Things to Do Instead of Watching the Flash Movie

You’ve astir apt heard by present that The Flash, DC’s latest big-budget superhero flick, volition deed U.S. theaters connected June 16. You should besides cognize that the film’s star, Ezra Miller, has been accused of aggregate crimes, including felony burglary, harassment and disorderly conduct, and, worst of all, abusing and grooming minors, to see isolating an Indigenous teen from their family.

And yet, contempt this laundry database of heinous accusations, at nary point did DC adjacent see pulling the plug connected this movie. Instead, they person coddled Miller by blaming intelligence unwellness for their assorted alleged crimes, and rewarded them with praise for their show and a committedness to see them successful immoderate aboriginal Flash films.

Even if it’s existent that Miller struggles with intelligence wellness issues — and I person nary crushed to judge it isn’t — that is not an excuse for immoderate of their alleged transgression actions. Yes, they should question treatment, but they besides should person been removed from the DCEU agelong ago. DC and Warner Bros., unsurprisingly, decided that wealth means much to them than not supporting unspeakable people, and truthful present we’re stuck with Miller’s Flash film.

I’m definite this movie volition rake successful tons of money, thereby “justifying” the studio’s determination to spell up with it. But I, for one, bash not mean to springiness them 1 azygous cent successful enactment of this shameful show of greed and callousness. And you don’t person to either, for I, with the wonderfully witty assistance of my chap Boor Riot writers, person compiled this database of activities that would beryllium a amended usage of your clip than watching The Flash. No substance however atrocious oregon however bully the movie is, I tin warrant these activities — immoderate book-related, immoderate not — are a overmuch amended usage of your time.

Watch the TV show: I cannot believe that I, Barry Allen-hater par excellence, americium reduced to recommending the infuriating, ever-worsening, entirely-too-long CW bid The Flash. The lone happening I tin accidental successful its favour is that Grant Gustin is not a convulsive abuser, which is admittedly a large plus. I tin much enthusiastically urge Justice League: Unlimited, a cartoon bid featuring the dependable of Michael Rosenbaum arsenic the Flash/Wally West. Go spot Across the Spider-Verse: As Sonali Dabade reminded me, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is retired close present successful the U.S. If you privation to spot a superhero research antithetic universes, here’s a movie you tin consciousness bully about! Read immoderate comics: No-brainer, huh? Indulge successful immoderate of the Flash comics Jessica Plummer recommends. Danika Ellis suggests speechmaking comics by Indigenous creators. Find immoderate recs here, and past bargain them from ATCG Books and Comics, the lone Native-owned comic publication store successful the world! Do the dishes: Seriously, they’re starting to heap up. Watch Michael Keaton’s different movies: A batch of radical are excited to spot Keaton instrumentality arsenic Batman, particularly aft being deprived of his show successful Batgirl. (Oh, sure, THAT’S the movie they cancel.) But arsenic Jamie Canavés points out, we tin ever rewatch his older films, including his 1989 and 1992 outings arsenic the Dark Knight, without giving wealth to the immoral currency drawback that The Flash has become. I’m definite there’s a Keaton movie you haven’t seen — wherefore not watercourse it? Go for a run: Exercise is good. And, successful Jessica’s words, “You won’t beryllium arsenic accelerated [as the Flash] but you besides won’t beryllium shielding an alleged abuser for profit.” Read astir running: Annika Barranti Klein had the ingenious thought of speechmaking books and memoirs astir real-life runners. She specifically recommends What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami and Spirit Run by Noé Álvarez. This list includes those books and galore more. Create your ain Flash stories: When a movie oregon a comic disappoints, the fandom is ever close determination to marque creation and stories with a much satisfying premise oregon ending. Give it a changeable yourself: constitute your ain mentation of the movie, oregon gully a representation of an histrion you’d similar to spot play the Flash. You whitethorn deliberation you person nary originative talent, but who cares? The enactment of instauration is amusive anyway, whether oregon not you consciousness bold capable to stock your creations with others. Celebrate Pride Month: ‘Tis the season! Consider attending a Pride parade, supporting a queer-owned concern (including bookstores), oregon having a cozy solemnisation with loved ones. Play with your pet: The Flash is 144 minutes long. Why permission your small darling unsocial for implicit 2 hours erstwhile you could marque their time with a travel to the park, an extended play session, oregon adjacent a bully cuddle connected the couch? (This proposition is sponsored by my canine Poppy.) Donate to charity: Annika, Danika, Jessica, and I are of 1 caput astir this: we each deliberation it would beryllium a fantastic thought to donate to RAINN, Outright Vermont, the Standing Rock Community Development Corporation, and different charities that enactment to assistance the kinds of radical Miller has allegedly victimized. Or you could springiness to the Hero Initiative, which helps comics creators (including erstwhile Flash writer William Messner-Loebs) with aesculapian bills and different expenses. Donating the terms of a movie theatre summons and immoderate popcorn would beryllium great!

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Why fuss doing immoderate of these things? Will it marque a difference?

Big-picture-wise, no. DC and Warner Bros. intelligibly bash not attraction astir the harm they are doing by supporting and promoting Miller. No workplace exec is going to work this article, shed a azygous teardrop of remorse, and propulsion distant millions of dollars by pulling The Flash from theaters.

You cannot power oregon halt firm greed. But you tin power yourself. Sometimes, you don’t bash the close happening with the anticipation of changing the world. You bash it for the idiosyncratic cognition that you faced a achy crossroads and made the close decision.

I deliberation by present we person each had to take betwixt supporting a franchise we emotion and lasting with susceptible radical being wounded by that franchise’s creators. It sucks. The information that these studios repeatedly usage their powerfulness to alteration abusers alternatively than de-platform them besides sucks. But erstwhile you’re implementing immoderate of the suggestions successful this nonfiction — whether it’s discovering a large caller comic oregon trying to thatch your canine to play fetch — you’ll retrieve that determination are immoderate bully things successful the world, too.