The new show 'Mr. Robot' tackles hacker stereotypes, experts say Millennials are thin-skinned by adulthood, rules for writing meaningful apologies.
How immigration has shaped the presidential debate, from Reagan to Trump
Former President Ronald Reagan famously called for an "open border" between the US and Mexico, urging a step forward in the "recognition" of "mutual problems" between the two neighbors in order to pave the way for immigrants.
This, he said, would "make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit—and then while they’re working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back, they can go back."
But that came in 1984, during a debate with then-candidate George H. W. Bush.
Much has changed since then, proving how enduring – and how controversial – the immigration debate has become to the presidential race.
(US President and Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan addresses the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Dallas on August 23, 1984.)
Yesterday Jorge Ramos, a journalist with Univision, was thrown out of a press conference with Donald Trump, after challenging the Republican contender on his immigration policies. He later returned and asked the question.
Others from the GOP and Democratic fields have scrambled to weigh in – it's a topic that crosses party lines.
But how has immigration been taken up differently in past presidential elections? Are there constant themes?
We're joined by two guests:
Manuel Pastor, co-director of the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration at USC.
Erika Lee is the director of the Immigration Research History Center at the University of Minnesota, and author of "The Making of Asian America: A History."
2 WDBJ journalists shot, killed in Virginia
Two journalists were shot and killed on live television Wednesday morning in Virginia.
Reporter Alison Parker, 24, and photographer Adam Ward, 27, were mid-interview on WDBJ7 when shots were fired. Vester Lee Flanagan II, also known as Bryce Williams, is the suspected gunman.
The alleged gunman filmed the event and immediately posted footage of the attack to Twitter and Facebook. Libby Casey a Washington D.C. correspondent for Al Jazeera America covering the shooting says news and social media organizations are having to make decisions about what is right and respectful to show on air.
"This really brings us into a new social media moment of not just seeing fun and interesting things on social media but also people exploiting tragedy as well," Casey said.
The alleged gunman Vester Lee Flanagan, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
'Mr. Robot' season finale: Rami Malek on hearing voices, hacking and his crazy eyes
Note (and minor spoiler ahead): The season finale for "Mr. Robot" has been delayed a week following the shootings in Virginia this morning. In response, the official twitter account for " " tweeted, "The previously filmed season finale of Mr. Robot contains a graphic scene similar in nature to today’s tragic events in Virginia. Out of respect to the victims, their families and colleagues, and our viewers, we are postponing tonight’s episode. Our thoughts go out to all those affected during this difficult time."
Rami Malek used to skip out of his computer class in high school.
Which isn't noteworthy, except for the fact he's been playing hacker Elliot Alderson in the hit USA Network show "Mr. Robot" for a full season now. He recently had a chance to speak with Take Two's Alex Cohen about the show, which has been a runaway success.
"I didn't want to play the typical computer hacker. I wanted it to come off as very authentic, but at the same time, play against type," says Malek. "I looked at [Elliot] and I love the idea that there he was with his drug dealer and sleeping with her, and surrounded by a couple really attractive women in his life, though he was not able to have the human contact relationship he hoped to. But he wasn't someone who sat behind the monitor. He actually pushed himself beyond that."
"Mr. Robot" shirks the now-tired TV hacker trope of a Mountain Dew-drinking hermit for something different, and fans and critics seem to appreciate that.
As the season has moved along, Elliot, while compelling, has become less and less of a reliable narrator, forcing the audience to question what they think they know. The suspicion and paranoia are helped along by everything from Malek's voiceover (which we'll get to in a minute), to his outfit (something he's described as an urban combat uniform: black hoodie, jeans and boots), to his eyes.
"There are times when I look around and I'm, like, why can't my eyes just be a little bit smaller?" says Malek. The show relies on nuanced closeup shots of his face about as often as it does musical crescendo or plot twist.
Malek says given the tight framing of these shots, he's gotten a lot of feedback on how to act with his eyes:
"One director on the show 'The Pacific' I did, he kind of came up to me and took me away from the rest of the cast. I think he felt like he might be insulting me. And I don't know if it was an insult, but he said, 'Your eyes can get a bit big every once in a while. And I don't know if you see how close I am with the frame.' So, I think I started squinting after that in some scenes. And then the next director came on and he's like, 'We want to see your eyes! Why are you squinting?' And I'm like, 'I don't know how to control these quite yet!' But I'm getting the hang of it on this show."
"The fact that I have to contain it hones the performance even more, if that makes sense," Malek says.
Another staple of the show? The voice inside Elliot's head.
The voice serves as the main character's direct line of communication with the audience. And on the show it's Malek's voice that we hear, but on set it's a different story.
When he's acting, Malek has the voice of Production Assistant Sarah Block piped into his ear. She reads the narrated lines to him while they're filming so that he can react to them in real time.
Malek explains that they tried playing several voices over the ear piece, including his, but none of them made him feel what he needed to feel at the right time. So he took it upon himself to have impromptu auditions for the voice inside his head.
"There was one PA that came on that was a young guy... I never felt that a male voice was what I was looking for and what Elliot needed," Malek says. "I feel like for Elliot, to be his honest self, he needed someone he could confide in. This young lady and I got close working together. It was like someone I trusted having around."
To hear the entirety of the interview with Rami Malek and for more behind the scenes information, click on the audio link embedded at the top of the post.
Whether you love "Mr. Robot" or if you can't stand it, we'd love to hear from you in the comments, on or on Facebook.
Is being PC making Millennials thin-skinned?
Donald Trump and others have been talking a lot recently about politically correct speech, where certain phrases are avoided so as to not give offense. They argue that it's gone way too far.
But some say that there's one place where PC speech has gone to a worrying extreme: college campuses.
There are trigger warnings on classic literature, professors in fear of lawsuits and a tiptoeing around subjects like class. That makes for students who are being coddled from the frictions and conflicts in daily life. At least that's the view of Greg Lukianoff.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- , who wrote a piece about this topic for the Atlantic. He's also the CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a group which defends free speech on campus.
'Sorry I'm not sorry': The art of the (non) apology
When you're sorry but not really sorry, what happens? A judge tells you to do it again.
Last year, actress Daniele Watts was caught canoodling with her boyfriend in a parked car in Studio City, California.
Watts, who is black, pulled the race card with the responding police officer. She claimed the cops saw her and her boyfriend, who's white, and assumed she was a prostitute.
She eventually took a deal, pleading no contest to disturbing the peace. Part of that deal, though, was to write an apology letter to the officer. She did -- but it turns out the judge was not impressed. The judge ordered her to write a better one by Aug. 25.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
Lauren Bloom, author of the book, "The Art of the Apology."
Annabelle Gurwitch is excited to be 'breaking down a barrier' with Thurber nomination
The Thurber Prize for American Humor is the only official recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States.
The award is named after humorist James Thurber. Ever since the prize was first given out nearly 20 years ago, it's been given to male authors -- guys like Jon Stewart, Calvin Trillin and David Sedaris.
That will not be the case this year. The short list was announced Tuesday, and all three finalists are women.
is one of those finalists. She is also the author of the book, "I See You Made an Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50."
Gurwitch said she was at her computer when she heard the news.
"I just jumped up and I was like, 'Oh my God, this is so great!'" she said. "And then, I think I pulled an age muscle in my back, because at my age, I'm 53, you can't really do a jump for joy."
All jokes aside, Gurwitch said she is thrilled to be a part of history.
"It is exciting that I get to be a part of just this one, little piece of breaking down a barrier," she said.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.