BOOK REVIEWS

A Child Called "it" (Dave Pelzer)

Review by Averille Goh

Photo credit: http://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/child-called-it

A Child Called ‘it’ is an autobiography about a young boy called David Pelzer and the struggle he had endured to stay alive during his abusive childhood  from the age of 4 to 12 years. Dave’s mother was once a mom who loved and treated him equally like his two brothers but things took a turn when she turned to drugs and alcohol while Dave became her target for abuse and even referred to Dave as an ‘it’. Throughout his childhood, Dave lived in constant fear of starvation, torture and would be severely punished for his mistakes. He wasn’t allowed to sleep in the house and stayed in the garage. Dave’s father who is a fireman was once supportive of him but  later became unsupportive during Dave’s time of abuse. He would only watch helplessly as his son gets beaten while his brothers were not allowed to acknowledge him. Dave’s father was his only source of protection but eventually moved out of the house, leaving Dave with no hope of being rescued.

Dave’s mother would not feed him so he had to come up with ways to eat because of his will and determination to survive. When his mom suspects he had eaten something, she would make him throw up and sometimes make him eat it. This was just the beginning for his abuse. Dave’s mother did not hide her abuse and would make Dave go to school in dirty clothes. She also made up stories for Dave to tell anyone who ever asked about his bruises. Dave’ abuse became so bad that he hoped his mom was going to kill him.

The story goes on about his constant daily abuse before he was finally rescued by elementary school officials after they grew suspicious.In the end, Dave grew up and became a father, leaving his past behind and sharing his story to the world.

Chicken Soup for the Soul (Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen)

Review by Farah Nabila

Photo credit: http://www.technologytell.com/entertainment/files/2015/01/chicken-soup-for-the-soul.jpg

I am not an avid reader, but the book “Chicken Soup for the Soul” by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen has strongly attracted me. The Chicken Soup for the Soul book series of over 250 titles has sold more than 110 million copies in the U.S. and Canada. Most of the stories are written by teenagers themselves. It is basically a combination of different teenagers’ stories combined in one book. This book consists of motivational true stories that people of different ages could relate to. Many of the stories creates an emotional result with the intention of wanting the readers to put themselves into the writers’ situation. It sort of put the readers into a roller coaster ride. When I first read “Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul”, it surprisingly attracted my attention into reading more. That was when I started to be obsessed on this book.

As a human, we will always face challenges in life. By reading this book, I can actually apply the moral values in my daily life. Every chapter ends with a quote that are substantial and relatable. The chapters are not necessarily serious and emotional. In fact, some has a little bit of humor added in it to keep the readers entertained. One of my favorites chapter is “Living with Depression” by Crystal High. Even though it is only a 3 paragraph story, it meant a lot to me. The story talks about Crystal’s struggles on facing with family challenges and depression. Crystal and her mother both had depression. Crystal talked about her difficulties and dilemmas faced in the outside world. She was so depressed to the extend where she swallowed a whole a bottle of Benadryl. That incident had opened her eyes to the fact that suicide is never the answer. She then slowly recovered and decided to never look back ever again.

To summarize, I would definitely recommend this book to any teens or adults out there who would like to get some inspirations. Personally, I feel like this book is underrated and people out there should absolutely give it a shot!

Man and Boy (Tony Parsons)

Review by Farah Hana

Photo credit: http://coffeecrackers.blogspot.my/2010/01/man-and-boy.html#.VgK0j8uqpBc

Man and Boy by Tony Parsons remained as one of the many books where the pages flipped itself. Although having the briefest of descriptions written on the back of the book, it was enough to understand the family themed message Parsons was going for. Man and Boy was often mistaken as Parsons’ first novel but this could not be further from the truth. In fact, Parsons had many books written before the fast selling Man and Boy but sadly, were forgotten. He did not stop at Man and Boy though, instead Parsons wrote two more novels; Man and Wife and Men From The Boys. I had picked up Man and Boy expecting a somewhat serious storyline but was proven wrong, the book constantly got tears and laughs out of me, which had strangers around me worried.

Man and Boy starts off simple yet effective. The love showed both by Harry and Gina Silver towards each other and their son, Pat Silver, had unconsciously made me feel envious. Although their marriage was broken off by Harry Silver’s one night stand with a co-worker, Harry managed to maintain a strong, loving relationship with his son even when Pat longed for his mother, who had moved to Japan. She did not stay for long though, when coming back into Harry’s life, she only wanted one thing back; their son.

Having stereotyped fathers for a huge part of my life, the book mildly changed my views and had temporarily put me in their shoes. I did not have to be married nor have children to enjoy and truly relate to the book, being a teenage girl with a broken family was enough for me to understand the family values Parsons had implemented. Although the ending was arguable, it was implied why Harry made the choice of letting Pat stay with his mother. The book, written from Harry’s point of view, would definitely have caused the readers to go through a whirlwind of emotions, as it did for me. 

Into the Wild (John Krakauer) 

Review by Nur Batrisyia

Photo credit: http://www.carinemccandless.com/?page_id=209

Into the Wild earns a spot in my all-time favourite books list due to the captivating and raw biographical story of Christopher McCandless. Written in intense detail by John Krakauer, he tries to relate McCandless’ story to his own experiences as a former adventurer.

Christopher McCandless, a college graduate, rejects the life of his privileged upbringing. Infuriated at the world and the lies he has been fed, he decides to venture into the Alaskan wilderness. Without informing his family about his whereabouts and discarding his material possessions – including burning his credit cards and donating his entire life savings, McCandless left home to experience a life in solitude.

During his two-year travels to Alaska, McCandless embraces a new identity and introduces himself as “Alexander Supertramp”. He documents his experiences in a journal and encounters several people whom eventually shaped his life. Fellow adventurer Jan Burres met McCandless and the two formed a close bond. McCandless then encounters businessman Wayne Westerberg whom offered him a job at a harvesting company, where he worked with determination and enthusiasm. Later, he meets Ronald Franz, a retired marine whom offered to adopt McCandless. After failing to persuade McCandless to discontinue his plans, Franz ultimately drives McCandless to his final destination.

Arriving in Alaska, McCandless is sufficed with serendipity. Unfortunately, his idealistic journey ends in a tragedy. McCandless began starving and desperately searched for an escape. He eventually accepts his fate, proven by his final message, “I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL.”. His remains were found approximately two weeks after his death.

Despite several critics, I found McCandless's story uplifting. He refuses to let society dictate his life and follows his own path. McCandless wrote, “It is the experiences, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found.” As someone who continuously tries to fit in and impress others, I found the greatest joy in feeling content with my being. Short as it was, McCandless life was fulfilled, adventurous and passionate. How many people can say that?

IMPROVING THE READING HABITS OF MALAYSIANS

Written by Averille Goh & Farah Nabila

Reading habits in Malaysia has reached a downfall and has been a topic of concern to the public. The pace of technology is overpowering our desire to read - enslaving us to gadgets. Our generation are more exposed to the media, resulting in our negligible of books. Our lifestyle is prioritized by television and social media, therefore we find difficulty in time management.

Acquiring someone to read is no easy task and should be installed by parents to their children at a young age. Reading habits are important and should be implemented while children are still searching for their personal interests. A suggestion for parents is to create a home library or a reading room at home. A special and quiet place to read will encourage children to expand their knowledge, interests and sparks imagination. On the contrary, parents can plan frequent visits to the local library and expose their children to more choices and preferences of books. Forcing children to read advanced materials should not be further promoted as it may lead to the loss of interest. Reading should not be looked as another chore, but rather, a state of peace.

It is said that parents who are readers will motivate children to read. With that being said, parents should be role models in vitalizing reading. Parents may assist their children to repeat after them when reading a story to boost their grammar and pronunciation. After completing a book, parents can ask their children for a brief summary about their reading. Activities to improve reading such as reading during spare time, before bed or during potty sessions can be organized at home. Though it may not seem like much, it helps build interest.  

Another way to improve literacy is by enlightening reading advertisements. Advertising companies should make reading advertisements extra creative to attract the audiences' attention. Increasing billboards, flyers and commercials about the importance of reading will emphasize the value of reading to society. Schools also play an important role in encouraging reading to students. Organizing frequent book sales on school grounds will influence students to read. Students are always on the hunt for cheap books, therefore book sales with inexpensive prices would be a tremendous success in revitalizing reading habits.

It is to no doubt that people are more interested in reading facts. If newspapers and magazines provide interesting facts about the qualities of reading, society would prompt reading habits. People will feel satisfied knowing reading has benefits and will genuinely enjoy continuing the habit. Printed medias should also adapt to the idea of using different colored papers, filters, and lenses over texts to attract readers who prefers vibrance. For example, printed medias can publish interesting book covers since people tend to judge a book by it's cover.

In addition, readers should also explore different types of genres, which will ultimately help readers discover their personal interests. However, we should avoid ridiculing people who chooses to read a certain genre. As an individual, we must promote originality and diversity.

