Festival Review: Vulture Festival Continues To Staple Itself In NYC Pop Culture
I have had the pleasure of reviewing Vulture Festival for the past three years, and I adore it every-time. Its capacity to change stars transforms its yearly dynamic. This year, it felt charged with women, across the entertainment industry, open to displaying the flaws and fabulosity of being “girl powered”. Moreover, it felt like two days of panels on how to persevere towards your dreams.
From Maggie Gyllenhaal’s discussion on how she was always deemed “not pretty enough” for “mainstream” roles to Samantha Bee’s discussion on being “trolled” and how the “air” of America’s political climate has gotten darker, so many ladies graced this years’ panels to intellectually approach the “glitz” of being on camera. Compared to last year, this Vulture Festival one felt more vulnerable, which is not an easy feat. After all, Vulture Festival is like having a famous celebrity invite you over for a chat. Actresses like Retta, Hilary Duff, and director Ava Duvernay all graced the stage to, basically, hold conversations where you watched and absorbed the lessons they have learned as human beings who to transform their humanity into art-forms like comedy and directing.
While I elaborate the feels of femininity throughout the fest, even “the guys” of the fest like John Leguizamo and Tracy Morgan, seemed focused on what it is to be rejected. Whether it is for how you look or who you are, Vulture Festival gathered the “creme de la creme” of the industry to release the laughs and pains of making a dream come true while so many telly you that you should not have it. Thousands upon thousands of “no’s” come before a yes, which is not easy to overcome when you have gone through a car accident like Tracy Morgan or no longer speak to your brother like John Leguizamo. Their panels felt like reminders that bad times and the word “no” never fail to make an appearance in your life, but “fame” and “money” only allowed them to make it “easier” not better. For that, they had to work.
From Phoebe Robinson reliving her “poor days” on Wild Horse Live! to the absolute ferocity that is AMC’s new show, Dietland, my mind felt expanded as my laughs got louder. It was nice to see the humanity of people conquering or who have conquered life’s wrenches. Yet, oddly enough, my favorite part of Vulture Festival was the Vulture Lounge. Why? Because it became a “Friend Camp”. After every panel, everyone united for delectable eats, free goodies, and childhood board games that are incredibly fun while you are an adult waiting for your phone to charge at the free battery-charging station. The Vulture Lounge became a “hot-spot” to digest your “food for thought”, and make friends with fellow New Yorkers that love to read, watch tv, and are unashamed in their psycho-analysis of pop-culture.
While traveling to panels was not always easy, having to leave the building to re-enter it for each one, the ambiance of Vulture Festival 2018 was always relaxed. Light rains did nothing to deter the crowds’ eagerness to devour both pop culture and pop analysis. Thus, it felt right that Vulture Festival ended on a Comedy Show in Brooklyn. Capping off the weekend, comedic stars like Sasheer Zamata, Ana Fabrega, and my fave Julio Torres, drew on their equally irreverent and intelligent humor, which felt like a very “vulture festival” thing to do. This Vulture Festival 2018 was all about being smart enough to get wise, and fight for your happiness against haters and trolls. Moreover, it felt settled in its plenteous offering of culture and mindfulness. For More Information On Vulture Fest And Vulture Magazine Click Here.
