Experts Matter. Find Yours.
Connect for media, speaking, professional opportunities & more.
Will a Roy Moore win be a blessing or a curse for the GOP?
Tomorrow is Election Day in Alabama - and all eyes are on a special senatorial election that should have flown under the radar for this traditionally Republican-friendly state. That was until Judge Roy Moore won the primary and his past suddenly became public. To date, eight women have come forward with accusations ranging from sexual impropriety to molesting of a 14 year old girl when Moore was in his 30s. When the accusations surfaced, at first the Republican establishment started to abandon Moore - recently that mood has changed. With a Moore victory on Tuesday the GOP stands to bolster its hold on power in the Senate. A loss would reduce the Trump administration’s grip on control. However, Republican victory could also be a double-edged sword. What does it say to Americans if a person with so many allegations is elected to office? Will Moore have any credibility once he arrives in Washington? And will his election signal a revolt to the Democratic side come the mid-term elections in 2018? With polling showing a virtual tie between the Republicans and Democrats in Alabama - what will Tuesday’s result mean for America and the ongoing scandals emerging in Washington, Hollywood and across the country. There are a lot of scenarios that could play out and even more questions to be asked - that’s where the experts from Cedarville can help. Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. He is an expert in the areas of American politics and particularly presidential politics. Dr. Smith is a media-regular and was interviewed often during the last presidential election. He is available to speak to this latest development in politics. To book an interview – simply click on Dr. Smith’s icon to arrange a time. Source:
Robert F. Darden, professor of journalism and founder of Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Restoration Project, treasures the rich sounds of Christmas spirituals, which differ from Christmas carols. “So many of the spirituals are written in what has been performed as and what scholars call the ‘eternal now,’” Darden said. “If you read the lyrics as they were transcribed, many of them are in the present tense.” To illustrate his point, Darden referenced the spiritual “Were You There?” in which the lyrics read, “It causes me to tremble.” Darden said that since slaves in America were not book-educated and struggled with the concept of time, the Bible was a contemporary account of what was going on for them. In their minds, they conflated Abraham in the Bible with Father Abraham Lincoln who was going to free them, and associated Harriett Tubman with Moses and the Ohio River with the Jordan River. Darden said the powerful resonance in these spirituals is unmatched because of the passion of the people who sang them. “When you hear the Christmas spirituals, you’re hearing people who (believe) this is a real live event,” Darden said. “Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born, not was born. That gives them more of an immediacy and a power than songs that are in the past tense.” Darden also said that slaves had a more intimate understanding of the nativity story because they identified with the conditions into which Christ was born. They understood what it was like to come from a foreign land to a place where they were despised and enslaved in the same way that Christ was born as a refugee child with people seeking to kill him. “The spirituals reflect a people who believe they’re in the middle of the Bible story. I think that gives them a power that’s hard for others to match and why the Gospel artists, who would later record these songs, tried to capture that and keep that immediacy and intimacy that I think a lot of Christmas carols don’t have,” Darden said. Darden said the modern world still needs Christmas spirituals. While commercialism gets people excited and inspired for the holidays, people in 2017 need something that will help them reflect on what truly matters about the season. They need something that will not only remind them of history but will also evoke the sensation of gratitude for a needed savior. “By noticing and listening to the words of the spirituals, you see how they focused on what really matters," he said. Source:
Done in by digital? What will the sale of Time mean for the industry?
On Monday, a once mighty media juggernaut was sold off for $2.8 billion dollars. Time Inc. – the publisher of Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated and People was now property of the Meredith Corporation. The Des Moines, Iowa-based company better known for its Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Parents and Family Fun magazines. It’s a bitter and sad end for Time. The company was once the industry leader in magazines and world-respected periodicals. The magazines were’ must-reads’ for the informed. But times have changed, and Time never did catch on or catch up with the digital wave that has transformed journalism as we know it. So, what will all of this mean? Can the world of print media survive and adapt to changing times and tastes? As well, with shrinking circles of media ownership – will regulators let this sale proceed? And what will this mean for the many journalists? More job cuts and shrinking news rooms? Will they move from NYC to Iowa? Has the lustre and allure of being a New York based journalist lost its shine? There are a lot of questions that still need to be addressed and answered. That’s where the experts from Cedarville University can help. Dr. Marc Clauson is a professor of history and law at Cedarville. Marc is an expert in the fields of anti-trust regulation and the economic impact of mergers and takeovers like this. Dr. Clauson is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Sabres are rattling. What’s next for North Korea?
On Wednesday, North Korea launched another missile. This is the 15th launch this year, but this one appears different. North Korea claims this is new type of intercontinental ballistic missile with a "super-large heavy warhead" — which is capable of striking the US mainland. America is on alert. New sanctions are being implemented and every effort seems to be in play to avoid conflict. But can conflict be avoided? Has North Korea over-played its hand with a Trump administration that has already vowed ‘the situation will be handled.’ What is left to do and what can be done? That’s where the experts from Cedarville University can help. Dr. Glen Duerr is an associate professor of International Studies at Cedarville University. His research and expertise includes nationalism and secession, comparative politics, and international relations theory. Dr. Frank Jenista is a political science professor at Cedarville University. Before returning to the academic world, Frank spent 25 years of service as a U.S. diplomat working as a Senior Foreign Service Officer at U.S. embassy in Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, South America, and the Philippines. Dr. Jenista is an expert on foreign relations, international issues and diplomacy. Both experts are available to speak with media regarding this issue. Simply click on either icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Baldwin 2020? It could be happening
On Monday, Alec Baldwin took to the stage not in New York – but Des Moines, Iowa as the keynote speaker at the Iowa Democratic Party's fall fundraiser. Known for his visceral Donald Trump imitations that have been one-part in the resurgence of Saturday Night Live, the Golden Globe and Emmy award winning actor took a serious tone in front of an audience of 3,000 party loyalists. On Monday he was calling for unity and pledging that he’s ready to fight to help the Democrats win. It’s also a known fact that the Iowa Democratic Party fall fundraiser has also been the starting point for campaigns. Is Alec Baldwin considering a run for the Oval Office in 2020? Does he have what it takes to win the Democratic primary? Could he beat Trump? And, is a battle of big screen celebrities what America needs in a leader? These are all interesting questions – and that’s where the experts from Cedarville University can help. Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. He is an expert in the areas of American politics and particularly presidential politics. Dr. Smith is a media-regular and was interviewed often during the last presidential election. He is available to speak to this latest development in politics. To book an interview – simply click on Dr. Smith’s icon to arrange a time. Source:
Gender Gap Grows Wider Globally
The World Economic Forum (WEF) began calculating the global gender gap in 2006. Yesterday, it released the results of the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report and the news is bad – for the first time in more than a decade, the gender gap is widening. This year's report revealed that the divide between men and women stood at 32 percent, up from 31.7 percent last year. The Global Gender Gap Index ranks 144 countries and compares them across four ‘pillars’: economic participation and opportunity, education, political empowerment, and health and survival. The best scores overall belonged to three Scandinavian countries. Iceland had the smallest gender gap at 22 percent. How about the United States? While the U.S. has improved its overall gender gap, this year's report showed it moved down the rankings to 49th place. The score was 0.72 or a gender gap of 28 percent. The pillar featuring economic participation, which includes salaries, workforce participation and leadership, has one of the fastest-growing gaps. Globally, women are earning less than men. The WEF believes the economic gender gap will now not be closed for 217 years. When considering a woman's income as a percent of a man’s, the U.S. came in at 13th place, where a woman can expect to make on average only 64.8 percent of that of what a male earns. Why is this the case even though more women than men are graduating from universities? Can this worrying trend be changed? What steps must be taken to make the playing field equal for all in America? Dr. Shannon Wooden, gender studies expert and professor of English at Missouri State University, can provide insight on this topic. She can address the gender pay gap and why companies need more female representation in senior and board levels. Contact her for an interview. Source:
What Makes Horror Movies Scary? “We do,” Says Baylor Film Expert
