Wednesday, August 21, 2024

October 9… Bulman Revisited

Think back to Bulman’s ideas about Hollywood and high school. If possible, share something that you think he got right and also provide critique of some aspect of his ideas. 

20 comments:

  1. One thing that I think that Bulman got right about Hollywood and high school is how films tend to relfect and shape cultural perceptions of high school life. One thing that could be critiqued is that not everyone thinks of movies as real life or not everyone is able to see that connection. Some people watch the movies for fun and do not think high school life is actually like that.

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  2. Khadeeja BandukwalaOctober 7, 2024 at 1:04 PM

    Robert Bulman points out that Hollywood films often reinforce class and social hierarchies to show how high school life is. However, his emphasis on the impact of these films may overlook the diversity of real high school experiences, which are far more complex and varied than the stereotypes shown on screen.

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  3. Bulman’s ideas about Hollywood and high school can be understandable. He argues that Hollywood tends to depict youth and education differently and why they are so predictably patterned based on social class. Films and the difference among the urban, suburban, and private school subgenres show the social class stance in films we must also as viewers explore the essential characteristics of American culture. Each individual has a different cultural background, therefore, that individual will have a different perspective on a film. My point is everyone will have a different perspective on a film because of their cultural background, exposure to culture, ideologies, etc.

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  4. I believe Bulman is correct in stating that both Hollywood and high school place an emphasis on the performative side of identity. Just as Hollywood actors routinely create public personalities, high school students frequently navigate cliques and social expectations, shaping their identities to fit in or stand out. One criticism of Bulman's perspective is that he may oversimplify the complexities of high school experiences by drawing too close a parallel to Hollywood. While both environments require performance, high school is frequently defined by deeper emotional and developmental obstacles that go beyond simple social dynamics. Academic pressure, mental health difficulties, and the journey of self-discovery all add aspects that the Hollywood parallel cannot fully represent.

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  5. Looking back on Bulman's ideas about Hollywood and high school, one idea I believe he got right is how individualism is the dominant theme in most movies set in schools. In most of the films I've seen set in schools, regardless of the race or class of the students/teacher, the identity of at least one of the two played a major role in the film. A critique I have is that Bulman could have been more specific and provided more examples of different subgenres of Hollywood high school movies beyond different socioeconomic status'.

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  6. Bulman talks about the relationship between high school and how Hollywood portrays it. He explains that Hollywood films focused in a high school setting impact how viewers think school should be. He says it greatly impacts those who are watching it. After watching the films assigned, I kind of disagree. I think when watching them, the stereotypes and superficialness of each film prevents them from being as influential.

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  7. What I think Bulman got right about Hollywood and high school was the social class aspect. There are many different social classes. High school movies portray the different social classes. You can tell when a school has the higher-class students in them. You can also tell when a school has lower-class students in them. Within the social classes come the money and opportunity aspects. The higher-class schools are bigger, have more equipment, have enough teachers, and are cleaner. The lower-class schools are smaller, dirtier, do not have enough teachers, and do not have a lot of equipment. You can also tell the higher-class schools have more sports and classes. The lower-class schools have fewer of those things since the community doesn't have the sponsors and the donations that the higher-class communities can give. The higher-class parents can also afford to get tutors and send their kids to expensive schools.

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  8. Bulman’s ideas about Hollywood and high school highlight how films often depict youth and education. He talks about movies that are about high school that tend to follow the same narrative. Movies tend to follow stereotypes and some viewers may believe that high school is really like that. I agree with his idea that individualism is a common theme in many school movies, as the identity of the characters often play a significant role. Overall I think he does a great way in explaining Hollywood’s portrayal of high school students and the experience in itself.

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  9. Aliyah Ibrahim: Thinking back to Bulmans ideas about Hollywood and highschool I think he got the ideas of how highschool is portrayed through stereotypes in movies right like the jocks, nerds, and all the social hierarchies portrayed. Something that can be critiqued is how he doesn't really break down on the how theres so many different experiences in high school and not all group together in those social hierarchies. His theories were kind of grouped together but everything differs in location, social economic, and money in the area.

