Media releases

  • What makes monsters monstrous? Brock experts pull back the mask

    EXPERT ADVISORY – October 25, 2024 – R0127

    “Spooky season” is in full swing, costume decisions are looming and scary stories are front and centre.

    But what do our perceptions of monsters — and the very concept of monstrosity — say about us?

    It’s a question Brock University Humanities professors Cristina Santos and Sarah Stang say have roots in mythology, superstition and storytelling across the ages.

    “We are so familiar with the look of classic monsters, like Frankenstein’s monster or Dracula for example, we can easily overlook key questions about these tropes,” says Stang, Assistant Professor of Game Studies.

    Both Stang and Santos explore monstrosity and ‘otherness’ through a feminist approach in their research, digging deep into how people’s ideas about monstrosity shape their experiences in the world and most importantly, how they treat others.

    Santos, Associate Professor of Hispanic and Latin American Studies, says that “monsters often reflect our own fears and anxieties but are kept in the realm of imagination, providing us with a mental safeguard.”

    Stang says creators are now experimenting with reframing how people think about monsters and positioning them differently, even as ‘romantic’ or ‘cool.’

    She points to Universal Studios’ Dark Universe, a new land at Universal Epic Universe opening in 2025 where visitors are welcomed to “discover a world of legendary monsters.”

    “You will be able to meet Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, the Bride of Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon — these monsters are still popular in collective cultural imagination, so much so, a theme park is being built around them,” Stang says.

    These classic monsters are popular Halloween costumes, but Santos and Stang suggest another avenue of thinking might consider how the characters represent race, gender and disability.

    “In labelling monsters, demonizing witches, telling stories of ghosts and spectres, we can take a critical look at who has the power to create these myths,” Santos says.

    Stang, whose research specializes in video games and interactive media, says video games draw on similar themes of power.

    “Often you are a hero slaying monsters in interactive media, and players are forced to enact that violence, even if they identify more with the monster,” she says.

    Stang and Santos agree that the thrill of watching a scary movie, dressing up like monsters, loving Halloween and playing the hero in video games are all things to be enjoyed as entertainment but also invite people to cultivate their critical media literacy.

    “We get pleasure out of horror and being scared; it’s exciting, and it’s natural, helping us work through things psychologically and acting as catharsis,” Stang says. “But is there a way we can shift narratives and hear more about the monsters and their experiences?”

    Santos suggests this way of thinking has meaningful implications for understanding the human psyche.

    “Not all monsters look like ‘monsters,’” she says. “Sometimes monstrosity lies behind the mask of (in)humanity in the way we treat people who look physically differently from us.”

    Stang says perhaps monsters represent a push-back on societal norms as beings that live outside of conventional ways of looking and behaving imposed by mainstream society.

    “This thinking allows for more fluidity of identity, ultimately leading down a path of inclusion and celebration of diversity,” Santos adds.

    Cristina Santos, Associate Professor of Hispanic and Latin American Studies, and Sarah Stang, Assistant Professor of Game Studies, are available for media interviews on this topic.

     

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    *Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University mstdenis@brocku.ca or 905-246-0256

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    Categories: Media releases

  • Brock research investigating potential neurotoxin in Lake Erie algae

    EXPERT ADVISORY – October 23, 2024 – R0126

    Algae that wash up on shorelines and start turning black aren’t just a smelly eyesore — they could also be the source of a dangerous chemical compound that contaminates the surrounding environment and endangers public health.

    Brock University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Vaughn Mangal and his team are studying a type of algae found in Lake Erie, called Cladophora, to better understand if and how it produces methylmercury, a compound derived from mercury.

    “When mercury converts to methylmercury, that creates a neurotoxin dangerous to human health,” says Mangal. “Previous research has shown that this can happen, but nobody has looked at whether or not this is actively happening in Lake Erie.”

    Supporting his team’s work in analyzing Cladophora blooms collected from Lake Erie is a two-year, $149,180 grant from the federal government’s Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, announced Sept. 30.

    The growth of Cladophora algae, which typically blooms in the summer, is fuelled primarily by warmer temperatures, sunlight and nutrients entering the lake through surface run-off.

    While Cladophora itself isn’t toxic, it blocks sunlight hitting the water, stunting the growth of other plants and fish in the water.

    After the algae blooms die, waves transport the material onto land where it decomposes, creating an oxygen-free environment in which bacteria thrive.

    These bacteria contain genes that can convert inorganic mercury – produced by pollution from fossil fuel emissions, mining and industrial practices – into methylmercury, which is highly toxic to human and animal health.

    “At this point, we don’t know if methylmercury is being produced and where the methylmercury goes. Is it staying on the beach or are seagulls eating it and then getting methylmercury into their systems?” says Mangal. “If it goes back into the water, which it probably will with high and low tides, does it get consumed by fish or other organisms? We don’t know the endpoints of methylmercury, so that’s part of this study; it’s never really been looked at.”

    Part of the research also involves working with local community partners and conservation authorities to improve their monitoring and remediation strategies at Lake Erie during peak bloom periods.

    At the federal level, Mangal says the Canadian government has identified inorganic mercury as a global pollutant that is an emerging contaminant of interest in the country’s Great Lakes.

    “The Government of Canada is committed to preserving the integrity of our natural environment, including our Great Lakes,” says Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines.

    “Dr. Mangal’s research on Lake Erie’s water quality will guide local community partners and conservation authorities in protecting the area against emerging contaminants,” he says.

    “Protecting the health of our Great Lakes is crucial for the environment, our communities, and future generations,” says Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre.

    “This research will not only provide critical insights but will also strengthen ongoing monitoring and remediation efforts in collaboration with local partners,” he says. “Together, we are keeping the great in the Great Lakes by taking important steps to preserve the ecological balance of our freshwater resources.”

    Part of the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative funds projects focused on significant environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health in the Great Lakes.

     

    Brock University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Vaughn Mangal is available for media interviews on this topic.

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University sackles@brocku.ca or 289-241-5483
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    Categories: Media releases