“You win, you lose some, but you live, you live to fight another day.” This is a quote from one of my favorite comedy films, Friday, starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. Why did I start this reflection off with this quote? Honestly I don’t know after reading this weeks blog and as I began to reflect, this what the first thing to pop in my head. Random I know but bear with me and I will bring this whole thing full circle. When I first chose to take this class in my head I’m thinking oh yea this class will be a piece of cake, a class where I watch comedy movies. Being a writer who loves creating stories, songs, jokes, and everything in between I knew this would be the easiest class in my college career. Well I was wrong. This was not the easiest class of my college career. I say that because I personally need to work on deadlines. Most of my college and high school career I’ve worked two jobs because I have been financing my way through school as well as handling bills and other financial obligations. So when I seen how strict the deadlines were the easiest class, in my mind, became one of the most demanding classes.
With that being said, I’m very appreciative for this class. It has made me grow up and realize that hey, if you don’t make deadlines for these assignments, how will you make deadlines for a job, or projects or anything for that matter. So I appreciate this class for helping me grow up, because like you said, this is a 4000 level class and the expectations are high because for most of us, especially me, this is one of my final college classes before I re-enter the real world. Besides the fact that deadlines and meeting them are a work in progress, this has been one of the most awkwardly funny, and challenging classes I’ve taken at BG; here’s why.
Before this class I watched comedy films just to watch them, just to laugh and walk out the theatre or my house in tears because of all the hilarious things I seen in the movie. But after this class, I’ve realized this is a sick world and comedians and comedic writers and comedic professors are the most honest, brave, and socially conscious people around. Think about it, most people write movies to win awards and accolades, but how many comedy films have won an Oscar? Or had been deemed one of the best movies in the world? Very few films have won Oscars, and very few if any have been deemed the greatest films. Why? Because the world can’t handle THE TRUTH. Because of the well written, detailed and even more hilarious lectures I have been challenged to look at comedy films different.
In the first lecture you said that comedy films shed light on the things that the world may not want to talk about or think about. Comedy films reveal the true thoughts and feelings of the world around us and only comedians and comedy films can make dark situations funny and bring light to the truth. In my personal opinion, Hollywood is full of puppets that want the glory of being a great filmmaker while; comedy films and crew are using their platform to educate viewers on the reality of the world. Before this class I started to look at the world differently because many things didn’t make sense to me, and this class proved that I’m not crazy. I may be crazy somewhat but I’m not all the way crazy because this class has shed light on many things that I started to not believe. Our culture makes bad things seem okay and good things seem bad, and being apart of this class has shown me how true that is.
A prime example is in the movie Wag the Dog. I still can’t believe that this film was released a few days before the whole Clinton Scandal hit the fan. It’s funny how people will laugh at something that’s really going on and think it’s just a movie this can’t happen; well it did with Clinton and still is with other issues. This class has opened my eyes in more than one way and I appreciate that because I have been challenged to think outside the box and really annotate what I was watching. Now
every film I watch I am thinking about the underlying themes and messages the filmmakers are trying to reveal.
Sadly we have come to the end of the semester and I have won a lot of new knowledge. I have won new ways to think about comedy and life. I have won new motivations and inspirations to continue with my desire to be a filmmaker. But I have also loss a few things. One of those things has been points in the class due to my late assignments. I came in knowing I was going to receive an A but due to my life outside of work, many of times I have had to chose between doing my school work or catching up on sleep because I worked so many hours during the week. I have lost my old mindset of judging a book by its cover and give everything and everyone a chance. Because a lot movies I was not thrilled to watch (Sullivan’s Travel, Where in the world is Osama Bin Laden) even though I didn’t know anything about them. Lastly, I have lost and still losing the bad habits that got me in the position to lose points. And even though you gave me a deadline to have those missing post in and I missed it again and have been panicking on whether or not you would allow me to turn them in by Monday May 2nd at 8am, I am still learning to lose those habits. But at the end of the day I have lived through another semester and will be in my last semester this summer. I have lived through the trails and tribulations I faced this semester and still pulled my weight being a completely online student, living in Toledo with no car working two jobs. I have lived through another semester of highs and lows and whenever I got to low I had the lectures and movies from this class to lift me back up.
So Professor Sands, I thank you for your awkwardly funny, detailed and very insightful lectures and for the format of this class. I thank you being honest and giving me a wonderful experience in this class. I still believe this has not been the easiest class I have taken but this has been the BEST class I have taken. I’m not saying that to get one least extension on some of these missing post (but if I do, if you ever need anyone to give you a retirement speech or a reference for a new job, I’m your guy), but I truly mean that because I’ve literally mentioned this class in many, many discussions of life and society, and people looking to watch a great film.That’s how I know I really learned and appreciated this class when I want to tell everyone what I learned. So Professor Sands, you win some, you lose some, but you live, you live to fight another day. Congrats on receiving your PhD and I wish you the best success as you venture on a new path!