Pro-Wrestling has been around for decades and has tens of millions of fans, but is often misunderstood by those on the outside. Moreover, the complex and serialized nature of pro-wrestling story-telling makes entry as a new fan difficult. A complete overview of the sport up through present trends and story-lines would be interesting: formation and history of the sport, brief summation of the legal players and corporate/owner factions, explanation of terminology used in the sport, brief summation of story-line factions (faces/heels/teams), and an explanation of why ' it's scripted, not fake ' is essential to understanding the appeal of the sport.
I love this topic! It would be worth mentioning how many pro wrestlers later became actors such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. – Cagney10 years ago
There is a lot to talk about with this topic besides the above mentioned. Another thing to look at would be themes used in wrestling story lines that are also used in other genres in the media. – lisa827 years ago
This is really interesting. But I am afraid there are already accounts (introductions and summaries) that address this questions. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Recent events in London and abroad raise questions of how we should be representing terrorist attacks and the victims of those attacks. The visualization of difference is crucial to our popular understanding of these events as they unfold and reverberate throughout the world. Discuss the way major news organizations like CNN, Fox and MSNBC visualize these events. What differences arise between these televised news sources? How can stations visualize the aftermath of these attacks and the victims in tasteful ways that don't compound the trauma?
It would also be interesting to explore the way the Manchester attack was reported by American sources (releasing information before the UK, reporting false information, etc). Also, the lack of reporting terrorist attacks in non-western countries. Could this be due to the fact these sources don't want the US sympathizing with the middle-east? They want us to view them only as the terrorist and not as the victim? – BreannaWaldrop7 years ago
An interesting spin-off on this topic would be to explore the way in which news outlets are manipulated for PR reasons by both terrorist organisations and celebrities to manage their public profile. For example, the controversial decision of Grande to "go home" to the US was quickly followed by an announcement of the One Love benefit concert and return to Manchester. The decision of Noel Gallagher not to attend also resulted in a PR issue, which he felt compelled to then "explain". – bethlauren7 years ago
There are not one, but three shows this coming fall about the deified seal team six, and homelands and such, in which I don’t think its redheaded step children had the GI Joes now are gunning down. Of course we have to do that, lest we ever hold a politico feet to the fire, ah where we get impeachment, as you can hate the Romans all you want, but…turns out there were war television stations for whom a money shot of Virgillian sadness for fallen men in an unmarked grave in an unmarked war would be something that might caste a lull in the coloreds usury drunks and lesbians who just love a good parade, and don’t you forget it. And why make a point about those soldiers dying in that mess, as marking the earth with your ruin always gets some suckers boiled into the muck. You shouldn’t have waved the flag so vociferously when that bag man was bombing hospital’s, because to be antiwar after that hag quoted Caesar, is just another reason people who just so hate Trump in that mausoleum of a senate are plunging away, with that bumbling old coot unraveling before us, looking like the evil eye of Mad comics. Maybe one too many 300’s for you to seem so sanctimonious now. Everything is plastic, and is fake, as maybe the Bushes weren’t the patricians those grave robbers tried to convince you they were. See if you couldn’t impeach that buffoon, who sat there and careened from one disaster to another, well, whats the point of La wanda and her studying the crime bill as if the digest of Roman law as I had to , but then, survived being Jesuit pre law. Oh, now you weep…?, as my namesake said, … – Antonius8657 years ago
TV opening credits obviously let viewers know who the main cast is as well as give everyone involved in the process their due. The aesthetics and artwork of each individual show's credits can also persuade the audience into participation. How do opening credits function depending on what shows one is watching? There are certain shows that begin with catchy themes, eye-catching graphics, or contain "easter egg"-like codes/foreshadowing. There are others which keep the visibility of opening credits to a minimum, perhaps to heighten the realism of the show's fictional world. How does the nature of certain shows determine the way opening credits are presented to the audience?
Approved this, but I was going to say would you be able to add some examples? One that always springs to mind for me is the minimalistic credits for Hannibal – Francesca Turauskis8 years ago
How about a little bit of comparison and contrast with the opening credits from previous decades? I've notice several old programs that have opening theme songs that the lyrics were actually displayed on the screen as they were sung. – NoDakJack8 years ago
This would be such a great prompt to expand on--once I get to the point where I can publish articles I may take this on myself! So many nuances and storytelling aspects can be found in a good opening credits sequence. There's so much to talk about! Context clues and interpretation of the cinematography and any song lyrics would be good points to discuss. – RachelHart8 years ago
Just going to leave this right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG_P_1JnfXI – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Wonder if there's much of a difference between opening credits and opening titles, but here's a fairly enlightening video by Cinefix i hope you find useful :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8twthdaqB8 – Matchbox8 years ago
Just a pet theory for filmic opening-credits, but there must be an evolution in length. Perhaps I'm pointing to the obvious, but Hollywood films produced pre-millennium seem much longer than productions after. Watching Kramer vs. Kramer, I realized it was an eon worth of attention span for the generation of viewers today. The opening for some production during earlier periods are an encased vignette telling an encapsulated story. Perhaps viewer patience have been eroded that opening credit structure is susceptible to such pressures. By the way, after watching the opening-credits for Dexter, does anyone crave ham and eggs with a splash of Tapatio? – minylee8 years ago
To expand on the comparison of opening credits now versus years ago, almost all older movies and tv shows (mid to late 20th century) feature the majority, if not all, credits at the beginning. Now, generally only the main characters are billed at the beginning, with everything else credited at the end. Perhaps you could examine what caused the switch, if anything, and how that has impacted the audience's viewing experience. – Noelle McNeill7 years ago
Nostalgia is every where as many shows which had been cancelled or ended long ago are returning. X-Files and Gilmore Girls came back, Young Justice finally got its long awaited season three, and Charmed is getting a reboot. How does this affect how we watch the new season out reboot? How does this affect our perceptions of the old show? Does waiting so long end up paying off?
Great topic! From the moment PrisonBreak ended I have been waiting for it to come back. – Munjeera8 years ago
You might also delve into, which shows get a comeback, why, and who should get to decide. Are there shows that haven't received a comeback, but should? What makes a show popular enough to warrant one? – Stephanie M.8 years ago
I think that sometimes shows shouldn't come back because they are rarely as good as the original and sometimes try too hard. I would love friends to come back, but i know that i'll only be disappointed because it can never recreate the magic of the past.
Maybe try and identify where comeback shows go wrong and some examples of this. – Emefa18 years ago
This could be a super interesting topic. Another thing to think about is the effect it can have on a new audience who didn't grow up with the original shows, and whether they should update it to fit the times or keep it as it was? Or perhaps what to update and what not to? This definitely raises a lot of questions, I like it! – Sarah A.8 years ago
Would be very interested to hear the perspective on the idea that Prison Break will be returning - is it legitimate for shows to return and pretend that the seemingly final last episode was never meant to be final? Is it okay for us to accept this re-writing of the planned narrative after the fact? – jessfaith09128 years ago
Great topic. It's such a grey area with a lot to explore, you have those who are all about the reboots (I am a sucker for nostalgia) and those who are against them. Plus, reboots tend to get a whole lot of criticism, mainly because people have so many expectations. – MikaylaMargaret7 years ago
Not that I ever watched the show to begin with, but it might be useful to mention the upcoming Will & Grace reboot, which is set to ditch its original ending because it was inconvenient. I can't imagine fans are going to be very happy about that. Sometimes tinkering with the story like that can hurt the original. – AGMacdonald7 years ago
Examine the incorporation of branded marketing in the history of film and TV, and how the normalization of sponsored content has allowed for successful films like The Lego Movie to branded documentary series like Margot vs. Lily by NikeWomen. Is it changing the world of advertising or is it changing the world of entertainment?
Game of Thrones has seen incredible, groundbreaking success, such it has developed a devout following. The success is due to multiple factors. Two of which are duration and quality. The fact that GOT is indeed a television show instead of a film, allows characters to truly develop and grow. Films generally have a time limit of three hours to develop any characters. Films on the other hand, have quality that tv shows usually do not. Game of Thrones is able to connect these two aspects, tv show length for development and film like quality. Fans are able to become much more invested than other movies or shows. In the future, we can hope that other TV shows look to invest in the higher quality, and produce great shows like GOT.
The showrunners for Star Trek: Discovery have named Game of Thrones as an inspiration for the format of the show. – AGMacdonald7 years ago
I sincerely hope that the success of GoT inspires other writers/producers to make series with a similarly long game view.; either book adaptations, as GoT, or stand-alone series.
– JudyPeters7 years ago
There are a number of TV shows and film franchises that have an almost cult-like following (e.g. Star Wars, Supernatural, MCU, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Doctor Who, BBC Sherlock). What's the appeal? How or where do these "fandoms" start? Why do they exist? What do these "fandom franchises" have in common? And does it say something about our society that these are the shows that have gained fandom followings?
I think the social factors your questions allude are very good points of interest in this article. However, I think it'd be just as interesting to explore the impact of companies on fandoms too, because without the desire to make profit a lot of them cease to exist. Perhaps this suggests what should/shouldn't be promoted in society. Going down the rabbit hole of failed tv/book series because of small audience would be cool to learn about. But perhaps looking at "fandoms" generally is too much research for the author. It might be easier to look at the change of Fandoms in the past fifty years by comparing older ones with news ones, while addressing those same questions you've mentioned. Doctor Who or Star Trek against something like Harry Potter would be interesting, particularly as they began before the internet and encompass different generations. – olives2brand8 years ago
I definitely thing the popularity of certain fandoms indicates something about society. Mostly that escapism is stronger that ever. Whether or not this is a good thing is highly interesting! – reneekohler7 years ago
People seem to enjoy that feeling of belonging to a like-minded group, and fandoms operate to satisfy that sort of urge. Who does not like to engage with like-minded people? Is it escapism? Or a need to belong? – JudyPeters7 years ago
Audience fascination with medicine has resulted in a large number of riveting TV series pertaining to the topic being made. Analyse the various aspects and ethical dilemmas of medicine portrayed on various medical shows.(even the lesser known ones)
It should be. But, you should display acuity in choosing products that are not hoax ( giving you only complications.) – droy8 years ago
This one would take research. So many medical dramas that are designed to come across as authentic still take advantage of common misconceptions in order to cut storytelling corners, and since the bulk of what laypeople know about what to do in a crisis comes from what they've seen on TV, this can be really dangerous. On the other hand, medical dramas are a potential way to introduce little-known or misunderstood health issues to a broader audience, and it could be fascinating to explore the impact of this and the nature of the moral obligation this places on the show to be both informative, non-judgemental yet still present an engaging narrative. – Cat7 years ago
