In Defense of Disney’s Strange Solarpunk World

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 เม.ย. 2023
  • Exploring the surprisingly radical ecological messages in Disney's Strange World. The movie's visuals are borrowed from old pulp adventure magazines but its theme has much more in common with Solarpunk narratives.
    PATREON
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    RESOURCES
    • Lyla June's talk "3000-Year-Old Solutions To Modern Problems:
    • 3000-year-old solution...
    • Decommodified version of "Dear Alice" by Waffle To The Left:
    • 'Dear Alice' Decommodi...
    • The Monk and Robot series by Becky Chambers
    us.macmillan.com/series/monkr...
    • Mock "Clean Coal" commercial by The Coen brothers
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    • The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity
    us.macmillan.com/books/978037...
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    • What is Solarpunk?
    • "Why Solarpunk is not enough" by Andrewism
    • Solarpunk Is Not Enough
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    CREDITS
    Writer/Editing: Jonathan McIntosh
    Outro music: Rick Lopez
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  • @segamai
    @segamai ปีที่แล้ว +5081

    It enrages me to no end that Disney not only has the potential to make groundbreaking stories with a progressive message and lots of diversity, but ACTUALLY MAKES THEM and then???? Just says “meh” on those MILLIONS spent and just releases it with ZERO promotion??? WHY

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +1947

      I think they are scared of the anti-lgbt backlash honestly, the cowards.

    • @strayiggytv
      @strayiggytv ปีที่แล้ว

      @@PopCultureDetective as cowardly as I think it is theres merit to some fear considering how insane and desperate the conservative party has gotten. Desantis is just a single example of how dead set republicans are of not just fighting the "culture wars" but of doing everything in their power to make it a massacre.

    • @dingdud6602
      @dingdud6602 ปีที่แล้ว +215

      I saw loads of advertisements on billboards here in Denmark. Did they not advertise it in other countries?

    • @j.m.mendez6091
      @j.m.mendez6091 ปีที่แล้ว +447

      @@dingdud6602 Not in Latin America, at least. This is the first time I see anyone talking about this movie at all.

    • @SniperDizzyJohny
      @SniperDizzyJohny ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Gay

  • @Germania9
    @Germania9 ปีที่แล้ว +2604

    It's crazy yet sad that the Disney movies that flopped are more ahead of their time in terms of animation & themes compared their more popular counterparts, especially Atlantis & Treasure Planet.

    • @Dmol8
      @Dmol8 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      Think it trough a little more. Why did those movies flop or are considered flops? Atlantis had a TV series after it was released. It's not simply the leaders, corporate or political, that caused them to flop, it was the people and the popular culture of the time.

    • @PradeepSingh-qi4wm
      @PradeepSingh-qi4wm ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Flop movies. Just say "ahead of time". Now everything is good. Animation are same old typical Disney animated movies.

    • @lilac3266
      @lilac3266 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      I would disagree the really successful ones blew up for a reason. Encanto was only a year before this movie but the story felt more genuine and the themes were more cohesive so it was overall better received

    • @PradeepSingh-qi4wm
      @PradeepSingh-qi4wm ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@lilac3266 Disney should change the animation and story style. Like Puss in Boots which deserves Academy award.

    • @Kris-wo4pj
      @Kris-wo4pj ปีที่แล้ว +2

      they didnt want to promote either of them just shut up their senior staff who said they'd quit if they didnt make these movies. they were take out to die horribly and shut up the staff. same thing happened to the black calduren.

  • @jasminv8653
    @jasminv8653 ปีที่แล้ว +1476

    Definitely agree on that we need BOTH 'excessive' optimism AND 'excessive' radical change in eco fiction - it's fiction after all, meant to evoke emotion more than anything else, and the stories that hold back on both only end up being boring and working against themselves imo, especially if aimed at children. This sounds like a surprisingly clever disney flick. Thanks for the video!

    • @jorge2060shake
      @jorge2060shake ปีที่แล้ว +35

      It’s not “excessive” optimism or “excessive” radical change. What is excessive is the current system we live under. The change necessary to make a better world can be radical. But it’s more about returning to the natural balance in all levels of our existence than taking excessive actions. Excessive actions are what lead us to this current situation more than anything. No more excess! What we need is to stop the excess. We need to consider this optimistic view as the normal and not as an excessive worldview.

    • @guillermorelobalopez7553
      @guillermorelobalopez7553 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      ​@@jorge2060shake Do you realize that following the parallel of the movie, the "good guys" would be eco terrorist sabotaging every fossil fuel extraction facility?
      I'm all for the systemic change off capitalism and fossil fuel, but the movie represents an extreme change indeed.

    • @undead_corsair
      @undead_corsair ปีที่แล้ว +45

      ​@@guillermorelobalopez7553that may become necessary

    • @jasminv8653
      @jasminv8653 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@jorge2060shake what i meant by 'excessive' here is probably better expressed as 'simplistic', there's no need to jump into conclusions about a love I don't hold for exctractionist capitalism :) I really wish it would be as easy as going on a scuba dive into the core of the earth and playing a board game with my parents to topple oil giants, but it isn't - hence 'excess' of positivity and solutions.
      But it is a children's movie after all.

    • @guillermorelobalopez7553
      @guillermorelobalopez7553 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@undead_corsair Sure. But necessary and extreme are not mutually exclusive sadly.

  • @sunnyday6679
    @sunnyday6679 ปีที่แล้ว +1154

    Bruh I'm a Bio major and picked up so quickly **spoilers** that they were living inside an organism. It was so cool being able to recognize a lot of the processes going on at a macro level scale. They obviously did their research and consulted the right people. The eye scene at the end was phenomenal.

    • @MorganGriffithDavid
      @MorganGriffithDavid ปีที่แล้ว +22

      This is interesting! Can you share any of the clues?

    • @BonaparteBardithion
      @BonaparteBardithion ปีที่แล้ว +115

      @@MorganGriffithDavid
      Not a bio student, but the first one for me was the sea of acid. Pretty clearly a digestive system. Then the stream of red animals started clicking and by the time they'd reached the eye I'd recognized it as the "world on the back of a turtle" trope. Not that the inclusion of the trope detracts from the film.

    • @Brainsore.
      @Brainsore. ปีที่แล้ว +8

      So it’s just Xenoblade

    • @amberwingtundrawing776
      @amberwingtundrawing776 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      ​@BonaparteBardithion I feel like the turtle was s cool twist on the idea. They aren't just living on it, they live OFF of it

    • @MasonBially
      @MasonBially 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

      @@MorganGriffithDavid Mine was the way the splat things "scout" for the reapers. Classic immune system design. I even called the giant turtle aspect of it since it's a classic trope/mythology of a "world on the back of a turtle" especially in the area of the world the architecture and clothing of a lot of the characters seems to be hinting at.

  • @fotografritz_
    @fotografritz_ ปีที่แล้ว +966

    I am collecting references for a solar punk themed game for a while, and now I finally noticed something when you said it: the emphasis on individual solutions, instead of change in a system or society. For example, energy supply is always depicted as decentralized, i.e. each home has a solar panel or floating wind turbine. What I think sets it apart from other -punk depictions though is the access to these technologies. Communities are shown being able to utilize these technologies and share them. They're often low maintenance and easy to read for non-tech people. I like this idea of enabling people to be part of modern technology, instead of paying something or someone to get limited access to it.

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +244

      Yes, it's all about *community based solutions* instead of individual ones. So you could have neighborhood solar networks that are linked to other neighborhoods with their own networks to make sure powers goes where it's most needed etc. Though that happens in conjunction with activist pressure to end fossil fuel production on a global scale.

    • @arnowisp6244
      @arnowisp6244 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      This is why Right to repair is important and should be supported! Uf you can repair something than you own it.

    • @arnowisp6244
      @arnowisp6244 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@PopCultureDetective Those activist are just going to cause mass suffering of the third world who need that Energy to develop into first world countries. Eco solutions aren't enough for them.
      There are already Third world nations bitting Back at the UN eco goals as many see it as a hindrance to the economic develop the third world nations need to lift their populations out of Unimaginable poverty.

