What should happen in the Five Nights at Freddy's Movie?

What should happen in the Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie?

I don’t want a Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. I thought I should make that perfectly clear. I’m a fan of the series, I enjoyed every game and love delving into the lore but will it translate well into movie form? Probably not but I hope the movie can at least be watchable. What do I in my humble opinion think should be in the FNAF movie? I explain below.

 

As we all know video game movies are terrible. I’ve always thought the best thing to do would to be setting a movie in the universe of the certain game franchise without centring on the plot of an actual game. This would give the writers and developers chance to do what they want to while still remaining loyal to the setting and franchise. For the FNAF movie I think it should be set in one of the Pizzeria’s we’ve never seen in a game. Setting the movie before 1987 and FNAF 2 or even as a spinoff that doesn’t relate to the events in the games would allow the writers some free will and not make the movie too restrictive. It would also allow a brand new story and thus a setting unrelated to the pizzeria’s in the game series I think would be a good idea.

 

The lore is perhaps the most interesting part of the entire franchise. First things first, I will be very unhappy if the movie just reveals everything that we have to speculate about. Apart from that it’s important for the movie to be for fans of the series but equally the movie has to try to bring in newcomers to the series. Take FNAF 1 as an example. There was some interesting backstory subtly laced in but it wasn’t all explained in one go or made too complex too quickly. A similar thing needs to happen with the movie’s plot. It’s because of this I think it’d be preferable to have a separate plot from the games. FNAF 3 briefly mentions sister locations. Something like this I believe would be ideal as you could still capture the essence of the games while not being tied down by heaps of lore and backstory.

 

FNAF is subtle in its story. This is a big reason why I don’t think it’ll work as a film, most of its story isn’t shown. A movie needs to show more due to the medium itself however the films focus I think needs to be on the character in the Pizzeria. The film cannot just take place in the Pizzeria and what time we spend outside will hopefully be used to build a complex and interesting character. This is strange considering the characters in the game are merely vessels to play, however this is not a game. A likeable character is important otherwise we’ll just be watching a boring horror with cardboard characters waiting for them to die.

 

There’s a catch however with what I just said. Too much time cannot be taking place outside the Pizzeria. This seems obvious however would you really be surprised if we spend ages with some random idiot and their boring life? Maybe showing the character in the Pizzeria during the day would be good as it would set the scene and start building the creepy atmosphere of the twisted place. Whatever they do none of us want to see a FNAF movie where most of the time is spent outside a Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria.

 

Another thing I hope happens is that out main protagonist is alone in the Pizzeria. The games made you feel incredibly isolated and this added to the tension and fear. This means that with the main character in the Pizzeria there needs to be no friends, no love interest and definitely no wacky black sidekick. If a little group goes in and a black guy dies first I may leave the cinema. With what I’ve said so far it sounds a bit like I just want a scare fest with an interesting character. This isn’t true, the Pizzeria’s always have a dark secret behind them and this should be no exception. I think it would be good if the protagonist would gradually discover some sort of conspiracy or mystery behind the Pizzeria as he tried to survive. I just think it needs to leave somethings left unanswered and be subtle about what’s going on, not just throw everything at us.

 

Horror films need to have horror. Let’s think about what makes FNAF scary. I’d say the suspense and tension as the animatronics move around the Pizzeria and you never know when you’re about to be attacked. I’ve never thought it’s just jump scares. There are very well crafted jump scares, but what makes the jump scares terrifying is the build-up. The atmosphere and tension alone makes the game scary even if you aren’t killed once. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this, for the movie to be scary and not just full of jump scares then it needs to use creepy sets and build the tension and suspense of the situation of being in a dark Pizzeria full of killer animatronics. Obviously there will be jump scares and they will be effective like they were while playing the games if they’re well-crafted amongst the good build-up and atmosphere.

 

Let’s not have a gore fest. Please movie makers, don’t do it. Don’t get me wrong, if we see one person get violently stuffed into an animatronic suit I wouldn’t be disappointed. While I am quite strange I think maybe in the intro we could see this happen to someone, it would build the stakes as well as show newcomers to the series what these animatronics are capable of. But this shouldn’t be a regular occurrence, it’s not what FNAF is about.

 

The film needs to as I said earlier introduce new people to the FNAF franchise as well as be faithful for the fans. This makes throwing in all the many animatronics we’ve seen over the games seem a bit silly. How much would a newcomer be confused with the original 5, the toy versions, balloon boy, the puppet, spring trap, shadow animatronics and phantoms? I think the ideal situation would to be to use the 4 main animatronics from the original FNAF as the main antagonists. This should please both parties as it won’t be overcrowded for new comers and as a fan myself I would be very pleased seeing the classics on screen. Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy are perfectly capable of being terrifying antagonists for the film and keeping it to 4 for most of the movie would avoid the film feeling over crowded. I would however like to see a cameo from Golden Freddy, not only is he my personal favourite but I imagine all the fans would love to see his ghostly presence. He doesn’t need to play a big role, just a cameo, even just a glimpse would be great.

 

I really want the FNAF movie to be good. I am a fan of the franchise, I will go and see it and I can’t wait for FNAF 4. I’m not exactly confident but let’s hope this is an actual good video game movie. But nevertheless I’m curious, what is everyone else hoping to see in the movie? I’ll end this post now, the power on my laptop has nearly run out …

Sporting Superstition

Sporting Superstition

Superstition is a strange and illogical thing. Really there’s no proof that superstition exist, hell I imagine most of us don’t believe in superstition at all. I certainly don’t but then why do we all have strange little things we do?

 

What is the strangest sporting superstition you’ve ever heard? For me personally it is from South African cricketer Neil McKenzie. Apparently he taped his bat to the dressing room ceiling. He scored a hundred so did it again. Any cricketers out there, do you tape your bat to the ceiling. I certainly never did when I used to play so what would make someone possibly think this was a good idea?

 

There are thousands of other cases I could mention but the thing here is why do we do it? I have a strange superstition, before I play badminton I untie and the re tie my shoe laces. I don’t believe it makes a difference, I only did it the first time because I had to wait for someone to knock up with and I wanted to keep myself occupied but that was months ago and I’m still doing it. Does it make a difference? No. Do I win more games now? Unfortunately no. So why the superstition.

 

A big thing is that sports men and women for obvious reason are competitive types. The mind is a powerful thing, it can easily trick us into thinking something will give us an edge. Even something as strange as taping a bat to the ceiling can seem like a good idea if it made a difference last time even if logically we know it has nothing to do with what’s happening. Maybe we also think that it appeared to do well and it certainly isn’t harming our chances. Perhaps it is a placebo effect here, the mind tricks us into thinking doing a strange action gives us the edge.

 

The issue with this is most of us would obviously view these actions as silly afterwards. Why then do we continue doing it? Why do I continue re tying my shoes? For me personally I’m not really sure. It’s sort of like a routine, as in I tie my laces then knock up then warm up. It’s not that it improves my game, it helps me feel secure and in my own little zone before playing. I play in a bubble, I don’t say much, I keep focussed. My routine helps me get into that and the strange superstition is part of that.

 

Obviously some people do believe in superstition and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, for all we know some of these superstition could exist for a reason. For the rest I think it’s a routine thing to feel comfortable and ready for the intense battle ahead. It’ll help us be ready to win and as we all know winning is the most important thing.

Professor Layton vs Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria - Who Would Win

Professor Layton vs Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria – Who Would Win

When I write these things the hardest bit is always coming up with the combatants. The Professor Layton series is my favourite video game franchise and I thought I have to get its main protagonist, the Professor himself into one of these battles. The problem? Outside of being a keen fencer Layton doesn’t engage himself in mindless violence. The gameplay through the games is like an old point and click adventure and you progress by solving delightful puzzles. Good traits for some ridiculously pleasant and fun games, not great for a fighter. So the solution? Put him in a giant deadly puzzle of course. Enter Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, the delightfully creepy Pizza restaurant that is almost as scary as an actual Chucky Cheese it’s based off. So if the good Professor was placed in the role of the night guard for five nights could he make it out alive? Let’s find out.

 

 I normally say no outside assistance. However the Professor will receive all the help Mike Schmitt did, hence he will listen to the calls from phone guy. Now let’s discuss the one and only, Professor Layton and beware of Azran Legacy spoilers in the next two paragraphs.

 

Hershel Layton was born to Leon and Rachel Bronev as Theodore Bronev. He had an older brother named Hershel but unfortunately the two boys were orphaned at an early age as their parents were kidnaped by the Targent agency over their knowledge of the Azran civilisation.

 

Suitable adoptive parents were found in Lucille and Roland Layton. They however only wished to adopt one child, Hershel. They did not know which boy was Hershel was however and to make his younger brother happy, Hershel gave his name to his younger brother so he would be adopted into the loving Layton family, thus from now on Theodore Bronev was known as Hershel Layton.

 

Hershel Layton is not the most imposing figure, standing at 5’9” including his signature top hat. He is however a true English Gentlemen, always kind and polite. He is more than willing to help people when they require assistance as well as being all round a very nice guy. He almost always manages to stay relaxed and dignified in any situation and is capable of always keeping calm and focused in even the most panic inducing situations.

 

Being a professor of archaeology and lover of a good puzzle Layton is unsurprisingly a highly intelligent man possessing exceptional logic puzzles. Throughout his adventures he has solved hundreds of different puzzles which require him to do anything from Maths, to looking through trick questions to sliding block puzzles or recognising patterns. That last one could be useful. Professor Layton is more than just a sharp mind however. He is incredibly brave, surprisingly athletic and his fencing ability would naturally give him quick reactions and a good spatial awareness.

 

Layton is also not a stranger to weird and dangerous situations, nor is he to working under pressure. He has survived multiple life threatening situations, experienced mass hallucination and was part of what must be the most heart wrenching moment in video game History (If you’ve played lost future you know exactly what I’m talking about). Professor Hershel Layton is such a likeable character brimming with personality and despite having quite a tragic past has remained a perfect gentlemen.

 

Let’s move on to the nightmare that is Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria (The one from the first game). It’s a obvious parody of Chucky Cheese, with cameras around the restaurant (Although there is a blind shot right outside your doors), a rather problematic power shortage and a really dumb door system (Closing doors drains power apparently). The big problem, the animatronics at night get bored and like to play murder.

 

Most famously, Freddy Fazbear is the face of the pizzeria and is one of three animatronics to start off backstage. He starts off fairly placid but later on through the week becomes very aggressive until night five where he’s on maximum aggressiveness. He goes from the stage to the dining room to the kitchen before entering the east hall. He then likes to go into the corner before going into your office and stuffing you into a rather uncomfortable suit. It’s very important to keep an eye on this guy or he does tend to kill you. He also is the one that kills you after your power runs out, you hear his song and after just long enough for you to think he’s gone he scares the crap out of you.

 

Next up is Bonnie the Bunny, interestingly the scariest animatronic according to the games creator. He also starts backstage and moves between the west hall, the supply closet, the dining area and the west hall corner. He is the most frequent animatronic to try to enter the office and he is also active from night one.

 

Similarly, Chica the Chicken (Not a duck) starts in the stage area and is active from night one. She goes to the kitchen, restrooms, dining area and east hall. She doesn’t attempt to enter the office as frequently as Bonnie however she does linger at the door for a greater amount of time, draining your precious power. Bonnie and Chica will also work together, stick to different doors (Bonnie the left and Chica the right) as well as jamming the doors.

 

Finally there’s Foxy the Pirate, a very unique animatronic. Rather than starting on the stage, he resides in Pirate’s Cove. If you do not check the cove frequently enough he will attack your left door. He sprints down the corridor and bangs on the door, draining the power. It should be noted on night 5 he is active from the start.

 

Finally there is the terrifying Golden Freddy. He appears if you see the rare Golden Freddy poster and teleports into your office and kills you. At least he seems to kill you, although your game crashed when he attacks and you do not go to the game over screen. The poster is rare however and it is highly possible that Golden Freddy is just an illusion as he appears to be an empty suit as well as having no reflection in the office monitors. Even if he is real the jump scare can be avoided if you go to the cameras as he appears in the office.

 

The phone guy gives you rather vague instructions and are only really useful on night 1 and 2. On night 1 he casually tells you the animatronics will try to kill you. He says to check the cameras and close the doors if they get too close. He also mentions the importance of conserving power. On night 2 meanwhile he emphasizes the importance of using the door lights as well as checking pirate cove frequently.

 

So if the Professor was hired as the new night guard would he survive 5 nights? Night 1 would be a cakewalk for Layton. For most of the night he would only have 1 animatronic to keep track of and even when the second came out I can’t see the introductory level defeating such an acute mind. So hooray, the good Professor got through the first night!

 

Night 2 would likely be a similar story. Hershel Layton is an expert at recognising patterns and night 1 would at least give him a small idea of where each Bonnie and Chica go. Obviously he wouldn’t have all their movements sussed but he would at least have an idea of when they were getting close. Freddy isn’t aggressive enough to cause a problem to such a sharp mind and while Foxy could be an issue, I imagine seeing a scary fox peeking out of a curtain would be something you’d be keeping an eye on. So night 2 is done, only three to go.

 

Night 3 could pose a problem, in fact the games creator Scott Cawthon writes around his newspaper article that you probably won’t make it past night three anyway. This isn’t however any average guy so let’s see how it goes.  The biggest change is Golden Freddy can appear on night three. He is rare, so it’s possible that Layton will not even encounter this demonic figure. Let’s assume he does however and see what happens. If you look at a different camera after seeing the scary poster he won’t appear. Also if you look at the camera quickly after he appears in the office he won’t kill you.  The second option seems unlikely as you’d almost certainly freeze in fear. The first option does seem likely however. Would you take a random poster as a reason to look inside your office? Probably not. This is unlikely anyway so it is possible Golden Freddy will kill him but it is unlikely. What about the others. Layton’s fencing makes his reactions quick, certainly quick enough to close the door before Foxy can get in. As for the other three, I can’t see Bonnie being a problem, Layton would have his pattern figured out by now. Freddy isn’t that aggressive all things considered and Chica is an issue but the Professor can keep calm in any situation, especially ones where no one else in in harm’s way. Maybe my bias is impacting this but I think he’d just about make it through.

 

Night 4 is where Freddy Fazbear becomes a real issue. It’s vital to keep track of him as he moves around although it is important to note he always takes the same pathway throughout the restaurant. Bonnie and Chica can jam the lights and doors, however they do make loud sounds when they are close meaning the need to monitor them is less of a priority than that damn bear. The key is to keep track of Freddy and Foxy here. I still expect Layton to stay calm enough to keep his power intact and make it to the dreaded night 5.

 

The final night is upon us, can the beloved Professor make it? This night is full of extreme aggression, even the starting phone call is rather frightening. The good news is Golden Freddy is not going to be an issue. Hooray. The bad news? Actual Freddy is a huge problem though. He is highly aggressive and the east corner should be frequently checked. If he’s there the Professor will need to close the right hand door and quickly. He should not open the door until he hears Freddy’s maniacal laugh as that means he has moved. Foxy is also very aggressive and will need to be checked frequently. He can drain a lot of power by banging on the door after he sprints down the corridor. Freddy and Foxy are the biggest threats here, Layton hopefully will have figured this out and discovered the best way to look for Bonnie and Chica is to just use the door lights. So can he make it? Can Professor Layton get though the entire 5 nights without dying? He’s incredibly smart and logical, he keeps calm and while the challenge is huge, it’s not the first big challenege he’s faced. Plus I wouldn’t put my favourite video game character, one I cosplay as at comicon in the situation to be savagely stuffed into a Freddy Fazbear suit would I? I’m rooting for you Professor, as is the whole of Japan’s romanticised and exaggerated idea of what England is like!

 

I don’t think at this point Bonnie and Chica would pose much of a problem. Foxy, while being a pain I think for someone as smart as Hershel Layton would be manageable especially with quick reactions to close the door when he starts sprinting. Freddy is a problem but again manageable for such a sharp and logical mind. He issue is not getting jump scared, rather running out of power. Freddy attacks a lot quicker on night 5 after power runs out, Layton will need to masterfully conserve power. It could end up as a matter of luck, how much will he be attacked. Will he be forced to waste too much power? Survival seems unlikely, there are no hint coins to help out here. Is this the end of Professor Layton?

 

Absolutely one hundred percent not. The key is the idea of the Professor Layton character. He’s a true gentlemen and he will often day something along the lines of

“A gentlemen leaves no puzzle left unanswered”. Is this the hardest puzzle Layton has had to solve? You may think I’m looking too deeply but Hershel Layton can solve every puzzle put in front of him, that’s the whole point of his games. He solves puzzles, no matter how difficult. This should be the same. Five Night’s at Freddy’s is one big terrifying puzzle just waiting to be solved in order to survive. Mike Schmitt did it, why can’t the genius that is Professor Hershel Layton do the same? There is no answer to that question. The winner here is Professor Hershel Layton … in my opinion. You may disagree, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did. If so just remember, a true gentlemen wouldn’t work in such an awful job in the first place.

 

The Real You

The Real You

We are all told multiple times throughout our lives that we should be ourselves. After all we are all beautiful on the inside right? Right? Here’s the question, what exactly it, the real you.



The Real You?

 Shouldn’t this be an easy question to answer? We know ourselves better than anyone else surely. However being ourselves is not as easy as it may at first seem. Perhaps you should simply act on instinct. But if this is true then you’re ignoring your thoughts, something most of us would not do. This isn’t the real you. Do what you feel is right? What does that even mean? Right and wrong don’t exist after all, it’s a matter of opinion. So follow your opinions. They change, people change. We develop our opinions from what we experience and our surroundings, not from just being us.

