Annika Herb
Dr Annika Herb is a sessional academic at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Her areas of research include Young Adult and Children’s Literature, creative writing, and popular culture.
Location Australia
Activity
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Annika Herb made a comment
The issue in accessing and posting to Padlet has now been resolved. You should be able to access the board and make your posts. Our apologies for the error!
-The IT team -
@MaryAnnAtwood Good question- Lexico hosts the Oxford English Dictionary, and the banner referring to Spanish translations is just an ad on the homepage to keep the site free. You can navigate around the site to use the English Dictionary or Thesaurus.
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Thanks for alerting us to this- the link has been repaired.
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Annika Herb replied to Phil Isherwood
Thanks for joining us @PhilIsherwood, and for sharing your thoughts each week. We explore narratives and stories in more detail later in the full course for the UON enrolled students-- I like your suggestion of including more poetry, and will have to look at integrating it!
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Annika Herb replied to Jake Rodway
Fantastic, @JakeRodway -- glad to have you with us! Thanks for sharing your insights throughout the course.
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Annika Herb replied to Joshua Anite
"Media relies on its audience as much as its audience relies on media." Absolutely, @JoshuaAnite.
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Definitely @JakeRodway, I think that's a very relatable experience.
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Annika Herb replied to Jake Rodway
"It's almost as if we've personified the stories within onto the book itself, and so to leave the book to ruin would be to destroy the story inside." What a great way of putting it @JakeRodway!
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Annika Herb replied to Joshua Anite
An interesting choice, @JoshuaAnite! I do enjoy the Honest Trailers.
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Annika Herb replied to Joshua Anite
Excellent, @JoshuaAnite.
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Annika Herb replied to Soroush Aliasghari Namin
Yes, good points @SoroushAliasghariNamin and @EileenPrice. The program Q+A in Australia recently had to change their title card as it breached international humanitarian laws for appearing too similar to the Red Cross emblem.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/28/abc-does-swift-reverse-on-new-qa-logo-after-red-cross-knocks -
Annika Herb replied to Valerie Raftopoulos
Thanks @ValerieRaftopoulos -- glad to have you with us!
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Annika Herb replied to Kelly Cox
That's great @KellyCox, glad you enjoyed it!
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Annika Herb replied to Stephanie Fairhall
Great, @StephanieFairhall!
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Annika Herb replied to William Bernarte
That's a good way of thinking about it @ClaireVanDerWoude!
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Yes, a good example @ThomasHamilton! The book has also been banned in several countries for this reason.
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Absolutely, @CharlotteYoung, great example! The impact of that wager between friends is fascinating.
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Annika Herb replied to Wayne Groome
Yes, sometimes there's something about the visual appearance or tactile nature of a print book that can draw us in, or transport us to the first time we read it-- I agree that that experience is potentially lost with a digital book @WayneGroome.
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Annika Herb replied to Phil Isherwood
Great insights, @PhilIsherwood-- certainly something interesting to think about!
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Annika Herb replied to Lori De Marco
That's a wonderful insight, @LoriDeMarco, thanks for sharing your experience.
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Annika Herb replied to Jennifer Shoesmith
Glad to hear it, @JenniferShoesmith!
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Annika Herb replied to Elissa Marlin
Ah yes, you raise some interesting (and relatable, I'm sure) points here, @ElissaMarlin! Are there any other books we wouldn't want to be seen reading in public for whatever reason?
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Annika Herb replied to William Bernarte
Is that so, @KyleJohnson? I haven't read it but see it around all the time, so I'm curious.
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Annika Herb made a comment
Have you seen this tweet about a self-proclaimed "book murderer" that went viral earlier this year? What are your thoughts on it-- do you have a visceral reaction to this, or are you ambivalent?
https://twitter.com/alex_christofi/status/1219564301029138432 -
Annika Herb made a comment
As an additional question, what do people prefer-- paperbacks or hardcovers? How do you treat your books-- are you a bookmark user or do you dog-ear the pages?
