About 6 weeks ago I started hearing rumblings about an upcoming ‘documentary’ produced by James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger about vegan athletes. Now those are some heavy hitting hollywood names so there was a lot of buzz about this documentary. I must admit, when I first heard about this, I was extremely skeptical. I am pretty sure I have PTSD from the terrible food ‘documentaries’ I’ve seen so far such as Fed Up, What the Health, and Supersize Me. All of them steaming piles of propaganda and BS. A real documentary takes opinions from both sides, presents evidence, and lets the viewer formulate their own opinion. These were not documentaries, they were story-based narratives that twisted scientific information for their own personal gain.
selective focus photography of jolly woman using peace hand gesture
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
About 6 weeks ago I started hearing rumblings about an upcoming ‘documentary’ produced by James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger about vegan athletes. Now those are some heavy hitting hollywood names so there was a lot of buzz about this documentary. I must admit, when I first heard about this, I was extremely skeptical. I am pretty sure I have PTSD from the terrible food ‘documentaries’ I’ve seen so far such as Fed Up, What the Health, and Supersize Me. All of them steaming piles of propaganda and BS. A real documentary takes opinions from both sides, presents evidence, and lets the viewer formulate their own opinion. These were not documentaries, they were story-based narratives that twisted scientific information for their own personal gain.
man sitting on mountain cliff facing white clouds rising one hand at golden hour
Photo by Ian Stauffer on Unsplash
smiling woman standing while holding orange folder
Photo by About 6 weeks ago I started hearing rumblings about an upcoming ‘documentary’ produced by James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger about vegan athletes. Now those are some heavy hitting hollywood names so there was a lot of buzz about this documentary.
woman in green jacket raising her hands
Photo by I've always been the reader and movie-lover in my friend group. The way that stories and characters inspire me to be the best version of myself touches my soul in a way that nothing else does. I was already an imaginative child, but after my family moved across our state, I spent all of middle school connecting with fictional words and characters, so I spoke to relationship expert Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT, for a look at why our bonds with fictional characters are so strong.
I've always been the reader and movie-lover in my friend group. The way that stories and characters inspire me to be the best version of myself touches my soul in a way that nothing else does. I was already an imaginative child, but after my family moved across our state, I spent all of middle school connecting with fictional words and characters, so I spoke to relationship expert Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT, for a look at why our bonds with fictional characters are so strong.
As I aged, I felt like I was growing up with my favorite characters, from The Chronicles of Narnia's Lucy Pevensie to the various superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As someone who's on the quieter side, it's always been inspiring to see characters that are brave under pressure because it makes me feel like I can be brave, too.
"Fictional romances can make us believe that our own romances should look exactly as we see them on the screen," Earnshaw says. "The same with how friendships and family relationships might be represented. But in real life, relationships are more complex and include day-to-day interactions which can't possibly be demonstrated on TV."
With so many shows and movies available, it takes no time at all to fall out of one hyperfixation and into another, but Earnshaw says that's not necessarily a bad thing. "Remind yourself that it's okay to have a fantasy! It is also okay to admire a character. I think it's super important not to have shame around this," she says. "And then, use that admiration and fantasy to consider what it means for your real life — what are you hoping for? What type of connections do you need?"
The Great Report
2020 Global Report Sheet