 

Each person is kind of like a canvass, a blank piece of paper waiting to be painted. In this analogy the artist uses our own past experiences to paint the picture that is our personality. The real you. However people will discuss self-identity and how they are searching for themselves. While we would like to say we are who we want to be, we all know we always want more for ourselves. It’s what drives us forwards at all.

 

It’s normal that we all want to be better. It’s also normal to do what we think is right. However the right path is rarely the easiest path. If it’s right to be ourselves, then it would certainly imply that it is difficult. There’s obviously more to it however. Sometimes we choose not to do ‘the right’ thing. Does that mean we are bad people?

 

There’s a film called Unbreakable by everyone’s favourite director M. Night Shyamalan. While having a lot of his usual boring twaddle, it does pose an interesting point on the idea of good and evil and destiny. It makes the possibility seem quite terrifying. Yes I doubt this is what Shyamalan was going for but to me at least it did pose the question of what would you do if you were destined to be the bad guy, the villain. This translates here as if we are looking to be who we are, is it possible that the real us is an awful person. Maybe a selfish, greedy person is who we really are. Can we change that?



Yes we can. In reality the real you isn’t really important. It’s our actions that affect those around us. It’s our actions that shape our future. Taking action when it’s difficult, even when it may be impossible is good if you think it is right. What am I saying here? Am I just going around in circles?

 

What I’m saying is you can try searching for the real you. You can spend your whole life searching, going through many experiences and meeting many people. You’ll find nothing. I don’t think it is anything so spiritual or philosophical. Perhaps human beings are lucky in a way. We have the choice and the responsibility, to define the real us ourselves with what we do and who we are in our lives. Or maybe I’m just full of crap. What do you think?

The Meaning of Life Part 2

The Meaning of Life Part 2

Welcome back reader. If you haven’t read part 1 then I highly recommend that you do, partly because it will give background to what I say and partly because I like to shamelessly advertise my own stuff (Check out my other posts too). Now onwards with the discussion of the meaning of life

 

Many people will say there is not meaning of life at all. If you don’t believe in destiny and you believe you make your own choices like I discussed last time then what possible meaning could there be? After all, you are the one who chooses what to do, no matter how bad the situation. Could it really be that simple though? Let’s for a moment think of the animal kingdom. Every wild animal on the planet wants to survive and reproduce. It’s the whole reason their species survives in the first place but why does this matter to them? Obviously we can’t look into the mind of a wild animal but surely they don’t think about the survival of their species. They want to survive themselves but why? Many wild animals live in extremely harsh environment filled with danger. Unlike a human being they’re not achieving anything from it, it’s just where they live.

 

Why do animals have an instinct to reproduce? Wild animals surely don’t think about the long term future of their species and while male animals can have the want to mate built in as instinct, for females the mating process can be uncomfortable at best to downright painful at worst. Yet wild animals do reproduce without question and they eat and drink water and do what they must to survive. No one has told them this is what they must do yet they do it anyway. Let’s face it, some species have a far worst quality of life but if they were gone it would upset the food chain and balance of nature. They don’t know this but they try to survive anyway.

 

Obviously survival is a natural instinct in wild animals but with humanity it’s a completely different story. Sure some human beings just want survival but many want so much more. The crucial difference between humans and animals is that animals live to survive while humans survive to live. Some human being’s do thing that compromise their own safety for the thrill of being close to death. Some human beings decide they don’t want children. Not wanting to reproduce isn’t something that occurs in the natural world but humanity is different. When you find a partner it’s not because you want children, it’s because you want to be happy and share your life with someone. Couples sometimes decide they don’t want children and that’s that. Some people don’t even want to meet someone to be with romantically at all. This is a far cry from what happens in nature.

 

Human beings are clearly the most intelligent creatures on Earth. Don’t be naïve and pretend this isn’t true. Look at what humanity has accomplished in comparison. Look at how much of Earth we inhabit. Yet survival is not the main goal for humanity. It’s to succeed in our goals. Ask someone what their goals in life are.  I guarantee it won’t be to further the human race. It might be something work related or sport related. Maybe they want to make people laugh or maybe they just want to be happy in any way possible but it’s not just survival. In fact most people would not want to live past a certain point where you start losing your sense and independence. So is success the meaning of life?

