for john mureithi

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150 words with reference and title for essay

Where have the cowboys gone?

Class

Because this week we are considering animated movies, it got me thinking about comic books and our discussion from last week about manly men and American values.  So, to that end, are comic book heroes the only movie characters to inherit those very same traits portrayed by characters played by John Wayne or Clint Eastwood?

If that is the case, with comic book heroes being the only examples of American values and manly characters, aren't we as a nation, a culture, and a society... in whole lot of trouble?

To clarify myself, what does it mean, then, that today's examples of manly men and American values are being demonstrated, for the most part, by comic book heroes or comic book hero type characters?  

Conversely, are there are any real examples of manly men and American values being put forth in movies other than the typical comic book movies?  And yes, I understand that Chris Kyle of American Sniper can be used as an example, but, for the sake of this discussion, let's not use this character, rather, let us be a bit more exploratory in our searches for examples of both American values and manly men.

Ideas?  Thoughts?

Discussion 2 150 words with reference with title

Class

Why haven't American animated films moved, for the most part, past that whole Tom and Jerry sensibility?  

Yes, animated movies from Pixar can be pointed to as examples of moving past the whole Tom and Jerry sensibility... but, only a tiny fraction of those movies can be used as those types of examples. 

Consider the following list from the website Vulture, titled, "All 18 Pixar Movies, Ranked from Worst to Best":

http://www.vulture.com/2015/06/all-15-pixar-movies-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html

Forget the ordering of worst to best, I am only using the list because it provides a listing of all Pixar films.  Of all those movies, Wall-E and Up are movies that attempt be more than Tom and Jerry.  They are movies that deal with mature issues and concerns and are not seen through the eyes of children, but, through the eyes of adults.  

If film industries from other nations are using animation to tackle large issues (and not necessarily children specific), why is the US limiting what can be done with its own animated films?

Consider the following list of animated film examples from the website DW, titled, "The Latest Animation Films from Around the World":

http://www.dw.com/en/the-latest-animation-films-from-around-the-world/g-19215901

I would certainly want to watch quite a few of those movies as opposed to the over-sweetened schmaltz Disney and Pixar are liable to pump out.

Ideas?  Thoughts?

Discussion 3 150 words with reference and title for essay

Folks

Given the truly... sappy nature of romance the likes of all those trashy Nicholas Sparks movies, why do they continue to pull in such large audiences?

Is it simply because women (and men) want to experience love as only it can happen in the movies?  Or, could it be, perhaps, that the large audiences are reflective of how love and romance as depicted in the movies is hard to come by in the real world (i.e., our world) and as a result, becomes somewhat of a negative influence upon how people think about romance and love in their own lives?

Ideas?  Thoughts?