Feels Good Man

The triumphantly unusual documentary, Feels Good Man, from 2020 takes the audience on a fascinating journey of digital culture framed within the story of a character named Pepe the Frog. Though potentially unfamiliar to some, the film is guaranteed to resonate with anyone who has been swept up, knowingly or otherwise, in the social and political contention of the internet age. The film, directed by Arthur Jones, is led by the true story of the mild-mannered and unassuming artist, Matt Furie, who created the now internet-infamous character, Pepe the Frog. The plot unfolds the compelling tale of how Pepe, the stoner-frog from Furie's comic "Boy's Club," emerged from the pages to become a globally recognized meme, and was, much to the disdain of his creator, co-opted as a symbol of hate.

The film opens with Furie and his wife Aiyana Udesen talking about his comic strip "Boys Club." Jones uses hand-drawn animations to breathe life into Furie, who's just as introverted and affable as the frog he created in his early twenties. Their life appears as a humbly harmonious artist’s space, where Furie's imaginative artistry embellishes every corner. From here, Feels Good Man dives into the unexpectedly dramatic journey of Pepe the Frog. Furie, who created Pepe to entertain his friends, witnesses in disbelief as his character gets caught in a tangle of internet sensitivities, renditioned and manipulated against the original persona.

While Furie features heavily, the film also includes a slew of talking heads, each describing a different chapter of Pepe's life. These perspectives offer potent changed semantics arguments, from the innocent meme culture to the disturbing appropriation by far-right groups. In truth, the humble amphibian's journey mirrors the trajectory of internet humor: a thing shared as a farcical joke, ultimately twisted into something far darker. It's a genuinely fascinating tour of meme culture and a clear view of internet microcosms feeding into public consciousness. The level of detail can be overwhelming, but it's integral to understanding the strange and confusing paths that digital content can sometimes take.

Among the narrative explorations of meme culture, Feels Good Man also forms an intimate portrait of Furie himself. It's a sympathetic portrait of a creator alienated from his creation, and Furie’s attempts to rescue his creation from the jaws of internet culture spin the central thread of the movie. Furie's bewilderment, ambivalence, and ultimate sense of responsibility for Pepe's transformation reflect the film's core thematic exploration of creation, intention, and responsibility.

One of the film's most significant accomplishments is taking a subject that could easily be brushed off as a trivial internet squabble and portraying it with gravity and intention. Jones presents a digital phenomenon that both links and bifurcates the real and virtual worlds; the film sheds light on the paradox: that which dwells in the digital realm has gained significant traction in real-world contexts. The mutation of the character Pepe the Frog, from charming outlandish character in a comic strip to a symbol utilized, albeit misguidedly, by far-right ideologies represents this shift strikingly.

The film's execution is unique: accompanied by original music by Chris Sullivan, the narrative uses animations, interviews, archival footage, and an Internet aesthetic to visually narrate a story of our time. The eye-catching presentation adds to the demographic-spanning appeal, and the expertly edited Golden State Killer segment deserves a notable mention for its storytelling impact.

In its essence, Feels Good Man is an exploration of complexities. It's a poignant tale about the internet's underbelly and the humanity of an artist unwilling to let his inadvertent Frankenstein destroy his peace. It serves as a profound commentary on the intricacies of today's internet culture, the corrosive potential it holds, and the individual lives affected in its cyclone. Effective and thought-provoking, "Feels Good Man" presents a slice of this digital era's challenges and triumphs through the lens of one man and his frog.