Why the Curtains are Blue: The Implications of Being Uncritical

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sources!
1. Bernofsky, Susan. “On Translating Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”.” The New Yorker. January 14, 2014. www.newyorker.com/books/page-...
2. Brewton, Vince. “Literary Theory.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. iep.utm.edu/literary/
3. Burriesci, Matt. “The Arts and Humanities Aren’t Worth a Dime.” Guernica. June 22, 2015. www.guernicamag.com/matt-burr...
4. Dennon, Anne. “What Is General Education (Gen Ed)?” Best colleges.com. August 25, 2021. www.bestcolleges.com/blog/wha...
5. Dominello, Nickolas PHd. “The Importance of Critical Thinking, For Students and Ourselves.” SNHU. October 1, 2021. www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroo...
6. Hill, Robyn N. ““But WHY are the curtains blue?” A rant about ‘literary criticism’.” Wordpress. kswriterteacher.wordpress.com...
7. Johnston, Alex. “Why Do We Need Literary Criticism?” Quora. August 20, 2021. www.quora.com/Why-do-we-need-...
8. Kafka, Fran. The Metamorphosis. 1915, print.
9. Masson, Scott PHd. “The History of Literary Theory from Plato to the Romantics.” KZbin. September 2019. • The History of Literar...
10. Mccomiskey, Bruce. “English Studies: An Introduction to the Discipline(s).” cdn.ncte.org/nctefiles/resour...
11. Parker, Dale Robert. “How to Interpret Literature: Critical Theory for Literary and Cultural Studies.” Oxford University Press. 2015, print.
12. Schmidt, Benjamin. “The Humanities Are in Crisis.” www.theatlantic.com/ideas/arc...
13. Schwarz, Gretchen. “Literacy Expanded: The Role of Media Literacy in Teacher Education.” Teacher Education Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 2, Caddo Gap Press, 2001, pp. 111-19, www.jstor.org/stable/23478281.
14. Smith, Craig R. “Rhetoric and Human Consciousness.” Waveland Press Inc. 2017, print.
15. Staff, Fresno Pacific. “Why Today’s Students Need Media Literacy More than Ever.” Fresno.edu. December 17, 2018. ce.fresno.edu/news/why-todays...
16. Wiener, Steve et al. “Morrill Land-Grant Acts: Impact on the Growth of Colleges & Universities.” Study.com. study.com/academy/lesson/morr...
17. Tweet referenced: / 1383913562293161991

[@Shanspeare]

Yeah so página is definitely not pronounced like that lol. I’m learning! 😨

[@cr9940]

as a latin american, you slayed those sentences gurl! keep up the good work 💞

[@melissamartinez3593]

You did great :) I love your video essays I’m 34 and this gives me hope for the future you are so intelligent and eloquent I’m sure you’re an excellent speller as well ;) keep up the good work ! Thank you Shan :)

[@joaosantos-uj9uw]

Haha and it depends on the language and dialect too, I speak Portuguese from Portugal for example :3

[@lazuuu]

I was surprised cause your pronunciation was amazing

[@valerialuna3598]

Spanish is my first language and, ngl, I had to read the subtitles to understand what you were saying 😭, mainly because it caught me off guard, I didn't expect you to start speaking spanish all of a sudden. But you did a great job! The pronunciation of 'página' was a little off lol, but the rest was really good, keep up the good work 🥰💕

[@Kay-po4pl]

My high school English teacher had a conversation with us about blue curtains on the first day. We were going to be analyzing A Scarlet Letter and she said “I’m going to ask you to analyze themes of light and dark. Maybe the author was just adding details about shadows or maybe he was making a bigger statement. That’s up to each of you. Books are a conversation between each reader and the author. That’s why I might read a chapter and find a deeper meaning about the corruptness and hypocrisy of the church while you find it fascinating for the scandals and another person relates it to their experiences in a broken home and how that affects children. I don’t care how you analyze texts just that you do it. Don’t exclude yourself from the conversation.” That’s always been really valuable to me. I’m not a big reader, but I love poetry and the Classics because i learn so much about myself through the notes I write on the side of the page.

[@sasentaiko]

That’s beautiful.

[@peachywe4310]

Wow

[@noellesnoodles5484]

Ahhh i love this comment

[@allyson--]

It's interesting how our individuality mostly applies to our competition against others in the workforce but when it comes to expressing ourselves & creativity, many are scared to run with their own thoughts

[@slsthewriter1299]

That sounds like the perfect English teacher to have had. Knows the subject's craft.

[@danidkg4071]

something that really annoys me about the "let people enjoy things" sentiment, is that it often leads to people calling anyone who is critical of media or someone's interests "pretentious". there's nothing wrong with sometimes mindlessly enjoying something, we don't always have to be critical of everything, but the impact that good, diverse (diverse as in diverse in tone, message, people, etc) media can have on people is severely understated. edit: by "mindlessly enjoying something", i don't mean to say that people who consume something without analysing the themes/plot/etc are dumb or literally mindless, i was using a figure of speech. everyone can enjoy something without looking too deep into the meaning of it, everyone does it (even academics, probably).

[@ladyweirdo6035]

EXACTLY! Besides, no one is saying that you can't enjoy something because it might have a disagreeable message. People just want you to be aware of it.

[@KookiesNolly]

i don't even understand how thinking deeply about things inherently goes against enjoyment. I've seen plenty of artists in all media being thrilled that people actually take the time to pick up on the small details they took days to put in, they take it as a compliment that you look deeper into their art. What people mean when they refute any kind of analysis with "omg just let people enjoy things" is "i want to turn my brain off why won't you do the same". If you're so secure in your way of engaging with media why are you so bothered that people do it differently? Especially on the internet where you have control over the media you consume? Why click on video essays if you don't like them? block and move on. But no, they don't do that. IMO those people are in reality insecure about their lack of media literacy and rather than change that about themselves and take those essays as an opportunity to learn how to be more literate, they feel embarassed by their shortcomings and attack those highlighting them by simply being better than them at something. It's the good all "you think you're better than me???" when the other person was just existing, and you chose to project your insecurities on them. If you think media analysis is really not that important in your life, ignore the people who do that and go on with your day, that's piss easy to do. If you take the time to complain that people do that, you just sound insecure.

[@avagoode1878]

Definitely!

[@bellringer53]

I LOVE media analysis. Wither its film theory, game theory (in relation to video games specifically) or story analysis in books. The various tools and mechanisms creators and the audience use in tandem to create stories is fascinating to me. But a rarely if ever talk about it to friends and coworkers because inevitably I get someone shooting me down with a 'it's not that deep. Stop over thinking it.'

[@Ashandonyx]

@@KookiesNolly This exactly, thank you. I've dated/been friends with men like this (as an example), and after taking some time away from them, I realized how much I "shrank" to make room for their insecurities while I was with them.

[@ForeignManinaForeignLand]

I have a food mood board as well. It's called my doordash homepage

[@cjthex]

i cant stop ordering uber eats is this a symptom of creating youtube videos

[@Shanspeare]

@@cjthex that, and the constant feeling of approaching doom

[@ForeignManinaForeignLand]

This entire thread has starved me & we don't have doordash in the Bahamas 🥺 only sun, sand and sea... And diabetes

[@magnificloud]

This comment thread reminded me to eat today

[@Ladyknightthebrave]

@@Shanspeare based on my doordash habit, this does seem to be a trend😅

[@efghd2624]

I had an ex that never paid attention to this stuff in school, but worked in the film industry, and watching any media with them was unbearable. They'd be able to critique the lights or some editing mistake, but would completely miss all the subtext of whatever we watched. So it would be this long conversation where they'd point every technical flaw, but then why I'd try to talk about the themes of the work I'd get blank stares or blown off. It sucked.

[@gemain609]

My entire existence. I'm the guy who "over thinks" the movie/media content because I dare to consider the broader implications of its themes beyond the surface level thrill ride. The MCU as a whole comes to mind

[@katszulga1888]

Okay, but, if they don't understand the themes how do they know if the lighting or editing choices were mistakes? Imagine watching Fight Club for the first time with someone and they're criticizing all those cut in frames of Brad Pitt.

[@k8g8s8]

@@gemain609 Not a criticizim more just an interested question. Within your interest in the underlying themes and beyond surface level, have you considered along with the themes the origin of the super hero genres and where the funding is coming from for these films? While I love discussing the inner themes of things over the year I've seen it weaponized. "How can't you think about this characters trauma and how it speaks on masculinity?" "Yes I agree but this movie is literally funded by the American army, I'm more interested in who they frame as evil and who they frame as sympathetic in a larger global political sense" idk maybe I'm not framing this well. But like how the cold war is presented in black widow is crazy, Cuba being in the plot seems tasteless with what's going on now and strange to include workout ever "getting political" instead focusing on family and inner drama.

[@k8g8s8]

@@gemain609 How the inner themes of the movie came to be and what their real life implications mean, like Kafka's beetle and disability. Or framing certain countries and cultures as evil by having characters inspired by current or recent political movements within the media. The way the romulin attackers in Picard are inspired by isis and the people fleeing by refugees, Picard himself wanting to be kind to them but everyone around him including friends of his telling him not to be so compassionate.

[@ghostinthearchives]

i had an ex who did english and film and it was hell as someone who likes to enjoy things with no closer reading sometimes lol. we'd watch a rom-com or star wars and she'd be analysing every single thing when i was just trying to have fun LMAO

[@emilyonizuka4698]

this makes me feel better about having been a humanities major. whenever I hear the "why are the curtains blue" thing, I think of my nana whose whole bedroom was blue. the curtains, the carpet, the beds, even the en-suite bathroom. she just really liked the colour blue. this doesn't really have to do with anything. it's just nice for me to remember her sometimes.

[@juneshay608]

Matching shade of blue or a variety of blue shades? Regardless, RIP blues fan nana

[@emilyonizuka4698]

@@juneshay608 various blues. the carpet was a lighter blue, and the curtains more of a royal blue. though the bathroom had the bathtub, toilet, and sink in matching blues. I actually have one of her blue table lamps on my end table. it matches my blue walls.

[@johndoe4110]

My Nana's favorite color is blue, too. We don't get along but I have childhood memories sleeping on a creaky blue bed in a blue room with blue wallpaper and curtains. I can even remember how it smelled lol. And the stale cookies in her secret cookie jar.

[@beansfebreeze]

Tbf you telling the story of how the color meant nothing to her besides being a color but reminds you of her does sort of make blue symbolize the concept of appreciation in that she appreciated the color just because she liked it and you now appreciate the memory because it contained something she liked: the color blue. If you were a character in a book you'd probably end up in a situation where idk it stops raining and you cry at the sight of the blue sky and someone is like "it's just the sky. You see it every day" and you're like "yeah, I remember."

[@Sequelaboy7]

I think this stuff about the blue curtains is just another strawman fallacy. You know, when they strip a subject of it's actual meaning to make it easier to criticize. The mainstream American media does that to literally everything and that's even the reason why convid is being so hard to get rid of in the US. Somehow many people think being an ativaxxer is a matter of freedom instead of plain and selfish stupidity.

[@kakunikat]

As a woman in STEM I have been arguing this point for forever. It's not just the Humanities, it's the Sciences too. Nothing without bias. Everything is colored by our emotions and experiences. "Logical" and "rational" are emotions too.

[@soulsynthesissubject]

This is why I departed from the science.

[@rain_ypjm]

Wish more people aligned with this!!!

[@desg739]

I am RIGHT with you with trying to arguing this point. Data may be objective, but the way we interpret it is not and has never been. It's why I'm a huge advocate for people learning the Histories of science/scientists, especially certain subjects like genetics. It really informs/gives context to what we study and why.

[@user-dh7qu1yj4h]

As someone in the same shoes I highly recommend looking into philosophy of science. It tends to focus on critically analyzing what shapes science.

[@donotreply8979]

@@soulsynthesissubject i doubt it

[@cjthex]

i love connecting media to real life with my friends

[@vaguilar8398]

omggggg you’re here

[@klaratehcoolcat]

this is a fan comment, carry on

[@soulsynthesissubject]

Everyone knows each other.

[@adreenarendon9432]

OMG HI, love you❤️ Happy to see you here

[@beccadina6712]

♥️♥️♥️

Even if the author just wrote “curtains are blue” without thinking, there was something subconscious happening there. No way they would be describing a gloomy dark room and pick yellow flowery curtains unless these were there with a purpose. And in this day and age, so much money gets dumped into design for ads, films etc to pick the exact right shade of colour to convey a certain feeling and nobody complains about that. There are entire studies behind the psychological reasons for every single action movie poster being blue and orange - the production houses spending millions on promotions wouldn’t go ahead with it just because the designers thought it looked pretty.

[@jjescorpiso21]

🙌🏽

[@canonicallykayfabe]

I've said this before. Even when I'm just writing dumb fanfictions, there's not a descriptor I pick without considering its implications

[@whitneybarnes256]

"Blue curtains" is such a weird example to pick, because I read that and think "yellow wallpaper", and there are very few fictional settings where yellow wallpaper isn't going to be a deliberate choice that has a specific meaning.

[@harayaalirak4040]

EXACTLY! people underestimating the power of visual symbolism piss me off so much. The curtains being blue are just a small part of the scene- what about the other furniture? who or what is the focus of the room? how has the color blue been used in previous chapters- is blue used to signal a specific emotion to the audience or maybe its a color that is tied to a specific character or scenario? stuff like that isnt a waste of time to think about, its gaining a deeper perspective of media

[@egrumblybus7792]

yellow wallpaper was a symbol for insanity, in a story called “the yellow wallpaper”

[@alexas.3306]

reading The Metamorphosis at 14 in an AP Lang class somehow made some ideas click in my head on identifying how i saw myself, my depression, and i saw myself in that story of a man turning into a bug lol. reading and analyzing that story made me realize that i could do/teach the language arts for the rest of my life, and now i'm studying to be an english teacher

[@aurora_skye]

I want to teach English, too!

[@IfSapphOnly]

Every time I’ve been told “you’re overthinking this” or “it’s not that deep” there’s been an undercurrent of misogyny. I’m sure that’s not universally the case but challenging marginalized people’s sense of reality is a great way to never have to question the status quo. That being said, any English multiple-choice test that states there’s a “correct” or “most correct” interpretation of a text needs to be hurled into the river styx. Media analysis is a complex set of skills that cannot be measured by standardized tests. I understand the frustration of people who get “why were the curtains blue?” on a multiple choice test. Fuck that.

[@aliiboop]

YESSS THIS IS WHAT IVE BEEN SAYING FOR SO LONG ABT THE MULTIPLE CHOICE!!! if a class is to encourage individual interpretations of literary media, why force a certain perspective onto pupils through super condensed (curt even) response choices? It's the prioritization of grades that forces students to simply accept one definitive answer as the "correct" option and move on without further thought/nuance.

[@omarispowell2949]

Summary of what I basically said at the bottom. This is the literal IRONY of learning English in school. My AP English Lit teacher would say you only need to prove you’re answer is right to be right but then give us a multiple choice test and then wonder why most of the class is struggling. And it’s honestly sad because students are failing and to top it all off my teacher doesn’t even like multiple choice tests and thinks they’re stupid so of course she wouldn’t be able to fully grasp why students are struggling, because she herself isn’t interested because multiple choice tests in literature is asinine and hypocritical. And many students in my class see the humanities as useless as well, and also believe in new criticism to an extent so the fact that they’re taking AP English Lit is already pointless but to then contradict yourself after a student starts to open up to literature after they learn the joy of writing and understanding texts by handing them back they’re multiple choice test with a 50% on it to then say you’re answer wasn’t right even though you said any interpretation that could be proved is correct is truly heartbreaking because students genuinely think they’re dumb due to they’re thought process that subjects like STEM teach them which only makes them think they’re not good enough for the humanities or hate them and believe that they’re irrelevant and only support new criticism which by it’s self isn’t a good way to consume media or grow any critical thinking skills which is crucial for communication in social settings as well as for all fields of work. In conclusion the hypocrisy (in English) is laughable and detrimental to the progression of literature in the future and critical thinking as a whole. And I genuinely want to see how well the humanities will hold up throughout time with these narrow-minded ideologies becoming the main way people think. Thank you for reading my rant. Have a nice day🙂

[@sophiejayne1756]

I loved Lit in high school and I find it so interesting because studying in Australia, I never once had a multiple choice english exam. It was always essays or short stories based of a stimulus of some sort.

[@user-dg3ug7ny5d]

​@@sophiejayne1756 Aye, another Aussie! Whilst I don't study Lit, my year 10 and 11 teachers were the Lit teachers, so they always taught us to think critically and even though we're studying English, that doesn't take away from the need of critical thinking and analysis. I actually got the only 10/10 mark in the whole year 11 cohort on one of the texts I had to write a short answer response on from my S2 Exam, because I analysed it like you would in Lit. My only issue with this is that every teacher seems to have their own opinion on how much analysis in English is "too much," and this sort of mutual dislike between Lit and English studies and the teachers. I'm so confused how the US simplifies such a subjective study like English and Lit down to marks through multiple choice questions. That's unthinkable to me. Hell, 1/3-1/2 of the marks in my 2/3 exam sections are given based on if you take to text to the "next level" and attempt to unpack it, not just recite random things that you've memorised. Anyways, I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy :)

[@finnh7483]

I am very concerned that you are speaking about a multiple choice literature test. How can it be tested in multiple choice format? It isn’t right? Luckily in high school I just got comprehensions and essays in tests for literature. We need to be able to explain our thoughts, that is what provides “marks”.

[@ixchel2229]

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute, we read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion. And business, law, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love... These are what we stay alive for." -Dead Poet's Society

[@Whatismusic123]

worst quote I've read in my life

[@cw917]

@@Whatismusic123 LMFAOOO

[@dottystan8760]

@@Whatismusic123 😭😭😭

[@ZelphTheWebmancer]

Best quote I've read in my life

[@josephinekalds1688]

love the quote, thank you for sharing it

[@lizzies.1562]

It's also worth pointing out that even if something is useless in a job, that doesn't make it worthless. I'm a folklore major, which is mostly literary analysis, plus cultural studies and religion, and am i going to get a job in folklore? Most likely not. But it's so much fun!! I get to read fairy tales for homework while my friends are analyzing data sets or whatever econ majors do. I refuse to force myself to study something boring just so that I could maybe make more money in the future, you know?

[@amarachiisaac9420]

Cool. I didn’t know you could major in folklore

[@teuta_]

ahhhhh i'll be taking a class on folklore and fairytales next semester and i'm so excited about it, this comment makes me even more excited!!

[@catsthemovie4692]

Student loans tho 😂

[@simonedebeauvoir8552]

@@catsthemovie4692 not living in the usa tho

[@samSamSam11918]

Some people like economics.

[@potatopotatow]

As Anita Sarkeesian would say (paraphrasing) “It’s both possible, and even necessary to simultaneously enjoy media, while also being critical of it”

[@hope3290]

God, I remember how men ripped her to SHREDS simply for viewing video games through a feminist lens. Hope she's doing okay.

[@s.g.7572]

She died for our sins tbh

[@donatodiniccolodibettobardi842]

@@hope3290 I always felt that the difference of culture and assumptions between Anita and her unintentional audience was so jarring and yet her messages resonated with so many people... Just not in a positive way. She seem to be stronger from it, but when public eye turns on you, few people take it well (just recently a watched a video Nickolas Cage's reputation and career) I think we lost a lot of potential cultural growth to Gamergate "wars". A lot of _bridges_ unbuilt. :(

[@dracocrusher]

Didn't she try to argue that Tomb Raider was misogynist because the female character could die in a lot of brutal ways or something? I think it's worth remembering that Anita had good ideas and messaging, but a lot of her opinions could be a bit of a stretch to say the least, and that's part of why she gained as much antagonism as she did. She was always quick to try to define what women couldn't be in gaming, but I don't remember her ever putting anything on a pedestal as an example of what she actually wanted. And that's... not exactly conducive because it just further alienated her from mainstream gamers as an audience. To this day, I still don't know what she'd even consider a 'good' female character to be, just what she thought was problematic.

[@coldfrost3]

@@dracocrusher i mean I've watched a couple LPs of the Tomb Raider reboot and that game is uncomfortably eager to impale and show off new Laura's suffering. Like the statement may sound weird if you've never given it a look but it makes perfect sense if you have any experience with the reboot series.

[@gakailyn9249]

In high school we had to read catcher in the rye. There was one question on a test that just about everyone got wrong and they were arguing that the question was too interpretational and they should get their points back. My teacher was taking it personally for some reason and she argued that there was in fact a correct answer because (I) got it right. She asked me to explain my reasoning, I did, and because my thought process aligned with hers, she said it was a good question and refused to give everyone their points. My classmates got mad at me for it even though I argued that just because I knew what the teacher wanted, didn't make it a good question. I think lit teachers need to accept more than one answer if it's well argued.

[@errortryagainlater4240]

Yeah, I feel that "blaming your classmates" instead of the grading system or teacher who are _actually_ at fault. Like yeah the education system sucks but it's not the smart kids' fault that they're smart 😂

[@danieltobin4498]

Yea, that’s what I think the main issue is. Teachers come in thinking that they know the answer through analysis they themselves conducted and want their students to come to the same conclusion they do, regardless if the teacher’s analysis was right or wrong

[@hyperbiscuit2284]

That reminds me somewhat of a paper I had to write in my senior year of high school, though my teacher was very good at his job and this was just an instance where his decisions bugged me. We had been reading Frankenstein in class and were preparing to write an essay analyzing it. The teacher gave us a set of prompts we could use, which is fine, even if it does limit the ways we can analyze the text. And since I found the questions of morality in the text so fascinating, I chose to do the prompt that focused on discussing who was a worse person, Frankenstein or the creature. Well I was of the opinion that both were equally terrible people, so I asked the teacher if I could do my essay about that. He just said no, and I didn't even get a good reason as to why I couldn't other than "it isn't what the prompt says." So I flipped a coin to decide who was worse and wrote my essay accordingly, but I hated that I couldn't write the essay about what I actually believed the story to be about. I know this isn't really related, but it was the first thing I thought of when I read this comment.

[@Nakia11798]

Totally agreed! I got so many questions marked as "incorrect" in high school because I thought differently than the average person. I had one teacher, bless her, who would mark my questions with full marks and jot "interesting take! Well explained" or something of the like. She was everyone's most hated English teacher, aside me.

[@gakailyn9249]

@@hyperbiscuit2284 I hear you. Persuasive essays used to annoy me so much. I always wanted to take the nuanced approach and argue both sides because I understood that proper analysis required complexity. But I always got told that I absolutely had to pick a side. Fast forward to college and my professors criticized me for being too "aggressively pro and anti" whatever I was arguing. So I had to learn and unlearn that behavior between high school and college. Academia is a game and you just have to learn how to play (how to lie, basically).

[@andy6877]

I definitely agree that the most obvious allegory to be found in metamorphisis is that of disability in a capitalist world. Its overnight characteristic and the immediate shift in how everyone sees you is extremely paralell to the experience of becoming physically disabled.

[@sagesaturn7518]

analyzing everything i read and watched as a kid is the reason i navigate the world today with critical thinking and somehow trick everyone into thinking i'm very smart instead of empty headed

[@tammyariel2982]

This. People have always thought I was smart, I think i just have a lot of questions

[@sophiejayne1756]

my boyfriend thinks i’m so intelligent and is incredibly envious of it. when really i just analyse everything too and have the ability to critically think lol

[@lesbiangoddess290]

Same. It annoys a lot of my peers but my teachers appreciate it

[@JulianSteve]

Being an analyzing person is cool. I am not the best on analyzing everything, but I am getting better each day🤣‼️

[@angelaofrandom3716]

Me analyzing every frame of the new season end credits of my favorite show to justify a theory I came up with about how the end credits foreshadow a significant plot twist instead of doing my homework because I have no idea what I'm doing >>>

[@reginarodriguez1477]

my first language is spanish, and don’t worry, the grammar in the intro was perfect!! small tip, be careful with the a’s because they’re crucial in separating papá (a father 👨‍👧) from papa (a potato 🥔)

[@Shanspeare]

Thank you!!!! Ahhh omg yeah I’ve actually been struggling with my accented A’s lol

[@janibii_608]

@@Shanspeare i just realised halfway through the vid that you were speaking spanish cus your learning spanish on Babbel. Idk why but I thought you were speaking Italien and then didnt relate it to babbel 😭

[@spongecakes1986]

Okay but that fact that "father" and "potato" are only separated by an accent is really funny to me. Especially since "potato" is the one without the accent, and the one we use in English as another way to say "dad". We've been calling our dads potatoes for generations.

[@magnificloud]

As a student fascinated by criticism and a chronic overthinker, I absolutely love this. It just. It just makes me happy :) it just verbalizes everything I want to say about how deep everything can go so well. Also, even if we DO see something that 'isn't there' or rather, isn't an intention of the creator, that doesn't make our perception meaningless. We the viewers and consumers finish the stories with the conclusions we draw, and the more diverse ideas we can pull from a single piece of media, the more value we give it, the more lessons we can take from it. Takes me everything in my power not to fight people who tell me "it's not that deep." (Especially for someone who enjoys children's media, which people constantly try to limit due to its target demographic)

[@lucyandecember2843]

!

[@markkalsbeek5883]

@@lucyandecember2843 "we finish the story with the conclusions we draw"

[@maijennasis]

wow, this!

[@fatcat4642]

Its not that deep

[@logan5818]

Honestly a lot of children's media is deeper than adult media because heavier censorship often makes creators need to imply or hint at things rather than discuss them outright. All of my favorite stories about suicide and depression have been in children's cartoons.

[@vlogbrothers]

Loved this video. My own feeling is that there is no reason for blue curtains to be in a story unless they are doing something. Maybe they are helping the reader to see the room; maybe they are helping the reader to understand what kinds of things the narrator notices; maybe they are serving as a metaphor for depression. Maybe all three! Maybe there are more readings that are defensible and enlightening! But there has to be a reason why we write the words that we do in the stories we write. Your interpretation of The Metamorphosis helps us to understand how ableism and capitalism intersected in Kafka's time, but it also allows us to see how they are still intersecting, and where those intersections have changed. That is such a productive line of inquiry, because it enriches our understanding of both Kafka's time and our own. For me anyway the point of reading is not to divine the author's intentions or "meanings." The point of reading is to explore those productive lines of inquiry through language and story. -John

[@katiek2615]

Hi John! I love seeing you commenting on this essay. Your crash course literature series helped me pick English as my major, and now I happily "overthink" all my media because of that. Thank you!

[@SoVidushi]

This is a year old but I am happy to see one of my favourite authors and youtubers also watches another youtuber i respect.

[@durandus676]

Yeah, I’ve been reading a ton of Japanese otome novels and blue curtains when meeting the prince? Yeah he’s got imposter syndrome and is icy then bam 10 chapters later. Raggedy purple curtains in a merchants dirty office? He’s sketchy.

[@maketsy8544]

What baffles me is how we have to pit everything and everyone against each other. As someone who is planning to go into STEM, I absolutely love literary and media analysis as well as the arts. All of these subjects are important in their own ways and there's no need (or any objective way) to place one of them above everything else.

[@errortryagainlater4240]

The in-fighting of different "nerd/geek cultures" sure is something else 💀 it's either pointless contests or blind tribalism lmao. Imo pitting yourself against someone else is peak insecurity, we should all do their own thing and be happy when others succeed.

[@xtinkerbellax3]

A lot of the "math/science fields are superior" rhetoric is just sexist bullshit honestly. Those fields are still male dominated, so men online see them as the only intelligent ones. Wonder why.

[@crazyowlgirlcncowner]

Yes! I want to be a physical therapist, but my favorite subject in school has always been English. I wish I could do art but I'm not good at it at all.

[@adisaster8734]

@@crazyowlgirlcncowner u can still do art! maybe as a side! art is first and foremost a skill. you learn and then u practice the hell out of it.

[@crazyowlgirlcncowner]

@@adisaster8734 Thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate it. Just sadly I doubt I'll have the time for the practice it requires now that I start university soon.

[@jjthepikazard212]

i think the reason ppl have such frustration toward media analysis is bc they're forced to analyze things they don't care about. i love media analysis, only for things that i like & english class doesn't tap into that a lot

[@samkadel8185]

@Cassandra Tafoya yeah, the narrowness was the biggest thing that put me off in school a lot of the time. I had a tendency to focus on aspects of stories that were barely if at all mentioned in summaries, which often made standardized testing on literature especially difficult for me.

[@jackcade8790]

Also I've definitely had teachers for whom there was one right analysis for what anything meant which also takes out the fun. Maybe the curtains are blue because the character is sad. Maybe they're blue because the author felt like it. Maybe it's blue because blue is traditionally associated with femininity and the author was trying to show the character was feminine. Maybe they're blue because the character was based in a real person who had blue curtains and it was an inside joke among their literary friends. That's the whole fun for me there's no single right answer.

[@jjthepikazard212]

@@jackcade8790 agreed

[@errortryagainlater4240]

Imo schools _really_ don't know what "interpretation" means. They try to cultivate such rigid ways of thinking, as if there's somehow an incorrect way to identify with a story. They also make reading into a chore on a checklist which completely kills the fun of it. Some of my favourite books are massive but I still thought that English class was tedious as hell.

[@angelaofrandom3716]

Honestly, in high school I got kind of mad that the books we were given were "too easy to interpret". The books often had themes and interpretations that could easily be picked up by any reader without looking too deeply into it and generally had a straightforward interpretation. However, I always wished my school had given us access to media that allowed for multiple interpretations and would require the reader to really use their critical thinking, but maybe that's just the media analyzer in me.

[@cass422]

so excited for this, i feel like i was the only person in my english classes who genuinely enjoyed understanding and analyzing the subtext 😭

[@grace-rz5xj]

i LOVE doing that and it makes me feel like i’m weird or something

[@sophiejayne1756]

me too!

[@user-ik9bl8xv2f]

When I started to learn how to write fiction (because all we ever practiced writing when I was in HS were persuasive essays) I learned that you don't waste space. There's a reason the author describes the curtains other than utility and you can pick out in stories where writers are just using description for utility. Because it's boring! It's so easy to spot because it adds nothing to the story and makes it clunky and awkward and not at all engaging to read. I was full on crazy explanation mode trying to get my bf to understand that the curtains aren't blue just cuz and if that were the case, it wouldn't be a story worth analyzing! 😂

[@ussinussinongawd516]

Spanish classes UwU

[@ladylark10884]

same, i loved doing that! my teachers may have sucked but hey, at least it was fun

[@kelsey.is.offline]

as someone with ADHD, i have always struggled to express symbolism in a direct way. For me, engaging with fiction is about the overall impression it gives me. I can still recognize themes and overarching symbols- but if you were to ask me to explain why it makes me feel this way, i would pull my eyes out.

[@jacksonscreams]

I don't have ADHD but I do feel like this as well! Especially with books and video games (the artsy ones like Death Stranding, not all of them lol), when you can see something but can't explain what you're seeing. That's one of my favorite parts of art, is just experiencing it on a pathological level.

[@Homodemon]

Same, but I got autism. At times I have a hard time inferring intent to the things I watch or read unless I get pointed at it. I understand metaphor, sarcasm and like, anything with a "tone" to it that you can easily pick up, but subtext? Something that is there but at the same time isn't and that you're supposed to "get it"? Yeah... The ironic part of it all is that I'm studying arts, and sometimes I produce works that seems to have more meaning to the people who watches it that it does to me, and at times it does annoy me a little. Like "aw man... That interpretation is so good why couldn't I think of it first tho? What a simpleton I am" or "how do I tell them is not about that at all..."

[@karkatvantass3730]

@@Homodemon (This turned into an essay so sorry) I have almost the opposite problem of creating art that's so personal to me, the symbolism I use only makes "sense" to me. It's so feelings based that I have trouble articulating to people why something represents something (I rarely ever correct someone's interpretation). For example, I drew someone getting vaporized by a bomb (not in a gory way it was very simplistic). The interpretation of others was the cruelty of war which makes the most logical sense and I didn't correct them. But really I made it cause I was feeling stressed. Felt like even though I was doing my job well, I could be doing better. Thought my ADHD was getting in the way of things and I was fumbling conversations with coworkers. Feeling a great dread over having to come out to my coworkers as a transman at some point cause I plan on starting testosterone soon. And all of that somehow led to what I drew. The big kicker being, I have no real explanation to WHY that symbolism meant that. It just does somehow. It's like I keep making the curtains blue cause I'm sad and have no idea why blue curtains mean sadness. And makes it impossible to explain my decisions in art to others.

[@maryagrimm8412]

interesting... I have ADHD and I'm the complete opposite -- I read very deeply into everything.

[@adisaster8734]

idk if i have adhd but to me sometimes i see so much that idk how to get to everything so usually i just start to put down one thought and then another and not all are related and my notes are all over the place and then when i cant think of anything else, i reread and connect similar thoughts and then number everything in the order that would make sense to me and flow well. its the only way i could write essays and book reviews etc

[@cn9398]

You know, this is slightly off topic, but it's funny how people will use the same arguments against teaching Humanities against STEM and ALL education as well. My discipline was a "soft" science, paleontology. And everybody who's critical, tacitly (funding) or directly is like: "what good is that (in the real world)?". But knowledge and critical thinking are invaluable, whether you're trying to survive in a capitalistic society or just interacting with others one-on-one, just like you said. But as far as the capitalism and ableism, etc. goes... it's almost as if learning and knowledge aren't the true goals of those who wield this so-called "practicality" blade.

[@gemain609]

I did my degree in Engineering and lord does it show. Bunch of people raised up too sharp in their chosen discipline but lacking in decent knowledge outside of it but also feeling a sort of entitlement to being able to comprehend what those in the "useless" majors studied while missing the mark near everytime. Talking to anyone in my major on sociological issues was a quick path to Rogan and Peterson takes that I just wasn't there for.

[@Kittsuki]

Unfortunately, part of living in a capitalist society is having everything (including human beings) judged by its monetary value or ability to make money. Consequently, things that aren't worth money or don't make money are considered "useless." It doesn't matter if it enriches you as a person or even your community in other ways, it's treated as frivolous. It sucks lol. I think nowadays though, at this late stage of capitalism with its crazy disparities in wealth and wellness, people are slowly becoming aware of how much it sucks and getting sick of it.

[@GodheadNee]

first of all: you're so right. But I just wanted to say-- isn't paleontology basically learning the ability to extrapolate as much information about something from the most miniscule wreckage left behind (and how to not destroy extremely delicate evidence of that information)? how is that NOT useful in the real world??? just bc there's a dinosaur on the cover doesn't mean it isn't valuable or applicable, man...

[@DeathnoteBB]

@@GodheadNee That’s the point, it’s extremely useful, but people write it off because it’s just not what they assume is useful. People would rather write off entire worlds of knowledge than change their assumptions about monetary gain

[@darkstarr984]

@@GodheadNee It basically is just that, and I had to find all sorts of arguments about how valuable paleontology can be, when in reality I just wish people were able to pursue anything after basic needs entirely because they’re beautiful or interesting.

[@JeanPKlaus]

On the topic of the blue curtains, I am an author, and I remember watching a video from a comic book artist, who said when he draws backgrounds it's always because he wants to give a little insight into the character. If they have a liquor cabinet full of half empty bottles, you can picture someone who drinks often, or if they have a liquor cabinet with full bottles you can picture someone who doesn't drink a lot and likes to maybe collect the bottles. And ever since that interview, I've always tried to describe my worlds with stuff in the background that better detail the world or the characters that inhabit. So, not always are the curtains just blue just because.

[@sapphicvampire8504]

This is very great insight as a budding comicbook artist myself. I think its important to have unspoken details throughout the story that can be interpretted by your audience in many ways. It can really help in making others engage in the work snd to have a better eye at things

[@JeanPKlaus]

@@sapphicvampire8504 Right. It's helping developing the internal world and fleshing out how people live

[@lemon8283]

As part of Gen Z, being a queer person as well, I can say this is rather interesting, since I have a weird mix of feelings towards the arts and literature. It was, at one point, my favourite subject. I think I have slowly found displeasure in it because of how my teacher has taught it. Loads of work books and memorization of words, so it does in a way feel useless. While part of me thinks it is important to remember these terms to fully understand people, I like the discussion part of it much more. Trying to interpret the little things in books and other forms of media. Yet it is scary to watch how easy it is to turn off my critical thinking. I will be laying there at night, almost daily, and realize all the obvious things I just didn't catch through out the day. I need people to point it out to me a lot, yet on the same level somehow I believe that I am an over-thinker. But it might just be anxiety, at the normal amount or not. I don't know if any of this made sense, but ya. Have a good day to anyone who read this far!

[@EphemeralTao]

"Over-thinking" is almost always a Thought-Terminating Cliche; that is, a way to stop someone from actually thinking deeply and critically about a particular subject. It's extremely difficult to actually "over-think" anything (outside of a narrow psychological context). When someone is accused of "over-thinking" something, that generally means that they're saying things that make someone else uncomfortable, that they're challenging a conservative or apathetic mindset.

[@mouse363]

honestly i feel the same as a gen z person myself. I feel like that happens with every subject. like math is literally the language of the universe, how can it not be an interesting subject? But I failed my last math class of my senior year and I didn't get credit for the course because the way many subjects in school are taught... idk they kind of feel like they are almost deliberately unengaging. Like I am a person who has always been interested in every subject in school and (with the exception of a few teachers and classes here or there) its like I never felt like I was learning anything important or useful or valuable. I've always gravitated to the discussion parts of class, to the application, to the "why does this matter?" part but it feels like looking back on my years in school (besides *some* college courses) it feels like education is the last thing on the list of priorities for schools... which isn't surprising but it is... idk it just feels icky if that makes sense

[@lemon8283]

@@mouse363 It completely makes sense. The interpreted purpose of school itself seems flawed now days. I am also worried with the government working on a new curriculum here in Canada. I mean, I am glad that there will be more diverse learning and in-depth learning into important events and so on, but some of it seems- impossible. mean, the grade three math was what I had learned in like grade 8? As someone with a younger cousin, I feel like it is just setting these kids up for failure. I mean, we struggled with what we were learning, can't imagine how much they might struggle. idk, maybe they will improve these flaws when reviewing it again. They didn't even use that many teachers to create the first draft? It really shows some of the flawed intent of schools-. The school system has so many flaws xd I hope that this generation can help to fix some of them. Anyways, sorry for going on a rant lol thank you for replying and have a good day!

[@sasentaiko]

Hang in there. Some teachers forget/don’t accept that their purpose is to inspire the next generation. This can happen in any subject-bio, drama, statistics, you name it. The truth is that you’re always free to have your own relationship with what you love, even if your superiors are currently trying to wrangle you into an abhorrent box. I’m glad you’re here online getting different perspectives and hopefully finding community. Good luck ignoring your lit teachers and spreading your own wings. :)

[@dyingforeddiemunson]

i'm a gen-z person too, and queer. I'm honestly so fortunate to have had a set of wonderful literature teachers. It is genuinely a fascinating subject and I'm really sorry you've had such a bad experience with it :/ My last literature teacher was very adamant on discussion, and I don't think we've had a single class without her having all of us contribute something to the class. I've had teachers who would "teach" a certain interpretation, so thus new approach was a breath of fresh air. (It was actually one of my first classes in a new school in a different country, and I also think it was the first time I actually put my hand up answer a question???) Just hearing other students interpret the same text in a different way was fascinating! In the end we all learned from each other and I think those discussions were helpful in allowing us to develop the skill to understand the world from different perspectives. And please don't beat yourself up about others having to point out things a lot! Maybe it's "obvious" after they point it out, but it might be that their worldview, which is different from yours, allows them to see it a lot more clearly. And the thing is, the next time you encounter it you'll be able to see it in a way you didn't before. There are a lot of things we don't see, and if critical thinking isn't a skill that you practise very often, like by taking a humanities course, then it's hard to apply that to everyday life. Idk if that's at all helpful, but yeahhh. I hope that you're able to find pleasure in arts and literature again, and ignore all of your teachers~

[@goblin3359]

"They don't want to believe that art can be touched by these real-world concepts, so they pretend not to see them." - Spot on. For every chud howling about there being too many women/PoC/Queers in their favourite genre, there are also a bunch of deeply boring people whinging about why film/literature 'has to be so political'. As if art of any kind was ever politically neutral by default. Another brilliant video. Brava.

[@lesbiangoddess290]

Spot on. Art that is apolitical simply isnt art.

[@ussinussinongawd516]

@@lesbiangoddess290 Okay thats not true.

[@Mercel29]

@@ussinussinongawd516 art can’t be apolitical because everything is political, even you’re decision to stay apolitical

[@maleineperle1770]

That reminds me of the comment section of "Not ready to make nice" by The Chicks. Despite the clear message of the song, there were still people arguing that The Chicks are singers and thus shouldn't do politics because it taints their music. It makes me speechless how some people deadass claimed that music had nothing to do with politics!

[@Stormfin]

@@Mercel29 Deviantart.

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

I really like the idea of "media literacy". I'm gonna use that with my daughter. I talk to her about scientific literacy. We can't any of us be experts in every area, but we can cultivate the skills to help ensure that we keep thinking instead of falling to ideological possession. I'm really glad I encountered your channel today. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos.

[@LolaSebastian]

Thank you so much for this. I deactivated Twitter earlier this week but I’m considering re-activating just to share this. I get hit with this “over-analyzing” comment SO MUCH as an english major & video essayist and it’s exhausting. The humanities DO humanize us, and it’s downright scary to see endless corporate propaganda being taken seriously. Fantastic as always.

[@DeathnoteBB]

Seriously! People will fly off the handle about someone thinking critically about media they consume and then turn around and go “But [billionaire] donated to charity and kissed a puppy so they have to be cool!” 🤦

[@streetst4610]

personally i love analyzing media, culture, historical events, etc and watching video essays, but at times i too need a break to just enjoy things without thinking about them too much. in the words of… honestly i forget who, “what ever happened to reading a book just because you wanted to?”

[@goodluckdetectivethedetect9124]

English major here dropping in to say 1. New to the channel and 2. You hit a lot of nails on the head For those who are thinking about majors, I encountered a lot of these talking points when I went to school and declared English as a major my Freshman year (If I had a quarter for every time someone said " oh so your future plans are to work at starbucks" I don't how many nickels I would have but I could probably buy a nice frappe off their menu). I was constantly told by STEM classmates that my major was "easy." It was very upsetting and I really worried about it. When I entered the job field, however, a lot of skills I learned were hailed by my bosses. My ability to read through dense texts and summarize it in a few talking points had me reporting to a high up in the company. You will not believe how many people cannot write an email that makes sense and is short. Communication is not a skill you just "have" especially in writing and employers really wanted that. STEM is important, but if no one can communicate it, well, then it doesn't go anywhere. Writing a quick brief to translate technical jargon into something a layman could read is a skill and it's a prized one. This isn't to say "go into English the jobs are fab" because lol, the job market is mean to all and lord knows student loans are scary. But if you love literary critique, writing, reading and analysis, you're good at it and want to major in English, you aren't learning "how to be useless." Quick Additional Note: Those who made fun of me for my major in college always got their just deserts when they had to take their mandatory com classes. Apparently, reading "Hamlet" and writing an 8 page paper isn't "easy" or "a walk in the park." Who would have thought? Enjoying your work keep it up!

[@bellablue5285]

It's funny, I'm an engineer by major and occupation but frequently I've been referred to as 'the english major' because I'm able to string together multi-word sentences with somewhat proper grammar, and have a fairly diverse vocabulary (I took 5yrs of Latin, and had a college level reading level by 7th grade, so I'm aware I have an unusual foundation for vocab). In college my professors would often pair me up with students who weren't doing so well to mentor them, occupation-wise I've actually spent a couple years generating templates for people to use to obviate their need to have anything beyond a basic grasp of writing. And it's fairly depressing that this doesn't apply just to one age group, this was people in their 60s to people in their 20s, which tells me this must be a societal shift. I'm not sure what all an English major would entail (English and Language Arts were really, really, really not my favorite subjects, I was usually bored and acting up in those classes admittedly), but as it seems like even the bare minimum has been phased out of standard schooling, I'm a bit afraid to even pull that thread

[@finnh7483]

As a STEM student, I am horrified others called your major easy. I have run into some people like that in my course and I hate it. Trying to explain it to them gets so difficult too, because they do not and will not understand…

[@goodluckdetectivethedetect9124]

@@bellablue5285 A lot of what the major entails in my personal experience is deconstructing how things are written and then learning how to communicate your own ideas in the most effective way possible. For example, Hamlet: we don't just talk about Hamlet's inner demons but how the word choices and sentence structure he uses implies his state of mind and works to convince the audience as such. Then, when writing papers, we have to use our own words to convey what we think the text is about. I think a lot of people misunderstand that just because you "can" argue anything in a literary response paper, that doesn't mean you can do it well. It's a skill to learn how to come up with not only an argument but then defend it well enough to convince someone it has merit. I can argue that Hamlet is about a man who knows he's in a tragic play BUT I still have to convince my teachers on that. Effective argumentation in writing that conveys a clear point is pretty valued in any field. Who else is going to sell the higher ups on your team's project? The biggest mistake I see is this idea that the longer a paper is, the better it is. Fluff hurts your papers and doesn't help it: getting to your point fast and clear will sway your reader much more than if you make them hack away the foliage surrounding your argument. But that's just off the top of my head.

[@goodluckdetectivethedetect9124]

@@finnh7483 I think people misunderstand what the major is about and think we're learning how to make meaning out of blue curtains instead of learning how to argue a point with textual evidence in a way that convinces a reader. The meaning of the blue curtains isn't a job skill: successfully arguing your claim that they represent the protagonist shutting out the outside world in a paragraph is.

[@bellablue5285]

@@goodluckdetectivethedetect9124 Appreciate the explanation. I'm going to guess then that might have already started to be cut back when I was in high school (99-03), as I recall my classes consisting of a lot of defining the structure of poetry (aa bb cc de de type structure and couplets and that fun), and the usual hunt for metaphor. What I'm not sure of though is if the analysis piece was transparent to me or if it simply wasn't taught (my undergrad courses did exercises similar to the Hamlet example I think, I recall the discussions we had on No Exit and The Plague during a French Lit class, as well as The Yellow Wallpaper, but it could just be because those were more recent). Totally agree though that analysis and effective communication are critical even to STEM fields; if someone is analyzing a requirement or troubleshooting a solution and can't convey their findings in a clear and accurate manner, that becomes a problem for all parties involved and may have ramifications that aren't identified until later in the process (and are therefore potentially more resource expensive to mitigate). And added cost is very rarely something a customer is happy about (or willing to pay)

[@devforfun5618]

i love the idea that arts isn't valuable, when the biggest industry is entertainement, which needs actors, writters, dressers, stylists, musicians, makeup, patintings, sculpture

[@goldegreen]

I also jumped straight to thinking about ableism/disabilities when you summarized Metamorphosis. Maybe I should read it, sounds like a thought-provoking story. I haven't read any classics that weren't forced upon me by ELA classes.

[@adisaster8734]

i had this exact thought too! specifically my mind went to being severely depressed in a capitalistic society just cuz thats exactly me lmao so yeah maybe there's some projection but i believe a lot of time, art sends a message but through a partially reflective mirror (it makes sense in my head more than when its written out lmao)

[@Whatismusic123]

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[@localabsurdist6661]

I’m studying German Literature and that’s also the most agreed upon interpretation: what capitalism does to a person and how a person that doesn’t function properly feels under capitalism. In my German final exam in high school I also analyzed how him being Jewish and a language minority might have influenced the story

[@The_Skrongler]

I think the "it's too hard!" line of criticism often has a lot more to do with how English is taught in school and the pressures that students are under than it does with the subject matter. I used to hate English when I was in school but my real problem wasn't really the subject matter at all! It was the lack of accessibility for my nuerodivergent mind. I actually love analyzing literature! I just didn't have anyone who knew how to explain it to me in a way that I could understand so I resented being required to pass a bunch of tests and assignments about something that was totally arcane to me.

[@Rianoa19]

I was talking to my boyfriend about Friends and how the ending pushes the mantra of love over all, that Ross and Rachel hadn't grown and idealises unhealthy toxic relationships. I was told to relax it's just a show is just a bit of fun and I shouldn't take things so seriously 🙃

[@Aster_Risk]

I hate this so much. You deserve better than that.

[@zyeran]

If it bothers you, find a way to ask him "why" that will give you an honest answer; that is, if you think he is able and willing to accurately communicate how he feels and what he thinks. If you think he lacks those abilities put aside your feelings (to avoid excessive bias) and think of your past interactions with him, what you know about him as a person, what the context of the moment was, construct a narrative theory, construct a test that will determine how much of that narrative might have been or continues to be true (people evolve). Once you have enough evidence act accordingly. If you'd like an example think of this: Your boyfriend has heard you critique but does not feel he understands what you have taken away from your analysis of the Friends series. He may feel anxious about the implications it will have for your relationship, things you may ask him to do, ways you may require him to change. He is saying in what he feels is in a disarming way "your zeal is making me uncomfortable, you are pressing against my boundaries". Or consider this maybe he was just mentally exhausted and didn't feel he could effectively engage with the information you were sharing with him and tried to put the discussion on hold knowing (after seeing your excitement) that it would be brought up later. If this is too much work then I'll relax after all it is just a lover's spat and I shouldn't take this so seriously. :D (but writing was fun)

[@brennam954]

Rather than engage with your point, or just say "huh that's interesting" and move on, he told you not to have your viewpoint; that there's something wrong with you for having that opinion. It's not like that analysis is even overly critical. It was just something you thought of. And with the "relax" part insinuating you need to just "calm down"......ugh. That would drive me nuts. Honestly, I would tell him it's fine if he doesn't agree with you, but it's rather rude to shutdown your perspective on things. It's another way men dismiss women: boredom. If he were a decent partner, he would engage with you and be interested in your perspective, even if he didn't agree.

[@myclutteredmess2271]

This happened to my mom. she analyzed a poem about the color blue thinking it represented sadness and all of the ways you can describe your hopelessness and sadness etc. The writer was there and she asked, in front of many people, what it meant. Turns out, he just wanted to see how many different ways he could describe his favorite color.

[@olivedraws9594]

I feel this as an art student as well. A lot of culture is built on aesthetic and people don’t realize that every tangible product has had an artist involved and that the way the artists created that aesthetic and the choices they went through are incredibly telling and culture changing

[@DeathnoteBB]

Seriously, I swear people think machines design packaging, and tv graphics for instance. People wonder why we need artists then turn on the news and go shopping.

[@TheChaoticAsexual]

There are definitely things I read/watch for fun where I can just turn off my brain (oftentimes cartoons, shonen anime/manga, fanfiction) but that doesn’t mean I don’t value analysis. I might watch a kids cartoon when I want to turn my brain off, but later go back to watch analysis videos. There is value in having something just for fun, but that doesn’t equate to it not having deeper meaning

[@julial.r.5383]

That's true. Although in the case of "anime/manga, fanfiction", fiction books and movies... I often have fun AND at the same time can't help but analyze them, as I'm reading or watching! :D For example regarding gender roles, discrimination and oppression (aliens vs other monsters vs. people, racism, sexism, ableism, priviledge, greed...)... It adds to the fun for me, makes them more interesting. I'd have to force myself to not think otherwise, cut that part of myself, and the world would become more bleak and hopeless to me. By analyzing as I watch/read, I compare it to this reality, and imagine a better possibility, a better future - in the book and irl. Lol sorry for writing so much.

[@EleiyaUmei]

@@julial.r.5383 Me too! My brain just loves connecting and comparing things. And it can be so satisfying if, for example, a medium you loved growing up turns out to have more layers which you also enjoy or even love ^-^ (e.g. Ghibli movies) But it can be stressful too when you want to consume a medium for fun or out of curiosity - without actively thinking critically - and then you (sub)consciously find aspects in it that you find (potentially) problematic and your enjoyment comes to a halt. My latest examples are watching Tomb Raider (2018) and The Scarlet Letter (1995). Oh, and I wished I could have turned off my critical thinking while reading A Song of Achilles because I've become wayyy too critical of romance stories over the last few years >.

[@julial.r.5383]

@@EleiyaUmei @Eleiya Umei I definitely feel you 😖 Were I able to disconnect, I'd enjoy so much more media. And it is a real struggle with romantic stories!!!!!

[@EleiyaUmei]

@@julial.r.5383 Totally! You can't believe how relieved I was when I watched Howl's Moving Castle recently and no alarm went off in my head ^^' For me, the worst struggle is having too many problems with the story and other elements while simultaneously *loving* the characters in it - you end up hate-loving the whole medium and are unable to let it go..

[@julial.r.5383]

@@EleiyaUmei I just watched the trailer, and oh my it's beautiful... I'm very curious and will search it out. Btw, am I the only one who makes-up alternative storylines and "better" endings? Like, the books says this. But in my mind I'm all like "oh no that's not... it doesn't sound like her at all hehe. She's not weak spirited. It seems I know her best. She would do this and say that instead!!" :D And using my imagination I become a much happier medium consumer.

[@ryanlafollette4819]

I had to read Kafka's Metamorphosis in high school and I really appreciate your analysis of it relating to ableism. It feels really relevant to the queer and trans experience as well.

