Moving at the speed of life,

Lady Gaga.
Twilight.
Glee.

These should sound familiar to everyone due to current pop culture trends. No doubt, there are going to be people who don't like one of these things, or many other things that are popular right now. Being opposed to something that seems to only be growing in popularity is quite alright, but frankly, you need to stick to your opinion--and you cannot just dislike something for the sake of being different. There is nothing more irritating than when an individual speaks freely about their issues with something popular in entertainment, when they don't have a feasible and legitimate argument.

Of the people and products I have listed, I am not saying that I necessarily am a fan of them, either. I will not waste my time putting them down and say how ridiculous it is when in reality, they get the last laugh, counting their cash while I drag my sorry ass to class and work every week. Let me take these one at a time and explain, in some detail, why they seem to be popular at the moment.

Lady Gaga can be called many things: eccentric, absurd, creative, ambitious, talented, silly, overrated, whatever you desire--but without proper knowledge and research on who Lady Gaga really is, you certainly are not going to understand her appeal or meaning behind the things that she does. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen asked point blank what the deal was with the fashion, the extravagant sets and the music. This is what Gaga had to say:

"The whole point of what I do--the monster ball, the music, the performance art and aspect of it--I want to create a space for my fans where they can feel free and they can celebrate because I didn't fit in in high school, and I felt like a freak. So I like to create this atmosphere for my fans where they feel like they have a freak in me to hang out with, and they don't feel alone."

She goes on to say:

"This is really who I am and it took a long time to be okay with that... [I'm sure] in high school, you feel discriminated against and you don't fit in, you want to be like everyone else, but not really. On the inside, you really want to be like Boy George...well I did, anyway (laughter)."

Lady Gaga, also, is a classically trained musician, using her skills and knowledge in a way that promotes an image of individualism, as well as creating a unity for those who feel like they have no voice. Moreover, she ACTUALLY sings when she performs live. It is incredibly hard to not acknowledge the amount of talent that seeps from her every core.

Twilight is a whole different story. Probably the most mocked of popular teen books in the past five years, the Twilight saga is an interesting animal to deal with. The books have gained more credibility than the films have, but both are constantly scrutinized by people who seem to be above these guilty pleasures--which is exactly what they are: shameless, summer guilty pleasures. Now, with this series, I can understand why people do not like the movies or the books, but in my opinion, you certainly have to participate in one or the other to decide whether your a fan or not.

Roger Ebert said in his review of the film "Eclipse", the third installment in the Twilight series that, "the “Twilight” movies are chaste eroticism to fuel adolescent dreams, and are really about Bella being attracted and titillated and aroused and tempted up to the … very … brink! … of surrender, and then, well, no, no, she shouldn’t."

This, coming from the man who said the Tomb Raider sequel, "uses imagination and exciting locations to give the movie the same kind of pulp adventure feeling we get from the Indiana Jones movies." I find it interesting that critics are able to lower their expectations on only certain summer blockbusters, yet refuse to do so for others. This leads me to believe that people are just going to not like the Twilight series for the sake of not liking them.

Entertainment Weekly said of the Twilight saga: "The Twilight movies, like the books on which they're based, are often mocked. But that's only because we're still, on some level, getting used to the novelty of a highly contemporary blockbuster saga that's this rooted in old-fashioned, borderline masochistic girlish romantic rapture. The movie version of Eclipse, with its dueling boy-monster hunks — a chaste orgy of male gazing — revels in the power that Bella experiences by giving herself over to the powerlessness of love. The movie is about a girl's primal dream of being desired. That may well be corny, but it's also an essential antidote to summer-movie hardware."
Nobody is saying these are going to win Academy Awards, nor were they made for that purpose. The art of entertainment is simply to entertain, and if people are entertained by this series, then by all means, let them be.

Let's move on to Glee. Glee exploded into a highly popular television series in the spring of 2009, when the original pilot aired. The show only grew in popularity the following fall, when the series continued into its first season. The show is corny, silly and shiny with just as corny remakes of classic pop songs. It is not deep in drama, there are no murder mysteries, the dialogue is not of the caliber of other comedy shows... but like Lady Gaga, it is a refuge to kids who feel like they don't fit in. Kristin Chenoweth, a guest star on the show, said on an interview on The View that Glee made being in Glee club "cool again" and that it speaks to kids who don't feel like they have a say. Not only that, but it is undeniable that the actors on this show are incredibly talented, each doing their own singing and dancing. Nobody expected the show to be as big of a success as it is. And even though the show is light and happy, they tend to cover some more serious issues in a lighter way (teen pregnancy, being a gay teenager, eating disorders...). To someone who doesn't commonly watch this show, it makes more sense for a show like Glee to cover these issues the way they do, instead of from shows that rely on ridiculous dramatic dialogue given to adults who think they understand the way a 15-year-old sees the world.

These are only a few examples I have up my sleeve, but my point is this: refusing to conform is, in essence, conforming. It is so frustrating when people seem to believe they understand what is better entertainment than everyone else by simply putting down those things that make other people happy. If you do not like a singer, book series, television show, movie or whatever, then be specific. The credibility of your argument rests entirely on a firsthand account of the things you despise so audibly.

If you're one of those people who still can't believe Arrested Development got cancelled, listens to The Beatles and nothing else, praises Wes Anderson movies as if he's still an independent filmmaker... move on. Time's have changed. Either get stuck in the past, or make your argument sensible.

Later Days,
-Michael Woodson-

Poetry, like any form of art, changes over time. Different forms of communicating and expressing what may be evoked allows art to become immortal. The difference between Modern Poetry and modern forms of other writing, music, film--anything--is that it stands alone, not taking elements of Romanticism, Neoclassicism, or anything else. This, in one man's opinion, is a hindrance.

Poetry, unsurprisingly, is not in favor as it once was. Modern poets are not household names, quite unlike many classical poets. Perhaps this was not the case when the classics were considered modern in their own time, but nevertheless, certain poems and poets are held to a high esteem, and for good reason. Modern poetry has an emphasis on free-flow, no rules, and thrives on the abstract. It takes several readings from different perspectives to try and understand the symbolism, yet any answer you may come up with is not wrong. Modern poetry is completely focused on interpretation.

Yet, with this idea, modern poetry is nowhere near as popular as any other poetry from the past. Is this to say that poetry is, in fact, dead? The answer is a simple, yet resounding yes. Can this be altered? Yes. Any one thing that relies completely on interpretation is not meant to last. Nothing can be so free-standing. There needs to be some sort of foundation, something concrete that can push the reader in the right direction. If no interpretation could be wrong, does that really make any of them right? This creates chaos and conflict between theories, leading to no easier understanding of the "poem".

Robert Frost. Sylvia Plath. Emily Dickinson. These are all names anyone will know. Yet who's heard of Mark Levine, Karen Volkman, or Kevin Young? These people are, by today's standards, poets. Modern poets. And, apparently, the best in their field. Each one of these poet's work are drastically different in form. Mark Levine focuses on a single idea, exploiting it in every which direction. Karen Volkman uses long verses, no punctuation, as a way to somehow emphasize a loss of innocence. Kevin Young has short, staccato-like verses that have double-meanings. It is hard to express the confusion and absurdity of these works without reading them firsthand. None of these poets have a thread that connects the beginning to the end, to the middle or to each other. Robert Frost, in particular, wrote beautiful verses that did not necessarily paint out exactly what he meant, but had a definite direct meaning, and from there could be interpreted in any way. You can relate in whatever way you want to his poems, because of his thoughtful and driven use of language. Language, which should be the essence of poetry, is almost completely disregarded in today's Poetry.

It is as if the classical way of writing poetry never happened. And for some poets, they sort of think in this way. Kevin Young has a theory that poetry should be written not as if it is dying, but that it is already dead, and starting fresh. He calls this Deadism. I call it rubbish. Is this not so insulting to any classical poet, or the fans of such classics, to consider what they did neither important, nor relevant? What makes them classics is that decades after they are written, they are still relatable. They live on, and the poets themselves live through their work. Does this mean that we should write strictly like a classic? No. Should we write how Modern Poetry is telling us to write? Also no.

