Hello, my name is Andrea and I am addicted to media consumption (just like everyone else). The media I’ve been consuming lately is Reddit’s sub forum Am I The Asshole (AITA), The Legend of Korra, the insanely brilliant novel Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, and Body Image-related posts in my Instagram Feed.
Social Media Addiction
Yeah, yeah. I’m tired of hearing it too. We all talk about how we’re trying to be healthier about our social media consumption – and you all know how much I love Reading while Pooping. I’d like to point out both that I am being bitter and sarcastic towards my own failure, and that the title of that original post is supposed to be an anal joke and I’m not sure anyone got it.
Anyways, I’ve decided that in times that my life has been uninteresting to my consumers (you guys, my audience, are consuming my content, as you know) – and I say that ’cause I’ve made progress on Bailey the Bus, but it’s not visually interesting quite yet – I’ll just share with you guys the media I’ve been consuming lately.
Am I The Asshole? (AITA) on Reddit
Here’s the true crack-level social media for me: Am I The Asshole (AITA) on Reddit. If you look on my reddit profile (please don’t, lol) I’ve made way too many comments on this sub. I really do try my best to leave it alone – there are thousands of comments on each one of these, how likely is it that OP will actually read mine? – but it’s just so self-gratifying to feel like you’re truly helping these people figure their sh*t out.
I really try to reflect on each poster’s question deeply and provide the most genuine advice possible, but we can’t pretend it’s not comical. I admire that a good portion of posters are actually trying to gain perspective, it seems, so I’m not harshing your mellow. I’m just saying it’s self-creating content like this that distorts our sense of reality by saturating us with other people’s constant problems, making the parts of our lives that are actually quite normal seem equally as bad as theirs, and the parts that have us by the throat (like capitalism, say *shrug emoji*) seem normal.
Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra
What a fantastic series. Although I can’t deny that I think The Legend of Korra is entertaining, Avatar the Last Airbender (ATLA) is possibly one of my favorite series / pieces of media content of all time. Its whole message is to be symbiotic, to be one with nature. Given that that is the lifetime goal I’m working towards, it really captures that best described Confucian-Buddhist philosophy that I value and hope to one day embody.
Not to mention that it’s a feel-good kids show. I see Princess Mango in Appa, Momo, Naga, and Pabu.
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
This book is… indescribable. It follows six (I think?) different storylines across time and in multiple realities that all connect to one another. Its overall message, or what they call the “True True”, is essentially the story of power struggle – there will always be those who attempt to control, and there will always be those who resist. (PSA: The video is a massive spoiler.)
This seems like a good point in this blog post to point out the theme in my media consumption.
All the media we consume exists on a spectrum of either a commentary on our reality as it is, or as a suggestion to alternative realities as they could be.
Body Image Posts on Instagram
Shallow, right? For all my philosophical bullcrap, my reality-vs-alternatives is manifested in the binary #normalizenormalbodies trend, with one side being the “posed” look and the other is “relaxed.” We women (and others) are showing our tummies and we’re proud of it! I wish I could tell you it’s deeper than that, but it’s really not and that’s okay.
Nonetheless, this still pertains to the idea of it being both a commentary and a suggestion of the alternative. The visual binary points to the conceptual binary: a world where we are afraid to show our natural bodies vs. a world where we are not. I hopped on the bandwagon and did one for International Women’s Day 2022 and I can’t say I regret it. Every year I get a little less body-dysmorphic, and being able to look back on this post helps. Cheers to all y’all with body image issues who have overcome hurdles more intense and self-deprecating than mine! You are an inspiration.
Social Media Consumption Confession (SMCC #2)
Hoping to stick to this, but we’ll see. If you haven’t already, please check out my cute photography I had in my SMCC #1, I was proud of having actually used my camera for something.
absgeller 
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