Page 125 - Phoenix2000-01

COMMENTARY Thursday, April 12, 200 I - Page 5 Quirks: messages of Battle Royale Life after college: a Anne Butler compares the of shows. In fact, the movie is torial for the April 2001 edition of film's extreme violence to based on a novel written in 1996, . Pulp magazine. faculty perspective issues in the Us. before any of these shows appeared Despite the fact that it's a Japa- Professor Richard in the US. The film is instead in- nese movie it still applies to our written a "real word" production Forty-two young people are tended to be a critique of Japanese own culture. We've had our own Dillman enlightens all program before, exiled to an island. After a few society, and how it's letting down series of shocking youth crimes students via an experience. SeJf~:~~~:!;~:l:~'r,~~:: brief instructions and a video they children and forcing them to vio- lately. Columbine, Santana .... each are let loose. Several students band lence. of us could probably rattle off three When I agreed to do litis writ- idiosyncratic programming styl together but ultimately all alliances Because of its incredibly high or more schools where mass ing asstgnment.Lwasn'tsure what his programs worked, but they will fall. There can be only one left gore factor, the film has been hotly shootings have occurred. the subject ought to be. So. I asked were very hard to understand. standing. debated by Japan's movie industry Politicians around the US are my COM3371 class for advice. Instinctively, then. rather than So what is this? A description and government. It doesn't help "Tell a story from your life." some spend lime trying (0 figure out how of the next season of Survivor? that Japan has had a series of shock- now blaming the media for these of them said. "Tell us what life is his code worked, I isolated two I) Fox's new "reality"TV show? Ac- ing youth crimes in the past few ~i~~~~:!~:~;t~:~:tuY::;~fl;~!~:~ reallylike aftergraduation,"said three key functions and beganto tually it's a description of one of years. If these politicians knew about others. That sounded good to me; rewrite mine. them, This replacing his code worked really so here goes... with the most popular movies in Japan, The director of Battle Royale, Battle Royale. Kinji Fukasaku, intended the movie Battle Royale they'd probably In the summer of 1976 I had well,sol kept going, eventually re- The film is set in a world very to be shown to children. He feels puke. Then they'd ban it six ways lust been hired as a computer pro- inventing most of the program. At 7 a.m .. on Wednesday like our own, where society has that kids need (0 be taught just how til Sunday. grenuner-aualyst for a small con- president walked in, saw me sit. the company located At least most of the politicians suiting near broken down. As a final resort to ugly violence is. For that reason in Japan had the decency to listen Washington. D.C. On this particu- ting there, and said, "1 thought I the problem of school violence, the he refused to cut any of the more to the film's message. I don't think lar Tuesday, I was helping the told you to go home." government holds a ----------c, ----'---- the same thing president of the company prepare "You did," Isaid, "but first take lottery to choose one junior high class in the Each student is outfitted with a collar. ;~~I~I~p!~:I~e~e~ a software package that we were a look at this." country. They and If they leave the island or attempt to blacklisted and criti- Wri~~~!~;e:~~~~drt~;~~~i~~in dem~~:::t1::p~o~~~~t=:r:t their teacher are then flown onto an island. re~ove the collar i~explodes. ~~Zr~~nbrnn~~~;;ees7. on Wednesday morning to see a As did the second and third Each student is outfit- demonstration and to approve fourth. He glanced up at me. "Yo ted with a collar. If they leave the gory scenes out. For that reason it Congress wishes to funding for the next stage of de- look terrible," he said, "go h island or attempt to remove the was rated R·15 (no one under 15 ~~~~c~~ru::t~~~:::.the aim of the velopment. Our problem was that and get some sleep." $0, Idid. collar it explodes. The students are can see the movie, it's similar to the software did not yet work. When I came in to work 0 given a wide variety of weapons our "R" rating). Fukusaku encour- Ro~a~:~~e~ut~l a!::s:~~hs.Ba~: The president, who would be Thursday, the secretary told and told to kill each other. The sole aged children to see the movie any- giving the demonstration, was try- that the president wanted to see survivor is then given a govern- way. should stop school violence, and ing to make enough of the program in his office. 'The demo went 0 well enough ment pension and is set for life. A speci,al showing of the movie we should do that by looking at the work i s fy that he could without a hitch," he said. And the he smiled problems sat not by blam- of society, Sound farfetched? It's only a was held for the politicians who ing the media. slightly more extreme version of wanted to ban it. After the film, Survivor is consistently one of . .. J saw a chance to get the cutthroat politics that occurs most of the politicians were no the top rated shows in the country. tom e r every week on Survivor. It's just a longer so opposed .to it. Several What does that say about us as a that we something done and took it. we've de- variation of Temptation Islandthat were even ashamed. "This was not people? Shows like Survivor stay cided to Ifocuses on violence instead of s~'.\ a fiction, but a'real situation Japan' on the air'because people watch it, c0:f,e~~tn~:~s~~:~:;Jr5f~l; ero~o~i2t~an::t.: With slight modification, the de- had been undergoing ever since its and I have a sneaking suspicion that scription above could have applied bubble economy burst. Now the politicians do to. company, I was mostly watching cis in the company's hierarchy, re- to either of these two shows. tables were turned. The audience him work. Once he was satisfied ceived a large salary boost. and However, the film isn't de- was being blamed by the movie," -Anne Butler is a ~enior commu- that I was ready, I would be given became a functional member ofthc signed as criticism of these types writes Torno Machiyama in an edi- ntcauon major. my own piece of the project to project team. By the end of the work on. A new meaning to "quiet hours" We had started at about 2 P.M., year, I was the company's chic analyst. Now, as a reader, you might be As an amateur insomniac ag- things, observing "quiet hours." and by 10 P.M. the program was tempted 10 imagine that this story most of the situations able handle gressively seeking professional sta- Drilling and demolishing at 6 that the client expected to see, and merely brags about my skill as tus, I do not put too much stock in o'clock in the morning is clearly the president was satisfied that he programmer. But that's not the sleep. Sure, it is nice when you not acceptable behavior under the could explain the absence of the point, Ifl badn't decided to stay i have it, but, in my opinion, it is rules set forth by Residence Life, parts that didn't work. the office that night. it wouldn' strictly a "sometimes" kind of and the fact that students are hav- As we were talking about this have mattered how talented Iwas. thing. ing .their sleep interrupted is, for and deciding to SlOP for the day, because no one would have Being a college student means sure, a problem Residence Life he pushed a wrong key and ecci- my work. I moved up in the COfUw getting to live this lifestyle, either should look into. dentally erased the program. pan)' because Isaw a chance to OUI of necessity or choice, and very I mean, my band members and Luckily, we had been keeping something done and took iL few, I believe, would offer an ob- I have been reprimanded for prac- a backup on a separate disk. I This is pretty mi.Jcb what" . jection. Itjust so happens that many ticing during quiet hours many handed him the backup, and he aftercollege"i of my friends are among that very times, and none of us play the lack- proceeded to erase that. too. We lege lots of work few. Michael Wiles hammer. If Residence Life is truly bad a third backup. of course, but &lIthe time, and With final exams and tenn pa- concerned with the health and com- it was from yesterday and didn't is to fUtd a way tQ. avoid pers hanging in the distance, many question. I am sure that many stu. fort of the students, they should include the changes that we had Aller colIege !hero students find that a good night's dents would agree that, while the seek a solution to this problem come upwith over the last g bours. too liUle wort avliIIlIb~ sleep is as beneficial to academic renovation is overall in the student quickly. After a few well cbosen words best strategy is to seaq it success as actually attending class. body's best interest, -the noise it As with most things in life, expressjng his self~disgust. the grab it. In fact, some even choose to sub- creates, and thy sleep it prevents, there is no direct "fault" invol~ed president looked at me and said, This. by the way, is. wby g stitute sleep FOR class, which, to clearly hrnot"As ,tough a problem' \ here. It is yet another situation that "Well, I guess that's that. Let's go grades matter-not because of die me, as a good a testimonial to its }s ~is is,.~!s ,certainly one that we must approach as a campus and borne. I'll figure out what to say facts and theories that you mem0- importance as anything. needs to be addressed. work together to find an acceptable to them tomorrow to get them to rize. but because of the effort Because of this fact, students Look at it this way, if you will. compromise for all parties. give us anothercbance." have to put out in order to co living in McDaniel Hall have not Being as close to McDaniel Hall I have no doubt that, upon look- I'U go in a minute," I said. "1 plete tasks that are difficult and. to be pleased with the current reno- asitis,therenovationofOldLewis ing into this problem, Residence want to load the backup and see if be honest, nol really a lot of fun. vation of Old Lewis HalL Not that would understandably have an im- Life could make the lives of many I can put back some of our So here's wishing "good luck' they are against progress, bUNather pact on the lives of the students students a lot easier. changes." to the class 0(2001, and with tba they have issues with the manner who in the residence halL If all else' fails, they could al- ''OK,'' he said, walking for the goes a wish that tbere wUJ alway in which the building is being re- As a ~esu1t of this, those in ways just buy the residents of door. "See you in tbe morning." be plenty of work in front of you stored. charge of the renovation must be McDaniel Hall earplugs. I mean, I had been assisting on the in the years to come. Many people have reported that infonned that, as new members of where does that $200 deposit go, project for about three weeks. so I construction begins as early as 6 in this "residence community," they anyway? had read all of the documentation the morning, and that this is not, have to respect the same rules as knew exactly what the client obviously, a quiet occurrence. the rest of us. -Michael Wiles is a sophomore En- expeeled the program to do. Now, this poses an interesting This means, among other gUsh major. On oIherbaDd, llladll<'~