Ditch the raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens - as far as entertainment is concerned, I hold a few relics close to my heart. To put my train of thought into perspective, I, personally, tend to favor skill, individuality, and feelings provoked over the actual aesthetic something may possess. So here they are: three of my favorite things.

Though my music taste often changes, or “evolves,” as I like to say, I’ve noticed that as of late I’ve taken a specific liking to a specific song. “In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry just has a very easy-breezy feeling to it - a simple, happy, upbeat song. I was first introduced to it by accident, but I’ve grown quite attached. I suppose I like it because of its care-free vibe. As, with anything, it seems to be easy to make someone sad but quite difficult to invoke the feeling of happiness - in writing, movies, books, or whathaveyou. I wouldn’t say that I’m a Mungo Jerry enthusiast or Skiffle nut - though I do enjoy the genre -  but I feel as though I appreciate the atmosphere the song gives more than the song itself.

Though my music taste may evolve, my favorite movie has remained constant for years. I consider The Blues Brothers, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, to be a work of art. As I said earlier, it is a lot easier to invoke a negative emotion than a positive one, and that is why I have chosen a comedy as my crème de la crème, for a true comedy is hard to find. I could easily list a number of emotional movies that have ripped my heart out and made me walk on it or horror flicks that held me on the edge of my seat, but I hold them to a different standard. Though I do greatly admire any reaction at all being provoked by a film, I find joy especially impressive. Honestly, just think about how many movies you’ve watched that have made you sad or afraid. Probably a lot, right? It’s because a list of clichès is practically checked off in every one. Whether it’s “jump-scares” and gory scenes in a horror flick or an animal or child being left behind or dying, writers and directors have a foolproof method of making the majority of people feel a certain way. I love comedy because it’s different. Everyone has a different sense of humor, and something that I find hilarious might not even warrant a chuckle from you. That’s why it’s such a hard category to do well in, and why when I find one that is done well, I’m more than impressed.   

Remember what I said about invoking emotions? Yeah, it applies to my favorite book, as well. I’ve read plenty of books in my education that have been barely thought-provoking enough to write a quick analysis or a summary. It seems as though the curriculum tends to gravitate towards books that blatantly display a literary technique so the teachers will not have to spend time having students look deeper for a hidden meaning or explaining the significance of something that may be “over the heads” of some. For example, I think that even the most insensitive to literature could have quickly realized that Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory, as you are pounded over the head with the obviousness of it throughout the entire novel. In my opinion, the book itself has been overused and exemplified so much that it seems to have lost all true depth one would realize in self-interpretation. It’s like one of those songs they won’t stop playing on the radio - you may not have disliked it at first, but after the hundredth time it got old. The curriculum makers will have a cow the day English teachers require students to actually think on their own or to look deeper without being given an instruction manual on how to do so (not that all English teachers are this way, as I know that many actively try to engage their students in the excitement of literature). That’s part of the reason I chose my favorite book. It doesn’t come with a guide telling you how you should interpret something - because, in literature, there’s always only one correct interpretation, right? In art, there’s only one attractive style of painting, right? I didn’t realize until I entered school that beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but is, in fact, in the eye of the person grading your assignment. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger cannot have a correct or incorrect interpretation, as there are so many levels one could focus on when analyzing it. I appreciate it because it actually made me think beyond a third grade level without being spoon fed the underlying meaning. You may say that some are simply incapable when it comes to interpretations or “looking deeper,” but I say that it is that mentality that has made them believe they are. To quote Kalia Geary, “You cannot treat someone like a child and expect them to behave as an adult.” It is that same seed of self-doubt that has blossomed into unwillingness to even attempt, for no one wishes to fail. Back to The Catcher in the Rye though.  The feeling it invokes is indescribable, one of emptiness and thoughtfulness, but also of humor and innocence. It’s one of those pieces you read and for half an hour after you’ve finished the last page, you sit on your couch in silence trying to comprehend the mind blowing, morality-and-societal-questioning-inducing masterpiece you’ve just absorbed.

Overall, I tend to favor items that stray from what one may expect in a specific genre or medium, for I find something that can actually affect me personally far more intriguing than a simple pastime. In the end, I’d prefer my list to your cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels any day… well, maybe not the strudel.