10 | FEBRUARY 12, 2021
ARTS & FEATURES
University kicks off Black History Month in opening ceremony By Caroline Gordon
Editorial Staff
Patricia Birch, director of Inclusive Excellence Initiatives, and Deron Hynes, an admissions counselor, hosted the Black History Month opening ceremony, a discussion on civil rights, and the leadership of Vice President amala Harris Feb. 1 ia oom. Hynes, an alumnus of FSU, read a speech about Black History Month. He discussed how the “Black awakening of the 1 6 s” ex anded the consciousness of African Americans about the importance of Black history. Hynes noted that President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to seize the opportunity and to honor the disregarded accomplishments of Black Americans in every area throughout human history. “Blacks have carried the weight of
this country on their back. My ancestors came here against their will and [accomplished] momentous feats that I hope to encapsulate in my family, community, and work. All of us here now, giving honor to many that have gone before us is astounding,” Hynes said. He continued, “As we head into a new era, I wanted to admonish, be vigilant to what has, is, and will happen in our country.” Birch discussed how nowadays, it is easier to mobilize information quickly because of social media. She said it is in our power to control history and “write it as it is.” She said the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter Movement have enabled Vice President Harris to be in the position she is in today. In regard to Harris being elected, Birch said, “I feel like a weight is lift-
ed off me.” She added, “I felt like I was lost in these last four years.” Birch said that as Harris was elected vice president, Black Lives Matter exists on political grounds as well. She also said she recognizes how much pressure Harris is under as a ma or olitical figure and said she has high hopes for her. Birch said she is also hopeful about President Joseph R. Biden and stated that he said he “would not forget the Black Americans.” She said, “When I heard that, I thought, ‘Oh OK, I want to be invited to dinner!’” Birch shared a quote from Harris, “Nothing that we have achieved has been about progress.” She said Harris and a few senators initiated the HR 1 , the eorge Floyd Justice and Policing Act, which
is an approach to serve justice to police who are responsible for use of violence. Birch wrapped up with a spoken word poem from Mia Ihegie, president of J.U.I.C.E. (Justice, Unity, Inclusion, Community, Equity). “Us Black girls, we are always winning. We are the girls who stand tall and proud of our bold melanin standing out. The girls with full lips and wide hips that no one can resist. Our voices loud, but our afros louder. Come on Black girls, let’s stand together. As we walk together with our heads held high, with our heads wrapped, I swear we will survive. And take whatever the world throws at us because we can do what they do as long as we focus.”
CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon@student.framingham.edu
‘Disenchantment’ finds its footing By Patrick Brady Staff Writer Netflix’s animated, medieval-themed TV show, “Disenchantment,” created by Matt Groening and Josh Weinstein, features the voices of Abbi Jacobson as Bean, Eric Andre as Luci, and Nat Faxon as Elfo. Groening also co-created “The Simpsons” and “Futurama,” which originally aired on Fox. Bean, also known as Princess Tiabeanie, meets Luci, a demon, and Elfo, an elf, after she accidentally kills Prince Merkimer, who she was supposed to wed in an arranged marriage. Since the first season of the show primarily focused on Bean, Luci, and Elfo’s adventures, the storyline rarely rogressed until the final two episodes. And even though the second season began as a non-episodic journey through hell, the plot stalled during the middle section of the series. The third season was released on Netflix an. 15. After falling into an underground world full of eerie-looking elves, Bean, Elfo, and Luci attempt to escape from Queen Dagmar - Bean’s estranged mother. While back in Dreamland - the castle in which Bean resides - Zog, Bean’s father, is trying to save himself from being murdered. Eventually, Bean, Elfo, and Luci escape the underground world, and meet up with Zog, who ended up surviving a tragic demise. Instead of forcing jokes upon the viewers, the third season focuses
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more on Bean, Luci, and Elfo’s adventure - while adding a few irrelevant gags into the mix. This makes for a more enjoyable viewing, since the comedy doesn’t become the focus of the show. Furthermore, the third season’s comedic moments primarily took the form of spoken dialogue, rather than slapstick violence. Due to this, the jokes were funny and natural. Along with the comedy and improved plot, the well-written central characters were expanded upon even more. For instance, ean was significantly further developed, in terms of her character motivation and perseverance. Instead of focusing on the bad attributes of Bean, “Disenchantment Part III” examines her character on a much more emotional level than previously seen on the series. Rather than getting drunk with elves or causing mayhem with her friends, she is developed into a thoughtful and intelligent princess. The show’s side characters were further developed as well - instead of being one-dimensional characters used for long-running gags, they were more fleshed out, but not to the extent of Bean. For the most part, the first season fell short, due to the underdeveloped characters, but the most recent season fixes most of the lackluster character arcs. But even though the most recent season of “Disenchantment” improves many of the previous two seasons’ problems, it certainly isn’t perfect. In fact, a major downside is that the writers of the show wrote them-
selves into a corner yet again, due to the o erly ambitious final e isode. Much like the previous two seasons’ endings, the last episode raises way more questions than answers and ends on an abrupt note. Due to this, the show’s writers usually scramble to write themselves out of the lot holes, since the first e isode of seasons’ two and three felt rushed and discombobulated. Along with the misguided conclusion, the animation was sub-par. While Groening’s shows are not known for being the best animated, ex ected a significant im ro ement from the last season. While this wasn’t an issue for the most part, it did take away from a few of the season’s most crucial moments - especially with closeups of the characters’ faces. For the most part, I’m not often bothered by crudely drawn characters and landscapes, but it feels a little off for this type of show. “Disenchantment” as a show has always suffered from a continuous lack of heart. Although the third season brings more empathy to its characters, a majority of the side characters - along with a few central ones - don’t show remorse for murder. I believe Groening should stick to his original formula, rather than try to make an edgy show. After all, “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” didn’t try to be the next “South Park.” Even though it is nowhere near as flawless as roening’s other two shows, “Disenchantment” feels unique and fresh. Despite getting off to a rocky start, the series has devel-
oped into a fun, somewhat raunchy show aimed at adults. Rather than having a heavy focus on the jokes, the third season balances the gags with superb adventure. While “Disenchantment Part III” does fall short in a few aspects, the adventurous tone of the season makes up for most of its shortcomings. For the most part, the writing is snappier, the jokes are funnier, and the character development is vastly improved. Des ite the first and last e isode of the season being somewhat mediocre, “Disenchantment Part III” expands on Groening’s original vision in a positive way.
ADMIT ONE
Grade: B “Disenchantment” proves it doesn’t need to follow the same formula as “The Simpsons.” ADMIT ONE
CONNECT WITH PATRICK BRADY pbrady@student.framingham.edu
