Trump for new deathstar

15 Million Merits

Obviously this episode has many implications concerning digital culture, as well as other cultural issues (isolation, narcissism, socioeconomic division, sexuality, etc.) What stands out for you from this episode?

Wayward Pines: Thoughts?

Please post your thoughts, comments, reviews and questions here. I am planning to watch the pilot episode tomorrow. But feel free to  discuss whatever you like regarding this show. I am curious to know how people feel about its being inspired by Twin Peaks...

The Sisterhood of Night

Here is the place to share any thoughts, comments or questions on THE SISTERHOOD OF NIGHT.

Themes: cyberbullying, social interaction, adolescent use of media, news media accessing social media for news stories, etc.

We'll finish viewing it on Monday in class.

Donald Trump discussed at Democratic Debate on Wednesday

Is Donald Trump Racist? What Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Said During Democratic Debate

Last night's democratic debate delved into the topic of Donald Trump and racism. Both Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders agreed that Trump's past attacks on Mexicans, Muslims, and women have made him unsuitable for the presidency.

I think Trump's views on these particular issues speak volumes about the kind of person he is, especially when it comes to immigration policies. He's willing to deport every illegal immigrant, "build a wall" on the Mexican border, wants to ban Muslims from living in the country, and will refuse to accept Syrian refugees. Is this the kind of president we want to run our country?

Researching ‘controversy with Donald Trump’ lead me to an article where he responds to comparisons to Hitler. The comparison can be linked to the beginning of his campaign, with Trump’s xenophobic attutide towards Muslims and Mexicans being a cornerstone of his platform (and his appeal). But the comparison has been in the news recently due to Trump recently asking voters to raise their right hand as a sign of pledging their vote to the Republican Candidate. In typical Trump fashion, he responded to the comparison on “Good Morning America” with “I don’t know anything about the Hitler comparison, I hadn’t heard that, but it’s a terrible comparison. I’m not happy about that certainly”. Trump then went on state that he felt like he was “acting more like Franklin Roosevelt than Hitler”.

            I found this comparison interesting because I believe Trump must be referring to Roosevelt’s attitude towards Jewish refugees during the beginning of World War 2. FDR refused the admittance of Jewish voyagers on the St. Louis.   I don’t think most Americans are aware of how this country responded to the plight of the Jewish people, and how we ignored their pleas for help when they needed it most. Regardless, I hope Trump is further questioned on this statement and he will have to answer on his thoughts about how America treated immigrants when they needed help the most.

 http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/08/politics/donald-trump-adolf-hitler-comparison-response/

Donald Drumpf

I find it a little ridiculous and frankly cowardly that so many people are threatening to move out of the country if Donald Trump is elected president. What that says is "I'll live here, only as far as I get what I want." This is the definition of American Exceptionalism. Right now there are thousands of refugees struggling to get to safety in the United States, and while the next president may have a huge impact on the numbers of those who actually do  make it (from Syria for example), that doesn't mean that the next president will be the end all, be all. There are balanced powers in our government which make sure that a single person cannot do much to change the outlook of the country. In 2016, 88% of the congressional seats are up for grabs- which means that it isn't the presidential election that will dictate how the next four years go, but rather the House and Senate races that will. Congress is the group that passes or vetoes anything proposed. If you believe that Donald Trump is going to build a wall, you better know that he has a lot of hurdles to jump before he can even get such a bill on the floor. If young people organize and vote, they can have a huge impact on the election. Millenials are starting to outnumber baby boomers, which means if they turn out to vote, millenials will have a huge impact on the way seats are awarded in D.C.
If you at all care about the future of this country then go out, phone bank, and register people to vote! Do research on the congressional nominations and vote for people who support your ideals best. Do not let a pop-culture icon dictate the way you'll live your life.

 http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/01/16/this-year-millennials-will-overtake-baby-boomers/
It is interesting to note that immigrants are contributing to the influx of Millenials more than any other group! This stat may support the fact that the Donald Trump campaign is trying to divide the Millenial demographic with his xenophobic philosophy. Additionally, the Trump campaign seems to also be trying to divide the Hispanic and Black American demographics through smear ads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmtnY7Pf0TU

Trump and Kids (Maria Sanchez)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ZTKaMcqCM

A lot of people look for the reaction of one another as well as their opinion when it comes to Donald Trump, but not everyone is into what the young minds have to say. I found a YouTube video where they show kids reacting to interviews, advertising videos...etc. where Trump its at his natural habitat. I must say i do agree with what the kids are say, "Donald Trump should not be president" and as i have been saying from the beginning "if he wins, i will be moving to another country; to a whole other planet if i could". it is just so hard for me to understand how someone in this point in time can still be so racist and ignorant. I think politics should be given the respect and importance. The job that has to be done as a president is quite delicate and should not be given to someone who thinks that this is a spotlight where is all about him or a form of a talk show.. he should go create a his own personal talk show, i think he will be much more successful than as president; besides, that is the reason a lot of people love him already, not for the potential to even create or finish his own sentences. He lacks far more than this.

