Well, the two hoodrats know as Matt and EJ try their hand at political discourse with the chaos that is Pepsi and the ad that burned a generation. On a lighter note, the dynamic duo get excited and worried about four films that have the ability transform the pop culture landscape as we know it.
Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 117 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.
Do you want to be our SUPER-FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.
Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.
About the Monkeys Fighting Robots Podcast:
A Gen Xer and a Millennial debate the latest topics in pop culture. One guy is a filmmaker and the other is a journalist, but both are nerds. We make your slowest days at work better. Hosts, Matthew Sardo and EJ Moreno.
Never heard of Matt Sardo? For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.
Who’s EJ Moreno? Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.
Life and death play a center role in the new Netflix comedy special 2017 from veteran Louis C.K. As the A.V. Club put it, this stand-up special is “gloriously gloomy.” Great comedians are often like superpowered people from fiction. They’re reality benders. Warping what you know into what they want to tell you. The joke is a journey that doesn’t end where the audience expects it too. This process of crafting mini-journeys like this is what makes comedians artists and, ideally, funny AF.
Louis C.K. is 25 years deep into a career with numerous classic specials, two television shows, and lots and lots of edgy jokes. CK is a master at it, though, doing it so effortlessly it’s sometimes hard to separate the humor from the man. Is Louis CK on the verge of suicide? No. But criticisms of his latest special dwell on the subject of a lot of his jokes — death.
From the very start, CK brings up abortion and how it’s a battle between two sides and two awful things. As per his usual skill, he dances along the edge of the topic, seemingly in favor and then opposed. That’s part of CK’s ability, though, to bring you into the mind of a person struggling with debate and arguing both sides in his head. The audience is watching it unfold with strategically strange yet honest and human thoughts.
Louis CK fearlessly flows onto suicide where he twists and turns the crowd through gloomy, yet somehow positive thought process. Consider when CK says, “Think of everything shitty, that’s in life.” CK continues, “But the world is made up of people who didn’t commit suicide.” It’s all so gloomy on the surface, but the comedians intent, aside from making us laugh along the ride, is to allow this kind of dialogue to occur. So often, as CK points out through a bit about his therapist and suicide, we don’t talk about things. It’s out of fear of consequence which causes silence and a growing avalanche of problems.
2017 breaks up the consistent brushes with bleakness with lighter bits about family. CK tells us about a rule at home about not cursing around his kids. But then proceeds to hand them a bowl of soup while saying, “Here … have your fucking bowl of soup.” Going to church is a no-go for CK because he’s not getting up early on a Sunday. “F that!” the comedy proclaims.
“If you go to a restaurant, you’re probably going to see your dad’s dick. I should probably explain that a bit.” – Louis CK
From abortion to suicide, to family, to Christians winning the world because “What year is it?” Alluding to the fact that 99% of the world uses the Christian calendar. And yet, CK is saying this, not from the point of support, but a fair look at reality. CK is comedy at the edge of mainstream thought that equally forces left-wing and right-wing people to think against their instincts without truly getting political.
Another edgy bit finds Louis CK approaching racist stereotypes, particularly with voices. Several times he mentions the accents he uses. In one case, it’s a black voice reminiscent of the slave-era African-Americans Hollywood perpetuated in the early days of film. CK’s kids love it, they have no idea what sort of deeper context there is to it, and CK didn’t do it to be racist. It was just a funny voice that came out. It’s a personal moment at home that CK is presenting that happens in homes all over.
Since the late 90s, when CK started writing for Conan O’Brian and Chris Rock through television shows, and acclaimed comedy albums and specials (see Shameless, one CK’s absolute best), CK is a proven master of the comedy craft. 2017 is more of what everyone loves about Louis CK, it’s gloriously gloomy in a way that few other comics, if any, can pull off.
From Star Wars to Indiana Jones, movie trilogies are one of the most popular ways to entertain an audience and maintain profits on a major franchise. Over the years we’ve seen more than a few great trilogies but in the latest episode of the FilmKind Podcast, Kieran discusses his top five movie trilogies.
What’s your favorite movie trilogy? Did Kieran discuss it? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below and make sure to check back for more episodes of the FilmKind Podcast!
