Entertainment

September 2011 - Posts

  • RED Hearts: Entertainment: Your Inner Gleek

    By Zulay Regalado, 22, reporting from Miami, FL, on a whole new dimension of Glee

    No need to anxiously TiVo the past two seasons of Glee to enjoy Glee 3D, the movie. All you need is a pair of 3D glasses, tickets ASAP (it's currently in theaters for a limited time!) and an appreciation for good voices and music. If you feel you might burst into song mid-film, like I did, you might also want to have a friend or relative to keep your theater etiquette in check.

    The movie is based on the hit Fox show that showcases the members of McKinley High School's glee club. These students hail from all levels of the high school food chain, showing us that it‘s okay to co-exist with personalities different from our own (see for yourself in the show's rendition of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" -- note each character's clever, personalized insecurity t-shirt!). The movie is an entertaining mix of some of the show's most notable performances and even features real-life gleeks who proudly share their stories of acceptance with the world.

    Both the movie and show deliver the same empowering message -- it's important to embrace your quirks and never be afraid to let people see the real you, embarrassing insecurities and all. See for yourself in the trailer.

    After watching this movie, I came to terms with one of my insecurities: I am an excessive talker. And I will proudly don my "Chatty Kathy" t-shirt as I wait in line for the DVD.

  • RED Hearts: Entertainment: A Q&amp;A With <EM>Switched At Birth</EM>'s Katie Leclerc

    08-18-11
    by Jordyn Turney, 21, reporting from San Diego, CA, who interviews the star of a groundbreaking show

    We love Switched at Birth, an ABC Family show with a great premise—neatly conveyed right there in the title—great characters and a great way of bringing deaf culture into the mainstream.

    That is, via incredible, totally relatable family drama. At the forefront of it all is Daphne Vasquez, played by the talented actor Katie Leclerc.

    Daphne is a hearing-impaired teenager whose life is turned upside down when she finds out that she's not really related to her hardworking (and often stubborn) single mother, and that her biological parents are the super-wealthy Kennishes.

    We were excited to get the chance to interview Katie. Here, she gives us her take on the groundbreaking show—and her connection to the fallible but refreshingly optimistic character she brings to life.

    Jordyn Turney: How do you get into the mindset of a girl who discovers that she's not who she thought she was?

    Katie Leclerc: I think that teenagers always think, 'What if these people are not actually my family?' I get along great with my family and there's no doubt they're my family, but I definitely identify. Identity issues and finding where you fit in and what that means in the bigger picture, that's something a lot of teens can relate to. At the end of the day, these characters still love each other and they're still family, even if what family means is constantly changing.

    JT: It's incredibly rare for a show to portray deaf culture so well; you really are introducing the audience to something different. Is there a sense of responsibility in portraying this very under-represented part of society?

    KL: Absolutely. When you go on Twitter and see "thank you Switched at Birth, for making me feel comfortable in my own skin," it opens more and more windows. I hope it creates conversations and breeds tolerance. I think people are afraid of what they don't know, and this show just helps make things more familiar. I hope people watch it and feel like maybe the deaf and hearing worlds are not so different.

    JT: How similar are you and Daphne?

    KL: I really like her, as real and flawed as she is. I played basketball when I was younger…and I've known ASL [American Sign Language] for a long time. When I was 20 I found out I had Méniere's disease and lost some of my hearing. So yeah, I really like her and I hope we're similar.

    JT: In the spirit of I Heart Daily, what are you "hearting" right now?

    KL: I switched to the iPhone this weekend and I'm loving that. I just got a puppy, so of course I'm like totally obsessed with the little guy. He's an Australian Shepherd, just as cute as can be. And I'm just loving wearing really comfy sandals and the rest of summer.