Something missing...

So my addiction to the AMAZING Netflix series Sense8 has begun to enter concerning territory, to the point that I was watching episodes of it instead of writing today's thing.  But it's okay, because I can just cut corners and write a thing about the show! Sort of! If you haven't heard of it, check out this trailer IT'S SO RAD

The premise of the show--eight strangers in eight different cities are mentally linked, and have to face both the resulting inner turmoil and external attempts to capture or destroy them for their new powers--is brilliant storytelling on multiple levels.  In a purely narrative context, it's fantastic because it allows for a racially, sexually diverse cast of characters separated by incredible social and geographical distance (the cast is scattered across San Francisco, Chicago, Mexico City, London, Berlin, Nairobi, Mumbai, and Seoul) to meet and interact, which is really, really interesting.  In terms of its context within other forms of entertainment, it's fantastic because it allows a racially, sexually diverse cast to meet and interact, which is really interesting and super cool for actors whose races and sexualities normally don't receive much in the way of representation.  The show is deservedly praised for this diversity, and I sincerely hope it gets a second season.

Because then it can examine how it's failed in its goals.

That sounds a little harsh, but there's really only one thing about Sense8 that makes me scratch my head, and it's something that's wrong with virtually all of pop-culture.  It only stands out here because the show has been so good about avoiding another problem with virtually all of pop-culture, that being a lack of diversity.  There's a gorgeous Icelandic DJ, a gorgeous San Franciscan trans blogger, a gorgeous gay Mexican actor, a gorgeous German safecracker, a gorgeous Korean corporate executive/martial artist, a gorgeous Chicago cop, a gorgeous Indian pharmacist, and a gorgeous Kenyan bus driver.  They're incredibly diverse, except in one way.

The massive gap between TV/Hollywood "normal" and actual normalcy in terms of standards of beauty is something so omnipresent that it can be difficult to notice, but with Sense8's otherwise standout representation, the conspicuous absence of anybody without toned bodies, symmetrical faces, weird voices, or janky teeth almost hurts.  The varied socioeconomic backgrounds hurt the show on this point, too: despite their lifestyles putting them in inordinate danger, Wolfgang and Will start the show looking more like male models than hardened cops or criminals.  Capheus grew up without regular access to food, health, or dental care, but miraculously has perfect teeth and is physically fit enough for Sun to actually use her killer martial arts skills when she inhabits his body.  Seeing background people--people that are way skinnier, way larger, have more freckles or scars, have more teeth, are that much more distinct and interesting--makes this one failure in terms of diversity stand out all the more.

Am I saying that Sense8 should start the second season (that it had better get, I swear to God, I saw this happen once before and I swore it would never happen again) by recasting everyone to be diverse not just economically, ethnically, and sexually, but physically as well? No, of course not.  But I do hope they add more primary, well-developed, interesting characters that look less like actors and more like people.  On a completely unrelated note, if anyone reading this knows the Wachowskis, I'd super appreciate them showing them my headshot enclosed below: