Satire

With its outlandish characters, satirical plot, and unapologetic queerness, The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a cult classic after its release in 1975. The musical film, which isn’t as scary as it is campy, was created as a spoof of B-horror movies that usually feature far-fetched plots, mediocre acting, and low budgets. The film stars Tim Curry in his breakout role as Frank N. Furter, a cross-dressing mad scientist who lives in a Victorian Gothic-style castle. The plot itself is reminiscent of Frankenstein; Frank N. Furter succeeds in creating a sentient yet incredibly airheaded man named Rocky, who is used mostly as a boy toy. However, the film’s inciting incident occurs when newly engaged Brad and Janet get a flat tire and stumble upon Frank N. Furter’s castle. Here, they are acquainted with the goofy characters inside and witness Rocky’s creation. Brad and Janet represent everything that Frank N. Furter does not: repression, chastity, and social conformity. As the plot progresses, Brad and Janet succumb to their deepest desires and give into the flagrant lifestyle of the castle’s residents.

The American public education system while, having undoubtable strengths, has been a lesson in imperfection. For the past fifty years, funding constraints, compensation dilemmas, and resource shortages have been perennial plagues of an arrangement designed to educate the Union’s brightest. Abbott Elementary takes a deep dive into these issues through the eyes of comedy. Written in large as an ode to educators, Abbott delivers necessary commentary on an often-defective system. The show deftly highlights the crippling obstacles faced by the nation’s most important institutions, while unearthing nostalgia, sharing laughs, and delivering brilliant deadpans.