21st Century: Query 181 (Frank Capra)
“Don’t follow trends, start trends.” ~ Frank Capra was an Italian-American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930’s and 1940’s . Born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles from the age of five, his rags-to-riches story has led film historians such as Ian Freer to consider him the American Dream personified . While parents and teachers often try to encourage their children and students to be creative and original, they are required to emphasize standardized tests, set curricula, and rules and regulations, thus imposing conformity. And then there is peer pressure. How can children be encouraged to overcome peer pressure and find their own path to originality? How does peer pressure follow one into adulthood? How does peer pressure and conformity shape the workplace, including the entertainment business? How can one find his or her originality when our culture is geared solidly toward confor...