Critical Hits & Misses #327

You, Mr. Yates, are a ridiculous rape culture-y muggle that needs to STFU

• This is why Hollywood is getting wrecked by all these sexual harassment scandals: because assholes like Fantastic Beasts 2 director David Yates still say dumb shit like this in defense of wife beaters like Johnny Depp and think it's perfectly okay to say dumb shit like this. *cough* Alleged wife beater, I guess. 


• The Arrowverse is a little less skivvy these days, now that the WB has fired Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg for gross behavior towards women, in order go foster a safer and happier work environment for cast and crew. Good call, WB. 

For today's musical hit, we have Pitbull and "Por Favor"

Today's critical rolls: Did you watch the Arrowverse Crossover this week? If so, what did you think? If not, are you planning on watching it?

Critical Writ has a super-duper strict comment policy that specifies a single rule above all others: we reserve the right to ban you for being a terribad citizen of the internet.

Critical Hits & Misses #197

• Atlantic has a fabulously detailed and long article on the science behind implicit bias, and specifically, how a workshop run by a couple of social scientists could be the key to ending discrimination. Well worth the read. 


• The Liminality blog discusses the definition and wide use of the term "butthurt" and how this is one internet expression that needs to be retired. 


• Calling all Harry Potter fans! A rare piece of Potter history has been stolen, and the police and JK Rowling want fans to help out. It would only have value to a fan, so yeah. If you see this online anywhere for sale, let the authorities know. Totally not cool! 

For today's musical hit, we have Pinegrove and "Size of the Moon"

Today's critical rolls: Have you ever thought about your own biases? Are you aware of them? Have you caught yourself thinking things about other people, especially strangers, that would indicate some kind of bias or prejudice? Let us know how self-aware you are!


Critical Writ has a super-duper strict comment policy that specifies a single rule above all others: we reserve the right to ban you for being a terribad citizen of the internet.

Critical Hits & Misses #34, Bunday September 26, 2016

Palmer Luckey, who founded and later sold Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion, has been secretly funding a non-profit called Nimble America. This non-profit supports U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by creating and proliferating anti-Hillary memes. That's right: people are being paid to make shitty posts. (Adrian)

Bustle discusses the depressing fan theory that Harry Potter never actually left the cupboard under the stairs, and that Hogwarts was just his mad escapist fantasy. A theory, by the way, that J.K. Rowling has not shot down… just sayin’ (Ivonne)

The executive producers on Fox’s Gotham have stated that Maggie Geha’s physically aged-up Poison Ivy will not be a sexual character—whilst also saying that she will retain her comic counterpart’s seductive powers. (John)

It's Monday Bunday! Here is your daily dose of cute to start the week off right! 

Today's musical hit strikes a folk rock chord: Typhoon frontman Kyle Morton just surprised the Interwebs by releasing a solo album, What Will Destroy You. "Gestalt of Original Pain" reminds us of some of the best  songs by Simon and Garfunkel.

Today's critical roll:

Hogwarts? Westeros? Panem? Middle Earth? The MCU? What is your mad escapist fantasy? Maybe it's one of your own creation? Tell us what fantasy/sci-fi world you would escape to if you could, and why!

—Critical Writ has a super-duper strict comment policy that specifies a single rule above all others: behave.

Critical Hits and Misses #15: August 26th, 2016

• This week's hit you may have missed: Critical Writ contributers had a post-mortem roundtable discussion on the Ghostbusters reboot.
• The staff at Comics Alliance has compiled recommendations appropriate for introducing young readers to the worlds of both DC and Marvel. (John)

• Time Magazine follows the evolution of Harley Quinn and discusses her status as a feminist icon to some and a sexist stereotype to others. (Ivonne)

• Eichenwalde, the upcoming map in Overwatch, has a Dark Souls easter egg! (Adrian)

• More on Harry Potter with Shawn Taylor writing about the eurocentrism and whiteness of Rowling’s world, on The Nerds of Color. (Tova)

• io9’s Evan Narcisse remembers Dwayne McDuffie and M.D. Bright’s Icon—and the comic’s crossover with Superman that explained white privilege. (Dominik)

For today's musical hit, Toronto's Good Kid perform their latest single, "Atlas." (Etienne)

Today's critical questions:

1. What is the goofiest Pokémon design?

2. What is something mundane that you feel an inordinate amount of pride in?

3. Who is the most memorable one-off character on The Simpsons?
4. Which DCEU film (so far) is the least awful?
5a. Who is the most memorable fictional scientist?
5b. Villainous scientist?
5c. Heroic scientist?

—Critical Writ has a super-duper strict comment policy that specifies a single rule above all others: don't be a fuckin' asshole.

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)

• Comics Alliance’s Elle Collins tells us why the Amazons of the DC Universe are “undeniably queer” and Paradise Island is… well, paradise. (Tova)

• The obsession over Overwatch continues with Dan Bull’s amazing Overwatch Epic Rap...21 Heroes. Oh… watch over me... (Dominik)

• 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)

• “This summer, an idiotic bozo obsessed with bogus notions of masculinity is duking it out with a competent, amoral bitch for control of a lucrative kingdom.” Slate Magazine offers a solid description of UnREAL and what makes the show so disturbing - and relevant. (Tova)