Groundhog Day: Reliving the Day
One of Bill Murray’s finest flicks, the concept is he relives the same day over and over - until (ostensibly) he gets it right and wins over Andie MacDowell. That might sound like a blessing, especially if it’s a Friday. But anyone who's accidentally put their phone on repeat knows the madness of hearing the same song endlessly. Now, imagine that with a whole day. Burnt toast, morning traffic, that awkward conversation with Karen from HR – over and over. Pure torture.
(As another aside: the piano solo Bill pretends to play is really cool - yes, I learned it… talk about time travel… it took almost 10 hours since there isn’t any sheet music… and when you practice something over and over and over it basically defines “time travel.” Just saying.)
Terminator: Naked Arrivals
The Terminator showcased an arrival method that's, uh, quite revealing. Hey I'm all for body positivity, but suddenly appearing stark naked in a public area might raise more than a few eyebrows. Forget about altering the future; you'd be too busy trying to find some pants.
Bill & Ted: The Phone Booth
A phone booth that travels through time? Seems efficient. But in the age of smartphones, good luck explaining to a twenty-something what a phone booth even *is*. Plus, with today’s roaming charges? You'd bankrupt yourself with one trip to ancient Egypt.
Taylor Swift: New Era
No. I have not seen Taylor’s live concert film. But what if your dad spent $3,000 to get you a ticket so you could be a “Swiftie” and see her live? Then he shells out another $30 so you can see the same exact songs, outfits, and same Taylor on a movie screen… isn’t that the definition of time travel? You re-live the same exact thing?
(Not to mention how many times do we have to see Taylor Swift in cherry red outfits, hanging out in the private booth high above the masses in these NFL arenas, bumping and grinding with Travis Kelcey’s mom as Patrick Mahomes throws a TD pass to Travis again and again and again… while the Chiefs win another game… talk about time travel… and shouldn’t we just refer to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as “The AFC INVITATIONAL” since the AFC Championship always takes place there anyway… now THAT is true time travel!)
Conclusion
Pop culture makes time travel seem as casual as grabbing a latte from the local café, and depending on the amount of caffeine, you probably experience a form of time travel right there in the cafe. But the real-life implications would be hilariously chaotic. Sure, it might be entertaining to watch someone attempt these journeys (from a safe distance, of course), but for now, maybe it's best we stick to enjoying these tales from the comfort of the couch, remote-in-hand. After all, who needs time travel when you've got the next episode’s preview to tell you the future?
