Media Ethics | Aesthetics, Art, & Ethics
Bringing Dead Actors Back to Life
October 2, 2024
One of Hollywood’s most treasured actors may soon appear on the big screen again. James Dean –star of classic films like East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant– epitomized sexy youthful rebellion for many teens coming of age in the 1950s and beyond. While comeback roles are not… Read More
My Murder, Your Entertainment
May 15, 2023
It’s no secret that true crime media, whether in podcast or film format, has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. True crime is popular for reasons other than entertainment, as this genre has led to solving cold cases, bringing ignored issues to light, and educating audiences on how to avoid… Read More
Love Yourself or Just Your Selfie?
May 8, 2023
While Instagram used to be a casual platform to share quick snapshots with friends, it has turned into a perfectly curated stream of highlight reels. Like many young people, 21-year-old Sky Lane heavily edits her photos before posting them to social media. Lane’s main goal is to appear skinnier, but… Read More
The Ethics of AI Art
February 24, 2023
For thousands of years, art has been an endeavor of the human race. From Rembrandt to Basquiat, from the Benin Bronzes to the new wave cinema of Hong Kong, art has been recognized as creative expressions of human intelligence. With the public release of DALL-E 2, a neural network that… Read More
Historical Accuracy in Entertainment Media
August 10, 2022
How accurate do historical dramas like "The Crown" need to be? Read More
The Good, the Bad, and the Sticky
May 24, 2022
What are the tradeoffs associated with sticker art in public spaces? Read More
Sex, Drugs, and Hijabs on Netflix
September 21, 2020
Is Netflix's "Elite" a case of creative filmmaking or Muslim stereotyping? Read More
Picturing Justice for Kalief Browder
August 17, 2020
What ethical worries accompany Jay-Z's attempt to document injustices in the American prison system? Read More
Written In Only to Be Excluded?
May 11, 2020
What are the ethics of screenwriting and diversity in hits like "Game of Thrones?" Read More
Images of Death in the Media
April 2, 2020
What ethical challenges arise when the media uses images of the dead? Read More
Powerful Art, Harmed Environments
March 29, 2020
What if great art has to harm the environment to make its point? Read More
The Different Species of the Online Catfish
March 24, 2020
What ethical complexities circle around catfishing and online deception? Read More
Dramatization or Falsification?
February 17, 2020
How far can films about journalists push the truth for dramatic effects? Read More
To Release or Not to Release
January 22, 2020
What are the ethics of films that portray political assassinations in India? Read More
Cooperation and Compromise in the Artworld
November 11, 2019
When can artists work with repressive governments to create valuable art? Read More
Halloween Hijinks and Internet Shaming
April 3, 2019
What ethical decisions await those dressing up for Halloween--and those reacting to racially insensitive costumes? Read More
Netflix and Kill
March 14, 2019
What are the ethics of portraying heinous criminals in popular films? Read More
The Ethics of Computer-Generated Actors
February 13, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when filmmakers use CGI to resurrect dead actors? Read More
When Does Artistic Creativity Become the Exploitat...
January 22, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when a prominent photographic artist uses her children in her work? Read More
“One Does Not Simply Create a Meme”
January 14, 2019
When does the creation and sharing of internet memes go too far? Read More
When Actors Become Characters
November 26, 2018
What are the ethics of fictional works created by fans that involve real people as characters? Read More
Values Preserved in Stone
November 7, 2018
What are the ethical issues surrounding Confederate memorials? Read More
Boldly Going Where Studios Have Gone Before
October 31, 2018
When does fan fiction cross the line from inspired creativity to unethical stealing? Read More
#MeToo and the Arts
July 18, 2018
What happens when the #MeToo movement meets the artworld? Read More
When Comedic Stereotypes Cease to Be Funny
July 8, 2018
Do humorous - but stereotypical - characters like Apu from "The Simpsons" cross ethical lines? Read More
Fake News, Fake Porn, and AI
March 29, 2018
What are the ethical issues involved in the use of AI in creating fake video content? Read More
Suicide, Fiction, and Ethics
March 21, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by Netflix's "13 Reasons Why"? Read More