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[ahorrorintime]

My Analysis of "Space Traders"

The “Space Traders” segment in Cosmic Slop, directed by Reginald Hudlin and Warrington Hudlin, was unlike any other short film that I have ever seen. The short film has left a lasting impression on me to this day, ever since I saw it over a month ago. The premise of the short film was intriguing and troubling, as it posed the question of whether Americans would send Black people to space in exchange for supposed riches and prosperity. During much of the movie, I felt both curious and disheartened, knowing that a majority of the people would vote to send Black people to space, but I couldn’t help but hold out the tiniest bit of hope that a vote of no would be reached. 

This film touched upon many crucial issues that are prominent in America today, such as commercial exploitation of Black people, racism, colorism, and interest convergence theory. It was absolutely infuriating to watch people blatantly discuss sending Black Americans to space, how many believe it would be beneficial for society, completely disregarding their opinions, thoughts, and feelings about being forced into space. The way they talked about Black Americans in terms of numbers and relation to what they contribute to society or to consumerism was also sickening. Hearing them talk about how they make up lard liquor percentages, shoe sales, cigarettes, and petrol like that was their only value and contribution to society was infuriating. Colorism was also a predominant conversation as the aliens declared the specific percentage of melanin that they consider to be Black, with many light-skinned Black people, such as Golightly’s wife, buying whitening soap to try and make her kids look whiter. At the end of the movie, Golightly’s wife is also forced to stay behind while her whole family is forced to be taken onto the ships because she is light-skinned and, therefore, passed. Interference convergence theory was depicted in this short film with the Jewish characters who ally themselves with Black Americans in fighting the referendum, and the point is made that the Jewish characters are only helping them because they do not want to be considered last on the social ladder. It was also shown with the corporate leaders who wanted to have people vote no on the referendum purely because they were profiting off of Black Americans with their consumerism. 

I thought it was interesting to see Golightly try to utilize reverse racism by attempting to spread the message to convince people that the aliens are going to send them to a utopia that would be filled with luxury and riches that the human world does not contain. When hearing this rumor, white people would claim that it was racist that Black Americans were being sent there, saying it was unconstitutional discrimination against whites. Although this reaction would seem outlandish, I believe that an aspect or similar reaction would occur if Black or brown people were suddenly given access to better opportunities that white people do not have. An example of this is seen in colleges, with white people saying that colleges are favoring and biasing Black and Brown students over white students. 

When it was revealed at the end of the referendum voting that it had passed with 63% of the vote, it was shocking yet unsurprising. I figured that people would end up passing the referendum, but for it to be by such a big margin was maddening. People’s true color was shown with this referendum, not caring about how it would affect Black Americans, only thinking about how they could benefit. Watching the newscaster break the news as he realizes he is affected by this referendum and must make his last public goodbye is heartbreaking. Seeing the newscaster be so swiftly replaced by a white man who begins his message by saying that they welcome a new era of American peace and prosperity is so jarring in comparison to the Black newscaster who gave his life and all to the job only to be replaced as though he were nothing. 

This short film was deeply impactful. In today’s political and social climate, this short film feels highly relevant and serves as a cautionary tale of how quickly people turn against Black individuals when it is convenient or beneficial to them.

[ahorrorintime]

My analysis of District 9

District 9, directed by Neill Blomkamp, was a fascinating and peculiar movie, leaving me feeling mixed emotions. The film touched upon many important issues that are prevalent in our society today, such as xenophobia, racism, and microaggressions. These topics are represented through the film’s aliens, who are given the derogatory name “Prawns.”  Prawns are treated as subhumans, kept separate, banned from entering many human-only spaces, and are heavily militarized. These actions were extremely frustrating to witness because I can blatantly see how quick humans are to other people and those who they think are different from them, such as aliens or, as history has shown, Black people during Jim Crow. 

The main character, Wikus, had direct involvement in the mistreatment of Prawns, as he helped forcibly evict Prawns into what were essentially concentration camps where the Prawns would be in worse living conditions than they already are. Wikus’ indifference and near delight in burning the embryo Prawns was horrifying to witness as he was gladly killing them, an individual who is not a part of their species, who has no connection or proper understanding of them, finding joy in destroying the embryo Prawns as it would help in decreasing the population of Prawns. His actions reminded me of the forced sterilization that countries perform on minority groups as a continuing cycle of oppressing them and taking away their futures and freedoms. 

Although hard to watch, I enjoyed many aspects of the film, such as the film being shot in a documentary style. Presenting the film in a documentary style made the movie feel more personal and authentic, as it felt that we were given a window into the story that unfolded throughout the film. I also enjoyed the shots of interviews with the locals, family members, and coworkers as it brought a deeper understanding of characters such as Wikus and the circumstances and environment that shape the character’s actions and viewpoints. 

An aspect of the film that I thought was well executed was the dehumanization of Wikus’ character immediately after discovering that he has an alien hand and beginning his transformation into a Prawn. Before they realized the true nature of his illness and transformation, they would talk to him while they were examining him and undergoing tests, but immediately after finding the truth, they stopped treating him humanely and began treating him as a science experiment. They no longer spoke to him, wanted to cut out his heart without any form of anesthesia, and forced him to run experiments by shocking him into submission despite his pleading or disapproval. Wikus was now a pawn in their game for producing active alien weaponry, and his life and wants were unimportant. This portrayal of dehumanization was a powerful parallel of how Black people are dehumanized in society and are viewed as pieces in a chess game to exploit for personal gain while also oppressing and denying opportunities to thrive or better themselves. The forced experimentation reminded me of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment that was done on Black men who had syphilis in which they did not provide informed consent. Experimenters held the experiment with no end date in mind. When penicillin was discovered as a treatment for syphilis, they were never given the treatment, leading to them being denied a better quality of life and even unnecessary deaths at the hands of these experimenters. 

