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Do People Over-Hate on Michael Bay?

Why do fanboys lose their shit when it comes to the director Michael Bay? Sure, the Transformer movies only get worse with each installment, as the films are filled with overblown explosions and offensively annoying characters. He did also direct Pearl Harbor, which was very historically inaccurate and had very uninteresting lead characters. He is hardly a perfect director, but has the hate for Michael Bay gone too far? His film Pain and Gain was hardly a masterpiece, but it was still an entertaining film, where he makes his character intentionally dislikable as appose to unintentionally dislikable. Yet it seems a lot of people wrote the movie off as crap without even seeing it. Have we, in a way, made Michael Bay into a scapegoat? Have we piled everything people hate in films now-a-days, like over using CGI or the overabundance of sequels, on this one director, who probably isn't really a bad person in real life? Is Michael Bay really one of the worst directors of all time?

  • Have you seen his films? Have you seen what he can be like in the public sphere? I think there is evidence to suggest that he's what you would call "a boy in a man's body": where his fascination with certain things is both immature and childish. And his reputation both on and off set, as far as I'm aware, is not on good terms. You've basically sealed his fate with your own description, because all of his movies are pop-corn munchers for audiences who don't want a lot of substance. His depiction of women in his films is degrading and far more 1-dimentional than other directors have been known to do. His propensity for explosions errs on the side of ridiculous. And there's just not a lot to respect about the guy. Honestly, I'd be more comfortable defending M. Knight Shayamalan than Michael Bay, because at least Shayamalan is a personable fellow in his interviews, and he seems entirely sincere with what he believes regarding his work. Despite this, I do not think Michael Bay is to blame for movies being the way they are today. I think he is more-so a product of the current big-budget hollywood culture, and he has developed his "style" in a way that reflects the interests of investors and produces who think that what he does will bring in the most box office returns. Besides, we could just as easily argue that Adam Sandler is the crux of Hollywood garbage. Michael Bay just uses more effects. – Jonathan Leiter 9 years ago
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  • The dislike for Michael Bay, insofar as it pertains to his films, is completely justified, because after he created Pearl Harbor, his films have been generally declining in quality, particularly in plot, and writing quality. In this respect, he is quite similar to M. Night Shyamalan. – JDJankowski 9 years ago
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  • I somewhat know T.J. Miller, who was in his latest Transformers film, and from what he's said, Michael Bay is very immature. When they were in Florida for press purposes, I believe, he spent many of his nights out getting prostitutes for the cast-- most of whom did not want them. He spent most of his time partying, and there's nothing wrong with that, he has just not grown up. I think one of the Bad Boys movies is actually decent, but that does not excuse everything else he's done. Not a quality director, to say the least. – Kendall 9 years ago
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The Trope of the Realistic Hero: Satire and Ironic Storytelling in One Punch Man

One Punch Man, the anime and the manga both, use a reoccurring writing tactic in its plot structure and character building that serves to trump any previous idea's about the heroism we see in today's super hero movies and action anime. The tactic I am describing is the use of realistic results which destroy the audiences expectations of the traditional patterns we usually see in the iconic situations which reoccur in heroic stories. An example of this tactic can be seen in the episode, The Obsessive Cyborg. The protagonists arrive at a multiple floor base where a hero would traditionally have to ascend floors of enemies to reach a final boss. Instead, the character, Genos, uses a giant fire blast to level the entire building to smoldering ash, rendering the audiences' expectations shattered. Saitama, the protagonist of the series, is an ultra-powerful being who, as the title suggests, can defeat any enemy with one punch. Instead of being characterized by the traditional hero values of protecting the masses or becoming the most powerful being in the universe, Saitama is an oblivious, innocent, and often bored individual who only fights evil for fun. Similarly, other hero characters in the show often have selfish or inconsistent values to the ones we see again and again in other stories. Write on this tool as being the base for the show's comedic wit and as a form of story telling that keeps an audience interested with its ironic unpredictability.

