Before Black Panther the entire MCU only had 2 prominent black characters (Rhodey and Falcon). Now they are making a film jam-packed with incredibly talented people of colour both on screen (Boseman, Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan) and off (director/writer Ryan Coogler and writer Jor Robert Cole). What positive impacts will this have on the MCU, and people of colour within the superhero film genre as a whole? What (of an endless list) could possibly go wrong? Will Marvel/Disney continue down a more diverse path after Black Panther, or will they claim they "did enough"? Most importantly, WHY is it so important that this movie be a success?
Let's not forget that Ta-Nehisi Coates, the most prominent commentator on race today, is writing the latest comic issues. I haven't read the comics, but I've read his other works, and race is the central theme. If you don't know who he is, he became "famous" after publishing an article on The Atlantic about The Case for Reparations. – ismael6768 years ago
Excellent point! I've heard great things about the first issue he wrote – Darcy Griffin8 years ago
Look at the difference in subject matter between webcomics compared to traditional comics. Does the lack of payment and corporate censorship alter how webcomics stories and art are crafted? Do webcomics cover darker/more controversial content than traditional comics?
A particularly interesting subsection of this would be to look at the racial/sexuality/gender representation in both webcomics and traditional comics.
Webcomics are not able to earn revenue in the traditional sense that traditional comics are able to, but I think webcomic artists ultimately have freedom of expression in how to tell their story and how it is crafted. Traditional comics may be looking for a number of things such as a particular style, topic, or issues the characters deal with and are allowed to deal with. Webcomics worry about none of those things, as the artist works as publisher and producer of the work in question and the only limitation is time and effort to make the comic. While they don't make money from "purchases" of the comic, ultimately there is a level of accessibility provided by being on the Web. Artists can also receive donations from fans who enjoy the work, or set up a system to receive money from viewed advertisements on whatever site the webcomic is published to. Good topic! Would be a nice topic for further research. – Nayr12308 years ago
A big problem for webcomics is that they tend to be written by one person which can limit the point of view of the work. One person's biases and social ideas will vary heavily from others, and that includes what should or should not be censored. One artist can be just as conservative as boardroom of people, and in addition that person has even less reason to try something new. Many of the webcomics I've seen or read about that deal with "darker" content tend to be rather shallow. Just because you are allowed to portray limitless gore doesn't mean you'll be doing it in an interesting way. – Arca8 years ago
We have all seen it: a tech savvy nerd surrounded by computer screens and blinking gadgets while furiously typing away at the keyboard. Hacking has become a TV trope embedded in the minds by classics like WarGames, Hackers and Tron but what is wrong with the image? Why does Hollywood feel the need to dramatize and make hacking a sort of action packed activity? Do you see a trend towards more accurate descriptions of hacking like in Mr. Robot (despite it's often pointed out inaccuracies)?
I think the issue with anything to do with computers in real life is that the process is often quite slow and without much action. As a developer I sometimes spend only 30% of my time actually coding and then another 70% finding errors with that code. It might be hard to sell a movie with two people sitting around a monitor looking for an errant semi-colon. – Uldrendan8 years ago
Perhaps there is nothing wrong with this dramatized image of a "hacker" - there many professions that are not depicted accurately in a fictional setting. Doctors in Grey's Anatomy and crime investigators in NCIS, CSI, etc, are both good examples of an unrealistic, glamorized depiction of real life occupations. You could explore whether or not these unrealistic depictions have a negative or positive impact on society (for Grey's, I remember seeing a statistic that said that Grey's increased the number of women in science/medicine, but don't quote me on that).
As for the reason that hackers are depicted this way, movies and TV shows do not show the boring stuff that real life "hackers" do in order to get things done. As Uldrendan mentioned, most of the time for programmers, developers, and other tech-savvy people is spent finding errors and trying to fix them. I have to do some programming for work, and it is actually exciting when you finally fix an error or finally find a solution to a problem, but there is hardly ever an instantaneous solution. There is no time for delayed gratification in movies or TV, so an accurate depiction of "hackers" would not make for a compelling narrative. – zaowow8 years ago
Pre-order bonuses have always been a topic of heavy debate. When the rewards for pre-ordering Deus-Ex: Mankind Divided were announced, there was an uproar. The concept of locking off content until a certain amount of people pre-ordered was certainly appalling, but could this ever happen again? Are there any benefits to the consumer with this system?
A recent NYT article posed the question: What Do Millennials Want in TV? and the only conclusion was that the millennial generation is so diverse that it's hard to pin down one factor. However, is there a factor that can bring together the millennial generation? Or is it simply too diverse to target as one group?
