Skip to main content

Week Eight: Stereotypes and Ethics

It was definitely interesting learning about how far we’ve come as a culture when it comes to the stereotypical representations used in early comics and other forms of media, especially in terms of race, sexuality, gender and ethnicity. To me, despite the current cultural climate of dissatisfaction, I think that we’ve come pretty far as a culture in one lifetime. It actually seems like we’re probably pushing the limit for the amount of change and adjustment that some people can make to their worldview in one lifetime, without completely plunging them and the culture into a state of mass anxiety and hysteria.

That being said, I wish we would have acknowledged that in class in a more positive way, and approached this topic in the lecture from a more reassuring perspective - especially in today’s current media-fueled maddening political climate. It would have been refreshing to hear about this topic from the perspective that the changes we need to make as a culture, have already happened, or are at least well under way, which I believe they are.  I don’t think that we need to downplay or ignore how far we still need to go, but I do believe that some positive encouragement would have greatly added to the tone of this lecture. We’ve passed over a pretty heavy threshold these last twenty years or so, and although we’re still sorting everything out, I think that one can definitely take a look at the trends from the last decade and see a positive upward trend, moving us towards health, understanding, and reason.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week Five: Body Talk

A Contract With God A powerful work of storytelling. Even with how little it visually showed and verbally explained about that time period, the simple yet effective storytelling techniques shed a powerful light into the world of the thirties.   The layout and information on each page stayed true to the essential items needed to convey the story at hand, while the expressions and designs of each character involved were perfectly fitted to that characters particular nature. The flow of the stories themselves was also really interesting. It starts off very regal and true, then gradually starts to slip down into degradation, whizzing past horrible defiling moments, building up into this final orgiastic climax, and then finally ending with one boy “Willie” standing on the edge of his balcony, pausing after being given his new set of family expectations, and reflecting on all that happened over the summer. Blankets I love how expressive and powerful Thompson...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Thirteen: Webcomics

The greatest web comic I’ve ever read – and possibly the greatest web-comic of all time, is without a doubt Steve Lichman by Dave Rapoza and Dan Warren https://rapozacomics.carbonmade.com/projects/5313679 I think Steve Lichman is a great example of why web comics are so successful. The rough linework and simple color palate give it a personal touch, while the relatively short panel size make it quickly rewarding and easy to scroll through. It really feels like someone’s labor of love, that they come home to each night and scribble out when the mood hits. It also looks like something one of your friends might’ve drawn, and I think that makes the comic feel more personal and contemporary. It s simplicity also makes it feel more visceral, like all of its guts are right there on the page for you to see. Another thing that I think makes it so successful is the overall tone, and the humor and wit, that seem to seep out of every panel. It’s freaking hilarious, and I think that the hu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Seven: MAUS

I was deeply engrossed by this story, and more emotionally stirred while reading it than I had ever expected to be. Throughout the book, I often found myself amazed that such rough and simple drawings, of animals nonetheless, could be so moving, and portray such a complex topic as the Holocaust with detail and sincerity.   I believe a lot of the literary magic of this story has to do with the incredible complexity and honesty in which Spiegelman represents his father Vladek. Throughout the story, we see Vladek from many different perspectives, and in both positive and negative lights. To me this made the story extremely relatable as I reflected on the men in my life, and really made the story feel a lot more genuine. On top of Spiegelmans’ complex character development, I felt like the tone and pace of the story felt very balanced, and rhythmic. He would dip in and out of his father’s account of the war for just long enough without it getting too heavy, while s...
Post a Comment
Read more