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  Emon van Loben Sels Blog 5 My Plans on my Final Project Jordan Peele’s Get Out is one of the most unsettling horror films I’ve ever seen. The best part of the film is that Peele didn’t use supernatural monsters or serial killers. The horror comes from the way Chris, a Black man, is trapped in a system designed to control him, while his oppressors pretend to be friendly. Peele brilliantly uses the horror genre to show how racism isn’t just about hate or violence, but also about power, control, and the way Black people are objectified in everyday life. One of the most powerful symbols in Get Out is the Sunken Place. When Chris is hypnotized by Missy, he falls into a dark void where he can see and hear everything that is happening but has no power. This perfectly represents how racism silences Black people. Racism makes it impossible to fight back even when they are aware of the injustice. The Sunken Place is existent in the real world. It's what happens when you feel powerless an...

  Blog 4 Emon van Loben Sels My perspective on Black horror has changed after being a part of this course. I found Eve's Bayou especially interesting since it was eerie without the usage of typical horror characters.  Eve's conviction that she killed her father with a curse was tragic because it demonstrated how children frequently place the responsibility for things they don't fully comprehend on themselves. I was struck by how observational kids are.  I've seen countless cases where kids blame themselves for things that happen in their life that they have no control over.  Another movie that truly caught my attention was Tales from the Hood. I enjoyed how it blended horror with contemporary themes such as racism and police brutality. It was a strong piece about the racist politician being attacked by the ghosts of the people he hurt. I liked the fact that justice was served. People like him frequently get away with their crimes in real life, but in films such as th...

  I’ve really enjoyed these past couple of weeks of lectures and movies. I will speak a lot about the film, Candyman, which I really liked. The film Candyman speaks about real-life fears that people have to experience every day.The film got me thinking about how a lot of people's hardships are overlooked. We may not realize it, but some of the people closest to us have gone through a lot of tough experiences. I was raised in an Asian household and haven't experienced the type of racism displayed in Candyman, but I have a few friends who have gone through lots of racist encounters. The most interesting topic that was brought up in Candyman is that a lot of history doesn't just disappear, but instead gets lost in translation or gets changed. I’ve seen how people try to downplay racism and act like it’s in the past, when it’s still very real today. Growing up, I faced some racism, but in smaller ways. Things such as people making fun of my lunch, asking if I spoke English, or ...

  Blog Post 2 Emon van Loben Sels This course so far has been super interesting for me, especially because I’m quite the horror fan. I've always been amazed at how films are able to combine horror elements along with deep themes. This week’s focus on Black horror gave me a new perspective on the power of storytelling. I really enjoyed watching the film, The Blackening . I loved how it combined the theme of comedy and horror, while also finding a way to speak on racism. Personally, my favorite genre is horror, but my second favorite genre is comedy, so this movie was the perfect fit for me. The way the characters took advantage of their own culture to figure out the deadly game made me think about how underrepresented narratives can create such unique stories. I really loved how the film used suspense and fear to highlight deeper emotional struggles, which kept me on the edge of my seat. Dark Home by Okorafor, was also very interesting. Her way of combining horror with science fict...

I have really enjoyed the first couple weeks of this class so far. I have always been a big horror person, and watching the lectures from this class has helped me dive deeper into the meaning behind some of these films. Growing up, I watched a lot of “Key and Peele,” and found him hilarious! I watched the film, Get Out , a few years back for the first time and really enjoyed it. I had no idea that Jordan Peele directed the film until later on and was very surprised. I was truly terrified watching the film, especially when the black man freaked out after he regained his consciousness. That’s when I realized that the film was going to have a deeper meaning behind it, like systemic racism.  I’ve watched countless horror films and have always watched them for my own entertainment. This class has surprised me by helping me understand that these films can relate to real life problems in society. I brought my Peruvian friend home for thanksgiving with my family and joked with him that my ...

 24 Hour Unplug Challenge I was unable to attend an event this time around, so chose to use the 24 hour unplug challenge as an event. I made sure to notify my friends and family beforehand that I will be off my devices for 24 hours. This challenge " provides an opportunity to reset and refocus appreciation and gratitude for the lives we have been given "(Becker 24). On Sunday June 6th, I unplugged my devices and took note of my activities and feelings during the day. I had a very productive day and felt like I got a lot of things done. I was able to end the day with two tennis practice sessions, a nap, a fitness session, and some time with my friends. Here is my full log... "In the US, average screen time per day hit  7 hours and 3 minutes "(Backlinko Team 2024). My usual screen time is around 3.5 hours a day, but I know that most people are addicted to their devices and may have trouble staying off their screens. Too much screen time is known to, " raise the l...