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Should the implied racism in texts such as Jane Eyre be addressed by readers and schools (who study it), like in Joseph Conrad's work, or ignored as a product of its time?

In both the world of television and movie old classics (whether it be movie to movie adaptations, movie to TV, or literature to movie) have been given a new breath of life. Some of these reboots have been successful such as Riverdale, Lethal Weapon, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, 90210 and Pretty Little Liars, Star Trek, Chris Nolan's Batman Trilogy. While others have not been so successful such as Baywatch, Knight Rider, Charlie's Angels, Power Rangers, Robocop, Fantastic Four, TMNT. Why is that some of these Television and Movie reboots fair better than others and what could've been done to turn the not so successful into a success.

Hell on Wheels (2016) with Colm Meaney and Deadwood (2006) with Timothy Olyphant represent a scattering of western shows over the past decade or so. In the year 1959, for example, there was Rawhide (with Clint Eastwood), The Californians (with Richard Coogan), The Rifleman (with Chuck Connors) and Bonanza (with Lorne Greene) and several more. What changes have taken place to reflect greater sensitivity to issues that were not always addressed in earlier Westerns? Is it possible to say that more recent TV Westerns have improved upon earlier ones? If so, in what ways?

Blizzard has just unveiled it's latest addition to their line-up of heroes in Overwatch: a hyper-intelligent hamster in a mechanized hamster ball. Yes, you read that correctly.

We have had robots, animals, people, and people in mech-suits in Overwatch before: but this takes it to the next level. Hammond's design and in-game iabilities are unlike any other heroes and he brings something entirely new to the table. Hammond rolls up into a ball, and rolls around the stage at high speeds – and uses a grappling hook to attach onto the environment to become a sentient "Wrecking Ball." The way this character uses the environment and the in-game physics engine is fun and new in so many ways – but has it gone too far?

The problem with characters/abilities who interact with environments and physics in multiplayer games is that it almost always leads to glitches and exploits. Look at Symmetra and Mei for example who create stage hazards which have been known to cause all kinds of glitches and exploits (the ice wall and teleporter glitches).

Is this character's unique toolkit an asset that helps Hammond stand apart from the rest – or is it just going to be a glitchy balancing nightmare as we all try to avoid a giant swinging ball on the pillars of KOTH maps like Numbani and Lijiang Towers?

It is no surprise that time travel has been used in so many films. The use of time travel in film, as well as in television and books, has allowed for interesting scenarios for characters. It is also a means for the protagonist to gain a second chance or prevent a horrific event from happening.For example, X-Men: Days of Future Past uses time travel in this way. The writers used time travel not only for the benefit of the characters, but also for the writers themselves. They were able to change everything from the previous films just by this one plot device. While the film was a hit, and many fans welcomed the changes caused by the film, others argued that it could lower the stakes in other films in the franchise. If something horrible happens in a film, and time travel is force existing in the film's universe, then the protagonist can go back in time as a means to prevent the event from happening. But does this create more complications?

As an avid language-learner myself, I often question why my peers are so disinterested in the art of learning a foreign language. From beginning my secondary school it was complusory to learn either French or Spanish for the first two years. After that we were given an option to continue the course or drop it … many of who dropped.

Despite being British, I believe that the majority of native English speakers are quite lazy and closed to the idea of learning another language seeing as English is the most popular language to learn as a second language. Therefore I open this topic: should it be compulsory for young children (mainly in English-speaking countries) to be continuously taught a different language until their education is complete or should there still be choice in whether they continue or stop?

Both options offer positives and negatives, but which has more that can sustainably affect the development of the future generations' prospects and opportunities?

The 90'c classic 'Clueless' is one of my favourite re-watchable movies. However, the more I watch it, the more questions I have regarding the plot. What was the point – was it to follow Tai's journey to a new school, was it to follow Cher's love life, was it to watch Mr Hall and Ms Geist's romance blossom? The multiple storylines aren't overly complicated and all seem resolved in the end, but it just leaves me wondering. I doubt I'm putting too much thought into a movie that can blame this mess on being out-dated, as we saw Iggy Azalea's imitation of the film in her 'Fancy' film clip in 2014 and the world was shocked by the film's Brittany Murphy's 2009 death. Was this simply the style of a fun 90's film, or for that matter the comedy genre – to fill it with multiple storylines in order to keep it fun, light and entertaining? And if so, why is this plot-messy classic the one we still remember today?

Look at how GMs in Real-Play RPG podcasts go about presenting their long-term narratives. Do they present a sandbox world and let the players improvise? Do they railroad to hit more traditional story beats for the listeners? What's most effective?

FOX has released several live versions of musicals, most recently tackling Jesus Christ Superstar. They have previously opted to do Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, and others. Fans of these shows have offered mix reviews and criticism, including being dissatisfied with editing the tone and content of the shows. Why do these live, for-TV musicals continue to be made? Why are they not being met with the success and acclaim of their theatre counterparts?

Since the inception of video games, a pervasive mythos has been established that video games are not only addictive but are also destructive to ones psyche, health and life. However, we need to be able to shift through gaming fact over gaming fiction. Through an analysis of the literature on gaming addictiveness to exploring new insights into the benefits of gaming, this article will attempt to provide some answers on how problematic gaming addiction is in modern society.

'In Xanadu did Kubla Khan. A stately pleasure-dome decree…'. It's said that Samuel Taylor Coleridge composed his classic poem whilst under the influence of Laudanum (an alcoholic tincture of Opium). Similarly such great names as Bram Stoker, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron had ongoing 'relationships' with the same. What was once considered acceptable behaviour amongst the creative is now legislated against, often for good reason, but many of us today start our daily routine with our drug of choice, i.e. coffee. Narcotics have had a profound influence on the creative mind across the centuries and will, no doubt, continue to do so in the future. Consider why the creative mind sometimes requires or even craves external stimulus and why we are frequently willing to ignore drug usage among the creative when enjoying the fruits of their labour.

Recently, the producers of 'Solo' announced that the character of Lando, played by Donald Glover, is pansexual. However, this is never explicit in the film and certainly, the word 'pansexual' is never said. The LGBTIQ community has responded to this with much criticism, arguing that this doesn't count as proper representation because not everyone who watches this film will pick up on Lando's queerness and as such, not everyone will be able to relate to him in this way. This is very similar to the controversy surrounding JK Rowling announcing that Dumbledore is gay, even though it is never clear in the Harry Potter books and even though the producers of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them have said that they are going to erase this part of Dumbledore's character. This then raises the question of what is 'representation' and what is good or harmful 'representation'?

Those who watched Obama's Nelson Mandela Lecture (17/07/18) on YouTube may have noticed the added dimension of an adjacent comment section scrolling in real-time alongside the event — the medium being the message, and all that rot. One thing that I could not help noticing among the barrage of nonsense assaulting my peripheral vision was the frequency of comments saying something to the effect of "Wakanada forever," "Is this Wakanda?," or even just the single word, "WAKANDA." Evidently, the mere presence of an African setting is enough to be immediately equated with Black Panther's residual impact on the popular imagination's impression of the entire continent.

Though it may be difficult to discern whether this is the result of true malice or simple ignorance, there is certainly something to be said about the co-opting of the fictional nation to become a vehicle for such regressive discourse. Given that Black Panther has been unilaterally received as a moment of progress for African American filmmaking and Black culture in general, attention must also be given the unfortunate consequences of its omnipresence, particularly as it has been received by white (and especially conservative) audiences throughout the West.