Will Attacks on Trump Make a Difference

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/mar/07/john-oliver-louis-ck-snl-attack-donald-trump

This article discusses not only John Oliver's attack on Donald Trump, but it also touches on comedian Louis CK and how he wrote a 1,400 letter word urging people not to vote for Trump. The article also mentioned the SNL skit that aired this past Saturday with a parody commercial titled "Racists for Trump."

The main point the article is making is despite the attacks on Trump, he seems to not be effected by them as he is still considered the front runner for the GOP nominee. Stated in the article is that "But no comedic blow can truly do any damage if the thing that makes him so hard to mock is the very thing he’s selling: no matter how hard you hit him, he pops up right back up again."

Trump and Hitler (Mario Prainito)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-the-age-of-trump-grim-warnings-from-holocaust-survivors/2016/01/27/c65ea38c-c549-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html

This is article is about Holocaust survivors talking about the current state of politics in America. These people are showing that Trump's plans for America are eerily similar to Hitler's plans pre World War II. Talking about not letting Muslims in America and tagged Muslims already in America is something that Hitler did in Germany. I just find it insane that people still want him for president when he openly bashes minorities. America currently no where near Germany during World War II but the comparison the Holocaust survivors made of Donald Trump to Hitler is that people should consider. The article ends by saying if anyone can make this comparison it would someone was in a concentration camp.

Trump embarrassment (Sophia Uhl)

I searched for articles from news corporations that challenged Trump's controversial campaign. I was shocked to come across an article on the right-winged FoxNews.com entitled "Donald Trump and America's Sewer Politics: A Campaign Beyond Embarrassment." This was published on March 1st by op-ed columnist Cal Thomas. I was under the impression that Fox News would support Trump's presidential bid, considering the outlet's conservative ideals and policies. Yet, the organization released this article in order to emphasize the fact that they do not agree with his tactics and flip-flopping tendencies. The author writes that "Trump's horrid statements," including his "personal insults and hurtful accusations" of Rubio and Cruz are an immense embarrassment to the Republican Party. The reporter considers Trump to be an ignorant villain who does not properly represent the views of his party. The last paragraph highlights the author's and news corporation's overall rejection of Trump. Thomas writes that if voters are forced to vote between Clinton and Trump, they may have to support the lesser of two evils, Hillary Clinton. I was extremely surprised to learn that Fox News actually alluded to the fact that Clinton is a better choice for the presidency. Trump's candidacy has made a Fox News writer a Clinton supporter! Fox News' shocking rejection of Trump reveals the hatred of the nominee among the right-winged news media.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/03/01/donald-trump-and-america-s-sewer-politics-campaign-beyond-embarrassment.html

Trump - Saturday Night Live

This segment from SNL is so spot-on about Trump (first 3 minutes, but the whole thing is funny), it's crazy. The scary thing is that while it's hilarious, it's extremely accurate. This is how Trump really is when he speaks. Everyone loves him, he kicks people out, etc. He always says a whole lot of nothing at the debates and his events. He always repeats the same phrases and cliches and it seems like the whole thing to him is one big show. I mean, how many previous presidential candidates have joked about their penis size?

But that's why he receives the most attention from the likes of FOX and CNN, because while they may not always agree with what he says, he's always entertaining and provides plenty of material. Trump grabs people's attention, both good and bad. Not too many news outlets have publicly expressed their dissatisfaction as a corporation, because it simply wouldn't be a good business move to not cover his campaign at all.

Like John Oliver, SNL does a great job of both spoofing Donald Trump for comedic purposes, but actually keeping the viewer up-to-date with what's happening with both the Republican and Democratic races, if they haven't otherwise paid attention.

Trump and disability

Many have seen the news clip of Donald Trump mocking a New York Times reporter who has a visible physical disability, and the follow up in news media where Trump denies even knowing the reporter. The Daily Beast wrote an article examining Trump's history of discrimination against the disabled in policies related to his business dealings.

They say the measure of a nation's greatness is found in how it takes care of those who cannot take care of themselves. In treating the disabled as second class citizens, Trump shows a horrifying glimpse of how he would treat those who require accommodation for physical and other disabilities.

Jesse Matthew to Accept Plea Deal

On Feb. 29, it was reported on the WTVR CBS 6 Richmond website that Jesse Matthew, who was a suspect in the murders of Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington will enter a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Graham was murdered in September of 2014, while Harrington was murdered  in October of 2009.  After further investigation, Matthew was charged with first degree murder on September 15, 2015. This story has been followed by many other different media outlets such as CNN, Fox News, NBC News, along with newspapers such as the New York Daily News.
   
In the article on the CBS 6 website about Jesse Matthew, there were tweets shown in the article from one of the authors of the article, Laura French breaking the news that Matthew will enter a plea deal. Other tweets from French include a picture that shows the date of the hearing from the Commonwealth’s attorney’s office, along with French tweeting that plea talks had been in the works for a few weeks. Also written in the article was the fact that the plea deal came as a surprise to many people and that both families of the victims support the plea agreements. In the article, there is a video of French reporting outside the courtroom that was broadcasted on CBS 6.

This story was also written about on CNN’s website under the title Jesse Matthew expected to enter plea agreement, prosecutor says. This article differentiates from the CBS 6 article as it includes quotes from the Albermarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci. The CNN article also mentions Matthew’s former occupation of being a cab driver, as well as the fact that Matthew was sentenced to three life sentences by a judge in 2015 for sexually assaulting a woman in 2005. This information was not mentioned in the CBS 6 article. The article on CNN also shows pictures of Graham and Harrington, and also includes reaction from Harrington’s mother where she said that “There are no winners here.” Below the photo of Morgan Harrington, there are details of how she was a 20-year-old who was a junior at Virginia Tech. And how she disappeared from a concert on October 17, 2009. Her body was discovered on January 26, 2010 and her death was ruled a homicide.

This story appears in the New York Daily News under the title Jesse Matthew to plead guilty to murders of U. Va. coeds Hannah Graham, Morgan Harrington in deal to avoid death penalty. The story on the Daily News website is from the Associated Press. This article mentions the fact that not only was Matthew a former cab driver, but he used to work in a hospital at the University of Virginia. This article goes into detail of how Graham disappeared in September of 2014, and discusses how she was seen on surveillance camera walking unsteadily with Matthew walking with her. Also mentioned is that her body was found on an abandoned property five weeks after she disappeared.

While the article on CNN discusses how Harrington and Graham disappeared, the Daily News article elaborates on that and states that Graham’s body was found six miles away from where Harrington’s body was found in 2010. That is what led investigators to believe that Matthew was connected to both murders. The Daily News article also mentions that after police named Matthew a person of interest in Graham’s murder, Matthew disappeared but was found by police on a beach in Texas.

The three websites that wrote articles on this story had some similarities and differences. There was no bias involved since nobody would be disputing the fact that Matthew should be going to prison for life for what he has done. The articles published on the CNN website and the New York Daily News focuses on Matthew’s past as he committed other crimes such as sexual assault and was also accused of rape. The two articles also mention details of how both Graham and Harrington disappeared. While the article on CBS 6 does touch on Matthew’s past. The article mainly focuses on the initial reaction of Matthew taking the plea just to avoid the death penalty. This story will continued to be followed as the hearing where Matthew is scheduled to enter a plea deal is on Mar. 2.
   
   
Sources: French, Laura. "Jesse Matthew Likely to Enter Plea Deal in Graham, Harrington Cases to Avoid Death Penalty." WTVRcom. CBS 6, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. 

  Shoichet, Catherine E. "Jesse Matthew Expected to Enter Plea Agreement." CNN. Cable News Network, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

"Jesse Matthew Will Plead Guilty to Murders of U. Va. Coeds." NY Daily News. Associated Press, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.   http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/jesse-matthew-plead-guilty-murders-u-va-coeds-article-1.2548070?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fblogs%2Ffantasyhuddle+%28Blogs%2FFantasy+Huddle%29

Apple vs FBI

Apple vs FBI is not breaking news within the immediate scope of reference but poses detrimental outcomes that could result if the Supreme Court were to grant the FBI their request while is not yet in full public attention. Therefore, I will be writing this article in hopes to attract and maintain focus on an issue whose outcome has the potential to destroy one of the last pillars of the American economy by simultaneously demolishing privacy and weakening national security all due to a tragic event now being utilized as an extortion point through mainstream fear-mongering.

December 2, 2015 gun shots erupt during an Inland Regional Center Christmas party, this shooting in San Bernardino is the second deadliest mass U.S shooting behind Sandy Hook, leaving 14 dead and 21 wounded. Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik were responsible for the carnage.  “Farook abruptly left the center before the shooting "under circumstances described as angry," said San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan.” Laptops containing significant evidence were destroyed before the husband and wife were killed in a shootout with police. The couple are believed to be tied to radical fundamentalists despite their legitimate status provided by working visas.  

The shooters IPhones were recovered but their personal data is secured by encryption software. The FBI then went to Apple with a search warrant requesting their help, which according to Apple CEO, Tim Cook they complied with until the FBI requested something that for everyone’s safety does not exist, an encryption cracking software that will provide the FBI and NSA a backdoor into IPhones. The really important thing to keep in mind is that this software doesn’t exist and the FBI as well as anyone else, cannot achieve access to secured data. Cyber security is the pillar of trust that allow Apple and other companies to thrive. The loss of that trust can not only result in the government violating people’s constitutional rights it can also result in the complete and total collapse of American Information Technology infrastructure.  

Fox news broadcast argue that the FBI only wants to use this hack on one phone, and in this case its to prevent terrorism. They also claim that the government can already do this so Apple should just comply, which is false because there asking Apple. Fox news anchors continually deviate from the actually issue that the government wants a fool proof software hacking program made by the company who created the security measures to begin with.

FBI Director commented “We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist’s pass-code without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly. That’s it. We don’t want to break anyone’s encryption or set a master key loose on the land…. Maybe the phone holds the clue to finding more terrorists. Maybe it doesn’t. But we can’t look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we don’t follow this lead.” The creation of software that if fallen into the wrong hands, and in this case those hands are requesting it openly, can be utilized to spy on anyone at anytime without restriction. The FBI has proven to be technologically unsecured and has been hacked, I’m sure everyone remembers wiki leaks. If the encryption cracking software were to be stolen from the government or even worse sold off, as the government has a tendency to do to perpetuate its own agendas.

*cough* 

The DEA and their frequent potential to “misplace” cocaine and guns that end up recirculating back into the country in order to perpetuate and endless drug war and a thriving privatized and federal prison system.

*cough*    

“The San Bernardino litigation isn’t about trying to set a precedent or send any kind of message. It is about the victims and justice. Fourteen people were slaughtered and many more had their lives and bodies ruined. We owe them a thorough and professional investigation under law. That’s what this is. The American people should expect nothing less from the FBI.” Says the FBI director but in the wake of many tragedies there always seems to be an agenda that over steps its boundaries, an example being the patriot act.

According to Tim Cook “The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone’s microphone or camera without your knowledge.”   

Apple continues to oppose the governments request and have publicly expressed their willingness to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. Myself along with other Americans are proud of Tim Cook for taking a stand and defending Americans privacy and upholding the responsibility that is thought to be implicit with cyber giants like Apple. This story is far from over and is sure to appear again in the future “Breaking News” section.   

     

  

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

                                                                    Sources

Napolitano, Judge Andrew P. "What's Really at Stake in the Apple vs. FBI Fight | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2016

Cook, Tim. "Customer Letter - Apple." Apple. N.p., 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

FBI Director. "National Press Releases." FBI. FBI, 21 Feb. 2016. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

"San Bernardino Shooting Questions Raised about Tashfeen Malik Fiancee Visa." Http://www.cbsnews.com. Cos, 22 Dec. 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

How A Lifetime Achievement Became the Biggest News On the Internet

On Sunday, February 28th, 2016, the 88th Academy Awards aired on national television. This highly anticipated event covers awards given to various achievements in film over the past year. This year, the Academy honored and gave awards to films that were released in 2015. One of the biggest questions was of if this was the year that renowned actor Leonardo DiCaprio would finally win an Academy Award of some sort, many audience members anticipating the day he would finally be acknowledged, and he had!

