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PEN15

 

👋    What's up, blog!


🎥     This week we watched episodes one, two, and three of PEN15. From what I could see, this show is about the seventh-grade experiences of Maya (an Asian American girl) and Anna (her best friend). We get to see how they tried to create a new image of themselves on their first day back at school, how they tried to fit in with the smoking crowd, and how they learn to explore their bodies. 


😂    In these episodes, we got to see Maya and Anna go through a few wild experiences. I thought they were very funny even though there were plenty of cringey scenes (for instance, where Anna was with a younger boy during a "hook-up" session). I thought it was nice how Maya and Anna always stuck with each other and were open with each other no matter the situation they were in. 


🙌   Although I felt like this show was a bit too American, I could still see how the incorporation and inclusion of Asian American-ness were there. I think it was Maya's American accent that made me feel like the show was a bit American, but there was enough balance with her family life scenes. I also liked how we could see the different sets of parents. Maya's mom was strict, honest, and was very attentive to her daughter. Anna's mom was nice, too, but she was less attentive to her daughter since she was constantly arguing with her husband. 


👀    I would recommend this show! It is very funny and its cringy-ness can remind us of our own middle school experiences. 

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Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 10, 2021 at 10:30 AM

    I agree, this felt really American. To me it seems this show is Hollywood's representation of the American High School Experience and in general the teenage experience. I guess I am still unsure how does it addresses Asian American diaspora?

    Valeria

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    Replies
    1. AmyMarch 21, 2021 at 9:55 PM

      The show has an Asian American character as a main character and is also created by an Asian American so it is pretty squarely within the confines of the "Asian American Film and Television" category. It might be useful to interrogate what we expect when we consume media that is in these categories. What stories can be told and what stories remain untold?

      Delete
  2. AmyMarch 21, 2021 at 9:57 PM

    This show is unique in that it has an Asian American character at the center of her story but it sidelines discussions of race, racism and ethnicity. That is really different than most US media that uses BIPOC characters. It is interesting to think about what that does to the representation of race in the show.

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