Wheel of Fortune‘s ableist tendencies are endless. I’ve previously written about some of these here. But its ableism extends in other directions, too. Back in August of this year, I made a social media post focusing on Vanna and wrote: She is 62 and still “looks” (is “required” to look) much younger. If she gainedContinue reading “Wheel of Fortune’s Ableism Affects Pat and Vanna, too.”
Tag Archives: media
Notes on Flawed Characters vs. Flawed Scripts
I often aspire to help my students realize the difference between flawed characters and flawed scripts, but recently realized I had sometimes neglected to apply this notion to my own cultural criticism. My thoughts about How To Get Away With Murder help illustrate. Basically every character in How To Get Away With Murder is deeplyContinue reading “Notes on Flawed Characters vs. Flawed Scripts”
Big Business and the Media that Facilitates Its Lies, Chick-fil-A Edition
In September 2019, Chick-fil-A opened its first location outside of the United States in Toronto, Canada. The problem — this is a lie. Chick-fil-A actually opened its first location in Canada in the mid-1990s but was unsuccessful. Chick-fil-A attempted another, also unsuccessful, entrance into Canada in 2014. In addition, Chick-fil-A opened at least two (possiblyContinue reading “Big Business and the Media that Facilitates Its Lies, Chick-fil-A Edition”
What’s Happening at NBC Entertainment?
NBC Entertainment currently has a number of high-quality, status-quo-challenging programs. As previously written, in its twenty-first season now, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit brings attention to the systemic problem that is sexual violence. In contrast to rhetoric spoken and perpetuated by current conservative ideologies, Law and Order takes victims seriously and does not excuseContinue reading “What’s Happening at NBC Entertainment? “
Alex Trebek. Aunt Becky. Not Your Friends.
Parasocial relationships form easily. Carefully-scripted and highly-rehearsed, people see fictional characters people on their screens from the comfort of their homes and almost naturally come to believe they really know and very much like them. People are not able to internalize that this relationship is one-sided and is with a fictional character. Sometime during the past week,Continue reading “Alex Trebek. Aunt Becky. Not Your Friends.”
How To Get Away With Murder as Propaganda
I have previously written about ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder here and here. With the current season, I am growing more and more frustrated because of the constant twists (within twists, within twists, within yet more twists), the very slow pace, and the barrage of “bad” people. All of the characters actively and deliberatelyContinue reading “How To Get Away With Murder as Propaganda”
Notes on: The Hate U Give (2018)
It is impossible to be unarmed when our Blackness is the weapon that they fear. The Hate U Give (2018) is a powerful movie. Its ultimate power stems not so much from its indictment of institutional and systemic racism but from its positive portrayal of Blackness. The film, and the outstanding book from which it grew, focusContinue reading “Notes on: The Hate U Give (2018)”
The “Brutal Black Buck” and How To Get Away With Murder
How To Get Away With Murder’s 2018-2019 mid-season finale overpowers and undermines its recent comments about flaws in the judicial system, especially when it comes to perceptions of and treatments of Black men. Nate Lahey (Billy Brown) receives unstable, developing word that leads him to believe that DA Ron Miller (John Hensley) had his father, NateContinue reading “The “Brutal Black Buck” and How To Get Away With Murder”
Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda 