OPINIONS
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Page 5 | OCT. 22, 2014
PageFive Column
Fall television lineup provides variety, satisfaction As an avid television watcher, the fall premiere season is insane. I try to watch everything that’s new, but it’s just too hard. Especially with some returning shows that are hilarious and heartwarming, while the promos for new shows are lackluster. “The Mindy Project:” It just keeps getting better. And better. Mindy Lehiri is up to new tricks in this season on FOX. Mindy Lahiri is a partner in a gynecological practice and has no personal boundaries to prevent her from spilling all of her secrets. Now that Mindy and Danny, her hot older coworker, are actually together — following typical television formulas for IT couples, the show has hit its prime. This season has been funny and heartwarming, with Mindy becoming pals with Danny’s Mom, and Peter and Jeremy making up at a beer pong tournament. The show is hot right now. Why aren’t you watching? “Scandal:” If you aren’t in
love with Olivia Pope by now, I’m not sure how to help you. Olivia Pope is a fixer in Washington, D.C. with her own firm, and she fixes everyone’s problems — even the president’s. Just returning from a long-term vacation on a deserted island with Jake, her super secret spy guy. This show, now in it’s third season, is simply stunning. Though honestly, I’m a little tired of the Fitz (The President) and Olivia storyline. I wish they would move on — like adults. “How to Get Away with Murder:” Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) is a badass lawyer who also happens to teach a course at Middleton University. Every year she hires four of the students from her class to work for her during the semester on her cases. A new take on a lawyer show, it’s worked so far. Even if the actors playing students look a little too old. So far, Davis is amazing. I thought that Annalise was going to be a one-note badass
character without any heart, but I was completely wrong. I’m hooked. (And can I say that Alred Enoch is very attractive. He won the Harry Potter lottery.) Let’s just hope that this show doesn’t become as repetitive as “Grey’s
Ruth Ronnau Columnist Anatomy.” “A to Z:” A show about a couple falling in love — I know, really original. Zelda and Andrew are an unconventional couple and
Nedflix
things get off to a rocky start. But this show is simply adorable. The acting is great, and I’m glad that Cristin Milioti is getting the happy love story her character deserved on “How I Met Your Mother.” While the show is cute, I’m not sure how long it’s going to last. Two episodes in and I’m already hoping that they break up simply because they are too adorable to be true. “Manhattan Love Story:” This is ABC’s version of NBC’s “A to Z.” And right now, they are rocking it. Funny and sweet. Unfortunately the ratings aren’t great, so here’s to hoping that this column creates some buzz. (It probably won’t.) “The Flash:” Following the origins of the superhero, “The Flash,” the CW is actually doing well so far. I’m cautious when it comes to shows on the CW. I’m already hooked on The Vampire Diaries (I know — I’m already in too deep.) and the first season of “Arrow” was really good. (I’m planning on watching the rest of it, I just haven’t had time to catch
up.) But the rest of the shows on the CW are not great. At all. “The Flash,” however, was solid. The writing was funny and witty, and as someone who isn’t very familiar with the comic books, I found it extremely enjoyable. Plus, he’s hot (Barry Allen). “The Good Wife:” If you don’t know what “The Good Wife” is about, I can’t help you. It’s the best show on television. I’ve been a fan of it since the first season, and Will’s death hit me like a truck. Moving on from Will has been hard and Julianna Margulies’ acting last season was spectacular. This season has seen some hardships for Cary Agos, and with Alicia running for state’s attorney, anything can happen. Let’s hope this season is as good as the first. But I have no doubts. Ronnau is a junior magazines major and can be reached at ruth. ronnau@drake.edu
Column
‘Gone Girl’ exceeds expectations FYS class opens eyes I had the chance to the see “Gone Girl” over fall break and it met every one of my high expectations. Every performance ranged from solid to fantastic, with Rosamund Pike really showing what she could do. I’ve never even seen her in anything before, but she blew me away with her performance. To go into any more detail into why she was so great would have to include spoilers, so let’s do it. Rosamund Pike’s performance and character stole the show and I think this was intentional. Amy Dunne was a lying sociopath. She was essentially stealing the show from Ben Affleck’s Nick Dunne every chance she could. Every bit of evidence she planted made him look like a murderer, and every time Affleck’s character made a good impression on the public, she hit back with something else. She was always in control of the situation. Even when Neil Patrick Harris’ crazy Desi appeared to have her confined in his secluded home, she still had a plan. Finally, her return home left Affleck in a pickle. While the public believed the couple was going back to a normal marriage, she was blackmailing him into staying for their unborn baby. Yes, Pike’s acting was top-notch, but so was Amy Dunne’s. They both stole the show. The movie also had a lot to say about the media. Even before you
Column
discovered Affleck’s innocence, it was clear that everything was being sensationalized. Reporters would spend hours and hours outside his house and headlines would implicate Affleck’s guiltiness. Missi Pyle’s Nancy Grace-like character was darkly funny and, sadly, real. The scene where she brings a panel of experts onto her show to diagnose Affleck as a sociopath and imply that his relationship was incestuous was great. I loved how it showed the everchanging public perception of the situation. It was like a game of pong. The police would find some piece of fake evidence and everyone would hate Affleck. But as soon as he goes on national television and makes himself look like a good guy, everyone’s on his side. That definitely happens today. Opinions change in a heartbeat and the media incriminates people even before they’ve had due process. The next time I read a headline, I’m taking it with a grain of salt. I loved how the whole movie didn’t focus on the mystery. The middle is when everything is revealed. It really changed how I thought everything was going to play out. It’s probably good I didn’t read the book first. The first hour of the movie was paced so well. Going from Amy reading her fake diary (before we find
out it’s fake), to the present, with Affleck’s situation getting worse was slow, but deliberate. Finally, right before the big twist comes, you aren’t sure what to think. I legitimately thought Affleck might have done it for second. The movie couldn’t have been paced like that forever, though. Midway through, it became an entirely different beast I loved that. Kudos to David Fincher for his direction, he pays attention to detail in his movies. The film was over two and a half hours, but edited meticulously. There wasn’t an inch of fat on that bone.
