The movie The Parasite is a fantastically morbid and sickening depiction of class divides in South Korea. In the film, a poor Korean family infiltrates a rich, socialite household by manipulating the gullible mother and leveraging her wish to provide for her husband and children. What begins as a normal depiction of family life becomes a murderous frenzy as greed and the want for personal gratification consumes them. The director, Bong Joon-ho, is a South Korean native who often directs movies with an element of horror. In this context, he used the genre of horror and thriller movies as a vessel for his commentary on the class system in South Korea. By presenting his commentary in the form of a fantastical plot with outlandish characters, he is making his points more easily digestible. The point of doing this is to say, "It's silly how the world would rather accept these points through a world of gore and grotesqueness as long as they don't have to see it in the context of reality." He knows that people are more accepting of things that don't attack them directly, so removing the story from reality allows him to gain an audience. And he does not fail to attract attention. For one, the entire movie is bizarre. There are so many moments of tension and crazed looks exchanged by the characters that you have no choice but to be sucked into their world. In addition, the healthy dose of blood spurts and psychotic arm-flailing appeals to the sadist hiding within each of us. Despite the insanity of the film itself, Bong Joon-ho is still able to comment on class-divides, gender stereotypes, family dynamics, poverty, gross misuse of wealth, the tensions between North and South Korea, and general human disconnect through his film. There is a scene in the movie where an ex-housekeeper imitates a North Korean news reporter, and the result it deeply uncomfortable. Given what we have learned about the divide between North and South Korea, I can only imagine how this film will come across to North Koreans. The citizens might never have a chance to view it, but the censorship offices will. However, as an American native rather than a South Korean or North Korean one, my perspective is removed from their reality. I can only imagine the reaction of someone who have a more direct experience with the things being commented on in this film. The one problem with this film is that it was written and directed by the same man, so the vision represents the perspective of one person. This means that various opinions and ways of viewing the situation have been omitted from the final depiction of South Korea that's displayed in the film. However intense and meaningful it is, there will always be a hint of falsity in the message. All of this being said, the film was absolutely amazing and everyone should take the time to view it.
Social media baffles me. I, being the grandmotherly woman that I am, have tried to steer as far away from it as possible. However, it seems like a majority of the youth population has willingly embraced it as part of their lives. I do not understand why. Some of my friends, particularly those from ostracized groups, tend to use it as a way to connect with their communities. My queer friends who feel isolated at school use it to connect with others who share the same experiences in the hopes of feeling less alone. My Jewish friends use it to keep tabs on the people we've met at summer camp. Others use it as a convenient communication platform in the cases where iMessage doesn't suffice. But when I talk to most of the people my age about why they use social media, they say that they aren't totally sure. I've been told that it's just a part of culture. But I don't seem to grasp why is has to continue to be a part of the way we interact. What about the correl...
One of the people interviewed in the PBS Frontline episode "Merchants of Cool" was 13-year-old Barbara, who epitomized the impact of media on youths and youth culture. Barbara, who had grown up watching Brittany Spears and the other over-sexualized Midriffs of the world, was intent on becoming a model and looking like the women she had seen on TV. And it broke my heart. It was horrifying that a child, a 13-year-old girl, was so moved by the image of femininity forced on her by advertising that she flew to the International Model and Talent Association's annual convention and walked on a stage to be judged by adults who wanted to use her in advertising campaigns that would further perpetuate the stereotypes she fell prey to and line their pockets with money. She beamed when she was told that she could pass for a 16 or 17-year-old, and she was told that she was a "good girl," when she said that her main goal was "success." She wore skimpy, sexualiz...
Many of the ideas presented in The Persuaders , a documentary on the advertising industry by Frontline PBS, both shocked me and rang alarmingly true. The line that struck me most was, "Loyalty beyond reason is where the profits lie." As sickening as this concept is, I think we can all accept that there's truth to it. Humans feel the need to be accepted, and when they're not receiving the validation they want from the people around them, they turn to something with which they can affiliate. This is where advertising is successful. Cults require social sacrifice and the worship of an immediately visible leader. Brands are simply more convenient. They require monetary sacrifice of a certain, specified amount, and you don't ever have to see the faces of the people whose pockets you're lining. And all the while, your affiliation with that brand gets you the social acceptance you have always longed for. When an individual becomes affiliated with a brand to t...
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