Great topic!!! Whoever can figure out what Millennial enjoy can count on reaching probably the most important group in world history since the Baby Boomers. I am a GenXer but I love this next generation coming up. In my view I think they are diverse but working with them has taught me how incredibly smart, adaptable and sincere they are as a group. I can't wait to see what they accomplish. I have high hopes for the future when I am around Millennial. – Munjeera8 years ago
Very complex. It is going to be hard to whomever writes about this topic to find the necessary evidence to back up your statements. If you manage to do this it's going to be a wonderful article to read. – Andrestrada8 years ago
Not quite quantity vs. quality but the application of one wholly, with the artful presence of the other throughout or around it in varying degrees within the same body whether physically or conceptually. Studying the sciences for many years, one can see this idea present in small things such as cells, grain structures within metals and the in the integrity of human cognition and other faculties of the mind. To what extent is this observation true in day-to-day life, art, consumer products? How can this observation or thesis be elaborated, modified or falsified?
This could have been an interesting proposal for an article if at least a single example was elaborated to illustrate the concepts loosely developed here. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Farcry is a game that is known for following a pattern of doing the exact same thing in everyone of its games. Primal was another one of these examples, it was a game where the developers promised more from what gamers had previously experienced but what they buyers seemed to get was a better and bigger map. Analyze and explain what the developers could have done to actually achieve what they promised.
Everyone knows Marvel has been wildly successful with their series of superhero movies from Iron Man, to Thor, to Captain America, to the assembling of the Avengers. Even small name heroes and groups from Marvel are successful in their own movies such as Ant Man and Guardians of the Galaxy. DC on the other hand has failed to make anything of widespread acceptance and appreciation from a mass audience. Man of Steel flopped, and Dark Knight Rising did alright at best. Superman Vs Batman had so much hype built around it, and yet people say the movie was terrible. Does DC stand a chance against the overwhelming popularity and love for Marvel Movies? Is there hope with sections of Marvel doing terrible, such as with certain X-Men movies, the Spiderman movies, and the Fantastic Four movies?
Don't forget that certain Marvel properties, such as X-Men and Fantastic Four, aren't actually produced under the ownership of Marvel Studios but Fox. You can still link in how this affects Marvel's reputation and strategy though. – J.P. Shiel8 years ago
Lately, every six months or so DC comes out with a straight-to-DVD (Blu-ray) animated short movie (eg. Justice League, Batman) appealing to a target audience in a niche in which Marvel has little presence. This niche is not as lucrative as Marvel movies though. Another example is The Justice League and Batman having their own video games, though perhaps licensed to Warner Bros., still DC stories and themes live on. It is worth noting these DC based works however, as mentioned earlier Marvel still reaps in the shear revenue bulk with its movies as well as pop-culture territory. Returning to DC themes, I just want to add that DC (Detective Comics) deals with the seedy, dark side of humanity/societies as expected from any detective tale. These themes are different from typical supernatural, nearly immaculate Marvel hero representations. This appeals to some audience groups even though the movies aren't as spectacular as Marvel's. Thanks. – perscott8 years ago
Discuss the different stereotypes and historical archetypes of African Americans in film. How have they evolved? And how do they affect the image of the African American community and culture today?
There are many stereotypes of African Americans in film. Here are a few that I see:The The Domestic: The domestic is likely one of the earliest stereotypes about African-Americans shown in film. Common alternative names for the domestic may include “the mammy” or “mama,” and African-American women are disproportionately represented as the domestic than African-American men. A relatively recent example of the domestic in film is shown in the movie The Help, which featured several maids in servitude to white families.
The Black Best Friend: The black best friend is often used to guide white characters out of some sort of trouble. Typically female, the black friend is usually portrayed with sass, attitude, and has great insight into relationships and life. We can see this in the movie Sex and the City where Louise, Carrie’s assistant (played by actress Jennifer Hudson) plays this role to Carrie (played by actress Sarah Jessica Parker).
