Topics

Monsters have greatly evolved in popularity throughout time. From the vampires of Dracula's era to the witches of the 1990s to the zombies of the 2010s, we have seen certain monsters grow in popularity to reflect the social and political anxieties of their time. Create an outline of the recent history of monsters, and predict what types of monsters the current era will rely on for social critique and escapism.

I would love to see an article detailing how to properly analyze a work for themes, symbols, motifs, and meaning. What is the piece of work trying to say, and how do you effectively look for, discover, understand, and interpret the ideas woven into the piece? This could be anything from a step by step guide to specifically analyzing using certain techniques.

Analyze the growing trend of digital and internet streaming regarding all forms of Television Media. For example, In 2017 the NFL saw a drop in their television audience, is this due to the increase in digital streaming and the elephant in the room: Pirate streams?

From the Camdens of 7th Heaven to the O'Neals of The Real O'Neals, there are plenty of fictional Christians populating our TV shows. Those portrayals are refreshingly diverse and imperfect, but one wonders if they are all accurate or the best representations of Christianity.

Choose a couple of shows, such as 7th Heaven vs. The Real O'Neals, and compare and contrast their approach to Christianity. What do the shows make look attractive about this religion? Off-putting? Which one is the best representation of modern Christianity? What do these shows say about Christianity in general, particularly to audience members who aren't followers?

I think it would be interesting to explore how much or how little Megyn Kelly has changed since moving to MSNBC. I think it was signalled by her and by the channel that she was or would be different to her Fox News persona but it doesn’t seem to have been true. Maybe people think that’s good or maybe they think it’s bad. Either side I think it’s an interesting topic.

It is a fairly well accepted concept that many artists and authors have used the animals around them as inspiration. For some it comes from the animal beside the heath, the pet that enriches the household. Others, such as Beatrix Potter, are known for embracing the wildness and the animals that inhabit the land. In some cases the animals involved are even considered to be humanising influences – an animal connection that keeps them grounded.

The suggestion for this article would be a look at the influence of animals on art and literature. This could be taken further to include the symbolic and allegorical role of animals, or it could focus on the anthropomorphic inclusions in their art. Or it could simply be a broader follow on from 'The truth about cats and artists.'

When Death Wish starring Charles Bronson came out it was a blockbuster. The movie has a scene where police discuss an internal report that crime in New York City was down, no doubt as a result of Bronson’s character walking the streets at night dishing out his own form of justice (the new version of the movie does not carry that scene). Two years after the original movie was released, Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor introduced legislation which would become copied across the country, leading to concealed gun laws in states. The re-make of Death Wish starring Bruce Willis, has elements of the original but does not carry the same community spirit in the movie that supports this vigilante walking the streets of Chicago. Instead, the movie has a radio show, for example, presenting Willis’s character in a way where some can support him and some cannot. The original movie was received with often applause in movie theaters when a bad guy was shot, not so with the re-make. How the newer version is received is, perhaps, different than the original and can lead to a discussion of guns, violence, and attitudes toward addressing crime.

It is becoming a more and more common divisive argument between us: what truly makes someone a fan of an actor or a musician or a movie? Over time it has become less credible to simply enjoy a finished product (regardless of its category) and more about the politics of who knows the most facts, easter eggs, and can quote the most lines/lyrics etc. It is becoming more and more evident that the intentions of those who claim to belong to a fanbase, are becoming less satisfied with the simple act of belonging to a group of likeminded individuals and instead about outcompeting our neighbours. What credits a claim to being a fan of something?

I'm an English Literature student at university and throughout my time studying literature at school/ college, and even university, I've noticed a trend amongst teachers and markers, which is a reaction of almost scorn at analysis of character in fiction. To me this has always seemed the oddest phenomenon as character has always been the most interesting, and also sometimes most important and valid feature of a novel. Take 'The Handmaid's Tale' for example. During and after my reading of the text, there was so much meaning hidden in Atwood's characters that I felt was integral to the message of her novel. Thinking about what I might write about for my dissertation, I felt ready and inspired to delve into this topic until I remembered the impression teachers have had of characterisation in the past. An example of this, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this sentiment, my a-level eng lit teacher told me to focus more on structure as it was considered higher level than character. This has always enraged me a little as I think avoidance of analysing character in a novel is avoidance of a whole chunk of the message of a book. As for the effects this has, I think this leads to a connection between fiction and the real world being lost. Often times I have questioned the purpose of analysing books if we are not taking deeper meaning from them in regards to the worlds that they were written in. I think undermining the importance of character in a book is evidence that the real purpose of a book (if it is concerned with a wider message, which they almost always are) is being lost.

A steady rise has begun in table top gaming, which can be linked to the increased awareness of gaming through online forums and social media. There has become a larger sense of community in being able to discuss a personal engagement with particular games. I would argue that part of this has been the increase in narrative style table top games, both those being released by large corporations such as the Arkham Horror and Betrayal at House on the Hill style games, but also smaller kickstarters and independent games, such as the beautiful Dreamwell, and smaller games like Stuff and Nonsense. Narratives do not need to be complete directed stories, but also the invitation to engage in story telling, such as in the Fiasco style games. Regardless of type part of their success is that there is a narrative in place, it takes it from being something very generic into becoming an immersive experience.

