Portrait Of An Insecure Young Man; An Exploration Of The Online Propagation Of Mewing,
2023
Claremont Colleges
Portrait Of An Insecure Young Man; An Exploration Of The Online Propagation Of Mewing, Jamie Cockburn
CMC Senior Theses
As social media becomes more ubiquitous in our cultural existence as humans it plays an increasingly large role in the formation and expression of identity. On many social media platforms, the way people look is emphasized, with more attractive people garnering the most attention. This results in the phenomenon of upward social comparison, which leads to the lowering of self-esteem. Social media and the internet also enable the spread of information and ideologies, which has resulted in the propagation of pessimistic and misogynistic world views in in communities that make up the manosphere. One popular topic on the manosphere is …
The Ilm Industrial Complex: Star Wars And Vfx In The Digital Age,
2023
Claremont Colleges
The Ilm Industrial Complex: Star Wars And Vfx In The Digital Age, Jane Baldwin
CMC Senior Theses
This paper proposes an expansion of Tom Gunning’s seminal theory of the “cinema of attractions.” Advancements in visual effects (VFX) technologies—such as the rise of George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and the advent of the digital age, among others—necessitate a more rigorous, updated understanding of effects as objects of media study. Using the Star Wars franchise as an analytical center, I aim to bring the subfield of effects study closer to compatibility with the ever-evolving VFX landscape.
Playing To Win: The Effects Of Implementing Gamification Strategies In Product Marketing,
2023
Claremont Colleges
Playing To Win: The Effects Of Implementing Gamification Strategies In Product Marketing, Sabrina Stone
CMC Senior Theses
Let’s play a game. What effect do you think video games have on twenty-first-century marketing? In this age defined by its nature of digitality, capturing the attention of consumers is an arduous competition. Through market segmentation, research, and the observable variables of consumer behavior, product marketing has turned to video games as a solution to appeal to younger demographics. Gamification is an increasingly applied product marketing strategy employed to increase favorable metrics. Of those key performance indicators (KPIs), boosted measures such as click-through rates, impressions, and engagement rates suggest that gamification is a strategic opportunity to persuade consumers to take …
The Rhetorical Use Of The Other: An Analysis Of Symbolic Disability In Contemporary Horror Films,
2023
Missouri State University
The Rhetorical Use Of The Other: An Analysis Of Symbolic Disability In Contemporary Horror Films, Seth Hadley
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
In this research, I examine the concept of the Other in horror films. I use Kenneth Burke’s identification, Jean-Francois Lyotard’s metanarrative concept, and Lennard Davis’s bell curve of normalcy to describe the Other and how otherness relates to disability. First, I discuss how horror films have portrayed the Other historically in a negative context and slowly transition to the virtuous Other, the final girl. Next, I discuss the trend of portraying disability or otherness as an asset or tool in contemporary films like A Quiet Place, Birdbox, and Don’t Breathe. Then, I examine how current horror films explore the implications …
The Man In The Fiber Optic Cable: A Short Film,
2023
Claremont Colleges
The Man In The Fiber Optic Cable: A Short Film, Lucas Cunningham
Pomona Senior Theses
A man runs through a fiber optic cable.
Conceive And Control: Cultural-Legal Narratives Of American Privacy And Reproductive Politics,
2023
University of Kentucky
Conceive And Control: Cultural-Legal Narratives Of American Privacy And Reproductive Politics, Emily Naser-Hall
Theses and Dissertations--English
Law and literature share a foundation in narrative. The literary turn in legal scholarship recognizes that the law itself is a form of narrative, one that simultaneously reflects socio-cultural norms and creates social and political regulations with a complex matrix of power. Cultural narratives from the 1950s to the mid-1970s pertaining to reproductive politics, domesticity, and national identity both produce and are productive of legal rulings that govern and restrict private acts of sexuality and speech. The Supreme Court used cases concerning sex and reproduction to enumerate, explicate, and complicate the right to privacy, which appears nowhere in the U.S. …
The Horror Of Darwinism: The Evolution Of The Monster In Film And Popular Culture,
2023
University of Northern Iowa
The Horror Of Darwinism: The Evolution Of The Monster In Film And Popular Culture, Ava Deitrich
Honors Program Theses
In the following pages, dear reader, you will be astounded, mystified, entertained, and intrigued. Using Stephen King’s three monstrous archetypes outlined in Danse Macabre as a guide, and the 1930’s Universal Monster Films as a starting point, I trace the roots of the Vampire, Two Faced, and Thing Without a Name through time and space. Along the evolutionary track of these archetypes, I touch on changes regarding perception and performance, in relation to social and historical shifts. I will be your guide exploring the scenery, costuming, sound design, and cinematography (to name a few) as I examine each film within …
Hopeful Oscillation: Metamodernism, Barbenheimer, And Our New Cultural Undercurrent,
2023
Arcadia University
Hopeful Oscillation: Metamodernism, Barbenheimer, And Our New Cultural Undercurrent, Jewel T. Miller
Capstone Showcase
Recent societal changes have pushed artwork and media away from postmodernism as a dominant cultural philosophy. In its place has risen a new theoretical approach, titled Metamodernism, which attempts to discover the meaning behind present day art and media’s strengthening affective qualities, and provide a possible label for this new post-postmodernist state. This is not only an important attempt at understanding the society we live in today but also its broader impact on how we communicate through media. This paper explores the rise of Metamodernism as a theoretical approach within media studies and philosophy, including the term’s inception and growing …
So It Goes: Hauntology, Lost Futures, And Mac Miller,
2023
Arcadia University
So It Goes: Hauntology, Lost Futures, And Mac Miller, Ryan Hiemenz
Capstone Showcase
Hauntology is a relatively new concept born out of the current state of late capitalism, wherein it has become increasingly common for new releases of popular culture, art, and media to appease the societal desire to return to the past. First coined by Jacques Derrida in his book Specters of Marx, the term “Hauntology” was used to describe the phenomenon of the “death” of communism and how the capitalist powers that “killed” it essentially made the idea of communism immortal. They made it a specter, and ghosts cannot die. This concept was then altered by the late Mark Fisher, …
菠蘿包(Pineapple Bun): Exploring Memory And Language Through Animation,
2023
Scripps College
菠蘿包(Pineapple Bun): Exploring Memory And Language Through Animation, Elaine Yang
Scripps Senior Theses
菠蘿包(Pineapple Bun) explores the themes of reconstruction, evocation, and memory through my childhood in Taiwan. Inspired by other Asian American animators, I aim to tell a simple story of connection through my grandfather and I's daily swimming ritual. The film is a 3-minute animated short film following our language barrier and how we engage with each other's differing backgrounds.
The Narrative Composer: Hector Berlioz’S Impact On The Evolution Of Film Scoring In The Twenty-First Century,
2023
Rollins College
The Narrative Composer: Hector Berlioz’S Impact On The Evolution Of Film Scoring In The Twenty-First Century, Enrique Alberti
Honors Program Theses
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, whose literary and musical works have an undeniable effect on the history of Western music. Specifically, Berlioz’s most famous orchestral work, the Symphonie Fantastique, transformed how music could be utilized in an orchestral setting because it was the first programmatic symphony, which is a symphony with music set to a written narrative. The Symphonie would inspire German composer Richard Wagner to create what is now recognized as the leitmotif, a musical phrase used to identify an idea. In modern Hollywood film music, Wagner is credited with establishing the techniques that have become staples …
How Bollywood Has Influenced Cinema And Viewers Both Locally And Globally,
2023
The University of Akron
How Bollywood Has Influenced Cinema And Viewers Both Locally And Globally, Bhumi Patel
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
The evolution and impact of Bollywood cinema follows its journey from silent films to contemporary masterpieces. Bollywood reflects India's rich cultural heritage while adapting to societal shifts and embracing progressive themes. From timeless tales of romance to modern explorations of feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and mental health, Bollywood has evolved into a dynamic force for social commentary and cultural expression. Through integration of deep emotions and universally enjoyable music and dance, Bollywood transcends language and cultural barriers, captivating audiences worldwide. While facing setbacks such as lack of diversity, Bollywood is gradually embracing inclusivity and evolving with the times. By addressing taboo …
