8 - Merrillville Community School

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8 Arts and Entertainment Teens miss the ‘TRL’ rountine Every weekday, kids would come home from school, turn the television to MTV and watch as hosts like Carson Daly and Vanessa Minnillo counted down the most requested videos. “Total Request Live,” most known as “TRL,” will go down in pop culture as a show that launched many celebrities’ careers. It highlighted everything from the boy bands and pop princess era in the late ‘90s to the up and coming rappers and singers that are out today. *NSYNC’s classic “Tearin’ Up My Heart” was the first video to premiere on “TRL” back in November 1998, while Katy Perry’s scandalous “I Kissed A Girl” was the last in July 2008. Not only did “TRL” count down the videos, but they also had celebrity guests on; and it was not always musicians, they also had actors and actresses feature as well. The “Live” in “TRL” sometimes proved to the show’s benefit and unpredictability. There was no script and the live TV made for the best, as anything could happen. It’s a show that many kids our age grew up with, and it was just a part of our daily routine. “The ‘TRL’ Decade” premiered on VH1, highlighting the best moments that the show had over its 10-year run. It did not seem like the show was on for ten years, but it suddenly called it quits in 2008. This show was before all of the social networks teenagers are fond of now, and it was our primary source of news. We couldn’t check trending topics on Twitter to see what everyone was talking about or check the newsfeed on Facebook to see what was going on; none of these networks existed. “TRL” was a trendy show that ended before its time, but if they decide to bring it back, will it be as good? Who knows, no one ever thought “Punk’d” would return, but five years after Ashton Kutcher left, the prankster show is back. “TRL” was the show of MTV for ten years, highlighting all of the celebrities and notable music videos that teenagers grew up with. No one can forget Britney Spears’ music videos or watching as girls would swoon over *NSYNC and the backstreet boys. We even watched the love story of Beyonce and Jay-Z blossom, and we all said “Yeah!” with Lil’ Jon. There is no other show as versatile and entertaining like “TRL” that is around anymore. Now everyone is left to rely on the outdated countdown of VH1 with its monotonic host to see the latest music videos. -Nakel McClinton ‘Fresh Prince’ still a favorite ‘Gossip Girl’ In the 1990’s one of TV’s greatest collaborations was born. Based around a seventeen year old from Philadelphia, who moves in with his wealthy and sometimes “snotty” family, “The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air” was one of the top-rated sit-coms in the 1990’s, lasting only six seasons. With a strict judge for an uncle, and an Ivy League bound cousin, the characters of the show aren’t exactly cut out for each other’s appeal. Giving Will Smith his first spotlight in the acting world, Hollywood took notice of his sense of humor, charm and charisma. Fans of the comedy sit-com loved the fact that the show shared insight on drugs, Photo of Carson Daly courtesy of www.tv.com Timeless or All generations love classic cartoons Growing up, we’ve all had that show that we just couldn’t wait to finish our homework to watch. There are shows that we think about that bring us back to the good times of no responsibility, no stress and no “acting like an adult.” When you were finished on the playground, your first thought was “I have to watch my show.” Many of these shows allow us to relive our childhood and travel back down memory lane. “‘Rugrats’ was definitely my all time favorite cartoon. Who doesn’t want to see a baby take adventures?” senior Aurielle Carson said. “The best cartoon was definitely The Wild Thornberrys. They were so natural and real,” senior Ebony Jackson said. A few other cartoons that allow the seniors to reminisce are “Cow and Chicken”, “Johnny Bravo”, “Roco’s Modern Life”, “Rocket Power”, “Dexter’s Laboratory”, “Cat Dog”, “Hey Arnold” and so many more. Some cartoons that bring teachers back to their younger days are as follows: “Tom and Jerry”, “Popeye the Sailor Man”, “The Jetson”, “The Flinstones”, “The Smurfs”, “Jana of the poverty and everyday issues that any family can relate to. Senior Channon Thomas shared his thoughts on the TV series and what he thought was the best element of the show. “I used to watch it all the time. The best thing about the show was the comedy. Will was always doing something crazy,” Thomas said. Unlike characters in shows like “Phineas and Ferb” all the characters of the “Fresh Prince” progressed as adults and moved on with their lives. As in the season finale Will moved out of the mansion into his own place. The question in mind: why did the show end so early? While some viewers felt like the finale was rushed, others felt it ended on a good note. “I don’t think it should have a comeback, because some shows are best untouched,” Thomas said. Junior Adonis Smith felt the same way. “I think it was good in the 1990’s, but it’s too late for a comeback.” Whether a comeback is out of the question or not, it is safe to say “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is and will always be a great sitcom. -Brandon A. Neal Jungle”, “Inch High Private Eye”, “Felix the Cat” and others. “I liked the Flinstones because there was just something about Fred that was so endearing. He was goofy, but easily lovable,” Mrs. Teresa Procter said. “I like Johnny Bravo because he is the man,” senior Conrad Czosnyka said. “I used to love Hey Arnold because he had a football head,” senior Trent Turner said. Although the ‘90s generation debates that it had the better cartoons growing up, many teachers feel that ‘90s cartoons are no match for their generations. Many teachers feel that later cartoons just don’t have the same power as those of their generation. “The only good cartoon this generation had is Recess. My favorite cartoon is Tom and Jerry because it was funny,” Mr. Michael Hoffman said. “I liked Looney Toons because it was funny. They were jokes that adults didn’t understand, but the kids got easily,” Mr. Joe Atria said. When asked who had the best cartoons, each generation expressed knowledge of the younger or older generation’s cartoons, but When it comes to drama and over the top, cheesy endings, “Gossip Girl” takes the prize home. “Gossip Girl” aired on the CW in September 2007. After five long years, you’d think that the show would have ended or at least been canceled. However, the lavish lifestyle of high-end New York teenagers and their treacheries is what keeps this show afloat. Not the most popular among parents, “Gossip Girl” prides itself in having an excessive amount of drama, drugs, and sex that overshadows the entire actual plot. The story revolves around six major characters, all of which attend a prestigious prep school located on the Upper East Side of New York. The first season revolves around their junior year and all the challenges that come with the survival of high school and the ghosts of the past. The six main characters are all somehow connected, having either dated before or they are currently dating each other. The show might keep the viewer’s attention for at least the first season as the characters grow up and mature into their later Continued on page 9 fought for their own generation’s. “I liked Peppy Le Pew because he spoke French and I liked to hear people speak French,” Mrs. Rose said. “Dexter’s Laboratory sparked my imagination and allowed me to be inventive, so I’m going to be an entrepreneur because of Dexter,” Senior Abraham Garcia said. People often can’t pinpoint the reason a cartoon became a favorite. Many people responded with “I don’t know”, or “because it was funny”. There was no actual reason why these cartoons were so enjoyable. “I liked Speed Racers because I was a boy and boys like fast cars,” principle Mr. Michael Krutz said. “I liked Care Bears because they were cute and brought happiness and joy,” student teacher Miranda Barber said. “I liked Mighty Mouse because it was cute,” Mrs. Nancy Draper said. With all the cartoons in history and those to come, no one really knows which were the best cartoons. Every generation holds a sort of sentimental idea that takes one back and allows one to be a child and remember the “good ol’ days”. -Allisa Bryant
Arts and Entertainment Teen story running flat Continued from page 8 personas, but after the second season the show should have been cancelled. After graduating high school, the show goes on following the lives of the six characters but there is no major plot anymore. After this the show solely relies on drug and sex scenes to keep most of its teenage viewers. The show might have been interesting at one point but after a while every show should be cancelled since the story runs flat. It seems that Gossip Girl has reached this point. - Ana Adame “The lavish lifestyle of high-end New York teenagers and their treacheries is what keeps this show afloat.” ‘Wives’ overstay their welcome Nothing is more obnoxious than the fake drama of today’s reality shows, especially the enormous influx of shows about celebrity wives. It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, on VH1 you can find any variation of these shows. “Mob Wives,” “Basketball Wives,” “Baseball Wives,” “Football Wives,” and “Love and Hip Hop” are just a few of these ridiculous TV programs. VH1 used to be full of shows that were actually entertaining and slightly informative such as their “I Love the ‘80s” or “The OCD Project.” However, VH1 isn’t the only television station responsible for broadcasting these horrid shows. Lifetime also has their own “Army Wives” on its sixth season, and Bravo has a multitude of “The Real Housewives.” Time to Go? Old shows better than new BET offerings I’m sure I am not the only one who is completely annoyed with BET (Black Entertainment Television) these days. The cable station constantly plays out movies that were once our favorites, right? “Love & Basketball”, “Baby Boy”,” Nora’s Hair Salon” (which was never anyone’s favorite, it’s just being worn out too), and now they are working on ruining a classic, “Poetic Justice.” Seriously, if I see another movie by Tyler Perry on BET, whether he’s playing himself or his character, Madea, I am going to scream. Does ‘Citaaa! Cita big baby! ‘Cause I’m a strong black woman! It’s Cita’s World y’all.’ ring a bell? Remember that annoying TV character