Many works of literary merit have been placed on a ban list and are forbidden to be taught in some schools. Chief among these books is "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" for it's controversial topics concerning race and censorship. Although the book isn't inherently racist, offense has been taken to it and its casual use of "the n-word." Despite the controversy surrounding it, though, it is still considered a great piece of American Literature. How does society react when it is presented with controversy (specifically in a school setting) such as this, and how do these reactions affect the value of the work as a whole? Would the meaning of the work be diminished if this conflict didn't exist? Use the answers to analyze whether Huckleberry Finn should be taught in school or permanently banned from our education system.
Huckleberry Finn is an interesting choice because it is no longer controversial for the same reasons it was when it was published. It might also be interesting to briefly examine Twain's intentions for the story before delving into delving into the controversy and interpretations surrounding it. – MichelleAjodah9 years ago
Many countries have banned book lists. Middle Eastern countries in particular have some really interesting ideas as to what constitutes controversy. Maybe do a comparison on what is controversial in the U.S. and Europe in comparison to other parts on the world? – jakedook9 years ago
Just imagine the book's success had it not used the n-word. Just look at Agatha Christie's book "And Then There Were None." Before it's name was censored it was called "Ten Little N***ers," but most people don't know that and give the story acclaim anyways. It's not that the author's were inherently racist, it was just a term that was socially acceptable/used in their time, the problem lies in the sensitivities of people in our time and their inability to understand that. – Slaidey9 years ago
It takes the first amendment away to say any book that has a controversial topic in it. Children shouldn't have to be placed in a situation were they have to think about controversial topics. But that is a perfect world.-camilliamaye – CamilliaMaye9 years ago
Political correctness is a curse wearing the mask of a blessing. The rawness of Twain's novel discusses the inconvenient reality of society. This book was on the ban list when I was in school but our teacher placed it on the syllabus to be read regardless. Was she wrong? I don't think so. Aware? Definitely. – SuzetteA9 years ago
@SuzetteA: Yes, oh, yes. To the original poster, it would definitely be worth exploring what constitutes controversy in different cultures, settings, or genres. For example, what we think is appropriate for children is vastly different from what we think is appropriate for adults. A lot of the time, I think a double standard exists. – Stephanie M.8 years ago
Compare the Japanese and Western animation industries. In particular, look at some of the major studios in Japan today and in the West, and compare how they function. How is the work load divided? Is the software used to animate the same? How many series will be created at once? Is the pre or post production sequences done differently? Interviews with anime staff on Anime News Network, Youtube documentaries on Animation production, or information from the Hey, Answerman column may be useful to refer to.
This would be fascinating to read about, looking at cultural differences in animation studios, are there any in particular you had in mind when considering this topic? – Camille Brouard9 years ago
Other than Studio Ghibli, there's very little information on how Japanese anime is produced that I've been able to track down in either video or written form. I've always wanted to understand the methodology behind how they draw each frame of movement, and how they choose when to draw that frame. Because while anime is often very limited in its animation, it is decidedly skillful in how it retains a strong sense of expressionistic and stylistic movement, that also incredibly fluid when it needs to be, and subtle and frugal the rest of the time. But no manual exists for this that I know of. There's also no explanation as to how, where, and for how long Japanese animators learn their craft for the stunning animation they produce in the amazingly short time spans that they do. Each studio is different, and has reproduced the art-styles of numerous directors, but in almost all cases, everyone is a brilliant talent, unlike a lot of animation produced in the West, where we're much more simplified in our art-styles, rather than semi-realistic with a unique shape to faces and eyes. The best documentary I've seen on the system is the 45 minute piece created for "Little Witch Academia." And Studio Trigger is definitely one of the strongest examples of Japanese animation today. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I think how you search for the information (search terms) can make a big difference. I've seen a number of videos on it. There are also books. Some other studios which might have information are Sunrise, Toei, Gonzo, Gainax, Production Ig, Bee train, Bones, Kyoto animation, Madhouse.... – Jordan9 years ago
I believe I saw a video on an American produced Japanese culture Youtube series which toured Madhouse for a special episode. Ghibli just seems to be the main one that gets the most coverage in terms of televised documentaries and other special behind-the-scenes footage. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
The main avenue of investigation seems to be drawing style. Investigating this would likely yield much of what you seek. – JDJankowski9 years ago
Look at reasons why Call of Duty is so popular with many video game players while also pointing out what causes many people to dislike it.
