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I’m a Polar Bear in a Snowstorm

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By Leo Milmet

 

For Ms. McGrew

 

I’m a polar bear in a snowstorm.

I blend in well with all the snow.

Or with a whiteboard.

Or whatever.

My red eyes and green nose, however,

drawn by an obnoxious sixth-grader

on Mrs. McGrew’s whiteboard, don’t really blend in as well.

What, am I a damn Christmas tree?

I hate my red eyes.

I look like a vampire in those god-awful

Twilight movies, or books, or whatever they are.

Y’know what I mean, right?

I want blue eyes.

My best friend Emily — the

Polar bear in a snowstorm to my left — has blue eyes. And she has a gold nose,

regally created for the Hanukkah season.

She’s so much prettier than I am.

She was just drawn yesterday.

I guess our job is to get people in the holiday spirit no matter what holiday we celebrate,

but it’s kinda hard to be in a celebratory mood when you look like a sad, tiny, disjointed wreath.

Whatever though. It’s fine — I,

born of two markers and a Satanic sixth-grader,

am a polar bear in a snowstorm, and a polar bear in a snowstorm I will stay.

I still want Emily’s eyes, though.

I mean, seriously, how hard is it to erase my eyes and redraw them blue? That hard? Really?

Really? Okay, fine. Whatever. You win.

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

Review of the Anime Steins;Gate

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By James Zheng, Anime Reviewer

Today I have a new type of anime for you guys. Steins;Gate is a slow rhythm anime, an anime with a story that moves step by step. But, don’t be disappointed immediately, as this anime achieves an outstanding rating–about 9 out of 10 or even higher on the majority of websites, and it definitely deserves that reputation. Regardless of the rating, it has a really logical storyline even if some of the elements of Steins;Gate are fantastical.

Steins;Gate is an anime that was adapted from a visual novel game of the same name that was developed by 5pb and Nitroplus (a visual novel game is a type of computer game that has a story that is told to you in the form of a graphic novel, but it is online, and you can make decisions within the novel, which is more like a video game; therefore, it is a visual novel game) . The game had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Then, the anime adaptation of the visual novel game was produced by Mika Nomura and Yoshinao Doi while White Fox, an animation company, was working on the anime’s various episodes. Finally, Steins;Gate was released in 2011; it was distributed by Frontier Works.  

In the crazy world of anime, there is so much content released that is absolutely terrible. In fact, we are totally inundated with anime that is god-awful. Unfortunately, there’s so much anime out there, bad and good, that eventually, even really incredible animes can become “old” and lose their influence on the anime community after three to four years. But that is not always the case, and I’m happy to say that Steins;Gate is an exception to the rule. So, how can an anime that was published a full 7 years ago still influence plenty of animes nowadays? If I could only explain one reason as to why this is an exception to the rule, I would say that it is because most science fiction anime is absolutely ridiculous, and this one is absolutely plausible. Honestly, there is much more ridiculous and implausible science fiction anime than there is good anime. Usually, when you are watching a science-fiction anime, most of its content is ridiculous and only very little of its content seems to be plausible. Again, that is not the case with Steins;Gate. Anime is not reality; however, it could fill with realistic matters, and when you are trying to add something realistic in anime in science-fiction, it becomes so boring. Well, Steins;Gate avoids that completely so that the story is fused with science-fiction and reality, and it also keeps balance in both so as not to ruin this anime.

As I mentioned earlier, Steins;Gate has a logical storyline. And before I get into that, there is one thing important I need to tell you: Steins;Gate has twenty-five episodes in total, but the real story begins at the thirteenth episode. The previous twelve episodes set the stage for the main plot ahead, but that plot only really begins to show its true colors in episode thirteen. You might think it is meaningless to watch twelve episodes and wait for the “real show” to start, but I don’t suggest that you skip those 12 episodes since all of the plot threads introduced in the first twelve episodes are later paid off in the last thirteen episodes, making for a much richer experience. So, fair warning: you might be totally confused at the beginning, but, wait; everything will make sense after the thirteenth episode.

