January 14, 2022
ARTS 15
The Brandeis Hoot
‘Sex Lives of College Girls’ is way more than that editor
In an age where it seems that most television shows are either about being in high school or being an adult, shows about college life are few and far between. As a college student, I want to watch a show that I can connect with. HBO Max’s “Sex Lives of College Girls” feels like what I have been looking for. Do not let the raunchy name throw you off, because this is truly a terrific show. Created by Mindy Kaling, known for her work on “The Mindy Project” and “Never Have I Ever,” SLOCG follows four college freshmen as they tackle every challenge thrown at them, both academic and personal. Despite coming from four different backgrounds and having four unique personalities, the girls are all enrolled at the fictional Essex College in Vermont, which context shows to be a prestigious liberal arts college. We see them at their highs and lows, their outstanding grades to academic struggles, their hot hookups (the show did get its name for a reason) to their romantic rejections and everything in between. As of Dec. 9, all 10 episodes are available on HBO Max for you to binge in a day like I did. This is a show filled with a fun main cast, and everyone can find a character they relate to. I liked all of these characters, and they were all fleshed out in ways that made them feel real. First, there is naive Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet). She comes from a lower-middle-class background in a predominantly white area.
She is not used to the affluence and diversity of her fellow classmates, and she can sometimes be awkward around her peers. Then there is bubbly Bela (Amrit Kaur). Bela cares about two things: joining her school’s prestigious comedy magazine and sleeping with as many hot guys as she can. She was a nerd when she was in high school, and college is a time where she can be cool. Next up is sporty Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott). Whitney is a star soccer player who also is the daughter of a popular U.S. senator. She wishes that she could step out of her mother’s shadow sometimes and she always tries to prove her worth on the field. Finally, there is posh Leighton (Reneé Rapp). Leighton is a legacy student that comes from a lot of money and always acts as if she is the coolest girl in the room. She may give off a standoffish vibe, but she has some secrets she is trying to protect so that she can have a perfect reputation. All of these girls appear to have nothing in common on the outside, but they soon form bonds that only college can provide. As soon as I started this show, I was hooked. Everything about this show was solid. The storyline flowed very well. Having four main characters with mostly separate lives means that a lot has to be jam packed into each episode. Luckily the writers were able to put multiple plot lines into each episode without giving a clunky feel. While some points may have been stronger than others, I feel that each of the stars has multiple moments where they shined. The show was also able to introduce multiple side characters
that were each fleshed out. From Kimberly’s coworkers to Whitney’s teammates to Bela’s fellow writers to Leighton’s volunteer group, and any love interest that these characters cross, everyone is a full character. I also have to applaud the show for its terrific writing. Often in TV shows or movies about young people, the adult writers will try too hard to sound young, and that can make for some cringe-worthy lines. While there are a few moments here and there that seem a bit much, I feel that these girls actually talked like college girls. The writers of this show had clearly done their research as the dialogue felt very natural. The 10 episodes flew by as this was an easy and fun show to watch. A lot of people watch television so that they can escape reality, or to live vicariously through people’s lives. While I’ve had a lot of fun in college, I would not say it has the excitement to sustain an episode of a television series. I watched this show because it promised crazy college times, and I wanted to see that craziness. Luckily, this show delivered. While some events seem far-fetched and some character choices make me want to look away from the screen, I had a lot of fun watching this. Not only that, but I also felt that there were moments that I felt I could relate to as a college student. From new crushes to new clubs to new friends, I could see some of myself in them. I also enjoyed the inclusivity of this show. SLOCG had a diverse cast with representation from various ethnicities, body types and sexualities, which created an enjoyably progressive
environment. I also liked seeing a female-led show that had an incredibly sex-positive message, showing that women can be driven by sex without being slutshamed. I loved getting to know all of the characters, from the main cast to the supporting cast. I wanted to be friends with a lot of these characters because they were captivating and felt real. This show has been confirmed for a second season, and I am waiting for the release date to be announced. Mindy Kaling has been having several successes
lately in terms of television comedies and it looks like that streak is continuing. Do not let the lewd name turn you off because even though it is about sex, it is so much more than that. If you want a fun, sex-positive, female-driven television show with a lot of heart, or you are just a bored college student that wants to see crazy college lives, watch the first season of “Sex Lives of College Girls” on HBO Max today, and then wait patiently with me for the second season.
PHOTO FROM IMDB.COM
‘Don’t Look Up’ is a political satire for the ages By Lucy Fay editor
People are no longer fazed by threats of the world ending. We cannot afford that luxury. If the whole world came to a halt every time society was on the brink of destruction or mass death seemed imminent, nothing would get done. “Don’t Look Up,” a political satire released on Netflix in December, understands how we have all grown complacent regarding the long list of tragedies and disasters unfolding in the world. This movie wants to remind its audience, in clear memorable terms, that if the Earth dies, literally nothing else matters. “Don’t Look Up” follows two scientists (Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) on their sixmonth quest to save the Earth from a comet. What should have been a straightforward but urgent matter of collaboration between the scientific community and major world governments turned into a mess of collusion, misinformation, scientific distrust and partisan politics. This all too real story of a government failing its people perfectly captures how problems of the utmost importance, such as climate change, are handled in America, while also creating a group of down-toEarth developed characters with great comedic timing. Purpose-driven films rarely succeed in both hammering home the moral they are built around and producing a quality movie. “Don’t Look Up” does. But there is no consensus around that conclusion. Critics are divided, and it’s easy to see why. This
movie is terrifying. It’s steeped in Juvenalian satire, in the tradition of “1984,” except there aren’t 70 years between viewers and the political commentary. “Don’t Look Up” isn’t trying to be subtle, or jovial or idealistic. It screams in the face of its audience the world is dying and the steps we’re taking aren’t working, aren’t enough. That’s not funny. It makes sense that audiences are disturbed by seeing their reality under such a harsh lens. And political satire in itself is not exactly universally beloved. If the likes of “Veep” or “Yes Minister,” far sillier and more detached examples of political satire, do not fall into the spectrum of your sense of humor, this movie surely will not. “Don’t Look Up” could not work without its stellar cast. The majority of this movie is made up of A-list actors playing primarily off-brand roles. Meryl Streep is an obnoxious corrupt politician, Leonardo DiCaprio is a mild-mannered nerd, Timothee Chalamet is an almost unattractive 20-something vagabond. The movie defies typecasting and yet the performances are incredible. Which allows every central character to undergo a realistic and satisfying character arc. It seems hard to believe in a movie that competently presents the possible political and social ramifications of an impending natural disaster that individual characters and their personal journeys would feel so central to the story. Things get crazy when the world seems like it is ending and the only way that phenomenon will translate to an audience is through real human situations. Characters commit adultery, be-
tray one another and get married on a whim, but also have shallow conversations about spirituality and complain about insignificant frustrations. These small occurrences, while not having any impact on the larger matter at hand, made this movie enjoyable and added tenfold to the realism “Don’t Look Up” relied on. Of course social media would care more about a celebrity couple breaking up than a comet that will not affect them for six whole months. A Republican presidential candidate going up
in the polls because they do not hide that they smoke cigarettes makes perfect sense. Humans are hard to get right, but if you wanna intrigue people while terrifying them with how awful the world is, characters individually and in group settings need to parallel life. This movie got humans right time and time again. “Don’t Look Up” was an impressive display of clever dialogue, expansive characters and relevant cutting political commentary. It felt true to life and emotional beats hit hard, wheth-
er they were related to the end of all life on Earth or the strangely beautiful relationship between Jennifer Lawrence and Timothee Chalamet’s characters. It is not unreasonable to react to this movie with aversion. Sometimes we need a break from reminders that the world is screwed and it is all our fault. While this movie is funny throughout it is not exactly a popcorn movie. But if you are feeling up to a well-made analysis of the hellscape we call home, give this movie a try.
PHOTO FROM IMDB.COM
