Being Bad Questionaire

Age?

19

Sex?

Female

What is your degree subject (both if joint)?

Film

Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking?

yes

If so, how? And if not, why not?

So many films have been made about bad behaviour which I have previously viewed at face value and have not really thought of the issues involved. It has helped me in film studies as I have had a better understanding of the different audience view points. It has given me more material to discuss in essays and heightened my awareness.

Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?

The only problem that I have encountered has been the blog project. I loved doing the blogs but the practicalities of making an entry everyday, in order to get a decent grade, have been very difficult. I know it sounds like an excuse but my laptop has had a fault which has been a nuisance and its not always possible to get into university to use their computers. Apart from that minor problem I have really enjoyed the work.

Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?

Yes. I did wonder at first how some of the subjects might fit in, such as being too religious, but after the lecture I understood far more.

Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?

I thought the list was very comprehensive, and the only thing I might have been interested in finding more about was youth culture, such as gangs and skinheads etc.

Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?

Yes

What did you think of the module team?

Every lecturer was good but I particularly enjoys the lecture on tattoos and drugs and I thought these tutors really engaged with the group.

Do you think it would have been better to have had more:
Small group discussions? Yes, I think it would have been beneficial and would have perhaps helped with the blog.

Discussion and debate among the class as a whole?

No, i believe this didn't work, to be honest there was to much background noise and groups sometimes started their own discussions, and for someone with a hearing problem like myself, it was to differentiate between them all.

Information and talk from lecturers?

I think there was enough.

The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?

Yes. It has allowed me to think more, not to see things purely from the perspectives of a film student and has genuinely widened my interest.

Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea?

Yes

Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module?

Yes

Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?

Yes

Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2?

Yes

Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend?

Yes

Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea?

Yes I think they are a really good idea, but maybe being allowed to do more than one a day would be more practical in order to juggle the work load taking into account other subjects.

What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)?

No. I really liked this idea. I liked having the choice to choose what I wanted to do, and I thought the amount of work was more manageable.

What have you learned from the module?

A lot. I have learned not to take things at face value and to think a little more deeply about the issues discussed. I have learned new ways to think about things and as a film student I have learned the influences of the other disciplines which I may not have thought of before. I have also have a wider knowledge of the thoughts and opinions of my fellow students and I have used these ideas outside university.

What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?

My favourite lecture was on body modification. I have always had a fascination with body modification. I have never had a tattoo, because I have always wanted to know the meaning behind them. I don't want a star just because they look pretty, i want to know what it means. This lecture discussed different meanings and other peoples views about tattoos and I found this really interesting.

What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?

None of it was a waste of time. I took something from every lecture.

Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this module and am looking forward to being bad 2 next year.

COMMENT

http://pinkchickbeingbad.blogspot.com/

First of all, love that picture!

Having read this post it has made me think about the controversy about legalising cannabis. My mum lives in constant pain which will never go away. She takes regulated morphine four times a day which helps and sometimes has been treated like a junkie by doctors who should know better. My mum has never smoked doesn’t drink and would never touch drugs otherwise, however she knows lots of people who believe that small amounts of cannabis help them with their pain. The only time anyone else hears about these people is when they are being dragged from their homes (because grannies are very dangerous people) by teams of policemen because they have grown their own. The closest my mum got to cannabis was when her mate got her some to help with her pain. Mum said it was dirty, so no way was it going in a brownie, and she has never smoked in her life so it went in her incense burner in the house. Mum didn’t feel a thing but the dog was off her face for two days!
Ok so its funny, but surely its time to look at how people can benefit from drugs rather than letting people suffer.

COMMENT

http://kittyvonspatulabeingbad.blogspot.com/

I agree with some of your comments, particularly in relation to having other people’s religious ideas being forced onto you. 2 years ago I was on date with a guy and we were walking down new street in Birmingham when we were approached by a person who grabbed my arm forcefully and told me told us to go with her. She took us to a building and put us in the lift. She told us to go to level 2 and left us there. I was quite scared at this point, and I suppose I sound like a bit of a wuss but thus woman was not taking no for an answer. This was my introduction to Scientology. My date and I were separated and I was told to sit down whilst this man hooked me up to a stress device. He asked me a load of personally questions, then at the end told me I was stressed and to read one of his various books. Obviously I was stressed and I didn’t buy a book, and I legged it out of that building as fast as you can say Tom Cruise. I do not have a problem with this religion, it’s there faith and I respect that, but please don’t force it on me.P.S as you can tell, that was the first and last date!