This is an excellent topic. It would serve the topic's writer good to look at its sales and its advertising, as well as callbacks in new sequels to the previous games. Another big aspect is the sit-and-go nature of the game - it seems as though the average player can get going with no problem and stop at any time they want. It's a casual game. Also, look at other big FPS series, especially Battlefield. BF is more realistic and in general allows for broader gameplay. How does Call of Duty compare to big series on the market? – John9 years ago
This sounds like it could be fun. I'm a huge Call of Duty nut, but the fact of the matter is I'm about as casual a gamer as it can get. Most of my hardcore gamer buddies tend to spurn Call of Duty on the grounds that it's too easy and never changes, yet that's precisely the reason I like it; it has a real arcade-y feel to it. As John noted, aside from looking at sales and such, I think you or whoever writes this topic should look into why people enjoy it, though it's a pretty laid back game, while others don't, even though it's pretty popular. – August Merz9 years ago
There are conspiracy theories floating around that the US government provides funding for shooter games like this in order to entice players into thinking the realities of war are more palatable. Though this may appear as overzealous, the government has shown interest in the game's production of the Call of Duty series (even the title may reinforce the ideal of subservience to the military): http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/22/call-of-duty-gaming-role-military-entertainment-complex – Paul Osgerby9 years ago
It's been debated time and time again about the viability of making a film based on the Doctor Who franchise. As we have a confirmed "K-9" film, we are entering a place where we are as close to a modern Doctor Who film than we will get. What do you think are some possible set backs of making a film version of Doctor Who? Should it be canon to the story? Should it follow an independent story-line?
I have no idea why it couldn't be a film. Everything else seems to be turned into a film these days. I mean, essentially a film is just a really long episode. – Tatijana9 years ago
My only concern about this is that you ask if it should be "canon to the story." What even is the story of Doctor Who? It changes constantly with each new doctor, new companion, new villain, etc. Unless you mean making a movie from where the last episodes have left off, I'm not sure where they could even start or what would constitute and "independent story line." Can the 50th anniversary special ("The Day of the Doctor") be considered a movie? Like Tatijana said, would it just be a long episode? Or are there other criteria that it would need to be considered a movie? If it is simply length, there are a few episodes that already qualify. – Deanna9 years ago
I would argue that it could not, and still be a quality film, because the cult following is so large, that any minute variance from the television series would likely be noticed, and treated accordingly. I would also refer to the fact that in the last decade, a number of television shows from the 1970s were made into full-length films, and most of them did not turn out well. As such past track record seems to be against Dr. Who, even though the era that I mentioned is a bit later than the start of Dr. Who. – JDJankowski9 years ago
Compare, contrast, give history, information on influence and possibly rank famous mecha anime franchises. Ones of interest may be Voltron, Gundam, Patlabor, Macross, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Fullmetal Panic.
As an expansion, I think it'd be kind of cool to talk about which type of mecha would be most useful in real life today. – Tatijana9 years ago
Interesting idea Tatijana. Do you mean which weapon would be the most useful if mechas were real? – Jordan9 years ago
Of course there are already plans for the US and Japan to have a mech fight which can be thrown in as a part of this article or even to introduce it. Granted it may not be like what we see in anime it is still something that we are actually going to have a live giant robot fight happening soon. – Kmo9 years ago
Ferret's works have been widely appropriated by feminists, and in her Neapolitan Novels Ferrante even mentions that she considered herself a feminist; however, the experiences and interactions of her characters seem to suggest a different, more subtle interpretation of the female experience.
What is the more subtle interpretation? – Tatijana9 years ago
I recently discovered Elena Ferrante (much later than others) and went to search Artiface to see if anyone on here has written about her work....yours is the only mention! If you're still here I would love to read more about this topic from someone. – DrBax4 years ago
Analyze the increasing use of CGI and visual effects in films and the extent at which they are taking over from real practical footage. In some movies, the only "real" things you see on screen are the actors, and nowadays they are often warped by visual effects. The popularity of large-scale fantasy-action movies means that practical effects are fast becoming a thing of the past, and this has caused many people to question whether in the future, all of film will be made on a computer once visual effects become to foundation of film production.
A great topic choice! Reminds me of how Sir Ian McKellan really struggled with filming for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey because of the sheer amount of green screen instead of communicating with real actors in real environments. Here's an article for reference: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/nov/20/the-hobbit-gandalf-ian-mckellen-almost-quit-acting – Camille Brouard9 years ago
Not if the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild, camera manufacturers, and indie filmmakers have anything to say about it. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I guess it's always a matter of how far into the future. But I don't see it happening for a long while. This seems to specifically focus on fantasy/action etc, but there are a lot of movies out there just about "life" with more common real settings. – Tatijana9 years ago
I think some of it depends on the economics and some of it depends on the type of film being made. Mad Max: Fury Road, for example, prided itself on using very little CGI, although it wasn't /entirely/ free. – Winterling9 years ago
There are plenty of people out there, thousands in fact, who just like to shoot stuff with a camera. And plenty of other people who would like to act in front of that camera. Those people may have a liking for certain pieces of animation, whatever they may be. But they wouldn't give up what they like to do in order to make films entirely in animated form, even if they still got to hold a motion-capture camera stick, and act on motion capture stages. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I definitely don't think so...or I hope that's not how it is! In my experience, people actually tend to be bothered by the use of too much CGI. I don't know if that knowledge reaches the ears of the directors and produces of movies, but there may be enough complaints for movie-makers to stay traditional and forgo the use of CGI. – Dominic Sceski9 years ago
I have thought about this as well. I don't know if you've seen The Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies, but there was a clear shift. In LOTR, you could tell so many extras were equipped and filmed, which, although expensive, made the films so much more real. In The Hobbit, on the other hand, you did not need a magnifying glass to tell that most of the characters had something digitally manipulated about them. – Medievalist139 years ago
Wow, what a fascinating thought. Its worth considering, though, that in every new era of animation the old animations look cheesy...I was personally also very disappointed that the Hobbit films moved away from old-fashioned prosthetics. It took away from the very raw feel of the LOTR series. – sophiacatherine9 years ago
I would also take a look at The Mummy (1990s) interview with the director. You might find some of his points helpful. – BethanyS9 years ago
This transition will definitely have more to do with the epic and large-sized films with a fantasy or sci-fi angle than it will your Oscar-bait annual dramas. I think anybody could agree that one day we may see a Terminator or an Alien film where most of the screen is filled with CGI. But at the same time, no one is going to take the time or front the money to digitally animate the majority of something like "Suffragette" or "Whiplash." Films like that live and breath off of real sets, real actors, real lighting, and a cheap and inexpensive bottom line. So there's no economical reason to do them in motion capture, and no story driven need. The characters are regular humans. I do think there will be a gradual growing interest in de-aging certain actors, or bringing dead actors back to life with the approval of their estate. But even that would become a major contended issue within the actor's guild if it was allowed to become such a big trend that more recent actors have less ability to be cast if the producers are always going for 25 year-old Marlon Brando, 32 year old Dustin Hoffman, and body doubles or voice-impersonators able to recapture their performance. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I think that the future of film (blockbusters) is full of CGI. With the latest blockbuster hit Jurassic World, the most and only notable thing about it was the CGI, and people bought into it and loved it. Hollow of story, characters, and soul, CGI appears to be enough to satisfy people now. – luminousgloom9 years ago
As genres are created they go through phases. As zombie literature and film are escaping their original states and are beginning to enter an exploration phase what does this mean for the symbolism behind the zombies? Are the symbolic undertones changing with the climate of the un-dead or do the messages remain the same as they always were?
I think these kinds of zombie shows/movies/books are able to tackle different sides of the "what does it mean to be human" question all zombie literature revolves around. Specifically, iZombie and Warm Bodies feature cognizant zombies, and so are more concerned with living a fulfilling and meaningful life than your average zombie flick (not that this idea isn't explored in other zombie movies), essentially trying to discover what Matthew Arnold calls the buried life. – nsnow9 years ago
You may have heard about the quote by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of "Eat Pray Love”: Creativity is a crushing chore and a glorious mystery. The work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you.
I understand what she means. I sometimes have an urge to write something down or respond to others' texts. I usually first start writing in my mind and organizing the words in my head first. I just have to let it out. One of my selves would say : choose the right time and right way to say. But I may be under some supernatural power's control. I can not stop myself. After writing down, I am calm and peaceful. But I won't be able to produce anything relevant to the same topic soon. I can really feel the idea/inspiration captures me and makes me want to write.
What would you do when you are hit by inspirations? Do you have the experience that the work captures you? How does it feel like? High quality work when you are made to create?
This article can also explore how people inspire themselves to write, and maybe some tips on what to do to not lose the inspiration. For example, if I am not home, then I type everything on my phone and then transcribe it onto my computer after. – YsabelGo9 years ago
I want people to share the moments and feelings when something is made through them. This is a topic I am exploring but not about how to acquire inspirations. – HappyNewYing9 years ago
This would be a fascinating topic to cover. I tend to agree with one of the previous commenters: this could be a great article to share tips and advice on how to get inspired, but I would imagine it would be different for all sorts of people. Some can just sit down and come up with something on the fly, while others have to think deeply about it or wait until something in the real world inspires them. – maldwyn289 years ago
Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk called "Your Elusive Creative Genius" delves further into her thoughts about the creative process, it might be a helpful thing to watch! – MichelleAjodah9 years ago
When I feel inspired I get energized, almost happy. I just want to go somewhere and write all about it. This would be a great article to write about and would love to see what someone does with it. – iblecos9 years ago
I agree this would make an interesting article. Though there are already many which provide tips on how to get inspired. A different angle would be to focus on the feelings you describe, both before, during, and after. How to recognise and work with this inspiration. I haven't seen any articles like that. – Sparrow6 years ago
Video game journalism is quite popular these days with websites such as IGN, Gamespot, and Kotaku. However, it seems to be a common issue that many video game journalists have a preference on which console they prefer or which genre is their favorite; leading to a bias when they cover their preferred games over others. This can lead to what is practically yellow journalism, with writers over exaggerating the games and features of what they prefer while undermining the competition, even if the competition is an amazing game or console itself. This issue should be addressed in some way and possible solutions discussed so that gamers are presented with fair coverage of all video games and video game related news.
I think this is a great topic to explore! It might lead to further specialization in journalism, where an author could write specifically about the kinds of games they enjoy on the console they play most, which would allow their bias to work for their articles instead of against them. – Winterling9 years ago
I really don't think this is the right platform to restart the GamerGate debate on if that was the intention of your topic. – MattHotaling9 years ago
This is a very useful topic to explore given the mainstreaming of gaming culture. How does gaming journalism give itself the same kind of credibility and quality that one would expect from other forms of journalism? – Cmandra9 years ago
What role does the various symbolism play in the animated film, The Triplets of Belleville, and how does it contribute to the themes presented? The Oscar nominated film is mostly silent, relying on the images within the story to have an impact on the viewer. What impact, if any, do the reoccurring symbols have? For example: trains, wine, the statue of liberty, etc.
The majority of anime are aimed toward teenagers to young adults, so high schools appear time and time again as a setting. How is the experience of high school portrayed in anime? Is it optimistic, pessimistic or somewhere in between? Does it depend on the genre? Are there any particular titles that break the mold or explore aspects of Japanese high school life in a different way? As a background, some mention of how Japanese schools differ from the West would be useful. A title of interest might be Flowers of Evil.
