Honestly, Vanessa

I finally started watching The Studio and at first I thought it was just going to be another Hollywood satire, something funny to throw on while folding laundry or decompressing at night.

But a few episodes in, I realized this show is doing something deeper. It’s hilarious, but it’s also painfully real, layered, and oddly emotional if you’ve ever loved film, creativity, or the behind-the-scenes world of making things come alive.

And before I even get into the show itself, I have to talk about Seth Rogen.

I grew up with his movies. Truly grew up with them.

His comedies basically defined my high school years, the sleepovers, the movie nights, the phase of life where everything felt lighter, louder, funnier, and a little chaotic in the best way.

His humor was everywhere during that era, and watching him now, older, sharper, creating something this self-aware feels like growing up alongside him in a strange, full circle kind of way.

Beyond the comedy though, I genuinely respect him as a human being.

He’s one of the few jewish people in Hollywood who has openly spoken out against Israel and acknowledged the realities of what’s happening, which takes real courage in an industry where silence is usually safer and more profitable.

I will continue to support and watch his content for as long as he stays the courageous and awesome man he truly is.

Now about the show.

The Studio pulls back the curtain on Hollywood in a way that feels less like parody and more like confession. It shows the egos, the fake activism, the performative morality, the chaos, the money behind every “creative decision,” and the constant tug of war between art and profit.

You’ll laugh, and then immediately think,
yeah… that’s probably exactly how that happens.

It’s not making fun of Hollywood from the outside. It feels like insiders finally admitting how broken, messy, and absurd the system really is.

The characters are stressed, insecure, power-hungry, well-meaning, selfish, funny, and weirdly relatable.

Kathryn Hahn’s character is effortlessly hilarious. Every scene she’s in feels more unhinged, funnier, and uncomfortably dark in the best way.

It makes you realize that so much of the culture we consume is shaped by people who are overwhelmed, reacting in panic, chasing numbers, and trying to protect their own positions.

Which honestly explains a lot about modern movies.

But what really surprised me was how nostalgic it made me.

Watching the behind-the-scenes chaos brought me straight back to film school.

Putting together short films with my classmates. Everyone taking on different roles, director, camera, sound, editing, running around exhausted but excited, trying to make something out of nothing. The late nights. The stress. The creativity. The teamwork. The passion.

It wasn’t the industry yet.
It was practice.
It was messy, imperfect and frustrating but beautiful.

I remember being super nervous, even anxiety ridden about eventually stepping into the real film world one day, but loving the process of creating stories with people.

This show brought all of that back, the collaboration, the pressure, the thrill of making something come alive.

Under all the satire, The Studio feels deeply human.

It shows how people get swallowed by systems, how ambition slowly replaces creativity, how fear drives decisions more than passion and how image becomes more important than truth.

And yet somehow it still manages to be genuinely funny.

Not cheesy funny. Just smart, observant, laugh-out-loud funny.

Honestly, it’s one of the best industry shows I’ve seen in a long time.

It’s entertaining without being shallow.

And for someone who grew up on Seth Rogen’s films and once dreamt or is dreaming of filmmaking, I highly recommend watching it.

More thoughts to come as I finish the season, but for now, I’m hooked🎬