Archie Wagner, University of Iowa, Author at Study Breaks

Inside the Popularity of the Comforting Treat Banana Bread

In a time when dessert possibilities are endless, why are we constantly returning to the same old staple? …

June 6, 2024

Coping With the Frustrating Hypocrisy of Free Speech on College Campuses

The right of free speech, as outlined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, is always prevalent in America, except right now on college campuses. …

May 29, 2024

The Refreshing Friendship-ification of the Will-They-Won’t-They Trope in ‘Abbott Elementary’

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

Going against audience expectations for the Janine-Gregory relationship, the new season has invested time and narrative weight into emerging friendships between Janine and Ava and Gregory and Jacob.…

May 29, 2024

Three figures stand in differing proportions against each other, a full figured black woman on the left and two white men shown from the waist up. The woman towers over the men in her blue uniform, a smirk on her face and smiles on the men's, one brunette, one blonde, one in a similar uniform to the woman, the other in a brown leather coat. They are all placed in front of a grainy, gray background.

Hen Wilson and the Queer Character Before a Larger Audience Dubs a Show “Queer”

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

The recent media buzz around the hit first-responder procedural “9-1-1” hints at a double standard for queer representation on tv.…

May 20, 2024

A woman with blond hair and a white coat stands in from of a background coated in foggy textures of orange, white and pink. The background is dotted with orange stars, and to the woman's right hangs a speech bubble, containing letters that look scribbled in pencil-mark black, except for the bottom word, which is boldly highlighted in the colors of the background.

If Someone Says She’s a Lesbian, She’s a Lesbian

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

Audiences doubt lesbian identification, often venturing into harsh scrutinization of individuals’ dating lives.…

May 7, 2024

Two women kiss in front of a red background with a yellow stream twining through it like a stream of silk. The woman on the left bears a pink hoodie and a ponytail embraces her partner, garbed in a black dress with her hair in an updo. Her hands are placed on the first woman's chest in an intimate gesture.

“Saving Face” is the Best 2000s Queer Rom-Com You’ve (Probably) Never Seen

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

The 2004 film features a mother and daughter navigating new circumstances amidst cultural expectations with humor and sensitive, deft craft.…

April 21, 2024

Against a purple background, a pile of Taylor Swift's "Midnights" are stacked next to a copy of Olivia Rodrigo's "Guts" served on a platter. Ms. Rodrigo's face has blown out, leaving splatters of purple and red across the white porcelain dish and the background. Within the tattered hole, the title is engraved on the purple back cover.

Instant Download or Delayed Gratification: The Dilemma of the Deluxe Album

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

In our current era of on-demand downloads, it really must be asked: Is it more fulfilling to have every piece of content at once or to wait?…

April 11, 2024

The Last Dinner Party Explores Haunting Melodies and Depths with Prelude to Ecstasy

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

The Last Dinner Party's debut 'Prelude to Ecstasy' stands on its own amongst a sea of poppy rock.…

April 2, 2024

Jinx Monsoon’s Casting Enriches The Role of Audrey in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

How Jinx Monsoon’s casting as Audrey presents a fresh view of the character through alternative, non-cis lenses.…

March 21, 2024

The ‘90s X-Men Cartoon is Back with “X-Men ‘97”

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

X-Men ‘97 taps into the ‘90s “X-Men: The Animated Series” nostalgia while creating something new for modern audiences.…

March 14, 2024

Jockstraps and Muscles are for the Girls Now, Actually

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

“Love Lies Bleeding” promotional materials subvert gender expectations with female stars performing masculinity.…

March 7, 2024

Three people stand against a backdrop of the open sky, dressed in black graduation gowns. The audience can clearly see their hair -- short and curly in buns on the far left, brown-blonde in the center, black and braided at the right -- and their caps, festooned with various pride flags representing different identities, such as trans or nonbinary.

Why College is the Perfect Time to Experiment with Gender

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

College is the perfect time for gender experimentation thanks to all of the resources and opportunities it provides.…

February 26, 2024

A woman with brown hair in a pink coat beams with a bright smile against a pink and purple background. To her right, a golden statue leans against a smiling doll in the woman's image. Said doll holds its hand in its pocket as it cocks out its hip, standing in a firm yet casual pose.

An Ode to Gloria and Ordinary Barbies Everywhere

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

Women can be everything, but with her Oscar-nominated performance in "Barbie", America Ferrera reminds us they don’t have to be.…

February 19, 2024

In this article, about the importance and impact of listening to indigenous voices in 2024, an orange analog radio against a blue background is shooting out lightning bolts as its dial is being torn by light brown hair draped in a blue, embroidered sleeve. Half of the background is blacked out, with jagged edges running diagonally up the center.

The Impact of Listening to Indigenous Voices in 2024 America

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

What changing museum guidelines and a push for more representation of indigenous voices in award shows means for the present moment.…

February 14, 2024

In this article, analyzing Noah Kahan's hit song "Dial Drunk" and debating how we define "country music" as a whole, a cowboy in orange pants looks confusedly at a bearded man with long hair and an tropical turquoise jacket. The scene is a combination of a desert and an island, the oranges and yellows of the former seamlessly melding with the blues and greens of the latter. The cowboy rides a horse, a dog sits by the bearded man's side and music notes dance around their head as the sun sets in the background.

Noah Kahan’s “Dial Drunk” and What Makes Country Music

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

Noah Kahan’s music, although labeled alternative, sounds country through acoustic instrumentation and allusions to alcohol.…

February 4, 2024

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

Contributing Writer

AUTHOR

University of Iowa
English & Creative Writing

"Archie Wagner is a writer/playwright/essayist attending the University of Iowa as a sophomore. In their free time, they love attending theatre productions and experimenting with clown makeup."

Inside the Popularity of the Comforting Treat Banana Bread

Coping With the Frustrating Hypocrisy of Free Speech on College Campuses

The Refreshing Friendship-ification of the Will-They-Won’t-They Trope in ‘Abbott Elementary’

Hen Wilson and the Queer Character Before a Larger Audience Dubs a Show “Queer”

“Saving Face” is the Best 2000s Queer Rom-Com You’ve (Probably) Never Seen

Instant Download or Delayed Gratification: The Dilemma of the Deluxe Album

The Last Dinner Party Explores Haunting Melodies and Depths with Prelude to Ecstasy

Jinx Monsoon’s Casting Enriches The Role of Audrey in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

The ‘90s X-Men Cartoon is Back with “X-Men ‘97”

Jockstraps and Muscles are for the Girls Now, Actually

Why College is the Perfect Time to Experiment with Gender

An Ode to Gloria and Ordinary Barbies Everywhere

The Impact of Listening to Indigenous Voices in 2024 America

Noah Kahan’s “Dial Drunk” and What Makes Country Music

Suggestions

Suggestions

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

Contributing Writer

University of Iowa English & Creative Writing

"Archie Wagner is a writer/playwright/essayist attending the University of Iowa as a sophomore. In their free time, they love attending theatre productions and experimenting with clown makeup."

University of Iowa
English & Creative Writing