Ned Leebrick-Stryker Columnist
Leebrick-Stryker is a sophomore broadcast news major and can be reached at ned.leebrick-stryker@ drake.edu
If Raygun made Drake-specific shirts The East Village native store Raygun is so popular among students, The Times-Delphic staff couldn’t help but wonder, what if Raygun made Drake University specific shirts? Well, we put our creativity to the test and brainstormed our own ideas. Let us know what you think by tweeting at @TimesDelphic and sharing your thoughts and own creations using #DrakeRaygun.
<
IT’S RA DUKE.
IS IT RELAYS YET?
PEGGY IS A GOOD FRIEND ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW HER.
I’M FROM (A SUBURB OF) CHICAGO.
It seems to me that feminism has almost become a dirty word in some areas of our modern culture. Inherent biases against activism and societal change and modern society’s lingering sexism, lead to a marginalization of the movement, its proponents and its core tenets. I often disparaged feminism as well, before I learned what it truly meant. Through my first-year seminar, “Social Justice: Confronting Culture, Creating Change,” I learned what feminism really is and how it benefits everyone in society. Before taking this course, I was under the impression that feminism was something reserved for women. Public discourse about feminism is dominated by discussions of women’s rights and women’s equality in society. I assumed that, as a male, feminism carried no weight for me. Through my FYS, however, I learned that feminism is so much more than that. Feminism is predicated upon securing equal rights and opportunities for all sorts of marginalized groups, whether it be women, people of color, disabled individuals, the LGBTQ community or anyone else facing oppression in society. As such, feminism becomes everyone’s issue. It is in our best interests to support feminism and its impact upon society. Men can also contribute to feminism by acting as allies and actively reinforcing the ideas of others. This was not the only bias I took into my FYS course. Before taking the seminar, I viewed feminism specifically, and social justice generally, as largely an act of wishful thinking. I thought that
“social justice warriors” would not be able to accomplish anything in the real world, and that it was a useless exercise. However, I now see social justice as a legitimate engine for change and societal good. The force of social justice can create positive change in institutions and societies, and the college generation can be a driving force to make this happen. Before I began this semester, I could not have possibly predicted all of the ways my first-year seminar would impact my life and thinking. It has changed the way I think and act, and has made me a more active proponent of justice and equality. The issues I have learned about are issues that impact us all, and they cannot be taken lightly. Remember: societal issues are our issues, and we have the power to change them.
Sean Calhoun Columnist
Calhoun is a first-year actuarial science major and can be reached at sean.calhoun@drake.edu
Letter to the Editor I WENT TO HUBBELL AND ALL I GOT WAS FOOD POISONING
I GOT 99 PROBLEMS AND THEY’RE ALL LOCKED DOORS.
YOU HAD ME AT FREE SWIPES.
Race question should be removed from applications This may come as a shock to you, but contrary to popular belief, race does not exist. It is a social construct dating back centuries. However, this does not mean that racism does not exist. Created as an easy way to identify and stereotype others, racial differences led to ridiculous beliefs that some are born better than others. In fact, we all evolved from the same place and we all have the same biological makeup. With all this being said, why do many applications ask for your race? Doesn’t that seem a little racist? Now, there is this little thing known as the Civil Right Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination against race and other things. If a person is qualified, it shouldn’t matter what race society has told them that they are.
It is in my opinion that questions regarding race and other socially constructed identifiers be removed from applications, and a stronger emphasis be placed on qualifications and skills. You may be thinking, but how will racial equity be maintained if we remove racial quotas? Well, for that to happen, society needs to reform. We need to stop seeing people for what’s on the outside and start looking on the inside. It won’t be a sudden change, but it starts with you. So what are you going to do about it? Madison Wirfs Madison.Wirfs@Drake.edu 815-404-3385