What Would Jane Do?

A lot has changed since Jane Austen’s time (the late 1700s), but not in the eyes of "The Jane Austen Book Club" fans.

There is a famous book called the “The Jane Austen Book Club,” which was made into a movie that is due out in September. It’s a chick flick that portrays a group of women who live by how Austen wrote her books. Each woman is dealing with different issues on love, and all relate their problems to at least one of Austen’s novels.

After seeing the films Pride & Prejudice (one of Austen's novels) and Becoming Jane (a portrayal of Austen's love affair) my fair share of times, I realized how Austen has lead the way for so many women. Austen never married and made a living through her pen – which was frowned up in her time. She has given inspiration for over 200 years, yet never got a chance to live the life she wrote about in her novels. And now people live by what she has written about.

Here is my concern with the film/book/society:

I know that the "Book Club" story is fiction, but I’m almost positive that there are people (after reading the book or seeing the movie) who follow life's situations by Jane Austen’s words.

The world we live in now has changed completely from what Austen experienced and wrote about - including the right to marry within your own family, but that was a good change. In this film there is a motto: “What would Jane Do?”

Could people actually think of this motto before making every decision about love?

I can see it now: “My boyfriend's a jerk... hmm. What Would Jane Do? Oh right, dump him.”

So can people really live a normal life in society by following the words of the great Austen?

Maybe it's their form of therapy - or maybe it's because they have no friends to converse with... I guess we can only wait to find our own "Book Club" members here at FAU and ask them.


Becoming Jane Trailer


“Jane Austen Book Club” Trailer

Three Year ‘Haze’

"On The Verge Of Something Wonderful"


There couldn’t be a better way to ring in the new school year than receiving a copy of the much over due Darren Hayes album.

Sure going on a vacation or winning some money would have been great, but after waiting three years for this CD, I can honestly say it’s better than winning the money.

“This Delicate Thing We Have Made” was released on Tuesday. After going to three different Best Buys to find it, I finally got it. I guess that’s the part of the problem with being an indie artist and overseas.

If you don’t know who the hell I’m talking about, he is the former lead singer of the 90’s band Savage Garden. They were famous for their tracks “Truly Madly Deeply,”
“I Want You” and “I Knew I Loved You.”

Many Americans don’t know that Hayes has been on a solo path for a while now. He has released two solo albums on major labels, and then decided to really go ‘solo’ by starting his own label, Powdered Sugar, enabling him to do whatever his heart desired on this new album.

Hayes, who currently lives in England, did a mini-American tour earlier this year to promote his album. He will be back in the states some time early in 2008.

So why am I telling you this, you ask? No, not for the greedy self-interest that I wanted to spiel on about him for hours… but one: to promote and two: to give yet another example of how record companies control artists art, forcing them to do their own thing. It’s been three years, and I felt like telling someone.

Admitting There is a Problem is the First Step to Solving It

High School Musical 2 Trailer

It seems whenever I bring up High School Musical (HSM), college students cringe at the very thought. Yet, Zac Efron – star of HSM - is on the cover of Rolling Stone this week. Maybe Rolling Stone's target audiences are in the "closet" kind of fans.

At first, I too thought that HSM was lame. Then I actually watched it, and I truly enjoyed it. It’s one of those feel-good corny movies (hence, the closet love for it).

Now, HSM has got another chance to drag more college kids into all the fun. This Friday is the premiere of High School Musical 2. This time around, members of the cast have to deal with more “adult” issues (that maybe college kids could care about), such as getting ready for college and finding who they truly are.

Just one suggestion: If your looking for teen angst, crime or sexual tension, this is not the film to watch. Remember: Think happy thoughts. It's another step toward acceptance.

After doing a little research on the film and the cast, I found that they are all college-age kids. Their ages range from 18 (Corbin Bleu) to 27 (Monique Coleman).

I also found out that “The New American Heart Throb” (according to Rolling Stone) Zac Efron did not sing his parts in the first film. This would have given me enough oomph to dislike the film as well, but he saved himself…

"I didn't even sing on the first album," he told Rolling Stone. "It wasn't my voice in the movie. Even though I wanted to do it."

He continued by saying that in the new film, High School Musical 2, he is doing all the singing – along with all his part as Link Larkin in Hairspray.

Now, HSM 2 should be even better than the first one, thanks to Disney letting Efron sing this time around. This is just another reason why college kids need to watch out for America's new “it” boy.

And if you want to come completely out of the closet, you can head over to Sound Advice Amphitheater this Sunday and see Corbin Bleu performing songs from his new album.

It may be just a kid’s show, but being the oldest kid there without a parent would be kind of exciting, or maybe even bring back memories of the good ol’ days.

HSM on the Disney Channel: August 16 at 8p.m.
HSM 2 on the Disney Channel: August 17 at 8 p.m.


Corbin Bleu “Deal With It”

The Goo Goo Dolls Transcend Time

The Goo Goo Dolls came to the Sound Advice Amphitheater this past weekend and played to a huge crowd – with all the seats sold, but still some room where they could have packed people on the lawn. But who really likes the lawn?

The show had one of those “wow” moments for me. Almost 10 years ago, I was in the same place watching the same band perform. That made me 10 years old – that is half of my life ago!

It really got me thinking about how much time has changed, and that they are only band (which is still together) that I would actually say I still like and enjoy.

Can anyone think of something when they were 10 that they still enjoy?

Don’t get me wrong, I loved cartoons – I was a major Hey Arnold! fan. Unfortunately, there is no time for that now, and Arnold and crew have slowly faded away along with their reruns.


“Let Love In”

Now with a new CD, Let Love In, the Goo Goo Dolls are still making their way into pop culture. But why are they one of the only few that are still standing?

Maybe it's because they write, play and perform their own songs, which proves that there will always be a place in people’s hearts for singing/songwriting rockers. Or maybe it’s because their music was open to all age groups, so it can transcend time?

Who knows. Maybe it’s time for a Backstreet Boys reunion tour – we've already got the Spice Girls together again.

Another shocking thing that I discovered at the show was that the lead singer, Johnny Rzeznik, turns 42 this year. I almost passed out. He doesn’t look a day over 35!

But a lot has changed in 10 years: people aged and music changed. I guess I just have to take every little thing that is left from my childhood and try to hold on to them as long as I can.

Good bye Arnold! I will miss you!


Hey Arnold! Intro