I was surprised to see how intense the process for becoming a guide dog is. In a lot of ways, it makes sense considering that blind people who are paired with these dogs have to be able to rely on them, so traits that might be considered endearing in a pet dog are unacceptable in a guide dog. Still, it was interesting to see which dogs were eliminated early on and which ones were able to progress further before being cut from the program. For example, to me, someone with no experience with this, it seemed like Patriot and Potomac had similar problems with distractions, but Patriot stayed in the program much longer before eventually being cut.
Author Archives: cml297
Unwillingness to Adapt
One thing about today’s documentary that struck me was the unwillingness to adapt on the part of the government. When St. Louis began losing population at an alarming rate, it became obvious that the future that the planners of the Pruitt-Igoe development had anticipated would never come to pass. There would not be enough tenants to fill every building, and the rent from those tenants would not be enough to pay for the upkeep of the buildings. Still, instead of finding different ways to support the project, the government essentially allowed it to deteriorate to the point where it became unlivable, even though so many people still lived there.
Relationships and Grief
In this episode of The Queen’s Gambit, we see a marked change in Beth’s behavior, as she suddenly starts pursuing romantic relationships. On the surface, it seems positive that Beth, who has never really had any friends (aside from her adoptive mother) or close relationships, is finally starting to make connections with other people. However, the detached way in which Beth regards her boyfriends indicates that they are likely nothing more than a way for Beth to handle her newfound grief over her mother’s death. This unhealthy way of dealing with emotions will probably lead to further complications in Beth’s life, or at the very least will make her relationships unfulfilling.
A Good World
One thing that stood out to me about Kiki’s Delivery Service was the way in which the world around Kiki was fundamentally good. Whenever things went wrong, there was always a kind person (or animal) willing to help. As a result, situations that normally cause tension or turn out badly in a typical movie, such as a large dog finding a small cat, turn out to be positive. It was interesting to see a fictional world that was essentially a fantasy land, with nothing ever going wrong for more than a few minutes — for me, it seems like it’s been a long time since I watched a movie with that kind of setting.
Beth’s Addiction
In the face of the tragedy she experiences in this episode, we see that Beth is beginning to rely more and more heavily on her addiction to tranquilizers. In some ways, I found this response a little surprising, as Alma’s death was (at least in part) a result of her lifelong addiction to drugs and alcohol. At the same time, it has been clear throughout the show that Beth has very few ways to escape her depressing reality. Now, with her only friend and adoptive mother gone, it makes sense that old addictions would grow even more severe. Hopefully, Beth will be able to find a way out before she ends up with the same fate as Alma.
Fear of Failure
In this episode, we saw Beth finally have her first tournament loss. This loss, in which Beth is distracted by her desire to win, tells us a lot about how Beth’s relationship with chess is changing; previously, she played chess because she loved it, but now there is an immense pressure to win. Her interview with Life magazine makes it clear that some of that pressure comes from within, when she shows how hard she is on herself by saying that there is no one to blame but herself for making mistakes in chess. However, some of the pressure may also come from outside forces; her mother’s efforts to effectively turn Beth’s chess skills into a business have undoubtedly made it so that Beth feels that she must win at all costs.
Chess and Money
One thing that stood out to me about this episode was the way in which money quickly changed the mind of Beth’s adoptive mother, who opposed the idea of her playing chess. I assumed that her adoptive mother’s sexist thinking and resulting opposition to Beth playing chess would be one of the central conflicts of the series, so I was surprised when Beth’s mother changed her attitude as soon as Beth made some money. It says quite a bit about Beth’s adoptive mother’s values: even though she might find it improper for a girl to play chess, it does not matter as long as there is money involved. For Beth, this is not necessarily a bad thing, since it allows her to keep playing. However, it seems to me that Beth’s mother is using her, which might become a source of conflict in future episodes.
Historical Narratives
After watching Faubourg Treme – The Untold Story of New Orleans, I was struck by how important people and places are often left out of conventional historical narratives. The people of Faubourg Treme and their many contributions to American culture and history, especially civil rights, seem to be too important to leave out of historical accounts, yet many of their contributions have been forgotten by most. The movie seems to reflect the way in which many people interpret history as linear and one-dimensional; the history that we are taught only reflects the experiences of a small amount of people living in any given time period, but often we interpret it as if those were the only experiences anyone had during that time. This approach to history causes us to ignore the diversity that exists in historical experiences, and why narratives that do not fit the standard interpretation of history, such as the story of Faubourg Treme, are often forgotten (at least by the general public).
The Queen’s Gambit and the Child Prodigy
Today was my first time watching the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit. Out of everything in the episode, what stood out to me the most was the contrast between Beth and her environment. Although Beth’s character could be considered part of the “child prodigy” trope, the environment in which she grows makes her character much more interesting than the average protagonist. As with many other child prodigy protagonists, Beth’s otherworldly skill lulls the audience into a false sense of security, making us feel, at times, that because she is so talented, there are no obstacles that she cannot overcome. However, the show frequently jolts the audience back into reality, showing us that Beth is really still a vulnerable young girl who is facing a multitude of problems in her environment, some of which cannot be solved through chess skill alone.
Skating and Community
From police security at events attended mostly by African American skaters, to the rules at many rinks that ban certain elements integral to the skating subculture, such as customized skates, United Skates makes it clear from the start that the outside community has taken a hostile stance toward the African American skating subculture. It was especially striking to see the lengths to which cities were willing to go in order to eliminate a subculture they did not fully understand – most commonly, cities would refuse to renew the lease of the skating rink and then rezone it as a commercial or residential building in order to prevent it from ever becoming a rink again.
In our commercialized, online world, the few community spaces that remain are increasingly devalued. For many, and particularly for those with power, the potential for profit is more important than the reality of the community fostered in those spaces. Marginalized communities and subcultures are most impacted by this trend because those in power are not generally those with a deep understanding of these communities. Therefore, protests against the removal of these community spaces generally fall on deaf ears, as many decision makers never understood their value in the first place.
It was frustrating and heartbreaking to watch the demise of so many roller rinks at the hands of people who did not understand them in the least. While the ending of United Skates gave me a glimmer of hope, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am concerned for the future of these rinks. Hopefully, as the movie suggests, the community will persist in spite of these challenges; otherwise, something valuable is at risk of being lost.