RT @ESPNStatsInfo: Bryce Harper: 1st 2 HR in consecutive games. Other 1st-overall picks to do so include Josh Hamilton, Darryl Strawberry, Ken Griffey Jr.
Posted: May 18, 2012 (01:38:06 PM) | Updated: May 18, 2012 (06:30:51 PM)
This is a test to see who reads my posts or just trolls. So if you read this, leave me a one word comment on how we met. Just one word, please. Then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you. Please don't just post a word and not copy
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Jennifer King Stroh Work
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Rick Sanchez added a new photo.
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Paul Cash Oh yea that is what i am talking about I make this with rice every summer just like this.
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Mike Marino
ok,ok,ok........ i'm done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the next game request i get I will dump you the the trash, i'm not playing games .......................
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James Sena was tagged in Dustin Boothe's photo. — with Nick McLeod.
Just messin' around post workout! Gettin it done! And havin' fun! :) thanks for workin out with me big nick!!
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author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of...
Posted: May 17, 2012 (09:02:49 PM)
author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of a wizard, Harry Potter and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's quest to overcome the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose aims are to become immortal, to conquer the wizarding world, subjugate non-magical people, and destroy all those who stand in his way, especially Harry Potter.
Since the release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on 30 June 1997, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide.[2] The series has also had some share of criticism, including concern for the increasingly dark tone. As of June 2011[update], the book series has sold about 450 million copies, making it the best-selling books series in history and has been translated into 67 languages,[3][4] and the last four books consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.
A series of many genres, including fantasy and coming of age (with elements of mystery, thriller, adventure, and romance), it has many cultural meanings and references.[5][6][7][8] According to Rowling, the main theme is death,[9] although it is primarily considered to be a work of children's literature. There are also many other themes in the series, such as prejudice and corruption.[10]
The initial major publishers of the books were Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom and Scholastic Press in the United States. The books have since been published by many publishers worldwide. The books, with the seventh book split into two parts, have been made into an eight-part film series by Warner Bros. Pictures, the highest-grossing film series of all time. The series also originated much tie-in merchandise, making the Harry Potter brand worth in excess of $15 billion.[11]
Contents [hide]
1 Plot
1.1 Early years
1.2 Voldemort returns
1.3 Supplementary works
2 Structure and genre
3 Themes
4 Origins and publishing history
4.1 Translations
4.2 Completion of the series
5 Achievements
5.1 Cultural impact
5.2 Awards and honours
5.3 Commercial success
6 Reception
6.1 Literary criticism
6.2 Social impacts
6.3 Controversies
7 Audiobooks
8 Films
9 Games
10 Attractions
10.1 United States
10.2 United Kingdom
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
PlotFurther information: Harry Potter universe
Complete set of the seven books of the Harry Potter series.The novels revolve around Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers at the age of eleven that he is a wizard, living within the ordinary world of non-magical, or Muggle, people.[12] His ability is inborn and such children are invited to attend a school that teaches the necessary skills to succeed in the wizarding world.[13] Harry becomes a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and it is in here where most of the novels' events take place. As Harry develops through his adolescence, he learns to overcome the problems that face him: magical, social and emotional, including ordinary teenage challenges such as friendships and exams, and the greater test of preparing himself for the confrontation that lies ahead.[14]
Each book chronicles one year in Harry's life[15] with the main narrative being set in the years 1991–98.[16] The books also contain many flashbacks, which are frequently experienced by Harry viewing the memories of other characters in a device called a Pensieve.
The environment J. K. Rowling created is completely separate from reality yet intimately connected to it. While the fantasy land of Narnia is an alternative universe and the Lord of the Rings' Middle-earth a mythic past, the wizarding world of Harry Potter exists in parallel within the real world and this is how Potter's world contains magical elements similar to things in everyday life. Many of its institutions and locations are recognisable, such as London.[17] It comprises a fragmented collection of overlooked hidden streets, ancient pubs, lonely country manors and secluded castles that remain invisible to the Muggle population.[13]
Early yearsWhen the first novel of the series Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published in some countries as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) opens, it is clear some remarkable event has taken place in the wizarding world, an event so very remarkable, even the Muggles notice signs of it. The full background to this event and to the person of Harry Potter is only revealed gradually, through the series. After the introductory chapter, the book leaps forward to a time shortly before Harry Potter's eleventh birthday, and it is at this point that his background begins to be revealed.
Harry's first contact with the wizarding world is through a half-giant, Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of grounds and keys at Hogwarts. Hagrid reveals some of Harry's history.[18] Harry learns that as a baby he witnessed his parents' murder by the power-obsessed dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, who then attempted to kill him also.[18] For reasons not immediately revealed, the spell with which Voldemort tried to kill Harry rebounded. Harry survived with only a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead as a memento of the attack, and Voldemort disappeared. As its inadvertent saviour from Voldemort's reign of terror, Harry has become a living legend in the wizarding world. However, at the orders of the venerable and well-known wizard Albus Dumbledore, the orphaned Harry had been placed in the home of his unpleasant Muggle (non-wizard) relatives, the Dursleys who had him safe but hid his true heritage from him in hopes that he would grow up "normal".[18]
With Hagrid's help, Harry prepares for and undertakes his first year of study at Hogwarts. As Harry begins to explore the magical world, the reader is introduced to many of the primary locations used throughout the series. Harry meets most of the main characters and gains his two closest friends: Ron Weasley, a fun-loving member of an ancient, large, happy, but hard-up wizarding family, and Hermione Granger, a gifted and hardworking witch of non-magical parentage.[18][19] Harry also encounters the school's potions master, Severus Snape, who displays a deep and abiding dislike for him. The plot concludes with Harry's second confrontation with Lord Voldemort, who in his quest for immortality, yearns to gain the power of the Philosopher's Stone a substance that gives everlasting life.[18]
The series continues with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets describing Harry's second year at Hogwarts. He and his friends investigate a 50-year-old mystery that appears tied to recent sinister events at the school. Ron's younger sister, Ginny Weasley, enrols in her first year at Hogwarts, and finds a notebook which turns out to be Voldemort's diary from his school days. Ginny becomes possessed by Voldemort through the diary and opens the "Chamber of Secrets", unleashing an ancient monster which begins attacking students at Hogwarts. The novel delves into the history of Hogwarts and a legend revolving around the Chamber. For the first time, Harry realises that racial prejudice exists in the wizarding world, and he learns that Voldemort's reign of terror was often directed at wizards who were descended from Muggles. Harry also learns that his ability to speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes, is rare and often associated with the Dark Arts. The novel ends after Harry saves Ginny's life by destroying a basilisk and the enchanted diary which has been the source of the problems.
The third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, follows Harry in his third year of magical education. It is the only book in the series which does not feature Voldemort. Instead, Harry must deal with the knowledge that he has been targeted by Sirius Black, an escaped murderer believed to have assisted in the deaths of Harry's parents. As Harry struggles with his reaction to the dementors—dark creatures with the power to devour a human soul—which are ostensibly protecting the school, he reaches out to Remus Lupin, a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who is eventually revealed to be a werewolf. Lupin teaches Harry defensive measures which are well above the level of magic generally shown by people his age. Harry learns that both Lupin and Black were close friends of his father and that Black was framed by their fourth friend, Peter Pettigrew.[20] In this book, another recurring theme throughout the series is emphasised—in every book there is a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, none of whom lasts more than one school year.
Voldemort returns
"The Elephant House" – The café in Edinburgh in which Rowling wrote the first part of Harry Potter.During Harry's fourth year of school (detailed in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) Harry is unwillingly entered as a participant in the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous contest where Harry must compete against a witch and a wizard "champion" from visiting schools as well as another Hogwarts student.[21] Harry is guided through the tournament by Professor Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, who turns out to be an impostor – one of Voldemort's supporters named Barty Crouch, Jr in disguise. The point at which the mystery is unravelled marks the series' shift from foreboding and uncertainty into open conflict. Voldemort's plan to have Crouch use the tournament to bring Harry to Voldemort succeeds. Although Harry manages to escape from him, Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts champion in the tournament, is killed and Voldemort resurges.
In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry must confront the newly resurfaced Voldemort. In response to Voldemort's reappearance, Dumbledore re-activates the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society which works from Sirius Black's dark family home to defeat Voldemort's minions and protect Voldemort's targets, especially Harry. Despite Harry's description of Voldemort's recent activities, the Ministry of Magic and many others in the magical world refuse to believe that Voldemort has returned.[22] In an attempt to counter and eventually discredit Dumbledore, who along with Harry is the most prominent voice in the wizarding world attempting to warn of Voldemort's return, the Ministry appoints Dolores Umbridge as the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. She transforms the school into a dictatorial regime and refuses to allow the students to learn ways to defend themselves against dark magic.[22]
Harry forms "Dumbledore's Army", a secret study group to teach his classmates the higher-level skills of Defence Against the Dark Arts that he has learned. An important prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort is revealed,[23] and Harry discovers that he and Voldemort have a painful connection, allowing Harry to view some of Voldemort's actions telepathically. In the novel's climax, Harry and his friends face off against Voldemort's Death Eaters. Although the timely arrival of members of the Order of the Phoenix saves the children's lives, Sirius Black is killed in the conflict.[22]
In the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort begins waging open warfare. Harry and friends are relatively protected from that danger at Hogwarts. They are subject to all the difficulties of adolescence; Harry eventually begins dating Ginny Weasley. Near the beginning of the novel, Harry is given an old potions textbook filled with annotations and recommendations signed by a mysterious writer, "the Half-Blood Prince". This book is a source of scholastic success, but because of the potency of the spells that are written in it, becomes a source of concern. Harry takes private lessons with Dumbledore, who shows him various memories concerning the early life of Voldemort. These reveal that Voldemort, to preserve his life, has split his soul into pieces, creating a series of horcruxes, evil enchanted items hidden in various locations, one of which was the diary destroyed in the second book.[24] Harry's snobbish adversary, Draco Malfoy, attempts to attack Dumbledore, and the book culminates in the killing of Dumbledore by Professor Snape, the titular Half-Blood Prince.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book in the series, begins directly after the events of the sixth book. Voldemort has completed his ascension to power and gains control of the Ministry of Magic. Harry, Ron, and Hermione drop out of school so that they can find and destroy Voldemort's remaining horcruxes. To ensure their own safety as well as that of their family and friends, they are forced to isolate themselves. As they search for the horcruxes, the trio learns details about Dumbledore's past, as well as Snape's true motives—he had worked on Dumbledore's behalf since the murder of Harry's mother.
The book culminates in the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, in conjunction with members of the Order of the Phoenix and many of the teachers and students, defend Hogwarts from Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and various magical creatures. Several major characters are killed in the first wave of the battle. After learning that he himself is a horcrux, Harry surrenders himself to Voldemort, who casts a killing curse at him. However, the defenders of Hogwarts do not surrender after learning this, but continue to fight on. Having managed to return from the dead, Harry finally faces Voldemort, whose horcruxes have all been destroyed. In the subsequent battle, Voldemort's curse rebounds off of Harry's spell and kills Voldemort. An epilogue describes the lives of the surviving characters and the effects on the wizarding world.
Supplementary works
See also: J. K. Rowling: Philanthropy
Rowling has expanded the Harry Potter universe with several short books produced for various charities.[25][26] In 2001, she released Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (a purported Hogwarts textbook) and Quidditch Through the Ages (a book Harry reads for fun). Proceeds from the sale of these two books benefitted the charity Comic Relief.[27] In 2007, Rowling composed seven handwritten copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a collection of fairy tales that is featured in the final novel, one of which was auctioned to raise money for the Children's High Level Group, a fund for mentally disabled children in poor countries. The book was published internationally on 4 December 2008.[28][29] Rowling also wrote an 800-word prequel in 2008 as part of a fundraiser organised by the bookseller Waterstones.[30] In 2011, Rowling launched a new website announcing an upcoming project called Pottermore.[31]
Structure and genreSee also: Harry Potter influences and analogues
The Harry Potter novels fall within the genre of fantasy literature; however, in many respects they are also bildungsromans, or coming of age novels,[32] and contain elements of mystery, adventure, thriller, and romance. They can be considered part of the British children's boarding school genre, which includes Rudyard Kipling's Stalky & Co., Enid Blyton's Malory Towers, St. Clare's and the Naughtiest Girl series, and Frank Richards's Billy Bunter novels: the Harry Potter books are predominantly set in Hogwarts, a fictional British boarding school for wizards, where the curriculum includes the use of magic.[33] In this sense they are "in a direct line of descent from Thomas Hughes's Tom Brown's School Days and other Victorian and Edwardian novels of British public school life".[34][35] They are also, in the words of Stephen King, "shrewd mystery tales",[36] and each book is constructed in the manner of a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery adventure. The stories are told from a third person limited point of view with very few exceptions (such as the opening chapters of Philosopher's Stone and Deathly Hallows and the first two chapters of Half-Blood Prince).
In the middle of each book, Harry struggles with the problems he encounters, and dealing with them often involves the need to violate some school rules. If students are caught breaking rules, they are often disciplined by Hogwarts professors, who employ the use of punishments often found in the boarding school sub-genre.[citation needed] However, the stories reach their climax in the summer term, near or just after final exams, when events escalate far beyond in-school squabbles and struggles, and Harry must confront either Voldemort or one of his followers, the Death Eaters, with the stakes a matter of life and death–a point underlined, as the series progresses, by one or more characters being killed in each of the final four books.[37][38] In the aftermath, he learns important lessons through exposition and discussions with head teacher and mentor Albus Dumbledore.
In the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry and his friends spend most of their time away from Hogwarts, and only return there to face Voldemort at the dénouement.[37] Completing the bildungsroman format, in this part Harry must grow up prematurely, losing the chance of a last year as a pupil in a school and needing to act as an adult, on whose decisions everybody else depends—the grown-ups included.[citation needed]
ThemesAccording to Rowling, a major theme in the series is death: "My books are largely about death. They open with the death of Harry's parents. There is Voldemort's obsession with conquering death and his quest for immortality at any price, the goal of anyone with magic. I so understand why Voldemort wants to conquer death. We're all frightened of it."[9]
Academics and journalists have developed many other interpretations of themes in the books, some more complex than others, and some including political subtexts. Themes such as normality, oppression, survival, and overcoming imposing odds have all been considered as prevalent throughout the series.[39] Similarly, the theme of making one's way through adolescence and "going over one's most harrowing ordeals—and thus coming to terms with them" has also been considered.[40] Rowling has stated that the books comprise "a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry" and that also pass on a message to "question authority and... not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth".[41]
While the books could be said to comprise many other themes, such as power/abuse of power, love, prejudice, and free choice, they are, as J. K. Rowling states, "deeply entrenched in the whole plot"; the writer prefers to let themes "grow organically", rather than sitting down and consciously attempting to impart such ideas to her readers.[10] Along the same lines is the ever-present theme of adolescence, in whose depiction Rowling has been purposeful in acknowledging her characters' sexualities and not leaving Harry, as she put it, "stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence".[42] Rowling said that, to her, the moral significance of the tales seems "blindingly obvious". The key for her was the choice between what is right and what is easy, "because that ... is how tyranny is started, with people being apathetic and taking the easy route and suddenly finding themselves in deep trouble."[43]
Origins and publishing history
The novelist, J. K. Rowling.In 1990, J. K. Rowling was on a crowded train from Manchester to London when the idea for Harry suddenly "fell into her head". Rowling gives an account of the experience on her website saying:[44]
"I had been writing almost continuously since the age of six but I had never been so excited about an idea before. I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who did not know he was a wizard became more and more real to me."
Rowling completed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1995 and the manuscript was sent off to several prospective agents.[45] The second agent she tried, Christopher Little, offered to represent her and sent the manuscript to Bloomsbury. After eight other publishers had rejected Philosopher's Stone, Bloomsbury offered Rowling a £2,500 advance for its publication.[46][47] Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when beginning to write the Harry Potter books, the publishers initially targeted children aged nine to eleven.[48] On the eve of publishing, Rowling was asked by her publishers to adopt a more gender-neutral pen name in order to appeal to the male members of this age group, fearing that they would not be interested in reading a novel they knew to be written by a woman. She elected to use J. K. Rowling (Joanne Kathleen Rowling), using her grandmother's name as her second name because she has no middle name.[47][49]
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury, the publisher of all Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom, on 30 June 1997.[50] It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic—the American publisher of the books—as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,[51] after Rowling had received US$105,000 for the American rights—an unprecedented amount for a children's book by a then-unknown author.[52] Fearing that American readers would not associate the word "philosopher" with a magical theme (although the Philosopher's Stone is alchemy-related), Scholastic insisted that the book be given the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the American market.
The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998 and in the US on 2 June 1999. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was then published a year later in the UK on 8 July 1999 and in the US on 8 September 1999.[53] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8 July 2000 at the same time by Bloomsbury and Scholastic.[54] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series at 766 pages in the UK version and 870 pages in the US version.[55] It was published worldwide in English on 21 June 2003.[56] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published on 16 July 2005, and it sold 9 million copies in the first 24 hours of its worldwide release.[57][58] The seventh and final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published 21 July 2007.[59] The book sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of release, breaking down to 2.7 million copies in the UK and 8.3 million in the US.[58]
TranslationsMain article: Harry Potter in translation
The series has been translated into 67 languages,[3][60] placing Rowling among the most translated authors in history.[61] The books have seen translations to diverse languages such as Azerbaijani, Ukrainian, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Welsh, Afrikaans, Albanian, Latvian and Vietnamese. The first volume has been translated into Latin and even Ancient Greek,[62] making it the longest published work in Ancient Greek since the novels of Heliodorus of Emesa in the 3rd century AD.[63]
Some of the translators hired to work on the books were well-known authors before their work on Harry Potter, such as Viktor Golyshev, who oversaw the Russian translation of the series' fifth book. The Turkish translation of books two to seven was undertaken by Sevin Okyay, a popular literary critic and cultural commentator.[64] For reasons of secrecy, translation can only start when the books are released in English; thus there is a lag of several months before the translations are available. This has led to more and more copies of the English editions being sold to impatient fans in non-English speaking countries. Such was the clamour to read the fifth book that its English language edition became the first English-language book ever to top the best-seller list in France.[65]
The United States editions of the Harry Potter novels have required the adaptation of the texts into American English, as many words and concepts used by the characters in the novels may have not been understood by a young American audience.[66]
Completion of the seriesIn December 2005, Rowling stated on her web site, "2006 will be the year when I write the final book in the Harry Potter series."[67] Updates then followed in her online diary chronicling the progress of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with the release date of 21 July 2007. The book itself was finished on 11 January 2007 in the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, where she scrawled a message on the back of a bust of Hermes. It read: "J. K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11 January 2007."[68]
Rowling herself has stated that the last chapter of the final book (in fact, the epilogue) was completed "in something like 1990".[69][70] In June 2006, Rowling, on an appearance on the British talk show Richard & Judy, announced that the chapter had been modified as one character "got a reprieve" and two others who previously survived the story had in fact been killed. On 28 March 2007, the cover art for the Bloomsbury Adult and Child versions and the Scholastic version were released.[71][72]
AchievementsCultural impactFor more details on this topic, see Harry Potter fandom.
Further information: Cultural impact of Harry Potter
Crowds wait outside a Borders store in Newark, Delaware for the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.Fans of the series were so eager for the latest instalment that bookstores around the world began holding events to coincide with the midnight release of the books, beginning with the 2000 publication of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The events, commonly featuring mock sorting, games, face painting, and other live entertainment have achieved popularity with Potter fans and have been highly successful in attracting fans and selling books with nearly nine million of the 10.8 million initial print copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold in the first 24 hours.[73][74] The final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows became the fastest selling book in history, moving 11 million units in the first twenty-four hours of release .[75] The series has also gathered adult fans, leading to the release of two editions of each Harry Potter book, identical in text but with one edition's cover artwork aimed at children and the other aimed at adults.[76] Besides meeting online through blogs, podcasts, and fansites, Harry Potter super-fans can also meet at Harry Potter symposia. The word Muggle has spread beyond its Harry Potter origins, becoming one of few pop culture words to land in the Oxford English Dictionary.[77] The Harry Potter fandom has embraced podcasts as a regular, often weekly, insight to the latest discussion in the fandom. Both MuggleCast and PotterCast[78] have reached the top spot of iTunes podcast rankings and have been polled one of the top 50 favourite podcasts.[79]
Awards and honoursThe Harry Potter series have been the recipients of a host of awards since the initial publication of Philosopher's Stone including four Whitaker Platinum Book Awards (all of which were awarded in 2001),[80] three Nestlé Smarties Book Prizes (1997–1999),[81] two Scottish Arts Council Book Awards (1999 and 2001),[82] the inaugural Whitbread children's book of the year award (1999),[83] the WHSmith book of the year (2006),[84] among others. In 2000, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel, and in 2001, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire won said award.[85] Honours include a commendation for the Carnegie Medal (1997),[86] a short listing for the Guardian Children's Award (1998), and numerous listings on the notable books, editors' Choices, and best books lists of the American Library Association, The New York Times, Chicago Public Library, and Publishers Weekly.[87]
Commercial successSee also: List of best-selling books
The popularity of the Harry Potter series has translated into substantial financial success for Rowling, her publishers, and other Harry Potter related license holders. This success has made Rowling the first and thus far only billionaire author.[88] The books have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide and have also given rise to the popular film adaptations produced by Warner Bros., all of which have been highly successful in their own right.[4][89] The films have in turn spawned eight video games and have led to the licensing of more than 400 additional Harry Potter products (including an iPod). The Harry Potter brand has been estimated to be worth as much as $15 billion.[11]
The great demand for Harry Potter books motivated the New York Times to create a separate best-seller list for children's literature in 2000, just before the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. By 24 June 2000, Rowling's novels had been on the list for 79 straight weeks; the first three novels were each on the hardcover best-seller list.[90] On 12 April 2007, Barnes & Noble declared that Deathly Hallows had broken its pre-order record, with more than 500,000 copies pre-ordered through its site.[91] For the release of Goblet of Fire, 9,000 FedEx trucks were used with no other purpose than to deliver the book.[92] Together, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble pre-sold more than 700,000 copies of the book.[92] In the United States, the book's initial printing run was 3.8 million copies.[92] This record statistic was broken by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, with 8.5 million, which was then shattered by Half-Blood Prince with 10.8 million copies.[93] 6.9 million copies of Prince were sold in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of its release; in the United Kingdom more than two million copies were sold on the first day.[94] The initial U.S. print run for Deathly Hallows was 12 million copies, and more than a million were pre-ordered through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.[95]
ReceptionLiterary criticism
British editions of the seven Harry Potter books.Early in its history, Harry Potter received positive reviews. On publication, the first volume, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, attracted attention from the Scottish newspapers, such as The Scotsman, which said it had "all the makings of a classic",[96] and The Glasgow Herald, which called it "Magic stuff".[96] Soon the English newspapers joined in, with more than one comparing it to Roald Dahl's work: The Mail on Sunday rated it as "the most imaginative debut since Roald Dahl",[96] a view echoed by The Sunday Times ("comparisons to Dahl are, this time, justified"),[96] while The Guardian called it "a richly textured novel given lift-off by an inventive wit".[96]
By the time of the release of the fifth volume, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the books began to receive strong criticism from a number of literary scholars. Yale professor, literary scholar and critic Harold Bloom raised criticisms of the books' literary merits, saying, "Rowling's mind is so governed by clichés and dead metaphors that she has no other style of writing."[97] A. S. Byatt authored a New York Times op-ed article calling Rowling's universe a "secondary secondary world, made up of intelligently patchworked derivative motifs from all sorts of children's literature ... written for people whose imaginative lives are confined to TV cartoons, and the exaggerated (more exciting, not threatening) mirror-worlds of soaps, reality TV and celebrity gossip".[98]
Michael Rosen, a novelist and poet, advocated the books were not suited for children, who would be unable to grasp the complex themes. Rosen also stated that "J. K. Rowling is more of an adult writer."[99] The critic Anthony Holden wrote in The Observer on his experience of judging Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for the 1999 Whitbread Awards. His overall view of the series was negative—"the Potter saga was essentially patronising, conservative, highly derivative, dispiritingly nostalgic for a bygone Britain", and he speaks of "pedestrian, ungrammatical prose style".[100] Ursula Le Guin said, "I have no great opinion of it. When so many adult critics were carrying on about the 'incredible originality' of the first Harry Potter book, I read it to find out what the fuss was about, and remained somewhat puzzled; it seemed a lively kid's fantasy crossed with a "school novel", good fare for its age group, but stylistically ordinary, imaginatively derivative, and ethically rather mean-spirited."[101]
By contrast, author Fay Weldon, while admitting that the series is "not what the poets hoped for", nevertheless goes on to say, "but this is not poetry, it is readable, saleable, everyday, useful prose".[102] The literary critic A. N. Wilson praised the Harry Potter series in The Times, stating: "There are not many writers who have JK's Dickensian ability to make us turn the pages, to weep—openly, with tears splashing—and a few pages later to laugh, at invariably good jokes ... We have lived through a decade in which we have followed the publication of the liveliest, funniest, scariest and most moving children's stories ever written".[103] Charles Taylor of Salon.com, who is primarily a movie critic,[104] took issue with Byatt's criticisms in particular. While he conceded that she may have "a valid cultural point—a teeny one—about the impulses that drive us to reassuring pop trash and away from the troubling complexities of art",[105] he rejected her claims that the series is lacking in serious literary merit and that it owes its success merely to the childhood reassurances it offers. Taylor stressed the progressively darker tone of the books, shown by the murder of a classmate and close friend and the psychological wounds and social isolation each causes. Taylor also argued that Philosopher's Stone, said to be the most light-hearted of the seven published books, disrupts the childhood reassurances that Byatt claims spur the series' success: the book opens with news of a double murder, for example.[105]
Stephen King called the series "a feat of which only a superior imagination is capable", and declared "Rowling's punning, one-eyebrow-cocked sense of humour" to be "remarkable". However, he wrote that despite the story being "a good one", he is "a little tired of discovering Harry at home with his horrible aunt and uncle", the formulaic beginning of all seven books.[36] King has also joked that "Rowling's never met an adverb she did not like!" He does however predict that Harry Potter "will indeed stand time's test and wind up on a shelf where only the best are kept; I think Harry will take his place with Alice, Huck, Frodo, and Dorothy and this is one series not just for the decade, but for the ages".[106]
Social impactsAlthough Time magazine named Rowling as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year award, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fandom,[107] cultural comments on the series have been mixed. Washington Post book critic Ron Charles opined in July 2007 that the large numbers of adults reading the Potter series but few other books may represent a "bad case of cultural infantilism", and that the straightforward "good vs. evil" theme of the series is "childish". He also argued "through no fault of Rowling's", the cultural and marketing "hysteria" marked by the publication of the later books "trains children and adults to expect the roar of the coliseum, a mass-media experience that no other novel can possibly provide".[108]
Librarian Nancy Knapp pointed out the books' potential to improve literacy by motivating children to read much more than they otherwise would.[109] Agreeing about the motivating effects, Diane Penrod also praised the books' blending of simple entertainment with "the qualities of highbrow literary fiction", but expressed concern about the distracting effect of the prolific merchandising that accompanies the book launches.[110]
Jennifer Conn used Snape's and Quidditch coach Madam Hooch's teaching methods as examples of what to avoid and what to emulate in clinical teaching,[111] and Joyce Fields wrote that the books illustrate four of the five main topics in a typical first-year sociology class: "sociological concepts including culture, society, and socialisation; stratification and social inequality; social institutions; and social theory".[112]
Jenny Sawyer wrote in 25 July 2007 Christian Science Monitor that the books represent a "disturbing trend in commercial storytelling and Western society" in that stories "moral center [sic] have all but vanished from much of today's pop culture ... after 10 years, 4,195 pages, and over 375 million copies, J. K. Rowling's towering achievement lacks the cornerstone of almost all great children's literature: the hero's moral journey". Harry Potter, Sawyer argues, neither faces a "moral struggle" nor undergoes any ethical growth, and is thus "no guide in circumstances in which right and wrong are anything less than black and white".[113] In contrast Emily Griesinger described Harry's first passage through to Platform 9¾ as an application of faith and hope, and his encounter with the Sorting Hat as the first of many in which Harry is shaped by the choices he makes. She also noted the "deeper magic" by which the self-sacrifice of Harry's mother protects the boy throughout the series, and which the power-hungry Voldemort fails to understand.[114]
In an 8 November 2002 Slate article, Chris Suellentrop likened Potter to a "trust-fund kid whose success at school is largely attributable to the gifts his friends and relatives lavish upon him". Noting that in Rowling's fiction, magical ability potential is "something you are born to, not something you can achieve", Suellentrop wrote that Dumbledore's maxim that "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" is hypocritical, as "the school that Dumbledore runs values native gifts above all else".[115] In a 12 August 2007 New York Times review of Deathly Hallows, however, Christopher Hitchens praised Rowling for "unmooring" her "English school story" from literary precedents "bound up with dreams of wealth and class and snobbery", arguing that she had instead created "a world of youthful democracy and diversity".[116]
ControversiesMain articles: Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series, Religious debates over the Harry Potter series, and Politics of Harry Potter
The books have been the subject of a number of legal proceedings, stemming either from claims by American Christian groups that the magic in the books promotes witchcraft among children, or from various conflicts over copyright and trademark infringements. The popularity and high market value of the series has led Rowling, her publishers, and film distributor Warner Bros. to take legal measures to protect their copyright, which have included banning the sale of Harry Potter imitations, targeting the owners of websites over the "Harry Potter" domain name, and suing author Nancy Stouffer to counter her accusations that Rowling had plagiarised her work.[117][118][119] Various religious conservatives have claimed that the books promote witchcraft and are therefore unsuitable for children,[120] while a number of critics have criticised the books for promoting various political agendas.[121][122]
The books also aroused controversies in the literary and publishing worlds. In 1997 to 1998 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone won almost all the UK awards judged by children, but none of the children's book awards judged by adults,[123] and Sandra Beckett suggested the reason was intellectual snobbery towards books that were popular among children.[124] In 1999 the winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year Award children's division was entered for the first time on the shortlist for the main award, and one judge threatened to resign if Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was declared the overall winner; it finished second, very close behind the winner of the poetry prize, Seamus Heaney's translation of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf.[124]
In 2000, shortly before the publication of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the previous three Harry Potter books topped the New York Times fiction best-seller list and a third of the entries were children's books. The newspaper created a new children's section covering children's books, including both fiction and non-fiction, and initially counting only hardback sales. The move was supported by publishers and booksellers.[90] In 2004 The New York Times further split the children's list, which was still dominated by Harry Potter books into sections for series and individual books, and removed the Harry Potter books from the section for individual books.[125] The split in 2000 attracted condemnation, praise and some comments that presented both benefits and disadvantages of the move.[126] Time suggested that, on the same principle, Billboard should have created a separate "mop-tops" list in 1964 when the Beatles held the top five places in its list, and Nielsen should have created a separate game-show list when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? dominated the ratings.[127]
AudiobooksThe Harry Potter books have all been released in unabridged audiobook versions. The UK versions are read by Stephen Fry and the US versions are read by Jim Dale. Dale is also the narrator for the special features disc on the DVDs.[citation needed]
FilmsMain article: Harry Potter (film series)
The locomotive that features as the "Hogwarts Express" in the film series.In 1998, Rowling sold the film rights of the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million ($1,982,900).[128][129] Rowling demanded the principal cast be kept strictly British, nonetheless allowing for the inclusion of Irish actors such as the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and for casting of French and Eastern Europe actors in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where characters from the book are specified as such.[130] After many directors including Steven Spielberg, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Demme, and Alan Parker were considered, Chris Columbus was appointed on 28 March 2000 as director for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States), with Warner Bros. citing his work on other family films such as Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire and proven experience with directing children as influences for their decision.[131] After extensive casting, filming began in October 2000 at Leavesden Film Studios and in London itself, with production ending in July 2001.[132][133] Philosopher's Stone was released on 14 November 2001. Just three days after the film's release, production for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, also directed by Columbus, began. Filming was completed in summer 2002, with the film being released on 15 November 2002.[134] Daniel Radcliffe portrayed Harry Potter, doing so for all succeeding films in the franchise.
