Why Are We So Attracted to Murder Mysteries? Written by Nastassia Tsialpuk Why are we as humans so fascinated with blood-curdling stories of serial killers, and why do we derive a sort of guilty pleasure from indulging in consuming them? What kind of masochistic tendencies make us want to flip through the gruelling details of… Continue reading The Beauty of Gore
Tag: media
Gatekeeping, or the art of being tasteful
Written by Maria Francesca Ficarra “We need gatekeepers again – new, more diverse ones. Editors, experts. Taste isn’t a democracy, nor should it be populist. It comes from experience and exposure… Just because you eat doesn’t make you a restaurant critic.” This extract from a Substack post written by Emily Sandberg sparked a lot of… Continue reading Gatekeeping, or the art of being tasteful
Crossing over to nowhere
On modern musical imperialism and the West’s problem with labeling non-white music Written by Stambekova Aida Perhaps you remember the hot statement Tyler, The Creator made at the 2020 Grammy Awards right after winning the Best Rap Album for his debut record, IGOR. “It sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look… Continue reading Crossing over to nowhere
The Impossibility of the Female Character
Written by Paavani Lal Das You have met a Dumbledore, or a Donald Trump, or a Dwight Schrute. Not for who they are, but for how they are treated. A man who is deeply and widely respected, or who is widely known for his narcissism and misplaced confidence, or widely mocked and equally tolerated despite… Continue reading The Impossibility of the Female Character
The Cold of the War and Womanhood – a Dive into the Past and Emergence in the Present
Why is it that when a car crash happens or when we see a video of a guy on the verge of falling and most likely injuring at least half of his body we can’t look away? Unfortunately, I cannot answer this particular question, however, I will try to show you how it links to… Continue reading The Cold of the War and Womanhood – a Dive into the Past and Emergence in the Present
How Memes Go Viral
I tend to get extremely obsessed about some topic for a while and then lose all interest in it before jumping to the next one. One obsession phase I had during high school was designing the ‘perfect economic system’. I now believe there is no such thing, and any pursuit of an ideal utopia will… Continue reading How Memes Go Viral
Hollywood Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Bojack Horseman as a Look Into Our Own Reality
The number of video analyses of Bojack Horseman characters would suggest that each person who watched the show suddenly became a psychologist, sociologist, film editor, or cinema critic. But, to be fair, the writers are to blame – developing a series with so much depth, humor, nuance, darkness, and reflection through the non-cringy use of… Continue reading Hollywood Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Bojack Horseman as a Look Into Our Own Reality
Pop Art: A Celebration or a Critique of Consumerism?
Artists’ attitudes towards consumerism and the culture of mass media The concept of consumerism arose from the economic, political, technological, and cultural context of late 19th and early 20th century capitalism. Since the industrial revolution, society began consuming at a much higher rate than before. The development of technology and cheap fossil energy brought and… Continue reading Pop Art: A Celebration or a Critique of Consumerism?
Queerbaiting: Examples of Kit Connor and Harry Styles
On October 31, Heartstopper star Kit Connor came out as bisexual on Twitter after continuously being accused of queerbaiting since the airing of the show. “Back for a minute. I’m bi,” Connor tweeted. “Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.” His announcement… Continue reading Queerbaiting: Examples of Kit Connor and Harry Styles
On Beginnings – September 2022
A monthly review curated by the Mass Media and Culture team An ode to beginnings, as so many come and go, we forget to appreciate those seedlings of opportunity we reap at harvest. Though the seasons pass, the ripeness of opportunity never decays. For everyday blossoms a vast array of possibilities, where our daily tasks… Continue reading On Beginnings – September 2022