Author Archives: Ralph Hanson

Questions Worth Asking (Maybe) – All-Disney Edition

How many African-American writers does Hulu have working on their series? Zero, none, zip, nada. (And just 4.8 percent of all TV writers are black.) Behind-the-camera diversity can be as important as in-front-of-the-camera. (Disney is one of the major owners … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 3, Chapter 8, Chapter 9 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Telling the story of the California fires through comics

We often think of comics as being either funny stories or super hero dramas.  And they can be all that. But many of the best comics tell intensely personal stories about life, death, and surviving the time in-between. I was reminded … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 1, Chapter 4, Chapter 6 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How Lin-Manuel Miranda helped boost a tweet about insulin in Puerto Rico

The one thing you need to know about me as I tell this story is that I’m an insulin-dependent diabetic. My pancreas checked out several years ago and no longer does much.  Which means that I have to manually control … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 10, Chapter 12 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How watching a movie leads to Facebook ad

I recently watched the movie The Fifth Element on TV at home, and I don’t believe I posted anything about it, though I certainly searched it for cast and crew information. Fascinating to see that such a low level of … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 10, Chapter 8 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A few more thoughts on the Bechdel Test

The Bechdel Test is a fairly simple test for the presence of women in movies.  It asks three simple questions: Are there two or more women in the movie who have names? Do they talk to each other? Do they … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 8 | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

When tragedy strikes: Dealing with breaking news

As I write this, we as a nation are reeling from a mass shooting in Las Vegas Sunday night that left at least 58 people dead and more than 500 people injured. As the story started to break, there were … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 14, Chapter 6 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

MLK’s “Letter From A Birmingham Jail” is still relevant today

Over the last couple of days, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” has been getting lots of mention on Twitter and other social media in reaction to the NFL players and management participating in the #takeaknee protests. … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 12, Chapter 14, Chapter 6 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sunday News Pops on Twitter (All media are social)

Yesterday was surprisingly busy as a news day with my Twitter feed overflowing with rapid-fire commentary on the news. There was news about earthquakes, floods, health care, the president, the NFL, and just a bit about the new Star Trek … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 10, Chapter 6 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Twitter Responses are the New Autograph (All media are social)

Updated 10/9/17 We all have our moments that David Letterman called a “brush with greatness,” moments where our lives intersect with someone famous. In the past, when you met a movie star, musician or famous author, you might ask for … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 1, Chapter 10, Chapter 5, Chapter 8, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

What do Americans know about their constitution? Not much, according to a new survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Good story from CNN’s Chis Cillizza. (Also, good analysis from the libertarian Volokh Conspiracy) 37% couldn’t name a single right … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter 13, Chapter 6, Chapter 8 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment