Rel-Con 2019: Educational Values

Going off of our discussion from Tuesday, it seems like we all have some really intriguing ideas on how to not only gather attention from the public, but on how to make attending the event worth their while. On the surface it appears as if we've planned this sort of "fun-fair" type convention, what with the ideas of a movie night, scavenger hunt, trivia, so on and so forth. However, what message do we really want to send through our dedicated time?

Personally, I feel that what we should really focus on is the diversity in religion and religious aspects. Although our class is living proof that there is more to learning about religion than just in ancient scripts, the unfortunate truth is that many will read the first word and turn away just based on their own experiences. I am all for living your truth and staying away from things that you know you wouldn't be comfortable around, as in my person life religion has always been the root cause of negative energy in my household. This is why I tried to emphasize good advertisement, just knowing myself if I saw something specifically linked to religion with no other interesting aspect, I would most likely avoid it at all costs. Making sure we get peoples attention seems to be a strong point within our group though, so all should come together smoothly. That being said, we should really try to incorporate a lot of unique and unknown religious symbolism throughout the event, things people wouldn't necessarily associate with religion in order to serve the learning purpose. 

As well as these, we should also try to make some of the same connections we did during class between religion and popular culture. Sure it may seem cheesy to some, but it's interesting to draw parallels between how something such as Comic-Con can easily be referred to as a religious institution due to the "worshipping" of the contents inside. Overall, it may seem difficult now in trying to come up with the educational value, however we are still in the early stages of development and already have a plethora of great ideas about how everything will work out.

The importance of Black Panther

Black Panther is such an essential film for not only our current society, but to live on as a historic piece of artwork through the years. As well as this, the film serves as huge milestone for black America. To many, the film may just appear as another superhero film, long awaited by fanatics of the comic books. However, the movie stands for so much more as it displays long overdue representation to the black community on the big screen.

In the reading, Wakanda, Forever, it is noted that the film provides an appeal of a fictitious version of what society has failed to ensue, "-a place where race is not an issue and [our] blackness is taken for granted" (Dyson, 270). The author explains how Wakanda gives purpose, it accepts all in their prosperity and allows black folk to live their every day lives, a privilege whites often have trouble owning up to.

It's films like these that are able to so easily spark a conversation, open up new possibilities that you'd generally not expect to come to light. This film in particular is an incredible segue to large scale equality movements, and the normalization of not only African Americans but all POC with mass media representation.

Rel-Con 2019

Rel-Con 2019 is still in the works, but the ideas we have for it makes it sound like something super fun! We have events like movie nights, talent show, costume contest, scavenger hunt etc. But we can't just have these events with no purpose behind them. While planning in class on Tuesday I thought of a few reasons for having this event. One reason being, past and present: what has changed?. I thought this one because throughout the years things change, people and perspectives change, life is just something that is evolving. In our class we see how film has changed and how people view things differently. Not only how film has developed with special effects and better quality but how film has changed to fit "the new world". It changes to ensure that people and the way of life is satisfied with it. Throughout the years a various amount of world events has happened and these films are made to give us comfort through these times. Another idea for this event would be to show how religion has changed over time. Similar to the first idea, religion has changed in various amount of ways. There has become many sects of religion and they keep growing as people think of new things. Religion has come from just one form of Christianity to 20+ sects. This idea might be difficult to advertise because some students aren't exactly interested in religion itself, or they may be sensitive to religion, but that does not mean we can't pull it off. Religion is apart of some peoples everyday life and it is present in others but they might not know it. Another idea we can demonstrate with Rel-Con 2019 is how pop culture influences our lives. Although pop culture isn't directly related to religion it is one of our main focuses in our class. Some students don't realize that they are being impacted by social media and other forms of popular culture in their everyday life.

What Should People Learn From Rel-Con ?

The most important thing the public needs to learn about the study of religion is that religion is not a subject to be shunned and should be about exploring options in a way that helps people define their lives. Religion should not force a person to confirm to certain beliefs but allow all people to figure out their own interpretation of what religion means to them.  Many people have the idea that religion is this strict way to live life, but religion should not be based on what others think it is but what that person truly believes it is. Don’t let someone else opinions of religion effect your own beliefs and values.  Religion is not just about beliefs, but also about actions and how those actions, in turn, lead people to observe and analyze religion in a way that can be beneficial to their lives, their world, and their purpose.

The idea of religion is hard to define, and some people try to stray away from such topics, but the public needs to know it’s ok to unsure, but it’s also ok to look and think about the bigger picture. The public should, and need to look at their actions, and behaviors and determine how does religion fit into that category.  Our actions shape our identity, and our identity is defined by our beliefs, but those beliefs can be in anything such as superheroes, idols, sports, and through spirituality healing. For example, some people believe that religion is an institution that sets up a foundation for others to follow, but in my opinion, religion is more than a practice. Religion is an opportunity to justify our actions, and beliefs by following the word, but there is no proof that says religion proves accuracy in our everyday lives. Some people use the bible to justify their actions and blessings, but really, it’s the belief of something that demands people to pay attention, or to recognize similarity that is in the bible versus what is going on out in the world.

I think the public should also learn that there are tons of Media influence when it comes to religion and pop culture, and how they are, in some ways, similar. Everyone loves watching tv, films, going to the movies, or reading their favorite book, but to slow down and analyze what they are seeing, and hearing is not what people do often. I think our Rel-con would make people slow down from their busy lives, and think about what religion means, and the message that we get from films, tv shows, etc.  Taking this course, it was a huge surprise to find so many similarities among religion and superheroes, especially in the film Superman. These films, TV

 shows, and more can show the public the underlying message and representation that we often fail to notice

It would be helpful for the public to learn and acknowledge other people’s views as well. Everyone in this class has different perspectives on religion and how it helps shape our lives, so I think hearing from others can also be enlightening to learn about, especially when it comes to the supernatural world.  Before taking this class, I had very little knowledge on superheroes, and limited views on the bible, but hearing from other students really opened my eyes. If the information such as the 7 dimensions, myths, and fables has help me gain a better understanding of religion, then I think it would also be beneficial to the public.

The importance of Black Panther

Why is Black Panther so important? Black Panther was a movie that showed us what goes on across the world in different societies through racism, imperialism, and globalization. Not only this, but it also describes the governmental issues and current issues that we see today. Black Panther goes to explain how we see these problems everyday, but just brush them off like its not happening. We do not seek to take action or resolve these problems or issues taking place and that's why this movie is so culturally important. Killmonger was a prime example of how he lived with revenge due to the murder of his father and used this pain to seek justice with inflicting is wrath on the society. Wakanda is the peace of the madness which is why they chose to stay off the radar for so many years. They didn't offer their resources to help those in need across the world because they feared their home will be tarnished and taken advantage of. T'Challa changed his mind once he met his long lost cousin, and decided to switch the message of Killmonger into a positive. He decided that it was finally time to show the world who Wakanda really was and help those in need.  Colonization was seen in the movie in the scene where the lady was describing where the artifact was originated and Killmonger told her how they stole it from his ancestors like they stole everything else. This issue is huge in museums today because most of these artificats were stolen and now countries want their artifacts back. This movie gives us the more knowledge and insights of what's really going on around us and it wan't us to take action and stand for justice. 

Black Panther and Society

The majority of people when talking about America would describe it as diverse, and a place of possibilities, or at least that’s what many have mislead you to believe. In country where Barack Obama was elected as the first african american president of the United States in 2009 you’d think people of color would be more commonly casted in movies, shows, etc., In a society so far progressed or so it’s made to appear by society, but the reality of it is that people of color aren’t casted as much instead this americanized society has shielded us from “black influence” perhaps because they’re intimidated by their natural talent and easiness to entertain. In the movie Black Panther several of the issues the community of color battle on an everyday bases can be depicted. They portray a african american man with not only high power but with immense wealth, where as the initial thought would be that the man is somewhat in need financially and has little to no power or influence in a society. The director of Blank Panther wanted to make  a statement with the film letting the world know that not only do they make great movies but they can generate just as much popularity and money as any other film or even more than. In the film the majority of the cast are people of color, and there are many influential and powerful female leads because of the very issue they face with racism in the acting world, not only did they succeed but the film became one of the most influential movies of 2018 and all around the same time Trump was being elected into office, so you could see the controversy in present day society.Prior to the film even being released it was the most talked about film of 2018 with the hashtags trending all over social media, and millions of americans with endless anticipation. The film generated about 192 million dollars opening weekend it was released into theaters and generated a whopping total of 241.9 million dollars internationally.

Why Black Panther is such an important movie?

Why black panther is such an important movie?

Diamond Allen

            I feel as though Black Panther is such an important movie because it was the first black superhero movie. For years black people have been asking and wanting a black superhero movie. Black Panther was finally that black movie that we've been waiting for. This movie is what we've been waiting for because it is a big thing for the black community. The Film Black Panther has brought up many issues in society such as racial injustice, colonization, and political differences.

            Colonization is a big problem in the Black Panther Film. Killmonger brings up colonization when he goes back to the museum to try to get the stolen artifacts back. When speaking with the curator at the museum he goes on to talk and explain how they got the objects. This is a big issue because museums now like to keep artifacts that does not belong to them. I know that some things were sold to Americans for money but if you think back white Americans were colonizers from Europe. Artifacts have been taken from so many tribes. When the Europeans came and colonized America and Africa they took artifacts. Many countries have been asking for their artifacts back for years and museums refuse them because we as Americans feel as though we have the right to keep their artifacts.

            Colonization and political differences was a big issue in the movie because Killmonger wanted to distribute the weapons across the world to empower the people and over throw the injustice of the government. Killmonger stated that he wanted anarchy to happen. He explained that he basically wanted to redo history and make sure that the African American community was on top and the white community was on the bottom. White people have stolen from us and other cultures for so many years and we barely retaliated. Killmonger expresses how we have to rise up and take back what is ours. He wants everyone to come together and not keep themselves from the world.

            For many years we have been given superhero movies based around non people of color. Even the movie Guardians of the galaxy had a movie and at some points it was focused on the racoon. We had these movies before we had a superhero movie based around a majority all black cast. Now that we have one it definitely does point out the injustice African Americans have experienced for years.

Black panther and the world today

In the reading, “What truth Sounds Like” the author states that “Wakanda is the place for our unapologetic blackness”. Through the film it does show a lot of that, it shows how Race does define who they are as people but even when you look into society like that blacks people are the same way, we will never be unapologetic for our blackness. And even with they way they are as technology and not sharing it out with the others in the world. I would say our society today with Blacks are the same way, a lot of our culture is shared but in a way it’s not, we don’t share a lot of food recipes or even things that may help your hair grow better. Wakanda has a society is one, they come together for everything and anything. They stick together as one and I would say in our Society is has become like that with everything going on in the world today our people have come together because of the things that has happened and Wakanda the same way because they see the things going on outside of their world and they don’t want to be like that so it makes them stronger as one to come together.

Superhero Media Reflecting What’s Going On in the World Around Us

Something that I have always pretty known in the back of my mind is the fact that films & tv directly reflect issues in the real world during the time of their production, but what I didn’t know is how much 

Coincidentally, the one film/TV genre that I never really thought had the depth to have this element has pretty much always been the superhero subsection of fiction. After further analysis I have realized that the superhero genre is actually pretty packed with themes that reflect the period of time when they came out. 

Aside from the obvious films such as Black Panther, and Spider-Man Homecoming that both clearly deal with things going on in the world right now, such as race issues strong female leads, even some of the superhero genres first films directly reflect things that were going on during the time that they came out as well. One example being the 1978 film Superman that we watched in class. In this film the main antagonist Lex Luthor devises a plan to divert two U.S. Navy missiles to land in two spots in the U.S. that would kill millions of U.S. citizens. This plotline directly parallels the Cold War/ nucular crisis that had been going on for many years in the United States. The threat of nuclear weapons being able to take out giant parts of the United States was still on the minds of the American people during the time the movie came out. Seeing something in a film such as missiles being targeted right at the U.S. for rhe purpose of killing our citizens was probably very shocking and real for those people who watched the film when it came out.

Another one that comes to mind is the 1978 TV series Wonder Woman. This film came during a time when woman in real life were fighting for their representation and rights, and although the plot lines are pretty basic. having a strong female lead was something that was probably very necessary for them at the time. It was a first of it’s kind and sadly the last of it’s kind for a while after it’s release, which relates pretty well with the issue of not having enough female media representation in superhero productions.

Some more recent pieces of superhero work that parallel real life issues that particularly deal with women, are the TV shows Supergirl and Jessica Jones. It’s pretty obvious that the shows directly parallel the world in which we live in now that constantly deals with females just now being recognized as equal to men. For years there were only a select few superhero pieces that were centered around women but those were pretty much bound to strictly comics, such as Wonder Woman, or were highly sexualized and almost catered to male audiences in films like Cat Woman. The thing that sets Supergirl and Jessica Jones apart from these pieces is the fact that the main characters Kara and Jessica are basically just regular women.. aside from being “superhuman” and Kara being Superman’s cousin and all. Jessica Jones is even a pretty messed up girl which is realistic for many women in our era. They may be superheroes but they’re not absolutely perfect and idealistic/unrealistic women. Even their clothing is realistic to what a real woman superhero would probably wear, nothing super tight and absolutely not explicitly revealing like past female superhero clothing.
These shows both premiered in 2015, meaning that they came out a few years before the highly popular Wonder Woman remake in 2017 which therefore means that there pretty much wasn’t a female lead superhero in the tv/movie industry since the hypersexualized films Catwoman (2004) and Elektra (2005) which is a 10-11 year womanless gap. This makes Supergirl and Jessica Jones the strong female leaders and roll models that 2015 needed and that 2019 still needs.

There are many other films that directly deal with world issues during the period that they were made, but it becomes interesting when the plot isn’t as directly in your face as it can be with films of other genres. I’m willing to bet that you could find at least one instance in every single superhero work ever created that relates back to something that was going on during its release. 

Black Panther compared to the world

Is Black Panther Similar to Events Going On In The World?

          In the movie Black Panther, it can relate to events happening in the world right now. Some of the ways that the movie connects to the real world are that some countries may be more hidden because they don't want to put themselves in danger because they think their traditions have kept them safe for so long. This sort of thinking is the same as the people in Wakanda. Other things that Black Panther portrays are the different types of wars that are going on in the world. Just like in the movie there are battles over power, technology, and dominance in modern-day countries. For certain countries now all they want is to be powerful like North Korea with things such as nuke's and just like killmonger they want people to bow before them so they can feel fulfilled with themselves. This movie can also relate to religion because the older people in the movie and in real life both want to keep the traditional ways, that they have known their whole lives, going and some may not see that they can combine both modern times and old traditions and the movie does a good job of portraying that. 

Why Black Panther is so important

The Black Panther film raises issues that are currently present in our everyday lives. Racial injustice, colonization and imperialism, and globalization are current issues and policies that are being discussed all around us. Black Panther comes at a time when although these issues are present, there is actually a very little discussion about the problems and potential solutions.
The issue of racial injustice is brought up by Killmonger throughout the film. He has watched his whole life as people have suffered and been held back and he wants to use violence to rectify these issues within society. T'Challa and all of Wakanda represent a closed off but proud and traditional society. Wakanda is the picture of injustice and peace and the main issue between many of the characters in the film is that Wakanda stays closed off. They do not offer aid to others who are suffering around the world because of the fear that they will be changed if the world knows about them.
Colonization and the effects of it are also mentioned in the film. When Killmonger goes to the British Museum to retrieve a Wakandan artifact as he is speaking with the curator for the objects he confronts her about how the museum got the objects in the first place. During colonization artifacts from countries like Africa were taken by those European or American powers who came into the country. This is a huge issue for museums around the world today, and many countries cultures are asking for objects which were looted from them to be repatriated.
Black Panther is an important film because it raises social issues present in our society and gives us the inspiration or motive to ask questions and begin conversations, to not only understand these issues but to become a part of a solution instead of a bystander.