How is this fixed? Simply by ignoring the "no rules" policy. By exploring the idea of not having rules is a rule within itself. Today, if we try to write like a classical poet, it is seen as ironic and cliché. But when we try to write as Modern Poets, not only does it seem like a cop-out, but it does not feel meaningful in the least. It is up to the creative mind to go against the mold, to blend both worlds, and do what you feel will make a difference for the long-gone art that is Poetry.

Later Days,
-Michael Woodson-

I am coming up on two years done with this thing they call college. I am relieved that it is going by so fast. College is not for me. This year has been a hell of a lot better than last--I have made more friends, I feel more comfortable on campus--but overall, I would rather be living a life outside of the classroom.

It is everyone's wish, at some point or another, to get out. Make a clean break, a fresh start, a new beginning, or whatever way you want to spin it. I want this more often than not. I am tired of this routine. I don't like how well I know my city; there's no mystery, no excitement. Everything sits comfortably in its place, every inch memorized by my mind's eye. It is also within my city, however, that everything started changing for me.

Just one year ago, I became what I was always afraid of being--myself. With this, I created a community, a family, people that not only understand me, but love me. It is with them that I find solace. It was a time for me to be as selfish as I could, for my own sake. Yes, I lost some things that may have seemed important to me then, but as I look back now, I know that everything has happened the way it should have.

I look outside and see people happily kicking a soccer ball; the sky is clear and the temperature has finally hit above 70. The atmosphere is different. Everyone is a little more cheerful, an extra jump in their step, something to look forward to. That something is summer. And although I am equally excited for the season, I am also a little indifferent towards it. Something wonderful needs to happen, otherwise I am going to be severely let down. I want to spend as little time in Cincinnati as I can. I am ready for change, something I always ran from. Things are different, and so am I, and the person who hated change is gone.

I am well aware that I have given up. I understand that I never really tried to begin with, but what is misunderstood is that I ever really wanted to. Everyone--EVERYONE--changes. And although I feel like everything that has happened in the past year has ultimately been necessary, the mode in which some things happened were far from what I wanted. Call me rude, call me a hypocrite (a "fucking hypocrite" as I once so vividly recall), but absolutely nothing gives anybody the right to make someone question if they are worthy of being alive. Do not patronize me. Do not act superior. I had--and have--every right to decide what was and what is best for me. Any one person that can stand and say, quite positively, that they are better than anybody else is a terrible misinterpretation of themselves. We all have flaws, I certainly do. Loving someone, despite those flaws, is what makes us humble. Humility is beautiful. Explore this.

Random thoughts. I know this is scattered, but sometimes that's for the best. I am not sure what all I believe in, and I do not know where I may end up, but I do know this--there is magic in this world. It lives within the relationships we have with one another. This, alone, is what makes me thrive.

I am not sorry.

Later Days,
-Michael Woodson-

There is something extremely exhilarating about watching the wind travel. To be able to see something so transparent move amazes me; the way it kisses a tree, flows through a girl's hair, then slowly reaches me and grabs hold for a few seconds keeps me feeling like I am alive. It never lasts, though. The wind moves, a leaf falls, and life goes on; mine doesn't.

I stay with the wind. I move with it and let it take me along on its travels. I have seen great, beautiful places. I have been to mountaintops that man should not climb without a scratch. I've experienced the pain of war and the happiness of victory. It takes me to where the wild things are and to an eternal sunshine. I travel all over the world with the wind and see things I could have only ever dreamed of. Then I open my eyes, and realize that is exactly what it is; a dream, if not by sleep, but by my hopes.

What may seem disappointing is not. I come to realize that I do not need to travel around the world to feel these things, these vital feelings. I have them with the people around me, the people I love, my friends and family. With them, I have seen amazing places. I have been to the top of mountains of courage and overcome them without a scratch upon me. I've been to the war between people, and held peace with the happiness that overcomes war. My friends and family have absolutely taken me to where the wild things are, to adventure and fear, to my monsters and secrets. They have taken me to where I can find an eternal sunshine, where they meet me in Montauk.

