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Books

On Reading Shakespeare

I’m sure that a lot of you have, at some point, understood the struggle of reading Shakespeare plays during our school days. Of course, we have always been taught that William Shakespeare, the Bard himself, whose works have survived for over a whopping four centuries later, is one of the most timeless and classic playwrights ever. And hey, I am certainly not one to doubt that; Shakespeare’s vast repertoire offers a variety of genres, historical events, themes, and plotlines with an intelligence and wit that will always be considered pertinent. As a Canadian living in Toronto, “Shakespeare for Kids” versions…

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5 Best Series

5 Best Series: Understanding Other Cultures

As a child, I never really noticed the lack of cultural diversity in the shows or films I watched. Since I was growing up in a fairly diverse city, race wasn’t something I was very conscious of – until I started to get older. That’s the thing about systemic racism; you don’t necessarily notice it until you actively start analyzing and questioning the societal “norms” we were taught. People may not have been calling me names or making fun of my culture in obvious ways, but racist ideologies and cultural ignorance were (and are) embedded into institutions and every day…

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Collaborative

Sense8 Series Finale Review

Sense8 premiered their series finale last Friday amidst much anticipation and excitement. The show, which has had incredible ratings, was cancelled after their second season by Netflix due to budgeting reasons. As a show that prides itself on authentic representation, it would travel around the world to the actual locations it featured in the show to film, and consequently racked up quiet the budget. However, it was not a decision that sat well with the fan base. We ourselves posted about how much we thought the show deserved a third season, which you can read here. Within a few months,…

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Reflections

“Black Mirror”: U.K. vs U.S.

If any of you have watched the show Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker, you know it’s not a show to watch when you want something light-hearted. That’s not to say it’s not incredible: in fact, I find it to be one of the most pertinent and poignant television series of our time. The concept and structure is not entirely revolutionary; in fact, it is often described as a modern day twist on The Twilight Zone, utilizing both its anthology structure and suspenseful nature. Black Mirror maintains its consistency by having one key concept at its core: it looks at…

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Reflections

Why You Should Watch “Bojack Horseman”

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am obsessed with Netflix’s adult animated TV series Bojack Horseman. Today’s post centers on why this show has become a surprising all-time-favourite of mine, and why I think everyone should give it a chance. Oftentimes, people assume that animated shows won’t be “adult” enough, as there is a subconscious association of cartoons with kids or “child-like” material. Of course, classic shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, and Futurama are a few examples of just how adult cartoons can be. Recent examples are Archer, Bob’s Burgers, and Big Mouth, and that’s…

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5 Best Series

5 Best Science Fiction Shows to Watch on a Sick Day

This time of the year is notorious for bringing in the worst kinds of germs. While we’re desperately waiting for spring to arrive and don our lighter jackets in the hopes that we can will warmer weather our way, we prime ourselves for catching that final bug of the season. You cannot get through a single bus ride without hearing incessant sniffling or muffled coughs. And just when you think you have evaded the misery of a cold or flu, someone sneezes on you while you’re riding the subway and you know, with an impending sense of doom, that there…

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