A few wise words from Mark Twain, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”

Photo credit: https://40.media.tumblr.com/2954f4409bc3ac0c5249e666dd8fade1/tumblr_mtoq3bDlVC1sp33igo1_500.jpg

Researcher: Farah Hana

Editor: Nur Batrisyia

Written by Nur Batrisyia & Farah Hana

The rise of mass media has introduced us to various icons, each representing different professions in the world of media. 

Harith Iskander and Louis Székely are notable comedians, specializing in stand-up comedy. 

MALAYSIAN MEDIA ICON

Photo credit: https://instagram.com/p/36NEQDQeS9/?taken-by=harithiskander

Harith Iskander is a local comedian, born in Johor Bahru and raised in Kuala Lumpur. At the age of 18, he pursued his education in Australia. Of Malay and Scottish parentage, Harith was often teased by his peers. In an interview with Jacqueline Ann Surin for “The Nut Graph”, Harith explained his sense of humor developed from being called “cendol” and “celup”. He never felt anger, but instead acknowledged the insult. Harith has been involved in the entertainment industry for nearly 23 years, starting his career in the Klang Valley circuit. From his first show standing in front of 6 people at a lobby lounge bar, he has now performed in countries such as Australia, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. Despite his profession as a comedian, he is also a passionate actor, producer and host. 

While most comedians uses profanity as a major part of their act, Harith's materials are based on his own observations of human nature. His punchlines which are not sexual, political or racial based is a breath of fresh air. In addition, he is not afraid to use new materials and often performs spontaneously. As a prestige comedian, he is a proud representative of Malaysia and lives by the trust that humor is a universal language, regardless of culture and religion. His reputation as a successful comedian has already landed him an admirable legacy – earning the title of “Godfather of Malaysian Comedy”.

Harith Iskander still remains modest despite his fame. He inspires people of all ages to think critically and creatively. Such attitude is extremely influential and uplifting.

"As a comedian, I can't complain when someone else does what I do - but does it better. I wish I was a Malaysian taxi driver instead." - Harith Iskander

FOREIGN MEDIA ICON

Photo credit: http://www.wired.com/2012/06/louis-ck-music-industry/

Louis Székely, professionally known as Louis C.K. is an American comedian. Born in Washington, D.C., he moved to Mexico at the age of one, and moved to the U.S. again at the age of seven to live in Boston, Massachusetts. His interest in television sparked when he grew up watching monotonous TV programmes. Soon after working as an auto mechanic, he moved to New York to turn to comedy. Louis had a tough life - unsuccessful audition, financial issues, serious accident and cancelled shows before rising to prominence when his show Louie – which he writes, produces, directs and stars in, won several Emmy awards. He has since performed in numerous shows and traveled to many countries.

Louis is still a relevant comedian to this day due to his modern sense of humor. His punchlines are universal and relatable, often relating to social matters. Although he uses foul language in his materials, Louis is respected for defending same-sex marriage and avoiding political insults. His work ethic is exceptional as he drops all his existing materials and starts over every year, new and improved.

In spite of several struggles in life, Louis remained motivated and passionate. He worked his way up from being a staff writer to a producer of his own comedy series. As said by Louis himself, “failure is the road to becoming great”. His story inspires people to chase after theirs dreams and face all challenges with positivity.

"The meal isn't over when I'm full, the meal is over when I hate myself." - Louis C.K.

MALAYSIAN MEDIA CHALLENGES

Malaysian media has said to be inadequate. Controversies involving singers choosing to be based overseas, film industry lacking imagination and news media restrained by the government are some of the challenges faced by the local media industry.

Artists based overseas are usually more recognized. Expanding horizons increases fame and possibilities, which ultimately spreads high perceptions towards our country. With that being said, local singers based overseas should be honoured instead of criticised. For example, Yuna Zarai, who is originally from Alor Setar has been reprimanded for choosing to be based in Los Angeles. Despite the insults, she remains mature and gave her response via Instagram, of which one sentence stood out, “Alhamdulillah I get to travel and meet people and I think about how lucky I am to be a Malaysian Muslim and spread positive vibes to those who need it regardless of their race and religion! I'm blessed to be able to learn so much about life, God's green earth and Islam more than I did back home.” Which goes to show, we should not restrict ourselves from experiencing and exploring. Travelling benefits us in many ways, including learning about other cultures while teaching ours. As the saying goes, “Seek education, even if it takes you to China”.

