Warning: Recent spoilers from Scandal included. I am a devout fan of Shonda Rhimes’ latest hit drama, Scandal, and have been involved in many debates surrounding Kerry Washington’s role as Olivia Pope. As the first African American woman to play lead on a primetime television show since 1974, many believe that her character further perpetuates stereotypes about Black women … [Read more...] about TV Culture: How Scandalous Is “Scandal”?
Archives for 2012
Out of the Closet, Into the Comic
Homosexuality is a common theme in Japanese comics aimed at girls and women. One of the most popular girls' comic genres in Japan is “Boys' Love:” stories about love between men written by and for women. However, a rapidly-growing genre called yuri, or “lily” features romance between girls. Scholarship on queer sexuality in these Japanese comics examines the appeal Boys' … [Read more...] about Out of the Closet, Into the Comic
Shalom Y’all
This piece was originally published in Vol. 2, Issue 1 (Spring 2012) of the Southern California International Review (SCIR), USC's Undergraduate Journal of International Relations. Peacemaking efforts in intractable conflicts rarely set high expectations for success. The conflict’s prolonged, historical nature paired with its deep psychological wounds make it nearly … [Read more...] about Shalom Y’all
Perceptions in the Fourth Dimension
A woman walks around her office, excavating messy piles of books and papers until she finally sees it: a daily planner bound in red leather. It is thick with appointments and reminders - work things - but also: birthdays, dinner promises (of which about 70% are kept), unexpected moments of joy and grief immortalized next to their dates, a chronicle of the last eight months and … [Read more...] about Perceptions in the Fourth Dimension
New Slang: Roaring 20s, Roaring Phrases
The past few posts have focused more on single-word slang terms of the 1920s, mainly because there was an extraordinary amount of them. However, there were also quite a few intriguing expressions that arose from this decade, and though a few were mentioned before, it’s necessary to highlight some of the more peculiar phrases. “23 Skidoo” is one of the expressions that became … [Read more...] about New Slang: Roaring 20s, Roaring Phrases