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Wonder Egg Priority and Monstrous Trauma
#297: Josué, Lara, and Link discuss how we connect with different stories through different media, and how animation or fantastical elements can provide the psychological space needed to engage with difficult topics like racism or domestic abuse. Josué reveals how anime was ruined for his sister.
Transcript
Josué Cardona 0:07
Welcome to gt radio on the Geek Therapy network. Here at Geek Therapy. We believe that the best way to understand each other and ourselves is through the media we care about, my name is Josué Cardona. And I’m joined by Link Keller.
Link Keller 0:17
Hello,
Josué Cardona 0:18
and Lara Taylor.
Lara Taylor 0:19
Hey.
Josué Cardona 0:20
Hello. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Today, I have a story for you Something happened at work. Here’s what I wanna talk about. colleague, coworker asked me if I watched the TV show them on Amazon Prime. Have either of you watched it?
Lara Taylor 0:41
Nope.
Link Keller 0:42
what is it about?
Lara Taylor 0:42
i want to though?
Josué Cardona 0:45
them? My response was absolutely not. I’m done watching movies. Where or shows where racism is the monster. I don’t want to I don’t want to. I’m good. Get out was an interesting experience. I enjoyed the movie very much. I thought it was great. And and now, but now it’s like a trend. Now there’s a whole genre of stuff like
Lara Taylor 1:11
isn’t them, like related to the movie us?
Josué Cardona 1:15
I don’t think it’s at all related. It’s uh, yeah, it’s not related at all. Um, that you know, doing some research on this this part of it in particular, like other people feel seems to feel the same way. Like, here’s a article that came up like black trauma porn, them and the danger of Jordan Peele imitators. And yeah, I mean, even the the trailer for it was super creepy. It it’s just like, a black family moved into a white neighborhood. And then, you know, like, the white families like staring at them from across the street, that and that alone is terrifying. And I was like, nope, no, I don’t I don’t want to see this. But then as I thought about it later, I just the whole conversation we could have about all that stuff. But I thought about it. I was like, I don’t I don’t want to see that. But then I remembered watchmen, and and in watchmen, like racism is the monster there too but. It’s like a superhero show. It was like it was packaged in in a way that I, I’m, I’m okay with that, that those different thinking, if we can, Superman punches racism in the face, it’s different, then I prefer that. And there’s different. It just it just got me thinking of the different ways that we talk about this all the time, we talk about how sometimes you you, you don’t have the words to describe the way you feel. But you can see it in media. And it’s actually helpful, right? And it’s helpful. There’s so many different ways. Okay, that stories there, it is way more, I can actually visit or even discuss or even think about this topic or this traumatic thing, whether it’s it’s something that happened to me or to someone else or something that is just hard to talk about, or, or even think about, and then you see it in different media. It’s like, oh, okay, no, like, I can I can handle it here. It’s like, Oh, no, it’s like, it’s all metaphor, and it’s a children’s show. So okay, I can I can definitely deal with that. And I’ve been exploring, in music, this type of thing, to ready to take. Although in the music one, in the music conversations I’ve been having. I thought, maybe Is it possible that there’s a way where it’s actually worse? Which I, which I think is possible, and maybe even the case in some of this? I get I don’t even know what the what the genre. I saw something the other day, but like a Jordan Peele imitators sounds like a good way to refer to, to this genre. And yeah, it’s just, it’s just, I was surprised to to bring this up, granted, like have that immediate response of like, No, no, I don’t want to see that at all. But like, in other in other contexts, I would absolutely. revisit the same themes. And I see that all the time. If I think about it, I’m curious if what you think about those examples in particular, but if there are any examples you can think of like, I mean, I’m very curious to hear what you have to say, Link not only because this, these are positioned as racism and horror, right, in particular. And and I mean, it’s not weird, right? To talk about what the horror aspect to what it is that it’s representing, it’s representing something else, but it doesn’t doesn’t matter how. On the nose, the metaphor is, right. It’s usually not like exactly that. Right. It’s like the monster is literally the, you know, like this white family across the street. Yeah, I haven’t seen the show, so I’m not sure If there’s more stuff to it out there, um,
Lara Taylor 5:03
it’s interesting I looked up the them is done by. I think the showrunner is Lena Waithe. Mm hmm. Yeah. I actually like a lot.
Josué Cardona 5:15
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I’ve read some interesting things. I’m a fan too Yeah, I’m a fan of, Lena Waithe. And what was that was a service that disappeared. Do you remember the one that was like? QB Quibi one?
Lara Taylor 5:29
Quibi.
Josué Cardona 5:31
Yeah.
Lara Taylor 5:32
Quibi.
Josué Cardona 5:34
No, no, she had a show. That was all about sneakers. That’s really good. I was like, a, like a love letter to sneakers. But yeah, then she made them. Again, lots of interesting thoughts on that, but, but I’m so I’m curious what you think. And also think you explore a lot of depth in different types of media. And I think that’s also one of those things where I sure, like, I’ll go through seven different, you know, stories about death in in what remains of Edith Finch. But in other media, I’m like, Oh, no, like these characters can i can’t i don’t want to, I don’t want any part of it. Or like, oh, that song is too sad or sad, or like, it just depends on how it’s packaged. And,
Link Keller 6:19
yeah,
Josué Cardona 6:19
and I mean, we’ve talked about death in particular, in the past where I, I feel like there’s been a there’s a practice of the sense of loss. It’s not the same, right? We’re not saying it’s the same as losing someone close to you. But to get to feel the loss is is in a way that you’re like, oh, oh, I just felt the loss. I wasn’t expecting that. But But it happened in a way in a package that was in a way that I can then reflect on and experience in a particular way. That’s not too bad. No. thoughts, Link?
Link Keller 6:52
Yeah. Yes. I think that that is one of the great. I apologize. If you can hear screaming in the background, I closed the window, but I can still hear it. So
Josué Cardona 7:05
yeah, I’m, sometimes I record and that happens too. And
Link Keller 7:10
no, like, just started up as I started talking, so I’m like,
Josué Cardona 7:14
Did you hear what did you hear my question?
Link Keller 7:16
I did? Yeah. Okay. Sorta, I think I parsed it. One of the things I really love about horror, as genre is that it is a way to engage with darker, more upsetting themes and ideas and events that have happened or made up ones that are metaphorical, for real things. I think that that is one of horrors great skills is that it gives us space to engage with these kinds of things that are uncomfortable with intention, you know, you you go in knowing that it’s gonna be uncomfortable and scary. And that’s, you know, you signed up to watch it, you agreed to do that. So I think that there’s s...
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By Geek Therapy Network#297: Josué, Lara, and Link discuss how we connect with different stories through different media, and how animation or fantastical elements can provide the psychological space needed to engage with difficult topics like racism or domestic abuse. Josué reveals how anime was ruined for his sister.
Transcript
Josué Cardona 0:07
Welcome to gt radio on the Geek Therapy network. Here at Geek Therapy. We believe that the best way to understand each other and ourselves is through the media we care about, my name is Josué Cardona. And I’m joined by Link Keller.
Link Keller 0:17
Hello,
Josué Cardona 0:18
and Lara Taylor.
Lara Taylor 0:19
Hey.
Josué Cardona 0:20
Hello. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Today, I have a story for you Something happened at work. Here’s what I wanna talk about. colleague, coworker asked me if I watched the TV show them on Amazon Prime. Have either of you watched it?
Lara Taylor 0:41
Nope.
Link Keller 0:42
what is it about?
Lara Taylor 0:42
i want to though?
Josué Cardona 0:45
them? My response was absolutely not. I’m done watching movies. Where or shows where racism is the monster. I don’t want to I don’t want to. I’m good. Get out was an interesting experience. I enjoyed the movie very much. I thought it was great. And and now, but now it’s like a trend. Now there’s a whole genre of stuff like
Lara Taylor 1:11
isn’t them, like related to the movie us?
Josué Cardona 1:15
I don’t think it’s at all related. It’s uh, yeah, it’s not related at all. Um, that you know, doing some research on this this part of it in particular, like other people feel seems to feel the same way. Like, here’s a article that came up like black trauma porn, them and the danger of Jordan Peele imitators. And yeah, I mean, even the the trailer for it was super creepy. It it’s just like, a black family moved into a white neighborhood. And then, you know, like, the white families like staring at them from across the street, that and that alone is terrifying. And I was like, nope, no, I don’t I don’t want to see this. But then as I thought about it later, I just the whole conversation we could have about all that stuff. But I thought about it. I was like, I don’t I don’t want to see that. But then I remembered watchmen, and and in watchmen, like racism is the monster there too but. It’s like a superhero show. It was like it was packaged in in a way that I, I’m, I’m okay with that, that those different thinking, if we can, Superman punches racism in the face, it’s different, then I prefer that. And there’s different. It just it just got me thinking of the different ways that we talk about this all the time, we talk about how sometimes you you, you don’t have the words to describe the way you feel. But you can see it in media. And it’s actually helpful, right? And it’s helpful. There’s so many different ways. Okay, that stories there, it is way more, I can actually visit or even discuss or even think about this topic or this traumatic thing, whether it’s it’s something that happened to me or to someone else or something that is just hard to talk about, or, or even think about, and then you see it in different media. It’s like, oh, okay, no, like, I can I can handle it here. It’s like, Oh, no, it’s like, it’s all metaphor, and it’s a children’s show. So okay, I can I can definitely deal with that. And I’ve been exploring, in music, this type of thing, to ready to take. Although in the music one, in the music conversations I’ve been having. I thought, maybe Is it possible that there’s a way where it’s actually worse? Which I, which I think is possible, and maybe even the case in some of this? I get I don’t even know what the what the genre. I saw something the other day, but like a Jordan Peele imitators sounds like a good way to refer to, to this genre. And yeah, it’s just, it’s just, I was surprised to to bring this up, granted, like have that immediate response of like, No, no, I don’t want to see that at all. But like, in other in other contexts, I would absolutely. revisit the same themes. And I see that all the time. If I think about it, I’m curious if what you think about those examples in particular, but if there are any examples you can think of like, I mean, I’m very curious to hear what you have to say, Link not only because this, these are positioned as racism and horror, right, in particular. And and I mean, it’s not weird, right? To talk about what the horror aspect to what it is that it’s representing, it’s representing something else, but it doesn’t doesn’t matter how. On the nose, the metaphor is, right. It’s usually not like exactly that. Right. It’s like the monster is literally the, you know, like this white family across the street. Yeah, I haven’t seen the show, so I’m not sure If there’s more stuff to it out there, um,
Lara Taylor 5:03
it’s interesting I looked up the them is done by. I think the showrunner is Lena Waithe. Mm hmm. Yeah. I actually like a lot.
Josué Cardona 5:15
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I’ve read some interesting things. I’m a fan too Yeah, I’m a fan of, Lena Waithe. And what was that was a service that disappeared. Do you remember the one that was like? QB Quibi one?
Lara Taylor 5:29
Quibi.
Josué Cardona 5:31
Yeah.
Lara Taylor 5:32
Quibi.
Josué Cardona 5:34
No, no, she had a show. That was all about sneakers. That’s really good. I was like, a, like a love letter to sneakers. But yeah, then she made them. Again, lots of interesting thoughts on that, but, but I’m so I’m curious what you think. And also think you explore a lot of depth in different types of media. And I think that’s also one of those things where I sure, like, I’ll go through seven different, you know, stories about death in in what remains of Edith Finch. But in other media, I’m like, Oh, no, like these characters can i can’t i don’t want to, I don’t want any part of it. Or like, oh, that song is too sad or sad, or like, it just depends on how it’s packaged. And,
Link Keller 6:19
yeah,
Josué Cardona 6:19
and I mean, we’ve talked about death in particular, in the past where I, I feel like there’s been a there’s a practice of the sense of loss. It’s not the same, right? We’re not saying it’s the same as losing someone close to you. But to get to feel the loss is is in a way that you’re like, oh, oh, I just felt the loss. I wasn’t expecting that. But But it happened in a way in a package that was in a way that I can then reflect on and experience in a particular way. That’s not too bad. No. thoughts, Link?
Link Keller 6:52
Yeah. Yes. I think that that is one of the great. I apologize. If you can hear screaming in the background, I closed the window, but I can still hear it. So
Josué Cardona 7:05
yeah, I’m, sometimes I record and that happens too. And
Link Keller 7:10
no, like, just started up as I started talking, so I’m like,
Josué Cardona 7:14
Did you hear what did you hear my question?
Link Keller 7:16
I did? Yeah. Okay. Sorta, I think I parsed it. One of the things I really love about horror, as genre is that it is a way to engage with darker, more upsetting themes and ideas and events that have happened or made up ones that are metaphorical, for real things. I think that that is one of horrors great skills is that it gives us space to engage with these kinds of things that are uncomfortable with intention, you know, you you go in knowing that it’s gonna be uncomfortable and scary. And that’s, you know, you signed up to watch it, you agreed to do that. So I think that there’s s...