BoJack Horseman: Abraçando o Vazio Existencial

Rich, alco (-holic), selfish and a mixture of horse and human being. These are BoJack's features, the main protagonist of a TV show called "BoJack Horseman", a Netflix original production. At first glance, there's almost nothing with which the public can relate about this character, after all, he is bitter and a narcissist.

And that goes for the show as a whole as well: those who watch only the first few episodes may find hard to understand what really is the narrative's main focus. But it's worth pushing through. The truth is "BoJack Horseman" is one of the most accurate depictions of what existencial vacuum can do to people.

Even though the protagonist might seem so distant from our reality, with all his money, his fame and his horse face, in due time we learn that the flaws and insecurities make BoJack a fascinating character. The basis for the plot is quite simple: in the 1990's, BoJack starred in a TV show, one of those similar to Full House. Now, 20 years after the show ended, people still recognize him in the streets, but the height of his career is a thing of the past: money and memories are all that's left of the time he was successful.

So he needs to find new ways to stay relevant in this world filled with celebrities. The plot unfolds in an alternate Hollywood, one with no difference between people and animals. As a matter of fact, that appears all the time as gags poking fun at each character's personalities.

In technical terms, this show is very well-produced. From the animation, really well-done and filled with references, to the voice acting, which stars Aaron Paul, famous for playing Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, and even Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe in Friends. But it's not the plot or technical aspects that make "BoJack Horseman" really shine.

What makes this show so special is how it deals with the complexities of our emotions, by using a mixture of humor and philosophy and criticizing a few maxims of our society. Even though the jokes are always there, BoJack's narrative is much more focused on drama than comedy. With each episode, things get deeper and deeper.

A few quite obscure themes are dealt with, like using d-hugs to escape reality, or our inability to accept how much we, as human beings, are insignificant if compared to the universe. As a matter of fact, BoJack Horseman is a great stage for a few philosophical theories, such as Nihilism and Existentialism. Nihilism itself is a doctrine based on pessimism and skepticism.

Meaning that, this philosophical movement denies any sort of meaning or purpose for human existence. Brazilian author André Cancian explained this very well in his book "O Vazio da Máquina", published in 2007. He states that, if confronted with nihilism, our mind can go through a state of mourning, since this philosophy represents the death of our reality.

Nihilistic people do not believe in absolute truths and do not see any reason for their existence in this world. Nihilism perfectly illustrates BoJack's behavior: despite large sums of cash, and conditions to live the life of a king, he can't help but feel empty, and oftentimes uses that as an excuse to avoid his responsibilities. It's as if he struggled to find happiness because, at least according to his perspective, life does not make sense.

And from BoJack's dissatisfaction, a few interesting dynamics come up. For instance, Todd, the closest thing BoJack has to a friend, is a very positive and peaceful person, even though not that bright or successful. The main difference between him and BoJack is that Todd fulfills his life's void with little tasks that end up distracting his mind.

And, from task to task, he achieves great progress, like opening a Halloween store out of season, or even building his own customized Disney World. The peaceful way Todd lives his life, which is almost the opposite of the whiny way BoJack lives his, clears room for another philosophical theory: Existentialism. Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, considered by many the father of this doctrine, worked with the concept that the individual is the only responsible for the meaning of their life.

So if that individual doesn't believe in God, which is true for BoJack, it's up to them, through actions, search for the meaning of their existence. Jean-Paul Sartre, another 20th century existentialist philosopher, who is even mentioned by BoJack in one of the episodes, said once that the man is condemned to be free. That means that freedom would be a burden, since we, as individuals, have to take ownership for our actions: there's no one else to blame for our success or for our failure.

Following that line of thought, BoJack keeps disappointing people not because that is his essence, but because deep down he chose to be like that: narcissistic and bitter. According to Existentialism, he is the only responsible for his own misery, not fame, d-hug addiction or anything else. The bottomline is that "BoJack Horseman" ends up being a work about the pursuit of happiness.

Each character deals with it their own way. Princess Carolyn, for example, BoJack's former girlfriend, is always working compulsively, and that makes her feel useful. Mr Peanutbutter, probably the happiest character of the entire show, lives his life in a constant state of distraction, so there's really not that much time to feel sad.

In the midst of it all, there's Bojack, who gives it a shot, but can't quite find satisfaction. In a moment where we have so much access to information, it's easy to start questioning our own place in the world and even feel a bit abandoned during the process. "BoJack Horseman" can be particularly powerful for those who dealt or deals with depression.

With a protagonist that has everything in life, but at the same time can't feel a thing, this show manages to create a special connection with people who identify feeling a void. It's a narrative that embraces sadness and shows that things might not always have a happy ending, mainly when someone insists on the same mistakes. But it's also a reminder that it's never too late to try and change, even if you feel like the most unhappy person, or horse, in the whole universe.

[This song is great] [Shame that the YouTube police will have me arrested for using it] ["It's easy working with YouTube", they said. . .

] [What an honest mistake] [help] BRING ON THE SQUIRRELNAUT SONG!