Contributing writer for The Artifice.
Junior Contributor II
Published | Empathizing with the villains in Legend of KorraThis is a theme in many anime style films and series, but in watching Korra I noticed that every "villain" turned out to be someone who had been deeply hurt in their past. The analysis could be a walk-through of the prominent villains in the LoK books and how when they are defeated, Korra always finds empathy for the enemy.
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film Write this topicTransgender characters in filmsMake a list and of films with at least one transgender character and give brief analyses of each. Examples: "Ma Vie En Rose" and "Tomboy."
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The brilliance of political comedians in relaying news to the massesI recently watched a John Oliver segment from when he flew to Russia to interview Edward Snowden. Oliver, realizing that the case around Snowden is incredibly important, but also finding that many Americans don't have a clue who he is or what he did, he decided to find a way to relay the news in a way people could understand – through comedy. Instead of laying out the "boring" facts of the matter, he spoke of the NSA operations with Snowden in regard to "dick pics," something Americans can laugh at and actually pay attention to. In this way, he brought attention to an important matter that many otherwise wouldn't bother knowing. Examine how Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and the like brilliantly dumb-down the news so people will actually know what's going on in the world.
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film Write this topicFour French Films that are NOT AmelieIntroduce some French films that give the feeling of being in France without having to watch the over-watched Amelie. Many Americans or non-French may not realize that Audrey Tatou isn't the only captivating French actress and that there are several other lovely films that have this same romantic, Parisian feel.
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Blood Meridian: What Makes a Book “Unfilmable?” | |
I think every reader will certainly know what you meant by the term, as I did, as well. I just found it worth bringing attention to. Thank you for being so open about it! | V for Vendetta vs. The Dark Knight: Depictions of Anarchy |
I think it should be noted that “anarchy” is not synonymous with “disorder” or “chaos,” as you seem to think. As an anarchist, I find it quite common that people who don’t have knowledge of what anarchy is as a political system use the typical propaganda-driven definition of the term. There are multiple forms of “anarchy,” but the most popular is more synonymous with social libertarian ideals than with the ideals of chaos or disorder. Anarchy is actually a highly intelligent branch of political thought and ideals, and although I understand what you’re saying in your article, I think it’s important to note that what you mean is anarchy by the definition of “chaos,” not anarchy in its actual definition. If you’re interested in actual anarchy, Noam Chomsky, Bakunin, or Emma Goldman are good places to start for some reading. | V for Vendetta vs. The Dark Knight: Depictions of Anarchy |
That’s a good question! My personal opinion is that the image of a heterosexual romance draws more people to be interested enough in a film to watch it than would the image of a strong independent woman by herself. There seems to be an inherent craving for a love interest in most films. Whether this is necessarily good or bad, I don’t know, but I think it says something about our society. | Chocolat: The Most Over-looked Feminist Film of the 21st Century |
Thank you thank you thank you for this article! I thought I was the only one noticing the Westernization/hipster-ization of yoga. | Why Yoga Isn't Really Yoga: The Trendy Path to Divine Hotness |
It always annoys me how Zooey Deschanel ALWAYS plays a manic pixie dream girl. I love that there are people out there shattering this sexist stereotype in films. | Paper Towns: John Green’s Deconstruction of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl |
One of my favorite aspects of this show was Adam’s character development. At first, I found myself cringing any time he’d come into the scene, but after the first season I realized he was my favorite character. His weirdness, depression, and honest love of himself are strangely endearing. It’s always the weird characters you always end up falling in love with. Has anyone else felt this show could be a little boring at times though because it’s almost too much like real life? Sometimes I don’t even find it entertaining because it’s not an escape into t.v. land, but a mirror of my own life. | Why Boys Should Watch 'Girls' |
Blue is the Warmest Color (La Vie D’Adele) is the best film I’ve seen in years. I can’t believe it is not more well-known in the United States. I wonder if this is due to the still high percentage of right-wing Conservatives in the United States who don’t support gay rights … ? I’ve heard France is more liberal about the issue. | The 10 Best Movies of 2013 |
That one passage of the beautiful prose writing makes me want to read the book, but I don’t know if I could handle the horrible violence you described. I love how you tie the presence of hideous violence into the author’s gorgeous imagery with the line “If the violence and horrible people in Blood Meridian are sometimes too much to deal with, McCarthy makes up for it by undeniably beautiful language.” I loved this analysis.