Alternative viewpoint: everything else is a tangent to clowns, which are the dark matter of the universe making up approx 80% of its composition. Also like dark matter they're everywhere all the time but cannot be perceived, like the one behind you right now.
What she said about Bluey made me think about when I saw The Tigger Movie in theaters and was confused when I noticed my mom crying. The first time I remember crying during a movie/TV show was when I saw Finding Neverland the summer before I started the sixth grade.
"People don't wanna be sad so badly they're willingly sabotage any possibility of being happy, because being happy gives you something to lose, but depression? That's a delicious reliable constant." Goddamn... that one hit as hard as Mike Tyson
Oh man I felt this so much…. I self sabotage so often. I want to try something that makes me happy but I end up giving up because I fear I’m going to lose it again.
@@tomonelch8705I think we just started, just by knowing and aknowlaging it and be observant ( not policing) of our behaivor to good things in our lives. Like now. Findind this video and this coments makes me feel more hopeful about my life and my adulthood, so thanks ❤
My favorite thing about The Babadook is that the monster that represents grief does not die. Grief never goes away. To suggest otherwise is naïve or disingenuous. But the movie knows that if you give the grief its little space and give it some time once in a while, it doesn't have to poison every other part of your life. Moving on is about learning to live with the monster in your basement, and that's such a much better message than most horror movies that just end on another spook or even the ones that end with a happily ever after. Moving on is NOT about never grieving again any more than learning self control is about never feeling angry like you said in the Pretzel Jack video. It's actually similar to one of the messages of Pixar's Inside Out, which pretty explicitly shows sadness isn't the enemy, sadness is the same thing as empathy, and it's just as important a part of you as happiness is. I always appreciate stories that lean into sincere feelings because sincere feelings is like literally the opposite of toxic masculinity.
"sincere feelings is like literally the opposite of toxic masculinity" yassss. So much of toxic masculinity really is rooted in dressing up emotional immaturity as strength, it's dumb as hell
What do you mean by toxic masculinity? (I'm definitely not trying to start a fight at all. I just find people refer to lots of different stuff by the term, and I'm wondering which you're talking about.)
@@ahobimo732my understanding of their use of toxic masculinity in relation to this film is that anyone, of all genders, can be “toxically masculine.” Toxic masculinity is of course mainly seen in men because of the teachings directed mainly at this group expected to be strong on all fronts, but the belief of ignoring negative emotions equaling strength is a narrative that people of all genders can be subject to, and we see this in the main character of The Babadook. She displays many characteristics of what we know as toxic masculinity. She shoves away her negative feelings, she’s scared to address them, she’s hostile, and this inaction leaves her emotionally stunted, emotionally immature, unable to handle anything negative that comes her way. Only once she accepts and embraces that she cannot rid of or ignore the babadook (her negative emotions/grief), is she able to live a fulfilling and emotionally stable life, which is also the same remedy for toxic masculinity. That’s my guess!!
@@mikeleddyphoto Thank you. This is what I generally understand the term to mean as well, but I've heard it used in different ways, so I wasn't sure. I don't agree this kind of "toxic masculinity" is always harmful. I look at it more like a coping strategy. It's a way of surviving really, really harsh circumstances. Sometimes life is just fucking hard. Sometimes you have to fight tooth and nail just to survive. My dad, for example, grew up poor, and I think he definitely adopted the "toxic masculinity" perspective. But the thing is, that outlook allowed him to fight for himself and his family, and because of it, my mom and I were able to have a better life than we ever would have otherwise. But the problem now is that my dad's in his late 70s and he isn't able to take off that "lens". He is only able to conceive of his own worth by seeing himself as the "warrior". But he isn't actually needed in that role now. So it's just become this maladaptive trait that makes him incredibly difficult to deal with. It's like the only way he knows how to interact with the world is by being adversarial, but there's no actual adversaries left to fight. He's definitely the victim of this mentality now, but I can see why he leaned so hard into it originally, because it really did work for him then. Life is complicated, and nothing is ever as simple as black and white. But I do agree that for a LOT of people (probably most), toxic masculinity does more harm than good. And then of course there's the fact that if we, as a species weren't so goddamned selfish and mistrustful, there wouldn't be so much fucking adversity in the first place. There would be far less need to "fight" to survive if humans just knew how share and have some fucking compassion for each other.
“the same force that allows humans to turn our grief into all consuming monsters is the same force that allows us to be absolutely enchanted by every day life… a human is literally a magical thing to be.” the whole video could just be that quote, and it’d still be great. thanks for sharing.
Talking about how it takes courage to not be a literal depression demon, whew...I needed to hear that. Thank you for this video. I love how you pointed out what horror is usually about some version of grief & unresolved trauma, very much agree 🌸
Great video. There was one thing I would have added about the ending of the Babadook. To me her keeping it in the basement and trying to reassure it represented the way grief never goes away and it’s up to us to reassure ourselves that we can be ok again, can live again, and love again, all while the grief monster continues to grumble in the basement of the mind.
Wait... AN ACTUALLY DIFFERENT ANALYSIS OF THE BABADOOK?!?!? This was fantastic! Hadn't thought about 90% of what you mentioned thematically or seen it in other vids and that's why I subscribe (also cheers for the Bluey serotonin didn't expect that to hit as hard as it did lmao)
I like that this video contrasted the flatness of a lot of media critiques (which come down basically unpacking obvious symbolism) with your own dissection of aesthetics and form. As a teacher, I am troubled a little by the Sparknotesification of critique, and I appreciate the work that you put into your own analysis. This video might end up somewhere on my next syllabus.
Another example of the prolonged smile is the ending of Pearl, her smiling depictes the feeling of being uncomfortable, confsued and the horror of her life. Smiling in horror movies are genuinely terrifying. This is such a great video btw!!
The importance of emotions in film is one of the reasons I think Ripley is a goddess amongst horror characters. She gets terrified, she screams and she breaks down crying. She gets angry, and in the 3rd movie, she gives up. She doesn't tell anyone about the alien because she thinks they won't believe her. But its not despite those emotions but INCLUDING them that she finishes things on her own terms. She loses, grieves, and processes while maintaining hope that there are people she can still save. The Babadook is a great reminder that our grief, and indeed any emotion, does not define us or necessarily consume us.
