“Death in Classic and Contemporary Film: Fade to Black” features essays edited by two members of the UA psychology department.
Most of us can recall a death scene from a movie that struck a particular chord. Perhaps it was an emotional deathbed goodbye between two lovers or a bloody display on the battlefield. Or maybe it was a spine-chilling moment splattered across the screen of a horror movie. (more…)
Violence in ‘Hunger Games’ not unusual for children’s lit
COLUMBUS, Ohio – If you think the Hunger Games novels are too violent for their intended young readers, try re-reading classic children’s books from the past.
From Snow White to Tarzan of the Apes to Harry Potter, literature for children and teens has always been awash in violence and murder, according to a new book by Michelle Ann Abate, associate professor of literature for children and young adults at The Ohio State University. (more…)
Professor, author Robertson discusses innovation evolution at Lego
When you hear Lego, if all you think about are shiny, plastic bricks and toys, think again. From a toy concept brought to life by a carpenter to tales of failed innovation truths that mirrored a Greek tragedy, the Lego story is about innovation and evolution, David Robertson told attendees at last week’s Chaplin Tyler Executive Leadership series lecture.
Robertson, professor of practice at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, presented “Rebuilding Lego” to 80 students, faculty, staff and community members on the University of Delaware’s Newark campus. (more…)
Newly described teen literature genre propagates negative portrayals of the sick and disabled
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A newly defined genre of literature, “teen sick-lit,” features tear-jerking stories of ill adolescents developing romantic relationships. Although “teen sick-lit” tends to adhere to negative stereotypes of the ill and traditional gender roles, it also explores the taboo realm of sexuality, sickness and youth, says the University of Missouri researcher who named the genre in a recent study. Readers and their parents should be aware of how the presentation of disease and disability in these stories can instill prejudices and enforce societal norms in young adults, notes the researcher.
“Teen sick-lit depicts its chronically ill protagonists, who are usually white middle-class females, merely as vehicles for well people’s emotional development rather than as self-actualized women with their own experiences, perspectives, and emotional needs,” said Julie Passanante Elman, assistant professor in women’s and gender studies in the College of Arts and Science. “As the popularity of fiction aimed at young adults, such as the Twilight, Harry Potter and Hunger Games series, continues to grow, it is important for readers and parents to note the ethical subtexts of the books. Similarly, the proliferation of sick or disabled characters on such television shows as “Glee,” “Friday Night Lights” and “Breaking Bad” doesn’t always equate to positive portrayals of those characters.” (more…)
Windows Azure offered Pottermore the flexibility required to build a massively scalable website in just three months.
REDMOND, Wash. – June 6, 2012 – Eagerly awaiting the launch of Pottermore (www.pottermore.com), the website based on the popular Harry Potter stories, Brittany Talbot and her sister, Priscilla, raced to sign up when the site went live on April 14, 2012.
They weren’t alone. Within hours, thousands of Harry Potter fans were flooding the site and just two weeks after the Pottermore website went live, it received one billion page views, making it one of the most popular sites on the Web. To date, 10 million unique visitors have visited the site, with 25,000 new users signing up every day.
With Harry Potter one of the largest entertainment phenomena of all time, fans of all ages couldn’t wait to experience the world-famous stories, social, and interactive experiences the site offered. “I like being able to go up there and do potions and spells, and walk around where Harry was,” Brittany says. “I read the first book in the first week because I was so excited.” (more…)
As fans eagerly await The Twilight Saga: Eclipse set for release on June 30, University of Missouri communication experts have published a scholarly book on Twilight, Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media, & the Vampire Franchise, that analyzes the Twilight franchise and finds it to be unique for a variety of factors.
