Social Media Social Criticism

After much back-and-forth about whether we should integrate allegory into our film opening, I was able to utilize much of the research I have done to justify my viewpoint (supporting the viability of creating a social thriller/horror film opening) to Chancellor and Jacob.

Horror and thrillers often reflect the fears and insecurities of a time period, and I believe through a genre such a social horror, individuals can be prompted to think more critically about the state of society.

In the early 19th century, the rise of scientific discovery and experiment came to challenge deeply held religious views of the time and worry many pious people. It was said that science would even go as far as to directly challenge God's will, with the reversal of death often being discussed as one way science could corrupt man and lead society astray. In her novel Frankenstein (1818), Mary Shelley represented the concerns of the people through metaphor; although this novel and ensuing film adaptation are in the science-fiction genre, I believe it brings to light the idea that social criticism can make a piece of media much more impactful and long-lasting.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

My group-mates and I have decided that social media, while often criticized by adults in modern society, is not nearly as critically considered by youth. As teenagers who have grown up surrounded by the Internet and the rise of social media in popular culture, I believe we often view the vanity and need for validation created through constant sharing of photos and desire for "likes" as normal.

A recent film I have seen which masterfully comments on societal fixation on public image in relation to social media is Ingrid Goes West (2017).

Ingrid Goes West (2017) is a drama/comedy film which centers around the attempts of its protagonist, Ingrid, to gain the same type of popularity she admires of social media celebrities by completely emulating their lifestyles. This film quickly emphasizes the strangeness of such behavior by having its protagonist take drastic measures in order to achieve her goal of societal acceptance (including buying a house next to the admired social media celebrity and artificially setting up scenarios in which they "accidentally" meet).

Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Both the style and content of this film stood out to me, and I especially enjoyed the subversion of typical "stalker" movies (which was used pointedly to create sympathy for those who desperately desire attention and acceptance on social media). Rather than feature a frightening man obsessed with a beautiful woman (as is the case for many of these types of films), the inclusion of two women as the protagonists of the film helped maintain the clarity of the social commentary (rather than muddle it with possible audience interpretations of romantic obsession).

A convention this film follows that I would like to make different in my group's film opening is that I would like for both protagonists to be teenage girls of similar popularity (rather than the social outcast-popular girl dynamic in Ingrid Goes West (2017)). Because I would like to touch on the theme of teenage feelings of insecurity and desire for a feeling of popularity derived from social media "hits", and much of this social media support is provided to teenage girls from other teenage girls in my group's anecdotal observations, I believe this would be appropriate.

Tragedy Girls (2017)

In looking into any other examples of my group's idea to create a "slasher" based on a female protagonist serving "revenge" to those who have not given her the social media validation she desires, our group found the trailer for a horror/comedy film called Tragedy Girls (2017) which intrigued us. Unlike our idea, Tragedy Girls (2017) focuses on two girls who murder others together and create blog posts about the "mystery" of these killings for social media publicity; however, the film seems to feature clever black comedy to mock the ridiculousness of the views of some on social media, which we would also like to employ.

"Slashers" especially appeal to a teenage audience, so by balancing suspense, satire, and horror I believe we can cater this film to a target audience of middle class 13-18 year-olds. Who knows, this could be the start of the next teenage cult classic (à la Mean Girls (2004)).

Ball, P. (2017, April 20). 'Frankenstein' Reflects the Hopes and Fears of Every Scientific Era. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/04/franken-science/523560/

MacIntyre, T. (Director). (2017). Tragedy Girls [Video file]. United States: Gunpowder & Sky. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GmFP7pfz1U

Spicer, M. (Director). (2017). Ingrid Goes West [Video file]. United States: Neon. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP4vD1tWbPU

Universal Studios. (n.d.). [Promotional photo of Boris Karloff from The Bride of Frankenstein as Frankenstein's monster.]. Retrieved March 7, 2018, from http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Karloff,%20Boris/Karloff,%20Boris%20(Bride%20of%20Frankenstein,%20The)_01.jpg