In addition to discovering my growth as a blogger, going through my earlier posts helped me discover that the earlier iteration of my blog was almost exclusively focused on film. My blog has since branched out to television and pop culture. I soon realized that I particularly enjoyed certain types of film and television shows, which is when the blog again shifted focus to science fiction and fantasy.
After doing an inventory, I have changed my mind and decided to delete 83 blog posts. Yep 83. Each deletion made me cringe, but the posts I deleted really didn't reflect the current theme or standards of my blog. It was surprisingly hard to let go of even the worst, most random blog post, but ultimately I think it was for the best. A few of my earlier posts are still a little rough around the edges. I was still discovering my style in 2008, but I feel proud that my blog is cohesive.
Another lesson I learned through this cleansing process has been that the longer you do something the better you get at it. I'm always amazed at how many blogs have gone by the wayside after a few years or even a few short months. This blog has taught me not to give up even when you're not particularly good at something.
Lastly, the most important lesson I learned is that blogging isn't just about putting fleeting words into a blog post. It's about giving people (strangers) a glimpse into your personality, your personal opinions on a particular subject, your writing, design style, and offering your online friendship. No I don't know any of the bloggers I interact with personally, but I do enjoy the camaraderie that exists between other bloggers. We support each other and we celebrate each other's successes. I have learned so much from interacting with other bloggers over the years and for that I am thankful!
Share your thoughts on the all-female Ghostbusters?
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| Mashable |
New Show
Is SyFy's 'KillJoys' the next 'Firefly?' The show follows a pair of space bounty hunters. Watch the first four minutes of 'KillJoys' and you decide.
Really?
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| Fanpop |
It's the same reason I hate some of the modern horror films like the 'Poltergeist' remake. The original film was perfectly fine thank you very much. It was a slow build and incredibly scary. It didn't need anyone jumping out of a closet yelling "Boo!" to scare you like the remake. The remake was chock full of scenes of people "suddenly" being jerked down hallways, etc. Again, these jerky/fast "gotcha" moments are not scary. They are just annoying. I feel the same way about 'Game of Thrones.'
Videos
Poor kitty. This sweet kitty takes an unexpected flight with a pilot of a light aircraft. The kitty landed safety.
Too Much Jurassic Crap
' I enjoyed 'Jurassic World' just as much as the next person. It was mindless and fun, but now I say "Uncle." No more. There is way too much 'Jurassic World' hype. First there were all of those zookeepers who started replicating the velociraptor scene with Chris Pratt, then there were the giant wiener dogs in lieu of the Indominus Rex, then there is the "why you shouldn't have a velociraptor as a pet," and the tee shirt mockup of Chris Pratt and a velociraptor in a Norman Rockwell painting. Yes, I get it...it's the biggest movie in the world, but now they're painting velociraptors as Disney Princesses. Ok, enough.
Check out Scooby Doo through the ages. This is actually really neat.
Kelly Tan creates amazing iPhone artwork. As the mother of a young girl I am especially fond of this one.
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| "I have a dream" by Kelly Tan |
Check out this lovely little short film about a stranded astronaut. The film is set entirely in an airlock, proving that you don't need a big budget to pack a big punch.
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| Via Phil Vanelli |
While I'm sure there are some I could delete, I'll leave mine for now. I had to go back to some old ones for a guest post and it was interesting to see who used to comment on my blog. But I do know what you mean with growth, both in writing and otherwise. We do get better.
ReplyDeleteNot hip on the all female leads for Ghostbusters, but what really bugs me is that they are remaking it at all. Just like Poltergeist - why????
I really liked Killjoys. The lead's twin brother is in the X-Men movies.
Poor cat!
And it's ironic everyone has gone dinosaur crazy again. The third movie (while not very good) was ignored. This one comes out, and it's like the greatest thing ever.
