Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
“Things change. And friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999)
Did the coming-of-age movie lie to us? I dive into the films that explore what happens with life beyond your typical teen movie optimism, and how the whole genre seems to have aged up with time.
🕦TIMESTAMPS:🕝
0:00 - Intro
2:53 - "Emerging adulthood"
4:48 - Clueless (1995) and the teen movie template
6:46 - Frances Ha (2012) was just like me fr
12:29 - The Graduate (1967) and post-college cynicism
17:49 - Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) and the trappings of adulthood
22:43 - Millennial irony and the death of sincerity
30:52 - What does "coming-of-age" mean today?
🐱FOLLOW ME ON IG: instagram.com/anaisabelcosplays 🐈
🎸LISTEN TO CHEEKFACE'S ALBUM "PODIUM": open.spotify.com/album/4rJLfcbd5rmXOr6muEBKtM
Songs used: "Black Site" (intro) and "No Fly Zone" (outro)
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All third-party clips and images are Fair Use/Fair Dealing under copyright law (transformative under criticism/review/commentary/news reporting).
Australian copyright law on “Fair Dealing”:
https://www.copyright.org.au/acc_prod/acc/Information_Sheets/Fair_Dealing__What_Can_I_Use_Without_Permission.aspx
US copyright law on "Fair Use":
copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
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🎬 Movies Used: 🎬
Clueless (1995), directed by Amy Heckerling.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Frances Ha (2012), directed by Noah Baumbach.
Distributed by IFC Films.
The Graduate (1967), directed by Mike Nichols.
Distributed by Embassy Pictures (US), United Pictures (International).
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Distributed by CBS Films (United States), StudioCanal (United Kingdom and France).
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📄Main Sources Used: 📄
Millennials in Adulthood (Pew Research)
pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood
What is Emerging Adulthood (University of New Hampshire)
https://www.unh.edu/pacs/emerging-adulthood
Frances Ha is All Grown Up (Olivia Rutigliano, Literary Hub)
lithub.com/frances-ha-is-all-grown-up
When ‘The Graduate’ Opened 50 Years Ago, It Changed Hollywood (and America) Forever (Smithsonian Magazine)
smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/graduate-opened-50-years-ago-changed-hollywood-forever-180967222
Why Do We Love “The Graduate”? (Jacob R. Brackman, The New Yorker)
newyorker.com/magazine/1968/07/27/the-graduate
It’s 2026. Are Millennials Having (Another) Moment? (Josiah Gogarty, GQ Magazine)
gq.com/story/its-2026-are-millennials-having-another-moment
Green screen overlays (credits) 🎞️
@JillianNoreen @HeyitsFaith @ximenaromero564 @SalmaSophis
Music from Epidemic Sound.
↓tags tags tags feel free to ignore↓
Coming of age, teen movies, high school, clueless, frances ha, inside llewyn davis, the graduate, emerging adulthood, millennials, quarter life crisis
“Things change. And friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999)
Did the coming-of-age movie lie to us? I dive into the films that explore what happens with life beyond your typical teen movie optimism, and how the whole genre seems to have aged up with time.
🕦TIMESTAMPS:🕝
0:00 - Intro
2:53 - "Emerging adulthood"
4:48 - Clueless (1995) and the teen movie template
6:46 - Frances Ha (2012) was just like me fr
12:29 - The Graduate (1967) and post-college cynicism
17:49 - Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) and the trappings of adulthood
22:43 - Millennial irony and the death of sincerity
30:52 - What does "coming-of-age" mean today?
🐱FOLLOW ME ON IG: instagram.com/anaisabelcosplays 🐈
🎸LISTEN TO CHEEKFACE'S ALBUM "PODIUM": open.spotify.com/album/4rJLfcbd5rmXOr6muEBKtM
Songs used: "Black Site" (intro) and "No Fly Zone" (outro)
-
All third-party clips and images are Fair Use/Fair Dealing under copyright law (transformative under criticism/review/commentary/news reporting).
Australian copyright law on “Fair Dealing”:
https://www.copyright.org.au/acc_prod/acc/Information_Sheets/Fair_Dealing__What_Can_I_Use_Without_Permission.aspx
US copyright law on "Fair Use":
copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
-
🎬 Movies Used: 🎬
Clueless (1995), directed by Amy Heckerling.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Frances Ha (2012), directed by Noah Baumbach.
Distributed by IFC Films.
The Graduate (1967), directed by Mike Nichols.
Distributed by Embassy Pictures (US), United Pictures (International).