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Annika Herb made a comment
Congratulations on finishing the course, and thank you very much to our open learners for joining us on FutureLearn! It's been an absolute delight to see your conversations, and there's been many thought-provoking discussions. As for our UON students, I look forward to continuing our discussions in the next module!
Best wishes,
Annika -
Great points, @RebeccaLamford-- Marvel and Disney's purporting of strong LGBT representation can be quite frustrating as you've identified, particularly given the praise they've been awarded for minimal on-screen representation.
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Annika Herb made a comment
Congratulations on finishing the course! I hope you've found it enlightening in some way as we've explored some approaches to the question of What Does it Mean to be Human.
Thank you very much to our open learners for joining us on FutureLearn! It's been an absolute delight to see your conversations, and there's been many thought-provoking discussions. As... -
Annika Herb made a comment
Do we think accessibility or higher rates of education may have had an impact on our increase in reading and writing? You also might like to think about incidental reading-- the reading you'll do as you scroll through your phone, for instance.
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Annika Herb replied to Dakota Vince
I know what you mean, @DakotaVince-- I have a special bookshelf (that's since turning into a case) where I keep my books that have been signed by authors.
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Annika Herb replied to Margaret Merry
Oh yes @MargaretMerry -- I love when I've bought a book from an op shop and there's an inscription or a name signed at the front. It's a nice way to consider the history of the book.
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Annika Herb made a comment
I love seeing what you've shared on Padlet! Keep checking back in throughout the week as others share their photos and and reflections. It'd be great to see more photos of your bruised and battered (or well-loved) books.
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Annika Herb replied to Maddison Shanahan
That's a lovely way of thinking about it, @MaddisonShanahan.
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Annika Herb replied to Jim Hill
Wow-- that's amazing, @JimHill!
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Annika Herb replied to Jennifer Shoesmith
I have to agree with you both there, @JenniferShoesmith and @AmberTrowbridge !
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Annika Herb replied to Wayne Groome
I understand what you mean, @WayneGroome -- the narration on audiobooks never matches up to how the book sounds in my head, so I really struggle with audiobooks.
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Annika Herb replied to Carlos Medina Drescher
Definitely, @CarlosMedinaDrescher -- saves me a lot of back pain!
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Annika Herb made a comment
Interesting to see so many of us still prefer printed books, or will adapt our reading habits depending on our needs. I much prefer printed books myself, but find my Kindle a lifesaver when travelling, or my laptop for digital books when researching.
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Annika Herb replied to Phil Isherwood
Oh yes, there are certainly benefits for reading digitally when researching @PhilIsherwood-- a big time-saver for note-taking.
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Annika Herb made a comment
Great work, everyone-- I've been impressed with the level of insight and analysis shared so far.
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Annika Herb made a comment
Excellent media analysis, everyone! Did you gain any particular insights or breakthroughs with this task? Or perhaps you found it challenging to consciously analyse this medium? Let me know your thoughts below.
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Great analysis @DominicScaturchio -- you're right, far more sympathy is afforded to characters like Homer.
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Good points, @GeorgiaTownsend.
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Great responses @MohammadmehdiForoozesh, thanks for sharing.
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Great analysis @PercyBrazier!
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Yes, great point @MohamedYaseenZainulabdeen.
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Great point, @MohamedYaseenZainulabdeen. The series Bodyguard, starring Richard Madden, offers an interesting subversion of this representation.
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Annika Herb replied to irene verdu albero
Great point, @ireneverdualbero. The faceless enemies in action movies are reflective of Western society's relationships and fears during that context.
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Annika Herb replied to Percy Brazier
Good example, @PercyBrazier -- you'll notice the language and framing (and sympathy) changes significantly depending on race. For instance, the idea of the lone wolf (white) versus terrorist (assumed almost immediately when a person of colour is involved, regardless of the situation).
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Annika Herb made a comment
There are some great examples here-- what I particularly like is seeing how you're immediately deconstructing or challenging these stereotypical representations, demonstrating an awareness of their construction.
