Stranger Things

Stranger Things proves that we, as an audience, don’t want original stories due to the overhanging nostalgia, relatable characters and straightforward yet enticing plot within this internet-breaking Netflix original series.

The first season of Stranger Things is set in 1983. Throughout the series, the directors replicated the 80’s vibe. In turn, this meant no cellphones and spotty communication. The flow of the plot depended on this. For instance, use of walkie talkies was important for the communication of characters. It aesthetically gave the nostalgic effect, but also allowed the writers to easily manipulate what information characters would obtain. In Season 1, the use of the walkie talkie was important in finding Will. Eleven was capable of using the walkie talkie to attempt to at least talk to will. A few times, Will responded through crackling feedback. This was just enough to give the audience hope that Will was still alive. In Season 2, Dustin announced over the talkies that there was a “code red,” referring to the growth of the polliwog into a demi-dog. None of the characters heard the code red, leaving Dustin to ask Steve for help as a last resort. This lead Steve to become the “mom” of the kids throughout the rest of the story. The talkies are constantly referenced and show up at least every other episode if not every single one. More-so than the walkie talkies, the kids themselves are a huge reminder of this overhanging nostalgia. Their clothing style and general way of living is spot on with how it was in the 80’s. From biking as their main mode of transportation, to collecting quarters just so they could go to the arcade, Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas were prime examples of the freespirited living as an 80’s kid. Seeing as every aspect of this film is created with the intent of replicating an era, it takes away from its originality. But the familiar feel of the 80’s is what many people love the most about Stranger Things.

Seeing as the main audience for Stranger Things is millennials, many of the characters were made to be relatable in some way. The kids, Mike, Will, Lucas and Dustin are prime example of this. These kids are a part of the AV club at their middle school. In class, they’re front row, ready to learn. They are utterly true to themselves regardless of what other people think. Alas, they’re considered “lame” or “outsiders” due to their difference in interests. I feel like that resinates in everyone in at least some way shape or form. We all have that one thing about us that makes us unlike everyone else, no matter if it’s “lame” or not. Incorporating this close to home concept draws the audience in, creating an empathetic love for these characters. This empathy has been done time and time again. Take “Perks of Being a Wallflower” as an example of this. In the book, Charlie, Sam, and other main characters are relentlessly themselves. No if ands or buts. As you read, you can’t help but put yourself in their shoes. Another very relatable character within Stranger Things is Joyce. Joyce is the mother of Will, the kid who went missing. Joyce never for a second even thought about giving up on Will. Although it was confusing and frightening, Joyce blindly put the puzzle pieces together bit by bit until she found her son. She didn’t care what she had to do or how crazy she’d become, she would stop at nothing to get her son back. This relates to me personally as Joyce reminds me very much of my boyfriend, Ian’s, mother, Mary. Similarily to the Joyce we saw in the first episode of Stranger Things, Mary is completely and utterly invested in Ian’s life. She kept every drawing, every photo and cherishes every moment with him even to this day. She’s a very spiritual person as well. If Ian were in Will’s shoes, I know for a fact that Mary would have done very similar things. This made watching Season 1 even more heartwrenching. Watching a character so similar to a human being I know in real life really brought the story to life for me. These unoriginal yet relatable concept pulls at those heartstrings, creating an immersive connection with the text.

Many credit Stranger Things for being the best original story of our time. But as I’ve come to learn, the plot line is anything but original. As we discussed in class, the Hero’s Journey is embedded in this thriller series. The tv show begins with Eleven being introduced to the “Ordinary World.” The audience didn’t know it yet, but El had escaped from Hawkins Lab and wandered astray into a restaurant where she simply was looking for food. This introduction to El was sympathetic in a way that the audience could relate to before they found out she had superhuman powers. As more people began disappearing, and as El’s powers became known, the “Call to Action” became for El to somehow help save the town. The “Refusal to the Call” occurred when El and the other kids were wandering on the railroad tracks, following the compass to the magnetic field their professor told them about. El used her powers to deter the kids away from the source due to fear of what may happen. Skipping to the second Season, El “Meets the Mentor.” After getting into a large fight with Hopper, El decided to run away and find her mother, Terry Ives. Meeting Mama was a major turning point for El. She learned what had actually happened after birth and why Mama was no longer able to speak. Mama up to this point in the show was only able to utter the words: Breathe, Sunflower, Three to the Right, Four to the Left, Rainbow, 450. El decided to used her powers to attempt to talk to Mama. El found out what these words meant. ’Breathe’ is the one word Terry remembers from giving birth to Jane and ‘sunflowers’ were the first thing she saw after waking up from childbirth. After a few years, Terry found enough information and thought of a way to get her daughter back. ’Three to the Right, Four to the left’ referenced the combo to a safe where Mama grabbed a gun which she used to get her daughter back. The room Jane was in was marked with a ‘rainbow.’ As Terry entered the rainbow room, Jane was there, sitting next to a tan young women. After being caught trying to leave with her daughter, Terry was brought to a room where they pumped ‘450’ volts of electricity into her brain. El was quite obviously shocked to find what happened to her mother. So she then made it her next mission to find the other girl from the rainbow room. Which she did by using her powers. El found Kali in Chicago. Kali is another superhuman like El. But unlike El, Kali has taken the time to master her trade. As they reunite, Kali taught El everything she knew, leaving El with a new understanding of her own capabilities. After a complete ‘bitchin’ makeover including slicked back hair and thick black eyeliner, El “Crossed the Threshold” and swore she would never leave her sister again. That vow was short lived after El joined Kali and her gang on a mission. Kali and her team were ‘vigilantes.’ They sought out and killed those who had done wrong to them. This time, they sought out and planned to kill the man that used electric shock therapy on El’s mother. Yet when it came time to murder him, El used her powers to keep Kali from shooting the man. Only then did El realize that her friends needed her. And thus she started “the Road Back” where she returned to Hawkins and saved the town, at least for now. This Netflix Original is a prime example of how we as an audience, don’t want original stories due to the reminiscent 80’s vibe, empathy for characters with real-life struggles and the unmistakable hero’s journey within Stranger Things.

*que theme music*

Thesis

Stranger Things proves that we, as an audience, don’t want original stories due to the overhanging nostalgia, relatable characters and straightforward yet enticing plot within this internet-breaking Netflix original series. 

wtf even is reality

Much like Memento, this episode of Black Mirror questions reality. The main character, Cooper, runs away from his problems with his mother by traveling the world while he claims he still can. The morning after a one-night-stand, he finds out that his credit card info was stolen, leaving him with insufficient funds to fly home. Instead of calling his mother, he makes a beeline for Sonja's help and contemplates how he'll get some cash. After searching on a job-finder app, he finds an "adrenaline junkie" opportunity at Shou Saito's gaming organization. Saito, Sonja shares, is a colossal gaming virtuoso who has been very cryptic about his most recent venture. On the off chance that Cooper could sneak a photograph of the diversion, he'd have the ability to sell it for truckloads of money. What could turn out badly?

Long story short, this gaming company implanted a "Mushroom" into the back of Cooper's neck which installed a type of virtual reality program into his brain. The first game cooper played was a round of whack-a-mole. He was then taken to a replica mansion from a video game where he was to play another game as a test. There he came face to face with his worst fears. Later he went home to his mother only to find that she couldn't see or hear him. After calling her name, he screamed "mom" one last time. The camera cut to the original white room where the mushroom was first planted. It turns out, more than half the episode didn't actually happen. Cooper died 0.04 seconds after the implant. But his brain experienced eventful and detailed days. So just because it happened in his mind, and not in physical reality, does that neccisarily mean it isn't "reality?"

Cognition is only an observation. There is no way to prove that organisms are cognitive unless we observe them to be so. The cognitive state of thinking can be simplified as a freedom; we can think what we want when we want, of course, this then has its limits. We as humans can only be cognitive in knowing what we have experienced or observed. We will never know exactly what we don't know unless it is presented to us. What we see, hear and do in our current cognitive state is our interpretation of reality, this just means that my reality is not the same as anyone else. Knowing this, we can assume that there is no proof of physical reality being "real" as life is still just an observation.

Augmented reality is also an observation, the only difference from actual reality is we are mentally aware that it isn't "real." Augmented reality doesn't create a new layer of cognition; it simply adds elements to the current observational world. This doesn't affect how we think, other than what we observe, and how we observe it. In augmented reality, we will pick out irregularities. These irregularities are normally (with current technology) easy to spot and point out. When Computers allow for an augmented reality that is super real, we as humans will have to be able to make conscious decisions about where, who, and what we are doing.

Hyperreality is something that happens quite often in everyday life. Consider dreams, when THC is released in the brain; you have a stimulus that can affect your sense of time and space. When you dream, the amount of time that passes in real life, VS. The amount of time that passed in your dream is entirely different. Seconds in real life can feel like hours in the dream state.

