Something I'd like to see more with movies involving poverty is lack of food and financial literacy. I've gone through poverty and the biggest thing that stuck with me was baloney sandwiches at every meal. How people in poverty can't escape it because they weren't taught how to handle their money. We lived paycheck to paycheck, sometimes doing something fun despite not having the money for it. It's stupid but that's what poverty does. Makes money a key to happiness and a constant source of anxiety on top of the responsibilities to keep yourself off the streets. It's something I struggle with as an adult. Another thing I'd like to see is a more realistic beauty from this aesthetic. I've met plenty of women in poverty and they don't look like Vouge, but they're beautiful because they don't try like a model or an A-List actress. It's also how real people are.
About 30 minutes ago I clicked on this video wondering "why did they make Rue black for the movies?" I read the books in middle school, and I completely missed the detail. The things you say about how racist people think are all true. Even when I clicked on this video, I was assuring myself that I have no problem with Rue being black; This is despite the fact that my own racial biases prompted me to click the video in the first place. As a little girl I was taught to be racist by my family. Though they're not willing to admit it, im sure most other white people are as well. As a white person I'm afraid of being judged by those of other races when I speak about racial issues. I beleive the concept of 'political correctness' is born out of this fear. Living in ignorance (which is of course no excuse) we cant help but express the values we hold to people of color. When they push back, we are confused. To maintain some sense of control we tell ourselves the other is too sensitive and that we must filter ourselves for them. It's this evil that allows us to maintain the status quo. I want to thank you for making this video. It has taken me a lot of work to admit these things to myself, and in no way to I think my journey of self exploration is over. Even though I can see this pattern and this system, I still find the voice in my head saying things I don't want to beleive anymore. Your video has entered my life at the most perfect time, perhaps the first time im my life when I would be able to interact with it with any authenticity. I'm going to choose to see it as fate. Like in The Alchemist: "Maktub"
You know despite all Euphoria's issues I always liked Rue in a different way. Even if Zendaya herself is beautiful in ways that tick off conventional boxes the character is often more disheveled and not in this constant state of tears. And at her core under all the makeup and lighting you can tell that she is actually a character based off real experiences. The only damn character in the show that feels real except for when Hunter Schafer got to write for Jules. Some of her monologues in S1 were at least kind of similar to how I've described my own drug use, in words or in "attitude". Though the bar is low in most stories out there. I probably had similar upbringing to you in terms of status. I didn't really realize until I was older how close we were to the brink at times. This _does_ mean that we always had enough to never truly fall over the edge like some have, so I wouldn't call it poverty, but wealthy it was not. But for the most part it was a childhood. There was still fun, there were still friends. In the Heights is another work with many flaws, but I always had to give it props for being a story of struggling working class people that has very little suffering. They're just living. I wouldn't mind more of that even if it doesn't bait the Academy.
I was very poor, in brazil,, what makes even harder being poor. i remember dreaming about make up, I wanted to use so bad but my parents had no money. I only had access to one cheap gloss. Seing this actress is so out of place.
I think real horror based on Catholicism is most effective when it's written by someone who grew up that way. As well as that, no two forms of Catholicism are the same- Irish Catholicism, Italian Catholicism, and Spanish Catholicism are all different even though their key beliefs are the same. I think a lot more should be done with the idea of cultural Catholicism and the horror that stems from fanaticism and religious hysteria rather than "ooh spooky exorcism!!", because I think in many ways it's played out.
It makes no sense the original writer (or adapter) and producer made such a terrible prequel that creates huge plot hole in the first movie. The whole point of Annette is because Sebastian had never had someone like her before; both Virgin and she shared some feelings. Yes, he was turned down by Danielle, but he has some sort of connection with her from his perspective. That renders his relationship and motivations in CI complete obsolete. I also think Kathryn is from money, the gold-digging mum comment could've meant anything and I took it to be either be a mother who marries rich for the lifestyle and what it gives her daughter (so at some point she could've been a commoner but probably when she was like 3). They don't say how many times she's been married. OR her mother is the Lily type from Gossip Girl. Always had money and just married rich guys to keep her wealth because she spent stupidly, and again, for her legacy. I can't expect someone of the Valmont old money wealth to marry someone poor. Plus, other families like Cecile's understand Kathryn's standing in society, so that makes her also think she came from money; she never would've earned the rich's respect without it.
