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Questioning the validity of Lena Dunham's opinion through 'Girls'

Following a Nietzschean line of philosophy: one must be deeply engaged in the world on an experiential level to obtain a respected opinion. Struggle is imperative in this process as it develops our own inner identity; through battling against a thing that we hate we become more akin to the things we love. Here I pose the question: is Girls a TV series we should take seriously on issues like gender oppression, sexual assault and racial division? Has the creator Lena Dunham been through enough social struggle to speak for groups that experience daily marginalisation, when she herself may not typically be considered marginalised?

  • What defines the validity of an opinion? I understand that you're using philosophy, but I've always felt an aversion towards having to legitimize one's own take and opinion on certain subjects. Case in point: comments that begin with "as a __," not in an assertion of authority, but in a fear of one's thoughts being invalidated. Who is 'we,' why must 'we' be a hive mind? Can certain people take it seriously, while others won't? Can we stop policing others' opinions n what is and isn't worthy of serious attention? Why is there a bar for 'enough struggle to be taken seriously'? – m-cubed 7 years ago
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  • Given the show's popularity its reasonable to assume that it speaks to a lot of individuals on a close level. Therefore it is informing broader discourse, which is a legitimate standpoint to question the validity of the central opinion as it could be perpetuating more divisions. The show is heavily criticised for its lack of racial depiction and adds to another long, long list of sitcoms that fall into that box. If there aren't standards of struggle for people in power there will be no mechanism of change, the same views will be presented which perpetuates a disparity in our social order. – Iliasbakalla 7 years ago
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  • Again to dispute the commedeia della arte of America, not every fat chick is smarter than you are. – Antonius865 7 years ago
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Empathy versus systems in the work of Wes Anderson

Analyse Wes Anderson's ability to maintain empathy in a highly constructed world of systems and artifice. Investigate the success or lack thereof of film school graduates who mimic Anderson's style: are they able to replicate his empathy as well as his visual technique? See Simon Baron-Cohen's E-S theories.

  • 1. Define "empathy in a highly constructed world of systems and artifice." – T. Palomino 1 year ago
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  • 2. Give yourself a summary of BC ES theories and explain why they are relevant. – T. Palomino 1 year ago
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Persona 5: Forcing a 'Change of Heart' for the cost of 'Free Will'

Persona 5 takes realistic antagonists and uses an unorthodox means to force them…to change them. Heck, early in the game, it was said that this method risks killing the antagonist.

It is a topic that isn't questioned too much deep in game and I thought it would be nice to get that discussion going. Do note the game just came out so the discussion of Persona 5 is limited if anyone wants to add spoilers…which I do think it isn't necessary. In addition, I feel like this discussion could extend any other actions which ultimately is a means to 'force change'.

The general reason the Phantom Thieves are generally accepted as a force of good is because they are mainly fighting back abusers. I would also mention Death Note and how it also had a similar tale of Light, his sense of Justice and his god complex. A bad end in Persona 5 suggests a similar god complex as well.

  • There's a lot going on here, I'd simplify the actual prompt (is it whether or not such an act is moral? justified?) and probably take out the Death Note comparison unless it's the major focus of the entire topic ("Compare Persona 5 and Death Note"); otherwise, it just feels like a semi-unrelated side note. – m-cubed 7 years ago
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  • I feel like such a topic can lead into 'whether forceful acts are moral' using Persona 5 and Death Note (and other stories) an overarching theme for discussion. – plumbunnies 7 years ago
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Should we judge remakes based off the original?

With the release of the live-action version of the popular anime based off a popular manga, and the negative reviews already flooding out, should we judge remakes off originals, treat them separately, or perhaps a little bit of both?

