Esmeralda Gomez

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Hi! Hello! My pronouns are she/her, and I'm a storyteller who loves tea and cats.
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Music Review: Ed Sheeran's "=" Album by Esmeralda Gomez

Music Review: Ed Sheeran's "=" Album

A while back ago I wrote about Ed Sheeran’s single “Bad Habits” and how it debuts his new music era. So now that his = album has been out for some time, I want to come back to him and review his work. I had suggested his new album will be electronic music since “Bad Habits” resembles techno. This was basically a guess, but I didn’t expect to get it right. Yet despite this new change in genre, there are echoes of his past self, which is symbolized in the equal sign for his music and life. “An equals symbol is the end of a question and start of an answer, it’s in the middle of the two. I definitely feel like being 30 I’m on either side.”

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 10 min read
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The Mitchells Vs. The Machines: The Critique About Technology by Esmeralda Gomez

The Mitchells Vs. The Machines: The Critique About Technology

The Mitchells vs. The Machines is a beautiful movie with various types of art styles, family-themed, and has queer representation with funny characters. And while I want to give more reasons to watch the movie, I’d like to talk about something else- the critique it offers about technology. Throughout the movie, we see the family theme focus on the father and daughter with Rick and Katie since their relationship isn’t that great. It is known through a series of photos that they don’t get along, and later we understand that technology is the problem since she always has her phone in her hand.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 5 min read
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3 Reasons To Read The Webtoon "I Love Yoo" by Esmeralda Gomez

3 Reasons To Read The Webtoon "I Love Yoo"

When I read I Love Yoo, I was trying to decipher what type of love was occurring and where it was going to go until I realized I was taking away the story’s value of what it had to offer me- the human experience of trying to make deep connections with others while having trauma. But fair warning: It might appear like True Beauty, but the two webtoons are really different. Most people who see parallels between the stories only view it from the “love triangle” angle that True Beauty establishes, but that does not exist in I Love Yoo. I say this because this was the headspace I was stuck in when I focused on the “romance” that was occurring that made me miss the story’s value.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 11 min read
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How Venom Is Eddie's Shadow Self by Esmeralda Gomez

How Venom Is Eddie's Shadow Self

In the craft of storytelling, there’s this thing called the "shadow," which is essentially a character that the “hero” has to confront if they want to overcome an obstacle, achieve growth, and reach their goals. The character is often a “villain,” but they embody the problematic parts that belong to the hero, which get ignored by subconscious suppression. But the term "shadow" came from Carl Jung's work in psychology and his concept of “shadow work” which was built from Freud's work on repression. If you’re unfamiliar with the “shadow self,” know that it is the self that’s suppressed from the conscious mind. This is because the shadow self is the negative emotions, thoughts, and behavior that a person is unaware of because they don’t want the negative traits associated with them, but they can surface when a person is triggered. But because they suppress their shadow self so much, they won’t remember their hurtful actions or words after the triggering event has passed.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 6 min read
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The Best Version Of The Legend Of La Llorona by Esmeralda Gomez

The Best Version Of The Legend Of La Llorona

Growing up, I knew La Llorona as a wailing woman who drowned her children. My dad would dismiss the stories saying the cries heard in Mexico were simply cats. He told me this the first time I was exposed to her story, seeing no need to scare me into behaving since Catholicism did that too much- which he tried limiting my exposure from. But as much as I want to credit him for my logical and realistic mind, I’m here to tell you which version of La Llorona is best to tell. Throughout South America, Mexico, and the Southwest of the United States there are regional variations of La Llorona. Yet despite them, the most famous tale from them is that La Llorona was a beautiful peasant woman who married a rich ranchero. They’re said to have lived happily with children until her husband brought home another woman and condemned her and his children back into poverty.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 8 min read
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How Coraline Jones And Jack Skellington Are Similar by Esmeralda Gomez

How Coraline Jones And Jack Skellington Are Similar

You may have heard this already, but the Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas displays cultural appropriation and capitalist exploitation. This is bad, but this happens from Jack's existential crisis that comes from his inability to appreciate his life after living the same way for so many years. And in a way, he’s not so different from Coraline. You might think I’m crazy, but hear me out. When Coraline is bored, she explores. She meets her neighbors out of boredom instead of curiosity and interest in who they are and their lives. In the book, she does this a lot since Wybie doesn’t exist, though even when the movie occupies her time with Wybie, she tolerates him out of boredom in the beginning until the trouble is stirred up with the beldam.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 8 min read
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The Philosophy Of Names In The Movie Coraline by Esmeralda Gomez

The Philosophy Of Names In The Movie Coraline

When I first saw the movie Coraline, I was horrified by the creepiness, so I made sure to never watch it again. But I saw it as a child, so of course, I was scared. However, as an adult, it’s still terrifying, which I respect and love. Because of this, I read the book and there’s something I noticed that makes me love the written story more- the motif of names with identity and listening. It sounds weird, but there’s a philosophy behind names and identity. I kid you not, there’s literal philosophy about names and their semantics. But don’t worry, I won’t bore you with the theories and their technicality.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 7 min read
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The Philosophy Of The Movie "Free Guy": On Reality, Purpose, And Change by Esmeralda Gomez

The Philosophy Of The Movie "Free Guy": On Reality, Purpose, And Change

Most simulation movies have taken place in video games as our favorite idea from our technological advancement.However, they’ve involved humans living in videos games, like Ready Player One. Even the Japanese show Sword Art Online centers on living in a video game. But in Free Guy, Guy belongs to a video game as an NPC. This idea is new to the gaming genre but not new to The Truman Show. If you haven’t seen the movie, The Truman Show is about a man named Truman discovering that his world is artificial by making connections that he’s on a live tv show. At the end of the movie, Truman escapes the show to enter reality, which is an option Guy doesn’t have since he artificially belongs to the game Free City as an NPC. In other words, as movies have played with the simulation theory itself, Free Guy has played with the idea of being fake instead.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 6 min read
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Why Is "Sex Education" The Best Teen Show On Netflix by Esmeralda Gomez

Why Is "Sex Education" The Best Teen Show On Netflix

Sex Education is a Netflix original show that’s British. It’s perfect for teens because it deconstructs American cliche narratives by fleshing out each character three-dimensionally and dynamically while exploring themes on self-discovery, human connection, and sex. Note that because the show involves sex, there is nudity. So if that’s not something you can tolerate, I don’t recommend this show. Though, if you’re on the fence about it, I recommend trying to overlook that aspect since the stories are irreplaceable and invaluable. Here’s why Sex Education Is The Best Teen Show

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 11 min read
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Here Is Why "The Kissing Booth" Film Series Is Problematic by Esmeralda Gomez

Here Is Why "The Kissing Booth" Film Series Is Problematic

The Kissing Booth 3 is the third and final installment of the film series, The Kissing Booth, so the franchise is being obsessed over by fans as it comes to an end. If you haven’t seen any of the films, you might get drawn into watching them from their hype. But I’m here to tell you not to watch them! And if you’ve seen them, I’m here to tell you why the franchise is problematic. Though, before getting into it, I’d like to note that I’m guilty of enjoying the first film until the second was released. I couldn’t put my finger on the red flags at the time, but the more I thought about them, the more I learned why I hated this franchise. With that said, don’t be ashamed if you didn’t notice these problems either!

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 12 min read
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8 Reasons Why The FX Show "Pose" Deserves More Attention by Esmeralda Gomez

8 Reasons Why The FX Show "Pose" Deserves More Attention

When the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community are presented in film and tv, they’re either supporting or minor characters that get killed off, stereotyped, or simply underdeveloped. But Pose has a special place in LGBTQ+ history since the story is about ballroom culture in the trans community during the 80s in New York with a specific focus on Black and Latina women. So throughout the seasons, we get to witness them trying to live their best lives, despite their hardships with the AIDS epidemic and discrimination. The show is then about trans history and their struggles during this time period, but it’s also about the hope and love that make them strong and resilient.Though, other reasons make this show great.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 8 min read
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6 Native American Books To Read In Order To Support BIPOC Artists And Anthologies by Esmeralda Gomez

6 Native American Books To Read In Order To Support BIPOC Artists And Anthologies

When it comes to supporting BIPOC artists, it can be difficult to know where to start. I personally had a hard time searching for contemporary Native authors that wrote science fiction or fantasy. However, I eventually came across a group of books that I read and loved. Sadly, they’re not as widely known as they should be. So if you’re having a hard time finding a good read, here’s my personal and recommended list of Native stories, but note that most of them are anthologies. Love Beyond Body Space and Time is a science fiction and fantasy anthology with LGBTQ+ characters in interactional stories written by Indigenous authors. In “Imposter Syndrome” by Mari Kurisato, Aanji is an AI in the process of transitioning as a human, which parallels the trans journey of hormone therapy and plastic surgery.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 6 min read
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The Symbolism And Influence Of The Netflix Series "Money Heist" by Esmeralda Gomez

The Symbolism And Influence Of The Netflix Series "Money Heist"

There are movies and shows like Ocean’s Eleven, or Now You See Me about heists for personal gain by stealing banks and casinos. Some add a Robin Hood element, making them political action films, but they still steal from businesses. Money Heist doesn’t do this; instead, they directly take money from the government by breaking into and create one billion euros in the mint of Spain to escape the country and gain financial freedom. It’s stated in season two by The Professor to Raquel that the government has repeatedly poofed money into the hands of the rich during economic crises while the working class suffered. The government wasn’t called thieves nor punished for their corruption, so he’s doing the same. In particular, he says, and I quote:

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 8 min read
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3 Reasons Why "The Suicide Squad" Is Better Than "Suicide Squad" by Esmeralda Gomez

3 Reasons Why "The Suicide Squad" Is Better Than "Suicide Squad"

The film Suicide Squad (2016) was hyped up from its premise, actors, brand, and studio company, making it successful in the box office. However, it left DC fans disappointed. Now in 2021, there’s a new film called The Suicide Squad. What’s up with that? And I’m with you; I was equally confused by the title. These days franchises avoid placing numbers in their titles, so it comes across as a reboot or sequel. But it’s neither. According to James Gunn, The Suicide Squad is a stand-alone film. James Gunn was initially hired by Warner Brothers to write a Superman movie. But he had a particular interest in “The Suicide Squad” comics, specifically with John Ostrander's version and his idea of the villains being disposable. How’s the film not a reboot then? Because the multiverse exists. Yet some features make it sound like a sequel.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 6 min read
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7 Reasons Why Everyone Loves Lore Olympus by Esmeralda Gomez

7 Reasons Why Everyone Loves Lore Olympus

From among the myths of ancient times, Greek Mythology is the most famous and well-known pagan pantheon from being depicted in films. Although, the stories the film industry tells are either about legends or events of the war. Because of this, they don’t show the true personalities of the Greek gods. One of the most famous stories is “Hercules” by Disney, which has shaped some people’s views on certain gods that are false from the narrative of many myths. But a famous webtoon called “Lore Olympus” has gained popularity doing the opposite. Instead of smudging the truth, the author of “Lore Olympus,” Rachel Smythe, writes a modern retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth where (most of) the gods involved have the personalities from their original myths while humanizing them, making the story perfect for mythology junkies.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 19 min read
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Netflix’s “Sweet Tooth” Makes A Better Environmental Statement Than The Comic Book by Esmeralda Gomez

Netflix’s “Sweet Tooth” Makes A Better Environmental Statement Than The Comic Book

The Netflix series “Sweet Tooth” and comic book have two different origin stories with two different purposes of ‘The Sick.’ In the show, it’s an environmental statement, but in the comic, it’s an act of revenge. In the show, we learn that Pubba and Bear believe the virus is Nature’s way of healing herself from humans’ destruction. And that the hybrid children are supposed to rise and become the new inhabitants of Earth. But without their expression, this would be a common belief among the audience since our reduced activity has reduced air and water pollution during the pandemic. It didn’t reset Earth, but we saw her revive a bit.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 8 min read
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Netflix’s Comedy Special "Inside" Is A Chaotic Reflection Of 2020 by Esmeralda Gomez

Netflix’s Comedy Special "Inside" Is A Chaotic Reflection Of 2020

Written, directed, and edited by Bo Burnham throughout the pandemic, “Inside” is a comedic film that features songs and bits about his isolation and mental health, which captures how a majority of people felt during the pandemic. But 2020 was more than the pandemic. After the death of George Floyd and the BLM protects, there has been a stream of activism on social media of BIPOC influencers educating about systemic racism, toxic masculinity, misogyny, colonization, and so much more. Some people have been enlightened, while others choose to be ignorant and gaslight activists and allies. However, some people aren’t quite enlightened and do performative activism, which is done by “allies” to be a part of the “trend.” These people have been overwhelmingly White. Because of this, Bo Burnham’s “Inside” also has songs and bits that mock the White lens and their response to social issues.

writer and magazine editor Esmeralda Gomez
Esmeralda Gomez
entertainment . 8 min read
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