The Debate Over Videogames Rages On (and On)

Ariana Powell

In response to the demand for an effective ratings system, multiple popular game creators, such as Sega and Nintendo among others, formed what would become the Entertainment Software Association that crafted an ES Ratings Board, which is still in place today. Videogames are not legally required to have an ESRB rating, but most console manufacturers and physical and online retailers require it for the games they offer.

‘Dumb Money’ Illustrates How Creatively Starved Movies Can Be

Ulises Duenas

If you were alive a few years ago, you might remember the time when GameStop was in the news and blowing up social media. If you don’t remember, don’t worry, because this movie will go over the whole thing in detail. You might be left wondering why anyone would bother making a film about something that is already well-documented, but if nothing else, this movie is a great indicator of how uncreative some writers have become.

A Diamond Heist Goes Awry in ‘The Stolen Coast’

Lee Polevoi

As with any novel steeped in noir, the narrator’s voice is everything. Does Jack’s voice, as shown here sounding somewhat detached from his surroundings, persuade us of the authenticity of his story? Yes, some of the time, while at other moments he comes across as much too naïve for this crooked line of work.

Libya's Flood Displaced More Than 43,000 People

France 24

The official death toll stands at more than 3,300 – but the eventual count is expected to be far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people missing. "An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by the floods in northeastern Libya," the IOM said, adding that a "lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna" to other areas.

‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ Fails to Capture Its Old Magic

Ulises Duenas

If the movie were to have one saving grace, it would be Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula. She’s the only one in the cast who is giving it her all, and her character stands out. She delivers most of the lines that are funny, and without her, the whole thing would be much more bland. What’s also strange is that the star, writer and director Vardalos’s performance is quite flat by comparison.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Is a Reminder That the Internet Is Not Real Life

Aarushi Bhandari

In the weeks when Swift was dating Healy, a vocal minority of Swifties came head-to-head with a vocal minority of Healy’s defenders. Then the celebrity pair ended their relationship, and collective attention moved on from that topic almost immediately. Several weeks of nonstop debate, attacks, and hand-wringing ended up being utterly meaningless – except to social media companies that converted this brief obsession into clicks, engagement, and ad revenue.

The 2023 Emmy Nominations Remind Us That Actors and Writers Are Essential

Ben Friedman

How serious are the ramifications of the strike? The effect of the 2007 WGA strikes (which lasted 100 days) led to the loss of 37,000 jobs and came at a $2.1 billion blow to the California economy. The strikes have caused serious disarray within the industry, and just in time for Emmy award season. Every year, Hollywood votes for what it deems as the gold standard of their television programming. Some may consider it a self-congratulatory affair, but at a time when streaming has become the norm, the amount of TV available for audiences is astronomical.

More of the Best Movies We Have Ever Seen

Forrest Hartman and Tara Taghizadeh

If you have never seen The Graduate, you can’t really call yourself a film buff. This astounding 1967 movie, directed by the late, great Mike Nichols, co-written by Buck Henry, and starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, took the world by storm when it was first released. The bizarre love triangle – boy has affair with married woman, then falls in love with her daughter – is riveting, and under Nichols’s direction, the blend of comedy and drama are interwoven perfectly.

Books Replacing Digital Devices in Sweden's Schools

Earle Gale

Lotta Edholm called for the return to traditional learning, with handwriting favored over keyboarding skills and the printed page prized above illuminated screens, after complaints snowballed of graduates who could barely function without devices in front of them. Since schools returned this month, teachers have downplayed the previous emphasis on independent learning and the use of online resources.

Defying Censors: Breaking Bad of the Chinese Language

Peter Chang

Today’s Chinese use vocabulary that are void of the language’s ancestral and intrinsic abstraction. The netizens talk like they have just graduated from a government-sponsored adult literacy night school. The phrases in high volume of circulation are deliberately unrefined. It follows the formula of saying as little as possible and understating it as much as possible but meaning as much as the listeners can conjure.

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