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.
401
Stranger Things Season 4’s deeper meaning, expl...
Stranger Things’ epic fourth season hits close to home: unlike in the previous two seasons, the threat feels personal. So what did season 4 really mean?
12 min
402
Celebs don't age anymore. Is that bad for the r...
Aging is an unavoidable part of life - or at least it used to be. But this doesn’t seem to be true for today’s celebrities. Here's our take on the mixed messages that today’s never-aging celebrities send us about how (and whether) it's okay to get older.
15 min
403
Teen stories onscreen are all so risqué. How tr...
Teens on screens big and small are having some wild times. But is the risque teen trope an accurate depiction of what teenage life is like (now or ever)? Or is it an adult’s imagination of what kids today are up to?
13 min
404
The Single Lady - Why single life is in fashion
Are we finally moving into a new age where the single lady is aspirational? While she may still have her challenges, the single lady has come a long way from being shunned, to being celebrated.
13 min
405
How Millie Bobby Brown overcame the child star ...
Millie Bobby Brown is breaking free of the child star curse with poise and confidence – and exposing a lot of what’s pretty shocking in today’s culture along the way.
8 min
406
Fifty Shades’ Toxic Takeaways - What’s Not Hot ...
What are the messages the Fifty Shades trilogy leaves us with – and are any of them actually useful in real romances, or should we pretty much view this story as a cautionary tale?
19 min
407
How Workplace Dystopias Represent Our Toxic Job...
The workplace sitcom has given way to widespread workplace dystopia and how it reflects our angst that the nature of work today is not just soul-crushingly meaningless but actively wrong.
14 min
408
Margot Robbie’s Barbie - How The Doll Became Fe...
Who is the real Barbie, and who is she for? Here’s our take on how Barbie has managed to remain relevant and iconic for so long, and the essence of this character that’s persisted across her series of changing models.
11 min
409
What Daria says about the 90s (and today)
Daria made it cool to be a wry and cynical loner and was the picture-perfect example of ‘90s alienation. Years later, Daria still resonates with anyone who’s ever questioned whether the problem is you or the system you’re living in.
19 min
410
How the "Diva" label went from insulting to iconic
The term is often thrown around as an insult, but the diva is a figure of self-created power many of us can take inspiration from. Here’s our Take on why the diva has become an icon to so many people.
12 min
411
Everything Everywhere All At Once - Every Symbo...
True to its name, Everything Everywhere All At Once has a lot going on. What’s the deeper symbolism?
14 min
412
Who's the real Jennifer Aniston?
Jennifer Aniston was the archetypal girl next door of the 90s – but has that label limited her career, and did it ever actually represent who she really was?
17 min
413
The Brainy Brunette Trope - Why people think sh...
Bookish, quiet, intelligent… and brown haired? The brainy brunette is embedded in our culture, but why do we correlate female smarts with hair color?
13 min
414
Riverdale's Jughead is the ultimate indie jerkboy
Riverdale's Jughead Jones is part of a longer tradition of obnoxious, indie guys in movies and TV who serve to make the rest of the cast look good by comparison, and give us someone we love to hate.
17 min
415
Sex and The City - What each lady tells you abo...
Are you a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, or Miranda? For years, Sex and the City viewers have used this question as a kind of sorting hat or personality quiz. Each woman feels so real, distinct, and clearly defined – so we can easily see ourselves in them. So, which one are you – and what can we learn from each of the ladies?
18 min
416
Closeted Bullies are all over our screens. How ...
The "closeted homophobe" trope dominates pop culture today, from Power of the Dog to Sex Education. So why is this tired cliche still so easy to spot?
19 min
417
What's So Great About Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary has become an unlikely hit and critical darling. So what makes it so fresh, and popular? The characters are endearing and place in a setting that’s, above all, realistic.
21 min
418
Bridgerton Season 3 - Big Theories and Predictions
Bridgerton will be back for a third round of perfect couples, pastel frocks and lots of flirting – here’s what we know, what we don’t, and our Take on what might be in store for our favorite Georgian beaus!
14 min
419
The Depp-Heard Trial is an ugly, scary trial by...
The court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is messy, complicated, and full of mixed evidence for and against each person – so why has so much of the online response rushed to assume his innocence and her guilt?
14 min
420
Dune, Ending Explained - Why Paul is a Tragic Hero
Like an ancient Greek tragic hero, Dune's Paul Atreides has options to avoid his inevitable downfall, but instead leans into his fatal flaws – his desires for power and revenge, thus becoming all of the things he's afraid of.
9 min
421
Romantic stories are full of red flags. Why do ...
Dating red flags persistently get romanticized in modern media – but they should probably send you running for the hills IRL.
16 min
422
How the Tech Villain Became Today’s Most Hated ...
Tech villains on screen are nearly as old as film itself, but the trope is surging today – reflecting the non-stop stories of tech companies behaving badly.
22 min
423
Modern Family’s Claire is the Perfect "Husband-...
Modern Family’s Claire Dunphy refuses to remain boxed in by prescriptive and restrictive roles, making her the model for the husband-wife.
15 min
424
Age Gap Relationships Onscreen - Why They Bothe...
Age gap relationships make us uncomfortable, but where exactly is the line – and can they ever be a good thing? Right now, these relationships are being explored a lot in culture, for good and for bad.
18 min
425
The Bookworm Princess Hero - Beauty and The Bea...
Belle is the ultimate bookworm hero princess. Her skills like empathy, insight, and knowledge aren’t as flashy as princess-type characters with superpowers or fierce warrior skills. But Belle’s model of heroine is an important one that we probably need more than ever.
20 min