Welcome to my media law blog. I use this blog as a teaching tool that
allows me to comment on current events and topics related to media law.
It also allows you to participate in discussions involving media law
topics.
As the name of the blog suggests, I want you to use this forum to
speak freely about the topics that we will discuss in MC 4301 Mass Communication Law & Ethics.
We will discuss some controversial topics -- and often, we may not
agree. You may not agree with me, or you may not agree with your
classmates.
But this is a forum of expression, so you have the right to express
your opinion. My opinion is not correct just because I'm the instructor.
You should feel free to disagree with me.
Think about this as the First Amendment in practice.
A few ground rules, please. Some of our discussions may become
heated. While you have the right to express your opinion, I urge you to
be considerate of others, especially those with whom you disagree. Avoid
attacking or belittling someone just because you disagree with his or
her opinion. And, I suggest you double check your comment for grammar,
clarity and sensitivity before you post.
With your comment, please include your
first name and initial of your last name. I
need this to keep track of your comments for participation points.
You can get an idea of how I used this blog in past semesters, though you are not responsible for reading or commenting on previous blog entries.
Now, let's start with something light.
Share with us a favorite book, movie, TV show, song, etc., that is related to law, then tell us why it's your favorite.
I'll go first. In past semesters, the movie I would call my favorite
is "Twelve Angry Men" -- the original with Henry Fonda. But in 2012,
I saw Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" and was thoroughly impressed. The
movie recounts President Lincoln's effort to encourage Congress to pass
the Thirteen Amendment, which abolished slavery. A
movie about passing a constitutional amendment? How perfect for a media
law prof!
I look forward to reading your comments.
49 comments:
My favorite TV show related to law is Scandal. I just started the series on Netflix a couple weeks ago and have already binged watched my way into the third season. I am a public relations major, so I find it appealing. I am fascinated by how they can spin things and how hugely the media impacts everything. It makes me wonder what all goes on behind closed doors in the White House that the majority of American people may never know about.
-Lindsey B.
One of my favorite movies involving the law is “The People vs. Larry Flint” starring Woody Harrelson. The movie is loosely based on the life of Larry Flint, publisher of Hustler magazine, and his battle with the court systems to protect the freedom of speech for everyone. This movie is one of my favorites because it portrays the story of events in a serious, yet comedic way.
-Rachel M.
I would definitely agree with you professor Martinez! I absolutely loved the movie, "Lincoln". It was amazing. I would say it's one of my favorite law movies because Lincoln is my favorite historical figure in US history. I even chose him years ago in junior high as the person I would dress up as for American History day. The movement he helped in order to abolish slavery wasn't an easy one to stand up for and he fought a hard fight that must have weighed on him deeply. It's inspiring that one man, stood against his peers in order to accomplish what is right and just instead of allowing slavery to continue. His Thirteenth Amendment changed the US forever.
-Jolynn G.
Hands down House of Cards. While it blows the fictional reflection of American politics out of the atmosphere, the show did, for me that is, provide some sort of new found interest in politics. The first season followed the submission of an education reform bill (which would never have been completed in that short of time) as well as Frank Underwoods quest to exact revenge on those who did him wrong. Again, the show is pretty nonsensical yet somewhat informative.
The "Hon. Rev. Captain" Conor Y.
My favorite TV show that is related to law is definitely Law and Order SVU. I reccently just started watching it this spring semester because my boyfriend says Law and Order is better than Criminal Minds, which I disagree, but I had to give it a try, and it turns out I am actually a big fan of Law and Order after all!
Don't get me wrong, it is very disturbing and graphic at some points and I do not enjoy hearing and seeing a few things, but I have learned a lot from that tv show. They mention different cases and laws in the show, that you also mention in class!
Amanda E.
Amistad is my favorite movie related to law. I remember watching this movie my junior year of high school and it has just stuck with me. The story is based on the uprising of captured Mende slaves who take over the vessel La Amistad off the coast of Cuba in the 1830's. The slaves are imprisoned while the court discusses ownership of the vessel and whether the slaves will be freed back to Africa. It became a United States Supreme Court case in 1841.
Leanna T.
My favorite movie that is semi-related is, "My Cousin Vinny"! It stars Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. Pesci plays Vinny who is a 'sort-of' lawyer who comes to Alabama to defend his little cousin who has been wrongfully accused of murder. Vinny spends most of the movie trying to figure out how to act in court and perform the correct procedures. At one point the judge asks if he would like to Voir Dire the witness, which of course Vinny doesn't understand, and assumes this means something inappropriate. It's an oldie but a goodie.
-Stacie H.
Mayra T.
I have recently started watching Scandal on Netflix and found it to be very interesting. It's so amusing to me how the media can make rapid impacts in such a short time. I can officially say I am hooked. It's a great show. If there was a "favorite movie" on my list related to law, I'd have to go with Lincoln. I thought Steven Spielberg did a great job portraying President Lincoln during his efforts to abolish slavery. Lincoln has always been one of my favorite presidents and watching the movie I felt like I was transported back in time and received a piece of history.
My favorite movie portraying a court scene has got to be Jim Carey's epic, Liar Liar. A lawyer that can't tell a lie!?! Classic..
Wade E.
I can't really say anything that is necessarily a "favorite" of mine just pertaining to law. Today, I mentioned in class I received a movie titled Reasonable Doubt when talking about that subject and the media. I watched it this evening and it dealt with a lawyer who is prosecuting someone who killed somebody that the lawyer had a hit and run incident with earlier. The lawyer has the murderer acquitted to cover up himself. It gets out of hand from there.
Jonathan R.
I was really waiting for someone to say Legally Blonde but am sadly disappointed. Personally, I like to have Law and order SVU playing in the background even though it is extremely biased at times and gets a little to graphic/just plain screwed up. Movie wise, I would have to say that Double Jeopardy and Murder by Numbers are two of my favorite. I am a PR major but would have also loved to practice law so I find the loop holes in the system extremely interesting. The justice system often seems like its a crazy sudoku puzzle.
Nicole T.
I may just be the only one sharing something like this, but here I go :)
I have Latino spelled all ver my face and floating in my veins. So, the one show I truly enjoy that is related to law is called Caso Cerrado, which was originally called Sala de Parejas. This show came out in 2001 in Telemundo chains, and originally dealt with marital problems between litigants. Then, it expanded to other issues like domestic and child abuse, where judge Ana Maria Polo seeks to educate the audience about issues related to law.
It really involves a lot of drama, but you truly get so much information on certain things relating to law out of it.
Stephanie D.
My favorite law-related movie is Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. For those who haven't seen it, I warn you that it is an incredibly emotional film, but an important one. It tells the story of as lawyer fighting for the rights of a man who is discriminated against and subsequently released from his job due to his contraction of AIDS and his identification as a gay man. This movie is definitely capable of restoring a person's faith in our justice system, even if it seems that society has failed some of us at one point or another.
Zuri C.
My favorite law-related movie
is "A Few Good Men" with Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, and Kevin Bacon. It is by far one of my favorite movies all time. It tells a story of two U.S. Marines charged with murder of another marine and how their lawyers prepare to defend them. The classic scene or line that most people are familiar with is, "you can't handle the truth!"
Aaron A.
One of my favorite shows that somewhat involves the law is Suits on the USA Network.
It mainly focuses on the lesser known side of law: Civil law. In most cases on the show, the clients are companies or powerful business partners/owners that seek help with lawsuits and subpoenas, from the two lawyers who are the main characters of the series.
One of my favorite movies that involves law is Runaway Jury with John Cusack and Rachel Weisz. The plot line of the movie is centered on the manipulation of a criminal case in trial court. Essentially there is a person on the "inside" of the jury and a person on the "outside" of the jury communicating to get the case swayed in a certain direction. I like it because the focus is on the importance of a non-biased jury and also illustrates how a jury is selected for a case.
Megan Ibarra
One of my favorite books, plays and movies (that also happens to deal with the law) is To Kill A Mockingbird. My class read it in middle school and then our teacher took us to watch the play. Being a theater major, as well as PR, Scout will always be my dream role!
Samantha M.
My favorite law related TV show is the Law & Order series (including Law&Order: LA which only lasted one season). However, when it comes to law related movies I am split between To Kill A Mockingbird and 12 Angry Men.
Aiden Diaz
As sad as it is, Legally Blonde is one of my favorite movies because it introduced me to a lot of law related terms I hear in daily life and especially this class. Although it isn't exactly a credible teaching resource, I learned a lot about the legal process at a young age.
