In the 1998 movie The Truman Show, directed by Peter Weir, Jim Carey plays Truman Burbank, unbeknownst to him, the star of a reality TV show. Every second of his life is filmed, edited, and turned into a show for the rest of the world to see. Not even a single other person in Truman’s world is real, as every single one of them are actors, including his wife and best friend. The satirical movie comments on the fabrication of modern reality TV, emphasizing that nothing in reality TV is actually real anymore.

In reality TV shows that you and I know, like Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Real House wives, and Dance moms, things will be exaggerated and edited to gain the most views for the show. This is all done in the hopes of making the most money possible. In the Truman Show they did what real life reality TV producers could only dream of, maxing out on efficiency and profit.

The main satirical strategy used here is Hyperbole. The Truman Show is exaggerating real reality TV to prove a point. In real life, TV show producers face obstacles such as working hours, people not cooperating, missing angles/crucial camera shots, ect. In the Truman Show, the producers found a way to get rid of all of those obstacles , something that real producers have found themselves wishing they could do. The only kicker is, in order to make this dream a reality, they had to take someone’s (Truman’s) life away.

The Ironic thing about the Truman show is that it is labeled as a reality TV when it couldn’t be anything further from reality. It follows Truman through his day to day life and poses as a reality TV show, when everything in it is fake. Its fake world, in a fake dome, with fake people having fake conversations, in Truman’s fake life. There is actually not a single real thing about it. It goes to the absolute extreme to prove how out of hand modern reality TV has gotten. It proves that reality TV should be real, and not rooted in a fake reality.

At the beginning of the movie, Elle Woods gets broken up with by her boyfriend because he thinks thats he isn’t serious enough for Harvard Law School. She wants to prove him wrong so she works hard, gets into Harvard and goes through constant judgment because of how she looks and her personality.

Throughout the movie, Elle proves that she is smart and capable, eventually winning a big court case. She goes from being underestimated to being respected. This shows Aristotles idea of comedy as a rise in power.

Elle isn’t the perfect hero, she starts off kind of shallow but she is likable and is determined. Aristotle says that heroes in comedy are usually average people, and while she comes from wealth she does come from an average standing in life. She is not royalty or powerful, she’s just someone who is trying to prove herself.

The humor in this move shows how people judge others based on stereotypes. While the move is funny, it also is challenging the idea that femininity results in weakness.

By the end, instead of showing a downfall like a tragedy does, it shows growth and success. Thats why comedy is a meaningful art form. It shows us that people can rise, change and succeed in life.

Dear OPRF students and families,

As “Project 2” becomes closer and closer to being completed, we can have a look at all the new amenities that will be included to help boost our athletics programs. With the $101.9 million control budget, the project includes: A 25×40 yard pool, new multi-use gyms, locker and dressing rooms, and a state of the art weight room.

By far, the most exciting part to come is within the new weight room. It is… the OPRF branded weights! A new rendering of the room shows OPRF-branded weights that don’t just look cool, but, according to our athletic department, will “create love for our community and school while working out.”

As a significant part of the project, we believe pouring ~$1,000,000 into this is a great idea. It will significantly help all of our athletic programs out, and be a nice “perk” to our school spirit. “We believe it is important to focus on the things that matter… now, the coaching, nutrition, and much more come second due to them not being as important as how we build our players up; and that comes from those weights,” an OPRF coach stated.

We put trust in our athletic programs, and after a couple of not-so-well years, we know in the 26-27 school year, this hundred-million-dollar project will turn our athletics around.

Students, parents, and community members, get excited to see our school perform like it never has before. Currently, this is our number one priority because our athletics come first; academics, nutrition, and student culture are a discussion for another day. But just know, your money is being used well.

Thanks Huskies!

Oak Park and River Forest High School Students,

In today’s political climate, it can be difficult to feel like you’re doing enough. It seems like every time you turn on the news, there’s a headline that makes you want to crawl back into bed. For high school students especially this can feel overwhelming, like the problems are too big and your voice too small. But never fear, here is a comprehensible guide to internet activism to help high schoolers stay involved, without ever having to leave your bed.

First, the most important thing to do when it comes to internet activism is to change your profile photo. Yes you heard that correctly, changing the tiny photo that appears in the left hand corner when someone clicks on your profile is the best way to ensure that your voice is heard. Nothing sends a stronger message than a carefully selected square image on Instagram (bonus points if the photo of you is flattering too). Ideas include: The picture your mom took of you next to a cardboard cutout of Barack Obama in sixth grade, the Halloween you dressed up as a historical figure (any of them are fine, accuracy is encouraged but not required), or the trip to Washington D.C. where you stood in front of the capital looking bored. Bonus points for maximum action if your profile photo simply says “No hate” or “Love.” 

The next best thing to do is to comment “This” under all political posts you see. It’s ok if you don’t understand what the post is talking about or that the source is widely unreliable, just hope for the best and keep scrolling. This is the best way to contribute and advance political discourse. For those who deeply resonate with a statistic, adding the thumbs-up emoji is a nice touch. It doesn’t actually matter if you’re properly informed, it just matters if you have the appearance of doing so. 

You may hear some people tell you to attend protests, volunteer alongside state representatives, or educate yourself on policy. While these ideas do all exist, they require you to get out of your bed, which is not optimal and are highly inefficient methods of change. After all, history has shown that the greatest social movements were not built on resilience, advocacy, or leadership, but on aesthetically curated social media profiles, a strong Wi-Fi connection, and all efforts made from the comfort of your own bed. 

The Barbie movie that came out in 2023, directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling appears as a fun and colorful movie about the doll Barbie. Behind all the pink there are many critiques one gender roles, feminism and our definition of identity today.

The movie starts in Barbieland where everything is perfect and women are in positions of power. Marie starts have thoughts about death and being imperfect which makes her go into the real world and explore. When she gets there she realizes women don’t actually live in a world with empowerment. At the same time, Ken discovers patriarchy and brings it into Barbieland which turn the power structure upside down. In the end, Barbie chooses to become human and find herself by defying the stereotypes.

The movie uses parody by exaggerating both feminism and patriarchy. Barbieland is the opposite version of the real world, which shows how power systems are, no matter who is controlling them are ridiculous.

It also uses hyperbole. Everything in Barbieland is very unrealistically perfect which makes fun of the expectations that are put on women to be beautiful, happy and successful all at the same time.

There’s also irony in the movie. A doll who is usually criticized for her unrealistic beauty standards is used in a way to criticize the same standers. How they portray the business men also makes fun of how corporations say they are focusing on empowerment while really focusing on their profit.

Barbie isn’t just making fun of men or corporations but the systems and expectations that force people to fit into specific roles. The humor behind the meaning makes it easier to accept but in reality it is serious.

By the end, Barbie chooses to embrace her imperfections and individuality over being the stereotypical Barbie. That choice shows the meaning that true empowerment comes from finding yourself not trying to fit into society expectations.