Heather Smith

As someone who has tattoos, I am frequently asked why I got them, what they mean, why I got them where I did, and often, what the hell I was thinking. Given my age, I am often written off as an impulsive hipster with no thoughts her future. However, tattoos for me, (and, I would argue, for most people), are not incidental; in fact, they are one of the most unifying cultural practices in human history. Trying to explain to someone who does not have, appreciate, or understand tattoos why you have them is quite difficult.Read more...

“Where the fuck is Scott?!”, one of my roommates yells, “why isn’t he telling the story?!?” You may be thinking, “Ah, one of your roommates curses, and is looking for her friend, Scott, to tell a story”. This is not the case. First, this particular roommate is not liberal with the vulgar language. Second of all, Scott is a character on television, well, a reality star, well, he would be if he we had seen him. Perhaps some background is in order.Read more...

Despite the story’s striking parallels with The Wrestler, Scott Cooper’s Crazy Heart is able to resonate with audiences, mostly through the performances of lead actors Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Both received Academy Award nominations for their work in this film(Best Actor and Supporting Actress, respectively). The story is unfortunately all too familiar; worn-out, alcoholic, ex-celebrity Bad Blake is fifty-seven years old and can barely get through his shows because of his overall condition, or as a doctor in the film says, his “lack thereof."Read more...