Many people look at Netflix as a mechanism for wasting time. We love the endless supply of films and the opportunity to binge-watch our favorite television shows. But I never see people talking about one of Netflix’s greatest contributions: its documentaries. You can waste time and educate yourself at the same time. There’s such a wide range of documentary genres available, that you can find something no matter what interests you. Watch a made-for-TV segment, learn about the behind the scenes of multiple musicians’ worlds, or watch different collections of Ted talks. If you’re looking for an hour or two of learning about social and cultural dilemmas, these are a few of my favorite documentaries.
BlackfishDid you ever go to SeaWorld as a kid? If you did, you probably loved it! You definitely won’t after watching this eye-opening and emotional documentary about the orcas used in their daily shows. It provides an inside look at many of the deaths and injuries that have taken place at the tourist attraction over the years; quite a few done by the same whale. Included are personal testimonies from former SeaWorld trainers. You even get to see actual video footage of the accidents that occurred as well as the unethical treatment of the animals themselves. What you’ll get out of watching this film is a better understanding of the idea that just because we can do certain things as humans, doesn’t mean we should.
BroniesI originally watched Bronies because there was all of a sudden an abundance of chatter about it on my social media sites. I already knew about the phenomenon that is the Brony movement. In short: they are a large group of people (mostly white males) across the world who are huge fans of the television show “My Little Pony.” As interpreted by the internet, they are the guys who wear fedoras and believe in the concept of the “friendzone” aka a girl’s worst enemy. However, watching the film made me a little less judgmental about them simply because they’ve found a solution to the human condition – friends. They like the show and the toys that go along with it because both represent friendship and important qualities like honesty and kindness. Though it is troublesome to see men take over another thing meant to empower women (little girls actually), there have been worse ways they’ve done it. These are men trying to spread the message of harmony and peace and a coming together of people to celebrate each other- which I think the world could use more of.
Miss RepresentationIt is so important as young women in today’s world to know how we’re being affected. It’s great that we know Photoshop exists in advertising and that models spend hours in the makeup chair to achieve the looks we’ll never be able to achieve ourselves. But did you ever realize that news anchors sway our thinking too? What about the fact that the lack of women in leadership positions perpetuates the patriarchal concepts that only men can be successful leaders? This documentary points out not only the obvious flaws in the representations of women in media, but also the ones you probably never thought of. Being members of Generation Y, we are currently the largest consumers of media and are soon to be the largest contributors to it. Let’s make a change to the way it’s being done so we can better influence the women who come after us and the men who will continue to put them down.
Life in a DayThis documentary is amazing because of its format. The entirety of its content is home-filmed clips from people all around the world filmed on July 24, 2010 and uploaded to YouTube compiled into what essentially is a piece of art. The concept is showing the differences of people’s daily lives, which ultimately becomes an insight into human life and the human condition which is definitely worth watching.
Whores’ GloryWhores’ Glory was recommended to me after I proposed the idea for this article. It is an objective look into three regions of the world to shed a light on global prostitution. The film is divided into three segments to show a prostitution business in Thailand, a city of whorehouses in Bangladesh, and a red-light district in Mexico. It focuses on the working women of these countries and their attitudes towards gaining clients; in addition to those clients’ opinions and treatment in return. In Thailand, the women sit behind a pane of glass like animals while the men point them out based on preference or fetish. The whole idea can easily make you depressed about the state of the world while also making you realize how privileged you are to not be forced into such a situation. I like that the point of the film is not to shame prostitution or look down upon it because sex work, when done properly, is a respectable job. As global citizens, it is important for us to recognize that what is not respectable are the places in the world with such troublesome viewpoints and problematic social and economic systems as these three countries.