Stranger Monsters Professor Ramos Blog

Stranger Monsters Stranger Things is a rare breed of a series. It not only manages to capture it’s audiences attention with its incredibly unique story, but the actors are quick and easy to fall completely in love with. This series manages to have a fantastic character arc for the heroes as well as constantly having the threat of the unknown ‘upside down’ constantly growing. While the first season focused on the demi-gorgon and the second on the demodogs, the third season brings a fresh villain which was teased at the end of the second season. The Mind Flayer has a unique approach on a monster which overall makes for a great and disturbing story. The show is set in the early eighties, which was a time where American citizens were afraid of the Soviet Union because of the Cold war. It was believed that there were secret Labs underground created by Soviet spies who would do human experimenting. This ended up being a major influence for this season. With the idea that they would eventually unearth themselves and start mind controlling people to fight against America. Mind Control was no laughing matter in the eighties. In fact, it was commonly feared by the majority of the american population. The term ‘brainwashing’ was actually born from the Cold war. It is said that, â€Å"The notion of ‘brainwashing’ emerged out of the conjuncture in the outbreak of the Cold War and the sense of panic it created in American society. Efforts to master this panic found new intelligence infrastructure and in new frameworks of discourse, knowledge, and terminology.† (Killen Andriopoulos 8) Basically, writers and filmmakers took advantage of the American knowledge, or lack thereof, and took advantage of it to produce novels and film. Killen Andriopoulos gave great modern examples of the Jason Bourne series and Shutter Island. (9) This ties in very well with Jeffery Cohens first monster theory, â€Å"The Monster’s Body Is a Cultural Body.† (4) Although the eighties did not consist of a huge human consuming monster, the fear of Russian testing and the unknown was definitely real. Cohen states that, â€Å"The monster is born only at this metaphoric crossroads, as an embodiment of a certain cultural moment.† (Cohen 4) This monster acts as a representation of what Americans were afraid could happen or be created in the Cold war era. Having Allies turn against each other. The Mind Flayer throughout this season acts as a puppeteer, pulling the strings while having others it has assimilated do its bidding. What is interesting about this monster is that it also uses its ‘hosts’ to grow itself, turning them into a slime like paste to which they crawl together to make the main monster bigger and stronger. Which works well in making a very uncomfortable scene watching a character go from a human to a semi-slime monster. But what exactly makes this monster scary? The Mind Flayer uses humans that it assimilates to do its bidding, which makes the human the villain. This is a very interesting metaphor in that the Mind Flayer, while it might not have necessarily been created by humans, is still in our dimension because of human curiosity and testing. The Mind Flayer, while it is its own monster, still came from the upside down. The fact of the matter is not that the monster has never left. The gate to the upside down was closed in one place but opened in another, never truly leaving the small city of Hawkins. Cohens second theory, ‘Monsters Always Escapes’ can be tied into the idea that while the group might have defeated the demi-gorgon and the demodogs in the previous seasons, the one thing that never left the city was the portal to the upside down. Acting as almost the main villain to the heroes, constantly throwing new monsters at them. The film Get out has a fantastic interpretation on mind control. Director Jordan Peele takes a unique twist on what is a simple horror movie and creates a monster that can control another human beings body, rendering them essentially a backseat driver in their own body. The idea of being conscious in what you are doing but not being able to do anything about it is truly a terrifying feeling. The characters are similar to the Mind Flayer in that when the highest bidder wins the body, the surgical procedure allows conscious to override and take control of the victims body. While the Mind Flayer does not have to have a surgical procedure to control its victims, it still overtakes the victim and has complete control over their actions and decisions. The Mind Flayer works so well as a monster because it is unique. While it has been done before the way it was presented and executed distracts the viewer and enthralls them into wanting more. This disgusting slimy beast works in the shadows which allows the actors