pop culture
The headline rundown: Modern popular culture topics in the realm of politics, legislation and activism.
George Lucas Did Not Rape My Childhood, but His Sith Informed My Politics
Oprah Winfrey killed it on this year’s Golden Globe Awards. The ovation was staggering. Men and women both were crying. She addressed the #MeToo and #ItsTime movements, and minutes later was touted as our next U.S. President. Those on the other side of Oprah’s fence defiantly, and immediately, posted images of her and Harvey Weinstein—together and looking quite friendly—on social media.
By Joel Eisenberg8 years ago in The Swamp
Op-ed from an Avowed Anti-Trumper: If Those of Us on “The Left” Condone an Artistic Blacklist, Will Nazism Be Next? (Or, Why Conservatism in 2018 Hollywood Is the New “Gay.”)
The provocative headline is only partially clickbait. Softening it for effect or to make myself look better won’t happen. I want this one read, and read hard. I want the word “radioactive” associated with this story, and even with my name for the near-future, for boldly stating such “nonsense.” Why? Because I want you all to think, intently, where we’re headed.
By Joel Eisenberg8 years ago in The Swamp
'The Playstation Dreamworld' by Alfie Bown
In his last book, The Playstation Dreamworld (Polity, 2017), Alfie Bown is not exclusively addressing video game players—whether full-time or simply occasional players—but everyone. He understands that video games can be the perfect tool to comprehend the digital media scenario in which we live. So, in the same way that American cinema from the 40s, 50s and 60s left a footprint in several generations' lives, regardless of whether one watched the movies or not, influencing their clothes, haircuts, the music that they listened to, and the way they walked or smoked, Bown's idea is that video games might be doing the same with this generation, regardless of whether we play video games or not. The digital revolution has arrived and former cultural backbones such as theatre, novel, radio, cinema, and television have been swept away or assimilated by the internet. Video games, however, which were also born before the internet, seem to be a means of expression, cultural asset, leisure activity or whatever you want to call them, which adapts and morphs with technology. Advances in computers allowed games to evolve and designs to become more real. The possibilities of games multiplied, as well as the available offer. The consoles, before the mobile phones, became small and portable and gave the option to play anywhere. The development and implementation of the internet make it possible to play online with people from all over the world, and virtual reality (VR) systems seem to be the last frontier between fiction and reality. In addition to this, with the shift of generations of players, video games have ceased to be a market for children, teenagers, or alternative cultures to occupy an important part of the adult leisure market.
By Guillermo Fernandez8 years ago in The Swamp
Is Peter Rabbit a Communist?
Is anyone surprised Armitage Hux does not like rabbits? During a lecture break, I watched the trailer for the new Peter Rabbit. Looking beyond the ridiculous concept, strange plot, exhausting amounts of cuts (can trailers please relax?), I saw ("The Light" by Hank Williams, a great song) something interesting.
By The Decadent Roomies8 years ago in The Swamp
Impactful Political Cartoons About Gun Control
There is a mass shooting virtually every few weeks. Hundreds of men, women, and children die because of gun violence, and still we have no solution. And while we sit around waiting for the next mass shooting to happen, these political cartoons about gun control depict the senselessness, sorrow, and stupidity surrounding the firearms debate.
By Jody Hopkins8 years ago in The Swamp
Is It Iron Man's Fault That Donald Trump Is President?
America has done the unprecedented and elected a man to the highest position of political power who has no government or civil service experience. If you were to go to a doctor to perform some kind of invasive surgery, you’d want the best person for the job. At the very least, you’d want a surgeon. You’d want that guy or gal who’s spent ten years in med school, another five in residency, and another five performing a number of successful procedures. Even if that surgeon had a terrible bedside manner or acted as arrogant and douchey as Doctor Strange, that’s the person you would want fiddling around inside you when the anesthesia hits.
By Isaac Shapiro8 years ago in The Swamp
#WomenBoycottTwitter: Did It Make A Difference, Or Did Women Silence Their Voice?
Anytime people are banding together to fight a common cause for the greater good, I'm intrigued. The #WomenBoycottTwitter movement, which occurred Friday Oct. 13, definitely has me intrigued, but it's also got me concerned.
By Christina St-Jean8 years ago in The Swamp
Is It a Threat? Is It a Joke? Scaramucci Says He'll Bring a "Professionally Monogrammed Front Stabbing Knife" for Stephen Colbert
Anthony Scaramucci, aka "The Mooch", aka the White House Communications Director with the shortest lived tenure, seems like he might be going off the rails.
By Christina St-Jean8 years ago in The Swamp
The Lobbyist As Anti-Hero
There's a line in an early episode of Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing where White House chief of staff Leo McGarry (played by the late John Spencer) tells the staff that "There are two things in the world you never want to let people see how you make 'em: laws and sausages." Yet the process by which a bill becomes law has proven to be rich ground for writers and filmmakers from Advise & Consent to Aaron Sorkin efforts like The American President and the aforementioned West Wing. More recently, filmmaker John Madden has turned to the lobbying efforts that help make bills law for his film Miss Sloane, starring Jessica Chastain in the title role.
By Matthew Kresal9 years ago in The Swamp