Atonement

I watched the film Atonement yesterday and it shows the severe repercussions that can come from one lie. The film is about a young girl who falsely accuses her sisters lover of a rape that she witnessed. The result of this lie is that lives are destroyed. However the two lovers remain supportive of each other throughout, the girl spends a lifetime trying to atone for the one lie. The film demonstrates clearly how by lying and being deceitful people can be hurt in ways that weren't envisaged. How many times do we lie during the course of each day, mainly with good intentions so as not to hurt peoples feelings or cause offence or display our ignorance? What would happen if we spent a day telling the truth?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aWY2SH7EEhw

COMMENT

http://kittyvonspatulabeingbad.blogspot.com/

COMMENT ON JENNY'S BODY MODIFICATION POST

I think that some forms of body modification in certain societies are really a means of control. Usually it is by the male population over the female. In the lecture the tutor talked about a certain tribe where the women practice the wearing of neck rings to elongate the neck. In some cases the men can remove a ring, each time they consider the woman has behaved badly. Removal of the rings can have catastrophic consequences and can result in fatality. This really shocked and upset me as we take for granted the opportunity to modify our bodies by our own choice and not as a means for social control.

COMMENT- http://thehumanstrain.blogspot.com/

http://thehumanstrain.blogspot.com/

COMMENT FOR POST ON SHOPLIFTING

Your story about shoplifting reminds me of when I stole some earrings for my mother. I was only two and unknown to my parents I picked up a pair of earrings and put them in my bag. However even though they were ten pounds, I left a penny by the till. In my own mind I had paid for the goods. Does this mean I was a shop lifter? While we might think this funny, only the other week in the news, there was a case at Woolworth’s of a small child sampling the pick and mix and police action was threatened. The woollies manager insisted that the parents were responsible for the actions of the child. Hands up anyone who didn’t do this when they were young!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=553948&in_page_id=1770

A Good Lie?

Since the lecture I have been giving a lot of thought about whether lying is good or bad. This link is an article on what other people think about lying. It lists all the various lies there are.

http://www.harmoniousliving.co.za/Wellbeing/Life-Coaching/Lies-The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly/

We are always taught that lying is bad but from an early age our parents lie to us. Whether it be about such things as Santa or the Easter Bunny. It could be argued that these lies whilst they bring some magic to childhood are not really good because ultimately there is no real need to lie to children about this. It doesn't really bring the children closer to the true message of Christmas and Easter. Some cynics would even say that the actual religious view point is a lie, that really that is all a question of faith.

A good lie, that I can think of, is one that regularly occurs when there is a war. Soldiers die in battle but not always bravely and not always cleanly. However surely it is bad enough for a wife or parent to know that their loved one has been killed there is some comfort if they receive a letter from the soldiers commanding officer telling them that someone died quickly and bravely. A scene from Saving Private Ryan illustrates this well. In the scene, after the D Day landing a room full of typist are writing letters to families which all have a similar message, which is an attempt to ofter some comfort. In the previous scene the audience has seen how horrific D Day was, and how many soldiers died needlessly and there was little opportunity for bravery.

It is my opinion that if it gives some comfort to someone, this sort of lie cannot be wrong.

Religion- Good or bad?

Religion just lately seems to be getting a very bad press. But it seem to me that we can't blame any religion itself for what people do to each other. After discussion in class I can only agree that even with religious cults its the people themselves who are truly scary and a good example are the Scientology people who try and stop you in the street in Birmingham and try to force their ideas on you. Religion shouldn't be forced on you and everybody should have the Right to think for themselves about what religion, if any, they want to be apart of.



A film that illustrates this is Kingdom of Heaven. This shows some of the knights who are conducting what are supposed to be religious wars purely to get land and money. Another film, Son of Rambow, is another good example of how people will try and impose their will on even their own children in the name of religion and their behaviour in different circumstances could be considered child abuse. Carrie shows what happens when someone interprets the bible in a way that is destructive and goes against the true messages of peace and love, for example in the Film Carrie has a period, which is a perfectly normal thing. Her mother lectures her about how bad she is, telling her what she can and can't do and why she is so wrong in the eyes of God.


This you tube clip shows just one scene with the mother.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uqfbGPL0L0k

In conclusion I don't believe that true religions are in anyway bad. It is the bad behaviour of the people who interpret the teachings that is wrong but in the 21st Century we often try to blame one or all religions for the way we are running the world.

Fear and Loathing in Wolverhampton

I don't and never have experimented with drugs but after that the lecture on them I can't but help feel tempted. I wonder why this is because I know that the reality is that drugs can destroy lives and can have some awful side effects.


