2023 Is the Year of Comedy Films

Barbie

#1 in comedy via Letterboxd

Barbie is arguably the most iconic movie release of 2023. Not only was the movie highly anticipated, but its humor has entertained all ages, which is a difficult thing to achieve. The movie was directed by actress Greta Gerwig, who also produced the films Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019). Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling star as Barbie and Ken, and the movie is full of comedic irony. Barbie subtly disses on men (Ken), while also making Ken’s character hilarious. The series Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse had Ken as the token himbo, which was translated in Gerwig’s movie. Traumatic humor and the comedic effect oblivion has are the major factors in this film.

Asteroid City

#3 in comedy via Letterboxd

Wes Anderson, known for his saturated color palettes, released the film Asteroid City in June, along with four short films in late September. Asteroid City is about a sci-fi themed 1950s play. This movie is somehow able to present both emotional value and lighthearted innocence of different phases of life. The play revolves around an unknown alien who ends up causing a catastrophe that even the actors don’t understand. Sarcastic dialogue and awkward silence is what makes this movie humorous. The teenage Junior Stargazer prodigies reciting intricate topics forwards and backwards. Augie Steenbeck’s daughters innocent one-liners. The dramas of life end up being funny as you grow up and that’s what makes it comedic.

Bottoms

#4 in comedy via Letterboxd

Bottoms is the raunchy comedy young queer people were waiting for. Starring Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott, this whole movie is stacked with humor. Two lesbians (Edebiri and Sennott) form a high school fight club in order to hook up with their popular girl crushes. Up and coming director Emma Seligman and star Sennott co-wrote this film together. It spoofs on popular 90s and 2000s comedies including Fight Club (1999), Bring It On (2000), and Scott Pilgrim Against The World (2010). Finally a heartwarming, comedic film of our generation. Bottoms is stupid, iconic, and well- casted. A movie showcasing loser girls who do the absolute most to flirt instead of just talking? Sign me up.

Theater Camp

#17 in comedy via Letterboxd

Theater Camp, directed by Nick Lieberman and Molly Gordon, shows the charm and frustrations of being a part of a summer theater camp. Gordon, who has supporting roles in Booksmart (2019), and Shiva Baby (2020) had her directorial debut. Theater Camp humor includes throat coat tea, artificial tears, gayety, and stress. The movie was able to effortlessly execute the excitement and tension of the theater experience. It’s an ideal picture of “childhood passion” as one said in a review on Letterboxd. Big personalities from people hanging by a thread, typically labeled as annoying. Theater kids always put on an unforgettable show, which is not forgotten about in the ending number of the film.

Fashion trends have always been defined by prevailing cultural interests at the time; in 2023, pop culture was focused on combining aspects of real life. Those on the forefront of fashion created outfits out of ordinary objects found in the home, such as ribbons and old sports jerseys. From these combinations of ordinary material culture with fashion, two new aesthetics were born: Balletcore and Bloke Core. These two trends combine inspiration from real-life professions of ballet and soccer, and make these high fashion styles accessible to everyday people. Students at LBSU shared their opinions about these two trends.

It seems that while these styles tend to stay more relevant on the internet and less seen in person, they don’t go unnoticed. “It’s interesting that people are exploring different styles than what is usually mainstream, untraditional styles” (Kiernan Smith). While trends and even microtrends are seemingly mostly online, they seep into streetwear helping individuals express their style and explore their personal tastes within fashion.

“Bloke Core ‘’ is an aesthetic born from an interest in soccer and its cross-section with high fashion. Brought about by collaborations between Adidas and Prada, Gucci, and Balenciaga, many fashionistas became interested in this look, which consists of a sports jersey, a casual, almost baggy fit jean, worn with the most popular shoe of the year, the Adidas sambas. Many students at LBSU say that they are unaware of the “funny name” (Matthias Gomez) dubbed Bloke Core but describe seeing the aesthetic frequently and reporting that it seems “pretty cool to rep a sports team jersey” (Gomez). Others say that the style creates a “spring-like’’ (Bailei Hallmon) or even “European Summer” (Tess Bagwell) feeling. Students describe the trend as colorful and refreshing to see more people experiment with style.

While Bloke Core focuses on a male-dominated profession, Balletcore focuses on the opposite, ringing more feminine inspiration into mainstream fashion trends. Balletcore, inspired by its name’s sake of the centuries old dance form, includes all aspects of the ballet aesthetic: flats, bows, dainty pinks and whites, leg warmers, simple off the shoulder knit sweaters and leotards. A freshman student boils down this feminine style to the basics saying, “I love the bows, I love all of it” (Hallmon). Another indicates they appreciate the “dainty, very ultra-feminine aesthetic”(Bagswell). Another student, sophomore Catherine Del Castillo says, “[Balletcore] is a feminine way to merge workout clothes with everyday clothes.” The style combines comfortable ensembles with a chic aesthetic, with another student saying that it “reminds me of Europe, very European style.” European aesthetics within fashion tend to be seen as more chic and more classical. Balletcore, after all, is very European at its roots.

This is not the first time that we have seen the emergence of a fashion aesthetic with details paying homage to ballet in the 90’s. Some appreciate this cyclical nature of trend cycles: “I like that it’s reoccurring. I think it was at one point popularized by Natalie Portman,” when she starred in the 2010 film Black Swan (Catherine Del Castillo).

While Bloke Core and Balletcore were the most notable trends of this past year, there have been many others, so many in fact that it can be hard to keep up. Many have seen trends come and go on social media without spotting any of the styles in person. “Seen a lot on social media, not a lot in person” (Smith). While 2023 has seen styles ranging from the continued resurgence of Y2K to an uptick in the popularity of wearing over-the-ear headphones, students note that thrifting is becoming more popular. Students at LBSU are looking for original pieces to add a sense of personal style to their wardrobe, and do so in a way that lessens the environmental impact of the fashion industry. So consider thrifting as a great way to participate in this past year’s trends, or even hone in on creating your own unique style.