[I review the documentaries "Inside the Mind of a Dog," "The Disappearance of Shere Hite," "An Update on our Family," "Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara," and "Scamanda"]
Inside the Mind of a Dog (2024)
Do you ever wonder what your dog is thinking? Well, wonder no more!
Directed by Andy Mitchell and narrated by Rob Lowe, this documentary explores the strong bond that exists between people and their dogs as well as sharing new research into the dog mind.
Did you know that dogs use their barks and tail wags and 16 facial expressions to show us how they feel? Did you know that dogs can also show signs of ADHD? It's all here and more.
But it's not all science. The film also explores the history of dog and human companionship and how they evolved from wolves to our pampered pets. There is also a strong emphasis on how service dogs are trained as well as practical tips for dog owners.
Though very informative, this is also a heartwarming adventure into the minds of our furry friends. It might even make you cry a little.
Rosy the Reviewer says...one of the "most liked" films on Netflix, if you are a dog lover, you will also give it a thumbs...er...paws up, too! (Netflix)
The Disappearance of Shere Hite (2023)
Shere Hite's bestselling book about female sexuality rocked the American establishment. It also eventually rocked her world, but not in a good way.
If you were a young person or adult in 1976, you have probably heard of "The Hite Report," a book that revealed the results of a survey of thousands of women about their sexuality. Her book was as talked about as the findings by Kinsey and Masters and Johnson, but today, ask a young woman about this book. She has probably never heard of it. My local library doesn't even have the book today, and yet, it was (and still is) the 30th best-selling book of all time. While you are at it, you might also ask that young woman if she is a feminist. She might wrinkle her nose.
But in the 70's, feminism was in full bloom and this book reflected the frustrations of women and blew the lid off the patriarchy. Likewise, Shere Hite was not afraid to go on talk shows and talk about her books, and it made people, well, men, very uncomfortable. She revealed that few women felt satisfied sexually by their partners, and in a later book, revealed the rampant infidelity that existed amongst married couples. And it didn't help that Hite didn't take any crap from anyone. She was a beautiful woman who belied her looks by speaking of sex and the needs of women in a very matter of fact way. She could also be feisty and even angry. And you know how men react to angry women. She faced tremendous backlash and misogyny.
Through archival footage and talking head interviews, we learn about Hite's life and work from those who knew her. There is also narration from those her work helped which makes the backlash she endured and her fall into obscurity all the more troubling.
This documentary reminded me of my own journey to feminism and how that word has become a dirty word, even to other women. So the title of this documentary is literal - Hite was basically canceled and run out of the country. Her books were controversial and she herself was so controversial, she eventually couldn't get an American publisher so she moved to Europe and eventually renounced her U.S. citizenship in 1995. But the film's title is also a metaphor for what appears to be the disappearance of feminism as well.
Directed by Nicole Newnham with Dakota Johnson providing the "voice" of Shere Hite (Johnson is also one of the producers), this is a very timely documentary and an indictment of repression as so many are losing their reproductive rights and the LGBTQ+ community is under attack. We have gone back in time...and not in a good way.
Rosy the Reviewer says...a fascinating portrait of a trailblazing woman brought to life for a new generation. (Netflix)
The dark side of sharing everything about your life on YouTube.
This three-part docuseries tells the story of Myka and James Stauffer, family vloggers who shared everything about their lives on their YouTube channel. They shared their personal lives, their kids, everything.
The Stauffers were a beautiful family. All went well for them as they gained a significant following, especially during the pandemic. At one point, they had over a million subscribers. They posted constantly, show their happy day-to-day lives. They were adept at branding and turning their everyday lives into compelling content. Then they adopted a little boy from China and named him Huxley, again documenting every step of the adoption. They became even more popular, attracting a wide range of sponsors (AKA making money). But when Huxley was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, the "beautiful family" persona fell apart as Myka and James struggled to deal with Huxley's special needs.
One day Huxley just didn't exist on the vlog anymore. Huxley went missing and online speculation was rampant. And when the Stauffer's fans discovered that Huxley had been "rehoused," their fans turned on them, accusing them of opportunism and neglect.
This docuseries is more than an expose of this family and their vlog. It raises some bigger questions: why do people tune in to watch other people's lives and get so caught up in them and then get so upset when they don't live up to their expectations? What are the ramifications of international adoption? Are people who document their families online exploiting their children?
Rosy the Reviewer says...directed by Rachel Mason, this is a fascinating look at "mommy vlogging," the risks of "putting it all out there" and the ethical concerns surrounding digital family content (HBO and Max).