Although I thought aspects of this movie were well executed and extremely engaging to watch, I believe this film missed the mark in multiple aspects. Their depiction of some South Africans, such as the character Obasanjo, as cannibals is a harmful depiction of South Africans that can lead to negative views or further negative views of South Africans despite the story being a metaphor for the Black South African experience. Additionally, the movie is set in South Africa, where hardly any films set their stories, and with this setting, they decided to have a white man cast as the main character. Having the main character be a white man continues to perpetuate the notion that the white minority continues to hold power over a majority of the Black people in South Africa. Through his whiteness, the movie then shifts Black South Africans into the background while a white superiority complex begins to emerge. If the movie had cast a Black South African, I believe the message they were trying to send would have been stronger and less problematic.

[ahorrorintime]

My Analysis of "Like Daughter"

“Like Daughter” by Tananarive Due was a surprisingly emotional story. I wasn’t sure how the story would unfold before I read it, but by the first paragraph, I knew I was in for an emotionally challenging read. In the beginning, when Paige alluded that there was an underlying true reason why she didn’t visit Neecy, her godchild, as often, I assumed it had something to do with Paige and Denise’s husband, but as I later found out, my assumption was further from the truth.  

For the majority of the story, I was alarmed and confused about why Denise couldn’t stand to look at her own daughter to the point where she demanded Paige come to get her. I was trying to wrap my brain around what so badly could have happened that warranted a reaction like that, but every scenario I thought of was nothing like what actually unfolded throughout the rest of the story. 

Reading Paige’s experience and narration of Denise’s childhood, how traumatic and challenging it was for Denise, and how it affected Paige was a heartbreaking yet insightful part to read because of how realistic it was. Having experiences such as parents struggling with alcoholism, children experiencing rape or sexual abuse, and how that affects a child long into adulthood, especially with choices they make and the relationships they form. Often, topics such as the one mentioned in this short story are considered taboo and shied away from but are, in fact, necessary and crucial to raise awareness for and promote those conversations for others to feel less alone and for some to connect their experiences to these topics and realize that what they are experiencing is not an acceptable or universal experience like individuals may be led to believe. 

Paige’s empathy and desire from even a young age for Denise to be her actual sister so she wouldn’t have to experience the trauma that she did truly hit home for me and made me feel emotional. I could tell while reading it that watching Denise struggle while they were growing up was difficult for Paige to witness, but regardless of what was happening, she was there for her whenever Denise needed her, even when Denise called her to take Neecy. 

Getting to the part in the story where I discovered that Denise made a copycat baby of herself to raise the story’s introduction, everything started to make sense. No wonder Denise couldn’t look at Neecy; it was looking at a reflection of your past self; it must have taken a psychological toll, understandably so. 

Neecy’s dad leaving her and Denise was the final nail in the coffin for Denise, so desperately wanting to give her past self a chance to live a life without trauma and pain, and for that plan to be destroyed must be utterly heartbreaking. Even Paige started to blur Neecy and Denise together, seeing her as her best friend’s younger self rather than her best friend’s daughter, which shows how raw and emotional the experience must have been for both of them.

It was comforting to read that Paige took Neecy in, but it also made me feel a little wary because it seemed like Paige was using Neecy as a way to fulfill the wish of protecting Denise when they were kids, which I don’t believe is healthy or necessarily good for Neecy because she may be a clone but she deserves to be treated as her own person not just an extension of Denise or past traumas. 

Overall, through the use of cloning and futuristic technology/Afrofuturism, the takeaway I got from this short story is that you can’t project your trauma onto someone else and try to fix it or rewrite the narrative, or else you’re going to find yourself perpetuating that cycle of trauma. You need to take the time to go to therapy, to talk about it, and to heal from it as best you can rather than pushing it away and ignoring it as Denise did.

[ahorrorintime]

My Analysis of Children of Men

Going into watching the movie Children of Men, I had no expectations or knowledge of the movie other than being told that it resembled a dystopia similar to Parable of the Sower, which I soon discovered was true. 

In the opening scenes, Theo, the main character, discovers the news that the youngest child to exist, Diego Ricardo, who is 18 years old, has died. Immediately upon discovering the news, the shop right next to Theo had been bombed. It was a shock to watch as it showed how unsafe their world was. The opening scene truly set the tone for the whole film, drumming up excitement and intrigue for the rest of the film. Discovering that those on Earth have been plagued with infertility for 18 years, mass deportations have occurred, and infighting has broken out throughout London, and the world was a fascinating premise of a story and dystopian setting that resembled a not-so-distant future for our society.

Although set in a fictional setting, many of the struggles, experiences, and the world that the characters are in are eerily similar to our own. The discussion of the government’s power, corruption, and overreach, such as the deploying of bombs to cover up scandals of those in power to shift the attention of the people, is similar to what is done in our society, although at times not on a large scale. Janice’s character is an explicit example of those in power wanting to silence the power of the press and journalism as she was tortured for her journalism and investigative abilities, which has occurred with the torture and killings of journalists throughout the world who investigate and attempt to uncover corruption and violence. The subject of mass deportation and xenophobia is a central topic of this movie, which is an incredibly salient topic in our current society and administration. The British government refusing to recognize equal rights for immigrants, executing mass sweeps of cities looking for immigrants, and the inhumane conditions they are kept in before deportation are all explored within this movie. It felt like watching a documentary rather than a fictional movie. 

The government and society’s attitude towards immigrants is encapsulated in the movie’s central character, Kee, the only pregnant woman on the planet who happens to be an immigrant in London. Despite the world’s desperation to cure infertility before the human race goes extinct, her status as an immigrant leaves Kee vulnerable to deportation, the kidnapping of her child, and nonconsensual scientific tests being run on her and the child, causing her to seek protection from the government. Theo’s ex-wife, Julian, finds Kee and promises to take her to The Human Project, which has been attempting to find a cure for infertility and has agreed to keep Kee and her baby safe and protected. When Julian is killed by her own community, Theo agrees to help Kee reach The Human Project, which proves to be a more arduous task than he originally believed, as they are being hunted and at risk of being discovered by the government.

