PARCAE

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PARCAE is an indie-run, web-based zine! a cost-free way to get published and grow your portfolio, while elimating barriers with censorship and providing a space for unfiltered ideas.

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Shouting into the void: Validation from online communities

By Jack Gilbert (he/him), Kentucky

As an avid Letterboxd user and Instagram Reels enjoyer, I see dozens of opinions all the time. Thousands and thousands of words are posted saying why National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) is the greatest movie ever made, how global warming isn't ‘that bad’ because it was cold today, and that Fortnite is super overrated now. However accurate (Christmas Vacation is GOATed), inaccurate (that isn’t how global warming works), or immeasurable (overrating is hard to objectify) a person’s claim might be, they, and hundreds of others on the internet, will defend it til the very end.

Why do we feel the need to do this? Why are we always posting every thought and opinion as if our lives depended on it? Are we just shouting into the void?

Maybe it’s to feel useful or wanted.

When I posted a 1.5-star review for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2025), saying “when freddy 5 bear said ‘you have got to spend 5 nights here’ I got terrified,” it wasn’t because I thought I was adding to any discourse on the movie’s quality or plot. I wanted to make someone who might see it laugh. My goal is to be a funny person, because being funny means that others will still want me around.

When I get upset and reply to a comment on Instagram that says “woke liberals want to transgender and abort everything,” it comes from a place of wanting to correct someone. My utility is hopefully making someone realize that their beliefs are a radicalized caricature of reality. In the end, though, I know that I’m not going to change anything for them, because someone else told them that they are actually correct and that I am radicalized. But through this, another person who agrees with me will support my argument, and I will be reassured.

I’m not the only person who uses the Internet this way. Since it became widely accessible, communities have been formed based solely on a viewpoint, a shared interest in a topic, or simply because someone discovered a website where others were discussing. The internet may be a hellscape of insane things, but that hellscape is available to everyone, at the very least. If one corner of the internet doesn’t want to hear what you’re saying, just search for a different one.

Ultimately, someone else is thinking what you want to say, so you can find them and agree with each other, confirming and affirming every thought and feeling you’ve ever had. These corners become a safe space in this limitless void we have created. It is about belonging. To know that someone understands you means everything.

The shout we send out isn’t aimless. We post, hoping that somewhere, someone hears. That anyone, anywhere, joins us. So that we aren’t alone.

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You actually do owe everybody something: On hyper-individualism & inconvenience

By Jayan Singh, Masthead

Hey, does this carrot cake recipe still work if I sub out the cream cheese for mayo and the carrots for rutabagas? No? Then why did you post it? I hate carrots and I’m lactose intolerant. It’s like you didn’t even consider me at all. It’s like I’m some random person on the Internet, and you don’t know I exist. It’s like I fully have the option to just not bake this cake and keep scrolling. It’s like this recipe doesn’t revolve around me hating carrots and being lactose intolerant.

Why is this the script that’s written in every TikTok’s comment section? Why is this the soundtrack to every opinion ever? Why did someone genuinely write on Tumblr, “Reminder that you are not ever obligated to be a good person”? Why does everyone want a village, but no one wants to be a villager? Why are so many people comfortable with putting themselves over everything, every time?

More and more, I get videos of people claiming that it’s totally okay to cancel on picking up your friend from the airport after the plane has landed; Complaining that they, as your friend, have no obligation to help you move; Defending that, to the nth degree, you as an individual come first over family, over friends, over relationships, over pets. When did we get so self-centred? The answer is, in my opinion, it’s not totally our fault, but it also kind of is.

You may remember the 5-star phrase “I don’t owe anyone anything” from 2010s self-care culture. Face masks, mani-pedis, and boundary setting promoted the idea of saying no sometimes to save yourself from stretching too thin and making sure there was still a held-together person to call on when in need. It advertised to a generation of girlbosses and people-pleasers (also often women) who were expected to do everything without a peep, because that was the cost of equal rights in the workplace, and you wanted to be the same as the guys, right?

But like every five dollar phrase intending to challenge the patriarchy, it doesn’t go through the social media washing machine without coming out a little faded. “I don’t owe anyone anything beyond what I have the bandwidth for” turned into “I don’t owe anyone anything at all; Not kindness, not empathy, not anything that inconveniences me.” 

We all know that we should generally strive to be more tenderhearted, nicer people – especially in a rising political climate that says it’s okay for anyone who isn’t rich, white, and powerful to die in the streets – but it’s the unwillingness to be inconvenienced in the face of personal relationships that I want to focus on.

In a tale as old as time, it all boils down to capitalism, in one way or another. We have a product for everything; Every discomfort we have ever had to experience has a quick-buy, cheaply-made solution. It may not work, but if it doesn’t, there’s a hundred more products to try next! Comfort is bought and sold at the touch of a button from places willing to sell to you for under a dollar. It’s not advertised who suffers because of it – Why would it be? – but that’s a whole other article.

There is also a severe lack of boredom. This might sound like an insane thing to complain about on paper, but boredom is a useful tool that we have all too quickly forgotten. From boredom stems art: The experience of being faced with nothing but your own empty brain to draw ideas from. From boredom stems self-reflection: With nothing else to think about, you’re stuck with you and your thoughts, and – if you’ll lie back in my therapist office sofa – how do you feel about that? From boredom stems observation: With nothing else inside your own head, you turn outwards, to ponder the brains of others. From boredom stems the forceful experience to think independently without someone else’s thoughts being incessantly shoved into your crania. We’ve gotten rid of boredom. Every down moment that we have is spent scrolling and playing Clash Royale. (Notice I’m saying we. I’m not blaming you. I run an entirely digital zine. You should see my Screentime.) We don’t allow a rogue thought to enter our brains. There is no inner silence in a digital world.

We have promoted quick solutions for every discomfort we could experience, from neck pain to waiting for the light to change. We expect to live in cushiony peace every moment of our lives. We should be able to call our friends and hang out when we want to. We should be able to spend time with our family when it’s fun. Giving someone a ride? I don’t really feel like driving, I’d be much more comfortable on my couch. Being asked inconveniences by our kinships feels like a crack being broken into our carefully crafted Me-Domes, like they’re invading our privacy, or “disturbing our peace” – another very popular boundary-setting phrase that has turned into hyperindividualism. 

We’ve forgotten that to love someone isn’t always easy. The little sacrifices that you make – like your time, your effort, or a papercut from helping them load their printer – is what shows them you care. And vice versa, they show you that they care by waking up at 5am to pick you up at the airport. Because they want you to be safe. Because they would sacrifice a bit of their comfort to give you some of yours.

My advice? Embrace altruism through minute boredom. Bake someone something. No, you don’t have to, there’s no occasion, but it’s nice. Don’t do anything else while it’s in the oven; Watch it rise, or write a little thinking-of-you card. Rake your neighbour’s yard. Call a beloved relative and ask about their day. Help build your friend’s IKEA furniture, and bring a hammer – The instructions say you don’t need one, but you do. Go back to your societal roots and help an elderly person cross the street.

Your phone does not love you. Real people do. Be inconvenienced, for a little bit, and love them back.

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Jingle all the way: my (potentially controversial) top ten Christmas movies

By Emma Hardesty, Editor-in-Chief

One thing about me and my family is that we love Christmas movies. The Thanksgiving turkey will still be warm on our plates, and we’ll be throwing on a variety of holiday movies, from the great ones to Hot Frosty. 

Yes, I sat through that movie. Yes, it was as bad as it looks.

All this to say, I consider myself quite the expert when it comes to holiday-related media. So much so that I decided it’s time I fully cement it – what are the top ten Christmas movies of all time?

Honorable Mention: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964)

Though this absolute classic may not break my top ten, I had to at least bring it up. It may be anti-Christmas not to.

In all seriousness, this cute and cozy Rankin-Bass special has been a staple in my household for years. The “why weren’t you at elf practice?” scene puts me in hysterics every time. 

10. “Prep & Landing” (2009)

I don’t want to hear anyone whine about how this isn’t a movie because it’s only twenty minutes. It’s my list, and I say  “Prep & Landing” belongs here.

With that out of the way…

This short was one of my favorites growing up, and I still hold it dear to this day. It provided a new look at Santa Clause operations that I had never seen before as a child, and in addition to quirky characters and a good, fast-paced story, this was an instant hit for my child self. 

I don’t always rewatch this, but when I get to, it’s a delight. 

9. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965)

Another classic film, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” never fails to make me feel all warm inside. Perhaps this film radicalized me as a child, because I too often find myself sad around the holidays and full of disdain for the hyper-consumerism I’m surrounded with.

Aside from Mr. Charlie Brown’s intense relatability, I love seeing the rest of the gang messing around. Of course, Snoopy is always a standout, but I’m also partial to Linus and his insistence on the incorporation of his emotional support blue blanket into the play. I would also do anything for my emotional support weighted dinosaur, so I respect it. 

All in all, this special is a delightful time and full of all the nostalgic coziness you need around the holidays.

8. “Christmas Vacation” (1989)

My family and I quote this movie religiously. No family function is complete without a snide, “I don’t know, Margo.” For the quotability alone, it deserved a spot on this list.

But since I have the floor, I get to finally voice my biggest gripe with this movie. Clark Griswold’s constant desire to cheat on his actual bombshell of a wife is insanity, and feels so icky to watch. The infamous pool scene always makes me cringe and look away. Maybe it was funny twenty years ago, but it’s certainly not funny to me now. 

Thankfully, the majority of the movie doesn’t have much to do with that. It’s full of goofy slapstick and kooky characters that leave you cackling at the antics. All-in-all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable, highly-quotable flick that I am more than happy to watch again and again. 

7.” Elf” (2003)

This is a certified White People Classic, and as a certified White Person, “Elf” had to make its way onto my list. I’m admittedly not fond of this interpretation of Santa (more on that later), but there is nothing like Christmas in New York.

I think. I don’t know. I haven’t experienced it. Yet.

Jokes aside, the setting really does sell this movie. Seeing New York through Buddy’s fresh eyes puts a new level of magic on the city.

Not only is the setting great, but the story is wonderful. Buddy’s romance with Jovie is so cute and innocent. When Buddy isn’t swooning over Jovie, the audience gets to witness the budding relationships between him and his family. The scenes with Buddy and Michael might be some of my personal favorites.

And again, the humor in this is perfect. If you can’t tell, I like my Christmas movies with a good dose of comedy, and Elf finds this balance perfectly. Each emotional moment is offset with a quick remark that keeps the audience easily entertained. 

“Elf” may be a bit overdone, but it’s such a hit for a reason.

6. “Daddy’s Home 2” (2015)

Is this a hot take? Is this crazy? I don’t care, it’s my list!

My family and I all thoroughly enjoyed the first “Daddy’s Home” movie, but the release of the second one changed the trajectory of our Christmas watchlist forever. 

The cast of the first movie was already hilarious, but the additions of John Lithgow and Mel Gibson take it to the next level. The four male protagonists are hysterical together. The entire cast shines throughout this movie, especially in the amazing Nativity scene. 

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is now a staple in my Christmas playlist. 

5. “Arthur Christmas” (2011)

My family only recently stumbled onto this movie a few years ago, and Oh. My. God?! It’s so good?! Why did no one share this movie with me before?

To begin with, it’s actually hysterical. During my first watch, there were multiple times I actually laughed out loud. It has a certain dry humor that I absolutely adore – it’s subtle, and makes you want to pay attention to catch anything that might go over your head. 

The characters are absolutely delightful. The titular character Arthur is actually such a sweetheart. At no point in the movie do I ever find him, or any of the other characters, annoying or irritating. Despite the goofiness of the story, they all feel surprisingly realistic.

If you were like me and hadn’t heard of this movie, please go watch it. It’s an absolute hidden gem in the world of holiday movies, and needs more attention brought to it.

4. “The Santa Clause” (1994)

Now THIS. THIS is the best representation of Santa Clause, the elves, and the North Pole in any Christmas movie.

When Scott Calvin finally fully embraces becoming Santa Clause, he becomes exactly who my child self pictured as Santa, from the demeanor down to the look. The North Pole is a delightful hub filled with so much joy, toys, and sweet treats. The elves, played by children, are all cute, sweet – and occasionally hilariously sarcastic. They are thousands of years old, after all.

Aside from being the pinnacle of what I imagine Santa and everything surrounding him to be like, this movie is just fantastic on its own. We get to see the drab corporate man become a beacon of joy to children around the world, which warms my heart on every rewatch. Bernard the Elf was everyone’s childhood crush, because, of course he was. Neil wears some fantastic sweaters. 

I absolutely love this movie, and have loved it since I was little. So many nights did I go to sleep dreaming of the North Pole and Santa Clause, seeing exactly the world this movie created. 

3. “Klaus” (2019) 

Before I begin, let me say – while not my most favorite, this is objectively the best movie on this list. 

I first watched this movie in a high school Agriculture class. I think I can speak for all of my classmates when I say that I expected very little from this movie. I assumed it would be another lame Disney Channel-esque movie, as most teacher-picks are.

Twenty minutes in, and my classmates and I were all quickly proven wrong.

This movie is visually a masterpiece. It was animated using a combination of 2D hand-drawing techniques and 3D animation, for aspects like the lighting, to create the uniquely gorgeous end result. It’s absolutely eye-catching, and feels like a warm hug.

I cannot even begin to describe the amazing story, and in case you haven’t seen this movie, I almost don’t want to. Just looking at the journey Jesper goes on alone is absolutely amazing. The amount he has grown by the end of the movie always makes me smile.

Speaking of the end of the movie… tears. Every time. If you haven’t ever seen this absolute masterpiece of a movie, do yourself a favor and go watch it. You won’t be sorry. 

2. “Home Alone” (1990)

I honestly don’t even know if I can explain my deep attachment to this movie. 

Of course, I have to talk about the visuals. The intentional, repeated use of green and red make the whole movie feel so cozy and festive. The McCallister house is an absolute dream. 

Again, it’s one of those movies that hit a perfect balance between heartful storytelling and humor. It makes you laugh, before hitting you with thought-provoking scenes. 

The scene in the church in particular always makes me think and reflect. When I was a child, the idea of the Old Man being scared to talk to his son always confused me. To me, it was obvious the son would love to hear from his dad. As I have grown, I’ve come to sympathize with the Old Man. There have been so many times I’ve felt that similar fear – a fear of being rejected after allowing yourself to be vulnerable with someone you value so deeply. 

Maybe that’s why I love this movie so much. At its heart, it's a movie about family, and how even despite your complex relationships with them, the love you share will prevail.  

1. “Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992)

I DON’T PLAY ABOUT THIS MOVIE.

OH MY GOD.

Okay. Okay. Calming down.

I absolutely LOVE “Muppet Christmas Carol”. If you’ve seen any interpretation of a Christmas Carol, you get the general gist of this movie. 

But it’s with Muppets.

I. Freaking. Love. The. Muppets.

They are absolutely DELIGHTFUL in this film, along with lead Michael Caine as Scrooge. They are up to typical Muppets antics in between important parts of the story. It still makes me laugh seeing Kermit’s legs. 

The music in this movie might be what makes it an absolute staple. “Marley and Marley?” Banger. “Scrooge”? Triple platinum in my household. “It Feels Like Christmas?” Might be unashamedly bumping this in April sometimes.

If you like Christmas Carol, and you like the Muppets (and even if you don’t like either of those), you should absolutely give this movie a watch. 

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