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  10. Bulman talked about how high school in hollywood is portrayed through mostly class and race lenses, which I agree with. On the social class point, there are lots of stereotypes that are explored in high school film that further cement social class, as well as race in some cases. He also pointed out that films influence how we see the world and with that being said high school films influence how we see high school, which I do agree with. I still however disagree with his statement about getting a better perception of high school films by analyzing through a social lens instead of racial. I think both should be analyzed thoroughly and together.

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  11. "It soon became clear that there were significant differences in the ways the students and teachers in the urban public school, suburban public school, and private school films were depicted on screen." He argues that Hollywood depicts education and youth in many different ways and these ways lean on social class. I agree with this, and I think he is correct. In all of the films we have seen so far in this class, or at least the ones that I have chosen, I have seen all three social classes in each movie I watched (Lean on Me, FBDO, SOR,) and the characters and plot is different based on that exact factor.

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  12. In his analysis, Bulman discusses how high school is portrayed in Hollywood movies, noting that most high school movies revolve around similar themes. Bulman makes valid points about the reliance on stereotypes in these movies, such as the portrayal of class clowns, nerds, and the archetype of the "mean girls" or "pretty girls. The portrayal of high school life on TV can influence people's perceptions, leading them to believe that stereotypes accurately represent the reality of high school. Bulman also made an excellent observation about the theme of "individualism" in high school movies. These films often revolve around finding one's voice, personal growth, and self-discovery. Which could also be true.

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  13. Bulman talked about how Hollywood shows high school mainly through class and race, and that is a point I agree with. Many high school movies talk about stereotypes, social class, and sometimes race. He mentioned that some films reflect how we see the world. Some high school movies influence how we view high school.

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  14. I think Bulman was right in stressing the importance of individuality in high school, especially in a place like Hollywood where innovation is key. He understood that education should help students develop not just academically, but in ways that prepare them for real-world challenges, especially in an unpredictable industry.

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  15. Bulman highlights how films and movies help shape our understanding of self identities and social hierarchy’s. One thing that stands out to me is how he implies how movies often glamorize certain stereotypes in schools. For example, the popular kids and the “nerds.” These scenarios can and do definitely influence real life dynamics in schools. One critique that I have is that he tends to overlook the role of individual agency in high school experiences. However, as we can seen in the Hollywood industry this may be glamorized in certain school districts which cause stereotypes that many students don’t follow or are used to those patterns.

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  16. Bulman made many valid points. He stressed the significance of individuality and discussed social hierarchy, which we saw in many of the films we watched. I would also say he was correct with saying how films reflect the world.

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  17. Juliet Grace GrochowskiOctober 9, 2024 at 8:07 PM

    I think one thing Bulman got right was the idea that as much as movies reflect social ideas of a time period, they also can influence the behaviors of viewers. In a film I recently watched, a character mentioned the idea of a "meet-cute" like they happen in movies. This is an even more meta representation of this idea, since a character in a movie is shown being influenced by the culture of movies.

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  18. Bulman suggests that films act as a way to depict our reality in a manner for society to understand more and better. They know how to "package" ideas and make them more digestible which is something I can agree with. Especially considering the perspective of the audience, seeing something resembling reality play out before your eyes provides an enlightening perspective of how you would view your own life or the lives of others. It also makes great lesson learning and reflection. A critique I have of Bulman is his thoughts on why it is more difficult to figure out the role of a film in culture. Bulman thinks that culture is too "complex and messy" for films to be given a role. Although I can agree with the complexity of culture, I think timing and context also factor into why it is more difficult to identify the role of a film that is usually meant to have a lasting impact. Even though the intentions of the creators of films could be constant and unchanging, their purpose and how audience members perceive them is never stagnant.

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  19. Bulman's thoughts on the relationship between highschool and the individuality of students was understandable in my opinion. Although I think that some of his points are valid, I can't agree with some of his thoughts due to his lack of speaking on race. Which I think really showed in the movies that we watched because a lot of them had overused stereotypes that connected with certain races.

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  20. I think he was right about Hollywood films tend to shape cultural perception of real-life high school. Some high school movies that we watch makes us think that that's how high school is in real life which is far from true.

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