Welcome to the landing page for ENVS 410: Nature in Popular Culture. The course will be offered this summer, and taught by Shane Hall. This website offers an overview of the course, information about the instructor, and the tentative syllabus. Just click on the “+” sign to your right, the tabs at the top of […]
National Geographic produced this video to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Included in the voiceover is President Johnson’s speech upon its passage. He uses very distinct language to differentiate humans from nature (“untouched and unchanging wilderness”) and the accompanying footage typifies the “Majesty of Nature” images that we have discussed. Still, it […]
Street Art Against Dakota Access Pipeline
It appears that work on the pipeline on federal lands has been forestalled by the Obama administration and three federal agencies. Myself I am a bit confused, as a federal judge denied an injunction blocking the pipeline’s progress, like, minutes before the executive branch said, “yea, but no really, block the pipeline.” But relevant here […]
While we all enjoy the hidden jokes in kid’s movies, we don’t pick up all of the science that goes into making them. In this scene from Finding Nemo, Mr. Ray, the teacher, swims up to his class singing about the different layers or zones of the ocean. Whenever I have to think talk about […]
I like all of the irony in this ad. It’s a forest grown to look like a set of lungs. One “lobe” of the right lung is missing, making it harder to breathe. We can’t breathe without plants being able to produce oxygen for us. I think that this ad is saying that if we […]
So after I spend my mornings at the aquarium I generally spend my afternoons strolling along the beach picking up any marine debris I see. I’ve found some really interesting things and some gross and disturbing things as well. I follow some organizations on Instagram that are devoted to cleaning up the oceans, rivers, lakes, […]
I’d be lion to ya if I told you I’ve never wanted straight hair. This ad features a lion with a styled mane instead of his luxurious locks. Looking at this lion makes me feel uncomfortable as his hair style reminds me of a bad 1970s haircut. It is an interesting way to sell hair […]
Just some good old fashioned Mad Men-era sexist tropes in advertising… This Martini & Rossi vermouth ad features an image of an animalized woman who has been tamed, or at least trapped, by a rugged martini-drinking man. It came from, I think, a 1967 issue of Playboy Magazine, though I don’t remember from what month. […]
“And…Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez might tell you that the system got you victim to your own mind.” A viral video that manages to call into question some deeply held ideologies about gender and sexuality while also being hilarious.
This photo of Multnomah Falls says a lot. The extent of the falls are barely visible, and in the foreground is a large crowd of people with their backs to the camera; they and Benson Bridge are basically the focal point. It really reminds me of the painting that we had the opportunity to analyze […]
