The Last Jedi is a movie that’s designed to defy fan expectations. Nowhere is this subversion more evident than in the way the film handles its three male heroes. The surprising character arcs for Poe, Finn, and Luke (especially as they relate to women) are part of the reason for the intense fan anger directed […]
Abduction as Romance is a media trope where a man kidnaps or imprisons a woman and she eventually falls in love with him. Abduction as Romance is one of a series of popular media tropes where violence against women and abusive male behavior is presented as necessary, exciting, or romantic. SUPPORT THIS PROJECT If you’d […]
Stalking For Love is a popular media trope where invasive stalker-like behavior is presented as an endearing or harmless part of romantic courtship. The hero will often go to extraordinary lengths to coerce, trick or otherwise manipulate his way into a woman’s life. SUPPORT THIS PROJECT If you’d like to see more long-form video essays […]
At their core George Lucas’s six Star Wars films are coming of age stories about boys becoming men. Both Luke and Anakin Skywalker are guided and shaped by the principles of the Jedi Order but buried within Jedi teachings we find some troubling and deeply unhealthy ideas about masculinity. SUPPORT THIS PROJECT This video essay […]
I was recently interviewed about this project by author and USC Cinema Arts professor Henry Jenkins. The following was originally published on Jenkins’s website Confessions of an Aca-Fan in three parts. I’m crossposting the whole interview here. 1) “Buffy vs. Edward” helped to establish your reputation as a remix video producer. In some ways, […]
