Perceiving Controversial Topics

       

        I enjoyed Miranda July's indie film Me and You and Everyone We Know. The comedy was simple but it worked for me. July also did an amazing job acting as an awkward, quirky girl who was hopelessly romantic. I noticed how the female gaze was subtly used, with the framing mostly being used to express emotion and not in a way that focused more of what was actually happening physically.

        One thing that came up in class was how pedophilia occurred in the film, and the point of it wasn't taken well by multiple students. Although complicated relationships in the movie happened between characters in uncomfortable age ranges, it is more important to focus on the purpose of it and how it is conveyed instead of taking it just as something problematic. These events were not encouraging the borderline acts of pedophilia, rather exploring what lines were comfortable and letting the characters and audience learn more about themselves.

        This response reminded me of how some fans reacted to a TV show Attack on Titan, where in the fourth season the writers revealed a developing narrative that mirrored the Holocaust. Discourse around this became very controversial, but ultimately the inclusion of something does not equal the support of it. The show demonstrates how the oppressed suffer and the lengths they have to go for hope of a better life. It also shows how the oppressors are clearly in the wrong and frames all forms of revenge as terrible.