What to Watch When Mainstream Media Sucks

I think of it as the Led Zeppelin Problem, but you could also consider it the NWA Problem: if you're sentient, and you consume pop culture, you'll eventually notice that a lot of songs/movies/tv shows/video games that you love hate you, your family members and your neighbors. Some days, you can ignore it and just be all, "Jenna and Tracy's self-absorption is so entertaining, I'll just blip right over that extended bit with John Hamm in blackface."

Other days, though, you're going to be irked that mainstream media's views from and of women and people of color run the short gamut from unappealing stereotypes to flat-out nonexistent. On those days, you're going to want to turn to indie media, which has never been so plentiful or so good (thanks, internet, for the broad, cheap distribution). Herewith then, a very small sampling of indie media you can love when mainstream media sucks.

* Ill Doctrine (video). Short, super-thoughtful, privelege-busting news commentary from Jay Smooth. As a bonus, his cat sometimes wanders through the room where he films.

* Feminist Frequency (video). Terrific feminist analysis of pop culture from Anita Sarkeesian. Among my faves: her discussions of the Bechdel Test. (Note that Anita has been under intense, abusive attack from anonymous people on the interwebs who are opposed to the idea of her making a video about the portrayal of women in video games. She's been doing a stunning job documenting and exposing the abuse.)

* Chescaleigh (video). Franchesca Ramsey is best known for "Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls," but she regularly posts sly, brief videos in which she plays all the parts.

* Target Women (video). Current's Sarah Haskins takes on yogurt ads, Disney princesses and other lady bits. 

* Awkward Black Girl (video). A terrific web sitcom by Issa Rae. I'm embarrassed to say that before I saw this show, I had no idea web tv could be so good. With sharp writing and strong acting, the show is both hilarious and poignant--and exactly the kind of tv I want to watch. When Lena Dunham's "Girls" debuted, lotta people were dismayed that young black women weren't part of the show--or really part of HBO at all. Awkward Black Girl is the antidote.

* This Week in Blackness (radio).  I don't have a good chunk of time for listening to stuff these days, so I don't tune in to many podcasts. But when I do download, TWiB consistently delivers sharp thinking and funny angles from Elon James White and L. Joy Williams. They also have on guests like Van Jones, Tim Wise and Blair L.M. Kelley, who bring extra depth to the show.

When 500 cable channels and dozens of summer movies fail to satisfy, what indie stuff do you love?

Comments

[mama_g]

Hey Sarah,

This isn't watching, but you asked so here are the primary podcasts that I listen to -- generally I listen while sewing or knitting, cooking or tidying up, on the subway:

The Moth (http://themoth.org/)
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (npr)
CraftLit (she has one that omits all the knitting/crocheting stuff at the beginning) -- public domain books read a chapter or so a week (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Dracula, Little Women)
Chop Bard -- incredible reading of Shakespeare, most recently, Richard II

I generally listen via stitcher, but you could go via iTunes, too.

I especially like CraftLit because she taught high school English then college writing and does a good job setting up chapters, covering oddball information, presenting useful research. The readers have become better and better as her podcast has matured. http://crafting-a-life.com/craftlit/

Chop Bard, well, it's incredible. Ehren Ziegler hosts, breaking down the bard scene by scene. (He's reading Gulliver's Travels for CraftLit at the moment, and was one of the readers for Dracula.) http://www.inyourearshakespeare.com/chopbard.html

cheers, g