DiCaprio, best known for such films as “Titanic,” “The Departed,” “Inception,” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” won the award for his role as Hugh Glass in the drama film “The Revenant.” As the show was airing live, people took immediately to the internet to express their happiness and excitement over Dicaprio’s huge milestone in his acting career. Not only was this the hot buzz on social media, but various news outlets instantly reported on the big win. Through the Internet, the news has become increasingly rapid in reporting breaking news, but how and what way is it being reported?

Beelf Meme

Facebook Beef

Beef Meme

Matt Ferremi Meme

Aquarius discussion

Here is the thread to discuss the series AQUARIUS, which we have now seen two episodes of in class. Some of the more pertinent points might include the show's portrayal of its specific historical period and culture, including specific production elements like music, costumes or lighting.

Throwback Beef

Twin Peaks Paving the Way

Dany Ramdhanie

Upon its release Twin Peaks captured many viewers with its innovative style and  combination of genres. Creators David Lynch and Mark Frost came up with the idea for a show that had complex characters which appealed to more than one type of viewer. The show follows a detective as he tries to solve the case of Laura Palmer’s murder. There is also a lot of focus on relationships of the residents in town. Audiences across America sat and partook in a television phenomenon that left a large wake after its time. Critics and fans would agree that Twin Peak’s surreal nature, expressionistic techniques, and soap-opera/horror feel was ahead of its time.    

The first couple episodes drew in over 30 million viewers which was groundbreaking for its time, considering, the only way to watch it was by tuning in every week. However, its fame was only short lived and the show lost half its viewers, halfway into the first season. The show was canceled after the second season in 1991 after only a year. There are several possibilities as to why the show was canceled, but the most prominent was that the audience got lost. There were not any reruns and audiences could not access the show. If you missed an episode, that was it you were lost forever, At least so it seemed.  

Twin Peaks became somewhat of a model for many shows and games in the 21st century. It has been one of the most influential shows to hit television. Critic Mark J. Charney explores the soap-opera, “Invitation to Love”, within the world of Twin Peaks. Interestingly Mark highlights the overlapping themes between “Invitation to Love“ and Twin Peaks. According to Mark the events in the soap-opera “Invitation to Love“, “Parallels activities of characters who live in Twin Peaks”. Mark suggests that the audience is offered some insight to the characters through the show. For example he mentions Shelly’s excitement for tuning into watch “Invitation to Love” but is quickly distracted by Bobby and “abandons the television romance for one of her own”. One can even go as far as to say Shelly’s actions are an imitation of the soap-opera. In many ways, life imitates art and we like to do what see on television. Nonetheless, David Lynch included this in his episodes to draw similarities and reveal underlying thoughts.

Mark also analyzes David Lynch’s overall style and compares it to that of a soap-opera. David’s ability to add depth and relationship to these characters through camera angles and movement is remarkable. This is one of the reasons the show is so highly acclaimed .Lynch is able to “create interest in the viewing audience about the future of these one-dimensional characters” . For example Leo Johnson is seen as a bad character almost immediately. You may not know why, but you get the feeling right away. This might have a great deal to do with the way he is presented to the audience. Mark explains “ Leo Johnson is frequently shot from an extreme low angle, heightening his threat to the other inhabitants of Twin Peaks” .

By way of contrast, Mark gives good reason on how Twin Peaks differs from the soap-opera style by mentioning the cinematic intro and surrealistic endings. He also touches on how Lynch plays with first impressions to mislead audiences. Mark’s essay was well thought out and to the point. His choice of topic is rooted in the show and his examples helped further his ideas. Even though I have not seen all the episodes Mark J. Charney provides enough context.

Twin Peaks drew in a cult following of fans who also critique and analysis the show. Author Daniel Kurland on fan blog Den of Geek writes about unique content within Twin Peaks that directly influenced other Tv shows. Daniel compares Twin Peaks to A&E’s Bates Motel and NBC’s Hannibal. Creator of Bates Motel, Carlton Cuse,“We pretty much ripped off Twin Peaks… If you wanted to get that confession, the answer is yes. I loved that show. They only did 30 episodes. Kerry and I thought we’d do the 70 that are missing.”. More recently, writer Mike Mariani from The Atlantic sheds some light on Lynch’s contributions to the television and film world. In his article The Remarkable Influence of David Lynch, Mike provides us with a lot of interesting facts. The article is a breakdown of Lynch’s past works and how they have affected the industry. The information is concise, informative, and delivered in a direct manner. Opposed to scholarly journal that are in depth and lengthy.

This is paper just touches the surface on analyzing Twin Peaks because there are so many layers to the show. This complexity has become somewhat of a norm today but is not always executed correctly. It takes a talented team to put shows like this together and I think the Twin Peaks revival is gonna be a hit. David Lynch’s style has been refined over the years and hopefully viewer will be able to stream the show.        

  

   

Works Cited

Charney, Mark J.. “Invitation to Love: The Influence of Soap Opera on David Lynch's "twin Peaks"”.Studies in Popular Culture 14.1 (1991): 53–59. Web.

Kurland, Daniel. "Twin Peaks: The 25 Year Influence of the David Lynch TV Series." Den of Geek. N.p., 07 Oct. 2014. Web.

Mariani, Mike. "The Remarkable Influence of David Lynch." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 23 Jan. 16. Web.

Black Mirror: WHITE BEAR

Here is the place to discuss this episode. Many implications here, obviously! Certainly the topic of surveillance is key. Also reality TV, celebrity obsession, etc. Feel free to explore any ideas that came up for you, or questions that occurred while watching this.

One thing I noticed watching it the second and third time: this character (AIIIEEEEE!!) with the red hair looks a lot like the mother of Jemimah (the victim) as she is seen briefly in news footage. There is a shot where she smiles proudly when the actors take a bow. How interesting that the victim's mother would be involved....thoughts?

Examining Reactions to Feminism Within “Twin Peaks”

Examining Reactions to Feminism Within “Twin Peaks”

In David Lynch’s 1989-1991 exploration into the television world of Twin Peaks there is much disagreement about whether the show itself had feminist undertones or a more masochistic take against women. Feminism is defined as “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” So the question that falls on Twin Peaks shoulders is, does the storytelling exploit women and the violence against women in order to further a storyline or does it fall into a common trend in which women are treated as secondary characters who must be accompanied by males in order to succeed? With the revival of the show making its return in 2017, it is interesting to examine how the show was originally perceived by many different types of critics and fans. Due to Lynch’s cinematic background the show itself has many cinematic traits, such as intense symbolism, foreshadowing and the use of and inversion of popular character archetypes and tropes and due to this there are consistent arguments about the content that is produced within the show.

Laura Palmer's Death: A Twin Peaks Fanatical Phenomenon by Mattea Stark-Miller

            If there were a television series that changes the way that we view scripted television and challenges the standard norm of everything else that was on at the time, then one would think of Twin Peaks (1989-1991). Spanning for two seasons, this show marks David Lynch’s creative, writing, and directorial debut for television, only previous having done movies at the time. With Lynch at the show’s creative helm, elements and devices in plot only seen in movies were incorporated into Twin Peaks’ thrilling narrative, as well as incorporate elements of cinematography, soundtrack, and overall direction that could only be associated with Lynch’s style.

            Twin Peaks follows the murder of a teenage girl named Laura Palmer, revealed to be the inciting incident in the pilot episode. Subsequent episodes revolve around the mystery surrounding Laura’s murder and the people in the town and their relationships to each other and Laura herself. The show was cancelled in 1991, but is set to return to television in 2017 as a reboot by Showtime, with many of the original cast members returning and David Lynch returning to direct and write the show.

            The show’s impacts on television have sparked interest in many critics to discus and analyze the various elements that make up the series. From scholarly articles to fan blogs, there is a world out there of analyses and theories on everything Twin Peaks. One of the biggest talked about aspects of the show was how the murder of Laura Palmer and the investigation of finding the killer reinvigorated the way crime dramas on television are executed.

            In the scholarly essay “Telling inside from outside, or, who really killed Laura Palmer” by Nicholas Birns, there is a critical analysis of how Twin Peaks leads up to the reveal of Laura’s killer. Throughout the piece, Birns uses comparative style as a means to show that the characters are caricatures of either fictional or historical figures to help progress the plot to the reveal of Laura’s killer. Birns takes a look at the fictional television show “Invitation to Love” as it shows parallels to the show’s central characters and their relationships. He describes the characters of “Invitation to Love” as “doubles” for Laura and the other characters involved.

