Showtime’s highly acclaimed drama, Homeland, has rocked the television industry for two suspenseful seasons. The show tells the story of Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody after he returns home from eight years of captivity in Iraq. Carrie Mathison, an ambitious CIA officer, suspects he might be plotting an attack on America and the main tension stems from this unraveling mystery … [Read more...] about TV Culture: Casting Terror in ‘Homeland’
Archives for December 2012
Brain Fodder: Fighting with Non-Violence
Si vis pacem, para bellum—If you wish for peace, prepare for war (Allmand, 2011). This runs counter to Scilla Elworthy's message, but is worth considering in conjunction with her talk. Vegetius’ De Re Militari explores this struggle between war and peace, shared by both philosopher kings of the ancient city-states and leaders of the modern world today (Allmand, 2011). … [Read more...] about Brain Fodder: Fighting with Non-Violence
Breeding a Serial Killer
The correlation of gender to identity fuels our current social structures, particularly patriarchy—a devastating and cyclical force that can transfer a tradition of dominance from father to son. The traditional institution of patriarchy can have sinister, and sometimes even deadly, consequences. In the fictional novel Zombie, by Joyce Carol Oates provides an insightful look … [Read more...] about Breeding a Serial Killer
New Slang: Treading on the 30s
It’s hard to beat the 1920s for coining more new slang terms and creating new terminology. But the next decade did manage to come up with quite a few phrases that make the 30s linguistically memorable. Take for instance, “famous last words,” which can be a hobby for some to collect but was originally a sort of ironic remark cast at those who spoke too without thinking. In … [Read more...] about New Slang: Treading on the 30s
Brain Fodder: The Painter and the Pendulum
The natural world has a knack for disorienting even the most curious of thinkers. Its beauty astounds artists and its complexity eludes scientists. There’s something bewitching about the forces governing the universe that sparks intrigue. In his demonstration, artist and inventor Tom Shannon feeds into this intrigue, allowing the laws of nature to govern his artistic creation … [Read more...] about Brain Fodder: The Painter and the Pendulum