Summer Days, The Purpose of Art + Connecting with TV Characters

Leora Katz
Jul 21, 2017 · 7 min read

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// ramble on //

June. I’m starting to feel like myself again (sometimes). It’s oddly hard to do that when you don’t have the city, environment, people, streets and sentences that have reinforced you your entire life. When you can’t even have a conversation about distance or the freakin weather because none of the numbers are right anymore. It’s hard, but wildly interesting and in a way, thrilling. The past few months have felt like an out of body experience, but I’m getting to a place where I sometimes feel like me again. Me, just in Los Angeles… with nothing familiar. I am feigning a Phish show like no other. You might not get it but if you do — oh how I need those lights to go down and those first notes to play and those people I love all around me. I’m addicted to that feeling and miraculously get to see 10 shows this summer. 20 days to go… and I’m definitely counting. I had the most surreal experience of my life a couple weeks ago. (No exaggeration.) I got to see Broken Social Scene, one of my all-time favorite bands, play in a small backyard in a small neighbourhood in LA. (You can read my account here.) I laughed and cried and marveled at how good life is, and I still can’t believe it happened. It was such a needed moment in making me feel happy in LA… perhaps this is the city where dreams come true. Saturday was Canada Day, and I’m feeling damn proud to be Canadian. Between watching the world crumble into insanity and moving to the US — it’s beautiful to see my country as a shining example of a better way. It could use some palm trees, though…

LA | By Leora Katz | June 2017

// the perfect dirty //

End of a summer day. A little sweat, the remanent of sunscreen.
Sand or dirt or fluff between toes, hair a disheveled masterpiece.
That quiet, restful moment before you shower.
A silent tribute to the day’s adventure.

// humanity is art is humanity //

“I find that Art can shout to me across a few years or centuries, and it carries the same message: ‘Yes, I exist, and you are not alone.’”

- Roger Ebert

Most recently it’s TV shows that are filling my need for art, and really — it’s because of the characters.

When you watch a show, are you constantly relating yourself to the characters? I am. While I sit there being entertained, there’s a wheel spinning in the back of my mind wondering if I would do what the characters do, say what they say, or if I’m like them in any way at all. Is that normal, or does it make me some sort of egomaniac?

As I grapple with that question, ashamed of my potential self-centeredness, I realize it’s unwarranted. Unwarranted because of the purpose of art.

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

- Edgar Degas

“But there are humans being humans in real life all around me,” my Counter-Brain says.
“Yes, but the screen changes everything,” replies Brain The First. “It’s easier to critique others when you’re meant to be playing voyeur.”

By Leora Katz | Sept 2016

I have zero idea how a writer goes about developing a character, or an actor goes about playing one. But you know you’re watching a good one when at the time, it’s real. You’re faced with a person you can both adore and despise, show empathy for and shun. A person with flaws and quirks, a backstory and a dream, admirable qualities and ones that make you cringe.

A good character is someone you recognize. Because every one of them is you.

“We are all wonderful, beautiful wrecks. That’s what connects us — that we’re all broken. All beautifully imperfect.”

- Emilio Estevez

Am I that selfish? That needy? Have I ever been that mean? Do I crave attention like her, crave a drink like him, come off like that to coworkers? Would I ever do something so kind? Could I forgive that quickly? Be that awkward? Stay that true to my values regardless of what was going on around me? Am I ever that thoughtless, that self-involved?

Great characters teach you about yourself and others just by being so beautifully human. Meaning great TV shows can soar passed the role of entertainer and into the realm of teacher, healer, leader. They can display the human condition in all it’s messy glory, making you feel connected, whole and understood. Reminding you of humanity.

// neflix + ponder //

I thought I’d share the three TV shows that inspired me to write the above, even though you’ve likely seen them. (Caveat: these shows display characters of a similar age and lifestyle to me, so of course they resonate especially well with me.)

Love by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, Paul Rust

I adore this show for many reasons, but the main one is how it celebrates the little things that make us human. Love makes me laugh out loud because of the slightest gesture or word. It perfectly captures what so much of our entertainment misses — those minuscule milliseconds where our weirdness shines.

The twisted faces we make when we sing. How at times, we resort to sound effects instead of words. The silly antics we develop with our closest friends. How we interact with the people we meet. The way we cling to the past. How stressful it is to compare yourself to others when they’re on a slightly different path. What it’s really like to fall in new love.

You have to pay attention when you watch this show, or you’ll miss the tiny moments that make it so wonderfully relatable. But this one is worth your attention.

Girls by Lena Dunham, Judd Apatow, Jenni Konner

HBO’s Girls is often painful to watch, but that’s why it’s so good. Flawed, complicated characters navigating through relationships with friends, romantic interests and parents. You often despise the characters for the selfish decisions they make, but it sure does force you to think about what you would do. The show is over-the-top hilarious, but it’s carefully balanced. Girls displays life’s moments and emotions in a way that pulls you in, helps you accept life’s imperfections, and question the world around you.

Master of None by Aziz Ansari, Alan Yang

While Master of None sometimes feels gimmicky, it’s forgivable because of everything it does so well. Aziz Ansari is unafraid to take on real topics that are often dealt with superficially in other shows. He devotes entire episodes to issues surrounding sexuality, race, gender, aging, technology, relationships, career choices and more — and tactfully, he draws no conclusions for you.

Instead, he tells a damn good story. Ansari goes the extra mile to develop his characters’s backstories, which is a brilliant way to build empathy.

What is it really like to be a person of color? To grow up with immigrant parents? What’s it like to be deaf? To be a cab driver? To be a woman? How might it feel to come out to a parent? To grapple with the concept of marriage or kids instead of accepting society’s expectations? To find yourself falling in love with someone who’s already in a relationship?

Once Master of None has shown you the world through these different perspectives, you’ll find yourself interacting with it slightly differently. You’ll notice something you might not have before; understand a situation more deeply. And hey, you might even try to be better.

ART.

// all done //

Do you even read this far? If so, hello down here :). Thanks for reading, and please feel free to reply — I would truly love to hear from you.

Love, Light, Leora ❤

PS. If you liked the above, sign up for Hi Let’s Life — my monthly newsletter — and get this kinda thing right to your inbox :)

Hi Let’s Life

A newsletter for those who try to notice life.

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Leora Katz

Written by

product @ buzzfeed. in love with music, adventures, trees, coffee, dancing, words, travel, phish + other stuff. creator of hi let’s life: smarturl.it/hiletslife

Hi Let’s Life

A newsletter for those who try to notice life.

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