Media Amnesia: Media I Wish I Could Consume Again For The First Time
Image courtesy: Pinterest
Whether we like to admit it or not, we consume a lot of media, from TV shows to movies to 140-character tweets. It provides us with respite from the hustle of our daily lives. Let's be honest here: no one loves working or studying 24/7. Sometimes, you must curl under your sheets–– which you probably haven't washed in weeks–– and watch, read, or listen to something. I am an avid rewatcher. I will rewatch or reread something a million times before deciding to branch out into the unknown and pick something else. However, with that comes the lack of excitement as the plot unfolds. Don't get me wrong, I love the familiarity and comfort rewatching brings me. Still, sometimes I wish I could rewatch one of my old reliables as if I had never before… which brings me to a list of movies, songs, TV shows, and more that if I were to suffer from a bout of amnesia, I would “rewatch” again for the first time. Be forewarned, there is no rhyme or reason to this list; I just love these things and hope you will, too.
1. Little Women (2019) (Movie):
Greta Gerwig, the woman you are. Everything about this film is perfect: the scores, the visuals, the actors, and the dialogue. It perfectly encompasses the paradox of simplicity and complexity of growing up. At any point in my life or day, as I watch this film, I can relate to the characters and their experiences, even in the modern world. This movie comforts me; if the little women figure it out, so can I.
2. Call Me By Your Name (2017) (Movie):
This one may be controversial, as aspects of the film and its context are debated. I do not condone Armie Hammer's actions or relationships with unbalanced power dynamics due to a difference in age or knowledge. However, the cinematography is breathtaking against the rolling scenery of Lombardy, Italy. The attention to detail creates a captivating yet devastating story. The soundtrack just hypnotizes me with its melodies.
3. Young Justice (2010–) (Show):
I don’t have any fancy film critiques for this. I love animated shows and superheroes, and Young Justice perfectly combines those. The plot is aimed at an audience younger than meand maintains a whimsy that I enjoy. The chaos of superpowers, villains, and moral stories just entertains me. Superhero shows are cool. Deal with it.
4. Anne, With An E (2017–2019) (Show):
I love a good period piece, and Anne With An E is just that. I love the landscape scenes of Prince Edward Island, with its luscious greenery and quaint towns. The characters are also amazingly well-written. The story of childhood and the pains of growing up are rolled into a budding romance, and the coming of age of a young, witty girl is something I will always enjoy. The show brings me peace, even with the often tricky plot lines.
5. “Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon (Song):
I have no words for this other than a small anecdote. My sophomore year of high school was difficult because of many personal, family, and academic issues, and I was in a dark place. I had heard this song a few times and had liked it enough to add to my playlist. One night before or after dinner, (I can’t remember,) my dad offered to listen to music with me in his “stereo room.” He had always been an audiophile, so growing up, we had always had a room of the house sectioned off for music enjoyment. It had nice speakers, auxes, and many other technical things my dad would love to talk about, along with paintings we had made hung on the walls and a plush carpet and couch facing a TV. It was the perfect place to let the music overtake you. When we went in there and sat down, I queued this song. We sat silently as it played, with tears running down our cheeks. We did not need to speak; we just understood each other and our struggles. This song has always made me feel closer to my dad, and listening to it will always bring out bittersweet emotions.
6. The Swap (2016) (Movie):
The Swap is an underrated Disney classic. It portrays two middle schoolers, one girl and one boy, both dealing with the tribulations of middle school alongside the absence of one of their parental figures, (the boy had lost his mother, and the girl's father was absent). They meet in the nurse's office and proclaim that each other's lives are easier. They then experience the Freaky Friday body switch and have to experience each other's lives. As you could expect, they don't switch back until they understand each other. At the same time, though, they experience the motherly and fatherly love they had missed due to the circumstances of their own lives. It's a sweet and funny reminder of how much we mean to each other.
7. Educated by Tara Westover (Book):
Educated by Tara Westover is a memoir about the author's experience growing up in a Mormon household where education was not celebrated or accessible. This book was assigned for a class in high school, (shout out Ms. Sutcliffe,) and I was wary of it at first. I read it in about three hours, never once putting it down. Westover’s prose creates such a beautiful story while harping on the importance of education. It highlighted experiences I had never thought of due to my privileged access to education. It showed me the importance of everything I had done so far academically and pushed me to keep working.
8. Bob's Burgers (2011–) (Show):
Bob’s Burgers and other Adult Swim publications are a staple in my house. My family loves watching them as a way of relaxing and bonding after days of work and school. Bob’s Burgers stuck out to us as the dynamics among the characters in the show were eerily similar to the ones of our own home, (which was probably the point of the show). The problems of the characters, often quite simple but blown out of proportion, always gave us a laugh. We even named our cats Gene and Louise after two of the siblings. The show provides such earnest whimsy, and I know that rewatching it again for the first time would be fun.
I hope I inspired you to watch some shows, read a book, or even call your dad. If not, hopefully, you will find the next show you want to binge-watch elsewhere.
Strike Out,
Katherine Fivgas
Editor: Emily Copp
Athens