  • One punch man, as you've mentioned, breaks our expectations up until a point. After watching a few episodes we know that Saitama will defeat any enemy with a single punch. Viewers go through a process, first being shocked that One punch man continues making boss battles less dramatic than we expect, but then the audience become relieved. If anyone here as seen One Piece, boss battles can go on for 5 to 10 episodes, and that becomes tedious. One Punch Man gives us everything we want, huge terrifying monsters with apparently no weaknesses and a hero that doesn't waste our time defeating them. Your analysis of Saitama is correct, he is a very causal hero who is not in the business to make enemies with the others. If anything Saitama is willing to sacrifice his reputation in order to make the guild of heros look more respectable. On a final note I think it is worth exploring the concept of a hero organization, the ranking and purpose of such. In such a world a normal, unregistered, hero does not get recognition for their actions. If you or I were to stop a thief or a monster from eating a bus we would not be given credit. At that same token that may be a benefit, as we have seen the organization is very cliche, with heros having huge ego's related to their ranking. One Punch Man is a great show, but be careful the fast pace will have you wanting to watch more, and there aren't many episodes; so you'll be buying the manga sooner than you think. – flowers 9 years ago
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The Power of Magic in The Fairly OddParents

Timmy Turner possesses a huge amount of power through his Fairy Godparents. Although limited at times due to Da Rules, Timmy still has the ability to make significant changes in his life and in the world around him with a single wish. It is made clear that each wish has a consequence to which Timmy is made to face and cope with. In dire situations, Timmy risks the loss of his Fairies ("Abra-Catastrophe) and he turns down the chance at a better life as a result of his parents finding out the truth about his evil babysitter, Vicky ("Channel Chasers"). It is only after Timmy realizes the repercussions of magic that he makes these decisions that determine him keeping or losing his Fairies, and in turn determining the outcome of his life with his family and friends who are not aware of magical beings.

Discuss and analyze the power that Timmy Turner possesses through Cosmo and Wanda. What kind of knowledge does he gain through his interactions with his Fairies and other magical beings? How does this shape Timmy's identity throughout the series?

  • Tell me about tremendous power. The fairies said dragons are impervious to magic but bringing a dead guy back to life in the exact same episode... No problem. :D Good idea. – SpectreWriter 9 years ago
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  • I like this! There are a lot of insane episodes where he chooses not to do something that could solve whatever issue they've gotten into, but instead goes with a minor, meaningless wish. It's very interesting. – Kendall 9 years ago
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How to Revise Your Own Story

There are many guides on how to write, but the published story is not the art of the first draft. I would love to see someone write revision tips, but not the usual found in the web like "read aloud," "leave it for a few weeks" (Of course you can go that path too.), but their own unique editing style that other writers would find useful.

  • This is an interesting idea, though I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of tips are merely common ones that websites would suggest. Maybe it can be written in realtime, as if the person is actually going through a revision process and acting out what they are doing. That may be a fun way of allowing the readers to really see a "day in the life" scenario of someone revising a story. – Filippo 9 years ago
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  • Oh. Or someone who would review revision tips? LOL Like someone who does all the steps with a sample short story draft and then, he/she would work on editing through popular editing tips and would show the final product? Is that even possible? LOL – Jill 9 years ago
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  • Honestly, my revision style is just constant reading and rereading. I don't read aloud, though perhaps I should. I rely on my eyes to catch mistakes. Some mistakes slip through the cracks, but generally, after a few revisions, I have caught all the major ones. Another thing I do is take notes. For instance, if I name a character's childhood best friend Beatrice, I want to note that down and make sure that in the rest of the story I continue to refer to her as Beatrice. Writing out timelines to keep dates correct, ages right, and other timing consistent is also helpful when revising. The main mistakes I make (and many other authors make) is little inconsistencies in their first drafts, when they forget previous details while writing on. They forget timing, names, and other details. Revising is all about making these details consistent. – Robyn McComb 9 years ago
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Queen of the Fanboys: Comicbookgirl19's Reign as Pop Critic Champ

YouTube celebrities have worked hard to gain followers, fans and lurkers by creating original programming. Talk shows that cover uncensored topics like politics, pop culture or in the case of Comicbookgirl19, comics, have become quite popular in recent years. This recipe has wet the palate of millions of subscribers. However, maintaining that level of notoriety is challenging. Due to the fact that the novelty of their shtick eventually wears off, and the groundswell of crowdsourcing funds plateau, keeping viewers requires increasing the lure of merchandising, re-orienting the show's focus or set designs, which may have diluted the purity of Comicbookgirl19's appeal.

  • This may due for expansion, actually, give examples of people who lost popularity on YouTube for this reason. Otherwise a good topic. – SpectreWriter 9 years ago
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  • to Rachel Efassy Bitoun: funding plateau means that funds raised by donations haven't increased, rather it is steady? I'm not sure why you would interpret that as a "French word"? A plateau like a mountain top or hill? And as for the question? This style of abstract is very commonly used in rhetorical analyses, there is no concrete answer as to why her show has become less popular. It is primarily speculative. Unless, the author wants to do an exhaustive political economic paper. Sorry you are not familiar with this type of research. Emily Deibler: I changed the second sentence, thanks for the constructive copy edit! – Jason052714 9 years ago
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Environmentalism in Popular Film

How has the recent rise in awareness of our planet's environmental crisis changed the way we tell stories? Such a wide, sweeping issue with such potentially devastating consequences can press itself into the general consciousness and affect creators all around the globe, allowing for an urgent and massive impact on what stories we choose to tell and how we choose to tell them. While there has been a recent surge in both apocalyptic and dystopian films, the question remains as to whether these are tied to the environmental crisis, sourced outside said crisis, or resting somewhere in between.

