pop culture
Modern popular culture topics in the geek sphere.
Saturday Morning Arcade
Video games have been around longer than we realize! Computer Space was created in the early 70’s, with Pong, a more popular game on its heels. It wouldn’t be till 1980 where we got a proper mascot character in video games, which would be Pac-Man. Other characters soon followed, with the need to cash in on them all. These endeavors included board games, stuffed toys, figurines, and eventually, animated cartoons. Now, a lot of these strayed a little far from the source material, because let’s be honest, how do you make a cartoon about a character that runs around in a maze eating dots all day? Let’s take a look at these early attempts to cash in on these properties, though I warn you, some of this is cringe as hell.
By Nick Falkner5 years ago in Geeks
The Problematic 'Cool Girl' Trope
When thinking about gender representation in the media a myriad of stereotypes come to mind, most of which communicate ideals of gender that perpetuate unrealistic and limiting perceptions of who we should be. One such trope worth exploring is the ‘Cool Girl’ trope, which is more than just a fictional stereotype played on screen. An article by Jason Hellerman aptly refers to this trope as a “Real Life Fantasy, Screenwriting Nightmare”.
By Simran Lavanya Saraf5 years ago in Geeks
An Admirer's Lament
I have never been of the opinion that love can be restricted to that between two people of the opposite sex. Rather, it can embrace love of all kinds and all who consent to involve themselves with the practice. Even if, as can often be the circumstances, the love goes one way alone.
By David Perlmutter5 years ago in Geeks
Black Panther Book Titled 'The Wakanda Files' Unveiled
The lore of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is extremely in-depth and far-reaching. From comics, to films, to video games, and more, Marvel has created a world that feels as real as our own, and continues to put out content that enriches the mythos of its stories. With 23 MCU films having already been released and at least 14 more announced and in development, the MCU provides plenty of material to explore beyond the films.
By Culture Slate5 years ago in Geeks
21st Century Popular Culture
Market Culture and Singapore's Hyperreality In 2017, my parents and I traveled to Singapore. Everywhere I looked, I was amazed by the city’s hyperreality. The amount of advertising was astronomical compared to any other place I’d ever visited, which added to the sense of artificiality and illusion. Inside every bus, subway cart, gondola lift, bathroom stall, on every park bench and billboard was some form of advertisement. Now, Brisbane isn’t far behind. We can’t listen to the radio, access online streaming services, or open our phones or laptops without exposing ourselves to marketing. Furthermore, advertising now appears on social media platforms, search engines, and apps and programs that we have already downloaded, asking us to pay more money to a brand we already support.
By Svetlana Sterlin5 years ago in Geeks
Going For Broke
Meet David So, a veteran youtuber who was introduced to me by a close friend around seven years ago through a comedy skit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpH4hrV38J0) (Warning: He does use strong language). At first, I had no real opinion; it was kind of funny, but it didn’t have me bent over in laughter. Naturally though, I got curious.
By Najah Muhammad5 years ago in Geeks
Tired of Transphobic Tropes
JK Rowling recently released the sixth book under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith, ‘Troubled blood’. A fitting name for a novel with an indeed troubling message. The Telegraph first summarised the overriding moral of the book as ‘never trust a man in a dress.’ Pair this sentiment with Rowling’s raging track record of Transphobia and I’m sure you can understand how this gets problematic…
By Megan Hill5 years ago in Geeks
The NOT Indiana Jones Collection
The late 90s-early 2000s were an interesting time. We already got a Star Wars revival in the prequels, and so I feel that there was this Indiana Jones void waiting to be filled. The world was ready for another classic feeling adventure movie. And so we got what I call "The NOT Indiana Jones Collection." A series of mostly unrelated movies that attempted to recapture that Indy/adventure serial energy.
By Danny Duff5 years ago in Geeks
What Is Actually Going On Between Ned Nwoko and Chika Ike.
Fasten your seatbelts. This is a story that starts sooo many years ago, and has once again had a resurgence. Over the last couple of days, there have been a lot of new stories about Chika Ike and Ned Nwoko. There are rumors and stories about weddings, engagements, people are saying that Ned is kicking Regina Daniels out of his house for Chika’s sake, others are saying that Regina’s mother is cursing Chika Ike…there have been so many stories going around.
By Jide Okonjo5 years ago in Geeks
Sony Chairman Confirms That 'Spider-Man 3' And 'Venom 2' Will Not Release In Theaters Until Pandemic Is Over
Since the filming of many production shoots have been delayed indefinitely due to the ongoing pandemic, many studios have been floating the idea of release dates, but we have all seen that these do not really stick. With the release of Tenet after numerous delays and teases, there was some hope of the return of normalcy in the cinema industry, with production starting again and films finally sticking to their schedules. Alas, this was just an experiment, and a failed one at that. The hope had been for Marvel Studios to start up the production for their films soon to meet their set release dates. Tom Holland believed that he would finish his third Spider-Man film by February. As new films are being released, it seems that Sony Pictures have reconsidered their production schedule.
By Culture Slate5 years ago in Geeks
Game of Thrones: 5 Ways Cersei Is Different From the Books to the Show
Game of Thrones is one of the most famous American television series so far. It has gained a lot of fame from its all the eight seasons so far. From the first season of Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister was one of the most exciting characters. She has played a vital role in this television series as an excellent villain. However, Cersei Lannister differs from the books in some ways in Game of Thrones.
By Jack thomson5 years ago in Geeks
The Yellow Flick Road
Reeves Incarnate: The making of Superman George Reeves. Christopher Reeve. Keanu Reeves. The beginning, middle and end. All supermen in their own right. All representative of a certain era in American culture. The masculine Dorothy, given reign and rule over all with his peerless ability. Is it mere coincidence that the names of the Supermen would be Reeves?
By Antonio Jacobs5 years ago in Geeks