The Brash Woman: Often those of a darker complexion, these women are usually portrayed as sassy, loud, and aggressive – sporting the signature “neck roll” quite often. This is one of the most pervasive stereotypes against African-American women in film. Shows such as Basketball Wives and Flavor Flav exhibit this stereotype. Of course, there ate many additional stereotypes. These kinds of stereotypes are problematic as they become normalized in society because they often serve as defining factors of Blacks, and homogenizes the community into a "Black Culture" when Blackness is so diverse. Within the past year (thankfully), more diverse roles have opened up for African Americans in film, with much credit being due to the #OscarsSoWhite movement. One of the most recent roles is illustrated in the upcoming "The Black Panther" which features a leading cast dominated by Black folks. – Bianca8 years ago
you can also talk about how black-face has made a stereotypical outlook as well. – scole8 years ago
You can also mention how when many black characters do appear on film, they are commonly portrayed as a side-kick or supporting role. When black characters do play a lead role, they tend to be socially skewed in some way; for example, Finn in the latest Star Wars movie is portrayed as socially awkward. There is also a lot of stereotyping concerning The Black Panther who appears in the new Captain America: Civil War movie, such as why he runs so fast even though he has no super powers, or why the audience is left in the dark for so long as to whether The Black Panther character is actually a hero or not. There is the battle between Captain America and The Black Panther where The Black Panther is arguably the biggest battle keeping Captain America from achieving his admirable goal.
It's also important to analyze the fact that being black isn't the only type of discrimination the characters you mentioned are suffering from. Gender in combination with race is also important to consider. – NomiTurner8 years ago
Hopefully whoever writes this topic will talk about Empire, Black-ish and BET and the impact of these shows. Recently, on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah someone from Black – Munjeera8 years ago
ish and he discussed the growing portrayal of diversity in the media concerning the African American community. But we need more roles and opportunities for creative expression. – Munjeera8 years ago
Unless you are white, more than likely people will want you to play a stereotype. I know Hispanics have the biggest issue with this – Zegram8 years ago
I think a great place to reference would be the early films (from the late 80s to mid 90s) that became prominent in the context of depicting African American narratives which were - and still are - marginalized. Examples include Spike Lee's filmography from that time as well as Boyz in The Hood. There was a scene in Jungle Fever that still harrows me to date, where a group of Black women are discussing how inadequate they've felt given the prominence and reverence of eurocentric aesthetics. I don't know the exact time stamp, but it happens shortly after Flipper's wife throws him out. – Fallen8 years ago
It's important to note how, as a product of weak storytelling, will often rely on the use of racial archetypes. Which, in turn, reinforce the stereotypes they were drawing from. Directors should, therefore, be expected to have some level of education before delivering these characters. – Sebastian Shoe8 years ago
Analyze how much the ratings system for films have changed throughout the years, such as why was The Secret of NIMH rated G in the '80s when it is a kids' film with gritty imagery, violence, and intense themes? Why was the film Blazing Saddles rated R in the '70s when it really isn't as raunchy as most R rated movies today? What ratings would these movies (and other older films that don't seem to deserve the ratings they got upon release) would get if they were released today? Overall, how have film ratings in the U.S. changed since they were established? Do you think they should be updated again, or revert to how they were in past decades?
I am sure one can find studies on this made by professionals who have the tools and training and specially the knowledge and authority to address this problems. – T. Palomino2 years ago
What is to be human? What is to be conscious? Explore, analyze, and interpret Samantha (Scarlett Johanson) as a character in the movie Her through the lens of modern understanding of consciousness. The article can focus on the emotions, a real and tangible variable, of Theodore (Joaquin Phoneix) to argue in the authenticity of the relationship.
I think the idea of the mind/body problem comes into full effect in this film. Although traditionally we have thought of consciousness as a purely mental activity, devoid of any emotions, we see that there is something lacking when she does not have a body. I wonder how this can affect our ideas of consciousness in relation to the body. Do we need a body to be considered thinking beings? – TheRej8 years ago
Yes, I agree. Also, at one point of the movie Theodore says something along the lines, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever been with. I remember I completely agreed with it. Samantha is beatiful, yet she doesn't have a body. How do we explain it? Exploring the beauty in that character might bring clarity into what the hell means inner-beauty. – ismael6768 years ago
With science fiction being popular enough in the American media to have it's own channel on most cable/HD tv services, it's become quite the commodity, but a lot of this science fiction is based around America or European powers, with a few exceptions, but there is actually a rich history of using science fiction to depict political unrest and situations under dictators and during war. I'd just like to throw out a list with some interesting stories with their summaries and maybe a bit of analysis.
Not only one can find such lists and analyses in articles, but also in books and compilations, many available for free online. Although it may look like Latin American fiction is an unexplored field or a diluted copy of Western science fiction, it has been largely explored and there are many people studying the topic. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Examine the rise in popularity of hyper critical video game reviewers and whether or not they are simply contributing to public discourse or if they are hurting the medium as a whole by always taking an aggressively antagonistic role in their reviews. Also, if a controversial review leads to more views, does that give the reviewer a higher incentive to always release hyper critical reviews.