The story is set in Akihabara, Tokyo. In it, Okabe Rintarou, a college student who believes so strongly in himself as to believe he is the best scientist in the world, dreams of building a time machine. He sets up a lab, calling it the “Future Gadget Laboratory,” to conduct research that is necessary in order to achieve his seemingly impossible goal of time travel. One day, by pure accident, he takes a huge leap forward towards his goal, and eventually even builds the time machine. When built, the time machine causes many miserable tragedies that would have otherwise been avoided.

What makes Steins;Gate brilliant is how the plot logically turns around and how the main story at the end links with the first twelve episodes in an unexpected way. For anyone interested in anime, it will be very astonishing to watch!

 

Note: Steins;Gate is recommended for those who are fifteen or older.

 

Editor: Leo Milmet

Teachers and Students

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By Charles Schnell, Self-Proclaimed King of Mediocrity, Controversy, and Unavailability

 

Is it better to be the teacher or the student? Neither, if you still do not have a significant other.

When all is said and done, there is not much of a difference between teachers and students. We are all human, and that means on our best days, we are all imperfect. (Albeit, some more than others.)

Teachers and students are more similar than the teachers would like to admit. For one thing, we all fall in love. Teachers fall in love with Lincoln, the Ti-84, the government, and the College Board. And students, well, we fall in love with each other–for better or worse.

Additionally, we all have favorite foods. I am sure all my teachers are craving an In-N-Out burger as much as I am. The difference here is students have the metabolism to handle the burger, the shakes, and the fries that find themselves tossed around in the bag.

Sure, metabolism is great, but being a student certainly is not free of its own disadvantages; teachers have a “leg-up” on us in many things. They cannot be grounded by their parents, only the law; they get to correct the homework instead of doing it; they can drink. As a lover of freedoms like these, I would rather be a teacher than a student. However, if you were to ask teachers, I’m sure they’d rather be students again.

To sum it up, teachers and students have one key similarity trumping all other similarities: our humanity. We are all human, so maybe we can reach an understanding and compromise. Teachers, if you stop giving us homework, we will stop giving you homework to grade. Imagine how many outings to Applebee’s we could make.

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

Is Dance a Sport?

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By Holden Hartle, Blog Arguer and Definition Enthusiast

Is dance a sport? Is sport an art? This is something that my girlfriend and I argue about frequently. She, being a dancer, argues that dance is a sport, due to the physical exertion required in dance. I argue that sports require a competitive aspect, meaning that dance is not a sport. With all of this in mind, I do, however, believe that a dance competition is a sport.

I did the very cheesy thing to do in an argument like this, and I brought in the ol’ Merriam Webster (dictionary). He defines a sport as, “a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other.” Now, take a sport like baseball and apply these guidelines to it. Baseball is a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities, like running through the bases, according to a set of rules. Something like a ballet show has plenty of physical activities, but it isn’t a contest, and thus people aren’t directly competing against each other.

But, let’s look at the other aforementioned question: is sport an art? Kyrie Irving, a basketball player for the Boston Celtics, once said, “Basketball isn’t a game. It’s an art form.” He explains that things like putting responsibility in your teammates and turning that into plays on the court is its own “masterpiece.” So, how do we define art? Well, if we refer back to good ol’ Merriam Webster, he says that art is, “an occupation requiring knowledge or skill,” such as the art of making cabinets. I think everyone can agree on the fact that sports require both knowledge and skill.

So, sports are an art, but classical dance isn’t a sport. I want to make something very clear: I am not here to say that dancers aren’t talented. Being a dancer takes much of the same, if not more, athleticism than most sports, and, in my opinion, a dancer has much more skill than a darts player or a pool player, both of which are technically sports.  

Beyond dance and sports, the idea of fudging around with definitions to make them mean different things is a fun thing to do. For example, a pizza is defined as, “a flat, open-faced baked pie of Italian origin, consisting of a thin layer of bread dough topped with spiced tomato sauce and cheese.” Now, wait a minute, does that mean that if your sauce isn’t tomato based, like a white pizza, then it is no longer a pizza? And, what if your bread layer isn’t thin, is it still a pizza? Most people would agree that a pizza with a white sauce is still a pizza, but Merriam Webster has something to say about that.

