May 4 - 10, 2022 EDITOR: Aaliyah Alexander • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Opinion
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New A24 film tackled Does Generation Z even everything all at once know what hobbies are? By Athena Jreij
By Aaliyah Alexander
STAFF WRITER
OPINION EDITOR
Editor’s note: this article contains spoilers from the film “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” Upon first watching the preview to A24’s new movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” it piqued my curiosity as another deep dive into the multiverse concept. However, after I watched the film I found it to be so much more, possibly the best release of 2022 yet. The film centers around Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a Chinese immigrant who runs a laundromat with her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), and daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu). The family appears to live a normal hustle-and-bustle lifestyle until Evelyn is transported to another universe during an audit appointment at the IRS office. Throughout the course of the film, Wang is called on to defeat the multiverse’s biggest threat, Joju Tabaki, who is soon revealed as her daughter, Joy. What unfolds from here pulled out laughs, tears and everything in between. From hotdog fingers to mixed martial art madness – the audience is left wondering what’s next in every scene. Beyond this, the film stands out for its new spin on the multiverse concept, the cast’s diversity and its intersection of relevant social issues. The Daniel’s production offers a new angle on the multiverse concept. As a viewer, it was refreshing to watch a different take on the sci-fi concept outside what we’ve seen from entities like Marvel in the recent “Spiderman: No Way Home” or the upcoming “Doctor Strange” film. An action packed plot that isn’t just another superhero movie, “Everything Everywhere…” combines serious issues with an unexpected, yet necessary, comedy and a diverse cast to bring it all together. Beyond its refreshing nature, the cast’s diversity is one that should be celebrated. The film combined all stars like Yeoh and Quan while introducing new faces to the movie screen like Hsu, showing a beautiful representation of the AAPI community — one that we don’t see often at the box office. Diverse movies like this one should be celebrated so Hollywood knows we want more of them! This diversity allowed the film to explore relevant social issues like intergenerational trauma, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and the tough relationship dynamic between mothers and daughters. Throughout the film, there is a misunderstanding between Evelyn and Joy, a need for listening and communication.
Gone are the days where one could completely immerse themselves in a hobby without being that good at it and not feeling the pressure to monetize it. Don’t get me wrong. I like how this generation has the opportunity to turn just about any passion into income. However, the benefits of having a hobby to escape daily pressures and stress has been traded for a life devoid of any wholesome leisure. Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2021) are arguably the most creative and statistically the most diverse generation, according to USA Today. With all of this creativity pulsing through our veins, why are we also a generation riddled with crippling anxiety and depression? Being known as “digital natives,” our lives quite literally revolve around technology. “Growing up in a hyper-connected world can evoke intense feelings of isolation and loneliness in some youth,” the Annie E. Casey Foundation said, in an article. “It can also fuel a steady drumbeat of negative news stories, a fear of missing out and shame in falling short of a social mediaworthy standard.” Although we are probably the most creative generation so far, our creative energies aren’t necessarily balanced between passion-fueled careers and imperative recreation. We may all have passive activities we like to partake in, but they’re not technically considered hobbies. Dan Scotti from Elite Daily highlights the difference between pastimes and hobbies: hobbies are things you have a genuine interest in and pastimes are there simply to past time. To put it into perspective, my generation believes that going to the gym is a hobby, binging television shows is a hobby, and swiping through Tinder is a hobby. According to Scotti, those things are pastimes, not hobbies. Essentially, “a hobby should tell a lot about you,” Scotti said. “How you choose to spend your free time is one of the most intimate, revealing characteristics about your general being.” It is difficult to find the time nowadays for hobbies, but if we intentionally reallocate the time we use mindlessly scrolling on TikTok or the time we use complaining about how bored we are, time should appear with no problem. In Psychology Today, associate professor of psychology at James Madison University in Virginia Jaime L. Kurtz highlights reasons why it’s beneficial to pick up a hobby. She
Courtesy of Maddy Peng Miller
Fan art created by Instagram user @ultimatevagina for the film ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once.’
