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Volume 2013-2014 Issue III
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Binging your way to the finale We’ve all had those days where we refuse to leave the couch, spending hours watching a television series with empty soda cans and popcorn scattered across the blankets. With Netflix’s recent spike in popularity, the number of days spent binging on a TV show has dramatically increased. With what seems like an endless variety of shows, it’s practically impossible to decide which series are worthy of your time. Netflix has hundreds of options, making popular binge-worthy series easy to find. Shows such as Friday Night Lights, One Tree Hill, and Freaks and Geeks are commonly viewed by Netflix customers. Junior, Lily Lynch, a frequent viewer of Netflix recommended the classics; Grey’s Anatomy and Gossip Girl. Lately, the majority of conversations between high school students involve com-
petitions over the number of episodes they watched before going to school. “You have all the seasons and every episode,” Lynch said. But with episode after episode adding up, it can be difficult to make time to binge. “Before I study, I relax and watch Netflix,” said Lynch in reply to the common dilemma. Why are these shows so addicting? Freshman Sabine Adorney said, “I hear kids talking about them and then I want to catch up.” Popular shows appear on the home screen of Netflix and after watching one episode, it gives you a countdown until the next episode begins and you’re forced into watching another installment of the series. From there, the addiction only gets worse. “Netflix kind of forces you to watch,” Adorney said. “It’s probably more interesting than the home-
NOW I‘M
Robert Connelly
Webmaster
Excessive fanbases for pop culture artists are no strange sight in the modern music world, but at times these groups can become so overbearing in their worship that it leaks into everyday, “normal-people” society. These fans become a burden on those around them, perpetually frustrating everyone they come into contact with, even ruining the reputation of the star they adore. What is it that makes these pop fanatics tick? What drives the average Belieber/ Swifty/Directioner to go on with their life? The only way to analyze these behaviors is to look directly at what inspires their attachment to the icon, and talk directly with some of the fans that help make up these cult followings. Justin Bieber was just a lowly Canadian street performer before becoming one of the biggest pop music artists of the 21st
A
Nikki Margerson Staff Writer
work that I should be doing.” By providing viewers with whole seasons of classic TV shows, Netflix has gradually begun to replace live television, but some people prefer traditional TV. Unlike her friends, math teacher Mrs. McGlynn doesn’t have a Netflix. “My DVR is filled with enough shows on regular TV,” she said. She thought about getting one, but she’s seen the craze over it. Sometimes, however, the long hours are worth it for the amazing shows Netflix provided for such a small cost. For only eight dollars a month, you could have endless entertainment at your fingertips, so take advantage of the hundreds of shows and start binging.
Images courtesy of usa.gov
BELEIBER
Crazed fans lose themselves in the music of their latest celebrity obsession. Image courtesy of MCT Campus News Service
century. What was it that brought this desperate young musician to the top of the charts (and all but the psych ward) from his perch on Sorry Street? The answer is simple: fans. Bieber’s music, along with the sob story of his troubled life, brought him mass attention and lifted his career. The basis of this was, for the lack of a better term, an insane fanbase. Girls from around the
world practically worship Bieber, so much so that they fight online to defend his honor, even after he spit on fans and drove his Lamborghini under the influence. In a different manner, Taylor Swift attacked the sappy teenage angst market with a focus on drama. Junior Steven Collins says “Taylor’s music is real and deals with subjects that are prevalent in every teenager’s life. I relate to Taylor Swift in ways I could never explain.” It’s an age-old problem; kids rally behind a celebrity (or group) and eventually it becomes a rabid fanbase. The trend will most likely never end. as long as there is a pop culture icon on the rise, fandoms will remain alive and thrive. Unfortunately, the impeachment of popular celebrities is not yet allowed, so in the meantime, enjoy the sweet sounds of those girls screaming in that car next to you when “that Britney song is on.”