British Elex, Hallmark Christmas Movies, Backcountry

Does Big Win for Boris Johnson and Conservatives Make Brexit a Sure Thing? (0:33) Guest: Joel Selway, PhD, professor of political science, BYU Britain’s parliament returned to work today with a new balance of power. The Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson just captured its biggest majority since the Margaret Thatcher era of 1980's. It’s a stunning election outcome after more than three years of political gridlock over Brexit. So what's next? Why People Love Cheesy Hallmark Christmas Movies Year After Year (18:06) Guest: Robert Thompson, Director of the Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture at Syracuse University By the time the holidays are over more than 80-million people will have watched a Hallmark Christmas movie. They’re so sappy and so predictable. Why are these formulaic romances such a hit for Hallmark at Christmas? What Happens When Companies Own Words? (37:32) Guest: Stephanie Plamondon Bair, Associate Professor of Law at BYU Law School Beyonce and Jay-Z have trademarked the names of their kids –Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir. The NFL owns the trademark for the term “Super Bowl.” And boxing announcer Michael Buffer trademarked his catchphrase "Let's get ready to rumble." Trademarking a name or phrase is one way to lock down competitive advantage in the US. The first thing a new company does is trademark its own name. But what happens when the name is an everyday word –like “Backcountry.” Outdoor retailer Backcountry.com recently had a customer boycott on its hands when it started going after other companies for using the word “backcountry.” Dr. Asperger and the Nazi Origins of Autism (50:36) Guest: Edith Sheffer, PhD, Senior Fellow at the Institute of European Studies, University of California, Berkeley, author of “Asperger’s Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna” More awareness of autism has led to much higher rates of diagnosis over the last 30 years. As many as one in 68 children in the US has autism, according to the CDC. There’s also a lot more awareness of t