Topics

Analyze how changes in technology (rhythm machines, streaming services) and people's changing taste in music have led to the loss of influence rock music (Punk, New Wave, Heavy Metal, Grunge, etc.) had on mainstream pop culture. Also compare the number of new bands signed to major record labels to the number of acts of other genres (Hip-hop, country, folk, etc.) from the early 2000s to the present.

Briefly outline and analyze Netflix original series that have garnered both positive and negative attention from the online LGBT community. Discuss why some series disappointed gay and queer fans, like Voltron: Legendary Defenders and Kiss Me First, and others delighted them, like She-Ra: Princesses of Power, Sens8, and Black Mirror. Potentially discuss whether other streaming services have "hopped on the bandwagon" with gay-friendly shows or have yet to catch up.

Analysis of how the film Legally Blonde stereotypes the leading protagonist Elle Woods as a "dumb blonde". Perhaps look in to how the film attempts to distract from this stereotype yet continues to represent Elle as this character.

Aquaman has been incredibly successful since its release. While many analysts and critics were skeptical of its chances at success, the film has done incredible business, being the repeat number one at the box office for 3-4 weeks. The film is now DC's most successful film overseas and has the potential to be a billion dollar films (sits at around 800 million currently). What qualities or circumstances have helped make Aquaman so successful, compared to the lackluster Justice League (which was both critically and commercially disappointing for many fans and critics).

Orange is the New Black tells stories of corruption, privilege and discrimination in the American criminal justice system. In its most recent season American Horror story tells the story of women rising together and the death of traditional female roles. What is the value or purpose of seeing contemporary issues played back to us in our entertainment? What does this do for us?

With directors like Cronenberg, Lynch, Carpenter body horror emerged as a distinct genre around 70's and 80's where the body was treated as susceptible surface of rupture and deformations. The backbone of science and its possibility of bodily transformations (more than the happy possibility, it was more like "science experiment gone wrong") held the motivation behind the spawning of the genre with films like The Fly, The Re-Animator, Shivers etc. The inspiration behind the genre, to some extent comes from science fiction, and its deployment on the body. To understand the genre of body horror, one has to look at how science fiction films as well as texts treat the human body

"Pinky and the Brain" and "Rocky and Bullwinkle" were two series that often contained subtle and, at times, not so subtle jabs at politics. An example is an episode of "Pinky and the Brain" where the Brain found a Rush Limbaugh record where Limbaugh sings and the Brain is going to use it to "try to takeover the world." There may be other series that can be added to this essay, these are included here as examples. The broader theme is that political satire can be found weaving itself through several animation series. An essay can address the writers and what they said. In addition, did viewers pick up on the satire? Did the satire reach beyond the viewers? So, several issues, perhaps others, can be addressed in a well-developed essay.

While gothic literature and horror are separate genres, the two share a connection in inducing similar emotions of fear and thus often overlap with each other. Explore both genres in relation to each other, such as the genres' similarities and differences. How has earlier gothic literature novels influenced later works of horror?

Some gothic literature works that an be focused on is The Castle of Otranto, Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Mysteries of Udolpho. The popularity of Stephen King's works in both literature and film in addition to the great amount of praise Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House received can also be other points of interest for this topic.

Explore the way directors like Peter Jackson or Rob Zombie have made remakes of films that inspired them in the past (like King Kong and Halloween respectively), and discuss what might happen if this became as prevalent of a trend in literature. What if Stephen King rewrote The Lord of the Rings? Or Chuck Palahniuk rewrote The Great Gatsby? Why do film directors get this creative urge while authors seemingly don't?

In films and TV shows, ranging from 'The Godfather' to 'Peakey Blinders', gangsters are almost always depicted sympathetically. They're the heroes, the people we root for. It doesn't matter how many people they kill, we see them as being justified. But why do we look at them so favourably? It's not as simple as them being the focal point. What almost every gangster film or TV show does is show the excitement and glamour of their lives, often against a bleak backdrop. 'Broadwalk Empire', for instance, is set in the era of prohibition. It's not just that their lives are exciting though. There's this sense that they can do anything, that they have so much power. As much as we might disagree with the violence, the sense that they can do something if someone comes against them is an intoxicating thought. 'The Godfather' perfectly captured the idea of Michael getting payback when someone tried to kill his father. In fact, the whole idea of gangsters as family, whether or not they're related by blood, makes their actions more sympathetic. There's a sense of loyalty between all of them that is heightened because they are always in life or death situations. This in turn makes betrayal, even worse.

Discuss how and why films and TV shows glamorise gangsters.

There seems to be a growing trend in millennial produced cinema and television to take real life experiences and events and bring them to the screen (Girls, Master of None, Mr. Roosevelt, Lady Bird, and more, are based closely on the writer's real life). While many of these works are widely acclaimed, is there a downside to this style of filmmaking? Can we continue to pull out unique insights from films that represent life as we know it? Or is fantasy more effective? What is it about seeing something essentially identical to our lives or our friends/families lives that stands out to us?

My article on post-Weinstein and Social Media has received many compassionate comments, but also a few disparaging ones. When writing it, I knew the reception could be hit-or-miss, as I do speak out and alongside the MeToo campaign. It wasn’t just something the entertainment industry needed, but also greater society.