Bailey Sevcik
My favorite law related movie would have to be Erin Brockovich. Julia Roberts plays the single mother who takes it upon herself to research a series of cases thats facts don't seem to add up. It is a true story that resulted in the unveiling of a huge amount of illegal dumping of toxins into a town's water supply. It shows a significant amount of dedication and research, which are important factors when it comes to law and proving a case.
Watch it!
- Dominique M.
My favorite law related TV show is Law and Order, special victims unit. I feel as if the show elaborates on a broad spectrum of the legal system and illustrates what happens in deliberation.
Jaclyn E.
My favorite movie that is related to law would be Liar Liar starring Jim Carey. I do not watch a lot of television and when I do it is comedy, so Liar Liar is really the only law related movie I have seen and enjoyed.
The movie “Law Abiding Citizen” defines the loss of morality from two different perspectives. When Gerard Butler’s family is murdered and the killer is not properly sentenced, he blames his lawyer and kills the people who were in involved in his case. Nick, Gerard’s lawyer, is more interested in adding another conviction to his record. Nick lets the main killer off by offering him a plea deal for testifying against his accomplice. Personally, I think Nick loses his sense of morality as a righteous lawyer for trying to benefit his record and reputation. Gerard loses his sense of morality by being equally as bad as his family’s killer. What I like most about this movie is that neither of the two characters are considered “the bad guy,” the justice system is.
-Andrea Garza
This is a bit far fetched but my favorite movie of all time is The Other Boleyn Girl. This movie shows just how powerful the English Law can be with a King making whatever decisions he wants. In this instance King Henry VIII can not concieve a male heir with his wife Catherine of Aragon. Divorce was not allowed by the Catholic Church and the Pope denies him the right to annul his marriage. He does the only logical thing and breaks from the Catholic Church and declares himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, gets his divorce then later marries 5 or 6 lucky ladies.
-Ashley Ford
I like the show Modern Family. There is a gay couple, and the one that is a lawyer is named Mitch. There is a very funny episode where he tries to be a lawyer to his step mother, but ends up being a lawyer to every body in the courtroom. He tires the judge and she dismisses his case before he has a chance to present his own.
There are so many reasons why I love this show, Sofia Vergara, the other actors, the plot line, it's all so fun. :)
-Roy Q
There are so many great movies on this topic to choose from. But, if I had to really narrow it down to one I'd have to go with the classic, "To Kill a Mockingbird." Based on the equally ground breaking book by Harper Lee, Gregory Peck shines as lawyer Atticus Finch in a legendary performance. Set in Alabama during the Depression-era, Finch defends Tom Robinson, a crippled black man falsely accused of rape by a young white woman. Finch defends his client to the best of his ability ignoring all the scrutiny and racism that surrounds him. Great movie and a great book!
-Daniel F.
I'm glad i'm not the only one who finds "To Kill a Mockingbird" to be a great film. It's a classic! That film teaches us about the importance of sticking to our morals and how important it is to treat other's the right way.
-Katherine M.
This is probably a bit of a farfetched example, but that most interesting movie concerning law that comes to mind is The Exorcism of Emily Rose simply because it detailed a very farfetched case. The way the defense makes a case for the priest and his role as an exorcist was fun to contemplate.
While this movie may be a little old ('96 I believe), I still find it to be a good one in my eyes. The movie, A Time to Kill, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, and Sandra Bullock is about a black man who lost his daughter when 2 white men raped and abused her. Since this movie takes place in the south, its obvious that racism takes place. Especially when a white lawyer (McConaughey)defends Carl (Samuel L. Jackson). This movie definitely shows how far we as a nation, along with our legal system, has come.
Amber Wolf
Law and Order SVU would be my favorite television show that has to deal with law. We would talk in class about how much drama the court room creates and I honestly feel like that is what keeps me watching the show. It's a lot of graphic situations but it is a really inter sting show.
My favorite law related movie is To Kill a Mockingbird because it represents how the court system is in place to convict the guilty and protect the innocent.
Jenna H.
My favorite law related show is Orange is the New Black (of course I'm binge watching season 2 right now).
I loved the show Weeds, and so I was excited to see a new show by it's creator Jenji Kohan.
It's a very smart show that constantly reveals that there's more to these characters than it first seems, and teaches you lessons about how we view criminals in our society.
I love the format of releasing the entire season all at once too!
Michael Hubbell
My favorite show related to law is definitely House of Cards. I enjoy how it shows the impact the media has on politics even to the point that they include the main character as a journalist.
