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
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
402
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
403
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
404
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
405
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
406
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
407
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
408
The Tragedy of Will Smith - What Made Him Snap
Will Smith has been a pillar in Hollywood for decades – until his decision to slap Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars seemingly toppled his carefully-built reputation overnight. So what happened inside Will Smith’s mind in that moment?
18 min
409
The Quarter-Life Crisis Is More Stressful Than ...
Quarter-life stories onscreen make us see that recognizing this crisis can be an impetus to go out and get what you want from your life at exactly the right time. Because in your twenties you have so much more of life left to live.
19 min
410
Parks and Recreation - Why Everyone Loves Ron S...
Parks and Rec's Ron Swanson is a mix of three key myths that underpin our culture: the manly man, the authentic libertarian, and the wise elder. This vintage superhero teaches us how to feel hopeful about the world, even when we don't all agree.
20 min
411
How Pamela Anderson is Reclaiming Her Bombshell...
Pamela Anderson has long been defined by her infamous sex tape. Now, with an upcoming official Pamela Anderson documentary, it looks like Pam is finally aiming to retake control of her narrative, her way.
20 min
412
Why Bruce Willis (And His Career) Deserve Respect
Bruce Willis is more than an action hero, and as he ushered in a new kind of movie star, he cemented his place as one of the most influential actors of his era. So how did he do it?
20 min
413
The Antihero Problem - What They All Fear
Most antiheroes repeat the same mistakes in their lives and commit monstrous acts as they pass their emotional trauma on to future generations. But why?
24 min
414
Bridgerton Season 2 - Why We Love Enemies-to-Lo...
In Season 2 of Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma are star crossed lovers, but rather than being thwarted by external forces, it’s their internal hostility to one another that gets in the way of their obvious desire.
20 min
415
The Other Woman Trope - Demystifying The Villain
The "Other Woman" is a threat to the family unit, always wants what she can't have, and is seemingly motivated to 'steal' a married man. Despite attempts to humanize her, The Other Woman remains a powerful, often hated taboo.
24 min
416
The “Real” Jennifer Lawrence - Cool Girl or Ser...
Who is Jennifer Lawrence, really – the cool girl who can hang with the guys she long acted like in public appearances, or the steely, resilient and deep heroine she’s often played onscreen?
23 min
417
The Kanye-Kim-Pete Feud - How It Mirrors Back t...
The surreally intimate and disturbing Kim-Kanye-Pete feud, as well as celebrity drama as a whole, reveal a lot about the state of social media and fame today.
12 min
418
The Heather Trope - Why We’re So Obsessed with Her
The Heather is popular, coveted, and mean. But she's also often unhappy and voiceless. So what can we learn about pop culture’s most mysterious, and most misunderstood archetype?
19 min
419
The Buff Clown Trope - A New Masculine Ideal
The Buff Clown has become one of today’s masculine ideals that seems to dominate blockbuster movies, and he’s often used to skewer stereotypes of toxic masculinity and ridiculous egotism. So who is this new Hollywood hero?
18 min
420
How I Met Your Mother - Lily, The Perfect Famil...
How I Met Your Mothers' Lily often has her professional and personal goals sidelined. She serves as the show's ultimate "domestic goddess," modeling true, long-term romance with her own kind of assertiveness.
21 min
421
Cruel Intentions - Kathryn, A Misunderstood Vil...
At its core, Cruel Intentions is about elite society, and the emotional reality of kids who grow up in a rich but loveless environment and then go on to perpetuate cruelty in the greater world. So is Kathryn's rage justifiable?
22 min
422
The Special Girl Trope - Moving Beyond a Male C...
If the "Special Girl" onscreen is given her status by a guy, then surely her specialness can be taken away as quickly as it’s bestowed. So beyond loving the special girl, what really makes her more deeply special?
21 min
423
Euphoria's Cassie - Why Women Like Her Are Stil...
In season 2 of Euphoria, Cassie goes bananas. Her arc has a lot to say about self-esteem, sexuality and the “slut” trope in today’s world.
20 min
424
Everything That Went Wrong with the Oscars 2022
In 2022, it’s harder than ever to know what the Oscars are supposed to be. If the “slap” is the main thing we’ll remember about the 2022 Oscars, what does that say about any deeper value the Academy Awards even still hold in our zeitgeist and cultural conversation?
13 min
425
The Tall Girlfriend and Short Boyfriend - Endin...
Coverage of Zendaya and Tom Holland's relationship often centers on the Tall GF/Short BF debate. What’s the real reason behind the media’s fixation over just a couple of inches – and why is a shorter man dating a taller woman even a story at all?
12 min