Short media mood reading: Binge-watch a competitive reality TV show and listen to Amy Winehouse.
Extended media mood reading: It’s flu season! I actually hate that phrase. I don’t even know why fall/winter is flu season. Because science says (from what I’ve read), you don’t catch a cold just because the weather is cold. Wearing a puffy jacket and seven scarves won’t stop you from getting sick. The way we get sick, science says, is from viruses spreading from person to person. So can’t that happen at any time of the year? Who knows. But I do have two recs that are guaranteed (idk) to help you feel better if you’re starting to feel that soreness crawling in your throat or your nose filling up.
First, you need to binge a competitive reality TV show. On an episode-level, you’re just sitting and watching people compete in tasks each episode. That in itself is interesting but doesn’t require you to think too much. The weekly tasks are usually interesting and keep your mind occupied just enough so that you’re not thinking about why you’re cold and sweating at the same time. You shouldn’t be Googling symptoms right now—just sit and watch chefs cook some ceviche and enjoy yourself.
The hosts of these shows are usually funny, too. Don’t think you’re too cool to find them funny. Allow yourself to feel a little joy. Allow yourself to let their lightness fill you with light. My faves are probably Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, whose names I just looked up, from The Great British Baking Show/(Bake Off, depending on your nationality.) I never thought I’d find two people harmonizing on the word “bake” to be entertaining, but here we are.
But you can’t just watch one episode. You must binge. You must. The monotony of seeing the same people over and over becomes comforting. They’re a constant, reliable warmth when you’re feeling like actual poop. You know what to expect. And what you’ve come to expect is greatness and Tom Colicchio telling a cheftestant their sous vide duck is dry. When you binge a show, you’re creating a bubble for yourself, and that’s true no matter how you’re feeling. But it’s important to have that bubble when you’re not feeling well. Embrace it. Live in it.
Side note: Getting attached to contestants is good. It gives you something to live for when your throat is on fire. It gives you a purpose and some aspiration and energy. You’re rooting for someone, caring about something. Or maybe I’m the only one who cries when people go home on Project Runway. I don’t know.
My personal faves and shows that always work for me, in no particular order: Top Chef, Project Runway, The Great British Baking Show, The Voice, Survivor.
Also, before I end this, I want to tell you you should listen to Amy Winehouse. She’s a gem. A dark, stormy gem full of attitude and consumed by a scarred heart. Even if you don’t care about the lyrics (which, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t), her voice alone is deep and rich and soothing. It reaches into you and touches you and spreads warmth through your whole body. If I could make one singer’s voice into a tea and drink it, it would be hers. I know next to nothing about music, but, to me, the jazzy beats that float their way through her songs are easy and beautiful. And they just as easily float into you and create a rhythm in your mind. They’re healing. Finally, her lyrics paint pictures of darkness, which is exactly what we (I) need right now. She just creates such a vivid image and allows you to live in it with her, taking you out of your own pain and planting you into hers.
OK, so if these two things don’t help you, I don’t know what will. You’re a lost cause. Find another media mood reader.
P.S. RIP, Amy. Love you.
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