[@quinnsine1650]

Kafka is just brilliant

[@Ashandonyx]

Yes. ♡

[@RogueVideoRaven]

I’m sitting down and giving you all my attention because I’m really interested in uncritical thinking

[@Shanspeare]

omg

[@pig3292]

That last part is why librarians are so important in schools! Teaching information literacy is a big part of our jobs

[@indiald3373]

Respect

[@theriveroftruth]

“we don’t want to look deeper at the media we consume bc we don’t want to contend with” basically what it says about us as a national group. if you create a workforce that doesn’t have the time or even attention span to think critically, then you can keep them exploited and pitted against each other. it makes me want to weep over my bachelors AND masters in english and the student loan debt i took on to get through grad school bc we’re so reactionary now absolute banger of a video, shan, thanks for all your hard work 🎊💗💗

[@ZoeAlleyne]

The way we teach in high schools is so limiting. I rarely felt like I get to meaningfully engage with a text. It wasn't until university that I felt I could debate things, truly last them out and decide what that meant to me. It's a shame we don't tend to give people that experience younger. Especially since a lot of people choose not to go to college and their only experiences might be route workbook work and having themes explained to them in an over-abundance of Shakespeare work. Don't get me wrong, I like Shakespeare but he isn't the only writer worth acknowledging and in my school EVERY semester meant that in English you would get a new Shakespeare text.

[@girlsgokawaii]

For me personally the problem was that we had to read works that just didn't interest me or the majority of people my age at the time. Even tho I enjoy and adore those books now they didn't interest me one bit in middle and high school. Besides that one problem I also had was my interpretation of the work was always rejected as incorrect and I never really got to explain why I interpreted it this way, it was just deemed incorrect. Now I wish I had friends or anyone really to talk about books with

[@cremepuffle]

Spot on (: i hated my AP english class and would skip class to read the books myself because it’s all handheld… they teach us this with the idea that it’ll help our critical thinking but they just tell us what it means? Or what they think it means? there’s absolutely no room for teens to truly explore what it means to analyze a text, and in that, the importance of these classes don’t matter to them anymore.

[@linceder1655]

I developed a nerve syndrome at 18, all of a sudden i couldnt do anything and when you told the description of kafkas book it hit me hard. That really was how i felt about myself and how i feared people around me felt.

[@jlcii]

Let's keep this 100: it's a specific type of person that doesn't want to look deeper into content because they feel some type of way about "politicizing" a clearly political message being sent. And it's usually the people who usually benefit the most politically, while being responsible for the most ostracizing, oppressing, discriminating, and biasing. And it's usually for the same reasons: they don't want to be told they are wrong, and that whom they stand against and are opposed to are in fact undeserving of the hate and devaluing treatment they get. Simply put, truth and narrative that does not serve them need not be explored, nor empowered by them.

[@jjescorpiso21]

🙌🏽

[@katielady873]

facts

[@hann3333]

WOW your Spanish is really good! And don’t worry you said almost everything right. The only thing that sounded different was “página” since it has an acento/tilde (the little thing over the first letter a) and that indicates the intensity of the pronunciation of the syllable. página has 3 syllables pá/gi/na and when pronounced the syllable “pá” has to have more intensity that the other two. Overall really good!

[@Shanspeare]

Thank you!!! 😄😄💗

[@hann3333]

@@Shanspeare Hope you get to learn Spanish so you can interact with your fiancé’s family better! I wish you the best!

[@cutedarkarts]

I think the biggest problem with the lack of media literacy is that it just doesn’t get taught. At least in the middle school and high school classes. We get taught “you need to find meaning in everything” but are never taught how to parse meaning. We are taught how to test take, not critically engage with things. I know that I didn’t learn that in high school. I remember reading “taming of the shrew” in high school. I despised it because to me it was a set of a sexist premise posed as a comedy. When I tried to bring up that it had inherently sexist premises, I got shut down by the teacher. That wasn’t what I was supposed to parse from the book. It couldn’t be sexist, she married the man in the end! Even though I specifically laid out the context of the time period, showing that women had very little agency at that time and she quite easily could be seen as only marrying the man out of begrudged resignation. But no. That’s not how your supposed to parse the media, you need to only do it without context and you have to remain either neutral or positive in your parsing of it. We were not taught proper literacy, we were taught how to give answers that the teachers liked. Modern English classes in middle and high school are the reason why media literacy is so disparaged among people, because we weren’t taught it, but we’re told what we were learning was media literacy. “The curtains were just blue” comes from that feeling of “that’s the answer we’re supposed to give to get a good grade” and we were tired of only being able to give the “right answer”.

[@alvinistrange]

Starting 2022 with Shanspeare is the best way

[@Shanspeare]

It’s the only way ‼️

[@toomanycrowns]

I've been waiting for a video like this!!! As a recent English grad, I hate the argument that "the curtains were just blue so there's never any deeper meaning for anything in general." It makes people dismiss and ignore intentional theming that *is* put into different kinds of works (like Cinemasins and Nostalgia Critic do). I love reading for fun, but I love being critical too and analyzing things positively and negatively.

[@TheRonnieaj]

As an author, literally sometimes curtains are just blue 😂. But also, sometimes there’s a reason I made the curtains blue. Sometimes my subconscious makes connections I don’t intentionally make. I’m FASCINATED by what readers put together, whether it was intentional or not. They are often far more astute in their reading than I was in my writing.

[@toomanycrowns]

@@TheRonnieaj I love when readers analyze things! And yeah sometimes the curtains are indeed just blue. Some people would ask me if I intentionally put something in my storytelling for reasons I never thought about. There's just something so nice about analyzing... But I do turn my brain off sometimes too lol

[@MissCaraMint]

Even if the author just put blue curtains in that scene because blue just kinda seamed right, that doesn’t mean they don’t mean anything either. For example think of movies. When there is a sad scene in a movie they will often make it rain. It’s supposed to contribute to that sad feeling. Just like a lot of happy scenes are set to sunshine. They are just things that enhance the scene. I haven’t read whatever it is those blue curtains appear in, but I can give it a good guess that blue curtains are more effective in creating a sad setting than for example bright pink ones. So while the author didn’t intend the curtains to symbolize anything they might have gotten a lot of focus because they became a useful device for the author to creat the imagery they want. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that those curtains grew to symbolize depression if you can justify it in the text.

[@enthusiastofcute]

Sigh, I just hope that you know that no matter how much you hate it the perspective that the curtains were just blue is just as valid as any kind of complex/critical analysis. After all, who are you to judge the interpretation of the curtains made by another person? There is no such thing as a “correct” form of analysis and being “uncritical” should not be perceived as inherently bad. After all that’s just the way some people are.I’m sure you don’t feel good whenever people say you’re being “too critical” right?

[@toomanycrowns]

@@enthusiastofcute I said I love reading for fun and turning my brain off, disliking how people dismiss intentional theming =/= saying "'uncritical' thinking is inherently bad."

[@kyrantrivedi6770]

“this is going to get very pretentious, very quickly” … “who would name their child after socks???” I love this channel :D

[@helenelewerenz5316]

Hi from Germany, We recently had Kafka in class and we learned about three major themes that can be found in Kafkas work. We are supposed to use these in our interpretations: -Alienation: the failure of interpersonal communication, a thinking characterized by mistrust, associated sometimes even with destruction of the individual -passivity: inability to act on the part of those who only observe and wait, this is meant to appeal to the individual's responsibility for their own life, since the search for a binding orientation and clinging to authority offer no solution -Fatalism: humans are at the mercy of their situation, it is impossible to escape this situation, Death remains as the only perspective I just wanted to leave this information here, because I think it is very interesting.

[@sj-nx2pv]

i had such an experience with my english teacher once. i was reading her a poem i wrote about a beast that lurks through a village and keeps all other inhabitants indoors, and she told me it wasn’t clear enough what i meant by this story. she told me it needed a title, or something that suggested its meaning. to me, the poem was in reference to my experience with depression, and i simply explained to her it wasn’t about what it meant to me, but how it could mean to her. this reminds me a lot of that time

[@DeathnoteBB]

That sounds like a cool poem. I hope your depression has gotten better since then

[@RoseyBlu]

I have the same struggle with Spanish. I took Spanish throughout grade school and in college and only know a handful of phrases. My husband is Cuban and PR and the gringo Spanish I've learne isn't cutting it. My father in law speaks very little English So its been very to communicate with him.

[@StudioHannah]

I’ve been using Duolingo and an old Spanish textbook (and my Mexican housemate haha) to relearn after ten years of forgetting everything I learned in High School. Daily practicing has been very helpful.

[@indiald3373]

@@StudioHannah Castillian was learned in my h.s.

[@milky7200]

i admit, i used to be one of those kids who never really enjoyed compulsory english classes as a child. but spending 3 years with my (now old, i graduated! :D) english teacher really opened my mind to the beauty of language and the rest of the humanities. she was the type to pull a dead poets society and make us analyse text outside where the breeze is nice and we were getting adequate sunlight. i can now read a 5-line wordsworth poem and take home a lifetime's worth of context, emulate specific emotions in my own writing without having to be so explicit about it, and so much more. as a STEM student, i can confidently say that without those tedious english classes i used to take, my lab reports would be nothing. granted, we are not required to be florid in reports, but media literacy skills when reading journals, cross-reviewing articles, and so many more aspects that tie into the maths and science of it all makes one realise the humanities is just as important as STEM. one area would not function without the other, and vice versa. looking back on it, i do miss having classes with my english teacher, but the one thing she told us is to enjoy our time together, graduate, and to *never* look back. i think i'll do exactly that :]

[@nikolasslead6582]

I also saw the plot of Metamorphosis by Kafka as being about abelism and capitalism. I'm actually doing my final literary project for the semester (my semester ends mid January it's dumb, I know) on that analysis.

[@lyssia5138]

As someone who writes fiction: sometimes I'm saying something with the number of paintings on the wall, sometimes I just saw a photo and I'm describing it with some differences. I find it weird both when people think EVERY WORD is meaningful and saying something AND when people think everything is meaningless and random Sure, some things are random, but trying to understand what carries meaning and what is just there is part of what makes reading fun, in my opinion

[@96percentdone]

just want to add to this as a fellow author but also like. just because i didn't think too hard about a certain decision doesn't mean it's inherently devoid of meaning. Art is not just what i put in, its what you take from it, y'know?

[@errortryagainlater4240]

Exactly! Even if I _didn't_ mean anything by the colour I picked, I'd still love to hear someone else's interpretation if they saw deeper subtext. Putting words into the author's mouth is one thing ofc, but for the most part I think analysis is completely harmless.

[@angelaofrandom3716]

@@96percentdone This totally reminded me of that one video where Jordan Peele reacted to Get Out theories. There was one observation about the mold that someone had noted, which Peele hadn't even thought of, but the observation was so meaningful and thoughtful. Sometimes personal interpretation can make media more enjoyable to the individual, that's why fanfiction and fanon tends to get so popular in fandoms, I think.

[@georgekurioreilly4857]

There is also meaning beyond what you as the writer ascribe the work.

[@DrewLSsix]

It's also not entirely about authorial intent, the things you write can reflect on you amd your world view and experiences without you even realizing, they can also carry actual real meaning to your readers entirely removed from your own perspective. Writing a story about a vigilante crime fighter , and writing that crime fighter to be wealthy simply because it allows the story to happen by allowing the character to do the things he does may be an entirely neutral pragmatic thing in your mind. To a reader though the idea of a rich man of significant privilege shirking the law to punish people can have an entirely different reading. It may be literally impossible to read that as neutral rather than as an extension of both real world inequity that you the author takes for granted and as an example of that same inequity in the fictional world you created. If there's anything a critical eye reveals about fiction of almost any vintage it's that the author rarely thinks of themselves as anything less than good and moral at the time while the normal and acceptable things they include with no greater intent than to flavor the text must clash with the later readers sensibilities. The lack of intent or the specific intent of the author simply does not override the actual meaning held within the text.

[@apocalypseready6256]

I relate to this topic so much. I get accused of overthinking everything and being “obsessive” in my critical analysis. It becomes even more disparaging when I was recently diagnosed with OCD, and just because I don’t obsess over the things conventionally associated with the mental condition doesn’t mean that pattern of behavior doesn’t manifest in many ways. I always try to be open and thoughtful in my criticism, because I genuinely think media influences our perception of the world; it especially did for me, a homebody introvert with basically zero friends who regularly immersed myself in fictional worlds. I enjoy discussing TV, and I respect if someone else isn’t as into it; just don’t put me down for analyzing “just a movie” when literally millions of dollars are put into that project with hundreds of people going into its production. When you think about it like that, it feels absurd to say there aren’t deeper themes and ideas going on.

[@ruteisabelmendes6706]

As someone with OCD who also happens to over-analyse movies and books and stuff to the detail to the point that people sometimes get annoyed with me..... yes, i get you😂

[@tzitzidoll]

OMG! I wrote my essay in high school about the same thing, about the metamorphosis, because that’s all it was to me a man becoming more and more disabled and people discriminating him as soon as he was “useless” to them, and i remember fighting with a classmate, because the thought it was a comedy and I was “taking it too seriously”

[@fetchmehizsoulll]

u r so pretty btw

[@s.e.m.7767]

As a person who got their undergrad in history, art history, and religious studies your defense of humanities was so true. I have a whole bunch of friends in undergrad who were STEM majors and after nearly 4 years out of undergrad are still struggling in the workforce because they lack the skills that I and many of my humanities friends learned and are able to use in our jobs daily.

[@anascarlet]

Which skills? Communication/rhetoric and office politics?

[@rachel3760]

I'm genuinely curious what skills you're referring to. Y'all realize STEM isn't just memorizing equations right? It involves a lot of critical thinking and intensive creative problem solving, especially science.

[@s.e.m.7767]

@@rachel3760 Hi, I hope I didn't offend anyone with what I thought was a fairly innocuous anecdotally based comment. I do realize that STEM does involve more than memorization. In terms of skills in the humanities I can say critical thinking, communication (written and oral), empirical and quantitative reasoning skills, personal responsibility, teamwork, social responsibility, interpersonal skills, knowing how to write for different audiences, creativity, and research. I am sure there is stuff I am missing and I'm sure there is overlap in the skills taught in the humanities and STEM, but that is what helped me out in the workforce.

[@ambatuBUHSURK]

@@s.e.m.7767 Pretty anecdotal. I'd love to see you struggle with equations or trying to construct an engineering solution and then call you a loser. The thing is it's significantly harder getting relevant jobs as STEM majors and sometimes you need more skills than English majors might need. The overlaps + knowledge in said field. Not easy stuff especially when your best chances at making high salary is the industry. Half of those things you mentioned is taught in STEM courses. Not to mention STEM education is significantly more flawed & half-assed than English classes. Either way they're the ones making jobs for so many people with new technology and many have jobs better paying than most English majors haha.

[@leebinpoggersmomento6101]

Thats the take we're dealing with now? "STEM are struggling to find jobs, unlike humanities students"? Jesus christ.

[@alphabetmafiamember9132]

When people say that you should just enjoy things instead of looking deep into them, it really annoys me because analysing things makes them MORE enjoyable to me. One of my favourite parts about watching movies/reading books is analysing the deeper meaning, it's so interesting. This video made me more confident about possibly wanting to study english or film since everyone always says it's a waste lmao Great video as always

[@robinnilsson9487]

I double majored in Anthropology and Data Analytics. Life is better when you open yourself up to many different approaches to learning and thinking. You dont need to choose.

[@fyodorkdostoyevsky]

I used to know things... I used to read books, I knew words, I could make sentences. I can feel my mind degrading, eroding like a dirt track on a downhill slope. All I had was my brain. All the safety net I had was casual intelligence. A quote from Crime & Punishment; slapping the table at Christmas, staring my father in the eye, laughing and delivering some brilliantly structured rebuttal informed by some long dead leftist. And now I can't think straight... can't concentrate. Thoughts and things dart around my head as quickly as they slip away. How much did I know a year ago, that I've forgotten now? Where did my confidence go? Was it ever confidence? Or was it just arrogance? How do I tell the people who relied on that version of me to be okay, that version of me whose facade frays more at the edges every day, that I am drowning in myself? The world fills up with poems I can't remember, books I haven't read, and art I couldn't recreate in my wildest dreams.

[@MunchyInTechnicolor]

I ended up taking a media literacy class back in college. I was an animation major and thought it would be important for communicating ideas in digestible ways when it comes to story telling. I was already into literary analysis to begin with, but I think it broadened my view of critical thinking and analysis, not just in fiction but in all aspects of life. From cartoons to propoganda, critical thinking and literary analysis are so damn important to develop and understand. And yes, there are pieces of media that are just made to turn off your brain and have fun. As the saying goes, "You don't watch Michael Bay movies for the nuances." But at the same time, I'd like to see someone like Robyn Hill watch ANY Andrei Tarkovsky movie and not walk away with some kind of personal analysis, and not just because his films are specifically DESIGNED to make you analyze everything that's on screen. Yes, I hated the book Ethan Frome back in highschool cause my teacher wouldn't SHUT UP about the damn red pickle dish, but at the same time, it taught me about symbolism, metaphors, and a deeper understanding of how a story can be communicated to an audience. After all, in the world of animation (and film in general), everything displayed on screen has to have some importance or relevance, otherwise it's a waste of time and money. The curtains may be blue, but they're blue for a REASON, it just depends on your interpretation as to what that reason is.

[@tomboyhns2643]

If it weren't for video essays, I *never* would've enjoyed literary analysis, or any analysis in general, as much as I do now. Analysis is now almost like a mystery to solve, to search for clues, and put the puzzle pieces together. It makes me actually *enjoy* learning for once!

[@chestersnap]

"This transformation proves troublesome for three reasons" Wow! That's way fewer reasons than what would be troubling me

[@lacrimosaasf8698]

In school, it always took such a long time and o finish books. After every chapter, we would have to stop and do pages upon pages of questions about the book, trying to find a deeper meaning in everything. It always felt like by analyzing every little thing and trying to decipher what it really meant or what it symbolized took away from the actual things they symbolized. I feel like if you overanalyze everything all the time, the parts that are actually symbolic of something won't have the same effect. Sorry if that doesn't make sense lol

[@erinniccoinn1gh]

a really eye-opening experience is looking at how other languages teach their own versions of literary studies and their languages' history. for example i speak irish and the way irish is taught has a lot of its own challenges, many of which coming from being a language that has been directly oppressed by english for so long. the way french is taught by the french is really interesting for its own reasons. and then you have places like india or belgium where nearly everyone is multilingual, and that affects things too.

[@charlotteice5704]

you really opened my eyes to this problem, thank you. Before I thought "well, analysing stuff and all that was fun for me but I'd probably make it opt-in if I controlled what subjects people have as learning practical skills for life is much more important" but now I understand that critical analysis is another one of those important practical life skills that I think students should learn in school, and that it's more important than ever in this media-dominated age. I always thought students should learn media competence as well, but I've never previously put two and two together on that one.

[@manhattankw]

i’m currently in college to be an english teacher (i have less than a year til graduation!) and this video encapsulates exactly why i value the humanities and the pedagogical values i want to uphold in my classroom. i’m less interested in drilling students about grammar and the small technicalities and much more interested in being able to give them the tools to navigate life in the information age. media literacy and critical thinking is best accessed in studying the humanities, so it is frightening when we see these spheres of intellect disregarded in favor of studying “practical” subjects because we badly need these skills. thank you for sharing!

[@phoebel5526]

for the record I absolutely love video essays because they make me use my brain and think about things from a different perspective. also, even if the curtains were just blue, it's nice to come up with other reasons why they might be blue instead of taking everything at face value

[@taelynwhitty7344]

I just took my first university-level English class all about reading and writing critically and I found it so enlightening! This video has got me pumped to take my next one this semester

[@theonetruesarauniya]

Yes! I look forward to learning and truly engulfing the amazing knowlege and education you freely give out. Congrats on your and your fiance's engagement! I am soooooo grateful for you and your content. I will make another comment on everything after I have time to think. I'm also hoping I can try out Babbel to relearn Japanese and Korean. That'd be great if it worked out.

[@larkin2890]

you're truly one of the best on this platform rn, setting the bar for the rest of them!! can't wait to see what you do this year

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

I’ll think of this video whenever my history major roommate or my geology major roommate crack jokes about how my job prospects are limited to becoming a professor who teaches other professors.

[@sofi-.-sad]

I always hated that the humanities and arts are always overlooked for STEM smh I remember in high school telling my teacher I was interested in majoring in the humanities and he told me it wasn't that useful or interesting :( Anyway, I LOVE your jacket ahhhhhh where did you get ittt

[@shxronp8966]

it annoys me so much that high school teachers think this way. i'm majoring in history and it's literally one of the highest regarded diplomas where i live because of the research and critical thinking skills we learn, but no one tells you about that in high school because if it's not STEM it's not good enough

[@sofi-.-sad]

@@shxronp8966 OMG same I'm majoring in history too, it was either going to be humanities or history and I chose history bc of all the people heavily discouraging me from majoring in it. And after that choice people I knew still complained saying that there's not that many jobs for that major :( honestly it makes me so sad that theres a clear bias in favor for STEM.

[@errortryagainlater4240]

It's the same mentality as "you either go to university or you work in Macdonald's forever" 😑 STEM is a great choice but so are humanities and arts! They're all for different careers anyway so I don't see the point in comparing them.

[@Karen-ex5tg]

i really got resentful of the metaphorical blue curtains because my teacher made us interpret cartoons and she wanted us to put meaning in EVERY. SINGLE. ELEMENT. some things have meaning, some don't. and i just couldn't deal with the frustration of talking about every tiny little thing for way too long instead of having a meaningful conversation about the big important elements and the message.

[@DuelaDent52]

I remember back when the AV Club reviewed Adventure Time there was this one episode that was clearly meant to be a direct allusion to what Marcelino was up to during the events of the Islands arc but they somehow missed it entirely and thought it was all flowery metaphor about her and PB’s breakup. I get art is subjective, but sometimes you can really miss the forest for the trees.

[@dianacutie99]

i feel like people forget often times that when you're an author, every single sentence, every single word, every single detail that you include in a story is a conscious choice you have to make. if the author points out that the curtains are blue, it honestly likely has some kind of purpose; be it small and miniscule in setting the tone, or larger and more precedent like foreshadowing. why would you mention a detail that doesnt matter? even then, it's likely a red herring, even if that were the case. like how a painter has to choose each color and line and brush stroke, an author must do the same. you dont accidentally put something into your writing that doesnt mean anything - and if you do, it honestly is probably a mistake. if the author bothers to mention the curtains, then most likely, it's for a reason.

[@phastinemoon]

Law of the conservation of detail. Where the editor will ask “is this important to the story? If not, cut it.”

[@incorporealrn]

Lightly tapping a hornet's nest with a bat here, but it is telling that any deep media analysis online is mostly spent on romantic or sexual subtext. Like the essays full of over analyzed images and gifs from shippers I would see on tmblr and twt...

[@Timelordvainglorious1]

Yea, I’ve seen so many more things about if couple a or couple b are endgame than analysis of the themes of a certain popular Netflix show

[@Em-bi7tn]

I think you'd enjoy northern Europe. We have so many people choosing humanities. I'm personally STEM, because I wanted a concrete discipline. I know a ton of people who have trouble getting jobs through their humanities education, but so many people still do it. Hmm like, I see the point. We have a very different system here tho. To get into STEM, you have to go though 3 years of youth studies, where we learn tons of critical thinking, and within my STEM education, we only have relevant courses, but several about critical thinking, rhetoric, ethics and general "YOU have to think - don't just do". I am very pleased with our form of education, and I often look at American studies with dread

[@Ladyknightthebrave]

Amazing as always

[@claireh3326]

i've always been pumped to be an english major but this video helped me explore why what i'm doing is actually important-- thank you!!

[@elliota1487]

Couldn’t help but think of this quote incl. in an essay I read for a class last sem: “That complaint about ‘reading into’ [something] usually displaces a conversation about desire with a complaint about identity-it mistakes the effort to expand on how pleasure works for a taxonomical project.” (Jennifer Doyle). I don’t think the entirety of criticism is contained within the bounds of “expanding how pleasure works,” but the Mason section in particular made me think about this, and about the expectation of ‘productivity’ (something something capitalism etc.) from analysis/disregard for the joy and pleasure to be derived from analyzing a text! Anyway this is a brilliant vid. Thanks for sharing your work!!

[@Hani-iv1cq]

ITS ABOUT DRIVE ITS ABOUT POWER WE STAY HUNGRY WE DEVOUR PUT IN THE WORK PUT IN THE HOURS AND TAKE WHATS OURS

[@bookNerd151]

One of the truest things I’ve heard about the value of studying English (or any other kind of) literature is that it teaches empathy and helps us understand the nuance and complexity of thought & emotion. I’m now a professional social worker, and I know without a doubt that it’s my background in English lit that prepared me for my calling (though it wasn’t initially an obvious career transition). Also #bipolardisordersolidarity

[@IanAllTheTime]

I'm a very technical person and often when engaging with media I miss a lot of subtext, I really try to keep broader themes in mind when watching something but my mind just doesn't naturally go there. I really appreciate analysis for this reason as it helps me learn how these details can be interpreted with a greater meaning. It also extends my enjoyment of a piece of media for a longer period of time, instead of watching two movies a day or playing a new game every few days I can watch one movie then watch video essays about said movie for a few days after. It's a sweet money saver.

[@music_YT2023]

Unfortunately for my English teachers, I have remained pretty oblivious into my adulthood; things like subtext, themes, motivations (so basically all poetry) are just wasted on me. But I appreciate the many ways people can interpret art and I enjoy learning about the many things I overlooked. So far my favorites have included Lindsay Ellis' different analyses of the Transformer series, Sophie from Mars elucidating the many trans allegories in the Matrix series, and everything from James Somerton and Matt Baume on queer issues in media. Analyses channels like yours help me see past my own stubbornly uncritical bubble.

[@SabrinaRina]

I just wish English classes wouldn't be ran by people who analyzed stories, deem their interpretation as correct and then test you on their interpretation.

[@rachelhuang8179]

this whole video is so true. also a lot of this applies to math too, imo. once you start doing real math, which many people never do, it actually has a lot to do with rhetoric (as in writing proofs) except math education has been truly bastardized to an astonishing degree. arithmetic and plugging in formulas is considered more "employable" than knowing how to write a proof, except realistically those formulas are getting forgotten as soon as the semester ends and, in contrast, once you truly know how to write a proof, your communication skills are basically bulletproof. I could go on forever about this.

[@thishuman1621]

“The arts and humanities aren’t worth a dime” Explorers? Singers? Designers? The most needed people in modern day society?

[@epicmarschmallow5049]

How are any of them the most needed people in modern society?

[@thishuman1621]

Every single sound of music you’ve ever heard: created by people. Everything you’ve _ever_ seen (except a naked person): designed by someone. Everywhere you’ve ever been: had to have been explored first

[@zyeran]

@@thishuman1621 You said "the most", I think that is the issue. The explorers, singers, and designers of the world are facilitated by people with no such vision or spark. For all of it's amenities society continues to exist as a sand castle by the sea. While some collect sea shells, and craft towers, it is important not to look down on those who keep the tide at bay. There is nothing to admire without our artisans there is nothing at all without our workmen.

[@thishuman1621]

@@zyeran I'm not looking down on them, I myself grew up in the working class with workmen as parents, it's just my opinion that nothing would be here without designers

[@zyeran]

@@thishuman1621 This is true but much exists absent of people with the "intent" to design. Someone did the hard labor of nurturing you within their body likely without much care or knowledge of all the theory and science pertaining to the conception and the birthing process and yet you. Yes designers are invaluable but I think the teaching of design is less so. Despair is the midwife to innovation and the unknown can be a better guru than thinking you might know. STEM must be taught so people don't fuck up, but the fucking in the arts creates something beautiful.

[@faze.amuzante3966]

Girl as a computer science major your comment abt there being too many letters in math TRIGGERED THE SHIT OUT OF ME

[@user-ot7ue2yb2e]

surprisingly, i’ve never really consciously noticed the connection between the fact that i had a fascination with literature through all of my school years, and that i find myself to be more clued into red flags for misinformation or scams that often show up on social media, in articles, and in ads than many of my peers are. i have to redirect quite a few friends and family members away from mlm-y content pretty often lol

[@andrewphilos]

My brother was talking with me about this idea and said, "If I were writing a story, I'd make the curtains blue but make the scene really happy." My reply was, "Then I'd interpret the curtains being blue as being ironic, and I'd be right."

[@charlotte7356]

The first time I applied to study History at university, my dad was so angry at me for doing a "stupid" degree. Now I'm a second year History student and I swear it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I am so happy to be doing a subject I have a genuine passion and curiousity for, because I've I had done law like my dad wanted, I'd be entirely miserable. I've also come to realise that historians really are quite important; arts and humanities matter!

[@ksanetmehari7202]

For me I use literature as a mirror for my own biases. I'll have strong feelings about a certain character. Only to hear someone else's perspective & replace my pair of glasses for theirs. In that process I learn a lot about myself and what my "default" perspective or pair of glasses that I use to see the world is. It's a great tool for self reflection. Pun intended.

[@puffitale]

The (my) curtains are blue because the curtains are ‘duck egg’ coloured, and I wanted curtains that were duck egg coloured. We need to teach media literacy. We need to know how to interpret texts - fiction and non-fiction, and we need to be able to interpret those texts within the historical context of when they were created, but how it’s read within our modern society. We need to teach these things not only within the confines of traditional platforms like books and film etc. but digital platforms like social media and online news. We need to teach people how and why they need to question and analyse the information they consume. I get that we need STEM education, we need nurses, computer scientists and rocket engineers, but if we’re being taught algebra and equilibrium equations in high school, we also need to teach literary analysis. It needs to be a common and basic skill. No matter how many business majors dismiss the humanities fields or people ask if you’re going to become a teacher with your BA in English.

[@delaney9383]

i'm a hs senior who' wants to teach english. it's so nice to hear literature and other "liberal arts" type studies defended, and it's nice to hear from a video essayist i respect about the deep roots they have and how the emphasis on "actually useful" degrees were a result of industrialization and, essentially, the government needing more labor. i've heard this point stated before, but this video essay has given me a more comprehensive, accurate perspective on this progression in education. i love learning and want to be a part of making learning a thing to be passionate about and absorbed in for students instead of the value to the workforce we're taught is of utmost priority. i'm a firm believer in the value of "doing nothing." the times where i've been least productive have been the richest in my life

[@mOonLight12whiSpeRs]

As an author myself, choices really do mean something. Most times even creators aren’t aware of what those choices mean, but there’s rarely anything that happens that doesn’t mean something. The beauty of art is in its interpretation, so why not interpret lol. A work of art isn’t there to say something about its creator, it’s there to say something about you.

[@corduroy799]

Honestly, I'm really glad that my mom raised me to be a critical thinker because it's becoming an increasing important skill. When I was younger, she would ask me to analyze what advertisements were saying. It became almost a game to point out the implications in ads I saw. That skill was further strengthen when I took a required critical thinking class in middle school. My mom's efforts and my education have caused me to now be the kind of person that enjoys analysis and learning the nuance of different situations. I've noticed that a lot of people (obviously not all) don't do that and there's usually consequences (fighting, lack of a flexible mindset, etc). With the internet and the political climate of the U.S. being how it is, it feels incredibly necessary that the newer generations learn how to be critical thinkers. Nuance is important and one need to consider it before, say, believing/supporting something they saw on TikTok. It sucks that the humanities are written off because it feels so clear, at least to me, that it still offer us essential skills like analysis and critical thinking. Anyway, that's my rant lol

[@ShinyPrimarina]

It drives me up the wall when negative criticism is also just swept as being hateful when literary analysis isn't just about being positive, especially if it's media you love and consume. I've had friends act like I was stupid for asking why or saying certain plot elements were not good to me and it's frustrating to be made fun of or treated like a backstabber when I am critical. It would be nice for once to not be treated like "I just don't understand it like them" when I dislike something