Netflix Monday morning released the first trailer and poster for the second season of ‘Sense8’ – We are all worth fighting for.
Sensates by their nature are a threat to secrecy. They must band together and fight for their survival. See how their epic journey unfolds in the new trailer for Sense8 season 2.
From renowned creative geniuses Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill, and J. Michael Straczynski, ‘Sense8’ is centered around eight characters, from different parts of the world, who experience a violent vision, and soon find themselves mentally connected by the experience. They become connected, able to see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, with access to each other’s deepest secrets. Not only must the eight adapt to this new ability and to each other, they must figure out why their lives are now in jeopardy. In Season 2, dark forces continue to track the cluster of eight connected characters. The sensates will learn more about BPO, the secret organization searching for their cluster and others like them, and will work to protect themselves from this organization that is out to hunt and kill them.
The second season of Sense8 launches globally on Netflix on May 5.
What do you think of the trailer? Are you excited for season 2? Comment below.
The poster shows Thor holding his new helmet, which is exciting enough as the character has only rarely worn his iconic armor in previous movies. We can also get a better idea of the fun and exciting tone of Thor: Ragnarok as the poster is extremely colorful and bright.
Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor’s quest for survival leads him in a race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela (Cate Blanchett) from destroying his home world and the Asgardian civilization.
Thor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk. The cast also features Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Karl Urban as Executioner.
Thor: Ragnarok will land in theaters on November 3, 2017!
“When police officer Carter (Aaron Poole) discovers a blood-soaked man limping down a deserted road, he rushes him to a local hospital with a barebones, night shift staff. As cloaked, cult-like figures surround the building, the patients and staff inside start to turn ravenously insane. Trying to protect the survivors, Carter leads them into the depths of the hospital where they discover a gateway to immense evil.”
“This Is Hell”
Aaron Poole, Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, Kenneth Walsh, Evan Stern, Daniel Fathers, and Grace Munro star in the horror written and directed by Gillespie and Kostanski. Drawing heavily from H.P Lovecraft the two have crafted a claustrophobic but ultimately very satisfying movie. From the slow build in Act One where the audience is introduced to the main characters. To the sequel promising final 30 seconds, ‘The Void’ is a movie that delivers. Gillespie and Kostanski have given the audience well thought out characters. Poole shines as police officer Daniel Carter. He plays a broken man trying his best to keep his sanity and other characters safe. Through clever flashbacks and jarring imagery, the audience follows as Carter is forced to face cultists and hellish demons in the claustrophobic hospital setting.
Kathleen Munroe also steals every scene she is in as Allison Fraser. Her traumatic past and fractured relationship with Carter provide a rich tapestry trying into the overall story. She is a character you can’t help but root for and despite having some of the more traumatic scenes in the movie. There is never any doubt in her character’s motivations and more importantly, you care about her.
“Statistically you’re more likely to die in a hospital than anywhere else.”
The abandoned hospital setting is just as important to the movie as the monsters and terrifying soundtrack. With the characters forced to stay there, it’s more than just a location. It was a clever decision by Gillespie and Kostanski to keep the action in a stationary location. Anyone who’s played a Silent Hill game will feel right at home with the setting.
Aside from a group of very talented actors, a fantastic and haunting soundtrack and tightly written script, it’s the makeup that truly shines. Without giving away any spoilers, the choice of using makeup and conventional effects is a breath of fresh air. CGI heavy horror movies are so commonplace it’s always a nice change of pace to see monsters made up from scratch. Comparisons to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser are understandable and while the movie is gore-heavy, at no point does it feel gratuitous.
If you like H.P Lovecraft, John Carpenters The Thing or Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. ‘The Void’ is the film for you. If you enjoy haunting soundtracks that will stay with you for days. This is the movie for you. If you love films that don’t tie everything up neatly at the end, then ‘The Void’ is for you. It may be too early to call the Best Horror of 2017 but ‘The Void’ is definitely a contender for the title.
The eighth story in the Harry Potter saga, Cursed Child is a two-part play that audiences can watch over two days or in a single, marathon day. The play was written by Jack Thorne, based on a story by Rowling, Thorne and director John Tiffany.
