Analyse what shaved heads/baldness might mean in relation to power structures in Breaking Bad. Why are so many of the characters in seats of power bald, and what does it mean when both Walt and Jessie shave their heads? How does this theme interact with cancer, arguably the shows most powerful antagonist?
Interesting observation, but one could even take it further to other AMC original series. For example, in S02E03 of The Walking Dead, Shane shaves his head immediately after killing Otis, to cover up where his hair was torn during the struggle. The scene is very reminiscent of Walt shaving his head in S01E06 of Breaking Bad, as both circumstances signify these characters' shifts to the "dark side" (so to speak). – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Interesting point...I would have never thought to connect those dots. – MikeySheff8 years ago
On the other hand, the follically challenged - Walt, Gus, Hank - all died, while the hirsute Jesse and Saul made the cut. – Tigey8 years ago
With a Gilmore Girls and Fuller House reboot on the horizon and a continuation of Arrested Development already completed… it is worth looking into Netflix (or arguably other network's) choices to reboot old shows.
Does this have any connection with the countless rebooted movies (or Disney's rebooted classics)? Is this a general trend in popular media? Why is Netflix perfectly placed to bring back old shows? Is there a market for this sort of television/does it generate enough money to keep warranting it? Also does this trend erode the need for original works? What about nostalgia pandering or nostalgia marketing?
There is a lot you could tackle with this subject and you could easily expand it into the general culture of reboots or focus it in on one Netflix reboot show. Either way, examine the place of these reboots in our social and economic climate.
Certainly a worthwhile topic. Something interesting to address on this subject: this tendency is parodied in season three of BoJack Horseman (which happens to be a Netflix original series) with "Ethan Around" as a clear surrogate for "Fuller House." This coy self-awareness on Netflix's part merit's a place in this discussion. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
This is a great topic in that Netflix has hit the reboot market. Today there is much more creative license than in the past so it makes sense that these successful ideas can be recreated with a fresh updated look. Who was who said there are only 7 stories anyway? Everything is just a variation on the same themes. – Munjeera8 years ago
I think the reboots are a good marketing strategy, I'm sure they're looking at what age groups are now adults that had those shows and movies as children. It's to profit off of nostalgia while also trying to dissuade people from thinking it's childish and old (obvious because now it's new, rebooted and "more mature" most must tell themselves). Honestly I'm sure there's a trend going on right now where if production companies don't tie in to something older and make something completely new the demographic is smaller and less profitable. It'd be neat to see the success of reboots over originals in this climate. – Slaidey8 years ago
Perhaps also exploring the requirements for something to be rebooted, would be helpful for this topic. How successful did a show have to be in it's primed to be considered? What are the parameters for a reboot? I love this idea, particularly as it's so relevant with the reboots that are coming up or rumoured to be coming up. Good luck!
– Abby Wilson8 years ago
Interesting topic. In terms of reboots, I believe that they can be a hit or a miss. I think the big reason why there are so many reboots is because people and Hollywood have simply run out of ideas. This will be an interesting article for whoever goes through with it. – CreativeDreamer8 years ago
Must be a good crop of member-berries this winter... Putting out a reboot is a safe option financially - it's a proven method to attract an already loyal audience and possibly bring in a new one as a bonus. However, I think that Netflix has shown that there is an appetite for clever original works. I know that they don't release them, but it would be really interesting to see what the viewing figures are for the service to see if my claims are justified. – SightUnsound8 years ago
Great topic! IMHO, reboots are shameless nostalgia pandering, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. We loved the old shows, and keep retuning to them, because they're good. I feel like the reboots might cause TV network execs to say to themselves, "Okay, what did those shows do correctly, that we aren't doing anymore?" Reboots don't erode the need for original work, either. If anything they're a jump-off point for new shows that embrace the conventions people like. – Stephanie M.8 years ago
Interesting topic. You might also consider how/why Netflix television shows have become more popular than Netflix movies. Each year, the number of movies on Netflix decreases because less and less people are watching them. Clearly, there is a market for TV shows and perhaps their high demand has something to do with these reboots. – JadeMV8 years ago
The phrase has been used and essays have been written about HOW to read like a writer, but many of the people I've encountered think this theory about breaking down the word choices of an author is 'looking for something that isn't there'. An article explaining the use of rhetoric and manipulation of the reader through writing would be an interesting read and shows the practical application to people who would otherwise dismiss the theory.
This is an extremely interesting topic....I tell my students to attempt to 'model' their writing after a particular article/essay/short story, etc., that left an impression on them. This is really referred to as reader response theory, and it is a great topic. Sometimes, we as readers and writers, spend too much time analyzing every minute aspect of a writer's intentionality of diction, syntax, theme, symbolism, etc., that we miss the simple pleasure of leisurely reading! – danielle5778 years ago
As an English writing major, this is a concept I deal with various times every week. I think reading like a writer is a genuinely important practice, but I also understand that value in reading for pleasure. Therefore, I think it is imperative to initially read for the sake of reading, and then to reread through the lens of a writer. Especially if you aspire to one day write your own pieces, the importance of understanding your predecessors is astronomical. In order to create your own style of writing, you must first study those who have already branded themselves. Through doing this, you can work with various writing styles, adopt a few as your own, and then adapt them to how you want to tell a story. – Sarah Swanigan8 years ago
I recommend Book Love for your topic by Penny Kittle. Kittle elaborates on the importance of reading. A good reader creates a great writer. Outside of the STEM majors, writing is an essential skill needed to complete college. – authoressalicia8 years ago
I've been asking myself for a long time what made minions from the movie series Despicable Me get so out of hand in merchandise and web presence. With the third movie soon coming out this topic could get a lot of attention. People tend to be in one of two categories: they love minions or they hate them. But, why Minions? There are plenty of slapstick sidekicks in cartoons but none have blown up to quite such proportions. There's a lot of them, they aren't identified as individuals, and they don't talk, but until they became mass-produced cringe inspiring merchandise, they contributed a heartfelt dynamic to the family image in Despicable Me and that's now been forgotten. Did they catch fame so quickly because of their central role in the movie or was it just their slapstick humor that caught people's attention… or was it something more subtle? From memes to merchandise Minions are presented as androgynous. Is this what made them so marketable? A non-gender creature appealing to anyone? In a world with so much gender controversy, maybe Minions were the solution to a time full of uncertainty and a need for PC? Study the marketing strategies presented for Minions, and perhaps on a anthropological level, explain their success.
I think either Ralph Sepe or IHE (Youtubers) may have covered this in their Minions videos. It's partially based on the simplicity of the character design that emphasizes 'cuteness,' and the nonsense-speak achieves a similar result (I know they speak Spanish occasionally, but they also say fruits or whatever; it's not a language). Gender....really has nothing to do with it. Lightning McQueen was pretty marketable, as was Frozen's Olaf, and both were clearly male. And I doubt the Minion-loving crowd cares about anything being PC or not. [They have traditionally-male names/mannerisms anyways, I don't know how you drew the androgynous conclusion?] I'd definitely like to hear the gender-argument you're proposing, but I don't think it's built on solid ground so far. But like, definitely prove me wrong because I love analyzing kids' movies (Sorry if that sounded aggressive; if so, it was unintentional). – m-cubed8 years ago
I agree with m-cubed that I don't feel like their lack of stated gender really did much. I also agree with the points the aforementioned Youtubers made about simplicity both in design and in their nonsense speak. I think "mass-produced cringe inspiring merchandise" might be a little too heavy-handed since it veers on personal opinion (even if I agree). I think looking at why they inspire so much hatred in particular might also be interesting. If I had to wager I believe it's a counter-culture attitude. When something is so all consuming in products, media, and, in the minion's case, social media it generates an over-exposure annoyance. This "annoyance" I think was made worse due to the fact that their content is rather culturally base. It's nonsense speak and slapstick, which are pretty low on the cultural totem pole and thus easy to hate if you are outside the common denominator. By distancing themselves from this cultural phenomenon, it was seen as a statement of having higher standards and taste above the lowest level of the "cultural totem pole". – LondonFog8 years ago
Yes, you are both really informed on this (as I'm not, I didn't look into it ahead of time and just threw this up because of the trailer). Anyone who takes this article shouldn't get caught on the androgynous thing, it really was just a call for an article going into why they were so mass-marketed and why the reactions to them were so strong in either direction. Taking already analysis into synopsis and adding to them would make a fine easy piece of writing to get views for the upcoming film. – Slaidey8 years ago
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that Kevin is a male minion. – Tigey8 years ago
Today, many U.S. politicians are extending their public reach through Twitter accounts, and many other public figures are using Twitter as a platform to voice their opinions about those politicians. I think it would be interesting to explore the extent to which these Twitter presences affect broader public opinions of politicians. This topic could be applied to any current political figure or situation, but I think it could be particularly interesting to focus on Election 2016, given the consistent media attention devoted to tweets both by and about Trump, Clinton, and the other candidates throughout the process.
I think this would be interesting to talk about! Because of social media, certain candidates have become memes, and their reputations have gone up/down. One example is Tim Kaine; many tweets have described as a "soccer dad" which made him seem more affable. – seouljustice8 years ago
Although, this day and age are technologically advanced, the thought of candidates trying to extend their reach through twitter is very strange. This would be an article I would like to read about. – OrangeCitris8 years ago
Great topic. I'd love to see a chart showing numbers and trends of tweets reacting to some of the major bombshells, such as news of Hillary receiving debate questions prior to facing Sanders and Trump. Also, we may have seen another major shift in U.S. political strategy: Obama, a relative unknown, was elected president in 2008 and 2012. In 2016, Trump - a businessman with no public service track record - won the U.S. presidential election. In 2020, Waldo (of "Where's Waldo" fame) might be facing The Invisible Man for the Dem nod. No history it seems is better than bad history, ala the history of the Clintons as perceived by many U.S. citizens. The apparent new mantra: don't tweet 'til elected, don't tweet 'til elected. – Tigey8 years ago
Great topic. It is doable to collect all tweets talking about Trump and Hilary using Twitter stream API during a time. To gain a basic feeling of these comments, we can use machine learning to do sentiment analysis, and see whether people think them positively or negatively. – cicirao8 years ago
Don't forget Turkey's Erdagon deftly handling his country's uprising with Twitter. It is a powerful tool that allows politicians to bypass mainstream media. It seems as if whoever rules on Twitter wins. – Munjeera8 years ago
In every season of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story, rape, miscarriage, and other forms of vaginal trauma are used to highlight the horrors felt by the show's female characters. Consider how effective these tropes are, or if female horror can extend beyond fears of mutilation or motherhood.
I don't watch the show, so I can't give insight on the show specifically...But considering how 'sacred' the vagina is, or is suppose to be anyway, when it comes to the process of making life, you can see how any trauma to it can be deemed horrible...Obviously there are other ways to scare of horrify females, but I must assume that rape is still a fear in the back of the mind of most women...Is it fair to say that women fear being raped more than hacked up by a deranged clown? – MikeySheff8 years ago
I see what you are saying and I think Ryan Murphy uses this concept of rape as a method of terror to really feed off that fear. In terms of evolution, ever species perceives reproduction as a means of survival. This probably adds to our own subconscious fear. – emilyholter8 years ago
At the same time I think using rape as a form of trauma is a poor way to capture how female characters feel because there are so many nonviolent ways to explore trauma. At this moment it feels more as a overused shock point – seouljustice8 years ago
Personally, I think rape is an effective conduit of fear. It's an extremely personal violation and an attack on womanhood, just as raping a man or otherwise harming his genitals would be an attack on manhood. However, I also feel female characters in the media get shortchanged because rape is often portrayed as the worst torment they can face, and the only thing they have to worry about. This is especially true in historical pieces because like it or not, getting raped or pregnant outside wedlock in past eras would ruin your life. What I would like to see more of, is women facing fears and terrors other than rape. Just like a man, a woman can contract a deadly superbug. She can face the horrors of war, on or off the battlefield, and that doesn't have to include being raped. She can survive life in slavery or a concentration camp, and survival alone is enough to show she's traumatized but tough. She can lose a limb, have a beloved child ripped from her, face down opponents in high-stakes intellectual conflicts...the possibilities are endless. Too much dependence on rape and rape tropes limits writers and limits women. – Stephanie M.8 years ago
Comedian Tim Heidecker first became famous for his oddball sketch comedy television series Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Since the show's run ended in 2010, he has pursued a number of creative projects in a range of media, including stand-up comedy, two rock albums with the duo Heidecker and Wood, and the web/television series On Cinema and Decker, as well as several podcast appearances and a sustained social media presence.
In many of these projects, Tim plays a version of himself as the consummate Hollywood boor: ill-tempered, egotistical, pretentious, vulgar, and desperately out of touch.
What does this character represent, and why does he have such appeal? Is he in fact one consistent character? How does the Heidecker persona change from one context to the next? What factors remain consistent, and how has the persona evolved over time?
Consider, also, the historical precedents for such a figure, such as Andy Kauffman's toying with the media and Stephen Colbert's persona on The Colbert Report, even characters like Barry Humphries' Dame Edna.
"Ill-tempered..." Sounds like Don Rickles' racist jokes about Obama. I'd love to see Jiminy Glick interview this fluid character. – Tigey8 years ago
Discuss the ways in which past elected officials in the U.S. have found themselves the center of one comedic play or another. How have these individuals, from presidents to senators, reacted to the satirical jabs directed at them? Is it possible to maintain the decorum of an elected official in face of a grinning Voltaire? Be specific and really focus in on one or a select core of presidential and or political figures that really fit the bill. Focus on a genre or style of humor like satire and really explore the mechanics of this humor as used for substantive critique. Great potential here, enjoy the adventure.
just an awesome topic considering the political season is coming to an end. Use things such as late night comedy to analysis deeper. Saturday Night Live does an awesome display of political satire and persuasion. It also holds a bias that makes it even more interesting. – Brittanie8 years ago
Don't leave out Amos and Andy. A political satire about the trial of Rodney King. – Munjeera8 years ago
Discuss the potential box office and/or critical draw the upcoming Wonder Woman film may or may not have. Will it improve DC Entertainment's cinematic standards? How will it affect Marvel and their plans for more diverse films? Could a Wonder Woman film help shape a more diverse landscape of superhero franchises, regardless of critical or commercial success? Consider previous failures like Elektra and Catwoman and why they might have failed.
I think the most difficult part of this topic is writing about a movie that hasn't premiered yet and thus makes it difficult to compare and analyze. It would be really interesting though to look at previous box office or critical failures and see WHAT they did wrong and then look at what Wonder Woman is potentially promising. – LondonFog8 years ago
This would be a great topic to explore now, as the film has been released and it clearly is changing the superhero genre/hollywood in general. – madsmcrae7 years ago
Speculating about future events and their immeasurable impact in society could also be a great topic for an article. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Premium cable are cable channels an individual pays for, a common example is HBO or Showtime. TV networks that label themselves as premium services have flagship shows that are more graphic with topics like violence and sex. The question is, does the liberal approach to the arts make the shows better or the same content with more of a mature approach?
Whoever writes on this topic could show HBO developed. I would be interested to see how HBO as one of the first cable companies has maintained its cutting edge quality. – Munjeera8 years ago
Analyze the use of alternate history in video games. Why is this a common trope? What are the effects on the player? What are the implications of doing this? Great examples would be Bioshock Infinite with it's alternate dimensions ending, as well as Fallout 3's alternate history which separates from ours in around the 1940's. Thoughts?
I love this idea! My favorite video game of all time is Bioshock simply because the alternate histories and realities are so mind-blowing and it makes my head spin with possibilities. – Jenae8 years ago
You could do an entire article on Assassin's Creed! Bioshock and Infinite are great examples because they capture the look, feel, and sounds of their distinct eras! Great Topic Idea! – SeanGadus8 years ago
Several wartime FPS games like Call of Duty would also be a good example. – SarahKnauf8 years ago
Great topic! It's engaging and would definitely interest a lot of readers. I believe working on 2 to 3 examples, analyzing the effects of the alternate histories, is a good way to write about this topic. – klepa8 years ago
Very interesting idea. It could be said that the alternate timeline set in the game's story allows the combination of "the present-day," with elements from another distinct era, giving players something familiar, yet totally new/different.
You could also bring in other game examples like "Wolfenstein" and the "Command and Conquer" series. – Jaeb5128 years ago
What about Wolfenstein? I took this topic as more about the "what if's" of history. Wolfenstein asks, "What if Germany had won WWII?" and creates that as an entirely separate history. It asks us to consider how different things could've been then and now. – Christina7 years ago
Analyze the depth and breadth of shows ranging from various genres that Netflix as a platform has facilitated. On the whole, the cultural products emerging from this Netflix Originals platform are daring and experimental with a progressive bent. Discuss this choosing a particular set of shows or genre. For me it is striking how many fantastic documentaries they are facilitating. Documentaries that otherwise wouldn't be produced or would be extremely obscure. The recent documentary on the 13th amendment is amazing, also the recent one covering the minimalist movement shows interesting aspects of countercultural realities.
You could also explore where this counterculture comes from and why. Many of the shows are British, but are they more inclusive, less? Is it based on creators? Age? Or even sex? This could all be explored in a study of the counterculture. – TheSwampThing8 years ago
It would also be interesting to look at the politics of such shows in connection to ist audience. Who watches which Netflix prodcut? Who is reached by Netflix/ Who can enjoy ist content? – Laura Jungblut8 years ago
Unlike her counterpart in the novel, the makers of Sherlock made a bold decision with their attempt at giving Mary Morstan a very prominent story arc in the third season of the hit TV series. However, the first episode of this season put a tragic end to this promising character's role. Now, with her part on the Sherlock series over, analyze what part her character played in the lives of the leads, how Sherlock and Watson had their individual priorities changed and what changes may be anticipated in the equation shared by them,especially considering that her death was partly caused by Sherlock's actions. Also, with Molly Hooper still having a very minor role in most episodes, analyze the consequences of the death of the only major female character in the series and whether this was justified(the makers have stated on record that her character was diverting all the attention from Sherlock-Watson and their bromance) considering that her murky past still held the promise of being fodder for more episodes…
I imagine one will not be able to fully complete this article until the season has had its run, as Mary's death will no doubt factor into Sherlock and Watson's relationship - I wouldn't call her part "over" quite yet. I like the mention of Mary's novel counterpart, yet it's sad they created such a strong female character to have her die in what I considered a rather ridiculous and undeserving manner. – Karen8 years ago
Dealing with hard issues using humour, with focus on Netflix Original, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Tina Fey explores a survivor's journey after escaping years of abuse with lightness and humour. Moreover, the show also makes reference to issues of cultural appropriation (or misappropriation), political-correctness, and other contemporary social issues.
What I like about this show is how it has an almost satirical approach to the topics you've mentioned, and so, it's not 'mindless' humour. Additionally, I think Kimmy is very relatable. There are so many traits to explore that make her an excellent character such as her modesty, genuineness and undefeated optimism. Try giving that a shot too! – Suman8 years ago
I think in particular the issues with PTSD in the second season would be a notable example of Kimmy's endurance – Darcy Griffin8 years ago
It took me a moment to appreciate this show, but as it progressed, I enjoyed the way in which difficult subjects were tackled in a comical manner without mocking the seriousness of the issues covered. – danielle5778 years ago
How you edit your Instagram pictures or what you post pictures of- do you consider this an art form? What about the lyrics or thoughts you Tweet? Is using social medias a new way of expressing ourselves like an art form?
Now you brought this up, Social Media is pretty much an art form. Is it respected as an art form? In the professional world maybe, but elsewhere it's debatable. A good subtopic for this topic is when social media is useful as an art form and when it's not useful as art form. Networking is probably more of a science than an art but it's an example of social media being a useful art form. On the other hand, women knowing how to get tons of likes is a useless art form. – SoalaIda9 years ago
I believe social media is a way to express a version of ourselves. I think we act differently on social media than we do in reality. This is arguable, not necessarily true but in my experiences this is what I've noticed.
In terms of social media as an art form you have to be specific as to what you say. A picture posted is obviously photography, an art form in and of itself. Can status' be art? Potentially. But art is very subjective; what is art for one person, may not be art to others, so the keep the definition of art open (as a way to express ourselves is a very good example) is probably important. – Jamie9 years ago
I can see how Social Media can be considered in art form in the same way consider charismatic types to be social artists. Every "strong post" needs a strong pull to bring attention to it, and to bring some buzz to the post. Even on facebook, you can see a divide between "artists" and "spammers".
That being said, social media is also an art form in that you create a brand for your social media identity with how/what you post. And that social media identity shapes how people see your real world identity. – Sunbro9 years ago
Interesting topic, and it leads to the question, what is art? How is art defined? Who defines art? You can certainly find artists on these social media platforms. There are a lot of great photographers on Instagram, and great writers on Twitter. But where is the line drawn on who is defined as an artist and who isn't? There's certainly a level of creativity involved, and art embodies a visual form (and you can argue that the social media platform itself is visual) but what does the person do to utilize the platform creatively? – Kim9 years ago
Very nice, a perfect topic for the contemporary moment. We have so many people from all strata of society using twitter and such, it is important to ask about the aesthetic here. Also I would add that social media as a political tool potentially coalesces and is at odds with the art form perspective. This may be something to explore. – jonj7248 years ago
A great idea. Maybe explore a post modern art style approach as an explanation of social media as art. – TheSwampThing8 years ago
Careful - art can be self expression, but that doesn't mean all self expression is by definition art. The author should pay careful attention to the main consensus of what defines art. The author should also take note of the nuance between art and a platform/venue for art. A museum hosts a lot of peoples' artwork - does that make the museum a work of art itself? Or just the venue? Similarly, social media sites host various posts of self expression. Does that necessarily make social media platforms themselves art, or simply venues? Is facebook a museum? And what about the rigors of art? Does something need to stem from careful, meticulous, hard work in order to be considered art - as many people believe? In which case instagram photos that generally lack any sort of effort are nixed. An interesting thought I have - social media platforms often have a prescribed kind of template to how you express yourself on it. Since you do not have full, true creative control, can it really be art? Is a colouring book considered art when you're just filling inbetween the prescribed lines? Can you take the templates and break them in creative ways to turn them into art? Just things to consider on this topic... – Lusk228 years ago
This is a really good idea. With today's technology, it's easy for people to express themselves online than they can in-person. Art is any form of expression, and I think that having that social media platform could be considered as "art." For example, people use twitter, instagram, and snapchat platforms to either show their makeup (which could be considered a form of art), their passions and ideas. – xxvacxx8 years ago
Considering the relevance of mental instabilities for a noticeable number of famous superheroes, that are not only loved because of this part of their character, but who also integrate it into their appearance (e.g. Rorschach), it would be interesting to elaborate on the influence and the significance of highlighting such a topic for mainstream audiences. The apparent depression Batman appears to suffer from, as well as childhood trauma from his parents being killed, make for a lot of dramatic effects in the narration. How does this influence awareness of mental illness and how does it highlight this issue for a larger audience? There are several other examples like Captain America’s PTSD, Hulk’s anger management, basically all of the Watchmen’s personality disorders, etc. It would also be interesting to look into movie adaptions, which tend to reach a larger audience and expand on the reception of such characters, as well as discussing the responsibility of the production with clarifying misinformation about mental illness.
I think there is a responsibility of naming and presenting positive images of mental illness in the superhero genre. Many superheroes do exhibit symptoms and signs of mental illness, but the average reader might not make the connection because I think a lot of these mental illnesses are passed off as being "character flaws" to make heroes seem more tragic (Batman and his depressive symptoms being the result of his parents' deaths. Now tragedy can cause depression but its not the only factor). You also don't often see these heroes coping in healthy ways (cough cough batman sometimes). So there's a ton of issues to be explored between people even acknowledging officially that certain characters do have mental illness and whether these characters are supporting stereotypes of their mental illness, especially that the mentally ill are violent and dangerous (this applies to super villains as well). – LauraKincaid8 years ago
I think this is super important! I really wish they would show Steve Rogers dealing with his PTSD. I thought they did a pretty good job with Tony Stark in Iron Man 3, and I'd love to see more of it! Not only mental illness, but just disabilities in general. I was super disappointed when Hawkeye wasn't deaf, or at least not portrayed as such, in the Marvel movies. I really think they could do a lot with that! – Jenae8 years ago
MOON KNIGHT/CRAZY JANE
Positive examples? Maybe? Also, 'Lazarus fever' may have some thematic relevance in Batman stories though I haven't really thought about it much. Maybe the entire 'hero complex' that necessitates superheroism is a mental illness, I mean, you have to be a little crazy to dress up as a bat. Is this what the surface-level illnesses represent? Maybe incorporate addiction (Roy Harper)? Love this topic! – m-cubed8 years ago
The Sentry is another character worth looking at in a piece like this. – Richard Marcil8 years ago
Maybe look to the new 52 Batman, he is more emotionally disturbed than any incarnation in my reading. – TheSwampThing8 years ago
Iron Man is an alcoholic, it's been portrayed many times in comics - I don't know if that's a good example, but it's def there. And, Hawkeye (which was mentioned) in the comics is deaf as well, and it is mentioned several times! Harley Quinn would be a good addition and Joker in some instances as well. – scole8 years ago
Jessica Jones has PTSD as a result of rape, which could also be addressed in this article. – vaidyadoc8 years ago
Talk about the concept of grinding in video games (Single-player console games. MMO's would be an entirely different topic). Often RPGs, especially JRPGs, require players to spend time mindlessly fighting enemies to up their level enough to advance the plot. Is that still warranted in today's game environment? Was it warranted in the past? Is the level-up system outdated?
Use examples of RPGs from the older generations (SNES, PS, PS2, Gameboy, etc) and modern generations (WiiU, PS4, XboxOne, etc). Did technical limitations play a role? Is it an old tradition that's stubbornly clinging to life? Am I wrong in suggesting it's outdated and it is still an essential part of RPGs?
Wow! This is a really really fascinating topic. I think you are really diving into a very deep area of discussion with this topic! But it is one that merits alot of discussion. One question I might ask the writer to think about is this: "when writing this topic is how deep will this conversation be?" Will a casual reader be able to read an article about grinding and understand the article with little to no knowledge of RPGs or will does the writer have to include alot of background to help clear up information and make this topic more clear to people not immediately familiar with rpgs. Just some food for thought. Regardless, this is an AMAZING topic to address in an article! – SeanGadus8 years ago
As a gamer, having played a certain amount of mmorpgs, and other games which require a grind, I am sure you can relate to all the other gamers that have probably been familiar with it. Today I feel there is a more of a "Pay2SkipGrind" option in all games. I am not sure that level up is outdated but it gives players a goal to get to feel that their countless hours atleast got them something. – Fluxz8 years ago
Honestly, this might be a little too philosophical, but I have always appreciated grinding. It has always felt a little closer to true life than a lot of aspects of video games. For instance, grinding seems to connect closely with practicing sports. When you practice something like baseball, you simply need to go to the batting cages and hit a baseball at a certain speed over and over and over again. It might get a little boring, but only by crazy amounts of repetition can you ever expect to improve and advance as an athlete. I think this is true of almost all areas of life--the necessity of practice to perfect a craft. You know, the whole 10,000 hours, Malcolm Gladwell thing. Anyways, I feel like I would argue FOR grinding because of this idea that it connects the game a little more closely to the real world. – Squirrels8 years ago
I think it would be worthwhile to address how grinding has "evolved." For example, turn-based RPGs like the older Final Fantasy games are nostalgic certainly, but probably too outdated for today's modern gameplay. FFXV and Kingdom Hearts (to name a few games), while still RPGs, took out the turn-based gameplay and integrated more seamless gameplay while still forcing the player to grind. I think the difference between these grinding methods lies right there, in the seamless-ness. – Christina7 years ago
Given the popularity for thrillers like Gone Girl to be turned into movies, did The Girl On The Train meet expectations? Did it live up the the standard set by the book? What makes a movie adaptations successful. Analyze how and why this female-driven thriller genre is gaining popularity.