In the music industry drug use if often blatantly referred to and the media seem to accept it without question when it is in the forms on lyrics. The Velvet Underground- Heroin, The Beatles- Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Bob Dylan- Mr Tambourine Man and various others are played on radio and TV any time of the day and night regardless of the messages they promote. I was listening to Lucy in the Sky With Diamond when i was four, naming every bear i owned Lucy. When Dylan sings in Mr Tambourine man that he wants to 'dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea' it sounds really romantic but in reality its about asking his dealer for more drugs.


Some of my biggest icons are Keith Moon, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain and they all died squalid in drug related deaths and yet the media seems to glamorise their activities however their behaviour was every bit as sad as Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse today and the media can't wait to do them down. In music it needs a song like The Verve's 'The Drugs don't work' to give a necessary reality check.


In film things are slightly different. The use of drugs in one movie can show the apparent coolness whilst having time to balance it out with the downside. In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Johnny Depps crazy talk while driving across the desert seems really hip but hes crawling round the floor in his hotel room or freaking out when other guests have turned into lizards, it doesn't seem like such a good idea. For me the film that ensured that I will never take drugs is 'Requiem for a Dream.' In this film the audience are initially seduced by the glamour of drugs but as the film progresses we watch the characters disintegrate and in the explicit climax of the film the coolness has gone completely and even the most hard heartened viewer would want to cry at the depths of degradation and physical mutilation. If you are thinking of taking drugs watch this film because it does more in the last five minuites to diswade you than any government sponsered warning.


This link is at the end of the film, it may ruin it if you havent seen it plus it is intense and explicit.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXjXNsgBYAY

This is interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMWi1S_NC4k

Van Goghs 'Ear' Again

Van Gogh was a Dutch artist with mental health problems. At one point in his short life he did what he is remembered by many people for, when he cut his ear off. This was obviously body modification on a very painful scale.

http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/bio.html

There a lots of theories why he did it - because he heard voices/because of his love for a prostitute/because of his rage against Gaugain/because he was an attention seeker. But the important thing is that he did!!

This to my mind is the heart of the matter with body modification - certainly the more extreme versions - burning, cutting etc. Is the body modifier trying to make themselves more beautiful, or are they trying to make statement and draw attention to themselves. Could it also be argued that to do extreme things to one's body - removing limbs or scarring - is actually a mental health issue? I'm not necessarily saying it is, but it would be interesting to hear what anyone else thinks. If it isn't such a thing then where do we place Van Gogh in the world of body modification??


This is funny but relevant...kind of

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhlBRV3Dmlw

Don't knock masturbation, it's sex with someone I love!

Since the lecture on this aspect of being bad, I have puzzled over the subject of masturbation. As a result of my research I found this link, which was very useful.

http://www.afraidtoask.com/masturbate/index.html

It would seem that going right back in history to the Egyptians, masturbation was celebrated in their myths and religious practices. As there is no record of vast numbers of ancient Egyptians going blind (after all, you had to see what you were doing to build a pyramid) I assume that there were no side effects.


However more recent religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are not in favour, and consider it wrong and immoral. As a result secular society has taken this view, and the range of myths (makes you blind/deaf/mad/have hairy hands etc) have grown.


The medical view is that there is nothing wrong with the activity, and the attached site seems to try to support this, by use of images involving people far away from the stereotype image of the deaf, blind dirty mac man with hairy mits.

If we are now more enlightened in the 21st century, why do we have such a problem discussing the matter, or acknowledging the practice? It seems that the majority of films treat the subject as either a joke (American Pie and There's Something About Mary are
good examples) or the province of the loner, or person with relationship problems (Kevin Spacey in American Beauty). The movie world doesn't seem to be able to look at it normally, or as just one other acceptable example of human behaviour, along with
other sexual practices. The only 'acceptable' portrayal I have found
so far on film is 9 Songs - which is an arthouse movie depicting a torrid relationship and which includes the act as a normal part of the process. Any thoughts on other serious treatments of the subject in film or other arts??

Look at these you tube clips-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i26tJWhDgxQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK0VbjHcDj8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqJ8zxV7Cjw

Smoke Screen

I watched Gilda for the first time at University the other day. Great example of Film Noir and an inspiration to a non smoker, to take up the old cancer stick. *I know this is wrong, I don't smoke and knew someone who, in the face of all the evidence, increased his smoking as some kind of suicidal protest. I used to nag him about health, but like many smokers he wouldn't listen. Actually he was an ex boyfriend and he stunk of ciggies. Was glad to get shot....but thats another story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYlq3d8nDnk

So why did I consider taking it up after watching this film? Well, probably because like many 30s 40s and 50s films it shows smoking to be sexy and glamourous, and very very sophisticated. At this time it was something people did to be smart and tobacco companies would advertise the health benefits of smoking.

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/handouts/tobacco_advertising/selling_tobacco_30s_40s.cfm

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug00/3on1/tobaccoads/cig.htm

In those days people were ignorant of the truth (my nan was advised by her GP to smoke in preganacy!!) but times have moved on. The tobacco companies, when they found out about the risks sought to hide the truth, so were worse than anyone. They would let people die for profit. They were examples of real bad behaviour. It seems now that statistics demonstrate that smoking is in decline, and this is supported by the contemporary view of smoking on film. Recent examples are 'Thank You for Smoking' and 'The Insider' which deal directly with the role of the tobacco companies.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140352/

So what about me? I won't smoke, but I have to admit to the power of film to persuade and influence. If the noir films can get people to smoke more, then where does such influence end? What other bad behaviour could result from movie portrayals? What about theft, or murder? Could serial killer movies influence the gullible to kill? Where does it end??? What do you think??

Robin Hood or Robbin' B*st*rd

We have all been brought up on the legend of Robin Hood. Robin Hood has often been portrayed as a good man who defended the poor against evil authority figures such as The Sheriff of Nottingham and King John. He is seen by some as being linked to even older myths and legends like The Green Man and The Wild Man of the Woods. Ultimately, however, he has always been seen in a positive note when really he was more likely to be a criminal. First of all the laws that existed then were more or less the same which include the laws that say you shouldn't steal from other people. The Robin Hood Legend tries to justify the fact that he stole rich peoples money by stating that he gave it to the poor. Don't get me wrong I do not mind giving money to charity but if somebody from Oxfam threatened me with a bow and arrow and took my money I wouldn't be impressed! Even if he looks like this...

This link is from a website that looks at the 'real Robin Hood' and also has references to William Wallace and Jesse James. It argues that all eras and cultures have their own folk hero outlaws. I think that the reality is always more ambivalent. However noble the idea is it right to use violence to achieve the outcome? This link talks about people who have defied oppression and bad authority by peaceful and successful means.

http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01120/

In films Robin Hood is always portrayed as a handsome and decent man or the case of the Walt Disney a 'hot fox.' The so called villains such as Alan Rickman in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, are always 100% bad with nothing decent about them. The reality is that these authority figures represented and upheld law and order in a difficult time and people like Robin Hood were actually thieves who broke the law. Why is it that Hollywood and popular culture always try to glamorise the villain at the expense of those who just want to maintain law and order.

Scum

After the module on 'Bad Cinema' I decided to research examples of films that were banned due to explicit bad behaviour and to understand for myself why such action was taken. During the course of my research I discovered the film Scum (1979). This story for this film was originally made for TV but due to the nature of the content it was never screened. It was eventually made into a feature film starring Ray Winstone and Phil Daniels. This link takes you to the IMDB website and the list of key words to describe this film. The key words alone demonstrate why the film was so controversial. These are all examples of extreme bad behaviour.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079871/keywords

I decided to watch the film myself (£4 from Zavvi- bargain) i discovered that the list of key words summarise the content perfectly. The film is one of the most horrible and explicitly bad films I have seen. The documentary feel to the film makes it hard to watch because it seems so realistic, however it is very bleak and there is nothing in it that is positive. In my opinion its not just the unremitting bad behaviour but also the fact that there in no redemption or positive moral message that caused such controversy. Everyone in the film is nasty and corrupt and the message is that nobody escapes the corruption and the corruption triumphs.

Has anyone seen this film? I think it's worth the watch and does anyone have any thoughts or views? Would you class this as 'Bad Cinema?'

Watch this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAifvU8IQps

God Only Knows Where I'd Be Without You!

'Listen to me, listen to me. If you ever, ever, ever fucking bother me again, if you ever come anywhere fucking near me, I will follow you, I will find you and I will gut you like a fucking fish, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?'

(Ian Mcewan, Enduring Love, 2004)

Over the top or justifiable reaction from a man pushed to the brink by a stalker?

What possesses us to follow the object of our desire to the point of criminal stalking? Is it normal human behaviour that we have suppressed by social norms of acceptable behaviour or is it a gene gone out of control?

What made Mark Chapman any different from any other obsessive Beatle fan? Some people would be happy to steal John Lennon's underpants or used tissues, what drove Chapman to kill him?