  • It would help to use a few examples like Mad Max: Fury Road, which was a very pro-environmentalist film. – luminousgloom 9 years ago
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Ex Machina and Her: Gender, Sexuality, and Artificial Intelligence

What do our representations of AI say about gender and sexuality? Recent films, like Her and Ex Machina, portray specifically female AI. Her presents Samantha as a questing mind with emotional needs similar to those of humans. Samantha has true consciousness in her ability to love Theo. Yet, because she is non-corporeal, she is not quite human. She is "post-lingual" as she says and not limited by space and time as humans are. She is a non-human person. Ex Machina's Ava seems to pass the Turing Test when she proves herself capable of manipulation, deceit, and long-term planning. Unlike Theo, who desires a meaningful relationship with Samantha, Nathan uses Ava's predecessors as sex-objects. Why do these films focus on female AI interacting with men?

  • Interesting to compare these two films together since they present such distinctly different takes on the 'fem-bot' trope, with 'Her' being an exploration of how genuine feelings can be derived from such a seemingly 'mechanical' relationship to the A.I., whereas 'Ex Machina' focuses conversely on how such feelings can be 'manufactured' into this. – CalvinLaw 9 years ago
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  • I think it's a great idea to compare the treatment of AI in these two films. Both are fantastic, in different ways. For research on the topic, I would say it would be wise to keep a few things in mind. As to why are they female?, where both written and directed by men? Probably, because most are in the industry. Perhaps its easier for a male writer to come from that perspective. Maybe there is a correlation between the way women are viewed in media that makes them easier to be seen as a robot? I think there are a few different ways you can take this, and it's going to require a lot of research. Good luck! – kaliveach 9 years ago
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  • I think, especially when exploring what it means to be sentient or have agency, discussing how robots that are coded female (assigning genders to robots is intriguing in itself) are treated would be fascinating. To go off what kaliveach said, could making the main female presence robotic dehumanize women, especially if the robot's programming is dependent on a male character's plans and instructions? There are a lot of approaches to this topic in terms of gender and sexuality. – emilydeibler 9 years ago
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  • To answer kaliveach's question, yes, both films were written/directed by men (Spike Jonze in the case of Her and Alex Garland in the case of Ex Machina). Ex Machina explicitly focuses on the problems of male geniuses creating "female" robots, whereas Her focuses more on the (in)compatibility between human and AI. – JLaurenceCohen 9 years ago
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  • Blade Runner should definitely get a mention, at least. Deckard has a similar sexual attraction to the replicant Rachael in the film as well as that love/rape scene in between the two. The replicants do seem to have some sort of sense of morality in the film and they are capable of emotion (anger, fear, love(?)). Also, there's the Voight-Kampf test which is fairly similar to the Turing test but deals with provoking emotion. – Jamie White 9 years ago
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  • A topic of great potential: the vastly differing portrayals of AI in both films present a wealth of possible approaches. Looking forward to reading this! – Matchbox 9 years ago
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Perception of Nation-Self in Television

I think it would be interesting to look at how TV influences how a nation presents itself. Quantico for instance presents the FBI as an industry that only accepts the best of the best of the best of the best. Continually culling from their supposedly elite recruits. Shows like CSI and other procedurals and police dramas like Castle and even Brooklyn-Nine Nine irrespective of genre portray the police as singlemindedly determined to find the truth. As a force that refuse to accept confessions if there isn't evidence to back them up. Who will search for the truth inspite of all the evidence to the contrary if they find someone pleading their innocence. They will only accept a righteous confession as the final closing of the case.

They also rarely show people using lawyers. Laywers are seen as evil. Even seasoned spies when caught (Castle) confess to the police without a lawyer because the cops simply yell lies at them. Seating in interrogations is always across tables never invading someone's personal space until "Bad Cop" shows up to get physical.

Shows like The Whisperers are strangely patriotic and frame every decision as if based on the principles of the founding fathers. The decision to intern children without telling anyone is based on how they will be perceived in history.

There are many other examples and types but I believe these create a sense of righteousness in how America perceives itself. Quantico tries to humanize their character by giving them all secret flaws and having them share them with other characters at seemingly random times while at the same time having the most complex exams on a nearly daily basis that sound like a logistical nightmare. And while it makes sense in Sleepy Hollow for the founding fathers to come up constantly. It's odd that a show about aliens invading is so focused on the political theory rather than threat assessment. I think it does the accused a disservice in real life to never show people talking with their lawyers unless they're rich and (likely) guilty. It creates a general perception that the police can question you and you are obligated to answer them without representation.

  • Good topic! I see this in Law & Order all.the.time, too. There is some analysis that could be done with Althusser and the ideological state apparatus. Although, if someone selects this topic, I would stick to one genre of shows to analyze simply because examining several different genres might make the parts of article disjointed from one another. – Caitlin Ray 9 years ago
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  • I think it's important to look at multiple genres but I might stick to one facet of ideal perception and then look at it across the genres. For instance. You could look at legal representation and you can see it in dramas, mysteries, and comedies and see how they each do it similarly and how they do it differently. In TV defense attorneys are the devil to cops and attorneys are (usually) their buddies. I think it'd be important to highlight the importance of how defense attorney's work and are perceived in real life in comparison to how they are in TV. Or you could do a similar thing with interrogation, or evidence. – wolfkin 9 years ago
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  • Ah yes, I agree with this-legal representation across genres would probably work as an analysis because it has a common thread of "legal representation." The author would still need to tread carefully to not take up too much material. I agree that defense attorneys are often considered the cops (and therefore "the truth's" enemy). However, "The people" or the state attorney, are often on the same side as the cops and seem to also be the mouthpiece for "truth." – Caitlin Ray 9 years ago
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Jessica Jones and Kilgrave as Mental Illness

Netflix's Jessica Jones was released in November 2015 and has had a great response over the past few months. Mental illness is something the protagonist struggles with in the form of PTSD. The villain, Kilgrave, has the power to control the minds of others. He is also the cause of Jessica's PTSD and haunts her through just the knowledge of his existence. To what degree is Kilgrave representative of various forms of mental illness? Can the metaphor of Kilgrave=mental illness be extended to depression, anxiety, attachment issues, schizophrenia, etc.? Are certain aspects of mental illness shown in the show through him? (I.e. No one believes in his existence=mental health stigma, people who have been "kilgraved" constantly fear his return, etc.)

  • I'm very interested in your point about how people don't believe his effects are possible/exist, and it's true he can damage people's minds. However, I think that even an extreme extension of mental illness would not have the word-for-word control that Kilgrave has, or be quite so exterior to the victim/survivor. However I think that the therapy group touched on how it unsettled them that he sometimes made them indulge in their unacceptable desires. – IndiLeigh 9 years ago
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  • Perhaps not. However, I actually have severe depression, and I found that the show spoke to me on a very personal level, which is what prompted this topic. I feel like I lose control when I'm depressed, and it's a bit frightening, because I don't know what I'll do. I can try to stop the downswing, but sometimes it's impossible, and suicidal thoughts are hard to ignore. It's a bit like having a little Kilgrave in your head. – Laura Jones 9 years ago
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Is Originality Dead?

Many people say nowadays that "nothing is original anymore." And they don't mean it in a negative connotation, necessarily, just as fact. Has everything been done by Homer and Shakespeare? Is everything now simply a variation on what's been done? And if so, is that a bad thing?

