A very good friend of mine, whom I consider a brother, loves the movie “V for Vendetta.” He might very well think it is one of the greatest movies ever. One random day a while ago I decided to finally watch the movie with him, and after sitting through the majority of the movie-after discovering plots and sub-plots and main themes-what I took from the movie was how creepy the mask that the hero, V, wore (I’m pretty sure I have mild maskaphobia-yep that’s a real word-because not being able to see/read people’s face has always bothered me). But seriously that mask creeps the living daylights out of me. I saw a girl on campus wearing it a week ago and I bugged out for a second, sped up the pace of my walk, and averted any type of eye contact with the wearer of the mask because she might see the slight fear in my eyes and capitalize on it and then all of USM would see me fleeing and screaming about because creepy mask girl stared at me for too long [yes I know I’m lame].
If you’ve never seen the movie you should because it is a good piece of cinema. V for Vendetta is about fighting the man and rising up against the oppressive system[government] that seeks to hide us from the truth in order to cover their various acts of deceit and ne’erdoism.
Here’s a snippet of it:
You can Wikipedia it if you want the full synopsis.
Well with the movie being about fighting the man and whatnot it is no surprise that the Guy Fawkes mask has popped up in various places in the Occupy Wall Street Movement. It was on the cover of Bloomberg Businessweek [I’m sure you know how I felt when I opened my mailbox and pulled out a giant picture of the Guy Fawkes mask].
If you’ve been keeping up with current events you know the latest “movement” sweeping the nation is Occupy {fill in state, city, or street name here}. The biggest and most organized center of the movement is where it all started, Wall Street. I’m not quite sure what all the specific details of the protests are, but I think the general point is how unfair it is that the top 1% of the people in nation has all the wealth while the other 99 is struggling just to make it. That’s the best guess I have, and the reason why I am so poorly informed is because I’m not that deeply interested in the protest.
I know, I know.
I’m a college student.
I’m middle class.
I’m educated.
I should be completely invested in this movement and I should probably have every update about the demands of the protest on hand so that any one with a question can come to me and find a well of overflowing Occupy Wall Street knowledge.
…….Yet I’m still just not that into it.
I’m pretty sure the main reason why I’m out of it is because I’m not directly affected by the things the protesters are complaining about. I didn’t have to pay for school because my school gave me an academic scholarship. My mom paid any long term debt off with the money we got from the government for Katrina so we’re basically a debt-free family. I am still a senior in school with intent to go to grad school next fall, hopefully also for free, but I have no particular gripes with the banks or the upper echelon as of now.
Another reason is because I just don’t care…about anything at the current moment. Senioritis has not only set in, it has built a 1200-sq. ft vacation spot and started receiving mail inside my brain. So my motivation to do anything from school work, to social gatherings, to football games, to getting out of bed in the morning is at absolute zero. I mean there is NONE. I have to pray just to get the ‘umph’ to step out of my bed in the morning. I just kinda wanna just sleep all day. All day, every day until graduation. That would be pleasant.
Wait, I just realized that I just described a person with chronic depression…but I’m not depressed, I promise! Or at least I don’t think I am. What if Senioritis is a form of depression? Then that means me and all my friends are suffering from severe depression that may only be cured by receipt of a degree. Just kidding, I’m not depressed. Besides I couldn’t sleep until graduation because then I would miss class and fail my mandatory capstone courses and not get my degree and I refuse to stay here another year so I’d probably just drop out and take up basket weaving or street tap dancing like my people back in the NOLA like to do it…hmm so many options.
Ok back to what I was talking about, I can’t muster up the energy or motivation to do anything besides go to church and read my bible. So keeping up with the Occupy Movement just is not on my mind but I do acknowledge the fact that it should be.
The last reason is that when I do get un-lazy enough to read about the Occupy movement it seems so disorganized. I know there are several different protests across the world so you never know which one you’re going to read about. Plus, a few have turned violent. I know the one in California, Occupy Oakland, got out of control and some kinda way a fight with police broke out and someone got shot. Someone committed suicide at Occupy Burlington, Vermont [I wonder if this is where the coat factory was founded???] and someone died in a tent at Occupy New Orleans [really New Orleans, a tent? Someone actually took the time to occupy New Orleans and then died….in a tent. WE HAVE GOT TO DO BETTER]. I know every protest has its casualties but the whole story is hard to follow because there are so many different things going on.
Random: Why are there always hostile protests in California? I mean there were the LA Riots, now folks getting shot occupying Oakland. What happens in that state that makes people go ham? I mean there are a lot of shootings in New Orleans but those have everything to do with drug wars, gangs, and Saints football and nothing to do with riots. I honestly don’t think we could sustain a satisfactory protest because once night falls or a Saints game comes on we’d just leave or go get a beer or go by Ray-Ray and ’em and play cards. By the time the sun rose the next day….no more protest and people probably don’t remember what we were protesting anyway. BUT we in NOLA can hold a good march, yep we are some successful march hosting fools, probably because it’s kinda like a parade without the floats or the marching bands. So if you ever need people to march, call us!
Anyway my beloved readers and roamers of the blogosphere, are you tuned into the Occupy Movement. If so, HOW do you feel about it, and if not, why not?
EDIT 11/16/11: Here’s a link if you want to learn a bit more of the point of the Occupy movement
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
B.Alexandra's Cosmos 
I think it’s interesting that in the 60s and 70s, college students (all over the country, including New Orleans) protested against EVERYTHING. Now, they can barely be motivated to turn in their papers. I feel extremely affected by Wall Street, for example, since they are a big part of all this upper 1% business. However, I think it’s a lot harder to get worked up about an injustice if you can’t see your enemy. I have no money, no full-time job, and a ton of debt. What else do I have to do but protest? But…protest to whom? If I lived in New York or D.C. I think it’d be easier because you can face your opponent, as it were. But I feel like I would have no idea where to start in Louisiana if I wanted to protest against the current economic situation. Baton Rouge lol?
Either way, we as the youth can be a force to be reckoned with. I say we use that force.
I also think the fact that all they’re doing IS protesting is a problem too. No particular businesses are being majorly affected. It’s not like the sit ins and strikes where people’s money was being messed with they’re just kinda sitting out there. Or at least that’s what I can tell. But then again I’m not keeping up with it too tightly so hey.
I’m just not that into the Occupy movements either. Too much doesn’t make sense. One thing I am certain about is whatever is being protested against doesn’t represent 99% of the population.
If the ideas were stated more clearly, maybe then more of “the people” could identify with this movement. However, as of right now, the majority of these ideas seem to be interpreted differently and on a personal level by individual protestors. That does not seem to be government concern.
Perhaps more solidarity and organization among the protestors would cause more support of the movement?
Definitely agree with you on that. There’s no BIG theme besides “we’re peeved” do it’s hard to follow.