ComingofSage Reviews

I'm a Virgo (2023)

Satire with excellent surrealism

[9/10 · 23 June 2023]

Having immensely enjoyed Sorry to Bother You, I was very excited to see what Boots Riley did with this and was not disappointed!

Excellent commentary on capitalism, with plenty of surrealism throughout.

I only wish that the pacing was a bit more balanced; I think this could have easily been a standalone mini series but it seems that some things/characters that could have been explored with more depth were intentionally left out in favor of some too-long scenes involving sex/romance and action.

My favorite bits were the various superpowers and the scenes critiquing capitalism with some fantastic visuals. I also really love the cartoon that was shown throughout, and the dystopian elements.

I hope that if there is a season 2 that it can focus more on exploring the main characters in depth, more over the top hilarious commentary on commercialism, as well as more powerful and concise messages on capitalism.

I hope that we can see more and more popular movies and tvs explicitly calling out capitalism and the toxicity of society in the hopes of inspiring people to fight back and create a better world.

I would vote this 8 stars, but am putting 9 stars to boost the overall rating because it is at a 6 right now and I don't want people to be deterred by that unfairly low score.

Dear White People (2017–2021)

Fantastic writing, witty dialogues, characters with depth, and enlightening perspectives

[10/10 · 26 April 2020]

I normally do not write reviews, but when I saw that a show as fantastic as this one get such a low rating, I had to write something.

I am seeing so many one star reviews written by obviously overly sensitive and defensive white people who bristled at the title of the series alone.

I think it is incredibly important to have insights into the lives and experiences of minorities normalized and lessons integrated into media. As someone who is white and living in the United States, I recognize my privilege. I try my best to keep an open mind and listen to the stories of those who have experienced unjust treatment, and read up on the facts.

So many others do not only refuse to recognize their white privilege, but become sensitive and defensive when shown it. This deeply saddens me. I am reading many reviews saying that there is racism against white people in this show and it just blows my mind how completely they are missing the point, and how much their ego keeps them from having a drop of empathy.

This is why we have such a difficult time in this country openly and honestly discussing race. How can we ever move forward and strive to improve the countless ways minorities in this country are treated as lesser humans if white people become petulant children at the slightest hint of their privilege?

This show is well written, witty, funny, charming, eye-opening, with fantastic characters you get to explore as the show progresses. It's a shame so many gave up after one episode because they couldn't handle their own defensive reaction.