  • Yes. And it's slowly becoming common knowledge that there is no such thing as "original" anymore. But then again, everything is always based in part on something that has come before: some sort of concept, some sort of theory, some sort of tradition or practice, but taking it in a new or varied or mixed and combined direction. – Jonathan Leiter 9 years ago
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  • Sorry. Yes to "is everything now simply a variation on what's been done?" But No on "and if so, is that a bad thing?" Because even if it's a bad thing, there's nothing we can possibly do. Everything has already been done or thought of or theorized before in some form, and everything we will do now for the rest of time will be based on the creations and concepts of others that have come before us. – Jonathan Leiter 9 years ago
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  • It depends on your definition of original, but yes I do think there is still original content, even if it has influences. For example, I find Orphan Black and Legend of Korra to be very original works, but they certainly have influence. There are also different levels of originality; do you mean in concept, excecution, characters? Also, a note: Shakespeare was not original in most of his works. – IndiLeigh 9 years ago
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  • I do not think originality is dead at all. Sure, there are so many stories written from so many people, and it seems like everything has been said, which is true to an extent. Not to get too corny, but as long as there's new humans being born, there will always be something new to say. You could also argue that the fear of being unoriginal creates a perfect setting for creativity. – nancymoncada 9 years ago
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  • An interesting analysis could be between some creative writing contributors, such as Aristotle's "Poetics," Northrop Frye's "Anatomy of Criticism", or John Gardner's "The Art of Fiction." Aristotle discusses the history of writing, where it derives, while the others discuss the standardizations of writing. To analyze whether or not "novelty" still applies to today's times, I feel that you must first understand where it started. These sources could help begin a credible argument. – AutamnDarling 9 years ago
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  • I recently read Austin Kleone's "Steal Like an Artist". You might want to check it out! He is essentially laying out a guide for artists that encourages people to understand and embrace the lacking originality of art. It shows how people have always been essentially taking ideas from many sources and just adding their own flare, thus making their own new creation. – ChrissyCroft 9 years ago
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  • I wouldn't say it is "dead," because just as there is innovation in say technology or online media, there are a lot of new, original ideas ways to tell a story. I think stories aren't always original in content, but rather HOW they are told. For example, it is common to see a revenge story told through the eyes of the person enacting the revenge. But consider if the story, despite having many cliches found in the genre, was told through the perspective of the initial wrongdoer and they know someone is out to enact revenge upon them. Maybe address the idea of how stories can be told in new ways, despite having other "unoriginal" content. – Filippo 9 years ago
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  • "The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories" is a book by Christopher Booker, and explores the academic belief that there are only 7 types of stories ever told (The Quest, The Voyage, Comedy, Tragedy, Rags to Riches, Overcoming the Monster, and Rebirth). It sparked a lot of controversy, but for the most part was a successful publication and is a very entertaining read. Additionally, prior to this, Arthur Quiller-Couch is usually credited with coming up with the seven plots as a series of conflicts: Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Himself, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. God, Man vs. Woman, and Man in the Middle. Thinking about this topic from the viewpoint of "There will never again be another original thought" is depressing, but exploring it from these specific angles is really interesting. It might be fun to further refine your topic by investigating one of these lists. – Katheryn 9 years ago
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  • Trying not to step on the toes of the previous notes, I'll take this from a different angle: I think in recent decades we've seen a proliferation of work from marginalized view points (ie. Black, Feminist, Third World/postcolonial, etc) that have never been seen before from the literary canon of predominantly old white dudes. There's a greater accessibility for that now that's encouraging a great deal of originality. So I think this topic could be really interesting, but maybe specify what form we're analyzing: melodrama? fiction? academia? And are we including things like folklore/mythology, popular media? Or just literature? – Tiffany 9 years ago
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  • The glorification of originality may be a notion influenced more by romantic notions than that of the medieval era, which viewed originality as a non issue and instead viewed the purpose of the author or artist to build upon a pre-existing bedrock of cultural motifs and topoi. So perhaps instead an article could explore current motifs? – SawyerBullock 8 years ago
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Pretty Girls: Body Image on Television vs. Reality

In an article by Into The Gloss, Lucy Hale, who plays Aria Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars said, "It’s important for young girls to realize things like we have fake eyelashes on, some of us have extensions, we have good lighting. It’s the same thing as Photoshop!" People who enjoy watching shows like Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, Once Upon A Time, The Vampire Diaries, etc. can't help but think about the fact that the actors' makeup, hair, and clothes all look great. But where is the line drawn between what is natural and what isn't? Is there a way to teach people about behind-the-scenes tricks? Is there a message that can be sent out to the public that says a lot has to be done so that the camera catches it? (Even in a film like The Hobbit, Martin Freeman's robe was extremely bright and colorful because they needed to make sure the camera and filters could "pick it up.") Should audiences be made aware about the tricks to the trade via a disclaimer? On the flip side, is the emulation of their favorite actors/characters a positive thing? Isn't wearing makeup and getting "fixed up" fun? I'd love for someone to explore the pros and cons and what should or shouldn't be done about television's impact on body image.

