Okay, so obviously this has all been grammar corrected by Pepper (thanks, by the way). Anyway, I decided I would bless the world with my amazing opinion on almost everything in culture (screams in the distance). Are you ready? I'm ready! We'll start with something easy, okay?
My Suggestions On Music
Before I write all my suggestions, I would like to let everyone know, I listen to primarily Christian music with a couple singles mixed in with artists I don't really listen to. Okay, does everyone have that straight? Alright, good!
1. Josh Wilson - I just...yes. Just listen to more than I Refuse and Before the Morning...it will be worth it, promise.
2. Owl City - I really appreciate Owl City because he's catchy and happy, but he doesn't just do primarily fluffy lyrics. One of my favorite songs by him is This Isn't the End...it's so thoughtful and brave. Also, you really have to put a lot of brain work into understanding his songs, and some can't, but if you really try, I think you'll probably get what he's saying in even the most absurd sounding songs.
3. Colton Dixon - Alright, this one's for all the Christian Rock lovers. The lyrics are solid and the guitar is amazing. Not to mention, awesome album artwork mixed with a hilarious goofball...it can't get much better. And I dare you to get me a cooler sounding rock song than Back to Life.
4. Britt Nicole - I'm not going to lie, it takes some practice trying to make out all of her lyrics, but primarily, it's all solid. There are a couple songs like Holiday, Like a Star, or Sunshine Girl that don't necessarily have super loud Christian meanings, but they're definitely fun and completely clean songs.
5. Adisson Road - Okay...they're depressing sometimes and have some confusing lyrics...but this girls' voice is just...amazing. Seriously. As usual, it's all clean and there are some catchy songs like My Story and Sticking With You. Not to mention, some worship songs that are very thought out, such as What Do I Know Of Holy?
6. Matthew West - This guys' lyrics are so thoughtful. And awesome. Not all of it's catchy, but it has good meaning, let me tell you. Of course, he has a very distinct style of not seeming to stick to a certain tune, which is frankly amazing. He has a lot of thought provoking songs like My Own Little World or One Less.
7. for King and Country - I found myself pretty enthralled by their music. It has a good style and great lyrics that have meaning. To the Dreamers is one of my favorites...I can't stop listening to it!
8. Hawk Nelson - Okay...I've really only listened to Made and a couple songs from Live Life Loud (other than assorted singles), but these guys are really talented. Their lyrics pack a punch and are very well thought out. The style is simply amazing...Elevator is my favorite song by them because it's super catchy. Like, seriously catchy.
9. Random Assorted Singles from Artists I Don't Listen To: Okay, ready? Here's the list: I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack. I Lived - OneRepublic. Best Day Of My Life - American Authors (ugh...I'm so cliché!). Home - Phillip Phillips. Steal My Show - TobyMac. Hurricane - Natalie Grant.
10. Vivaldi - I hate classical music. But I like this guy a lot. So...he's worth a shot, I think.
11. Sky Sailing - Yeah, so this is another Adam Young project and it only has one album. That doesn't matter, though! An Airplane Carried Me to Bed is a great album, and I love literally all the songs on it. He mentions Audrey Hepburn, the Misty Mountains, and opera...so it's definitely worth a listen, believe me!
My Suggestions On TV Shows
I really don't watch TV Shows other than a few, and most of the ones I watch are old or from the BBC. I'm going to put suggested ages, just to let you know. Have fun with my amazing list!
