|
Every holiday season, family and friends gather for festivities, which often includes watching movies. However, many scenes in popular Christmas romantic comedies are deeply problematic.
From stalking to criminal harassment and outright assault, there’s some borderline, or just plain blatant, illegal behaviours in these guilty pleasure films.
Today in The Conversation Canada, Maira Hassan from the University of British Columbia explains how when film and television portray non-consensual behaviour as acceptable, it not only normalizes problematic ideas but also perpetuates rape culture.
She asks readers to watch movies differently. She says, the next time there’s a scene that makes light of gendered violence, pause and ask: what is really being shown here? Is this really all that funny or is it minimizing actual violence?
Also today:
|
Bridget deals with a ‘pervy’ uncle and advances from her boss in Bridget Jones Diary (2001).
(Working Title Films)
Maira Hassan, University of British Columbia
The next time there’s a scene that makes light of gendered violence, pause and ask: what is really being shown here? Is this really all that funny or is it minimizing actual violence?
|
One page fragment was found in West Germany in a shop adjacent to stalls selling spiced wine and cuckoo clocks in a busy Christmas market.
(Shutterstock)
Anna de Bakker, Dalhousie University; Jennifer Bain, Dalhousie University
Piecing together the mystery of medieval chant books means studying hand-made objects from centuries ago.
|
Last May, churches in low income communities across New York offered COVID-19 testing to residents in conjunction with Northwell Health and New York State, where COVID-19 hit residents the hardest.
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
James Davies, Western University; Edgardo Sepulveda, Ryerson University
How two Canadian teams of economists and epidemiologists studied COVID-19 from a social science perspective to show that higher national income inequality is associated with worse COVID outcomes.
|
We need shows that feature women’s complex lived experiences instead of those that bend to the whims of the male-driven entertainment industry.
(HBO Max)
Treena Orchard, Western University
What can we take away from this epic fail of a reboot as a society that continues to undervalue women and shun open discussions of age, class, race and sex?
|
Kristina Scharp, University of Washington
On pense souvent, à tort, que l’éloignement familial résulte d’un événement particulier. Au contraire, il s’agit souvent de problèmes permanents.
|
Felicity T. C. Hamer, Concordia University
Les photographies spirites peuvent nous paraître étrangers aujourd’hui, mais elles ont eu un impact notable sur les personnes endeuillées du XIXᵉ siècle qui ont commandé ces portraits.
|
Culture + Society
|
-
Gary Mortimer, Queensland University of Technology; Louise Grimmer, University of Tasmania
Santa arriving in shopping centres all around Australia signals the beginning of Christmas shopping .
|
|
Health
|
-
Laurie Archbald-Pannone, University of Virginia
In tough conversations, show your respect for loved ones’ autonomy and dignity.
|
|
Science + Tech
|
-
Fion Waisum Ma, University of Birmingham
The little dinosaur is curled up inside its shell the same way birds do before hatching, shedding new light on the link between the behaviour of dinosaurs and modern birds.
|
|
