Streaming & Escapism: Finding Refuge in Worlds Beyond
Stephanie Crawford
Summer 2020 was a lot.
The only way I can describe it is with the glorious Issa Rae tweet “*deep, heavy, negro spiritual sigh*” This summer was exhausting. The pandemic hasn’t let up since states reopened prematurely, causing another spike in cases. The summer began with the startling news of murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police, which reintroduced and reinvigorated the Black Lives Movement in the mainstream.
Seeing the protests and riots sent me in a whirlwind; the feelings of rage, frustration, and sadness were familiar. Still, there was something glaringly different about the atmosphere this year than in previous ones. I felt even tenser, more on edge, more restless. My shoulders and back were wound tight. My mind was on a loop replaying the news reports, the riots’ images, the endless flurry of tweets, the roaring sounds of chanting crowds, wailing sirens, and piercing gunshots. I felt unsettled sitting in my home, knowing that protests were going on, knowing family and friends who were out taking the streets braving trigger happy police officers, tear gas, and fires. I felt compelled to join, and I did.
On June 1, I went with a friend down to Capitol Hill. We marched down Constitution Avenue, shouting for justice for Breonna, George, Tony, and the countless others whose lives were lost to violence by the State’s hands. While protesting peacefully, my stomach dropped, and my heart went into a panic after truckloads of armed National Guard members were deployed down Constitution Avenue. Something in my spirit told me something terrible was about to happen. While the main crowd marched back down to Lafayette Park, my friend and I decided to leave. A few moments later, 45 tear-gassed the protesters. My mom called me in a panic, but luckily, I was already out of D.C. On the news, I saw the people I marched struggling and running in a frenzy into rowhomes. It hurt my heart and made me even more enraged and irate.
Days later, I continued to protest, send money to bail bonds, sign petitions, and pore over social media. By July, I was exhausted. I was just done. I did not have the spirit to endure another protest, I didn’t have the energy to retweet angrily or educate others about systemic racism, police brutality, capitalism and how it’s all connected, etc. etc. etc. I was just tired of dealing with it all, and that’s just the protests, I haven’t even discussed the interpersonal issues! I just wanted to escape with all the chaos and stress and be free from it all, but I couldn’t go anywhere since the pandemic was still happening. My only refuge was in my room with my laptop, headphones, a good meal, and a great movie or TV series.
I completely submerged myself in fictional narratives, some of which were in a different language or separate time. Most were in escapist genres‒sci-fi, fantasy, action, adventure, animation, which made it easier to completely dissociate from the current issues, even if it was just for a few hours. It’s much easier to escape into a world where the only conflict was to defeat the Fire Lord, slay the demons, stop the apocalypse, find love, cook the best meal, etc. No complex politics, no pandemic, no police brutality, no complicated family issues, none of it, just the story, characters, the conflict in the world at hand.
These shows gave me a sense of wonder, lightness, humor, and peace. Avatar: The Last Airbender comforted me, bringing me back to lazy summer afternoons of childhood. I fawned over the gorgeous, and I mean beautiful animation of the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. I cheered for Issa finally getting to move forward on her own terms, laughed during the whimsical and nonsensical antics of the three vampires and their family in What We Do in the Shadows, and I was mesmerized by performances in Hamilton and the visuals in Black Is King. Just having a little chance to take a fall into a world of simplicity helped to give a sense of sanity and make each day a little brighter. Escaping into these worlds gave me just a bit of freedom, a bit more hope to keep carrying on, and even more inspiration to create narratives that center Black people’s peace and joy.
There are so many forces at work eager to steal our hope, light, peace, and joy. Many of the escapist sources have gone away‒roller skating rinks, theaters, festivals, cook-outs. This year, especially at this time, it is vital to protect our peace, protect our optimism, and protect our light. While escapism isn’t the solution to our problems, it can give us a much-needed break from the weights of life, giving us a chance to envision a world without the trauma. It’s a chance to have a sense of bliss.
2020, and, I hate to say, 2021 will be trying, so how can you find your escape and healthily keep your peace?
Stephanie Crawford
Co-Editor in Chief, The Blue Record Blog
