Thank You, Netflix
I'm a huge fan of clicking on the black application on my phone layered with the red "N". It's my go-to for thoughtful entertainment, whether it's an animated film or a fresh series. Lately, I've been drawn to intense shows that bring discrete issues to the surface. I'm a huge fan of independent films about modern relationships and struggles we deal with everyday. Netflix is producing original shows quicker than movie theaters are able to release box office hits. Marvel is bringing in money and fans, producing shows such as Luke Cage and Daredevil, adding drama to trump the action sequence. Now days, a fight scene has become icing on a cake baked with the inner struggles of simply being human. I would personally say that at times, I want to relieve myself of hero-overload. People flying and fists breaking walls gets old at times if only that creates the climax of a plot. My mind yearns for something more challenging. That is when Netflix introduces me to 13 Reasons Why and Dear White People.
Our world is full of problems and Netflix has done a good job of bringing those issues home. I first thought that 13 Reasons was a teen flick, specifically geared towards the I Generation of Iphones and Snapchat. It sparked my curiosity after watching the trailer, informing me that the series was about a dead girl with a story to tell. I watched the first episode and became hooked after the first revealing of "the tapes". This thirteen episode series takes bullying and teenage insecurity to an extreme level. It brings reality to the forefront, blood and all. Though the cast resemble teens in high school, my thirty-one-year-old heart was tugged many times during each installment. I found myself crying with both Hannah and Clay, victims of peer pressure and teenage cruelty. I kept asking myself, what would I have done to prevent this? I lost a friend to suicide over a year ago. I was taken back after receiving word because I thought she was okay. That was apart of the problem. I thought and didn't know. This show not only made me pay more attention to what I say to people, but how I receive them as well. Hannah needed someone to talk to, someone to her love unconditionally. She needed someone to remind her of her value, for she didn't think she had any. It also encouraged me to further pursue my desire to become a student counselor. I may not be able to dictate how a student uses their tree, but if it's up to me to plant the seed, I will do it to the best of my ability.
Dear White People is like Black-ish if Zoey Johnson went to a predominately white college and made it her objective to stay woke. It has some comedy, but it serves as satire on heavy concerns. Each episode is told from a particular person's point of view up until episode ten (which I'll be finishing at lunch). I found myself getting upset at a lot of the situations the characters found themselves in because we take these issues very seriously. It mentions interracial dating and discrimination. It also hints at homosexuality in the black community that creates a sense of discomfort for a young man unsure of himself. This a great show of how too serious we as a black culture can be about adhering to our political necessities, causing us to overlook the human aspect in any circumstance. I'm all for the cause, but like one of the characters stated, why does it matter if you're woke or not if you're dead?
I've gotten tired, folks. Thanks to technology, every time there's a shooting, it's the latest post on our Facebook feed. Every time there's racial injustice, our Instagram is plastered with news headlines and details. We can't block every bullet. We can't confiscate every gun. We can't lock up every killer, rapist, racist, and bigot. The best thing we can do is be advocates for freedom of mind, body and spirit. God made us with the inheritable privilege to be loved and love others. Not all of us agree with the decisions of the white house in Washington or the white house down the street, but they are our neighbors (Matthew 22:39). Love makes a huge difference, especially in these two Netflix series. Lack of love ruins lives as well as relationships. It is the ultimate defibrillator that can jump start any heart, no matter how dead it already feels. Lets spread more to receive more. Let's tackle issues with a positive mindset, paying attention to the solution instead of glorifying the problem.
Our world is full of problems and Netflix has done a good job of bringing those issues home. I first thought that 13 Reasons was a teen flick, specifically geared towards the I Generation of Iphones and Snapchat. It sparked my curiosity after watching the trailer, informing me that the series was about a dead girl with a story to tell. I watched the first episode and became hooked after the first revealing of "the tapes". This thirteen episode series takes bullying and teenage insecurity to an extreme level. It brings reality to the forefront, blood and all. Though the cast resemble teens in high school, my thirty-one-year-old heart was tugged many times during each installment. I found myself crying with both Hannah and Clay, victims of peer pressure and teenage cruelty. I kept asking myself, what would I have done to prevent this? I lost a friend to suicide over a year ago. I was taken back after receiving word because I thought she was okay. That was apart of the problem. I thought and didn't know. This show not only made me pay more attention to what I say to people, but how I receive them as well. Hannah needed someone to talk to, someone to her love unconditionally. She needed someone to remind her of her value, for she didn't think she had any. It also encouraged me to further pursue my desire to become a student counselor. I may not be able to dictate how a student uses their tree, but if it's up to me to plant the seed, I will do it to the best of my ability.
Dear White People is like Black-ish if Zoey Johnson went to a predominately white college and made it her objective to stay woke. It has some comedy, but it serves as satire on heavy concerns. Each episode is told from a particular person's point of view up until episode ten (which I'll be finishing at lunch). I found myself getting upset at a lot of the situations the characters found themselves in because we take these issues very seriously. It mentions interracial dating and discrimination. It also hints at homosexuality in the black community that creates a sense of discomfort for a young man unsure of himself. This a great show of how too serious we as a black culture can be about adhering to our political necessities, causing us to overlook the human aspect in any circumstance. I'm all for the cause, but like one of the characters stated, why does it matter if you're woke or not if you're dead?
I've gotten tired, folks. Thanks to technology, every time there's a shooting, it's the latest post on our Facebook feed. Every time there's racial injustice, our Instagram is plastered with news headlines and details. We can't block every bullet. We can't confiscate every gun. We can't lock up every killer, rapist, racist, and bigot. The best thing we can do is be advocates for freedom of mind, body and spirit. God made us with the inheritable privilege to be loved and love others. Not all of us agree with the decisions of the white house in Washington or the white house down the street, but they are our neighbors (Matthew 22:39). Love makes a huge difference, especially in these two Netflix series. Lack of love ruins lives as well as relationships. It is the ultimate defibrillator that can jump start any heart, no matter how dead it already feels. Lets spread more to receive more. Let's tackle issues with a positive mindset, paying attention to the solution instead of glorifying the problem.
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