Taking place 19 years after the events of The Deathly Hallows, the story follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione in their 30s, dealing with the trials of being working adults and parents. Meanwhile, Harry’s son, Albus, struggles with the weight of his family’s legacy.
The script for the play is available to read wherever books and eBooks are sold. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is currently running in London’s West End Theater, and is expected to open at the Lyric Theater on Broadway in the spring of 2018. No casting has been announced.
Did you get a chance to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on stage, or read the stage play? Are you excited to see it come to Broadway? Let us know in the comments!
It’s that time again boys and girls… TO SHAKE THINGS UP!
Raw and Smackdown LIVE split into two separate rosters to spread out television exposure last spring allowing the current crop of superstars their chance in the spotlight. The WWE Universe were finally treated to two products that felt significantly different. Monday Night Raw has continued as the flagship show providing the usual blend of “sports entertainment” while Smackdown LIVE has served as alternative programming consisting of mostly “pure wrestling.” The response from viewers, on the whole, has been mostly positive, but the execution of content has been far from perfect.
Never afraid to throw a curveball at his viewers, Vince McMahon announced last Monday night that he is going to “shake things up” with the rosters. As we have learned in the past, nobody is off-limits, not even announcers or the General Managers themselves! Unpredictability like this creates one of the most exciting nights of the year for the WWE Universe. Allow me to prepare you for this momentous occasion with a bit of an idea of what you are to expect, and some thoughts about what one man believes would benefit both products going forward. Because I’m just a swell dude like that.
Soooo glad you asked. Professional wrestling/sports entertainment is a lot like dancing. Think about it; dancing is athletic, sexy, and with the right partner it could be one of the most satisfying experiences imaginable. With the wrong partner, however, dancing could just look like two people have violent upper body spasms. You know?
Once fans have seen all the potential dance partners get a go around it is time for WWE to rock the boat (work the middle, and make it hurt a little?) to see what new combinations available to present viewers with. Usually, this idea manifests itself a few weeks after WrestleMania, and storylines have completed. Think of Monday night as the season finally for WWE programming. A chance for both Raw and Smackdown LIVE to reassess their assets in order to restock the Winnebago for the year-long journey towards New Orleans and WrestleMania XXXIV.
Let’s check the cupboards right quick, ok?
MONDAY NIGHT RAW
The longest running syndicated program in cable television history has been going strong for over 850 episodes since it’s inception in 1993. Raw is the standard for sports entertainment program, and WWE’s attention to the entertainment aspect of the equation has become the major gripe of its universe. Well, the second major gripe behind the fact that every Raw has become 180 minutes long in runtime.
That’s three hours long…
Every Monday…
Too much air time to fill creates over exposure, and over exposure leads to overall apathy. Apathy is poison to television. One can argue the third hour for Raw is the major reason this draft is happening in the first place!
People don’t even like it when they have to sit through the first five seconds of the ad for that annoying quest game before they can skip to their YouTube Videos, let alone sit through that first half hour of hour three. However, money talks, and the revenue created by that third hour pretty much funds Smackdown so we can only fix the product not change it at this point.
Aside from its length, there is very little about Raw to complain about for the casual viewer. The wrestling has been solid and the roster has the majority of the bigger names in the company besides John Cena and AJ Styles. (for now anyway) Not to mention, they without question have three out of the four best women working for the company putting on outstanding matches every Monday. So, what is the problem?
SMACKDOWN LIVE!
Smackdown LIVE has been hands down the better show since the brand split. Every aspect of their product has been superior, and it hasn’t really been very close. This is all despite the fact that Raw has a bigger roster, with a lot of stars, and the luxury of being known as the signature show of WWE. You know what they say though, size doesn’t matter (right?)
Making Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan the storyline authority figures on Tuesday Night has helped greatly too, mostly because viewers originally attached themselves to their characters. Dubbing Tuesday nights as “the land of opportunity” performers were given shots to succeed and fail on their own merits instead of the whims of the usually nefarious authority figure. (A trope in which I feel pro wrestling has to get away from for a little while at least. Let’s let the performers decide who wins and loses in the ring. Just a thought)
This sense of opportunity has really made Smackdown Live seem like the fresher of the two products. However, without the massive roster, Raw has at its disposal, the blue brand has used most of the potential marquee matches. Also, even though the most interesting part of Smackdown has been the emergence of great talent, one could argue Tuesday nights are in desperate need of some star power.
