepare your list of dad puns, because Dream Daddy might be right for you. In the game you play as a single-dad who is moving to Maple Bay with his daughter Amanda. The goal of the game is quite simple: "Meet and romance other hot dads." The seven eligible fathers all have unique stories and personalities, making the game fun to replay and explore branching options. Not only are the characters compelling, the art, particularly the background art created by pabster on Tumblr are fantastic. The mini-games, however, are horrible. Just close your eyes, press random buttons, and I guarantee you'll have more fun then if you actually attempted to play them. But when it comes to dad dating, Dream Daddy does it best, and really that's all that counts. 7. Uma no Prince Sama Look, I’m not here to judge. If none of these other titles catch your interest, maybe you’re looking for something a bit more...unique. Uma no Prince Sama (My Horse Prince) is a mobile game where you fall in love with a horse with the head of an attractive anime boy. Yes, this is completely real. The game starts off when our young protagonist quits her job and visits a horse ranch to pick up young men. There she spots Yuuma, the horse-man-thing. Apparently, Yuuma is actually just a normal horse, but because the protagonist was born in the year of the horse, she sees a man’s face instead of a horse’s. So really you’re just dating an actual horse without any real human attributes outside of what she is hallucinating. So what do you do? Occasionally chat Yuuma up, put him on a treadmill, and feed him carrots. But you’re not playing for fun. You’re playing to see an anime horse boy, and in that regard this game sure does deliver. 8. Hatoful Boyfriend Some people believe birds aren't real, but if that's the case how do you explain this? Hatoful Boyfriend is a visual novel where you can in fact, date a pigeon. The game is set in a dystopian future where the bird flu has ravaged the land and destroyed all of humanity. As humanity fought to defeat the bird menace, they knew not that the birds would evolve to have human-like intelligence. You play a female human survivor entering her Sophomore year at the St. PigeoNation's Institute. There are an array of pigeons suitors to fly the coop with, so don't be a bird-brain and pick up Hatoful Boyfriend this Valentine's Day. 9. Creature to Koishi yo! ~Koko no e Kokoro~ Are horse boyfriends too normal for you? Well do I have the dating sim for you! ~Koko no e Kokoro~ (Creature Romances: ~Here Are Our Hearts~), the fully-voiced dating simulator created by Nostalgia is certain to make your Valentine’s Day a special one. Your best friend is half-cricket-half-girl, and she’s also your love interest. If you’re looking for a wild ride, Nostalgia boasts the game has "sex appeal, a kissing scene, and bathing suit scenes." If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what else will. The game is relatively short, ranging from about 30 minutes to an hour, but the impact is sure to last a lifetime. So boot up your computer and try out ~Koko no e Kokoro~! But please make sure no one is home to see you play it. 10. Creature-to Koi Shiyo! for Otome Ladies, this one's for you. Creature-to Koi Shiyo! for Otome (Creature Romances: ~for the Ladies~) is described as follows, “An original mystery horror love story! An otome game where players will capture the hearts of a wide range of creatures! Ordinary youth. Ordinary love. Which boy will you choose?” How delightfully ordinary. Creature-to Koi Shiyo! for Otome is the follow up to Nostalgia’s Creature to Koishi yo! ~Koko no e Kokoro~, and it certainly shows in both style and substance. The dating simulator features a cast of colorful half-human-half-monster love interests for you to pursue. The dating simulator is not only unique because of the character designs, but also because it contains elements of horror and gore. Whether it’s having a nice picnic on a farm, slaying dragons together, or dating a horse, you’re sure to find your perfect match somewhere in the digital universe. Featured image: Tt Shinkan Sources: Netlab, Steam, IGN, Crunchyroll, Vox, EA, Birds Aren't Real, YouTube, Tumblr, Emily Is Away, Metacritic Images: Netlab, Steam, IGN, Crunchyroll, Vox, EA
