Long Overdue

As I've been wrapping up the last month or so of school, I have fallen woefully behind on blog updating responsibilities.


BUT I am now in the final-editing-final-citation-writing phase of paper-writing, and so suddenly I have tons o' time.  And so my day today was made up of watching Parenthood on Netflix (terrible), cleaning my room (boring), actually writing those last papers (not really) and finally watching the movie Reality Bites (meh).


I think the problem with Reality Bites was that it was billed to me as (and this is an ever-so-subtle quote from the Wikipedia article) "encapsulating an era".  Like, that listening-to-Radiohead-before-they-were-cool, Clinton-campaigning era and generation I apparently missed.  "Encapsulating" is way too strong.  Things that should have been emphasized about this movie:


-It really captures the laziness of a large proportion of 20-somethings, and the resentment they tend to feel for the less-lazy among them.
-It captures some terrible haircuts.  Seriously Ethan Hawke, go see a barber.  You too, Stiller.
-Watching this movie in 2012 really shows how quickly fashion cycles - most of the outfits, between the lace-up boots and floral skirts and weird glasses, could definitely be sold at Urban Outfitters right now for way too much money.
-The grandpa guy from Frasier is in it, and is one of the most entertaining parts.
-It makes you wonder what it really takes to get 20-somethings motivated.  These people, apparently representative of a whole generation, are aimless and without ambition and unwilling to take unfulfilling jobs.  They were graduating into the labor market of the 90's, those bastards.  But, one could argue, perhaps this lack of struggle, the overabundance of jobs and opportunities, provided no impetus for them to settle into their life paths.  But...my generation is also facing a certain malaise, in large part because we have no jobs.  So is there some magic balance of jobs and unemployment that will suddenly inspire college grads to be productive, ambitious, happy members of society?  Most likely not.  Just today, one of my roommates and I were discussing the merits of some sort of post-high school community service/military service type requirement, kind of like they have in Israel.  I am scared of the military.  I am scared of giving 18-yr-olds guns.  But doing Teach for America, something totally draining and totally outside my comfort zone, was the single hardest thing I've ever done, but also did more to aid my maturity than 4 years in college.  PS I am super mature now.
-Winona Ryder was so freaking beautiful.  She should be allowed to steal everything.