This is the most surprisingly fascinating documentary I think I’ve ever watched. Even for someone like me who grew up with the internet, I had no idea about any of this chaos and controversy — which, selfishly, makes me feel better about how much I browse online. It’s incredible that Pepe’s creator has stayed mostly optimistic throughout this whole thing; I’m a pretty happy guy but I can’t say I would’ve reacted the same. As far as presentation goes, this documentary tells a really riveting story with some of the most engaging editing I’ve seen and colorful animations, both of which make the film as visually stimulating as the internet itself. I think Feels Good Man is going to be remembered for how well it documents the power of the internet and the danger that’s emerged through online thought-cults and anonymity. (Regarding that, a great point was brought up at the beginning in which an interviewee says that “dark jokes” became so inane to the point where the people wanting to genuinely spread hate were given more power.) You may think this is a silly movie about a meme just by looking at the poster, but I can’t even think of a film that captures the modern cultural landscape better than Feels Good Man.
9/25/24
Hard not to feel sad for lil' Pepe, born into this world as a hopeful amphibian full of promise and cast into a nightmare of intolerance and stupidity. It's a bit like those AI chatbots that are so carefully developed by IT teams to be caring and sympathetic, then let loose on the internet and within an hour are hate-spewing fearmongers jabbering about adrenochrome, vaccines and the need for racial purity to protect from replacement.