The Power of Revisiting Media

It's kind of like trying foods you didn't like as a kid, and trying them again as an adult. All of a sudden, POOF!: you love it. Or vice-verse, you suddenly hate it. What gives?

*** NOTE: SLIGHT SEASON 1 TUCA AND BERTIE SPOILERS!!!*****

Tuca and Bertie, one of my favorite female-lead shows! Photo sourced from NPR.org

Picture this: sophomore year of college, sitting in a screenwriting class. Professor turns on the televisions in the room to display the main menu of the Season 1 BoJack Horseman DVD. A student turns the lights out; professor presses 'play'. We sit intently. I'm excited for this, I'm sure I'll like it, I usually LOVE cartoons of all shapes and sizes. Plus, friends of mine have raved about this show forever...

I hate it. It's weird.

Why didn't I enjoy it? Was it the odd characters? Was it because it was set in L.A. compared to the familiar Pittsburgh or suburban hometown in Pennsylvania? Was it the sex jokes that threw me back? I don't know... most of these things normally don't phase me.

All I knew, though, is that I didn't like it.

Now picture me about six months later. I'm going through a rough patch at college, closer to Thanksgiving. The pandemic is in full swing, and I'm in the middle of moving into a new apartment. I'm at my parent's house, unsure of what I'm doing or what path I'm taking. I decide to take a break from filling out paperwork for school to destress with a show. Throw on Netflix, what do I see?

BoJack Horseman is in my recommended. What the hell, let's try it again...

I LOVED IT.

BoJack and Todd from Season 1. Photo sourced from IGN.com

I blew though all six seasons within the next month or so (I tried to pace myself, and some days were better than others). I would normally let this go, but more recently I finished Season 1 of Tuca and Bertie, another Netflix show I tried a few years ago that did not sit right with me (that will also be getting a Season 2 through Adult Swim very soon, congratulations Lisa Hanawalt!) . After I finished binging that in a week, my mind started to question: why is it that revisiting this media later in time have an appeal?

It's a really simple answer, and I'm sure some of you can already guess what it is: I grew up.

A lot of times, people get attached, interested, and into shows that reflect social, political, and personal problems in the viewer's life or life in general. When we can relate to something, we feel good, and we don't feel so alone. BoJack hits on so many important topics for young adults: depression, good and bad coping mechanisms, interpersonal relationships, addiction, gender identity, self-worth, just to name a few. So many characters, especially Diane and Princess Carolyn, resonated with me and made me not feel so alone at a time where I was alone, or felt that nobody could relate to my current predicament. Characters like Todd made me laugh, and characters like BoJack made me question life and the decisions people make (and why they make them). What I loved about the show overall was how there was a topic for everyone in this.

Everyone over a certain age.

I struggled with this piece of media when I first started it because I didn't go through parts of life I needed to yet. I'm happy I gave the show another chance later, because it was something that really aided me in a time of need, and that's one of the most beautiful parts of TV and film. When it seems like you're by yourself, you're not: someone out there has made art that you can identify with.

As mentioned before, this was the same with Tuca and Bertie. What was even more exciting about this show is that it really focused on women. It showcased modern female struggles, modern female relationships, and other important issues such as anxiety and sexual assault.

Shot from the moving Tuca and Bertie episode. Photo sourced by fellow blogger The Lilac Fox, who can be found here: https://thelilacfox.wordpress.com/

It was amazing to find myself represented in media (I mean, it's always nice to find proper female representation in media, not like those old 1950 movies where women are 'dames' and just there for show... yikes). I was so happy to see Bertie's anxiety show through during Season 1 Episode 4 "The Sex Bugs". I mean, it hurt to see the anxiety, but it felt good to know I wasn't alone. And this happened all because I decided to revisit a piece of media I didn't like before.

The point is, the reason why you may not like a movie or TV show at first may be because you can't resonate with it at the moment. Maybe you need some time to grow, but also, maybe you need to go through a particular life event to understand. On the flip side, though, you may be revisiting media from your childhood during your lifetime. Let's say you purchase Disney+ and log in for the first time. You're filled with nostalgia as you see movies like Atlantis: The Lost Empire (yes, I watched this the other day with friends and it was AMAZING).

You may find yourself rewatching an old childhood show that comforts you at a time of need, or you may opt for basic life lessons and short, sweet plots through something like the Australian children's show Bluey, one of the most popular and well-renounced pieces of media today. I won't lie, I'm a fan of it too, and I've pitched it to so many people who have turned it down because it is a "kiddie show"... I'm sure if they gave it a try they would understand where I'm coming from!

The Aussie children's show Bluey, one of my favorite current pieces of media for kids and adults alike... Photo sourced from https://www.windmill.org.au/

So the next time you decide to try something and it's not for you, consider coming back to revisit it at another time. Plus, if you don't like it the second time, it probably solidifies you don't like it, but you never know when your TV/film tastes will change over time.