Pacific Standard magazine has posted a comparative analysis of America’s seven most electable fictional presidents. Interesting, but they forgot to include the fictional African American presidents I analyzed in a 2010 article, “30 Years of Black Presidents.” Of the seven presidents they analyzed, however, my vote is for 24‘s President Palmer!
media culture
Since the original Star Wars movie debuted in 1977 there have been over 1000 scholarly papers published about themes explored in the Star Wars movie franchise. Wow! I bet that many more will soon emerge, given the recent release of the seventh film in the series, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I saw it on Sunday and loved it, even with sky high expectations. The original was the first movie I ever fell in love with, and the first movie I saw more than once. (I viewed it three times in the theaters in the summer of 1977). I will have to re-watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens soon, as Sunday’s viewing was on an IMAX screen; it was hard to track everything given that the screen is so large. I’m also going to resist fancy 3D showings. Old fashioned 2D is the best format for me!
The new Pixar film The Good Dinosaur opens this week, and it will be preceded by the short film Sanjay’s Super Team. Pacific Standard magazine has an interesting article about the significance of Sanjay’s Super Team:
This seven-minute warm-up to the main attraction breaks lots of new ground for Pixar: It’s the first to feature a non-white lead, a director of Indian descent, and to touch on religion—Hinduism, specifically.
Sanjay’s Super Team depicts a young boy’s quest to bridge the generational and cultural gaps between his American and Indian heritage.
I want to see the last Hunger Games movie and latest Rocky franchise installment — Creed — but I should also add The Good Dinosaur to my list…
Yesterday was the 14th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks in the United States. On that day I was in my third year as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota. When the actual attacks happened I was having breakfast, but did not learn about them until I got to campus about an hour later. When I walked into Appleby Hall the first person who broke the news to me was a student, but I thought that he must have been misinformed, as the news sounded impossible. I walked to my office and said hello to my next door neighbor, who had her door open but was glued to her computer screen. She ignored me, which signaled that something really horrific was happening. After 10 minutes of unsuccessful attempts to connect to the websites of U.S. news providers, I was able to reach the BBC’s website, and spent the rest of the day checking news, and talking with colleagues, friends, and family.
About a month ago I asked my Associate Dean if the college did anything for 9/11 anniversaries, and was told that we do not. Next year will be the 15th anniversary of the attacks, so that may be a good time to start. Perhaps one event can be a screening and discussion of the film Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath. One IMDb synopsis:
When a turbaned Sikh man is brutally murdered in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, a college student journeys across America to discover who counts as “one of us” in a world divided into “us” and “them.” Armed with only a camera, Valarie Kaur encounters hundreds of stories never before told — stories of fear and unspeakable loss, but also of resilience and hope — until she finally finds the heart of America, halfway around the world, in the words of a widow. Weaving expert analysis into a personal journey and cross-country road trip, the film confronts the forces dividing a nation.
I was just informed about the movie by a colleague, and it sounds powerful. I’ll have to check it out as the first step of thinking about a September 11, 2016 commemoration.
Earlier today I taped a segment for a local radio show, “Education Matters.” I was a bit nervous going in, as the purpose was to discuss the new Institute of Professional Educator Development (IPED), and the experts in the institute do a much better job of explaining things than I ever could; I see my job as to provide resources for them and then get out of the way! Alas, the host wanted to talk to the dean of the college that houses the institute. In the end, though, all was fine, as we discussed a wide range of issues, including my educational journey from high school to UW-Parkside. It was fun!
The last time I made a media appearance was as a department chair at the University of Minnesota. In 2008 I was on a panel discussion of the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination on the “Crossroads” TV program (KSTC channel 45 in Minneapolis-St. Paul). I went on “Crossroads” again in 2010 for a panel discussion on African Americans in sports. Although you’d think it would be harder to go on TV than the radio given TV’s hot lights and the pressure to conform to visual standards, I thought it was easier to prepare for the “Crossroads” appearances since I was part of a group and could just answer questions off the cuff. For the radio show I was the only guest, and I had to make sure that I provided proper information about IPED. In the end I think I did OK, but if I’m contacted again I might have to insist on a faculty member being a better choice!
Yesterday I downloaded the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” by Broken Social Scene; I originally encountered this song a few years ago as part of the movie The Time Traveller’s Wife. I had a hard time finding the song on iTunes, however, as I kept searching for “Broken Social Science” as the name of the band! I wonder: if a band called “Broken Social Science” actually existed, what would they sing about? Any ideas?
