project 102: The Art of Getting By, LOL & Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

I guess I am a prude. Correction- I'm a prude for certain.

I've recently seen two "teenybopper" movies and sadly, they're not how they used to be. I miss John Hughes. Actually, a friend told me that 80s movies were more grabe but I don't know if that comment was applicable to all movie genres or just to 80s bomba films, haha. Going back... it's just these days, they're kind of justifying the sexual promiscuity, drug use and alcoholism of teenagers- yes, teenagers! Kids as young as 13 are "experimenting," so to speak. It's just that in the 80s or 90s, sexual promiscuity, drug use and alcoholism wasn't the norm or at least kids don't wear it like a badge as kids nowadays do.

The Art of Getting By

A high school kid in a hurry to go out of high school and I don't really remember if he wants to get into university or he just wants to get out of school in general. George (Freddie Highmore) is graduating soon but his teachers & principal will not allow him to do so if he doesn't study his lessons, submit his projects and assignments. He meets Sally (Emma Roberts) and suddenly he's filled with his newfound joie de vivre, only Sally isn't your girl-next-door type kind of heroine that's typical of John Hughes films. Actually, she is trouble. Sally breaks his heart and he spirals back to his old apathetic self. Then he suddenly finds out about the hardships of his mother which made him decide to do what is required of him to graduate from high school.

So is it just me or this kid is self-centered? Everything's not about YOU and at least do things because you need to not for anyone else but yourself. Life is hard as it is, do not make it harder for others. I remember reading this YA book showing the different facets of a person's life. It was an interesting read because you'd get to understand the person better and why they're such. So I don't know if what are George's issues are but if I were to judge it by face value, it seems that he's just disinterested with life in general.

Laughing Out Loud (LOL)

Lola, Lol for short, is one of the most popular girls in her high school. This is a story about 15-year-olds who are into sexual promiscuity, drug use and alcoholism. Does this mean that society equates "coolness" with doing the abovementioned?

Personally, I find it unsettling that kids nowadays have a different set of values. We keep hearing our parents and our grandparents saying that back in the days, things were different, kids were more respectful, etc. Does this mean that every generation gets worse in time? Or are we just more open to things now? It's just that if I were a parent, siguro hindi na ako makakatulog sa kakaisip kung saan ang anak ko at anong ginagawa niya. I remember a batchmate telling me that sometimes her boyfriend sleeps over in their house and I was like, "and your mom's okay with it?" in my mind. I know, I know, it's very judgmental of me but I feel like we're instilling the wrong set of values in our youth these days. If I do that and my nephew sees it, he'll think it is okay. Monkey see, monkey do.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Lindsay Lohan circa sanity. I liked Lindsay Lohan. She could have been great. Looking at the girls from Mean Girls, napagiwanan na siya nang bonggang bongga ni Rachel McAdams at Amanda Seyfried. Anyway...

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is not exactly my cup of tea. Yes I love teenybopper films but I prefer those of the rom-com kind than this with kakikayan, so the first time I watched this I didn't really like it. I watched it again yesterday when it was on TV and it wasn't that bad naman pala. In fairness, medyo na enjoy ko siya. You see, I miss this kind of teenybopper movies.

I think kids nowadays are in such a hurry to grow up. Please don't. You go through childhood only once and once you miss it, it's gone forever. Puede ka naman mag-asal teenager when you're, say, 30... but then that is not cute anymore; actually, may term jan- nagmumurang kamatis haha. Eh basta, they're taking life too seriously at such a young age, IMHO.

O diba, I'm a prude :P