Finding Joy

It feels odd to write a pop-culture focused blog right now, especially with the everything going on these days. Writing an essay about a movie or video game feels so futile when I’d much rather rail against an illegitimate court or decry ineffectual politicians doing nothing to stop gun violence. With it is that desires… Continue reading Finding Joy

Chip & Dale & Nic(k)

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a movie where Nick Cage (played by Nic Cage) finds himself embroiled in a criminal conspiracy. Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a movie where Chip and Dale (the stars of the cartoon Rescue Rangers) find themselves embroiled in a criminal conspiracy. Both of these movies are pretty… Continue reading Chip & Dale & Nic(k)

Cinenarrative Dissonance

Why does Mario have extra lives? Oh I get it, it makes sense for a game, but is he a supernatural plumber that can come back from the dead? It’s good old-fashioned ludonarrative dissonance, the tension between gameplay and story that haunts gaming criticism. But for all the talk about its presence in video games,… Continue reading Cinenarrative Dissonance

Self-Hating Asians

I moved to South Carolina the summer I turned fifteen, after growing up in Singapore and spending four years on a ship. Unknowingly, I stepped into a paradigm where my half-Singaporean Chinese self was now firmly classified as Asian, a title that brought with it very specific expectations.  I quickly learned that the best way… Continue reading Self-Hating Asians