What are the most relevant examples of free speech that has been expressed through creative mediums. Have they perfectly expressed their point or even crossed the line?
Could you be more specific in what you mean by relevant examples? Relevant to what? – LaRose8 years ago
This sounds like it would be a timely topic. I would be interested in pursuing it especially with a view to looking at how comedians have brought about social change and have used political satire to respond to various views expressed by presidential candidates. Donald Trump has certainly challenged and some would say crossed the line in some of his comments. Is this what you had in mind? Also news reporting has become very politically correct in Canada. I regularly watch CNN and am impressed with the well-researched questions asked by various hosts. I have heard Alex Wagner a few time as well as others. In Canada we don't have anyone asking the touch questions and as a result the information conveyed is done in a very shallow and superficial way. At least in America, the topics relating race form a national dialogue. If you could clarify what take you wanted on this topic such as sticking with politics, comedy shows or news reporting, I would be interested in nabbing this topics. Thanks! – Munjeera8 years ago
I think this is an interesting topic, but definitely needs to be narrowed to a more specific instance, as above, otherwise, it could just descend into soapboxing about when free speech is justified. So, this could focus on free speech in comedy (e.g. Louis C.K's Saturday Night Live appearance). I think whoever writes this up needs to qualify what is meant by creative mediums, especially when discussing something like politics, something which is usually confined to the news side of media. – Matthew Sims8 years ago
Very interesting, you could add YouTube for this as well, since it is a creative medium to an extent and you get videos of just about anything. As long as it doesn't violate copyright, it stays up. – SpectreWriter8 years ago
Define "free speech," and specify "creative mediums." What qualifies as "relevant"? Relevant how? – T. Palomino1 year ago
How was Bowie’s own creativity through music and other mediums has also caused others to be influenced in their own work.
I recommend for researching this to look at recent comments made after this death. Many people have talked about how he was an inspiration. If the writer can find some of these examples he or she can look to that artist's work to find examples. One example I can think of off the top of my head was Broadway director Robert Jess Roth who directed the original production of Beauty and the Beast says that his biggest influence is rock gods like Bowie. This was reflected in the way he designed the Beast as more of a rock star than an animal. One example, but this is the KIND of research and evidence I suggest the writer uses. – Christen Mandracchia8 years ago
I think it would be useful to mention his androgynout style inspiring lgbt rights and freedom. Also, he blew off his Hall of Fame induction. Perhaps look at that as a form of inspiration to not care about the hype? Then of course his creative and versatile music and his music videos! Find examples if how his musical style changed over time and the artists that credit him as an influence or at least adopted some of his style in their own art. – Robyn McComb8 years ago
Lady GaGa has always said that David Bowie was a major influence for her music (to the point where she copied or used direct lines from his work). I myself have written a few pieces that were inspired by him.
Even the 11th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, said that he based his Doctor Who wardrobe on David Bowie. – JennyCardinal8 years ago
Dylan fan, mentioned by George Clinton, sampled by James Brown, and declined knighthood; truly one of the greats. – Tigey8 years ago
Are you asking if Bowie has influenced other artists? – T. Palomino1 year ago
What type of musical instruments make for a perfect soundtrack? How does a specific musical instrument evoke specific emotions needed for a scene?
Cool. Maybe consider how the genre of the film can influence instrument selection? – chocmalt9 years ago
Discussing the importance of genre and examining famous composers could be an interesting way to attack this. For example the difference between scoring horror and adventure blockbusters. The difference between Howard Shore's approach to Silence of the Lambs and the Lord of the Rings Series. Or the similar devices used by John Williams and Hans Zimmer to create memorable and iconic soundtracks. Horns and Violins seem to be imperative to their styles. – skairnagh9 years ago
There's sort of a psychological aspect to this. Could certain instruments reinforce particular emotions or feelings in listeners? There are several big composers who came from rock bands who almost completely abandon that sound when they start to compose film music. (Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman are two that come to mind.) Recently, there has been a huge shift to integrate electronic sounds into scores. An example that immediately comes to mind is the Facebook soundtrack, but one of the first early successful examples of this would be the sound track for Witness (starring Harrison Ford). You could explore the balance between familiar and new music and what kinds of films or TV shows these soundtracks are paired with. – dannyjs9 years ago
Great topic. I can see someone breaking this down by movie genre. – Tigey8 years ago
I wonder if there are necessary, fundamental differences in instrumentation. Couldn't any instrument theoretically be used in any film, provided it was done right? I'd genuinely be interested to hear someone's theory there. Promising stuff. – TKing8 years ago
TKing, generally, I think you're right, but I can't imagine hearing a Jew's harp in, say, The King's Speech. – Tigey8 years ago
That would depend on the movie. And no musician think of "right" instruments to evoke emotions. – T. Palomino1 year ago
In the 400th anniversary of his death, how has Shakespeare’s works influenced literature and why is it still held in high regard today.
This is a very broad topic. I would recommend you slave off adaptations, even loose, in order to see purer influences. Are you looking more at themes (e.g. star-crossed, separated lovers) or traditions (e.g. cross-dressing confusion)? – IndiLeigh8 years ago
I agree with IndiLeigh. I'd narrow it down or you'll be writing for another 400 years! – J.P. Shiel8 years ago
Unoriginal and predictive. – T. Palomino1 year ago
Lady Chatterley’s Lover has had a reputation for being perverse in its sexual subject matter and use of descriptive language. However, does there need to be an understanding of the full narrative in order to contextualise what D.H. Lawrence’s ideas of characterisation were.
I'm not sure I follow. I certainly like your topic, but is there any way you could be either clearer or more focused within your initial topic? You topic title, to me, is not in accordance with your short description. – Alstroemeria8 years ago
It could do the article some good to also examine the various adaptations of the eponymous story like ‘Sharapancharam’ and ‘Edakkalu Guddada Mele’ to see how well have the themes in the original novel percolated through various cultures. – Dr. Vishnu Unnithan4 years ago
These sound like rhetoric questions. – T. Palomino1 year ago
Wherever it be folk music or another form of traditional music set in a specific geographic region, is there a danger of it being lost to commercial pop music? Why is traditional music important in representing a specific culture?
I believe you have hit an important note here, pun intended. Traditional music is important because it does represent an aspect of culture. It is important to preserve the music however, it is educational to have the music available to others. This is said with antiquated cultures in mind. Now to take it to a more current event. The urban culture has its own music and I am talking about Rap most specifically. This music is about urban culture and it has been capitalized to make money and much of the original Rap culture was about telling what life is like in this culture. Now it seems it is less about story more about commercial success. – Venus Echos9 years ago
What do you mean by "lost to commercial pop music"? – T. Palomino1 year ago
What do readers look for when purchasing a celebrities autobiography? Do readers prefer sentimentalism or heart-felt stories.
Also, what are a celebrities’ aim for their autobiography?
It may helpful to compare and contrast the sordid "tell-alls" with more sophisticated, well-regarded autobiographies. Both can include raw, unpleasant material: but what would make one honest and personal, and the other sleaze sensationalism? – Luthien9 years ago
I don't have the expertise to write this essay, but I would love to read it once it is written. Why DO people read celebrity biographies? – sophiacatherine8 years ago
I think I can answer your question Sophia. To participate in the exciting lives of celebrities and live through them. – Munjeera7 years ago
Personal reasons, different motives. – T. Palomino1 year ago
Ken Burns’ documentaries are known to be informative, containing many professionals on the subject discussed with any topics up for discussion. Which of his documentaries best reflect these qualities and their intentions of informing audiences?
No examples? More elaboration needed to support claims. – T. Palomino1 year ago
What are alternative Christmas films to watch and are they any particular reasons why they turn away from traditional Christmas narratives.
Now when you mean "Christmas Alternatives" do you mean as "Nightmare Before Christmas" kind of alternative since it combines both Christmas and Halloween into one movie, or "Grumpy Old Men" in which Christmas isn't necessarily important to the story but is a piece of the film's theme. – Kevin Mohammed8 years ago
I think to discuss this further you'd really need to hone in on exactly what constitutes an 'alternative Xmas film'. The whole idea of dissecting the traditional is something that sounds quite interesting, but the comparison piece would, like mentioned, need to definitively set out what you mean by 'alternative' with examples and the innate differences etc. etc. – JonnyN908 years ago
What do you mean by "traditional Christmas"? No examples? What would be the objective of such project? – T. Palomino1 year ago
Blogging has become a large part of Journalism, both for professionals and amateurs. What are the positives and negatives of this?
One negative is certainly that the "anyone can do it" mentality over-saturates the market. It can be difficult for people to sift through the slush to find actual valuable information, not just random spurts of someone who can fake experience and their intelligence on the subject. – Christina Legler9 years ago
While one positive is that blogging can give a voice to the people who may feel they are not given a chance to be heard. They can share their opinion on popular topics, participate in open discussions, and give new viewpoints to different stories. – Megan Finsel9 years ago
Interesting, it would also be worth commenting on how this affects the more 'traditional' film critics, such as those established with print newspapers versus online critics, especially when it comes to making a living. – IsabelleMilton9 years ago
While I think this is a good jumping off point, I think it presumes too much, e.g. that blogging is simply being accepted by everyone. I think this topic could includes points about what needs to change to further normalise bloggers, such as a way to find an appropriate convergence point for amateurs and professionals. Also, indication towards a paradigmatic shift about what journalism will be into the future. – Matthew Sims8 years ago
Unsupported claim. Blogging and journalism are different things. – T. Palomino1 year ago
Are there any film festivals that are mainstream or independent which should gain more coverage?
Interesting topic. Sounds like it will require some research. – Joseph Manduke IV9 years ago
The Province Town film festival in PT Mass. They have been a major player in launching John Waters and a lot of LBGT+ filmmakers/films! There is also the Boston Underground Film Festival, The Montreal Documentary film festival or Hot Docs film festival in Toronto, The Animation film festival (the largest animation film festival in the world) in Ottawa can all be interesting as well! Also the London Feminist Film Festival. Let me know if you would like any more suggestions on festivals! – CassDM9 years ago
There is a relatively new LBGT+ film festival in LA, that might be something to look into.