Columbus declined to direct Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, only acting as producer. Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón took over the job, and after shooting in 2003, the film was released on 4 June 2004. Due to the fourth film beginning its production before the third's release, Mike Newell was chosen as the director for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, released on 18 November 2005.[135] Newell became the first British director of the series, with television director David Yates following suit after he was chosen to helm Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Production began in January 2006 and the film was released the following year in July 2007.[136] After executives were "really delighted" with his work on the film, Yates was selected to direct Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was released on 15 July 2009.[137][138][139][140]
In March 2008, Warner Bros. President and COO Alan F. Horn announced that the final instalment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, would be released in two cinematic parts: Part 1 on 19 November 2010 and Part 2 on 15 July 2011. David Yates returned to direct his third and fourth Potter films, becoming the only director to have helmed more than one film since Columbus. Production of both parts started in February 2009, with the final day of principal photography taking place on 12 June 2010.[141][142]
J. K. Rowling gained creative control on the film series, playing an active role within the filmmaking process of Philosopher's Stone and serving as producer on the two-part Deathly Hallows, alongside David Heyman and David Barron.[143] The Harry Potter films have been top-rank box office hits, with all eight releases on the list of highest-grossing films worldwide. Columbus' Philosopher's Stone became the highest-grossing Potter film upon completing its theatrical run in 2002, but it was eventually topped by Yates' Deathly Hallows. Yates' first two instalments grossed higher than any other film after Philosopher's Stone, while Cuarón's Prisoner of Azkaban grossed the least.[144] As well as financial success, the film series has also been a success among film critics.[145][146]
Opinions of the films are generally divided among fans, with one group preferring the more faithful approach of the first two films, and another group preferring the more stylised character-driven approach of the later films.[147] Rowling has been constantly supportive of all the films and evaluated Deathly Hallows as her "favourite one" in the series.[148][149][150][151] She wrote on her website of the changes in the book-to-film transition, "It is simply impossible to incorporate every one of my storylines into a film that has to be kept under four hours long. Obviously films have restrictions novels do not have, constraints of time and budget; I can create dazzling effects relying on nothing but the interaction of my own and my readers' imaginations".[152]
At the 64th British Academy Film Awards in February 2011, Rowling was joined by producers David Heyman and David Barron along with directors David Yates, Alfonso Cuarón and Mike Newell in collecting the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema on behalf of all the films in the series. Actors Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who play main characters Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, were also in attendance.[153][154]
GamesThere are eleven Harry Potter video games, eight of which correspond with the films and books, and three other spin-offs. The film/book based games are produced by Electronic Arts, as was the Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup game, with the game version of the first entry in the series, Philosopher's Stone, being released in November 2001. The video games are released to coincide with the films, containing scenery and details from the films as well as the tone and spirit of the books. Objectives usually occur in and around Hogwarts, along with various other magical areas. The story and design of the games follows the selected film's characterisation and plot; EA worked closely with Warner Brothers to include scenes from the films. The last game in the series, Deathly Hallows, was split with Part 1 released in November 2010 and Part 2 debuting on consoles in July 2011. The two-part game forms the first entry to convey an intense theme of action and violence, with the gameplay revolving around a third-person shooter style format.[155][156] The other spin-offs games, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 and Lego Harry Potter: Years 5–7 are developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. A number of other non-interactive media games have been released; board games such as Cluedo Harry Potter Edition, Scene It? Harry Potter and Lego Harry Potter models, which are influenced by the themes of both the novels and films.
AttractionsUnited StatesMain article: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Islands of Adventure)
After the success of the films and books, Universal and Warner Brothers announced they would create "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," a new Harry Potter-themed expansion to the Islands of Adventure theme park at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. The new land, promoted as the seventh themed "island" of the park, was built from land reserved for expansion outside of the park's original border, as well as from much of the existing "island," The Lost Continent. A soft opening was held at the end of March 2010, with the land opening on 16 June 2010 for reserved guests. The land officially opened to the public on 18 June 2010.[157]
Guests enter the land through a recreation of the Hogsmeade station,[158] leading into the village of Hogsmeade, with a forced-perspective Hogwarts castle at the very end of the street. The castle contains the expansion's centrepiece attraction, Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey, a KUKA arm attraction which takes passengers through many realistic scenes influenced by the movies and books, including soaring over Hogwarts, getting involved in a Quidditch match, and having close encounters with dragons, dementors, and the Whomping Willow.[159] Other attractions include a twin high-speed rollercoaster named the Dragon Challenge, a renovation of the previously existing rollercoaster, Dueling Dragons, and a family roller coaster called Flight of the Hippogriff, a renovation of the previously existing ride, Flying Unicorn. In addition to the three rides are several themed shops and restaurants, heavily inspired by their appearances in the books and films: Honeydukes sells sweets, such as chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Ollivander's offers personalised magic wands, Zonko's Joke Shop sells various items including Sneakoscopes, and the Three Broomsticks serves food and drink, most notably Butterbeer and pumpkin juice.
Developed at a cost of $265 million, the new land "has seen capacity crowds [and] waits of up to two hours just to enter the ... merchandise shop." Islands of Adventure saw a massive increase in attendance following the expansion, seeing gains of as much as 36%,[160] a period during which attendance to competitor resort Walt Disney World dropped slightly.[161] Disney had itself entered negotiations for a Harry Potter-themed expansion, but ultimately turned down the opportunity.[162]
United KingdomIn March 2011, Warner Bros. announced plans to build a tourist attraction in the United Kingdom to showcase the Harry Potter film series. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will be a behind-the-scenes walking tour featuring authentic sets, costumes and props from the film series. The attraction will be located at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, where all eight of the Harry Potter films were made. Warner Bros. stated that two new sound stages would be constructed to house and showcase the famous sets from each of the British-made productions, following a £100 million investment.[163] Some of the sets have been revealed, and tickets have already been sold. It is scheduled to open to the public in March, 2012.[164]
References1.^ "Visitor's Guide to Hogwarts". The Harry Potter Lexicon. 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60PQDhQNS. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
2.^ Allsobrook, Dr. Marian (18 June 2003). "Potter's place in the literary canon". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2996578.stm. Retrieved 15 October 2007.
3.^ a b "Rowling 'makes £5 every second'". British Broadcasting Corporation. 3 October 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7649962.stm. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
4.^ a b "All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses". Box Office Mojo, LLC.. 1998–2008. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
5.^ Fry, Stephen (10 December 2005). "Living with Harry Potter". BBC Radio 4. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090602092002/http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/1205-bbc-fry.html. Retrieved 10 December 2005.
6.^ Jenson, Jeff (7 September 2000). "Harry Up!". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,85524~5~0~,00.html. Retrieved 20 September 2007.
7.^ Nancy Carpentier Brown (2007). "The Last Chapter". Our Sunday Visitor. http://www.osv.com/Portals/0/images/pdf/TheLastChapter.pdf. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
8.^ J. K. Rowling. "J. K. Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival". Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060820213620/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=80. Retrieved 10 October 2006.
9.^ a b Geordie Greig (11 January 2006). "'There would be so much to tell her...'". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/10/nrowl110.xml. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
10.^ a b "Interview with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling". Quick Quotes Quill. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20040104114558/http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2003/0302-newsround-mzimba.htmaccess.
11.^ a b Thompson, Susan (2 April 2008). "Business big shot: Harry Potter author JK Rowling". The Times (London). http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/movers_and_shakers/article3663197.ece. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
12.^ Lemmerman, Kristin (14 July 2000). "Review: Gladly drinking from Rowling's 'Goblet of Fire'". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2000/books/reviews/07/14/review.potter.goblet/. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
13.^ a b "A Muggle's guide to Harry Potter". BBC News. 28 May 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/820551.stm. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
14.^ Hajela, Deepti (14 July 2005). "Plot summaries for the first five Potter books". SouthFlorida.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. http://www.ebookee.com/Harry-Potter-All-7-Novels-Deluxe-Editions_218867.html. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
15.^ Foster, Julie (October 2001). "Potter books: Wicked witchcraft?". Koinonia House. http://www.khouse.org/articles/2001/374/. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
16.^
The years are first established by Nearly Headless Nick's deathday cake in Chamber of Secrets, which indicates that Harry's second year takes place from 1992–93. Rowling, J. K. (1998). "The Deathday Party". Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747538492.
The years are also established by the death of date of Harry's parents, given in Deathly Hallows. Rowling, J. K. (2007). "Godric's Hollow". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Bloomsbury. ISBN 1551929767.
17.^ Farndale, Nigel (15 July 2007). "Harry Potter and the parallel universe". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/07/15/svharry15.xml&page=3. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
18.^ a b c d e Memmott, Carol (19 July 2007). "The Harry Potter stories so far: A quick CliffsNotes review". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-07-19-potter-books_N.htm. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
19.^ "J K Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival". J.K. Rowling.com. 15 August 2004. Archived from the original on 23 August 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080823121201/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=80. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
20.^ Maguire, Gregory (5 September 1999). "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/05/books/rowling-azkaban.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
21.^ King, Stephen (23 July 2000). "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/23/books/rowling-goblet.html. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
22.^ a b c Leonard, John (13 July 2003). "'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/13/books/review/rowling-phoenix.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
23.^ A Whited, Lana (2004). The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon. University of Missouri Press. p. 371. ISBN 978-0-8262-1549-9.
24.^ Kakutani, Michiko (16 July 2005). "Harry Potter Works His Magic Again in a Far Darker Tale". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/books/16choc.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
25.^ Atkinson, Simon (19 July 2007). "How Rowling conjured up millions". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6903111.stm. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
26.^ "Comic Relief : Quidditch through the ages". Albris. http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/1198169/used/Comic%20Relief%20:%20Quidditch%20through%20the%20ages. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
27.^ "The Money". Comic Relief. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20071029034316/http://www.comicrelief.com/stuff-to-buy/harrys-books/the-money/. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
28.^ "JK Rowling book fetches £2 m". BBC News. 13 December 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7142656.stm. Retrieved
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Morten Ditlev
Nerio Ezekiel Degollado III
Nick Gurnas
Noezito Palos Cuates
Nutrishop Mcallen
Paul Hubbell
Raulito Pena
Ray Hilario
Rich Vasan
Rob Roberts
Roberto Barrios
Sara Martinez
Sebastian Chinno
Timothy Collins
Tj Garza
Todd Taylor
Toniee Lopez
Victor 'Palo' Garza
Victor Cody
Victoria Alyssa
Yune Gomez
Zoe Alyse Wright
album credits and thank yous:
GRIGORI 3 would collectively like...
Posted: May 15, 2012 (04:09:43 AM) | Updated: May 15, 2012 (12:45:05 PM)
album credits and thank yous:
GRIGORI 3 would collectively like to thank...Jeffrey and the Dark Star Records Crew, Matt Mercado (Sonic Palace),Mike Brezen Outer Planet Music, Damien Dante & SGL Entertainment, Gary Davis Atomic Effect, Jasen Pantoja, Andres & John-Resurrection M. Pictures, Knuckles, Brian Byrd (Byrdie)@Lucky Beast, Jon Nelson,Deadest Designs, Scott & Rebel Radio, The Point (Tom and Jeff),Q101,Chris Payne, Steve ( Hollywood Music)Fearless Radio & Wolf,Alex Von Bach, Amy Sciarretto,Natsha Scharf, Jett,Sonya, Gothic Beauty, Leslie, Karma ,Erika, Dustin Cade, Joe & Team Occhiuzzo, Shure, Monster, Coffin, Steve Bartolone,Dan Locke, Roger, Deann Seems-KMA Manamgement, Vince, Zach, O'Malley's and Frank Mastalerz. NDX, We Are The Fallen , A.D.D, Marazene, Habit of Force, We are the Fallen, Fashion Bomb, Marazene, Digital Mindy, The Wandering Endophin, Faith & The Muse, Collide, Tapping The Vein, My Boy Ox, Q Ball, Alex, Liv, Atrocity, Heartless, STI, Collide, We are The Fallen, Jack Dean Stauss, Michael Stadther, Wolf and all the Dark Star Bands!
Ivan would like to thank-God, to ourselves, Kim, Tyler, and Charlie Casper, Mary, Bob, and Pilaar Pantoja, Jasen, Violet, and Edna Pantoja, everyone in the Rosso Family, Peter and Lois Bartolini, Dave Biddle, Gina and Matt, Dan, Kathy, Christina, and Shelby Roman, Dave, Suzi, Brenda and Molly Roman, John, Woody, Lynette, Danelle, Bhavin, and Big Mike of Jordans Pub and Eatery,Dale, Danielle and Ryan of Dominick's, Mike Nowicki, Matt (Sonic Palace), and Nicci. Tama, Zildjian, Sabian, Remo, Vic Firth, Gibralter-Thanks
Mike would like to to thank my Wife Laurie,Daughters Autumn,Kayla for putting up with me,my Mom Dorothy,Ivan for the opportunity,Gwen,and Ray,Jeff at Darkstar,and all the G3 fans out there!
Gwen would like to thank-God, Mom ( for sharing her creativity and love of crazy hair) & Dad (for his legacy and for singing "Mac the Knife" like know one I'd ever heard before!)My seraphim singing sisters Sherrie & Brenda.The cherubim in my life-for supporting me from afar- Lorenzo,Gianna and Josh! Ray,Ivan and Mike for pushing me and following thru!Bob,Logan & Storm for teaching me soo much and keeping me on track.My family Bernice,Hootch, Eva,Nippy & the Mid States crew. Elmer,Rita,Taylor,Barb,Faeren & Mrs.Fern Sterner for welcoming me with open arms.Mike, Matt,Andres, John, Gary Davis, Jasen, Rocky( for sharing their talents).Richard Bertrand,JR, Philip,Natalie, Kevin, Barb, Murphy ,John and the Kevfesters. Ginger,Jamye,Teresa,Barb and the HealthPort gang for supporting my dreams. Jessica for her friendship, Christy, Ibro, Jan, Jennifer, Jay, Jean, Tamara, Stacy,Julie,Ma,Tom,Tommy,Phoebe,Geena,Erik,Donna,Pat,Marilyn,Dean,Tami,Tracy,Jefferey and the gang.Kat,Ron,Stevie,Bill,Guy,Moe,Michael,Brandon,Erik,Kim,Trevor,Rachael,Zac,Michelle,Carrie,Tina,Uncle Dave, Nicole, Mary, Mark D, Joletta, Vickie, Hal, Mrs. Brincivalli, Jess,Carrie & Janice, Dustin,Gary@K (The Dogman) Johnette, Linda LaPearl, Bill Rush, Melissa Cross, Skyscrape,Charles "Mask" Lewis, PunkAss,the Shawano gang and Brian McCartan for the support- even from afar. Gene Casper & Neice Brandt for ice castles and poker games. Anna & Justin Mayberry(for their continued support.) Steve, Jewell, Bob, Suspect, Mike, NDX & Staci, Bob, Shylock, Angel Wyatt, Allie, John, Joe Florez, Jessie, Jenafur, Coral, Scott, Nick, Vince, Will and Andrew and the all heros -all the troops! Chris Logan (my SKB)for supporting me, keeping me balanced, centered on what's really important and for teaching me not to focus on the finger! Lloyd, Drake, Jeff, Damien and the Jezebeth crew, Brian Bradbury & Drew (for pushing us and supporting us),Lindsay, Kim, Grayson, Phil, Tj, Janelle, Scott, Kmak, Mark, Dave,Brad.Most of all to you, All the GRIGORI 3 friends, facebookers and fans who have supported us throughout the years!
Ray would like to thank: God, Mom & Dad, Logan and Storm, Lois and Pete, Ivan and Kim, Mike and Laurie, Gwen and Chris, Sherrie, Fritz and Peg, Gene and Mo, woody and Tracy,Jeff, Lloyd ,and the crew at Darkstar Records, Damien and the cast and crew of Jezebeth Matt Mercado @Sonic Palace, Mike Brezen @Outer planet music, Cassandra Vosgrave,Richard Dean, Andres and John, Byrdie & Knuckles,Steve smith, Krystine, Mimi, Rocky Gray,The Kevfesters, Skalman, Dustin and the Indianapolis crew, Mike Lindsey The FB people and mostly the g3 fans everywhere that supported us through the years -each and every one of you!It
up watchin' Saved byy thee Bell while Bugg plays nick...
Posted: May 12, 2012 (10:16:19 AM)
up watchin' Saved byy thee Bell while Bugg plays nick jr games on thee computer.. Gotta wrap myy mama's mother's dayy gift later then Jus gonna chill for thee dayy till time for work this evening.. Hope everyone has a Blessed dayy ;*)
I just checked on the boys and they are getting...
Posted: May 11, 2012 (06:40:12 PM) | Updated: May 11, 2012 (06:53:04 PM)
I just checked on the boys and they are getting way to smart because they figured out how to play preschool games on nick Jr on the computer without mine or Orrins help.
Ok everyone lil nick has like only 4 more games...
Posted: May 10, 2012 (09:45:45 AM) | Updated: May 10, 2012 (01:09:49 PM)
Ok everyone lil nick has like only 4 more games left. This sat. Game is at 3:00 at Johnson jr high.(if you need more info please text me or nick) Everyone is welcome but big nick and my self will be in the dugout helping with the team. Let's go Yankees! :)
So far I wanted to confirm the nick-names of said...
Posted: May 10, 2012 (01:46:00 AM) | Updated: May 11, 2012 (12:18:44 PM)
So far I wanted to confirm the nick-names of said core-camping shoe players and for that matter even campers. We have Soup Can, Seamstress, HoppoToddamus, Cancellor and or BC aka Botchi Clutch, Forest The golden boy hunger games, what do we have for kt ang kirsten lerb and jr? ideas?
For Lerb Im kinda leaning towards either The Ravishing One or The Closer. Jr's a tough one was thinkin either The Skier, 3 poles 1 Tent, or Dude buy me a monster. KT might be QoBR queen of back resting or something to do with the fall into the river perhaps and Ang prolly something to do with Star Wars..... I wont go into why but Im sure she knows why! I might have some embo shirts made and incase I do wanted some creative input thx. Prolly be humorous as well.... and go.
Trying to keep a five year old occupied while trying...
Posted: May 08, 2012 (10:27:58 AM) | Updated: May 08, 2012 (01:43:54 PM)
Trying to keep a five year old occupied while trying to complete a to do list a gazillion miles long... Not so easy. Especially when she wants to play games on nick jr & my Mac is the only computer working. We are in desperate need of a computer for the kids!
Posted: May 08, 2012 (07:35:18 AM) | Updated: May 08, 2012 (08:10:02 AM)
Aiden was watching a nick jr show & he says "my heart doesn't like this..it's like Alex playing the shoot dem up games" love his tender sensitive heart!
Back at school with my bois!! Troy White, Nathan Flack, Joe McIlree, Jake Verfuerth, Jacob Mueller, David Schultz, Ben Coons, Thomas McKiernan, Kyle Pepp, Nick Nemecheck, and Jordan Hoof
Hey, I have to plug PBS for all of the kids shows they have. As a 30 year teacher, most years in early elementary, and a grandma of two, I have looked at their material and they ROCK!!! Even their cartoons are the best around. If you're interested in looking at their things (cartoons, games, etc.) go to PBS Kids. Wonderful!!
Zander has his Moms laptop ... : ) everytime I get online he heads over to open his too.... he's learned all the passwords and how to sign online... now I just have to teach him how to get to pbskids.org lol he will have it figured out in no time.. lol smart kids he just typed pbs into google and it brings him up all the choices ... so he chose the right one pbs kids games ... geez kids are smart now!!!
Although widespread, the term "breakdancing" is looked down upon by those immersed in hip-hop culture. "Breakdancer" may even be used disparagingly to refer to those who learned the dance for personal gain rather than commitment to hip-hop culture.[2]:61 The terms 'b-boys' (or break-boy), 'b-girls', and 'breakers' are the preferred terms to use to describe the dancers. The "b-boys" and "b-girls" were the dancers to DJ Kool Herc's breaks, who were described as "breaking". The obvious connection is to the breakbeat, but Herc has noted that "breaking" was also street slang of the time meaning "getting excited", "acting energetically" or "causing a disturbance".[5] B-boy London of New York City Breakers and filmmaker Michael Holman refer to these dancers as “breakers”.[3] Frosty Freeze of Rock Steady Crew says, “we were known as b-boys”, and hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa says, “b-boys, [are] what you call break boys... or b-girls, what you call break girls.”[3] The term breaker is gender neutral. In addition, Santiago "Jo Jo" Torres (co-founder of Rock Steady Crew), Mr. Freeze of Rock Steady Crew and hip-hop historian Fab 5 Freddy use the term “b-boy”,[3] as do rappers Big Daddy Kane[6] and Tech N9ne.[7]
The dance itself is properly called "breaking" according to rappers such as KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC in the breaking documentary The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy. Afrika Bambaataa, Fab 5 Freddy, Michael Holman, Frosty Freeze, and Jo Jo use the original term "b-boying".[3] Purists consider "breakdancing" an ignorant term invented by the media[2]:58[3] that connotes exploitation of the art.[2]:60[3]
Source Quote
Crazy Legs;
Rock Steady Crew "When I first learned about the dance in ’77 it was called b-boying... by the time the media got a hold of it in like ’81, ’82, it became ‘break-dancing’ and I even got caught up calling it break-dancing too."[3]
Action;
New York City Breakers "You know what, that’s our fault kind of... we started dancing and going on tours and all that and people would say, oh you guys are breakdancers - we never corrected them."[3]
Santiago "Jo Jo" Torres; Rock Steady Crew "B-boy... that’s what it is, that’s why when the public changed it to ‘break-dancing’ they were just giving a professional name to it, but b-boy was the original name for it and whoever wants to keep it real would keep calling it b-boy."[3]
NPR "Breakdancing may have died, but the b-boy, one of four original elements of hip hop (also included: the MC, the DJ, and the graffiti artist) lives on. To those who knew it before it was tagged with the name breakdancing, to those still involved in the scene that they will always know as b-boying, the tradition is alive and, well, spinning."[8]
The Boston Globe "Lesson one: Don't call it breakdancing. Hip-hop's dance tradition, the kinetic counterpart to the sound scape of rap music and the visuals of graffiti art, is properly known as b-boying."[4]
The Electric Boogaloos "In the 80's when streetdancing [sic] blew up, the media often incorrectly used the term 'breakdancing' as an umbrella term for most the streetdancing [sic] styles that they saw. What many people didn't know was [that] within these styles, other sub-cultures existed, each with their own identities. Breakdancing, or b-boying as it is more appropriately known as, is known to have its roots in the east coast and was heavily influenced by break beats and hip hop."[9]
Jorge "Popmaster Fabel" Pabon "Break dancing is a term created by the media! Once hip-hop dancers gained the media’s attention, some journalists and reporters produced inaccurate terminology in an effort to present these urban dance forms to the masses. The term break dancing is a prime example of this misnomer. Most pioneers and architects of dance forms associated with hip-hop reject this term and hold fast to the original vernacular created in their places of origin. In the case of break dancing, it was initially called b-boying or b-girling."[10]
Benjamin "B-Tek" Chung; JabbaWockeeZ "When someone says break dancing, we correct them and say it’s b-boying."[11]
Timothy "Popin' Pete" Solomon; Electric Boogaloos "An important thing to clarify is that the term 'Break dancing' is wrong, I read that in many magazines but that is a media term. The correct term is 'Breakin', people who do it are B-Boys and B-Girls. The term 'Break dancing' has to be thrown out of the dance vocabulary."[12]
Excerpt from the book New York Ricans from the Hip Hop Zone "With the barrage of media attention [breaking] received, even terminology started changing. 'Breakdancing' became the catch-all term to describe what originally had been referred to as 'burning', 'going off', 'breaking', 'b-boying', and 'b-girling'... Even though many of hip hop's pioneers accepted the term for a while in the 1980s, they have since reclaimed the original terminology and rejected 'breakdance' as a media-fabricated word that symbolizes the bastardization and co-optation of the art form."[13]
Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory "Breaking of B-boying is generally misconstrued or incorrectly termed as 'breakdancing'. Breakdancing is a term spawned from the loins of the media's philistinism, sociolism, and naivete at that time. With no true knowledge of the hip-hop diaspora but with an ineradicable need to define it for the nescient masses, the term breakdancing was born. Most breakers take great offense to the term."[14]
Jeff Chang "During the 1970s, an array of dances practiced by black and Latino kids sprang up in the inner cities of New York and California. The styles had a dizzying list of names: 'uprock' in Brooklyn, 'locking' in Los Angeles, 'boogaloo' and 'popping' in Fresno, and 'strutting' in San Francisco and Oakland. When these dances gained notice in the mid-'80s outside of their geographic contexts, the diverse styles were lumped together under the tag 'break dancing.'[15]
The term "breakdancing" is also problematic because it has become a diluted umbrella term that incorrectly includes popping, locking, and electric boogaloo.[2]:60[13] Popping, locking, and electric boogaloo are not styles of "breakdance". They are funk styles that were developed separately from breaking in California.[16]
[edit] History
A b-boy practicing downrock at a studio in Moscow.
[edit] Origin
Elements of breaking may be seen in other antecedent cultures prior to the 1980s,[17] but it was not until the 1980s that breaking developed as a street dance style. Street corner DJs would take the rhythmic breakdown sections (or "breaks") of dance records and loop them one after the other. This provided a rhythmic base for improvising and mixing and it allowed dancers to display their skills during the break. In a turn-based showcase of dance routines the winning side was determined by the dancer(s) who could outperform the other by displaying a set of more complicated and innovative moves while maintaining to hit specific beats of the break.
[edit] Korea
B-boying was first introduced to South Korea by American soldiers shortly after its surge of popularity in the US during the 1980s, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the culture and dance really took hold.[18] 1997 is known as the "Year Zero of Korean breaking".[15] A Korean-American hip hop promoter named John Jay Chon was visiting his family in Seoul and while he was there, he met a crew named Expression Crew in a club. He gave them a VHS of a Los Angeles b-boying competition called Radiotron. A year later when he returned, Chon found that his video and others like his had been copied and dubbed numerous times, and were feeding an ever-growing b-boy community.
In 2002, Korea's Expression Crew won the prestigious international b-boying competition Battle of the Year, exposing the skill of the country's b-boys to the rest of the world. Since then, the Korean government has capitalized on the popularity of the dance and has promoted it alongside Korean culture. R-16 Korea is the most well-known government-sponsored event, and is hosted by the Korean Tourism Organization and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
[edit] Japan
Shortly after the Rock Steady Crew came to Japan, b-boying within Japan began to thrive. Each Sunday b-boys would perform breaking in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park.[19] One of the first and most influential Japanese breakers was Crazy-A, who is now the leader of the Tokyo chapter of Rock Steady Crew.[19] He also organizes the yearly B-Boy Park which draws upwards of 10,000 fans a year and attempts to expose a wider audience to the culture.[20]
[edit] Uprock
A separate but related dance form which influenced breaking is Uprock also called Rocking or Brooklyn Rock. Uprock is an aggressive dance that involves two dancers who mimic ways of fighting each other using mimed weaponry in rhythm with the music.[10] Uprock as a dance style of its own never gained the same widespread popularity as breaking, except for some very specific moves adopted by breakers who use it as a variation for their toprock.[21]:138 When used in a b-boy battle, opponents often respond by performing similar uprock moves, supposedly creating a short uprock battle. Some dancers argue that because uprock was originally a separate dance style it should never be mixed with breaking and that the uprock moves performed by breakers today are not the original moves but poor imitations that only show a small part of the original uprock style [22]
It has been stated that breaking replaced fighting between street gangs.[8] On the contrary, some believe it a misconception that b-boying ever played a part in mediating gang rivalry. Both viewpoints have some truth. Uprock has its roots in gangs.[21]:116, 138 Whenever there was an issue over turf, the two warlords of the feuding gangs would uprock. Whoever won this preliminary battle would decide where the real fight would be.[23] This is where the battle mentality in breaking and hip-hop dance in general comes from.[24] "Sometimes a dance was enough to settle the beef, sometimes the dance set off more beef."[10][21]:116
[edit] Dance techniques
For more details on this topic, see List of b-boy moves.
Bboy.ogg
Gravity Benders crew showcasing the four elements of b-boying—toprock, downrock, freezes, and power moves—some crew choreography, and a short battle.
[edit] Four elements
There are four primary elements that form breaking. These include toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes/suicides.
Toprock generally refers to any string of steps performed from a standing position. It is usually the first and foremost opening display of style, though dancers often transition from other aspects of breaking to toprock and back. Toprock has a variety of steps which can each be varied according to the dancer's expression (ie. aggressive, calm, excited). A great deal of freedom is allowed in the definition of toprock: as long as the dancer maintains cleanness, form and the b-boy attitude, theoretically anything can be toprock. Toprock can draw upon many other dance styles such as popping, locking, or house dance. Transitions from toprock to downrock and power moves are called drops.[25]
Downrock (also known as "footwork" or "floorwork") is used to describe any movement on the floor with the hands supporting the dancer as much as the feet. Downrock includes moves such as the foundational 6-step, and its variants such as the 3-step or other small steps that add style. The most basic of downrock is done entirely on feet and hands but more complex variations can involve the knees when threading limbs through each other.
Power moves are acrobatic moves that require momentum, speed, endurance, strength, and control to execute. The breaker is generally supported by his upper body, while the rest of his body creates circular momentum. Notable examples are the windmill, swipe, and head spin. Some power moves are borrowed from gymnastics and martial arts. An example of a power move taken from gymnastics is the Thomas Flair which is shortened and spelled flare in b-boying.
Freezes are stylish poses, and the more difficult require the breaker to suspend himself or herself off the ground using upper body strength in poses such as the pike. They are used to emphasize strong beats in the music and often signal the end of a b-boy set. Freezes can be linked into chains or "stacks" where breakers go from freeze to freeze to the music to display musicality and physical strength.
Suicides like freezes are used to emphasize a strong beat in the music and signal the end to a routine. In contrast to freezes, suicides draw attention to the motion of falling or losing control, while freezes draw attention to a controlled final position. Breakers will make it appear that they have lost control and fall onto their backs, stomachs, etc. The more painful the suicide appears, the more impressive it is, but breakers execute them in a way to minimize pain.
[edit] B-boy Styles
B-boy Timon doing a baby freeze
There are many different individual styles used in b-boying. Individual styles often stem from a dancer's region of origin and influences. Although there are some generalities in the styles that exist, many dancers combine elements of different styles with their own ideas and knowledge in order to create a unique style of their own. B-boys can therefore be categorized into a specific, broad style which generally showcases the same types of techniques.
Power: This style of b-boying is what most members of the general public associate with the term "breakdancing". Power moves comprise full-body spins and rotations that give the illusion of defying gravity. Examples of power moves include headspins, backspins, windmills, flares, airtracks/airflares, 1990s, 2000s, jackhammers, crickets, turtles, hand glide, halos, and elbow spins. Those b-boys who use "power moves" almost exclusively in their sets are referred to as "power heads" or power movers.
Abstract: A very broad style of b-boying which may include the incorporation of "threading" footwork, freestyle movement to hit beats, house dance, and "circus" styles (tricks, contortion, etc.).
Blowup: A style of b-boying which focuses on the "wow factor" of certain power moves, freezes, and circus styles. Blowups consist of performing a sequence of as many difficult trick combinations in as quick succession as possible in order to "smack" or exceed the virtuosity of the other b-boy's performance. This is usually attempted only after becoming proficient in other styles due to the degree of control and practice required in this type of dancing. The names of some of the moves are: airbaby, airchair, hollow backs, solar eclipse, reverse airbaby, among others. The main goal in blowup-style is the rapid transition through a sequence of power moves ending in a skillful freeze.
Flavor: A style that is based more on elaborate toprock, downrock, and/or freezes. This style is focused more on the beat and musicality of the song than having to rely on "power" moves only. B-boys who base their dance on "flavor" or style are known as "style heads".
[edit] Footwork Styles
In edition to the styles listed above, certain footwork styles have been associated with different areas which popularized them. [26]
Traditional New York Style: The original style of b-boying from the Bronx, based around the Russian trepak dance, this style of footwork focuses on kicks such as CCs and foundational moves such as 6-steps and variations of it.
Euro Style: Created in the early 90's, this style is very circular, focusing not on steps but more on glide-type moves such as the pretzel, deadlegs, undersweeps and fluid sliding moves
Canadian Style: Created in the late 90's, also known as the 'Toronto thread' style. Based upon the Euro Style, except also characterized by elaborate leg threads
[edit] Power versus style
Multiple stereotypes have emerged in the breaking community over the give-and-take relationship between technical footwork and physical power. Those who focus on dance steps and fundamental sharpness are labeled as "style-heads." Specialists of more gymnastics-oriented technique and form—at the cost of charisma and coordinated footwork—are known as "power-heads." Such terms are used colloquially often to classify one's skill, however, the subject has been known to disrupt competitive events where judges tend to favor a certain technique over the other.
This debate however is somewhat of a misnomer. The classification of dancing as "style" in b-boying is inaccurate because every b-boy or b-girl has their own unique style developed both consciously and subconsciously. Each b-boy or b-girl's style is the certain attitude or method in which they execute their movements. A breaker's unique style does not strictly refer to just toprock or downrock. It is a concept which encompasses how a move is executed rather than what move is done.
[edit] Music
The musical selection for breaking is not restricted to hip-hop music as long as the tempo and beat pattern conditions are met. Breaking can be readily adapted to different music genres with the aid of remixing. The original songs that popularized the dance form borrow significantly from progressive genres of jazz, soul, funk, electro, and disco. The most common feature of b-boy music exists in musical breaks, or compilations formed from samples taken from different songs which are then looped and chained together by the DJ. The tempo generally ranges between 110 and 135 beats per minute with shuffled sixteenth and quarter beats in the percussive pattern. History credits DJ Kool Herc for the invention of this concept[21]:79 later termed the break beat.
[edit] Gender inequality
Like the other aspects of hip-hop culture, graffiti writing, MCing, and DJing, males are generally the predominant gender within breaking. However, this is being challenged by the rapidly increasing number of b-girls. Critics argue that it is unfair to make a sweeping generalization about these inequalities because women have begun to play a larger role in the breaking scene.[27][28]
Despite the increasing number of female breakers, another possible barrier is lack of promotion. As Firefly, a full-time b-girl, says "It's getting more popular. There are a lot more girls involved. The problem is that promoters are not putting on enough female-only battles."[29][30] More people are seeking to change the traditional image of females in hip-hop culture (and by extension, b-boy culture) to a more positive, empowered role in the modern hip-hop scene.[31][32][33] The lower exposure of female dancers is probably caused not by any conscious discrimination, but simply by the fewer number of female breakers compared to the number of male breakers. However, both males and females do practice this art form equally together and are competitively judged only by skill and personal expression, not gender.
[edit] Media exposure
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)
[edit] Film
In the past 30 years since b-boying's creation, various films have depicted the dance, mainly as either a main aspect of the film or in a documentary. In the early 1980s several films depicted b-boying including Wild Style, Flashdance, Breakin', Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, Delivery Boys, Krush Groove, and Beat Street. The 1983 PBS documentary Style Wars chronicled New York graffiti artists, but also includes elements of b-boying. In 1985, at the height of b-boying's popularity during the 80s, Donnie Yen starred in a Hong Kong hip hop film called Mismatched Couples.
The 2000's saw a resurgence of films documenting or utilizing b-boying. The 2002 documentary film The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy provides a comprehensive history of b-boying including its evolution and its place within hip-hop culture. The 2007 documentary Planet B-Boy follows crews from around the world in their journeys to Battle of the Year International 2005. The award-winning (SXSW Film Festival audience award) 2007 documentary "Inside the Circle"[34] (2007) goes into the personal stories of three b-boys (Omar Davila, Josh "Milky" Ayers and Romeo Navarro) and their struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives. The 2010 German documentary Neukölln Unlimited depicts the life of two b-boy brothers in Berlin that try to use their dancing talents to secure a livelihood. Most recently Step Up 3D, a 2010 hip hop dance movie, features b-boying as the main type of dance performed. Saigon Electric is a 2011 independent film focused on the b-boying culture in Vietnam.
[edit] Television
In the US, the shows So You Think You Can Dance premiering in 2005 and America's Best Dance Crew premiering in 2008, arguably exposed b-boying back to the forefront of America's hip hop scene, similar to the popularity it had in the 80's. Since b-boying's popularity surge in Korea, it has been featured in various TV dramas and commercials. Break is a 2006 mini series from Korea about a b-boying competition. Over the Rainbow (Drama series 2006) centers on different characters who are brought together by b-boying.
[edit] Commercial
B-boying is widely referenced in TV advertising, titling and program-linking, as well as news, travelogue and documentary segments, as an indicator of youth/street culture. From a production point of view the style is visually arresting, instantly recognizable and adducible to fast-editing, while the ethos is multi-ethnic, energetic and edgy, but free from the gangster-laden overtones of much rap-culture imagery. Its usability as a visual cliché benefits sponsorship, despite the relatively small following of the genre itself beyond the circle of its practitioners.
In 2005, a Volkswagen Golf GTi commercial featured a partly CGI version of Gene Kelly breaking to a new version of "Singin' in the Rain", remixed by Mint Royale. The tagline was, "The original, updated."
[edit] Literature
In 1997, Kim Soo Yong began serialization of the first b-boying themed comic,Hip Hop. The comic sold over 1.5 million books and it helped to introduce breaking and hip-hop culture to Korean youth.
The first b-boying themed novel, Kid B, was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006. The author, Linden Dalecki, was an amateur b-boy in high school and directed a short documentary film about Texas b-boy culture before writing the novel. The novel was inspired by Dalecki's b-boy-themed short story "The B-Boys of Beaumont", which won the 2004 Austin Chronicle short story contest.
Breakin' the city, a photo book by Nicolaus Schmidt, is portraying b-boys from the Bronx and Brooklyn wheeling around on subway cars, in city plazas and sidewalks of New York City.[35] Published in 2011 it is based on a cooperation between six New York based groups and the German photographer in the years 2007 to 2009.[36]
[edit] Video gaming
There have been few video games created throughout history focusing on b-boying. The main deterrence for attempting to create types of games like these is the difficulty of translating the dancing into something entertaining and fun on a video game console. Most of these attempts have had low to average success.
Break Dance was an 8-bit computer game by Epyx released in 1984, at the height of breaking's popularity.
B-boy is a 2006 console game released for PS2 and PSP which aims at an unadulterated depiction of breaking.[37]
Bust A Groove is a video game franchise whose character "Heat" specializes in breaking.
Pump It Up is a Korean game that requires physical movement of the feet. The game involves b-boying and many people have accomplished this feat by memorizing the steps and creating dance moves to hit the arrows on time.
Breakdance Champion Red Bull BC One is an iOS and Android rhythm game that focuses on the actual b-boying competition Red Bull BC One.[38]
[edit] Pop culture
B-boys performing on San Francisco's Powell Street in 2008.
B-boying moves are often incorporated into the choreography of many films featuring martial arts. This is due to the visually pleasing aspect of the dance, no matter how ridiculous or useless it would be in an actual fight.
The 2001 comedy film Zoolander depicts Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) performing b-boy moves on a catwalk.
In the 2003 film Shanghai Knights, Donnie Yen implements a windmill in a fight against Jackie Chan.
The 2004 anime TV series Samurai Champloo features one of the main characters, Mugen using a fighting style based on b-boying.
The 2009 Thai martial arts film Raging Phoenix incorporates b-boying in its fight scenes, along with capoeira.
The 2010 martial arts film True Legend features a scene where Drunken God, played by Jay Chou performs windmills, flares, and airflares in a restaurant.
Well, got rid of all my Rated mature music, videos, and video games. As my boys are growing older they are interested in what I liked, so time to break out the board games, kids video games, and watch PBS. Sometimes change is Good!
It is time the NCAA did something about oversigning, a practice raised to a perverse art form by Nick Saban and Les Miles. The resulting abuse of innocent student athletes, such as that described in this and other stories, is shameful. The NCAA needs to do more to curb the practice of oversigning by college football coaches, including mandating four-year scholarships and having an early signing period.
Wisconsin drivers win the Eagle River Worlds Snowmobile Championship today, Nick Vansridonk of Tomahawk First, and Matt Schultz of Wausau came in second. Something good is happing in Wisconsin in sports latley...
Question for you all......regarding my earlier post.......if you could have anyone(s) on your desert island for anything you want, who would it be?
Here are mine:
Billie Dee Williams, Tom Selleck, Lou Diamond Phillips, Tyne Diggs, Shemar Moore, Michael Wheatley, Johnny Depp and of course young guys like Taylor Lautner, Nick Jonas and I am sure there are more but these are my top ones!!!
Horace Jazzwitz and his Silver Tongued
Aura Tones. The aura turns and aura tours are lighter and more musical now that the Jesuits and the Jews' wits...have gotten it together to save Western UN Civilization......
They've left it up to God and Biff and God ain't sayin' schitt you ain't heard before and Biff says God is boring.
Mohammed says God is ALLAH...so that's cool...we have a new "NAME" for GOD in town...yada...allah's well...go on and play kiddies...it's Allah in the family..like you gotta hunker down and Bunker down and you can have your cake and EDITH,too..
Kids won't "get" that...That means anyone under fifty two....Under fifty two and you're not playing with a full deck...and even tho' you KNOW those "named"...by asso. ....."Dylan/Edith".....you can't make as many conections as me cuz I'm old and not so LOCKED IN to PUBLIC PUSSY like Dylan/Baez...Randy/Roswitha....Brucie/Pattie.....Billy Joel/ Christie Brinkley......Kanye/ Jay Z.....Bowie/Imam.....Elton/Queen.....
That makes me more mysterious and therefore less dependable as a boring entertainer....you either DON'T GET MARRIED like the Jesuits or phuck small boys like every OTHER Roman Catholic teaching order or you're Jewish and phuck everything....
Randy wants to "poke" another man's wife...he wrote a song about it.
My pimp just called....reviewing the football games ...again...."That's gonna be the WORST Super Bowl in history..New England's gonna MURDER the Giants...!"
"I know...I hate Drew Brees smiling...winning all those awards...he's supposed to be sad ..like us...The team lost...We're the team....we don't get any prizes..."
It's like the HERO emerges from the ashes of defeat....He's the Mardi Gras...we're Ash Wednesday...he's got the dutiful..beautiful wife....third child on the way....I'm stuck with the PEN...eloping with the PAPER screaming at me "Hurt me...hurt the paper..hurt the page..go ahead..hurt me..kill me...!".... and I'm tied to this dickhead of a MAST-PLAN...heading for PEN-ELOPE...the Siren calls interrupting.. luring...my men all deaf from the whacks....I hear the beauty and must possess it but mustn't get too close like that Italian Ship captain on the Carnival Cruise..abandoning his chance to be a hero...I have to conceal myself from my men...to see if....my mano a mano story....cell...
"Hey,Biff...." (it's my pimp)..."I'm down at the Courthouse...jury duty...that murder trial...."
McGinity my fraternity brother for fifty years and now my lawyer ("Biff you just tell me the truth and I'll lie for ya" )..told me..."You can't bring food in the Courthouse...".....I was starving..the jury which included my Pimp was sequestered downstairs.....it was "voir dire" time...I was seated in the empty courtroom...waiting...whispering loud to McGinity..."Where can I get some FOOD...I'm starving ?"..He motioned me out into the hallway...
"You can't eat here..you can't bring food in the building....."
"Well goddam..I'm hungry...."
"Well I have some fried chicken but you have to go outside..."
"Damn, Pat..all these narrow phucking legalisms when you're hungry..."
"Well..there's restaurant downstairs in the corner of the building..."
I ran.
"Grits'n'eggs."
"We stop serving breakfast at ten in the morning..."
"Damn...legalisms...the Courthouse.."
Back upstairs McGinity comes out of the Courtroom into the hall....echoes are like inside a giant Trinidad steel drum...the John F. Kennedy assasination trial comes bouncing back....McGinity had something in his hand..he opened it secretly...hiding two pieces of FRIED CHICKEN so no one could see...he looked from side to side...I felt like Fred Sanford....."Damn LaMont..gimme dat chicken..."
"Pop...I told you you CAN'T..."
I left the Courthouse with two pieces of FRIED CHICKEN..and started scarfing up my cell phone.. rang....it was Jefferson Davis of the City Park Tree Cutting Clinic Band.."Hey Biff..tonight on PBS..nine o'clock...Phil OX..." ...Jeff is under fifty two...
That word "JEW" leapt out...what was that?"....New Orleans was Catholic...so it was impossible that there could be anything else....But that word "jew".... kept coming back....In 1945 it came to prominence in the 'hood when I was eight and all us kids would sing "There's a place in France...where the women wear no pants..and the dance they do..is enough to kill a jew...and the jew they kill..is enough to pay the bill..and the bill they pay..is enough to make them say...I surrender USA..."
Then at age fourteen it came back again...1952....Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed...electrocuted...by a Jewish Judge....to shut up anybody saying ..anti-semitic...anti-semitic...hallu-hallu....
They were convicted of passing secrets to the Russians...Klaus Fuchs was "named" WITH them and HE was a jew...you said JEWISH if you WERE..you said a JEW if you were Catholic or Baptist.....it's O.K. to judge if you're Catholic and write it down...and don't say it out loud....like the Secrets of the Confessional.....a jew has to blab it for money....you have to keep it secret....and leave the Courthouse with greasy palms..
Chicken.
makin' ribs for dinner bored as hell, gonna be back on later....see ya then y'all...hey if you have small kids and have the "sprout channel" you can go to http://www.sproutonline.com sign up and make a birthday wish for your little one. if you have it...i posted for connor and jojo 1/29 and 2/3 hopefully it'll show...love y'all Find easy-to-make crafts, play games, download music, search TV programs, and more with your kids and preschoolers.
Great fun featuring STEM, spectrUM's upcoming exhibit:
PBS KIDS, in partnership with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is participating in the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge, an annual competition to motivate interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning among America's youth by tapping into students' natural passion for playing and making video games. The contest is open to four different categories: Middle School students (5th grade – 8th grade), High School Students, College students and Teachers/Educators. Participants who wish to produce games as part of the PBS KIDS stream are encouraged to develop games for children ages 4-8 that focus on early math skills. This site is designed to provide information and resources to help guide game production. This project is part of the Ready To Learn Initiative, and funded by a grant from the U.S Department of Education.
http://pbskids.org/stemchallenge/ PBS KIDS, in partnership with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is participating in the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge.
Last Pro- Life trip in high school for me was incredible. Loved every second!
p.s. but that game was seriously rigged...Mary Claire Siler, Matt Kavanagh, Bridgette Farmer, Nick Schultz, Andy Barnett, Kelly Burger, Gina Bidmead
i would like to say thank you so much to Mike Sullivan for helping me and baby ant try and save sprout , let your voice be hurd to join in and help save sprout please and thank you http://www.sproutonline.com/ Find easy-to-make crafts, play games, download music, search TV programs, and more with your kids and preschoolers.
welcome back to school...again Get a free 10-day Guest Pass at http://www.pbskidsplay.org. Welcome to PBS KIDS PLAY!, an interactive world filled with learning games and preschool activiti...
HAVE FUN ! Play educational games, watch PBS KIDS shows and find activities like coloring and music. PBS KIDS Games and Shows are research based and vetted by educators.
Nick Jr. Boost is a super fun, highly educational and fully personalized website for kids featuring their favorite Nick Jr. characters. We've teamed with leading curriculum experts and educators to create personalized games and activities that adapt and grow alongside your child's abilities. Offering over 250 skills covering Math, Early Reading, Science, Creative Play and more, your child is guaranteed to learn and have a blast doing it… all in a safe, personalized and ad-free environment. Nick Jr. Boost - Preschool Activities - Preschool Games.
