OOn Wednesday, Hulu left the first three episodes of its most-starred screenplay series to date, David E. Kelley’s adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s best-selling novel Nine perfect strangers. Directed by Jonathan Levine and co-produced by Nicole Kidman, the limited series takes place in an exclusive wellness shelter where the titular guests try to experience some spiritual and physical transformation, guided by a sketch by a Russian guru named Masha, played by Kidman in another distracted wig. .
As Kevin Fallon opined in his review, the series is a tonal mix. Despite some performances that would otherwise attract immediate awards if placed in a better show, especially by Melissa McCarthy and Michael Shannon, none of them really merge to create a dynamic ensemble. Neither of these characters written in broad strokes nor the obviously fraudulent institution guarantees so much intrigue. In terms of marketing, the series also faces the burden of competing with the hype of HBO’s ultimate success. The white lotus, which also portrays rich people changing their privileged lives at home for another privileged experience in an exotic place, and Kelley’s earlier adaptation of Moriarty Big lies, where its feather is much more robust.
Whether or not Nine perfect strangers attracts the shouting fanfare with its cast of A-listers, its presence in the zeitgeist and the heavy and cultured representation of the welfare industry, along with other new media, feels indicative of a growing exhaustion and cynicism surrounding the state of self-care and well-being, particularly the ways in which it has manifested itself in American life in recent years, from social media to QAnon conspiracies to corporate advertising, and, of course, the current pandemic.
Well-being, which includes holistic practices and questionable remedies, is not a new phenomenon in the United States, although it seems to have become ubiquitous in the last decade. Since colonialism, the Western world has been important in appropriating Eastern methods of medicine and spiritual practices that are now associated with catchall terms such as “New Age”, “alternative medicine” and even “Goop”. Self-care as a rationalization to incorporate well-being and personal improvement into our lives also has a deeper history than one might make the average Instagram user flooded with #selfcare sponcon, promoted by ancient philosophers and repopulated in political settings such as the liberation of women. movement of the 70s and, specifically, queer black feminist spaces. (That’s why writer and activist Audre Lorde’s definition of the term often refers to feminist sections of the Internet.)
Now more than ever, these practices and their philosophies have become detached from their stories, stripped of their nuances and monetized by corporations and upper-class white people, but more visibly in pop culture, white women of upper class. In one piece for The New Yorker, Jordan Kisner writes about the “2016 self-care-like-politics movement” that was ironically “driven by straight, affluent white women” in response to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and subsequent elections, a moment that aroused great part of this demographics politically. Similarly, the rich white woman who collects crystals, receives sound baths and is obsessed with tarot cards and, most importantly, is considered an expert in these customs, has captured the attention and collective skepticism of Gwyneth Paltrow and her. Goop empires, Kourtney Kardashian proves it alone Goop, shows like the ones mentioned Nine perfect strangers and Fox’s Fantasy Island (although the rich woman is Latin).
“Now more than ever, these practices and their philosophies have become detached from their stories, stripped of their nuances, and monetized by corporations and upper-class whites, but more visibly in popular culture, women. white upper class.”
Lorde has taken on this archetype in his new music, in particular the music video for his latest single “Mood Ring”, which fell on Wednesday before the release of the new album Solar energy. Capture Lorde, ironically (but perhaps not so ironically) with a blonde wig like Kidman’s Masha and a group of jade green women performing greetings in the sun, traversing ancient and spiritual texts and playing with crystals while the 24-year-old screams about ” trying to be good on the inside. ” This lifestyle has been so easily adopted by her, especially for the entertainment industry, that she may lack the satirical tone of these lyrics. In his newsletter, the musician explained that the song is “satire” and that the narrator is fictional, although he admits that he occasionally succumbs to “magical thinking” when he “needs it.”[s] believing in something to feel good and clear. “
Although Lorde lacks a strong refutation of the figure of Gwyneth Paltrow — perhaps because he is too close to home — the singer’s analysis of the culture of well-being and its misappropriations feels sharper when he orients himself. to men. A la Solar energy the song “Dominoes” is released from the specific type of man who adopts gardening, weeds and yoga to change the mark of his toxicity and misogyny. “It must feel good to be the gentleman to start all over again,” he sings caustically. The song skillfully illustrates how goodness is often attributed to men who are associated with activities that are considered feminine within our culture. But it’s also about how self-improvement can easily be used as an auxiliary tape or as a facade instead of doing the actual work.
As culture becomes increasingly desperate for healing, either by political divisions, as our president constantly suggests, or by literally dangerous diseases like COVID-19, the space between community and worship, nontraditional medicine, and pseudoscience. , self-care and individualism seem to capture our artistic imagination at an extremely vital time. How can the roots of welfare be recovered and reaffirmed when they become a $ 4.4 trillion fundraiser and used for the most dangerous political agendas? Lord’s Solar energy i Nine perfect strangers they may not be perfect articulations of these dilemmas, but they show how much I have left in this danger zone.