Photo by Evie S. on Unsplash
This is the time of year where I would meticulously list out all of my top films, songs, albums, podcasts, and books of the year. Usually, I will include a short line or two about why I chose what I chose, or how it made me feel. But.
I’m tired! No, actually, I’m exhausted. This hellfire of a year can get bent. Outside of all the things we all experienced — pandemics, and wildfires, and protests, and political upheaval — there were health issues (my own and loved ones’) and the total implosion of my family. I don’t want to get into it again, but I will say this. Fuck 2020.
So. Here is a list of media (incomplete) that helped me cope. Some of it is not from this year. Most of it is probably not from this year. Because in times of uncertainty, sometimes you just need to surround yourself with something familiar. This is in no particular order other than this the order I recalled it in as I was writing it down in my notebook.
Birds of Prey (aka, the last film I saw in the cinema)
Holiday Baking Championship (Food Network)
Long Way Up (Apple TV+)
Schitt’s Creek (Pop/Netflix)
Taskmaster (Dave/Channel 4/YouTube)
Julie Nolke’s Explaining The Pandemic To My Past Self Series (YouTube)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Stump Sohla/Babish Culinary Universe (YouTube)
Season 46, Episode 6 of SNL (NBC/YouTube)
Fetch the Bolt Cutters (Fiona Apple)
Gigaton (Pearl Jam)
Fine Line (Harry Styles)
H.E.R.
“Hold On” (Noah Reid)
Season 4 of The Good Place (NBC/Netflix)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Soul (Disney+)
Newcomers — Star Wars (Podcast)
Off Menu (Podcast)
Friendly Fire (Podcast)
1619 (Podcast)
Oh, Hello The P’dcast (Podcast)
Keep It! (Podcast)
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend (Podcast)
Desus & Mero (Showtime)
Song Exploder (Podcast + Netflix)
Travel Man: 48 Hours In…(Hulu/YouTube)
Avengers: Endgame (Disney+)
The Crown (Netflix)
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Michelle Alexander)
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark (Michelle McNamara)
Monstress (Lysley Tenorio)
A Promised Land (Barack Obama)
Be Kind Rewind (YouTube)
Half As Interesting (YouTube)
Uncle Roger (TikTok)
Dolly Parton’s Press Tour for her Christmas album
Barack Obama’s Press Tour for his book
The fascinating drama surrounding a very specific and mildly disturbing fanfiction trope that required two 60 minute videos (YouTube: one and two)
Friends (HBO Max)
Hamilton (Disney+)