I've often seen Japanese high-schools in anime as being a rather cordial and pleasant environment compared to how American schools are often portrayed. Japanese schools seem more bright, more airy, more inviting. Usually they only get presented in a negative light when the main character we follow is having a strong negative response to their environment. They believe that their lives are a cage wrapped around them and they want to escape. Or they think that their fellow students and teachers are all beneath them, are idiots, and this is a waste of their time. But besides that, the schools seem pretty enjoyable, especially in the lighthearted, comedic, slice-of-life shows like "Azumanga-Daioh," "Lucky Star," "Genshiken" (although that's technically a college I think), and "Pani-Poni Dash." – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
In Japanese and Korean culture, high school is considered more of a pivotal moment in one's life, both socially and educationally. Because of this, compared to Western culture, school life is actually riddled with studying for grades and club activities as students have the intent of getting into a prestigious university to further their lives. It could be said that anime depicts much of its settings in high school to give the essence of the lighter side to a busier lifestyle. You could also say that since high school is a pivotal moment in a person's life, the anime takes place in high school since the story is a turning point in the lives of the protagonists as well. – Baek9 years ago
That's a really good point, Baek! The cultural implications of high school ought to be mentioned in the article as well. Thanks for your feedback. – Jordan9 years ago
High School life series have become a common theme in most anime. Many people question as to the reason why. In my opinion, the reason is because they are attempting to appeal to that type of demographic. People try to find the legitimacy within a high school life anime, but isn't it possible that the theme is done that way specifically for the point of having a "get-away" type of feel to it, making people wish that their high school life were actually like that or creating some form of fantasy within the viewers life about what high school could be like. Whats more, there are even some series that take an interesting twist and instead focus on college lifestyle like "Golden Time" which definitely got a lot of people's interest. – Kmo9 years ago
In the past few weeks there has been running episodes of Bob Ross' "The Joy of Painting" on the typical gaming site "Twitch." This site is usually used to live-stream games but started streaming these episodes on Bob Ross' birthday. It pulled in 5.6 million viewers, which struck me as very odd. My boyfriend is a huge gamer and told me about this since I am an art student. I watched a few episodes and it was interesting to see how the episodes were reacted to, both in the views and comments. Even though the content was different, the comments were still very erratic and reactive. These two things don't seem to have a correlation to me and I'd be interested to see some research and analysis on this topic.
Twitch chat frequenters are just a bunch of "memers" at heart, not only is Bob calming to even non-painters, but heck did he ever provide them a lot of memes! Kappaross – Slaidey9 years ago
Bleach, One Piece, Naruto and Fairy Tail are often referred to as the anime 'Big Four'. They are often seen as gateway titles. Many anime fans discovered the medium by watching one of these series. As much as humanely possible, compare and contrast each series. Look at the history, production, manga, movies and common themes. What makes each series different or unique – are there animation, music, character or story elements that set them apart? It is highly recommended to look at 'filler guides' for each series and research significant episodes or story arcs. Inuyasha and Dragon Ball/Z/Kai may be useful to add to the list, but they are often not grouped together in this way. The ultimate goal is to try and decipher which series may appeal to what audience and the best way to approach the material.
