One Sec, I'm Spiraling

There are two types of people in the world. There are those who love their birthdays, and those who do not. Either you enjoy the celebration so much that you extend it to the entire week or month, or you couldn’t care less. I used to love my birthday as a kid. I was fascinated by the idea of throwing a party and inviting my entire class. I loved the attention and cake and presents. Now, I wish I could just skip over it entirely. Yet I used to say it was my favorite holiday. I couldn’t help but wonder if birthdays are actually micro-holidays, and who determines that. Why do some people receive a national holiday to celebrate their birthday while others—just as influential—don’t? Is it about influence? Popularity? Power? Politics? Legacy? Are you questioning why I have so many questions? Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? (Elizaaaa!) MLK Day, celebrated every January, recognizes King’s profound civil rights impact. But what determines who gets honored at that level? Susan B. Anth...

I try to dabble in as many different types of movies as possible to work on being a well-rounded person. But of course, like anyone else, I have my favorites. When I sat back and started to think what my top four picks would be if asked by Letterboxd, I realized how similar they were. Celebrities on red carpets go through mini interviews as they walk by, and most recently, the social networking platform Letterboxd hit gold when they transitioned their interviews to a simple question: What are your top four favorite films? There’s a recurring trend though, almost definitely revealing that the celebrities’ picks aren’t actually theirs but instead a PR strategy to make them seem rich in culture. Many people on social media have pointed out that the four films usually fit in the same categories. One is a classic, one is foreign, another is a kids animation, and the last falls under modern indie or artsy fartsy. I’m not saying all celebrities are performative or pretentious, but there’s jus...