Meghan Gallagher

I’ve never thought of Boo Radley that way but now that you mention it, I totally agree!

I don’t think it’s fair to ascribe any responsibility to stars like Miley or Taylor in regards to drugs, sex, etc. It is not their job to set a good example. It is their job to sell albums. If the parents of these “thousands of underage kids” want to impose any particular morality, then that is up to them.

I think that young female entertainers are almost always forced into a wholesome yet sexy package. The goal is to create a star persona which appeals to both teens and their parents. Early in her career Brittany Spears seemed to strike this perfect balance. She was sexy enough to keep male viewers watching, but clean enough to be viewed as a responsible role model. However, eventually playing that part took its emotional toll on the singer and she had a very public breakdown.

I think what we are seeing with Miley is a much healthier way of rejecting that packaged persona. Clearly, her transition is getting a lot of attention, and I think it’s hard to make a direct comparison between two stars with completely different career trajectories. I also think the question of fan outreach on social media might be unrelated since Miley (and almost every star under the age of 30 currently in todays spotlight) use social media to reach out to their fans in a personal way. I think a large part of Miley’s recent success is that something about her new image and sound feels authentic. And Taylor’s music has always been oozing with authenticity. I think that is what makes both of these artists so successful.

I’m a huge fan of John Green and I think he often writes exceptionally complex young characters. I really appreciate how you’ve laid out Margo in Paper Towns and how she challenges the MPDG trope. However, I feel like Green doesn’t always dismantle the trope in his work. I think sometimes he just lets the MPDG stay that way. For example, I feel like Looking for Alaska is a total manic pixie dream girl story. Strange considering how strongly he seems to feel about it…

The nerdy tech guy is a common trope in spy series. It seems like every secret agent/crime fighter/hero needs this character to serve as a comparison and to provide comic relief. It is really wonderful to see these brainy sidekicks getting their turn in the spot light. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. does an excellent job giving each character their time to shine.

Awesome article!
I am currently writing something similar as a genre theory piece and found this to be a really solid place to start my research. One influence that I think you overlook here is reality television. The mockumentary features a lot of the same stylistic choices in the reality TV genre and relies heavily on the private interviews where characters break the fourth wall and address the audience directly. I think that this stems directly from the use of a “confessional” in many reality shows. I think that more than anything, the mockumentary format is a way to revitalize the sitcom for audiences inundated with reality television and is essentially a hybrid of the two.

Yes! Tiny Fey is a genius. I would watch anything she writes!

I think this article is really important. Just because a show like OITNB is incredibly progressive in some ways, doesn’t mean that it is exempt from discrimination and marginalizing language. While acceptance of gay and transgender individuals has become much more widespread, it is still very difficult for the general public to view sexuality as a spectrum. I love OITNB and really hope they take this critique to heart.