The Struggling Artist Trope, Explained: Why Movies & TV Equate Creativity with Suffering

We might one day soon have the option to live forever, but… is that even a good thing? And what would it really look like in practice? Let’s take a look at some examples from on screen, like Upload, Pantheon, The X-Files & more, and in real life to get a deeper understanding of the issue. Humans have always had fantastical ideas about what might happen to us after we shuffle off of this mortal coil. In our modern era, technology seems to be on its way to giving us the option to bring these wild ideas into reality: from preservation to maybe never truly dying at all. This is, on the one hand, exciting to a lot of people. But on the other hand, it also opens up a whole lot of questions around technological capabilities and ethics... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get 50% off your first year at http://monarchmoney.com and use code THETAKE Smash hit KPop Demon Hunters has surprised people in more ways than one. It’s an original story that manages to walk the line between fun and depth, hitting on real, relatable emotions without ever losing its edge or humor. The movie has become a mega hit for Netflix – not only is it now the streamer’s most watched film of all time, it’s also dominating the box office and making waves on the music charts. So what is it that has allowed Kpop Demon Hunters to so totally capture the hearts and minds of audiences? To find out, let’s dig into the film and its symbolism! Then we’ll unpack the deeper meaning of the story’s ending. And finally we’ll put it all together to analyze the true reasons this movie has become such a major success – and the important lessons Hollywood should learn from it if it wants a chance to repeat it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s brash, emotional, inconsiderate, and a little intense – she just "too much." Or, at least, that’s what everyone else tells her. From Too Much's Jessica and Girls' Hannah to The Office's Kelly Kapoor and Weeds' Nancy and beyond, "too much" women can't seem to escape their problems. Their inability to look at the big picture causes a lot of problems for them (and everyone else around them...) But there's also something so relatable about them that keeps drawing us back in. So what’s really going on with the “too much” woman trope? And why can’t we stop watching her, even when she drives us a little crazy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And Just Like That... after 3 seasons, the Sex and the City reboot has come to an end. So now that it’s officially over, where did the show leave these beloved characters in what may be their final ever run on screen? Let’s unpack where Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, Charlotte York, Samantha Jones and more ended up in the two part finale, and then we’ll dig into all of the reasons why the show’s ending was such a disappointment and ended up receiving so much backlash. #AndJustLikeThat #SexAndTheCity #AJLT #SATC #AJLTEnding #Ending #EndingExplained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weapons, the surprise hit new horror movie from writer/director Zach Cregger starring Julia Garner, didn’t end up being what anyone thought it was going to be – and it turns out that’s exactly what everyone loves about it! The film manages to combine horror and comedy with an exploration of some really deep themes, while constantly keeping you guessing. So, what is Weapons really about? And what does the ending actually represent? Let’s unpack Weapon’s symbolism and themes to find out… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Use code THETAKE at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year! Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult now? There’s been lots of talk in recent years about the difficulty of making new friends in our modern era once you’re out of college, and about the loneliness epidemic at large. There are, of course, many causes for this, but one major one is actually financial. While money (or lack of it) affects so much of our day to day lives, you might be surprised at just how much of our current financial issues (individually and societally) are contributing to our friendship woes. So, what’s really going on here? And… is there anything we can do about it?! Let’s take a closer look at four of the biggest money-related obstacles to building friendships in adulthood, and then we’ll dig into some ways people are finding solutions! 00:00 Intro 00:47 Crushed for time (& energy...) 04:39 Can't afford to do anything 07:14 The loss of third spaces 09:31 The good & bad of social media... 11:07 We can't afford *not* to have community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Big Bang Theory’s Penny and Friends’ Rachel Green actually had a lot in common, though one of their most surprising similarities is actually the way that their stories treated their growth – and, unfortunately, their endings. So let’s take a closer look at how both of these characters found their own ways out of the ‘sitcom ditzy hot blonde’ box, why their stories of growth were so important to their shows as a whole, why their shows decided to throw wrenches in their plans at the last second, and what it all means… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “Gen Z stare” has become a huge topic of conversation on TikTok and the internet at large, and the real problem is actually a lot deeper than you might expect! Gen Zers say it’s just a logical reaction to the illogical world they’re confronting, Millennials say there’s more to it than that. A large part of the issue stems from the fact that in many cases, people aren’t actually talking about the same thing. So what’s *really* behind this “Gen Z stare”? Is it really a problem? (And, if so, what’s the solution?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While so many of us might dream of building our lives around our creative passions, often the financial reality of being an artist can be a major hurdle. In film and television this isn’t always seen as a bad thing, however – often, struggling is in fact seen as proof of an artist’s true commitment to their craft. And indeed suffering has been so intertwined with the idea of creativity that it’s often seen as a necessary part of the journey. But why is the idea of suffering for your art such a major part of pop culture? And how does it affect our views of artists and their work in the real world? Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover to Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater soap and beyond, a spate of recent controversies have some people questioning if pop culture is not only signaling but aiding in the backtracking of female empowerment. But while these recent issues might be new, this conversation certainly isn’t… So, why are people mad at Sydney and Sabrina? Where does it fit into the larger conversation? And is it all really a problem? Let’s take a closer look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices