The Take
This is the Take. It's where you come to understand more about your favorite movies, shows and culture. Our video essays make the story worlds you enter richer and deeper. Think: Endings Explained, Character Studies, Hidden Messages and Symbols Revealed, Actor and Director Profiles, and more.
We want to share our love of visual culture with the world. So here's our Take.
301
How Kristen Stewart Became an Icon of Authenticity
How did Kristen Stewart go from child actress to Twilight superstar to indie darling? Above all, by owning her authentic self, no matter what anyone thinks. Click to watch our new video on how Kristen became an icon through her non-conformity & authenticity.
13 min
302
Disappearing Content: Media is still getting wi...
When content gets removed from the internet and streaming services…where does it go? And should we be worried about the future of shows that have only ever existed online?
12 min
303
The Millennial Mom - A New Brand of Anxious Par...
Both on screen & in real life, the millennial mom is a master of juggling, up on all the trends, and totally exhausted – expected to be a superwoman as the bare minimum.
15 min
304
House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra, Her Own Worst Enemy
How did Rhaenyra Targaryen go from the sweet, timid girl we met in episode one to a woman willing to burn down the entirety of Westeros to settle a grudge against her former best friend?
12 min
305
Gen Z Dating: Not the Puriteens They're Made Ou...
Gen Z’s dating priorities may be different, but are they really the "puriteens" they’re made out to be?
11 min
306
The Crown S5 Explained, The Institution vs It’s...
The Crown S5 has faced a lot of criticism for being too soft on the Royals. The Crown invites us to blame the system in order to sympathize with the rich elites caught in its crossfire, and asks if we need a Monarchy at all if it does more harm than good, even for those who are meant to benefit most from it?
11 min
307
Drew Barrymore - Troubled Child Star to Memeabl...
In our new video, we're taking a look at how Drew Barrymore beat the curse of the child star, and why it’s so satisfying for us to watch her succeed.
11 min
308
The Childfree Woman Trope Needs a SERIOUS Update
On screen, motherhood is still depicted as the idealized end goal for all women, to the point where depictions of childfree women often feel reductive or even vilified. Watch our take on the childfree woman, why she desperately needs an upgrade to reflect society’s changing attitude towards the decision to not be a parent.
17 min
309
Female Friendship Stories Are FINALLY Taking Over
The new generation of female BFFs onscreen are finally dispensing with so many bad cliches and showcasing how having a true friend makes everything in life better.
15 min
310
Why “Female Entertainment” Still Gets Written Off
Why is there still so much shame and belittlement directed towards popular female media?
15 min
311
Why Today’s Content is Suffering a Quality Crisis
How did Kristen Stewart go from child actress to Twilight superstar to indie darling? Above all, by owning her authentic self, no matter what anyone thinks. Click to watch our new video on how Kristen became an icon through her non-conformity & authenticity.
13 min
312
What’s Really Behind Elon Musk’s Twitter Chaos
Elon Musk’s purchase and redesign of Twitter – a place that was once a public forum for underdogs to question those in power – could be its ultimate downfall.
11 min
313
How the Boomer Myth Shaped the World, and Then ...
Here’s our take on the way boomers mythologized themselves, the stories they left out along the way, and how they’re more similar to their Gen X and millennial children than anyone might expect.
11 min
314
What Makes the Trophy Wife Such a Prize
Who is the trophy wife, really? How do the qualities that make her a prize shift over time, and what does her evolution says about “ideal” womanhood?
14 min
315
The “End” of Cancel Culture - Why We Need a Bet...
In our new video, we're looking at who gets canceled, who doesn’t, and why there needs to be a better system for holding people accountable for their actions, while still allowing for second chances in our culture.
13 min
316
Will These Controversies Finally Bring The Roya...
The British Monarchy has always had a dark side – but in recent years a lot of the public has been willing to ignore that out of a deeply-rooted respect for Queen Elizabeth II. So, with their matriarch gone, how long can the rest of the family go without a scandal they can’t come back from?
13 min
317
Derry Girls’ Michelle - Rise of a Brash & Rowdy...
On Derry Girls, while Erin, Orla, and Clare are all some shade of meek, nervous, or unusual, the leader of their pack Michelle acts like she’s got it all figured out, and can’t wait for adulthood to start – but how real is that act?
10 min
318
Doomerism Isn’t Helping Us Cope. So Why Can’t W...
Our take on Doomerism, its impact on Gen Z and mental health, and how – even if there’s a lot that is bad right now – there’s also a better way to deal.
12 min
319
The Notebook - Madly In Love, But Toxic As Hell...
What made The Notebook the romance movie of the early 2000s, and how much of it actually holds up?
15 min
320
"Coastal Grandma" - Why Gen Z wants to skip adu...
After a few years of exceptional uncertainty, does the rise of the coastal grandmother aesthetic prove that above everything, gen-z just wants to slow down?
12 min
321
TikTok is the new Gen Z search engine. Are they...
A study from Google found that nearly 40% of gen-z use TikTok as their primary search engine... How worried should we be that gen-z is using TikTok to search for facts?
9 min
322
There Are Too Many "Annoying Liberals" Onscreen
Why are liberal film and TV characters always so annoying? Here’s our take on why movies and TV try to present themselves as being in the reasonable middle—by punching at anyone trying to make a change.
15 min
323
Why The Crown Season 5 REALLY has the Royals so...
The Crown season 5 is dredging up one of the darkest times for the royals’ reputation, the 1990s. So what exactly are the royals worried about? We're breaking down the controversy surrounding the show.
8 min
324
The “Wife Guy” Downfall - He Was Too Good to Be...
Culture is coming for the “wife guy” – because can anyone who’s that performative about simply having a wife really be trusted?
14 min
325
Daddy Issues Onscreen - Why Our Culture Mocks A...
Why are daddy issues mocked or fetishized, when they’re a byword for absent, neglectful, or dysfunctional parenting?
13 min