Kerouac Journey

Jonash Loh, Luke Kaspar, and Nina Kadjar are traveling west on their own Kerouacian-style trip to enjoy "la bonne vie" in the often forgotten corners of western United States.

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Zombieland #2

The map below covers a road trip where Chrissy, Paul, Greg, and I felt is a suitable road experience paralleling the film Zombieland. We will utilize a Winnebago as our transportation across America. Most of our stops relate to a challenge we would have to confront in order to continue our journey to Disney World. Ultimately, our experiences will inevitably bond us together creating a new family-like bond between us all. Come join our thrilling adventure!


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Steinbeckian Journey Across America

We want to take a journey together the way Steinbeck took his journey
in "Travels With Charley." We want to get a taste of different regions of America and learn what only the locals know. We want to check out cute little cafes,bars, churches, and festivals to get to know the “real America” in all its
diversity and quirkiness. We’ll be taking a van to fit all four of us along with our luggage and necessary camping gear to use at a few of our stops. The main idea is to have a relaxed but intentional journey where we make the stops that we planned from the beginning but enjoy the surprises and the
friendships with the people we meet that may occur along the way.



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Group 1- Zombieland

Not only was the movie, Zombieland, hilarious, but its inner meanings were some of its greatest attributes too. Alex, Chris, Greg, and I decided to incorporate these themes into our own road trip that would promote, among several things, lasting friendships. Below is our complete set of planned route and destinations!


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Thelma and Louise

In the spirit of Thelma and Louise, Amarah, Julie and I created a trip from Austin to Vegas and the Grand Canyon and back. This is our idea of the type of trip Thelma and Louise would have taken themselves had things not taken a bad turn at the beginning of the movie.



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Travelin' Whitman Style

Below is the final map of a road trip we believe that Walt Whitman himself would take! After analyzing his well-known poem, "Song of the Open Road", Spencer, Jose, and I created our own version of a "Whitmanesque" journey. Check it out!


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Thelma and Louise: Proposal

Our group is following the theme of “Thelma and Louise.” Our goal is to bring out the bonding and freedom/self-discovery while relating back to the movie. Our journey will start from Austin, Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada and then back to Austin, Texas. Our main point where we plan on spending the most time is going to be the Grand Canyon. We chose this route because we firstly wanted to start off from where we live now just like Thelma and Louise started off from where they lived and we chose the Grand Canyon as our main point because that is where Thelma and Louise finished (except we won’t stop there). Our goal of bonding relates to the movie because throughout the trip, both Thelma and Louise learned more about each other and became closer after going through so much. In our trip, Julie, Kim, and I will definitely bond because it is a long trip and we will get to know more about each other and we will all have stops where we will get a chance to bond with each other and do things that we all like to do. This trip will also give us a chance to escape from studies and let us have the freedom to explore, have fun, and choose a perfect spot to be ourselves. Throughout our trip, we are going to have many stops that will relate to such themes which were the major themes of “Thelma and Louise.”

Zombieland #1

For our group (Claire, Greg, Alex, and myself), we're following our road trip based on two themes from Zombieland: reconnecting with our youth and bonding with one another. We're all classmates who hardly know each other, just as the main characters from the film hardly know each other prior to their journey. Our trip begins in Austin and continues to Orlando, FL; New York City, NY; Akron, OH; and ends in Hollywood, CA. Along the way, we'll be incorporating one rule from the film with each stop. Each of us has a particular stop we want to take during our trip--these stops allow for one of us to reconnect with our youth and allow us to share our pasts with each other, thus leading us closer and closer together. Between these "youth-seeking stops," we'll be stopping at various places across the country, where we will participate in team-building experiences such as rock climbing. On the other hand, danger lurks at some of these stops. When we stop in New Orleans, for example, a drunken man attempts to assault Claire, who is quickly saved by one of her travelmates. This ties into one of Columbus's rules: Get a kickass partner.

We'll be stopping first in Orlando, Florida to visit Disney World. It's a place I go to about once a year, and all four parks give me many, many great memories. I'll show everyone the ins and outs of the parks as well as how to "enjoy the little things."

Next up is New York City, New York. Alex actually got the hookup from Roger Federer while planning for the trip, so we'll all be able to get behind the scenes of the US Open, a tournament that Alex has always dreamed of attending.

The crew from Zombieland got to meet a celebrity in his own house, and our crew is no different. Our third stop is Akron, Ohio, where Greg takes us to meet his hero: Lebron James. King James actually has a bowling alley and a casino in his house, making it an ideal place to relax together. If we have time, we might even catch a Cavs basketball game before we hit the road in the morning.

Our final stop is Hollywood, California, home of one of the world's most famous theatres: Grauman's Chinese Theatre. This Hollywood must-see landmark features The Walk of Fame, but it's a very special place for Claire, who actually grew up in Hong Kong. Here, Claire can remember her life in China and fill in her companions about China's culture.

Allons! (Let's Go!)

Jose, Spencer and I have decided to journey “Whitmanesquely” from Brooklyn, New York down on to New Orleans, Louisiana and then back up north, ending in Camden, New Jersey. These destinations were chosen after researching and learning of Whitman’s own personal travels throughout his lifetime. In order to travel “Whitmanesquely” we have decided to keep the trip as simple as possible. The plan, for the most part, is to resist the big inner-city life and travel lightly. Thus, we have decided to take our camping (and fishing!) gear and rest on public camp grounds throughout our journey. We believe Whitman would coincide with this idea as Song of the Open Road does say: “Now I see the secret of the making of the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.” Indeed, we all agree that “the earth…[shall be] sufficient” for us. Moreover, we feel that camp ground areas and the like would be the perfect place to meet interesting folk to invite to travel with us, or to simply encourage to take their own journey some time. Although Whitman does emphasize the need for companionship, we felt that he ultimately pushes more for self-discovery. The line “I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness” embodies this theme of learning about oneself along the way. The multiple stops we plan on making while on the road will encourage this growth and allow us to become more open to new thoughts and ideas, perhaps even leading us to being “reborn”.


When it comes down to it, our road trip will not occur at a fixed pace. We will come and go as we please. Of course, our final destination shall always be kept in mind. However, there will never be any sense of urgency. The purpose of this trip is to be free and do as we please and if one place calls to us more than another, then so be it: “You but arrive at the city to which you were destin’d, you hardly settle yourself…before you are call’d by an irresistible call to depart.” Whitman gave us this basis in thought in regards to the road: The world is at our [the traveler’s] feet and is ours for the taking, if we will but take it:


To conceive no time, however distant, but what you may reach it and
pass it,
To look up or down no road but it stretches and waits for you,
however long but it stretches and waits for you,...
To see no possession but you may possess it, enjoying all without
labor or purchase, ...
To take the best of the farmer's farm and the rich man's elegant
villa,…
To carry buildings and streets with you afterward wherever you go…
To know the universe itself as a road—as many roads—as roads for traveling souls.

Zombieland Proposal

Using Zombieland as an inspiration, our group has designed a trip in a Winnebago from Austin Texas to Disney World in Florida. Keeping with the spirit of Zombieland, each of us has chosen a stop where we will attempt to introduce outside and alien experiences to other members of the group in the hopes that some piece of that experience becomes part of the group as a whole.
Some of the stops along the way will include Denver Colorado where I will introduce everyone to the concept of survivalist/minimalist backpacking; even though we will be traveling in a Winnebago hopefully the experience that will stick with the group is that less is more. Another stop along our journey is Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta we will try to find the World of Coca-Cola (a stop inspired by Tallahassee's obsessive quest for a Twinkie) and Crissy will attempt to convince at least some of us that Diet Coke actually tastes good.
Our last stop will be Disney World where, even though we can't ram the gates with the Winnebago and shoot the zombified occupants, I'm sure we can play laser tag or at the very least ride the roller coasters.

Steinbeck Journey Proposal

Our group is using the Steinbeckian type journey as a template for our exploration of America. We are going all around America, starting in Austin and hitting some iconic areas along the way until we get back to Austin. The idea is to get a taste of every region of America and learn what only the locals know. We want to check out cute little cafes, bars, churches, and festivals to get to know the real America in that region. The idea is to find where the natives hangout, not where the tourists go. This is very much like what Steinbeck did, but we are following a different route as well as looking for areas frequented by the younger natives of the area.
Jackie suggested an awesome website, couchsurfing.com, that would give us the chance to get to know America in a way Steinbeck did not necissarily have access to. The premise of the site is you search for someone who is willing to let you sleep on their couch for a few days, and they show you around the area. This would be an absolutely terrific way to really get to know at least a few people in each area, and form ties to most of America. Which is really the whole idea of Steinbeck's journey, discovering an America you have become out of touch with. In our case we are discovering an America we may not really know yet, but definitely want to discover.

