Most of the time, Asians are portrayed as one of the four: Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Korean. This leads to inevitably neglecting other Asian nationalities as those from Southeast Asia (i.e. people from Thailand, Malaysia, and/or Philippines look very different from the first four nationalities cited, and are somehow unrepresented/do not have enough representation)
Yes! This is an important topic. I think Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Korean are the main four because of popular culture (e.g. Bollywood, anime, kpop). Other Asians should also be represented equally. You could possibly talk about how beauty standards of the four main Asian nationalities differ compared to other Asian nationalities. For example, from personal experience some Koreans taunt Filipinos because they tend to have darker skin (there's colorism within Korean beauty standards). – seouljustice8 years ago
Put this under the TV section because I think there are more TV show examples that can be used. One specific show that came to mind is The 100, which is a dystopian show that supposedly features all nations that survived the end of times as one group - the people of 'The Ark'. But you can only ever find Chinese people as representatives of Asians. There are quite a lot of shows that can be used. Basically, just pick a show that has an Asian character and more likely they will be any of the most common four I've mentioned. – Ruth8 years ago
This is an important topic! I agree with Ruth, I would put it in the TV sections. There are so many examples of misrepresentation of Asians in western culture in television.
-Lindsey – lindseyjane8 years ago
If you intend to look at writing/literature, especially Shakespeare, it would be worth exploring Jerry Brotton's book: This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and The Islamic World (Milton Keynes: Penguin Random House, 2016) Concerning the representation of the East in Shakespeare's work. May spur some interesting thoughts for you?! – AngelicaHill8 years ago
Thank you, AngelicaHill! Should be really helpful. – Ruth8 years ago
It's also worth noting that Emily Kuroda and Keiko Agena, who played Mrs. Kim and Lane Kim (respectively) on "Gilmore Girls," are both Japanese, yet they were cast to play Koreans, and their Korean-ness was emphasized repeatedly throughout the series. Why, then, would you cast Japanese women (as great as Emily and Keiko both are)? Something to think about. – KKillian8 years ago
Yes! That is a very good point. Thank you, KKillian. – Ruth8 years ago
Critique the Presidential Debates like an episode of House of Cards. Additional areas to explore: plot, writing, review of characters, suggested improvements to next seasons…
This is almost too close to home! I've heard that in fiction, only trouble is interesting, so if you approach the election like it's a TV show, won't that make you root for disaster? (And is one of the main candidates already the star of a TV show...?) I think you could make the case that "winning" the TV show of the election by being the most entertaining is essentially the opposite strategy for winning the actual election. – tmatteson8 years ago
This is a wonderful suggestion! I have little to add beside that it could be worthwhile to critique the 'cinematographic' aspects of the show. How has it been staged? How have camera angles been used to emphasise certain aspects of the show? How have ads been parallels of tv show trailers? I really like this. – IsidoreIsou8 years ago
This sounds like it could be incredibly entertaining. I'd love to see plot suggestions. Writer could also mention the candidates' followers as opposing sides of fandom. There are a ton of ways they could take this and I love it. – Emily Schiemann8 years ago
Having done some 250-300 appearances as a political analyst on local TV stations (but addressing primarily Presidential and Congressional elections), I have come to approach the issue of TV media coverage as, perhaps, much like old computers where there was no hard drive (Tandy TRS-80), so programs had to be reloaded every time the computer was turned back on. It is not really possible to build upon foundation information and then develop more complicated ways of looking at political or public policy issues. To talk about a significant Supreme Court case (McCulloch v Maryland from 1819) and explain the importance of one word (expressly) that existed in the Articles of Confederation but was left out of the US Constitution and how the Opinion written by then Chief Justice John Marshall matters to Constitutional interpretation in the present, cannot be easily addressed on TV news. As a result, simplicity dominates where it is believed by, perhaps, too many viewers that there is some truth to the notion that Conservatives are strictly adhering to the Constitution, while Liberals are broadly interpreting it. In real terms, both sides are practicing Constitutional interpretation and there are some ways to understanding a conservative approach (or approaches) to Constitutional interpretation versus more liberal ones. TV news by not bringing this complexity to the small screen fosters, unfortunately, a reality TV show approach to liberal versus conservative, which ends up not helping a broad based public understand complex policy issues. Shows like PBS's Frontline or listening to a lengthy dialogue on CSPAN, can show a contrast with the more popular cable TV news shows, but TV news shows need to generate a profit so hope for improvement (enlightenment?) is debatable. – Joseph Cernik7 years ago
I'll admit that Glee could be a fairly problematic show, but why do people (especially those who talk about LGBTQ representation) seem happy to forget about the major steps that Glee took in this area. Why is the message of being yourself, embracing what makes you stand out, and finding family in what you love always forgotten about, even when Glee is mentioned?
I didn't watch the show, but many people I know said that they didn't like the show after the first season due to homophobic, sexist, and racist shows. Even though Glee does communicate an important theme, like you said, viewers were still frustrated with how the show handled LGBTQIA and other types of representation. If a show has LGBTQIA characters, they should at least attempt to represent them properly. Having a diverse range of characters meets the minimum standard. People expect better than a problematic representation of their communities. – seouljustice8 years ago
A deeper look into different cultures' perception of beauty and how they can affect one's inclination to watch a movie or film
The article resulting from this would be compelling if it succeeded in saying anything other than "films with more attractive actors are also more popular." – IsidoreIsou8 years ago
Are there any films where more grotesque main characters actually make the film more appealing and thus more popular? Will there be a distinction between the actor's beauty and that of the character? Will the article resulting from this prompt consider exploring non-physical components of attractiveness and beauty? – IsidoreIsou8 years ago
What about frankenstein? Does that count? – dandeliaon8 years ago
Really interesting idea for an article. I would say that its kind of a difficult topic because its hard to really "prove" anything definitely in terms of popularity due to beauty. But the idea is very provocative and I think that looking at beauty and how it plays a role in cinema - esp modern cinema - is a really great idea. Maybe focus less on the popularity and more on just the role beauty plays. – SDale428 years ago
This is a really cool idea but I think you have to be careful because you could end up going down a rabbit hole of ideas that branch off of this one; such as beauty standards in America, beauty standards in media, etc. I think also it's important to have a thesis with this, like should we not see movies because the leads are attractive? What is the point of writing this? – hannahb8 years ago
Analyze how comedy is a legitimate form of rhetoric, as rhetoric is language that is intended to influence people. People that have been seen as successful rhetoricians are people like Martin Luther King jr., Plato, and Obama. These people have been popular in the field of politics, but how does comedy come off as legitimate way to influence emotion and character. Maybe try using TV shows such as The Office or Parks and Recreation.
This is an excellent idea but it is slightly broad. Consider distilling this topic by looking at a specific work or text. The author has suggested 'The Office' or 'Parks and Recreation.' That said, however, the author has also preceded that by referring to individuals with political perspectives and agendas. The writer of this prompt should consider looking at comedic works that either have or aim to have any kind of political influence. Many satirical works would be worth examining. – IsidoreIsou8 years ago
Many episodes of each Star Trek series feature emergent political conflicts. What can the examination of these stories teach us about the principles of diplomacy relevant to our own political struggles? Take one or two episodes and relate them to active conflicts in the real world today.
Cool topic. I think the original Star Trek series, especially, touched on some very interesting political issues. One episode that comes to mind - off the top of my head, anyway - is "The Cage" ("Wrong thinking is punishable; right thinking will be rewarded"). – OBri8 years ago
Sherlock Holmes has had many renditions, but BBC's Sherlock and CBS's Elementary came out about the same time. BBC's Sherlock takes the stance that Sherlock is a high functioning sociopath while CBS's Sherlock is a recovering addict. These renditions affect how other characters in the series were represented as well as how they interact with him. How do these differences compare to the books and do both versions show a strong representation of a version of Sherlock Holmes in their own right?
Interesting topic however I would urge the writer to tread carefully. When examining multiple editions and origin stories things can get messy. A focal point (perhaps characteristics all the renditions share? what is it that makes Sherlock "Sherlock" ?) is very important to execute this successfully. – Mela8 years ago
You've misspelled elementary in the title. – Tigey8 years ago
Do you believe that writers stray away from addressing metal illness/disabilities of any kind when writing for television? Seeing the trailer for "Speechless" (ABC, fall 2016), there must have been an enormous amount of research poured into the writing, but in general, do you think there is too much room for making mistakes or receiving backlash when addressing these topics? Do writers fear this type of work?
I truly agree, I think mental illnesses are becoming such a sensitive subject that it's not really touched by writers. Although as we become further into a generation or time period where mental illness is making itself known, As a society we have to be more aware of the many types of illnesses that follow and the only way to make these known during this time period is by television shows and social media. – Karolyn118 years ago
Addressing mental illness and disabilities is a sensitive topic that should be treated with care. I think if writers do their proper research, create accurate portrayals (not stereotypes) of characters with disabilities or mental illness, and cast proper actors, it's fine. Some writers might hesitate to create shows depicting these topics because they might not have too much experience with it, or they think it's not profitable, but these stories matter too. Mainstream television should make room for more diverse stories like these topics. – seouljustice8 years ago
