From the mind the brought us Get Out, is the new film scaring audiences across the states. In Jordan Peele’s latest film, Us, doppelgängers menace a family trying to enjoy their summer vacation. But … as in Get Out, everything isn’t quite that simple. Warning: Spoilers!
What mirror is Peele holding up for us now?
The New York Times cited research by Christian Grose of the USC Dornsife College about business interests and public officials’ support for removing racially intolerant symbols. Leading Virginia business groups have stopped short of calling for the resignation of the state’s top three elected officials, all embroiled in personal scandals. Most corporate executives Read more…
Listen to Bedrosian Bookclub with Richard Green, Aubrey Hicks, and Lisa Schweitzer with the audio player below. This month, Lisa, Richard, and Aubrey discuss the new book of sonnets from Terrance Hayes, American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin. Hayes’ sonnets are “acrid with tear gas, and they unravel Read more…
by Nathan K. Micatka and Nicholas Napolio On October 30, 2018, several political scientists descended upon the University of Southern California for the Race and Law Enforcement Symposium. The symposium was organized by the Political Institutions and Political Economy Collaborative within the Bedrosian Center for Governance in the USC Sol Price Read more…
Political influence of public protest In this episode of the PS You’re Interestingpodcast, Jeff Jenkins and LaGina Gause, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UC San Diego, discuss the pro-democracy (small d) results of her study on legislative responsiveness to collective action by marginalized groups. Her findings seem counterintuitive, in that the Read more…
Los Angeles Timesquoted Jody Armourof the USC Gould School on a wealthy teen who was acquitted in a South L.A. killing. Jody Armour, a law professor at USC, said studies have shown that black people are viewed more unsparingly than whites for the same crime. Armour said that a white Read more…
Sorry to Bother You, written and directed by Boots Riley. The film follows a young Cassius (Cash) Green who joins an Oakland telemarketing company, adopting a white accent to thrive, propelling him up the ladder. He is faced with the dilemma of success and the ethics of what he’s selling. Read more…
National Public Radio highlighted commentary by Jody Armourof the USC Gould School in a story on the problems of people calling the police unnecessarily in racially charged situations. “You have an alarming tendency of white people starting to use 911 as their kind of customer service line when they have any Read more…
“I lost an arm on my last trip home.
My left arm.”
The iconic first line of Octavia Butler’s novel, Kindred, puts the reader right there. The gravity of the legacy of slavery is there in the face. Who has lost an arm? How? Why?
Listen as host Jeffery Jenkins and guests Ange-Marie Alfaro, Caroline Bhalla, and Aubrey Hicks as they think about this classic work of American fiction.
To listen to the Bedrosian Book Club discussion of the “Kindred” episode click the arrow in the player on this post. Or you can download it and subscribe through ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting app!
“In order for us to be inclusive, we need to really highlight that representation matters and include as many people, organizations, thought processes and concerns that people may have,” said Malaika Merid, a second-year Master of Public Policy Student at USC Price who was one of the event organizers. “This is a gathering space of real diverse thought, and I think that the best way for us to move forward with that is to keep creating ways to find more diversity of thought to be included within the forum.”
Hulu has adapted The Handmaid’s Tale, the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, into a 10 episode saga of life in the dystopia of Gilead. Gilead is a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States, ruled by a twisted Protestant fundamentalism in its ‘return to traditional values’. Host Jonathan Schwartz is joined by three fierce women of USC to discuss the series’ timeliness, its narrative of motherhood, the fear of religious fundamentalism, feminism, and the absence of a discussion on race.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of The Kingdom click the orange arrow in the Soundcloud player at the top of this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Let us know what you think of the film and our conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Wonder Woman is finally on the big screen!
After dozens of superhero films, has director Patty Jenkins revitalized the DC universe with this superheroine? Amid all the “rep-sweats,” did the film do justice to this classic comic heroine? Why is this film so important? What do we think of the women-only showings at Alamo Drafthouse? Did we enjoy this film?
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Wonder Women click the arrow in the player here, or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
This episode of the Price Projection Room features a conversation on the popular film, Hidden Figures directed by Theodore Melfi and starring the dream team of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, among many others.
We discuss how the film both illustrated the racial divide in America while showcasing the work & struggle of African American women. Though we all have some criticism of the work, in the end it may be the representation of strong, smart black women that matters the most.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Hidden Figures click the arrow in the player on this post. Or download and subscribe through ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Our third episode of the Price Projection Room features a discussion of the sci-fi film Ghost in the Shell directed by Rupert Sanders, based on the famous Japanese Manga written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow.
The film has also sparked controversy on its casting choices, with many critics claiming another instance of Hollywood whitewashing due to film’s Japanese origin. We discuss the nature of remakes, the whitewashing controversy, whether the film adds to the Ghost world, and Scarlett Johansson – is Ghost in the Shell the perfect conversation starter for the cultural moment?
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Ghost in the Shell click the arrow in the player here. Or download and subscribe through iTunes, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Our inaugural episode of the Price Projection Room podcast features a lively discussion of the film adaptation of August Wilson’s Fences, directed by Denzel Washington. Our guests include Gregg T. Daniel, Ange-Marie Hancock, and Jonathan Schwartz with moderator Erroll Southers.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Fences use the player here, or download it and subscribe through iTunes, Soundcloud, or Google Play
This month’s book is both poetry and criticism, Citizen: An American Lyric. Rankine’s piece is a revolution. A political, a poetic, complex revolution in 169 pages. We look at it through an unusual lens – what should we take away from works of art as we think about governance in America?
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is ostensibly a letter to his son about growing up a black male in America. This prize winning correspondent of The Atlantic tackles the very big questions of our time.
by Justine Dodgen Our discussion of how race is depicted in media coverage of violent events continues. Today we hear from Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a Senior Fellow at USC Price and a long-time political analyst for NBC Los Angeles. Bebitch Jeffe lends us her perspective today as both faculty and a member of the media. Bedrosian Center: Read more…