Proposal

Proposal for last group (group 6?): Nina, Jonash, Luke

We are taking a Kerouac-ian road trip across southwest America. Our stops include: Denton, TX; Norman, OK; Colorado Springs, CO; Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; and possibly the Grand Canyon in Arizona. We are investigating to find locations within these cities/areas that are normally unseen, interesting, off-beat attractions. For example, while in Los Angeles, the group will be visiting the Museum of Death, a peculiar small business on the end of Sunset Strip owned by a married couple. Within this project, we are projecting themes of hedonism and self-discovery, parallel to those in the novel On The Road. We are also visiting friends along the way: Jonash has friends in Denton, Luke has a friend in Colorado Springs military base, and I have a cousin and friends in Los Angeles.  Along the way we are faced with a few difficulties/road blocks, such as lack of financial funds.  Overall, we are traveling where ever the road takes us.

Roadtrip with friends

It could be because I chose to write my last paper on Thelma and Louise, but if I were to take a road trip I would like it to resemble theirs.
To begin, I would load up my car with a close friend or friends, the more the merrier. Like Thelma and Louise, the comfortable friendships bring a sense of safety and security, so even though we would be doing something we never had before, we would be there to support one another. We could together choose our main destination- if it were up to me, I'd choose a beach, so we could head somewhere warm like Orlando.
I like the idea of experiencing new things on the road, but having a sense of familiarity along the way, as we saw in Zombieland, and On the Road. On our trip to Florida, each person on the trip could choose someplace that is comforting and familiar to them, whether visiting relatives and friends, or revisiting someplace they had gone on a previous trip.

zombies are real...and ones in the back seat

I like the idea of taking a road trip with a buddy and having to take on the hurdles that come along the way. The challenges you face may not be zombies, but being stuck in a traffic jam when you need to go to the restroom is almost as terrifying. The one main thing that this road trip does not address the major issue of getting suck with an a$$hole as a travel buddy. I have gone on a trip with someone who I could not stand the very sight of much less having to sit and talk with in a small space with no escape. By the end of this trip I was just wishing that I had a gun to put this bastard in a box where he couldn't bother anyone anymore. So for me I would rather have a zombie in the car than this person, because it is not socialy looked down upon to throw a zombie from a moving car.

A sense of freedom

I was really inspired by the journey of Thelma and Louise: how they try to overcome such obstacles as escaping from her husband, robbing a store, getting away from the cop, etc. The idea of women power is really eye catching in this movie and the feeling of being able to choose your way is what makes the movie exciting. I believe the idea of change is what makes this roadtrip: how Thelma changed into a stronger, daring, and a much bolder at heart woman from a woman who always did what her husband expected her to do. Being able to become a different character given the chance that no one is there to tell you what to do and choosing what you want to do is what I would hope for in my idea of a road trip; leaving out the craziness (robbing a store, shooting, etc) that Thelma and Louise did.

You're Stuck With Me, and I'm Stuck With You

I guess I would want to take a Zombieland style trip. I would pack up my things, gather my closest friends, and head off toward Colorado. I've never been on an across the country road trip--let alone with other people. I don't know what to expect. Maybe the people I travel with will become annoying, or maybe I'll learn a little more about who they are, but I do know I have people by my side who are there to help us get where we need to go. The characters in Zombieland couldn't predict where the next zombie was quietly lurking around the corner, but they figured they need one another to survive. This is the only way to travel. To be around people you love will make the experience richer, happier, and more enjoyable.

On the Road

The road trip Sal took in On the Road was the one that was most appealing to me through all the texts. His trip was encouraged by his need to be around something more, and along his journey he met new people and experienced things he would not necessarily be able to at home. I think that being able to take part in these unfamiliar experiences is what makes a road trip. Being able to be around new people, and having a chance to be someone different, whether you are or not, seems like a great opportunity to take advantage of. There is a greater sense of freedom when you are in an environment that is foreign with no one around to really be held accountable to. Though, I may not approach a road trip in the way that Sal did, I would hope that the outcome would leave me with a better/different perspective on life as well as great memories to cherish. 

Free Sprit

Any road trip I would take would most likely be similar to Sal's journey in On The Road. The main reasoning behind Sal's travel is his thirst to be with "mad" people and just go across the country and experience an invigorating sense of life. That's what I want. I want to just be around unusual/out of the norm folk, work a random job somewhere far away from my actual home, travel with and get to know people I've never met before, and possibly fall in love with some one that I meet along the way (but then again Sal never REALLY fell in love, did he?). I wouldn't really know exactly where I'm trying to get to. It sounds like the ultimate hippie experience but I'm all for it. Sure, it's a risky situation but as T.S. Eliot once said, "The journey not the arrival matters."

So my journey would be just to see where the road takes me.

Out On the Road

The text that appealed to me the most was On The Road. Sal didnt make too many plans for his road trip and was more or less spontaneous in how he got from place to place. He met up with friends and partied with them but he was also not reluctant to make new friends with complete strangers and have a good time with them as well. Mainly Sal just wanted to break the monotony of his normal life and get out and experience a new world.

This is the kind of trip I would take. I love his destinations of Colorado and California and would definitely stop in those two places. I wouldn't hitchhike necessarily and probably wouldn't go alone but I wouldn't hold myself to only the people I know. I would meet friends in Colorado but make plenty of new ones on the way. The trip would be carefree, enjoyable, relaxing, and a hell of a good time. I would check out the scenery, the mountains, the ocean, and everything in between. Good times would never be far away. I would stop in Vegas and do a little gambling, then head on to LA, San Francisco, and end up in San Diego before returning home. It would be enjoyable to really get out of the everyday routine and do my own thing for a few weeks. I might even learn a thing or two about myself. Overall the experience would be something that only a road trip could deliver.

Whitmanesque

The journey whose spirit inspired me the most was that which Whitman describes in his "Song of the Open Road." While I don't know if I would drop everything and become a traveling street person, the almost religious epiphanies which Whitman speaks of that can only happen onthe road are almost dreamlike to me. I don't know if I would welcome complete strangers to travel with me but I also wouldn't travel with a group of friends. Possibly only myself or one friend. The thing that got me most about Whitman's messages was how much the road can change you. The beautiful nature that will surround you and hold you which can inspire a person to great heights. The complete strangers that you meet along the way that will impact the rest of your life. And of course the wisdom that a Whitmanesque traveller will come back with. The road in a sense can become one’s home because of how much it provides a person, spiritually, intellectually and physically. I think there is so much in Whitman's words that rings true to most people's inner soul. I think that this is why he is still read and studied and admired and loved by so many. I need this kind of journey. I don't know what I would do or where I would go but I know that I would not take any of it for granted and I would be completely open to everything that came my way. I would have to travel somewhere in which a stop to Monument Valley was made. I am a big fan of John Ford Westerns and I have always wanted to go here, where a hero of mine was inspired so greatly to have filmed roughly 85% of his Western pictures within this region. Maybe some of the magic of this place could rub off on me and inspire me to think about life in a different way or enlighten me in another way. I would have to take this trip with only one friend or myself because I think that otherwise I would miss a lot of the journey along the way. I would be too caught up with them, in something I already knew, to truly make this a Whitmanesque journey. I’ve been too dormant for too long.

zombieland.

Considering all of the road trips we have studied thus far, Zombieland appealed to me the most. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, not only would my ultimate road trip destination be an amusement park but also, I would revel in earning the title of Zombie Kill of the Week…every week (because this would happen). In my opinion, no good road trip is without friends to share it with therefore I would not be alone on my epic quest for excitement.
I'm a big fan of Google so I turned to my trusty pal to find the best amusement park in America. Apparently, this road trip will take my friends and I from Austin to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Just to spice things up, everyone will get to choose a place they'd like to stop along the way as long as it is reasonable and in a northerly direction. For example, we could stop in New Orleans, Memphis, and maybe even North Carolina to do North Carolinian things. To sum it all up, a zombie apocalypse is not required (just preferred), detours are not out of the question, and some amigos would make it fantastic.

On My Own Road

On The Road has been the most meaningful work to me. The way Sal ventured out into America without a definite plan is the way I think the best road trips begin. He managed to have some genuine experiences with old friends, new friends, and even strangers. What impacts me the most about his trip is that he didn’t seem very sure about what he was looking to gain from his trip, but he knew that he needed to get away from the way he was living. This is something that I can definitely relate to. Sometimes I have the urge to just go somewhere, to get away from the routine of my life.

My road trip would be similar to Sal’s in that I would head west ending in California. Instead of hitchhiking though, I would probably drive a car and take along one worthy companion, most likely my best friend. We would leave from Texas and like Sal’s trip, my first extended stay would be somewhere in Colorado. Colorado is a place that has provided me with many fond memories. We would drive through the state, and stop at places where we could get in touch with nature. Perhaps we would visit some friends and party at the University of Colorado at Boulder. After that, we would drive through Utah and Nevada. I don’t really know what there is to see in these two states, so this part of my trip would provide for the most adventure. Finally we would make our way to California. There we would stay with one my best friends at USC and explore the city of L.A. Once we see the beach, I think my trip could be complete. On the way back, we would go through Arizona and New Mexico, hopefully catching the spectacle of the Grand Canyon. This trip would contain a good balance in terms of the types of places we would see. There would be a good mix of city living and nature. There would be chances to meet new people and chances to grow closer to old friends. Overall, this trip would give me the best chance to have a meaningful experience and break free from the same old routine that is my everyday life.

Survival of the Fittest

The road trip I found it easiest to come to terms with is Zombieland because I felt that it portrayed a road trip similar to what I believe a true road trip to be - a learning experience. The survival situations that all the characters find themselves in causes them to learn something not only about how to survive a zombie apocalypse but something about themselves as well ( I won't go into detail, we've all seen the movie and can think of such instances).
I do find it hard to recreate such a journey to meet my tastes though because I feel that there are two ways to think about "my trip"; realistic in the zombie apocalypse sense, and realistic in the here and now sense .
Part of me agrees with Jake in that I enjoy envisioning my actions if zombies did rise from the dead. Would I go around kicking zombie ass, or would I run and hide. If there really were hordes of zombies out to eat my brains my trip would be pretty lackluster. I would simply make a run to McBrides, load up on everything I could and go relax behind the 12ft tall game fences at my family's ranch eventually coming out due to boredom in order to lay waste to some zombies.
However, if I really wanted to create for myself a learning experience, a survival story that is somewhat plausible then I would choose two of my friends and go backpacking in Alaska only taking knives, a compass, the clothes on our backs and a GPS. We would map out our route and do our best to survive along the way.

Travels

Avedon shooting for In the American West

Out of all the texts we have studied, the one that I found most impactful was Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck. The aspect that I liked most about this work was the fact that he was not only seeking time alone to learn more about himself, but also his primary goal was to meet other people and learn more about their lives. The whole idea of taking a trailer across the country simply to experience it, without many other goals than that in mind is very appealing to me because there aren't a lot of plans in mind, just one general goal. Steinbeck felt he could not write about society if he did not truly know it, and I like this idea of having an obligation to get to know the world around you.

I would recreate this by doing this same thing nearly, only I would include someone to come along for the ride. I am a photographer, so taking a cross-country roadtrip in a car taking portraits of those I meet along the way would be ideal to me. Richard Avedon did this in a way, and many people found these portraits to be most impactful because they were real people and real faces of America. 

Zombieland

The text that inspired me the most was Zombieland. The bond created amongst the four individuals in the movie is the driving force behind the road trip. When I think of a road trip, it is the memorable experiences that I share with those around me that makes the trip worthwhile. The encounters on the road being that they might be unplanned and spontaneous is the true driving force behind the bonds made on the road.

To recreate a trip along the lines of Zombieland, I would set out to go to New York with three other friends of mine. We would strictly set off with the only goal of getting to New York City. How we got there wouldn't matter as long as we were taking it day by day, as you would in Zombieland fending off attacking zombies. Through the encounters to New York, I'm sure we would see and experience things that we were never previously exposed to before, being that the trip is unplanned, which would allow us to come together and bond through these new experiences on the road.

The Open Road

After all that we’ve read and seen I still love the way Whitman portrays the road. I love the idea of just dropping everything and taking off. One would be able to forget all about their problems and responsibilities and just do whatever they chose. For some reason Las Vegas immediately comes to mind. I guess because it’s known for being such a wild, irresponsible, vacation-like city. After that, I’d simply take the time to explore America because that’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’d like to see the Grand Canyon, take a look at Mt. Rushmore, and even, stop by and grab one of those famous Philly cheesesteaks from Philadelphia. In the end, my journey would be carefree and entirely up to me.

Common Goal

I’m all about bonding when road trips come to mind. They are definitely times when the radio just doesn’t do, site-seeing is not enough, and entertaining oneself eventually becomes unappealing. Because bonding is an essential part of the long journey, Zombieland is what inspires me when road trips come to mind. The movie at its heart is a risky adventure that a group of people go through together so they could succeed and reach their goal. While the goal for the people in Zombieland is to survive (or maybe get a Twinkie), they definitely achieved a great deal of bonding and understanding of each other along the way.

Surely, there are those places where your friends would tell you that it’s the “scariest place to go to” and everybody would be frightened to even get near it. However, this is just the kind of thing a small group of people can go together and explore the mystery of the place. If I were to mirror it with a bit like Zombieland, I would bring along people who are merely my acquaintances. Then we would drive over to the so-called “haunted” place and we would walk together to explore the place—cross the river, climb over the woods—do anything other than just standing there so we could get a feel of the place. Our goal? Just to have fun and be proud of ourselves after we get through it. Our hidden goal? Bonding, because chances are, we would have to help each other to get across the river or to go up a hill. We might have to joke around to comfort ourselves or talk to just keep us busy thinking about something else other than anticipating something to pop out. Having a common goal really does pave the way to at least a great start in relationships.

My favorite trip is Zombieland by far. I wish that I could do exactly what they did, zombies and all. Recreating a trip to just have some of the attributes that the movie had would be second best for me for the sole reason that I want it all! This was my first zombie movie that I had ever seen and it brought out a secret fantasy of mine, kill zombies. I have to admit that my adventures would not be as fun unless I had Woody Harrelson to banter with. I actually got an adrenaline rush from watching Harrelson take down the undead with all his creative ways. It would also be nice to have a gorgeous girl to hijack all my belongings every once and a while, just to keep life interesting.

Did anybody else figure out what they wanted to do with their life from watching this movie?

Almost Famous

Although it's not one of my favorite movies from the bunch, I like the type of road trip in Almost Famous. It seems like a different experience for me, being how I can see alot of myself in William. There's just something so unique and exciting about following a band around the country. It's a time where your parents aren't there watching, and a time for freedom. During this trip, you make the decisions, including the decision to drink, do drugs, or have sex. It can show how responsible a person you are, or just how wild you can get. In the end, no one judges you on the road and your parents never have to know about anything. It sort of reminds me of how college is right now except with studying. Destination doesn't matter to me, as long as you get to have fun. The trip could be a duplicate of Almost Famous, as long as I get to bring a best friend with me, I'm open to anything.

Roughin' it in Zombieland

I'm going with Zombieland for my chosen text that inspires me most. As someone who's normally a horror-averse moviegoer, I was pleasantly surprised and entertained at both the material of the film and how the film was presented. Zombieland was a breath of fresh film air for me.

If I had to recreate the spirit of Zombieland, I'd gather three friends to embark on a trip from
Austin to California. Obviously I can't turn the world's entire population into zombies, so instead we'll challenge ourselves as if we were on our own. We would leave with only a set amount of money to use, and we couldn't use our phones or ask for help. Zombieland's message about the road is simple: You can change for the better on a road trip with others. The road is filled with challenges, but by working together, everyone is the group will change for the better as they become closer.

It's important that two of the friends I bring along aren't best friends of mine. I'll bring along one best friend to mirror the already close-knit relationship between Wichita and Little Rock, but the other two friends won't know each other. And yes, I should technically bring along two strangers, but let's face it: The world's just not as safe as it's portrayed in movies.

