"Isle of Dogs" Might be an Isle of Offensive Material

Image from http://www.isleofdogsmovie.com

Wes Anderson has created yet another work of art with his latest film, "Isle of Dogs." The stop-motion animation focuses on a story of an extreme idea of near-future Japan, banishing all dogs to a trash island that is located just off the coast. The reason: A dog flu outbreak that is apparently harmful to humans as well. 

The mayor of Japan, who is portrayed in a dictator-esque light, deports his own dog to the island first. His name is Spots, and he is also the guard dog to the mayor’s nephew. The nephew’s name is Atari (Koyu Rankin) and he’s the mayor’s ward. Atari is 12-years-old and decides to go on a rescue mission to retrieve Spots from the island after all the dogs have been deported.

Atari crash lands on the island and is helped by a ragtag group of five alpha-male dogs who are voiced by a star studded cast. The main character of this group is a stray named Chief (Bryan Cranston). He butts heads with the rest of the pack and is the scrappiest and toughest of them. Chief also resists being friendly with Atari and wants nothing to do with him, but is outvoted by the rest of the pack who wants to help the boy.

Anderson was inspired by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki who is known for the films “Spirited Away” and “My Neighbor Totoro.” They are also imaginative visions of Japan, and are known to be very beautiful.

“Isle of Dogs” has an element that sets it apart from other films. Instead of the Japanese characters speaking in English, or even being subtitled, they speak in Japanese. There is a news character (Frances McDormand) that translates some of what the Japanese characters say. This element combined with the imaginative state of the country at the time has been described as “cringe-worthy” and “culturally insensitive” to many critics. I can see where they’re coming from.

Anderson collaborated with Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola in the early stages of making the setting of the movie. 

"The story really could have been set anywhere but our big inspiration with the movie was to make it about what we loved in Japanese cinema and it grew into something more to do with all kinds of Japanese culture and our enthusiasm for it," said Anderson in an interview with Little White Lies.

The lack of strong female characters in the film didn’t bother me either. Even if the only one they have is portrayed as a little bit crazy. Exchange student school girl Tracy Walker (Greta Gerwig) is the only American character in the film and one of only a few English-speaking characters. I’m sure her white girl afro could be interpreted as culturally insensitive as well. She’s with the “Pro Dog” movement and is a conspiracy theorist.

The liberation of the dogs being from a white American girl from Ohio could be viewed as culturally insensitive too. Even with all the cultural negligence, this movie was still “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 90 percent. 

The artistic hipster style and visual aesthetics of the film give it a much more powerful delivery. Anderson's films always have an endearing feel in my opinion. The way the dogs fur blows in the breeze, and the fluffy smoke and clouds used throughout the film give it an undeniable “Wow” factor. 

Plus, who doesn’t love dogs?

Photojournalism Week 3 - Overall, Medium, Close

Former LBCC student Zach Melcher uses an electric sander on a Plymouth Duster in a carport in the backyard of his father's house.

Melcher's goal with the sander is to smooth the vehicle's surface to prep it for primer paint.

Melcher is passionate about working on and restoring vehicles and spends most weekends, like he did this Sunday, working on them.

Photojournalism Week 4 - Environmental Mugshot

This is Darleea Names. She owns Wild Daisies Resale in Albany. It's a buy/ sell/ trade type second-hand ladies clothing store. Her store is one of only two like it in town. Names is sitting in her clothing intake and processing room, located at the rear of the store.

Darleea Names

Veteran's Garden Blooms at LBCC

The Veterans Garden at LBCC presents a new opportunity to learn and grow.

Established in the fall of the 2017-18 school year, the garden provides a space for veterans, and their friends and family to learn how to grow their own food.

The space created was a vision of former student Lisa Akers. “She wanted to set up a farm because she thinks it’s important for vets to be involved in more than just classes,” said Steve Olsen, vice president of the Veterans Club.

The garden was built through donated time and materials. It includes 10 raised garden beds, a garden shed, and a greenhouse. Most of the materials came from Home Depot. Coastal Farms donated the mats for the inside of the greenhouse. A local company based outside of Brownsville called Adaptive Seeds donated the seeds to start growing vegetables.

LBCC dedicated the piece of ground for the garden, which had to be flattened to be used.

There are mostly vegetables being grown in the garden, but maybe eventually strawberries and other fruits will be grown too. “It’s easiest for us to grow annuals,” said Miriam Edell.

Edell oversees the garden. “My job, I think, is to be the organizer, bringing people together and teaching.” She is part of the Agricultural Sciences staff at LBCC and is the only paid member of the garden workings. Other folks who are involved in the garden are donating their time to lend a hand.

Anyone who is a veteran, or friend or family member of a veteran is welcome to volunteer to work in the garden.

Free workshops are offered to anyone who would like to participate. They happen once a month on a Tuesday from noon to 12:50 p.m. at the garden. Brooke Edmunds, horticulture specialist from the OSU Extension Service, teaches the classes. The upcoming workshops include May 15, “Let's Talk Tomatoes,”; June 12, “Growing Culinary Herbs”; July 17, “What to Plant for a Fall and Winter Garden.”

Edell extended an invitation to veterans and their friends and family to work in the garden with her. Work in the garden currently takes place on Tuesdays, with the hopes of gaining enough volunteers to be able to do work several days a week.

At a Glace:

Contact Miriam Edell for more information via email at edellm@linnbenton.edu

Photojournalism Week 2 - Humans of LB #2

Casey Hadley
"My dream job is to be a veterinarian someday but I just found out the US doesn't give felons their certificate so I have a fallback dream job, which is to open my own cross fit gym. I've always wanted to own my own business. It takes seven years to get something expunged from your record. That means I have hope. I can always go back to school if I want to. But that's why you always have a fallback. I think most people in my situation would say being felon [is the biggest struggle in their life], because when people hear that you're a felon, they don't look at you for the person you currently are. They look at you for what you did in your past and most people think you can never change. But it's not our past that defines us, it's how we utilize our past and our mistakes that makes us who we are."

Photojournalism Week 1 - Humans of LB #1

Becky Howell, Student
"I'm here to learn to become a better writer. I'm returning to the workforce. I've been away from the workforce for a while, raising a family. I like to write but I know I need to improve my writing skills. I'm a former LB instructor. I taught english as a second language. My first step back into the school world was to take a master gardener course through the OSU Extension Office. I realized how much I really love soil and seeds and plants. I have a large garden - ornamental - I can't grow vegetables very well in my garden. I'm kind of a plant/ gardening addict."

John Westfall, Electronics Buyer at the LBCC Bookstore
"I'm 29. I'll be 30 this year. I'm from Albany. I worked at a variety of different jobs after high school. I applied for financial aid one day and that decided the rest of it.
My wife and I do photography. I shoot for Parks and Recreation in Corvallis. We do pretty much people stuff. Then we do weddings, engagements, couples. Pretty much anything that has to do with people, we take photos of it. The person that inspires me the most? Jesus. He was perfect. I don't look up to people."