Critical Hits and Misses #4: July 8, 2016


  • Larry Wilmore gave his thoughts on Alton Sterling's murder on the The Nightly Show Wednesday. While Wilmore does crack a few jokes in this segment, it is also a powerful analysis of how the media responds to the deaths of black suspects. (Megan Crittenden)


  • Loralee Sepsey of Natives In America wrote a poignant personal exposé on the mythologization of her people by J.K. Rowling's recent expansions of the Potterverse. "The description of the Ilvermorny’s humble beginnings feels so much like assimilation; they taught the Native American children the more sophisticated wand magic, of course, in exchange to learn their own ways. Something in me doubts that their ways were taken very seriously." (Etienne)
  • Genre TV for All is an online database of genre shows that feature women, POCs, LGBTQA+ or disabled characters in the main cast. You can go there to browse through the current content in search for something to watch, but also submit shows yourself: the people behind the website ask us all to help them "...celebrate shows that feature people who look like us, and live like us". Neat, huh? (Tova)
  • As part of his third Summer of Shakespeare, Kyle Kallgren of Brows Held High reviews (by request of the most of his Patreon supporters) a Swedish/Norwegian adaptation of The Tempest by Per Åhlin, Resan Till Melonia (The Journey to Melonia). (Dominik)
  • American Comics, Literary Theory, and Religion: The Superhero Afterlife is a thoughtful narratological critique of afterworlds in the superhero genre. It has just been published for the first time in paperback. (Etienne)