to really shine. Also, some of the monsters actions create a real tear jerker for the viewer, giving major character development and allowing a fantastic story to play out through its ravenous destruction. There Is however one interesting fact about the monster that does leave some unanswered questions. In an interview with the directors and cast members for the third season, Matt Duffer stated, â€Å"Eleven closed the Gate, but the Mind Flayer is still alive in the Upside Down† (Stack 2). Watching the season it is not really explained at all how the Mind Flayer managed to escape the upside down when the previous monsters did not. It is true that later in the season it is revealed that there is another gate being kept open by the Russian government. But this does not elaborate on how the Mind Flayer was the only thing able to escape after the gate was shut. Although there is a significant plot gap it does not take away from the overall story. The monster still provides a wonderful fresh experience and frightening demeanor for the viewers when on screen. But why does this creature work so well for this series? The Mind Flayer provides such a fresh, and creative idea of a monster that really strays away from the standard traditional horror films. And is a big reason why the series works so well. You are not expecting as a viewer to see some recurring characters just evaporate into a disgusting pile of goo and literally attach themselves together. But what has to be the most chilling trait of this monster is its ability to take over someones body and mind. The idea that your neighbor or family member could be actively trying to kill you adds a chilling on screen tension that definitely deserves more credit than what is given. This is a monster that is unique and different as opposed to your standard zombie. It has a mysterious background but a fantastic tool kit of skills it uses to terrorize the protagonists. This monster easily deserves a 4/5. While it does contain some miniscule flaws, the overall idea and execution of this monster were flawless. Its creativeness and uniqueness manages to leave the viewer constantly wondering what is next, or even who is next. Stranger things continues to display such unique and intriguing monsters that in the end, help create fantastic plot lines and seasons. And the third iteration of Stranger Things continues to live up to the expectations it has set in the first season. Annotated Bibliography Levy, Shawn, Et all. â€Å"Stranger Things .† Netflix, season 3, episode 1-8, 4 July 2019. The popular Netflix series stranger things has a monster that has a hive mind. I found this to be an interesting take and interpretation of what a zombie could be or is. Im planning on using the series to show a different style of zombie and how it differs from the standard brain eating mindless monster that is more commonly known. Cohen, Jeffery jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Theses).† Englishwithtuttle, www.englishwithtuttle.com/uploads/3/0/2/6/30266519/cohen_monster_culture__seven_theses__3-20.pdf. This article is Jeffery Cohen’s seven Theses on monsters was discussed in class. This Article will be one of the main sources from comparisons, and stereotyping monsters to correctly classifying the individual as a monster. This source is credible because it is peer reviewed. J effery is also a college professor at the George Washington University. Peele, Jordan, director. Get Out. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, 2017. The Widely popular movie Get Out has a fantastic twist on mind control. This is a great comparison to the Mind Flayer and gives some perspective as well as contrast to some of the characters in the movie. These comparisons and contrasts are what I plan on using in this analysis. Killen, Andreas, and Stefan Andriopoulos. â€Å"Editors Introduction.† Grey Room, Oct. 2011, web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12sid=ff43cd13-cf61-4fb3-9767-5b595eacef4b@sessionmgr4008. This peer reviewed article goes into detail about mind control and brainwashing. It also goes into detail about how it originated, from the Cold War. This was a huge inspiration for the third season of stranger things. This will make a fantastic supporting article for the inspiration and the birth of the monster. Stack, Tim. â€Å"Stranger Things 3.† Entertainment Weekly, web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3sid=b4b742f9-03e2-4875-bac8-afda0fb643ab@pdc-v-sessmgr05. Tim Stacks is a reporter who did an interview with the cast and directors of the series. He answers a lot of questions and brings in an interesting point of view on certain topics. One question shows an error with the origin and plotline of the monster. I plan on using this to describe what is wrong with the monster.

41 Words That Are Better Than Good

41 Words That Are Better Than Good 41 Words That Are Better Than Good 41 Words That Are Better Than Good By Michael The soul of writing is specificity, yet all too often, we lean on general-purpose words instead of choosing the most precise ones. Most of our daily communication probably depends on less than 1,000 words. Of course, that includes words such as you, I, is, are, of, and for, which are already the best words for the job. I admit that sometimes in conversation, I deliberately limit my vocabulary because I dont want others to look at me quizzically: Who does he think he is, anyway: one of the authors of a writing tips blog? The result is vague, even boring, conversation, using words so general, they could fit almost everything in the world. How was your trip? Fine. How do you feel? Good. Choosing other words is no improvement, if we always choose the same words. A world where everything is cool or awesome is not much more interesting than a world where everything is fine or good. So lets buck the trend. Here are 41 alternatives to good that cant be used to describe everything in the world because they each have specific meanings, or at least, different connotations. breathtaking amazing, surprising, astonishing, enough to make you gasp with pleasure, and almost enough to make you forget to breathe. choice preferred, prized, specially selected. In New Zealand, the exclamation Choice! is used similarly to Great! in the United States. dazzling amazing, splendid, brilliant, shining so bright that its hard to see it. delectable highly delicious, usually describing food, from the Latin for delight. delightful causing joy, delight or pleasure, producing positive emotion, with the same Latin root as delectable. deluxe high quality, related to luxury, from the Latin for excess. enjoyable pleasant, bringing pleasure and satisfaction bringing joy. excellent superior, best in its class, of the highest quality, making a person shout Excelsior! exceptional uncommon, rare, and better for being so. exemplary an example of high quality, a model for others. fine delicate, exquisite, almost as good as it gets. Related to the French and Latin words for finished and exact. Overused until often it merely means acceptable. exquisite exceptionally fine or rare, with the sense of extreme favorable helpful, encouraging, positive, convenient, such as getting hoped-for results. first-rate exceptionally good, in the highest class. Describing a British naval vessel with more than 100 guns. first-string the starting players on a sports team; that is, the best of them. Many other expressions begin with the word first. five-star from the hotel rating system in which a five-star hotel is among the worlds best. formidable causing awe, respect, wonder or even fear, perhaps because its so large or strong. gilt-edged high quality, from the practice of putting a thin layer of gold on the edges of a book. gratifying pleasing, satisfying, making someone content. incredible amazing, beyond belief, almost too good to be true. luxurious fine or comfortable, such as an expensive hotel room. I use it to show gratitude for a gift that is too fancy for my tastes. magnificent splendid, elegant, noble. From the Latin word for great deeds. opulent showy, extravagant, magnificent, sumptuous more than luxurious, with the sense of more than you really need pleasing giving cheer, pleasure, or enjoyment something that pleases you positive certain, good, favorable. Currently used in expressions such as positive energy or positive vibes. precious beloved, valuable, worthy, of high price. Precious writing is euphuistic: overly cute and takes itself too seriously. prime first, as in first quality. rare uncommon, scarce, and therefore valuable. The gravestone of an influential English playwright is inscribed with the (misspelled) tribute O rare Ben Johnson. satisfying sufficient, pleasing, more than adequate. select privileged, specially chosen, high-quality. shipshape well-organized, fully prepared, meticulous, tidy. Before you embark on an ocean voyage, you want your ship to be in shape. sound healthy, solid, secure, complete. If a floor is sound, you wont fall through. sterling of high, verifiable value, as in sterling silver, which is 92.5% pure silver. Originally referring to British coins, which had a star or a starling on them in the Middle Ages. striking impressive, memorable, calling to mind the striking of a coin. sumptuous costly, expensive, as in a meal with many courses of great variety. Weve got a whole article about sumptuous. top-notch belonging to the highest level, possibly from some 19th century game that used notches to keep score. subtle clever and crafty, though thats an older meaning. A subtle flavor is not overbearing, and the chef will be pleased if you tell him so. up to snuff meeting the standard, adequate, sharp. Snuff is a more expensive powdered tobacco, which was sniffed by higher-class gentlemen as a stimulant in the 19th century. valuable worthy of esteem, having high worth or value. welcome anticipated, a pleasure to see, received with gladness, as in welcome news. From the Old English for â€Å"a wished-for guest. well-made built right, properly constructed, sound. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Types of RhymeOne Sheep, Two Sheep, One Fish, Two Fish . . .48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids