81 Monday, July 2, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 'The Legend' continues Typical MacFarlane humor evoked in 'Ted' Reach for the stars Monday, July 2, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com The value o soul 15 Four years after AtLA, creators craft another hit show By PROMA KHOSLA Daily Arts Writer If every TV writer took notes from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and its new spinoff "The Legend of Korra," the world would be a better place. It's been * four years since L the flawless AtLA series finale aired of Korra on Nickelodeon,N and in the interim Nickeladean creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Koni- etzko have been hard at work tanta- lizing fans with whispers of a new series. Expectations for "Korra" were through the roof by the April 14 premiere, and by the season fina- le last week, the show proved every bit as epic and calculated as its pre- decessor. "Korra" showcases superb evo- lution by the creators of the AtLA universe. Republic City is modern, complete with tall buildings and early 20th century cars, but it's still clearly part of the spiritual world introduced in the original series. The rise of pro-bending is the per- fect illustration of life in the ele- mental nations during peacetime; bending becomes a sport instead of just a tool for survival and com- bat. Even the weekly episode recap - with black-and-white animation and narration that sounds like an auctioneer in the '50s - is a decid- edly modern (and charming) inno- vation. Perhaps DiMartino and Konietz- ko are aware of the resonance their series had with audiences across age demographics. In "Korra," the characters are older, the moral dilemmas greater and the political allusions more overt. Amon, (Steve Blum, "Lilo & Stitch") like many a madman of historical significance, wants to "cleanse the impurity" of his society. Of.course this is sense- less; different kinds of people should be able to coexist. Yet there' are moments in the show - such as councilman Tarrlok (Dee Bradley Baker, "Adventure Time") arresting innocent protesters - when bend- ers abuse their power and you see a shadow of Amon's point. Similar to AtLA, almost every. single character on "Korra" is com- plex and absurdly likable. Most notably: Lin Beifong (Mindy Ster- ling, "iCarly"), chief of Republic City's metalbending police force. Like her mother Toph (Kate Hig- gins, "Naruto: Shippuden"), Lin likes to stay emotionallyuninvolved - but when she cares, she will risk everything in her power to do the right thing. At first, she opposes the Avatar, seeing Korra (Janet Varney, "Judy Moody and the Not Bum- mer Summer") as an entitled hot- head, but takes her side in the fight against Amon. Her heroic deeds in the penultimate episode are more poignant than most primetime dramas - between that and the fact that Zuko's grandson is called General Iroh (and both are voiced by Dante Basco, "The Debut"), you may just tearbend. The characters of the original series make appearances, but only where appropriate. An elderly Katara (Eva Marie Saint, "North by Northwest") sends Korra off as she embarks for Republic City from the Southern Water Tribe. Aang (D.B. Sweeney, "The Event"), Sokka and Toph appear in flashbacks as seen by Korra while she meditates - it's a pretty awesome way o: making us forget that they're dead. There are also a few ingenious nods to AtLA, like "Flameo Instant Noodles" and the fantastic organization known as CabbageCorp. If there's one complaint to be made about "Korra," it's that the show had to be a miniseries. Ten episodes in a season isn't enough for the kind of undetectable and masterful character development in AtLA. Asami's (Seychelle Gabri- el, "Falling Skies") transformation from I-want-to-hate-her-but-she- has-no-flaws to pouty girlfriend is not only abrupt, but mildly disap- pointing; after introducing a bad- ass non-bender with brains and beauty, reducing her to stock jeal- ous female is unfair to the character and the audience. See KORRA, Page 9 'These bath salts are amazing. Actually, I'm getting hungry, I'll call you back, John.' By AKSHAY SETH Daily Arts Writer Sitting through a Seth MacFar- lane movie, the very first of itskind, was a lot more straight-forward than expected: full of crude * jokes, foul lan- guage, idiotic TEd behavior and man-children. At Quality16 Even the titu- and Rave lar vulgarity spouting teddy Universal bear is noth- ing unexpected given MacFar- lane's series "Family Guy". To be completely honest, there's nothing really new about this movie. It has the look and feel of a two-hour long "Family Guy" episode because, at the end of the day, it is. And if you're not particularly fond of the unique brand of humor MacFarlane popularized through his TV shows, steer clear of this film because chances are you're not going to have a good time. As for the rest of us MacFarlane fans, buckle up because "Ted" really is a hilariously entertaining ride. The movie starts off in the suburbs of Boston where a lonely kid, John (Mark Wahlberg, "Con- traband"), wishes for a unique Christmas present - one that will be "truly alive," keeping him com- pany for the rest of his life. In clas- At times, that hilarity is sically unexplained fashion, the stemmed by a slightly inconsistent cute little teddy bear, Ted, comes script, but the faults in the writ- miraculously to life and everything ing are outweighed by material starts to look up. John finally has a that is largely original and funny. friend he can count on and Ted, the MacFarlane, who also provides the first living, breathing stuffed ani- voice of the vulgar teddy bear, does mal in history, becomes an interna- an excellent job of writing around tional celebrity. the banality of the plotline. It's the typical man-child story