Web Crush Wednesdays: Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural

Fandom secret: I actually really like a lot of Buzzfeed’s content.

I know it’s the cool thing these days to shit on everything that happens to carry the name “Buzzfeed” on it, and yeah, some of their videos and articles take a full dive into “what the actual fuck”, but if you think there’s not a single interesting thing on there, then I have to believe you’re full of shit. For me, the prime time for watching Buzzfeed videos is the same sort of time period where one may be drawn into watching things from the creepier and weirder side of YouTube–some nebulous time at night where there may be something better to do, but who knows what that is. Thankfully Buzzfeed has a series that covers both of those categories; one that I hope continues to flourish.

Web Crush Wednesdays: Waypoint

It’s been a few years since the “are video games art” question has been raised and pretty much resolved. Yes, video games are art. But with that question out of the way, we’re left with “what’s next?” To that end, I believe we are lucky that many outlets (such as our own) are more than willing to discuss games as an art form, in a similar vein to the way we discuss books or movies. For this week’s web crush, I want to highlight Vice’s gaming division: Waypoint.

Self-Care & Geeky Shows to Help You Deal with the Rise of Facism

(via clipartfest.com)

I don’t know about you all, but I have been struggling a bit recently. It’s hard to deal with life when you wake up every day trying to figure out what damage the current administration has done to your country and the rest of the world. During times like these, self-care is really important. Yes, we need to stay proactive and keep fighting, but we also need to remember to take a break and recharge ourselves once in a while. I always turn to my favorite geeky shows to help me recharge. A lot of geeky media is about fighting the government/powers that be, which is great, and sometimes, that is exactly what I need. But other times it’s nice to just forget about fighting the good fight. So here are some of my go-to favorite geeky self-care shows that’ll let you relax, at least for a little while.

Web Crush Wednesdays: Are They Gay?

I’m not sure where I first stumbled upon the Are They Gay? web series, but I’m sure glad I did. This series provides a funny, inclusive, and informative analysis of various slash ships that starts and ends with asking the titular question: are these two people gay? It features a wide variety of pairings including mlm and wlw slash ships, and is a great primer to the history and background of certain ships in addition to ultimately offering an answer to that pressing question.

Web Crush Wednesdays: Betty Dodson & Carlin Ross

With a hellish election season finally wrapped up here in the United States, I can’t help but think back to all of the disgustingly sexist things that have happened. It made me think for the billionth time that we need better sex education in this country. Particularly, we need better sex and gender education, and everyone regardless of gender needs to learn about feminism. Well, sadly, we all know that isn’t happening in our current education system, which is why I am so grateful for those people on YouTube who try to educate others. Today I specifically want to talk about Carlin Ross and Betty Dodson, two amazing feminists and sex educators whose goal is to help de-stigmatize women’s bodies, help women learn about their bodies, promote a healthy sex-positive attitude, and promote women’s rights.

Warning for explicit discussion of sex and general NSFW-ness after the jump.

Trailer Tuesdays: Arrival

As a bit of a language nerd, I was beyond thrilled when I first stumbled across this trailer. A sci-fi movie where the real enemy is ignorance, and the protagonist is a linguist and translator who’s just been tapped for the most important ethnography of her life? Sign me up.

Trailer Tuesdays: Star Wars: Rogue One

It’s been ten or so days since the trailer for Rogue One first dropped, which means I’ve had time to cycle through a full circuit of emotions.

The Everyman vs Every Human: Why The Martian Is Worth Your Time

I’ve been traveling a lot for work lately, and instead of listening to the same twenty songs on every radio station I pass, I’ve opted for an Audible subscription, so I can entertain myself with audiobooks. My first choice was The Martian, by Andy Weir. The Martian follows in a well-established heritage of survivalist fiction, but in a way that counts as science fiction. There’s a movie coming out next month starring Matt Damon and a bunch of other famous actors, which is what initially inspired me to “read” the book. The premise for The Martian is simple: American astronaut Mark Watney is left for dead on the surface of Mars when his team is forced to flee a massive dust storm… except whoops, Mark’s actually alive. What follows is a story of questions: Can Mark survive? Will he ever be able to contact Earth, and if he does, can he even survive long enough to come and get him? How much is one person’s life worth, anyway?

I won’t spoil the ending for you, I promise. But I do want to take a look at how The Martian is a wonderful, thought-provoking new addition to the world of science fiction on multiple levels. Science fiction isn’t just about advanced technology and space stuff; the real hallmark of the genre pushes for answers to the big questions of life in new ways. It imagines what could be, not what is. The Martian has a universal quality to its story, and that’s what makes it a success.

Minor spoilers for The Martian below the jump.

Throwback Thursdays: Dinosaurs!

I’m not as much of a Jurassic Park fan as Ace is, which is to say that I really never got into the franchise and felt only a mild contact excitement from the announcement, and subsequent release, of Jurassic World. This is not to say, however, that I never had a dinosaur phase. Back in elementary school I, right alongside many of my peers, was going on fake fossil hunts and learning all about the various eras in dinosaur history. One of my fondest memories of my dinosaur phase was sitting at my grandmother’s house with my brother watching this one Golden Book educational video she had. Oh my god, you guys: we loved this video. It was a staple on our cross-country trips until, sadly, the VHS finally deteriorated from being loved too much. So today, I want to share this little bit of my childhood with you. It may not be Jurassic in quality, but 1987’s Dinosaurs! A Fun-Filled Trip Back In Time! was everything a kid like me could have wanted in an educational video: Fred Savage, claymation, and a snazzy musical track. (This song will absolutely get stuck in your head forever.)

Web Crush Wednesdays: #GamingLooksGood

I love video games a great deal; not just as entertainment, but also as a bonafide artistic medium. They have the ability to engender joy, sorrow, or social contemplation. Even if the games aren’t specifically aiming to accomplish these feelings, they may. This is the power of art. And as with any established art form, criticism is both natural and necessary for growth. Even if you want “apolitical” (although this isn’t possible) shooty-stabby games starring gruff white dudes out for revenge, this genre can still be improved with criticism. Personally, I am interested in the political aspect to games and the messages they convey. After all, we passively absorb ideas that we witness around us. Just check out current events in the media if you don’t believe me.

For this reason, this week’s Web Crush is #GamingLooksGood, a YouTube show hosted by Shareef Jackson. If you aren’t familiar with Jackson, he is a common guest/host on Spawn on Me, and has appeared on many other podcasts discussing social issues from a racial, gender, and tech perspective.