How Hollywood Thrived Through the Red Scare
A young Richard Nixon started asking studio executives why they didn't produce anti-Communist movies. The studios quickly responded with anti-Red films.
#MeToo and the New Era of Internet Celebrity
We may want to support the #MeToo victims, but many of us also feel allegiance to our favorite celebrity. And the internet is at the heart of that dynamic.
Are Mothers Monsters? Revisiting Mommie Dearest
On the surface, "Mommie Dearest" is a portrait of vanity and self-obsession. Dig deeper, and it reflects society’s discomfort with mothers and single women.
The Many Meanings of Marilyn Monroe
The life, times and image of Monroe has been expounded upon tirelessly in the decades after her tragic death at age 36.
Why William Randolph Hearst Hated Citizen Kane
Most Americans know about William Randolph Hearst through his fictional alter-ego, the protagonist of the film Citizen Kane. Was it an accurate portrait?
The Glamorous Tradition of Hollywood Lifestyle Advice
For more than a century, Hollywood has been offering Americans lifestyle advice on how to live better, and the public has been gobbling it up.
Four Hard Truths about Fake News
Skeptical, self-aware interaction with digital data is the critical foundation upon which democracy may be maintained, explains media scholar Alexandra Juhasz.
Viral Videos and the Presidential Campaign
How do viral videos shape a presidential campaign? How do voters learn to “read” the art and advertisements they are seeing? Learn more from our scholars.
How Do I (Not) Look? Live Feed Video and Viral Black Death
When we have the choice to look, we are bound ethically and politically to what we witness and what we do with what we have seen.
From Vaudeville to Hamilton: Racial Minorities in Musicals
Hamilton, the Lin-Manuel Miranda play, is taking Broadway by storm. Its use of a "race-blind" cast has been unprecedented in modern theater.