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You raise some excellent points here, @AngelaMcIntosh. What does everyone think?
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Annika Herb replied to Sophie Bennett
This is a really interesting insight that came from you asking your roommate, @SophieBennett -- thanks for sharing.
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Annika Herb replied to Jake Rodway
Definitely, @JakeRodway-- great insight.
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Annika Herb replied to Olivia Harbrow
Great, @OliviaHarbrow!
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Annika Herb replied to David Zahn
Absolutely-- well said, @DavidZahn!
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Great point @PercyBrazier -- while many, particular younger generations, in the community have reclaimed the term "queer", for some older generations the term is seen as carrying too many negative, painful, or derogatory connotations to use. Context is key here.
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Annika Herb made a comment
Excellent and thoughtful responses everyone-- you've identified the Euro-centric, perhaps Grecian influences that distort the reality of the painting's subject, and explored why they were depicted in this way.
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Annika Herb replied to Benjamin Bernon
Absolutely, @BenjaminBernon -- seeing these images can humanise an issue or event far more effectively than conveying the information through text.
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Annika Herb replied to Phil Isherwood
Great question @PhilIsherwood, thank you for sharing this-- what does everyone think?
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Annika Herb replied to Tiffany L
Yes, this is a particularly fascinating (and controversial) piece-- great example, @TiffanyL.
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Annika Herb replied to Annika Herb
Absolutely, well said @JenniferReid and @LoriDeMarco! That's it exactly, and why Reihana's work is so powerful.
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Annika Herb replied to Maddison Curtis
Oh great, @CarysDavies, thanks for sharing! Your list has raised another interesting point to consider-- that it's more common to see men with tattoos than women, and particularly action stars. Definitely something to think about in relation to gender!
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Excellent point, @JacobGillan.
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Annika Herb replied to Dominic Scaturchio
Great-- thanks for sharing, @DominicScaturchio! It sounds like you have a strong awareness of media consumption and analysis already.
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Annika Herb replied to Jane Thompson
I'm sorry to hear that you weren't able to participate as much this week, @JaneThompson! Thanks for bringing this to my attention-- I'll see if we can work on providing detailed captions for the images, and consider alternatives so it's more accessible.
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Annika Herb replied to Caitlyn McNally
Great start, @CaitlynMcNally!
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That's a lovely example @StephanieFairhall. I definitely find it relatable.
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Annika Herb replied to Kyle Johnson
Yes-- a great example @KyleJohnson, thanks for sharing.
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Annika Herb replied to Marian Antram
Ah yes-- this is a great example, @MarianAntram!
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Annika Herb replied to Annika Herb
@FadumoAliJama you should be able to access the content-- this step we're currently on is the first week. Explore the steps and the to-do list to catch up, then move on to join us in Week 2 when you're ready!
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Annika Herb replied to Jamie Sturgess
@CarysDavies I'm a big fan of both of Carter and McKinley's versions of the tale-- both provide a rich, feminist lens to the narrative.
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Annika Herb replied to Maddison Curtis
Certainly, @MaddisonCurtis. This is partly why the success of Crazy Rich Asians was so significant, where actors could be cast as desirable romantic leads, challenging Hollywood stereotypes and limitations in casting opportunities.
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Annika Herb made a comment
Can we connect Reihana's work and approach to what Berger wrote previously about artwork as an act of possession? How might we apply that in this context?
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Annika Herb replied to Maddison Curtis
Great example, @MaddisonCurtis, and one that's given me something to think about-- I'm now wracking my brains trying to think of protagonists with visible tattoos!
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Annika Herb replied to Elise Smith
No, you're definitely right, @EliseSmith! What might this mean for representation? Why is it depicted in this way?
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Annika Herb replied to Maddison Curtis
Great, @MaddisonCurtis.
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Annika Herb replied to Maddison Curtis
Great example, @MaddisonCurtis! And there are symbols embedded in the flag itself that carry connotations to a nation's history and identity.
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Annika Herb replied to Caitlyn McNally
Good point, @CaitlynMcNally -- although as an interesting aside, some people ascribe to an older interpretation of "LOL" as meaning "lots of love." My mother, for instant, once signed off a comment to a bereavement post on Facebook with "LOL"...
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Annika Herb replied to Brodie Smith
Thanks for sharing @BrodieSmith! This is a really interesting one. There's an argument that the algorithms on Netflix can accurately identify users by their race, gender, and sexuality based on data and viewing history, and will change the promotional image accordingly. This might mean a minor character is depicted as a central figure on promotional material,...
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Annika Herb replied to Leslea Hanna
A good example, @LesleaHanna. There are particular symbols we interpret as almost universal, such as the stop sign, and can immediately derive meaning from.
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Annika Herb replied to Maddison Curtis
Excellent point, @MaddisonCurtis. When a minority identity only appears rarely, the depiction can fall into reinforcing unchallenged stereotypes, in turn making it more difficult to disrupt or resist these representations in following media.
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Annika Herb replied to Elise Smith
Thanks for sharing @EliseSmith -- I'm going to rewatch My Neighbour Totoro tonight with this reading in mind.
Does anyone else have an example of an alternate reading applied to popular media? -
Annika Herb replied to Brodie Smith
A great contemporary example! Emojis are absolutely open to interpretation, and can differ widely based on context-- the people involved in an emoji-based conversation might feel they're having entirely different conversations or experiences.
As @BeatriceGrotto mentioned, the thumbs up emoji is a good example-- it can take on the conventional Western... -
Annika Herb made a comment
Great work on making it through Week 1, everyone! There's been some excellent discussions already taking place-- I'm excited to see where the rest of the course takes us. Remember, you can revisit any of these steps to go over the material and see new contributions to the discussion. Well done-- I look forward to seeing you in Week 2!
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Absolutely, @StephanieFairhall-- this is a great reflection on a particular facet of the impact of digital technology.
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Great work, @ThomasHamilton.
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Great, @LukeThomas-- thanks for sharing!
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Excellent responses, @OliviaHarbrow!
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Annika Herb made a comment
Great work on making it through Week 1, everyone! There's been some great discussions already taking place-- I'm excited to see where the rest of the course takes us. Remember, you can revisit any of these steps to go over the material and see new contributions to the discussion. Great work-- I look forward to seeing you in Week 2!
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Annika Herb made a comment
There are some great analyses here-- I've been impressed by the depth of analysis! Make sure you look around at your fellow students' posts here-- it might provide a new perspective on a text.
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Annika Herb replied to Jamie Sturgess
Great analysis, @JamieSturgess.
Yes, I see what you mean @JuanFranciscoVinuesa -- an interesting choice to avoid addressing this reading/perspective given the contemporary context the film was created in. -
Annika Herb replied to Nicholas Johnston
Thanks for sharing @NicholasJohnston-- this is an interesting one.
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Annika Herb replied to Rebecca Lamford
A strong analysis, @RebeccaLamford.
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Annika Herb replied to Juan Francisco Vinuesa
Great! You're right, advertisements about cleaning or domestic products often reinforce gender stereotypes. In the UK, these highly gendered ads have actually been banned: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48628678
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Annika Herb replied to Nicholas Johnston
Thanks for sharing, @NicholasJohnston!
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Annika Herb replied to Augustus Nkhwazi
Definitely-- well said, @AugustusNkhwazi!
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That's a great idea, @JuanFranciscoVinuesa -- I might take that up myself.
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Annika Herb replied to Dominic Scaturchio
Glad to have you with us, @DominicScaturchio!
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Annika Herb replied to Wallis Haviland
I also loved Sex Education, @WallisHaviland -- an excellent show. Glad to have you with us again!
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Annika Herb replied to Theresa Smith
I was blown away by Parasite, @TheresaSmith -- what a great film!
