humanity
Humanity or geek-manity? Humanity topics include pieces on the real-life lives of geek advocates and influencors.
Hollywood and the Red Scare: A Brief History
Films can inform, and they can also entertain. During the 1950s, however, there was a growing fear in many that communist ideals were being worked into films. Through the work of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House of Un-American Activities Committee, accusations spread throughout the film community. Many films that did not support those ideals were falsely accused of spreading bad vibes and teaching their viewers to embrace communism.
By Marina Caitlin Watts9 years ago in Geeks
Defining the Western. Top Story - October 2016.
After much movie-watching, researching about film, and a thought-provoking conversation or two, I ask myself: is "The Western" a genre of a film, or just the setting of one? How do you define it? If John Wayne isn't the star, is it even a Western? Do people still even make western films?
By Marina Caitlin Watts9 years ago in Geeks
The 10 Most Tortured Comic Book Characters
When Tony Soprano sat down on his psychiatrist’s couch, it was a television and pop cultural milestone. Here was a big time gangster—the epitome of toughness and criminally cultured masculinity—airing out his dirty laundry, childhood fears, and insecurities to a shrink. Talk about shifting societal norms. HBO’s The Sopranos changed the landscape for Hollywood tough guys. Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, or Al Pacino getting psych advice in front of millions? James Gandolfini pioneered Tony Soprano into a figure which allowed many to think: “Going to a therapist is no shame.”
By Will Stape9 years ago in Geeks
What Rey Means to Me (And Geek Girls Everywhere)
Several years ago, Ellen Page made an incredibly relatable observation that could have come straight from the pages of my own childhood in the early 90s. “As a girl,” she said, “you're supposed to love Sleeping Beauty. I mean, who wants to love Sleeping Beauty when you can be Aladdin?”
By Sarah Quinn9 years ago in Geeks
Interview with Larry Blamire, Creator of 'Steam Wars'
In Steam Wars, the year is 1897. Warfare is fought with large steam-powered fighting machines––steam rigs––designed to resemble ancient armored warriors. Manned by crews, the steam rigs serve a larger purpose in the Second Steam War of the world.
By Natasha Sydor9 years ago in Geeks
Legacy of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee's life story has always been worthy of myth. His influence has managed to endure leaving behind a timeless legacy that has become the stuff of martial art legend. In many respects the world is still recovering from his loss considering the fact that he died so young in 1973. New martial artists like Donnie Yen have stepped up to inherit the legacy of Bruce Lee. In many respects his legacy is like the water from his famous philosophical quote.
By Geeks Staff9 years ago in Geeks
History of Emoji
Emoji, those adorable little smiley faces or other symbols that are used for messaging, are swiftly dominating global communication. The seemingly innocuous pictures are often scoffed at for serving as the bulk of Millennial conversation, but abbreviations like “IDK” and “NSFW” have even become common articles for older cell phone-toting adults.
By Stephen Hamilton9 years ago in Geeks
Was Nintendo's Metroid Character 'Samus Aran' Transgender?
Where both Mario and Link were tasked to save their respective princesses, Samus Aran can be seen as the princess herself. Arguably, a self-contained logic for her own volition, Samus is an intergalactic bounty hunter tasked with saving the world in Metroid (1986), easily the third most famous Nintendo game of that era.
By George Gott10 years ago in Geeks
Was 'The Warriors' the First Gang Movie?
An eighteen-year-old honors student was getting some refreshments during an intermission to Paramount's The Warriors at an Oxnard, California, movie theater when another youth demanded a quarter from him. He refused, and was stabbed to death. The Warriors, the first gang movie, had dropped into the the theater that night. It dropped out the very next day. It was winter 1979, and there were still intermissions during movies.
By Frank White10 years ago in Geeks
Kathleen Smith Ultimate Fangirl
In a world dominated by successful geeky franchises (Star Wars and Star Trek, I’m looking directly at you), we find ourselves simply obsessed. From comic conventions to cosplay, collectors items, and fan videos, the most dedicated fans can’t get enough of their favorite series. Waking moments are spent writing fan fiction or planning the next con, as well as consuming all news on the subject at hand.
By Natasha Sydor10 years ago in Geeks
Sexuality In The Legend of Korra
Children’s television has advanced far beyond the innuendos of 80s Saturday morning cartoons like He-Man and G.I. Joe, programs that were rife with homoerotic interactions and inconsequential violence. The Nickelodeon animated series, The Legend of Korra, is a prime example of a show that defied the trappings of conventional kid’s programming while maintaining a sense of realism and a stance against ambiguous portrayals of female characters, diversity, death, and romance.
By Patricia Sarkar10 years ago in Geeks
