‘Scream’ Star Mason Gooding on the Influence of Chadwick Boseman in ‘Black Panther’: ‘I Began to Believe in Myself’
01.03.2022 - 01:55
/ variety.com
Mason Gooding In my younger and more vulnerable years, I was under the impression that by the time I could legally refer to myself as an adult I’d simultaneously be granted the luxury of self-confidence. That “self-confidence” would theoretically come both because of, as well as alongside, a physical and emotional maturity.
However, as time passes, I wonder when my place in the universe will become entirely clear to me and, ideally, those around me. I wonder where the ubiquitous quirks and little foibles inherent to who I am will rest amongst the notches and nuances of my “community.”I’m often made aware of the pitfalls of “self-reflection” and “self-worth” when put into the context of how other people view me, especially at a time in which other people’s opinions — both of me and things in general — are so readily available at the click of a button or the swipe of a finger.
The formulaic nature of social media and the subsequent dedication to viral trends can oftentimes perpetuate a feeling of “sameness,” as if “fitting in” is more important than “feeling seen” or “appreciated.” I wonder, presumably on my lonesome, if this feeling is something unique to me, or if everyone else thinks about it as much as I do. We swim upstream, caught in the proverbial river of self-doubt and insecurity of which much of western culture procures its value.
I will never forget the first time I saw Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther.” Obscured among a sea of enraptured faces, I sat fixated on what an adolescent version of myself would have never thought possible. Call me a skeptic, but the over-abundance of heroes, idols and icons that more often than not looked nothing like me eventually allowed my psyche to slip into the dangerous notion that
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