The crown is heavy - Mr Beast and the recent hubhub

More than a decade ago, I read a play by Jean Genet called Balcony. The play is set in a brothel in an unnamed city which is undergoing a revolution/rebellion. The brothel is a make-believe stage where one can indulge in activities of power and control, which is crumbling outside in the city. The clients of the brothel participate in role-playing and act out their dreams and fantasies. 

Genet, himself the son of a prostitute, was a politically charged French poet, playwright and an activist. His plays highlight power centers and established norms and subversion. 

But he also believed that once a revolution achieved its goals and established a new order, this new order would inevitably come with its own set of problems and forms of oppression.

I have not seen Mr Beast's videos in the last few/couple of years. But I have seen his early videos helping people or giving gifts to unfortunate people. Last time I saw him, he was driving a charity effort helping some children get better eye care. So the news that is cropping up recently and shocking the Youtube-verse could be stunning for many. The more news we hear, the worse it sounds.

If we collate Balcony and Genet with this situation, this was bound to happen. When climbing up the stairs of success, one is subversive and breaking the mold and displacing the status quo. In their mind, they are fresh, young blood and revolutionary - Pioneers.
But once established, it all goes down the same way. Rumors surrounding unsafe working conditions were the start; Now there is news of racism, homophobia, hiring criminals, and CP, among others. 

Investigation is ongoing but usually big corporations get away or bury such stories. And Mr Beast and his team is the gigantic mammoth bringing millions of views regularly to Youtube. So all this could be silenced or maybe there could be another quiet rebel working his way up again... 

But we are just here for the content, right?

Freeloaders and Bloodsuckers

 

 

Usually I avoid viewing any Oscar International film winner/nominees just out of the sheer annoyance that all winners are usually representing movies that are representations of stereotypical innateness of the country or exaggerating human emotions.
It also makes me realise the apathy I feel to some human emotions if they are portrayed as melodramatic. Maybe it is because we now have shorter attention spans or maybe our head has been corroded due to the continuous barrage of useless information we receive.

In any case, I am glad I saw Parasite. I had some idea of the plot but no idea about how it would be handled. I went in expecting to see destitution and poverty and class divide. And I saw it but not how I was expecting.

My thoughts: 

-The social commentary blended within the story, has been so starkly represented and yet I felt I was so engrossed in the film that I forgot to view it. 

-I am glad my fears were proven wrong. The movie did not have a dull moment. It went fast and obviously packed a punch.

-The movie could be set in any country or any city, especially in Asia and would be appropriate. Capitalism and class divide are uniform wherever one goes. 

- Usually Korean dramas are full of fake opulence and superficial luxury; usually in the chaebol dramas of rich boy/poor girl. But it is refreshing to see that there is a realization of it being just fiction. The class divide is so bleak and serious, and superbly highlighted after every few minutes (by the fragrance/smell storyline). It is something that is intangible and yet it sparks the final actions of Mr Kim.

-While the Kim family is indulging in the rich lifestyle, I was so anxious that they will be facing their doom. And was I wrong?

-There have been many movies that have been released this decade regarding Phrogging. It is so scary and would be so traumatic. 

- The Japanese show Parasite (Kiseichuu) is about an alien entering a boy and who then becomes the vessel who is half-human and half-parasite. Worth a watch if you prefer some darkness in life.     

Reappearance

 

It's been ages (=a decade) since I accessed this blog. Even though it has stayed alive in some recesses of my mind/soul, I gave up writing. I always viewed writing as something I liked to do rather than a cathartic experience, which it could have been. I am not sure if I would be able to continue on this journey for long given work deadlines and personal commitments; But let me try my hand again at this. 

Maybe this time I will be satisfied with what I write. I plan to maybe write about movies and series and podcasts I devour. I still do not think I am well-versed with the music scene, so will refrain from that. That said, maybe Homecoming is a gigantic term to start off with. So I call this a return, or arrival.