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Around the same time the United States military was in the process of withdrawing from Syria, a move that all but ensured the deaths of its Kurdish partners in the fight against ISIS, a different army was also mobilizing. This formidable force was none other than male Marvel fans, enraged and ready to boycott the studio’s latest release because of alleged comments by star Brie … [Read more...] about I Want YOU, Girl: How Captain Marvel Exploits Feminism for Military Propaganda

Tackling crime, greed, and corruption, Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street explores the insidious underbelly of modern American life. Based on the true memoir of a former Wall Street broker, the 2013 film follows the story of Jordan Belfort as he navigates wealth, Wall Street, and the federal government over a 10-year period. At its release, The Wolf of Wall Street was … [Read more...] about The Wolf of Wall Street and America’s Ambivalence Towards Wealth

“Dawang is a toxic town. You can't imagine that those industries dare to emit toxic air nowadays. We can't open the windows or use the air-conditioner because there is a strong, pungent chemical smell in the middle of the night” (“Air Quality of Dawang”). This quote is from an online forum, discussing the air quality of a town in Zhaoqing. Zhaoqing is a tourist city in … [Read more...] about Air Pollution in Zhaoqing

“Don’t look.” Look. Slowing down, I peer across two lanes, scanning the scene. A man lies still, face down on the cement with a marine corps baseball cap sitting next to him. Behind him is the wreck. Though told not to look, I have to. What was once a pickup truck is merely a hunk of metal, shaped and bent like an abstract piece of art. I can’t help but stare. The thrill … [Read more...] about The Death Enigma Prompted by Morbid Curiosity

Generational subjugation… Denial of rights… Legalized oppression… These are all struggles that blacks in America have faced from as far back as the 17th century, beginning with the Jamestown Africans who were brought to America in 1619 as chattel slaves. The white majority who regarded themselves as superior have constantly been fixated on retaining power solely unto … [Read more...] about “Voter Suppression Anywhere Hurts Our Democracy Everywhere”: Fighting Voter Suppression in the United States