Editor: Luke Langlois

“WeChat Pay or Alipay?”

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By Jeremy Cheng

 

When having dinner at the restaurant, buying goods at the mall, or shopping online, what is your favorite way to pay for the check?

Credit card, currency, or mobile payment?

Currently, there have been increasing numbers of people who use the mobile phone to pay for everything.

The two biggest mobile payment companies in China are WeChat Pay and Alipay.

For instance, this is how you pay for the bill at the restaurant.

This is how you pay for the fruit at the market.

This is how you pay for something at the mall.

Even when shopping at the Sephora on El Paseo, you can see an Alipay sign when you check out.

Even the less fortunate people in China will print out the QR code, which is a barcode that helps people receive or send money to others.

The use of cash and coin currency is declining rapidly in the Chinese economy. Surprisingly, four years ago, this payment method didn’t even exist because everyone used paper money.

In most of the mainland cities, most of the people use their smartphones to pay for all different kinds of fees. In a restaurant, the server may ask you, “WeChat Pay or Alipay?” as opposed to asking,  “credit card or debit card?” This is because paper money is not as popular in China anymore.

WeChat, a Chinese social media app not unlike Facebook, brings a lot of convenience to the daily lives of the people who live in China. One function of the app is WeChat Pay, which is one of the two main payment methods in China.   

In the past four years, Hong Kong used to post a news report that said that in the year of 2016, Chinese mobile payment reached 5.5 trillion dollars, which is 50 times of the American marketing model (112 billion).

I came to America and studied here in 2015. WeChat Pay was not that popular yet. When I went back to China for Christmas break, my mom told me that in order to pay someone for something, one simply sends money from their WeChat account to another. At that moment, I asked my mom, “Are you serious?”

My mom laughed at me and said, “Yep.”

When having dinner or afternoon tea at a restaurant or cafe, I can pay for something with my phone quicker than I can pay with paper currency.

Street artists in China can print out their QR code and display it, which makes it easier for people to give them money for their hard work. It is the same for everyone, from the wealthier people to the people with less money.

Some other countries are also currently trying to reduce the usage of cash-and-coin currency. In China, they have almost totally switched from cash-and-coin currency to mobile payment. Recently, a Chinese woman was called by the bank she uses. They told her that she forgot her credit card in their ATM machine for three weeks, and she didn’t even notice!

 

Editor: Leo Milmet

The Unquestionable Ranking of Every Pixar Movie

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By Luke Langlois

Pixar has released twenty movies. If you are looking for a proper and critical ranking of all twenty of those movies, this is not the place. However, if you are looking for my highly opinionated ranking of all twenty Pixar films (because who isn’t?), then this is just the post for you. Warning: Some Pixar Spoilers Below

  1. The Good Dinosaur: This is a good movie. While the big lizards known as dinosaurs frequently emerge from extinction to grace the cinematic universe, they are usually characterized as big meanies. This time though, they were friendly big lizards. I rank it as the worst Pixar film because I forgot this was a movie, until now.

 

  1.  Coco: This movie was good and, of course, critically acclaimed. However, I thought it was kind of “bleh.”

 

  1. Finding Dory: Pixar has lived off of the fame of Finding Nemo for fourteen years now. When a studio releases a sequel to an excellent movie, the pressure is on to somehow raise the bar. This sequel was great, but it did not live up to my set expectations. Therefore, #18.

 

  1. A Bug’s Life: A Bug’s Life is essentially the cult film of Pixar’s empire. This is an awesome movie, and it inspired one of the greatest attractions at Disneyland, the “It’s Tough to be a Bug” production. I put it at #17 because nobody should ever sympathize with ants.

 

  1. Cars 2: Critics really hate this movie. But, it’s a spy thriller with cars! This movie has been the recipient of a lot of flack, but I really do not think it is warranted. The critics are wrong. Go Tow, Mater!

  1. WALL-E: This is a great movie minus one thing. It’s too realistic. How am I supposed to enjoy a movie that depicts something so awful?! Therefore, I’m not a huge fan of it. Although, who can truly resist the story of two robots falling in love in a post-apocalyptic world?

