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.
176
Oppenheimer, Explained: The Devastating Ending ...
Christopher Nolan’s three-hour epic Oppenheimer has managed to turn what would normally just be cinema-lover Oscar-bait into a huge summer blockbuster. But how much of the film is actually true, and what did that ending really mean?
15 min
177
Jayne Mansfield’s True Story: More Than Just a ...
Jayne Mansfield might be best known as Hollywood’s attempt at a Marilyn Monroe replacement, who also met a tragic end – but there’s a lot more to her story! So here are some interesting things you might not have known about Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield.
12 min
178
Policing Women’s Clothing Needs To Stop | FEMINISM
Have we really made it to a place where women are free to wear whatever they want, whenever they want? Don't miss our take on the history of fashion shaming, the strides women have made to escape it, and how we’re finally starting to see the light on the other side.
13 min
179
The Idol’s Original Version We Never Got To See
We've already covered everything that went wrong with The Idol, so today we're diving into what the show could have been (and how it could maybe turn things around in the 2nd season...)
13 min
180
How "And Just Like That" Lost Sex and the City'...
Season one of And Just Like That proved to be… pretty lackluster. And now it seems that even the second season won’t be able to recapture the magic of the original series. So why has the reboot been so unable to reproduce what we all loved so much about the original show?
10 min
181
Stranger Things' Queer Themes: Chosen Family, C...
Stranger Things has been immensely popular ever since its debut, its themes have especially resonated with queer audiences. Today we're taking a look at all of the underlying queer elements at play within the show.
11 min
182
Why Grey’s Anatomy’s George Isn’t The “Nice Guy...
George O’Malley often complained about being a maligned underdog, but… was the world really out to get him, or was it mostly all in his head?
11 min
183
Dark Truths of Reality TV Controversies: Exploi...
Reality TV practically runs on controversy, and as “scripted” as reality TV can be, it still illuminates something about human nature... Don't miss our new video on reality TV’s biggest controversies, & what they can teach us about both reality TV as a whole & the world beyond the cameras.
13 min
184
Better Call Saul's Kim Wexler: Always Good, Eve...
Kim Wexler quickly became a fan favorite on Better Call Saul. So, who is Kim, and what makes her so intriguing?
12 min
185
The Feminism of Hyper Femininity - More Than a ...
Modern hyperfemininity isn't just a fad, it's a movement. It aims to be a more nuanced & intentional brand of Girl Power that celebrates traditionally feminine characteristics as strengths, while being more inclusive and forward thinking.
10 min
186
How Hollywood Got Less Sexy and More Violent
American movie culture and rating systems are pretty squeamish about sex onscreen – so why do we readily accept graphic violence? Don't miss our take on the sex and violence paradox, and what it says about our culture that we hold one to a higher account than the other.
10 min
187
The Idol: Why HBO's Scandalous Show was Shockin...
The Idol was initially hyped up as a scandalous, dark, and erotic new must-see from director Sam Levinson and musician The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) but it turned out to mostly just be… a boring mess. So what went wrong? (And did anything go right?)
17 min
188
The Ingenue Trope: Innocent, Naive and On Her W...
With her youthful charm and naivete, the ingénue is a long-time Hollywood staple… but in recent years, she seems to be disappearing. So is this trope really on the way out because it no longer works in the modern day, or is it just changing with the times?
13 min
189
The Rise of Content House Cults: YouTube's Dang...
Are viral content houses a new type of cult? Today we're looking at the dark truths behind the internet’s most viral content houses.
8 min
190
The Older Woman-Younger Man Pairing: An Accepta...
It's becoming less taboo and more normalized, but there are still a lot of obstacles to the older woman-younger man pairing... Here’s our take on the rise of the older woman younger man relationship, what it offers, and what it tells us about romance in the 21st century.
11 min
191
Black Mirror Season 6, Explained: What Worked, ...
Here’s our take on the ups and downs of Black Mirror’s sixth season, and what its notable shift in storytelling says about the future of the series as we know it.
14 min
192
And Just Like That’s Fashion-Forward Season 2 -...
Here’s our take on how the fashion of the first episodes of Season two of And Just Like That reflects the characters’ emotional journeys, including Carrie getting her groove back, through fashion.
9 min
193
How Sitcom Wives Shook Up Family Dynamics In Ev...
The sitcom wife has been portrayed as many stereotypes, from a nagging nay-sayer to a stern and strict wet blanket to a trophy wife. But with societal norms shifting over the years, it’s led to more creative freedom in the depiction of a wife on television.
16 min
194
Inside Rita Hayworth’s Tumultuous Rise to Fame:...
Rita Hayworth is one of Old Hollywood’s greatest stars, but while her roles have remained iconic, many important facts about her life have been forgotten. Join us in a deep dive on Rita's often less-than-glamorous real life story.
11 min
195
Sex and the City: If Samantha Was the Star…
Samantha Jones was one of the best parts of Sex and the City, and we all can’t help but wonder... what if Samantha had been the star of the original show?
14 min
196
Essential Reality TV Tropes: Analyzing How TV B...
In the past 30 years, reality tv has become its own genre, filled with its own cliches & character types. The best reality TV is made from the same ingredients, from the lies to the villains to the drama. Today we're breaking down the most essential tropes & characters in reality TV.
15 min
197
How Modern Family’s Phil Made The “Uncool Dad” ...
Modern Family's Phil Dunphy may not be cool, but he is a cool dad. Here are Phil's seven lessons on how to ace parenting.
11 min
198
Black Mirror, Joan Is Awful Explained - Did Net...
Black Mirror's “Joan Is Awful” suggests Netflix’s style of content is making people today… kind of miserable. So, how, exactly?
11 min
199
Goodbye "Friend Zone," Hello Platonic BFFS
It seems like we’re finally moving out of the “friend zone” tropes of the past and seeing more positive platonic relationships between men and women on screen.
16 min
200
The Most Unrealistic Things About Portrayals of...
What are the worst and weirdest movie and TV tropes about careers? Here are the most commonly misrepresented professions in TV and movies – and why they’re so off-base.
14 min