It's All Personal - A Study On Consumer Attitudes Towards Data Collection And Usage,
2023
New York University
It's All Personal - A Study On Consumer Attitudes Towards Data Collection And Usage, Publishers Clearing House, Tiffany Johnson, Daniela Molta, Evan Shapiro
Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Reimagining Identity Through Photography: The Experience Of Intersectionality For Asian-American Women,
2023
Claremont Colleges
Reimagining Identity Through Photography: The Experience Of Intersectionality For Asian-American Women, Noelle Song
CMC Senior Theses
"Reimagining Identity Through Photography: The Experience of Intersectionality for Asian-American Women'' aims to challenge the common stereotypes of Asian-American women in modern society by examining the history of their identities as both women and Asian Americans. The project highlights the negative consequences of complacency to these stereotypes, exploring the complexity of the model minority myth, intersectionality, and standpoint theory, while providing historical context to understand the violent crimes committed against this demographic. I curated a physical gallery space of 18 images featuring 9 Asian-American women to deconstruct racial and gender myths that contribute to the model minority myth. This exhibition …
“Songs Of The Underground” – Crafting A Unique Gaming Experience Through Music,
2023
University of Kentucky
“Songs Of The Underground” – Crafting A Unique Gaming Experience Through Music, Megan Franklin
Theses and Dissertations--Music
The academic study of video game music, known as Ludomusicology, is a younger research area in the world of musicology, with the earliest works having been published in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Despite its young age, Ludomusicology is becoming a staple in the academic world, with scholars such as Melanie Fritsch, Andra Ivănescu, Michiel Kamp, Tim Summers, and Mark Sweeney dedicating their time to the subject. This thesis uses musical analysis as the basis of exploring the relationship between music and aspects of video game creation and player interaction. The case study for this project is the 2015 …
Looking Inward, Looking Back: John Le Carré And The Spy Narrative After The Cold War,
2023
West Virginia University
Looking Inward, Looking Back: John Le Carré And The Spy Narrative After The Cold War, Rachel Lynn Hoag
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The genre of spy fiction confronts a paradigm-shifting event in the 1990s with the end of the Cold War. Despite critical speculation that the genre had outlived its usefulness, spy fiction writers navigate this period of transition, and the genre remains broadly popular with the reading public. This study examines how the work of Britain’s foremost espionage writer, John le Carré, navigates the changing geopolitical landscape of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. In mapping this terrain, one sees two distinct impulses emerge: a tendency to look inward and a tendency to look back. To look inward, the novels …
Inhumanity Restored: Digital Play & Poetic Drama,
2023
Dartmouth College
Inhumanity Restored: Digital Play & Poetic Drama, Ali Emir Dağlar
Comparative Literature M.A. Essays
This essay addresses the relationship of digital games to absurdism through a comparison of the 2011 video game Dark Souls with Samuel Beckett’s absurdist play Waiting for Godot. Staked in this comparison is the rhetoric not only of Dark Souls but of the contemporary digital game as a medium; establishing an analogy that speaks to the broader genealogy of modern media, my argument implicates the underemphasized yet critically meaningful kinship of computer games and poetic theater. I argue that understanding the digital game vis-a-vis absurdism means explicating how the 20th century stage, particularly that of Beckett, prefigures contemporary digital worlds …
Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives,
2023
Georgia Southern University
Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …
To, From: Of Time, Of Distance, Of Body And Mind,
2023
Virginia Commonwealth University
To, From: Of Time, Of Distance, Of Body And Mind, Fanxi Sun
Theses and Dissertations
This paper introduces the concepts, theories, and techniques associated with my thesis project “To, From.” The paper consists of three parts: Time as Structure, Distance as Premise, and Body and Mind. Each chapter is written in a mixture of personal narration and a general introduction to materials that are directly or implicatively relevant and important to the creation of my project. In this experimental narrative comprises film screening and live performance with multi-channel sound, I tell a story of non-story. Words and the exchange of words, movements and non- movements, objects that are being handled and subjects that are handling... …
African American Youth-Identity, Invisible Powers & Hypnotic Blaxploitation-Themed Film Tropes: From Superfly & Drug Culture To Black Panther & Wakanda,
2023
Hollins University
African American Youth-Identity, Invisible Powers & Hypnotic Blaxploitation-Themed Film Tropes: From Superfly & Drug Culture To Black Panther & Wakanda, Daniel Mitchell
Screenwriting and Film Studies Theses (MA/MFA)
This thesis project explores the most influential effect of the blaxploitation era. It is during a time shortly after the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, where black youth are still enduring identity issues. The point of departure for central discussion of this work revolves around the mesmerizing Hollywood blaxploitation film, Superfly. It arrived on the big screen in 1972. The hit movie and its soundtrack seemingly hypnotized countless young African American youth in urban areas to become drug dealers and users. This coincided with Nixon’s War on Drugs collusion with government agencies, and the secret COINTELPRO operation. They …