Controversy certainly leads to more views. There are plenty of channels that have proven that. The one thing to remember is that while "hyper critical" reviews can be potentially seen as detrimental, a lot of these channels aim for a more comedic approach; they want people to laugh as much as possible. It's very, VERY hard to make people laugh while also being nice. Maybe you could expand on that: do reviewers act more critical in an effort to be funnier and therefore help their channel grow, thus giving games poorer scores than they deserve, potentially damaging the game? Geez, that sentence was a mouthful. tl;dr: Might wanna investigate the motives as to why content creators would be hyper critical. Very interesting topic! – MrMuffin8 years ago
Something to add to this article now would be the Uncharted 4 controversy. – TGoutos8 years ago
I might angle an article from the "backlash of successful marketing" or, less formally, "hipster syndrome". It isn't enough to love games, you have to love the right games, you have to shame others for loving the wrong games, and it's essential that you disparage anything outside of your wheelhouse as lesser, along with their users. Why is it that something is only good if everything else is bad? Do we need to prove that one series/company/format is illegitimate to justify our own indulgences? – PiperCJ8 years ago
Analyze the differences and similarities in how the two franchises approached "completing the puzzle" and discuss what worked (or didn't) for each. Discuss how Marvel's endless source material gives them an edge or may even ultimately cause fatigue i.e lack of interest due to digging too deep and how the same thing may or may not happen due to the new Harry Potter spin-offs.
Very interesting topic, do you think a franchise like Star Wars also relates to these ideas? As while it does not have a source material, it has changed rapidly in it's approach to telling stories as is seen by the upcoming slate of movies. – Thomas Sutton8 years ago
Really cool idea for a topic do you think you could incorporate how DC is trying to create it's own DCU to rival the MCU? – kenns8 years ago
One thing I'd like to add is to remember that Happy Potter didn't have the concept of cameos building up to solo movies (something Marvel does). Each character had their peak exposure in one certain movie (example lupin in part 3) and then they were a side character in the rest of the movies. Star Wars could be a very interesting thing to discuss here too as it has no source material. – blameshobhon8 years ago
I think that there may be something to discuss here within the fact that Harry Potter was not a franchise that had origin stories and then a collective movies series with all the characters, Harry Potter was a story of a boy and his friends who do what they can to protect the world that they love – OliviaPuddiford8 years ago
JD Salinger's 1948 short story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is our first glimpse into his Glass family. The story, first published in the New Yorker, discusses a WWII soldier's re-acclamation into society and has a tough, realistic ending. Salinger, a WWII veteran, provides an honest glimpse into American society as seen by recently returned veterans. How does Salinger's message in the short story resonate in today's culture of war and America?
I am deeply interested by this topic. I have always been a fan of Salinger, and I would very much be curious to hear other people's perspectives on the Glass family and Seymour. – tysonfraleigh8 years ago
There is so much to say on this topic. Seymour Glass, the protagonist of A Perfect Day For Banana Fish, is largely absent from Salinger's oeuvre despite being referred to in several of his other works. He is a member of America's 'Greatest Generation' that won what is often considered to be the last 'just war' (WWII). This all seems to have a jarring connection to what followed: Vietnam, Nixon, the CIA involvement in Latin America, Bush, Iraq, and directly the PTSD issue. – ptoro8 years ago
I definitely agree; Salinger was setting the stage for the PTSD issue for generations to come, but in a way that broke boundaries of newspapers or televisions. I think A Perfect Day for Banana Fish was far ahead of its time. – Aine8 years ago
Discuss how young adults are addicted to the instant gratification of texting and being on the internet and how this leads to the failure of engaging in more meaningful activities in the real world, such as reading, writing and creating.
