Not Vanilla
A Star Is Born
Not Vanilla: The emotional effects of media
Reader, let me warn you before you journey further into this article — if you haven’t seen “A Star is Born” and you don’t want anything to be spoiled, stop reading now. Okay, so the rest of you have now tacitly complied to have the ending of “A Star is Born” spoiled for you: if […]
video games
Not Vanilla: The new media on the block
Okay, reader, I openly admit that I am not that much of a gamer. I’m not a total stranger to video games — if you put a controller in my hands, I’ll eventually figure out the controls. Whether or not I’m good at the game after I decipher those controls is not up for debate. […]
Not Vanila
Not Vanilla: In celebration of museums
Hello, dear reader! This week, I want to talk about a more reserved but common aspect of our culture: museums. Museums are centers of learning and exploration, spaces designed for the enrichment of the human mind. They’re places where we showcase best of our knowledge and culture. There are museums for almost every subject in […]
cooking
Not Vanilla: The joys of watching people cook
Recently, I’ve realized I watch a large amount of cooking shows and videos. I came to this conclusion when the first three shows Netflix suggested were all cooking or food-centric. I started to think about why I (and society in general) like watching cooking videos. Cooking entertainment has spanned several types of media — you […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Cycles of hype
Dear reader, we have to address the harsh truth that we have both been avoiding. Summer is over. And while I am happy to not be sweating in my sleep every night, I know we both will miss the amazing gifts that summer gives us, like sunny summer days, thrilling summer blockbusters, and countless summer […]
Podcasts
Not Vanilla: Exploring side content
Hello, reader! I hope your summer was wonderful or, at the very least, tolerable. I spent mine taking full advantage of my UR-provided HBO Go account. I finally had the time and the energy to really dive deep into a show. I landed on “Westworld” — the second season had premiered late in April, and […]
Instagram
Not Vanilla: The Joys of Instagram
Reader, perhaps you have not heard this app called Instagram — it’s something young people are quite into. When I downloaded Instagram, my impressions of the app made me think it would be filled with aesthetic images of the people I followed and the occasional beauty tutorial. What I realized is that Instagram is truly […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Being a Ballerina
Whenever I want to see some beautiful art I go onto YouTube and look up the The Royal Ballet — I watch all the videos they have, whether they are performances, practices, or videos about the different principal dancers in the company. First, reader, a disclaimer: I have never been a ballerina, and I have […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: The search for sitcoms
With all the classic comedy shows of my childhood gone (I’m talking “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” “Community,” “Drake & Josh,” “Friends”), I have been on the lookout for new comedies to catch my eye. For me, a comedy has to be smart with minimal cringe, present likeable characters, and preferably include a couple to […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Follow me, I’m famous
Recently, I have been perusing famous people’s Instagrams. I find it interesting to see how Jessica Biel or Chris Pratt live day to day — or rather, see what they chose to show me about how they live day to day. It’s fascinating how today’s celebrities choose to portray themselves to the public now that […]
