Pentdic Criticism of Love and Basketball

The artifact that I chose to analyze through pentadic criticism is my favorite movie Love and Basketball. This movie is a romantic drama of two characters that share a passion for basketball and eventually, a passion for each other. The movie takes place over a span of nearly two decades that is broken into four quarters, like a basketball game. Monica Wright, played by Sanaa Lathan is a tomboy that loves basketball and meets Quincy McCall, (Omar Epps) who also loves basketball, when she moves in next door when they are both 11 years old. It isn't until their Spring Dance in high school that they address their attraction to each other and reveal that they will be going to the same university in the fall. In college, they are apparently a happy couple and maintain their relationship while also playing basketball for USC. After it is revealed that Quincy's ex-NBA player father cheated on his mother, Quincy is affected by it and feels neglected by Monica who is struggling between preparing for championships and being there for her boyfriend, which causes them to break up. The next part of the movie skips to Monica playing overseas in Spain but comes home when she finds out that Quincy, who now plays for the Lakers, injured himself during a game. By now he has a fiancee', and Monica decides to give up basketball for a regular 9-5. Realizing that she still has feelings for Quincy, she challenges him to a one-on-one game for his heart two weeks before his wedding. Although Quincy wins the game, he still chooses Monica saying, "How about double or nothing?" The movie ends with Monica playing for the WNBA, with the name Wright-McCall on the back of her jersey.

Agent: Monica

Act: Monica's struggle to get her priorties in order; choosing basketball or her relationship with Quincy, which is addressed twice in the movie

Agency: Realizing what is more important in her life

Scene: USC

Purpose: To balance her passion for basketball and her relationship with Quincy, but knowing that she love him and he is more important in her life.

I think that the ratios in this artifact is act-agency. In order for Monica to overcome her struggle, she has to have some real soul searching, which happens when she goes overseas and realizes how much she misses her life back home and the people there who are most important to her, especially Quincy. After coming to the terms that everything she needs is at home, she realizes the void she's been trying to fill isn't basketball, but her love for Quincy.

The Dangers of Socialy Networking Sites

Social networking has become very popular throughout the past years and it is evident that many people use it. Being that it is available to everyone, you will find children, adults, and even the elderly on social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Social networking is a great advantage to the people who use it in the sense that it allows people to stay connected with each other 24/7 or as often as they log on to these sites. Social networking is also good for making friends, finding romance, and marketing; however, the fact that it is available for everyone to use allows a portal for cyber-crime such as online predators and scamming among other risks.
A large portion of social networking site users are children so it is critical that the proper precautions are taken to ensure internet safety for them. Sites like MySpace have an age limit so that children under a certain age will not be allowed to use them. But as stated in the article, it is easy to fool these systems by faking their age. At the same time, as easy it is for a child to do that in order to appear older, online predators also fake to seem to be the same age as a child.
Phishing and scamming is definitely something to look out for while using the internet. Scammers may try to steal or use your personal information which can be used for identity theft and/or fraud. Internet as well as social network users should beware of websites set up to appear like the social websites they use because they are designed to steal user passwords. Once this happens, the spammer can use your password to destroy your profile or send out spam messages and viruses.
Privacy and employment are highly significant and should seriously be taken into consideration when people decide to use social networking sites. Facebook users should take into consideration that it shares your private information with third party companies which is why you are required to agree to a privacy statement. Users that choose to upload pictures and videos, especially professional photographers or musicians, should be aware that they are giving Facebook ownership rights to their material. Lastly, a users employment can be at risk if they upload inappropriate pictures or videos of themselves. They should also be cautious of accessing these social networking sites from their job.