League of Extraordinary Bloggers: Contrast and Compare

Well, we've done it. we've finally made it into the supper club of online writing in that this will be our first article for the League of Extraordinary Bloggers. If you're unaware (or unable to click above links) the League of Extraordinary Bloggers is a group of online writers who will discuss shared topics that usually involve popular culture and strive to share other members articles. I'm very excited to be a part of this great community and hope to make them proud (or at least entrain them in some small way).


When I saw the topic for this weeks League article I was at first taken a back. "Compare and contrast. Like the University Writing Center?" For those without a liberal arts education (or for those who had better things to do) most colleges have what are generally known as "Writing Centers" or "Centers for Critical Review" or something of the like. They were essentially offices staffed by technical writing majors where your professor would send you to "workshop" your essays or articles that didn't pass mustard. 

Like this...but with weeping.

I hated the writing center. I knew I was weak when it came to grammar and structure, my advance composition teacher in High school made me painfully aware of that. I know me no speak good, I don't need a 24 year old telling me I misplaced a comma. I KNEW THAT THE MINUTE I GOT IT BACK!!! 

Back to the point, one teaching tool (*sigh*) that they would use when entering the writing center was the contrast/compare exercise.

Because we're five and in college

These forms where meant to organize your thoughts but all they really did was insult your intelligence. So once I got my BA I forgot the trauma of these damn forms...until now. Now I see them differently, now I  see them as fun vehicles to contrast and compare my favorite topic: popular culture.

Let's use a simple topic to kick things off.  This one will be beneficial for those who saw a certain franchise film this past weekend by contrasting/comparing the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (1990) and the just released 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (2014).

Okay, that was a little mean spirited and I'm really digging deep. The film is fun (enough) and everyone should relax. But making light of it sure was fun. Let's continue with another remake of sorts by contrasting/comparing the Burton Batman and the Nolan Batman.

This is getting great. This WOULD of helped me in college. Let's use it on competing cartoons series. Strange Kids Club recently did an article about the Filmation Ghostbusters cartoon. Lot's of people have strong emotions about these two so let us contrast/compare the 'Real Ghostbusters' and the 'Filmation Ghostbusters'.

See, pros and cons in each category. Lots of cons in certain situation. Still,  I really liked both shows. How about a second dip into remake territory, this time with a focus on similar genre stories. While the silent 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) is considered the greatest film version of the classic novel right now the more popular version for many years was the second Universal 'Phantom of the Opera' (1945) film starring Claude Rains. Let's contrast/compare that with my own personal favorite version, 'Phantom of the Paradise' (1974).

See, that's good old fashion fun. Let's keep on this horror remake track with two really great films by Contrasting/comparing 'The Fly' (1958) and 'The Fly' (1986).

Again, again! I've finally found a way that a contrast/compare form works for me. Let's do one more for the king of all unnecessary remakes with Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (1960) and Gus Van Sant 'Psycho' (1998).

While I can do this till the end of days I feel like the point has been proven: contrasting/comparing pop culture is fun as all hell. So fun that I've included our own copy of the pop culture contrast/compare form that you can download. Go ahead and see what you can come up with, and if you do come up with fun ones please post them in this articles' comment section. Have a ball baby.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Now, meet in the "Specialized Student Penmanship Bungalow". We have to talk about your last essay.

Till then...do you even know how a comma works?,

Check out other League members discussing Contrast and Compare:

• The damn, dirty evolution of the 'Planet of the Apes' figures from Cool & Collected
• Canadian Nickelodeon (aka YTV) vs American Nickelodeon (aka Nickelodeon) at Pop Rewind
• TMNT in all their plastic glory throughout the years at Retro Robot Review
• Take a look at a jet that's more than meets the eye by The Man Who Stares at Toys 
• The Twilight Zone remade (with mixed results) with Kalem Klub