Samantha RiveraKanye and Taylor’s Dark Twisted Fantasy // Pop Culture PieceIn 2009, Taylor Swift was awarded Best Female Video at MTV’s Video Music Awards. During her acceptance speech, Kanye West iconically got on…5 min read·Aug 18, 2023----
Samantha RiveraWaves (2019) ReviewsWaves directed by Trey Edward Shults, it tells the story of family dynamics after a great tragedy. The film is told in the eyes of the…4 min read·Sep 10, 2021----
Samantha RiveraOriginismThere is a type of film that packs movie theaters across the country, the type of films that create this communal experience and those are…6 min read·Sep 10, 2021----
Samantha RiveraOuttake on OceanBriefly speaking on Ocean and how his public persona and the perceptions of black people being queer, I sometimes hearken back to Tyler…1 min read·Dec 14, 2020----
Samantha RiveraHow Frank Ocean Defies the “Hegemonic Masculinity and Black Gender Ideology”If Frank Ocean still doesn’t seem like someone who should be regarded in the queer community, then let’s go further in. Now, the queer…2 min read·Dec 14, 2020----
Samantha RiveraMoonlight and Frank OceanIn the film Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins, we dissected our impressions of the film, the impact it created, and how we feel about…2 min read·Dec 13, 2020----
Samantha RiveraIn Defense of OceanNow, it must me said that queer people do not have to present themselves or be validated by anyone to be queer, that is fact. With that…2 min read·Dec 9, 2020----
Samantha Rivera“Is Paris Burning” Frank Ocean?When we speak about Frank Ocean and his role in the zeitgeist, it will almost be about his genius and brilliance. People will speak on the…4 min read·Dec 8, 2020----
Samantha Rivera“Maintain the Mystery”In 2012, Frank Ocean did something unprecedented to his base (although his lyrics of Channel Orange are somewhat telling, so maybe not that…2 min read·Dec 7, 2020----
Samantha Rivera“Paris Is Burning”…Frank Ocean?In the 1990 documentary, Paris Is Burning directed by Jennie Livingston (who now works on the popular show of the same subject Pose), it…2 min read·Dec 7, 2020----