For you who are part of the "Older Set," you may not know who Tegan and Sara are. I certainly didn't. They are a Canadian queer indie pop duo formed in 1998, and Tegan and Sara Quin are identical twins born in 1980. They are both songwriters and musicians. They have released 10 albums and won a Grammy in 2012 for their video album "Get Along."
So since I am one of those in the "Older set" and didn't know who Tegan and Sara were, why was I interested in this docuseries?
Well, it had me at "catfishing." I am totally obsessed with the concept. It all started with "Catfish," the 2010 documentary where Nev Schulman confessed his experience being "catfished (he actually coined the term)" and he subsequently got an MTV series out of it where he now helps other people figure out whether or not they are being "catfished." The rest is "catfish" history.
So anyway, in the mid-2000s, fans of Tegan and Sara began receiving messages and emails from the Tegan half of the twin duo. Now most people these days would dismiss an email from a celebrity (the whole current Brad Pitt thing notwithstanding), but here we are talking about the 2000's when there were still novice Internet users out there and catfishing was not yet a huge thing. And Tegan and Sara were very much online, posting often on Facebook, message boards and on their official website. So at that time, maybe it didn't seem beyond the realm of possibility that Tegan would respond to what was said and form friendships with fans. But it turns out, the messages were not from Tegan. Instead, it was someone pretending to be her who exploited Tegan and Sara's fans for 16 years. That person became known as Fake Tegan or Fegan.
This documentary follows fans who had been victims and who share their stories.
Julie was one fan who began listening to the band in college. She had recently realized she was gay and was struggling with it. Tegan and Sara's music was a lifeline. When another fan sent her a link to a Facebook profile that appeared to be Tegan, Julie sent her a message and was shocked, but happy, that Tegan replied. Soon they had a friendship. Three years later, Julie discovered she had been catfished. Another fan actually had a real relationship with the real Tegan but was pulled into the fake Tegan's world, ruining the relationship.
When the hoax was discovered, the reach of Fake Tegan became clear. He or she had access to much of Tegan and Sara's personal lives. Tegan and Sara started to wonder if the hacker was someone close to them. They became suspicious of everyone.
Tegan kept Fake Tegan under wraps for 16 years because she was embarrassed and didn't want to come forward but eventually did. Directed by Erin Lee Carr, this is a compelling examination of fan obsession and celebrities having to deal with Stans - a term coined to describe stalker-fans.
But this series is not just about celebrity scams. This documentary is a warning to us all. This is a cautionary tale about the scams, frauds and fakes lurking on the Internet, the "keyboard kourage" that allows anonymous people to pretend to be someone they are not while scamming their victims out of money, or at the very least, their dignity. It's a reminder that no one is immune from scammers so be careful out there.
Rosy the Reviewer says...even if you don't know this band, if, like me, you are fascinated by the world of catfishing, you will enjoy this. (Hulu)
Catfishing is not the only scam rampant on the Internet. There is also "Munchausen by Internet." Don't know about that? Then, read on.
There was this girl. She started out as a babysitter for a married couple with a little girl but then the married couple divorced and the babysitter married the husband. She not only married the husband but got full custody of the little girl. She joined a megachurch and was beloved by all. And then she got cancer.
Meet Amanda C. Riley.
Amanda C. Riley was a devout Christian, an active church member, and a mother of two healthy children living in San Jose, California. In 2012 she shared her cancer diagnosis with her church and started a blog depicting her journey called "Lymphoma Can Suck It." Her looks and personality were such that her blog and Internet presence attracted supporters, sponsors and fundraisers from all over the world who wanted to help this pretty young woman who was so positive and inspirational as she fought cancer.
But over time, some things didn't add up.
Friends wondered how she could go swimming right after brain surgery. How was it that her pregnancies seemed to be unaffected by her cancer?
Meet Nancy Moscatiello, an investigative producer. She received an anonymous tip about Amanda which put Nancy on a five-year-long investigation which led to a podcast by Charlie Webster about what was believed to be Amanda's "Factitious disorder" aka "Munchausen. And when it is played out on the Internet it's called "Munchausen by Internet."
Through reenactments, photos, screenshots and interviews from former friends of Amanda's ("former" because they were also scammed), this four-part ABC series now streaming on Hulu reveals Amanda's scam and offers insight from a neuropsychologist into the mind of a scammer and the psychology behind choosing a cancer diagnosis as a narrative.
But questions still remain after watching this series. Why? What was her background and what led Amanda to do this and even when caught, to continue the fraud? We may never know.
Rosy the Reviewer says...a sad commentary on how easily in our society we can be manipulated and feel immediately sympathetic when the manipulator is an attractive, vivacious and privileged young woman. (Hulu)
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