Why aren't "Pokemon" and "Yu-gi-oh" part of this bunch. One Piece is slightly older than the others and would have been enjoyed around the same time as Pokemon and "Yu-gi-oh," while "Bleach" and "Naruto" are contemporaries of each other, and Fairy Tale came out after all of them. I'm also pretty sure "Dragonball-Z" is still a big part of most anime fans around the 20-25 year old range. I'm not really very versed in the trends of late, so maybe the four you state are the current highest ranking shows in the West. But it'd be a shame to leave off the two card-trading shows which likely got as popular as they were "because" of the card trading and card battling/gaming aspect. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I think because Pokemon is aimed toward children and so it hasn't caught on in the same way the others have. Yu gi oh has it's dedicated fans, but I wouldn't say it's popular enough to be part of the "Big Four". I think this 'list' is derived of what got teens into anime in the early 2000s rather than the 90s, which is why I think Inuyasha should still be part of the list. I hope this answers your question. – Jordan9 years ago
Yeah, I would kind of argue about those being the big four. But then again, it might be an age difference in my case. I would maybe change it to compare and contrast and also why those are good introductory animes. As far as I'm concerned my intros were Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball. I'd also point out that I think most people just get one intro. I think once you've dedicated your time to something as big as Naruto or One Piece, you are well on your way to researching "intermediate" animes. – Tatijana9 years ago
I see what you mean, but at least in the anime community the "Big four" is a key buzzword which is why I put it in the title. Maybe the person can explore the points you mentioned as part of the article? – Jordan9 years ago
Lately, there seems to be a surge in the creation of games that depict characters that identify under different places on the sexuality spectrum. Of course, there are a lot of differing opinions and very strong thoughts on showing queer characters in video games. That being said, do the sexualities of the characters really change the story of the game? Is the end result any different? Do they take away from the focus of gameplay? But in the end, why would the sexuality of characters affect anything within the game at all?
I think sexuality matters. It helps people related to characters. Perhaps there is an increasing amount of them in games now, because people are becoming more aware of these differences and want to continue to spread awareness. They may also be trying to connect to more types of people. A lot of hard core video game players probably relate more to outcast fringe character types anyway. Of course it changes the story of a game, but it shouldn't be distracting and should instead enhance its uniqueness. – Tatijana9 years ago
Sexuality in video games is a constant concept and it is a good topic to explore. Just look at the fighting games. Tekken is one of those games that exploits the female fictional characters in many ways. From their story lines, outfits and most importantly their sexuality. Sexuality can also be explore for queer characters as well. Not many characters in video games sexuality are explored. – jamarstewart979 years ago
The Dragon Age franchise is one of the first that stood out to me as opening up sexuality in romantic story lines, and I think this really added a lot to the experience. No it doesn't really affect the actual game, but it enhances the overall user experience by allowing for more customization. Video games have long been notorious for giving female characters hyper-sexualized armor and body figures that are far from practical, so I think depicting different sexual orientations helps draw away from this. – snlipkin9 years ago
It would be helpful to distinguish between increasingly sexualized visuals (particularly of female characters), such as in Tomb Raider, Soul Caliber, etc., and the way that sexuality has become part of the game play in many RPGs, such as Fable and Grand Theft Auto. – JLaurenceCohen9 years ago
I'm of the opinion that not every game needs to have lgbt characters, and just throwing them in there out of a sense of needing to do it doesn't really help. Sure in an open world game like Skyrim it works because of the blank slate character, but by every game just having the option kinda dampens the importance of these relationships. – brady6729 years ago
I really feel that regardless of orientation, sexual intimacy is something tragically underexplored in games. Bioware has made a lot of progress in bringing romantic and tasteful sexual content to games, but even then it's usually just the reward for a series of character interactions and then it goes to a second of buttshot and then a fade to black. The only games that I think really actually deals with the complexity of a sexual relationship in a well developed way is Catherine. Romance options have become such a popular mechanic in both eastern and western games, it strikes me that more effort hasn't been taken to develop mechanics and gameplay based on actually being in and maintaining a relationship, not just dialogue trees to seduce a character. – MattHotaling9 years ago
We've all seen those feel-good viral video's of people finding someone in need and through various means helping to turn their life around. These stories gained popularity and were quickly spread across the web, inspiring others to do the same. I find myself wondering if the people who publicize these processes are really doing it from the kindness of their heart, or merely to gain popularity via social media. If social media didn't exist would the same people perform random acts of kindness without ever seeking accreditation? Is it truly kindness, or just trending?
