dannyjs

Contributing writer for The Artifice.

Contributor II

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    Latest Articles

    Latest Topics

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    Published

    Anime for Dummies

    It would be cool if someone could write an article about anime for those who are not very familiar with the style. It could be written as a summary of the best anime to start with, or it could be an analysis of the style itself.

    • I'll write it as both. Many of the most hard-core Anime fans speak of the style of animation. While this is all well and good, most people are not familiar with the intricacies of animation and the difference between Anime and western animation. As someone who too does not know much about animation, I can write this as both: Style for dummies and what Anime to start with. In fact, this'll be the first time I write something like this. I'm on it. Thanks. – SpectreWriter 9 years ago
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    Microscopic Art

    Tomo Tanaka, Dalton Ghetti, Willard Wigan, and Steven Backman, are examples of artists that create extremely tiny works of art. This article could examine why this style is explored by artists. Is it awe in the hard work it took the artist or something else that makes this style popular?

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      Social Issues in Film

      There are plenty of films that promote social change for LGBT individuals either overtly or covertly. Some use historical events, others subtly integrate strong LGBT characters, and others make LGBT issues a part of the main story. You could do an analysis of films that have done this well versus those that haven’t.

      I put this in film but it could be about TV shows as well.

      I picked LGBT issues as the topic, but you could feasibly do this with any social issue like race, class, feminism, etc.

      • Mainstream media has definitely been a huge influence in social change, particularly for the LGBT movement. This article could also mention things like viral web videos, such as Prop 8: The Musical & The Gaythering Storm which undoubtedly had an impact on general social opinion by legitimizing the movement with well-known celebrities. – Hannah Spencer 9 years ago
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      • I've always thought that it would be interesting to try to apply the insights of Antonio Gramsci on cultural hegemony on topics like this, particularly if it is possible to take his insights while either neglecting or transforming his specific Marxist insights. It might be a good idea to see if anybody else has used this a theoretical way to look at film in the context of LGBT acceptance/marginalization. – Drewsalem 9 years ago
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      Daredevil's Superpowers

      I’ve started to watch the dare devil series on Netflix, and I feel someone could write a cool article comparing his superpowers with other super heroes. Daredevil has a disability, which in some ways helps enhance his ability to be hyper sensitive in other ways. You could do a character analysis and contrast this with other super heroes who rely more on things like super strength, or some other type of forceful power. While most super heroes have some type of weakness, Daredevil’s weakness is also his strength. You could either compare or contrast Daredevil with other superheroes.

      • You could also talk about other blind characters In TV and film, Like Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender. – Aaron Hatch 9 years ago
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      House of Card's Francis Underwood: The new psychopath on the screen

      It would be interesting to write a character analysis of House of Card’s Francis Underwood. The fact that so many viewers love watching a psychopath ruin people’s lives is a great topic of discussion.

      • How about a look at Claire as well? Does she fit a sort of more subdued psychopath role? How are these two defined by their actions and what consequences (if any) do they face? – Giovanni Insignares 9 years ago
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      • You could even go so far as to compare Frank Underwood with Shakespeare's Richard III; as for Claire, you could compare to another Shakespeare character: Lady Macbeth. Just a suggestion! – Amanda Dominguez-Chio 9 years ago
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      • I love House of Cards, and I watch because of Frank and Claire. I find myself rooting for them, even though they'll do anything to get what they want. This article should definitely explore the viewers' fascination with the Underwoods. Is there something wrong with us? Also, this article would need to define "psychopath;" perhaps "sociopath" better describes Frank, but the terms would need be spelled out regardless. – S.A. Takacs 9 years ago
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      • I think one could go even further and write about the general rise of psychopaths on screen. Someone has already done this recently; aileenmaeryan wrote a piece called Psychopaths: Cinema's Worst Critics where she explored the idea of psychopathic characters as being critics of modern society. One, however, could probably go further and address the general rise of psychopaths in popular media and ask why it is that we've become so fascinated with them. – August Merz 9 years ago
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      • I may have written this somewhere already, but I don't think they sleep together. They're most intimate when they screw the world together... and then they share a cigarette. – Tigey 7 years ago
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      Latest Comments

      You’r absolutely right. I think this is part of the hesitation the APA has with labeling video game addiction as one on par with substance abuse. What I tried to do here is more the discussion away from a comparison with substance abuse (without ignoring the similarities), and instead show the existential or emotional underpinnings of online gaming addictions. I hope I didn’t come off as disrespectful. Thank you for reading!

      Video Games: The Ups and Downs of a Virtual World

      That’s an important point, for sure. Video games are similar to other forms of entertainment, with the added element of active participation. In the case of online gaming, there’s the social aspect as well. This doesn’t set them completely apart, but it does create a new playground of exploration where we can compare styles of video game playing and styles of life. You’re also absolutely right in that video games are a very new art form. As with anything new, there tends to be a bit of trial and error before we discover how to enjoy some new technology while avoiding pitfalls that come with it. I would attribute the way the media often jumps to conclusions about video games to this uncertainty. I can’t wait to see the new directions video games take us.

      Video Games: The Ups and Downs of a Virtual World
      Video Games: The Ups and Downs of a Virtual World
      Video Games: The Ups and Downs of a Virtual World

      I couldn’t agree more! Yes, we have to be careful not to impose our own mode of experience on others. That’s why I tried to portray the “correct” way of listening as an openness to experience, and nothing more than that. This way we can enjoy pop and contemporary music equally, with the added benefit of expanding our horizon of experience!

      The Popular Music Dilemma: What John Cage Can Teach Us about Listening

      (Read in River Song’s voice) “Rule one: The Doctor lies”. Haha, just kidding. I hope you don’t think I’m trying to push any specific perspective. I really like yours and it feels awesome to see something I’ve written causing others to think on a deeper level. I appreciate your comments. 🙂

      Doctor Who? Why the Question is More Important than the Answer

      I know the feeling, it is the funniest thing trying to explain the show to someone. I usually just give up and tell them to watch it. Even though it does suspend reality at times, in the near distant future we will acquire technology that brings us similar dilemmas that the characters in the show face. So, while it is fun to think about now, it is also very important for the future.

      Doctor Who? Why the Question is More Important than the Answer

      This is a great perspective! I never thought about it that way. I know there are a lot of philosophers who might argue that, over the course of our lifetime, we are constituted of a multiplicity of selves. From a psychological viewpoint, this could be seen as adopting different personalities or personas within different contexts. From this perspective, each Doctor is like an embodied “persona” arising out of the Doctor’s “essence” if you will. This kind of seems similar, yet less organized, than your perspective. Thanks for sharing!

      Doctor Who? Why the Question is More Important than the Answer