Taylor Swift Between Idols and Icons
Taylor Swift dazzlingly shows how our idols’ humanity is reduced and replaceable, but our icons help us recognize that love is what binds us and makes life meaningful.
exploitation
Erotic Thriller ‘Poison Ivy’ Isn’t the Lolita Story You Think You Remember
Katt Shea’s subversive 1992 erotic thriller Poison Ivy, like its teenage villainess, is misunderstood, and American media remains obsessed with devious girls.
‘Tiger King’ and the Post-Truth Culture War
Tiger King -- released during and dominating the streaming-in-lockdown era -- exemplifies in real-time the feedback loop between entertainment and ideology.
Playing Sophisticated Trash: ‘Duke Nukem 3D’ and the History of the First Person Shooter
Trashy gameplay calls for trashy presentation, and sophisticated gameplay calls for sophisticated presentation. However, Duke Nukem 3D is a game that is constantly in tension between these two principles.
The Value of Exploitation: Of Puppies and Pornography, Violence and Vixens
Guess which two characters appeared in the half hour trailer featured at E3 for Metal Gear Solid V? Diamond Dog and the Quiet. Guess why? You shouldn't have to guess.
School’s Out Forever in ‘Class of 1984’
Aiming for an incisive social commentary on the increasing violence of youth gangs, Class of 1984 falls short.