Jenae

Jenae

Hopeful Creative Writing major, lover of all things Harry Potter, Disney, and superheroes. Loves to rock out on the drum set to everything from Cake to TwentyOne Pilots

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    Latest Articles

    Latest Topics

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    Feminism in Video Games

    Are video games getting better or worse at depicting women? What should they do to change it? How can they find a balance?

    • I don't have a lot of knowledge on this subject because of my limited experience with video games, but I think it could make for an interesting article. The first female characters that come to mind are the tough warrior types (female knights in medieval fantasy games) or, on the other hand, the overtly sexual types (such as Cortana in the Halo series). This article would need many examples to form a complete argument. – AlexanderLee 7 years ago
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    • There's also the tropes of the damsel-in-distress (re: plot device) or the naive/innocent girls who are really there to be love interests (or to be killed off to spur the protagonist onward in his journey). I think the topic might be difficult when considering the amount of female representation across many genres of games. It might help to narrow it down to specific genres or even specific series, or high-selling games with notable female characters. You can even discuss the seeming absence of female characters in certain games. – Karen 7 years ago
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    • Could you suggest some thought-provoking video games that could compliment the topic? Some suggestions with a strong female protagonist or sidekick could be helpful. The only one I can think of now is Bioshock Infinite with Elizabeth as the sidekick. Other than that, I think this is a promising topic. – AbeRamirez 7 years ago
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    • I would suggest looking into Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite and the damsel in distress trope and how it confirms and breaks from this trope. Also, you might possibly examine Ellie from the Last of Us. She is a very interesting female character. – SeanGadus 7 years ago
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    • At least people aren't hating on what they did with Mei in overwatch – TBNRronic 7 years ago
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    • In my recent experience I have had the choice to be male or female in many games. In some games, it makes more sense to be male but in other if you were anything but female you would lose. Logically, it no longer makes sense to have just one gender and big companies are seeing that. – Angel1014 7 years ago
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    • Better in some, worse in others – ZekeAnthony 7 years ago
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    Published

    The difference between parallel and alternate universes

    What’s the difference between a parallel and alternate universe? Are these important differences? Can these two terms be interchanged?

    • For this, you're going to need to consider a few things. First and foremost, what is the core difference? I'd say an alternate universe is a universe similar to the main one, only with one or two key differences. Whereas a parallel universe is one with all the same players, but just different events altogether occurring. Consider the Marvel Comics Universe. The 616 universe is the core reality, and there are numerous alternate and parallel realities. Something like Marvel Zombies, where there is one key event that changes everything, would be an alternate universe. On the other hand, the Ultimate Universe is totally different with completely different components and the like...but has all the core players from the main universe Ergo, parallel universe. Also consider remakes and film reboots. Genre remakes especially. Movies like the Halloween series has a surprisingly fragmented continuity by design. The first two films are core canon, but 4-6 are in an alternate universe to 7-8, with the core difference being Laurie Strode's survival and legacy. Whereas Rob Zombie's remake series is a parallel reality with nothing in common with the core films. And don't even get me started on the films with Batman. Or James Bond, even. Or...oh God...Godzilla. – agramugl 7 years ago
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    • I'd say that alternate is recognizably the same universe, while parallel is not. Alternate universes typically have generally the same general set-up as our own world, but differentiated recently in the timeline. I see this the most in DC comics: In "The Flash" CW show, there are alternate Earths with similar versions of each character (the same happen in Doctor Who, I think?). They have the same actor, but differ in personality, etc. due to some difference in their history. However, each Earth has integral events such as the particle-accelerator explosion that happen regardless of what Earth it is. This is explored more in "Crisis on Two Earths" (great DC animated movie, if you like that sort of thing) where Owlman discusses how each new Earth is created when a choice is made differently. Like, there's an Earth where Lex Luthor is good (one might call him an ALTERNATE version), one where life didn't happen at all, etc. [This concept seems to be universally geocentric throughout DC media, but whatever]. Contrastingly, Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series mainly takes place in a world completely unrecognizable to our own, that runs 'parallel' to our own. Therefore, I'd call it a parallel world, based on its interaction and seeming disconnection to our world. [Maybe it will be revealed to be the future, but I'm not far into the series yet, ha.] A world that can't possibly be a variation of our own (a world where magic is real, the Dune universe with its melange, etc.) would typically be defined as parallel. These are just my interpretations, but I think they hold true throughout most media. The author of every work reserves the right to use the terms them interchangeably, or use one term solely. I have yet to encounter a work that uses both terms to mean a separate thing, but let me know if you find one (that would be a very interesting story!). – m-cubed 7 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    Jenae

    I definitely agree that Frozen and Mulan both have really great feminist characters, I was just hoping to explore princesses that most people look down upon. Tiana from Princess and the Frog is another great example of female empowerment in Disney!

    Feminism and Disney: They're Not As Different As You Might Think
    Jenae

    Someone once tweeted at JK Rowling saying how in love they were with Draco Malfoy and JK Rowling replied saying no one should love the bad boy and that Tom Felton ruined the character with his good looks. I don’t have the link, but it happened! This kills me because Draco and his family are always on whatever side they think is going to win. That’s their only criteria for joining a side. When they see the side they’ve been supporting is going downhill, they switch as fast as they can. The Malfoy’s bother me a lot, and this is just one reason.

    Why Draco Malfoy is one of the Most Underrated Characters in 'Harry Potter'
    Jenae

    This is my absolute favorite Disney movie. I think it’s been very overlooked throughout the Disney franchise. Rapunzel is a character everyone can relate to, and Gothel was the most real villain I’ve seen in a while. Not to mention the symbolism is just absolutely beautiful, and the animation is breathtaking. LOVE this movie! I’m glad you went through it and showed what a great job Disney really did.

    Tangled: The Seven Standards of Disney
    Jenae

    I agree with some of this, but I don’t know if you’re giving Disney enough credit. I grew up with these movies and I’m a very avid feminist and proud of who I am and how I look. Sure, sometimes it seems like the princesses are just in it for the prince. But wouldn’t we all do anything for the man of our dreams? Don’t we all want a happily ever after? And through it all they go on an adventure to find themselves and who they really want to be.

    Fairytales and Feminism: "I Don't Wanna be Like Cinderella"
    Jenae

    I agree with this a lot. I’ve noticed through my schooling, especially in high school, that no matter how hard an English teacher presses you or makes you practice writing, youre either good at it or your not. It doesn’t matter if you know all the rules and formatting, what matters is if you’re a good storyteller

    Can you Teach Someone how to Become a Writer?
    Jenae

    This is exactly why I love this series! It’s so real and so thought-provoking, making you rethink your own values. It’s hard to find a great show like this!

    The Legend of Korra: Empathizing with Villains