I have always wanted to make a RU-vid video essay about this pattern but could never, so I’m so glad someone is bringing it up! Here are some other things; When you actually take the time to read The Virgin Suicides you notice that it’s from the point of view from a boy (maybe the movie is too idk never watched it). They talk about how tragically beautiful and mysterious the sisters appear in school after the DEATH of their little sister. Not once do they see them as anything but beautiful and the personification of desire, even years after the actual story takes place. They see their shiny hair, their deep eyes, the lips. Just like all those Lana del Rey “beautifully and effortlessly tragic” girls online are doing. By taking how beautiful they seem in pain and seemingly connecting with it at such a young age then getting to the understanding that “oh this is what beauty and girlhood is like” it really does lead to idolizing mental illness. For example yeah Lux in The Virgin Suicides was beautiful and skinny and was deemed as alluring and mysterious to the boys in the neighborhood towards the end of the book, but she was living a depressing and self destructive life by inviting men older than her to have sex in the attic of her home because her father forbad her and her sisters from coming out. I imagine that media such as The Virgin Suicides wanted to depict the outside view of these pretty girls in such dark times to show the unconscious objectification of women by men who don’t really care to see and understand what a woman is going through and focus on how she looks. And I’m afraid that people misinterpreted such message and are doing exactly what the boys are doing in the book, seeing how pretty they are and only focusing on that.
The simple truth is that they can switch up when poverty is no longer their "aesthetic". I would really like to see a rich person actually have to live through any of Emimem's, Kendrick Lamar's, Tupac's, or J. Cole's songs like Rock Bottom, Drug Ballad, Drank, or M.A.A.D City. Even though these songs are pretty popular, I believe that rich people can't relate to them and just see them as regular songs while people who can relate see and empathize with the lyrics more than a wealthy person ever could.
another thing is this actress' face is so STIFF and she gives no facial expression in her performance. i feel like she's one of those actors that can't let go of their ego and make some raw, emotionally telling facial expressions when they act because they want to look glamourous.
i cant stop looking at her perfect nose job and botox forehead and beautiful blonde double process (and perfect skinny body)--she's perfect looking for a struggling impoverished young woman with no disposable income!!!! no sugar daddy, no rich boyfriend, not even a drug dealer, but she looks like a high class escort who's HIGHLY taken care of. its so distracting!!!!!
Was not expecting to hear the name of my hometown of Long Island to be mentioned in the beginning. Never heard of that instance in Walmart but it doesn't surprise me one bit
I don’t understand the point about black girls sadness not being romanticised the same way on TikTok… like whose fault is that? I don’t engage with these spaces on social media so I can’t speak from direct experience, but I just think it’s weird to criticise “suicidal ideation” for not being inclusive enough?? If you are feeling sad and you want to make an edit of a character that you relate to then go and do that … But in my personal opinion I don’t think it’s a cultural problem and if anything surely that’s a good thing. Why would you aspire to want to be more sad and depressed ?
I mean it in a constructive way, although if someone wants to come at my throught, please do. This video could have been 5 sentences. It doesn't help when you repeat the same thing with different words. Sometimes, when the subject is thin, it's alright to make a shorter video but keep the time of substance
Astute observation. A24 took a page from Miramax, viral internet culture and "indie" and blended it into a unique brand. As a company grows, that brand loyalty gets tested. Most people recall who directed these movies. Believe me, the press tours they make are cult-like events. Anyone born a certain era knows it's not new, branding is business. Eveything A242 does is carefully considered, strategized, they know their audience and that's why they're so good at marketing...themselves.
"I just want to pause for a second to say that this movie becoming a favorite for ultra right conservatives is so funny. How can people who consider the idea of wokeness to be a major flaw in society un-ironically enjoy a movie where the recurring theme is that people are asleep to the atrocities of the world and that they need to wake up, that they need to stay woke. You can't make this shit up, I swear" Because things have changed since the 80's, when the ultra right was in charge. Now the ultra left is running things just as badly as the ultra right did, and we're being forced to pretend that men are women, Islamic terrorists are good guys, and that all white people are the bad guy no matter what the situation is.
Would've thought that a movie called "The American Society of *Magical Negroes* " went hard on the social commentary. Just assumed it's named after the Spike Lee talks and the trope, so it's inseparable from such discussion, imo. It's not fun and games, but an adaptation of N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth could be cool.