 

Success in our goals? This is what we’re all aiming towards is it not? To succeed in whatever we are doing, no matter how big or small. For some people success is the key thing, myself included. There’s a catch though. A lot of people don’t take success as seriously. Sure it’s important but they don’t mind if they don’t succeed. Some people are content not pursuing a whole lot. Some people are perfectly fine with just being content and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. We all have different levels of ambition but that doesn’t impact on the meaning of life does it? If there is one meaning for everyone it surely shouldn’t.

 

What I think these two points demonstrate is that human beings have evolved beyond the need to simply survive. We need more, to thrive and succeed. So does this mean humanity is beyond needing a meaning of life?  The problem I have with this is if we create our own meaning then how come so many of us don’t know what we want to do? How come so many of us change our mind so many times. Equally a lot of people are perfectly content not chasing their dreams and goals and just settle with what they have. So is there no meaning of life? But surely a world with no meaning is just pointless. We have a reason for doing everything we do, nothing we choose to do is completely spontaneous we have always decided ourselves for whatever reason.

 

We live with our own goals by our own principles. We determine ourselves what is right and wrong and we act out accordingly. This much thought does not go into an animal’s thinking, they do what they must to survive and that’s it. For a human sure we do try to survive but we also have the freedom to do what we want for enjoyment. Equally right and wrong are concepts not present in nature, a predator won’t refuse to attack a helpless animal out of principle. I think it comes down to this. There could very well be a meaning of life. Maybe we make our own or maybe it’s there given to us by a higher force. The thing is achieving what is meant by life itself is no longer possible. People always want more, people always do more to be happier. Humanity is out of reach of such a concept. Maybe we’re above it, or maybe we have distanced ourselves from it by expanding too much. Maybe the reason the meaning of life is such an enigma is because no one on earth is willing to give up their life in order to truly find it.  Or maybe I’m just talking rubbish. Either way have a think about it, you may just find that motivation you’re looking for. Thanks for reading.

Why do we all Hate Valentines Day?

Why do we all Hate Valentine’s Day?

Normally when a holiday comes around everyone gets excited. It’s supposed to be a joyous time spent with friends and family. So what happened with Valentine’s Day? A lot of people will complain about Valentine’s Day. People act like it’s all in bad spirit and we don’t understand why we pay it so much attention. Why is this?

 

I’ll start with my own opinions on Valentine’s Day. Meh. I don’t really care, in fact most years I don’t even notice it. It’ll be days after and someone will mention it and I’ll finally be paying attention. So while I don’t particularly like it, I don’t have the motivation to completely despise it like a lot of people do. It’s just kind of there.

 

The most common complaint about Valentine’s Day is that is makes people who have no Valentine feel lonely. This is true, while some of us are not bothered about not having a date I can see how you could find it quite a lonely time, particularly if you’d had a recent break up or rejection. The issue with this argument is that all holidays can be lonely. Someone in a bad place or after suffering recent loss would find other Holiday’s just as lonely. In fact you could argue Valentine’s Day isn’t even the worst time of year for feeling lonely. Christmas and New Year are lonelier for more people due to more people not only caring, but expecting to enjoy Christmas and New Year. Therefore hating Valentine’s Day for being a lonely time for people is unfair as all holidays can be just as lonely.

 

Another argument is that it puts pressure on people who have to buy gifts or such things for someone. Then again I can imagine a lot of people comparing this with someone saying they can’t fit all their £20 notes in their wallet. I’d personally say though that buying gifts for someone is a practise again undertaken at Christmas but also Birthdays. So why is Valentine’s Day so much worse?

 

It is extremely commercialised. Again have you ever been around for any other Holiday? Christmas merchandise starts appearing in around October time. Every holiday has been commercialised, it’s not like you are forced to waste all your money on random Valentine’s Day themed junk. There is an added bonus of extremely cheap chocolate available in the day after, since shops need to get rid of all their heart shaped stuff. Anyone who loves a bargain should be thrilled at this. Valentine’s Day merchandise can be used all year round as it’s a lot of chocolate. It’s not like all those cheap Christmas cards that shops have to dispose of.

 

If Valentine’s Day is there for you to be romantic and loving to your partner shouldn’t you be like that all year round? Yes you probably should, but you already probably are. The point of Christmas for a lot of people is to be kind and joyous is it not? Shouldn’t you be like that all year too? I think holidays are meant to be a time where we can relax and not worry about everything.

 

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have a religious reason for existing like Christmas and Easter. So? It’s not like most of you look forward to Christmas because it’s your opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. You look forward to all that Christmas tradition garbage. So this argument is pretty ridiculous. Halloween if I’m not mistaken was originally a time to ward off evil spirits. I don’t take part in Halloween and the spirits have never come for me.