The best scary movies adapt to society’s current fears and turn current cultural, social and political preoccupations into elements of horror, says a Baylor University film historian and an expert on the horror film genre. “We are the monster,” said James Kendrick, Ph.D., associate professor of film and digital media in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. Kendrick has authored three books: Darkness in the Bliss-Out: A Reconsideration of the Films of Steven Spielberg; Hollywood Bloodshed: Violence in the 1980s American Cinema; and Film Violence: History, Ideology, Genre. The themes of horror films have changed and developed over the years to capture the zeitgeist and adapt to societal fears, Kendrick said. However, as elements of fear transform with society, the elements of horror films remain. “Character and story, atmosphere and the monster,” Kendrick said. “That’s all you really need. Interesting, engaging characters in an effective setting pitted against some kind of monstrosity. That is the core of the genre, and anything and everything else grows from and functions to support those three elements.” The audience must be able to relate to characters and feel a sense of empathy for them, he said. The atmosphere must engage the audience and provide an effective platform for fear. Source:
Baylor Horror Film Expert Lists 10 Movies 'Everyone Should See'
October brings pumpkin spice, changing leaves, cooler temperatures and Halloween. And Halloween, of course, brings horror films. James Kendrick, Ph.D., associate professor of film and digital media in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, is a Hollywood film historian and an expert on cult and horror films. While horror is not everyone’s favorite genre, Kendrick says, horror films are known to have a universal appeal. “We all know what it means to be frightened, to feel dread, to want to look away,” Kendrick said. “On some level we all fear death and are aware of our human mortality, and the best horror films engage that fear in complex and challenging ways.” In honor of Halloween, Kendrick has developed a list of 10 horror classics he says “everyone should see.” 1. Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922) 2. The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935) 3. Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) 4. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) 5. Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) 6. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973) 7. Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977) 9. The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) 10. The Babadook (Jennifer Kent, 2014) James Kendrick, Ph.D., serves as associate professor of film and digital media in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences. Kendrick’s primary research interests are post-Classical Hollywood film history, violence in the media, cult and horror films, media censorship and regulation and cinema and new technologies. He has authored three books: Darkness in the Bliss-Out: A Reconsideration of the Films of Steven Spielberg, Hollywood Bloodshed: Violence in the 1980s American Cinema and Film Violence: History, Ideology, Genre. In addition to this, he is also the film and video critic for the website Qnetwork.com. Kendrick is a member of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, the University Film and Video Association and the Online Film Critics Society. Source:
Movies like “Marshall” that are built around actors of color (Chadwick Boseman plays the iconic attorney) and have appeal to consumers of color historically see a significant surge in ticket sales in weeks five through eight – if producers are willing to keep them in theaters that long and allow for word-of-mouth advertising to build, said Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of marketing in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. She studies consumer behavior, multicultural media, movies and entertainment. “I believe that Hollywood often pulls movies starring women and actors of color out of the theaters way too soon and before word-of-mouth has time to fully spread,” Lindsey-Warren said. “In my opinion, and according to our studies, Hollywood is leaving a great deal of money on the table.” Movies built around actors of color typically make money – in many cases as much or more than five times the budget, she said. For example, the 2017 comedy “Girls Trip,” which was built around four African-American female leads, was made for $19 million and has grossed more than $100 million at the box office. A challenge, Lindsey-Warren said, is that Hollywood expects to make its money back in the opening weekend. That strategy often doesn’t translate well to consumers of color. She cited a Nielsen study that showed African-Americans make an average 6.3 trips every year to see movies, and they tend to strongly support movies where there are characters like themselves and to whom they can relate. But they don’t rush to theaters for premier weekends. “Historically, African-American consumers have not been such early adopters of seeing movies on opening weekend and have typically waited to hear from trusted sources, by way of word-of-mouth, if the movie is worth seeing,” she said. “I call this behavior giving word-of-mouth time to spread. These are insights that Hollywood has not fully embraced regarding consumers of color and for movies built around actors of color.” Source:
