Michael and What's Making Us Happy
Summary
Hosts Stephen Thompson, Aisha Harris, and Trayvell Anderson review the new Michael Jackson biopic, criticizing it as a sanitized, estate-approved jukebox musical that ignores controversies. They discuss the film’s focus on performance over narrative depth and its portrayal of Joseph Jackson. The episode concludes with happy news segments featuring Vanessa Williams’ TikTok dances, the film *The Lost Daughter*, and the MTV Rewind app.
Topics discussed
Intro and Michael Jackson biopic overview
Host introductions and film plot summary
Trayvel's review: A fine but unnecessary jukebox musical
Aisha on nostalgia, fan service, and omitted controversies
Critique of biopic tropes and the 'Bad' performance ending
Depiction of Joe Jackson and family dynamics
Acting performances and the concert film experience
Comparison to other biopics and lack of depth
Transition to 'What's Making Us Happy' segment
Trayvel: Vanessa Williams' Devil Wears Prada TikTok
Aisha: Review of the film Blue Heron
Stephen: MTV Rewind app and 80s nostalgia
Outro and credits
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