I feel for the most part, people who do the kinds of things on Youtube generally want to help other people. If they just wanted to get popular on the internet, there are a billion other ways they could do it. With that said, you bring up an interesting point in would these nice people go to these extremes to be nice to other people if it was not for youtube? It may not be to gain more viewers, but instead to show how being kind brings out the best in other people. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
Another thing to think about: Does it matter? An act that helps someone still helps someone regardless of the intention. Forced community service still helps people, etc. So maybe it's a good thing anyway?
– Tatijana9 years ago
This is an interesting topic. In all honesty, I find that it's really hard to judge the intentions of the people performing the acts of kindness. How will we ever know what was going through their heads? It might be difficult to plot out an article that isn't too opinionated. However, it's still an intriguing topic, so maybe someone would be able to find a way to make this idea work. I'm looking forward to seeing if and what someone will do with this topic! – Dominic Sceski9 years ago
In 2014, there was a viral trend called RAKnominations (Random Acts of Kindness), in which a person would record themselves doing a nice deed for someone and then nominate a few others to do the same. On the topic of YouTubers doing nice things for others, you can also explore people doing kind things just because they're nominated. Would they still do it without the nomination? (Although that all depends on the person.) – YsabelGo9 years ago
The Project 4 Awesome is a wonderful YouTube based fundraiser that happens every year. People create videos about their favorite charities and people donate. It connects the YouTube community as well as give back. This shoes YouTube can be a place for compassion and giving. – mramsden2529 years ago
In these modern times we have seen changes to the video game industry toward a more acceptance of females. We now hear of female gamers, female main characters in games, and even professional female gamer teams. But have we really accepted females completely into the gamer community for who they are? Even with all these changes we still see females being harassed online, or judged on their gaming skills by being a female. I think it would be interesting to write this topic from both or either sides and discuss whether you think the gamer community has embraced or rejected female gamers.
It's a good topic, but one that might be a little too controversial. It'd be hard to find someone who could write this without bias (there was even bias in your topic). Assuming someone could actually write it properly, it'd be a massive undertaking research-wise when there's very little hard or even soft data. – jwiderski9 years ago
You could also branch out into females in the game development industry. I don't think women can fully be accepted into gaming until women are in the industry making games for women!c – Tatijana9 years ago
I think if you phrase the title differently and expand the gender split in other mediums, like video games and anime this is a worthwhile topic. The Anime News Network Podcast had an episode on sexism which covers this quite well, including differences between the anime fandom and other mediums. It might be a useful reference to look at. – Jordan9 years ago
I think the language of your topic suggestion already answers the question: if women are being harassed and generally held to a higher or double standard, then women have (not necessarily been rejected) not been embraced yet by the "gamer community." Is there another way to approach this issue? Maybe write an article about steps that can be taken to further include and respect women in said community? – Cmandra9 years ago
It is tempting to write a historical fiction from the point of view from the famous figures of the era. Many fictions wrote Napoleon, Elizabeth I, or Alexander the Great as the protagonists with their own voices. However, this poses danger of simplifying/glorifying/vilifying the figures and bend the historical details. For example, the author writing Napoleon as the heroic figure might purposefully ignore his atrocities in Haiti or other blunders, or even try to glorify his vices.
Some authors find it restricting to write on well-known figure so they create new characters or take on lesser known characters. Hitoshi Iwaaki, the manga artist who created The Parasite, had Eumenes, Alexander the Great's secretary, as the main character of his historical comics "Historie". This provides more liberty for the author but may not attract readers' attention or place himself in dangerous paradox by making supposedly "obscure" figures too good – if such a significant person had lived, why did historians fail to recognize them?
But which type of protagonist can provide more entertainment? What would be the good model to follow?
Which type of protagonist can provide more entertainment: famous, infamous, or non-famous? Which would be the best model to follow?
It is the author's responsibility to be very diligent about their research and fact checking in either case. Period. At that point, I think it mainly depends on what point the author is trying to get across. Maybe they want to justify or show a different side of a famous person in which case it may make more sense to use the famous person. But if they want a little bit more freedom, then yes it'd make more sense to use someone less famous. And if the writer isn't really concerned with history as much as the characters, maybe they don't really care about the facts and therefore need to toe a line between being believable and interesting. – Tatijana9 years ago
This is interesting! Comparing the portrayal of famous historical figures could be helpful for this topic; you could look at how widely they vary. I imagine that major historical figures may attract a wider audience, but I think that the fact that it's "fiction" would have to be taken into account. I imagine that each interpretation on the facts is entirely different from another.
The interesting thing about an original character would be that we don't know the outcome; there is a sense of mystery as a reader as to the character's fate, whereas we go in knowing the fate of a historical figure. In that sense, I think you could make an argument for both types of historical novel being the best model. – laurakej9 years ago
As a staff member of my University's Newspaper, I have come to the conclusion that typical, straight news articles should no longer exist. Especially in a young adult environment, straight forward articles with no personality or something to grab you, are not something people reach for and that is heavily affecting people's knowledge about the world around them. Basically what I'm saying is that so many more students COULD be reading our publication but we don't give them a reason to. I love print journalism and I think more people should too.
This article could almost be a letter to newspapers, and remind journalists that they are telling a story, and not listing off facts. All of the most popular publications, such as Vice, talk about hard hitting news but through a fascinating and unique perspective. I think this also affects the quality of journalists we have as a society– as time progresses, journalists are taught simply to meet deadlines and get the news out there; which is important for television news because of it's immediacy. That extra night or so should be taken to their advantage– make print journalism popular again and give people a reason to read.
I like this topic a lot but be careful with the 'letter' format. You can be personal but in still objective and formal, in a 'journalisitic' way if you know what I mean. No first person narrative and blogging style so it can fit with the rest of the articles on the platform :) – Rachel Elfassy Bitoun9 years ago
I'm interested in seeing something like this, but I have two concerns. The first is that this doesn't seem like the sort of article normally published on The Artifice, considering it is more like an op-ed or manifesto than an info-popular article, and neither of those are what the Artifice normally publishes. Secondly, the premise is a little faulty, as "straight news" has rarely, if ever, been successful. Famous news personalities are just that: personalities. Walter Cronkite didn't just read the teleprompter, he made families trust him. Chris Evans isn't popular because of what he writes, but how he writes it. As such, I must unfortunately disagree with this topic. – Christopher Vance9 years ago
I think well written articles don't always need fluff. Part of an article being well written is that it should be able to present facts and allow you to come to your own conclusion. Adding a voice, generally adds a bias or personal view. I think both types of writing have their own purpose and place. – Tatijana9 years ago
Great topic, I might think about picking it up. I think, while it is necessary to hold on to the roots provided by print journalism, to give this a proactive or timeless element, one should also try to see how print and online journalism can combine to tell stories better. While it is important to historicise the issue, the real problem is that news is told in such a bland way that people begin to experience what is known as "compassion fatigue", where they are shown things which need action in repetitive narratives to the point where they can not be bothered to care anymore. Therefore, whoever wants to take this on, I would recommend not spending too long labouring the point that print journalism needs saving, but rather that journalism overall needs a paradigmatic shift to keep enough people interesting in inciting social change. – Matthew Sims9 years ago
Given that games and technology are never going away, and are only going to get more refined. How will the rising rate of technology have a harmful effect on our youth?
This is an interesting topic. There is an article about whether watching Video Games promotes violence, so I would try to deviate from video games and focus on use of social media. Apparently the literature says there are mixed results on whether it is harmful, so highlighting the deviant opinions would be worthwhile. – Jordan9 years ago
Great topic, what are some examples you see of how technology could be harmful? I would add more questions to lengthen your argument. – emilyinmannyc9 years ago
My biggest issue with video games is the death of creativity in youth. I think that other forms of entertainment force people to think about the morals/issues brought up by a story. While playing games it's often times easy to overlook the stories in order to hurry to the next level or get the best gear. Younger people obsessed with video games become so bored when they are no longer playing them. They seem incapable of inventing ways to stay entertained outside of what's designed by the game industry. – Tatijana9 years ago