  • You could expand your suggestion for this topic to include a few examples (I'm sure you must have one or two in mind) and perhaps also include references to any particular genre (or genres), as we can't really place all anime features based on mangas in the same basket. One size doesn't necessarily fit all. It would also be worth considering what a live action remake might bring to the original story and whether some elements might indeed work better in a live action setting. There's also the sensitive subject of 'whitewashing' characters for a Western audience, such as Scarlett Johansson's casting as Major Kusanagi in the recent (and in my opinion, very poor) live action remake of G.I.T.S.. Compare this to the casting of Mana Ashida in the live action remake of 'Usagi Drop' (2011), which had been deliberately adapted to remove certain questionable elements in the original manga story. I mention these two remakes (or adaptations) particularly for the different approaches used by their directors - the former was heavilly scripted, whereas the latter had a loose script that permitted a certain amount of experimentation and ad-libbing from the actors, creating a more natural feel to the developing relationships. – Amyus 7 years ago
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  • I'm not sure if this is a case of "should we." People are going to judge remakes by originals, adaptations by books, and so on. It's human nature. I think the actual question, as you mentioned here, is *how* to best judge. – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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  • I think I agree a lot with Stephanie. My main focus for this question I posed revolved around the idea that people deliberately shy away from remakes if they are fans of the original. Different art forms allow for very different ways of telling stories, and I think a lot of the time (if not nearly all), remakes do do a poor job of retelling stories due to not finding the right balance of keeping original content and creating new content. Is it up to the audience to be open to new ideas in an already created universe or up to the creators to develop and expand on that same universe. – Zoinks 7 years ago
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  • We should because that is what it is based on. There are a lot of movies who do sequels and cant follow the original movie because of copyright laws. They should name it something different. – seniorhomecare 7 years ago
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  • I think for a viewer, it comes down to how they watch a film/show. Some people might not be familiar with the original property and will be unbiased going in while others who have seen it will have an expectation (maybe they want to see something that aligns with the original or a new take on it). I think for the viewer it's all subjective. For the creator of the new property, they need to know going in that this is a known story with strong supporters so justice needs to be done to the material (whether they take it in a new direction or not). I think this is most successful when the new creator has a connection with the source material, so they are the best one to be in the driver's seat. – jonj 7 years ago
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  • I believe that remakes should be compared to their originals to answer the fundamental question of "Is this necessary?' For instance, a remake can (and often times should) be poorly received if it simply repeats the same beats, messages, tropes, etc. as the original without adding anything new to the conversation or reducing the impact of the original's intent. – Ian Miculan 7 years ago
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Loving Vincent

The new movie "Loving Vincent" is a celebration of Van Gogh's life. Write about the film that made history as the first fully painted feature film as an international effort.

  • By sheer coincidence I happened to acquire a copy of this film recently and watched it this evening. 'Loving Vincent' is a thing of beauty and an astounding project to undertake. I can only imagine the technical difficulties those involved had to overcome, but the end result is well worth the time and effort. Perhaps the only suggestion I could add to your topic suggestion is to also look at the artists involved in the film making and how they approached the subject matter, what research they did and what insight they (hopefully) gained into the art of Vincent Van Gogh. – Amyus 7 years ago
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A History of the Snap Zoom

Also known as "whip zoom" or "crash zoom", this is a cinematic technique where the camera rapidly zooms in on an object for dramatic effect. In modern cinema it can be seen in the works of both Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino – the former using it as a form of comedic irony, and the latter using it as part of his homages to older cinema. That being said, the snap zoom can also be seen as a classic trope in westerns and kung fu films as well as horror movies. This article would be a historical overview of the snap zoom; its origin, its place in different genres (i.e. the potential difference between a "western" snap zoom and a "kung fu" or a "horror" one), and perhaps how it has evolved from a simple camera technique to such a stylistic stamp.

  • A fascinating suggestion, even if somewhat specialised. Nice one! You have my vote. – Amyus 7 years ago
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Will Virtual Reality Impact Tourism?

Visiting foreign countries can truly change peoples lives. Whether its rural folk seeing thriving metropolises or hot climate citizens witnessing snow for the first time, being in a new environment can take your breath away. The use of graphics in gaming has skyrocketed. From the revolution of Pong 40 years ago, blades of grass and drops of rain have become routine for triple AAA titles. If we can imagine the difference in graphics rendering in 40 years, will a $100-$200 VR headset rival the thousands we spend on flights and accomodation overseas? If we could graphically render a building twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower, why go see the Eiffel Tower? Could virtual reality be a substitute, or threat, to global tourism?

  • Hasn't this been happening since the mid-2000s? – T. Palomino 10 months ago
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Viral Videos and Heroic Acts

Sharing viral videos of heroic acts seems to be a double-edged sword. On one side are those who argue that sharing videos of heroic acts encourages others to do the same, and reminds our world that “good deeds” and “good doers” still exist. On the other side are those who argue that publicly sharing heroic acts is not in fact heroic, and that it is done for attention. Some critics even claim that some of these heroic acts are staged.

Analyze our culture’s attitude toward heroic acts. Consider the arguments on both sides, and the truth and facts behind these arguments. Also consider the celebrity-ism behind viral videos. Individual such as Antoine Dodson (“Hide yo kids/hide yo wife”) and Kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker, not only became well-known for their interesting personalities and rather funny news interviews, but because of the “remixes” that their videos inspired. What can be said about our culture turning heroic acts into laughable, light-hearted memes?

Last, consider the way technology affects these heroic acts and the attitudes of people on both sides of the argument. For example, prior to the social media and viral video revolution, heroic acts were often shared through mediums such as newspaper and word-of-mouth. How has our culture’s attitude changed in this regard?

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    The FOX and the Mouse: What does it mean for movies?

    When Disney announced their intent to acquire a large chunk of 21st Century Fox on December 14, cinephiles and television enthusiasts alike released a harmonious d'oh! Although the deal could take more than a year to close (if regulators approve), I think we are all left wondering what this merger could mean for the future of media consumption. Domestic box office attendance in 2017 is reported to have been the lowest in 25 years. With Disney simultaneously planning their own streaming service, could this merger signal the death of theatre going as we know it?

    • The death of cinema has long been predicted. Perhaps with digital media, the demise of movies can be expected. This topic is timely. – Munjeera 7 years ago
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    • Definitely interested to see what the writer comes up with, not only in terms of how the merger will affect cinema, but how it will affect both companies and their fans. I'm already seeing memes, comments, and so forth rejoicing over the fact that Anastasia could be considered an official Disney princess, for one. I see some potential new fandoms and fan culture popping up here. – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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    • If Anastasia becomes a Disney princess, so should Esmerelda from Hunchback. But I digress... – Munjeera 7 years ago
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    • Digress all you want; she is my favorite honorary princess and I agree, she should be made official. – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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    • Perhaps also talk about the Murdoch empire and their recent run in with regulatory authorities in England. – derBruderspielt 7 years ago
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    Anime: Misconception of Anime

    Generally the purpose of Anime is for Entertaintment. However it can be viewed negatively as well. As most generic anime would include things like Harem, hentai (where women can be viewed as objectified), violence, etc.

    But there are those animes that actually do give good life lessons and touch on subjects are a social problem.i.e one piece touches on racism in episode 568 when jinbei did a blood transplant there is also things like you cant be on top alone (nakama) as we live in an interrelated world to be successful we need people who are smart around us as we alone cannot do everything by ourselves.

    What are other anime that has good life lessons that should be highlighted to address the negativity about anime?

    • The fact that a small minority of anime series enter Western culture, has had a significant impact on the culture's judgment of the art form. Of the many animes (great and bad) that Japan has produced, only a handful ever get either dubbed or subbed for Western audiences, and of those handful, even fewer can any traction to become mainstream cable shows. The difference between Eastern culture in filmography and Western culture in a general sense also makes it hard to bridge the gap between ignorance and appreciation. The negativity about anime is surrounded by the exposure of the internet to the extremities of some absurd animes, which have become the scapegoats for many Western societies. – Gliese436B 7 years ago
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    • An interesting topic suggestion indeed and perhaps it's about time we in the West 'grew up' when it comes to stereotypical views about anime. As for your request for examples of anime that '...has good life lessons that should be highlighted...' I would propose the excellent 'Mousou Dairinin (English title: Paranoia Agent)' from 2004. The one and only series devised by the one and only; and sorely missed, late Satoshi Kon. An superb example of social paranoia and social responsibility. Funny and dramatic in turn and well worth viewing. – Amyus 7 years ago
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    Do Late Night Hosts Have a Responsibility to be Political?

    The past two years completely changed the way society speaks about politics. It seems everyone was speaking about anything that came out of the previous campaign. The country was divided and conversations of all human rights were lit on fire.