This conundrum has led us to this exchange of talent. Rules have been kept very close to the vest, but for the sake of this article, each side will receive 4 swaps with the opposing brand. The rest will work itself out later. We don’t want to keep you here all night…
RAW SENDS SETH ROLLINS TO SMACKDOWN LIVE!
Fresh off his personal blood feud with Triple H, “the architect” is now free to be partnered with any performer the powers at be see fit. The uncertainty of his future makes him the most logical choice to be moved over to Tuesday nights. Moving Rollins here is sort of color by number. Let the wrestler go towards the wrestling show, and we can all ignore the fact that Seth has become sort of stale in the past three months.
SMACKDOWN LIVE SENDS AMERICAN ALPHA TO RAW!
This may seem counter-intuitive but think about it. The pure wrestlers with limited personality belong on the “wrestling show,” but the problem with that is on SmackDown Live the alphas have to cut promos due to the size of the roster. Moving them to Raw with the more established talking teams allows them to just worry about doing what they do best. (Which is throw people over their heads in case you missed it)
RAW SENDS SHEAMUS AND CESARO TO SMACKDOWN!
And then we instantly break them up, because both of these guys should be competing for world championships.
SMACKDOWN LIVE SENDS MICKIE JAMES TO RAW!
Raw has without a question the more talented Women’s division, however, because of the reliance on the Charlotte vs Sasha Banks feud Raw has pretty much given us every story we can tell with these girls. I’d like to see the red brand commit to Bayley as Women’s Champion which would mean that Charlotte needs someone to dance with. Enter Mickie, who is a former multi-time women’s champion, and someone who can keep up with “the queen.” However, we can’t leave anything up to chance here, so let’s do this…
RAW SENDS SASHA BANKS TO SMACKDOWN LIVE!
“The Boss” needs her own showcase, and with Charlotte over on Raw, the switch makes too much sense. Banks versus Alexa Bliss writes itself…
Anyone else still think Vince finds a way to have her wrestle Charlotte again even if this happens?
SMACKDOWN LIVE SENDS AJ STYLES TO RAW!
There is not a hotter rumor going into this draft than Raw landing “The Phenomenal One.” Nobody can argue with the logic of putting the top guy in the company in the place where he will matter the most, and the stories Vince could tell with AJ on Raw are endless.
Selfishly, I’d also like to see Styles and Rollins be kept away from one another till Mania next year anyway. So, let’s club two seals with the same club, or something like that…
RAW SENDS RUSEV TO SMACKDOWN LIVE!
What if I told you that Rusev had the potential to be one of the best good guys on the roster? All he needs is a foil for the fans to rally against, and SmackDown Live has The Miz damn it! Putting those two in a program will give the fans a chance to do what they want to do anyway, which is cheer the “Bulgarian Brute.” My only question is if you split him and Lana up for the time being? Flip a coin.
SMACKDOWN LIVE SENDS KURT HAWKINGS TO RAW!
I just want to see Brock Lesnar give him 45 suplexes and then throw him into space before WWE fires him. Is that asking too much?
RAW SENDS SAMOA JOE TO SMACKDOWN!
“Damn it pal! There can only be one Samoan named Joe on Raw!”
All kidding aside, Joe is a top guy, and by switching brands, his star power will be properly utilized. It doesn’t hurt that his favorite dance partner just got called up last week as well…
SMACKDOWN LIVE SENDS JOHN CENA TO RAW!
Are all eyes on New Orleans for Mania next year right? Can you think of a better main event than Cena vs Roman Reigns? Me neither…
Are these the moves you would like to see made tonight, or do you have something else in mind? Leave your comments below, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @THEMIKEYCURALLI !
There are many different kinds of manga out there. Many of them however, suffer from bland character personalities, harem filled plots, or incoherent stories. The Promised Neverland doesn’t go through the same complications. If I were to compare TPN to something, it would be Shutter Island meets Battle Royale mixed with Death Note and a dash of Peter Pan. It’s a gem that everyone would do well to read.