Yesterday a 20-year tradition came to an end, as I did not generate notes about Super Bowl commercials during the game. I started this in January of 1993, in anticipation of discussing the ads with students when I started teaching as a graduate student in the fall of 1993. In subsequent years I taped the Super Bowl on my VCR (remember those?), and showed a couple in classes to illustrate that week’s topics. As a Dean I usually won’t be teaching, and if I were I could easily show the commercials on YouTube. Also, the 20 year-old notebook I used was completely filled, so that was another signal to end the tradition.
If teaching this semester one commercial to discuss would definitely be Coca-Cola’s “It’s Beautiful” ad, which drew a storm of outrage for its depiction of a multi-hued crowd singing “America the Beautiful” in several languages. The spot wasn’t completely hated, however, as evidenced by a #17 finish in the annual USA Today Ad Meter. There will probably be discussion about this commercial all week in the blogosphere; I’m looking forward to good sociological analysis!
AMC TV’s Breaking Bad wrapped up its five-season run on Sunday, and many people are buzzing about the concluding episode. I thought that it was great, and I am enjoying reading about what others think, such as commentary by the two lead actors. I’ve also been thinking about other series finales, good (Roswell), bad (The X-Files), and ugly (Lost). What were some of the finales that you loved or hated, readers?
During my first year year at UW-P I am living in the on-campus student apartment complex. This complex never fills, so a few apartments are reserved for faculty and staff for transitional housing. The apartments have cable TV as part of the very inexpensive rent, but we don’t receive premium channels like Showtime. I’ve been a fan of the Showtime show Dexter for years, and figured that although I would not be able to watch it live, I could buy a subscription on iTunes to download to my iPad. Alas, it seems that the only legal way to watch Showtime shows during the first-run season is via a Showtime subscription; iTunes and Amazon streaming isn’t enabled until after shows go into re-runs. I think I can wait to watch the latest Dexter season, but it’s going to be hard to do that with my other Showtime show, Homeland. I think I might have to add Showtime to the package at the house in Charlotte, and catch up on episodes during visits to see my wife, who is living there for at least one more year to get more experience in a relatively new job. I think that our current promotional package is about to end, so hopefully I can sign up for another package that includes Showtime. Wish me luck!
Since the original Star Wars movie debuted in 1977 there have been over 1000 scholarly papers published about themes explored in the Star Wars movie franchise. Wow! I bet that many more will soon emerge, given the recent release of the seventh film in the series, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I saw it on Sunday and loved it, even with sky high expectations. The original was the first movie I ever fell in love with, and the first movie I saw more than once. (I viewed it three times in the theaters in the summer of 1977). I will have to re-watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens soon, as Sunday’s viewing was on an IMAX screen; it was hard to track everything given that the screen is so large. I’m also going to resist fancy 3D showings. Old fashioned 2D is the best format for me!
The new Pixar film The Good Dinosaur opens this week, and it will be preceded by the short film Sanjay’s Super Team. Pacific Standard magazine has an interesting article about the significance of Sanjay’s Super Team:
This seven-minute warm-up to the main attraction breaks lots of new ground for Pixar: It’s the first to feature a non-white lead, a director of Indian descent, and to touch on religion—Hinduism, specifically.
Sanjay’s Super Team depicts a young boy’s quest to bridge the generational and cultural gaps between his American and Indian heritage.
I want to see the last Hunger Games movie and latest Rocky franchise installment — Creed — but I should also add The Good Dinosaur to my list…
Yesterday was the 14th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks in the United States. On that day I was in my third year as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota. When the actual attacks happened I was having breakfast, but did not learn about them until I got to campus about an hour later. When I walked into Appleby Hall the first person who broke the news to me was a student, but I thought that he must have been misinformed, as the news sounded impossible. I walked to my office and said hello to my next door neighbor, who had her door open but was glued to her computer screen. She ignored me, which signaled that something really horrific was happening. After 10 minutes of unsuccessful attempts to connect to the websites of U.S. news providers, I was able to reach the BBC’s website, and spent the rest of the day checking news, and talking with colleagues, friends, and family.
