Nick's News

     As I flip through the television channels in search of something to watch while I do homework, I am struck by a disturbing pattern in the content that is featured - a fixation with pain. It seems that in the process of attempting to tell the stories of oppressed peoples, the media has grown obsessed not with overcoming, but with suffering. In documentaries about the history of indigenous struggles in North America I noticed that the vast majority of the discussion taking place was centered around violence and pain that indigenous folks endured. The same thing is true for documentaries regarding rape culture, LGBTQ+ experiences, and the everyday violence that people of color are subject to. This, I will contend, is a bad starting point for the media.       First, the emphasis on pain as the basis of discussions of oppression is incredibly dehumanizing. The media is in the habit of stripping people of their agency and reducing them to names and n...

     In Miss Representation, we are given a comprehensive overview of the way that the portrayal of women in the media affects both their mental health and their political power. The film covers topics ranging from video games to educational institutions. However, in the face of the incredibly multiplicitous nature of the patriarchy, the filmmakers offer us a single solution - policy change. I believe that this is problematic for a few reasons.      First, I believe that faith in the power of the current political system (the Trump administration) to make liberal moves towards feminism is inevitably disappointing. I have spent many years investing politics to improve living conditions for those around me who feel unsafe - and, almost every time, I find myself disappointed when that doesn't happen. At this point, I think it is what Lauren Berlant would call, "cruel optimism," or an attachment to the promise of change that functions to create a sense of des...

     I was recently struck by a video of an interview that took place between CNN host Jake Tapper and Senior Adviser to the President, Stephen Miller. The interview began with a question from Tapper about the controversy surrounding Steve Bannon's recent comments about the President - this was met with outrage and indignation from Miller, who proceeded to rant about the glory of the president for a seemingly endless amount of time. When Tapper attempted to get the interview back on track, he was accused of being, "rude and condescending." And it only got worse from there. The interview is beyond explanation, so it is attached below, and I highly recommend you explore its wonders. However, I think it poses an important question about the role that anger should play in politics - is it productive, or detrimental?      We have seen the consequences of the anger that the alt-right movement has located within many middle-Americans - the result has been hate ...

     In, "Merchants of Cool," viewers are told various stories of how marketing has effected the formation of what the filmmakers refer to as, "teen culture." Beginning with the gendered archetypes that pervade depictions of teenagers, the film takes an interesting turn during the discussion of the the archetype of the, "rebellious teen." Specifically, we are regaled with the narrative of some Detroit teenagers with a nearly theological devotion to the rap group Insane Clown Posse and their counter-culture spirit. The group's specific form of counter-culture materializes in the glorification of rape, murder, and general disrespect, but that is neither here, nor there. The film follows the development of other seemingly rebellious rap groups and their assimilation into mainstream culture through institutions like MTV and radio music. While one day the Insane Clown Posse is antagonizing the music industry, the next day it is at the center of it all. Howe...