Kim Kardashian: Celebrity or Superwoman?

By: Mary Kiser

Not all heroes wear capes.

Courtesy of the ‘Los Angeles Times’

October 3, 2016 at 4:30 a.m. changed Kim Kardashian’s life forever.

She was robbed at gunpoint by two Frenchmen; they stole millions of dollars in jewelry, but not before they traumatized the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star. “They grabbed me and took me into the hallway. I was wearing a bathrobe, naked underneath. Then we went into the room again and they pushed me on the bed. And, it was this time, they tied me up with plastic cables and taped my hands, then they put tape over my mouth and my legs,” she recalls.

She was worried the men were going to rape and kill her, and she thought about the impact her death would have on her family and friends. If she had passed away, she just wanted her loved ones to be okay. She was worried they would be traumatized by the aftermath of the heist. “‘I have a split second in my mind to make this quick decision,’ she recalls. ‘Am I going to run down the stairs and be shot in the back? It makes me so upset to think about it,’” she explains.

Her haunting experience was a wake-up call to not just the Kardashian and Jenner clans, but to men and women across the globe. Her story of survival was a poignant reminder of how people, no matter their status, were never exempt from the horrors of the world.

The newest season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians showed the doyenne talking about the robbery for the first time. She chose to air her trauma in a fashion fit for a Kardashian – cameos. She recollected what she remembers of her experience, and fans felt like they were listening to their friend, and not a lofty celebrity.

While her raw and visceral portrayal of the story helped her heal, she wanted to help others heal, too.

“I took a tragic, horrific experience, and I didn’t let it diminish me; I grew and evolved and allowed the experience to teach me,” she tweets.

Her brutal honesty was like a breath of fresh air; she was talking about the severity of her trauma, and she was talking about her emotions during and after the incident. However, she was doing more than just speaking about her story.

She indirectly gave a voice to every trauma survivor suffering in silence, and she used her voice to let them know that they’re not alone.

Kardashian’s world stopped spinning on October 3, 2016, at 4:30 a.m., but she made her world spin, anyway. Not all superwomen wear capes.   

Kelly Osbourne’s Opiate Addiction’s a Wake-Up Call

By: Mary Kiser

Courtesy of SheKnows

Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne, recently talked about her own demons. She was addicted to opiates, namely Vicodin. When she was 13 years old, she was prescribed the pill after her tonsils were surgically removed. However, she was just dabbling with the narcotic. She became physically dependent when she was 16 years old. “I was relaxed, tingly and happy. The next morning, I called the guy and bought two or three pills for about $20,” she reveals in her autobiography Fierce.

Her parents only discovered her habit through paparazzi photographs of their daughter buying drugs. They soon admitted her to an expensive rehab. She had no desire to get clean, though. She was in a constant cycle of relapse. However, she was able to get sober in her early twenties.

Osbourne has fame and fortune, but her story of addiction is common among most addicts. Like her, they use drugs as their coping mechanisms. Rehabs, hospitals, and clinical care are costly. While Osbourne was lucky enough to have the money and the means, very few addicts can say the same.

There’s still hope, though.

If people can raise awareness about the global epidemic, then they can find their solution to not just addiction, but to the brain disease’s preexisting conditions, like mental illness and trauma.

There may not be a cure for addiction, but there will always be help.

Three Generations of Extraterrestrial Talent

By: Mary Kiser

People knew Carrie Fisher as the original Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars. Her iconic performance led to critical acclaim and a multitude of fandoms. Unfortunately, she died of a heart attack at only 60-years-old. Her daughter, Billie Lourd, was in pieces. She said of her mother, “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly.” As Lourd and loved ones coped with the tragedy, they lost Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, a day later.

Fisher shared a special bond with Reynolds. Their relationship was complicated, but that never diminished their unity. Counselor David Kessler told USA TODAY, “I think it’s extremely underdiagnosed. I think it’s more common than we believe.” Reynolds passed away from overwhelming heartache. With two beautiful women gone too soon, their families were left broken. Reynolds’ son, Todd Fisher, spoke with an Associated Press representative about his mother’s anguish. He stated, “She said, ‘I want to be with Carrie.’ And then she was gone.”

Even though both were pronounced dead, their legacies were still alive. Fisher was less like a princess and more like a warrior. She conquered addiction, and profited from it. For example, her autobiography, Wishful Drinking, evolved into an HBO documentary. Reynolds’ Hollywood accomplishments included lucrative blockbusters, an Oscar nomination, and her two children. The doyennes were powerhouses. Fisher’s own daughter, Lourd, followed suit. Her memorable character, a Chanel, in Scream Queens captivated audiences. She inherited her grandmother’s looks and her mother’s talent. With that killer combination, her potential’s limitless. Fisher and Reynolds were proud, and through Lourd, their spirits still “sur-thrive.”

The Most RACES Show On Earth! is the Show to End All Racism

Popular comedic showcase promoting diversity returns to Charleston, SC for one night only  – Tickets on sale now!

CHARLESTON, SC – August 15, 2016 - North America’s most defining, multicultural stand-up comedy showcase is set to return to the Charleston Music Hall for a third year in a row!

Ending racism is a monumental task, but one that creator/producer Neil Bansil has been working toward for over 10 years. “In 2004, I created “The Most RACES Show on Earth!” to not only showcase some of the funniest stand-up comics, but I also wanted to use it as a platform to create dialogue about race and culture,” says Bansil, creator and producer of MRSOE!  “It’s important to me to be able to give audiences access to comedians from many different cultural backgrounds in an effort to show that no matter who is on stage, their perspectives on life are not that different.”

If there is one goal that MRSOE! would like to accomplish, it is as simple as getting people from as many different backgrounds to hang out together.  Racism stems from the fear of the unknown, including different cultures and customs.  

On Thursday, September 8^th, The Most RACES Show on Earth! will unabashedly put the topic of race front and center.  Comedians will be uncensored and free to speak their truths about race, culture and everything in between.  The truth may shock some, but Bansil says, “There is shock value in the truth, but it’s that initial shock that helps us to better understand one another.” Comedy has the ability to tackle relationships between different cultures head on.  

America is a melting pot of different cultures, and its beauty is deeply rooted in diversity. With many of the racially fuelled conflicts that have recently occurred, and racial discourse continuing to be an issue in the current Presidential campaigns, the issue of race and racism seems increasingly relevant. And with Charleston enduring recent tragedies like the Mother Emanuel Church and Walter Scott shootings,  The Most RACES Show on Earth! may be needed now more than ever.  We may not end racism completely, but we are going to do our part to make a difference and hopefully make people laugh along the way. 

MRSOE! will be hosted by:
Cory ‘Zooman’ Miller – Atlanta, GA (Comedy Central, NBC’s Tonight Show) (African-American)

The hilarious line-up also includes:
• KT Tatara – Los Angeles, CA (NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) (Japanese-American)
• Dave Merheje – Los Angeles, CA (Just for Laughs, NBC’s Stand-Up for Diversity) (Lebanese-Canadian)
• Dino Archie – Vancouver, BC (Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy Central) (African-American)
• Amir K – Los Angeles, CA (MADtv, Comedy Central, CBS’s Comics Unleashed) (Iranian-American)
• Rob HaZe – Brooklyn, NY (Comedy Central, Laughing Skull Festival) (African-American)

Music by: DJ Sparkbox

Also...Beatboxer Chance Rine and Breakdancer Delma Rahming performing LIVE!

The Most RACES Show on Earth! takes place on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 8:00pm at the Charleston Music Hall.  Tickets are $15.00 adults; $10 Military & students (with ID – at box office only).  For tickets, call (843) 853-2252; online at www.mrsoe.com or visit the Charleston Music Hall box office at 37 John St. Charleston, SC 29403. 

About MRSOE!

Founded in 2004, The Most RACES Show on Earth! is North America’s premier stand-up comedy show that aims to create dialogue about race and culture through laughter.  

For more information, please visit; www.mrsoe.com

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Media contact:

Neil Bansil
neil@mrsoe.com
(843) 714-3855

 

Disney's Movie Remakes

By: Callie Ball

Even if you’re not an avid Disney fan you have probably still noticed that a majority of their new releases have been remakes. Remakes of some of the most iconic films that became instant classics and still have us humming their tunes.

Tunes like “The Bare Necessities” which was re-featured in Disney’s The Jungle Book live-action-remake, which debuted last month. And according to Forbes, had a domestic weekend opening of $103 million. Last year Disney gave us a Cinderella movie that had fans ecstatic months before it was to be released. They accomplished this by showing a sixty-six second trailer that showed nothing but the glass slipper. And this August the remake of Pete’s Dragon will hit theaters.

So far, every Disney remake has been considerably different from its original version, but what do these remakes have the originals don’t? Take 2014’s Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, which took the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty and told it from the perspective of the character Maleficent. The 2015 Cinderella version is much darker than the original 1950's version, with no singing mice or animals helping her get dressed, the step sisters end up cutting of their feet and having their eyes pecked out.

Have you figured it out yet? What the remakes have that the originals do not?

Better plots, and stronger characters.

The prince is no longer the one to always jump in, kiss the girl and save the day. Characters don’t put their lives in the hands (or paws) of others all the time.

Disney has given us the old stories and made them new. With The Jungle Book they told us how it is better to be yourself and not always follow the pack. In Alice in Wonderland they proved a girl can be the hero. In Maleficent we saw that there is more than one kind of true love. And Cinderella showed us that having courage and being kind is always the best policy.

I doubt Disney will stop remaking the beloved classics since there is little risk for them. There is already a fan base and not a single of the recent live action remakes has flopped at the box office. Disney has already confirmed several more live action remakes and most aren’t expecting them to be anything less than phenomenal. Bryan Cogman from the Game of Thrones is said to have been signed on for the remake of The Sword in The Stone. This makes me wonder, how dark is Disney willing to go? Tim Burton is set to direct a live action Dumbo and Peter Hedges is signed to write the script for Pinocchio, and Alex Ross Perry is slated to direct the live action version of Winnie the Pooh. I hope they can continue on the high they have been riding, as well as not butchering any of our beloved childhood movies.

With an Excruciating Rotten Tomatoes Rating of 29

By: Terry Beyer

With an excruciating Rotten Tomatoes rating of 29, many began reading Batman vs. Superman its last rites before the doors even opened. I think these same critics would walk out on a Cary Grant classic because it had too many one liners or call Clint Eastwood a cliché tough guy. Walking into this movie a week after it came out, I was too busy hiding from spoilers on Facebook to build too much anticipation. Sitting mid theater with a large bucket of popcorn and collectible Bats Vs Sup's cup (I sprung for the extra 70 cents), I wanted only 3 things:

One: Batman and Superman to square off, see who can take and give a hit.

Two: No long drawn out origin story.

Three: Wonder Woman to join the party and not need the boys to fight her fights

Walking out, and keeping spoilers to a minimum, I was not disappointed. No one goes to see Batman Vs. Superman expecting a deep plot, relatable characters and emotional attachment (apart from special effects induced adrenaline, but hey I don't do roller coasters, gotta get it somewhere). I didn't want clean cut superheroes, fighting for justice and mankind. No! I wanted to see personal vendettas, human nature, and our heroes get a bit flustered. What's more, this movie opened the door to the DC universe that promised a darker superhero conglomeration, with a little grit and no small amount of awesome. As I sign off to go watch Arsenic and Old Lace (seriously, great movie, Cary Grant and Theodore Roosevelt make a great team), I tell you to go watch Batman Vs Superman and expect to see a superpowered face-off. You won't be disappointed. Take a skeptic with you. The extra 70 cents for the collector’s cup is worth it.
   

Requiem for a Dream

By: Mary Kiser

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This movie reminds me of The Weeknd's Trilogy. It reflects the short Heaven and bitter Hell of drug use; it's the diesel in the needle that shoots you to the moon and back, and it's why Darren Aronofsky is one of my favorite directors. He's like a baker making a cake, combining all the necessary ingredients in order to make it both delicious and addicting. The movie is made with brilliant acting credited to Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans. They, along with powerful music that envelops the characters throughout the highs and lows of their usage, portray the "deviled" experience that junkies and tweakers can relate to all too well and ill.

If the "Just Say No" program doesn't work for you, I highly recommend this movie. It doesn't glamorize drugs and the users; instead, what seems like a promising painting, is smeared with the hard and harrowing facts of what continued pill-popping, dope-snorting, and needle-injecting can do to a person, and how it transforms them into a person they don't even recognize.

 

Labor Day: Movie Review

by: Reilly Chapman

     Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, is a modern day romance movie with a twist. If you like happily-ever-afters, this movie is for you….sort of. Kate Winslet (most known for her role in Titanic) is extraordinary; this film really shows off her talent as an actress. Josh Brolin, even though I had never seen any movies he has acted in before, really impressed me. Not many people can portray a sensitive, romantic murderer.

     This movie does a really fantastic job of making you feel the emotions Kate Winslet is feeling, and really places you in her position.
     I thought it was a little predictable and cheesy at times, but if you like romantic films, this is a must see. I am more of an action movie lover myself, but I enjoyed this movie nonetheless.

     I give this movie 3 stars out of 5, for the simple fact that I found it slow at times and I felt it was lacking action.

Tony Bennett: Duets II

By Taylor Hastings

Tony Bennett is one of the coolest cats of the past sixty years. As one of the most esteemed crooners, Bennett is as popular today as ever. Although he is one of the last singers of the greatest generation of music, he does what only Mr. Bennett could pull off at the age of 80.

Freshwater Fishing on a Student Budget

Photo by Dino De Luca

By Taylor Hastings

Why fishing? South Carolinians are blessed with a wonderfully tangled web of water and land. Fish is a mainstay in our culture, recipes, tourism and economy. Charleston offers a great variety of fish, temperate weather, and numerous bodies of water. Fortunately, fishing is inexpensive, local, and without a dress code. Charleston’s waterways never close up shop. And fishing can be whatever you want it to be, casual or competitive, enjoyed individually or with your friends and family.  Did I mention it is for women too? Men can no longer keep the fun all to themselves. Fishing is for everyone.