Five Random Things — to make you a little happier as the world collapses
It would be an understatement to say times are tough. The world is facing simultaneously a global pandemic from an infectious disease, social unrest in response to systematic police brutality and racism, and a dangerous rising tide of right-wing nationalism. We could all use a break. Inspired by “feel-good news” websites and “Smile of the Day” groups that share little bits of humor, happiness, and hope, here are five seemingly random pieces of creative media which might make you a little happier (or at least constructively distract you) as the world burns.
1. Your favorite German accents on a single podcast
While surveying the frustrating and frightening historical moment we find ourselves in, we might be well served to find a little bit (or perhaps a lot) of levity. Give yourself an injection of unadulterated silliness with The Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project. Improv genius Andy Daly (from Comedy Bang Bang, Mad TV, and Comedy Central’s Review) stars in a collection of failed imaginary podcast premieres with an incredible cast of fellow comedians, including Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Besser, Erinn Hayes, Jason Mantzoukas, Betsy Sadaro, Scott Aukerman, Jessica St. Clair, and many others. Episode topics include an ill-concieved cowboy poetry workshop, an ill-advised satanist gameshow, and a down right illegal theater review program. Perhaps the most fantastical (and hilarious) of the “unearthed” podcast espisodes is a travel tip show featuring all your favorite German speaking luminaries, legendary film director Werner Herzog, Alien artist H.G. Giger, and his holiness, Pope Emeritus Benedict VIX. Why bring together all this nonsense? Because why not? We need humor in this moment. Yes, it’s a distraction, but if it can remind ourselves what we need to get back to, then all the sooner we can get there.
All episodes of The Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project are available on Stitcher Premium, back epsiodes can be found on YouTube and Earwolf.
2. A robot saves humans from themselves
According to expert climatologists mankind has only ten years to make significant changes to energy consumption in-order to stop irreversible harm to the planet and prevent global damage to human sustainability. That’s probably not going to happen, but perhaps we can find solace in the fact that the machines we leave behind will stand as testaments to human ingenuity and will likely be adorable. 2008’s WALL-E from Disney’s Pixar tells the tale of a small robot, designed to clean up an ecologically ruined Earth one trash brick at a time. WALL-E the robot and his new friend EVE help save humans from the inhuman technology systems we create to shield us from reality. The animated feature has only one real human actor, the late, great Fred Willard, as the global CEO of the Buy n’ Large corporation; the kind of painfully inept character Willard so accurately portrayed throughout his career. WALL-E is possibly the cutest reminder that unchecked capitalism will not only destroy the planet we call home, but also destroys what makes us uniquely human. It’s fun for the whole family!
Wall-E is available on Disney+ and other streaming video services.
3. What if a court date made you feel warm & fuzzy?
US legal proceedings can be scary. Under the current situation justice for many US citizens can be elusive, fleeting, or held beyond reach by an uncaring and often cruel judicial system. NBC’s Night Court on the other hand is a wacky, feel-good comedy that delivers laughs and heart warming moments that celebrate the value of friendship and community. Judge Harold T. Stone, played by the late, great Harry Anderson, leads a cast of lovable misfits working the night shift at the Manhattan municipal courthouse. Muggers, con-men, prostitutes, run-aways, quarreling lovers, gamblers, and even a derelict Santa Claus pass across Judge Stone’s desk and he treats each of them with the respect they deserve. It’s refreshing to see people given the benefit of doubt and the judiciary exemplifying the spirit of kindness. Night Court represents an idealistic and exceedingly unrealistic vision of the US justice system, but imagining a kinder, gentler American courthouse is the first step in creating one. Watching Harry Anderson hug Michael J. Fox is also a pleasant bonus.
Night Court is available on all major streaming and on-demand services.
4. Tech savvy teens take on the system — 90s style!
Social media is now the dominate form of news distribution in the US. Apps such as Facebook, originally designed to facilitate gossip and partying between university students, now facilitates (or controls, depending on which underpaid/out-of-work journalist you ask) an important aspect of democratic society. Long before Twitter, Myspace, and something called Friendster existed the Internet was a subject of mystery to many people. For those who did understand cyberspace, the web was a place of exploration filled with new horizons for human communication — that is until government surveillance and corporate greed ruined large potions of that utopian vision. In-between the extremes of utopia and corporate-state control existed 1995’s Hackers, a fanciful, techno-twee fever dream of teenage hi-jinks set against the backdrop of early 1990s fear and optimism.
The movie features a young “who’s who” of 90s Hollywood, including Johnny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford, and Matthew Lillard, all wearing highly objectionable fashion. In a script supervised by real hackers of the time, Miller, Jolie and their team of future NSA contractors, fight against an extortion plot hatched by a corporate mastermind known in hacking circles as The Plague. Not only is Hackers a playful call to technology-centric revolution (“Hack the planet!”), but it is also a call to play. The film’s costume design, techno-bable dialogue, pounding electronic music, and teenage sexual politics are mildly subversive compared to Hollywood’s current output. Hackers maintains a tone of fun and unbridled enthusiasm that is becoming extinct in major studio releases. Give it a rewatch, not only for a laugh, but for a genuine good time.
Hackers is now available on Hulu, HBO Max, iTunes and Amazon
5. An anthem for everyone, even Kenny Rogers
There are many helpful and catchy songs that have come out of the COVID-19 crisis. Amateurs and superstars alike are trying to place a positive spin on the pandemic and educate people on necessary precautions. As protests to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police on May 25th continue across the US, people look for inspirational words from artists past and present. During the 1970s and 1980s many musicians created songs in support of the anti-apartheid movement, both inside South Africa and around the world. The song “Something Inside So Strong” from 1987 was written by singer, songwriter, and poet Labi Seffri. The powerful anthem has been covered by dozens of artists, perhaps most prominently by the late, great Kenny Rogers. The Gambler found inspiration in the words of a person who refuses to give up even when they have been repeatedly wronged. As a gay black man who grew up in England during the 1950 and 60s, Seffri knows more than a thing or two about being wronged and not giving up. Seffri left self-imposed retirement to produce So Strong after seeing video of a white South African police officer shooting at black South African children. If there’s any song that fits this moment, this is it.
Give So Strong a listen and feel free to sing along — it just might make you feel a little happier and a little stronger while the world burns. We will all need that strength when the time comes to rebuild: now.
The many versions of “Something Inside So Strong” by Labi Seffri and other artists are available on iTunes , Spotify and YouTube.