Plot
The general plot of The Promised Neverland is that babies are raised at the Grace Fieldhouse by their caretaker known as Mama. The children have to take complicated daily written exams, but otherwise, spend much of their time as a family playing outside. Sounds like a fun time right? Wrong! In the first chapter, it is actually revealed that the orphanage is actually a farm, the kids being the meat. See where this is going? Soylent Green territory. There’s an added twist on top of everything else where the consumers are actually demons. This is definitely not your run of the mill story.
The subject matter is incredibly dark, while keeping a façade that everything is going well. When consuming entertainment, dread is often felt more intensely when there’s a layer of normalcy over all of “the feel bad stuff”; that’s exactly what reading this manga feels like sometimes. Knowing something is wrong, but the majority of the cast acting normal.
The mangaka loves to subvert expectations while also having the characters act realistically. Sometimes you’ll find yourself thinking that a character should do an action and they do it, only to be presented with an even crazier situation.
The story constantly escalates without ever feeling rushed or unnatural.
It also asks an important question. How does someone readjust to their entire reality and existence being a lie?
Characters
After finding out that they’re just cattle, most people would probably give up or fall into despair. Our main trio consisting of Emma, Ray, and Norman instead decide to fight back. Standing between them and freedom are Mama Isabella, and later Sister Krone.
So how exactly can youngsters realistically compete against adults?
The author does a really good job of using intelligence, resourcefulness, and knowledge to give the children a fighting chance. Each main character encompasses one of the three previous traits while exhibiting the other two to a lesser degree.
Isabella is in a completely different lane as it’s revealed that the kids have never won against her mentally or physically.
In order to balance out the roster, the rest of the house is filled with children, each one having their own lovable personality making them stand out.
The house and its surroundings may also be seen as a figurative character as it essentially works together with Mama to keep the characters prisoners. It also raises more questions while not being the main focus of the story. In later chapters, it lends its unexpected nature to whoever can maneuver their plans around it the best.
Together and full of hope, they can accomplish anything.
Art style
The art style lends itself perfectly to the actions and feelings the characters take and feel. If they are running, you really feel as if they are moving. If they are stricken with a sense of hopelessness, you actually get to feel it through the art. When everyone is happy, the style tells us that there may be more to the situation than the words we read.
Although the demons are used sparingly, whenever they are present a sense of unease fills the pages. They are disgusting to look at to the point that I feel a knot in my stomach in their appearances.
The art tells a story that complements the words and actions we are presented with.
The rest
The author ingeniously set up the field for a battle of epic proportions. It isn’t a battle fought physically though. A battle using the mind is often times much scarier and draining than a simple fist fight.
The imagery used in one of the chapters compared the battle to a game of chess, which is on point. If I had to venture a guess on which kind of pieces they would all be, Mama would be a queen while the 3 protagonists would be rooks and the rest of the kids would be peons.
While Mama is alone yet backed up by an organization, the children are alone while being together. This contrast creates certain moves that are only possible to each respective faction. Mama is stronger and smarter than the kids, but she can only realistically be in one place at a time, whereas the youngsters can use distraction techniques to split her attention.
A limit placed on the minors, in the form of Emma wanting to escape with everyone on the farm, considerably increases the difficulty. Mama also has a limit placed on her, because she can’t outright kill the cattle.
The protagonists are constantly trying to outmaneuver Mama while she cuts off any retreat. No one holds back their blows which mean we get a true psychological thriller.
The manga also knows when to relax so that you aren’t constantly anxious throughout, but those times never last.
Hopefully better times await them.
Why read it?
To sum up it all up, The Promised Neverland is a manga everyone should read if they enjoy mysteries and thrillers. In a sea of similar content, this stands out as one of the most enjoyable stories told across any medium. Some images or plot points may cause mental breakdowns, but know that it’s all worth it. With 34 chapters out, you can easily catch up to the latest chapter.
Leave a comment if you thought the same, thought differently, or just want to leave your own opinion.
Dumbing of Age Book Threecontinues to expand the comic’s cast and plot arcs, and introduces its most serious storyline yet. The third book is called Your Stupid Overconfidence is Nostalgic.
Book One, reviewed here, introduced the main characters, all reboots from an earlier canon. Book Two introduced other characters, and followed up on Joyce’s assault while introducing Ethan Siegal, her new and closeted boyfriend.
