B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, January 7, 2016
the b-side
Simply put, “Jane the Virgin” has it all. It’s the most compulsively watchable show of the
year, with deftly executed plot twists and breakneck pacing. In the style of Mexican tele-
novelas, there are juicy secrets, lies and betrayal. Where the typical show would wait until
a season finale to reveal the truth, “Jane the Virgin” plays its cards early and efficiently,
cutting out needless wheel-spinning. One of the most refreshing aspects of the show is the
characters’ willingness to admit their feelings and work through their conflicts maturely.
It’s refreshing, too, to see such an expertly balanced love triangle, with co-stars Michael
(Brett Dier, “Ravenswood”) and Rafael (Justin Baldoni, “Everwood”) equally appealing in
both Jane’s (Gina Rodriguez, “The Bold and Beautiful”) and the audience’s eyes.
The greatest strength of “Jane the Virgin” is its ability to marry its strong sense of humor
with genuine sweetness and emotion. Practically every episode is a tearjerker, but practi-
cally every episode has at least a few guaranteed laughs. Whether you judge the show as a
comedy or a drama, 2015 saw “Jane the Virgin” at the top of its field.
— Benjamin Rosenstock
Pixar’s animated movies are famously both kid-
friendly and parent-friendly, and this year’s “Inside
Out” continues that pattern. By telling the story of
young Riley (Kaitlyn Dias, “The Shifting”) through
the personification of her emotions, the film perfectly
grasps the delicate balance of the feelings that wage
war in our minds. It’d be enough just to spread a mes-
sage of optimism, but “Inside Out” goes above and be-
yond by choosing to illustrate the importance of feeling
sad and being open about one’s emotions. In addition,
it’s hilarious and imaginative, crafting a complex inte-
rior world of memory orbs and islands representing
Riley’s biggest passions. TV comedy stars Amy Poehler
(“Parks & Recreation”) and Phyllis Smith (“The Office”)
are perfect as Joy and Sadness, but who could forget
Bing Bong (Richard Kind, “Red Oaks”), the year’s most
heartbreaking tragic character? “Inside Out” shows
that Pixar’s ability to create the funniest, most affect-
ing movies of the year won’t be ending anytime soon.
—Benjamin Rosenstock
best film
best tv show
best community event
best album
Kendrick Lamar’s attitude and musical style has significantly grown since the
release of hit single “Swimming Pools (Drank)” that was mostly played at frat par-
ties with gross beer and nightclubs with strobe lights. It evolved into a mature plea
of self-expression on his newest album, To Pimp a Butterfly, that throws away the
glorification of fame and instead burns people with the ugly truths of racism and
socio-economic class issues.
BET named Kendrick Lamar the “Lyricist of the Year”, as the album showcased his
talent of creating poetry and intertwining it with music to create the masterpiece that
is To Pimp A Butterfly. Songs like “Hood Politics,” “Institutionalized,” and “The Blacker
the Berry” are perceptions about the experience of being Black today. Kendrick’s lyrics
are raw and emotional — it’s impossible to not empathize or get pissed off with the rac-
ism that still exists creating an ache for change in the world.
He sets these lyrics in front of music that has influences from multiple decades and
genres to create this well rounded diverse piece of artwork. The opening song “Wes-
ley’s Theory” sounds very Howard Johnson-esque with its funky vibe paired with some
R&B components. There’s also heavy jazz influence that artists like Terrace Martin and
Kamasi Washington contributed that make To Pimp A Butterfly even more eccentric.
To Pimp A Butterfly became one of the best pieces of art released in 2015 because
each separate component melts into the other, creating this message that helps us grow
inside of our own individual cocoon. Hopefully, we’ll all be able to emerge into the
monarch that is Kendrick Lamar.
— Selena Aguilera
On October 13, Piper Kerman, author of memoir “Orange is the New Black:
My Year in a Women’s Prison” spoke at Rackham Auditorium on the larger
significance of her story in the context of prison reform. Kerman became
famous in the past few years due to the overnight success of Jenji Kohan’s
Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” loosely based off Kerman’s memoir.
As an affluent, college-educated white woman, Kerman is not representative
of the demographics of people incarcerated in the United States, as the coun-
try’s prison system is one that disproportionately arrests and incarcerates
people of color. Kerman spoke of the manner in which she was able to use
this privilege to generate conversation about the severity of mass incarcera-
tion. She articulated the way that her own privilege put her at a relative ad-
vantage which highlighted the inequality within the justice system. She has
been traveling to prisons across the U.S. to teach and raise awareness of the
need for prison reform. Kerman discussed that within University communi-
ties, people are less likely to commit crimes and be incarcerated compared to
areas where there are fewer educational and cultural resources available. She
also touched on the fact that the criminal justice system relies heavily on vio-
lence and fails to address the untreated mental health issues that can cause
individuals to commit crimes. As a person who has gained monumental suc-
cess, Kerman spoke to show her commitment to raising overall awareness of
the deep-rooted injustices of the prison system. Furthering the dialogue “Or-
ange is the New Black” has opened through popular culture, she spotlights a
community that is systematically silenced.
— Maria Robins-Somerville
Illustration by Anjali Alangaden
Illustration by Mariah Gardziola
EMILIE FARRUGIA/Daily
GRANT HATCH/Daily