 

  1. Monsters University: James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski in college! This is probably the most average movie Pixar has made. I do not believe anyone actually wanted or asked for a prequel to Monsters, Inc., but it was done, and it was done well.  

 

  1. Toy Story: This was the first movie ever to be released by Pixar, which gives it a special spot in the heart of all. Released in 1995, this movie set new precedents on just about every law of cinematic animation. Pixar said, “This is what we can do. What can you do, other movie studios?” The characters have definitely proven to be timeless. The animation is showing some age, but this does not take away from the enjoyment of the movie.

 

  1. Cars 3: When I was watching this movie in theaters, I really enjoyed it…until the end. They ruined a possible classic with the ending of this movie. I expected an epic comeback from the greatest Pixar character in existence, Lightning McQueen. What ended up happening was his trainer finishing the race for him. It was a lame ending to an otherwise thrilling movie.

 

  1. Brave: Brave, to me, is the most underrated Pixar film. The red-headed archer, Merida, is probably the most down-to-Earth protagonist in the Pixar universe. Plus, the Scottish medieval setting is my FAVORITE setting in any Pixar film. “If you had the chance to change your fate, would you?”

 

  1. Finding Nemo: Similarly to Toy Story, Pixar has been riding off of the coattails of Finding Nemo for years. The plot is oh-so heartwarming (if you forget the annihilation of 500 fish eggs along with the mother of said eggs), and it is the only Pixar movie to take the audience to the upside-down country known as Australia. Overall, this movie is a classic for a reason.

  1. Toy Story 2: I like this movie far more than I like the first one. Pixar managed to make a sequel that not only was on par with the first one, which is quite the achievement. Unlike most sequels, it simply feels like a better movie all around, with regards to animation and storytelling. My one gripe with this movie is the inclusion of a ridiculous sequence in which a toy horse is able to keep up with a real-life, full-size airplane going full speed on a runway.

 

  1. Ratatouille: Only director Brad Bird could make an excellent movie about a chef in Paris, who happens to be a rat. Besides the uniquely comedic and well executed storyline, this movie is another one that stands out due to its setting. I’ve never been to Paris, but my limited (yet extremely accurate and unquestionable) knowledge of Paris comes largely from Ratatouille. Somehow, watching a movie about a rat in Paris makes anyone feel elegant.

 

  1. Inside Out: After a series of Pixar “misses” (such as Cars 2, Brave, and Monsters University), Pixar took a two-year gap before putting out another movie. The movie they put out was Inside Out; it did not disappoint. I think this film is going to continue to be the best original universe of the “modern” Pixar era. It is also the only Pixar movie to include hockey, and I am a big hockey fan.

 

  1. Toy Story 3: In a critical ranking, I would give all the Toy Story movies the exact same ranking. I put Toy Story 3 above the other two on my list because Pixar again manages to improve the franchise, even with the third movie. Again, I bring up the fact that sequels usually do not top the original. However, the Toy Story franchise once again proves to be an exception to the rule. After all, the strawberry bear villain is without a doubt the most menacing villain the toys have ever faced. On June 21st, 2019, Pixar is releasing a fourth Toy Story film. We will have to see where that is destined to end up in my rankings.

 

  1. Up: Up is such a critically acclaimed movie due to how well it seems to touch the “human” part of being a human. The first few minutes of this movie are beloved by most and bring many to tears. While that’s great and all, I simply like the main character, Carl, and the dog, Dug. Plus, I could listen to the main theme all day. ♫♫♫♫

 

  1. Cars: For some reason, many people dislike this movie. They are wrong. The movie is just short of perfect. Lightning McQueen has brought forth joy to millions, perhaps even billions. He could not have done this without this fantastic addition to Pixar’s collection. Owen Wilson, the voice actor who played Lightning McQueen, would say one thing about this movie, “Wow!”

 

  1. Monsters, Inc: Monsters, Inc. brought the green, one-eyed Mike Wazowski and the big blue dude James P. Sullivan to the spotlight. The fresh monster universe portrayed in this film almost feels like science fiction. The whole concept of an entire monster factory having doors that lead to different locations is, as an understatement, clever. The scene near the end that has the protagonists running from the law through a massive factory of doors will always be one of the most iconic scenes in the Pixar universe. Also, monsters use the screams of children to power their cities. Who knew?

 

  1. Incredibles 2: I am not often excited about movies being released. I was incredibly excited for Incredibles 2. I have been waiting for this movie for as long as I can remember, and it fully lived up to my expectations. That should say something by itself. The animation is gorgeous. The soundtrack is art. The plotline was dark enough to keep both kids and adults entertained. The true achievement of Incredibles 2 is its ability to maintain all of the characters of the film. Not a single beat was skipped between the original and the sequel, regardless of the 14-year gap.

 

  1. The Incredibles: This movie not only tops Pixar movies, it tops all movies. The Incredibles is an enthralling film that brings in family turmoil, high-flyin’ super-powered action, and a rich backstory that is jam packed into a movie less than two hours long. I could probably write an entire post about this movie, so I’ll send it off with one word: incredible.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Review of “Your Name”

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By James Zheng, thebirdonfire.org Game and Animé Reviewer

Hey guys, today I bring you a different type of animé–which I call, the most successful animé movie ever! As you see, “Your Name” (or Kimi no Na Wa) is a really simple title. But it achieved several awards and a highest rank on the history of animé. It achieved the first prize of the eighth Newtype Animation Award, the Best Animated Film from the 42nd Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards; plus it won more than ten other awards. It’s not exaggerating; it’s the fact that “Your Name” is truly amazing.

“Your Name” was published by Toho Company, Limited, a major Japanese film company. It took three years to prepare the story and script of “Your Name.” Production was led by a really famous director, Makoto Shinkai. “Your Name” is a masterpiece. Shinkai thought about every detail and design of character for a long time. It reached the expectations of many people.

“Your Name” has a realistic style. Most scenes in “Your Name” are taken from the image of Tokyo. The imagery is so real it appears a picture of Tokyo. There is intense presentation on the changing of color and combination of color.

“Your Name” is a romantic animé. But the story of “Your Name” is not hackneyed. It has some fantastical parts, which could actually catch an audience’s attention. Let me tell you more; the story between hero and heroine is really dramatic. The story is set in a small village in Japan; a girl who lives in that village is weary of living in a such tiny village with old traditions. One day, she dreams that she becomes a boy who lives in Tokyo. She is confused, and she suddenly has some unfamiliar friends. At the same time, the hero also has a strange dream. What happened in the dream brings them together.

 Well, when you start to watch this animé, you will notice that it is even more fascinating than what I have described! Although there are no fighting scenes in “Your Name,” it can still shock you with the storyline!

Editor: Makena Behnke

Review of “The Good Place” — Becoming a “Good” Person

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By Dayton Kennard

The Good Place is an ongoing NBC/Netflix show that’s currently in its third season, with each new episode being uploaded to Netflix a few hours after its original airing on NBC. The series starts off with Eleanor Shellstrop waking up in “The Good Place,” a heaven-like town where only the kindest of the kindest people go when they die. She’s introduced to the town, shown her new home (which has been made and styled to perfectly match her personality), and matched with her soulmate, Chidi. In this perfect place, the only problem is her. Eleanor quickly figures out that she’s been mistaken for someone else, as the memories shown to her are not her own and there’s no way that she was as good a person as anyone around her.

This sets up the main theme of the show: becoming a good person. As Eleanor doesn’t belong in “The Good Place” due to her actions when she was alive, she sets out to become a good person and fit in with the rest of her neighbors. Each episode will have a specific problem that needs to be faced, and there will be flashbacks that allow us to see the difference of how she handled a similar problem in the past compared to how she’s handling it now. We get insight into how she’s evolving emotionally as she feels guilt over bad decisions and actions rather than just passing it off as someone else’s problem. Without spoiling much, I can say that these flashbacks are often amusing and absurd, providing a good break between the serious situation and the attempts to fix the current problem. Even though this seems like just a comedy at first glance, the show does teach its viewers better morals, whether it’s little acts of kindness or learning when to take one for the team.

I don’t want to spoil anything about the show, but I can tell you that they pack tons of action and plot into the 22-minute episodes, and the plot twists at the end of each season leave you shaking in your seat anticipating what will happen next. I recommend taking a day of relaxing on the couch with your blanket and snacks to binge the first two seasons in around 10 hours if you’re watching on Netflix with no ads. I hope you have fun watching it, and remember, you’re constantly being watched and judged for your every action to determine if you’ll spend your afterlife eternally suffering! 😀

Editor: Makena Behnke

Confused? Here are the Propositions in a Nutshell

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By Political Correspondent Senior Blogger Holden Hartle

I’ve seen several ads throughout my life saying “Vote yes on Prop 5” or “Vote no on Prop 11.” But what is the “prop” I’m voting for? I know the majority of us can’t vote this midterm, but it’s nice to know what’s on the ballot and what may happen to our state, or even our country. Also, there is some terminology that was confusing to me, such as a bond is like another word for debt. Below are the propositions that will be on the 2018 midterm ballot.

  1. Authorizes bonds to fund specified housing assistance programs. This helps veterans, farmers, and homeless people in general.
    •  

      Proponents argue that Prop 1 gives housing to those who can’t afford to buy housing on their own. And, what’s more, proponents say, Prop 1 would not raise taxes.

    • Opponents argue that this is on the ballot because there is such an influx of people coming into California, and to solve this problem requires a much larger solution.  
  2. Authorizes bonds to fund existing housing programs for individuals with mental illnesses. The state will use $140 million per year in mental health funds in order to pay back the $2 billion in bonds.
    • Proponents argue that Prop 2 doesn’t raise taxes. It will also provide help to those who previously couldn’t get help for their mental illnesses.
    • Opponents argue that the actual logistics of how the project will be funded would put many more people onto the streets.
  3. Authorizes almost 9 billion in bonds to fund projects for water supply and quality, watershed, fish, wildlife, water conveyance, and groundwater sustainability and storage.
    • Proponents argue that there will be more clean water in California, fixing of unsafe dams, and drought protection.
    • Opponents argue that the bonds go to private organizations and none of it directly goes to creating clean water.
  4. Authorizes $1.5 billion in bonds to fund construction for better children’s hospitals.
    • Proponents argue that Prop 5 will provide the latest technology for children battling all sorts of diseases.
    • Opponents argue that we are giving these bonds away with interest and that we need to find a better way to get children better care.
  5. Okay. So I’m gonna be completely honest with you, I’m not sure what Prop 5 is about. It has something to do with senior citizens paying property taxes and how this takes away from funding in other areas.
  6. Eliminates certain road repair and transportation funding and requires certain fuel taxes and vehicle fees to be approved by Congress.
    • Proponents argue that Prop 6 will lower gas prices, repealing the last tax instituted via the state legislature. Do you really need anything else?
    • Opponents argue that if you vote yes, roads and bridges will continue to deteriorate, clean-air laws will stagnate, and it is possible that more accidents will happen due to deteriorating roads and freeways.
  7. Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to federal law, and it allows state legislature to request a change to Daylight Saving Time Period.
    • Proponents argue that the act of going through a time change is detrimental to the human body, and that fewer injuries and deaths will happen if you were to vote yes.
    • Opponents argue that people will go to school/work in the dark. That’s it? Really?
  8. Regulates the amounts clinics charge for kidney dialysis treatment.
    • Proponents argue that companies are making bank from the costs of dialysis treatment, but they don’t invest in basic needs like sanitation. Voting “Yes” means costs will be regulated.
    • Opponents argue that Prop 8 will put many clinics out of business, which means that fewer people will get treatment, which means that more people will die.
  9. Prop 9 was taken off of the ballot by the Supreme Court, but basically it said that California would be split up into three different states.
  10. Expands local governments’ authority to place regulations on rent control of residential properties.
    • Proponents argue that Prop 10 will make rent increases more fair. Voting “Yes” will help the tenants.
    • Opponents argue that Prop 10 will make the housing situation worse. It also gives the government access to place fees on top of your rent.
  11. Keeps the past regulations of private emergency ambulance employees on call during work breaks so as to respond to emergencies.
    • Proponents argue that Prop 11 will continue saving lives and that seconds matter in a life and death situation. Therefore, we should keep the process in place.
    • Opponents argue that this could mean EMT’s are less likely to be available during emergency situations, which could lead to less immediate emergency care.
  12. Establishes new standards for confinement of certain farm animals as well as bans the sale of non-complying farmers’ products.
    • Proponents argue that the current way we treat animals is inhumane and that establishing minimum requirements would be a step in eliminating this cruelty.
    • Opponents argue that Prop 12 would not eliminate cruelty, as animals, such as hens, could be enclosed in as little as a one-square-foot cages.

 

If you would like to know more about any of these propositions, go to http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/

Editor: Bella Bier

HowFashion 04: TikTok Edition

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By HowFashion Blog Correspondent Jeremy Cheng

Nowadays, there are increasing numbers of youngsters who use their phone to watch short videos. Therefore, Musical.ly was produced.

Musical.ly provides a chance for people who like to perform and pay nothing to do it.

In September 2016, TikTok was produced, an app which also makes short videos for social media.

TikTok users are able to choose music, take video, and produce their own video. This app was released on the Android App Store and the Apple App Store.

Since video recording technology was produced, the most popular type of short video in the whole world is MV (music video), and it is the most difficult type of short video to produce of all the short videos.

A music video is the most difficult type of short video to film. The majority of people can’t make their own music, and they have to borrow others, pretending to act and sing or play music anytime, anywhere.

Dubsmash performance solved this problem using audio, music, and script. Users only need to act, and each video is no longer than 15 seconds. It lowers the difficulty of making a video, increasing the fun of content; thus, they are easier to spread.

(An Example of Dubsmash use) http://v.douyin.com/dVoKgQ/

There are two ways to film a short video. The first one is TikTok, which provides everything that users need, and the second is for users to make their own music, script, and video.

Dubsmash is PGC (Professionally-generated Content) music combined with UGC (User-generated Content) video.

TikTok is also a social media app. Users can share their daily life on TikTok, and at the same time people can make more friends and learn different anecdotes from them.

(Examples) http://v.douyin.com/dVt6jY/

Users can edit their video speed and special effects (slow-motion, repeating, flashing, reversing), which not only makes it seem like they are the one singing but also makes it a more creative video.

(Examples) https://www.iesdouyin.com/share/video/6602192209418652935/?region=US&mid=6490330650472942349&u_code=h8b64ac1&titleType=title&timestamp=1538022597&utm_campaign=client_share&app=aweme&utm_medium=ios&tt_from=copy&utm_source=copy&iid=44841159240

However, note, from March 1st to March 31st, 2018, there were 27,231 videos, 8,921 songs, and 15,234 accounts banned because of copyright infringement.

 

Why did TikTok become popular?

“Populars” effect is the one most important key that makes TikTok popular.

In mid-March, TikTok became well known. Many people think that TikTok invites influencers to advertise their application.

On March 13, a famous comedian published an article with the TikTok Logo, and after the day he posted, the numbers of views increased rapidly.

Content operating is the foundation of appeal with users.

With content operating, TikTok has created a special algorithm that can distribute views to everyone, which means if a normal person does not have fans, one can have many fans if one films a good video. Therefore, there has been an increasing number of people who are willing to join TikTok and use it.

Stephanie, a fellow student, had taken a vlog and uploaded it to TikTok. She got 40k views and 1.5k likes.

http://v.douyin.com/dVGUeL/

TikTok operators are good at combining real-time hot spots and change it to what teenagers like. For instance, teenagers were interested in ThugLife, a famous trend of wearing sunglasses with a big gold chain, which appeals to many young adults.

http://v.douyin.com/dVs4hK/

http://v.douyin.com/dVph1p/

TikTok, on average, gets 6 billion hits daily!!!

Why are so many people addicted to TikTok?

According to Sensor Tower, TikTok was downloaded 35 million times in August 2018!!

Some people would claim short videos are boring, while others would claim the short videos of TikTok make people want to keep watching more videos. People think that the next video will be more interesting, and because of this belief it acquires 6 billions daily hits!

 

Editor: AJ Patencio