1. Doctor Who (2005-) - Yeah...this is my favorite show ever, and I think I could write an entire book about it. The Doctor is amazing (Ten is my favorite). You really feel for the characters. The brilliant thing about Doctor Who is that even some of the villains are literally just misunderstood. I mean, I can't be the only one who felt sorry for the Master, right? Anyway, there are very intriguing stories that don't seem to insult your intelligence (Disney Channel, I'm looking at you). There are morals that are very strong, and one of my favorite things about Doctor Who is that it makes you think about what you just watched. I mean, Midnight is one of the saddest episodes, but it's one of my favorites because it made me look and the world around me and think. The same goes for Vincent and the Doctor...I mean, if you've seen this episode and you say that you weren't moved and/or crying, you're lying. Oh...and two words...Rory Williams. That being said, I don't get scared by things in movies or TV shows, but I've been told that Doctor Who can be very creepy. Some episodes such as The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances seems very scary and dark to a lot of people (Master and Mistress especially), although no one actually gets hurt. In addition, some episodes seem very dark such as Night Terrors, which involves a child being terrified of the dollhouse that lurks in his closet. However, I have to add, Night Terrors has a beautiful message and the reasoning behind the whole episode is lovely. The only episode that really bothered me was The God Complex and that was because it was just kind of stupid. I may add one more thing, Love and Monsters was terrible. (Ages 12 and up)
2. Classic Doctor Who - The brilliant thing is, I'm still talking about the same Doctor that was in the previous paragraph. I find all the younger Doctor's very intriguing and innocent. And can I just say one thing about the companions? Sarah Jane Smith and Leela...you are truly awesome. Especially you, Leela! I love Sarah Jane because she went through so many Doctor's, and she loved them all. (Ages 11 and up)
3. Leave It To Beaver - The first time I saw this, I hated it. Now I can't stop watching it! Beaver is positively adorable! Mrs. Cleaver is...a bit annoying...but, her two children are awesome. Wally is a great big brother and the way he looks out for Beaver (most of the time) is really cool. (Ages 5 and up)
4. Touched By an Angel - Not gonna lie, this show is intense! It's sometimes hard to watch. It has a lot of mature and painful situations. But it's so amazing. It makes you think and it recognizes that God is God! I love how the angels act (believe it or not, Andrew is my favorite...so sassy,..), I feel like the situations that they are put in would be hard for real life angels, but they still do their job well. (For Pepper, she watched it when she was seven, but she also watched M.A.S.H. and a lot of other weird stuff, so I'm going to say ages 13 and up)
5. Sherlock - Wow. I could write an entire book about the pros and cons of Sherlock. Being someone who loves the books and movies (not to mention the Basil Rathbone version!), I really do enjoy Sherlock. However, some of the awesomeness is a bit drowned out by some swearing (honestly, John! Eat a soap bar!), some bad jokes, and honestly, Irene Adler. Scandal in Belgravia was annoying and disappointing. The rest of the episodes are great, though! Sherlock and John are fairly accurate and in character when compared to the book, and Lestrade...I cannot stress my love for Lestrade enough. The scene in season three with Sherlock walking out of the wedding is very realistic and relate able, and it shows that Sherlock is, in fact, human. (Ages 13 and up)
6. Star Trek - Oh, my classic, cheesy, awesome, imaginative, American, TV show. Honestly, if they just had a show about Spock, Bones, and Chekhov, I'd watch it. The characters are lovable and familiar even if you don't watch the show. The plot lines and special effects are cheesy, but that's part of the charm of it! Almost all the characters are lovable, and frankly, my only big problem is the fact that none of the girls seem to wear very good costumes. (Ages 9 and up)
7. The Cosby Show - I love Rudy and Cliff Huxtable. That is all...okay, I just want to say, the family in this show are awesome and fairly realistic and not too cliché, which is refreshing. Sometimes, it's really easy to get furious at some of the characters, but honestly, we have all been in their places. (Ages 5 and up)
My Suggestions On Movies
Get ready for a really long list, folks! I'll be suggesting ages on this one, too.
