Assignment #5 - Wes Davis - Strike a Pose

Madonna's "Vogue" pulses in my earbuds as I scroll mindlessly on Netflix, looking for something to waste my time with. After binging 9 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in approximately three to four months, I couldn't fathom watching anything. I would forever have that post-binge hangover. 

A woman's voice pierces through the music, ice to my ears. I slide the earbuds off and watch. An eclectic group of men and woman fill the screen, one calling herself "mother" and yelling at a girl wearing hoop earrings and a thin red bandana across her forehead. As she storms from the room, the trailer ends, and the word POSE fills the screen in pink neon. 

I'd been hearing about the show for months, but maybe now was the time. I pressed play on the first episode and the sting of tears in my eyes after 5 minutes not only showed me what I'd been missing out on, but reminded me of my worth, and that I deserve my place on this earth. 

~

As Billy Porter of Pose said in his Emmy Award speech for "Best Actor in a Drama Series" - The category is love!

For me, television has never been something I spend a ton of time watching or really talking about. However, after diving into the masterpiece of a show called Pose, my view and purpose for selectively watching television has morphed into something else entirely. 

Pose is the TV show that makes makes me not only want to sit down and dedicate an hour every day to, but it's a show that has changed the way I view myself. Pose - inspired by the iconic film Paris is Burning - catalogues the lives of queer people of color surviving the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s. The cast makes history with five trans women of color having recurring roles. 

Pose isn't just a television show I rewind with, it's a show that actively changes my life. I've never felt more seen or understood than when watching this series. 

Pose has taught me to love myself and for that alone I not only recommend the show but for everyone to find some sort of media that makes them feel seen, accepted, and cared for. Television, for me, is a great form of self care when I'm watching something I'm truly attached to. 

I understand that television not for everyone, but maybe some just haven't found the right story to cling to yet.