Drama Are We Addicted to It Hollywood Says Yes.

Drama Are We Addicted to It Hollywood Says Yes. The Untrue Story†¦ This weekend I watched The Big Sick, a movie based on a true story about a Pakistani comedian, Kumail Nanjiani, and his white girlfriend, Emily Gordon. Kumail and Emily’s real story is a truly great love story. They were dating for six months when Emily suddenly fell ill- six months in which Kumail did not tell his family about Emily, fearing they would disown him. Then, while Emily was in a medically induced coma, Kumail recognized the level of his love for Emily. Upon her awakening, he asked her to marry him. They were wed two months later, in a Pakistani wedding, despite his parents’ protests and â€Å"How could you do this to us?† attitude. This story seems good enough for Hollywood to me, but to create more drama, Kumail and Emily (the authors of the screenplay about their own lives) threw a huge breakup fight into the mix- the day before Emily was hospitalized. They also made up fights between Kumail and Emily’s parents, as well as a race-related incident at one of Kumail’s shows where Emily’s mother went to (verbal) battle with a heckler. Click here to read about the real story. Hollywood Drama Hollywood movies require drama, and extra drama is what writers Kumail and Emily delivered. To me, it made their story less believable. I would have preferred the true story. I started doing research on other movies â€Å"based on true stories.† Not surprisingly, fictionalized fights and arguments were often added in for dramatic effect. For example, in Only the Brave, the leader of the team did not really have an argument with his wife the night before the big fire that killed him. And he did not give any pushback when one of his team members- the one who ultimately survived- told him he wanted to move to a different team that would provide him more stability. He was supportive from the get-go. But the movie depicted two fights and their ultimate resolution. Click here for more about the true account. In Marshall, fights were likewise inserted for dramatic effect. The real-life nephew of the lawyer Sam Friedman has said â€Å"that the moment in the movie that is most ‘absurd’ is when Sam tells Thurgood Marshall that he cant afford to lose the case, to which Marshall responds twice, ‘F*** you, Sam Friedman.’† (Click to learn what really happened.) In real life, Marshall would never have said such a thing. Furthermore, Marshall did not come close to getting into a bar fight, and Friedman was never actually attacked for working on the case of Joseph Spell, as depicted in the movie. Addicted to Drama? I have more questions than answers about the embellishments made to these â€Å"true† stories. Are we as a society so addicted to drama that we need additional conflict on top of what already exists in the world? Would we really not go to see movies that were more even-keeled? Or might we find them refreshing? Do we like watching other people’s drama so we feel better about our own? Do we like it because we learn from the movies that conflict can be resolved and that there is good will available if we look for it in others and in ourselves? I understand that fights are part of life and relationships. I appreciate real life, and sometimes even fictionalized, examples of conflict and resolution. But I also appreciate truth, and I don’t like gratuitous drama any more than I like gratuitous violence. I wish that Hollywood would cut some of the unnecessary emotional wringers that writers put us through. I am also asking myself, â€Å"How much unnecessary drama have I created in my own life? Am I making my own true story more of a roller coaster than it has to be?† The holiday season is a good time to shed light on where we might be embellishing our own stories with no real positive effect. I wish for us all that we pick our fights wisely and fight not to break our relationships apart, but to make them stronger. Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinNovember 28, 2017 4 Comments Tara Imani says: November 28, 2017 at 12:37 pm Hi Brenda, Your post is truly enlightening as I assumed most true stories fights were not embellished. I wonder if Hollywood directors are the ones who are addicted to violence and abuse. The inserting of the word fxxx has escalated to epidemic proportions since 1986 or so. Thank you for shedding light on a serious problem. Movies can have a huge impact on people. If we get the idea that everyone is fighting and arguing and living in discord, it might influence us to do the same. This sounds lame but I think it happens. Before my dear mom passed unexpectedly after a surprise illness in 2015, she often kept her TV on the Hallmark channel. I joked she was living in a fairytale bubble, far away from CNN etc. In retrospect, I think she was doing the best thing. Happy Holidays, Tara Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: November 28, 2017 at 2:49 pm Im so glad my article made such an impact, Tara! I believe theres harm in the happily ever after stories too, which make us think our fights are not okay or that something is wrong if were fighting. My vote is for somewhere in between. This society is so affected by what we see over and over on the big screen! Log in to Reply Kathi Fuller says: November 29, 2017 at 8:34 pm I feel exactly the same way, Brenda. The one that really struck me was Hidden Figures, based on the true story of three African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA in the 1960s. It feels like a slap in the face to tell a woman like Katherine Johnson that her story isnt compelling enough at face value, that it must be embellished with scenes like her boss striding down the hallway surrounded by Katherine and her co-workers to smash the Whites Only bathroom sign when he found out that Katherine was running to another building a half-mile away several times a day to use the only colored restroom on the NASA campus. Its a great visual and a powerful piece of storytelling but it never happened. In reality, Katherine simply ignored the Whites Only sign at the closest ladies room to her office and used it anyway, hoping she wouldnt get caught and eventually and uneventfully the sign came down as culture change swept through NASA. The reality makes me love Katherine e ven more her determination and self-sufficiency in overcoming the obstacle on her own rather than relying on a white, male higher-up to solve her issue for her. Adding false drama where none was needed diminished the experience of that film for me. There is power in authenticity! Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: November 29, 2017 at 9:29 pm Thank you for sharing that, Kathi. Im going to go read up on the truth vs. fiction in that film now. I had assumed that was a true part of the story! Like there isnt enough to be appalled about regarding racial discrimination, we have to make things up? Log in to Reply

Major General Darius N. Couch - Civil War

Major General Darius N. Couch - Civil War Darius Couch - Early Life Career: The son of Jonathan and Elizabeth Couch, Darius Nash Couch was born in Southeast, NY on July 23, 1822.   Raised in the area, he received his education locally and ultimately decided upon pursuing a military career.   Applying to the US Military Academy, Couch received an appointment in 1842.   Arriving at West Point, his classmates included George B. McClellan, Thomas Stonewall Jackson, George Stoneman, Jesse Reno, and George Pickett.   An above average student, Couch graduated four years later ranked 13th in a class of 59.   Commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant on July 1, 1846, he was ordered to join the 4th US Artillery. Darius Couch - Mexico Interwar Years: As the United States was engaged in the Mexican-American War, Couch soon found himself serving in Major General Zachary Taylors army in northern Mexico.   Seeing action at the Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847, he earned a brevet promotion to first lieutenant for gallant and meritorious conduct.   Remaining in the region for the remainder of the conflict, Couch received orders to return north for garrison duty at Fortress Monroe in 1848.   Sent to Fort Pickens in Pensacola, FL the following year, he took part in operations against the Seminoles before resuming garrison duty.   As the early 1850s passed, Couch moved through assignments in New York, Missouri, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.    Possessing an interest in the natural world, Couch took a leave of absence from the US Army in 1853 and conducted an expedition to northern Mexico to collect specimens for the recently-established Smithsonian Institution.   During this time, he discovered new species of kingbird and spadefoot toad which were named in his honor.   In 1854, Couch married Mary C. Crocker and returned to military service.   Remaining in uniform for another year, he resigned his commission to become a merchant in New York City.   In 1857, Couch moved to Taunton, MA where he assumed a position at his in-laws copper fabrication firm. Darius Couch - The Civil War Begins: Employed in Taunton when the Confederates attacked Fort Sumter beginning the Civil War, Couch quickly volunteered his services to the Union cause.   Appointed to command the 7th Massachusetts Infantry with the rank of colonel on June 15, 1861, he then led the regiment south and aided in constructing defenses around Washington, DC.   In August, Couch was promoted to brigadier general and that fall received a brigade in McClellans newly-formed Army of the Potomac.   Training his men through the winter, he was further elevated in early 1862 when he took command of a division in Brigadier General Erasmus D. Keyes IV Corps.   Moving south in the spring, Couchs division landed on the Peninsula and in early April served in the Siege of Yorktown. Darius Couch - On the Peninsula: With the Confederate withdrawal from Yorktown on May 4, Couchs men took part in the pursuit and played a key role in halting an attack by Brigadier General James Longstreet at the Battle of Williamsburg.   Moving towards Richmond as the month progressed, Couch and IV Corps came under heavy assault on May 31 at the Battle of Seven Pines.   This saw them briefly forced back before repelling Major General D.H. Hills Confederates.   In late June, as General Robert E. Lee commenced his Seven Days Battles, Couchs division retreated as McClellan withdrew east.   In the course of the fighting, his men took part in the Union defense of Malvern Hill on July 1.   With the failure of the campaign, Couchs division was detached from IV Corps and sent north. Darius Couch - Fredericksburg: During this time, Couch suffered from increasingly ill health.   This led him submit a letter of resignation to McClellan.   Unwilling to lose a gifted officer, the Union commander did not forward Couchs letter and instead had him promoted to major general to date from July 4.   While his division did not participate in the Second Battle of Manassas, Couch led his troops into the field in early September during the Maryland Campaign.   This saw them support VI Corps attack at Cramptons Gap during the Battle of South Mountain on September 14.   Three days later, the division moved towards Antietam but did not take part in the fighting.   In the wake of the battle, McClellan was relieved of command and replaced with Major General Ambrose Burnside.   Reorganizing the Army of the Potomac, Burnside placed Couch in command of II Corps on November 14.   This formation was in turn assigned to Major General Edwin V. Sumners Right Grand Division.   Marching south towards Fredericksburg, II Corps divisions were led by Brigadier Generals Winfield S. Hancock, Oliver O. Howard, and William H. French.   On December 12, a brigade from Couchs corps was dispatched across the Rappahannock to sweep the Confederates from Fredericksburg and allow Union engineers to construct bridges across the river.   The next day, as the Battle of Fredericksburg commenced, II Corps received orders to assault the formidable Confederate position on Maryes Heights.   Though Couch vehemently opposed the attack feeling that it would like be repulsed with heavy losses, Burnside insisted that II Corps move forward. Advancing early that afternoon, Couchs predictions proved accurate as each division was repelled in turn and the corps sustained over 4,000 casualties.          Darius Couch - Chancellorsville: Following the disaster at Fredericksburg, President Abraham Lincoln replaced Burnside with Major General Joseph Hooker.   This saw another reorganization of the army that left Couch in command of II Corps and made him the senior corps commander in the Army of the Potomac.   For the spring of 1863, Hooker intended to leave a force at Fredericksburg to hold Lee in place while he swung the army north and west to approach the enemy from behind.   Moving out in late April, the army was across the Rappahannock and moving east on May 1.   Largely held in reserve, Couch became concerned about Hookers performance when his superior appeared to lose his nerve that evening and elected to shift to the defensive after the opening actions of the Battle of Chancellorsville.    On May 2, the Union situation worsened when a devastating attack by Jackson routed Hookers right flank.   Holding his section of the line, Couchs frustrations grew the following morning when Hooker was rendered unconscious and possibly sustained a concussion when a shell hit a column he was leaning against.   Though unfit for command after awakening, Hooker refused to turn full command of the army over to Couch and instead timidly played out the battles final stages before ordering a retreat north.   Quarreling with Hooker in the weeks after the battle, Couch requested reassignment and left II Corps on May 22.   Darius Couch - Gettysburg Campaign: Given command of the newly-created Department of the Susquehanna on June 9, Couch quickly worked to organize troops to oppose Lees invasion of Pennsylvania.   Utilizing forces largely comprised of emergency militia, he ordered fortifications built to protect Harrisburg and dispatched men to slow the Confederate advance.   Skirmishing with Lieutenant General Richard Ewell and Major General J.E.B. Stuarts forces at Sporting Hill and Carlisle respectively, Couchs men helped ensure that the Confederates stayed on the west bank of the Susquehanna in the days prior to the Battle of Gettysburg.   In the wake of the Union victory in early July, Couchs troops aided in the pursuit of Lee as the Army of Northern Virginia sought to escape south.   Remaining in Pennsylvania for most of 1864, Couch saw action that July when he responded to Brigadier General John McCauslands burning of Chambersburg, PA.          Darius Couch - Tennessee the Carolinas: In December, Couch received command of a division in Major General John Schofields XXIII Corps in Tennessee.   Attached to Major General George H. Thomas Army of the Cumberland, he took part in the Battle of Nashville on December 15-16.   In the course of the fighting on the first day, Couchs men aided in shattering the Confederate left and played a role in driving them from the field a day later.   Remaining with his division for the rest of the war, Couch saw service during the Carolinas Campaign in the final weeks of the conflict.   Resigning from the army in late May, Couch returned to Massachusetts where he unsuccessfully ran for governor.   Darius Couch - Later Life: Named the customs inspector for the Port of Boston in 1866, Couch only briefly held the post as the Senate did not confirm his appointment.   Returning to business, he accepted the presidency of the (West) Virginia Mining and Manufacturing Company in 1867.   Four years later, Couch moved to Connecticut to serve as the quartermaster-general of the states militia.   Later adding the position of adjutant general, he remained with the militia until 1884.   Spending his final years in Norwalk, CT, Couch died there on February 12, 1897.   His remains were interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Taunton.   Ã‚   Selected Sources Blue Gray Trail: Darius CouchUS Army History: Chancellorsville Staff RideAztec Club: Darius Couch