Lbrook4

An English Literature student interested in how books and video games collide. Currently studying English and Creative Writing at the University of Western Ontario.

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Latest Articles

Literature

Ready Player One: The Progressive Gaming Narrative That Could Have Been

Video games are designed to provide validation to players. In the West, this is most often aimed towards the white,...

Lbrook4 Oct 18, 2017

Latest Topics

film

Ocean's 8

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Ocean's 8: Women Who "Win"

Although the idea of "winning" is complicated, the female cast of Ocean’s 8 "win" in so far as they are successful in their heist (even beyond their original expectations), form a strong alliance and friendship, and, in the case of Debbie, get their revenge. Although the film originally foreshadows the heist plan backfiring due to Debbie’s desire to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend by framing him, this expectation is not fulfilled as he is sent to jail. What does the film’s conclusion mean in terms of the film’s conception of feminism?

I think feminism is integral to the film but also the theme is not portrayed in a straight forward way. Think about the humour at the end when Sandra Bullock's character talks about how they are inspiring young girls to steal. This speech anticipates how the film will be thought of as an empowering feminist manifesto and makes a joke of it. We are reminded that the film is a comedy and just because of a heavily female cast we should not only think of the film in terms of a political agenda. It is a good film in its own right. – elizask 6 years ago
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A wider discussion to have may also include a comparison of the success of Ocean's 8 verses the recent Ghost Busters - both are "reboots" and reflect strong feminist views, but one has been significantly more successful than the other both in box office and popular review. So I would add to the discussion, why is Ocean's 8 a bigger win for feminism? – SaraiMW 6 years ago
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games

Horizon Zero Dawn

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What the Seeker Has Sought: Femininity and Masculinity in Horizon Zero Dawn

The progressive female representation of Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn has been praised by reviewers and gamers alike. However, the gender politics of Horizon Zero Dawn begs to be further examined. Is there a dichotomy created between the feminine and masculine through characters such as Aloy, Elizabet, and GAIA in contrast to Ted Faro, Sylens, and HADES? Additionally, how is this dichotomy complicated by these same characters or others that Aloy encounters?

Interesting dichotomy thoughts. If you look at this dichotomy, you can see that the point of the masculine characters is to undermine or undo the work of the female characters which, if you think about it, has been happening since before the birth of Zero Dawn. I'm also curious to look at the secondary adn tertiary characters that come up throughout the game who provide quests and fight with her at the end of the game. I would say that at the end of the game that the cycle is broken, but Sylens ruins that as well. I'm curious to see more. If anything, it gives me a reason to play Zero Dawn again! – VideoGameProf 6 years ago
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Latest Comments

May 25, 2016 Lbrook4 Thank you for this great article! As someone who missed out on the old Pottermore, it’s interesting to look back and see the civilization the users made, but even more so it’s great to look at this and see what the fans could still create if only given the proper medium.	The Lost Civilization of Pottermore
May 23, 2016 Lbrook4 Not only does this sort of thought process help to combat toxic beauty standards, but I’ve also found it helps explain make-up to those who don’t use it. You wouldn’t ask an artist why they like to sketch so it doesn’t really make sense to ask someone why they like to put on make-up if they enjoy the practice.	The Feminist Makeup Culture: Reconsidering Cosmetics
May 23, 2016 Lbrook4 It was great reading through this article and exploring some of the things that make this show so lovable! The slow start to Steven Universe surprisingly added to the experience of the show for me as well. Being able to compare the cat fingers episode with Steven’s later outbursts about his mom and the pressures he has to deal creates a contrast that’s both interesting and authentic.	Steven Universe: The Rise of Popularity in Internet Fandoms