arts // no. § Extremely charming and uncomfortably close » ‘You’ TV show analysis Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Netflix series You. Somers the kindest faces can mask incredible evil. Lifetime’s show You begins with bookstore manager Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) meeting aspiring poet Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) at his workplace, Mooney’s, in New York. Quickly, Joe becomes infatuated with Beck and begins to stalk her, which sets the tone for the rest of the season. Joe discovers private information about Beck using his internet savvy. Armed with knowledge of her whereabouts, he begins to follow her around in real life. Joe is an amazing amalgamative portrayal of real-life serial stalkers and killers. He exhibits all traits known too well to those who stay up too late watching documentaries about Ted Bundy and the like on YouTube. Joe’s hair-raising charm is demonstrated through his easy interactions and way with words. Watching Joe feels like being Joe, which is unnerving because we hear his unfiltered thoughts as they come throughout his interactions, dreams, and what he sees. His thoughts are especially uncomfortable to experience due to how witty and relatable he is, cracking jokes in his head referring to the situations he is in. He creates such inane yet sinister circumstances, such as trapping his victims in a soundproof glass cage, you wouldn’t expect him to playfully call Beck the “stalker’—but he does. Oddly and disconcertingly enough, Penn Badgley is issuing warnings to impressionable followers on Twitter not to fall in love with his character on You. Many people seem enticed by Joe’s Image of Backpack Kid via Youtube charming mask. Some Twitter users have taken to labelling him as “sexy,” “hot,” and, “alluring,” among other positive traits. The scariest part of this infatuation is the desire for attention from a stranger as suave as Joe, which puts one in a very potentially dangerous situation. Lusting for attention is one thing but finding the actual traits of a stalker-murderer desirable is unnerving on another level. Perhaps the allure stems from the constant “worrying” facade he puts on when he murders someone close to Beck for the sake of protecting her. I personally do not see it. Nonetheless, if humanity is on its way to finding overbearing and controlling behaviour acceptable, it is a clear sign theotherpress.ca SB 5 3 ° x= 5 3 : that society may not be evolving. Simply assessing the chivalry and courteous mannerisms displayed by Joe, such as saving a girl from an oncoming train (despite stalking her there), holding doors open, and hailing a cab for an elderly woman, it seems clear that he possesses more old-fashioned attributes of gallantry. You is a strange series focused on retaining the relatable and nearly- admirable qualities of a stalker and mass murderer at work. However, it is up to us viewers to not be fooled by Joe’s quick wit, instead setting a distinguishable line between what is right and wrong for ourselves. If nothing else, it’s a fun show that will put your morality to the test. I be flossin’ » Mainstream lyrics criticism Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor Aw: can make music and I am in no position to say otherwise. However, recently it feels like these “anyones” have become increasingly inescapable. Worse, they are filtering into the mainstream media. It started a couple of years ago with artists such as Bhad Bhabie becoming more popular. These artists’ lyrics reflect little substance, with lines such as Bhabie’s “Gucci flip flops, fuck it, hit your bitch in my socks,” which she explained on Genius to mean, “If I have slides on, and I’m gonna fight someone, I’m just gonna take ‘em off” I believe this type of lyricism is meant to provide quick entertainment rather than something meaningful. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—in fact, lam particularly fond of some nonsense music. If the music accompaniment is good and the vocals are decent, a good song is a good song regardless of a deeper meaning. However, some of the newer music being made is a little too nonsensical for me. Sadly, songs don’t even make for good listening anymore regardless of lyrical content. “Flossin” by the Backpack Kid is the first case of evidence. Avoiding the topic of vocal ability on its own, the autotune in the song is done so poorly it sounds like the audible version of a squiggly line. The song itself is basically a help manual on how to perform the “floss dance’—a dance originated by Backpack Kid himself made popular by its inclusion in the video game Fortnite. The chorus is the single line “I be flossin” sung repeatedly. “But if the song is high energy then at least you can dance to it, right?” you might ask—but no, it is not high energy. The Backpack Kid, or Russell Horning, was only 15 at the time of the song’s release in 2017. For his first foray into the music industry, it isa shame his producers didn’t do a better job. Though the Backpack Kid can be excused due to his age and lack of experience in such a large industry, YouTuber Gabbie Hanna cannot. Her song “Monster” has racked up millions of views—and just as much criticism. The criticism largely stem from an unfortunate interview on Genius’ Verified in which Hanna screams, and it’s not the most beautiful of sounds. Her lyrics fall prey to the quiet killer (or in this case, not so quiet)—melodrama. While the song is poppy and enjoyable to listen to, the lyrics reflect a desire to be deep and meaningful but never progress into any purposeful idea. Abstract concepts also taint the song with little genuine description, such as the line “Bend until you break and you can't take anymore.” Who is the writer making sacrifices for? What’s even going on? I don't know, but “go off I guess,” as the teens say. Saving the best for last, Jacob Sartorius is back in the limelight after his last hit “Sweatshirt” with his new song “Better with You.” The tune is, of course, about a girl. My favourite line is “Waiter with my coke who doesn‘ care ‘bout my health,” which is a deep and critical analysis of how it’s nice to be cared about, but some people just don’t care about you. Welcome to reality, Jacob, it’s a cold world (but you've always got that sweatshirt). Honestly, I hope a waiter tells me that what I’m ordering is unhealthy. Small steps like that may someday change the world, and here’s hoping another step in that direction is more mellifluous music, if nothing else.