As a person who suffers from chronic depression, and battles the thought of suicide as life's emergency parachute, your observation that depression can feel like safety IS PROFOUND. It's why I love horror. Thank you for your insight and honesty, truly. I find your film analysis illuminating.
As a transgender man who was forced into a caretaking position for my younger siblings because of an abusive mother, this movie spoke to me in a weird way. There is sort of an inherent alienation of being expected to biologically be a perfect caretaker, especially when you fail openly and publically. The expectation of you as being able to push aside all your own emotions and physical needs live only for another all on your own is incredibly scary. At 10 years old I was expected to have the emotional regulation of someone at least twice my age to care for 3 toddlers, you lose your humanity to the identity of "caretaker" or "mother". I know a lot of other older siblings who felt very stifled and mentally harmed by the expectation of being a third or replacement parent. Because I outwardly suceeded in the role, when I came out as trans and revealed I had always felt this way the response was always "oh but you were so loving and nuturing." as if those were inherent qualities of me (and inherent to being a woman and not a man) and not things I had to learn for survival, and so often failed at horribly! I hated every second of being a replacement mother! I tried my very best but I know I fucked up and hurt them. I got angry with my siblings, I would want to hit them and I would scream and sometimes fight them. So the Mother in the Babadook's struggle with isolation and the fight not to respond to a child being a child with violence was something that resonated with me a lot. It helped me come to terms with the fact that I wasn't evil for those feelings and that love and resentment could exist in you at the same time and not be a personal moral failing. Even if I wasn't trans I know I will never have kids, I feel that I have "done my time" already so to speak, but I am glad to have given my siblings care and now I can care for myself.
Thank you for sharing. I'm really sorry you went through all that. I'm glad the film resonated with you. I kinda had a similarish experience with reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison for the first time tonight and then hyperfixating and ending up listening to five different readings, including the surprisingly different radio play. The guy seems like he was a prick and the understanding of women, sex, and homosexuality is incel levels with a misogynoir topping, and the story is true nightmare awfulness (complimentary), but as someone really struggling with my chronic mental and physical conditions, mostly being homebound, and transfemme in the UK which is constantly cranking the transphobia dial, I felt strangely scene and oddly comforted. Art hitting different can be magical or it can be a triggering nightmare, but when it hits right it's great. Truly sounds like you did everything you could in an impossible situation you shouldn't have been forced into and you are really honest with yourself, which is great. Just remember to be kind and compassionate to yourself too. Love, support and solidarity ❤
It’s so cathartic to find something that resonates like that. I was in the opposite position, being the youngest kid and constantly trying to get attention from my parents and big brother and failing and ending up struggling between that need and feeling like I was just an irritating clown. I was working so hard to make noise and physical contact with people and I didn’t know why I was constantly pushing boundaries. I knew it was annoying, but maybe getting to the point where they would yell at me would be better than being ignored. I still have a hard time with boundaries like that. It gets engrained in you, the way you relate to folks as a kid. Never been able to tell in any relationship if what I’m doing is enough or too much. I’m transmasc myself and I can’t wait to have kids (adoption for sure). The one upside of growing up like that is it’s made me real keen on other people’s needs, and being able to take care of people in any way really hits the right spot in my brain. It never really heals though.
@@annoyingkid48 Adding my own personal flavour on there. I'm the oldest, but not the same father and my folks are hardcore yuppies who were just incredibly distant, neglectful, denigrating, and scary. Got the ole C-PTSD with the fibro and CFS special, likely somewhat from the ignored AuDHD (Not meaning to trauma dump or anything, just share in the shit is hard growing up, solidarity). I was often mocked for having "female hormones" and you better believe I just passed my anniversary of that actually being a thing (anyone is who they are regardless of hormones or anything, I just like the phrasing because of the poetry of it) Sending you all the love, support, and solidarity my guy. Truly wishing you the best and sure you'll make a wonderful adopted parent x
Wow, that's a rather harrowing story. I'm so sorry that you had to face that in childhood. My early life was much easier than yours, which gives me a more realistic new perspective.
I just stumbled across this channel a few days ago and have been binging ever since. I legitimately don't think I've ever seen someone with such a refreshing analysis of things. I love the way they understand and explain art and the purpose of experiencing art so much that it genuinely feels like I can now enjoy it on a deeper level.
The stop-motion, paper-cutout design of the Babadook (and the insectoid sound design you mention) really resonates with me because it evokes the aesthetic of Coraline the film and the Other Mother, which terrified me so viscerally as a child. The Babadook, to me, is the same conceit as Coraline: what if something was Indefinably Wrong with Mommy, and it made her want to hurt you?
This is.... Honestly an incredible video. I discovered your "Thing" video, enjoyed it, then promptly forgot about it for a year. I started thinking about it today, and after having to slog through youtube to find it, I eventually did and am not working my way through your body of work. I find your takes on many things not only eye opening and easy to agree with upon initial disclosure, but in other ways genuinely life changing and uplifting. I really wish I had known about you and your works a few year ago when shit was really going downhill for me since I had a really bad bout of existential dread in 2016 for... idk, name any number of reasons you care to mention (yes that damn gorilla was one of them) but... I'm happy I have your work now. I'm still going through the echos of my existence. Repeating cycles of mild traumas that I guilt myself out of feeling properly due to them "not being traumatic enough to really be trauma" and your acknowledgement of how shit everything is, coupled with your ironclad defense of how this world is not only worth fighting for, but my life is worth living (haven't been suicidal in a decade and some change, but I haven't been living my life for the past few years either) and it's ok to still have issues, so long as you learn to work through them to the best of your ability, while understanding that being a person with emotions is both really fucking hard, and deeply emotionally fulfilling, especially in this magical world we live in, being the magical humans we are. Thank you, Mariana Colín, for taking the time and putting in the effort to make this incredible content. I can't donate yet due to financial issues, but until I can, take my Like, my Sub, my Share, and this comment that really overexplains way too much about me. Also wtf? How did Samuel get that dove in there? That boy's got a real fucking career path in magic and engineering if he doesnt go into therapy after literally exercising a demon from his mom with the power of emotional maturity.