    • @deshrektives
      @deshrektives ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@PopCultureDetective lol way to completely miss his point.

    • @Kram1032
      @Kram1032 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      FWIW, I think decentralized solarpower *is* a sensible part (but absolutely only a part) of the solution, as those are increasingly affordable, especially while facing the current spikes in energy cost.
      Not everybody can afford those. Not everybody even has their own roof to use for this. But where it's applicable, it's a good idea.
      You *do* also need a battery storage which is trickier and more expensive, and even this solution *will* take more systemic changes, as the energy grid has to now deal with electricity flowing *both* ways and what not. So even here, despite useful and near-achievable (it really depends on your income and living situation, but certainly you don't have to be ultra rich) individual action, even if that alone were enough for our energy mix (which it isn't), you'd still depend on big systemic changes for all of it to work out.
      Still, if you are in a position where it would be affordable to you, I personally can only recommend it: I now live in a house that, for half to three quarters of the year, produces very nearly all of its energy needs on site, and the remaining few months (the winter months) still see a significant reduction of energy needs, despite the much shallower sun angle and commonly cloudy sky.
      That said, a big caveat on this is, that energy needs *are* by far the highest in winter, so the most expensive months happen to see the least reduction in costs. You definitely have to factor that in to see if it makes sense to you. Proper thermal insulation goes a long way there, but obviously doesn't stop you from needing heating.
      Meanwhile, local on-site wind energy is *far* less useful:
      The most efficient wind farms actually work by coordinating several very tall, very large structures. Sometimes it's best to turn off a few of those turbines in order to increase the net efficiency and such. It's tricky to calculate, but yeah, ultimately, you need coordination over quite large areas, and huge towers with huge blades. Just not practical to do locally unless you happen to own a ton of land.
      The solar panels would also just simply sit on your roof which usually has very little use beyond, like, keeping you dry. They don't really take away space from you.
      But a wind turbine certainly does. Even a small one. It also makes noise and, due to having moving parts, is technically more dangerous and prone to failure (although, to be clear, it's still one of the safest forms of energy we have and that shouldn't actually be a huge concern)
      So yeah, I don't think most people are gonna have their private wind powerplants on site.
      Most likely they are gonna use them for pumps or such, as they have been for centuries. - Those kinds of windmills look very different in design as different things matter for them.

  • @smith06l24
    @smith06l24 ปีที่แล้ว +619

    I love the solarpunk genre. It was what inspired me to do my masters in solar cell technology and hopefully inspire real change with the work I do.

    • @madeniquevanwyk
      @madeniquevanwyk ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Dude no lie if you ever want to give a basic interview about your masters in solar cell technology to a total internet stranger, I would 100% email you some questions I have. It's part of other research for now so it won't feature anywhere but y'know, always gotta be getting those diverse perspectives

    • @danieladamczyk4024
      @danieladamczyk4024 ปีที่แล้ว

      Solar cell are problems them selfs.

    • @arnowisp6244
      @arnowisp6244 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@madeniquevanwyk Diverse perspective. The only diversity that matters.

    • @critiqueofthegothgf
      @critiqueofthegothgf ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@arnowisp6244 diverse perspectives are usually derived from diverse lived experiences...

    • @arnowisp6244
      @arnowisp6244 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@critiqueofthegothgf You can have an all white team and they can he diverse from coming from different walks of life. That's real diversity.

  • @BlueCruzader
    @BlueCruzader ปีที่แล้ว +524

    I've always loved the aesthetic and message of solar punk, but I never knew it had a name.

  • @adammyers7383
    @adammyers7383 ปีที่แล้ว +168

    I think the “quit cold turkey and accept a time of inconvenience” does have one major flaw people don’t talk about-the common overlap between “convenience” and “accessibility”

    • @thedapperdolphin1590
      @thedapperdolphin1590 ปีที่แล้ว +70

      Yeah, it’s not just about convenience. Quality of life and life spans have drastically increased on average for people. It’s not about cold coffee in this scenario. It’s about not freezing to death and so on. And an agrarian society also wouldn’t support a population of our size. And like most things, I highly doubt that the sacrifices would be equal amongst racial and class groups

    • @Paul-A01
      @Paul-A01 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      You are the carbon they want to reduce.

    • @___.51
      @___.51 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      @@debesys6306 They say cold coffee intentionally, the IRL messaging is not that we need to pull the plug on all electricity all at once. The IRL messaging is that we will be inconvenienced by the renewable transition. Cold coffee, a metaphor for 2-day shipping, annual iphones, $5 t-shirts, etc etc etc. Hope that makes sense.

    • @PhotonBeast
      @PhotonBeast ปีที่แล้ว +46

      @@___.51 Exactly. The point is that the priviledges will get reduced but the critical will not. Indeed, framing it as a literal 'all or nothing' is in some ways a bad faith argument as there are ways to reduce and change without removing support from those in need. For instance, in The Netherlands, the city of Amsterdam wants to eliminate all individual cars in the city center in a decade or two while further out towards the ring road, allow electric. This sounds dramatic and there may be some initial "What about"ism. But the thing is, this is not about eliminating everything. Things required for the city to run - electric trucks for moving goods around and to /out the city - and things for residents of the city - resident cars, residential public transit, district heating and cooling, etc - will be maintained and improved. Yes, if you want your high powered sports car, you're going to be disappointed... but you can also still use that outside the city and you'll have to put up with the cost of that because the roads for cars and such aren't going to be subsidized by the people who never use them.

    • @FerousFolly
      @FerousFolly ปีที่แล้ว +10

      ​​@@debesys6306 that's true but we already have alternative fuel sources available and in wide use. south australia regularly goes entire stretches of time entirely powered by solar and batteries, do you think there aren't people on life support in that entire state?
      it's actually *_more_* possible and *_easier_* for us than it is for the people in the film
      re plastic, that's more difficult but there are compostable alternatives like celophane that have seen success in replacing many forms of plastic in a number industries

  • @talitanaka
    @talitanaka ปีที่แล้ว +569

    I didn't really pay attention to Strange Worlds' release because I just don't follow children's releases all that closely. I ended up watching the movie blindly and I was very pleasantly surprised with the writing and themes. Being familiar with solarpunk and degrowth ideology however, I understood Strange Worlds for what it is and ended up loving it. I wish more movies, including "adult" ones, could be this softly revolutionary.
    And more related to your videos, but I would absolutely love closed captions, it's the one thing I really miss in your content. Your thesis and arguments are always a delight, but I end up having to do more effort to simply follow your words.

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +109

      All or almost all of our other videos do have subtitles. And this one will too, it just takes a few days after publishing is all.

    • @kapitankapital6580
      @kapitankapital6580 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      This isn't "revolutionary" in any way. It's a corporate product made by the largest entertainment conglomerate in history to capitalise on trends.

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +108

      Of course, but please understand this channel is all about meeting people where the are at, and where they are at is popular culture.

    • @talitanaka
      @talitanaka ปีที่แล้ว +64

      @@kapitankapital6580 I absolutely agree, but also showing people a positive alternative actually changes what they can imagine. It's no direct collective action, but it's one important seed of potential change.

    • @ivy7919
      @ivy7919 ปีที่แล้ว +39

      @@kapitankapital6580 you're technically right, but thats not a very useful way to think about media. its highly reductive

  • @metropunklitan
    @metropunklitan ปีที่แล้ว +815

    now this is a video essay, using themes of the story to educate real world problems and promote actual ways to challenge and change society, not following general consensus or use clickbaity titles and thumbnails pilling on meaningless rage wars, your work is not always well received, but they're incredibly important in help breaking barriers and sparking necessary conversations, i think you delivered it especially well this time :)

    • @CLDJ227
      @CLDJ227 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Not to mention he avoids going off on rants or complaining about [insert popular person or thing to hate on here]. While also approaching things reasonably 😎.

    • @Onitramm
      @Onitramm ปีที่แล้ว +7

      in addition, keeping the length to a good, well-utilized 16 minutes. my fucking goodness I'm so sick of all the 30+ minute-long video essays that have come up over the last few years. and they almost always don't need that time. this was a fantastic video!!

    • @Kozak006
      @Kozak006 ปีที่แล้ว

      The "general consensus" is that climate change is an immediate threat to mankind, despite the flimsy evidence, it is everywhere in schools and pop culture. Step outside your biases and actually start to question the foundational assertions of climate change. All assumptions have been regularly proven false. The only people being hurt by climate change policy are regular folks and the rich are getting richer.

    • @loganshillington9812
      @loganshillington9812 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      You must be new around here. 😅 All of their videos are like that, you should check them out!

    • @Nah_I_Would_Plummet
      @Nah_I_Would_Plummet ปีที่แล้ว +2

      this doesn't answer anything lmao. It's an aesthetic movement with zero logistical thought process behind it. Very much expected from anarchists.

  • @BigMackWitSauce
    @BigMackWitSauce ปีที่แล้ว +279

    From a story point of view, dystopias are so common because its easy to make conflicts out of worlds with lots problems

    • @strayiggytv
      @strayiggytv ปีที่แล้ว +99

      It's easy to make conflict in solar punk too, it's just that the bad guys often make the audience uncomfortable because it's like looking in the mirror.
      In dystopias you can picture yourself as "one of the good ones" but in solar punk the villain is you and the status quo you represent.

    • @basman5591
      @basman5591 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@strayiggytv A bit generalizing perhaps.

    • @skyisreallyhigh3333
      @skyisreallyhigh3333 ปีที่แล้ว

      They are also common because they are propaganda to make us believe that's the future, instead of a utopia we can have

    • @civilengineer3349
      @civilengineer3349 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You could just make the environmentalists the good guys and the corporations the bad guys

    • @TheSuperRatt
      @TheSuperRatt ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I think that's an overgeneralization. I think a lack of imagination is a larger part of the trend.

  • @necroflowers2244
    @necroflowers2244 ปีที่แล้ว +139

    My 11,10 and 9 year old absolutely loved this movie and its vision. They often tell me about how much it hurts and frustrating them to see animals dying from human activities, and global warming. Our younger generation certainly are more politically aware than my generation seemed. But i genuinely didn't mind how empty and quiet the theater was when this movie was released. I had no idea Disney never put any marketing into it. It really was a great film.

  • @Pharetra
    @Pharetra ปีที่แล้ว +265

    This is my 5 year old daughter's favourite movie and she watches it at least once a week. It's such a shame that Disney slept on the film's promotion because it's such a beautiful story.

    • @Ewr42
      @Ewr42 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      They probably were HEAVILY lobbied not to promote it.
      Made more money from BP and ExxonMobil than from anything else. 100% sure.

    • @QuantumGravy
      @QuantumGravy ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I’m so glad to hear your daughter loves it, it’s honestly such a great film. I went out of the theatre so excited, I love that movie on so many levels… but even outside the messaging, I just love the really sweet depictions of the relationship between Searcher and his wife Meridian! Their family interactions always made me smile, I absolutely love their dynamic, and their dynamic with their son!

    • @danielwhyatt3278
      @danielwhyatt3278 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Oh totally agree there.

  • @hugocortizo6993
    @hugocortizo6993 ปีที่แล้ว +513

    This was the first film my kids saw in a movie theater and I'm really happy that it was as quietly but insidiously radical as this. That boardgame scene hits really hard when you watch it with your own children.
    Funnily enough, my wife and, to a lesser extent, my brother in law had a harder time parsing the concept than I did. It might have to do with a higher familiarity with cli-fi and solarpunk on my part, to the point that I found the general theme of the film to be unsubtle enough for it to be grasped by the younger fraction of its intended audience, even if the real world parallel goes over their head.

    • @metropunklitan
      @metropunklitan ปีที่แล้ว +9

      no way there are cis millennials using picrew ??😭

    • @madeniquevanwyk
      @madeniquevanwyk ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Aww Hugo, I still remember the first movie I saw in theaters with my dad (it was Monsters Inc) and it's still a bonding activity for us, so I do love how you're happy with this movie being their theater-first. I've also never heard of the term cli-fi tho, but I can deduce its connotations. I'm glad you're more familiar with the themes bc chances are you'll be discussing the movie with your kids in future. Anyway greetings from Africa

    • @madeniquevanwyk
      @madeniquevanwyk ปีที่แล้ว +24

      ​@@metropunklitan why did you have to phrase it like that 😫

    • @onepresence9460
      @onepresence9460 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I really liked the concept and ideas of Strange World. The execution might not be perfect, but it opened up lots of possibilities to explore this world introduced by Don Hall. I wouldn’t mind a Strange World sequel and a Disney + show.

    • @joa1401
      @joa1401 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@metropunklitan i can just see the headline in the Financial Review: “Millennials Are Ruining Picrew. Here’s What This Means For Society…” good heavens, the world really is coming apart at the seams now… /s

  • @jacobdriscoll8276
    @jacobdriscoll8276 ปีที่แล้ว +72

    There's something puritanical in obliterated post-apocalyptic worlds. Something about punishment, about the wrath of an offended god, about how we are not good, we are doing wrong, we must repent, abstain, and atone for our sins.
    Solarpunk is a very healthy alternative to that message.

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Precisely

    • @onepresence9460
      @onepresence9460 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I would love to see more animated Solarpunk stories. Strange World was a pretty good one imo.

    • @MrCmon113
      @MrCmon113 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Yes and it's absurdly pessimistic when stuff stays "post apocalyptic" for an extended period of time rather than people just rebuilding.

  • @Kelly_Wren
    @Kelly_Wren ปีที่แล้ว +221

    Thank you for including the Monk and Robot series! Everyone, literally EVERYONE, needs to read them!

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +29

      I didn’t know exactly what to expect after the Wayfarer series but the novellas are so good!

    • @thestarsailor972
      @thestarsailor972 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I have been SO EXCITED to start reading "Psalms for the Wind-built" I just got it recently from the library after having to wait for it to be ready for about a week

    • @MorganGriffithDavid
      @MorganGriffithDavid ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I just finished the first monk and robot and it was outstanding, so hoping we see more like this and it grows in popularity ❤

  • @SecretFoxfire
    @SecretFoxfire ปีที่แล้ว +165

    Oh wow, I had no idea what Strange World was about. I'd heard that it had diverse characters and that most people never even heard about it due to a (presumably intentional) lack of marketing, but it seems it's even more radical than that. I will definitely have to give the movie a watch now. Excellent video!

    • @GarrettMoffitt
      @GarrettMoffitt 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      90 million dollar in advertising.
      I saw a lot of advertising of it myself. Maybe it's not so much a lack of advertising, but the amount of people blocking advertising. Also, Strange worlds was hate brigaded due to is diversity. You know by who.

  • @JordanSullivanadventures
    @JordanSullivanadventures ปีที่แล้ว +154

    It's pretty interesting that they included the collaborative board game as a way of explaining the difficulty in explaining that competition or defeating a villain isn't the only way of interacting with other humans. I bet they had to fight to keep that in the movie.

    • @TheLithp
      @TheLithp ปีที่แล้ว +14

      I'm sure Disney doesn't care about the fictional board game. That scene screams of some frustration in the process of making the movie. Probably something like Disney was reluctant to approve a movie that had no villain.

    • @onepresence9460
      @onepresence9460 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I liked that scene imo because it shows that not everything that’s happening will have a villain.

    • @chloeelimam3899
      @chloeelimam3899 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I totally disagree, there's a lot of online discourse pushing disney to make animated movies with traditional villains again and I think that was a little shout at the audience saying they don't want to, and then the oldest generation, the dad/grampa, responds "that's just bad story telling"

  • @haydenkinley5266
    @haydenkinley5266 ปีที่แล้ว +136

    As much as I usually find some weird melancholic comfort and solace in dystopian, cyberpunk-esque stuff (I'm slavic, comes with the territory), I'm glad that solarpunk slowly but surely becomes more popular, it's refreshing to finally see something hopeful, looking forward to see what the future holds and not experience existentiall horror about it.
    Haven't heard about Strange World before, I'll give it a watch if I'll get the chance! Seems surprisingly radical for a Disney movie, no wonder they didn't really market it.

    • @madeniquevanwyk
      @madeniquevanwyk ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I'm still kind of shocked that I consider myself a bit of an animation nerd and still I wasn't aware this movie was out. Scandalous. Anyway, agreed on the necessity for optimism in media, especially aimed at kids and younger audiences

    • @gwen9939
      @gwen9939 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I hear you on the comfort of dystopian cyberpunk stuff. To me it's less about how these stories depict a bleak future, but being extreme examples showcasing issues that are plaguing society right now, as opposed to what might happen someday if left unchecked. The unmasking of these issues and the feeling of someone else intimately understanding them and explaining them using the future as a metaphor is cathartic when so much of my everyday life is spent surrounded by people who either don't know or are in denial of the existence of these issues.

    • @haydenkinley5266
      @haydenkinley5266 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@gwen9939 There's just something so familiar about it. Sure, it's dialed up to eleven, but the core idea is very... mundane, I guess? The core principal of "High tech; Low life" applies to plenty of countries already, mine being no exception. I absolutely agree on media like this being cathartic, a good outlet to pour this dread into and a good lense to examine the world. But this is also why I'm happy that solarpunk is a thing and it's gaining popularity, somehow it doesn't strike me as naive as the hopeful science fiction of, say, 50-60 years ago.

    • @onepresence9460
      @onepresence9460 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I personally recommend to watch Strange World. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s pretty interesting. It has cool visuals and intriguing ideas.

    • @LineOfThy
      @LineOfThy ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ​@@gwen9939 It's just that it's so oversaturated that people are like "Sure, we know the problem, but how do we solve it?" Raising awareness to societal problems means showing both sides of the coin, what we are headed towards and what we could be

  • @NickCombs
    @NickCombs ปีที่แล้ว +280

    One pitfall of the burgeoning genre is to depict the solutions in overly simplistic terms or as easy achievements when we know that to be far from the truth. To effectively convey hope, we need to see the complexities and nuances involved. It sounds like Strange World is at least attempting to depict that as a broad theme, so I'm interested to give it a watch now.

    • @rebeccagibbs4128
      @rebeccagibbs4128 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      anyone who has read anything around dismantling capitalism knows it is as simple as giving people money and autonomy over their lives. socialised housing, healthcare and education have been shown time and again to benefit everyone. capitalism cant exist without the poor and disenfranchised. solve that problem (which has been done and proven since the 1970s - a ubi-) and capitalism cant sustain it and people can actually safely resist capitalism as individuals which is impossible right now. i think we need more optimistic utopian media like film and books because until someone imagines it how can we collectively work towards it.

    • @Lin_Eileen
      @Lin_Eileen ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@rebeccagibbs4128 I agree ✌ there is so much talk about how we are past the point of no return in regards to climate change which I appreciate we need more awareness but people also act like we can actually take any strides to mitigate our mistakes under the current system. we need dismantle capitalism first to be able to do anything substantial that benefits the planet and us

    • @Lin_Eileen
      @Lin_Eileen ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@rebeccagibbs4128 it feels like any activism I take part in never really goes anywhere and falls on deaf ears and i think it's because people cannot safely resist capitalism so most things don't really go anywhere and the really big and potentially substantial things like carbon taxing don't have an effect as big as they could because we still have so many supporting the harmful industrial systems out of necessity it's not even a moral judgement here people who are disenfranchised will WANT to fight back against the system but can't it's not their faults individually cause it's either fall in line and submit to capitalism or be severly neglected

    • @andrewrandrianasulu_
      @andrewrandrianasulu_ ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Well, I do not think it will be that simple - because even if we ignore for a moment problem of re-concentration of money/power into same wrong type of humans they have it today - how humans de-program themselves from decade(s) of capitalust realities, where money was everything? How they overcome disconnectedness between their actions and how they affect "the world", including non-immediate future? Psychological resistance to one's own past and self-critical life is not something we can just assume to emerge ... at least fast enough.

    • @spoonikle
      @spoonikle ปีที่แล้ว

      We haven’t even installed enough wind turbines to do anything and conservatives turned a Texas cold snap into 2 weeks of blaming windmills.
      The struggles have not even started and their ready to burn the capital down if their bud light gets touched by a woman they don’t agree exists.

  • @lilysiandaza4296
    @lilysiandaza4296 ปีที่แล้ว +889

    Finally, somebody who didn't absolutely hate this movie

    • @seyiselaton
      @seyiselaton ปีที่แล้ว +46

      Honestly. It's got potential

    • @Al7249
      @Al7249 ปีที่แล้ว +128

      Wait! People hated it!? I mean I like the scenery and the story is kinda generic but it was fun lol

    • @ExtremeMadnessX
      @ExtremeMadnessX ปีที่แล้ว +214

      ​@Al7249 Why do I have feeling that most people who hate movie didn't actually watched it and hate it mostly because they heard that it have gay characters?

    • @realchezboi
      @realchezboi ปีที่แล้ว +90

      @@ExtremeMadnessX That's likely probably, having watched the film there's really nothing to hate film-wise, it's just a pretty normal Disney animated flick.

    • @crediblesalamander8056
      @crediblesalamander8056 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      All I've seen is people saying it's ok or meh. With the amount of content available, it might as well be bad. But the popular consensus is that it's just a mediocre movie.

  • @hannahbrennan2131
    @hannahbrennan2131 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    I'm really pissed that Disney didn't properly promote this movie. It deserved better.

    • @gedelgo3242
      @gedelgo3242 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      First time I've even heard of it.

    • @onepresence9460
      @onepresence9460 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Totally agree with you. Strange World has suffered the same fate as Atlantis and Treasure Planet unfortunately. All 3 are animated sci-fi adventures with unique animation, ideas and worldbuilding that Disney didn’t bothered to make a competent marketing. With that, they became box office flops.

    • @BabyGirlTiny
      @BabyGirlTiny ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@onepresence9460 except strange world wasn’t good.

    • @IsoraBEinfinity
      @IsoraBEinfinity 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Compared to all the live action 'movies' they release strange world is way better

    • @Mialikesthings
      @Mialikesthings 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@BabyGirlTinyyeah and the new Snow White is the greatest Disney has made in history

  • @Zandalorscat
    @Zandalorscat ปีที่แล้ว +82

    I do find it a bit grating whenever the sudden absence of power is portrayed as cold coffee and lack of comfort rather than a sudden absence of necessary things like heating, water, sanitation, functioning medical equipment, transport to hospital or to loved ones who are in need etcetera. You turn off the power for a big company, it's going to hurt their ability to operate. You turn off the power for vulnerable individuals, people will die.

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +55

      Obviously you can't just shut off the power in real-life. That's why I made a point of saying they give up "comforts and conveniences," not necessities. The point of the Pando metaphor is that the whole society needs to shift away from fossil fuels rapidly but we are instead increasing our production on all fronts.

    • @strayiggytv
      @strayiggytv ปีที่แล้ว +19

      @Zandalorscat I'd also argue people will still die in mass numbers in the dead world dystopia too if we keep on the path we are on. Why would current people harmed by a sudden loss in power put weigh people 20 years down the line who will die in mass famine from climate change? From constant natural disasters?

    • @TheLithp
      @TheLithp ปีที่แล้ว +31

      Yeah, I had this thought, too. Fortunately, the real world situation is less "we need to turn everything off until we invent wind farms or something" & more "we already have a number of technologies that we should be using more." Unfortunately, I would argue that reality actually is full of unironic Captain Planet villains.

    • @Coconut-219
      @Coconut-219 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's not a good look for 'self-proclaimed environmentalists' when they made everybody buy Teslas, and then made it illegal to charge them because the "renewable energy" power grid couldn't handle it causing blackouts.
      Convincing people that your ideas will work is alot easier than doing the hard groundwork of making ideas that work. The world needs less convincers, and more DO-ers.

  • @nemowindsor8724
    @nemowindsor8724 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    I think it’s worth pointing out that, while the colonialism of Europeans is still very fresh in our history, and the damage it did to native farming etc. Should absolutely be pointed out, European farmers also farmed sustainably for many generations. It is corporate term-profit and greed that drives these behaviours - wanting a penny today at the expense of a dollar tomorrow, which might go to whoever usurps you at the company and not you. And that transcends race. Africa is currently suffering under African overlords who confiscated farms from their farmers and gave them to rich friends who didn’t know how to run them and used them for purposes that drained the soil and enriched them, before turning the land to dust.
    Greed has no colour other than gold and green.

    • @MrCmon113
      @MrCmon113 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      In many places people were terribly inefficient or "unsustainable" in farming before Europeans arrived.
      And they could be because there were so few of them.
      For example people living in and near rainforests burned down rainforests for acres, used the land for one year and then moved on, since the earth was already low on nutrients after that. That's about as unsustainable as it gets. But because there were relatively few of them they could do that for a long time.

    • @GarrettMoffitt
      @GarrettMoffitt 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Those method aren't sustainable with as many people as we have. It's ridiculous t think so. It' simple math, and it doesn't pan out.

  • @CM13492
    @CM13492 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    This film so clearly took direct inspiration from Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis. This essentially states that the ecological interactions on the planet ultimately function as a self-regulating complex system in a similar way to an organism. Unfortunately it feels like they didn't quite stick the landing but I am very interested in seeing more films explore this premise, especially in a more metaphorical way.

    • @vylbird8014
      @vylbird8014 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      It makes for a nice story, but the Gaia hypothesis was never more than that. Reality seems quite the opposite: The planet is far from self-regulating, and on a long enough time scale experiences constant shifts in weather and ecosystems.

    • @CM13492
      @CM13492 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@vylbird8014 I am not sure what this comment was intended to achieve. I did not state that I believed the hypothesis true or false merely that it makes an interesting basis for a science fiction story...

    • @TheSuperRatt
      @TheSuperRatt ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@vylbird8014 Life begets life. We would not exist if not for the web of living things producing compounds that we need to survive. Ecosystems are interconnected webs that self-regulate, this is known. Ecosystems can fail, yes, but so can our own bodies; and ecosystems are not wholly divorced from the abiotic conditions of Earth. Still, living things regulate so much! Even bringing rain, preventing erosion, etc. Doing their utmost to maintain an environment conducive to them. Does the abiotic Earth always play nice? Of course not.
      You simply just haven't paid attention, if you think the biosphere does not uphold its own existence.

    • @guidedexplosiveprojectileg9943
      @guidedexplosiveprojectileg9943 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      There is this game that I play, and in this game there is a faction called, "Gaia's Stepdaughters" which is literally the most enviromentally best faction in the game.

  • @lediona3996
    @lediona3996 ปีที่แล้ว +48

    My son and I really enjoyed this movie, and it's nice to get some of the context around it. I wasn't aware of solar punk before.

  • @HelgaMoro
    @HelgaMoro ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Mark of a good video is that I didn't see the movie, never even heard of it, but was completely engrossed into what narrator was saying.

  • @JemLeavitt
    @JemLeavitt ปีที่แล้ว +42

    Thank you. This essay/review is once again superb. I can't get enough of this channel's videos.

  • @EMan753
    @EMan753 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    PLEASE do one on colonialism in board games! I've always thought it was so weird how the basic premise of so many games is conquering land lmao

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Working on it now actually!

    • @GarrettMoffitt
      @GarrettMoffitt 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      all human groups conquer land. Expansion is human. No surprise that it happens in games humans play.

  • @TwinSteel
    @TwinSteel ปีที่แล้ว +11

    There’s an argument to be made that what we see in films like Strange World are less “punk” given the beautiful, clean environs, especially the city - one might expect solar “punk” style to be odorous and grimy - while it doesn’t seem to be straight “fantasy”, the optimism, lack of down trodden underclasses and focus on aesthetic beauty seem to push it away from punk - I see the argument that rebelling against standard “cyber punk” aesthetics may make it punk in its own right, but other punk genres, for example diesel punk, differentiate without losing features of grunge, subjugation and dystopia

  • @Nurpus
    @Nurpus ปีที่แล้ว +23

    I really liked the aethetics, the message, and the "twist" of Strange Worlds.
    If only the dialogue and characters weren't so terribly written it coud've been a film to rival WALL-E.

  • @komugemon8010
    @komugemon8010 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Granted, this is a family friendly Disney movie, so I'm not certain how much we can expect from them, but the weakest/unrealistic part of the movie is where the authorities are easily convinced to change their way of life and spend no effort to cling to power. That's where it fails as an allegory for the real world.
    Whether that's because the writers thought that was too complex for the family friendly target audience or if the Disney executives thought that was too radical, it is a blindspot.
    I would love to see a solarpunk movie that adeptly handles this problem inherent in the topic of systemic change.

  • @Nosgiles
    @Nosgiles ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Strange World felt like its parts were greater than the sum. The ingredients were there for something bette, but it was hampered by so-so execution. Less time building up the titular world (which was obvious as to what the reveal was going to be from very near the outset), and more time world-building with dramatic stakes for the human civilization.
    It's a small thing, also, but I have a feeling that some backstory as to how humans arrived at this place and set up Avalonia was removed for time, but also because it would have been too similar to what Lightyear set up with its narrative.

  • @Mandelkaffee
    @Mandelkaffee ปีที่แล้ว +66

    PCD is the perfect example of "quality over quantity"! Great video as always. 🙏

  • @CamHennings
    @CamHennings ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Glad that this is getting talked about by a bigger channel because I really do feel like nobody gave this movie a chance. I'm not going to say it's Disney's strongest entry over the last few years, but it's definitely worth the watch and people dismissing it so quickly has been confusing.

  • @PopCultureDetective
    @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +168

    The short speech by Lyla June quoted in this video essay is worth watching in full. Her talk is called "3000-year-old solutions to modern problems" - th-cam.com/video/eH5zJxQETl4/w-d-xo.html

    • @Vaeldarg
      @Vaeldarg ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Speaking of "old solutions", there has always been a compositional place for "a story without a villain": a villain is just one kind of antagonist, there's also "the environment as the antagonist". But "the environment" doesn't refer to the ecology, but the entire situation in which everything is occurring. Not the natural environment, but the SOCIAL environment. Their social environment was the villain. (which is still a difficult story structure to create a modern movie from)

    • @geegrant865
      @geegrant865 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Why did you have to draw the connection that because they used people of color they are referencing indigenous culture. Couldn't it be just what you said about queer people? "no big deal" Seeing brown skin and thinking "indigenous" is racist. Also please stop coding "European" as white. The video was so good except for this dip into Hegel's worldview.

    • @GarrettMoffitt
      @GarrettMoffitt 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      sadly, it won't work on a planet with 8 billion people. Most of it is naturalistic fallacy.

  • @ArcadeJackson-us7mq
    @ArcadeJackson-us7mq ปีที่แล้ว +32

    I agree with everything said. When you talked about the uncomfortable times ahead though, I immediately thought of the people who will be most affected. It’s not lost on me that the aesthetics of solar punk has so much representation. Yet the people most likely to not make it to the new world that is promised, are the people depicted.

    • @vylbird8014
      @vylbird8014 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Solarpunk asthetics are more aspirational than realistic. Lots of plants everywhere, yes - but also plenty of nice, big houses. Even if they have plants on them. While any really sustainable future would probably have to be built around much denser housing - apartment blocks rather than single-family detached homes - because it's just so much more efficient. Not just in space usage, but infrastructure as well, and construction materials.

    • @TheSuperRatt
      @TheSuperRatt ปีที่แล้ว

      @@vylbird8014 Most people I've encountered deep in the genre acknowledge this, so you're a little late to the curve.

  • @otakushinsaku
    @otakushinsaku ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Solarpunk is a genre of speculative fiction that imagines a future where renewable energy, social justice, and ecological harmony prevail. It is a vision of hope and optimism, where humanity overcomes the challenges of climate change, inequality, and oppression, and creates a more sustainable and harmonious society. Solarpunk is not naive or utopian; it acknowledges the difficulties and complexities of the present and the future, but it also proposes creative and realistic solutions that can inspire us to act for positive change.
    I am a huge fan of the promise of Solarpunk because I believe it offers a refreshing and empowering alternative to the dominant narratives of dystopia and apocalypse that pervade our culture. I am tired of stories that depict the future as bleak, hopeless, and violent, where humanity is doomed to suffer and destroy itself. I am also dissatisfied with stories that rely on techno-optimism or escapism, where humanity is saved by a miraculous invention or a benevolent alien intervention, or where humanity abandons the Earth for a new planet. These stories do not challenge us to confront the root causes of our problems, nor do they encourage us to take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
    Solarpunk, on the other hand, invites us to imagine a future that is both desirable and attainable, where humanity lives in harmony with itself and with nature, where technology is used for good and not for evil, where diversity and creativity are celebrated and not suppressed, where cooperation and solidarity are valued and not exploited. Solarpunk is not only a genre of fiction, but also a movement of art, culture, and activism that seeks to make this future a reality. Solarpunk is a way of thinking, living, and dreaming that can inspire us to create a better world for ourselves and for future generations.

  • @ZaydaFleming
    @ZaydaFleming ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I love the point of the change being mass scale and not focused on individual change. I used to work retail and was quickly disillusioned at plastic recycling because the mass of plastic packaging that each item came in was insane and we do not have plastic recycling locally as well as it being film plastics which are rarely accepted anywhere. Like my personal habits could not offset the impact of one tiny boutique in my town.

  • @stevenolsen1260
    @stevenolsen1260 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    It might be harder to summarize briefly for a video like this, but the story and messaging in the Horizon games is great solarpunk.

  • @onepresence9460
    @onepresence9460 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I enjoyed this movie and i still do. It’s not my favorite Disney movie or anything, but i don’t think it’s terrible like many people said. I think it’s an underrated animated sci-fi adventure, just like Atlantis and Treasure Planet.
    I liked the animation art style and i really like the worldbuilding. It’s so interesting that it could be explored in the future with a sequel and a Disney + show.

  • @PirateCaptainArthur
    @PirateCaptainArthur ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the overall message of this movie, and I'm glad to see Pop Culture Detective back to cover it!

  • @WeissM89
    @WeissM89 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    It's not just the fossil fuel industry. Research by Oxford Universitry has shown that even if we stopped all fossil fuel emissions right now, temperatures will keep rising if we don't change our diets. The animal agriculture and fishing industries are decimating the mechanisms that allow the planet to deal with excess CO2. They're the leading causes of deforestation and biodiversity loss, which sequester carbon. We need to adopt a plant-based food system.

  • @DylanMcVillain
    @DylanMcVillain ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Solarpunk has such a soothing and pretty aesthetic to it, it might be the over saturation of cyberpunk or my own overexposure to it.
    But damn i wanna see more solar punk media now

  • @madeniquevanwyk
    @madeniquevanwyk ปีที่แล้ว +21

    I'm so happy I saw this video 😭😭😭 I knew that this movie is a thing because I've seen one or two pictures alluding to its existence, but I had no idea it's out right now for the world to watch!! I think this movie was made specifically for me, and I don't care much if other people like it or not. I've been a fan of solarpunk for years, I grew up a little rebellious eco-warrior who dreamt big dreams of the inventions I saw in National Geographic Kids, and I'm so ready to dedicate all my mental capacity to this movie once I see it. I've also got the game Terra Nil on my list, but it seems that it's still working through some bugs and it eats up battery, so for now I'll chill with that one.
    Also, one last thing, idk what dreadlocks and beanie's name is, but he is now my new favorite character of all time. Baby boy, little angel. 😊😂

    • @hanahayashi6374
      @hanahayashi6374 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Lol, are you referring to Ethan? The son?

  • @skallywalla502
    @skallywalla502 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Your videos are always the best video essays TH-cam has to offer. 🙌🏻 I have shown your WALL-E video to so many people over the years, I've lost count. I didn't know this movie existed, but i will definitely watch it now. Thank you for creating the most thoughtful, well-constructed, insightful video essays for so many years now. Your dedication and hard work are much appreciated. 🙏🏻

  • @Row.
    @Row. 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I like how, where cyberpunk functions as a warning alongside postapocalyptic stories, solarpunk brings a warm feeling of hope.
    One is showing you the nightmare you're going towards and can give a feeling of hopelessness, while the other takes your hand and shows you the endless possibilities of the future, the potential that we have for beauty and harmony.
    It's a great genre and I find it so inspiring, it makes me want to go and change the world for the better.

  • @davidrhode7019
    @davidrhode7019 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I agree completely on the ecological message of the movie, and the larger real-world concerns. I also really wish they would consider publishing the Primal Outpost game - apparently the creators of the movie developed the concept to the point of being a real, workable product.
    On the other hand, I felt that the diversity element was actually cynical and manipulative. It really felt to me like the film was checking off boxes on a list of groups. I don't know if you noticed, but the dog only has three legs, so we've even checked off the physical disability box! The problem with having a diverse cast of characters with ethnicities identifiable from the real world is that Strange World is not the real world. Ethnic groups exist because populations of human beings were reproductively separated from each other for thousands of years, long enough for unique phenotypes to develop in those populations. Strange World's Avalonia apparently only supports one major city, and the people there have been stuck inside since time immemorial, so presumably thousands of years. Why haven't they all turned an even shade of brown by now? Let alone wondering how a civilization using animals for power suddenly jumped to antigravity in less than twenty years.
    It's probably a lot to demand more internal scientific rigor from a Disney animated fantasy film. However, having some familiarity with Hayao Miyazaki's work, I don't think the same criticism can be leveled at, for example, Nausicaa. That film was an abbreviation of a larger work, but even so, the film reflects a deeper, more thought-out world, and the courage to face the grim consequences as well as the lighter moments. This is why Nausicaa is powerful and inspirational, whereas Strange World is a far more transitory creation.

  • @nicole-corine4121
    @nicole-corine4121 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I think one area that gets overlooked though is disability and how for many people with disabilities, losing power, even temporarily, would be more than just an inconvenience. It could be life threatening. We already have quite a few alternatives for fossil fuels, but in many areas they are not set up. We have to set up new systems first. We have to find alternatives to some much needed plastics. Because humans aren’t just saving nature, we are nature and we’re saving ourselves as well. And that has to include everyone! (I really recommend All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders. It completely made me rethink the false dichotomy of people vs nature.)

    • @GarrettMoffitt
      @GarrettMoffitt 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      How inconvenient will it be when the world isn't habitable? Are well all stopped to die becasue we can't maintain optimum accessibility for some?
      Of course, that's not the literal point in the movie. The point in the movie is that it will be hard.
      The funny thing is, we have the tech to transition away from fossil fuels as a method of creating energy right now.

  • @theinfinitewolf
    @theinfinitewolf ปีที่แล้ว +9

    You convinced me to watch the movie, I just finished it and I LOVED IT

  • @Thisismyletter
    @Thisismyletter ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Thank you Pop Culture Detective. Your videos and essays are always a breath of fresh air (thematic pun intended). Your videos always give me hope. I’m super excited for all of the upcoming videos you mentioned at the end of this one - thanks for all the hard work!

  • @alexczech8468
    @alexczech8468 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    a lot of channels make me feel smarter from watching them, but very few make me feel wiser.

  • @estefania4581
    @estefania4581 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Thank you for this video! I really like Strange World and it's sad that very few people talk about its environmental message.

  • @sunnytheo
    @sunnytheo ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Through the first half of this video I kept thinking “ooh like the Monk and Robot books!” And then you brought them up and I got SO excited. So glad someone else loves them too!

  • @s7robin105
    @s7robin105 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    The issue with Strange world's ending, and I know its for kids but just stopping power production without the infrastructure to replace it would be a lot more than just an "uncomfortable period" it would result in deaths and many other issues if modern technology was cut off from major sources of power. Whole cities themselves would be worthless and abandoned as well.
    Simply stopping all production and replacing it with the green sources of energy that are underfunded and underdeveloped would cause more harm. We need to use what we have now to create the renewable energy infrastructure before replacing it, something that does sadly take time. Much of it would not be enough to stop bad things from happening but we have to do it NOW and create a replacement for fossil fuels so we can, in the future, leave it for good.

    • @Alina_Schmidt
      @Alina_Schmidt ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yeah, not completely, but a lot of infrastructure can actually be put on pause or reduced without that kind of harm. And a lot of it HAS to be put down. Renewable energy has to be part of the solution, but just replacing all carbon sources with it won‘t change anything on the long run. There also has to be a fundamental change in economy that mustn‘t be oriented to growth in the future.

    • @s7robin105
      @s7robin105 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Alina_Schmidt absolutely

    • @TheLithp
      @TheLithp ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Alina_Schmidt Nuclear power. It's more energy-efficient than fossil fuels, its exhaust is just water vapor, it won't be interrupted on cloudy or calm days, we don't have to transport power from far away (losing energy in the process), & radioactive waste is fairly easy to store securely.

  • @Magmafrost13
    @Magmafrost13 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Its wild that Im now coming across entire video essays about Disney movies Ive never heard of.
    That's not a comment on the quality of the video, or of the movie (obviously I have no opinion at all of the movie, having never heard of it before), but its a weird experience

  • @cosyreadingtimes8857
    @cosyreadingtimes8857 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This video was amazing and I'm so happy you mentioned Becky Chambers, as her stories (all of them, not only Monk & Robot) are in my ip, so far the best executed Solar Punk narratives😊. And thanks for pointing out the irony of Disney being the company behind a Solar Punk movie.

  • @goblindemonboi
    @goblindemonboi ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Honestly, this movie is GORGEOUS ❤ how they display the need to care for our environment, to care for nature (cuz you can't eat or drink money). A thing that is also refreshing is that just like in arcane, there is no such thing as labels in this movie ❤ the movie in general is just REFRESHING ❤

  • @MaxWelton
    @MaxWelton 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I love how after the Clades resolve to change Avalonian society on a fundamental level, we jump a year ahead since that campaign’d need a whole nother movie to depict THAT.

  • @kwanarchive
    @kwanarchive 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I think if/when corporations were smaller, and didn't have so much power, didn't have massive disinformation campaigns, or bailouts, it made sense that personal action could (in theory) drive change through market forces alone.
    But corporations is so beyond the reach of market forces that they can lose 100s of millions of dollars and simply wait-out the threat. A normal person is in deep trouble if they lose 10 grand in a short time.

  • @MagusFlorren
    @MagusFlorren ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Really a beautiful video essay. ❤ you hit a lot of great notes that needed to be addressed.

  • @singingintherain1266
    @singingintherain1266 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I have known and been worried about climate change since I was a young child, thanks to my obsession with biology. I have only recently came to realise that how much it has affected me when nearly no one around me, especially adults, just didn't really understand my worry. Being a child and carrying such worry alone sucks, I don't wish that for anyone. Luckily people start to be more aware but I am still worried if we can make the change in time, tho as an adult the worry is easier to handle. I would have loved to see a movie like Strange world when I was young. Thank you for making this video.

  • @Theballonist
    @Theballonist ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The scene where the whole town gathers to see the first wind powered lights go on makes me cry, almost as much as when they zoom out and realize they are seeing an eye. It's not a perfect movie, but it may be the best disney movie

  • @colonelweird
    @colonelweird ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I recently started watching some videos on Solarpunk & noticed they all use clips from "Dear Alice." I didn't know what it was, so I looked it up and was very annoyed to see it was a yogurt commercial. When you view it as such, the message is very different, or at least it seemed so to me. I kept seeing that the solarpunk elements really functioned mostly as decorations for what was basically a futuristic version of American suburbia, one with gardens and greenery and friendly robots. But I knew there had to be a giant supermarket nearby -- perhaps in the direction the camera wasn't facing -- and therefore also the same kind of distribution systems we have now, therefore also the industrial dairy farms we have now, therefore also the capitalism we have now... just a bit "greener."
    But now I see there is a "decommodified" version of the ad? What in tarnation??? I'm gonna have to see what this is about.

    • @Baraborn
      @Baraborn ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Solarpunk is a "baby genre ". it's hard for the average person to even imagine the lifestyle of an individual living Solar punk let alone the systems at play. Chill out and hold on, or add to the pile, that's what communal living is after all. No pure "consumers / audience members".

  • @shifty220
    @shifty220 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    A new Pop Culture Detective video!! Great stuff!

  • @FerousFolly
    @FerousFolly ปีที่แล้ว +4

    this is the first piece of media that's made me cry in probably 2 or 3 years.
    for so long i've held such a deep lack of hope for our future, a dark fucking *_pit_* of climate dispair.
    even though i know it's possible to fix and i understand what we need to do to get there, i also understand that the overwhelming forefront of pro-environment rhetoric is just propaganda to shift public attention and awareness away from real solutions and away from the real crimes against life.
    the fact that, for the past 50+ years, the average climate conscious person has been used as a sociopolitical human shield for fossil fuel corporations sickens me to the core, and makes it so, *_so_* hard to believe that the really important messages can get out there and spread as far as is needed.
    your breakdown of this film ... how you leaned into real solutions like permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and radical fossil fuel abolition ... your breakdown - your voice on this as a public figure and well-respected media analyst - is the most gratifying, confirming, restorative, and reassuring piece of media i've experienced in a long time.
    i feel seen, in regards to climate dispair, for perhaps the first time since I saw behind the curtain; and i feel hope that we can be heard, and maybe even finally listened to.
    from the bottom of my pit; thank you.

    • @lynx655
      @lynx655 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Look up works by Hannah Ritchie at Our World in Data. She also has a TED Talk.

  • @Jasmin-lw9zr
    @Jasmin-lw9zr 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Love this! I started out with the podcast episode, then watched the movie and finished out with this video essay and it was the perfect combo! Thank you so much for shining a light on Solarpunk and the monumental worth of utopias and hope ❤

  • @alanlittlemoon8194
    @alanlittlemoon8194 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Another great essay from Pop Culture Detective. I have found myself borrowing ideas and observations for my students consumption and this is no exception. Thanks for making my job easier.

  • @zachanikwano
    @zachanikwano ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Oh my gosh. I kinda passed on this movie due to drama and it looking a bit bland, but you've created a new passion for me. Solarpunk. What a palate cleanser.
    And of course Ghibli essentially created the genre -- that's so typical of them 🥰
    One of my passions, all my life has been farming/farm life. And as any other kid who grew up surrounded by warnings of how our current world isn't sustainable in the long term, I've thought a lot about sustainable living could it look like. How either by preemptive choice or having no other choice, we'll have to go a bit "retro" with how we once lived pre-hyper-industrialization. Until, like you said, we create and innovate.
    Thanks for this video, PCD. Your content is always great. Thought provoking, instilling a new kind of appreciation for things I may have missed otherwise. Also your video quality is amazing, as usual. Keep up the good work.

