pop culture
The headline rundown: Modern popular culture topics in the realm of politics, legislation and activism.
The President. She’s on TV.
TV mirrors life, except in America where life mirrors tv. From shows like VEEP to the House of Cards women have better luck getting power in the White House in fiction, rather than reality. Thankful VP Harris will be able to break the mold of unfair treatment Hollywood has give the female executive. This paper written by me in December of 2017 may offer some clues as to how female power will be read by the media through the next administration.
By Gus Krider5 years ago in The Swamp
Do we need to know
Do we need to know? Separating politics from celebrity. Have we the right to know every detail of any celebrity or politicians life? What matters about a politician is not the same as what matters about a celebrity. Or is it? In both cases what really matters is how they perform at their chosen career. What matters to a vocalist is how well they sing. What matters to a politician is how well they make decisions. Of course there are now celebrities famous for being famous, apparently making fortunes out of being “in the public awareness” just being a celebrity is almost a profession but even these are treated as if every utterance matters. Why?
By Peter Rose5 years ago in The Swamp
The Real Winner of the 2020 Election: Jeremy Boreing
As of this writing, there still is no clear winner in the 2020 US Presidential election between Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. In the time since Wednesday, we've seen several scandals unfold, causing both sides to cry afoul. While one man will eventually become President, they will do so in a way which will be contested in the eyes of their detractors. The process itself has lost credibility in the eyes of both the right and the left, meaning that whatever happens in the White House, our democratic republic clearly is not the winner in this election. It is hopefully a low point in American history which will be fixed for future elections in the courts, but hey, after 2020, not to mention 4 years of vehemently disgusting mainstream media lies, most of us don't have a lot of hope left for happy endings.
By Caitlyn Hicks 5 years ago in The Swamp
Lizzo, Telling It Like It Is. Top Story - September 2020.
Lizzo is an American musician, originally from Detroit, Michigan. Lizzo's success was so swift that she was named Time Magazine's "Entertainer of the Year" in 2019 and her album " Cuz I Love You" made number four on the Billboard 200 list of most popular music in the United States. After her flute performance at the 2019 BET Awards, Lizzo received a standing ovation from the crowd, which included popular singer Rihanna. Lizzo's song "Good As Hell" became very popular last year, climbing up the charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Lizzo is also a well-know exemplar of body positivity. In a Vice interview she said, " You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your own skin what unifies us."
By Sabine Lucile Scott6 years ago in The Swamp
Princess Beatrice Will Receive a Special Title After Marriage
When Princess Beatrice gets married on May 29, 2020, she will get a new title. Her sister Princess Eugenie did not get a similar title when she got married on October 12, 2018. There is a reason Princess Beatrice is getting a special title. The reason she is getting that title after her marriage explains why her sister Princess Eugenie did not inherit the same title.
By Margaret Minnicks6 years ago in The Swamp
Coronavirus, first victim in the US, Trump: 'probable new cases'
There are now almost 3,000 coronavirus deaths worldwide. And America also records the first death in Washington state. The victim was a woman in her 50s. It had arrived, the US media reported, with "serious breathing problems" at EvergreenHealth hospital in Kirkland, Washington. It is not clear yet when the patient was hospitalized, when the symptoms first appeared and how long it took to get tested.
By Buyer Fatin6 years ago in The Swamp
Wakanda Forever? USDA Removes Fictional Marvel Country From Trade Partners List
In a weird case of life imitating art, the country of Wakanda - established in #Marvel canon as the homeland of King T'Challa aka Black Panther - has been struck from the list of approved free trade agreement partners with the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA.
By Christina St-Jean6 years ago in The Swamp
A Political Act
How do you lampoon an election that already routinely veers into absurd territory? That’s a challenge that Trevor Noah, the host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, faces nightly, as he discusses an election cycle of scandals, leaks, bigotry, and fear-mongering—a cycle where even the most unprecedented happenings have become mundane. A South African television and radio host and comedian, Noah has been the host of The Daily Show since 2015. Being the child of a Xhosa mother and Swiss-German father, his childhood in Johannesburg under apartheid’s Immorality Act had a large impact on his life and future in comedy. This is explained in his autobiographical comedy book Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, which become a #1 New York Times Bestseller and named one of the best books of the year after being published in 2016. Noah's mixed-race ancestry, his experiences growing up in Soweto, and his observations about race and ethnicity are leading themes in his comedy. His typical humor genres include political/news satire, deadpan, and black, insult, and observational comedy. This he carried over to The Daily Show after the retirement of his predecessor and one of his comedic influences Jon Stewart, integrating political and ethnic humor.
By Kayla Bloom7 years ago in The Swamp
The Normalization of Extreme Violence
Extremism and all the other -isms that exist out there are not usually pretty things. They instigate us, embroil us, and fuel us with unhealthy emotions: for most of us, rage (at the idiocy of the fundamental ideal) and sadness mixed in with a little bit of fear (would be classified as the healthy response, by most psychologists).
By Elric Pankston7 years ago in The Swamp
The Heroism Resulting from the El Paso Walmart Shooting
These are some very dark times indeed for El Paso, Texas, and our thoughts and prayers definitely go out to all who have been affected by the shooting at the Walmart there. We could discuss the shooter, and we could discuss his motives, but above all else, the man is a coward for killing 20 innocent lives and injuring many more. We probably shouldn't give this man the notoriety he craves for this terrible act. On the other hand, one of the things we could also discuss would be the acts of heroism we saw during this horrific incident. Here are some examples of how the human spirit cannot be quashed even in the most difficult of times:
By Vaden Chandler7 years ago in The Swamp
