May 3rd

There are various examples in which real life influences film, music, and music videos. Many musicians today write songs and create music videos that argue against certain political aspects and decisions in our country. For example, famous rapper Eminem composed a music video for his hit single "Mosh" a couple years ago that demonstrated his view on the social and political problems in our American society. The video also showed his resentment towards President George Bush and the war in Iraq. It is clear that Eminem maintains a Democratic view. In addition to this track, Eminem created a song called "White America" which also deals with politics. As in "Mosh," his Democratic view are portrayed violently and aggressively. These two qualities make him the famous musician he is today.

Two great examples of films that show occurrences in real life are V for Vendetta and Freedom Writers. In V for Vendetta, a strong, totalitarian government causes a great fighter to eventually overthrow it. Although the period this movie represents is that of Germany's during World War II, movies like these remind us to never commit mistakes like those ever again. The political ideas reflected by this movie entertain audiences but it is clear that Democratic countries, especially the United States, would stay clear from these types of governments. The other movie, Freedom Writers, represents more of a social perspective on real life situations dealing with teenagers. The film shows a handful of students in a dangerous neighborhood and the problems they face everyday. Being that the movie is based on a true story, we get an idea of how life of a teenager in Long Beach is. These two extraordinary movies are influenced by real life circumstances.

Real life is also influenced by entertainment. Many songs and films in our time have influenced the decisions made in society. The movies mentioned above, especially Freedom Writers, have caused organizations and groups to deal with those problems (mentioned in the movies). For example, several schools in the Los Angeles area improved their testing scores after this movie was released. Although music videos show a great deal of situations found in real life, not much of what is said is taken under consideration by groups such as our own Federal Government. There is no doubt, however, that entertainment today depicts the negatives and at times, the positives, in our society.