While listening to the podcast, one of the things I was reminded of was my high school English and literature classes. I haven’t really taken a formal literature class since, so this is my most recent comparison. I always enjoyed going over books and readings, but I think we’ve all had those teachers that seem to stretch just a little too far to find “the author’s message.” I don’t deny that there is almost always some form of intentional symbolism or message, but sometimes you have to wonder what the author actually intended, versus what the audience chooses to pick out. I used to get kind of frustrated with this because you hardly ever know the exact message and individual symbols that the author is trying to showcase unless they explain it later, but now I think I have a different perspective. Even if an author or creator puts out a piece of content and people pull their own takes from it, I don’t think that it does any harm and can even be beneficial. Now, if this extra underlying message takes away from the author’s intended take, maybe the audience should hold back. Then again, is it the fault of the audience if they don’t understand a message, or is it the fault of the creator? I feel like some creators make their work inherently difficult to understand, or at least target a very specific audience. I think one of the things that makes a writer or producer or creator great is when they can create conversation about their work, but still have a defined vision that can be supported and proven through what they said, without any plot holes. At the end of the day, if someone can create something that’s captivating and includes a lesson, I don’t think you can go wrong.