By Trevor Pacelli
Museums have always been among the main activities my mom and I enjoy doing together; between that and visiting zoos, she and I seem to bond best over culture, nature, and the arts. While we’ve found a preference for historical museums, the art museums we’ve seen are best when their exhibitions are pleasing to the eyes and were clearly made by an expert who spent a long time on the piece to trigger a specific emotion. Yet often, the art museums we’ve seen exhibit modern “art” that is just something like a white canvas with a single black dot in the center, or paint randomly splattered over a childish doodle, which to some people, isn’t really art. Like the curators in charge of what gets exhibited at art museums, the Academy of Motion Pictures award what they think is “art,” but I believe are simply products following a checklist of components films need to gain attention from Oscar voters. It’s why movies like Shakespeare in Love, Crash, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Green Book, and most recently Emilia Pérez have become so hated. They’re not movies the average person wants to watch with friends or family, nor are they providing worthwhile entertainment that can be talked about positively. The are signs that the Academy, and many elite groups of other artistic mediums, including museums, are growing frustratingly out-of-touch with their own industries and audiences.

By Trevor Pacelli
​​She was green. She was bullied. She was used. She was ostracized. Sound familiar? Elphaba, along with her wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose, are modern representations of what it’s like having a disability. Yet sadly, Elphaba is taken the extra mile by being rejected, even by her own father, for being green. Perhaps she can find a place of belonging in the miraculous Emerald City? Turns out the answer is no, as that’s where the man she hoped would help wants to use her and gets her framed for crimes she never committed. Without its second act, this adaptation of the famous Broadway musical comes off more as a cautionary tale of what happens to someone with a disability who’s treated as less-than.

By Trevor Pacelli
​Everybody seems to have a niche that defines their life. Steve Jobs was all about the iPhone. Dr. Seuss was all about his whimsical children’s books. Wes Anderson is all about his quirky movies full of symmetrical imagery. Taylor Swift is all about country and pop music. But what about you? Maybe you’ve reached the age of forty or even fifty and still feel you never found your niche in life? You’re not alone. I am thirty-two, yet have spent my life so far coasting between potential niches, including drawing, theater, movies, movie reviewing, photography, cooking, social media, and writing. I’ve repeatedly felt what I’ve been pursuing wasn’t working and I needed to start all over again to discover my niche.

By Trevor Pacelli
Have you ever heard of “Cozy Gaming?” Unlike the first-person shooter games we all are quick to associate with the concept of video games, a “cozy game” involves taking your time without dire consequences, doing stuff like raising animals, designing a house, or developing a farm. As a young adult on the autism spectrum, these types of games have helped me considerably in several ways and could help other kids and adults in relating to others.

By Trevor Pacelli
The Christmas season marks the time to give your kids all sorts of gifts, many coming from the ever-evolving video game industry that brings kids and adults much joy. Throughout my childhood, I only recall the grownups around me dismissing video games as nothing more than mental junk food for kids, but that didn’t stop me from asking my parents to get me plenty of games for my Gameboy Advance SP and Nintendo DS. Back then, I had a special interest in Pokémon, which was why I got the Gameboy and DS games in the first place, and today, as an adult with mental health problems like autism and anxiety, my continued special interest helped me reconsider my practices of self-care.

By Trevor Pacelli
Family and friends are essential in helping you remedy your traumatic memories; sharing those thoughts that are hardest to bring to light will lead you to the path of healing. Anyone on the autism spectrum especially should know this, as contrary to common stereotypes, those with ASD can feel sorrow and empathy.

By Trevor Pacelli
I recently took Michael Pollan’s Masterclass, Intentional Eating, which included Pollan's three philosophies of food:
1. Eat Food
2. Not Too Much
3. Mostly Plants
I came up with three similar philosophies about consuming artistic media:
1. Enjoy Art
2. Embrace Your Tastes
3. But Don’t Force Them

By Trevor Pacelli
Twenty-five years ago, this iconic yellow sea sponge debuted on Nickelodeon and is currently in his fourteenth season with no signs of slowing down. The series has spawned three theatrical feature films, two spinoff series, a Broadway musical, a Netflix film, and another Netflix original expected in 2025. Yet the first three seasons and the first theatrical film were the most influential time for the franchise; the kids who watched SpongeBob during those years carried the funniest moments into modern internet culture, complete with over a hundred different meme templates.