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The Pokemon Go Craze: Good or Bad?

Pokemon Go! is a revolutionary gaming app that has taken the world by storm. Many say the app is a positive influence on our lazy society; the app gets people outside and active, as well as encourages conversation and interaction between strangers. However, some say the craze is having a negative effect on communities with obsessed Pokemon Goers trespassing on property, getting hit by cars and even causing accidents while playing behind the wheel. Is this app truly a benefit to the gaming world or is it too much of a hindrance on everyone else?

  • ^^^ummm, maybe I should learn how to "world," ( which should be word) my comments more concisely :-) – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Very timely. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • Interesting topic! You might want to mention the new update, which makes it impossible to play the game while in the car (or even running, to an extent). If you go faster than a moderately paced walk the game now freezes and says "You're going too fast! Are you a passenger?" and restarts. – Lauren Mead 8 years ago
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The Evolution of the Hulk

With the recent events in the Civil War II – (untimely things) – let's talk about the evolution of the Hulk. Who the Hulk is and where he has come from. How his character has grown and at times not so grown. No one really talks about the Hulk in terms of how he grew up and how he arrived at where he was today. Specifically in the comics, since for one, the films never really were praised until Mark Ruffalo became the Hulk. I really think talking about the comics and his story arc and where he has come from in the series' would be so great to see!

  • This is interesting...especially due to a previous topic discussing the amount of time spent on the background story of superheroes as distracting and time consuming, but it is true, I really am not very aware of the Hulk's background, other than the very bare, and minimal preliminary facts that occurred during his accident in the lab. Maybe that really is all that is to it, and that is why not much time has been dedicated to his backstory? Please remember, this is coming from someone who is not familiar with comics, at all!!! – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Love the child is father to the man aspect. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • Although you mentioned that this topic would specifically focus on comic verse, I think it would be worth analyzing the movie verse as well. Yes, the Hulk has greatly gained popularity with Mark Ruffalo, however, his character which made great development in the Avengers regressed with Age of Ultron movie events. Perhaps a compare and contrast with comic vs. movie verse treatment and what this means for the character's overall representation would be interesting to work with – Mela 8 years ago
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Child Actors: Doomed To Personal Turmoil?

More and more these days we see actors who started out young growing up into very troubled people. Lindsey Lohan, Shia LeBeouf, Amanda Bynes, Demi Lovato; they all have their share of craziness and major obstacles they've had to try to overcome. Is this pattern of child actors going bad related to their career starting out early? Is growing up in the film industry influencing the outcome of these actors' mental health and habits?

  • I feel that you could world your topic a bit more concisely to add to the flow of the wording. For example: "More and more these days we see actors who started out young growing up into very troubled people," -->"It is very common to see child actors grow into troubled adults." It's the same thought, just simplified. I like this topic, as it is discussed, but more so on the gossip platforms, and it would be interesting to hear what people that truly have a love for cinema and television have to say on this topic. I look forward to reading more on this topic! – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Don't forget Tatum O'Neal. I met her. Very unpleasant. Hopefully she's better now. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • The Harry Potter crowd - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - are a good example of child actors who didn't get ruined by their own fame and success. Meanwhile, one of the most startling and tragic story is Drew Barrymore's. – Tarben 8 years ago
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  • It's extremely thoughtful but challenging. It's difficult to dig the topic into deep.There are lots of reasons which devastate child actors' life, while nearly no authorized research or paper explores reasons why their mental health devastate. You might refer to the phenomenon of Tiger Parent. But it only exists within prodigy. It's really hard to examine the core issues which leads them to diminish their career and even their health and habits. – moonyuet 8 years ago
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  • I'm fascinated by this topic, and it's the family side, not the acting side, that draws me. Moonyuet's insightful comment made me think of chess prodigy, Bobby Fischer, who, because of his hatred for his mother, became anti-Semitic and likely insane. For Fischer, it seems hatred consumed his sanity; I wonder, for these others, what imbalance(s) messed them up and if and how their parents may have unintentionally fostered their child's problems. – Tigey 8 years ago
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Civil War I to Civil War II

Civil War II??!? Want to focus on what Civil War II continues from the first one, what is different and what is the same. What should be and what should not be. We are having a lot of things derive from this Civil War series much like the first one – spin-offs, characters deaths, characters stepping down and so much more! What will this mean for the Marvel Universe? Did they create this Civil War in order to transition characters out and makes a storyline for new ones? Because it is starting to seem like that in some cases. What will this lead to for the MCU in regards to what's next for 2017 and even the end of 2016?

  • Today has been a day of learning so much about comics and DC and Marvel franchises! The Civil War I was insane and I enjoyed it immensely. I completely endorse and hope for a spin off, and cannot foresee one not being conceived due to the success of the first one. There are definitely multiple transitions taking place, and unfortunately, deaths are occurring. Some of which, are upsetting especially for people like myself who are unfamiliar with the storylines due to not having prior insight through not having read the comic books. This is a cool topic that I'd be interested to see what someone has to say, and even more interested to read the responses generated from the person's article!! – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Are you suggesting that they're "jumping the shark?" – Tigey 8 years ago
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Fusion: The Flexible Metaphor in Steven Universe

Examining the dynamics of Fusion in the world of Steven Universe and how it's flexible in multiple meanings by Sugar's creative world-building application of variety of "kinds" of fusion and its undertones.

  • Like Mrs. Incredible? Hmmm... – Tigey 8 years ago
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The Evolution of Paper Girls

The greatness that is Paper Girls and what this means for a really good comic series. What the plot does for future comics, what the characters do for future comics and how the future of Paper Girls is looking for comic readers. There is not much to say about the evolution of Paper Girls without spoiling it for whoever is writing it – but, there is so much to say about the characters and the plot, where it will go and where it is going now!

  • After having just read an article that mentioned this comic series, along with Saga, I am now intrigued with Paper Girls and would love to learn more. I am very new to comics, and though I was at first apprehensive, I feel not giving this medium a chance would be a loss, on my part. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Cool topic. Hopefully Iron Woman will be as dark as "the good black earth," in Curtis Mayfield's words. – Tigey 8 years ago
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Tony Stark to Riri Wiliams

Iron Man is becoming a woman, but not just that – he is becoming an African-American woman at that! Well, Iron Man will no longer be Iron Man, but you get the drift here. How does this change the Marvel Universe? How does this change the way we will see diversity, she is incredibly smart and an African-American woman. Emphasis on that because it is rare to see that other than in A Girl and her Dinosaur and things of that sort. What will this bring to the comic series? Will you still be reading it to see what it will be like and what it will continue to bring to the Iron Man franchise?

  • Great topic....especially due to this being discussed on numerous online platforms, entertainment sites, and blogs. I am not a fan of this transition just because I don't understand the reasoning for doing so. Why not kill Iron Man and create a new character? Yet, please forgive me, and at the risk of being redundant, do remember that I am unfamiliar with the comics and I understand there might be a very intricate and thought out reasoning behind this transition that is completely ingenious and makes sense. I look forward to reading this topic and the reactions to the comments. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • A small but important part of the description is ambiguous. As a result, one can't tell if you're saying brilliant African American women are rare, or that the film portrayal of such is rare. – Tigey 8 years ago
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Representation of Harry Potter in 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'

Among the anticipated release of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child', readers were avid to know more about the Potter universe based 20 years after Voldemort's defeat. But did the playwrights do an accurate job of representing Harry in the script? Readers might see him as stony, uncompassionate and cold- not representative of Harry. Explore why Harry might come off as 'different' and whether this is a possible interpretation of how he might be in the years after he defeated Voldemort, as he attempts to create a 'normal' life for himself and his family.

  • Well, the Harry we knew was Harry as a child. The Harry of the books is an adult, having faced trauma, accompanied by current real-life stressors and a slew of responsibilities. Also, people do change after traumatic events. Another thing to consider is the fact that when people are facing obstacles, they have a level of momentum driving them through each challenge; yet, once these obstacles cease to exist, the person can sometimes become lost and not know how to interact "normally," now that their world, as they've known it, has changed. Just a few thoughts... – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Harry Potter, as we knew him at the end of Deathly Hallows was at the beginning stages of the transition into wizarding adulthood. The only glimpse we got of him as an adult is the epilogue, which was very brief, but it was all we had to go off of for nine years. It is important to remember that the 20's is another very important season of changing for most people, and Harry Potter shouldn't be considered immune to that at all. Another idea, this play is mostly told from Albus Severus's perspective. Perhaps this is why Harry does oftentimes read as cold or stony, especially when taking into consideration the conversations between Ginny and Harry about the father and son's relationship in the play. – EmilyEMeadows10 8 years ago
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Are Audiobooks a Lazy form of "Reading?"

