I know I've been slacking on this, so I'm sorry for the hiatus. In watching the French movie in class today, Jean de Florette, I realized how movies can be great geographical tools. The other day I watched Easy Rider for the first time in a while. While watching it, I couldn't help but notice how great it is, but also the fact that it is almost a cultural geography documentary. One can't forget the classic "happy wonderer" characters and the prejudice they encounter. Jack Nicholson's character is of course notable in other films as well, my favorite of which is...There are other stories of a fish (or Hipo) out of water, that are also great and show a cultural and geographical change for the characters. Many of which happen in the "Big Apple", but then there is always someone that has spent to much time in New York City, or in Nebraska, like this goofball. If you haven't seen it yet, check out the Flight of the Conchords, it is a perfect blend of cultures colliding and humor.
I also wanted to point out this book, put out by "The Onion". It is a fantastic atlas of the planet, full of excellent sarcasm. I will no doubt be quoting it often on this blog, so keep a lookout. Here's a little sample that I picked because the vineyards of CA are what I am going to do my term paper on and I thought this was a funny quote. "The state's region is known for its vineyards, where immigrant workers spend years cultivating the finest wine in the country so people can spit it out into a bucket" (The Onion, pg 22).