 

Everyone loves Halloween. You don’t hear complaints about it like you do with Valentine’s Day. Strange considering they are basically the same, just with a slightly different coat of paint. During Halloween the emotion of fear is highly prevalent, during Valentine’s Day its love instead. So both have a highly prevalent emotion. Both are heavily commercialised. In both you are supposed to receive sweet edible things. Swap out Jack-o-Lanterns for heart and change all the black to pink and you’ve completely switched the two. The main difference is on Valentine’s Day I don’t get annoying Children knocking on my door practically begging for sweets. The look on their faces when I gave them apples as a healthy alternative.

 

I don’t get where the hatred comes from. Valentine’s Day is just the same as any other Holiday and I have the same opinion on it as I do with other Holiday’s as in I don’t really care. Is it because it’s a more exclusive Holiday for people who are dating. That’s pretty bitter. If it doesn’t involve you then do you have any reason to care about it at all? It literally makes no difference to you what so ever.

 

So what does all this mean? It’s simple, you should treat Valentine’s Day like I do. Fail to notice its existence and go to comicon instead. Anyone in Telford look out for me, I’ll be dressed as Professor Layton. So on a finishing note, all of you who don’t care about Valentine’s Day have a fun day. All you people who do care but are single, enjoy your tub of ice-cream and all you guys out there who have a special lady, have fun being dragged along to Fifty Shades of Grey.  

Alcohol and the Drinking Culture

Alcohol and the Drinking Culture

We live in a society with a drinking culture, one that no one ever questions. It inevitable, you reach 18 and then you start drinking. You’ll probably go too far a few times but you’ll find what you like and see how much fun it is etc etc. People who do not drink are just being stubborn or something. Are they. I can look at this from the other side of the argument. I don’t drink and never will. That’s the decision I’ve made. I also realise it’s not for everyone. What others do is up to them and I respect that. Yet for some reason a vast majority of people I have ever known have tried to get me to drink. Why? Today I look into the drinking culture as well as alcohol’s history to try to understand and maybe put away any future quarrel on the subject. I ask for you to read the whole thing and try to do the same.

 

Where does alcohol as a beverage originate? Fermented beverages have been traced back as far as the Neolithic period as possible traces of alcohol have been found on stone edge jugs. This could be as far back as 10,000 BC. They could go back even further than this however as our ancient ancestors could’ve drank fermented liquids similarly to birds, insects and primates. There is also evidence of alcohol from jars from 7000 BC.

Babylonian Wine Goddess

 

The first documented evidence of beer is written in Sumerian from around 3200 BC. Sumerian was the ancient language of the Sumer, southern Mesopotamia which is modern day Iraq. There is evidence of brewing in Ancient Egypt around 3400 BC where beer and wine were offered to the Gods. Wine appeared as a finished product in Egyptian pictographs. Beer was in fact a major beverage among Babylonian society to a point where beer could have been a staple item before bread. The Babylonians actually worshipped a wine Goddess although it should be mentioned were critical of drunkenness.

 

Those are the early records of Alcohol but what has alcohol been used for outside of being a simple beverage. I’ve already mentioned alcohols role in certain Religions but it’s not just ancient religion that involves alcohol. While many religions treat alcohol as sinful some have more complex views. Christianity is a good example. Throughout the first 1800 years of Church Christians often consumed alcohol as it was treated as a gift from God. Despite this drinking too much was considered sinful. The Bible uses alcohol in usage and poetic expressions and it is said that Jesus and his disciples drank wine. I do not understand Religion enough to comment further but there is definitely something there.

 

There are two common concepts in Religion. Some Abstain (Restrain oneself from doing something) as a matter of prudence. These people believe total abstinence is the wisest and most loving way to live in present circumstances. Others abstain as a matter of law. They believe God requires abstinence in all ordinary circumstances.

 

Alcohol has also been used for medicinal purposes. The earliest signs of this was around 3000 BC where a jar in an ancient Egyptian tomb had remnants of wine and medicinal herbs. Romans used wine as wine is good at extracting the active elements from medicinal plants. It should be noted however that wine was all they had available. As late as the 1920’s alcohol was consumed for medicinal purposes. This was due to low cost and availability. Most commonly used was Gin and Whiskey (Sorry students not Vodka).  Of course alcohol is also used as an antiseptic and for anaesthetising effects.

 

Let’s throw some statistics around. Does anyone know what the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world is? Again students not Vodka, go to the back of the class. The answer is Soju, a spirit from Korea of all places. Soju cocktails according to the internet are available in this country so if you fancy a slightly different drink then there you go.

