Manor Ink November 2019

INK WELL OF HAPPINESS
MANOR INK | NOV. 2019 | 17
To binge or not to binge
I enjoy watching shows. I think most
people do. But as streaming services are
growing (not only in number but popularity),
it’s making it that much harder to
turn off a good TV show.
When you notice yourself
watching multiple
episodes of a show all at
once, you have fallen victim
to “binge” watching.
Osei Helper
The dictionary defines
binge watching as the
“practice of watching multiple episodes
of a television program in rapid succession,
typically by means of DVDs or digital
streaming.” Notice it says “DVDs.”
MEDIA
PROBE
REVIEW
That’s what people once had
to use in order to fulfill their
binging needs. But modern
streaming services make access
to TV shows that much
easier. Most people would define binging
as watching three or more episodes in one
sitting. Some research studies report that
over 76 percent of Netflix watchers binge.
So why do people do it?
We’ll take a look at two people with
wildly different views on life and compare
them. In our first corner we have
Manor Ink’s very own Marge Feuerstein,
who is still kicking at a lively 85. In our
second corner, we have a former Manor
Ink writer who has rejoined the paper
through LMCS’s journalism class, Katie
Shea, who is currently 17. Now, let’s
fight!
Both of them admit to binging, but that
is where the similarity ends. When they
binge, the amount of time spent watching
differs greatly. Marge watches long
shows. They each last a little under an
hour, and she watches three episodes at a
time. This brings her total watch time to a
bit below three hours.
Katie, on the other hand, watches
shorter half-hour shows, but many
more of them. She can watch at least ten
episodes in one sitting, but the count can
(and commonly does) go higher. This
puts her total watch time at around five
hours or more.
Both Marge and Katie only binge
one show at a time, but differ wildly in
restraint and discipline. Marge makes
sure everything is done before she starts
watching her show (which is “Billions”).
She sets aside only three hours for
streaming. Compare this to Katie, who,
when she binges, takes up a lot of time
which could go toward something more
MORE, MORE! In a sampling of TV habits, our respondents based their comments on the
shows they are currently binging: “Billions,” left, and “The Office.” wikimedia photos
productive. She does not stop watching
(currently “The Office”) until someone
forces her to. Marge has binged only one
show to completion, “Game of Thrones.”
Katie has binged at minimum 20 complete
shows.
The curse of over-binging has affected
Katie for three years, beginning when she
first got Netflix. Marge has only recently
gotten into it. A change in watching format
has lead her toward the dark side.
You may be sitting there wondering
what could propel someone to watch a
singular show for so long. Well, as it turns
out, there are multiple factors that go into
making a show “bingeworthy.” Katie prefers
her shows to have humor and a crisp
plot. If a show has well-directed suspense
and keeps her attention with likeable
characters, it’s perfect for her. Marge likes
her shows with good acting and dialogue.
If she can care about the characters and
their situations, then Marge will keep on
watching.
I think we’ve learned a lot as a whole.
Marge and Katie, while both have wildly
different habits, can bond over one thing
they have in common. Binge watching.
Stargill Simpson’s latest takes an unexpected turn, even for him
By Edward Lundquist | Manor Ink
Sturgill Simpson’s latest release,
“Sound and Fury,” is a blend of mediums
that ends up being a fresh sound and
a new look. Previously a country-rock
artist, Sturgill Simpson now experiments
with a synth-laden, heavier
rock album, with screaming
guitars and beats that will
stay in your head for ages.
His new album is a challenge to the
MUSIC
REVIEW
norms, a shift from what is expected from
him. To be honest, this kind of extreme
U-turn in culture is not often seen in
mainstream artists,
at least done this
well. Sleazy, funky
and wild, “Sound
and Fury” differs
greatly from his
previous three
albums, “High
Sound and Fury
Sturgill Simpson
Elektra 2019
HHHHH
Top Mountain,”
“Metamodern
Sounds in Country
Music” and
“A Sailor’s Guide
GROUNDBREAKING A scene from the Netflix animated film that is a visual analog of Sturgill
Simpson’s genre-busting new album “Sound and Fury.” Netflix.com photo
to Earth,” the last one being a guide for
what to do and what not to do, dedicated
to his son. This new album is meant to be
a demonstration of his ability, a little flex
of his muscles, showing off that he can do
whatever he wants.
“It’s **** all y’all season, don’t give me
a reason to watch your house burn to the
ground,” Sturgill roars in one of the faster
paced songs on the album, “Last Man
Standing.” Some lyrics are more bizarre,
however, like “Gonna wake up every day
and be the best clockmaker on Mars,”
from the song “Best Clockmaker On
Mars.” More psychedelic, this is an album
to be listened to at maximum volume, if
your ears can stand it.
But the most interesting thing about
this ground-breaking album, if not the
epic tunes, may be the new Netflix movie,
“Sturgill Simpson Presents ‘Sound and
Fury’,” a twisted, post-apocalyptic futuristic
samurai movie. Yes, it’s as crazy as
it sounds, but don’t brush it off. There is
no dialogue, but every song is presented
as a different episode, whether it be a
brutal fight, a documentary of the day the
bombs fell or a sad attempt at reaching
freedom accompanied by a haunting tune
called “Mercury in Retrograde.”
They come backstage and on my bus
Pretending to be my friend
Shaking hands behind grandstands
All wearing the same old grin
Oh, but none of them bother knocking
Oh, they all just come on in
Asking me what all my songs mean
Wonderin’ if they’re all about them”
This album demands a listen. Please,
even if this may not seem to be your cup
of tea, this album, this story is deceiving.
It is really hard to place under the influence
of one clear genre, but it lives under
an umbrella of many. Venture out of the
norm and try this out.