issue 25// vol 47 arts // no. 11

Superstore 1s a super show

» After six seasons, ‘Superstore’ hangs up the vest

Craig Allan
Business Manager

keen

ast Thursday saw the series finale of

Superstore. For the average audience,
it’s understandable if the ending of this
wonderfully relevant show was lost on the
average viewer. Superstore was always a
widely praised comedy for its portrayal of
life in the bowels of a department store, but
in the era of cable and streaming, it’s easy
to miss this hilarious show toiling away on
broadcast TV.

For those who don't know, Superstore
was a show about workers at a department
store called Cloud 9, a store that no doubt
takes some inspiration from another
blue clad, all encompassing department
store. Throughout each episode, the
staff of Cloud 9 would have to deal with
the barrage of problems and disrespect
that comes with working for a large
conglomerate. If that makes the show
sound like The Office, that may be because
the creator, Justin Spitzer, was a writer fora
majority of the show’s run.

Episodes that showcase the trials the
store had to go through involve plots like
“Lottery” where the employees contact
head office for raises, the company instead
sends management their protocol for
these type of questions, which involves a
program that teaches employees how to
make a budget. There is also the episode
“Essential” which shows the employees
dealing with the onslaught of COVID-19

 

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from rude customers to the store sending
them personal protective equipment,
which is actually just riot gear to deal with
the Black Lives Matter protests.

lalways liked Superstore mostly
because as someone who had gone
through two years of Target’s unsuccessful
run in Canada, I get a lot of the feelings
of abandonment felt by the employees
towards the store’s higher ups. The show
was one of the reasons I decided to get a
job at the Walmart that replaced the Target
I worked at. I thought I could have a laugh
at my circumstances being similar to theirs
and get to appreciate the show and my own
work situation as | recognized how similar
they were. How wrong I was, because when
I think back on it now, the only thing I

A transcendent

celebration of R&B, soul,
and crucial humanity

» Jon Batiste’s newest album ‘We Are’ enriches us with
universal meanings about the world and ourselves

Jonathan Pabico
Senior Columnist

 

usic extraordinaire Jon Batiste is

known for his work in the Pixar film
Soul, and as the enthusiastic piano sage
from The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
As soon as his titular first track begins,
Batiste transports viewers to an odyssey
of style and charisma with his recent R&B
album We Are. The playlist is a sublime
art piece that takes listeners to a place of
sophistication and comfort.

First and foremost, the collection is
wondrously eclectic. Batiste takes his tracks
to diverse avenues where he gleefully melds
genres with playful melodies or passionate

sultry. Every arrangement reflects his child-
like eagerness, youthful energy, and most
of all, his love for all things R&B.

For instance, the fast-paced rap,
lively R&B, and electronic tones of
“Whatchutalkinbout” is followed closely
by the trickling piano riffs of jazz piece
“Movement 1.” The subversive variety and
genre surprises make you excited for what
else Batiste has up his creative sleeve.

Batiste also allows us to breathe
during the short audio recording “Mavis”
that unveils the value of freedom before
moving on to the rest of the album. With
experimental choices like these, he enables
his beliefs to seep into our minds gracefully.

What Batiste does best aside from his
music are the life lessons he passes on to

     
 

 

oe

*
a

  

Promotional image for ‘Superstore’

remember about my experience at Walmart
is crushing sadness.

Talso liked Superstore because I have
always been a fan of underrated, long shot
gems. Considering Superstore’s episode
order was cut before the show even started
aired, and the show was a mid season
replacement, it had a tough hill to climb.
But climb it did, becoming one of the most
popular shows on network TV, and being
a steady ship in a struggling comedic sea at
NBC. It got to the point where at the end of
the 2019-2020 television season, the show’s
fifth season was the only half-hour comedy
show that was renewed by NBC.

Despite the fact that Superstore did
have its fans, it never seemed to garner
the same amount of love that its similarly

bh

iL

JON BATISTE

his listeners. He uses lyrics like “room for
us to grow” and “I pray that you help us not
to fight / And to get along” from the track
“Adulthood” to advocate for peace, respect,
and being open to learn from each other.
The song’s relaxing mood with Batiste’s soft
vocals emphasize how vital it is to practice
these qualities and embrace what it means
to bea better person.

The playlist also addresses how much
our lives can be affected by the world’s
unresolved pain, sorrows, and hurts. The
song fittingly titled “Sing” has lyrics like
“When I’m down and I feel like giving up /
And even the easy things feel rough / Don’t
you know, I'll sing.” However, the piece
ironically uses uplifting harmonies, jaunty
choruses, and enveloping falsettos.

premised predecessor The Office did. It’s

a shame too because I think the show is

in a way more relatable than The Office.
Not everyone has worked in an office, but
everyone has gone to a department store,
or seen a terrible customer berate a staff
of low-wage workers just trying to do their
best. Superstore was the slice of life of
people who most people see on a weekly
basis, abundant, but rarely represented in a
major way on television.

Could Superstore had gone on for
more seasons? That question is hard to
answer. Season six saw the departure
of star America Ferrera but the show
seemed to be bouncing back from it; not
missing a beat without Ferrera’s Amy who
was always more of a straight woman
character compared to the others. The
show’s cancellation seemed to come out
of nowhere, because it felt like there were
so many more stories to tell, especially
considering the pandemic gave so many
new story opportunities for the often
overlooked profession.

Who knows if Superstore will one
day achieve the bingeable re-watch status
of its predecessor. All that can be known
is that Superstore was one of the most
relatable sitcoms ever put on television
and considering the culture that occurs at
Wal-Mart these days is likely to continue
for many years, Superstore will no doubt
remain a culturally relevant piece of
television for a while.

Cover of 'We Are' by Jon Batiste

 

Batiste proves how self-aware he is
about the ways negative feelings within us
can impede our passions. Yet, his lyricism
for “Sing” or any other track also supports
us in finding the strength to keep going.

The album leaves you with an
immense feeling of hope and emotional
power. Each track teaches us about the
values that equate human goodness and
staying aware of current issues. Batiste
lends every note, lyric, and solo a zany
playfulness that conveys how much fun
he is having in his musical element. We
Are isa palette of R&B delight that offers
something special for anyone bold enough
to be swept up by its soulful beats.