  • @gemstone108
    @gemstone108 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    People like to say this movie is just another generational trauma plot done more blandly but I have my own read; the pulp comic style is a nod to the fact that the 3 generations of men in this movie are 3 like different eras of protagonist! Jaeger is the macho adventure man archetype common in such comics during the 20th century, Searcher is a protagonist of the aughts/2010s, being the seemingly weak/ordinary everyman who’s story would’ve ended with the discovery of pando if this were only his movie, and Ethan reflects the kind of hero that this generation of kids watching Disney movies want to see; someone who cares about important issues, the world around him, and is a reflection of real kids who can see themselves in him. I dunno if I’m being coherent here, I just have a lot of thoughts 😅
    Anyway, I’m so glad you gave this movie the coverage it deserves! I certainly think it’s better than a lot of people make it out to be (Although the cold coffee line always bothered me. Like, iced coffee isn’t a thing in their world? 😂)

  • @timberfox104
    @timberfox104 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I would love to see an episode discussing the change in the definition of the word wonderful from being 'full of wonder' into just another word to discribe above average. and how there is a gap in the English language that was left when wonderful's definition was changed.

  • @calowenby1654
    @calowenby1654 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I love your content so much. I can actually always count on it to make me think, and I am eternally grateful for how much it has impacted me. Thx!

  • @Crowstal
    @Crowstal ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thank you for making this video! I'm tired of people criticizing it at face value. Sure the movie isn't perfect, but the themes and messages really resonated with me. I wish it was marketed better because it's a nice movie!

  • @Jeffinitely_Maybe
    @Jeffinitely_Maybe ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I actually just finished reading Prayer for the Crown Shy yesterday! What a great novella, I particularly loved the description of the currency/exchange system in that world.

  • @SuburbanPony
    @SuburbanPony ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I always look forward to your videos! They are truly insightful, educational, and eye opening. Thank you for posting 💖

  • @LadyLyraSmith
    @LadyLyraSmith ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I can't express how grateful I am that you put your video sources on the actual video while the clip plays. I was raised in the kkkult, my media knowledge is sorely lacking. I added three movies to my list from this video alone.

  • @cathydraws7895
    @cathydraws7895 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    As much as we need realistic criticism and solutions for saving the planet, we also need optimistic and hopeful depictions too. I feel alot more motivated to rally for change after seeing that there could be a bright future then a pessimistic apocalypse where I just feel depressed and apathetic.

  • @realchezboi
    @realchezboi ปีที่แล้ว +7

    i really like this perspective on strange world, even if it wasn't mine or a lot of other people's favourite film, great video!!!!!!

  • @hellozup
    @hellozup ปีที่แล้ว +1

    why am I crying after watching this video.. your words and how you breakdown the point of view was informative, easy to understand, and moving. I haven't watched this movie and now I am curious.. thank you

  • @Thimble-berry
    @Thimble-berry ปีที่แล้ว

    This is a great video, and I appreciate you making it. I really look forward to your video about redemption in death character arcs. I haven't seen a lot of thoughtful takes on that topic, something which I'm certain you'll be able to provide.
    Thanks for all the food for thought!

  • @gwen9939
    @gwen9939 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I'm repeatedly blown away by the excellent use of visuals and references to other works on this channel. It's not just having something to look at while the essay is happening, but is just as much a part of what is being said as the voiceover. It's "show, don't tell" in a format that is usually all about telling you how things are. It's brilliant.

  • @SodaDjinn
    @SodaDjinn ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is a fantastic analysis on how media portrays and mirrors our concerns for the environment in the forseeable future. I've watched most movies you've included in this video, but I have not seen Strange World yet. Too often we see the future where no sacrifices were taken or even necessary, so it's good to see a more down-to-earth plot to this theme, where a society decides to overcome hardships for a better future rather than sitting it out or getting it handed on a silver platter. Maybe it's still a little bit too optimistic for me, but I'll have to watch the movie for myself first. Again, fantastic video essay that shines a needed light on the complexity of the biggest challenge of our time.

  • @luluaube4293
    @luluaube4293 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I can't thank you enough for your videos! Every single one of them is awesome and makes me discover new movies/ideologies/concepts. Thanks for what you do and who you are

  • @RP-ws8fl
    @RP-ws8fl ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Always such a delight to see a new video from you. Fantastic as always

  • @flooferderp2918
    @flooferderp2918 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I am sad to say, I nearly forgot this movie existed. I didn't know it had this kind of amazing message.

  • @isabelleambrose9293
    @isabelleambrose9293 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Remember that this is your home, where you mother was born your siblings and this planet is your home not matter where you go this is you , you are earth from the minerals in your body to the air you breathe you are earth as apart of earth you must take care of yourself and the bigger part of you

  • @JawviBear
    @JawviBear 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This was a lovely video. Thank you for putting this together and for emphasizing such a great message.

  • @14OF12
    @14OF12 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    At 14:35, I can really see the parallels in the movie "Tomorrowland", where the whole climax of the movie was that the constant messaging about the end of the world by climate change only made the people more pessimistic and nihalistic, thereby making the people think that any action was futile. And that the oppisite message about the possibilities about sustainable living was what would make people take action.

  • @lyannawinter405
    @lyannawinter405 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I had not heard about this movie before watching your video. The story and storytelling touched me greatly, especially with the non-white protagonists and the love is love portrayal. I'm so happy this movie exists and am a little heart-broken that, apparently, a whole bunch of people take exception to it. Thank you for making this video!

  • @mattakudesu
    @mattakudesu ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Man, this might be the first movie I've watched in years, it actually seems really interesting and actually trying to push us in a good direction

  • @matiaspereira4128
    @matiaspereira4128 ปีที่แล้ว

    I genuinely enjoy all of your videos and essays
    I admire your work and try to recommend this channel to every person I can.
    Thanks for all your effort. I'll try become a Patreon as soon as I can!

  • @alfonsojarago
    @alfonsojarago 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This video made me cry more than once. Thank you for this

  • @Snappy1143
    @Snappy1143 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    I really loved the themes and message of this movie, but I found most of the characters/dialogue/scenes/aesthetics kinda boring... I feel like the concept was great but the execution was a bit bland, so I understand a lot of ppls apathetic reaction to it. I was disappointed by it myself, because I think it had a great message but could have been so much better. I appreciate the video highlighting the positive themes!

  • @tvguts
    @tvguts ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Glad to see someone talking about this movie!! I went and saw it in theaters and liked it a lot, I remember being kind of impressed to see such a strong message about climate change in a disney movie. Also Splat is great.

  • @georgekantelis
    @georgekantelis ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I just saw Lyla June speak the other day and was thinking of her throughout this video until you literally showed her saying exactly what I was thinking.

  • @felixflitou
    @felixflitou 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    First time you post a video since I subscribed to your channel, this notification made my day!

  • @LimeyLassen
    @LimeyLassen ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Just a few errant frames of Illumination's Lorax are enough to make my skin crawl.. I can't imagine sitting through the whole feature

    • @PopCultureDetective
      @PopCultureDetective  ปีที่แล้ว +4

      It’s mind-numbingly bad. The original animated short from 1972 is good though.

    • @onepresence9460
      @onepresence9460 ปีที่แล้ว

      I personally enjoyed Illumination’s The Lorax, but i completely why that movie is hated. I really liked it for the animation art style 😅

  • @tanadarko6991
    @tanadarko6991 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I've never even heard of this movie!? I'll be giving it a watch for sure. I work in nonprofit / sustainability and have forwarded this to all of my staff as well.

  • @CaptFoxtail
    @CaptFoxtail ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for making this wonderful video! I watched this with my roommate and loved it! Such a cool animation, fun characters, and as much as a dystopian film can be fun to watch and explore, having a movie with such a nice message that felt optimistic but with some realistic elements. Love to see you talk about it and thanks for bringing Terra Nil to my awareness cause it's now on my wishlist and I can't to try it!

  • @ling0380
    @ling0380 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I've seen a few cast interviews popped up on my recommendations, thinking it's not released in my country yet and had forgotten about it, until this video. went to search and was surprised to see it already released on disney+. Thanks to a great video essay as always!