Thanks so much, I'm glad you're at least doing better than you were and that my stuff resonates. 💛Genuinely I think his trick at the end is supposed to be kind of impossible, that thing of "look at all the amazing shit that happens when you're available to actually see it"
Hi. My friend just sent me this and it’s probably my favorite video essay on a movie I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much for this and your commentary made me love this movie even more
Amazing video. Depression demons are so real-- i never understood how i cut so deeply into everyone around me when i was depressed, and have only realized it after years of recovery. Maybe i was john babadook the whole time...
I kind of think people are very seldom mean without a reason they should ultimately be pitied for. Realizing that is a great way to cultivate forgiveness
This was excellent! Totally encapsulated my feelings on The Babadook, and horror in general. Also I had no idea what Bluey was before this video, and I also teared up at that clip, so thank you for that!
I fell a sleep to this and woke up to “ not everything is going to be okay you’re going to die” woke me up confused and thought I was going to be murdered. Rewatched this to understand why. 10/10 would scare myself again
Still just in awe at your utter refusal to take surface level bullshit, while championing emotions and fun, and the way you conduct your energy/ intensity across your videos and points. Also, I joined the Patreon earlier today on the strength of your phenomenal work. RUclips is a nightmare and my heart goes out to all the creators putting in such hard work just to get claim farmed. On the plus side, you might be helping the game be afoot as an unofficial executive producer for the Dark Universe.
I think the fact that horror changed indie movie scene significantly in the US is another fascinating thing that gets overlooked by many researchers. And the role that sci-fi and horror film festivals have played in changing the ways of marketing and distribution for little wonders like the Babadook, and the subsequent effect it had on how all major studios are now trying to incorporate the creative achievements of marketing the horror to the maturing artsy filmgoers audience. But that's, of course, what needs another time for a lengthy discussion. Great video!
This is some of the best film analysis I have seen in a long time. You have a lot of great insights and ways of connecting concepts. What you said at the end about choosing to be surprised, that line of reasoning has helped me so much over the years. For someone like me who has lived in poverty for years with no signs of getting out any time soon, it's arguably the only reason I'm still around. I've always worded it as "Stay impressed." and it is powerful stuff.
This is the best video I've seen this month. Even if my childhood is being healed for like the 27th time since the beginning of the year, I'm glad to feel it being healed again. And that "yeah, surrealism is the best way to deal with sh*t that can't seem to deal with in real life..." So thank you for the enlightenment and can't wait to watch the next one.
Just wanted to say I really hope that your channel is recognised more since it’s really underrated and your presentation and use of words is just amazing :)
A friend runs a horror movie club through which I came to appreciate the genre in the way you eloquently explain here. The connection to childhood and emotional maturity is poignant and appreciated.
I always get a lot out of your videos and go back and watch them multiple times. I find something new every time. Very rich analysis, beautifully articulated. Thanks for putting something smart and thoughtful on the internet.
You know? I’m glad the backlight died. I think it brought emphasis to the climax of this piece in a profoundly intimate, and unerring way, I mean just look how vulnerable it feels goodness gracious, how it reflects the same babadook-esque budgetary concerns that transform into an, intentionally or not, effective quality in its absence I haven’t slept in genuinely 48+ hours but I love this video thank you
Applause for the script in this video, it was eloquently written and you gave a smooth reading with minimal cuts. It is just plain satisfying brain food to hear such a well communicated dissection and analysis of the film because I found sequences difficult to understand. Not trying to be pretentious or egotistical or anything but most talking head video essays I will watch on 2x speed just because they are so dull in vocal and physical performance, but your film theory videos have effort and it shows. I also have to watch at normal speed just to be able to keep up with your superior vocabulary and insights into and from cinema. Great work
I love the way you have me thinking sometimes that you've totally digressed from the subject, and you gracefully tie it all together to the point. It's great writing.
Havent seen the movie but I lol'd for real at "did you know its actually about grief?" because the delivery of that line was really good. Like, duh lol
This caught me off guard as so well said, so thoughtful, and so meaningful to where I am at in my life. I've never seen the Babadook, but I literally just watched 3 episodes of Bluey with my kids (9 and 13 years old) and I tear up at many of the episodes or genuinely laugh out loud. The way you tied this into horror, fear of death, and childlike wonder was masterful. I just discovered your channel last weekend and I love your content!
I've been avoiding dating for two years now because of the fear of loss, and this video genuinely opened my eyes to all the opportunities we miss out on when we deny ourselves the pursuit of joy. Thank you
babadook was the first movie so scary, it made me SOB. when the old lady neighbor comes over and you're not sure if the possessed mom is going to kill her, and also again when she sees herself on tv and you have to think the murder she committed was the neighbor and her son. I told me DnD group how scary it was and they laughed at me. I told my other gamer groups and they laughed at me. i think this movie doesn't scare men as well as it scares people who have been socialized to become care givers. the sheer terror of that compulsory role and how you will never be allowed to be cared for or to care for yourself. the fact that my male 'friends' laughed the movie off just compounds the reality of the double standard. thanks for confirming for me that this movie was a masterpiece.
Nice, thanks for the watch. I think that's exactly right, it's a pretty gendered film, not the least reason for which is that sincerity of emotion thing, which men are ont he whole not socialized to care about (to their own detriment). I'm glad it resonated 😊
Pausing to make a comment about children shows tackling big issues like the episode about Bluey (which I haven't ever seen and yet that epilogue still made me happy/sad) Rugrats is exceptionally good at this and I would recommend giving it a watch if you haven't already. Maybe not always in such a heartfelt way, but we watch it from time to time and it certainly covers quite a lot of heavy stuff.
@@themorbidzooI recall having it on in the background recently while cooking and saying to my partner "This episode is literally about drug addiction" lmfao, it was the one where Angelica gets addicted to cookies.
Wow, this essay goes far beyond what the title or even this particular format of video often offers. I usually listen to so many videos just to stave off my own intrusive thoughts, but I welcomed a bit of introspection here. Thanks for a cool time.
"People don't want to be sad so badly..." Holy crap. I think you just diagnosed my fear of success. The first time I watch The Babadook, I really didn't like it. The monster seemed silly, the kid was annoying, the mother was disconnected from reality, and the mother's sister was forgettable. 2 out of 5. A couple of years went by, and I decided to give it another watch. It must be my own state of mind. On a second viewing the monster was a child's definition of "general scariness," the kid had genuine mental issues that were ignored or forcibly suppressed, the mother was more realistic and relatable than I remember... the mother's sister was still forgettable. LOL.
Your videos are always incredibly well made and thought provoking. I end up learning something new or have to actually think about something in detail. I'm not as smart as I'd like to think and I'm sure that may bleed through in my writing no matter where I am, but I just want to thank you for making these videos and educating me in an entertaining and genuine way. I also want to mention that the ending to your video made me cry. Thanks again.
this video made me more emotional than i expected something i’ve been struggling with since turning 30 is the idea that i’m not stoic or even-tempered enough. i still deal with shyness. i still deal with feeling inadequate. and i Definitely still deal with feeling sad. a good bit. and somehow i was convinced that that meant i was doing something inherently wrong. like somebody of my Big Age™️ shouldn’t be sad anymore. i should watch this movie again, i think.
"A movie is not good because of its themes, a movie is good because of how it expresses its themes I couldn't agree more. *cough cough* the Star Wars prequels *cough cough*
I feel like I have found the perfect horror analysis channel or just narrative analysis in general. Oddly enough, never saw this movie before, but now I feel like I am under moral obligation to myself to do so.
"in a life that give us so many reasons to do otherwise, choosing to be surprised, uncynical, joyous and sweet is an act of immense courage" 🎯 it's so easy to love, it's so easy to hate, it takes strenght to be gentle and kind!
Thanks for being one of the strongest, most nuanced writers on this platform. I write poetry on and off in my spare time and the way you articulate and express things is incredibly inspirational. Also helps that you're touching on my favorite genre of media.
have watched this video a couple times atp but the last bit has me really really weepy… its something that’s hitting real close as im finishing up my first year of college i guess lol. as someone who is still on that trudge towards Being An Adult in whatever capacity ill ever be able to consider myself one, the way you talk about still preserving wonder and kindness and emotion into adulthood is really resonant and powerful and puts into words something i’ve always had trouble articulating, or maybe just find kind of scary and embarrassing to articulate. and on a more personal level its just nice to have these sorts of weird sticky feelings about growing up affirmed by. yknow. a real adult. this is such a wonderful essay, excellent excellent work
My friend alex has been telling me bluey is an amazing show for months now, I thought it was a bit, but that scene hit my gut stronger than king kong on meth. I may watch the entire series.
I have mixed thoughts on the latest Matrix film but one of my favorite moments is how they poke fun at the "____ is about _____" statement with a bunch of people in a meeting coming up with a new Matrix "game" trying to pin down the "thing" it's about.
The ending of this video has me almost in tears. You have explained something that I’ve been feeing a lot lately and you put it really well in words. I was watching this on my tv and had to go to my phone to leave a comment. Thank you so much!
Alternative viewpoint: everything else is a tangent to clowns, which are the dark matter of the universe making up approx 80% of its composition. Also like dark matter they're everywhere all the time but cannot be perceived, like the one behind you right now.
Eeeehehhe! Pinned
I think you're on to something!
This would explain why most of my life feels like a cosmic prank.
i'm scared to look behind me now 😨😨
this is now canon to all of my modern era horror settings
The thing I like most about both Bluey and the Babadook is that they have adults remembering important things by talking geniunely to children
What she said about Bluey made me think about when I saw The Tigger Movie in theaters and was confused when I noticed my mom crying. The first time I remember crying during a movie/TV show was when I saw Finding Neverland the summer before I started the sixth grade.
"People don't wanna be sad so badly they're willingly sabotage any possibility of being happy, because being happy gives you something to lose, but depression? That's a delicious reliable constant."
Goddamn... that one hit as hard as Mike Tyson
Its patently false and anecdotal. I wouldnt worry too much about it.
Its inherently victim blaming. Its trash.
Oh man I felt this so much….
I self sabotage so often. I want to try something that makes me happy but I end up giving up because I fear I’m going to lose it again.
@@yamato6114 Same here and thanks for sharing, how do you think we can change this about ourselves?
jesus, but that's true. Most clinically depressed people will tell you that they don't feel sad. They feel nothing. Their coping mechanics demand it.
@@tomonelch8705I think we just started, just by knowing and aknowlaging it and be observant ( not policing) of our behaivor to good things in our lives. Like now. Findind this video and this coments makes me feel more hopeful about my life and my adulthood, so thanks ❤
My favorite thing about The Babadook is that the monster that represents grief does not die. Grief never goes away. To suggest otherwise is naïve or disingenuous. But the movie knows that if you give the grief its little space and give it some time once in a while, it doesn't have to poison every other part of your life. Moving on is about learning to live with the monster in your basement, and that's such a much better message than most horror movies that just end on another spook or even the ones that end with a happily ever after. Moving on is NOT about never grieving again any more than learning self control is about never feeling angry like you said in the Pretzel Jack video.
It's actually similar to one of the messages of Pixar's Inside Out, which pretty explicitly shows sadness isn't the enemy, sadness is the same thing as empathy, and it's just as important a part of you as happiness is. I always appreciate stories that lean into sincere feelings because sincere feelings is like literally the opposite of toxic masculinity.
"sincere feelings is like literally the opposite of toxic masculinity" yassss. So much of toxic masculinity really is rooted in dressing up emotional immaturity as strength, it's dumb as hell
I was with you until the last sentence. Where did that even come from? You progs are deranged and obssessed.
What do you mean by toxic masculinity? (I'm definitely not trying to start a fight at all. I just find people refer to lots of different stuff by the term, and I'm wondering which you're talking about.)
@@ahobimo732my understanding of their use of toxic masculinity in relation to this film is that anyone, of all genders, can be “toxically masculine.” Toxic masculinity is of course mainly seen in men because of the teachings directed mainly at this group expected to be strong on all fronts, but the belief of ignoring negative emotions equaling strength is a narrative that people of all genders can be subject to, and we see this in the main character of The Babadook. She displays many characteristics of what we know as toxic masculinity. She shoves away her negative feelings, she’s scared to address them, she’s hostile, and this inaction leaves her emotionally stunted, emotionally immature, unable to handle anything negative that comes her way. Only once she accepts and embraces that she cannot rid of or ignore the babadook (her negative emotions/grief), is she able to live a fulfilling and emotionally stable life, which is also the same remedy for toxic masculinity. That’s my guess!!
@@mikeleddyphoto Thank you. This is what I generally understand the term to mean as well, but I've heard it used in different ways, so I wasn't sure.
I don't agree this kind of "toxic masculinity" is always harmful. I look at it more like a coping strategy. It's a way of surviving really, really harsh circumstances. Sometimes life is just fucking hard. Sometimes you have to fight tooth and nail just to survive. My dad, for example, grew up poor, and I think he definitely adopted the "toxic masculinity" perspective. But the thing is, that outlook allowed him to fight for himself and his family, and because of it, my mom and I were able to have a better life than we ever would have otherwise.
But the problem now is that my dad's in his late 70s and he isn't able to take off that "lens". He is only able to conceive of his own worth by seeing himself as the "warrior". But he isn't actually needed in that role now. So it's just become this maladaptive trait that makes him incredibly difficult to deal with. It's like the only way he knows how to interact with the world is by being adversarial, but there's no actual adversaries left to fight.
He's definitely the victim of this mentality now, but I can see why he leaned so hard into it originally, because it really did work for him then.
Life is complicated, and nothing is ever as simple as black and white. But I do agree that for a LOT of people (probably most), toxic masculinity does more harm than good.
And then of course there's the fact that if we, as a species weren't so goddamned selfish and mistrustful, there wouldn't be so much fucking adversity in the first place. There would be far less need to "fight" to survive if humans just knew how share and have some fucking compassion for each other.
“the same force that allows humans to turn our grief into all consuming monsters is the same force that allows us to be absolutely enchanted by every day life… a human is literally a magical thing to be.”
the whole video could just be that quote, and it’d still be great. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching :)
I'll be printing this and place it in my room
Talking about how it takes courage to not be a literal depression demon, whew...I needed to hear that. Thank you for this video. I love how you pointed out what horror is usually about some version of grief & unresolved trauma, very much agree 🌸
Oh now... if I'm a coward, does that mean I'm forever a depression demon?
Glad it resonated, thanks for watching :)
Great video. There was one thing I would have added about the ending of the Babadook. To me her keeping it in the basement and trying to reassure it represented the way grief never goes away and it’s up to us to reassure ourselves that we can be ok again, can live again, and love again, all while the grief monster continues to grumble in the basement of the mind.
Yessss you can have all the support you want and need but it never stops being your own responsibility
careful there jordan peterson @@themorbidzoo
Wait... AN ACTUALLY DIFFERENT ANALYSIS OF THE BABADOOK?!?!? This was fantastic! Hadn't thought about 90% of what you mentioned thematically or seen it in other vids and that's why I subscribe (also cheers for the Bluey serotonin didn't expect that to hit as hard as it did lmao)
Thank you! 😄
i can´t belivei cried to a video about the babadook AGAIN
I like that this video contrasted the flatness of a lot of media critiques (which come down basically unpacking obvious symbolism) with your own dissection of aesthetics and form. As a teacher, I am troubled a little by the Sparknotesification of critique, and I appreciate the work that you put into your own analysis. This video might end up somewhere on my next syllabus.
I'm troubled by that too, glad we agree. Art is not a puzzle box. Thanks for the watch and compliments!
Holy crap. I've never seen Bluey and just the few seconds of it you showed damn near had me in tears.
Another example of the prolonged smile is the ending of Pearl, her smiling depictes the feeling of being uncomfortable, confsued and the horror of her life. Smiling in horror movies are genuinely terrifying. This is such a great video btw!!
Yes!! Thanks for watching 😊
The importance of emotions in film is one of the reasons I think Ripley is a goddess amongst horror characters. She gets terrified, she screams and she breaks down crying. She gets angry, and in the 3rd movie, she gives up. She doesn't tell anyone about the alien because she thinks they won't believe her. But its not despite those emotions but INCLUDING them that she finishes things on her own terms. She loses, grieves, and processes while maintaining hope that there are people she can still save. The Babadook is a great reminder that our grief, and indeed any emotion, does not define us or necessarily consume us.
"Childhood is a series of tiny traumas" is a phrase thats now going to live with me forever
"a human is literally a magical thing to be"
that one hit hard too
As a person who suffers from chronic depression, and battles the thought of suicide as life's emergency parachute, your observation that depression can feel like safety IS PROFOUND. It's why I love horror. Thank you for your insight and honesty, truly. I find your film analysis illuminating.
The Babadook is an allegory for a mothers resentment after her husband died misdirected toward her son... which is a real and serious phenomena.
As a transgender man who was forced into a caretaking position for my younger siblings because of an abusive mother, this movie spoke to me in a weird way.
There is sort of an inherent alienation of being expected to biologically be a perfect caretaker, especially when you fail openly and publically. The expectation of you as being able to push aside all your own emotions and physical needs live only for another all on your own is incredibly scary. At 10 years old I was expected to have the emotional regulation of someone at least twice my age to care for 3 toddlers, you lose your humanity to the identity of "caretaker" or "mother". I know a lot of other older siblings who felt very stifled and mentally harmed by the expectation of being a third or replacement parent.
Because I outwardly suceeded in the role, when I came out as trans and revealed I had always felt this way the response was always "oh but you were so loving and nuturing." as if those were inherent qualities of me (and inherent to being a woman and not a man) and not things I had to learn for survival, and so often failed at horribly! I hated every second of being a replacement mother! I tried my very best but I know I fucked up and hurt them. I got angry with my siblings, I would want to hit them and I would scream and sometimes fight them. So the Mother in the Babadook's struggle with isolation and the fight not to respond to a child being a child with violence was something that resonated with me a lot. It helped me come to terms with the fact that I wasn't evil for those feelings and that love and resentment could exist in you at the same time and not be a personal moral failing.
