The trailer for our new book, Simply Platonish, is here! Simply Platonish is now available on Amazon/Kindle. For more details: https://mediacritiquechic.com/simplyplatonish/
Spotify Video Podcast Version: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0L6MeCXGmi4MZRPyBrryXN?si=592a9e631196434c
YouTube Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSS9_9-NWWo
Music: Town by BeCorbal from Pixabay
Graphics by Canva
Narrated by Patricia Morency
Social Critiques from a Comedy Freak Perspective. In this episode, Borderline Latina tackles the age-old question: "are humans truly good?" Using an example from a 2022 Netflix film and other classic fairy tales, she discusses how aiming for goodness can deter folks from having difficult conversations for social change. Through the journey, she gets us to wonder whether we should strive for goodness or aim to be simply human.
The School for Good and Evil (2022, Netflix)
Opening quote: https://www.magicalquote.com/moviequotes/i-dont-believe-that-anyone-is-truly-good-or-truly-evil/
If you love Media Critique Chic's content, then you wanna read my novel, Simply Platonish. Order the new second edition now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/jlhHWea
Book info: Not quite love. Not quite friendship. Not quite sure.
Pia is a 30-something who appears to have it all: a basic job, a tiny apartment, and a lifelong subscription to student loans. But during a virtual college reunion, one notification wrecks her peace—her two closest college friends, Jacq and Ethan, are now married. The audacity! And maybe—just maybe—she had feelings for one of them. What kind of feelings? She’s not so sure—she’s never been so sure.
What follows is a sharp, awkward, and surprisingly tender rewind through her college years, where Pia, a first-gen student and a second-gen immigrant, tried to make sense of race, identity, and complicated interracial friendship dynamics… all while navigating a closeness that didn’t quite fit into the categories she’d been taught.
With biting humor and bittersweet nostalgia, Simply Platonish explores the blurry lines between platonic and romantic, the weight of belonging, and what it means to come of age—again—in retrospect.
More information: https://mediacritiquechic.com/simplyplatonish/
Social Critiques from a Comedy Freak Perspective. In this episode, Borderline Latina talks about her challenging, ongoing journey toward self-enlightenment within social justice education and how it’s shaped by the media. More specifically, she explores why it is unproductive for liberals and conservatives to talk s**t about each other and how progress should include taking a critical look at one's biases, including herself. Resource: Exposing Liberal Hypocrisy and Conservative Close-Mindedness | Van Jones | Big Think: https://youtu.be/zFfWv0EnHQw
"When it comes to kid’s shows, Disney and Nickelodeon dominate the stage. These two networks together have produced some of the most memorable and greatest children’s shows of all time. Even though they are both in the children’s market, they are in many ways very different from one another. One of the most notable ways is in their depiction of romance and dating..."
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mediacritiquechic.com/2016/06/27/disney-vs-nickelodeon-the-kissing-rule/
Social Critiques from a Comedy Freak Perspective. In this episode, Borderline Latina Takes Over the concept of small talk and smashes it to the ground ‘cause she’s not about that mess. She challenges the necessity of social conventions that force people to behave in ways that may not align with their true feelings or inclinations. She also challenges the concept of niceness and its implied nature of always making others comfortable. Resources: https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Social_convention https://introvertdear.com/news/why-its-okay-for-introverts-to-keep-to-themselves-at-work/
Social Critiques from a Comedy Freak Perspective. In this episode, Borderline Latina talks about why she hates compulsory New Year's Resolutions despite them being the inspiration for this episode. She tosses them out the window and instead comments on the importance of maintaining meaning in life outside of work that may or may not exist within societal norms, particularly for those who are unmarried and/or don't have children. Because we exist too, dammit, and our life paths are valid. Resources/References https://www.thecut.com/amp/2021/12/the-death-of-the-new-years-resolution.html https://ifstudies.org/blog/finding-meaning-in-modern-america https://medium.com/awkwardly-honest/the-purpose-of-your-life-is-not-to-find-a-soulmate-4ef699a6a37b https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201608/taking-single-life-seriously?amp https://m.timesofindia.com/life-style/relationships/7-reasons-why-there-is-more-to-life-than-marriage/the-real-accomplishment/photostory/64508250.cms https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_bias_of_professionalism_standards# https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/09/self-objectification-work/620246/
"After watching Raw for the first time, I began to think about how comedy has changed over the past 30 years. While comedy is heavily influenced by politics and by culture, there are also many jokes about sex and relationships..." This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mediacritiquechic.com/2017/11/11/top-4-jokes-from-eddie-murphys-raw-that-have-changed-in-meaning-today/
"The OWN channel released the news that it would not be renewing the show, It’s Not You, It’s Men, for a second season. The primetime talk show was hosted by actor/singer Tyrese and rapper/reality star Rev Run. The male hosts attempted to explore the reason behind women’s (particularly Black women’s) unsatisfactory love and sex lives. By looking at just the title..."
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mediacritiquechic.com/2016/09/17/its-not-you-its-men-gender-roles-in-relationships/
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mediacritiquechic.com/2016/07/17/big-brother-18-negotiating-consent-and-boundaries-within-a-reality-show/
"This season of CBS’ Big Brother is full of new game twists, rioting teams, and returning contestants. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Big Brother is a reality game show in which a group of people live together in a secluded house away from the world and the media. Each week, they have to compete to win the power to avoid and/or nominate people …"
In case you’re interested in this episode's topic, here’s a link to a resource that talks more about consent and abuse: http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/04/parents-kids-bodily-autonomy/
Social Critiques from a Comedy Freak Perspective. Because we can choose laughter to move past the pain. In this episode, Borderline Latina discusses the issue with well-intentioned people asking BIPOC questions in their quest to become better allies.
"I’m becoming a big fan of international shows. They offer a different and refreshing perspective on love and intimacy. Lately, I got into a string of Taiwanese dramas that got me thinking about the ways that we as Americans think about and express our romantic feelings. Taiwanese dramas have many things in common with American dramedies. Many of them have male and female leads who … "
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mediacritiquechic.com/2016/06/05/love-buffet-an-application-of-sternbergs-triangular-theory-of-love/
"Hulu has Sailor Moon listed under shows that are LGBT-friendly. Most people who watched the American version of the series in the 90s and early 2000s would probably be confused. How can a children’s series be so LGBT-friendly? We just remember the Sailor Scouts kicking some serious butt. Indeed they did, and IT WAS AWESOME. However, what many people don’t know is that..."
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mediacritiquechic.com/2016/02/03/case-study-sailor-moon-s/
Social Critiques from a Comedy Freak Perspective. Because we can find laughter beyond the pain. In this episode, Borderline Latina talks about Whitesplaining. It has many different and layered oppressive styles. She focuses on the particularly problematic use of it as a prosocial attempt to bond with other racial identities and how that makes even the smartest people sound, well...
What do some commercials teach us about relationships and marriage? And is it always the "right" way? This episode is also available as a blog post: https://mediacritiquechic.com/2016/02/03/case-study-state-farm-commercial/