  • I highly approve of this topic, because it comes at female body image and the perception of feminine beauty from the angle where it is causing the most confusion and lasting impression: make-up and costuming in film and television. There are some television shows and ongoing projects which explore makeup and costuming from a creative angle, but don't quite explore how it is used to fully transform a typical actress into what we see in the final product, and how huge the difference can often be. I also think that doing a one-time expose' on this sort of thing wouldn't really do the trick, because it would be here and gone within a few months. So there ought to be some sort of continuous thing, like maybe a type of promotional featurette that different TV shows can produce, which show how make-up, hair, costumes, and lighting are done, and show how "the magic" happens: maybe like a PSA series. And the message would always be to explain to those younger audience members watching, that what they see the characters wearing and looking like isn't something truly attainable in every day life, nor should it be everyone's goal. – Jonathan Leiter 9 years ago
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  • Also, from the perspective of a filmmaker, knowing how the magic is done never ruins a film experience for me, or a television experience either. Seeing how every last detail was conceived and executed never breaks the veil because when it's done right, it still suspends my disbelief. I think it has to do with the editing and the sound design. If neither of those two things were effective, then I probably would notice all of the gears and wires and the illusion would die instantly. But otherwise, there's no harm in letting everyone in on the make-up techniques or the cinematography. It's deeply fascinating. – Jonathan Leiter 9 years ago
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  • Agreed to the above - if filmmakers guarded their "tricks" of the trade as jealously as professional illusionists, there would be no behind-the-scenes special features or director's commentary added to DVDs (which I love). Another interesting take on this would be film vs. television and their differing attitude between revealing their magic; I wonder if there is data anywhere that gives an idea whether young girls' body image is affected more negatively by TV than by film. I'd venture a guess and say that it is. (As an aside, I've been thinking for a while that it's very interesting fake lashes have made a serious comeback from the '60s. They've been used in TV and film since then, but not since the '60s has the general public worn them regularly.) – Katheryn 9 years ago
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Jumping the shark

We all at some point have read or watched a TV show, anime, book, or other form of media that has "jumped the shark." Discuss the phenomenon of jumping the shark and why it happens. Can shows actually turn out better because of these plot twists (can jumping the shark be a good thing)? Why are these moments often so enjoyable to watch?

  • Sorry, it deleted my edit: Jumping the Shark refers to a ridiculous plot twist or gimmick in a show designed to draw in more viewers. For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark. – Connor Gregorich-Trevor 9 years ago
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  • I feel that jumping the shark happens out of desperation to keep the audience stimulated, whether it be for better or for worse. Personally, I haven't seen a case where a show turns out better due to this phenomenon. A show draws in its audience because of its writing and formula. Unless jumping the shark brings about a turn of events that pushes the plot of a show forward, then I don't think that it could ever be for the better. I think something really game changing has to happen in order for jumping the shark to be used as a positive tool for the success of any form of media. – seanstartrunning 9 years ago
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  • I actually never knew about this term before this topic. You could probably also mention in certain episodes when they make things look like the 1940's. I know they did it once in One Tree Hill, and another time in Pretty Little Liars, however, I didn't think either show was losing viewers? There should definitely be good examples for this article not just the one from Happy Days. Perhaps, adding more current examples could show why it's still a technique used today, and perhaps, if it shares the same purposes as before. – Jaye Freeland 9 years ago
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  • Quality, schmality! If I had a TV show, I'd run that sucker into the ground! Homer pats Bart on the back. "Amen, boy. Amen.'' -- Bart learns of the demise of `The Cosby Show' The Simpsons. Which has jumped the shark many times. – marinetti 8 years ago
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  • It has already been done. A lot. – T. Palomino 2 years ago
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Film and Video Games: The Adaptation Dilemma

With so many video game franchises scheduled to be turned into major motion picture films over the next couple years, explore the brief history of the video game film adaptation. Take a closer look as to why these types of adaptations haven't been very successful, answer some of the tough questions like: can a video game to movie adaptation actually work properly? Do the two mediums have enough in common that lend themselves to adaptation? Can upcoming films like Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted, The Last of Us etc. change the trend moving forward? What are the differences of these two mediums?

  • I think it almost goes without saying that Tomb Raider should be looked at with this article and how the films potentially hurt the games coming after that until the reboot in 2013. Wreck it Ralph though would be a good example of how to do the adaptation well, using familiar game characters, but not as the primary protagonists/antagonists. The writer could look at toys, board games, card games that have received movies off the back of their success; I'm thinking of Bionicle, The Lego Movie and even Battleships. It may also be worth looking the other way as well. Film/TV to video games like South Park: The Stick of Truth. – Jamie 9 years ago
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  • I know many people in the gaming community who liked Tomb Raider. Angelina was a perfect actress to play the first version of ladies cost. The action could have been better but it wad much better then let's say the Super Mario brothers movie. I think with games having more narration to them adaptation will be easier to do. Perhaps the issue is that Hollywood feels that they do not need to pour as much work into the films because they already have a fan base. This may be true of books but games are different and not every liberty can be taken with then add Hollywood has done... "Battleship" – fchery 9 years ago
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  • The biggest challenge is the films give narrative control to the film makers. Games give some or all of it to the audience. If you're watching a film in the theaters, you can't control the cinemotography (space/position) and you can't control the editing (time/pacing). In games, though that's often not the case, usually you have some say over how long the game will be played, how it will be played, whether you want to finish it. Moreover, since designers for many reasons can't anticipate all your actions, they often leave a lot of the character work to you. Did you like FFVII in spite of or because of the blocky figures, which forced you to project all sorts of qualities onto Cloud, Aerith, etc? Remember what happened to Nintendo when it tried to give Samus a lengthier back story in Other M? A game like The Last of Us, might work on film, because the game monopolizes most of the story and character development. Indeed, that might be why adaptations of more recent games will do better than earlier ones because in many cases the player has less discretion over how to interpret the story. That is to say, since so many games try to be "cinematic", adapting them should be easier than prior efforts. – rj2n 9 years ago
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  • I completely agree with rj2n. For example, also, how will they create Portal? They are going to make it into a film. The fun of the game was figuring things out as the player and using your own skills and thought process to finish the game. Is an audience just going to sit there and watch? – Jaye Freeland 9 years ago
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Are Reoccurring Plot Devices or Character Tropes a Turn-Off?

