Overanalyzing the Drapes

This’ll sound incredibly “old man yells at cloud”, but I believe the internet, particularly social media, has degraded media literacy. I feel bad saying that, but with the byte-sized way media’s consumed, and the algorithm prioritizing clicks, if something doesn’t connect to everything, people complain. I don’t like that. Not only is it hollow, it mistakes the forest for the trees. Especially since not everything has to have underlying intent.

I’m reminded of the whole “the drapes were blue” debate. Basically, ascribing underlying meaning to the drapes, especially when the author didn’t intend it, is pretentious. Alternatively, there might be underlying meaning, but it’s vague and a far cry from what the viewer interprets. Regardless, overthinking the drapes’ colour ruins the grander picture. This is the type of media literacy that exists online, seeping its way into fandoms like a curse.

I’ll use an example: despite enjoying the finale to Stranger Things, fans were unhappy and felt like it was a fake-out. They believed a true ending would retcon what happened. This became known as “Conformity Gate”, complete with “details” that lined up with this theory. Never mind that the Duffers never intended for another episode, and that filming and releasing one in less than a week was near-impossible. So when the date came, and the episode never happened, what’d fans do? They moved the goalpost to the upcoming documentary, turning it into a modern day Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.

I must ask if people are overthinking this. You don’t have to like an ending, but working in an overcomplicated way to rationalize everything is pathetic. At some point, you need to let it go. Because it’s not healthy. That’s what “the drapes were blue” debate is about.

Having established head-canons can be fun in moderation. I believe Robin Buckley from Stranger Things is neurodivergent, and I could make a strong case for that. I also think Season 3 of The Mandalorian has parallels to the Jewish experience historically, which is something I’ve written about. But these are head-canons. And by trying to forcefully actualize them, I’d be doing both shows, as well as their fandoms, a disservice.

Additionally, this can be detrimental. I’m reminded when the moderator for the Wiki of one of the Silent Hill games was obsessed with it being about circumcision and the occult, editing any posts to align with this. Ignoring how the Silent Hill games rely on ambiguous allusions, I doubt a Japan-centric property would be about circumcision. There aren’t enough Jews there to have that sway! Checkmate!

This circles back to the drapes. Sure, speculative conversations can be fun. But they’re speculative. They’re not authoritative, nor should they be. By forcing them to be authoritative, you miss the intent. It’s not unlike fans being pissed at Old Man Luke for “betraying what Luke stood for”, to the point of sending death threats and weaponizing Mark Hamill’s words. Sometimes, you have to settle for what you’re dealt, however painful it may be.

While we’re talking Star Wars, sometimes the author also overthinks and projects a head-canon. This is true of Season 2 of Andor, specifically The Ghorman Massacre. There was a rumour floating that the show-runner, Tony Gilroy, had equated said massacre to Gaza, completely missing how the moment didn’t neatly fit with it. It couldn’t, and forcing it wouldn’t change that. Sometimes, you have to cut your losses and admit when you don’t know something.

I’m not against speculation. The fact that fans have theories to back head-canons can be fun…so long as they’re quantitative, qualitative and don’t dampen the enjoyment. You’re allowed to think Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender is Autistic, or that Perfuma from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is trans. Power to you! But that shouldn’t result in overthinking the reasoning for the drapes being blue.

I know artists, both consciously and subconsciously, weave their personal lives and lived experiences into their art. That’s what the human experience is about, and I’m guilty of it too. But lived experiences don’t automatically make everything in media profound. Sometimes, for better or worse, the drapes are blue because the author didn’t want them pink. You don’t need elaborate explanations for everything!

Unfortunately, social media has made this conversation nearly-impossible. If something doesn’t line up with or immediately conform to preconceived notions, it’s a failure. And it’s either retconned by fans, or ignored by them. That also comes a lack of critical thought for something that requires it, like Annihilation or Wolf’s Rain. Because why think analytically when the surface details capture the imagination more?

Ultimately, people need to step back and breathe before seeing what isn’t there. Does that mean you can’t analyze anything? No. It simply means understanding why you’re analyzing something in the first place. Because, like I said, sometimes there’s no profound reason for the drapes being blue. Sometimes, like it or not, they’re simply blue.