Arts Criticism | Permission to Speak

Permission to Speak

Fall 2021

Willow Smith: More Than Meets The Eye

By: Caitlin Whisby Imagine, it’s 2010, and the lyrics: “Hop up out my bed turn my swag on, pay no attention to them haters, because I whip ‘em off” is floating from the television screen and into my ears. I’m instantly hooked. Her name is Willow Smith, and she has just become a nine-year old’s…

Awkwafina: A Story of Triumph

by: Tara Woodin Nora Lum, known professionally as Awkwafina, is an Asian-American rapper and actress most recently known as Katy in the Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In this production, she is funny, quirky, and inspiring, and she leaves everyone wondering, “Who is this woman, and where do I know…

Shang-Chi’s Cultural Impact on Asian Americans

By: Lydia Choe Since the release of Iron Man and Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in 2009, Marvel Studios and its films released thereafter have not only been held on a pedestal in quality, but also at the box office. Since then, every new release has garnered international attention and critical acclaim. Because…

Subliminal Messages in The Exorcist

By: Bex Ford Although released on December 26, 1973, The Exorcist is still often referred to as one of the scariest movies of all time. The film is notorious for the fear it incited, but also for its subliminal messages that stick in a viewer’s consciousness. As the Halloween season is approaching, it is interesting…