If a show contains traits or plot devices often seen across anime (eg. The Training Arc, The Overpowered Protagonist, Love Triangles) does that impact your enjoyment of it?

  • I think this Topic can be expanded to include any medium. In particular to anime though, I'm going to chime in and say that it's not the device/trope itself that's the issue. Everything needs to start somewhere, and it's impossible to create an entirely original character, plot, or setting, especially in a medium such as anime where almost everything is centralized and components are distributed like Lego pieces. The annoying part is refusing to deviate from a subset of characteristics that creates a boring element of a story. It's not how you start, but how you end. – Austin 9 years ago
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  • I feel like the tropes themselves aren't actually the main issue; it's the reliance upon them. Many times when a story is character driven, you can't depend on a trope alone to carry it; at that point you need to properly flesh out a character. I agree with Austin in that this can be extended to any form of media, with the new film "Inside Out" by Pixar being a prime example, in which the tropes are literally provided through the character's names, yet nothing is actually done to flesh said characters out. In returning to anime however, it is possible to rely upon tropes if the plan isn't to have the character's drive the story by themselves, but rather to drop said trope in a fantastic or awkward circumstance to flesh out it's performance in that situation, thereby lending more personality to the character. – JAYUCKSON 9 years ago
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  • I don't think tropes are bad - it's really how you use it. If you overuse it too much, of course it can get annoying, especially when the 'power of friendship' defeats some of the most fearsome villains. But in regards to creating a story, you do need to rely on tropes to populate the world, i.e having the rival, the best friend, the animal sidekick, etc. – YsabelGo 9 years ago
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  • I second jayuckson's assertions. The troops themselves are not an issue as they are part of human advancement and advancement of skill. The issue is that while there are tropes there aren't enough deconstruction of then to tell better stores for instance Madoka Magicka as a deconstruction of the magical girl genre and its many tropes. – fchery 9 years ago
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  • Looking at the website TV Tropes.org is a good example of tv tropves and where they are used. It might prove to be an enormous help for whoever decides to take this on. – SpectreWriter 9 years ago
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  • Probably the biggest thing to note with this is that tropes are useful only to a certain extent. Tropes exist for a reason - they keep coming back again and again because we, as a species, are interested in them. But tropes can only be interesting and dynamic and complicated when there's more than just the trope itself; when the character exists outside of the trope, or when the cliche is played around with. Community might be an interesting show to investigate with this in mind - it takes on a lot of tropes and genre parodies and tries (sometimes succeeding, sometimes not) to turn them on their head or do more with them. – kcecka 9 years ago
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literature
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Dystopia in Children's and YA Literature

Literature usually indicates a generation anxiety (i.e. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Rings, anxiety about racial wars, modernization, etc; Gibb's Neuromancer, anxiety about technology). It would be interesting if someone wrote an analysis about the predominance of dystopia in popular culture (Hunger Games, Divergence… I can't think of another example.)

  • Other dystopian YA novels might include: Cinder of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer Incarceron by Catherine Fisher Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles) by Gena Showalter The Demon Trapper's Daughter: A Demon Trappers Novel by Jana Oliver I'm sure there are plenty more... But those are the first ones that came to mind – crispychips 9 years ago
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  • The Maze Runner series by James Dashner and The Uglies series by Scott Westerfield, and The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth are some more examples, this is a fascinating topic! – MRichens 9 years ago
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  • I feel The Hunger Games trilogy is quite contradictory to its message of fighting the powers that be (I.e. the government oppressing poor societies.) While the story itself is blatantly a "stick it to the man" narrative, that is all it does to go against convention. The novels openly acknowledge the three-act structure (the narrative structure used in pretty much all books/films etc.) and the films have also come into mainstream populairty, earning money for huge corporations that the characters in the stories, are openly against. As for what the books reflect in terms of a nation's anxieties, I don't think it really stretches beyond the going against the oppresive powers, which is in itself, not really an anxiety or infact anything new. – Jamie White 9 years ago
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  • To further this analysis, one might take a look in to what the popularity in dystopian figures mean in relation to what our culture/society values today. In other words, what values in today's society make dystopian figures so popular? Or even, are there any relations between what is happening in today's society that correlate with the dystopian themes? – AutamnDarling 9 years ago
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  • This is a great topic, and I think it would be important to have a balance of bestselling novels turned into blockbusters, and lesser-known novels/series such as Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and Exodus by Julie Bertagna. The focus on dystopian YA fiction as opposed to regular/adult literature such as 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 is important. Why are dystopian future societies so appealing to younger readers in recent years? When did the line between fantasy and sci-fi disappear and why is that important? – Claire 9 years ago
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. Angel

Angel, a spin off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was for a time on par with its sister property. But it did not last as long as Buffy or get as much attention from fans (as far as I can guess). What are the differences between the shows that has caused this division?

  • I wonder if one of the reasons Angel didn't last as long was because we already knew his character. We got to know him in the first 3 seasons of Buffy, so there was no need to spend time going over his history when Angel got his own show. – rachelyzara 9 years ago
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  • One was about high school and the other was about the work world. Buffy was about standing up for oneself and one's principles, while Angel was about learning how to selectively use and abandon one's principles, for better or for worse. – joubert 9 years ago
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  • I think it would be helpful to write about how interesting it is that a show with a female protagonist lasted longer and was more successful than one with a male protagonist. There's this statistic that states that female-lead shows/movies make less profit than male-lead shows. I would definitely have a gander at gender! – itschlofosho 9 years ago
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How World Building in Steven Universe is Framed Through The Lens of a Child

In the Cartoon Network production Steven Universe, creator Rebecca Sugar deliberately focuses on the child protagonist Steven as through what Steven learns (or does not take notice of), the audience can gather the hints of the backstory, motives, and origins of the gems.

  • I believe that this exact topic is already being written about, and is currently a pending post? https://the-artifice.com/?p=81501&preview=true – Connor Gregorich-Trevor 9 years ago
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The Current Status of Traditional Music

Wherever it be folk music or another form of traditional music set in a specific geographic region, is there a danger of it being lost to commercial pop music? Why is traditional music important in representing a specific culture?

  • I believe you have hit an important note here, pun intended. Traditional music is important because it does represent an aspect of culture. It is important to preserve the music however, it is educational to have the music available to others. This is said with antiquated cultures in mind. Now to take it to a more current event. The urban culture has its own music and I am talking about Rap most specifically. This music is about urban culture and it has been capitalized to make money and much of the original Rap culture was about telling what life is like in this culture. Now it seems it is less about story more about commercial success. – Venus Echos 9 years ago
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  • What do you mean by "lost to commercial pop music"? – T. Palomino 2 years ago
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14

literature
Write this topic

Haruki Murakami's Manic Pixie Dream Girl

American writers aren't the only ones guilty of this trope. Murakami has been known to include girls that change the male character's life in suit of this trope. This is evident in books such as Norwegian Wood and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage (remember how the protagonist idealized the girls in his life). Create an argument supporting Murakami's use of this trope and/or analyze the role women play in the lives of male protagonists in his books.

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    Harem Manga: The Good or the Bad

    What is the appeal of harem manga? In cases like Nisekoi, having too many female love interests hurts the story, as time is spent developing the love interests instead of moving the plot forward. As well, fan wars sprout on threads, because people argue which love interest suits the protagonist. Finally, is the 'harem ending' unavoidable or a cop out to make the fans happy? This article can use harem manga that do not work because of its genre, or focus on harem manga that are well-written because it utilizes the genre but stays unique in it's own way.

    • Perhaps also mention the "gyaku-harem" (the reverse harem of one girl and too many male love interests), the contrasts, as well as the stresses and the headaches in having the relationship(s). – Quill 9 years ago
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    • Maybe a discussion about the character at the center of the harem would be illuminating as well. It's usually an awkward, clueless, romantically/sexually inept boy and yet he has some of the most desirable women fawning all over him. That in itself is a sin of wish-fulfillment. – bookgirl7 9 years ago
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    • I would say that the fan wars are part of what make manga popular. it can be incredibly fun to sit down with your friends and have a laughter filled conversation and debate over your favorite character. I think that controversy in harem animes and the lack of resolution actually makes the manga better. I do agree that too many characters detract from the plot however. – Jutor 8 years ago
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