I recently read an article in which a woman was complaining about constantly having to defend herself for listening to audiobooks. People would accuse her of being "lazy," or "cheating." Sadly, this said person had brain surgery 5 years ago that left her eye sight greatly diminished and reading had become a difficult process, and audiobooks her salvation. Where do you weigh in on this argument–just skim through the internet as those for and against audiobooks take great pride in stating their stance–and why is it even necessary to discuss one's "reading" habits? Is this a form of prejudice? Why should individuals feel the need to defend themselves? When did the format of reading–though it has been occurring on the e-reader versus paper platform for many years–become such a volatile topic?

  • I love this topic. I love reading but my husband hates it. He got hooked on audio books a long time ago and now we can discuss so many of our same interests. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • That's interesting that people are being criticized for using audiobooks. I haven't listened to one yet, but isn't it just like having someone read to you? I can see there being tension between print and online formats but I'm curious about where audiobooks fall into the mix. – S.A. Takacs 8 years ago
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  • For me and my ADD, they're more work. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • My cousin has motion sickness, so during car rides my aunt and uncle play audio books in the car since she loves to read. this way, for long car drives, she get's to experience and listen to stories with getting ill – Mela 8 years ago
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  • Seems like an interesting topic, but I can't help feeling that it might be a little too subjective to arrive at any significant conclusions (or rather, in the case of conclusions like "laziness," judgment calls). It's the kind of thing that varies from person to person. For me personally, though I've never ventured a full novel in audio format, I really enjoy listening to poetry, and often read along with book in hand. There are a lot of great YouTube videos of Sir Anthony Hopkins reading poems by the likes of W.B. Yeats, Dylan Thomas, and T.S. Eliot, which can really enhance the experience when the written word is paired with his classically tempered voice and rhythm. Again, that's just my personal taste; I have no expectation for anyone to necessarily agree with it for their own personal engagements with literature. – ProtoCanon 8 years ago
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  • ProtoCanon, I agree. Hearing Eliot reading "The Wasteland" recalled my grandpa's accent and diction while speaking of '30's bootleggers and railroad men in Northern Minnesota. The poem is one thing, the history - not quite Greil Marcus' Weird Old America - in his voice another. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • This is an interesting topic. I personally prefer reading the old-fashioned way. I've tried audiobooks a few times, but I find my attention wanders way too easily for me to retain much. I have to be in an incredibly quiet place where I can just focus on the story without any other distractions for there to be any hope for me. I don't think the use of audiobooks necessarily means one is a lazy reader. It may just mean one prefers to (or has to, as the case may be) experience the story in an auditory way as opposed to the written way. It may even encourage people who aren't avid readers into becoming more invested in literature they might have never tried before. – aprosaicpintofpisces 8 years ago
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  • As a question of lack of maturity, it could be. A person that never fully explored the experience or the importance of being self-informed rather than waiting or expecting that another will water it down or mince it into relatable morsels of ideas, perhaps. In that manner, audiobooks may be viewed as counterproductive to self-improvement. Gathering information from several paper books heightens learning activity by deepening personal understanding as well as the sheer entertainment factor of reading for pleasure. – L:Freire 6 years ago
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The Games of Life: How Binary Code and Pixellation Makes Me More Humane

There's great concern about video games influencing today's youth in becoming worse people. My questions are, what are the good games, and how do they teach good behavior and compassion?

  • A few notes. "The Good Ones" is far too vague of a topic sentence as it doesn't really say what this topic is about. "Good" is also far too subjective since the concept of good changes from person to person. It might be a good idea to focus the topic on say... games that encourage good behaviour and compassion (or don't) through active choices (Life is Strange, Bioshock, ect.). Maybe look at the percentages of what people pick which options? Also, as a more personal and less professional side note, it is sort of offensive to gamers to make a sweeping statement that games are making people bad and there are such thing as morally "good" and "bad" games. You might step on a few toes with that. Games don't need to be morally good to be a mechanically fun game. – LondonFog 8 years ago
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  • Maybe a good idea would be to pose your question from the viewpoint of a bystander that would like to do an assessment comparing the "good," versus the "bad," games and see if there really is a difference on gamer's behavior? In doing so, it is NOT you stating what is good and what is bad, but doing a bit of research in the composing a list of the most often mentioned good/bad games; and then devising research on the supposed effect these games, whether positive or negative, these games have on individuals. When conducing research such as this, you are not the one stating the "hypothesis,"therefore you have nothing to gain, nor lose, and you cannot be blamed for posing such questions. You are basically just highlighting conceptions and misconceptions that are continuously disseminated. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Munjeera, that's exactly why I posed the question. If my changes aren't adequate, please let me know. I appreciate your help. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • Somehow my new title disappeared. It's supposed to be "The Games of Life: How Binary Code and Pixellation Makes Me More Humane." I will email misagh regarding my error. Also, the thanks was for more than just Munjeera. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • Hi Tigey, uw : ) Quick turnaround for the revision. Kudos! Looks really good now. Could you also list 3-5 games with the age appropriate target audience that in your opinion are the "good ones?" – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • Munjeera, no I cannot list target games since I know nothing about video games. As I said, I'd like to know for my offspring. I'd also like to know more about the topic since I've heard such good things about "Undertale." – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • Wow, you've really reworked this topic significantly. I at first thought I was reading someone else's post. I feel mixed about this reworded question..I guess it does force one to get right to the point in expressing the positive aspects of gaming and describing what exactly these facets are and how they contribute in building up a person's character. I guess with this revision, you are placing whom ever takes on this topic to write with "more at stake." There is not much wiggle room for b.s. I like that. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • I have hope that the topic can be written as it now appears, but I think as a recovering vidiot, my initial bias was showing. I'm hoping video games can improve one's psyche - specifically my kids - but for me they did little more than help store calories along my midsection. Perhaps I'm the exception rather than the rule. – Tigey 8 years ago
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The evolution of comic book villainy.

Comic book villains are sometimes the best part of the story, but how their nature has changed over the course of the last seventy five years. Motivations have gone from simple robbery to world domination to personal vengeance. The methods have also changed; in the Golden Age it was trickery and minor property damage, today outright murder and mayhem are the order of the day.

  • This is true, it has evolved from trickery to absolute damnation. Interesting topic. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Don't forget world domination. When I was a kid every villain wanted to rule the world. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • Definitely something I've noted as well. What is interesting to see is how a majority of villains now in comics and films based on comics is the overwhelming amount of villains who are motivated by revenge directed towards a hero. Jealousy, revenge, or mental illness. VEry rarely nowadays do we see a villain committing a crime for crimes sake. There's been a surge in analyzing the psyhology of the villain, and I think it's a change for the better. it humanizes the characters and adds a level of empathy. – Pvrvgon 8 years ago
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More Than Intimations of Immortality

Are there any contemporary writers who might live on in the Pantheon of greatness alongside the likes of Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, etc.? If so, who are they? Explain why their greatness transcends time and place. If not, why not? Why doesn't their work transcend our time?

  • I agree with Munjeera, especially since your tag is literature, that you stick to literature in answering this question. This alone is already a rich and difficult question to broach, but if adding aesthetics into the equation, the topic deems nearly impossible to adequately answer. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Must this writer begin with the assumption that such a thing is possible? I think achieving canonical "greatness" requires a considerable degree of cultural concentration, a society with a sure sense of its own aesthetics. No doubt, this is true somewhere in the world. But where? – TKing 8 years ago
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  • Good point, TKing. Would you please request a revision so I could please change it? – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • Nice reworking of this topic. Samson Rushdie comes to mind, Thomas Pynchon, David Foster Wallace, Charles Bukowski, one of my personal favorites--Michael Cunningham, and I consider myself very difficult to please. Ouch, just realized I didn't mention one female writer!! I know people are going to read this--please note, quick, incomplete list, briefly off the top of my head--and think I'm insane by those I mentioned, and those I've forgotten. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Fantastic topic. However, for the writer, it might be worth mentioning for clarity that the placing of contemporary writers in an established literary 'canon' is something that does not necessarily equate with their current popularity/how many books they've sold? See as examples: Austen, Keats, Melville. – lucyviolets 8 years ago
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Exploring the concept of the untraditional family in Dreamworks vs Disney films

Pixar films are usually comprised of the 'traditional' family and have only recently started to uncover what an untraditional family is (Finding Dory). Dreamworks, however, managed to address this topic much earlier, such as in the Shrek Series (Donkey Dragon) or Kung Fu Panda (Po has both an adoptive and biological father in his life). Has Dreamworks surpassed Disney on animating the concept of modern family in their films? Explore the expectations of how Disney is supposed to portray a family and did these also apply to Dreamworks?

  • I think just narrowing down this topic to the nontraditional in films will yield enough material to write an effective analysis. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • Disney might have been the first, but they have always been behind on the times (as the years have transpired). I agree with your assumption that they do feel they, too, need to address this relevant topic of the untraditional family in order to make impressionable children feel included as opposed to outcasted. Nice topic. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Steven Spielberg tries to incorporate non-traditional families, instead of focusing on what happens when the supernatural intersects with single parents or parents getting a divorce as in the case of Jurassic World last summer. ET took place in the context of a single parent family and Jurassic Park 2 had Jeff Goldblum with an African-American daughter and there were no references to if she was adopted or where her mom was, as far as I can remember. I heard in an interview that this is intentional. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • Behemoths move slowly. – Tigey 8 years ago
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Homoerotic Subtext and the Ben-Hur Remake

Regardless of one's personal opinions of film remakes, there's something rather culturally significant about making a new Ben-Hur in 2016. Since the release of the 1995 documentary, The Celluloid Closet, it has become well-known that Gore Vidal went into writing the screenplay for the 1959 film with the idea that Ben-Hur and Messala were former lovers ((link) which drove much of the subtextual conflict of the story. Though the audience of the day, via their substantially heteronormative attitudes and expectations, was predominantly unable to detect this secret inclusion, today it is viewed as a successful attempt at LGBT representation in the early days of film history.

Fast forward 57 years, to a time when society has progressed enough that homosexuality is no longer the social taboo that it once was and is not at all prohibited from cinematic representation. To remake a film like Ben-Hur at this time presents a world of possibilities, namely that the filmmakers are now able to present the homoerotic tension between these characters more explicitly and overtly than was allowed in 1959. However, based on the two trailers [the film has not yet been released at the time of my writing this], there appears to have been a conscious creative choice to make Ben-Hur and Messala adoptive brothers in this new rendering of the story. One might be inclined to speculate that this decision was made to exorcise the spirit of the story's homoerotic past, thereby using "brotherly love" in lieu of "ambiguously gay duo" to unburden their hard-core action movie with something that they believe to have "non-masculine" qualities.

Discuss the differences between the two films in this respect. How does it reflect views toward LGBT characters in the film industry, particularly in the action genre? What might it say about the shifting standards for what can be deemed as acceptable and unacceptable film content? Clearly something is a little socially retrograde if a movie in 1959 is able to do a better job of including gay characters than its 2016 counterpart. Might the remake's heightened religious emphasis have something to do with this? What other examples of recent films might exemplify this phenomenon? Furthermore, what value is there to remake certain films if not to better express aspects that can receive new meaning in our contemporary context?

  • If there's space in this discussion, I'd like to see some exploration of the encoded homoeroticism of the "sword and sandal" genre generally, beyond the politics of explicit representation. This massive scale celebration of exposed male flesh and sweat, associated with Greek homoerotic pederasty, seems a curious counterpoint to the social conservatism of the 1950s, and yet it existed at the very core of the mainstream. – TKing 8 years ago
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Jerry Seinfeld's Crusade Against PC Culture

For the past while, Jerry Seinfeld has become quite vocal about his disdain for political correctness in comedy. Independent of one's personal stance on this highly-contested issue, their is something strange about Seinfeld making himself a spokesman for this somewhat adversarial position, considering how tame his comedy has historically been in that respect. Discuss the nature of Seinfeld's seemingly unlikely position, what factors may have led him to it, and what influence he has had in the debate.

  • Great topic. Seinfeld was a popular in the 90s. Could be he is finding a generation gap: Boomers vs Millennials? I found his conversations with Jon Stewart interesting because Seinfeld has in the past always eschewed political satire and Jon Stewart of course is so different. Both comedians though. He did make a career though of portraying a shallow superficial character on TV so it is possible that such a role rooted in his real life persona should not come as a real surprise. Remember the 90s were a time of economic prosperity and so perhaps the inequities of today and post 9/11 tone has changed our global and national discourse. We live in different times and I think comedy has veered toward political satire given the nature of the material present in today presidential race. I am sure Seinfeld's kids will get him up to day though. Kids have that effect on aging parents. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • It's definitely a matter of shifting standards; watching Seinfeld reruns, a lot of the jokes seem mean and target already disenfranchised groups. Things that were funny or even just acceptable socially 20 years ago don't always hold up today, so I think he's finding out how much of his material was catered to his 90s/early 2000s audience. – chrischan 8 years ago
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  • I think an interesting thing to consider with Seinfeld's stance on political correctness is the difference in media representation when he was rising to fame as a stand-up comedian and his subsequent TV show. Even in the 90's, there wasn't a popular voice for many minority groups in the mainstream media to speak up for or against the status quo, as compared to today where there are many prominent figures, as well as social media, whom make their feeling known. Does Seinfeld have a point in people getting softer or have those people always been around, but without a voice. – Dominique Kollie 8 years ago
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  • Seinfeld was popular amongst people who felt there should be some backlash against the politically correct movement. Seinfeld has his philosophy about comedy and what he is committed to as a comedian. He avoids politics, swearing and personally ascribes to a colorblind attitude. If you watch Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry and Chris Rock, Jerry and Trevor Noah and Jerry and President Obama, you will see how committed he is to eschewing any political hot topics. Social justice and equity are not his thing and he makes that clear. I mean it is up to him how he does his job. You can't argue with success. I personally never really liked Seinfeld as I enjoy political satire and parody. The show was proud to celebrate the inconsequential. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • To build off of what chrischan said, my understanding of his backlash was that it stemmed from college students not laughing at a joke he made at the expense of the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, we have comedians like Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer (very 'edgy' comedians) stating that, while they don't regret jokes they made in the past, there are certain culturally insensitive jokes that they would not make today. I find this topic so interesting in virtue of this split: the issue to me doesn't seem to be about PC culture stifling free speech, but rather it involves that the creator of a joke think about what they say from multiple perspectives. Seinfeld, in contrast to Schumer and Silverman, may represent that divide in terms of a more inclusive culture for an historically pretty conservative field of creative expression. – Derek 8 years ago
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  • Spineless Seinfeld is too wimpy to have a crusade. Him criticizing PC culture is like a paraplegic punching a quadriplegic: the weaker attacking the weakest, How can he, a guy in a show one could easily watch with a pious grandmama - rage against PC culture? "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?" Now that's a challenge to PC culture. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • I was always a fan of the show Seinfeld, as that was part of my generation, well, the tail-end of it. Personally, in my belief, I think Seinfeld is doing all of this as a talking point, or publicity stunt to stage some form of comeback. He's always been relatively private or on the quiet side, so I've laughed all this talk off, take it all in stride as another means of acting, and I'm just waiting for his announcement or punch-line that will clear up what this all means. – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • I have heard Seinfeld speak on this topic of equity and PC and Seinfeld believes that America is a meritocracy. In the past his view was you work hard, you get ahead if you are good enough to be better than everyone else. Clearly that worked for him. But since then, Seinfeld has become a parent, which can radically alter most people. Perhaps in the past Seinfeld did not feel that being PC was a positive aspect but now he is a parent. I don't know what Seinfeld's religious beliefs are, as mentioned he is private. Good for him on the privacy issue but as a parent I hope he recognizes that there is a lot of anti-Semitism still in the world today, which sickens me. Whenever I hear it, I always speak up ... strongly. I hope despite his public persona of focusing on trivial issues, he supports his kids over dealing with prejudices. There are still a lot of reprehensible stereotypes about many groups and all of us have to rethink our ideas when we encounter hatred, especially irrational hatred and prejudice directed at our children. This can help make a person stronger. No matter how weak someone is, moms and dads have a killer instinct to defend their kids. Even though I didn't really like the show, I respect Seinfeld because he had integrity to quit while he was doing immensely successfully in his field. I believe he will carry that same integrity on to his parenting. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • From Seinfeld, I don't expect Lenny Bruce's "comedy" - which challenged polite, suburban, white-flight, Northern racism - nor do I expect anyone to be as funny as Richard Pryor. I expect from Seinfeld, to quote Bob Dylan, to "do what's necessary and then repent"; it's generally what we all do to save our own skins. I think Danielle nailed it: it's a posture; I think Munjeera nailed it: parenthood is a game changer; but I think I nailed it too: he's just not compelling enough to garner my attention. Bob Dylan belches and I take notes; Seinfeld speaks and I yawn – Tigey 8 years ago
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Females within Game of Thrones

There is a variety of female characters within Game of Thrones, between the fierce, capable Arya, the strong noble Brienne, and the manipulative conspiring Cersei. There is a range of female characters, unlike I have seen in one show before. Examine some of these characters, and provide examples of how some of these roles help or hinder the complexities of women, and their roles on television.

  • oh, man, this is such a good topic to write about - arya especially in the new season (so far) and how she has overcome her complexities in life, Cersei also, and even daenerys targaryen. – scole 8 years ago
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  • Yes, I actually wrote a paper on this around two years ago. I took a feminist approach, so just saying. – ismael676 8 years ago
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  • A very interesting topic for sure. As a feminist I often struggle with the fact I like watching game of thrones despite how problematic it can be especially in regards to how women are portrayed regularly. But then there are so many powerful women as well... – Lilith 8 years ago
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  • I would also take into account the rigidly patriarchal world that these women live in. I find it very jarring how the men talk about the women around them and how they treat them. – ckmwriter 8 years ago
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  • Don't forget Sansa. Her character has dramatically changed since season one. Can't leave out Daenerys either. – KennethC 8 years ago
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  • Intense topic--I admire and applaud whomever takes on this vast and dynamic topic. The females, especially this season, have been spectacular. They are more than just mere set decorations, but pivotal characters driving the plot and making major moves, more so this season than any other. If there were to be any subtitle for this season it would be "The Year of the Females." They were such a force: the good and the bad. Great topic, one I hope to read, very soon!! – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Additionally, we can't forget about Catelyn Stark, Margaery Tyrell (her grandmother, Olenna, is awesome too, to be honest), Yara Greyjoy, and to a smaller extent Ellaria Sand or Gilly. This show is chockful with powerful, goal-getting women. There is so much analysis to be done! – Suman 8 years ago
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4

The Night Of..What Exactly is the Overall Message of the Series?

The Night of is currently airing on HBO as an miniseries consisting of 8 parts, but due to the successful following there are now talks–similar to what happened with True Detective–to now having a 2nd season. The miniseries, which began talks in 2012, with the late James Gandolfini slated to star, is based on the BBC miniseries Criminal Justices (2008-2009). The series follows the events of a young american-pakistani's night out, and the repercussions that occur following the events of this night that, as conveyed to the audience, are a blur. Numerous themes are explored adding to the multitude of audiences responding to the series, ranging from racial prejudices, problems with the judicial system, economic hardships, and questions of morality as well as ethical responsibilities.What theme do you believe resonates most with audiences that is making this series such an overnight success? And if you are able to pinpoint one specific theme, please explain how it is able to resonate with a vast multitude of varying audience members.

  • I haven't seen this miniseries but it sounds like an excellent premise. One more reason to love Netflix. I would look forward to reading an article on this topic but first I will binge watch it. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • It's actually on HBO and I'm forced to wait a week between each episode, making me realize how dependent I've become on binge watching accessible devices such as Netflix and and Amazon Prime! First world problems! – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Thanks! I have to watch it this summer before the fall. Thanks for the info. : ) – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • I've been watching HBO's "The Night Of" and I am enjoying it. Initially, it reminded me of the podcast "Serial" and the Adnan Syed case in that the story focuses on a Pakistani-American male murder suspect, but beyond that, the two programs are very different. I think that the themes you suggest are resonating with different audiences and the ensemble cast allows viewers to see themselves in the different characters. That's what makes it so good: there but for the grace of God go I. I haven't seen HBO's audience breakdown for the show, but I suspect it crosses genders, age groups, and socio-economic status. For example: * Young men and women see themselves in Nasir. May they had an issue in school or a bad decision that followed them around the rest of their life -- something they could never quite get out from under; maybe they've experienced racial prejudice or profiling; maybe they've been unjustly accused; or maybe they haven't experienced these things, but fear it happening. * Hard-working, middle-class parents gravitate to Selim & Safar Kahn, parents of the Nasir. Some parents' greatest fear are the wrong-place-wrong-time consequences their child may face as a result of one bad decision. These same folks may also sympathize with Jack Stone, Helen Weiss, and Det. Lucas: people who are trying to do a difficult job the best way they know how and looking forward to the day they might be able to retire. But beyond that, it's simply a good mystery, good storytelling, and quality TV content that HBO is famous for. I highly recommend it. – CSSorber 8 years ago
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From comic to film: deviate from or abide by the original?

This seems like a controversial issue in the wake of all the new Marvel/DC Comic movies. In light of all the talk over Suicide Squad, there seems to be a rising debate. Should film adaptations follow the characters and plot lines, or are the comics just inspiration for a blockbuster? Every time something Batman related in particular comes out, there is a storm of analysis and critique about the abidance to the original story in the comics, or the original TV shows. Perhaps they altered a character's personality, or the origins of the character's story. This is always met with vehement criticism. But why? Is there really any harm in being inspired by a character's story, and taking it and running with something new? Is it just glorified fan fiction then? Why or why not is it important to remember the comics in all of this? What are the pros and cons either way?

  • Other examples, which represent both sides of the argument: "V for Vendetta" "300" "Sin City" "Wanted" "Constantine" – Tarben 8 years ago
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  • Very interesting topic but very heavy in content. When writing this it would be good to organize this well and be careful to keep an unbiased tone -- especially when discussing pros and cons, glorified fan fiction, and why comics/origins are and aren't important. I'm not sure if this would work, but perhaps organizing this topic in terms of a compare and contrasts with an ending critique/opinion would be best. – Mela 8 years ago
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  • I think the crux of adaptations are that they must keep the spirit of the story alive. Yes, the characters can change and evolve. Spiderman has been successful because it has kept the character of the misunderstood hero intact. The same with LOTR, small Hobbit triumphs over massive evil with a tiny band of hopefuls. My view would be if it ain't broke, don't fix it. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • Abide all the way – Riccio 8 years ago
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  • I definitely agree with Mela that structuring it as an objective compare/contrast of both sides, and ending with a critique/opinion would work best. – eadewaard 8 years ago
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  • I think one consequence of overdoing truth to the comics is the general flatness of the MCU. It isn't quite realism and it isn't quite camp. This is because they refuse to create a world different from the one in the comics, so the films often fail to come alive in the new medium. – TKing 8 years ago
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  • That depends... If Oliver Stone's writing the screenplay, feel free, Olly, to change nothing from the original. If Vince Gilligan's doing the screenplay, give him carte blanche. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • You would also have to define the parameters of this article, as there are so many ways to look at the films. You have the MCU, The DCU (both film and screen), then there is the animated films that DC produce which stick closer to source material than some of the films, as well as the original batman films. It is a very rich area and so would need to become more focused. – Tyler McPherson 8 years ago
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  • An example might be the way the Watchmen movie was done. Many scenes were visually the same as comic panels, and dialogue was often word for word. However, some people didn't like that certain plot threads got left out or deemphasized even though the movie was already long enough, and I'm not certain how much sense it would've made if I hadn't read the graphic novel first. So should an adaptation be reinterpreting the ideas for now, or just moving from one medium to another? – sk8knight 8 years ago
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The Insanity behind True Detective: The Symbolisms in the Original Scores

As far as we know, True Detective has received critical acclaims for its first season while the general reviews ponder the quality of the Season Two is far-distanced from that of Season One. Although the "scoring" gap between the first and second seasons is obvious, it cannot deny that the indication behind the Original Scores would add more colors to the cops' stories. The article would focus on examining the lyrics of some original scores (like Far From Every Road by The Handsome Family) and analyzing how the lyrics symbolize the story plot.

  • This is an excellent topic. This first season was phenomenal and I must sadly admit that I did not pay that much attention to the scoring. Yet,while reading this suggested topic, I immediately thought of Breaking Bad and the way in which the musical score was intricately woven into the entirety of the series, filling in and enhancing every gap. I do hope someone picks up this topic. Now, I'm going to look up the scoring in True Detective! – danielle577 8 years ago
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  • Second season was a bust the first episode in. The writing just lost all of its unique touch falling into bland clichés of the cop crime drama – Riccio 8 years ago
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  • Second Season has many impromptu dialogues. Character's conversation cannot get rid of the F words. Believe it or not, I have never heard a female lead babbling the words in nearly all episodes ever since True Detective Season Two. The scoring is still that good, considering that Lera Lynn and Bonnie Prince Billy's songs are more than just indications. – moonyuet 8 years ago
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The Failure of Suicide Squad

With the latest bunt in the cinematic superhero world, Suicide Squad, it has become clear that critics are collective tired of the ringtone narrative that nearly all superhero films cradle. Suicide Squad specifically, held the concept of 'fight fire with fire,' which obviously entails that things won't work out. Examine the failures of Suicide Squad as a whole and what it might take (if possible) to have another good superhero film like The Dark Knight.

  • It was choppy, boring, and had absolutely no clear direction. Millions of dollars wasted – Riccio 8 years ago
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  • I hate to be smug, no really I do, but it is DC and not Marvel. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • The critics are really harsh on this movie. I believe that a labeling theory within "criminals as heroes" is a reason why the movie gets many rotten tomatoes. The initial idea is unhealthy and logically bizarre, thereby the hate speech from movie experts. – moonyuet 8 years ago
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