I just love how the character of Lola has perfect teeth and translucent skin. Looking like that costs a small fortune. No one living in poverty is that put together and flawless. Trust me, I actually do know..
my thing is i wouldn’t give a shit if they used poverty as an aesthetic. if the look of being poor was actually trendy, it could really help with destigmatization. the issue, i think, is that they never want the aesthetic of ACTUAL poverty. they want the look of a cute bleach blonde trailer park babe with a baby on her hip smoking a cigarette, or the starving artist who lives in a studio apartment. they don’t want the bad skin, bad teeth, not being able to bathe due to lack of running water, greasy patchy dyed hair. they want to steal the few parts of our looks that are pretty while still looking down on us for being dirty and broke. i wouldn’t care at all about appropriation if it wasn’t still paired with judgement and looking down on those less fortunate.
Yep …Peltz Beckham gives an empty blank expression when we should be expecting something from her; something that helps define her or give us some indication of who she is but instead we get very little which gives the film a laborious slow quality that does not help to propel the narrative forward. She is lovely to look at but sadly we don’t learn much about her like you say a blank slate that is never filled in for us - such a shame.
portraying sad women like that is very detrimental to women's image and self-esteem, it's sending the wrong message in the end, "well you're pretty and this is all we can see no matter what you're going through what we care about the most is your looks, you can be in pain inside it's ok you look good anyways" like it(s your only value and it's enough according to society; and also "your struggle is worth showing (in an artsy way) because you look good"
You could just spend three months in a shelter run by Christians where you can’t even talk to the other sex. You have no money, two pairs of pants, three shirt, one is your uniform for the job you have to work, two sweaters either professional or church-worthy, one pair of shoes that you can use for work or church, and a handful of socks, underwear and bras. They could kick you out for missing the corner of the comforter unfinished and on the top of the bed, and rather, than recognize a psychotic break, or a mood swing, you’re kicked out for not cooperating. I got kicked out for being manic. You have to turn in your cellphone, save all your money to show the shelter except for 10% you get to have per week. You don’t qualify for food stamps because of you not having any “expenses.” The fresh fruit is rotten, and it’s stale soda and fried chicken or a do-gooder god-fearing casserole made of chicken. You either work your low profile job, like in fast food, where they won’t care if you were forced to get up at 5am and just don’t have anything more than a body and a voice to offer them, because I’m just like fast food. In shelters you have to do everything fast.
I wrote an essay about Sean bakers tangerine and the story for the film came through conversations he had with the films two main actors who he met while touring the area. They were amateur actors at a local community theatre group I think. They also had a big part in the dialogue etc. I think that’s why his films carry so much more weight. However he is a Zionist and posts lots of pro Israel content on his twitter and instagram :/ had to unfollow
Something i've noticed is that in every movie about lower class women is that they always come to a point where they become stripper when we know that, in reality, litteraly one person out of 50 do it. most of them find job that's are shamed by rich people or that rich people don't even think exist. i believe that a lot of writers don't talk about it because they are appart of this upperclass socitey and don't realize does job even exist sometimes.
Hey a24 greenlit hazbin hotel so definitely not just a horror company lol people just have zero media literacy cause it’s starting to become obsolete. Not because it’s not needed but because companies bank on our “illiteracy”
I saw a famous actor’s band play back in 2019 at a small, dive-y venue and he called himself “poor” on stage, while wearing ratty clothing, obviously trying to “relate” with his audience, and he complained about the Kardashians. I said to my friend after the show, “But his net worth is over $1m and he has a home in LA and London??”
i am a huge A24 fan not because of the horror, but the fact that they produce unique ideas. in a world of soulless reboots and prequels A24 is a sanctuary of individuality. they are able to promote talented directors, actors, and ideas that may have never made it in other production houses. those directors and their ideas are what make the company successful
Emerald Fennel- named due to her ridiculously wealthy gem dealer father’s fortune and associated privilege- had a life of private education then Oxford, acting roles and publishing deals from social connections makes a film using a dear friend’s massive mansion as a location and essentially has a plot about a devious ‘lower class’ person wanting to rob, screw or eat the rich. I found Saltburn (in spite of some good performances) depressingly shallow and two dimensional for a similar cosplaying cluelessness about actual poverty or actual middle class people or what ‘real’ people think of the self-aggrandising spoiled children of the super wealthy.