Perhaps you can discuss Sundance and the idea that it is "the" film festival? Perhaps compare it to other film festivals? – Nicole Wethington9 years ago
I'd really recommend the London Short Film Festival - it has a wide range of events, screenings and talks, many of them are very affordable (or even free!) and it seems to be grounded in a lot more reality and purpose for the average independent filmmaker than the BFI's London Film Festival. – Phil5 years ago
There sure are. But, what would anyone want to achieve by answering this question? – T. Palomino1 year ago
What is the best examples of literature that awakens readers’ minds to political consciousness on past and/or present events?
There's plenty of examples for this. It might be a better idea to focus this on a specific political idea, or a current event/issue. – Daniel Hein9 years ago
I think you couls also add a time period or country. I am thinking how the whigs produced some interesting authors but the were a specifically British 18th century party. So this topic could be very broad depending on where and when it is focused on – DClarke9 years ago
Good topic and one of the best ideas to point to is Hunger Games. That's very political in nature and undertones. And if you want to take liberties, you can talk about the Ministry and their treatment of the main character in Harry Potter. – SpectreWriter9 years ago
This could go in so many directions. You could argue that most novels are political in some way (whether this be implicit or explicit). Perhaps narrowing it down to a specific time-frame would be more manageable? – Luke Stephenson9 years ago
This topic could not be serious! Political awareness has been one of the main objectives of literature since the beginning of time. What examples are you asking for? – T. Palomino2 years ago
What sort of America is represented in F.Scott Fitzgerald’s literature?
Since work on Fitgerald often evaluates the era he was writing in, it would be intriguing to read an article that veers off in an odd, fresh direction. – jennewymore9 years ago
Fitzgerald's depiction of America is the representation of old money and new money through the glitz and glamour of clothing, parties and automobiles. It gives the readers the image that America is a shallow society that gives attention to consumerism. – maricsat9 years ago
Flappers and WWI comes to mind – crispychips9 years ago
Most of his texts focus on his own lifestyle and the people he associated with. How about talking about Meyer Wolfsheim (hint: Arnold Rothstein)? – mimz39 years ago
What will be Christopher Lee’s artistic legacy as an actor and musician?
There would be so much to talk about here. It would end up being quite a sweeping article if you took in all of his life. It might be interesting to just focus on the musician part, or just his early work, or just his later work, to get more in depth? – Francesca Turauskis9 years ago
Is there any comedy, either by comedians or comedy films/television which have strong political and/or social message?
I think the subject matter is a little too broad at the moment. I'm not saying that writing on multiple categories can't be done, but perhaps the writer should just stick to one subject (film/television) and then it could potentially be made into a series of articles.
– Jamie9 years ago
Are there any examples of alternative news media online, and how does it reflect contemporary media on the internet?
Interesting to note is how news media online caters to a shortened attention span (I'm looking at you, Buzzfeed). Long blocks of text are no longer acceptable: things must be categorized and subdivided so the eye has something new to read. – Nicola9 years ago
From former wrestlers to reality tv stars, how and why do they transition into cinema. Is this transition successful or doomed to failure?
I can definitely see this trend in people like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, and Andre the Giant. – Erica Beimesche9 years ago
A comparison between those who have successfully transitioned vs. those who did not might be interesting in order to determine if there is a trend. Wrestlers have been mentioned, but others like musicians (Dwight Yoakam), etc. should also be part of the analysis. – pudgeblossom9 years ago
I liked pudgeblossom's point about musicians. Perhaps the best way to focus this topic is to look at the following: 1. Athletes (this goes all the way bacl to Olympic Swimmer Johnny Wisemuller in Tarzan) 2. Musicians/Singers 3. Now we have reality stars – fdemelo9 years ago
What can X-Files fans expect when the series returns for a limited run?
The fans are going to make comparsion to the orginal series and the show will go for a season or two..flounder then get canned. I don't think the producer will have done enough research to know what the fans really like. – sanjay9 years ago
I've been a fan of this show for over 20 years now. I watched it every week since it first debuted. I've seen both movies in the theater on opening day, and I loved both. I'm excited to see my favorite characters come back and to finally get to see some new episodes of the show that I love. While there are some fans out there who are already critical, already listing the many ways the new season will go bad, I like to think I am in the majority: a life-long fan excited to see my favorite show come back. – apbinne9 years ago
What is the importance of Orwell’s work in which he critiqued Totalitarianism (1984) and Imperialism (Burmese Days)?
The Topic is the title of the late Christopher Hitchens' book on Orwell's import. – thistle9 years ago
It certainly is thistle, I have enjoyed many of Christopher Hitchens' writings. But it can still be used as a topic by anyone on The Artifice who is an admirer of Orwell's work. – Ryan Errington9 years ago