1. Hugo - Hugo is a fabulous and beautiful movie. I love Hugo and Isabelle, and while it isn't exactly like the book, it's still a great movie. It's historical (I think) and frankly one of the best movies I've ever seen. The only thing I'd really change is the fact that Hugo and Isabelle aren't romantically interested in each other. They're more like siblings. You really felt sad for Hugo, and you wanted him to find a family, and basically this movie was a giant bucket of feels. (Ages 9 and up)
2. Thor - This movie is probably the safest of the Marvel franchise. It's not very creepy or scary or inappropriate. The villain is Loki, so your teenage daughters will probably be obsessed with Mr. Hiddleston within a month. The story is very good and the character development is fantastic. (Ages 11 and up)
3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - Okay, not gonna lie, these movies used to absolutely terrify me. However, I didn't understand the story, nor did I understand why the One Ring was even important. Once you can fully grasp the story, it because an amazing and epic (literally) tale of friendship and perseverance with tons of positive messages and lovable characters. Except Frodo...I really don't like him. (Ages 13 and up)
4. The Decoy Bride - Yup, I watched this because of David Tennant. I'm not even going to attempt to cover that up. The story isn't very realistic, and I think it maybe deserved a PG-13 for some of the humour (instead, it got PG). However, there are positive messages to this film. The most potent one is, in my opinion, that money and fame doesn't really lead to happiness. Another lesson was that even though someone might seem perfect, it doesn't mean that they're the one for you (sorry, Hiddlestoners). Yet another lesson that can be learned from this movie is that you can't make snap judgments about people, ever! They are way more interesting and fun and special than they probably look. Oh...the last message this movie had was that when writing a book, don't get all of your information off of Google. (Ages 13 and up)
5. Tangled - Of all of the Disney movies that have come out recently, Tangled has been my favorite. Flynn Rider (or Eugene Fitzherbert) is fairly realistic, but he also has great character development. He goes from a swashbuckling thief to a man who's willing to sacrifice his life for someone he barely knows. He protects Rapunzel as much as he can, and it's very touching. Also, Rapunzel is a great character. She is also fairly realistic as far as personality goes (no one can keep their hair all neat like that!). She's innocent but smart, and the whole movie is really fun. (Ages 8 and up)
6. Driving Miss Daisy - I'm not a huge of fan of feely movies, but this one really hit home. You go from hating the first forty minutes of the movie to positively loving the rest-especially the ending! This movie has a ton of positive messages against racism and the fact that anyone can be friends. (Ages 11 and up)
7. Wreck-It Ralph - Okay, so it has Owl City on it. That in itself should make you want to watch it. Anyway, the characters in this film are lovable (I have a theory about King Candy that I'll probably write later). The movie's main message is that anyone can be a hero and that thinking outside the box is okay. Throwing in some fun gaming characters such as Q*Bert and Pac-Man is basically just icing on the cake.
8. The Avengers - Alright...be careful with this one, guys. This movie has a lot of violence. This movie has some bad humour and swearing. On the other hand, it has loads of good messages. The most potent ones are teamwork, and that good always wins. Not everyone is always right and not everyone is always wrong. There has to be leaders, but it doesn't mean that we should all be mindless sheep. (Ages 12 and up)
9. The Lego Movie - When I hear "The Lego Movie" I think "Hahaha!" Okay, so if you've already seen this movie, you understood my reference. This movie focuses on the fact that anyone can make a difference and that you shouldn't just follow the crowd because the crowd is probably wrong. (Ages 7 and up)
10. Penguins of Madagascar - Not gonna lie, I watched this movie because of Benedict Cumberbatch. Yup...I ain't even mad. Anyway, it was surprisingly good! It was funny and entertaining. The pen-wings were very cute and their teamwork was nice. The humour was a bit icky, but nothing that bad. If anything, the ending was a bit cliché, but you really like the characters and I couldn't stop laughing for the first twenty minutes of the movie. (Ages 6 and up)
11. Annie (2014) - The first Annie was terrifying and nightmare inducing, okay? However, the 2014 version was awesome. The character development of Miss Hannigan was very well done. Annie was adorable and she could actually sing (unlike the original). This was a lovely, fun, fast paced movie. The songs were catchy and not obnoxious (coming from someone who hates musicals, this is pretty good).