This article should examine the subtle process by which the film's iconography has acquired these less-than-favourable connotations, and what that may mean for its continued existence in this highly fractured media landscape. Does this fallout in any way negate the film's thematic emphases on the legacy of colonialism and globalization vs. isolationism? In a real-world political climate wherein an American president refers to Africa as being comprised of "shit-hole countries," does the mass exposure received by a fictional Afro-Futurist utopia serve as a genuine antidote to these misconceptions? Where is the line between empowerment and sophistry? What impact might this cross-pollination between popular culture and current politics have on the advancement of the latter, as Obama's lecture was undeniably meant to represent?

Much has been written about the death of news both local and global prompted by the shockingly sudden shutdown of local news websites. The popularity of print media is also in question nowadays contributing to this debate. Is the news still relevant? With Social Media playing a great impact in how news is now perceived and with influencers dictating public opinion is there still any value in having the news reported to the public through a lens. Think of betoota advocate who many follow on instagram, or channel 10s the project, we are still getting relevant news but in a much more entertaining way and apparent to societies wants & needs. How do you want to keep up with the news? You decide.

As our world is becoming more socially digitized and interactive, it is undeniable that fandoms have become important aspect in keeping franchises alive, but how important has fan influence become? Transmedia is a growing technic narrators’ in franchises have begun to use in which a single story is told across multiple platforms and adaptations. Although transmedia’s rise through social media and influence have been covered in a few topics and articles on the artifice before, how has fan fiction influenced transmedia storytelling?

Examples may include looking into fanon versus canon and instances where a highly popular canon has become fanon (such as Matt’s appearance in the anime Death Note). Another important aspect to look into is the “Boba Fett Phenomenon” where a side character becomes so wildly popular within the fandom that a franchise is forced to give them a backstory and more character development.

Although I struggled to find a source for this, I remember my Digital Media professor once discussed that there was a scandal in the Dr. Who fandom where a popular fanfiction actually guessed the fate of the current season. The fan who had written the story was sworn to secrecy or told to change their story (can’t recall exactly…) as to preserve the integrity of the show. Regardless, I think this is another example where fan fiction was integrated as an unauthorized expansion within a universe (and therefore has become a piece of transmedia storytelling).

A great theorist for transmedia and fan fiction is Dr. Henry Jenkins.

It started in America with Childish Gambino’s “This is America” hit. It was a controversial music video saturated with modern issues for black Americans.

However now there are two other “This is” videos coming from Nigeria and Iraq. Let’s explore the significance of these three videos. The major theme that can be gathered from Gambino’s video is the way media attention diverts is from the truth. How does this theme carry over into these other videos?

The last several years have seen a major explosion of popularity for competitive gaming, with games like League of Legends, Fortnite, Counter Strike:GO to name a few. Millions are poured into this industry as it is a new market and it seems to be a good enough investment that the Houston Rockets (NBA Team) have a LoL team in North America. As competitive gaming continues to grow and tap into new potential, will competitive gaming be mainstream or will it remain in its own sphere.

I know for myself, I watch maybe two or three shows on cable. The majority of content I watch is either on Netflix or YouTube. With everyone gathering their own streaming services now (Disney working on its own, CBS All Access, YouTube Red etc), it is not hard to see that this is where the future is heading. My film professor once told me that soon, cable will be phased out and replaced with each individual television network having its own subscription service, which would essentially be more expensive than cable. How can that be combated when subscription based streaming is super popular? It is an interesting debate to have.

Is it because they're more human than the traditional hero (see: Captain America, Superman, any character who is Inherently Good and Morally Right). There are studies that have shown that people like to watch/read about characters who are on good moral high ground, that they feel elevated by this. So then, why are characters like Deadpool, Loki, Severus Snape, Robin Hood–even Jack Sparrow–so popular? Are they easier to relate to? Should they be idolized, as may be seen with the more traditional heroes?

Time Travel is a common plot device in fiction. But when it is introduced often the consequences it allows for or the plot twists become redundant or reversed. Are there examples of fiction that does time travel well, such that the impacts aren't made redundant or that it effectively creates isn't there to offer neat ways to resolve unsolvable plot contrivances. In this regard, is there such a thing as 'good' time travel?