Monsters!

A Monster is a creature at first, only upon second consideration is it something more. The creature can come in any shape or form, but it definitely is a creature. A monster also doesn't have to be scary, we think of aliens as monsters and aliens are often portrayed as humanoid figures. As people we think monsters are almost any creature out of the norm. If anything out of normality is monstrous than you can be lead to assume almost anything is monstrous depending on the perspective of the individual who's making the judgment or observation. Cohen is just as aware that the monster is also a reflection of the normal. He says that “the monster’s body quite literally incorporates fear, desire, anxiety, and fantasy” These are all things that the “normal” human experiences. Thus, the vision we have as humans of a monster is actually just the reflection of the human fear of experiencing emotion. The monster is chaos in a sense, a lack of control even. This lack of knowledge or control can be found then in dark places, places that smell weird, unfamiliar sounds, and the continuous feeling of being small. The Thesis  “The Monster Always Escapes” resonates the most with me. Fear, which is a common feeling within humans, is not always common in a day in, day out world of daily commonalities. The irregularity of a monster then throws us off, it brings up emotions humans aren’t normally used to. Fear, anxiety, and paranoia are constant in an environment when you don't feel safe. When you are surrounded by unknown, and feel vulnerable, this is when the monster strikes. The question is when will the monster strike? Most of the time in modern society it wont, it is only in war when true monsters strike. If the monster is a reflection of reality and it never escapes, its because we as humans are always paranoid that some day, some time, we will have a lack of control. This lack of control is a monster strike. No matter how or when the strike happens, there is always the possibility of it happening again. Life is full of surprises, good and bad, and the monster is just another variable. We create monsters because they push us forward. Innovation is the product of necessity. In the same way that we need driving forces in the world, we need fear. To truly operate at maximum capacity and efficiency we need motivation. This motivation can come from good, bad, and everything in-between, but most of all, humans get motivation from there offspring. The children we have will eventually have to experience similar emotions and monsters as we have, and this cycle is when the monster never leads and in turn why we are the monsters.  

Don’t Threaten Me With A... Rock Lobster?

The late 70’s band, the B-52’s, was an icon for the genre of new wave music. Their hit song “Rock Lobster” caused their quick launch to success. This song begins with a funky bass-line that is embedded in the minds of all baby boomers (and at least one millennial.) Now, I’ve always been a huge fan of the band Panic! At The Disco. This pop punk band is known for catchy riffs and the wide range of their lead male singer, Brendon Urie. Panic released their most recent album titled “Death of a Bachelor” in 2016. The second song on this album is called “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time.” The second I heard it, I knew they had copied the same riff from “Rock Lobster” with one or two very minor changes. At first I was rather upset that they had ripped off such a classic song. But now I’ve come to realize that literally everything is derived from copies, copies and more copies.   With bands of the 70’s like The Pretenders, Sex Pistols, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, the B-52’s reached a very wide audience with their strange yet enticing post-punk vibes. What made Rock Lobster a hit was its ability to bring people together. With unusual lyrics and a fun upbeat tempo, the song allowed individuals to lose their inhibitions on the dance floor. No matter who you were or how well you could dance, it was a song of pure harmless fun mixed with silly dance moves like “the lawn mower.” There was something riveting about being able to get on the floor and dance like no one was watching. Hence why The Electric Slide and The Cupid Shuffle became so popular. Anyone and everyone could dance to it. Panic! At The Disco had quite a different take on the riff. Similarly to Rock Lobster, Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time was about, as the title states, having a good time. But not necessarily in the same light-hearted way. The lyrics of the first verse are “Who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear. No liquor left on the shelf. I should probably introduce myself.” Brendon Urie released a statement saying that this song was written based on the craziest party he had been to. It becomes pretty clear that this song is more about millennial party culture. The iconic Rock Lobster riff was transformed in Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time to relate more to the young adults of 2016.

Fetish

When you hear the word “Fetish” what comes to mind? Everything sexual right? Well, the dictionary has two definitions for “fetish.” One: a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc. Or, two: an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit. Selena Gomez’ hit Fetish, lyrically seems to be another sex-filled pop hit. But the music video tells a different story. Fetish was directed by one of Gomez’ close friends, Petra Collins. Collins previous work is known for its ethereal, dreamlike nature and focus on femininity. Between the two, I believe they created a beautiful metaphor for the very dirty, gross, and weird love you can have towards someone. The first thing Collins reveals to the audience is low-high shot of a lush cherry blossom branch obstructing the view of the sun. The camera begins to pan down revealing a few more branches and a quiet neighborhood street. Flashes of what seems to be hands running across wet skin disrupt the airy scene. As the camera levels, we watch Gomez walk down the street in a casual pale yellow dress and white sneakers, carrying grocery bags. White smoke bellows from a car in the distance as if it had crashed. The camera cuts to a tight shot of Gomez singing towards the sun, her hand shielding her eyes from it, casting a prominent shadow. The camera cuts again to a kitchen counter with a broken wine glass. Gomez reaches for the glass and slowly, as if hypnotized, puts a broken shard in her mouth. With some aesthetically pleasing b-roll, we then follow Gomez slightly stumbling into a kitchen with her groceries. A close up of Gomez tying yarn around her tongue flashes. We then see Gomez picking peaches from a tree. As we enter back into the kitchen, we watch Gomez throw her grocery bags against the wall in anger. From this point forward, the audience is filled with shot after shot of strange things. From her tearing her tights with wide eyes, to her using an eyelash curler as far back on her tongue as she can go, it becomes clear that Gomez is crazed over the love she sings about. Returning to the kitchen once again, she turns on the sink and falls to the floor in dance, reaching for the water, knocking things over and pulling at her dress. During the bridge of the song Gomez enters a large freezer filled with peaches. The frost on her hair is almost angelic. Gomez gracefully wanders the frozen room picking up peaches, rolling on the frosted floor and singing to the camera with an expression that screams insanity. Between these freezer shots, we see her do more weird things like eat lipstick, soap and glass. The film ends with Gomez against a frosted wall. The places she had touched left marks in the frost, looking almost like angel wings. She turns around to face the camera and laughs as it fades to black. Selena sings “You got a fetish for my love. I push you out and you come right back. Don’t see a point in blaming you. If I were you, I'd do me too.” It becomes quite clear that Selena is pushing the meaning behind a “fetish.” Her love interest is so infatuated with her that it becomes a type of sick obsession. An irresistible force that can cause insanity. The only question is, is this insanity for him or because of him? Are the things she does in this film a form of dedication to their love, or is this the result of loving him in the first place? The grainy, faded, Petra Collins aesthetic makes even the most bizarre of Gomez’ actions look beautiful, until you realize that she is grinding lipstick into her teeth, eating soap and using an eyelash curler on her tongue. This prominent contrast is definitely intentional. The romanticization of such strange things emphasize how fetishizing a partner isn't necessarily healthy. The strange way Gomez puts things in her mouth and spits them back out mimics the push and pull in relationships. In a more literal sense, putting shards of broken wine glass in her mouth or tying string around her tongue is evoking a genuine addiction to inedible objects. This behavior does exist, and it has a medical diagnosis called pica. Which leads the viewer to believe that this really is one fucked up, mental illness causing type of love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STO4-8vkG0U

You Say You Want a Devolution

In the article, “You Say You Want a Devolution,” Kurt Anderson talks about the problem with stagnation through embracing and holding onto the past. I agree with his viewpoint. History repeats itself, just in different variations. Take Hollywood film culture for example. What once were original, staggering blockbusters are now high budget yet poorly scripted remakes of films like Spiderman or Star Trek. It has become more about what is most aesthetically entertaining, what draws a larger audience and what makes the most money than what is good literature. Millennials were taught in a way that mildly effected the idea of work ethic. Back in the 50s and 60s, teens would go to school and work hard laboring factory jobs. Nowadays, teens are working retail or food services. And in my humble opinion, they don’t do very well at their jobs. It has now become more about what is easiest. What is the simplest way to make money and fast. We were once a society of hard work and craftsmanship. Going the extra mile was done for satisfaction. Yet now people can't even see a foot in front of them. Anderson clearly concludes that this cyclical state we are in will either fall away as we break from the cycle and move on to great things, or we may be stuck on this mary-go-round of social and economical decline. I believe that we are stuck, for now. We are still adapting to the new technologies that have been presented to us within the past 30 years. Some may say that these devices and new world wide web interfaces have deprived us from living in the “real world.” I believe that these technologies are here to push us forward into a new world. A futuristic world filled with communication, ergonomic design and optimal societal changes. In time, and in the hands of the people that have finally looked away from their tiny glowing screens, the best is yet to come.