This is far too general of a topic IMO. It's a good subject though. You're implying all young adults everywhere suffer from an addiction, which is a serious medical ailment. Read between the lines on this subject. Numerous people have written about the lack of solitary time (me time, thinking time, alone time, etc.) that has arrived since social media and quick and easy asynchronous communication technologies like SMS. The topic could be edited to add to this discourse perhaps? Either way you should edit this topic so a writer does not add to the millions of articles out there demonizing technology, addiction, and young adults. – Aaron8 years ago
I agree with Aaron that your topic should specify that not all young adults suffer from this addiction. Those who do also feel it in different intensities. Some people develop severe anxiety while others just get a little restless. I am strongly against our continual technology worshiping, but it would make your text stronger, I think, to include a bit of both worlds. I'm very interested in reading more about this topic. – Alstroemeria8 years ago
Following Aaron's and Alstromeria's suggestions, I would narrow it down to the fact that we don't deal with emotions because we distract ourselves with the internet. I would recommend watching "Louis C.K. Hates Cell Phones" and use his thesis as a starting point, and go from there to find actual evidence to see if he is right. – ismael6768 years ago
Texting and the internet are instantaneous: after pressing a few keys and the ever-powerful 'send' or 'submit' button, one can get their message and thoughts to anyone they choose. Writing, reading and creating are strenuous and difficult task. We live in a world where finding unique and impassionating topics (we often believe - and are presented with more and more evidence to support the fact that - individualized ideas have been exhausted). Texting and the internet are, unless otherwise formatted, anonymous and seldom entail immediate ramifications. Being creative will forever run the risk of criticism. To label creativity as 'more meaningful' may be contestable, but people like texting because its safe. Reading, writing and forming unique ideas can sometimes be anything but. – oteolis988 years ago
An analysis in what the benefits and drawbacks are from the label of high or low brow films. For example, lowbrow film is given low exceptions over depth and large box offices but is often pigeon-held as lacking depth by more high-brow audiences. Conversely, highbrow film is often held as almost always having deep meaning but is often criticized for failing to communicate clearly to their audience.
Sometimes ambiguity of meaning is preferred in the high-brow community. It keeps the film alive with infinite interpretations. Similar to classic literature, from what I know. – DrTestani8 years ago
This is a concept from the book "Autoethnography"…which refers to, I think, the concept of using our own "insiderness"' or that which makes me me and not you, as a template for further study and the hypothesization of generalities…Does this have any validity whatsoever, or is it just a bunch of BS…?
Possibly a bit of both, yes? – Munjeera8 years ago
From the way it is explained here, it does look like a bunch of the latter, certainly. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Films are now commonly viewable in theatres in 3D. Does this development offer an addition to cinema which enhances or betters the viewing experience? Or, do 3D films provide meaningless spectacle and detract from the film viewing experience? Note: consider also that this contemporary 3D popularity is not the first wave or usage of 3D film effects in film history.
Wow! What a great topic. I can't believe that it has not been done yet. Looking forward to reading this article. – Munjeera8 years ago
A good point is that you have to pay more to see a film in 3D, so is it worth it? – LaRose8 years ago
3D personally gives me headaches and can cause sickness so the element of physical health plays a role in this debate too. Good topic! – rowenachandler8 years ago
This is a good topic- more often than not I hear viewers saying that 3D effects do not add anything special to a movie or possibly even dampen the experience. Viewers are likely to be especially dissatisfied if this is true AND they have to pay extra to see the movie in 3D. It is worthwhile to see if there have been any studies/surveys done to see whether 3D effects improve a movie-watching experience. In my opinion, some films benefit from 3D and some just don't need it. – Suman8 years ago
Awesome topic! Make sure you consider how people view 3D movies differently as well- people with glasses and eye problems like stigmitisms tend to have more trouble viewing 3D than other people. – LilyaRider8 years ago
I think this could also provide the possibility of a discussion about how 3D can take the message away from a film because you're so distracted by all the CGI flying at your face. – Sara Clements8 years ago
As a human who received an injury to my eye and this have absolutely no stereo, or binocular cues, in my eyes and pay more money to wear silly glasses and see a 2D movie. In the interest of the "visually impaired", as mentioned by LilyaRider above, should be taken into consideration with this question especially with the pressure for cinemas and home theatres to update to the "new and improved" technology – Cory MacRae8 years ago
Analyse major story archs in different superhero universes and how they handle the theme of should superheros be regulated. Explore ideas of ethics, morals, politics, and social politics. Some examples of comics that do this are Marvel's Civil War, DC's Kingdom Come, Watchmen, and more.
Powers by Bendis would also be useful to look at. – TheReelFolkBlues8 years ago
This is potentially a huge topic...an author might want to pick one universe and analyze from there...or do one veeeeery broad article. Either way, I would be fascinated to see what s/he comes up with! Superhero universes always have one foot in real life. – sophiacatherine8 years ago
this would be a very cool topic to counter compare to DC, since the idea of 'regulation' comes from Civil War and that idea, it would be cool to apply it to DC and see how it would work in an alternate universe. – scole8 years ago
It was discussed in DC: Golden Age as well as New Frontier that the "mystery men" of the golden age of DC comics were forced out by a form of McCarthyism and it would be interesting to explore that impact as well. – gjkalmek8 years ago
Have you read that comic book titled "The Boys"? They also made a TV show. Season 3 just finished. – T. Palomino2 years ago