Recently, I have seen a lot of Facebook posts asking for recommendations about what to watch on Netflix or what book to read next. I reluctantly give a recommendation sometimes because people have very specific entertainment tastes. Some people jus like to watch a show for a brainless activity. For me, I will sit through TV shows that are boring when I start watching them but I have the mentality that I can probably learn from something that I experience no matter how terrible it initially may seem. I also like to think that if I sit through a documentary on how ramen is made, I could probably use that information for when there is a final question on a game show I might be on and win it all (we can dream). I took an intro to film class and it was tough to sit through some movies at times because of the genres we had to watch. A western? Aren't those super-masculine movies where cowboys just mumble fighting words in? Turns out, "Slow West" was badass and shout out to John Maclean for directing a masterpiece. Before we watched the movie, I looked up some ‘fun facts’ (like I usually do to try to get me more interested watching or reading something). Turns out, "Slow West" won an award for ‘Best Overlooked Film’. Also, it won this award from me before I even saw it. If you’re reading this right now, go watch it — you’ll be just as surprised as I was. It is entertainment like this that is overlooked by us and we need to start taking a closer look at these ‘underdog’ types of entertainment. Here are a few, and my favorite suggestions to get out of your comfort zone, expand your horizons, and potentially win a million dollars on a game show.
1. '30 Rock'
When I would ask for recommendations, I received this one so much, I thought everyone had seen this and I was seriously missing out. I am a huge Tina Fey fan but seeing only a few clips of Alec Baldwin being brash and annoying to his employees turned me off. After reading Tina Fey’s "Bossypants" and not understanding what she was talking about when she was writing and directing this show, her OWN show, I decided I needed to just turn it on and watch it and be a real fan. The first episode is actually one of my favorites because she buys all the hot dogs from a hot dog cart after some guy cuts her and everyone else in line. Also, Alec Baldwin’s character, Jack is pretty funny and secretly thinks the world of Liz Lemon even though they don't agree on a lot. This dynamic had me hooked and I kept watching. Jenna’s dumb and selfish antics annoyed me more than Jack. See? All you need to do is just sit through it and you’ll find something different that bothers you
2. Anna Kendrick’s ‘Scrappy Little Nobody’
This is a little overrated and underrated. Overrated because: I bought "Pitch Perfect" because YES it was a hit in theaters and I like to pretend I can sing. My friends and I watched it, made fun of Becca, (her character) and we really had no idea who Anna Kendrick was. ‘Cups’ became super annoying for everyone, they made "Pitch Perfect 2" and Anna Kendrick was on the radar for people to watch. Another instance where I am bored and then gain interest, I saw "The Last 5 Years" was on Netflix, turned it on and cried at the 60-minute mark. I went on IMDB after watching it and here is the underrated part: oh, she actually started on Broadway when she was younger? Oh, she is writing a book? Oh, she released an excerpt from that book? Oh, it's relatable? Her Twitter makes me laugh-out-loud? Better pre-order it. When I read "Scrappy Little Nobody" I had to stop a few times and I thought “are you kidding me? She went through that too?”. Her book isn't petty or preachy and she doesn’t poke too much fun at herself, which a lot of famous people who write a memoir do. It is definitely thought provoking and she discusses how each experience she had taught her a lesson. ‘Scrappy Little Nobody’ is the title because of a text message exchange she had with her brother discussing how she felt like she was losing her edge. It is something we all feel and again, relatable. My favorite part of the book was “batten down the hatches”. Read it, her last two paragraphs are everything you needed to realize, (if you haven't already).
3) Self Help Books
These are extremely underrated and the stigma of these books needs to go away. I don't know why everyone is still scared to read these in public or at all. If you follow someone on social media that helps with motivation, you shouldn't be ashamed to read one of these books. If anything, someone is just going to ask you what it’s about! Most of them today are funny, especially ‘You are a Badass’ by Jen Sincero. Even if you’re not in a rut, it will take you back to a time you were. Personally, I think that is fun to relate back to and again, thought provoking! Here’s a tip: when I am on Amazon searching for one of these books, I found that the more honest a title is (some swearing in it) and the better the cover is (one not with a person doing a power pose on top of a mountain) turn out to be the best reads. Oh, and it might be cheaper than going over your data Googling what you should or shouldn't be doing. Also, these books are great to pass along to someone that might need help. It’s physical evidence that you were going through something, it helped you and now it’s your time to help someone too!
4) Miranda Sings
Colleen Ballinger made up this character and posted it on Youtube. Basically, Miranda Sings is a delusional character that prides herself on being a jack of all trades — a musician, singer, dancer, actor and magician. It took awhile for people to catch on that it was just a joke. I would say this is the most brainless and fun type to get you thinking. Sure, it's goofy, but people actually do these things! Colleen Ballinger also talked about how the inspiration for Miranda's delusions were from people she went to school with and the things Colleen did when she was younger. After a few clicks on various videos, I noticed a few quirks that Miranda has that I have seen people do in real-life as well. The greatest takeaway from watching Miranda Sings videos are to not take yourself too seriously!