Our destination in California will be Disneyland, our mirror to Pacific Playland. I've been there before, but it's been at least five years since I went, so my mental layout of the park is likely fuzzy, just as Wichita's is of Zombieland's Pacific Playland. My other three friends should have never visited there (I realize that Little Rock has been to Pacific Playland before, but I'm assuming that since she's so young in the film that she hardly remembers the physical layout of the park.). We'll enter the park without grabbing a map before heading to the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction, where we will board the ride and then head to the entrance of the park. Once we got off the ride, we would quickly seek places we could hide from zombies if they were actually attacking like they did in the final scene of Zombieland. Once we found a place to hide, we would note how long we had been at the park and then decide if we realistically stood a chance against the incoming zombies if they had attacked. We would, of course, have to take into account that we will be waiting in line to ride our ride, while Wichita and Little Rock didn't have to wait in lines at all to ride their ride.

What do you recommend?

The Steinbeck journey is still my favorite. I love the way he takes off to explore and learn. He isn't journeying to cure an ill in his existance, he is journeying because he sees that he needs to. He takes off cross-country to learn about people and places. Thats the type of journey I would want to go on. I would want to go alone or with one close friend and just explore. Once me and a friend were so crazy stressed out that we took my car out in the country, and rock-paper-scissor chose which direction we would turn every time we came to an intersection. I would want to do something like that, turn down every appealing road for days and months on end in my journey. I would want to stop at all those tiny little cafes in cute little small towns and order the special, or the waitress's favorite. I think it that would be a very Steinbeckian way of journeying, and I also think it would satisfy my need to make the journey my own.

Human connections

Let's face it: We can't relate to a zombie apocalypse. Sure, if you've seen a zombie movie or two, you may find some connections between the movies, but what really makes this film ring so clearly to audiences is the real, human connections shared by the main characters. For example, Columbus first encounters a zombie by letting his hot neighbor come into his apartment, where she then proceeds to sleep on his shoulder. This notion--almost like a dream--for an attractive girl to literally come walking (or in this, running) into the room is something any girl-sheltered guy hopes for. Columbus even says he's always dreamed of brushing a girl's hair over her ear. Then for this dream girl to turn into a zombie not only scares the audience, but it's also a rather humorous notion. This scene is what Zombieland is all about: horror and comedy.

In fact, much of the decisions Columbus makes throughout the film are made because of his feelings for Wichita. He chooses to remain in the car instead of hopping out and driving to his home because he realizes the person he wants to stay with is Wichita. Columbus is an underdog; it's only natural that we root for him as he and Wichita share their pasts and almost kiss. Columbus then decides to go rescue Wichita, even though he can't ride a motorcycle. He finally changes rule number 17 from "Don't be a hero" to "Be a hero" as he saves Wichita and Little Rock from the attacking zombies. Zombieland succeeds as a film because at its heart, it's a love story and a story about humans sticking together.

Another interesting side note is the scene where Bill Murray makes his cameo. Fans have clamored for a Ghostbusters III ever since the second one released in 1989, but the film has been in production hell for years. These fans have been increasingly teased with two television shows and seven videogames, the newest of which released this year, making it the newest Ghostbusters film since 1993's The Real Ghostbusters for Game Boy. Interestingly enough, the project has been moving again, leading many fans to speculate that the latest videogame is being used to drum up interest in the upcoming film. This cameo of Bill Murray could also be a form of Columbia Pictures (the studio responsible for both Zombieland and the Ghostbusters films) advertising the long-awaited Ghostbusters III, to which Bill Murray recently has become attached to. This scene also serves as a bit of a joke: Since Bill Murray was killed in the film, there's no way that world can ever witness Ghostbusters III.

Shoot them in the brains, if you wanna live

Ahhh the relevance of the zombie apocalypse to today's society and such. Its just too tempting, and i absolutely must use the obvious "its a dog eat dog world" reference. The zombie apocalypse is an interesting way to express our societal woes. Zombies are humans functioning solely with their medulla oblongata (Alligators are ornery because of their medulla oblogata mama!) which is purely animalistic. When society decays that is also how people function. so portraying the world as place where everyone is animalistic and a few select fight against them is an example of how people fight against negativity in society in an attempt to survive in an inhospitable world. The normal characters in this movie show how the pack mentality of humans kicks in when our lives our threatened. this is why we have friends. because in a world where everyone is trying to eat your brain, its good to have a buddy with a shotgun ready to detach some spinal columns.

God Loves a Redneck

As Noah stated in one of our recent discussion's, zombie movies seem to be connected to the middle class and in particular their fear of social unrest. The line that stood out most in my mind during the movie was when Tallahassee and Columbus come upon the yellow H2 and when Columbus, following the rules of Zombieland, checks the back seat to find quite the cache of weapons. Upon this discovery Tallahassee exclaims "thank God for rednecks". While it is true that the possession of a weapon isn't limited to the redneck culture, oftentimes when we think of people who own large amounts of guns [because lets face it, not everyone has a Benelli Aggressor, Uzi and a few high powered rifles on hand) we often envision rednecks or people of an associated class. This line, then, justifies their, at times controversial, possession of these weapons. If it weren't for the gun laws that a portion of the middle class support then everyone would be in serious trouble. Instead of wasting zombie's with shotguns and Glock's then you'd better hope you were either Bruce Willis or Mickey Mantle.

On the drive home from the theater I was also reminded of another discussion of ours. I realized that while I had seen this movie in the theater, several of us would probably opt to watch it online. I too watch movies via unscrupulous websites but I enjoyed Zombieland to such a degree that I think I will buy the DVD. Maybe this is a possible definition of art. Maybe true art isn't defined by its longevity or universality but by whether or not I buy the DVD or just rip it off of Piratebay.

Trust

Even with all the gruesome and horrid looking zombies throughout the movie, I did not think of it as a scary movie at all. Instead of fearing what would pop out next, my attention was more focused on the characters’ personalities and how they interact with each other. An essential part of the movie comes when we see that Wichita and Little Rock first trick Tallahassee and Columbus in the supermarket. We can’t trust zombies but we can’t trust the normal people too? It goes to show that in a world where everyone’s fighting to survive, (much like in our own world where everyone’s competitive for a better job and thus “better life”) people have to learn to not give into temptations and be critical. It is not until after all the time they are (forced) to spend with each other on the road that the girls finally decide to trust the boys.
I think trust is something that people take for granted. It also seems to be the case that we give out our trust easily because we generally want to believe that others are good as well. However, when things get tough, trust suddenly becomes rare. What do you think?

Go on, break another one

The part of the movie that I think sums it best is the part when the four characters stop at a Indian Reservation gift-shop type store and just start breaking and shattering everything in the store. As Columbus said afterwards, "Sometimes Tallahassee is right, you gotta enjoy the little things...even if that means destroying a whole lot of little things." 

For me this scene symbolizes two main themes we see in the movie. First, the obvious connection I made was that this raging act of aggression was the characters' outlet to release their frustration with living in Zombieland: always on the run without a home, having to watch their backs constantly, the focus on survival...etc. Second, I also perceived the experience as a therapeutical bonding session between them. Somehow, by smashing all sorts of delicate glass structures, Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock were able to get over their animosity towards each other and experience something fun together. Afterwards we see 15 second clips of how they got along pretty comfortably in the car as if they had known each other forever. 

In recap, this scene symbolizes the struggles of Zombieland and ironically enough, the camaraderie of new friends made in Zombieland. For these four characters, the road trip brought them closer. So what would the definition of a road trip be for the movie Zombieland?

Home is Where You Make It

I have to say first off that while I don't like zombie movies, almost as a rule, this was an exception. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie and was quite pleasantly surprised.
I found the significant moment in this film to be when Columbus decided to stay with Wichita and go to the park near Hollywood. He had the option to go to Columbus and see if it had truely been destroyed and whether his family was still alive but he decided to stay with this girl. Granted he and Tallahassee had been conned by Wichita and Little Rock twice already but there was something about her that appealed to him so much that he wanted to stay with her and go where she was going as opposed to going "home." This made me feel that Columbus had found what Tallahassee was looking for after his son had died. Something or someplace to call home. As he got to talk and get to know Wichita more he realized that she was the kind of girl that he could develop a relationship with and have that be his home, a "place" that gave him so much comfort and joy that he wanted to be there and no where else. Later in the film, Columbus voices over that these three people, who he had come together under such terrible circumstances, were the closest he had ever had to a real family. While not having a family to bring Christa home to, he seems to already be home with her.
Do you think that only under such adverse circumstances does a person adopt the idea of family and home in complete strangers? Is it something that grows out of desperation, loneliness or something else? Do you think that, while Columbus has always wanted to find the right girl, that he would have found it in such a sly and seemingly untrustworthy of a person as Wichita, if it hadn't been for the zombies?

