Dr. Mike Robinson ~ UL Communication Studies Professor

     The Nerd Factor is vitally concerned with the public interest. As part of the column’s ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of its readers, an important safety announcement follows. 

     Claus-trophobia is a condition that affects millions of people each year, yet somehow the general public remains relatively unaware of the disorder. Claus-trophobia is a state of heightened anxiety, agitation, and even fright, related to the approach of the Christmas holiday. Like other phobias, Claus-trophobia can manifest in a variety of ways. 

Continue reading “Nerd Factor: Claus-trophobia” →

Dr. Mike Robinson ~ UL Communication Studies Professor

The Disney+ proposal is announced.

 

The streaming system goes online November 12, 2019.

 

Human decision making is removed from entertainment choices because of nostalgic offerings and strategic cinematic universe-building programming.

Continue reading “Nerd Factor: The Imagineeringator” →

Dr. Mike Robinson ~ UL Communication Studies Professor

     In the superhero scene, the ability to project energy from one’s body is nearly a commonplace as super-strength and invulnerability. That does not make such a superpower easy to live with, though. While seemingly desirable, this power set is fraught with problems. 

Continue reading “Nerd Factor: Zap!” →

 

Dr. Mike Robinson ~ UL Communication Studies Professor

     Halloween is a holiday based on generosity, but that spirit is not completely selfless. Born of ancient beliefs that on a certain night, the door between the world of the living and the world of the dead opened, people thought it in their best interest to feed whomever. . . or whatever. . . stopped by. It was just safer that way. In America, that spiritual caution shifted into practical defense when very aggressive traditions of pranking developed, particularly in the Mid-West. The treat quite literally deferred the trick. 

     So while one might justifiably be shamed by others for not appreciating, say, a Christmas gift or a birthday present, I believe the origins of Halloween allow children to be judgmental. Young people should rightly ask if the candy adequately forestalled their holiday chaos. 

Continue reading “Nerd Factor: Bad Treats” →

Dr. Mike Robinson ~ UL Communication Studies Professor

     Over a bleak landscape, an otherworldly vehicle flies across the dusky horizon. Its dilapidated condition creates a haunting sense, amplified by the pulsing red lights from its cockpit and the bizarre electronic sound of its engines. After the craft sets down, a strange figure makes its way up the dirt road towards the viewer. The blue space suit seems to glow in the low light as the being lopes forward with a strange gait. As it nears, a blue skull is visible through the suit’s helmet dome. The dome glows red and the skull screams an eerie laugh.

That scream sent a chill down my very young spine. While there have been many more popular culture frights fired along my central nervous system since then, as the season of scares near, I find myself nostalgic for my youthful first encounter with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!’s Space Kook.

Continue reading “Nerd Factor: In Praise of the Space Kook” →