In an alternate universe where animals speak and live amongst humans, a horse with depression and substance abuse problems lives in Hollywood. Bojack Horseman, a 50-year-old, has-been television star from the 90’s messily deals with life in a way that was surprisingly relatable for me, given our obvious differences.
Originally, this article was supposed to be about my Marvel movie marathon this past quarantine. However, I had a separate movie marathon going on at the same time that I realized might be more profound to write about. My dad (who went to Fordham as well) decided to show me some of his favorite movies over the years. After a few weeks, I noticed many of them followed similar themes and related a lot to some current events.
Gen Z loves Sex and the City, despite all the principal characters being the same age as our mothers. Well, two Zoomers do at least, but even with our love, we can’t overlook how wildly problematic some of its episodes are, no matter how much one of us (Andrew) clings to the Woke Charlotte instagram page.
[Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when Covid-19 attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop the quarantine boredom, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. Twelve years after the show’s finale, Netflix discovered the Avatar, an Airbender named Aang. Since May 2020, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has been available to stream on Netflix. I believe that Aang can save quarantine.]
I’m sure by now that many of you are familiar with that recent op-ed that appeared in the New York Times about how New York City is dead, that all the scenes and places that used to be so vibrant are now empty, and people can’t go to their favorite brunch places. All the clubs are closed, nobody is out anymore, it is a ghost town.
Last evening I finally took it upon myself to watch Whiplash, the 2014 Oscar winning film about an obsessed jazz drummer and his borderline psychotic music conductor. I realize I’m a little late to the film game here but I have a lot more free time now as it so happens. One of the biggest lines from the movie that sticks out to me is J.K. Simmons’ character’s line: “The two most harmful words in the English language are good job.”
In the Year of Our Lord 2020, a diffuse understanding of what constitutes “media” has increasingly flooded the world with easily consumable content—Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, Disney+, and others create and distribute online television and movies, while the traditional Hollywood studio system works frantically to keep pace with its nimble digital competitors. Alongside cable television, this triumvirate of mainstream content-makers contends with the proliferation of media that has arisen in recent years—podcasts, fringe websites, talk radio, YouTube, social media. With a camera and microphone nestled neatly in your pocket, one can create, edit, and distribute content of any kind with ease—and the cultural impact, like the technology that enables it, is rapidly evolving.
Recently, a phenomenon has emerged where the phrase and concept “mental health” has become a popular method to gain clout for both celebrities and wannabe celebrities. As society has become a slightly more accepting place for people struggling with their mental health, rappers and singers, as well as TV and film, have tried to use this heightened societal focus for clout.
Those of you who know me are probably aware of the fact that I’m a massive Batman fan. I grew up watching the animated series, dressing up, and reading stories about Batman. So naturally one of my favorite villains, if not my favorite, has been the Joker. Completely devoid of morality or any sense of human decency, the Joker causes chaos and mayhem wherever he goes, pissing off Batman and driving him ever closer to the edge. One of the reasons I think the Joker makes such a good villain is that he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He is just this being of pure evil that has no regard for any of his actions and how they affect people.