that was so loud and obnoxious that you couldn’t help but laugh at? The show was called “Cita’s World”, a music video countdown in which a female animated character, named Cita, was the host. The show aired from 1999-2002, which some of you may vaguely remember. What about coming home from school, grabbing a snack, and ignoring your homework from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. for “Rap City: The Basement” when Big Tig (Big Tigger) was the host? The most popular Renee Graziano of ‘Mob WIves’. Image courtesy of thebplot.com rappers would be guests on the show and sometimes, release their latest video or promote the release of an album. At the end of the show, the rapper would go into the ‘booth’ and freestyle which I’m sure was everyone’s favorite part. And then there was watching the rappers sign their names on the wall in the booth as a way of leaving their mark. Under Big Tig’s rein, the show lasted from 1999 to 2005, being replaced by “The Deal”, which was hosted by Diamond Kutz and Memphitz. Who are those people? Exactly. The show barely lasted two years, from 2008-2010 due to low ratings. There was also “Access Granted” that gave viewers behind the scenes footage to the making of a music artist’s music video from the clothes and make-up, to the choreography, and to what weird things they did in their free time on set. For some reason, everybody loved getting the inside scoop on the video that would be released a week or two later on “106 & Park.” At the end of the show, the final production of the video was aired as a ‘world premiere.’ And what about that show our parents didn’t let us watch? You know the one we There should be no question as to why these shows should be cancelled. All of the “drama” is fake and posed, all of the women are full of plastic and botox, and the shows are just downright pointless. Do we all not have enough drama in our own lives that we have to go and watch a bunch of grown women argue and throw drinks at each other? The average American child watches 1500 hours of TV a year, therefore they are bound to pick up on some of the behaviors of these women, and that certainly does not give hope for the following generations. These shows should be cancelled for their stupidity and the effects they could have on younger kids. In turn, they should be replaced with shows that were cancelled to make room for these trashy, plastic wives. - Cassie Govert would stay up late to sneak and watch? “Comic View” was a stand-up comedy show that showcased upcoming comedy acts, usually with jokes that were way over are heads at the time. Although, there was “Coming to the Stage”, where 13-year-old Lil’ JJ told appropriate jokes and defeated adult competitors. Yeah, he’s 21 years old now. Our absolute favorite was “106 & Park.” Not anymore of course, with the extreme corniness of Terrence J and the annoying, whiney voice of Rocsi, the show has become a joke. The first substitute hosts for the show, Julissa and Big Tig tried to uphold the show but they didn’t measure up to the original hosts, Free and AJ. Didn’t it seem as though Free and AJ coexisted together in the most hilarious way? A celebrity that no one cares about could be a guest on the show and you could guarantee that Free and AJ would still provide entertainment. Now, BET just plays re-runs from early the early 2000s that weren’t even originated on the station. I mean, hearing ‘Heyyy Professor Oglevee!’ used to be entertaining — five to ten years ago. -Jalisa Mosley ‘Dance Moms’ fail to stay on pointe 9 There are some pretty bad shows on TV, but “Dance Moms” is one of the worst. The show is mostly about a dance teacher named Abby Lee Miller and the dancers’ moms. The girls aren’t actually an important part of the show. Everyone just watches to see Abby and the moms scream at each other. Even the girls look at the adults like they’re immature. Some of the costumes they wear are too inappropriate for TV. On one episode, the girls were supposed to be dressed like Las Vegas showgirls. The backs of their bras were flesh-colored to give the appearance that they were naked. The large, pink feathered fans were also used to create this illusion. The rest of the outfit was also super tiny. People were so upset about their costumes that Lifetime only showed the episode once and then took it off the air. Abby is also a terrible person. She has a system of ranking the girls. She puts their pictures on a mirror, in pyramid formation with the best dancer on top and the worst dancers on the bottom. The pictures change every week according to their behavior and how well they perform. This could damage their self-esteem. “Dance Moms” has been harshly criticized, yet people still watch it. This show is not really entertaining. People screaming at each other isn’t pleasing to watch. Neither is little girls dancing in costumes more suited for older girls. Once “Dance Moms” is cancelled, TV will be a better place. -Alexandra Woodberry Abby Lee Miller and her dance students. Image courtesy of rumorfix.com “Everyone just watches to see Abby and the moms scream at each other.”
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Page 5 and 6: 5 Opinion Decision 2012... or not?
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