The Whale, Critical Conversation, and the Shame of Being Fat

September 14, 2022 Mary

“It just feels really isolating to feel like people don’t see me as human,” I told my husband, Todd, after a long day of anxiety stemming from Darren Aronofsky’s new film The Whale. Blinking away tears as I drove to pick up a grocery order of food I didn’t want to cook anymore, I felt like I was out of control in my own body, trapped in a too-big vessel that kept most people from seeing me for what I am: a person.

It probably sounds like an exaggeration for me to be upset about a movie that hasn’t released yet, a movie I couldn’t even have seen. Unfortunately, the media discourse surrounding The Whale has reemphasized that many people—especially those in the business of Hollywood—don’t see nonnormative bodies as human.

Some spoilers for The Whale to follow. CW: Disordered eating.

Elden Ring Stuns and Saddens

March 1, 2022 Mary

I spent the last weekend in February planted firmly on my couch, playing hour after hour of Elden Ring, the latest offering in the Soulsborne series. A while back, I wrote about Bloodborne, another FromSoftware game that is incredibly punishing. I concluded the post by saying I wasn’t sure if I liked it, and now, even much later, the answer is still unclear.

YA Book Club: Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal

May 22, 2021 Mary & Emily

Hello and welcome to Bellows, Pennsylvania.

Mary: Welcome and helloooooo! This time on YA Book Club we’re talking about Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal. The novel follows Priya, a young med school student who has to take a break from school after contracting Lyme disease. While staying with her parents, Priya makes several friends online via Tumblr, and they form a support group for people with chronic illnesses. Her best friend out of the group, Brigid, is reluctant to talk about her chronic illness. As Priya and Brigid grow closer, they learn more about each other and explore what it means to be chronically ill in a world that doesn’t really accomodate for that. From here on out, there will be spoilers!

Late to the Game: Mutazione

December 28, 2019 Mary

IT’S BEEN A WHILE, BUT I’M BACK. The holidays are usually a perfect time to take a break and play some video games, but this year it didn’t work out that way for me. I’m stretched between two states and three cities for celebrations, I have tons of work to do on my dissertation, and lugging around a game console (even the Switch) is not my idea of fun.

If You Haven't Watched Hulu's The Act, You Are In For A Treat

May 3, 2019 Mary & Emily

In a media culture that is saturated with true crime television at the moment, it takes a special show to stand out from the crowd. Hulu’s new television series The Act, which just finished its first season, is that kind of special show. Based on a Buzzfeed newspiece written by co-showrunner, producer, and writer Michelle Dean, The Act follows the tragic story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother Dee Dee.

Read the Buzzfeed article to get the details of the case. Then watch Mommy Dead and Dearest for even more shocking details. If you’re anything like Mary and Emily, you’ll still be fascinated by this fictionalized account of this unbelievable story. Here’s why…

Why We Need Speechless

October 18, 2018 Mary

I’m worried about one of my favorite TV shows right now.

Fresh Off the Boat (which I’ve written about for the blog before) and Speechless, two ABC sitcoms, are now part of the new TGIF lineup. Shows getting pushed to Friday night, when people are out doing bigger and better things, feels like a bad thing.

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