About a month ago I asked my Associate Dean if the college did anything for 9/11 anniversaries, and was told that we do not. Next year will be the 15th anniversary of the attacks, so that may be a good time to start. Perhaps one event can be a screening and discussion of the film Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath. One IMDb synopsis:
When a turbaned Sikh man is brutally murdered in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, a college student journeys across America to discover who counts as “one of us” in a world divided into “us” and “them.” Armed with only a camera, Valarie Kaur encounters hundreds of stories never before told — stories of fear and unspeakable loss, but also of resilience and hope — until she finally finds the heart of America, halfway around the world, in the words of a widow. Weaving expert analysis into a personal journey and cross-country road trip, the film confronts the forces dividing a nation.
I was just informed about the movie by a colleague, and it sounds powerful. I’ll have to check it out as the first step of thinking about a September 11, 2016 commemoration.
Earlier today I taped a segment for a local radio show, “Education Matters.” I was a bit nervous going in, as the purpose was to discuss the new Institute of Professional Educator Development (IPED), and the experts in the institute do a much better job of explaining things than I ever could; I see my job as to provide resources for them and then get out of the way! Alas, the host wanted to talk to the dean of the college that houses the institute. In the end, though, all was fine, as we discussed a wide range of issues, including my educational journey from high school to UW-Parkside. It was fun!
The last time I made a media appearance was as a department chair at the University of Minnesota. In 2008 I was on a panel discussion of the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination on the “Crossroads” TV program (KSTC channel 45 in Minneapolis-St. Paul). I went on “Crossroads” again in 2010 for a panel discussion on African Americans in sports. Although you’d think it would be harder to go on TV than the radio given TV’s hot lights and the pressure to conform to visual standards, I thought it was easier to prepare for the “Crossroads” appearances since I was part of a group and could just answer questions off the cuff. For the radio show I was the only guest, and I had to make sure that I provided proper information about IPED. In the end I think I did OK, but if I’m contacted again I might have to insist on a faculty member being a better choice!
Yesterday I downloaded the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” by Broken Social Scene; I originally encountered this song a few years ago as part of the movie The Time Traveller’s Wife. I had a hard time finding the song on iTunes, however, as I kept searching for “Broken Social Science” as the name of the band! I wonder: if a band called “Broken Social Science” actually existed, what would they sing about? Any ideas?
Yesterday a 20-year tradition came to an end, as I did not generate notes about Super Bowl commercials during the game. I started this in January of 1993, in anticipation of discussing the ads with students when I started teaching as a graduate student in the fall of 1993. In subsequent years I taped the Super Bowl on my VCR (remember those?), and showed a couple in classes to illustrate that week’s topics. As a Dean I usually won’t be teaching, and if I were I could easily show the commercials on YouTube. Also, the 20 year-old notebook I used was completely filled, so that was another signal to end the tradition.
If teaching this semester one commercial to discuss would definitely be Coca-Cola’s “It’s Beautiful” ad, which drew a storm of outrage for its depiction of a multi-hued crowd singing “America the Beautiful” in several languages. The spot wasn’t completely hated, however, as evidenced by a #17 finish in the annual USA Today Ad Meter. There will probably be discussion about this commercial all week in the blogosphere; I’m looking forward to good sociological analysis!
AMC TV’s Breaking Bad wrapped up its five-season run on Sunday, and many people are buzzing about the concluding episode. I thought that it was great, and I am enjoying reading about what others think, such as commentary by the two lead actors. I’ve also been thinking about other series finales, good (Roswell), bad (The X-Files), and ugly (Lost). What were some of the finales that you loved or hated, readers?
During my first year year at UW-P I am living in the on-campus student apartment complex. This complex never fills, so a few apartments are reserved for faculty and staff for transitional housing. The apartments have cable TV as part of the very inexpensive rent, but we don’t receive premium channels like Showtime. I’ve been a fan of the Showtime show Dexter for years, and figured that although I would not be able to watch it live, I could buy a subscription on iTunes to download to my iPad. Alas, it seems that the only legal way to watch Showtime shows during the first-run season is via a Showtime subscription; iTunes and Amazon streaming isn’t enabled until after shows go into re-runs. I think I can wait to watch the latest Dexter season, but it’s going to be hard to do that with my other Showtime show, Homeland. I think I might have to add Showtime to the package at the house in Charlotte, and catch up on episodes during visits to see my wife, who is living there for at least one more year to get more experience in a relatively new job. I think that our current promotional package is about to end, so hopefully I can sign up for another package that includes Showtime. Wish me luck!