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Distributed by CBS Films (United States), StudioCanal (United Kingdom and France).
-
📄Main Sources Used: 📄
Millennials in Adulthood (Pew Research)
pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood
What is Emerging Adulthood (University of New Hampshire)
https://www.unh.edu/pacs/emerging-adulthood
Frances Ha is All Grown Up (Olivia Rutigliano, Literary Hub)
lithub.com/frances-ha-is-all-grown-up
When ‘The Graduate’ Opened 50 Years Ago, It Changed Hollywood (and America) Forever (Smithsonian Magazine)
smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/graduate-opened-50-years-ago-changed-hollywood-forever-180967222
Why Do We Love “The Graduate”? (Jacob R. Brackman, The New Yorker)
newyorker.com/magazine/1968/07/27/the-graduate
It’s 2026. Are Millennials Having (Another) Moment? (Josiah Gogarty, GQ Magazine)
gq.com/story/its-2026-are-millennials-having-another-moment
Green screen overlays (credits) 🎞️
@JillianNoreen @HeyitsFaith @ximenaromero564 @SalmaSophis
Music from Epidemic Sound.
↓tags tags tags feel free to ignore↓
Coming of age, teen movies, high school, clueless, frances ha, inside llewyn davis, the graduate, emerging adulthood, millennials, quarter life crisis






![Our Love for Fictional Characters (& Toxic Fan Entitlement)
Lethal drinking game: take a shot every time I say “parasocial relationship” 🍸
Ever cry when your favourite TV characters die? When your ship doesn’t make it? When a long-running TV show you’ve invested hours of your life into ends in a hot-garbage finale? Yeah it’s a mood. 🙃
I dive into these strong bonds we make with fiction, why they happen, and the worst (and best) sides of them. 👥
🕓TIME STAMPS:🕒
0:00 - Intro
1:54 - Parasocial relationships - what are they?
5:00 - Parasocial relationships and social media influencers
7:03 - Our attachment to fictional media
10:52 - The psychology of parasocial attachment
17:10 - Dissecting Misery
19:42 - The (positive) power of fandoms
20:28 - Toxic fan entitlement
26:00 - From fan love to unhealthy obsession
28:18 - Blurred lines between reality and fiction
30:43 - Fan activism
✨ FOLLOW ME ON MY SOCIALS AND STUFF ✨
Instagram: https://bit.ly/34hT1I7
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2NktVSe
DeviantArt: https://bit.ly/2WtTKmX
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All third-party clips and images are Fair Use/Fair Dealing under copyright law (transformative under criticism/review).
Australian copyright law on “Fair Dealing”: https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
US copyright law on Fair Use: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
I do not own Misery (1990). All rights belong to Rob Reiner, Castle Rock Entertainment, Nelson Entertainment, and Columbia Pictures.
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Imaginary friends and real-world consequences: parasocial relationships | Jennifer Barnes | TEDxOU
https://youtu.be/22yoaiLYb7M
How Fans Treat Creators - Sarah Z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0l_biTU3Vg&t=84s
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Music Credits (in order of appearance) 🎶:
Angry Background Music ~ Danger Snow (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Mood Audio
https://youtu.be/KMhrimqyD38
Say Yeah - Topher Mohr and Alex Elena (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Audio Library — Music for content creators
https://youtu.be/-wiUIs9I9EM
Joakim Karud - Classic
Channel: Free To Use Music — Background music for videos
https://youtu.be/KVNLpO2Xnc4
Jungle Juice – Wataboi (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Audio Library — Music for content creators
https://youtu.be/Tw_Q7pNdLTo
Flavour - Wataboi [Audio Library Release] · Free Copyright-safe Music
Channel: Audio Library Plus — Official Releases
https://youtu.be/iP-ug5RLe7w
Twin Shine - Silent Partner (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Audio Library — Music for content creators
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8pbIT_p-C8
Another Perspective - Silent Partner (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Audio Library — Music for content creators
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWgoCrtAuMY
Pina Colada - Silent Partner (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Audio Library — Music for content creators
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFbTB22S4R4
Right Place, Right Time - Silent Partner (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Audio Library — Music for content creators
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcVEobrErMM
Rubber Necking - Topher Mohr and Alex Elena (No Copyright Music)
Channel: Audio Library — Music for content creators
https://youtu.be/Yw8CARGyTWw Our Love for Fictional Characters (& Toxic Fan Entitlement)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zRxRmBc1ctw/mqdefault.jpg)