Sunni Rashad

Death Battle is a web series that debuted on December 6, 2010, featuring matchups between fictional characters in heavily researched, animated duels—often concluding with a decisive, and usually fatal, outcome.

A major aspect of the show is power scaling, a method used to compare characters’ abilities based on their demonstrated feats. While intended to provide clear answers, power scaling often sparks more controversy than consensus. Even with extensive breakdowns and calculations, fans frequently challenge Death Battle’s conclusions, as different communities value different forms of evidence.

For instance, the show analyzes raw numbers—such as Goku’s energy output or Superman’s speed using frame-by-frame measurements—but some Dragon Ball fans argue that authorial intent should take precedence over calculations. Likewise, in Dio vs. Alucard, many believed Dio’s time-stopping ability should have led to victory, despite the show’s explanation.

Comic book debates add another layer of complexity—should Superman’s most extreme feats from various eras count, or only recent portrayals? Since power scaling lacks a universally accepted method, Death Battle often fuels debates rather than resolving them.

One of the more troubling outgrowths of the propagation of the Internet is the rise of the “lolcow” culture, which is mocking and dissecting Internet figures for entertainment. Figures like DSPGaming, Wings of Redemption, or LowTierGod have become recurring targets, with YouTube documentaries and commentary channels exploiting their struggles for views. Many alleged documentaries blur the line between journalism and pure harassment, turning personal hardships into spectacle. Sensationalized narratives encourage dogpiling, making real people into endless sources of ridicule. As audiences reward negativity, the question remains: should platforms and creators be held accountable for the harm they perpetuate?

Since 2016, stand-up comedy has become a recurring battleground in the never-ending jobs program that is online culture war discourse. Comedians who once sought laughter now chase applause, pandering to their audience’s sensibilities and falling into the hackiest, laziest tropes.

In 2020, Tim Heidecker released an hour-long YouTube special that took the idea of bombing and stretched it into an art form. By delivering a performance filled with forced crowd work, hack premises, and faux-political grandstanding, he exposed the formulaic nature of modern stand-up. What does this say about the state of comedy, and why did an intentionally bad special feel more honest than most real ones?

Originally considered a throwaway creepypasta, Sonic.exe has grown in a way many couldn't have conceptualized upon its first upload. What began as another cheesy story of a cursed game cartridge has become a notable part of the Sonic legacy. How did Sonic.exe escape it's roots as a somewhat obscure internet myth to into a staple in gaming culture, and why does it continue to captivate and evolve within the public imagination?

On Cinema is a review series that first started in 2011 as a podcast and then pivoted into video before ending up on Adult Swim.com
In its 15 years of running the show has maintained a startling consistency with regards to the characterization of it's two leads.
While mainstream critics debate objectivity and audience reviewers chase engagement, On Cinema sidesteps the entire conversation by embracing cluelessness. Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington’s arbitrary ratings, personal vendettas, and refusal to engage with films meaningfully feel like an exaggerated version of real-world criticism.

From YouTubers like Nostalgia Critic, who's reviews serve almost as lackluster replacements for Hollywood films, to Chris Stuckmann and Jeremy Jahns, who prioritize likability over depth, and even to culture war-fueled channels like The Critical Drinker, On Cinema unintentionally mirrors how film discussion online is often more about branding and personality than actual analysis. How does the show’s absurd approach expose the flaws in modern criticism?

How does *Moby-Dick* explore queer themes? Look closely at the closeness between Ishmael and Queequeg, the tension in Ahab’s relationship with Starbuck, and the way the all-male crew interacts. What does the story say about breaking norms, hidden desires, and finding yourself in a world that forces everyone into the same mold?

The character of Merlin as he appears in ancient myths and modern stories is somewhat difficult to parse. In the old tales, Merlin is a mysterious, wise figure—a prophet, guide, and shapeshifter with a deep connection to magic and nature though not without his flaws such as his lineage and obsessions with his students. In recent decades, relatively speaking he has become even more fractured as a character. He’s shown in many disparate ways between today’s books, movies, and shows, where he might be a playful teacher (like in The Sword in the Stone) or a darker, more complicated character (like in BBC’s Merlin). How do these versions of Merlin reflect how we see wisdom, power, and right and wrong today?

Deep Dungeon, by LazyGameDev is a dungeon crawler, inspired by Rogue and other retro adventures, that was published to Itch.io in 2021.

How do minimalist dungeon crawlers like Deep Dungeon use simple visuals and repetitive gameplay to explore themes like isolation and persistence? With sparse storytelling and seemingly endless procedural layouts, they mirror life’s routines and uncertainties. Players face basic challenges, finding small victories amid monotony. What does this stripped-down design reveal about human perseverance, problem-solving, or the tension between order and chaos in everyday life?