we've seen so many times over the past few * t d years - a man bitching and moan- ing for two hours before finally bearybecomes a coming to terms with his age and responsiblity. world-wide hit. But MacFarlane finds a way to use the beaten down nature of the story to his advantage - some- thing he's done on his TV shows by But of course, life takes its crafting detached-yet-intelligent unavoidable toll and the two bud- dialogue that always manages to dies end up becoming beacons of maintain an air of self-awareness. mediocrity, taking bong hits while In effect, MacFarlane is taking eating Cap'n Crunch on John's a step back and telling us "yeah, couch. The only thing keeping the I know this crap's been put on. two, well at least John, remotely screen before. I'm here to tell you attached to everyday responsi- why it's stupid." His approach bility is his girlfriend Lori (Mila never appears as heavy handed Kunis, "Friends With Benefits"), as, say, the "Scary Movie" fran- who eventually gets fed up with chise because he genuinely tries to his cannabis-fueled lifestyle and imbue his work with those cliches offers him an ultimatum - kick out we see every year. Ted and move forward with their Once we're hooked in and relationship or find someone else expecting what we've been trained to sleep with. Consequently, the to expect, MacFarlane catches us grown man and teddy bear finally with the punchline that reminds attempt to unlatch and hilarity us why he really is more a satirist ensues. than a comedian. In April, astr: deGrasse Tyson gave Launch Keynote add National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo. Though it didn't receive extensive news coverage, Tyson passionately andI eloquently present- ed a clever solution to some of the cur- rent problems in our country: dou- ble NASA's budget. In the middle of, times and a heated funding for NASA pr high on the priority l and average Amer Tyson argues that ment in NASA could spirit of innovation t economy grow in the now, according to Ty get is only half of o U.S. tax dollar - a ve compared to the amo government is spend grams and services.: budget to one penny lar, which is still ave Tyson claims that for space exploratio expand tremendousl} With an expander Tyson has called for fleet of many differer craft and other tech serve a variety of u "Whatever the need they geopolitical, mili space becomes that f Tyson also used the it system put in place by hower in the 1950s as need for a diverse to craft. "The interstate everybody in whatev That's how you grow: An increased NA; also benefit our econ nearer future. "The. drivesthe culture ofli the culture of innovat economies of the 21st declared emphaticall be more innovative t waysto explore the fin has captured the ima Americans at some pc Instead of investing i or industries that ma invest in something t to be innovative and imagination of a nati could use some inspir More importantly projects conducted-1 have important psycl for the country. "Not, vate, these innovati lines," Tyson said." ophysicist Neil the Symposium ress at the 28th. work their way down the educational pipeline. Everybody in school knows about it. You don't have to setup a pro- gram to convince people that being an engineer is cool. They'll know it just by the cultural presence of those activi- ties. You do that, and it'll jump-start our dreams." MICHAEL Let's dream SPAETH ~AETHagain. tough economic, election season, 'obably isn't very I doubt politicians are going to cre- ist for politicians ate responsible and lasting solutions icans. However, to larger national and international a small invest- issues anytime soon - issues involv- spark a renewed ing much greater sums of money from hat will help the the government and throughout the long-term. Right rest of the economy. Therefore; why son, NASA's bud- not give a small amount of money in the ne penny on the budget to some of the few people in the try small amount entire country who aren't restrained unt-of money our by political or business considerations? ing on other pro- Scientists at NASA are interested in If we double that expanding scientific knowledge and 'on the tax dol- exploring new frontiers. I fully trust ry small amount, people who are drivenbypurescientific the possibilities curiosity, not the next election cycle. o and discovery And besides, politicians should y. be eager to increase NASA's fund- d NASA budget, ing because when we clearly lead the the creation of a world once again in space explora- nt types of space- tion, we inject new life into the spirit inology that can of American exceptionalism, which ses for humans. has been on life support.as our politi- s or urges - be cal atmosphere has become more toxic itary, economic - and polarized. Yet, at the same time, rontier," he said. we also promote a globalized perspec- nterstate highway tive focused on our common human- President Eisen- ity. Tyson claims that several events an analogy for the in 1970 - the passage of the Clean Air llection of space- Act, the creation of Earth Day and the system connects establishment of the Environmental er way you want. Protection Agency - Weren't just coin- a system." cidences. After seeing the first photo of SA budget could Earth from space in 1968, we began to omy in the much focus on the planet we share. This kind culture of NASA of benevolent, globalized perspective nnovation, and it's is sorely needed in this era of con- ion that drives the stant division and hostility, and this t century," Tyson perspective is also well-suited for an y. And what can increasingly globalized economy and han finding new interconnected Internet culture. ial frontier? Space As college students, we already ginations of most have big dreams about our individual oint in their lives. and collective futures. We're