Ruth mocks Billie during a sensitive moment, and Billie can’t handle it – she yells at Ruth and asks for “some stability”. Ruth’s response is to slam her against a wall, then kiss her. Billie rejects her point blank, understandably.
Joyce and Ethan go on a double-date with Dorothy and Walky, and Dina shows up mostly by chance. After watching Walky and Dorothy be cute, Joyce kisses Ethan – and it’s her first kiss. She and Dorothy talk about their fears and frustrations in the bathroom.
After Joyce and Dorothy come back out into the restaurant, Ethan thanks Joyce as his new girlfriend. Amber and Danny find them, and Amber almost outs Ethan, but instead they have a charged conversation outside. Amber tells Ethan to go tell Joyce the truth, and he agrees. He comes out to Joyce as gay, and it goes mostly well – she’s somewhat intimidated by how normal he looks, but ends up identifying a lot with his desire to avoid temptation. They continue dating, keeping each other off the “path of sin”.
Later on, however, Billie starts to think that something might be wrong. She pulls the fire alarm and breaks into Ruth’s room. She finds Ruth passed out, having drunk herself half to death. They talk, and Ruth reveals that she knows about the DUI that disqualified Billie from the cheerleading squad. She also reveals that her parents were killed by a drunk driver, which started her complicated and terrible relationship with alcohol.
DUMBING OF AGE BOOK THREE: FRESHMAN FAMILY WEEKEND
The freshmen have their family visit at the end of the first month of the term. Joyce’s family are just as religious as her, which causes problems when they run into Dorothy and her family. Joyce she doesn’t take too kindly to being dragged away from her new best friend, so her family takes it to Jesus.
Amber’s father appears in her room, much to her distaste. After a heated argument, she punches him, and runs. Blaine chases her, but Ruth stops him. She tells Billie to go after him, while she tries to find Amber and check in on her.
Amber, while hiding from Blaine, pretends to be Danny’s girlfriend. Technically, she is – since she and Amazi-Girl are the same person – but Danny doesn’t see it that way. After she impresses his family a little too much, he says they can’t hang out anymore.
Walky’s parents insist on meeting Dorothy, and ignore Sal fairly quickly. When they meet up with Dorothy’s family, Walky manages to impress them by knowing the Dean and Congresswoman DeSanto.
Joyce rebels against her family – and stands up for Dorothy, with Christian scripture. Meanwhile, Ethan and Joshua have a conversation about Ethan’s sexuality – and Joshua’s. As they’re leaving, Joshua texts Ethan a link to their writing site, where its revealed that she’s trans, and her name isn’t Joshua – it’s Jocelyne.
Sal and Walky meet up again, and the truth comes out about Sal’s bitterness against her family. She believes the reason he’s the preferred twin is because he’s whiter.
DUMBING OF AGE BOOK THREE: REVIEW
Dumbing of Age Book Three introduces two of my favorite plot arcs of the comic so far – Freshmen Family Weekend, and Ruth’s suicide attempt.
Freshmen Family Weekend is a climax of sorts. It brings together several plot lines at once, and brings them to a new stage. Walky’s met Dorothy’s parents, but now Sal is challenging him on being the favorite. Joyce has rebelled against her parents; but she’s still trying to ‘fix’ a gay man, and even with his permission, she knows at some level that it’s wrong. And for the first time, the readers see Amber become Amazi-Girl on screen. No matter the reason for Amber’s choices, Amazi-Girl is not healthy.
Dumbing of Age as a comic starts comedically, but with each book becomes darker and darker. Ruth’s suicide attempt – drinking herself to death in a locked dorm room – is a pivotal point for this, as Billie and Ruth’s alcoholism stops being an entertaining black joke and starts having very real consequences on people’s health and safety.
Finally, the plotline I had the most quibble with – Ethan’s sexuality – goes in interesting directions here. While I’m still not a fan of Amber and how she handles things, her self-confessed issues with rage paired with her demanding that Ethan out himself to a homophobic fundamentalist makes it clear that the comic is not giving her a free pass. In turn, Sarah calls out Joyce’s homophobia, and while both Ethan and Joyce seem okay with a loveless relationship, the comic’s stance on it is very, very clear.
