Law & Humanities Blog |
- Hollywood and Ethnicity on Film
- Jack Bauer Syndrome
- Online Education Humanities Database
- Hamlet's Hung Jury
- Where Is Cora Crippen?
Hollywood and Ethnicity on Film Posted: 01 Feb 2011 02:10 PM PST Tung Yin, Lewis & Clark Law School, has published Through a Screen Darkly: Hollywood as a Measure of Discrimination Against Arabs and Muslims, in volume 2 of the Duke Forum for Law and Social Change (2010), which was presented at a symposium at Duke Law School on "The New Face of Discrimination: Muslim in America." Here is the abstract. In this essay, which was prepared for the Duke Forum for Law and Social Change's "The New Face of Discrimination: Muslim in America," I compare Hollywood's depiction of Arabs and Muslims in terrorism thrillers before and after the 9/11 attacks. The goal of this comparison is to see whether the increased awareness of Arab and Muslim culture since 9/11 has changed the way that Hollywood depicts Arab and Muslim characters in such television shows and movies. I chose Hollywood as the focus because popular culture both reflects and shapes public attitudes. I reach three conclusions: (1) although 9/11 led to an increase in Arab characters, Arab-American actors have not benefited, perhaps an indication of the problematic depictions of such characters; (2) Hollywood has moved toward creating Arab-American counterterrorism agents, but these characters typically play minor roles that understate the key roles played by some (of the few) real-life Arab-American agents; and (3) the new "sleeper cell" characters – seemingly normal Arab-American characters who secretly plan and execute terrorism plots – who are a post-9/11 development, for the most part overstate the nature of the Arab-Americans who have been prosecuted for terrorism-related offenses in this country.Download the article from SSRN at the link. |
Posted: 01 Feb 2011 02:06 PM PST Tung Yin, Lewis and Clark Law School, has published Jack Bauer Syndrome: Hollywood's Depiction of National Security Law, at 17 S. Cal. Interdisc. L.J. 279 (2008), also presented at the 2008 AALS Section on Law and Humanities panel. Here is the abstract. In this Article, which was presented at the Law & Humanities Section Panel at the 2008 Annual AALS Conference, I examine the way that the Fox television series "24" portrays two issues relevant to national security law: the use of torture to extract information in order to stop an imminent terrorist attack, and the depiction of Arabs as villains (and non-villains) with the concomitant impact on racial profiling and other stereotyping of Arab-Americans and Arabs. I conclude that the depiction of torture is narratively stacked in favor of government agent Jack Bauer. I also conclude that "24" attempts to balance its portrayal so that not all villains are Arabs, and not all Arabs are villains. However, I point out points of improvement in this area.Download the article from SSRN at the link. |
Online Education Humanities Database Posted: 01 Feb 2011 10:24 AM PST Nice mention of the Law and Humanities blog at the Online Education Humanities Database. |
Posted: 01 Feb 2011 10:19 AM PST After a notoriously long delay in the proceedings, Prince Hamlet's trial for the murder of Polonius finally got underway in Los Angeles, California (a change of venue from Elsinore was granted--tainted jury pool there). The defense pled insanity, the prosecution argued homicide, and the result after expert testimony and a lot of wrangling was 10 to 2 for conviction. The jurors included actors Helen Hunt and Tom Irwin. Arguing for the prosecution were Deputy District Attorney Danette Meyers and attorney Nathan J. Hochman, for the defense, Blair Berk and Richard J. Hersch. Associate Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy presided over the proceedings, held at the University of Southern California School of Law. More here. |
Posted: 01 Feb 2011 08:14 AM PST Dr. Hawley Crippen's wife Cora disappeared sometime in February 1910. A few months later, he and his mistress, Ethel Le Neve, were arrested and stood trial for her murder. Miss Le Neve was acquitted, but Dr. Crippen was found guilty, in one of the most sensational trials Britain had seen. In November, still protesting his innocence of the crime, he was hanged. For decades few have doubted Dr. Crippen's guilt. Now, forensic investigators from Michigan State University's School of Criminal Justice have determined that the remains discovered in Dr. Hawley Crippen's coal cellar, long presumed to be those of his missing wife Cora, are not hers. They aren't even female. Based on the genealogical and molecular data presented here, only Writers, including Patricia Highsmith ("The False Inspector Dew") have used the Crippen story as the basis for intriguing speculation and this new information will fuel the fire. Whose remains were buried in Dr. Crippen's cellar and why? And where is Cora? |
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