Certain viewpoints were “don’t turn this into ‘pity the poor men’”, and “women have had to deal with it for ages.” It was hard to advocate for the dissolution of hyper-masculinity, when it was met with “that’s meninist!” Across Australia we’ve had a new campaign of adverts, they’ve been subtle, but powerful. They have spoken out against “boys will be boys” in relation to knocking girls down in the hallway or playground. The child then turns to their parent and says, “so it’s okay for someone to hit me.” The parent is railroaded and comforts their child, “that’s not what I meant.”

When my son receives unwanted attention from a woman (or a man) in power, or is assaulted/harassed in a sexual way; am I to turn to him and say, “that’s a female issue, not a male one.”?

No. Because it was MeToo, not UsToo. It was a powerful campaign meant to be inclusive of all genders, because individuals in the industry were taking advantage of those wanting to progress their career. The truth is, assault and harassment on any spectrum should be defended and a voice given to those who are too frightened to speak up — regardless of gender.

Instead, defending a man’s experiences with sexual assault and harassment meant I inherently believed women are unintelligent. I’m a survivor of such acts, and men have told me stories of theirs after the article was published. Stories of rape in gay culture – loosely tying in with the acts of pedophilia conducted in Hollywood and the disgusting antics of Weinstein.

My views, morals, and compunction to speak for the voiceless has come from the many strong, opinionated, and vivacious women who have been in my life. It is also from them that I’ve learned to be compassionate, retrospective, and open-minded.

Gender is a social construct, but compassion is universal.

Analyze the negative reception of Bayonetta's attire, behavior, in the games she is featured. She is resurfaced as a playable character in the Newest Smash game, and though she is provocatively dressed and mischevious in morals, it can be argued that she is well aware of these qualities and is not being forced to dress this way. Therefore this character isn't a sexist interpretation because the character is aware and okay with who she is. Her appearance represents her expression of self, not a female character with no reason wearing revealing armor.

Grimes has just recently released a new single, "We Appreciate Power," along with an accompanying music video. Analyze the message(s) that Grimes is attempting to send with her lyrics, the aesthetics of the music video, or even the musical influences for the song itself.

It is not as silly as it sounds.
Victorian historical romances are exactly as they titled, they are romance stories set in Victorian England, but are written by modern authors and tend to feature modern sensibilities, such as the right to choices, agency for women, the right to work, but still have aspects of the period such as passivity, manners and gender responsibilities. Urban fantasy are stories set in distinctly urban locales that incorporate the presence of supernatural forces. They also tend to feature strong female leads, moralistic messages and evoke the essence of city life.

The Victorian era was actually the period of the emergence of city literature, with great works by Charles Dickens that captured the new industrial London. It was a period too when superstitious beliefs and the beginning of science-fiction with Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and Robert Louis Stevenson's novella 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.' It was a period that saw much of its literature immersed into the urban. This is a central concern of urban fantasy, and with the suggested supernatural interactions into the city that highlight the anxiety and fear present in the modern city, as captured beautifully in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula,' it is unsurprising that contemporary authors are still so captivated with using this as a setting.

As such a new mash-up genre has emerged that is not yet named but is basically 'Historical Victorian Urban Fantasy Romance' genre – terrible name but a descriptive working title. Key authors in this field have been C. J. Archer with her series 'Glass and Steele,' and 'The Ministry of Curiosities.' Both feature strong female leads that must navigate through the streets of London on a series of adventures, with magics and supernatural forces surrounding them. Another is Colleen Gleason's series 'The Gardella Vampire Hunters,' which focuses on Victoria, the most recent hunter called to hunt the vampires of London and Europe.

This new genre deserves further discussion and a closer examination.

“American Pickers” on the History Channel is fun and enjoyable to watch. The problem, however, is how real is it actually. Reality TV shows need to keep the audience entertained and want them to come back for more, this show is no different. By focusing on this specific show an essay can address staged from real and the impact the show might have on people who begin to believe the stuff they have in a garage, a storage bin, a loft (probably junk they long forgot about) is worth anything of real value. In the case of this show watching people call their stuff “collecting” when it looks more like hoarding can contribute to a good essay.

Every year, Hallmark makes a hefty profit on their Hallmark movies, particularly the Christmas ones. What makes them so popular? They are obviously predictable with recurring actors and events (interrupted kiss, small town preference, fall in love within days,etc) yet people flock to them with enthusiasm.

Analyse and inform why there is such a success in the main characters who are usually supposed to be the "good" guys, but it tends to be better when they have their own flaws as well. Old fiction books and television shows tended to portray the "perfect" protagonist with all virtues. Now, there seems to be more success when it's not always black or white ("bad" vs. "good")

Analyse the impact of the Fast and the Furious film franchise on cinema-going audiences and film buffs worldwide. The continued success of each film at the box office and their potential to rake in millions worldwide as well as the non-stop sequels being released every other year.

Analyze why The Great British Baking Show is so popular everywhere, but perhaps particularly with American audiences. There are tons of memes that look at the difference between various cooking shows. And in general, there are tons of cooking shows today; what's the appeal?