Culture
We're All Mad Here: Case Studies in Pop Culture Therapy
“Crazy” people aren’t the only ones who are a bundle of stereotypes in popular media. We also see examples of therapists (including psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors) being presented in a very negative light. In the following examples, I highlight pop culture therapists who are... Read more »
Douchebag Decree: Jours Apr
I lived in France for a short time in my carefree younger days, and I have fond memories of their refreshing attitudes about sex (and also soft cheeses): Ne t’inquietes pas! C’est naturel! and so on. However, call it the American prude in me, but I am thoroughly creeped out by... Read more »
Pop Pedestal: Ed "Shred" Fargo
I have a lasting affection for Fearless, a young adult series created by Francine Pascal. (Yes, that Francine Pascal.) For today’s addition to Pop Pedestal, a... Read more »
Mothers of Intention: Five bloggers on race and erasure in the mommy blogosphere
Several months ago, Bitch published a piece on the vexing economy of mom blogs and the contentious personalities that have come to define their corner of the Internet, for better or worse. The discussion it sparked wasn't about whether mom blogs were, on balance, good or bad—it was about... Read more »
Murder, She Blogged: Violence on Screen
I’m not saying that violence should never be shown or described. We need our movies and TV shows and games and books to address issues of the violence in our culture, and violence against women is included in that. But some of these examples just play into the same old misogyny—without asking... Read more »
Stage Left: "Mother Knows Best": on Abusive Parenting in TANGLED
Abusive parents are a real problem in the real world. I know more than a few people who upon seeing this movie connected Goethel’s behavior with that of their own parents, and took it as a cue to reassess their relationships. And because of that I think that this film, despite its flaws, has... Read more »
We're All Mad Here: Going to the Loony Bin: A Brief History of the Asylum
Despite documenting abuses in the institutional environment in a way that might seem like a condemnation of institutionalization, pop culture often makes a point... Read more »
We're All Mad Here: Mental Illness and Celebrities
The hunger for celebrity gossip appears unslakable; there’s a reason paparazzi and gossip-mongers can always find employment in Los Angeles. Even in periods of... Read more »
Murder, She Blogged: The Tourist Detective, Colonial Legacies
Earlier this month, Christian Science Monitor published a list of “Top 7 Detective Series Set in Foreign Locales,” a selection which is meant to “keep you on the edge of your beach chair,” as they put it.
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Stage Left: The PORGY & BESS Controversy
For those who don’t follow theatre news (so…quite possibly a lot of you), one story is currently dominating coverage, and it’s got a number of complicated aspects to it. I am referring, of course, to the kerfuffle over Diane Paulus’ mounting of Porgy & Bess at Boston... Read more »
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