Heya kids! Let me take you on a Back to the Future-esque trip with a few simple words. Ahem: 1984. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Shakespeare. Crime and Punishment. Animal Farm. The Last Man. Brave New World. Lord of the Flies. And let’s sprinkle in some, god, if you were unfortunate enough: Poetics and Rhetoric.
Were you bordering forced to, and hated reading these? If your answer is yes don’t get down, because for the longest time you weren’t meant to read them.
Time for another, more recent trip. It’s around 2012-2015 and you’re obsessed with Game of Thrones, ya know, because it was actually good for like, pfft, six seasons. Think back to season 2, it was by far the best. During this season, specifically the what I like to call: “Harrenhal arc”, Tywin is flexing his knowledge of history to Arya, being the patriarchal-asshole he is Tywin purposely omits information regarding Aegon’s conquest, making it seem as if he did it all by himself - Arya corrects him, saying it was not just Aegon, but Aegon and his sisters. Tywin is extremely surprised, and curious Arya is literate - he asks who taught her to read, Arya answers by saying her Father. Tywin’s reply: “I can’t say I’ve met a literate stonemason."
Game of Thrones is a fantasy show, but has a well-read (no pun intended) view and blend of our actual history. What I’m trying to say and demonstrate is: For most of our species’s history, reading. . . uh, really wasn’t meant for people of common birth and trade, people like you and me. For the longest time it was something equivalent to an Elite’s pastime and necessity, our equivalent to this now would be dictators, presidents, Kings and Queens (Because Elizabeth wont let that dated shit go), you get it. This is why reading for most people, in fact, all people with time is physically and mentally exhausting. Unless you have an extreme passion for it, especially while young, you’re going to find it aggravating. Especially because modern academia has barely changed since its inception in the year goddamn: TEN-EIGHTY-EIGHT!
Kids and young adults are burnt. The fuck. Out. Our world moves faster than ever, but so many of our methods of learning are still trapped in a year that was at the ass-end of years when they were three. Bloody. Digits. Here’s my solution, for the love of god, try to incorporate the things people enjoy from a more recent time into the learning-structure. As much as I dislike Jordan Peterson, he was extremely clever to do this, because fiction has academic value. Hell, I just showed you that last panel. I just told you a historical fact, from a TV show made in 2011. Here’s 5 anime series, for example, that could easily invest highschoolers and uni-rats while giving them something to think about and study. Roll the tape.
1: Basically anything made by Satoshi Kon. I simp for this man and it’s not without reason. Kon was a very complex director and person because he hated his own culture, what it did, where it came from, and where it’s still heading. His work was heavily influenced by his cynical outlook of Japan, from its work culture that has people literally working to death, its xenophobia towards those with special needs and disabled, and the clustered-fuck of atrocities Japan’s military has done, and gotten away with - like, ya know, systemized mass-rape not even as far as 100 years ago (Looking at you Nanjing Massacre). Not just for history students, but psych-students would have a blast with his magnum opus - Perfect Blue, which was heavily influenced by psychoanalytic theory, even though Freud’s a dead religion it would be amazing to put the pieces together of how the main character’s mental state fell in line with such theories. You show kids THIS - then tell them to research his influences, they’ll jump on that shit quicker than guys swiping "yes" on Tinder.
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Yeah you knew this one was coming. Evangelion is quite possibly the most occult work ever made in recent memory, and I don't just mean in anime but in the fictional collective cosciousness. This thing has existed just over 20 years - and people are still arguing to death about what’s really going on thematically as well as philosophically. Students in the field of etymology, English, and psychology have a modern Pandora's Box in this one show and its sequel-film. Do you know how many people are still writing articles about this show? From Jung, to buddhism, Kabbalism, Evangelion is without a doubt the most researched anime that exists - and would be a fun side project down a semester. Plus, looks better than any TV anime made in 1995, seriously you compare it with anything else at the time and–. . . I’ll stop.
3: Monster and Death Note: Said it before and I’ll say it again - these two shows are the equivalent of anime’s Crime and Punishment, though one is certainly much more than the other. Monster is the philosophical, law-based, clinical and ethical debate of the weight of a human life despite their circumstances neurologically, Death Note oddly enough, and I kid you not - has a strong argument to be a metaphor for nuclear weapons, and explores political themes relating to the criminal justice system, the media, and international policy. Listen, I love Crime and Punishment, but it’d be nice to analyze something not it, but heavily inspired by it. Please?
4. Trigun is the most obvious metaphor for Jesus and Sin than the Galactic Empire is a metaphor for the Axis Powers. Trigun is the story of Vash the Stampede, who’s virgin birth is inherently linked to the suffering of nearly half of an entire planet, a planet full of people he vows to save without taking a life and bear the burdens of all he meets despite absolutely anything that happens to him, and most of the people on the planet being, frankly, assholes. He’s constantly pressed and chased by his brother Knives, who attempts to break his morality and code by convincing him humans are not worth saving, an obvious metaphor for Satan.
There’s plenty more parallels ahead, but you get the skinny. While a bit less practical academic-wise then its precursors, I’d once again argue that Trigun would be awesome for Theology students and a fun side-project for those attending, perhaps, an even Christian-based university. And, Vash looks awesome af.
5. You thought I was talking about Star Wars Galactic Empire, didn’t you? Nah, I was talking about the REAL Star Wars Galactic Empire in: Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
Here’s all students would have to do: watch this show throughout an entire semester and write a small thesis about it and its comparisons to World War 2. Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a mine-field of political study and science that would make Game of Thrones blush - while it does have its epic battles, it’s more of a character study and study of war, why it happens, how it happens, and how it ends. Don’t watch this shit unless you love logistics. Sounds boring, but hey, if you study history or political science chances are you have a hard-on for them anyway. This show and the ones listed before deserve time, attention, study, and are just. . . fun.
If we want more people to be well-read and well cultured, we have to acknowledge different and more nuanced ways of learning. I think showing even just one of these shows to kids would get them interested in their referenced origins. That’s all I have to say. Peace.
I missed going outside. O.o
This room, the one I’m typing in right now - is my baby. I built almost everything in it. From the computer, to the bed frame, desk, I put all the posters up, placed all the figurines meticulously. It’s my safe haven. On the late nights I’m here with an espresso, either coding or grinding away in a video game with music or a good show in the background. It’s my save point. My bonfire. Where I go to relax and recuperate. . . as well was tear the living hell out of works of art I hate. >.>
One of those works was Final Fantasy 15. A frankenstein abomination of a project built from the last scraps of so many concepts Schrodinger’s Catbox would blush. However, there are a few things about it I cannot deny. A good example is; its sense of adventure.
Walking off the chosen path. Viewing the darling vistas. There’s something almost primal about that exploration that resonates with me so strongly in almost any work of art, even if I borderline despise it lol. So. . . I took some time to think about it, while doing something I hadn’t done in a while; jog outside on a beautiful day. O-o Not run around town for errands on a day off. Not walk around for 20 minutes trying to figure out why a line of code won’t work and take a break. But, go with the goal of having fun for the sake of it. And by the end of it, would you look at that, I went on my own adventure, even if it did on last an hour.
I tested my endurance by rarely slowing my pace, ran into two pitbulls (A.K.A hellhounds) that were just barely under wraps from their master, a 15 year old boy who just got out of class haha, enjoyed the view of a beautiful pond, did some pull ups via bars in a playground that I had never gone into before, and finally, relaxed in a gazebo while people-watching before heading back home.
It seems like I’m rambling, perhaps, and I suppose that’s because I am, maybe I just haven’t gone out like that in a while from the many nights either in this room or out with friends who drag me along in some whacky-plot, but, while I love this room, it’s nice to be kept in check about what it is, not my game, not my only thing, but a check point in between stops.
That’s basically it. If you’re reading this, maybe consider going out like that a bit more yourself. In this macabre, Capitalist dystopia, it seems to be a fleeting pleasure, and I’m just working part-time for now and about to go to school, who knows how long I can do something such as this so often.
Adios.