One realy good artist is Immortal Technique. He raps mainly about poverty, class struggle, Marxism, religion, the government and imperialism. He may be too much for some people but his lyrics are what hits people the strongest because he dares to speak the truth.
Music is what everyone listens to and hopefully not just what's on the radio in which artist tend to talk about things that really are not important. However there are plenty reggae artist who aren't afraid to speak the truth. My favorite artist who speaks about law is Peter Tosh. His lyrics are what got him killed but at least he put great music out there for the world to listen to and at least it's music about the truth.
-E.Nelson
Though not everything in the show is a completely accurate depiction of what really goes on in the court room or how quickly the trials progress, my favorite show pertaining to the class subject is Law and Order: SVU. From there I gathered most of my basic knowledge of the terminology and people important when dealing with different types of cases, though they are obviously only criminal cases.
-Berlynn Y.
This movie is a little old but I really liked “Primal Fear” starring Richard Gere as the defense attorney. The movie is about a murder case where a young boy is accused of murdering a priest. At first, the defense attorney believes that his client is innocent. Throughout the movie he discovers that his client has multiple personality disorder, and it results in the defendant being found not guilty by reason of insanity. However, at the very end you find out that the defendant was faking being insane the entire time. I thought this movie was very interesting because it shows how the guilty can get away with things like murder.
-Brittany Vella
One of my favorite TV shows related to law is the Netflix original "House of Cards." I really like the way that Kevin Spacey's character, Congressman Underwood, is able to not only elude major laws, but he's also able to manipulate Congress into getting what he wants.
Sarezh S.
i love the t.v. show Law and Order SVU!! its so addicting and the plots of each episode are always so twisted. it's interesting to see how each individual jury differs.
The movie Philadelphia is not only my favorite law related movie but also just one of my favorite movies in general. The movie is loosely based on one of the first AIDS employment discrimination cases. I just now found out that the family of the victim portrayed by Tom Hanks sued the writers and producers of Philadelphia for not giving recognition to the source of their material. I think it's interesting that a film about an important legal battle was involved in a legal battle of its own.
Rebecca R.
My favorite law related movie would have to be A Time to Kill, with Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson. I remember seeing this movie around age 11 or 12, and even though it is a very intense and sometimes sad movie, it got me interested in the judicial process. It also relates to what we learned about on Tuesday, because McConaughey's character must change a southern court's precedent in order for Samuel L. Jackson's character to be set free.
Julian Liles
My favorite TV show related to law would be Divorce Court. I actually love to hear and watch the drama between the two parties. Also love to see what the judges opinion is on how to handle the disputes between the parties.
-Paitra Pleasant
I suppose my all time favorite movie dealing with law would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird. Though controversial and over 50 years old, the protagonist, Atticus Finch, paves the way of showing racial prejudice in courts as well as society particularly in the South. The film deals with race, and he is a character to be admired. Movies like this paved the way for tv shows like “Law and Order” who most often are on the side of the down trodden or underdog—often a minority accused of a crime he or she did not commit.
-Mary Metaxas
My favorite movie relating to the law would be Iron Jawed Angels! Although I am a huge fan of the series listed above such as Scandal and House of Cards. I am in love with the Iron Jawed Angels because it tells the story of the Women’s Suffrage Movement from the view of some of its most advocate leaders. Hilary Swank is also one of my favorite actress’. If you haven’t saw it yet you should check it out!
My favorite movie related to law is "The Rainmaker." Matt Damon plays an aspiring young lawyer who takes on a powerful law firm representing a corporate insurance company---the company will not pay for an operation that could save an elderly couple son's life.
I enjoyed the trial scenes and all the grunt work that went behind it. I had my doubts about Damon playing a lawyer, but the more I watched the more I realized that he looked the part of a lawyer. The Rainmaker was more about the performances than the story. And the performances won me over.
I wouldn't say that I have a favorite book or movie pertaining to law but I do watch In Session on TruTv from time to time. I watched a lot of the trial on Judy Arias, and Kacey Anthony. It's like a car crash that you just can't look away from.
My favorite movie related to law is Law abiding citizen. It is an action-packed movie that portrays how an imperfect justice system works. Murders get away when there isn't enough proof and civil rights are taken from some people if the court doesn't agree with them. This movie also deals with ethics and how law and justice do not always go hand in hand. Great movie if you like suspense!
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