Great topic! I read the book and saw the film and found a lot could easily be analyzed between the two! You could even ask about the differences in rhetoric in the movie and the book, did if give two different views or was one more convincing than the other! – brittanieclark8 years ago
What if you stumbled across the most beautiful poem you'd ever read while browsing the Internet, only to learn that it was created by a computer program. Would it lose it's value? Would "A Raisin in the Sun" lose it's value if it was written by, say, a white man, or would it retain its message?
Between "Biographical Fallacy" (Wimsatt & Beardsley, 1946) and "Death of the Author" (Barthes, 1967), I can't help feeling this topic has been done to death (no pun intended). I'll admit, your invoking of Hansbury, however, might provide a somewhat fresh take. It's one thing to talk about authorial biography and intent when it's simply a matter of literary interpretation, but race does seem to complicate these matters. I could see the whole article just being about that; however, I'd be very surprised if even that hasn't been done before. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
I think art can, and should, stand alone anonymously. Knowing the author or artist can influence our reaction to it. – Jeffrey Toney8 years ago
I have always thought that the poem, or any piece of literature, can be interpreted as a stand alone piece, irrespective of the author. As such, the reader can always delve into the rationale behind why an author was stimulated to write what they did, but the words themselves carry more weight than the author. – NateSumislaski8 years ago
Extremely interesting topic! I think it just depends on how you are reading it. New Criticism and close reading basically don't take the author into consideration. If you want to analyze a work from a biographical and/or historical standpoint, then maybe the author does matter--who says you can't analyze a computer program? To produce a great poem, that program has to somehow be programmed to follow the expectations of what a "great" poem is, for example. That will lead us to the programmer(s). – James Zhan8 years ago
I would lean towards saying author doesn't matter. Take Beowulf, for example. It has no known author, is centuries old, yet continues to be taught in high schools and colleges across the United States. If one changes their opinion of a work simply based on its author, they are not truly accepting the work on the basis of its content, but rather on the name attached to it. – ngm12048 years ago
Analyze how these two films balance multiple, often opposing, genres to create something unique and engaging. In what ways are the films similar in their approach to genre-switching? How do the liberties or risks each film takes illustrate that risk-aversion in movie making can be limiting?
I agree 10 Cloverfield really tried to keep viewers guessing because they utilized viewer's expectations of multiple genres at the same time. At one point you're wondering whether this is apocalyptic horror vs just captive horror all while drawing suspense; confirming apocalyptic horror first, keeping the captive horror and in the end reintroducing the alien invasion horror. It was a nice juggling act. Mind you I felt that once she got out of the capsule it was really jarring but that was good! It's great to actually get confronted by other genres that have been leading up to, when really you're just sitting there thinking "they won't do it, that'd be too much". Nice combination. – Slaidey8 years ago
Hi, just to clarify, are you talking about Drive (2011) with Ryan Gosling, Carrie Mulligan, and Albert Brooks? Or is there another movie called drive from 2015? Sounds like a very interesting topic! – SeanGadus8 years ago
Yes, that was an error. Thanks for catching it SeanGadus! – Kira Metcalfe8 years ago
And are genres restrictive because they have 'requirements'? If I wrote a rom-com noir would people lose their minds (joking)? Genres are entirely human-imposed, so they're infinitely interesting to me. Thanks for the positive spin on the debate! I feel like using genre expectations is a great film-making practice (as long as it's not obnoxious/self-important, ha). – m-cubed8 years ago
After watching many Nicolas Winding Refn movies, I have observed that Drive is very much the director's most "tame" film in terms of how he balances the art house genre with a "mainstream cinema"-esque style. Therefore, I would say that it is good that the film takes risks, but it does not take nearly as many risks as other films he has released. Most have been very divided by critics on their release because he implements even more genre-switching, to the extent that it becomes somewhat challenging to watch. I think for this reason while the risks he took in the movie worked well, the modesty in risk that Refn takes on Drive as compared to his other films actually benefitted it in terms of its wide understanding and accessibility to the audience. – dboyer8 years ago