Blog #4: Documentaries

For our documentary, Justine, Holly and I chose to do the 80s. Definitely a very fun decade; the music, movies, TV shows, the fashion! We were all really eager to get started.
We filmed everything at Justine's house. It didn't take us too long to tape things, after the first 15 minutes and when everyone finally stopped laughing after every line, filming went smoothly. I would say our documentary was a good mixture of us acting things out, and pictures with music and/or narration.
This was one project I liked researching about. I find almost everything about the 80s fascinating. Especially finding pictures about fashion, and listening to the music from then.

Music from Michael Jackson, Madonna, Joan Jett, and Queen; many different genres of music, and all the foundation of what music is like today.
It was cool to look back and see how outrageous the styles were back then. Specifically for the girls; the leggings, the fishnets, lace gloves, high ponytails, the colours! Justine sure had a fun time putting her outfit together.
But overall, the project was a blast to put together and see the finished project.


It was also really cool to see what else the rest of the class did. The 80's (I find) is mostly a pop culture decade. A lot of movies, TV shows, and music. I was surprised to see other groups cover politics, world events and sports.

Blog #2: Children Beauty Pageants

Is it just me? Or do you think that child beauty pageant contestants look like some sort of middle aged drag queen? Alright, that's a little harsh, but kids aren't supposed to look like that!
I really wish I could have a conversation with the mother's of these girls. In one article I found, one woman was hiding the bills from her husband because she bought a dress for her daughter that was almost $1,000. Half of the time, these kids don't look happy either. I think its just too much. Child beauty pageants are from ages 0-18. AGE 0. That means babies. In a beauty pageant. When they're babies. They should be worrying about where their soother is, not how they're going to place in a beauty pageant.


We've all seen it. Whether it is on TLC, or in Little Miss Sunshine we've all had some kind of exposure to child beauty pageants. We've seen 5 year olds wearing more make up than a 16 year old would; we've seen more money being put into one's hair and appearance than something more important. Has it gone too far? Is it too early for little girls who should be in, like, gr. 1 to be wearing bikini's and have their hair teased and wear a faceful of make up? I think so.


Toddlers and Tiaras is a reality show on TLC that follows around child beauty pageant contestants and documents them and their families as they prepare for their pageant shows. The show goes without narration to avoid passing judgement. The viewers will do that all on their own.

Some of the contestants are two years old. TWO YEARS OLD. They shouldn't even be in school when they're two!

Half the time, I think the parents are doing this for themselves.

I don't believe in child beauty pageants. I think that it is unhealthy to promote such a thing like superficial beauty so early on in life. Basically, pageants introduce competition and dissapointment too early in life. One of my biggest issues with these pageants is the effects they have on the contestants and the girls watching them. Do you think they are being pressured into looking that good (*cough*fake*cough*) and think they should do that to make their parents proud of them? Will they feel ugly compared to the young girls in the pageants? Will they start to wear make-up at a younger age?

Pageants (of all ages) are basically a construction of the individual, either by her mother, or beauty coach. Although, everyone will interpret child beauty pageants in different ways. People may think that child beauty pageants are good, and that they could teach the young girls self-confidence. Or, as I mentioned before, others might believe that they are show young girls competition and disappointment too early in life.

Basically, my point is that I disagree with the idea of child beauty pageants. Sometimes, I think the parents are doing this for themselves rather than their daughter.

Blog #3: Avril Lavigne vs. The Rubinoos, Chantal Kreviazuk and more?

Avril Lavigne has been hitting headlines the past few years. From tomboy to punk princess, her troubled marriage, her interactions with the paparazzi and her fans, and apparently, her inability to write her own songs.

Avril has been a Canadian superstar since she was 16 years old. Avril got her start in the music industry when she won a competition to perform alongside Shania Twain. Although, she was discovered by her first manager when she was singing covers at a Chapters store in Kingston.

Her first two albums were incredibly successful. On Let Go and Under My Skin, she had many singles from both. She called herself a "tomboy" and a "rebel", which were shown through her baggy pants and her ties.

Her latest record The Best Damn Thing has been heavily criticized because many artists and songwriters claim that Avril had stolen their songs.

For her third studio album, she completely changed her image. Once she was a bad-ass tomboy, and now she is a pop princess. Her whole album was different from her original persona. Songs lacked meaning like her earlier ones, and were more about how she is “The Best Damn Thing”, and how a guy should ditch his girlfriend for her.
When her first single “Girlfriend” was released from her 2007 album The Best Damn Thing, she was accused of plagiarizing it from the 1970's song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” by The Rubinos.

Lavigne's lyrics go:
"Hey, hey, you, you, I don't like your girlfriend; No way, no way, I think you need a new one; Hey, hey, you, you, I could be your girlfriend!"

Whereas The Rubinos I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend go:
"Hey, You, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend".

Not only are the lyrics extremely similar, but the beat of both songs are almost the same.

Avril claims she has never heard that song in her life, and that just because a few lyrics are similar it doesn't mean she plagiarized it. She said she shouldn’t be blamed for plagiarizing it based on the same five words. She also claims she has been falsely accused.

Not only has Avril been accused of plagiarizing “I Wanna be Your Boyfriend”, but singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk claims she wrote the song “Contagious” with Avril, but Avril didn’t give her any credit for the song. Chantal says that Avril, “crossed the ethical line and no one says anything. That's why I'll never work with her again”. Avril says in her defence that Chantal did send her a song titled “Contagious” a few years ago, but it got pushed aside. A few years later, her and her friend Evan began to write songs for his album, and wrote a song called “Contagious”, but with different lyrics, meaning and melody.

So, who dunnit?

Did Avril really use the song Chantal sent her a few years back and didn’t credit her for it, or did Avril just have a song on her new record with the same title?

Not only is Chantal pointing fingers huge, but many of the songs on Avril's album sound uncannily alike. For example, the songs on her CD: "Girlfriend", "I Can Do Better", "Runaway", "The Best Damn Thing", "Hot", "I Don't Have To Try", "Contagious" and "Keep Holding On" all sound (in some way) similar to another previously release song- not done by Avril.

Now, for those who aren't Avril fans, those are 8 out of the 12 songs on her CD!

Well, I don't know if people would have thought much of Chantal's accusations because she doesn't have any proof. But I think people's opinions will change after they heard the similarities between the majority of the songs on her album and those other songs. I think the similarities between "Girlfriend" and "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" can't go unnoticed. I also think if everyone is aware of the similarities between songs on her album and other songs, people will view Avril diferently.