Hi Alex! Yes, I was hesitant at first. Most of the posts have been archived so I still have access to them. Thankfully most of the posts don't have comments associated with them. The posts were very early in my blogging so I didn't know many people in the blogosphere.
DeleteYeah, I don't get the all-female ghostbusters thing. It may be a great film, but I loved the original. I'll still go see it though. I hope it's good. I will have to watch the full ep of Killjoys. I only saw the first 4 minutes. I really like Aaron Ashmore.
I know the dino craze is just so over the top. I don't get it. I guess it's been a while since the 3rd film. The 3rd film was in 2001 so it's been 14 years-- A whole new generation of kids haven't seen dinosaurs at the movies.
Love that you had the courage to delete some of your old posts. I've been thinking about doing the same thing, but just can't pull the trigger on it. Yet. Maybe I'll borrow some of your strength and make the cuts.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of indifferent to the all-female Ghostbusters, but that's mostly because I'm indifferent to just about all remakes. I don't think the studio is using it as a joke, but as a way to prove they're on the right side of things, and because they think it will do big numbers at the box office by taking advantage of the name recognition of the property and the talent.
Haven't seen Jurassic World, yet. Apparently, I shelter myself fairly well because I had no idea of any of the mania you're describing. The only thing I'd heard about was one zookeeper recreating the raptor scene, but I thought that was a one-time thing. Had no clue lots of others were doing stuff like that.
Love the Scooby Doo link.
I still have them saved so if I want to review the again I can, but i don't think I will. Some of my old posts were so terrible. I can't believe I used to write that stuff. I think purging old blog posts was therapeutic for me. I'll be curious what you do with yours?
DeleteI've thought about deleting some of my older posts, because, like you...some of my early stuff is downright EMBARRASSING...like...I cringe when I think of some of them, but I like to look at that and see how it completely contradicts what my blog as become (something I'm very proud of) and having visited some young blogs who are distraught that their current output is...lacking...I always point them to my early posts so they can see that they can improve and that they shouldn't give up.
ReplyDeleteI think that was the main reason I was holding out deleting any posts is b/c I liked seeing how far I came and I wanted other new bloggers to see that too. Ultimately, I decided to archive those blog posts b/c they just didn't fit with where I want to go with my blog. But it was a difficult decision.
DeleteI'm actually in a small minority of people but I'm totally in favor of the all-female Ghostbusters remake. Under different circumstances I might have agreed with everyone else but the original film had some serious gender issues. I actually did a whole post discussing the problems with the gender dynamics in the original Ghosbusters (http://hitchcocksworld.blogspot.ca/2014/11/why-come-no-female-ghostbusters.html), but to sum it up: you get Sigourney Weaver in your film (you know, the woman who made her name playing what is widely considered one of cinema's strongest heroines) and cast her as the DAMSEL IN DISTRESS!? I mean who does that? I feel like if they had made some sort of effort in the original Ghostbusters; even if there weren't any female Ghosbusters but there had been an attempt to give Dana or Janine more of an active role (let's face it, when you get down to it Janine basically added NOTHING to the film, and personally I found her kind of irritating as well) or at least if there had been an effort in the sequel, I'd be on your side. As it happens, there wasn't, so I'm all for an all-female Ghostbusting team. Besides, they got the director of The Heat working on it, so at the very least it should be an entertaining movie.
ReplyDeleteI do know what you mean about how Marvel is afraid of "female-dominated" films which is a bit weird considering that they don't seem to have any issues putting strong female characters in supporting roles. On the other hand, it does look like they might be getting somewhere on television, with the success of Agent Carter and the upcoming A.K.A. Jessica Jones both centering on female protagonists. Perhaps if the latter is also successful it will help convince Marvel to make that Black Widow film (or for that matter perhaps a Scarlet Witch film or any of their other female heroes).
Hi John, I will definitely give the female ghostbusters a chance! I'll be curious as to how it turns out. You're right that the first one turned Sigourney Weaver into a damsel, but I always thought her character was still strong and interesting b/c she seemed to act like a normal person would if your refrigerator was suddenly haunted. I really liked the chemistry btw her and Bill Murray.
DeleteAnother cool post Ms. Mariah. I've often thought about going back and cleaning up our old posts but deleting it makes more sense. I agree that I sometimes go back and marvel about how craptacalar my old posts are but other than nostalgia they serve no purpose and could hurt the blog if someone stumbles on them and judges the whole thing using it. So you've inspired me. I'm going to go back and archive some old posts.
ReplyDeleteThe blogging community is incredibly supportive and none of us would last a month without the love and help from other bloggers.
I've never watched Game of Thrones but everything I've heard from this season makes me glad I don't watch. The show is known for shock and awe and they have to keep upping the stakes to keep fans engaged. They may have gone too far. The Mary Sue said, "There’s only so many times you can be disgusted with something you love before you literally can’t bring yourself to look at it anymore."
I'm not sick of Jurassic World yet but I'm sure many are. Chris Pratt keeps killing it though.
The female Ghostbusters isn't inherently a bad idea since it prevents a lot of the inevitable comparisons. A coed version could have worked too
Hi there! Yes, it was difficult to start the process, but I think it was for the best. I did keep some posts, but cleaned them up a bit. There were some that were a little rough around the edges that I decided to keep. However, there were so many that needed to be archived. Your blog is so big and wonderful, I'll be curious to see what you end up doing.
DeleteYes, GoTs is definitely out to shock its viewers. I'm getting off the rollercoaster. Nice quote from the Mary Sue.
Ha, you're not sick of JW yet? I guess you're right about the female ghostbusters. It does prevent the comparisons. People will just see it as a different movie.
My site started out silly mostly zombies, it was pink and pretty. I found a place to be, then the zombie thing took off and I said I wanted to be different...a few changes later and I am back to quick silly stuff. Deleting things is something I need to do, for me it's okay... if someone is tracking back that far, then I have done my job.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the need for a new Ghostbusters in any way, all girls, all boys or a mix... I hope it's a fail, because I don't really want to see a film of one-liners wrapped around "hey look it's Slimmer"... Hollywood just doesn't get what the original films did to make them special. Watched RoboCop the other day and thought the newer one just sucked being compared to original. I can say the same with recent stuff like Poltergeist, just because they put a title you know... doesn't mean big sales.
Game of Thrones... is almost over and they want people talking about, here we are talking about it.
Jurassic World is something I am waiting to see, I really don't care either way... I am intrigued to revisited the first two films, for me that is my cup of dino coffee. Chris Pratt is the new "it" guy and many before him, so enjoy it will "it" lasts. As for the art and over the top, people are jumping on the band wagon to turn their ideas into a quick buck. I wish I was smarter to jump on that wagon... maybe next week I will have nothing but TERMINATOR stuff and make my titles racy... oh the stats will jump. :)
So in the end, throw out stuff... it's just stuff, Say No to remakes/redos, Yeah for GoT Dragons and my art has dinosaurs... aren't I cool. Nope I am a dork, proud of being a dork and only want to be accepted in this world for free thinking. You are always on the money with your postings, so thank you for sharing the thoughts.
Jeremy
Oh I couldn't agree more about the RoboCop remake. The original was a bloody gory masterpiece. Verhooven was insane...in a good way. RoboCop remake was a sanitized PG-13 version...not the same. If it hadn't been billed as a remake that would have been better b/c it was a completely different movie. I actually did enjoy the remake, but not as a remake-- if that makes sense?
DeleteYou're right about GoTs! I need to stop talking about them!
JW is ok. It's a fun popcorn flick. Ha, maybe you and I need to jump on the terminator bandwaggon!
Thanks for you kind words.
I won't say "never", but I don't think I'll delete old posts of mine.
