Analyze why The Great British Baking Show is so popular everywhere, but perhaps particularly with American audiences. There are tons of memes that look at the difference between various cooking shows. And in general, there are tons of cooking shows today; what's the appeal?
Nice idea. Original! A quick suggestion - might be worth expanding this subject to include the general obsession with baking shows, comparing the British model to the American model. It's also interesting to note that as the Roman empire fell into decline and became decadent, it too had an obsession with celebrity chefs. A lesson from history, perhaps? – Amyus6 years ago
This is such a good suggestion because it feels like that show came out of nowhere and now it's everywhere! Maybe contrast the judging styles in that show against some popular American baking shows? – ja0netholmes6 years ago
Why do Offred's (and the other handmaids') experiences both terrify and resonate strongly with a 2017 audience? Did Atwood predict the future back in 1984 when she wrote the novel?
It is crazy how things are playing out in the world maybe he did see the furure – rayd7 years ago
Maybe after 30 years of the Bushes and the Clintons making America their own private Verona, maybe Chaucer was always going to be,as Gore Vidal said of Capote meanly, Your Dante. – Antonius8657 years ago
I think this also has a lot to do with the way that humanity exists in cycles, and the authors that write dystopian just have a way of identifying those cycles in a way that others can't. – talorelien7 years ago
I agree with Talorelien's point that literature tends to be cyclical in nature. Atwood was responding to her own period, if you look at some of the original interviews and critics this is discussed clearly. However, what perhaps is interesting is that the appeal of 'The Handsmaid's Tale' has not actually ever waned. As pointed out, here story is still a valid allegory of American politics as it was in the 1980s. What might be interesting to explore further is the idea of the ongoing appeal of dystopian texts in today's social conscience. – SaraiMW7 years ago
Atwood herself has somewhat already answered these questions. She pushes back by saying its irrelevant if she "predicted" the future. She instead addresses the point that she intentionally wrote everything from historical events or literature; in other words, everything in the book is already true in some capacity. – birdcat6 years ago
History repeats itself- or at least that is what people tend to say. Atwood looked back on history to aid in the creation of her book. Her tales are ones that occurred in the past, so it would make sense that some version of them would come back in the present and future. How we got here matters, and it will dictate where we go. – simmerdownboyle6 years ago
Perhaps it is so frightening because women historically have been oppressed so this story demonstrates an extreme that we hope to avoid. The modern day setting also creates the feeling that you can never be sure what to expect. – kattmccann6 years ago
Does a TV chef's professional profile (author, entrepreneur, sponsor, connoisseur) exclusively contribute to the show or does the food selection, recipe delivery, or recording location dominate the screen and the script? Consider the fame and background of celebrities that cater to the palette through TV, radio, book, or film: Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson, Julia Child, and Rachael Ray.
This sounds like it would make an interesting to read. Focusing in on several different chefs and how they have presented themselves. Say, Graham Kerr contrasted with Julia Child and whether it matters whatever it is they are preparing because their personalities may matter more than the food. – Joseph Cernik6 years ago
I think it's all of the above but a lot of the theatrics of cooking shows come from relatability of cooking. – samschroe6 years ago
I think a lot that goes into the portrayal of a TV chef is the stories they tell as they're preparing food. Most TV chef's have a conversational, easygoing, and relatable way of talking. It's all about how they deliver themselves to the viewer. I think what's also important is how they make cooking appear something that the viewer can also replicate in his or her own kitchen. They make cooking something that isn't super over complicated but something entertaining to watch and learn from. – jay6 years ago
“Happy Valley” (Season 3), “Stranger Things” (season 3), “Lost in Space” (Season 2), “Queen of the South” (Season 3), or “Into the Badlands” (Season 3). There are other series out there. Sure, some come from the BBC or AMC, but the convenience of quickly seeing as many episodes as one can enjoy in a short period of time, is so different than watching “Davy Crockett” on “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” spread out over three Sunday evenings, eventually getting to Davy dying at the Alamo. The anticipation, the expectation are probably different when waiting for an entire season of a particular show to be available on Netflix than was the case with waiting for the next episode of “Spin and Marty” a series that included some 78 episodes in all (also on Disney). Do we develop a more critical way of evaluating a series now because of the way we wait for its return and watch a number of episodes all in one sitting than was the case when we had no control over how many episodes we could watch at one sitting? Since episodes can be watched back to back (to back, and so on) we can evaluate plot lines and character development in ways that was not the case when we had no choice but to wait for the next installment. Perhaps we become TV critics in ways that was not the case previously or even possible. Our capability to critique a series now has to impact how series lines are developed by, say, the writers of these shows. Is there more of an interaction between the audience and the writers, producers, actors on these shows than was the case in the past?
The thing is that promotion of these series' was good thats why people remember about these. There are other great series like la casa de papel which got ruined in second season. And no one remembers about it now. – SonofQuantamPhysics6 years ago
The first season of The Bold Type just concluded and it has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and viewers alike. For a show predicated on the lives of three young women – Jane, Sutton, and Kat – working at a women's magazine, the writers could have easily made its characters vapid and its plot shallow or overly predictable, or pit the three females together in competition with each other. Instead, these women each occupy their own department within the magazine and only ever try to support each other as they navigate their love lives, sexuality, jobs, and identities. Analyze the diversity of The Bold Type's major female characters (Jane, Sutton, Kat, but even Jacqueline and Adena are useful for this discussion): their strengths, faults, and growth throughout the season. How does the characterization of these women, and the obstacles they must overcome, contribute to the show's overarching theme of female empowerment?
We are now three episodes (possibly more by the time this topic is selected) into the new series of Doctor Who (2018), starring the talented Jodie Whittaker. Now seems like a good point to engage in a discussion of the show, its reception, the doctor as a woman, and Doctor Who fandom, in the light of the previous article The Artifice has published. ((link)
Has Whittaker lived up to the expectations placed on her both as a woman playing an iconic role, and as the newest of the Doctors? What has been the overall reception by fans and general media to the portrayal of the doctor as a female now that three episodes have aired? Has the new writer/show runner influenced the reception and portrayal of the doctor? Is this a positive or negative? Is the new Doctor displaying a subversion of gender normalisation or is it continuing to present traditional stereotypes?
What do you think?
In my opinion it may still be a little too early to analyse Whittaker's Doctor as she is still finding her feet, so to speak. It's a tough role for any actor to take on and truly make it his/her own. I'll reserve judgement until the end of her first season. Having said that though, Chibnall must, in my opinion, up his game. The third episode in this new series, 'Rosa' was particularly weak, insofar as the resolution could have been reached by almost any time travelling hero/ine and the villain of the week was dispatched far too easily. Still, I'm sure others have their own opinion. – Amyus6 years ago
I did not see it as a big deal that a woman was finally put in the role, I guess I just assumed it would happen, maybe later than it should have happened but finally. On the other hand, two of my daughters who faithfully follow the show were absolutely excited that it finally happened. Since one of the questions addresses fan reception, it might be useful to discuss how male and female fans reacted to the news, followed by how they react now that it is underway. – Joseph Cernik6 years ago
Channel Zero, a new anthology series based off of popular stories on Creepy Pasta (a horror "microfiction" platform), has two seasons available on Shudder, a media platform similar to Netflix that caters to horror fans. Analyze various themes within the first season of Channel Zero, "Candle Cove," or compare and contrast Candle Cove with the following season, "No-End House." For example, while Candle Cove draws the viewer in with a murder-mystery approach that is later muddled by supernatural forces, No-End House seems to dive right in with the other-worldly approach.
Should the response from a community influence a producer to continue a series or not? There is some precedence: Chuck was at risk of being canceled but was renewed after fans submitted their distress to the producers. I know of others also, but not well enough to name them specifically. However, recent cancellations of shows have resulted in outrage from communities of fans (Sense8) but these responses did not make the shows come back in the same way.
I do believe that in some instances fans can help make networks and the like sit up and take notice of what the fans what. Take for instance the tv series 'Lucifer', it was cancelled by Fox but fans started an uproar on social media and Netflix was the one to renew the show. But other times even if a series is amazing to certain viewers, the networks and higher up concentrate more on business side of things and film and television are a business these days. If they don't get the viewers or the ratings, sometimes even with all the outrage and petitioning from fans, it can't help. There is one particular film which comes to mind, 'Vampire Academy', which is based on a series of novels. I am a fan of this film and signed all the online petitions and tried my best to help get the second film made, but when it comes down to it, the fans couldn't help even though I think it would have been amazing.
This is an idea I do think society should expand on because fans are sometimes what can keep a show from continuing or not and outlets such as social media can help bring light to cancelations. – ambermakx6 years ago
