Mount Hood

Prime’s newest project: Hazbin Hotel

Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers, mentions of sexual assault, abuse, drug and alcohol use and violence 

Amazon Prime is no stranger to streaming shows based around angels, demons and the redemption of sordid characters. When Neil Gaiman’s “Good Omens” premiered on the company’s streaming service, Prime Video, it quickly gained notoriety among subscribers. Prime’s newest show, “Hazbin Hotel,” has been met with similar excitement since its release.

In its early days, “Hazbin Hotel” was first posted on a YouTube channel run by the show’s creator, Vivienne Medrano, who went by the handle @vivziepop. Since its initial release on Oct. 28, 2019, the pilot has garnered over 97.1 million views. In 2020, film studio A24 earned the rights to fund and produce the series, but it did not find a home company until Prime Video picked it up for partnership. 

“Hazbin Hotel” follows Charlie Morningstar — played by Elsie Lovelock — as she attempts to rehabilitate sinners in her hotel. Working at the hotel with her is the enigmatic Radio Demon, Alastor, bubbly one-eyed Nifty and alcoholic Husk, who act as the hotel’s business partner, housekeeper and bartender respectively. 

Together, they work to better the souls of p**n star and addict, Angel Dust, and the loveable loser, Sir Pentious. While attempting this, the hotel residents must prepare to face the coming exorcism, led by none other than the first man himself, Adam, or “the original d**k” as he calls himself. 

The show’s first season runs eight episodes, with a runtime of 25 minutes and two songs per episode. It also boasts a well-known cast of Broadway stars, including Alex Brightman, who performed in “Beetlejuice: The Musical,” Stephanie Beatriz, known for Disney’s “Encanto” and “Centaur World” and Keith David, who stars in Disney’s “Princess and the Frog” and “Coraline.”

On the surface, “Hazbin Hotel” may seem like a raunchy, adult comedy with flashy animation and rock-style musical numbers; however, it goes much deeper than what meets the eye. 

A primary example lies beneath the surface of character, Angel Dust, played by Blake Roman. At face value, he is flirtatious, constantly intoxicated and hides his insecurities under aloofness, but, in his song “Poison,” the audience is given a glimpse into Angel Dust’s inner monologue, as well as his abusive and controlling relationship with demon overlord, Valentino. In episode five, “Masquerade,” viewers see Angel — in flashbacks — assaulted and beaten by Valentino, as well as being forced to star in adult videos, usually with violent premises.

“It’s not an act! It’s who I need to be! And this, this is my escape. Where I can forget about it all and how much I hate everything. A place where I can get high and not have to think about how much it hurts. And maybe if I can ruin myself enough in the process, if I end up broken, I won’t be his favorite toy anymore, and maybe he’ll let me go,” Angel says. 

“Hazbin Hotel” also explores strained father-daughter relationships, with Charlie and her father, Lucifer — played by Jeremy Jordan, who is known for “Newsies” and “Tangled the Series.” In episode five, “Dad Beat Dad,” Lucifer comes to the hotel to help Charlie in her enterprise, and ultimately repairs his relationship with Charlie in a song titled “More Than Everything.”

The hashtag “hazbinhotel” has garnered over 1.1 million posts on TikTok and 767 thousand on Instagram — skyrocketing the show into popularity in the wake of the finale. Edits and clips of the show have taken over the for you pages of many TikTok users, as well as some users on the platform, gaining overnight fame due to their cosplays of characters and usage of dialogue or songs from the show. 

“It definitely deserves the hype it’s getting,” said sophomore, Faith Woolsey. “The plot is amazing and the animation is so good.”

However, there has been some bible-thumping, Ned Flanders types who have taken to TikTok to claim that the show makes Satan the hero and God the enemy. 

One such video was posted on Jan. 28, by TikTok user @kmarie_g, and captioned “are they getting bolder with satanic worship or are we waking up more? Either way, it’s here and it’s in the wide open. Amazon’s new cartoon series about Satan being the good guy should be a wake up call to all Christians that now more than ever we need to stand up and guide people to Jesus because this world is doing everything they can to pull them the other way.” In the comments, it was a similar story: other users supported her “message” and were asking God and Jesus to bring the end times. None of the users had watched “Hazbin Hotel.”

This is evident because these claims could not be further from the truth. For one, Lucifer and Satan are two different people in the Hebrew Bible; while Satan is known for trying to tempt Jesus, Lucifer is known for serving him. Lucifer led Jesus to the cross and was cast from Heaven for rebelling against God, while Satan rebels against God and wishes for humanity to serve under him. The title of “Devil” is interchangeable for both Lucifer and Satan. Additionally, it is Adam and his exorcists who are portrayed as evil in “Hazbin Hotel,” not God — who is not even seen and hardly mentioned in the show’s first season.