The people in my life are like the wind; when I cannot see them, I can constantly feel them. And when they are here, the embrace I feel is as beautiful as the leaf that falls.

I am blessed.

Later Days,
-Michael Woo-

As we enter the summer months, our expectations for cinema are drastically different than what they are in fall, winter, or even early Spring. Regardless if we are aware of this or not, we want something that is fun, silly, sometimes explosive with lots of energy and tons of action. Within recent years, however, it has been proven that "summer blockbusters" do not necessarily have to be mind-numbingly stupid; action movies can also have a brain, and in fact, are much better if they do (shocker!). However, sometimes, this idea is lost on few filmmakers, and they still hand out trash for us to waste 2 hours and 30 minutes of our time on. That, ladies and gentleman, is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, when here, the nicest thing to be said about it is that it was just slightly less of a mess than its predecessor.

Michael Bay, who has such an INCREDIBLE background in movie-making (catch the dripping sarcasm?), has created a "movie" where not one scene matches the following, no one story line is thoroughly carried out, and not a single character is one worth rooting for. The banter between Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, when there is any, is annoying, lacking in relevance, and neither character has full resolution. Each of the scenes that have any importance move way too fast and so much time is wasted on crappy action scene after crappy action scene that it's hard to piece together what is really going on. On top of that, the Transformers themselves make far too much noise to even be able to understand what they are saying or what even matters. Many of the film's problems are attributed to the fact that Michael Bay refuses to grow up, and that he is a borderline racist (two of the robots talked with an ebonics slang, one with a gold tooth, and with such clever lines as, "we don't read much"). The editing is nothing short of a catastrophe, where in a single shot, four of the main characters can be seen standing, talking to a robot and is briskly cut to them bending over, shielding their heads in the same scene.

As audience members, we were given many action movies to fill up our action quota last summer that also had unique story lines or incredible directing that kept us interested. Even before last summer, there have been plenty of action movies that make us actually care about what we're watching. Let us remember some, shall we:

1. Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk--Marvel Studio's first two big studio releases were major hits. They showed directoral genius, with great scripts and good acting to follow.

2. Wanted--What a unique movie. Interesting storytelling, with a GREAT cast and a really gripping twist of an ending.

3. The Bourne Trilogy--Some of the greatest action movies ever, with each new movie raising the bar a little higher. Matt Damon is perfect in the title role, and the sleekness of the story with the perfect choreographed action sequences match the delicateness of the score and its edgy directing style.

4. X2:X-Men United--The best of the X-Men trilogy, this movie blends action, suspense, humor, and romance so well that you begin to forget about the actor's and you start to completely accept that they are these characters.

5. The Dark Knight--This movie absolutely set the bar for future filmmaking in every genre, but specifically in action movies. Being robbed of the Best Picture nominee, this film embodies what a perfect suspenseful movie should be: top notch directing, thorough and finished story-lines with a great cliffhanger, and absolute superb acting. Acting of the highest marks. Dark Knight was also 15 minutes longer than Revenge of the Fallen, but felt like thirty minutes shorter. Time flies, huh?

If you're looking for cheap laughs, shiny fake robots, and Megan Fox, then Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is right up your alley. If not, do not buy into the hype.

Later Days,
-Michael Woo-

As I sit here troubled with the idea of posting again, I consider my topic options: movies, life update, my current emotional state...nothing seems to be interesting enough for all seven of my readers. Then I scroll through some of my recent posts, and I realize I desperately need to update, if for no other reason than this: I am incredibly happy. Yes, that is right. I have a feeling of euphoria that has lasted with me since about the beginning of summer. Contentment with myself, doing well in school, making new friends and coming back into contact with my old ones have all led to this. It has taken me quite some time to come to happiness, and I am thrilled to be in its presence. Let us take a stroll down memory lane of the past year, shall we?

