What I Want To See More Of From Media In 2018
Whether we spend our rainy days tucked into a novel, or our nights binge watching that trendy new show on Netflix, we are absorbed by media. Many of us are geeks by fandom, myself included. We look to games, books, shows, and movies to brighten up our solemn days and enlighten our good ones. The media we absorb may be a direct reflection of our lives, or something a tad more fantastical—but it’s something we look to, and something we look to often. Because we spend so much time with our media there’s a great deal of content we wish we had more of; whether we fight for more representation on screen or behind the scenes, yearn for better writing, or are just looking for more fantasy as a form of escapism.
Here are a few things I want to see more of in 2018, and a look back at some things that I found and loved in 2017.
Older Women
General Leia Organa in The Last Jedi.
To start things off, you know what I want to see more of? I want to see more older women kicking some serious ass. When I was watching the new Star Wars movie with my family over the holiday, I thought a lot about that. Admiral Holdo and General Leia Organa filled a void I didn’t know needed filling (and not just because that void was torn back open like a flesh wound seeing Carrie Fisher on screen again). More mother figures, even—and no, not necessarily just more mothers. I want to see women young and old building friendships with one another, guiding and teaching one another.
“The Commander calls me into her Chamber. This seems normal. Leaders of nations meet with 16 year olds all the time.” @DystopianYA
My mother is partially responsible for this sudden burst of interest. Every day since I started writing my novel, she’s asked me how “Rachette Ealh” is coming along. Rachette is a play on her own name Rachel, and is a character she made and juxtaposed into my novel. Rachette, as I’ve been informed, is a dual broadsword wielding battle warrior. My mom wants to see herself in my fiction, although Rachette is a little more limber. And because of her adimance, she just might get it.
Healthy Relationships
Sun Jing and Qiu Tong in Tamen De Gushi.
Recently, two specific stories made me think a lot about romantic relationships in media: Tamen De Gushi, or Their Story, by Tan Jiu, and Radiance by Grace Draven. I read the latter first. Draven’s story, a gushy romance novel about a heterosexual couple, greeted me with a sensation I hadn’t felt whilst reading other books of the same genre in quite some time: warmth. The relationship between the two protagonists is so perplexing for in that it never feels forced and that is actually feels romantic.
Similarly, Tamen De Gushi’s tale of two high school girls falling in love is about as heartwarming as it gets. Each story, vastly different from one another, illuminates two relationships that we seldom see in media. They’re hearty, but they’re sweet. I caught myself smiling reading both, and I’d love to see more of that genuine representation of love.
Diverse Creators
Octavia Spencer in Hidden Figures.
An expansion from the continuous need and fight for more diverse representation via the characters in our favorite books, shows, and movies, I’d love to see and promote more diverse content creators. There are so many out there, and I’ve made it a goal of mine to spend more time with their work.
Last year, AT&T Hello Lab launched a Mentorship Program for young, diverse filmmakers. In 2017, mentors in the program included Octavia Spencer and Rick Famuyiwa. Last year’s mentees premiered their work this past December, but I’m also excited to see the future of this initiative and the careers that it jumpstarts.
Less Despair, More Hope
Ellie in The Last of Us.
Why does the apocalypse entice us so much? What is so attractive about dystopia, that it’s almost impossible to avoid bug-out bags and escape routes? In her TED Talk, G. Willow Wilson notes that it’s not surprising that millennials gravitate towards apocalyptic stories, or stories with young protagonists pitted against “hyper-capitalist, world destroying middle aged people.” On any given day throughout the week we look to headlines in the news and can’t differentiate them from ones in, let’s say, a Grand Theft Auto game. I can’t blame half of the consuming public for flocking to wastelands filled with ammo and zombies. In some ways the apocalypse is a clean slate, and that could be seen as endearing.
I, although a fan of the genre, am looking for something a little brighter in 2018. I don’t know what that is quite yet; perhaps another fluffy romance to perk up my mood, a rich fantasy filled with exploration, or yeah, maybe another dystopian piece (I know I’m looking forward to The Last of Us 2). I do know, however, that we all need something a little more optimistic. Something that reminds us to look up and forward. There is always a time and place for vital, more difficult conversations. We often can’t find total solace until we’ve seen faced some sort of hardship. Dystopia definitely isn’t going anywhere, but beneath the rubble, when we’re able to take a step away from the seriousness of life I’d like to see more hope.
I’m hoping that 2018 will bring more diversity, love, and tell us great stories that will get us through our days. So, cheers—to long nights spent marathoning that new TV show, or to that moment when you flip to the last page of a great book. Cheers to a new year filled with new media and new ideas.