Even if I wasn't trans I know I will never have kids, I feel that I have "done my time" already so to speak, but I am glad to have given my siblings care and now I can care for myself.
Thank you for sharing. I'm really sorry you went through all that. I'm glad the film resonated with you. I kinda had a similarish experience with reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison for the first time tonight and then hyperfixating and ending up listening to five different readings, including the surprisingly different radio play. The guy seems like he was a prick and the understanding of women, sex, and homosexuality is incel levels with a misogynoir topping, and the story is true nightmare awfulness (complimentary), but as someone really struggling with my chronic mental and physical conditions, mostly being homebound, and transfemme in the UK which is constantly cranking the transphobia dial, I felt strangely scene and oddly comforted.
Art hitting different can be magical or it can be a triggering nightmare, but when it hits right it's great.
Truly sounds like you did everything you could in an impossible situation you shouldn't have been forced into and you are really honest with yourself, which is great. Just remember to be kind and compassionate to yourself too.
Love, support and solidarity ❤
It’s so cathartic to find something that resonates like that. I was in the opposite position, being the youngest kid and constantly trying to get attention from my parents and big brother and failing and ending up struggling between that need and feeling like I was just an irritating clown.
I was working so hard to make noise and physical contact with people and I didn’t know why I was constantly pushing boundaries. I knew it was annoying, but maybe getting to the point where they would yell at me would be better than being ignored.
I still have a hard time with boundaries like that. It gets engrained in you, the way you relate to folks as a kid. Never been able to tell in any relationship if what I’m doing is enough or too much.
I’m transmasc myself and I can’t wait to have kids (adoption for sure). The one upside of growing up like that is it’s made me real keen on other people’s needs, and being able to take care of people in any way really hits the right spot in my brain. It never really heals though.
@@annoyingkid48 Adding my own personal flavour on there. I'm the oldest, but not the same father and my folks are hardcore yuppies who were just incredibly distant, neglectful, denigrating, and scary. Got the ole C-PTSD with the fibro and CFS special, likely somewhat from the ignored AuDHD (Not meaning to trauma dump or anything, just share in the shit is hard growing up, solidarity).
I was often mocked for having "female hormones" and you better believe I just passed my anniversary of that actually being a thing (anyone is who they are regardless of hormones or anything, I just like the phrasing because of the poetry of it)
Sending you all the love, support, and solidarity my guy. Truly wishing you the best and sure you'll make a wonderful adopted parent x
Wow, that's a rather harrowing story. I'm so sorry that you had to face that in childhood. My early life was much easier than yours, which gives me a more realistic new perspective.
I just stumbled across this channel a few days ago and have been binging ever since. I legitimately don't think I've ever seen someone with such a refreshing analysis of things. I love the way they understand and explain art and the purpose of experiencing art so much that it genuinely feels like I can now enjoy it on a deeper level.
Thanks so much! 😊
The stop-motion, paper-cutout design of the Babadook (and the insectoid sound design you mention) really resonates with me because it evokes the aesthetic of Coraline the film and the Other Mother, which terrified me so viscerally as a child. The Babadook, to me, is the same conceit as Coraline: what if something was Indefinably Wrong with Mommy, and it made her want to hurt you?
This is.... Honestly an incredible video. I discovered your "Thing" video, enjoyed it, then promptly forgot about it for a year. I started thinking about it today, and after having to slog through youtube to find it, I eventually did and am not working my way through your body of work. I find your takes on many things not only eye opening and easy to agree with upon initial disclosure, but in other ways genuinely life changing and uplifting. I really wish I had known about you and your works a few year ago when shit was really going downhill for me since I had a really bad bout of existential dread in 2016 for... idk, name any number of reasons you care to mention (yes that damn gorilla was one of them) but... I'm happy I have your work now. I'm still going through the echos of my existence. Repeating cycles of mild traumas that I guilt myself out of feeling properly due to them "not being traumatic enough to really be trauma" and your acknowledgement of how shit everything is, coupled with your ironclad defense of how this world is not only worth fighting for, but my life is worth living (haven't been suicidal in a decade and some change, but I haven't been living my life for the past few years either) and it's ok to still have issues, so long as you learn to work through them to the best of your ability, while understanding that being a person with emotions is both really fucking hard, and deeply emotionally fulfilling, especially in this magical world we live in, being the magical humans we are.
Thank you, Mariana Colín, for taking the time and putting in the effort to make this incredible content. I can't donate yet due to financial issues, but until I can, take my Like, my Sub, my Share, and this comment that really overexplains way too much about me.
Also wtf? How did Samuel get that dove in there? That boy's got a real fucking career path in magic and engineering if he doesnt go into therapy after literally exercising a demon from his mom with the power of emotional maturity.
Thanks so much, I'm glad you're at least doing better than you were and that my stuff resonates. 💛Genuinely I think his trick at the end is supposed to be kind of impossible, that thing of "look at all the amazing shit that happens when you're available to actually see it"
This is the video that finally got me to watch Bluey
You're welcome
Hi. My friend just sent me this and it’s probably my favorite video essay on a movie I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much for this and your commentary made me love this movie even more
Thank you ☺️
Amazing video. Depression demons are so real-- i never understood how i cut so deeply into everyone around me when i was depressed, and have only realized it after years of recovery. Maybe i was john babadook the whole time...
I kind of think people are very seldom mean without a reason they should ultimately be pitied for. Realizing that is a great way to cultivate forgiveness
This was excellent! Totally encapsulated my feelings on The Babadook, and horror in general. Also I had no idea what Bluey was before this video, and I also teared up at that clip, so thank you for that!
I recommend Bluey to everyone! It WILL brighten your day ha
I fell a sleep to this and woke up to “ not everything is going to be okay you’re going to die” woke me up confused and thought I was going to be murdered. Rewatched this to understand why. 10/10 would scare myself again
"What's wrong honeypot, I thought practical effects were better?!?!" LMAO. Sidenote: the shirt rocks!
Still just in awe at your utter refusal to take surface level bullshit, while championing emotions and fun, and the way you conduct your energy/ intensity across your videos and points. Also, I joined the Patreon earlier today on the strength of your phenomenal work.
RUclips is a nightmare and my heart goes out to all the creators putting in such hard work just to get claim farmed. On the plus side, you might be helping the game be afoot as an unofficial executive producer for the Dark Universe.
I think the fact that horror changed indie movie scene significantly in the US is another fascinating thing that gets overlooked by many researchers. And the role that sci-fi and horror film festivals have played in changing the ways of marketing and distribution for little wonders like the Babadook, and the subsequent effect it had on how all major studios are now trying to incorporate the creative achievements of marketing the horror to the maturing artsy filmgoers audience. But that's, of course, what needs another time for a lengthy discussion. Great video!
I am in fact one of the adults that began sobbing uncontrollably at the epilogue of Bluey's Camping episode yes.
This is some of the best film analysis I have seen in a long time. You have a lot of great insights and ways of connecting concepts. What you said at the end about choosing to be surprised, that line of reasoning has helped me so much over the years. For someone like me who has lived in poverty for years with no signs of getting out any time soon, it's arguably the only reason I'm still around. I've always worded it as "Stay impressed." and it is powerful stuff.
This is the best video I've seen this month. Even if my childhood is being healed for like the 27th time since the beginning of the year, I'm glad to feel it being healed again. And that "yeah, surrealism is the best way to deal with sh*t that can't seem to deal with in real life..."
So thank you for the enlightenment and can't wait to watch the next one.
Thank you!! 😊
This is extraordinarily potent work. Great job, I really appreciate the clarity and emotional reality you brought to the discussion.
Just wanted to say I really hope that your channel is recognised more since it’s really underrated and your presentation and use of words is just amazing :)
Thank you ☺
A friend runs a horror movie club through which I came to appreciate the genre in the way you eloquently explain here. The connection to childhood and emotional maturity is poignant and appreciated.
i havent seen the babadook and i am openly weeping at my computer. thank u
Oh no don’t be sad! ♥️
I always get a lot out of your videos and go back and watch them multiple times. I find something new every time. Very rich analysis, beautifully articulated. Thanks for putting something smart and thoughtful on the internet.
I don't recall subscribing to you but just saw this video pop up and this has been delightful. Now it's time to go through your backlog.
You know? I’m glad the backlight died. I think it brought emphasis to the climax of this piece in a profoundly intimate, and unerring way, I mean just look how vulnerable it feels goodness gracious, how it reflects the same babadook-esque budgetary concerns that transform into an, intentionally or not, effective quality in its absence
I haven’t slept in genuinely 48+ hours but I love this video thank you
Aww. Thank you!!
now go to sleep
@@themorbidzoo I DID I FINALLY DID THANK YOU (I have a sleep condition and I'm convinced it was this that made it work)
@@ryansvideos100Sleep conditions are atrocious 🖤
but I don't want a life lesson, I just want a bowl of worms - Babadook
Applause for the script in this video, it was eloquently written and you gave a smooth reading with minimal cuts.
It is just plain satisfying brain food to hear such a well communicated dissection and analysis of the film because I found sequences difficult to understand.
Not trying to be pretentious or egotistical or anything but most talking head video essays I will watch on 2x speed just because they are so dull in vocal and physical performance, but your film theory videos have effort and it shows. I also have to watch at normal speed just to be able to keep up with your superior vocabulary and insights into and from cinema.
Great work
Ahh, thank you!!
I love the way you have me thinking sometimes that you've totally digressed from the subject, and you gracefully tie it all together to the point. It's great writing.
Havent seen the movie but I lol'd for real at "did you know its actually about grief?" because the delivery of that line was really good. Like, duh lol
This caught me off guard as so well said, so thoughtful, and so meaningful to where I am at in my life. I've never seen the Babadook, but I literally just watched 3 episodes of Bluey with my kids (9 and 13 years old) and I tear up at many of the episodes or genuinely laugh out loud. The way you tied this into horror, fear of death, and childlike wonder was masterful. I just discovered your channel last weekend and I love your content!
Thank so much, I’m glad it resonated 😊
you changed my life like four times in this video damn
Haha thanks for the watch 😊
I've been avoiding dating for two years now because of the fear of loss, and this video genuinely opened my eyes to all the opportunities we miss out on when we deny ourselves the pursuit of joy. Thank you
babadook was the first movie so scary, it made me SOB. when the old lady neighbor comes over and you're not sure if the possessed mom is going to kill her, and also again when she sees herself on tv and you have to think the murder she committed was the neighbor and her son.
I told me DnD group how scary it was and they laughed at me. I told my other gamer groups and they laughed at me. i think this movie doesn't scare men as well as it scares people who have been socialized to become care givers. the sheer terror of that compulsory role and how you will never be allowed to be cared for or to care for yourself. the fact that my male 'friends' laughed the movie off just compounds the reality of the double standard.
thanks for confirming for me that this movie was a masterpiece.
Nice, thanks for the watch. I think that's exactly right, it's a pretty gendered film, not the least reason for which is that sincerity of emotion thing, which men are ont he whole not socialized to care about (to their own detriment). I'm glad it resonated 😊
Just found your channel, you're a very insightful person. I really enjoy your perspective on life and art!
Thank you ☺️
What a refreshingly positive positive conclusion, miss Morbid!
Gotta switch up the vibe every now and again :)
I watched The Babadook just because I knew you were making a video about it. I love your stuff!
Thanks! Hope you liked the movie :D
Some of the smartest analysis anyone is articulating online
Pausing to make a comment about children shows tackling big issues like the episode about Bluey (which I haven't ever seen and yet that epilogue still made me happy/sad) Rugrats is exceptionally good at this and I would recommend giving it a watch if you haven't already. Maybe not always in such a heartfelt way, but we watch it from time to time and it certainly covers quite a lot of heavy stuff.
Rugrats was heavy in my rotation as a kid, I still have favorite episodes ❤️
@@themorbidzooI recall having it on in the background recently while cooking and saying to my partner "This episode is literally about drug addiction" lmfao, it was the one where Angelica gets addicted to cookies.
@@MetaSarcasm lol they made shit different back then
Wow, this essay goes far beyond what the title or even this particular format of video often offers. I usually listen to so many videos just to stave off my own intrusive thoughts, but I welcomed a bit of introspection here. Thanks for a cool time.