“Hazbin Hotel” has been greenlit for a second season by Prime Video, with the show’s creator stating a one and a half to two year period before the release of season two. For now, fans can enjoy the show’s sister series — Helluva Boss — on YouTube.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Sustainable masterpieces

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

In Campbell Hall’s Cannon Gallery, several artists came together to share their mixed media artworks. The art pieces portrayed different stories of their creators and displayed a wide range of styles. Cannon Gallery currently houses collages, vibrant paintings and elaborate 3-D art.

Put together by Linn-Benton Community College faculty, Western’s campus gallery had something new and exciting with every turn. From sexuality and religious imagery to defunding the police, each artist had a unique message to share.

Daniel Lopez, an art teacher at Linn-Benton shared his methods of creating minimalistic yet deeply meaningful pieces. “I didn’t buy any of the materials… it’s just recycling… that’s definitely a big philosophy with me, is to keep things as sustainable as possible,” Lopez said. All his acrylics were gifted to him, and he recycled canvases students had left behind.

Lopez then shared his advice for anyone who wants to pursue the world of art — “As long as you care about art, you’ll feel the need to do it. The best thing to do as an artist is to live outside of the art. The more interesting of an artist you are, the more interesting your art will be.”

Jill R. Baker followed another sustainable route by reusing chicken wire and fabric cording for her multi-colored 3-D pieces. The mixed-media materials made for an eye-catching display.

Baker utilized the accessibility of the Oregon rain for her sunshine pieces by allowing the water to make an organic design with the watercolor pencils she used. In the Pacific Northwest, sometimes vitamin D is hard to come by.

“Last spring, I decided I was going to make my own sunshine… in the late winter, the sun is so important,” Baker said. The golden works of art were nothing short of big, beautiful, artificial stars. In the rainiest and cloudiest of times, art serves as the greatest outlet.

Many aspiring artists may be overwhelmed by the multitude of possibilities and may be unsure of where to begin. “Just start making art and see where you go,” Baker said. There is a lot of truth behind her statement — take art one day at a time. Cannon Gallery will demonstrate that every artist is unique in their own way, all one needs to do is take that first step towards creation.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Valentine’s with a sprinkle of angst

Written by Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

Tired of the lovesick wailing on every radio in the first two weeks of February? Try this playlist for a refreshing taste of upbeat and rocky Valentine’s Day angst. 

“We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)” — fun.,  Janelle Monáe

“Thnks fr th Mmrs” — Fall Out Boy

“Applause” — Lady Gaga

“New Romantics (Taylor’s Version)” — Taylor Swift

“Blow Me (One Last Kiss) – Radio Edit” — P!nk

“Mr. Brightside” — The Killers

“Friends” — Band Of Skulls

“Hello – Acoustic” — GROUPLOVE

“So What” — P!nk

“Under You” — Foo Fighters

“Let’s Dance to Joy Division” — The Wombats

“Shake Me Down” — Cage The Elephant

“Crazy Youngsters” — Ester Dean 

“Kiwi” — Quarters of Change 

“The Middle” — Jimmy Eat World

“Governess Shadow” — July Talk

“Mistakes” — Sharon Van Etten 

“Cough Syrup” — Young the Giant

“Seventeen” — Jimmy Eat World 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Life lessons with Harry Potter

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

I, alongside many others, spent my childhood looking through the lenses of the main characters in the novels I read. Having pored over the “Harry Potter” series since third grade, I got to experience a large portion of my developmental years from the perspective of the Chosen One, Harry Potter. 

“Harry Potter” is a distinct pop culture personality, who openly defies the government, fights prejudice and is fiercely loyal to his friends. J.K. Rowling also creates a wonderfully dimensional character profile for everyone in the book — rather than making the characters one-dimensionally morally sound or evil, she creates multifaceted characters that make mistakes, have moral gray areas, apologize and evolve as people. 

“Harry Potter” makes a relatable variety of mistakes throughout the series, and while being an astute and stubborn personality, also admits when he’s wrong and works to make things right. 

Coming from an unsavory background as the humble punching bag of the Dursley family, Harry Potter had the beginnings befitting of a supervillain. Facing daily roadblocks and abuse with no connections or friends, Harry became self-reliant and resentful of his life. 

He eventually gained status as a wizard and escaped his life with the Dursleys to attend Hogwarts, a similar path to Voldemort’s. However, Harry chose to defend those less fortunate and befriend characters like Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who were not the most popular or influential characters but were genuine friends. 

He rejected the Sorting Hat’s offer to place him in Slytherin despite being offered power and influence. Throughout the series, he makes conscious decisions to defend and protect people against prejudice and hatred and recognizes his faults concerning his impulsiveness and how his actions affect others. 

Harry is a prime example of having a choice to be a good person or to pursue power and influence without regarding others, and he is a great role model for young readers in terms of being authentic to oneself and fighting for what one believes in. 

J.K. Rowling also tackles some tough subjects for young readers such as bullying, grief, unfair circumstances, jealousy between friends, family dynamics and the uncomfortable feeling of growing up. While most readers cannot relate to having to face a faceless, bald and red-eyed supervillain with murderous tendencies, there are many other subjects that coming-of-age readers can relate to or struggle with. What “Harry Potter” teaches readers is, in essence, to create strong dependable friendships, use power and influence to do good things and reject social prejudice and administrative or governmental systems that work against the people. Most importantly, the series reminds readers to stay true to themselves and what they believe in. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Soft rock for the soul

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

“Everlong” — Foo Fighters

“Photograph” — Nickelback 

“100 Year” — Five For Fighting

“Where The Streets Have No Name” — U2

“Lovers in Japan – Osaka Sun Remix” — Coldplay

“My Hero” — Foo Fighters 

“Stop and Stare” — OneRepublic

“Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” — Train 

“Use Somebody” — Kings of Leon

“Viva La Vida” — Coldplay 

“Bitter Sweet Symphony – Remastered” — The Verve 

“Sweet Disposition” — The Temper Trap 

“Wonderwall” — Oasis 

“Yellow” — Coldplay 

“For the First Time” — The Script 

“She Will Be Loved” — Maroon 5 

“With Or Without You” — U2

“Iris” — The Goo Goo Dolls 

“Clocks” — Coldplay 

“Wherever You Will Go” — The Calling 

“You And Me” — Lifehouse

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu.

Most anticipated reads of 2024

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

If you’re a reader who’s looking for new books to add to an already-long reading list, here’s a few more to add that are being released throughout the year.

“Dungeons and Drama” by Kristy Boyce — Musical lover Riley has aspirations to become a director on Broadway, and Nathan is a nerdy employee at Riley’s dad’s game store. When Riley is grounded and has to work at her dad’s store, she doesn’t realize it meant joining Nathan’s D&D game… or flirting with him. Look for this new release on Jan. 9.

“The Color of a Lie” by Kim Johnson — In the 1950s, a Black family passes as white and moves to a “Whites Only” town. Caught between two worlds, teenager Calvin puts his family at risk as he uncovers the racist secrets of the suburbs. Look for this new release on June 11.

“These Deadly Prophecies” by Andrea Tang — Tabatha Zeng, a sorcerer’s apprentice, finds herself caught up in the sorcerer’s death — that he predicted. In order to prove her innocence, she must solve her boss’s murder. Look for this new release on Jan. 30.

“Tehrangeles” by Porochista Khakpour — The four daughters of wealthy reality-TV stars are on the verge of landing their own TV show — until they realize their deepest secrets are about to be revealed to the public before the cameras even roll. Look for this new release on June 11.

“Just Another Epic Love Poem” by Parisa Akhbari — Mitra’s two best friends are Bea and the journal they share, containing an epic, never-ending poem. Nothing is too messy or complicated for “The Book” — except for the fact that Mitra is hopelessly in love with Bea. Look for this new release on March 12.

“James” by Percival Everett — In an action packed reimagining of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” told from the perspective of Jim, Jim is hiding on Jackson Island while Huck Finn is faking his own death to escape his father. Look for this new release on March 19.

“Not in Love” by Ali Hazelwood — Rue has a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, and Eli and his business partners want to take over Kline — no questions asked. The one thing that is getting in Eli’s way is Rue — the woman he’s not supposed to want. Look for this new release on June 11.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Netflix policy change causes chaos

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

Netflix is an American subscription streaming service that was created in 1997 by founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. By 2007, they launched their streaming service to compete with Blockbuster which implemented several different family plans. Recently, Netflix has been cracking down on their single household and password sharing policies — making it an absolute nightmare for travelers, large families and especially college students.

The cheapest plan is the standard plan with ads which allows for two devices to watch TV shows and movies for $6.99. 

The standard plan is ad-free, full HD, allows for access among three devices and has the option to add an extra member– for an additional cost of 7.99 a month. The premium plan is also ad-free but offers ultra HD, is accessible on four devices and has the option to add two extra members for $7.99 each. 

The new ability to add members at an extra cost has encouraged Netflix to crack down on password sharing outside of a single household. This means that if one attempts to log in to their Netflix account outside of the designated household, it will log out all other members; regardless of if it is still within the device limit. This policy seems to be a desperate money grab, as it forces members to either buy more expensive plans or pay additional costs. 

Why is this a game-changer for so many? For many students, the full college experience includes living in the dorms, but that also means all funds usually go towards those expenses. Tremendous amounts of students report being forced off their family plans during the months they are on campus — either forced to live without the streaming services or ponying up the extra cost to be an additional member. 

Avid travelers also face this issue from time to time as they lose the ability to log into Netflix in the many places they stay while traveling. Again, one will have to log out the rest of the family in the household and deal with the wrath of streaming rights rage, ball up the extra fees or drop Netflix overall. 

This policy change has been a pain for many and up to 62% of password borrowers said they would rather stop using the streaming service in total than purchase their own account. Netflix’s attempt to force watchers to buy their services, especially the more expensive services, has thus far not been as successful as they hoped. Immediately after these changes, Netflix lost almost 1.2 million subscribers — their biggest loss in over a decade. 

Many are canceling their subscriptions and switching to other streaming services, and we can’t blame them. 

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

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