12. Wall-E - This one's a classic, in my opinion. It is very clever for a movie with not a ton of lines. Wall-E is really cute, and EVE is very funny. The main message of this film (in my opinion) is that machines shouldn't be in control, and once again, following the rules isn't always the right thing to do. Nothing can compete with human intellect and instinct. Also, it stated that we should take care of the earth. Not in a SAVE THE TREES AND THAT'S ALL YOU SHOULD DO WITH YOUR LIFE way, but more in a please recycle and try to keep the planet looking nice...it really isn't that hard, I promise. (Ages 8 and up)
13. Mirror Mirror - Okay, I was basically laughing and grinning like a weirdo through this whole movie...like, my face hurt! It's inventive and not cliché at all! Snow White is a very nice and likeable character. The prince is a bit of obnoxious, but you end up loving him. The dwarves (who are the best part) are willing to sacrifice a lot for Snow. They are all lovable (my favorite is Butcher), and they make the story develop well. The Queen is certainly annoying enough, and her character is very intriguing, I especially loved how the King wasn't actually dead. It was nice seeing Boromir-er, the King come back to life. It's a bit violent, but not unnecessarily so. (Ages 11 and up)
14. Toy Story 3 - Possibly the best of the three movies made, this movie is sure to tug at your heart strings. The story is very heartfelt, and the fact that Andy grows up is bittersweet. There's a happy ending, for sure, but it still makes everyone that I've spoken to kind of think back to when they were that long. (Ages 5 and up...please note, you might not understand the plot until you're at least 9)
15. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - I'd say this is the second most family friendly Marvel film. It's probably more violent than Thor and possibly The Avengers, but it's focus on freedom and leadership with teamwork is great. Bucky was my favorite character...yeah...he was my favorite in Captain America: The First Avenger, as well. You really feel for him, but how he saves Steve near the end is touching. (Ages 12 and up)
16. Pride and Prejudice (2005) - It's not exactly like the book, it moves faster. The thing is, it's very well executed. Mr. Darcy is amazing and his character is lovable. Pepper especially loves him, and feels for his awkwardness. Lizzie is a bit toned down from the book, but I'm grateful for that. To be honest, I didn't like her in the book. She was too harsh and mean! (Ages 11 and up because that's when you can probably understand the plot)
17. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - This one is one of those rare cases where the sequel was better than the first. This isn't like the books at all, except the characters are similar. That being said, I enjoy this movie immensely! I'm gonna warn you, it can be violent and there's a scene with a bit of fish hook stabbing. On the other hand, Mary (ugh, I love Mary soooooooooooo much) is a great character who is patient and smart. John does a great job of looking out for Sherlock and protecting him. In addition, Sherlock is as clever as always. His character's quite lovable, and he's portrayed well by the fabulous Robert Downey, Jr. Quick note, Madam Simza is also really cool and great...okay...that's it. (Ages 12 and up)
18. Rise of the Guardians - This movie was really popular for a while, right? Well, I can see why. It was interesting and my only problem with it is that it needed more character development. This movie's big theme was that light always conquers the darkness. Good will always win, and that's how it should be. If you combine that with a very sassy Jack Frost and a Father Christmas with ninja swords...well...that's just icing on the cake! (Ages 10 and up)
19. Big Hero 6 - How did I only just now think of this?! This movie was great! It was fast paced and fun! It talked about how revenge isn't the answer about anything. You won't gain anything by taking your anger out on someone. This was a very interesting point, and as sad as the death of Tadashi was, he was a great big brother. Hiro learned to use his talents for the good of other people, and Baymax was adorable. (Ages 8 and up)
20. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - You can choose to watch the other two, too. The first one was my favorite because it had the most Bilbo in it. He was a central character, and definitely had a couple lessons in bravery. The movies weren't like the book at all, but that's not to say they weren't good. On the contrary, I enjoyed them immensely! They're nice fantasy and adventure stories that teach patience and teamwork. It also teaches that it's okay to be scared, just so long as you don't let that control you. As expected, there's some "scary" monsters and people who are scared of spiders may cringe a bit, but it's not that bad, at all. Smaug is very well done and fairly close to the book, as is the scene with Smeagol, but that's about as close as your going to get. That being said, all the dwarves play important characters and Bilbo is very fun and sassy! (Ages 13 and up)
My Suggestions On YouTube
Okay guys, to be honest, I'm scared of YouTube. I'd love to give you suggestions, but honestly, my experience with YouTubers is a bit scary. They seem to be drama llamas, if you know what I mean. Anyway, the only channel that I can really recommend is Blimeycow, but honestly, that's if you want a lot of relationship advice.
So, I'll probably make a part two, but until next time!
SOUL
