Imposter Syndrome and Reunions - Mental Health Check Up #7

On the latest check up, Neoplasmic returns with Captain Kaye and OrganoidZero to catch up one what's been going on in their lives.

---

---

How’s it going, fellow Renegades? It’s time once again for a little check up with the crew just to see where we’re all at mentally and emotionally. It’s honestly a pleasure to have Keona back in the swing of things somewhat, and sometimes we all really need to go ahead and take a step back and examine ourselves.

Truth be told, this year has been a long year. In some ways, longer than last year. And this might be our favorite show to do, because we really get to just have a safe space with each other.

I’ll go ahead and let you guys listen, but as teased by the Marquee episode, our Captain DID brave through Dear Evan Hansen’s theatrical adaptation, and has some words he wanted to share, so… here ya go!

DEAR EVAN HANSEN (2021)

“My thoughts on this film are, um, complicated to say the least. But before we dive any further, there is one thing we need to address. I am sick and fucking tired of the discourse surrounding this movie getting disrupted by everyone and their mother beating the dead horse of Ben Platt's age. I get it, he's 27 years old, but the hair and makeup for the screen makes him look 40, and it's hard to take him seriously as a high schooler, I HEARD YOU THE FIRST 400,000 times! If that's all you have to say about the film and you're adding nothing new or constructive, kindly fuck off! With that off my chest, let's talk about the difference between intent and execution, because that's ultimately the biggest problem I have with the film's story. You guys know the saying, ‘the road to Hell is paved with good intentions?’ This is what that road would look like in a visual medium. I'm not all that familiar with Steven Levenson's background, and I never had the chance to see this musical on stage. Because of this, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt in that he wasn't trying to overly romanticize the struggles of people with a mental illness. Unfortunately, that's exactly how this comes across. At best, it's maudlin and melodramatic, and at worst, it could be triggering, borderline offensive, and just overall ineptly mishandled. Evan's actions, regardless of his social anxieties, are inexcusable, and he clearly should have faced more direct consequences as a result. Part of me wonders how much this would bother me if I wasn't going through my own struggles with anxiety and depression. If there weren't at least some moments in which I related to Evan, particularly when it comes to public speaking and trying to form connections with others, I wouldn't feel as frustrated that the film ends up feeding into the Hollywood stereotypes of metal health. Now, the reason I'm focusing so much on the narrative of the film is because these problems rub up against the things that actually work. Let's be honest, Broadway shows are expensive as fuck, so unless you're deep into that culture, most people have only ever listened to the cast recording. And to their credit, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are phenomenal songwriters, and teaming up with composer Dan Romer was a stroke of genius. One of the best moments in the film was Evan's speech, and the song ‘You Will Be Found,’ which happens to be the Act I finale on stage. The actor's performances, even down to the decision to record the vocals live, were great. Nepotism aside, I understand why it had to be Platt reprising his role from the stage. Yes, the hair and makeup are distracting, but hair and makeup isn't the performance. As for the rest of the cast, it's Kaitlyn Dever who outshines almost everyone. I don't think I have an answer to the question ‘is Dear Evan Hansen good,’ because I don't think it's as simple as yes or no. People just need to make up their own mind about this one, whether you want to see it or not.“ - Captain Kaye

That’ll do it for this episode. Seeing as how September is Suicide Prevention Month, if you know anyone who is struggling, or you are, help is always a click away. Special thanks to Brock for editing the video, and Kawaii Kyle for doing some touch ups for the audio.