While the movies have not always done a phenomenal job of conveying it, comic books — the X-Men in particular — have historically represented an artistic platform for representation of the disenfranchised. For that reason, it really should not come as a huge surprise to longtime fans that longtime X-Man Bobby Drake, also known as “Iceman,” was recently revealed as gay in the comics.
Some believe that we should regard no subject or topic as sacred when it comes to comedy; the benefits of the ability to apply parody and satire outweigh the drawbacks. With this mindset comes a dilemma: at what point do we stop making a statement, and just start exploiting these topics? Several Native American extras on the set of “The Ridiculous Six,” an upcoming Netflix and Adam Sandler western-comedy, walked off the set after an argument with the producers over the offensive jokes and portrayal of their culture.
Police brutality, officer involved shootings, and unnecessary use of force: these phrases have become all too common headlines in our society. From the outrage in Ferguson, to the shooting of Walter Scott, to the most recent chaos in Baltimore, the often unnecessarily violent ways in which police officers respond to their 911 calls has fallen under immense scrutiny.
Like its very own characters, the “Fast & Furious” franchise started with humble beginnings, but has evolved into a globetrotting powerhouse of a film franchise. The first film, “The Fast and the Furious,” really was nothing more than an updated “Point Break” remake — a story of an undercover cop who falls in love with the extreme lifestyle of the very criminals he has set out to apprehend.
Nobody really knew what to expect from Diane Sawyer’s recent interview with Bruce Jenner. Some tuned in because of their fascination with the former Olympic star’s transformation. Others because they thought — as Sawyer had to ask — his “struggles” may simply be some sort of cheap publicity ploy for “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”.
A black man dead, mysterious circumstances, and chaos in the streets; if it sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Earlier this month, Freddie Gray was arrested by the Baltimore police. Sometime after being taken into custody, Gray suffered a mysterious neck injury that left his spinal cord “80 percent severed,” leading to his eventual death.
Few diseases carry a stronger negative social stigma than HIV/AIDS: human immunodeficiency virus, which can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Part of the stigma comes from the high association of the disease with homosexual activity and sharing of drug needles, but indeed anyone can be infected.
Last week, the trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens shattered records, achieving over 34 million views in the first 24 hours online, and over 88 million views in the first week. With all that hype surrounding the next motion picture in the Star Wars franchise, we take a look back a long long time ago and definitively rank the previous six entries to the Star Wars saga from worst to best.
It would only seem right that a world class showman would portray arguably the most flamboyant and theatrical comic book character of all time: The Joker. Tasked with bringing the newest iteration of the Clown Prince of Crime to the big screen in next year’s “Suicide Squad,” Jared Leto has slowly teased bits and pieces of the character to fans eager to take it all in.
Many Africans experience what can only be described as a tumultuous existence. From Ebola to the threat of the Boko Haram terrorist group, it’s hard not to sometimes feel pessimistic about the state of the continent as a whole. However, along with recent announcements for an African Center for Disease Control, new economic developments may represent signs of change.
The best ideas come not from a polarized, antagonistic view of the world, but from a willingness to compromise our beliefs. Country music icon Tim McGraw recently learned that this willingness comes at a price, suffering considerable backlash for committing to play a Sandy Hook benefit concert this summer.
It’s a debate as divisive as Republicans vs. Democrats or Coke vs. For decades, comic book fans have argued long and hard about the superiority of the two major brands: DC and Marvel. With superhero movies in such high-demand these days, it would seem prudent to examine the films — from both DC and Marvel — to determine the strengths and weaknesses to the differing approaches in adapting their properties.
Nobody could have fathomed it; it didn’t seem real. Sixteen years later, the nation still tries to make sense of the senseless tragedy that occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold — only 18 and 17 years old, respectively — walked into school wielding an arsenal of firearms, and committed one of the worst school shootings in American history.
“Save water, drink beer.”. Country music fans know that motto well. Few things rival the joy of drinking an ice cold beer any time of the year. The rich, aromatic flavors in an ice cold glass can warm you up on a winter night or offset the hot, dry summer air. Californians know this all too well and pride themselves on their beer; the Golden State is home to over 500 microbreweries alone.
At a certain point as a nation, we must all stop looking at things through the facile lens of coincidence, and start realizing that patterns have emerged. This week, Americans have had to endure yet another headline concerning police use of excessive force, particularly toward the African-American community.
Should someone’s past define our perception of their future? A Texas state trooper has recently faced punitive measures from the Department of Public Safety for posing in a picture with rapper Snoop Dogg. State Trooper Billy Spears worked security for the SXSW music festival when the rapper approached him to take a selfie.