ReplyDeleteThe female Ghostbusters is mostly irrelevant to me. While I was amused by the older movies, they weren't THAT big to me so whether there was another one coming with any kind of casting in it wouldn't matter to me. My pet theory is that this will be a new trend for awhile - remaking all-male films as all-female ones, similar to the movies that remade all-white films as all-black ones (i.e. Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle, Death at a Funeral, etc.)
In regards to a Black Widow movie, I think the fact that Johannson's action film Lucy opened at #1 at the boxoffice despite not having any built in audience spoke volumes and completely refuted any question about whether she could carry a solo Black Widow movie. Of course, it's not just women. Marvel has apparently also decided that Evans can't carry a Captain America movie by himself, either. He was practically a guest star in his own second movie, and the third movie is essentially going to an unofficial Avengers movie.
For Game of Thrones, I never liked Stannis from the time he was introduced in the second book when I read it the summer after the first season of the show. To me, he wasn't intended to be likable. What kind of person chops off the fingers of the man who saved his life, his family's lives, his people's lives, and his kingdom, because he got food to them by smuggling it in and smuggling is illegal? The fact that Davos stuck around doesn't make it better. Should we like a man or woman who beats their spouse if the spouse sticks around afterwards? I honestly never understood the love for Stannis.
I loved the picture of the girl on the unicorn. I liked the Scooby Doo artwork, too, but shouldn't their 1960s appearance be the same as they have always appeared? That's when the characters debuted and they've kept their looks the same ever since.
Hi Chip! I also have the same theory that this will be a trend. I'm all for seeing female-led films, but I'm not sure how I feel about this trend. Ha, you're right about that Evans was like a guest star in Winter Soldier. I really enjoyed that film though.
DeleteI thought the same thing about the Scooby Doo 60s and 70s outfits. Shouldn't they have their regular outfits on for that?
I didn't finish the 2nd book, so perhaps I'm basing my love for Stannis on the show.
That's not a bad idea to delete blog posts that don't really reflect you as a blogger now. I read recently that we should consider updating old posts with new information too. So far I've done neither, but I'm considering it. And I wish instead of remaking Ghostbusters that they just make a new one with women and have them be a new group of Ghostbusters. I love when people take an idea of such a team and bringing it to life, but I don't necessarily have to remake it. And I'm still not tired of Jurassic World. I could watch those movies every day. Then again, I love dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteHi Cherie-- Thank you for your comment! You know that's a great idea about the ghostbusters. I think that would make the most sense!!
DeleteHa, perhaps I'm the only one who is getting tired of Jurassic World. So many other people still love it.
I should probably clean up my blog and delete a bunch of my old posts too. For sure I'd delete my old Wolverine review as then I had no idea how to write a damn review, ahah.
ReplyDeleteThat kitty on a plane video is a hoot! It was hilarious when the guy realized there's a kitty trapped on its wings!
I know! poor kitty. It was difficult to go through and delete reviews, but some of them were just so bad.... They were a few that were like a paragraph long. I couldn't believe how awful they were! I know the almighty Google prefers more posts for rankings, but I wanted a cohesive blog going forward.
DeleteI've been tempted to go through and clean up some old posts, but I never have the courage to do it. So good on you for taking the time to go through your posts, I'm sure it was really hard!
ReplyDeleteHi Alex! It was so hard and it took forever. I had to go through each post, which numbered about 400. I felt like it was the never ending project. In the long run it will help my blog.
DeleteWhoa 83 posts? Thats really brave. When I eventually switch my blog over to the new name, I will go through mine but I can't bare to get rid of them. I'll only move across the relevant posts to film, TV and such. Great post btw!
ReplyDeleteHi there! Thank you very much. Yes, it was very difficult to let go of even the worst/crappiest post. I love this blog so much and have put so much time in it over the years. Ultimately I felt like the posts just weren't cohesive, nor did they make sense. There was a time when I was focused more on quantity than quality, so I deleted a lot of stuff during that era. I'll look forward to seeing your new blog. Thanks!
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