It would be interesting to discuss what are some of the latest trends in narrative styles or content, what are the most popular types of narratives that have endured and where we think narratives in games is heading next.

Thinking about how mumble rap has become today's pick of development. How exactly mumble rap is effecting society with meaningless lyrics and demobilizing people's thoughts.

What makes something the Best Picture? And why have so many of them been forgotten about? Many movies that were considered the best movie of that respective year are not really talked about and pander to many of the voters expectations and agenda during that time. Great movies that are still talked about today like Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Saving Private Ryan unbelievably lose to something that a lot of people consider lesser. While film opinion is subjective, it's a failure from the voters to recognize and snub a film that has resonated with a lot of people for legitimate reasons. What makes voters so caught up in the moment with certain films that causes the notorious awards snub?

An issue that I think is still prevalent even today. But the pressure that you have to prove how much of a nerd you are to be accepted within certain circles.

Especially with how mainstream Nerd Culture is becoming, it's almost as if we have to prove we're not just riding the wave and even if we were, whats so wrong about that?

I'm sure everyone has experienced the feeling of not being nerdy enough, or even judged for not having played a certain game, or knowing all the character's names in a show, or not following all the episodes of Critical Role.

Is it just due to an elitist mindset in nerd culture? or is it perhaps more of a defensive mechanism to protect from 'fake nerds' just riding the mainstream wave?

Daniel Craig became the first 'blonde' Bond, but once his tenure comes to a close, a new face will be required to sip those Vodka martinis and put paid to the latest Mr Big's plans to dominate the world. When considering the many, fine black actors working these days, perhaps it's time that we had a black James Bond. After all, the CIA operative Felix Leiter was recast in the 2006 franchise reboot, with the excellent American actor Jeffrey Wright proving he was more than capable of handling a darker role (excuse the unintended pun). So, which black actor could become Bond and, more importantly, why? Bear in mind that it is the character of Bond that is the focus, so the choice of actor must be one who can both fills those shoes and yet be able to make that character his own. This is not a popularity contest. On a personal note – I would suggest Chiwetel Ejiofor ('Twelve Years a Slave'. 2013). He is the consummate professional who possesses a solid, on-screen (and stage) presence. His IMDB profile shows an impressive track record that demonstrates he can switch from comedic to dramatic roles with ease (just take a look at his performance in 'Kinky Boots'. 2005) and he is ruggedly handsome enough to raise respectful envy from male Bond fans whilst undoubtedly turning more than a few female fans' heads. Remember, James Bond is an iconic role so your choice and reasons must take this into consideration.

When one opens the usual source for their gaming apps there seems to be a plethora of text-based gaming role-playing-games, beyond what we once were seeing. Is this simply due to the ease of making such games versus a visual game? Or is there actually a rise in the market for such game play? Has this then replaced the popularity of the choose-your-own-adventure book? Many questions, does anyone have the answers?

An analysis of the curse of aging in Howl's Moving Castle, both the youth novel by Dianna Wynn Jones and the Miyazaki movie it inspired. How does the movie portray the difference between young and old? What are the dynamics between the younger and older characters? Does the movie present a positive or negative portrayal of aging overall? (As related to the concepts of beauty, social interaction, etc.). What does the movie say about aging in general, and how people should handle it? How do perceptions of the movie differ between younger and older viewers?

I'm interested in what the depiction of Sophie's curse, premature aging, says about the aging process and the social concept of beauty.

The representation of fatness on television happens in a myriad of ways in modern television. Sometimes this is with diversity, sensitivity, and real life reference. Other times, fatness is rejected on television. There is also often a spectrum of an acceptable level of fatness. Trace how these representations occur in modern television in dichotomous and often contradictory ways. This could include an analysis of a specific fat television character, the impact of gender, age, and race on representations of fatness, and/or tracing the history of television representations of fat characters.

An issue I think all writers experience at one time or another, whether they are writing fiction or non-fiction. Firstly, however, is writer's block a real thing? What does it actually mean? How can it present? What would be interesting to follow this is a discussion of a range of strategies that are often suggested, along with some anecdotes from published writers (from literature, to television, films or even journalists) on the ways they have overcome their own writer's block.

Discuss examples in videogames when interactivity matters. Do Cut Scenes or sequences with Quick Time Events have a completely different meaning when they become interactive? Some examples are the final bosses in God of War 3 and Metal Gear Solid 3. How does timed decisions in cut scenes create tension and meaning? Some examples include Mass Effect and Telltale games. Does introducing interactivity in these games make them more immersive?

When it comes to things like superheroes like Superman, the Hulk, Iron Man, or Batman, everyone has an idea of their origin stories. But as the superhero movie franchise only continues to barrel forward, how important is it for writers to include an accurate recount of the superhero origins for new viewers? Or does it matter at all?