Don’t Look UP: The Ostrich Policy
Image provided by the Los Angeles Times
“A spoonful of Xanax makes the medicine go down, right?”
- Brie Evantee
Netflix dropped a bomb on December 5, 2021, no pun intended. If you remember films like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve, you can see why I wasn’t chomping at the bit to see this film. A star-studded cast usually means two things, a big budget, and a half-ass plot. Well, this post is me officially eating crow. I couldn’t have been more wrong about this one. Set this year, two astronomers discover a comet that is projected to obliterate Earth in six months and 14 days. They then embark on a media tour to inform the world that they’re all going to die. Sounds easy enough, right? The satire alone earned this film an invitation to the Oscars, but the plot will give it a clean sweep.
Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, is a medication used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It is classified as a controlled substance, meaning the government monitors it because it can be abused or cause addiction. It is referenced throughout the film. Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) is one of two astronomers who discover Comet Dibiasky. He takes Xanax several times per day for multiple anxiety and panic-related disorders, so you can imagine how he felt knowing that the world is about to end—not great. His fellow astronomer, Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), on the other hand, abuses Xanax; she takes his medication without his consent, straight from his hand. The hosts of The Daily Rip, an international news segment, admit to abusing Xanax on-air as implied in the quote above. Similar to the desirable effects of Xanax is the Ostrich Policy— a metaphorical reference for ignoring obvious matters. Ignorance is not only bliss, it’s convenient and potentially profitable. Let’s take COVID-19, for example. A virus that has killed hundreds of thousands of people (of all ages) that can largely be prevented by wearing face masks and or staying at least six feet apart from individuals that do not live in your household, among other preventative measures. None of that stuff is convenient. I get it. However, that is the reality of the world today, or as Dr. Mindy would refer to it, the truth. However, many people choose to bury their heads in the sand (like ostriches) and continue living their lives as they did pre COVID-19. As a result, people continue to die prematurely, and new variants (of the virus) are born. Lil’ Wayne was right about one thing, and I do mean one thing. If life is a beach, we’re just playing in the sand.
This film is not only entertaining. No, it’s beyond that. It’s a call to action for us to acknowledge the inconveniences in our lives. That's where change lives, in the cracks and crevasses of cumbersome situations. Sure, a spoonful of Xanax makes for a good laugh, but that shit is dangerous in real life. The moral of the movie, acknowledgment is power and could save your life and someone else's. Also, not all star-studded films are bad, just most of them.
