Pop Culture Maniacs Podcast #16: Film, TV, and Politics

LGBTQ representation in animated series in 2020 and beyond

In the past year, various series have premiered on broadcast television and streaming platforms with LGBTQ characters and diverse casts. While there is still progress going forward, as every single major studio had failing, poor, or insufficient ratings for LGBTQ-inclusive films in 2019, according to the recent Studio Responsibility Index released by GLAAD, there were […]

“The King is the crime!”: Commoners, royalty, and animated depictions of monarchy

Over forty-four years ago, on September 3, 1980, the series finale of the now-classic Rose of Versailles, entitled “Adieu, My Beloved Oscar,” aired on Japanese television. It depicted revolutionary leader Louis Saint-Just telling an assembly of Frenchmen, in 1792, that “the King’s own existence is itself an unforgivable crime” and “The King is the crime!” […]

10 Directors Who Could Revitalise The Wizarding World

The Wizarding World franchise should be one of the jewels in Warner Brothers’ crown. However, the Fantastic Beasts spin-off series has been suffering from diminishing returns, both critically and financially. The Secrets of Dumbledore has suffered from The Crimes of Grindelwald’s negative reception because its opening box-office has been disappointing. The Wizarding World franchise, particularly the Harry Potter series still has fans. It’s a franchise […]