The cinematography of this film is absolutely remarkable, and many of the scenes leave me breathless. Two scenes in particular resonated with me long after watching the film: the prison/detention scene and the ceasefire battle scene with Kee’s baby. The detention scene, although shot in such a masterful way, was challenging to watch as it closely resembled the detention centers that many immigrants are forced into without proper access to care. The scene also reminded me of the Holocaust in the way they had immigrants kneel on the floor with their backs to the guards, alluding to the execution-style that Nazis used in the Holocaust. While watching the ceasefire battle scene, I remember experiencing chills with the way people within the building they were trapped in and the soldiers ceased their firing and killing once they heard Kee’s baby cry, hearing and encountering the first baby in 18 years. Kee’s baby, Dylan, represented hope for humanity, the world’s savior, and they treated her as such. People raised their arms and hands towards the baby, trying to get close to touching her; soldiers lowered their weapons, expressed disbelief, made a hand gesture of a cross, and, most importantly, allowed Dylan, Kee, and Theo to escape the dangerous building safely. Although brief, this scene shows how desperate humanity is to survive and how, in the midst of battle and death, the possibility of life leaves them stunned and hopeful for a moment. Although Theo dies at the movie’s end, he successfully fulfills his promise of keeping Kee and Dylan safe as The Tomorrow, The Human Project’s ship approaches in the background. His death, although sad to witness, also felt like a fitting conclusion as Theo no longer has to experience the despair and pain of losing both his ex-wife and son while also having the satisfaction of knowing he helped birth the first child in 18 years and protect them and deliver them to safety. Overall, this movie was a fantastic watch, and its messages are incredibly relevant, especially in today’s social climate.

[ahorrorintime]

Creating My Earthseed Community (Parable of the Sower) 

Explain TWO (2) real-life issues that make it necessary to create your Earthseed community. What are you seeking shelter from?

Two real-life issues that make it necessary to create my Earthseed community include systemic racism and overconsumption. Systemic racism is embedded in society, within every system, structure, and organization; it has led to those who are deemed inferior or othered, most often minorities such as those who are Black, Indigenous, or a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The system has continuously disadvantaged minority groups by excluding them from jobs despite having the qualifications or creating laws that purposely keep them from improving their circumstances, such as redlining, environmental racism, voter suppression, and equation inequalities. These practices and systems in place have caused disparities for generations that have caused irreparable harm to these communities, leaving many to face poverty, incarceration, and, for many, early deaths. Overconsumption has also caused devastating impacts on the environment as society and companies have shifted from creating long-term items with an emphasis on quality and lifetime warranties that offer repairs to manufacturing quantity over quality, items that are not made to last, and replacement services rather than repair services. Having low-quality goods and fewer services to repair them has caused an exorbitant increase in unnecessary items and goods that leaves mountains of discarded clothing and items in junkyards or shipped to countries that are not equipped to handle such immense loads, further putting strain on countries and polluting the environment. 

Quote two (2) Earthseed verses from Parable of the Sower and show how you will apply them to your community. You may be creative in your interpretation.

“Embrace diversity. Unite— Or be divided, robbed, ruled, killed By those who see you as prey. Embrace diversity Or be destroyed” (Butler 150). 

I would apply this Earthseed verse to my community as a message and a reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusion. To be united in diversity is to survive and thrive as a community. Dismantling systemic racism is to utilize each individual and culture’s perspective to devise a community that does not view one race, sexual orientation, or group of people as superior to others because the moment the community does, it is corrupted and destroyed. Systemic racism leads to disconnects and gaps in wealth, education, and access that harm countless individuals, leading them to be preyed upon and oppressed. Creating a community without this system embedded will ensure that the community is united by respect, understanding, and empathy, which ultimately is the key to its survival. Viewing the community as a collective, with no life superior to others, where one person benefits the community benefits, is integral to dismantling systemic racism.

“Create no images of God. Accept the images that God has provided. They are everywhere, in everything. God is Change— Seed to tree, tree to forest; Rain to river, river to sea; Grubs to bees, bees to swarm. From one, many; from many, one; Forever uniting, growing, dissolving— forever Changing. The universe is God’s self-portrait” (Butler 239). 

This verse of Earthseed is integral to how the members of the community will view the Earth, as a gift that should never be exploited. The Earth, although constantly changing and adapting, has always given the resources needed to survive and in return humans need to be respectful of these resources, never taking from it more than they need. Every organism on Earth is connected and overconsumption disrupts its harmonious balance causing the extinction of animals, plants, destruction of land, and a rise of products such as textiles that take 200+ years to decompose, effectively damaging and destroying the Earth that provided these gifts. To accept God’s image is to accept its creations and to treat them with respect and care, never taking or using more than needed.   

Explain WHERE you will create your Earthseed community to be safe.

I would create my Earthseed community in a remote part of the world where there is an abundance of healthy soil, adequate farming weather, and enough resources to sustain the community for decades. The area would have to be disconnected from any city or community, ideally surrounded by tall trees and plants that help disguise our presence from planes. The area would also include a specific pathway that only those in the community know how to find, access, and navigate to help safeguard the community from threats. 

Who can join your community and why? Who can’t join? Why not?

To join my community, people must be open to differing opinions, accepting of others, and respectful of others. In order to dismantle systemic racism, having respect for those around them is essential in providing opportunities for all groups of people, especially minorities, to thrive in the community. Those who are hateful, bigoted, or intolerant of other people for who they are or how they live their lives are not welcome. People also have to show care for the environment and the planet and agree to only take what they need. They must give back to the community with the skills they have or will learn skills that will be used to provide for the community. Those who are greedy and like to take advantage of resources or who do not give back to the community are not welcome, as that opposes the founding principles of Earthseed. 

What will your leadership model be for your community?

For my community, there will be no main specific leader but appointed leaders for each specific job. Each job will have a maximum of 5 appointed leaders who will be democratically elected, and no person within the leadership committee will be more powerful or important than the other. No one specific leadership community for their job will have more power or influence than the other. Before each consensus is made, each leadership committee is required to listen to the people, their thoughts, and opinions to ensure that the people inform their decisions. 

Create a FUTURE TECHNOLOGY (one on the horizon, not something like teleportation or time travel) to help improve life at your Earthseed community.

Future technology to help improve life at my Earthseed community includes a technology that speeds up harvesting time while also maintaining the soil moisture without negatively altering the life of the plants and food that will be harvested. This technology will also allow for any rapid growth of our community due to children or accepting more people who meet our criteria. Another future technology includes technology that allows those in my community to all speak or sign in their native language and instantly understand one another in their own language. Having this technology will drastically improve communication between community members, allowing individuals to communicate in their preferred language without needing to assimilate and learn a new language if they don’t want to. A third future technology includes a technology that allows large amounts of water to be purified for the community to have and distribute as needed. 

Explain/show how your Earthseed community will SURVIVE.

My community will survive based on mutual respect for one another, acknowledging and highlighting our similarities and celebrating our differences. There will be weekly community meetings where individuals can express their thoughts and suggest ideas to benefit the community. Everyone will have access to any service they need, including healthcare and mental health services, which will never cost them any money to visit. All individuals in our community will have all the basic necessities needed to survive and be taught basic life skills necessary to continue surviving and giving back to the community. Our Earthseed community will survive by adopting the mentality that surviving in my community is by understanding that our survival is a circle: whatever is given to you, you will also give to others; the skills that are taught to you by someone, you will use to help others in return, and no person will take more than what they need. By following these guidelines, the community will survive.  

Explain/show what TWO steps your Earthseed community will make to build a better future, i.e. education, housing, conservation, farming, etc.

One step my Earthseed community will take to build a better future will be to implement educational courses for those in the community that discuss systematic racism, the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory. These courses will be offered for every age group and will continuously touch on more nuanced topics the further the individual is in the course. These courses will be mandatory for all individuals to take to officially be included in the community, to ensure that those in the community have an understanding of systemic racism and how it devastated communities, allowing for greater empathy and respect for everyone around them. A second step of my Earthseed community will be for everyone to be taught basic life skills, such as how to garden, cook, clean, build, and use simple household items. Those interested in specific skills can improve their skills and use them to contribute to the community. For example, if an individual found a passion for planting, they could help plant seeds for the community garden. If an individual finds interest in building and fixing items, they can learn woodworking skills and could help build the houses that will house the community members. Those who do not find a specific calling may choose to pick a way that they can contribute to the community as long as it is beneficial to the community and improves the lives of the community in some way, shape, or form. In addition, all food eaten will come from a community garden or a farm we maintain. Nearly all parts of a food item will be used in any shape or form, and nothing unnecessary will ever be taken. Anything found extra will be used for emergencies, and anything spoiled will be put in compost to help fertilize the soil. 

[ahorrorintime]

My Analysis on A. Sayeeda Clarke’s short film White

A. Sayeeda Clarke’s short film White was such a captivating and thought-provoking piece of art. I went into this film having no expectations of what this story would be or the direction it would take other than the title. With each passing minute, I found myself more bewildered by the plot and engrossed in knowing what would happen next. When watching, I originally thought that the blinding rays from the sun were perhaps an alien spaceship that was going to abduct the main character, but the sun’s true purpose was far more fascinating. 

When Bato is first introduced in the film, he is portrayed as a loving and caring man who helps children draw and comforts them when they need him. I found him to be a sweet guy who was doing his best despite unfortunate circumstances. When I first heard about the curfew, I assumed it had to do with war or civil unrest, but my assumptions, as I had come to find out, were completely wrong. 

Bato’s desperation to get money to send his wife, who is going into early labor, into an expensive clinic I found to be understandable. I empathize with the panic and distraught he must have been feeling to try and come up with a solution because it was his wife and child, his whole world, at risk. Although it was hard to watch him trying to find money at his work to escalate to rob someone, I, at some level, understood and knew that he could not have been thinking properly. 

When it was revealed that the person he was attempting to rob was the Black Santa Claus who was there for the children at the center, I initially did not recognize him and thought it was a different person. When I learned it was the same individual, I was perplexed and confused, but I didn’t think much about the differences between the characters in those two scenes. 

The short film’s storyline and meaning did not hit me until Bato walked into the Melanin Extraction Center with its slogan, “Together, we can beat the sun.” I finally understood all the little details within the movie that hinted at this reveal. As Bato went to sign up to get his melanin extracted, I realized what a sacrifice he was making to provide for his family. He was sacrificing his identity for his family; to him, they were worth more than anything he could ever have.

The prescreening and extraction scene was extremely difficult and heartbreaking to watch as the worker measures his melanin levels, finds delight in his melanin levels, and then reveals the news to him that after his procedure, he has to check that his race is “melanin out” not even white. I was shocked but sadly not surprised by it because even in a world where you could be stripped away from your melanin, you would never be considered white. The fact that these white people were profiting off of Black people’s melanin was just another thing that they exploited from Black people, continuously perpetuating this cycle of exploitation and oppression.

The closing scene, where Bato, post-procedure, lighter and paler than before, holds his beautiful baby girl who is darker than him, is such a powerful contrast and shows there are no limits to what a loving father would do to help protect and provide for his daughter and wife. Once the credits started to roll, I remember thinking to myself, “Wait, that’s it? There should be more. There’s so much of this world that I would love to learn about.”

After taking some time to truly reflect and analyze this short film, I truly think that it was a beautiful masterpiece that sprinkled various details that alluded to the film’s underlying meaning and direction that I didn’t even pick up on or understand until I finished watching it for the first time. For example, the little girl’s “my daddy did it” comment did not make sense to me initially, but now I understand she meant that he underwent the melanin extraction process, and that is why Bato responded, saying, “You always have his inheritance right on you.” I assumed Bato was referring to the father’s love, but now it’s clear to me that he meant that she still has her father’s melanin on her, which is an extremely saddening thought and experience for a family and child to experience. The constant detail of the curfew, it being December and the characters dressed for warm weather, the sun blazing, and Bato’s windows in his home being covered up all lead to the reason behind the melanin extraction, that climate change has caused the sun to reach unsustainably high temperatures such as 120 degrees in the winter.

This notion and message of what will happen with climate change is an incredibly powerful one because if climate change continues to wreak havoc on society, it will cause devastating impacts on humanity. It also shows how those in power, mainly white people, will find new ways to exploit the Black community for their benefit, to gain their melanin in order to be safer from the effects of the sun. Boto and those in his community are struggling to get by; they barely have enough to make ends meet, and they lack access to healthcare, leading to high rates of maternal death. Instead of those in power fixing this system or trying to provide support for them, they are offered to lose their melanin and lose parts of their identity, which is then given to benefit rich white people, just so they can have some more money to live their lives. It is absolutely vile, but it shows that there are no limits to capitalism, and if there is a way for those in power to exploit those they oppress, they will find a way. 

The short film White is unlike anything I have ever seen; I’m thankful I had the opportunity to watch it, and I think everyone needs to take the time to watch it. The messages behind it are far too real, especially in this political climate, which is why, now more than ever, people need to watch this film, digest and analyze it, continue these conversations, and fight for a better future so our future does not turn into Bato’s reality.

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feelings on The Keeper

Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes’ graphic novel The Keeper is a compelling read that left me in a whirlwind of emotions as I read it. Opening up to Aisha having a nightmare where she relives the day that her parents died is an emotional and heartbreaking way to start the graphic novel, which ultimately sets the tone for the rest of the novel. I felt sympathetic towards Aisha’s experience living with her grandma because although her grandma is doing the best she can to raise Aisha and give her all she can, she is unable to be the person that Aisha needs as Aisha navigates her life. I was so furious when I read the scene where Aisha was belittled and frightened by a cop stopping her in her own backyard. Aisha isn’t even safe in her own home, despite being a literal child; because of her Blackness, she is viewed with malicious and suspicious intent that she absolutely does not deserve, not only at her age but with everything she has gone through. When Aisha’s grandmother was telling her about her experience in the system, I understood where the grandma was coming from, especially knowing the horrors and abuse that children experience in the system like the grandma did in how she lost an eye, but I was also concerned because at some point the grandmother would be unable to help and protect her leaving her all alone, which that responsibility should not be placed on Aisha. 

I enjoyed seeing Aisha become friends with Darnell, despite the bullying she faced at school, in which she could connect with a peer who understood her experience and did not judge her for the way she acted defensively or guarded, having dealt with similar pains. With Darnell, Aisha allows herself to be a kid, to go exploring places she’s not supposed to, like the second story of the apartment complex she and Darnell share, which was so heartwarming to see, especially with how sad and melancholic she feels normally. 

The grandmother’s death, although expected given her age, was difficult to read because of how sad her death was and how, with her death, the grandmother knew that she was leaving Aisha behind and alone. It was intriguing to witness how, in her last moments, the grandmother refused for Aisha to call for help and instead called on the Keeper to ask to keep Aisha safe. I also found it really interesting how Aisha handled witnessing her mother die. I had empathy for her as she was a little kid, but she also had experience with loss and knew that she handled it the best way she knew how which was to perform a wake that her grandmother had told her about and to continue going about her life without telling anyone about her grandmother’s passing just like her grandmother told her to. 

As the graphic novel progressed, Aisha’s connection with Darnell deepened, and she made new connections, such as Mari, another individual in Darnell’s group home, and Darlene, the girl who used to bully Aisha. I saw how these connections became important to Aisha and provided her with the space and comfort she needed with all the grief she held. 

With Aisha navigating her life and friendships, the Keeper maintained the home, put food on the table, cleaned, completed Aisha’s projects, and protected her, which came at an increasing cost. At the beginning of the Keeper’s introduction, Aisha welcomes the spirit, seeing that it made her life easy, which I thought was naive because nothing with that type of force comes with no cost, but I also knew that Aisha was young, and she wouldn’t want to question the one good thing going for her. I really liked the progression of Aisha’s frustration towards the Keeper as Aisha became closer to her friends. As the Keeper continued with its duties, the cost of protecting Aisha was too much for Aisha to approve of as it killed her cat, the intruder, and the landlord, all for her own benefit. 

I enjoyed reading Aisha’s tipping point in the novel, where she cannot allow the Keeper to continue harming people to protect her, especially when that cost means her friends are being harmed. Seeing Aisha go from a quiet, dejected individual to one who bravely stands up against the Keeper and tells it she doesn’t need it anymore was so fulfilling, making me feel like I watched her grow up and grow into herself. Her friends, the people she considers her found family, were fuel for her bravery, allowing her to explore life without the protection of the Keeper, understanding that her family would be there for her. 

Aisha’s love and fierce protection of her found family were things that I could relate to, as I consider my found family to be people for whom I would do anything because of how much they mean to me. They were the people who were consistently there for me through every negative and devastating experience in my life, and without them, I would have been lost just as Aisha was with the death of her parents and grandmother. Ultimately, I understood Aisha’s actions and even her naive actions because, at one point, I was in her shoes, desperately trying to make everything okay and not rely on people for help. This graphic novel shows that leaning on people makes you stronger and that there are people who care about you and want to be there for you if you let them, and I think that’s a beautiful message. Overall, The Keeper was a beautiful graphic novel filled with important themes that people like myself need to be reminded of, especially now more than ever.

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feelings on "The Lake"

Tananarive Due’s short story “The Lake,” did a phenomenal job of portraying debauched characters, specifically the character of Abbie LeFleur. At the beginning of the story, I felt empathetic towards her, understanding the need to move away and start fresh, even if that meant making bad decisions, such as buying a run-down home. I had first assumed that there would be a monster in the lake that was going to attack her and potentially kill her. I remember reading how Abbie went into the lake naked, and I was repulsed by that thought, especially knowing that the water in that lake couldn’t have been clean or even potentially safe for her to swim into. I found reading about her supposed dreams, which seemed more than dreams but rather memories, was really interesting because I got to see how she began to transform. Reading her inner monologue felt extremely uncomfortable, especially reading about how she thought about the students and “using” them for her own benefit to fix up the house. Her immediately dismissing the girl students for being too weak frustrated me because it reminded me of all the times my female teachers would call on only boys to help lift things because they had internalized misogyny that they would perpetuate onto their students. 

The moment I read the line about the age of sixteen being a mature age, my whole demeanor shifted, and I began to truly understand what this story was about. I felt anger and rage wash through me as I knew this woman was a predator. How she was calculating and conniving revolted me; it was like a vulture who had identified its next prey. Every action and thought that she had about her students, especially Derek, was completely inappropriate and further confirmed my disgust for her as a character. Reading how she internally justified her pursuit of Derek made my skin crawl because in no instance did it make it acceptable for an older woman to seek out and prey on young boys. Having her best friend Mary Kay also be a predator was unsurprising and showed me again who she really was and who she surrounded herself with. Of course, predators would surround themselves with other predators; that was the only way to feel safe and accepted. Seeing how her monstrosity began to show as her predatory became more prevalent was such a fascinating and well-done way of writing; I loved how they paralleled one another. Seeing Abbie succumb to her monstrosity in both ways, allowing herself to feed on these boys and actively pursuing them, made me feel defeated, knowing that the lives of these two boys would be utterly destroyed at the hands of Abbie. This notion of destroying young lives is also explicitly seen in reality, where these young boys are preyed upon by these young women, taken advantage of, and have their lives utterly changed or destroyed because of the woman’s actions. 

Although this story was heavy to read, I appreciated that it highlighted a topic in society that is often overlooked or suppressed due to its uncomfortable nature. Women in society are viewed as motherly figures, as harmless, yet they can be terrible people who take advantage of their authority or position within society. These women deserve to have their actions held accountable and for society to protect these young boys rather than perpetuate the notion that because it was an older woman, it couldn’t have been predatory. We as a society need to do better to protect children from any abusive or inappropriate behavior shown by adults, regardless of gender, because no child deserves to experience what Derek, and by proxy, Jack, did. 

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feelings on Eve's Bayou

Kasi Lemmon’s Eve’s Bayou was an intriguing movie for me to watch because, based on the title alone, I originally assumed that the horror element in this movie was going to be a physical monster that lives in or by the bayou. I was shocked hearing that beginning statement of Eve expressing that she killed her father at the age of 10 because of how she bluntly expressed that notion that set up the whole movie. When watching, I immediately noticed how desperately Eve wanted to win the affection of her parents, who were often more focused on her younger brother or older sister, which was something I could relate to as a kid, especially when my brother was receiving more attention than I was. Seeing Eve run into the carriage house, I immediately knew something bad was going to happen. I was mentally preparing for things to turn horribly wrong for Eve. What I wasn’t prepared for was seeing Eve watch her father cheat on her mother with another woman in such a detailed way. I felt so much empathy for Eve because I just knew that must have been such a crushing moment of loss of innocence, especially because it revolved around her father, whom she loves and had idolized. The next shock came to me when her uncle Harry died because that was the one person in her family who paid her the most attention and understood all she wanted was love and affection. 

From here, we are introduced to Mozelle and her ability to see visions and counsel people with those visions, and Eve takes a specific interest in them. This is where the movie’s story takes a turn and adds that otherworldly element to the story about family dynamics, which I found myself enjoying. I feel like it added an entertaining layer to the already painfully real story. The story progresses with Mozelle getting a vision of a child being killed by a bus, and she worriedly tells Lynn, who decrees to the kids that they can’t go outside anymore. The kids, in response, start to grow restless after a couple of days, leading to more infight within the family. I could really relate to these scenes because most of my childhood memories were outside playing in the playground and spending time with my friends outside exploring near my house; if I didn’t have that, I would have had so much energy and felt so bored, especially since they did not have technology like I did at that time. I found the focus of the family story and its complicated dynamics extremely compelling and relatable to watch. Raising children is complicated, especially when the parents are at odds, and one is actively cheating on the other. Children feel the tension and mimic it usually by acting out, leaving a vicious cycle where the parent feels disrespected and lashes out, which is what happens with the case of Cisely. Cisely, up to this movie, was presented as this perfect daughter who received much love and attention from her parents, had a clear head on her shoulders, and followed the rules. With all the infighting and learning that her father is cheating, she no longer upholds that perfect image and lashes out, which is something I think is really common to see, especially in children of divorced parents or parents who constantly argue. 

Later in the story, we discover that Cisely is not acting like herself, attacking her sister, staying quiet and avoiding everyone, and they all become worried about her. Cisely reveals to Eve what happened with her father the night of the storm. When I watched that part, I was extremely disturbed and found it hard to watch how inappropriate what happened was. I had a similar reaction to Eve once finding out, I felt rage towards the father for taking advantage of his daughter. I was worried for Eve, though, because of how young she was and how much she seemed determined to kill her father, I knew that there was some part of her that was going to regret it or not want to follow through. In the end, although the father does die, being shot by his mistress’s husband, I believe that he brought it upon himself, and it wasn’t Eve’s curse that she put on him that led to his demise. If anything, I think the fortune teller she paid to curse him never actually did because of how young Eve was, and she probably thought Eve would be too young to have that on her conscience. Louis died because he was above facing the consequences of his own actions.

After his funeral, Eve finds a note that explains his recounts of the night with Cisely, saying that it was Cisely that came onto him. I was puzzled watching that scene because I felt like that story of events is not something a child lies about, especially not one as immoral as that. In the end, Eve confronts Cisely, and through Eve’s ability to see visions, she finds out what happened, although it is never revealed to us. Regardless of what actually happened that night, I believe the father is to blame. As an adult and father, he is responsible for turning away from any misguided advances his daughter makes and setting boundaries with her with proper explanation. He should never ever make a move on his daughter that violates any paternal bond or rights he has as a parent. I believe that Louis got what was coming to him with his adultery, never being home, being inappropriate with his children, and believing that nothing could touch him. In the end, he faced what I believe are the consequences of his actions.

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feelings about "Wet Pain" Pt 2

In the end, Greg finally understands the true meaning of Wet Pain, of this open wound that hasn’t healed, that is still raw due to systemic homophobia and racism that is felt by not only Greg but everyone else in those communities. In the beginning, Greg misses the point and the warning of this sign because he doesn’t know enough to understand what is going on, and I think that this directly translates to his relationship with Dean, how he didn’t truly see what was going on with his best friend until it hit him in the face. This story expands on the notion that you may never truly know someone’s thoughts and motivations until they are revealed to you, and I think this is accurate when presenting relationships with individuals. People tend to turn a blind eye or don’t see the signs of their friends or family saying harmful things until they become too terrible to ignore. I like how this story poses the question of whether one becomes aware of this homophobia and racism that are in many people’s deep part of themselves or has it always been there and it is only now that they are starting to notice. Overall, this short story, I think, is one of my favorite ones I’ve read because of how jarring the conversations are, the fear of Dean’s actions, and ultimately how realistic these moments are for many minority individuals, including myself. 

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feelings about "Wet Pain" Pt 1

Terence Taylor’s “Wet Pain” was such a powerful read. Originally going into it, I was puzzled by what the term “Wet Pain” could mean in the context of this story, but I was interested in finding out. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the main character Greg was gay because stories about queer Black men are often not told or used as the side character, but in this story, we were getting his perspective. At no point in the story did I ever truly know what was going to happen, and I thoroughly enjoyed not knowing, as it made me read this story on the edge of my seat. I liked how the story followed a devolving friendship because that isn’t a perspective in horror stories that are often shown, which made it an interesting read. At the beginning of the story, I enjoyed reading about Greg and Dean’s friendship, how they interacted with each other and how much love Greg had for Dean and his wife, Lynn. Reading about how they were brothers despite their differences was a notion that I could really relate to, as I have friendships where we come from completely different backgrounds with differing interests, but somehow, our connection transcends that. Reading that Dean was moving back to his family’s home in New Orleans and how he felt about it, I had a bad feeling that something would happen, but I was not expecting how it specifically unfolded. When the story presented Dean slurring his words and drinking at odd hours, I thought that the story was going to highlight the effects of stress and alcoholism, but the story progressed to something bigger. When Greg opened the gift and saw it was a photo of a KKK gathering, I was shocked; I wasn’t sure how to interpret that gesture because it felt almost wrong and like it came from a deep-rooted place of malice, although Greg seemed to appreciate the gift. Reading about how Dean started to be misogynistic to Lynn and racist to Greg had my jaw drop, and my eyes went wide with how blunt and unapologetic he was being about it. I felt empathy for Greg as I had been in that position before. Being on the receiving end of someone’s awful and hurtful rant from someone you considered a friend hit close to home. Seeing how Dean transformed from being supposedly such a progressive and kind man to a racist, misogynistic, and homophobic man who, in this story, was possessed by his racist ancestors known as “Legion” felt almost too real, and that is what this story does effectively, using science fiction and the unreal to depict an all too real experience. This story unfolding with the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina and its imminent impact on New Orleans added another suspenseful and alarming layer. Greg was desperate to get through to Dean to ensure his best friend was safe; even if he hated how Dean acted, he cared about his safety and the safety of Lynn and the kids. The notion of wanting someone to be safe despite no longer associating with them is a very relatable feeling and one that I’ve experienced before, which I believe this story did a wonderful job of depicting.

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feeling on The Blackening

The movie The Blackening was such an enjoyable and thrilling movie for me to watch. I originally watched the movie right when it came out in June of last year, and I remember laughing in my seat while also being on the edge of my seat the whole time. When the professor mentioned movies made for Black people by Black people, I instantly thought of this movie and was curious to see if we would ever discuss it. Sure enough, I looked at the syllabus and saw that we would watch and discuss it. I was utterly excited and looking forward to a rewatch as I only remembered the movie’s main plot but not the details. I loved seeing this movie take stereotypical characters, such as the gay best friend, and add depth and an expansion to that character and stereotype to the point where they eventually unravel it all together, showing off the complexity of each character.

 An aspect of the movie that I originally didn’t pick up on was the reversal of the “hero” in the story. Often, in horror movies, the strong male protagonist either protects and saves everyone or is the one left standing. In this movie, the King and Nnamdi aren’t the story’s main heroes, but the women take center stage. It was Lisa and Allison, not King or Namdi, who ultimately ended up killing the twins in the masks. They both show their strength and release their anger and frustrations of being victimized and put in this nightmare of a situation through their murder of the men. In many movies, especially horror movies, Black women are never depicted as heroes, and it was refreshing to see them portrayed, respected, and applauded in this movie for their heroics and actions.

 I also enjoyed seeing the characters have an actual survival instinct and either fight or turn away from the danger, instead of acting clueless or freezing up like countless horror movies do. It felt like an accurate portrayal, without all the comedic elements, of what Black people would actually act like in a horror movie due to their intergenerational survival instincts that I could relate to as a person of color. 

A small detail that I loved about this movie that I picked up on both times I had watched the movie was the fact that Clifton was the only character to have an Android, further showing his divide and differences from the group but also knowing the fact that villains in movies aren’t allowed to show themselves having iPhones, made this intricate detail, a device for foreshadowing. Another detail that I really appreciated that I actually didn’t notice until this rewatch was the fact that Clifton’s board game piece, which is supposed to be an accurate representation of each character, was a dice, showing that he was actually playing a game within the game considering the big reveal of him being the mastermind behind the whole horrific night. 

Overall, this film was such a joy to watch. I loved how they portrayed complex Black characters, emphasized that community and solidarity were the keys to their success, and actually ended with this complex Black group of friends surviving due to their love and desire to help one another.

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feelings About Get Out Pt 2

I started feeling trapped and overwhelmed watching Chris be so desperate to get out but was surrounded by people who were not safe and did not have his best interest at heart. Get Out does a phenomenal job of making me feel the same emotions that Chris does. When he feels uncomfortable, I feel uncomfortable; when he feels trapped, I feel trapped; it’s so easy to relate to Chris and empathize with him despite the science fiction elements of the movie. It felt so satisfying to watch Chris escape from his restraints, regain control and agency for himself, and fight back against the family. I found myself cheering him on, feeling that adrenaline rush with Chris as we both realized his story was not over. I completely liked and enjoyed the ending of Get Out, as it subverts your expectations just for a second before showing you the truth. I remember when I saw the sirens and the cop car, I thought to myself, “No way is Chris about to go to jail for fighting back against his captors and oppressors. Granted, it looks terrible that they were all murdered and Chris was actively murdering Rose, but it was self-defense but the cops wouldn’t see that or care, they would just see a Black man murdering white people.” I was thinking of how that ending would play out in real life and how it would realistically end in further torment and imprisonment for Chris. All those thoughts ran through my mind in just those few quick shots, and they all immediately disappeared when it was revealed that it was Rod in the car. Seeing the fact that it was Rod in the cop car and not just a random cop made me feel so elated and relieved for Chris, knowing that he was not going to be subjected to further trauma. Overall, Get Out does an incredible job of using science fiction elements and realistic experiences to portray important social issues, such as the complexities of race and racism felt by Black individuals, often at the hands of white oppressors. Get Out has single-handedly become one of my favorite movies, and I’ve loved taking another look at it through the knowledge I know now from this course.

[ahorrorintime]

My Thoughts and Feelings About Get Out Pt 1

I absolutely fell in love with Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” the first time I watched it two years ago in my English class at community college. Before this movie, I had never really watched horror movies, but it was Get Out that opened my eyes to how fascinating and engaging the horror genre is, specifically psychological horror, especially as a psychology major. Get Out left a lasting impression on me, and my interest and appreciation for how well-crafted the movie was ultimately led me to take this class. Although I had already seen the movie before watching it for this class, it felt like I was seeing it all over again for the first time with how invested I was in the story, despite knowing what would happen. I realized this time that I picked up on so many details I had first missed when watching the movie, which I view as a testament to how elaborate and detail-oriented this movie truly is. I remember my jaw dropping when I heard Dean’s comment about how the basement is locked because of “black mold” because I had the pretext of knowing the ending and true nature of the movie. Without that knowledge, it would seem like a haphazard, harmless comment about the nature of the house, but with this movie, every piece of dialogue has a purpose and often has double meanings. The black mold comment, in reality, holds the dark truth about how the basement is where the Armitages quite literally mold Black individuals into inheriting a white person’s soul, leaving them in the passenger seat, never to be shown again. Get Out does a fantastic job of making me feel tense, uncomfortable, and isolated, just as Chris feels with the Armitages because although through most of the movie, there is no overt threat, the constant feeling of never truly fitting in, leaves you feeling vulnerable just as Chris was when he first experienced being put in the “sunken place.” Missy’s constant swirling and clanking of the spoon in the teacup was a great way to further make Chris feel overstimulated, overwhelmed, and raw during such a heavy conversation; it irked me hearing it, but that was the point, to create a noise that sparked discomfort to pull you into her control. I was in shock when I watched Chris sink into the bed and, ultimately, away from controlling his body. Seeing his continuous descent without the ability to scream or have any control of himself was not only terrifying for Chris but, as a viewer, made me feel like a deer in headlights as I understood that feeling when I’ve been frozen in fear or anxiety, unable to do anything but just stand there still as the world passed around me. Chris’ isolation in this movie is palpable and something that I relate to throughout the film, as I’ve often been in spaces where I am the only person of color or only queer individual; like Chris, I am left feeling out of place and feeling like I need to conform to the people around me. When the movie got to the auction scene, my eyes went wide, and I became so angry that the whole time, Chris had been feeling isolated and experiencing microaggressions by the family; they so easily “auctioned” his body off without his knowledge or consent of the process. Seeing the lack of regard for Chris’s feelings, wants, and needs and only caring about how he benefits them was so jarring to see so plainly put in a scene with no dialogue. Watching the culminating scene in which Chris realizes the truth, that Rose has been lying to him throughout their relationship, and they reveal their true colors and intentions was such an intense and anxiety-inducing scene as I sat there watching it all unfold, seeing Chris’ whole view and narrative of the Armitages fall apart.