Ways Of Reframing Media

 

An really interesting post was shared with me that reframes the Loki TV series as a Black Lives Commentary on our society. As Dr. Jason Johnson states:

Loki’s finale frames the whole season as a parable of whiteness in America, how Black people fight and toil to hold this whole dysfunctional country together only to see White America tear it all down if they don’t get what they want, even if it dooms us all.

I found I was amazed at this interpretation of Loki and how this interpretation make the finale feel like it had a purpose and was not just tedious ramblings. The meaning behind stories can be very complex and everyone can take a different meaning out of the same work but I found Dr. Johnson's interpretation to feel like it made sense. 

I also was aware that it was not the frame I had used while watching Loki in part because my own cultural background can make it a challenge to notice and be aware of many of the possible deeper levels of meaning of a creative work. 

Sometimes I find metaphorically that when Clark Kent takes off his glasses I do notice it is Superman for the first time. This is part of the reason I love being part of wider fandom communities because when you have a whole fandom there is someone who catches a lot of the details I had forgotten about, that I did not notice the first time through, or simply don't have the background to understand.

This reminds me of many of the amazing articles that came out when Black Panther came out which were able to share the significance of every choice made in that film. Many of those explanations included information I would never have known otherwise because I am not seeped in that particular culture so on my own I don't know the significance of say the colors used or the hairstyles I just go it looked amazing.

After reading Dr. Johnson's piece I have a very interesting new lens to reframe Loki, from how the TVA was an epic Black Owner business, to how Sylvie could be seen as a Karen figure asking for the manager. We all need to find new ways to look at the media we enjoy and explore new interpretations. We all are variants with different experiences and expectations. Thank you Dr. Johnson.