    The way the media was involved was unlike any political campaign. Local news stations and early morning shows recapped the day before like they always do. However, late night hosts took on a new role. While maintaining their comedy, the usual carefree atmosphere was unavoidably influenced by the stressful political world. Some late night hosts took advantage of it, others did not. Do you believe it is there responsibility to speak on the changing politics?

    • Certainly a timely topic. A lot has already been written about this; some articles that the prospective author might be interested in looking over include: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/opinions/trump-thanksgiving-late-night-comedy-obeidallah-opinion/index.html ; https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/05/how-late-night-comedy-alienated-conservatives-made-liberals-smug-and-fueled-the-rise-of-trump/521472/ ; https://www.vox.com/2017/4/3/15163170/strikethrough-comedians-satire-trump-misinformation ; https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/how-trumps-win-is-changing-stand-up-comedy-w455263 ; https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/23/how-jokes-won-the-election ; https://www.gq.com/story/stand-up-comedy-in-donald-trumps-america ; https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/nov/08/donald-trump-comedians-parody-satire ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/07/13/is-trump-good-for-comedy-comedians-respond/?utm_term=.04a692c12aee ; http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/11/how-jon-stewart-and-the-daily-show-elected-donald-trump/ . This is just a small sample of what's out there (and there're quite a few other good ones that I remember reading but was unable to find now), trying to cover a variety of the differing perspectives on this subject. Hope it helps. – ProtoCanon 7 years ago
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    Expanded Literature Universes: Adding Depth or Justifying Exploitation?

    *POTENTIAL SPOILERS* In the wake of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, one of the main negative points that critiques emphasize is the lack of narrative fulfillment. Many plot-arcs and burning questions were either left unanswered or unexplained, priming Disney to release other forms of media, comic books or novel series', to fill the gaps in the film. There is precedent for this technique in the gaming community, with Gears of War 3 introducing characters who were fan-favourites from comic book series' and Destiny including plot-relevant lore to be explored outside of the game and on the game's website. Will this present a negative impact on the way stories are told on different mediums? Are the release of expanded works intended to deepen our appreciation for a universe, or exploitation tactics by greedy content creators? Does exploring different characters and story-lines add depth to a franchise, or allow it to short-cut the narrative process?

    • First off interesting topic. Need to change the title - these are not literature universes, perhaps pop-culture or cinematic? Depending on how you want to narrow this very large question down. In relation to the question I think you would have to take into account merchandising and one avenue might be to look at the original merchandising deals from SW that made Lucas so rich, added to this is Disney's main money makers are not their movies but all the related sales iconography, which to me is the single reason we have new SW movies, because it definitely wasn't because anyone had written a decent script (gripe, gripe). I think this is a conversation worth having. – SaraiMW 7 years ago
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    What are the reasons the readers have stopped following a manga?

    There are a couple reasons why people stopped. For example, there are a few series that have spanned years and it looks like they are nowhere near completion. The characters are essentially just one or two age older than when they started but the readers have aged a bit. People eventually find the story boring or lost track of the development.

    • I definitely agree that this is a phenomenon happening currently... it could also be interesting to include an analysis of manga that people have stuck with, and reasons why readers made the decision to stick with those manga, even though many of these also took years to complete (Naruto or One Piece, for example). – ees 7 years ago
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    Eminem's Star Image in 8 Mile

    How is Eminem's star image and musical identity translated, conveyed, continued and affirmed in the semi-biographic film 8 Mile. How is his position as a white rapper in a black musical form negotiated to give him authenticity and credibility more generally?

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      The Night of the Living Dead: Birth of the B Movie

      Night of the Living Dead sparked a whole range of films that are trying to be 'so good that they are bad'. It would make a really interesting article to have a detailed backstory of how the film, and more importantly the culture behind the film, came to be.

      • It is one of the most haunted movies of all time. I watch both of the parts of this movie and likes the second one. – sarahharvey 7 years ago
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      Will Always-Online Games Detriment Gamers?

      Modern console's use of the internet in gaming has allowed some games to only be allowed to be played online. One example, is the incredibly popular For Honor, a hack and slash phenomenom. As popular as this game is, what is to stop Ubisoft from shutting off the servers if a sequel is announced, to force gamers to purchase the sequel? Many classic games suffer from eventual server closing, EA's underrated Lord of the Rings: Conquest is an example. Are gaming developers giving themselves too much power over consumers by forcing games to be mandatorily online?

      • This is definitely worth exploring. I, for one, do not play multiplayer games (at all), so I never have to worry about the always-online nonsense. I can simply pop in my disc of Uncharted 4 and go for it without a care in the world. It certainly seems like a bully move for a company to require a constant internet connection to play their game, even the single-player campaign (as is the case with "For Honor"). It also runs the risk of alienating fans who don't want, or even can't have, a constant online connection to their console. There's also the chance of servers going down and internet connections timing out. I guess you just can't play your SP campaign in the meantime while you wait for the Ubisoft servers or Comcast to get their stuff together, which is highly frustrating. – Christina Legler 7 years ago
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      Is Learning Another Language a Waste of Time?

      Some say that being able to speak another language allows you to process your native language better and increases memory. Others say that the existence of translators already, and the rise of artificial translators are making this knowledge redundant. Some that learning another language is a trivial hobby unless you intend to live in the country of the language they speak. Is it worth the time and brainpower? Should some languages be prioritized over others? What is the worth of a second language?

      • Absolutely not. In my experience, there is nothing more valuable than learning another language. According to the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, the language influences your thoughts and cognitive processes. I know learning a second and third language has made me very aware of how the hypothesis can be true – pennypun 7 years ago
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      • The politics of language learning is all about lingua franca. It may be worth looking at how economics affect language learning, specifically ESL. – Munjeera 7 years ago
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      • Interesting thought, but I'm honestly not sure that in our global society, you're going to find a lot of people who eloquently argue that learning a second language is a waste of time. *However*, some ways of learning definitely work better than others, and I can see discussing and comparing those. – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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      • There is a saying, which I paraphrase here: "To understand a man you must walk a mile in his shoes". Much the same can be said about learning another language for it acts as a gateway into another culture as well helping to develop one's own cognitive capacity. For me, the sheer delight of being able to watch a film in its native language and catch those nuances of speech so often excised by clumsy subtitles or mangled by a poor quality dub, is beyond comparison. – Amyus 7 years ago
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      • It would also be worth considering the body of research around the cognitive effects of bilingualism, especially in how it may influence ageing. – BarryMW 7 years ago
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      The influence of Lupin III on Cowboy Bebop

      The 1998 anime classic Cowboy Bebop is a mishmash of various genres, media references, cultures and ethnicities – but one of its more prominent influences is Lupin III. Director Shinichiro Watanabe is an outspoken Lupin III fan, and it's apparent how his fandom seeped into his directorial debut not least in terms of its ensemble cast. This article would look at how Lupin III influenced Cowboy Bebop (similarities/dissimilarities), as well as how these influences were repurposed for Cowboy Bebop's own narrative.

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        Kehinde Wiley and the Presidential Portrait

        Barack Obama recently selected Kehinde Wiley to paint his official portrait. Consider how Wiley's works compare with those of other presidential portrait artists. In what ways can we consider Wiley's work to be in a continuum with other presidential portrait artists? How can we anticipate his work will diverge from the traditions of presidential portraiture?

        • I think you have a great topic here. It's specific and being posted at a great time. I am excited to read this one. Everything about the Obama Administration was about change and creating new ground for future generations to stand on. Having his presidential portrait created should be no different. His portrait will define what America is, so comparing Obama's portrait to those before him is important. I also think looking at his legacy to the changing art industry may be interesting. – Emily 7 years ago
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        Adrienne Kennedy's "Funnyhouse of a Negro" and the Importance of Absurdist Theater

        Analyse the usage of absurdist elements in Adrienne Kennedy's "Funnyhouse of a Negro" and how they functioned in the course of the play.

        • I would add for whoever picks this up to analyze the "importance" of the use of absurdist theatre in Funnyhouse rather than just "analyze" it. There is a very specific political reason African American theatre of this time, utilizes absurdism. Whoever writes this will likely need to provide background on absurdism, the Black Arts Movement and Kennedy's relationship with that movment. Also taking a look at Kennedy's other works provides insights into how she specifically uses it. Looking forward to reading this. I hope someone picks this up. – Christen Mandracchia 7 years ago
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