Karen Petruska
As contributor
As commenter
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visual "evidence" remains ambiguous
I'm intrigued by the many instances in which it seems video evidence is held up as concrete proof of violence, yet interpretations of those videos remain pretty varied. Take this one--where a freeze frame suggested a 16-year-old rape victim was smili ... -
Normal Heart and promiscuity
Melanie, Thanks for introducing me to a film I have never seen. I wonder if you have seen HBO's The Normal Heart, and how you might consider "An Early Frost" in light of that film's continued preoccupation with promiscuity, gay identit ... -
Aspie-man
I'm intrigued by your description of characters with Asperger's as being superhero-like, and I think you are right that disability (in general) may be framed through extra-ordinary skills and gifts (see also a range of potentially mentally/physi ... -
documentary vs. fictional film
Cliff, I'm fascinated by the distinction you set up between documentary and (fictional) narrative film. Do you see more opportunities for constructive depictions of the military in scripted drama? I'm now thinking through the various movies I� ... -
role of fantasy
Hattie, Thanks for the post (and for the week!). Your comments about the role of media encouraging/supporting the war effort are apt--certainly media has long played a role in exposing (or not) the darker parts of war. I'm curious about the role of f ... -
media democracy
This clip is amazing--thanks for finding and sharing it. There has a been a lot of press about certain types of military videos--footage of coffins returning home, images of abuse at detention centers, blurry news video with the sounds of bombs falling in ... -
Re: Gay Military
generational issues
Tommy, thanks for sharing such a personal post, and I wish you much luck re-enlisting. When you were in the army, did you find that soldiers supported the DADT policy? Is a profound cultural change necessary among regular soldiers to protect openly gay on ... -
assigning meaning to gender
James, this post is so provocative. Thanks for sharing it with us. When we hear about women in the military, it does tend to be through negative portrayals or as problems (i.e. rape claims in the military). It made me wonder about the broader stakes of ge ... -
Bunheads and GG fans
Thanks for the comment, Stefania. I will admit to being lukewarm about "Bunheads." My GG fandom is such that I quit watching when Sherman-Palladino left (the new writers could not capture her style without it sounding biting) and that it makes i ... -
gender, politics, and romance
Really great post, Rossend. I could go on and on about how disappointed I was in the direction "House of Cards" took with the Robin Wright character, and "Scandal" is indeed a productive contrasting example. What do you make of the way ...