The Malaysian film industry is known for recycling ideas and plots. The lack of originality has diminished the public’s interest in Malaysian movies, draining the support the film industry needs to screen more movies. Approaching different genres of movies will create more variety for the public. Also, fresh ideas should not be turned down in purpose of maintaining the conservatives’ support. Instead, we should promote diversity and include story lines that are not always related to religion. Our film industry should be able to expand our minds to different concepts and not allow our society to stay in a bubble for the rest of our lives.

Portraying ordinary characters instead of unrealistic beauty is important to install acceptance. Fictional characters with standards that are impossible to reach should be discontinued. Icons should also vary in sizes, race and religion, thus eliminating the concept of "perfection". On the contrary, the film industry should consider eradicating stereotypes when it comes to certain races. For example, Chinese people are usually characterized as gangsters, Malay people are depicted as illegal street racers and finally, Indian people are painted as drunks. These stereotype beliefs encourages our country to stay divided instead of blending with one another. 

News media has become a platform to receive and share information. However, the government are still restricting certain content and focuses hugely on politics. News should be relevant and important, focusing on highlights all around the globe. Widely discussed politics that has taken over the media in our country will result in conflicts. In order for the public to be able to receive an equivalent amount of hard news and soft news, the government should take a step back and allow contrasts between the two. Allowing various topics to be the main focus of a newspaper grants readers of other interests to pick up the newspaper and skim through articles of their interest. 

Source(s):

http://www.biography.com/people/louis-ck-21014255#personal-life

http://www.thenutgraph.com/harith-iskanders-%E2%80%9Crace-malaysia%E2%80%9D/

https://www.facebook.com/HARITHISKANDERCOMEDIAN/info?tab=page_info

https://instagram.com/p/6wi6dlujK7/?taken-by=yunamusic 



Researcher: Averille Goh
Editor: Farah Nabila

Written by Nur Batrisyia & Farah Nabila

With the advance of technology, the important role of storytelling has been devolved to mass media. Scriptwriters and directors have replaced primary storytellers such as parents and teachers. This is proven true by the media, mainly television. In addition to becoming a platform to expose various cultures to the public, mass media takes away cultural boundaries and gives us different perspectives of various cultures. Such interpretations allows us the opportunity to explore and understand different cultures. Ultimately, the media, shaping and changing our culture, defines our realities. Hence, given the title “cultural storyteller”.

The conservatives in Malaysia are constantly uttering controversies and contention towards the differences between the Western culture and the Malaysian culture. It is to no doubt that storytelling has become a fundamental part of mass media. However, to what extend has the media influenced our perception and acceptance of certain cultures? The way we think, feel, and act are highly influenced by the media. The media even imposes our fashion sense and social standards. Since the Western culture is dominating mass media, we are unconsciously adapting to their lifestyles.

Television is one of the most influential and widely used media in the world today. Evolving throughout the years, television plays a fundamental role in entertaining, informing and influencing.

Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother are television sitcoms that has doubtlessly influenced audience's perception of culture and reality as well as promotes cultural values.


EQUALITY

Equality and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) has become an important issue to the world today. While most of us are still conservative and traditional, due to the incorporated homosexuals in TV shows, we are more accepting towards the homosexual lifestyle. Modern Family is one of the many shows that has gay leads – Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett, whom are happily married with an adopted daughter. How I Met Your Mother also portrays the importance of acceptance towards homosexuals as the lead character Barney Stinson – a womanizer, loves and accepts his gay African-American half-brother James Stinson for who he is, despite their different sexual interests. Barney’s best friends, Lily Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen also expresses their support towards homosexuality as they both agreed to love their child, Marvin Eriksen regardless of his sexuality, while he was only a baby.


AGE DISPARITY IN RELATIONSHIPS

Age disparity in relationships are usually associated with wealth. Women who are sexually involved with older men are often categorized as “gold diggers”. However, the modern world has given us a positive perspective to age disparity through the television. In the show Modern Family, Gloria Pritchett is married to Jason Pritchett, who is of middle age and often mistaken as her father. However, they show a great level of affection towards each other, which eliminates the belief of “gold diggers”. Ted Mosby, the lead character of How I Met Your Mother was also involved in an age disparity relationship when he briefly dated his graduate student at the university where he teaches. Student-teacher romance is still a sensitive issue to this day, however the media reveals the norm in what seemed like a completely unethical and inappropriate behaviour.


FAMILY VALUES

Claire Dunphy portrays an overprotective mother of her three children in Modern Family. She is loving but strict, and is often approached by her friends for parenting advices. Her husband, Philip Dunphy is described as a “cool dad” and uses a parenting method he calls “peerenting”, which is a combination of peer and parent. He tries to relate to his children like a peer but ultimately acts as a parent. Lili Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen are loving and overly attached parents of their son Marvin Eriksen in How I Met Your Mother. They do not trust their child in the hands of any stranger and are not able to stay away from their child without constantly thinking about him. As soon as Marvin was born, Lily and Marshall entrusted their three best friends to become his godparents in case they pass away. Both TV shows portrays different parenting skills, therefore removes the stereotype belief that Western parents are permissive.

Photo credit (from left to right):  https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/modern-5__140605173923.jpg & http://ibutajir.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/how-i-met-your-mother-poster-bca998.jpg

In conclusion, mass media strongly influences and shapes our perceptions about reality through the role of cultural storytelling. While there are clear benefits, there is always a downside. The primary goal of mass media is to sell and entertain, whereas education and facts are often minor considerations. What is being shown by the media is not necessarily beneficial, but profitable. The constant exposure of sex images, excessive violence and explicit usage of vulgar words is unhealthy to children. Extreme praising of celebrities will ultimately result in depression, lack of self-esteem and anorexia. The media also tends to use racism to form enemies and hatred to certain cultures. It is to our responsibility to question and interpret the media in a thoughtful manner. Parents should restrict certain content to their children and educate them with actual facts. When used wisely, the media can install important social values in our lives. In addition to becoming a civilized nation, we must accept diversity.

Source:

http://www.academia.edu/1302382/How_modern_is_Modern_Family_A_Critical_Review_on_the_U.S._Sitcom_Regard

http://familyvaluesinthemedia.blogspot.my/

Researcher: Farah Hana
Editor: Averille Goh 

Despite all the drama, heated discussions and WhatsApp blue ticks, we have successfully formed a blog as part of our Discovering Mass Communication project. 

Meet the Misfits!

Nur Batrisyia

Managing Director of East Meets West.

Self-taught writer and comedian. I use fancy words and make unamusing jokes to disguise my failures in life. Passionate indie lover and heavy sleeper. I spend my leisure time watching underrated movies. Easily fascinated and extremely honest. Racism, bigotry and fake piety loathes me. I do not believe in labels as I feel everyone should be treated equally. Favorite form of exercise includes procrastination. I treasure the people in my life whom I consider my greatest inspirations. Also extremely vulgar but tries to behave decently. Skilled at imitating. My hobbies are breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. Planning to live with my parents if marrying various celebrity crushes proves impossible. My ultimate fear is not living life.

In other words, a pretentious hipster.

Farah Hana

For starters, I rather go by Farah Hazizan and people have yet to connect the dots that being called Hana makes me physically cringe. I can’t swim, but, for some reason, I am capable of scuba diving. If you were to even mutter the word feminism, you’ll be able to hear me screech from the next room. Jogging actually makes me somewhat happy, even if I endure a couple hours of immense pain afterwards. Swearing is my second nature. I’m incredibly amused by everything, I might as well be rebirthed. I’ve had my hair touched one too many times. To finish it off, a few wise words that I can relate to by Ellen DeGeneres, “I've always said, I like my coffee like I like my men… I don't drink coffee.”

Averille Goh

Brought up with a family of six which includes my parents, an older sister, a younger brother and a younger sister in Kuching for my whole life and currently pursuing my study in Communication at Taylor's University in Selangor. I would describe myself as a perfectionist as I like having things done my own way and I wouldn't give up without a fight. Apart from that, I would also describe myself as someone who is strong-willed, creative and an easy going person who has a passion for sports. I like to keep an open mind at all times and think before I speak. As the saying goes, "The world is full of hate and pain. Must words be hateful too?". I'd also like to think of myself as someone who is mysterious. I'm a picky eater and have stopped consuming red meat for two years now after watching a video of animals getting slaughtered. Haha. I still eat chicken, though. It's a big step to becoming a vegetarian. Personally wise, I would describe myself as an ambivert - a person who is intermediate between extrovert and introvert. 


Farah Nabila

They call me Farah. Well since we have two Farah(s) in class now, that means I am "Farah N." A music and art appreciator. Everything about music makes me very happy. My hobby is creating/playing music and cheerleading. What I like about cheerleading is that when you lift a human being, you put 100% concentration on them. When you're too busy focusing on someone's life above your head (literally), you tend to forget about all the problems you have, like nothing else matters but them. Also enjoys going on adventures with family & friends. Lastly, I get very sensitive over little things. 

Stay tuned for future updates!

East Meets West.