Comments on: How to get away with doing a PhD on Superheroes http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/ An Irish Community weblog about everything Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:14:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: The Community At Large » Lorcan Mc Grane podcasts for Channel 4 radio http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-176806 Sun, 03 Sep 2006 12:19:44 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-176806 [...] Lorcan McGrane - Irish blogger and currently residing in England and doing a phd in Superheroes [read his feature on this on TCAL here] recently travelled down to London to do a podcast on Channel 4 radio about Lost. Read all about it here, or head straight to channel 4 radio’s Lost podcasts page. He’s in episode 20.     Send this post to a friend [...] […] Lorcan McGrane - Irish blogger and currently residing in England and doing a phd in Superheroes [read his feature on this on TCAL here] recently travelled down to London to do a podcast on Channel 4 radio about Lost. Read all about it here, or head straight to channel 4 radio’s Lost podcasts page. He’s in episode 20.     Send this post to a friend […]

]]> by: The Community At Large » Star Trek Academic Wins Prize http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-174176 Tue, 29 Aug 2006 13:00:29 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-174176 [...] We recently featured a story here about doing a PHD thesis on Comic book characters. Now Slashdot brings us news of a PHD thesis called “Broadcast Space: TV Culture, Myth and Star Trek”. It’s about how Star Trek used ancient mythology as an influence, and how it has created new mythology itself, among other things. It’s pretty good apparently.     Send this post to a friend [...] […] We recently featured a story here about doing a PHD thesis on Comic book characters. Now Slashdot brings us news of a PHD thesis called “Broadcast Space: TV Culture, Myth and Star Trek”. It’s about how Star Trek used ancient mythology as an influence, and how it has created new mythology itself, among other things. It’s pretty good apparently.     Send this post to a friend […]

]]> by: Laura http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-161632 Wed, 09 Aug 2006 10:05:11 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-161632 Hi Lorcan As someone who has followed almost the same path as you (BA in UU coleraine; '99 graduate, then part time MA in media at DIT 5 yrs later; I actually read your thesis, it was one of the most interesting of the collection-well done). I know how much abuse you can take for not pursuing research in a more traditional area (my MA thesis tried to link contemporary Irish film to Bauman's notions of 'liquid modernity'-so have been accused of wanky pretensions too!). Despite the fact (or because of) I'm currently working in a business college library, I continue to argue that what seem like trivialities in pop culture are as vaild forms of storytelling and contemporary myth making as Homer or shakespeare; simply new means of expressing old tales. None of us are arguing that this is exact science, but in an academic environment where arts/humanities funding is being significantly shrunken and postgraduates increasingly opting for the 'safe' MBA route, the neccessity for less traditional & results based research is greater. Naturally I'm biased, but I see there being a place in academia for research which is not profit oriented. So good luck with it! Hi Lorcan
As someone who has followed almost the same path as you (BA in UU coleraine; ‘99 graduate, then part time MA in media at DIT 5 yrs later; I actually read your thesis, it was one of the most interesting of the collection-well done). I know how much abuse you can take for not pursuing research in a more traditional area (my MA thesis tried to link contemporary Irish film to Bauman’s notions of ‘liquid modernity’-so have been accused of wanky pretensions too!). Despite the fact (or because of) I’m currently working in a business college library, I continue to argue that what seem like trivialities in pop culture are as vaild forms of storytelling and contemporary myth making as Homer or shakespeare; simply new means of expressing old tales. None of us are arguing that this is exact science, but in an academic environment where arts/humanities funding is being significantly shrunken and postgraduates increasingly opting for the ’safe’ MBA route, the neccessity for less traditional & results based research is greater.
Naturally I’m biased, but I see there being a place in academia for research which is not profit oriented.
So good luck with it!

]]> by: RyanPT http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-150643 Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:20:16 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-150643 The worrying thing about this is that I may likely be starting the same media studies course in Coleraine come this September, should my A-level grades go the way of the Dodo. I'll either be making the media, through a games development course at Hull, or commenting on it, via Coleraine's media studies department. They were a miserable bunch of blokes at the open day. Hope the reality is a bit different. The worrying thing about this is that I may likely be starting the same media studies course in Coleraine come this September, should my A-level grades go the way of the Dodo.

I’ll either be making the media, through a games development course at Hull, or commenting on it, via Coleraine’s media studies department.

They were a miserable bunch of blokes at the open day. Hope the reality is a bit different.

]]> by: danger http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-150058 Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:01:08 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-150058 Updated the feature Lorcan, cheers. Updated the feature Lorcan, cheers.

]]> by: Lorcan http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-149775 Tue, 18 Jul 2006 11:51:28 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-149775 Corrections and Clarifications: in a feat of stupidity an a parr with misspelling your own name, I got the title of my thesis wrong I said it was Spectualar Bodies: The Corporealities of Comtemporary Film Superheroes, when of course it is "Superheroic Bodies: The Corporealities of Comtemporary Film Superheroes". 'Spectacular Bodies' is of course the name of Yvonne Tasker's book. yours lorcom Corrections and Clarifications: in a feat of stupidity an a parr with misspelling your own name, I got the title of my thesis wrong I said it was Spectualar Bodies: The Corporealities of Comtemporary Film Superheroes, when of course it is “Superheroic Bodies: The Corporealities of Comtemporary Film Superheroes”. ‘Spectacular Bodies’ is of course the name of Yvonne Tasker’s book.

yours
lorcom

]]> by: Aidan http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-147032 Thu, 13 Jul 2006 16:12:01 +0000 http://tcal.net/archives/2006/07/11/how-to-get-away-with-doing-a-phd-on-superheroes/#comment-147032 Lorcan, I always said it and always will, fame will come your way and I still want a cushy job with Lorcom when it does! Love from Aidan , Sinead & Eva x Lorcan,
I always said it and always will, fame will come your way and I still want a cushy job with Lorcom when it does!
Love from Aidan , Sinead & Eva x

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