"People don't want to be sad so badly..." Holy crap. I think you just diagnosed my fear of success.
The first time I watch The Babadook, I really didn't like it. The monster seemed silly, the kid was annoying, the mother was disconnected from reality, and the mother's sister was forgettable. 2 out of 5. A couple of years went by, and I decided to give it another watch. It must be my own state of mind. On a second viewing the monster was a child's definition of "general scariness," the kid had genuine mental issues that were ignored or forcibly suppressed, the mother was more realistic and relatable than I remember... the mother's sister was still forgettable. LOL.
"a human is a magical thing to be". something i try to remind myself when things feel hopeless
Your videos are always incredibly well made and thought provoking. I end up learning something new or have to actually think about something in detail. I'm not as smart as I'd like to think and I'm sure that may bleed through in my writing no matter where I am, but I just want to thank you for making these videos and educating me in an entertaining and genuine way. I also want to mention that the ending to your video made me cry. Thanks again.
Thank you so much ☺️
this video made me more emotional than i expected
something i’ve been struggling with since turning 30 is the idea that i’m not stoic or even-tempered enough. i still deal with shyness. i still deal with feeling inadequate. and i Definitely still deal with feeling sad. a good bit. and somehow i was convinced that that meant i was doing something inherently wrong. like somebody of my Big Age™️ shouldn’t be sad anymore.
i should watch this movie again, i think.
"A movie is not good because of its themes, a movie is good because of how it expresses its themes
I couldn't agree more.
*cough cough* the Star Wars prequels *cough cough*
Finding your channel was the best thing of 22. Thank you!!
I feel like I have found the perfect horror analysis channel or just narrative analysis in general.
Oddly enough, never saw this movie before, but now I feel like I am under moral obligation to myself to do so.
My two and half year old’s favorite Bluey episode is “Camping”. It kinda blows my mind. That and “mom school”.
"in a life that give us so many reasons to do otherwise, choosing to be surprised, uncynical, joyous and sweet is an act of immense courage" 🎯 it's so easy to love, it's so easy to hate, it takes strenght to be gentle and kind!
This is my favorite video. Thanks for the Bluey plug. ❤
I've watched this video several times by this point and it always manages to make my eyes well up
I'm so glad I found your channel.
your video essays are insanely good please make more
This video cured my current depressive state and made me cry a bunch. Thanks!
Thanks for being one of the strongest, most nuanced writers on this platform. I write poetry on and off in my spare time and the way you articulate and express things is incredibly inspirational. Also helps that you're touching on my favorite genre of media.
And now you made me tear up. But, for some reason, I am grateful.
Thank you, Morbid Zoo!
That was absolutely lovely. Thank you.
Babadook is the first horror movie to make me cry since Jacob's Ladder and The Others. Such a beautiful, cathartic movie that's also terrifying.
have watched this video a couple times atp but the last bit has me really really weepy… its something that’s hitting real close as im finishing up my first year of college i guess lol. as someone who is still on that trudge towards Being An Adult in whatever capacity ill ever be able to consider myself one, the way you talk about still preserving wonder and kindness and emotion into adulthood is really resonant and powerful and puts into words something i’ve always had trouble articulating, or maybe just find kind of scary and embarrassing to articulate. and on a more personal level its just nice to have these sorts of weird sticky feelings about growing up affirmed by. yknow. a real adult. this is such a wonderful essay, excellent excellent work
Great video. Times be a little rough, but I'll chip in for a month.
Very very much appreciated ❤Don't forget to quit as soon as it's too much
I’ve just recently found your channel and this is one of the most beautiful video essays i’ve ever watched. Fantastic.
My friend alex has been telling me bluey is an amazing show for months now, I thought it was a bit, but that scene hit my gut stronger than king kong on meth. I may watch the entire series.
10:34 such an upsetting shot in an upsetting scene. The monster is right there and no one will ever believe her.
Great movie about keeping short accounts and not letting anger/bitterness/ grief/ trauma control you.
The only thing I know about the Babadook is that they used to run the _Scardy Cats_ channel with Mildred
what a wonderful analysis. i think comparing it to Bluey really puts it in perspective.
Essie Davis just lifts everything up she is in. Putting her in this movie was a match made in heaven for me. One of my all-time favourite movies.
Genuinely the best Babadook video I have seen! Also I watch Bluey with my niece and routinely find myself both laughing and crying
Was not expecting to have such a strong reaction to this review. Thanks
I'd had ideas about the impact of the Babadook on the horror genre and this was a clear version of that plus a lot more. Great video
Thanks ☺️
God, where were these takes back in, like, 2015? Love your stuff, keep up the good work!
Thank you 😊
This channel is quickly becoming a favorite. Thank you for making me laugh, think and just generally get all in my feelings.
Thank you ☺️
I've found your channel today and I'm really surprised by the quality of these analysis and how rich they are. Amazing work! ❤️
Thank you ☺️
Thank you so much for making this video! I’m so glad I found your channel
Babadook is the "Hello, darling" of the horror genre.
This video really surprised me, thank you
Excellent, as always. And welcome back.
Wtf, this video actually made me want to cry.
This is a masterpiece. It's so packed with knowledge. What the hell.
What a hidden gem.
Must this blessing shield you from the wrath of the Holy Ones & Zeros.
The Babadook still gives me nightmares
Amazing analysis, and elegantly written! Thank you so much.
You are wonderful. Thank you for this
Always happy to see your videos drop! Your perspective is always thorough and eye opening.
Thank you! 😊
Best thing I did recently was watch The Thing, so I could look it up on RUclips and stumble on your video about it. This is great, love your stuff ❤️
Thank you!! 😊
I have mixed thoughts on the latest Matrix film but one of my favorite moments is how they poke fun at the "____ is about _____" statement with a bunch of people in a meeting coming up with a new Matrix "game" trying to pin down the "thing" it's about.
The ending of this video has me almost in tears. You have explained something that I’ve been feeing a lot lately and you put it really well in words. I was watching this on my tv and had to go to my phone to leave a comment. Thank you so much!
never would i have been able to guess a video about the babadook being connected to Bluey