Marcie Waters

After spending seven years in marketing writing for national brands, Marcie is traveling the world and consuming content, unrestricted by the 9 to 5.

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Comments
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Ext. Comments
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Processed
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Revisions
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Topics
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Latest Articles

TV 41	How TV Depicts Abortion: From Maude to Miranda Abortion has been a significant part of the womenʼs rights movement for the last fifty years, and it has been... Marcie Waters Jul 20, 2016
TV 47	Nickelodeon’s The Splat: Bringing Back Classic Content for Millennials With the recent All That reunion at New York Comic Con, the opening of the Goosebumps movie in theaters, and... Marcie Waters Nov 16, 2015
TV 61	Transgender Characters on Television: Quality vs. Quantity The 1990s and early 2000s saw a rise in gay and lesbian characters in popular television shows such as Jack... Marcie Waters Oct 22, 2015

Latest Topics

Crime

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On TV, Crime Does Pay

A significant number of the longest running shows on television today belong to the crime drama/police procedural genre. I'm thinking Criminal Minds, CSI, and NCIS. What is it about the genre that is so appealing and sustaining on network television? Is there something unique to this genre that comedy sitcoms or other styles of drama don't have? Is it the format of the shows or does it have to do with the crime, itself?

I definitely think this is a topic worth pursuing. I constantly wonder how these shows are still on! There are so many, I don't even know the difference between them. I think it has something to do with the crime itself and that we get to put on our "detective shoes" and try our hand at solving a crime--even a fictional one. I think there's some sort of appeal to that. – Christina 9 years ago
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I feel as though television shows such as Criminal Minds, CSI and NCIS romanticize crime which is already a very attractive element in today's society. Crime shows today add mystery and glamour to situations that would not regularly be attractive in real life. They promote "mean world syndrome". – Hanfanrachxo 9 years ago
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People are fascinated by the hidden side of our natures. It is always interesting to see what happens when the facade or the polite mask is peeled away. Sometimes it shows the hero underneath or other times shows the sinister aspects of our characters. Sometime it shows we can be both hero and villan. When the good guys always win in the end, it reassures us that the world is a safe place. Maybe in an era when the lines between perpetrators and victims, good guys and bad guys are not so clear, shows that have a clear line between good and evil help us deal with our real life demons. Munjeera – Munjeera 9 years ago
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In life, it does too. – T. Palomino 2 years ago
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Killing Characters

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When Characters Come to an End

Recently, a popular character was killed off in The Walking Dead. When popular characters are killed off, there is often a lot of backlash from fans. How does this affect a show's success? Does it turn fans off? Or are they pulled in even further by the unpredictability of the show?

It would probably be helpful to note that shows like Heroes and Lost were at first applauded for their frequency of character deaths, but in Heroes case it is often credited by fans as one of the reasons they quit watching. – Austin Bender 9 years ago
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Another very popular show that does this is Game of Thrones. Both the Walking Dead and GOT have strayed from their book/comics when it comes to deaths and that is something that bothers the readers who watch the show. – diehlsam 9 years ago
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I think there are a few different things to consider, here. Part of it is the marketing of the show and the target audience: is this an "arc" show with larger, connected storylines, or an episodic show meant to be feel-good and regular? Is the death played up (Who dies on this weeks episode?!) or is it treated as just another plot point? Was the death meaningful to the plot, relevant to real-world problems (actor lost their contract, etc.), or thrown in as a "surprise" ending to an otherwise dull episode? What I suppose I'm saying is this: the context and presentation is what defines the worth and reaction to a characters death, and it would be interesting to see some examples explored in terms of their real-world consequences. – Christopher Vance 9 years ago
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I think it would also be important to maybe talk about the aspect of how fans themselves might have a roll in who stays and who goes. For example in Lost, the fans disliked the characters of Nikki and Paulo so much that the writers decided to kill the characters off the show. – BlueJayy 9 years ago
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It depends on exactly why a character was killed of a show but when it is a very well loved character, fans tend to not look at the reasons and get angry. There are realistic aspects to consider, such as a shows budgeting and the actor themselves and what other work they are involved in. Then there are fictional aspects to consider and maybe their death was necessary for the continuance of the plot, maybe that was their purpose. Unfortunately, people do not take the time to look at these reasons and when a favorite dies, the show becomes dead to them. – ktartaglione 9 years ago
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An interesting sort-of exception to this is possibly Doctor Who, which "kills off" its main character every few seasons in a sense, but keeps him eternally alive in another sense. Sure, the Doctor is "regenerating," but he's the same character. It's only the actor (and the actor's take on the character) that changes. It would also be interesting to look into how that particular situation affects audience perception. – AnneKopas 9 years ago
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film

Film Critics

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When Critics and Fans Disagree

Just because a film is praised by the critics doesn't mean that the film fans will agree. Analyze a few films that were well regarded by critics, but flopped at the box office. Are there qualities that critics look for in a good film that the mass movie-going population doesn't seem to care about? Or can critics hyping a film raise the population's expectations too high, so that they are disappointed once they see the film?

There should be some discussion on the difference between objectivity and subjectivity. Is a film good? Did you like X film? For the most part the general movie going public won't analyse a film, they will go off their initial reaction of enjoyment and leave it at that and then obvioulsy they'll go mad if someone dares disagree with them. But then, what gives these critics the right to say how good these films are? Are they just relaying their opinion? There will/may be a small portion of the general public that know more about film than the critics themselves. Critics should objectify, but don't always do so They probably subjetify more often know in fact. The audience usually subjectify, but that doesn't mean they can't analyse a film. There's a lot of blurring of lines with critics and the audience. – Jamie White 9 years ago
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It'd also be interesting to explore people who review movies independently on blogs or social media. What audience are movie critics writing to now with the proliferation of the internet, social media, and thereby amateur opinion? Are their educated opinions becoming obsolete in a culture where amateur opinion is more easily accessible both in platform and content? – SarahCarr 9 years ago
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Perhaps there should be a possible correction included in the article. For example, critics use a much more complex scale in grading films than, say, the average IMDb user. Generally a viewer will go off of more simple criteria like general entertainment value and acting. Critics have to find more depth and meaning and go off of other things such as cinematography, lighting, camera angles, writing, etc. Perhaps discussing a more efficient system to differentiate between a notorious critic vs an average film viewer would be helpful. Maybe including a progression system with each review showing the level of intimacy a person shows with film? – cbazil 9 years ago
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film

one-hit wonders

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One Hit Wonders in Film

The phrase "one hit wonders" is often used to describe a band or singer who achieved only one Billboard hit in their musical career. Does this phenomenon occur in the film industry? Are there any directors who have only had one successful film over the course of their career (and the director is likely known solely for that movie)? Or is the idea of "one hit wonders" not applicable for the film genre? If so, why?

One director that comes to mind is Neil Blomkamp. He directed District 9, and It was a phenomenal sci-fi movie because the story was clever and new. Then he directed Elysium, which was not necessarily bad, but it was just a water downed version of District 9. And then he Directed this years film Chappie, and that was hated by most audiences and critics. Elysium and Chappie are tonally just repeats of what made District 9 so good, and that is never a good sign for a director. – Aaron Hatch 9 years ago
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"One hit wonder" is a term used in the music industry, so why not film? I think the idea of a movie one hit wonder is absolutely applicable. One such director who fits the bill is Ruben Fleischer, who after directing the wildly successful Zombieland in 2009, regressed in his next two features: the Jesse Eisenberg-starring environmental terrorism dark comedy 30 Minutes or Less, and the and the expensive ensemble Gangster Squad in 2013. The self-referential, meta-genre aspect that made Zombieland so great with both critics and the box office was left behind. That being said, there is potentially a Zombieland 2 on the horizon, so maybe he will return to form. – BriceBlaise 9 years ago
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Josh Trank. Loved Chronicle, which did well and made a good deal of money, especially considering he had a low budget. But then he flopped HARD with Fant4stic, and his behavior on set and in Twitter are not good signs at all. M. Night Shyamalan might also be a good example because he has a much larger film base. Most people and critics loved Sixth Sense, Signs was generally well received as was Unbreakable, but all of his other attempts at films have been disastrous. – nsnow 9 years ago
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literature

Isak Dinesen

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Feminism in Isak Dinesen's Writing

I've read a number of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen's works, and I am always struck by some of the feminist aspects/themes in her writing. It seems to me that she was ahead of her time. I would love to read an analysis of this. What are some feminist views she takes? How does this compare to society or the writings of other authors during the same time period? It could also be interesting to touch on her use of a male pseudonym and how this affects the perception of her works.

film

Gladiator

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The (In)Accuracy of Gladiator Movies

Gladiator movies like Spartacus and Gladiator are a lot of fun to watch, but how historically accurate are they? Do the films correctly depict the culture, technologies, and aesthetics of the ancient world? An analysis of one or more of these films would be interesting to read.

300 isn't about gladiators either. It's about the Battle of Thermopylae between the Greek Spartans and the Persians so there were no Romans or gladiators involved. The movie Spartacus would fit better instead with the gladiator theme because it's set in Rome about a gladiator slave. – dsoumilas 9 years ago
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I am wondering what you would refer to this genre of movies as? A google search revealed to me that all these films (300 and Troy included) were popularly lumped into the "gladiator epic" genre. Perhaps that is an issue that could be included in the article. – Marcie Waters 9 years ago
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I think this can also open a broader discussion about the way we approach classical history. Has it become too remote and therefore uninteresting so we have to spice it up? – DClarke 9 years ago
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What this topic is dealing with ("gladiator films") could lead into mentioning the sword-and-sandal genre of films from the mid-20th century. Those films were also period pieces set in ancient times (or Roman times in this case) whose main focus was likewise on battles, adventure, and entertainment value with historical accuracy not necessarily mattering as much as the former traits. – dsoumilas 9 years ago
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literature

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Comparison of The Same Story Across Mediums

It seems that many stories are remade in multiple genres, from books to tv to musicals to film. I would love to see a comparison of what goes into making the same story into a film vs. musical vs. tv show, etc. It would also be interesting to touch on the pros/cons of telling the story in each medium, or talk about which medium was more successful criticially/financially. It could be an interesting case study.

Sherlock Holmes immediately comes to mind, only because I love the literature, am a great fan of the BBC TV series, and yet the Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law films and the American TV series leave something to be desired for me when watched with the literature in mind. Of course, the Sherlock Holmes stories are only one example of a piece of literature that has been translated into multiple mediums. There have also been both film and TV renditions of "Jane Eyre," for example. Or the fact that "Wolf Hall" is at least both a stage drama and a TV series. I'm sure there are endless possibilities for this topic! – Rachel Watson 10 years ago
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It might be interesting to chose a specific story (Sherlock Holmes, or even something like a fairytale, which have been adapted many times in many ways) and compare the various adaptations, see what can be found out about the creative processes in each case, etc. Storytelling varies hugely by medium, as you mentioned, and I think the best way to do this sort of article would be to focus in an analyze closely, rather than writing more broadly and generally. That's just my preference, though. – MissjuliaMiriam 10 years ago
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This topic could not only be about the same story told across different mediums but over different time periods and by different cultures. Therefore, stories like fairytales (Red Riding Hood told via literature, several films (Red Riding Hood, Hoodwinked, etc. etc.). It would be interesting to define the point about when it stops being "the same story" and if making it with different mediums or slight twists in the tale makes it less of itself. – Matthew Sims 10 years ago
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You speak of musicals which brings Sound of Music and Phantom of the Opera to mind. The former was based off a real story but the latter was based off a book. Examining both could prove to be very interesting indeed. – SpectreWriter 10 years ago
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Latest Comments

May 5, 2023 Marcie Waters I love this movie and the different portrayals of women in it, but I’ve always been a little disappointed that Mary went back to Steven. Those were different times though!	"The Women" a Masterpiece of Troupe Subversion and Toxic Feminism
Jul 22, 2016 Marcie Waters There are some great examples (like Obvious Child) in film. What I find to be interesting about how abortion plays out on television is that TV has a wider reach, like you mentioned, both in numbers and types of people. A lot of people who are against an issue like abortion will consciously decide not to watch a movie that prominently features an abortion storyline. It’s much easier, however, for those people to turn on the TV and have an episode about abortion pop up or to be invested in a show where an abortion story line unfolds. I guess with television, it’s easier to come across view points you may not agree with or may not have thought about. That’s why it’s so important to represent issues accurately!	How TV Depicts Abortion: From Maude to Miranda
Jul 22, 2016 Marcie Waters Very true! Hopefully in the future there will be an even larger (and therefore more accurate) range of experiences depicted on TV.	How TV Depicts Abortion: From Maude to Miranda
Jul 21, 2016 Marcie Waters Thanks for your comment, and good luck on your thesis!	How TV Depicts Abortion: From Maude to Miranda
Jun 5, 2016 Marcie Waters Snowpiercer is a great film. I’m glad you had the idea to think about id more deeply. Great article!	Snowpiercer and Social Revolution
Apr 10, 2016 Marcie Waters The great thing about seeing a John Waters’ film is that you’re not just watching a movie, but actually having fun doing it. I saw Polyester in Odorama recently, and what a great time it was!	John Waters and the Allure of Filth
Mar 1, 2016 Marcie Waters Very thorough article. The portion about the employees’ reviews on Glassdoor is an interesting perspective. Good job!	The Lost Civilization of Pottermore
Dec 29, 2015 Marcie Waters It’s really interesting that the game is so popular, when I know so many people who hate playing it.	How to Keep Friends after Playing Monopoly (Satire)

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Marcie Waters

Latest Articles

How TV Depicts Abortion: From Maude to Miranda

Nickelodeon’s The Splat: Bringing Back Classic Content for Millennials

Transgender Characters on Television: Quality vs. Quantity

Latest Topics

On TV, Crime Does Pay

When Characters Come to an End

When Critics and Fans Disagree

One Hit Wonders in Film

Feminism in Isak Dinesen's Writing

The (In)Accuracy of Gladiator Movies

Comparison of The Same Story Across Mediums

Latest Comments