Puppy love

The significant moment for me takes place when Tallahassee spills his feelings to the other main characters by revealing that his son was killed by zombies. Early on when we are introduced to Tallahassee, he says he had a puppy that was killed by the zombies, and laugh-out-loud ridiculous shots of Tallahassee pampering a cute puppy adorn the screen as Columbus imagines the rough, tough Tallahassee cuddling an animal. What's more, the audience isn't even tipped off that this moment is a significant one, other than the fact that in Columbus's narration, he says that Tallahassee hates zombies for some reason, even moreso than most normal people would hate zombies, in fact. And on top of that, the next scene shows Tallahassee's love for Twinkies. This scene is so ridiculous that the audience's attention shifts to the humorous idea of a badass with a Twinkie fetish. Furthermore, the scene that takes place before Tallahassee's big reveal is perhaps the funniest part of the whole movie, courtesy of Bill Effin' Murray. So when Tallahassee brings up his dead puppy again and says his puppy had his laugh and his voice, I couldn't help but laugh when I first saw this. But right when Columbus realizes that Tallahassee's "puppy" is actually a son, I realized I had been had. This moment suddenly makes the movie have a serious backbone. We as audience members now have a reason for all four main characters, with Tallahassee in particular, to survive. The scene reminds us how precious their old lifes were and how precious life is in general. So when Tallahassee bravely diverts the attention of the majority of the zombies at Pacific Playland, we want him to survive even moreso than just any normal human. Even badasses like Tallahassee have hearts and weaknesses (other than Twinkies).

This scene sharply contrasts the introduction to the film--were you expecting an emotional moment like this?

Unity

After watching Zombieland, I have to say that I hope I can sleep tonight, and the nights to come. Although it was meant to be a comedy, I couldn't help but to shield my eyes from the many bloody scenes. Nevertheless this movie has shown me that in times of struggle such as a major catastrophes, people tend to unite together despite their unwilling personalities. During the movie, four individuals group up to help each other to survive. They learn to adapt to each others charateristic personalities and work together. This is most evident during the end of the movie when the two girls attempt to reward their survival by creating the biggest attraction for zombies from all around. Honestly, I thought that they were smarter than that being that they managed to escape the grasp of so many zombies and outwit two men out of their belongings twice. At the beginning of the movie, everyone basically hates each other, yet as the movie slowly develops, you can pick up that the characters are slowly growing on each other. By the end of the movie, they become a "family". When given a comon cause, it is human nature to unite and help each other.


What were the producers trying to accomplish in creating the film? What did they do to make this movie stand out from the other zombie films, including the funny ones like Sean of the Dead?

Over the top

I'm honestly having a difficult time finding a way to relate this movie to life or an actual road trip. Yes there is an on the road scene, and yes there are plenty of iconic little moments (walking away from the bus onto bigger and better things for example) but it all just seems so outlandish. This movie almost seems as more of a glimpse into the lives of rockstars then anything else. Yes William "comes of age" along the way, but does he really? He is portrayed as a young brilliant loner the whole time, which would lead me to believe he was already "of age" because of his natural demeaner.

William suffers through his first glimpse at "love" and survives even though it is more terrible than most people's first glimpse ever was. I just can't find a way that this seems to really relate to a real person's life. It could be an extremely exageratted version of real life, sort of, except only exceptional people lead lives like William's, and most of us are not exceptional.

The spirit of rock n' roll

I absolutely loved watching Almost Famous. Yet when we were asked when the main character "comes of age," I came up with a blank. I thought about it and realized that he didn't really change personality or habits-wise by the end of the film. As we discussed in class, he still loves his mom (and never rebels against her), he still loves rock n' roll, and he still doesn't do drugs. He does lose his virginity, but that's the only scene we see of him having sex, and what's more, we actually don't see the actual act of having sex. The scene serves only as a major, almost magical moment in William's life where time stands still (both in his mind and in the eyes of the audience via slow-mo effects).

Upon thinking about all of this, I realized what keeps Almost Famous relevant today: the spirit of rock n' roll. When Noah called on us to freely associate words that come to mind when thinking of "rock n' roll," none of those words are really what we as audience members take away from the film. When we were questioned to detail how William changed, the discussion was pretty thin. For me, this was because I fully realized just how swept away with this film I was--I told myself I loved it once I finished watching it, but I couldn't answer questions about it. This is very similar to the feeling one feels when listening to rock n' roll, a feeling that kick-starts William to become a rock n' roll journalist. When you listen to rock n' roll (or whatever your favorite kind of music, for that matter), you can't help but feel swept away by it. Should a critic come by and call out your song for its lack of musical proficiencies, it's just human nature to be either insulted, dumbfounded, or both. The characters of Almost Famous are all affected by rock n' roll in some fashion or another; it's only natural for the audience to be affected by it, too. A timeless movie is a movie that takes the audience to another world. It's a film that sweeps the audience away. You don't ask questions. You just go. And that's just what any famous rockstar (or any other industry success story would say--I view much of this film as an analogy for the film industry, for example) would tell any aspiring rockstar. This film still rings true today because it captures the free spirit of rock n' roll.

I actually haven't seen all too many films about rock n' roll in general to compare this film to those. Can you think of any rock n' roll films that create the same viewing sensation as Almost Famous, or is this really something that makes Almost Famous stand out for its fellow films?

Stay True

One major issue in Almost Famous that is still relevant to today is the constant struggle between external pressures and staying true to oneself. We see several instances of this issue throughout the movie. William must decide whether he should simply portray the band as “cool” or elucidate the true events of his experience. Russell suggests that he has the option of leaving the band based on his superior talent. The band as a whole is a representation of this struggle, finding themselves at the crossroads of remaining independent or giving in to commercial interests. This issue is something that people deal with everyday. Throughout my life, and particularly in college, I realize how important it is to know who I am as person whenever I am forced to make a tough decision or deal with hard times. Most of the time, staying true to yourself is the best option, even though it may not be immediately evident. Take William's experience for example. When he decided to tell the truth about Stillwater, his story was called a fake and all his work seemed to be in vain. Eventually, Russell realized that he needed to make things right and things seem to work out in the end. However, if the movie had not ended this way, (if Russell had not corrected his lie) it is difficult to say whether or not giving in to the external pressures may have been the better option for him.

Would you rather give in to society's demands instead of staying true to yourself, especially when giving in seems all the more appealing?

Parental Control

I think a relevant aspect to today in Almost Famous is the mother's controling demeanor towards her children. The daughter eventually reaches the point to rebell against her mother and leave the house when she turned 18 to become a stewardess. Meanwhile the mothers still wants to have a great deal of control over William as she constantly says to him "Don't do drugs", even embarrasing him in front of his peers at one point. Although William is thrown into a completely new environment when he goes on tour with Stillwater, his innocence and purity never seems to go astray (even if he would like to think otherwise when talking to Penny Lane). There comes a fine line as a parent to be protective of your children to ensure their safety, yet give them the freedom to make their own choices and learn from their mistakes. We see the negative effect that the over controling mother had on her daughter (making the decision to move out). William never rebelled against his mother once he had freedom while on tour with Stillwater. It seems like his mother was a bit more lenient on him than his sister which allowed him to repect his mother more. As a result, William was able to come of age in a manner that wasn't rebellous like his sister due to less contraints while on tour with Stillwater.

Do you think it's harder to be a parent in this day in age rather then during the 70's?

The Industry of Cool

I found Lester Bangs’ advice to William especially significant to this film. From the start of the movie he pretty much explains exactly what is to come: “They’ll buy you drinks, you’ll meet girls, they’ll try to fly you places for free…I know. It sounds great. But they are not your friends.” Much later he even tells him that “friendship is the booze they feed you”. Of course, naïve old William gets caught up in the whole road trip and ends up getting hurt. (As some of my peers noted, a big part of this movie does have to do with his coming of age story.) The “they” Bangs had warned him about, and that did, indeed, screw him over are the rock n’ rollers. Lester blames this sad misfortune on “the industry of cool”. The band members of Stillwater (and all stars in general) eventually get so caught up with trying to make millions, fitting in, and dominating society that they put everything that really matters aside. (In this case, they sacrifice their passion for music and Russell even throws Penny away.) Jeff says earlier on that “rock and roll is a lifestyle and a way of thinking…and its not about the money and popularity…but it’s a voice that says “Here I am…and fuck you if you can’t understand me.”” Unfortunately, as we watch them rise to stardom, this mindset is entirely compromised.


While Russell is on acid the truth of what he really thinks of himself comes out. He is a “golden god”. Do you think most stars really picture themselves this way?

"Hold me closer tiny dancer"

The significant moment in the film is, in my opinion, a combination of several scenes starting with the t-shirt mess up and ending with a group sing-along. The excitement the band had over their new t-shirts quickly vanishes and is replaced by bitter resentment when they realize that Russell is the center of attention once again. As William witnesses this verbal altercation, he begins to see the underlying hatred surrounding the seemingly enviable life of Stillwater. He then accompanies Russell on a night of partying where William must take on the role of the mature adult just to keep Russell safe from himself. In the scene following Russell's drunken escapades with the common folk, you can practically taste the tension on the tour bus. Then, one by one, they join Elton John in the singing of "Tiny Dancer". All of the animosity swirling around them seems to miraculously disappear and everyone is reminded of the reason why they're there; music. These events play a significant role in William's development from inexperienced, green boy to a more mature, realistic young man. As he becomes exposed to sex, drugs, and alcohol, William's eyes are opened to the ups and downs of the lives of the famous and he learns that things are not always as fabulous as they seem.
What kind of audience does this film appeal to the most?

Stardome vs. Reality

I think a critical scene in the movie is when the band Stillwater gets caught in an electrical storm while on their flight. It is here where the movie changes its course from the carefree and rootlessness lifestyle that rock music has brought to the band while on tour, to the harsh reality of whats beneath the superficial lifestyle of the bandmembers. While spirling down towards presumably death, the band members come out and reveal what's been going on behind the scenes. Russell learns that Jeff has for quite a long time now been having a deep and passionate affair with his girlfriend. These dark secretes have been hidden by the energy and popularity the rock n roll lifestyle has given them while on tour. William meanwhile gets to attest to the harsh reality of the rock n roll lifestyle. I think the road is a means for both a reality to the members of Stillwater and also to William, as he had been sheltered his whole life by his protective mother. While being on tour with the band, William gets to look past the "image" of rock n roll and realizes that being a fan and having passion for music is just as important as the fame and celebrity aspect of it.

We clearly see that throughout the movie William the enemy is pure and innocent. What effect does this carry over to the mad lifestyle on tour that the members of Stillwater live?

Coming of Age

The pivotal moment in this movie was the scene where Russell gambles away Penny Lane in a game of poker. This event has a powerful impact on William, as it reveals to him how the real world works. At the beginning of the movie, we see that William is an innocent and timid individual. He seems to be extremely mature when it comes to writing and knowledge about rock and roll, yet lacks a certain understanding of the people who surround him. Whenever he sees Russell gamble Penny away, it seems like something clicks inside him to where he suddenly becomes more assertive and mature. His changed personality is the result of both his love for Penny and his frustration in Russell's actions. It seems to be the first time in his life that he has been experienced such strong emotions. Thus, I think the point of the movie was to show a character's coming of age and loss of innocence along the course of a rock tour. William's character is an example of how experiencing something firsthand rather than just knowing about it can be entirely life changing.

Penny Lane seems to fit Kerouac's definition of a "mad" individual. What are the the effects of her actions on the point of the movie?

Cliches

This movie was relevant to today because men suck. They have always sucked, and will always continue to suck. Every single man in this movie is a jackass in one way or another except the one that seemed to be a type of "father figure" to the women. This movie almost gives one an idea of how certain types of men should be dealt with. You don't sleep with criminals, you should leave your jerk of a husband, and abusive men are never worth your time. And heck yes i would love to throw a jerk of cop in the trunk of his car and blow up a nasty trucker's vehicle. The movie is relevant because it portrays women escaping from lives that are unsatisfying to them. It also shows how when someone is hurt enough times they will flip and find an inner strength that allows them to do thing that no one would ever expect from them. While i do believe the "types" of men were very much exagerrated, this was a 130 minute movie and things need to be exageratted to be undersood.

This movie seemed unsatifying to me. I felt all the men were portrayed too shallowly. What would you do to the characters to give more depth?

Independence of woman

At the beginning of Thelma and Louise, we get the feeling that Thelma is a stay at home wife secluded from the world around her. After calling Louise on the phone at her work, Thelma decides to make a decision of her own to leave Darryl without confronting him. Up until this point, Darryl had control over Thelma's life, and it is at this moment where she decides to be bold and make a decision for herself. Although she is not leaving him for good, Thelma proves that she is not completely reliant of Darryl in life and can make decisions for herself (we see how important this is to Thelma later in the movie when she say's she has "crossed over"). This is relavent to today as far as the move that women have made in society. No longer are men solely the breadwinners of the family. Women are making a strong stand in society, competing with men in the job market. More and more women are providing for themselves, thus crossing over from the once dependency of men, into a strong independent being suitable for making decisions for their own good.

Gender Stereotypes

I think the way the film portrays and challenges common stereotypes translates to 2009. At first, Thelma and Louise each seem to embody different female stereotypes; Thelma as the typical housewife dependent on her husband and Louise as a working, self-reliant woman. Towards the end of the movie, the women become increasingly comfortable with their newfound freedom and take the role of aggressors from the men. The men as a whole are seen in a negative light. We have the arrogant husband, macho rapist who thinks he's God's gift to women, sexist truck driver, and the boyfriend who is scared of commitment. To a certain extent, these stereotypes can easily be seen in society today.

Like the men, are there instances where women are portrayed negatively? Also, would the movie have completely lost it's meaning if instead of driving off a cliff at the end, it was just a three foot drop?

Rape in Thelma and Louise

The scene where Harlan attempts to rape Thelma has strong relevance to today. The issue of rape is something that is addressed multiple times in the movie and is a factor that strongly influences the main character's actions. At the end of the movie when Hal asks, “How many times are these women going to get screwed over?” I have a feeling that he was referring to both of their encounters with rape. Today, we hear stories on the news about rape all the time. As college students, we often hear about the dangers of rape at parties. Yet, I feel that the issue of rape is something to which society is becoming slowly desensitized. Take for example, Kobe Bryant. The celebrated sports star was just a few years ago accused of rape. It is most likely that he was not guilty of rape, but it makes me wonder how many cases go dismissed in which the victim actually was telling the truth. Furthermore, popular youtube videos such as Derrick Comedy's “Bro Rape” make a joke of the issue of rape. It is even common nowadays to hear someone say they were “raped” by a test they took or even an online video game. Thus, Thelma and Louise presents the issue of rape as a definite problem in society. While this message still speaks to today, it should speak even louder than it does.

Is the issue of rape still important today, or has it been overshadowed since the time this movie was made?

Strong Women...Strong Obstacles

What really sticks about about Thelma and Louise is that the two titular characters are strong women who, by the end of the film, prove that they don't need men to make their own decisions. This notion of strong women rings true today, as more women are becoming more active in politics. Hillary Clinton, for example, ran for President during last year's campaign. However, women are still seeking to break their stereotypes. Men such as the truck driver and Darryl still exist--men who view women as inferior, inane, and infantile.

Call me what you will, but I'm a huge fan of Survivor. This season has possibly the biggest villain in the show's history. His name? Russell.



Seen in the video is his formation of what he calls "The Dumbass Girl Alliance." He approaches three different women on day one and tells them all that they should form a secret alliance with him. To their faces, he comes across as an honest person, but to the camera, he reveals that he's just playing them. In his mind, these women are gullible. Later on in the same episode, Russell continues to forge fake alliances with all the women on the tribe. As of this post, two women have confronted Russell, calling him out for his lies. The result? Both women were voted off the tribe. Russell is controlling the women: The ones who don't have a clue don't know anything's wrong at all, and the ones who do have a clue get the axe.

It's true that Russell's whole goal--as he said to the camera--of being on Survivor: Samoa is to simply lie, cheat, or anything else to win. He's out to prove how easy it is to win Survivor. Whether or not he actually looks down upon women in real life remains to be seen, but in the microcosm of the reality show, Russell represents the dominant male who looks down upon women. Men like this still exist today, as they did in Thelma and Louise.

Out of Control

I think the most important scene is the one in which Thelma pulls the gun out on the police officer, instructs Louise to take his gun, and locks him in the trunk. At this point in the movie things really start to snowball and get out of control, after this there is no going quietly. Thelma says that "Three days ago neither one of us would've ever pulled a stunt like this". But now they are wanted in two states and considered armed and dangerous. Thelma has definitely stepped out of her calm and passive self and become a lawless individual. If they would have called the police as soon as they shot that man things would've probably been alot better for them but since they started to run they only dug themselves in deeper. I like it when they decide to not get caught and keep going at the end. I think it turned out better for them that way. If you were in the same situation, would you call the police, or escape to Mexico?

Cannot go back

At the beginning of the movie, we see Thelma as the typical woman who gets suppressed from society and is made to stay at home and support her husband. We see that she was even scared to ask her husband about going on a road trip. Actually, the fact that she had to ask and not simply tell was already pretty absurd. Nonetheless, Thelma still ends up going on the trip with Louise and ends up doing several over-the-board "crimes" together. It seems that the more they committed crimes, the more likely they do it again. The one moment in the movie that I believe underlies the theme is when Thelma tells Louise that everything "crossed over" and that she cannot go back or else she couldn't live. Ever since this road trip, Thelma really has everything changed drastically for her. She hooks up with guys, makes a robbery, threatens a policeman, and even helps blow up a truck. She is basically forced to act this way because of her long-trapped wild character that is finally allowed to release when away from her prison at home. After experiencing this new self of hers, Thelma knows she does not want to be her reserved old self anymore or else she really couldn't live- which actually could foreshadow the end of the movie when she would rather suggest death than being captured. Being captured to her means being constrained once again.

Thelma made several "innocent" blunders throughout the movie- dancing with Harlan, losing the money...etc. Louise does not seem to have blamed her friend too much besides being quietly upset and trying to fix the problem. Does Louise represent the strong female character in the movie who is already halfway to her "freedom" and trying to lift Thelma out of her state of devastation? At the same time, does she represent who friends really are?

Women fighting back

After watching Thelma and Louise, I believe that the main point of the movie was to portray two women who were tired of their old lives and how society treated them that they rebelled and ran away. The scene at the beginning of the movie where Thelma first gets into the car with Louise and they talk about why they are leaving demonstrates how desperate they want to get away. Their temporary fun away from their unhappy lives quickly changes when Louis shoots a man. Now the two run for their lives as things slowly get worse and they end up making a drastic decision to continue running forever even if it means death. The point of the movie was also to show how women did not have a chance to defend themselves against the dog eat dog world. Many of the mistakes happened due to Thelma's naive careless nature which end up making the two run for their lives. Although they were internally happy with the results because as women they were finally able to stand up against men, Thelma and Louise were viewed as criminals due to their actions.


The main police officer in charge of catching Thelma and Louise was very lenient on them. At one point of the movie he even looks at a picture of a young girl and says "Happy Birthday little lady". What type of connection does he have with the two women?

Homosexuality & Racism

As depicted in the Diner scene when Wyatt, Billy and George try to make a stop to get something to eat, the issue of race and homosexuality is brought up at the table near by. This group of men who are presumably apart of the local community crack jokes amongst themselves directed at the image Billy and Wyatt illustrate. Although the civil rights movement has made substancial gains in today's society relating to race, we still have goups and organizations such as Black Entertainment Television, Nation Hispanic Institute, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to name a few. Clearly racism is not of the same magnitude that it once was, but it is still relevant to a degree in today's world.

The one man at the table was talking about Billy's hair, which brought about his phobia of homosexuality. This is very relevant in today's society as it is an issue at the state level for same-sex marriage. Many people don't agree that homosexuals should have the same legal rights which makes the issue relevant even today.

Explicit drug use is a common them throughout the movie. Do you think that drug use is a means to capture the freedom on the road by defying the laws set in place, or was it merely a way of life for so many at this time?

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

At the beginning of the movie Easy Rider the motorcyclists arrive at a motel only to be rudely denied a room. The owner of the motel probably took one look at them, didn’t like what he saw, and vowed to have nothing to do with that “scum”. Unfortunately, this kind of prejudgment and discrimination is still relevant in our day and age. People are prone to judge just about anything that is odd and/or stands out. For example, people who have tattoos/piercings, beggars, and even, certain ethnic groups. Although our society has come a long way in loosening up and broadening our scope of critique (we don’t judge motorcyclists TOO much anymore), we still have much to work on.


Question: The riders clearly represent freedom. While they are “on the road” at the end of the film they are shot and killed by two men who don’t like the look of them. Is this suggesting that even if we do break from it briefly, freedom is impossible to sustain/achieve due to our strict society?

Recklessness and Freedom

Scene 19 52:00-54:00

In this scene the three of them are just having a good time on the road. They are being reckless and doing stunts on their bikes and George just smoked his first joint. They are friendly to the people they pass and just enjoy the open road. George said later on that they represent freedom. "But talking about it and being it, thats two different things". Here they are living it. The whole trip is somewhat reckless and free, they do exactly what they want to do, whenever they want to, wherever they are. No restrictions are placed on them but getting to where they want to go.

Pulling In

At about 11 minutes into the movie when Fonda and Hopper are first sitting around the campfire Hopper remarks on Fonda's silence, stating "your pulling inside". I see this line as not only a central theme of the movie but one in the class as well. In class we discussed whether road trips are a communal or solitary action and we all had our different opinions. This line, I believe, shows just what this road trip is for Fonda. As for the theme of the movie in general, I would have to say that given line also illustrates the fact that all journeys are different. Also apparent in the way the two characters are portrayed. Hopper throughout the movie seems much more affected by his outside environment and always wanting to move along to the next place. Fonda on the other hand seems to take the environment and internalize it much better, he also seems more calm throughout the entire movie. Even still, the two men meet much different ends which further shows the difference in their journey; Hopper gets shot and while we see Fonda's motorcycle blow up we never actually see what happens to him.

On a side note did anyone notice the beginning scene where Fonda throws off his watch and possibly connect it to Flaming Iguanas? Just a thought.

Diner scene

The scene where Wyatt, Billy, George stop at a diner only to leave shortly after because of the town's open disdain for them strikes me as the turning point in the movie. The journey on the road was a carefree adventure up until this scene. Their encounter with narrow-minded bigotry instigates a downward spiral which results in the deaths of the main characters (well, I'm not sure if they actually died but I'm going to assume they did because my statement would be much less dramatic if I said "results in the serious injuries of the characters"). The whole point of their journey seemed to be to obtain the freedom to experience life however they so choose and this freedom is threatened by narrow-mindedness.

Forest Drive-By

For me, the defining part of the film comes when George Hanson is killed when the trio is asleep in the forest. Up until this part in the film, the main characters get from one destination to another with few bumps in the road--at least not major ones. The whole film until this point is very easy-going. Even when Billy and Wyatt wind up in jail, which one would normally find a terrible place to wind up, they soon meet George and soon after are allowed to leave. When George is killed, it illustrates just how much other people truly detest counterculturals such as Wyatt and Billy. This notion is illustrated in the diner scene prior, but one would never guess that those citizens would go so far as to commit murder. George's death also foreshadows the ending of the film, where Billy and Wyatt are shot, leaving them either dead or seriously wounded. After witnessing George's death, viewers fully understand how tense the world is at the time of the counterculture movement.

Freedom Is Not Easy

I think the defining moment in the film was the campfire scene after the characters decide to leave the diner. In this scene, Jack Nicholson's character describes the true meaning of freedom to Billy. This seemed to be the main point of the movie, that true freedom is something that many people claim to have, but do not really know what freedom is. Whenever the prospect of true freedom is revealed to them, they cannot handle it and are “scared” by it. Billy and Wyatt are two characters who are truly free. Throughout the movie, they basically do what feels right at any given point in time. The only hint of responsibility they seem to have is their plan to make it to Mardi Gras in New Orleans before it ends, which is not much of responsibility at all. Their lifestyle reminds me of how Walt Whitman views the ideal road traveler as at war with society. In the end, a man in the truck mindlessly kills both main characters because he hates what they represent. I felt this was symbolic of society in general, that although it may succeed in some cases to eliminate the prospect of true freedom, there will always be those free spirits out there who represent true freedom. Billy and Wyatt were killed, but the fact that they aroused so much attention and reaction showed that they at least succeeded in opening people's eyes to a radical way of life: a truly free life.

On a Boat

This video portrays America's view of a road trip as a manner of blowing off the real world and doing something no one ever expected, and also drawing attention to your own daring nature. Lets face it, Americans love attention, and this whole movie is about getting attention.

The beginning of the video shows how life is unexpected. They were sitting eating breakfast when their lives were changed. Jorma expects to go on the trip but T-Pain is chosen instead and from that point on he is used as a foil to show the free and powerful nature of those on a road trip.

