Consume, Spit Out
Do you ever watch a movie nowadays with full attention? When was the last time you listened to a full album, savored a meal where every ingredient mattered, or wandered on vacation without a phone or a plan? Do you recall the last genuine conversation where you truly listened?
I'm not calling anybody out; this is something I’ve noticed in my own life as well.
In today’s reality, it’s easy to become both bored and overstimulated. We are constantly told to buy, to be, to have. I find myself weary of social channels where I’m bombarded with repetitive, loud, and often fake content. Creators follow the same advice, essentially copying one another, transforming something once fun into labor. Social media’s influence is pervasive. To promote most brands, you need a social media presence: ads, paid promotions, content across platforms, sponsorships, partnerships—everywhere there’s a chance to sell. Fashion, beauty, lifestyle, music, movies, books—all these sectors are shaped by social media.
Some movies don’t perform well at the box office due to poor social media strategies. Take Babylon, for instance, which unfairly received bad reviews. I wasn’t even aware it was coming out until I saw posters in Paris—posters, in the social media era. Meanwhile, Emily in Paris, despite terrible reviews and offensive commentary, is hitting season 4 because it makes money. People hate-watch, hate-review, and mock it, while brands like Jacquemus, Chanel, McLaren, and Lancôme get a 45-minute ad in ten episodes each season. I don’t feel compelled to buy anything Emily wears, but that purple McLaren sticks in my mind. And I'm not even a car person! But the seed is planted. It’s not just the promotion of brands but the city itself—despite the French hating and laughing at the show. Good talk, bad talk, let them talk.
Emily in Paris is squeezing every drop of its popularity, while movies like Babylon are forgotten. I’m sure many more productions are omitted or canceled for similar reasons. Some days, I stay away from social media because when I open it, I want to barf. But there are more good things about this tool than bad: knowledge, connections, absorbing information faster and easier. It’s a boon for young, small brands and for people who want to make money doing something they know and love. I wouldn’t be half as smart if it wasn’t for social media.
On days when I’m tired or procrastinating, I tend to be a consumer. I watch shows without much attention just to know what the buzz is about. I’m stuck on TikTok and Instagram Reels, watching soccer players dance and cute dogs twirl on their backs. Guilty as charged.
A few nights ago, I decided to give the much-anticipated Challengers a shot. I love Luca Guadagnino's work, but I approached with healthy skepticism. First impression: I really liked the movie and felt my time was well spent. But the movie stayed with me for days, carried by a magnetic soundtrack, with thoughts lingering, drilling a hole in my brain. On the second watch, I loved it. I spent more time analyzing the characters’ behaviors and mannerisms, questioning their motives. The movie became a puzzle for me despite its straightforward story; the mystery lies in the subtleties open to interpretation. My conclusion: Challengers was fantastic, and I will probably rewatch it again and again.
I had the same feeling watching Dune Part Two—an experience worthy of the good old days in the cinema. I miss those days when movie premieres were exciting. Seeing a movie was only possible in the cinema until it was released on DVD, which you could buy or rent at a video rental store. Now, with streaming platforms, some movies don’t make it to the cinema at all. You can just consume, spit out, and forget. The new season of Bridgerton is released? Let me binge the whole thing in one night. It’s like a drug—you can’t stop once you’ve started. But back to Dune—it restores my faith in big spectacles. The movie was visually stunning. The Harkonnen black-and-white sequence was my crescendo and almost made me cry from delight. Ghastly, mesmerizing, geometric, stimulating the imagination. The visual crafting of the story is so delicious and on point—everything flows in harmony: the set, the costumes, the makeup. All tied together with a geometric vision in orange and blue hues. The Bene Gesserit creations are probably my favorite; they make me want to wear face jewelry daily. In that movie theater, I felt like I was thirteen again, watching a Harry Potter premiere, unable to wait for the movie's streaming release.
The excitement. It feels like there is less to wait for, which is obviously not true given the many possibilities we have today—to travel anywhere, to live, to work from any part of the planet. Communication is instant, so supposedly it should be easier to make connections, not harder. But it all feels surface-level because our attention is lazy. And if we don’t get instant gratification, we might lose interest and motivation altogether.
Yet, human nature remains unchanged since the Stone Age. We need to move our bodies to keep them healthy. We like to hunt, chase, and invent. That need still roars within us, ravenous to be fulfilled.