He also draws parallels between character Ben Home and his brother to John and Robert Kennedy. Birns writes, “Horne embodies a superficially charismatic vitality barely concealing a borderline-criminal subversiveness which lent the surface its constitutive dynamism, a combination that seems more and more to have been characteristic of the late 35th President,” (Birns, 279). Drawing these parallels, he relies on the similarities in relations, social status, and personality types to all of the characters, thus concluding suspicions about Home being Laura’s murderer rather than what would’ve been the obvious Leo Johnson. Of course, Home turns out not to be Laura’s killer, but her own father Leland, as revealed in season 2 of the series.

The language used in Birns’ piece is of an academic level, using words and phrases one would find in a scholarly essay, as compared to a mainstream work like the Guardian’s article “Twin Peaks: How Laura Palmer's death marked the rebirth of TV drama” by Andrew Anthony. Anthony’s article is written to appeal to a general audience by the simplistic choice of words, albeit still at a professional level. The article itself is very different from the essay in that it does not go into an in-depth analysis of the show and characters’ itself, but rather describes the profound impact the show had at its time, leading to a turning point for television.

To celebrate the series’ then impending release on DVD, the article also features short essays by the cast and crew of the show, using these as a collective example of how the show’s structure and execution has not only impacted fans, but the people who had worked behind the scenes as well. Grace Zabriskie, who played Laura’s mother, says, “…the show couldn't survive the unraveling of that central mystery about Laura's killer. I said at the time that it would survive, that the show was about so much more than who killed Laura Palmer, that it still had miles to go… But it started going all over the map, not trusting what had been created, what there was already to build on.” Zabriskie and the rest of the cast agreed that the showed relied the suspense and mystery of the identity of the murderer, and the twists and turns the show’s plot took to get to that point. It is the testimonies of the cast and crew that help vouch for the creative direction of Twin Peaks, seeing it from both a creator’s and viewer’s perspective.

Finally, we come the “fan blog,” written by fans, for fans. The writing style is very opinionated at best, often very simplistic without regards for professionalism. Many of these blogs are filled with fan theories and various analytical posts about the narrative, plot direction, and characters surrounding the form of media they are looking at. For Twin Peaks, the blatantly named “Twin Peaks Fanatic” with the subtitle “A blog dedicated to all things Twin Peaks, including episode recaps, news & more!” regularly posts recaps of episodes and news pertain to the hit show.

These posts often give an interesting perspective on how the show would often use foreshadowing early on to help pinpoint the real killer of Laura Palmer. As with the recap for episode 2, the author of the blog known as Mya McBriar, indicates that Leland was hinted as the killer early on. Briar writes in the mini-review at the end of the recap, “I also think one of the most touching and in retrospect sickening scenes of the series, is when Leland dances with Laura's picture. In that moment Leland knows, maybe not consciously, but he knows, as does Sarah despite steeped in denial, that he's responsible for Laura's demise.” McBriar pays close attention to detail through character interactions with themselves and the people they are connected with.

Twin Peaks remains one of the most influential series in television history, creating much fan speculation and thorough analysis from writers of any professional level. Writers can look at it from a clear academic standpoint or from a fan point of view, and it will still be talked about amongst people alike all over the Internet.

Works Cited

 Anthony, Andrew. "Twin Peaks: How Laura Palmer's Death Marked the Rebirth of TV Drama." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

Birns, Nicholas. "Telling inside from Outside, Or, Who Really Killed Laura Palmer." Literature Film Quarterly 21.4 (1993). Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

McBriar, Mya. "Recap of Episode 2." Twin Peaks Fanatic. 13 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. 

Twin Peaks Essays Here!

If you are unable to create an original post for your essay, you can post them in the comments section here. If you can't do that, you can email them to me, or print them out to hand in. I look forward to reading them!!

Writing about TWIN PEAKS

So, have you come  up with a topic yet? You may find inspiration from researching your potential sources; then again, you may find it hard to choose source material if you do not have a topic yet! There are so many reviews and articles out there; choose 3 that really sing, or scream, or state things that would never have occurred to you.

Your topic, or a theme that unites your analysis of the writing styles and concerns of these three sources, can be as heady as "Post-Modern Feminism" or "The Law Enforcement Officer as Other" or "Food Fetishizing" or as straightforward as the unique quality of the music score or the surreal nature of the cinematography. Maybe you want to write about the revelation of who killed Laura Palmer. Maybe you'll focus on articles discussing the pending return of the series.

Whatever you choose to focus on, remember that the main point of this assignment is the source material! How these writers convoy their thoughts, what points they make, their style, their VOICE as critics or audience members.