My first year of college is over, and I could not be more thrilled about that. Things started out rocky while attending Ohio University, but I since have felt better about the college life. As hard of a decision as it was to leave, and although I still feel guilty for leaving some people behind, I think it was absolutely necessary. I would not have gotten much happier, and I would not have met the incredible people that I have at UC if I did not make the change.

My life feels a little bit more in order, which has allowed me to finally think about other people and not just myself. Being upset all the time and down is not only tiresome, but also extremely self-centered. Here are people that are surrounding you with love and you refuse to believe that they actually are going to be there for you. I am taking this time now to apologize to everyone who I may have shunned in some way or another, made them feel worthless about their friendship to me or questioned my stature as their friend. I assure you my negligence was not on purpose.

One of the most valuable things I can come away with from freshman year is that I have more of an awareness of who I am. I am learning to accept it and be more comfortable within my own skin, and with each day that grows increasingly easier. I think I need to say something to a person that will always read what I have to say and never judge me for it (you know who you are): I am sorry for everything this year. In many ways, I am sure you felt like you did not know who I was anymore. I was not very sure who I was being, either. Never do I ever want to hurt you, and I know I have. You will always be the person that understands me above everyone else, and I could not be who I am today or where I am in my life without the constant source of compassion you gave to me. Thank you.

Now, in many ways, I hate this post. I do not like to write about how happy I am and content and all of this because there are so many people out there that are probably thinking, "Okay, I get it. You're happy," and I do not blame them. It is annoying to read people write about themselves and how great their lives are. But just because I am at peace does not mean my life is so great. Everyone has their daily battles; everyone has skeletons in their closet. Becoming more aware of these things and dealing with them is helping a lot.

I am deciding not to write posts like these anymore. I only want to update when I have something legitimate to talk about. If I've seen a movie and want to post my review, then I will. If there is a current world issue going on and want to voice my opinion, I will do just that. But to sit here and lose myself to self-pity is something I will no longer be doing. It is silly and rude. I do, however, want to say this: I love you. All of you. With all of my heart.

Later Days,
-Michael Woo-

I am unsure of myself. I feel like I am in a constant state of backwards. People talk to me, and I can't hear a thing. What is that? Is it numbness? Is it fear? Is it life? My purpose is constantly questioned. I am in no way a very religious person, and sometimes, that knowledge makes me fear what I don't believe. Will I be eating my words in the end? Where will I end up? If there is such a thing as the after-life, have I done enough good to end up in Heaven?

With every passing moment, my life is changing. I am not a kid anymore, nor do I feel like an adult. I am stuck in this middle life. It is unsatisfying to know that out there, there's a world that is waiting for me. That I have these goals that I want so badly, but have no real plan on when and how they will happen. Wanting something isn't enough, it is the acting upon it that makes what you want successful. A dream is merely a dream. And here I sit alone, once again, continuing to dream and having nothing else to do about it.

Life, plainly put, is a single, delicate minute. You never know what may happen and what fate has in store for you. The knowledge of this terrifies me. How can one live when they are scared of living? I need to know. I need to know that I am not always going to be in an obstacle of emotions. I need to be stable, I need to be reassured that people are going to be in my life for a long time. I am aware of the fact that nobody can promise me this, and I wouldn't want them to. I don't want to have empty hopes.

Give me the air to breath, the space to run, the rye to catch...and perhaps then I won't feel so alone.

Later Days,
-Michael Woo-

There is something in every one of us that tells us to survive through anything. For years, I was trying to figure out who was going to help me survive. Now, I'm realizing it's a matter of how I'm going to get through it on my own. I've come to decide that I want to, and need to figure out what I want and how to continue living by myself. It's a part of becoming stronger and for me, it is exactly what I need. I need to know how to be alone before I can be helped by others when I really have to. Teaching myself to be independent is one of the hardest things I've had to figure out, but I'm learning, and I'm coping.

A change of environment was necessary. It was hard, but absolutely needed. Change without pain is ideal, yet never within reach. That is what I have realized over that last few months. It's going to hurt, and dammit, it's really going to suck, but change is inevitable. And if I run from it, I'm hiding from what is true. I struggle with the idea that not all change is bad, mainly because most of the change I've come across lately has been absolutely bad. When somebody can show me that change can mean growth in what is already rich with love, then maybe my view will be tweaked.

Tomorrow has yet to happen; I need to welcome its mystery with open arms. I'm no longer in a maze of my thoughts. I'm starting to regain my dreams and my path to fulfilling them is less of a goal rather than a reality. Finding myself is something I think I will always struggle with, in this age where we are meant to experiment and step out of our comfort zone. When I look at myself from the inside, I can see who I am. I'm able to make that obvious in some ways. I still have my morals and my beliefs and I have not strayed from them. Finding where home is is what's making me feel like a blank canvas. It's still scary not knowing where I can take my shoes off and relax, but now it's also a mixture of extreme restlessness. I want to go travel and find the place that calls my name.

I'm beginning to make decisions. I need to carry them out.

Later Days,
-Michael Woo-

I trust nearly nobody. My problem is I used to trust everyone. More than they deserved. I give second chances and third chances and fourth chances because I'm just never ready to give up on people. I try to believe that there is some good in everyone, but that is growing harder to believe with every day. I never questioned how genuine people were until about a year ago, and that changed my opinion on a lot of people immensely.

I'm beginning to lose faith in the human race. What's the point of growing close friendships with people if the future of those friendships are uncertain? If I had a nickel for every one thing that has changed since May, I wouldn't have to be a successful director. I'd be set for life. People who I used to be comfortable around, I can hardly make eye contact with them. I'm forced to put up a wall because it's what has to be done.

A good friend of mine pointed out that two years ago, I said there were only two people in the world that I could honestly say I hated. Now, the number is growing bigger, and I don't like that about me. But at the same time, what can I do about it? I put myself out there to be hurt because I let people in so easily, and forgive them even easier. I am a doormat, because I can't let people go, so I let them walk all over me and talk to me however they please.

I am forever changed with how I make friends, because the minute there is distance, it is never the same.

Later Days,
-Michael Woo-

I am terrified of dying young. The idea of life ending has always scared me. It's a part of childhood I never seemed to outgrow. Daily, I think about bizarre things that have to do with health and death. Things like if I were in the hospital, who would be there with me? And the ever so cliched question--who would come to my funeral? There is just so much that I want to do that the idea of never being able to do it upsets me. I want to see places, I want to create art, I want to make movies...I want to live. But really, what are we living for? We are not all like snowflakes, each one different. Everyone is the same... In some way, we are the same. We all need the same things to live. I don't mean food and water, I mean the emotional and psychology needs that come with living. We need to feel important and we need to feel like we're a part of something, some sort of community. We all try to believe that we're living for today, but I'm constantly thinking about tomorrow.

I am not an "of the moment" person. I never have been. Neither am I a thrill seeker in any way. I hate spontaneity. I would assume, to some people, it would seem I live a fairly boring, quiet life. I guess I would agree with that, that my life would seem fairly boring to the outside observer. The outside observer, however, is not in my head. My thoughts are everywhere always. They are going wild and are very excited. My thoughts are dreams of the future and they are ghosts of my past. They seek tomorrow, but long for yesterday. I am unsettled. My mind needs some rest; it runs towards something, something that it can't quite see. But it knows its there, and my mind wants it. Instead of everyday feeling closer to it, each 24-hours seems further from it. If everything were to end before I reached my destination, I would be torn apart.

I'm not afraid of old age. In fact, I anticipate it. If I'm able to feel like I have earned my wrinkles, then age is nothing but a number to me. I want to be proud of my years and proud of my work, whatever my work ends up being. I have a hard time with the idea that I am not in control of situations, and that I have to sit back and let what happens happen. If nothing else, I need control on my destiny. I need to do exactly what my heart is asking. Otherwise, my fear of a young life lost may be closer to reality than what is comfortably thought of.

I need a reawakening of the spirit.

Later Days,
-Michael Woo-