Author Archives: jjc4688

A song that I consider to be “wild” is Taylor Swift’s song “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version),” which she released unexpectedly just last year. Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter who writes in many different genres. “Wildest Dreams” was initially featured on Taylor Swift’s synth-pop album 1989, which she released on October 24, 2014. However, after losing her ownership rights to most of her music due to Big Machine Records, she is rerecording all of her previous albums and re-releasing them under her own name as “Taylor’s Version.” Therefore, when Taylor Swift surprised the world with the rerelease of “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” on September 17, 2021, no one was expecting it due to her plans of rereleasing Red (Taylor’s Version) on November 12, 2021. 

I think that the release of “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” and its lyrics are both “wild” in nature. Taylor Swift has recently surprised her fans by dropping albums unexpectedly or sprinkling hints across her social media platforms. However, releasing a song to the public without warning and her reasoning essentially being the fact that the original song was trending on social media is extremely “wild.” Furthermore, the lyrics of this song are “wild,” with the song title including “wild” in its name. For example, Taylor Swift sings, “I can see the end as it begins,” which is an inherently “wild” statement due to this breaking normal bounds. It is impossible to see the end of something before its beginning and suggest “wild” abilities. Furthermore, the emotional turbulence of lines such as “He’s so bad but he does it so well” and “Say you’ll see me again//Even if it’s just in your wildest dreams,” conveying the “wild” emotions that Taylor Swift is depicting within this song. Additionally, it is wild for Taylor Swift to assume that her partner will see her in his dreams, considering neither he nor she has any authority over their dreams. This suggestion of controlling the uncontrollable is another “wild” aspect of this song. 

https://youtu.be/CUr_UwUUXzU

-Juliette Chartier

When it comes to sports, there’s only one sports event that I avidly watch every four years when it comes around: the Summer Olympics. While the gymnastics, beach volleyball, and track events are fun to watch, my favorite events are the swimming events, specifically Katie Ledecky in her freestyle distance events. This Youtube clip is from the 2016 Rio Olympics for the Women’s 800m freestyle. She was the reigning gold medalist from the 2012 Olympics, and in this race, she proved to the world that she dominates in distance freestyle swimming. This sports branch in the freestyle distance events is defined by swimmers with endurance and good form. This sport is geared towards people during the summer when swimming is more accessible due to good weather conditions. The rules of this sport are straightforward, having competitors stay in their lane and complete the required 800m, as well as making legal flip turns. Within the video that I have chosen, I think there is more interplay regarding “playing sports” instead of “playing gender.” This is because, in the Olympics, the events are divided by gender. Katie Ledecky also beats the world record previously held by herself. Therefore, the fact that she broke her world record and had such a considerable lead throughout the entire race, leaving the rest of the swimmers competing for silver and bronze, is indeed “wild” as it shows the domination of one person in this freestyle event.

Furthermore, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Katie Ledecky also won the gold medal for the 200m and 400m freestyle events, thereby sweeping gold for all three distance freestyle events, which a woman had not accomplished since 1968. Additionally, Katie Ledecky would later successfully campaign to add the 1500m freestyle to the Olympics. This had been an event for men’s swimmers since 1904 and was only just added to the Olympic roster for women in 2021. Therefore, it is wild to think that women were barred from this race for such a long time.

-Juliette Chartier

A popular film that I consider wild is the 2010 movie adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon. This film was directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and starred the likes of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, and others. Hiccup is a 15-year-old Viking who lives in a Viking village on the island, Berk, frequently attacked by dragons. After taking down a Night Fury and leaving it flightless, Hiccup develops a bond with him and names him Toothless. He builds a prosthetic fin and harness to allow the dragon to fly, realizing that dragons are not naturally aggressive creatures. However, once his father, the chieftain, finds out about Toothless and the location of the dragon’s nest, he embarks with an army to take down the nest, disturbing the enormous dragon that resides inside. Toothless and Hiccup swoop in to save the day, taking down the massive dragon. After the battle, Hiccup finds out that his village and dragons found a way to coexist together in peace. This movie presents themes that things are not always what they seem, the importance of community, family, and friendship, and themes of wildness. This movie portrays wildness through both the society of the Vikings and the dragons. The Vikings constantly fend off the wild creatures, leaving them with a wild way of life. The dragons are wild beasts, undomesticated, uncivilized, and reckless. 

A specific scene that best reflects my reasoning regarding the wildness of the film is the opening scene. While the audience is being introduced to Berk and its dragon infestation, dragons fly out of every house, buildings engulfed with flames, and angry groups of Vikings fight the dragons. This scene depicts the dragons in their most wild state, as Vikings are attacking them, and displays them acting recklessly and uncontrollably, perfectly representing one of the many definitions of “wild.” Additionally, the Vikings run around in disorganized groups, trying to take down the dragons with anything in sight. Even Hiccup is shown abandoning his post in a wild attempt to take down a Night Fury. This opening scene is pure chaos and reflects multiple definitions of wildness.

-Juliette Chartier

When it comes to the definition of the term “wild,” many dictionaries would agree that “wild” means something along the lines of undomesticated species. For example, Merriam-Webster defines “wild” as “not inhabited or cultivated” and “not subject to restraint or regulation.” Within these definitions, it is clear that scholars are typically in agreement that “wild” is essentially the opposite of civilized ways of living. Furthermore, the Cambridge dictionary defines “wild” as being “uncontrolled, violent, or extreme,” a far more intense perspective of the term in question. Overall, the definition of “wild” seems to limit its function to describe the abnormal.

While these definitions of “wild” characterize this term as the opposite of the norm, I would respectfully have to disagree. In my own view, the term “wild” essentially creates its own definition of “normal,” which might appear “abnormal” to an outsider looking in. For example, when studying undomesticated animals or uncivilized peoples, an outsider might characterize these ways of life as wild; however, the inhabitants of these “wild” groups might view modern-day civilizations as “abnormal” or “wild.” Additionally, when looking at the alternative definition of “wild,” in which “wild” is described as unrestrained or uncontrolled, it almost places a negative connotation on the inability to tame the “wild.” I would reply that “wild” is undeserving of this pessimistic view. Again, it is simply in the perspective of scholars and individuals in power that characteristics such as “uncontrolled” or “unrestrained” might be problematic to society. This issue is vital because terminology and labels such as “wild,” can have a polarizing effect on those who have been labeled as such, essentially othering and ostracizing them from “normal” society. Therefore, it is essential to establish definitions that refrain from othering and utilize words, such as “wild,” in a careful context to avoid labeling people with harmful terms.

-Juliette Chartier