The other characters on the boat have a wild and crazy Keroac style party, with drinking and fornicating and posing as authority figures (the military uniforms) when they are obviously not mature enough or capable of being authoritative.

The scene where Andy rubs it in Jorma's face that he "has his swim trunks, and his flippy floppies, flipping burgers while [Jorma] is at Kinko's straight flipping copies" portrays a distatse for the normal state of things. Americans basically hate their lives most of the time, and are constantly looking forward to a vacation or any type of escape. This portion of the video shows what life is like when not on a road trip and how the road trip is an escape into an unknown void.

Andy says "oh ma if you could see me now" introducing the idea that being freed from the drugdgery of life is an accomplishment. T-Pain raves about how he "never thought he'd see the day, with a big boat sailing [his] way" showing how Americans don't really believe that they will ever escape from the lives we trap ourselves in.

America is a society of discontented people looking for an escape, whether that be through a road trip or through humor. I think this video has both.

Old Ion Commercial

This ad is definitely meant to represent the resistance to grow up. However, I think it uses the classic image of of being on a roadtrip with friends to communicate that. They appear to be out west, which one can tell from the landscape, and I think that this can be an automatic image created when thinking of a roadtrip in our country--going westward. They are also all in this car together experiencing strange new things. Finally, when they turn around at the the "old age" sign, it is representative of how many times no one wants the roadtrip to stop, that we can escape real life forever and keep on having fun.

Weekend Traffic Scene

Despite the historical aspects of this shot, this scene from Weekend shows the frustrating sides of a road trip. I only want you to watch the first minute and a half because this clip gets annoying quickly.



Alright, you get on the road and begin your adventure. You drive about an hour or so and hit traffic. Your trip is delayed by an uncontrollable entity that forces you to submit to its monotony. Although I feel a road is fun and enjoyable, I further believe that we cannot control every aspect of the "great" road. The road itself is chaotic, frustrating, and at times unrelenting (hint unexpected car accidents). You might say that other people are at fault and the road is just the medium where people are the culprits to your setback. Whether its the road, or other people, road trips are unpredictable.

To an extent, your journey is not in your hands. You have to take whatever the road gives you. The best thing about that is the traveler can either give up or overcome the obstacles. This decision is in your hands and when you decide to persevere that is when the traveler becomes stronger and wiser. Road trips are tests. You create the testament. What will you do when you run into "traffic"? Are you going to develop "road rage" by cursing and blaming others, or figure out another way to get through your situation?

The American Traveler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk51ZHlrfs4
It's difficult for me to really know what the true meaning of the road trip is for America; I know what I think a road trip means and this can't help but influence what I see as the general viewpoint of the road trip. But I found this video on YouTube, which I think sums up the general public's view of what a road trip through America is all about. At least I hope this highly optimistic view point represents what many in America feel travel is all about. The people that Matt meets are, as he says, of the utmost importance to him on this trip. All the warm greetings, and the gracious hospitality of a lot of people that welcome him into their home and their open-ness with him, revealing their bizarre hobbies and talents, have a profound effect on him as he travels through out America. A certain line that I really liked in this video was that "you need years" to see everything in America. (1:23) When you look at the states on a map you miss out on what this country is really all about: the vastness of the rich heritage and cultures; the great natural beauty and power; and the relationships you can form with complete strangers through out the entire country. Years must be devoted to the dream of being able to truly say that you have been everywhere and seen everything in this country . You also see how much the people he meets means to him when he is talking about one of the families that invited him into their home and family. He is able to feel and experience something most people, who stay at home and don't take road trips, think of as an abstract, yet extremely pleasant, concept: "American Hospitality." (3:48) There's a very Whitmanesque concept that comes out when he says, "... the right way to approach this American road trip, or really any trip anywhere, is to be open; to be nice, to be polite; and to say yes to everything anyone ever offers you." (4:41-4:54) To me, all of this goes to show that we aren't too far removed from the world Whitman spoke for, at least idealistically. It also represents a very nationalistic image of what the road trip should be made for, growing closer to one's country. To me this is a very American view of what a good road trip should be.
(2008, May 23). Video Title: NYTimes.com - American Road Trip: Reminiscence.

This is from the movie Road Trip. This particular scene captures the freedom you feel while on the road. These guys are singing the song I Wanna Rock, and they really seem to have lost any inhibition about just acting crazy for a little while. I have been on road trips where I feel the same way and have sung along as loud as I can to random classics. In this movie they have stolen a bus to try and go rescue a dirty video before it reaches the main character's girlfriend. It is a college trip to say the least and I could only hope to one day have some of the experiences they did in this movie. This scene captures what a road trip is in American culture, they set out for one purpose, but ended up finding so many different things along the way. It seems like no matter what you set off to do in a road trip, unexpected experiences are at every rest stop.

The Road: Old vs. New

Despite the fact that we all travel the same road of life, that road differs from person to person, as each person seeks a slightly different destination and takes varying pit stops along the way. What's especially notable is the difference in the choices made by youth and seniors. Due to growing up under different circumstances, our values differ from our grandparents, as does our humor. This clip from "Da Ali G Show" may be funny to you, but it's probably not funny to your grandmother. This clip also illustrates the fact that our own road is one that's open to your own interpretation--this clip may be funny to you, for example, or it may be saddening to see an old man being made fun of. The road is also a repeating one: Just as counterculture films like "Easy Rider" existed to rebel against parents and an older generation, so do comedy shows such as "Da Ali G Show" and "Jackass" exist to rebel against parents. Whether you deem it humorous or not is put one stop--or bump--along your journey.

Born To Be Wild

Here is the into to Easy Rider featuring Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf. As two men ride around on their choppers with the wind blowing in their hair we can hear the lyrics "Get your motors runnin', Head out on the highway, Lookin' for adventure in whatever comes our way." Since so many people go on road trips for adventure or freedom I think the combination of the audio and video in this clip really depicts what a road trip seems to mean to the majority of travelers. Because the men are on motorcycles and not an enclosed vehicle, the ideas of freedom, adventure, excitement and maybe even danger are strongly emphasized. For the most part these things are what drive people to take trips.

Whitesnake

Below is the music video for the song Here I Go Again by Whitesnake, I suggest you watch the whole thing for obvious reasons. Once you get past the big hair and the hot girl dancing on the cars the song actually gains a little meaning. For many Americans striking out on the road is an act of independence, a way to leave a previous life behind in the search of a new one. It is just this act that the lyrics of the song speak primarily about and in the video itself we see some of the classic imagery associated with the modern american road trip i.e nice cars.

Whitesnake-Here I Go Again
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"College Road Trip"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljSKc7T9M68

The trailer for "College Road Trip" starred by Raven-Symone is an ideal video that depicts the popular American view of a road trip. It seems that most of the time, parents would be the one bringing up the idea. They often have to beg their kids because kids feel that to be on a road trip with family is basically similar to being in a dungeon. Parents would often insist that road trips are great ways to bond with each other whereas children like Raven in the movie think it is all too lovey-dovey and downright annoying. Road trips also lead me to think of singing in the American culture. The dad is singing in the trailer and so did the couple who are driving the father and daughter when their car broke down. There is simply way too much time in the car. You can’t talk forever to suppress the silence! Why not listen and sing to the music? Another great way to have fun!

US Open Series Sells the Road Trip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRG52oCYVsg

This video was one of the commercials for the US Open Series, a series of professional tennis tournaments played every summer. In this case, the concept of a road trip was used to appeal to its American audience as a marketing strategy. Certain elements of the commercial embody the ways in which society often views road travel. In almost every shot, there are scenes of trees and nature in the background. This reflects how Americans often see road trips as a chance to see the beautiful American countryside, a change of pace from the chaos of city living. In reality, most of the tournaments are actually played in major cities such as Los Angeles and Washington DC, but if they showed images of these cities in the background, the series of tournaments would suddenly seem less intriguing. Another notable moment in the video is way in which Venus Williams says,”road trip”! Her tone and gestures communicate a common idea of the road trip as the most exciting way to get somewhere. It would be hard to picture her or anyone else say the words “plane flight”! or “train ride”! With the same level of enthusiasm. Thus, our society views road trips as a time for recreation and adventure with good company rather than a tiresome journey. What is interesting about this whole commercial is that it totally misrepresents how most of the players actually get from tournament to tournament, (some probably have their own private jet) but the fact that they are portrayed as on the road and having a good time together makes the US Open series all the more interesting to the American audience.