“it isnt something you have to read critically” well 😭
this technically is true but I think this also perfectly encapsulates why I am inherently distrustful of like. “”cozy”” “turn your brain off” fiction lmfao. like okay WHO gets to turn their brain off and who has to suffer through bigoted caricatures of themselves while everyone else is having cozy silly no brain time 😐
turn your brain off media should be a media you enjoy already that doesnt require you to constantly pay attention for hidden meanings because you already know them. at least to me.
and example for me is ninjago. i grew up with it. its a comfort to me. i've watched the original several times over. i don't need to think about what will happen next because i've known what happens. THAT is turn your brain off media. the ISSUE is when you start to expect that from other forms of media. if you expect a show you havent watched yet to be on the same level as (for my example, ninjago), then you're not going to enjoy the media and the show is not going to be fun and you will miss a lot of plot points because you are treating it the same way you treat a comfort show that you can rewatch from any point and know what is going on.
a lot of childrens media, at least in early episodes of them, (i.e: wander over yonder and unikitty, both shows i've watched recently as a teen) are able to be skipped through most of the time because they arent high stakes. HOWEVER, that doesnt mean watching it from beginning to end traditionally should be completely disregarded. wander over yonder HAS a plot. Unikitty HAS a plot, even if not incredibly high stakes. they have character development and relationships that are best seen progressing analogically.
Wander and Lord Hater's relationship develop over the course of the series and it is best experienced analogically. Unikitty and her friends have character development between eachother thats best experienced analogically. Eagleator and Hawkodile have character development in the show thats best experienced analogically. BROCK AND MASTER FROWN (and unikitty and master frown) ALL HAVE DEVELOPMENT BEST. EXPERIENCED. ANALOGICALLY.
you can turn your brain off to any show, the difference is if it is best to do so. if you think you need to pay attention to a certain show? pay attention or watch it at a time when you are willing to. no? do something else or find another show that you are okay with not paying attention or "turning your brain off" to.