going to n new businesses be the innovators of the future, so we ay fail, we should havea responsibility to spark that spirit :hat is guaranteed of innovation right now. Let's tell our also captures the friends, neighbors and elected officials on that definitely that a small investment in innovation ation. and our ability to dream is worth the , an increase in short-term political inconvenience. by NASA would Let's show the rest of the world why we hological benefits should dream again. only do you inno- ons make head- Michael Spaeth can be reached "Those headlines at micspa@umich.edu. I can't count how many times I've heard it: "When I graduate, I'm getting out of Michigan." As the first half of sum- mer draws to a close, many stu- dents have fled Ann Arbor - and VANESSA the state of RYCHLINSKI Michigan altogether - to other economic and cultural epicen- ters, and not just the class of 2012. The ever-more impor- tant internship, by many con- sidered vital to the undergrad experience, has drawn many students to greener pastures. The allure is understandable. Exodus is all too easy - espe- cially when your state has been one of those hit hardest since the recession. Despite Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's opponents pre- dicting a continued spiral downward, however, things have begun looking up. The film industry is set to thrive in 2012, and Michigan recently grabbed the 25th rank in eco- nomic outlook on the State Economic Competitiveness Index put out by the American Legislative Exchange Coun- cil. Detroit's increased hiring market also was the topic of a June 12 Forbes article. Despite these encouraging signs, how- ever, May's unemployment tally is a depressing 8.5 percent and sits at the unlucky spot of 13th-worst in the nation. Luck- ily, many talented students have found options outside the mitten. Cities such as New York, Washington D.C. and San Francisco have all beck- oned with the promise of a bet- ter work experience - one you can't get anywhere else. They're not the only lucky ones, though, and there are some experiences here that you definitely can't get anywhere else. I attended the Semester in Detroit student showcase dur- ing the second-to-last week of June to speak with stu- dents who had volunteered to learn and work in Michigan's once-glorious metropolis. The of urban revitalization. Claire University's Detroit Center is noted that working in Detroit located in Midtown, housed is a definite future prospect. blocks from historical build- "Just being here is so inspir- ings such as the Fox Theatre, ing," she said. "When I look at the Detroit Institute of Arts Brush Park ... there's so much Museum and the Detroit possibility in those vacant lots Opera House. I was both sur- and that's just beautiful." prised and impressed by the students who participated in this year's program in an Detroit's culture array of organizations run- - ning the gamut from theater can'tbe found and community outreach to city and state government to anywhere else law and social justice. a For LSA junior Erin Kirk- land, an aspiring journalist and managing photo edi- tor at The Michigan Daily, Alana Hoey is a senior in the it all started with "the same School of Art & Design with stories that you hear at every a second independent study family party." These were major in Urban Planning. all connected in some way to Alana felt that her intern- Detroit, the place where her ship at Pewabic Pottery was a parents were born and raised unique opportunity. Pewabic before settling in Farmington. is known locally for commu- After hearing so much about nity outreach. When asked if the "good old days," she won- she would consider returning dered how to connect to the to the city to work, Alana's history of the city - without response was simple: "I'm any undue dewy-eyed nostal- me here." Alana is one of two gia - and of her family before in this year's program who's moving forward. Though she native to the city and has many doesn't feel entitled to the ties to the community. Her designation of "Detroiter" grandfather came to Detroit after one semester, she told during the automotive boom me she plans to apply to the at the turn of the century, Detroit Free Press and other when Henry Ford was offer- non-profit organizations after ing $5 a day to new workers. graduating. "I still do dream Her mother also helped found of working for the New York an inner-city school in 2001. Times," she admitted, "but Though often protective of I've re-evaluated, and I think Detroit, Alana expressed the there's a lot going on here." wish that friends would see for Originally from Washing- themselves as some of her fel- ton D.C., LSA junior Claire low students had done. Jaffe interned for The Hub of Certainly it would be inter- Detroit, a program in which esting to observe if the number participants learn to assemble of students investing in Detroit a bike they may keep upon was closer to 200 rather than completion. Part of her intern- 20. But' it's still invaluable ship included making and that these 20-odd students traveling her own bike routes have seen same of the spirit of throughout the city. One of Detroit - beit in a bike shop or her favorite neighborhoods is a health center or girl's shelter, Brush Park. "There are these in a councilwoman's office or amazing mansions, and then on a wall mural. That spirit is you turn your back and it's indicative of a special culture a completely vacant lot with flavored with innovation and grass up, to your waist and tenacity that you just can't find the skyline behind it - incred- anywhere else. ible," she said. An Urban Plan- ning minor, Claire believes Vanessa Rychlinski can be it's important to study urban reached at vanrych@umich.edu. sprawl and re-inhabitation and approach the puzzling problem