This is the wikipedia page for Mark Chapman, for anyone who wants any more information.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_David_Chapman


As a 14 year old girl I happily stalked the 'love of my life' with my best mate for 2 weeks. He didn't know I was there and he also didn't know I checked the Thompson local for address! Does that make me like Kathy Bates obsessed fan who nobbles Jame Caan in Misery (1990) or just a teenager with a crush? It never entered my head to break his legs or shoot him but after a fortnight I was bored with stolen glimpses of my love through the cracks in his curtains, so I moved on to a six former!

Enduring Love is a chilling example of how such an obsession can destroy lives. Following a hot air balloon accident, Rhys Ifans develops an obsessive crush on Daniel Craig (who wouldn't) with devastating consequences. This film shows just how vulnerable we are from stalkers. They stop at nothing and do not care about anything else except their target. They are driven in a way which cannot be deterred by threats of police and legal action and a sad statistic is that many stalkees die at the hands of their stalker! Despite numberours appeals and more public awareness there seems to be little the police can do until the stalker starts to make threats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjS6zwUx1hA

Here some advice for you unlucky people who are adored by a 14 year old with a Thompson local.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/series7/stalking_advice.shtml

Infidelity please, we're British...

• The minister will ask the congregation to stand and says to the groom:"(...), will you take (...) to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"The groom answers "I will".
  
• The minister then says to the bride:"(...), will you take (...) to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"The bride answers "I will"..........BOLLOCKS!

Adultery, infidelity, extra marital affairs, two timing- doesn't matter what we call it, it causes grief, hurt, misery and sometimes death of bunnies, to thousands of people everyday. Why are we so fascinated by cheating and why does it bring the voyeur in all of us?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/08/29/nosplit/ftinfidelity129.xml

This link examines adulterous processes and interpretations of the different definitions of infidelity including research statistics and quotes from people affected in one way or another by adultery.


My interest lies in the interpretations of infidelity in film. The subject has fascinated film makers from the earliest silent films (Pandora's Box 1929) to recent explorations of the genre in such films as The Painted Veil (2006). In the 1940s Film Noir examined the sexual power of women and the introduction of the 'Femme Fatale'. In 1945 David Lean directed Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard in a very British interpretation of infidelity in Brief Encounter. This film examines the fear and revulsion faced by each of the characters as they struggle to contain their feelings for each other and keep their marriage vows. The resulting film is an exquisite, painful and poignant portrayal of fidelity winning the day :(

Does this study of restraint appeal to today's audience or do we now prefer to see the whole dirty business from initial attraction to the nitty gritty and the demise of the bunny? Fatal Attraction (1987) does just this. Do we like to see the sex or are we turned on by other peoples suffering? Do we watch films about adultery as a talisman to protect us from the grim reality of it happening to us or to justify our own actions?

I was quite shocked by the number of people in our seminar discussion (Being Bad Week 1) who admitted to either having or wanting an affair. Could this be in anyway influenced by the way in which adultery is depicted in film?


This link lists films covering the topic.


http://www.listal.com/search/movies/1/?tag=adultery

Gandalf

Blog One

• I have decided to do my blog on bad cinema and bad behaviour portrayed films. I made this decision both because of my area of academic study and my own personal interest in films. The first problem I encountered was how to define a ‘Bad’ Film in context of this module. I therefore took the key themes of the module and applied these to my knowledge of films to compile a list of examples of ‘bad’ cinema. The subject areas that I have looked for in each film include, adultery, masturbation, smoking, drug abuse, religion, stalking, stealing, lying, gangsters and general bad behaviour including petty violence and excessive drinking. I have therefore defined a list of films to look at in terms of being bad, on which I will comment on in future blogs. Some of the films include:
  
  
• Trainspotting
• American Beauty
• American Pie
• Requiem for a Dream
• Fatal Attraction
• Kids
• Enduring Love
• A Clockwork Orange
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
• Catch Me If You Can
• Football Factory
• The Exorcist
• Scum
• The Wicker man
• Scarlet Street
• The Graduate
• Brief Encounter
• Quadrophenia
• Easy Rider
• Belle De Jour
• Baise Moi
• Bonnie and Clyde
  Any thoughts or views on these??

Field Trip

I can't think of anywhere for a field trip. I thought the Circus of Horrors would have been good, but thats next week and there isnt enought time, or is there???
I cant think of one at the top of my head, but some cinemas show films like Clockwork Orange, we could maybe research any possible cinemas showing 'Bad Cinema??
Or an Anne Summers Party!