 

Let’s throw some statistics around. Did you know over 9 million people in England alone dink more than the recommended daily limit frequently? In fact Alcohol costs the UK around £21 billion a year in health care, crime and loss of productivity. Alcohol causes over 60 medical conditions. Alcohol costs every tax payer £120 a year towards the NHS for alcohol related incidents. In 2012 there were 178247 prescriptions for alcohol dependency. Not only is that increasing but there are many with alcohol dependency who did not seek help.

 

What do these statistics mean? Probably not a lot. Why do people drink? Ask someone and these are the answers you’ll receive.

It’s been a tough day/ I’m having a tough time. I wouldn’t know if this works. I doubt it. All I know is alcohol is technically a depressant, it causes low moods and anxiety. It can also prevent sleep too. I don’t think drinking by yourself would help you when you’re having a bad day. Drinking with other people is likely to help because you’re socialising and with other people.

 

It can be used as a form of impression management, to make others see you different with your newly found confidence from the drink. This is certainly not exclusive to alcohol so I’ll move on.

 

Perhaps the worst reason is that people use it for a high or ‘for the buzz’. I’m sorry this is the one reason I will outright tell you is wrong. Do you think taking drugs is wrong? People take drugs for this exact reason. People self-harm for this exact reason, hell people even commit crimes for this reason. Consumption should not be used to give you a high, surely this is a bad idea.

 

Social Lubricant. This is where things become more complex. I’m often told I should drink by my friends who I’ve known for years I should drink as it’ll help me open up and relax. I personally don’t think I should need outside help to relax when I’m around friends. Going to new places is a whole different kettle of fish. I’ll use university for an example. Going away, not knowing anyone and meeting new people is daunting. Drinking makes it easier. I made my decision to not drink, I have my reasons. I highly value being in control at all times and I see how alcohol can affect people and do not ever want to be in some types of situations. I can also have an addictive personality and do not believe alcohol is at all worth the risk. I lived in student halls. I went to many social events, I went to societies I lived in student halls surrounded by people. I didn’t make any friends in all this. People would go out without even telling me, I’d leave my room and the building would be empty. I don’t make friends easily but I can’t help but wonder how much not drinking hindered me. It’s impossible to say but I can say I wouldn’t have become so isolated if I’d joined in with the drinking. As soon as I missed a night out clubbing I was completely cut out of the loop.

 

There were actually sports club I was not able to join because they require a heavy drinking initiation. No one can think this is fair surely. I was in Liverpool studying Chemistry, every Chemistry Society event was a clubbing night. I’m not ignorant enough to say they shouldn’t have them but I thought there would be opportunities for people who don’t enjoy that sort of thing. There wasn’t. Sports clubs were often just there for the socialising afterwards. There’s nothing wrong with that but what about those who wanted to play competitively?

 

I tell people I don’t drink and they assume I’m judging them. I’m not. Sometimes it’s hard not to but I genuinely am not. But I say I don’t drink and people stare at me like I’m some alien creature before saying something like “Well done” or “Good for you”. Do people think I want a medal, that I think it puts me on a higher moral standing? This couldn’t be further from the truth it’s simply the choice I’ve made. Everyone who drinks, think about if you have ever tried to get others to drink? The answer is almost certainly yes. Have you ever spiked drinks? The first especially is considered fine. Imagine if I tried to stop someone drinking. There’d be outrage. I’ve never done this and never will but the fact remains that it would be considered wrong.

 

Pressuring people to drink is fine but pressuring people to stop is wrong? Doesn’t make sense does it. Why do people start drinking in the first place? We all know it has health risks and it can sap our self-control. The reason may change, they may start to enjoy it or to enjoy the flavours but it starts out as because everyone else does. To fit in. Honestly this is not unlike many other things in society but it is certainly more prevalent than most. It is true though, a lot of people decide to drink because of how many already do. It’s become something not to be questioned, something that’ll probably remain in society forever. You know what, that’s okay but it should be remembered that it’s not mandatory.

 

So what does all this mean? To me as a non - drinker it means as the minority to not judge and to accept that it’s there and to not be affected by it. What does it mean as a drinker? I wouldn’t know. Maybe that it’s your decision and yours alone. In this post I’ve tried to be respectful to both sides. I am obviously biased, but so are you. What I think is important is for everyone to understand and to accept the people who have a different view on the matter to them. So really it’s just like many other things. The difference is that usually when there is such an overwhelming majority on one side the other is clearly wrong in some way. Here this is most definitely not the case.