Joy is crushed under the weight of her mother’s expectations and Evelyn is suffocated by her disconnection with reality. Unsatisfied with her own life, Evelyn lives vicariously through Joy, which eventually transforms her into the colorful villain, Joju. This issue is compounded with Joy’s sexual identity. Evelyn struggles with acknowledging Joy’s sexual identity as a lesbian. But Joy is looking for not just tolerance, but acceptance and embrace from her mother. Standing alongside films like Disney’s “Encanto” and “Turning Red,” “Everything Everywhere…” explores the tricky relationship between an immigrant maternal figure and the first generation daughter. It highlights the decades of unresolved pain from familial expectations that have been passed down, but the love that perseveres along with it. Buzzfeed News reporter, Scaachi Koul said, “The movie affected me so deeply because I saw myself and my mother in it at every turn; I saw how much we love each other, but how often we’re wrapped up in our own worlds and expectations.” “Everything Everywhere All At Once” wraps all these concepts in a messy, multiverse bow that the audience is left dying to unwrap. Like many other great films, the A24 production lives on past the screen, leaving viewers with lasting questions about their own life. If it isn’t this article that pushes you to the theaters, let it be the 97% tomatometer and 91% audience score the film received on Rotten Tomatoes. Athena Jreij is a junior studying journalism.
mentions hobbies promote flow, structure, new social connections, stress relief and an interesting aspect to you as an individual. As a full-time student who works parttime, I can attest to the value of having a hobby or two. It’s nice having something I can do that’s not tied to an outcome of any sort. It’s just there for me to explore my interests and passions. This isn’t to argue against turning a passion that was once a hobby into a source of income. If anything, that’s what I encourage people to do. However, when a hobby is monetized, it loses some of its appeal overtime, so it’s important to explore new hobbies alongside the ones that transcend the title of “hobby.” So, Gen Z, let’s put down our phones for a second and bring back hobbies for the sake of just having one. Aaliyah Alexander is a junior studying journalism and media studies. Follow her on Twitter @aaliyahdanyell.
Photo by Aaliyah Alexander
Alexander pictured in a hammock while taking a picture of her ‘current read.’
Normalize having life outside of academic achievements By Maitland Klingberg STAFF WRITER
Have you used the RogerHub grade calculator recently? I know I have. There is a cheap thrill in seeing what grade you need to achieve in order to pass a class. RogerHub can alleviate or increase the stress you may be experiencing over the next two weeks because yes, you guessed it, final exams are upon us. This should not be a surprise, yet so many students find themselves in a bind. Perhaps you are wrapping up that last essay or trying to cram in a semester’s worth of material overnight. At the end of the day, please remember that academics should not be prioritized over your mental health. Last semester, I was practically glued to my desk. It was rare if my friends saw
Courtesy of Maitland Klingberg
Klingberg pictured going to take final exams after long night of studying.
me working on something that wasn’t school related. The habits I created were unhealthy, but I didn’t care. I loved seeing my Canvas page flooded with A’s. It was my way of telling myself that I was worthy after having an average high school career. If my grades slipped under a 90 gradepoint average, I felt like my world would come crashing down along with them. I refused to do anything remotely fun because my only concern was getting my grades back up. These overwhelmingly negative thoughts showed me that caring about doing well in school is one thing, but obsessing over it is another. Academic validation can still be your kryptonite, but students, like me, need to accept it is okay to have a life away from Canvas. It is hard to believe, but grades do not define your worth. They are also not a reflection of your intelligence. Don’t beat
yourself up if you did not meet your expectations. Learn from your mistakes and move on. If you notice you’re getting caught up in your thoughts lately, here are several ways you can be kind to yourself: 1. A cold glass of water can work wonders, so hydrate! 2. Take a 20-minute walk around your neighborhood. 3. Silence your phone notifications. This helps more than you know. 4. Talk to an older student about your concerns. Chances are they have been in your shoes too. 5. Make a Spotify playlist based on your mood. 6.Call a close friend or relative and rant to them. SEE ONLINE
