Cultural History Peer Reviews for Discussion
Week 7 – Discussion Peer Responses
Instructions: please respond to all 3 posts with 100-150 words.
Post 1:
The Golden Girls
Top of Form
The Golden Girls is one of the most iconic tv shows of all time. Aired for the first time on NBC on September 14 1985, up until May 9 1992, the show is about four older women (Dorothy, her mother Sophia, Blanche and Rose) who share a house in Miami. The four women have all different personalities, but the show portrays them as best friends, sharing their experiences with their ex husbands or new love flames, their jobs and their personal struggles. The show received many critical acclaim during its years, and has won several awards. Each of the four main characters received an Emmy award, one of the four sitcom to ever receive this in the award's history.
But why is this show so beloved by audiences even thirty years later? The show is incredibly well written and the main characters are all incredible characters: their friendship grow stronger in every episode and each side character is carefully selected to fit with the story narrated in a specific episode. The beauty of this tv show is that every character holds a special place in our heart, and the comedic aspect of the show makes it a very easy going and timeless sitcom.
The Golden Girls stands out not only for its comedy, but also for its groundbreaking progressive ideas: the show tackled many outrageous issues that were considered taboo at the time, doing it with delicacy and a touch of comedy. The show was one of the first one at the time to portray middle-aged women as sexual beings, introducing the character of Blanche, known for her love for men, as well as showing that there can be a love life for women even after their 50s. The show tackles the issues that come with aging: the women embraces aging and all the positive and negative aspects that come with it, gay rights, race discrimination, disability and fighting poverty.
All these issues were not seen as often on television, and this is one of the reason that made the show still relevant nowadays. The show however, had its flaws: race was not always adress in an appropriate manner, there were episodes of cultural appropriation, Rose was constantly made fun of by her roomates and there were faults in the scripts, such as inconsistent personal histories.
The Golden Girls remains one of our most iconic tv shows of all time, despite the years. We can take so much from the characters' wisdom and humor, and it is a show that you can watch and rewatch million times: it will always be full of laughter!
References
Ross, T. (2015, December 23). 30 Years Later, “The Golden Girls” is Still the Most Progressive Show on Television. Medium. 30 Years Later, ‘The Golden Girls’ is Still the Most Progressive Show on Television | by Tracey Ross | Medium
Golden Girls: 10 Major Flaws Of The Show That Fans Chose To Ignore. (2021, February 8). ScreenRant. https://screenrant.com/golden-girls-major-flaws-fans-ignore/
Post 2:
Star Wars: Episode IV: Catalyst to a Lasting Franchise
Top of Form
Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope is considered a cinematic masterpiece of the 1970s that still holds on its own today. Between the storyline, production, and score, George Lucas had amassed a dedicated fanbase with his world-building and creativity. Lucas had set a standard for the modern film industry with the inclusion of visual effects in combination with its iconic soundtrack and directorial techniques. Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope did just that, creating hope, change, and wonderment with the lasting effects it has had on pop culture and cinema. The film was only a catalyst in the director’s career, eventually giving him a lasting franchise that is beloved by millions around the world.
Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope is a SciFi film based in the future and how politics/ power is managed. It is a common tale where the domesticated protagonist longs for something more rewarding and enriching in life, ultimately leading to a triumphant adventure. The movie is given context at the beginning with textual evidence that further sets the scene for the audience. The series had its share of ups and downs with the prequels and sequels being questionable to fans, however it is further cemented in sentiment and iconography when the franchise is acquired by Disney on October 30th, 2012. From park attractions at Disneyland and Disney World, to the creation of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in May of 2019, it is an understatement to say that Star Wars has had commercial success. One can even stream the entirety of the movie series on the Disney+ service.
A New Hope has created a very distinctive world integral to its story telling. This world building as described by Chris Hartwell (2017, 05:10) can be linked to what filmmaker Akira Kurosawa calls “Immaculate Reality.” The sets in the films are charged with so many futuristic prop elements that further establishes the fictitious world that Lucas paints. The main characters, and even the extras such as the various terrestrial beings and droids serve a purpose to create a normalcy within the story of the film. All of these elements worked cohesively together with the fitting sound effects that make each scene believable and have credibility. The film would also not be as impressionable as it is without the moving score by composer John Williams, as music is an important element when conveying emotions or also when setting the scene.
Although Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope had its glory, George Lucas believed the movie was not going to do well. Instead, the same cannot be told for his prequel and sequel trilogies. Star Wars Episodes I-III (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith), were laughable to fans as it indulged more on the special effects and cheesy dialogue rather than setting the context in which A New Hope takes place in. The prequel films are now beloved however, considering the comically horrendous sequels of Episodes VII-IX (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker). The Clone Wars show is meant to fill in the gaps between Episodes II and III. Although the lore of Star Wars is represented in each of the movies, none of the films can really compare to Episode IV establishing their roots.
Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope was the beginning rather than just the one episode marking one of the most famous franchises in the world. It reeled in a total of $1.5 million in theatres at the time, and eventually up to $775 million worldwide. This feat came with its drawbacks, but the storytelling and world-building of A New Hope has inspired many modern films we see today. Episode IV—A New Hope remains to be one of the standard films within the Sci-Fi (Science Fiction) genre. The film ultimately set the stage for evolving into the lasting franchise it is today. Star Wars is a classic example of pop culture revisiting the past, and can still present parallels between both the present and future.
References
Hartwell, C. [Chris Hartwell]. (2017, January 3). Star Wars: A New Hope - Why It’s The Best [Video]. YouTube. Star Wars: A New Hope - Why It's The Best
Acuna, K. (2021, May 4). George Lucas was convinced “Star Wars” Would Flop and Refused to Believe It Was a Hit Until He Got a Call Telling Him to Turn on the News. https://www.insider.com/when-george-lucas-knew-star-wars-was-a-hit
Star Wars is owned by Disney – Walt Disney’s Acquisition of Lucasfilms. (2021, September 15). Pleaders Intelligent Legal Solutions. https://blog.ipleaders.in/star-wars-is-owned-by-disney-walt-disneys-acquisition-of-lucasfilms/#:~:text=Acquisition%20process,-After%20a%20meeting&text=Lucas%20informed%20Iger%20that%20he,other%20half%20in%20Disney%20stock.
POST 3
Bottom of Form
Crowds of people, lines wrapping around theaters, and news flooded of the release of The Exorcist. With people expecting to have an experience like never before, they were in for that and more. Viewers leaving the theaters frantic, panicked, fainting, and even vomiting from the sights they saw. With such an impact on audience, this film staked its claim of being its own beast in cinema. The Exorcist is a masterpiece of its time, bringing a whole new meaning to sci-fi horror to all who view it.
The Exorcist is about a little girl named Reagan that stumbles upon a Ouija board in her basement. Soon after playing with this item, she starts to experience very unusual behaviors and phenomena, like having violent outbursts and a shaking bed. These events lead to Reagan being possessed by a demon. With her mother calling upon two preachers to conduct an exorcism, both will try to save her life from the hands of the Devil. They encounter forces of evil that try, demoralize, and almost kill them in order to save Reagan. This movie can be viewed online, through a cable provider, or purchase the DVD at retail.
The Exorcist pushed boundaries of filmmaking, putting the audience in a gripping situation with an entity never depicted in such a manor prior. The fact of having a 14-year-old actress (Linda Blair) display evil incarnate with such power provided a strong acclaim. One scene shows her character perform a full 360 turn of her head and was still able to speak in a demonic tone. This element provides another positive by utilizing the time’s technology to show something truly terrifying! Another example of the movie’s strength is the makeup work. One can see how tortured this girl was, with cuts, burns, dry lips, and the palest skin to show how close to death she was nearing. This revolutionized how horror was shown, and it ended up proving to be one of the greatest works put on screen.
The Exorcist has incredible strengths but had some negatives in some of its depictions. On a moral and religious standpoint, this movie does toy with the idea of having a minor showing some very obscene content. One instance of the movie shows Reagan, while in a demonic rage, masturbating with a crucifix and tells her own mother to “lick” her in her genitalia. Following the statement, she forces her mom to do just that. This would make any moviegoer feel very uncomfortable, potentially crossing a line on how far one could really go in their film. The very nature of the film is evil, understandably, but this work of fiction could have left something like that out. Culturally, scenes similar to this would face backlash from religious communites for its grotesque imagery, stating how the ones who made the film contributed to Satan's mission.
In conclusion, The Exorcist stands today as one of cinema’s gold mines, challenging the norm of what a horror movie should be and knocking it out of the park. With a terrific cast, an outstanding performance by Linda Blair, and a makeup art that truly spoke demonic, this movie is a necessary piece of film to watch, aside from some of the over-the-top situations that may offend some. The movie also garnered 10 Oscar nominations and 2 wins, one for Best Writing and the other for Best Screenplay. The Exorcist is a definite must-watch, especially for those who want a good scare, disturbing imagery, or to see something completely abnormal. Not only is it a masterclass, but it also stands as a timeless example of filmmaking. This leads to question: how long is one willing to see, hear, and witness evil on the screen?
References
Horrorfan. (2018, September 10). THE EXORCIST (1973) | Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0TmHK6e4SM
Wikipedia contributors. (2022, July 16). The Exorcist. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist