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Together Apart: Freshman Colloquium

Panel 6: Film and Media Studies / Spectatorship and Social Fantasy

The authors in this panel investigate how texts (film, TV shows, video games) circulate fantasies about the societies from which they emerge. But what kinds of fantasies do we consume as spectators when we flip on the TV or boot up the Switch? What are the political or ideological issues raised by our engagement with such cultural objects? These essays explore themes such as romantic anti-capitalism, gaslighting and domestic abuse, and the complications of the American Dream, reminding us that every fantasy we engage in--whether on the big screen or on our cell phones--has a political edge.--Z. D.

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By Maya Sabbaghian

Tropes of domestic abuse have existed long before even the vocabulary to define them by. One particular notion -- abuse without evidence -- is one of the most harrowing and, sadly, recurring themes that appear in literature, film, and media. Often, this theme can be so restated that it loses its impact on viewers. Leigh Whannell's 2020 horror film, The Invisible Man, offers a new approach to depicting this careworn trope through its camerawork, ultimately pushing viewers to understand the implications of not believing victims of abuse.
By Alfonso Aguilar Vazquez

Why did the Spanish show Money Heist became so popular in Mexico? I argue that the show managed to connect with the anti-systemic and anti-capitalistic feelings present in Mexico when the show was released. The show made audiences subconsciously support its anti-systemic message through its suspenseful scenes, strong female characters, and idea of going "from rags to riches" also present in popular Mexican telenovelas. I expand on the implications that the popularity of such anti-systemic shows and films could have, as they increase disappointment in the government and boost acceptance of anti-systemic criminal organizations, that could lead to these criminal organizations taking away power and legitimacy from governments, an issue countries will have to closely monitor.
By Sherman Wu

As a scholastic journalist for my high school career and a current copy editor for the Daily Trojan, I have a strong affinity for storytelling through writing, photography, graphic design, and any medium in between. I believe that being able to arrest an audience’s attention by melding objectivity and subjectivity together is the mark of an artist — and that’s what journalists and artists ultimately seek to accomplish. As a feature and longform writer, I struggled to navigate the demarcation between my writing style and the truthful delivery of the subjects that I write about. In writing this analytical essay, I found myself fighting for my own identity as both an artist and storyteller through my analysis of the technical and theoretical dimensions of photography. My essay argues against art critic Charles Baudelaire and explores the indexical relationship of a photo to its subject in more depth.