Playful Rooted

Happy Monday, gang! Let’s talk funny shows. 🙂

So one of the big reasons that I’ve ditched social media is the information overload. There’s so much valuable information being published every single day, and I appreciate that, but it inevitably leads to my feeling overwhelmed that the world is such a terrible place. A wonderful place, but terrible too, and I sometimes feel completely powerless to effect any meaningful change. It’s a lot.

When it’s just too much to handle, and my brain needs a little break, I often turn to the funny shows or movies I’ve watched over and over and over. It’s super comforting to know what’s going to happen and to spend time with your favorite characters when the world is getting on top of you. And like many people, I often turn to The Office, Friends, and other classic feel-good, funny shows. Schitt’s Creek is on that list, too. But! There are three shows and two movies that I think generally don’t get enough watch time or credit.

Allow me to introduce:

• Derry Girls (TV series, Netflix). This is a seriously hilarious show about a group of teenage girls growing up in Derry, Ireland in the 1990s. They attend a Catholic girls’ school with a hilariously apathetic nun as the headmistress. The series focuses on one girl and her family, who are all such unique and funny characters. It’s a quiet but strong humor; there’s definitely no laugh track or over-the-top acting. I love it. Part of the appeal for me is their heavy Northern Irish accents and funny colloquialisms. I also love how it pokes fun at the ’90s (and I’ve actually learned quite a bit about Irish culture and history!). I’ve watched every episode easily a dozen times, and I still laugh out loud every time. This is my NUMBER ONE favorite show at the moment. The second season came out right after Sawyer was born, and I spent a lot of those early postpartum days nursing him in the middle of the night while cracking up at Derry Girls. (Note: Lots of R-rated language, so consider that before watching with kids around!)

• Kim’s Convenience (TV series, Netflix). This one is about a Korean family called the Kims who run a convenience store in Toronto. It’s so, so, so funny. I’d say it’s more overtly funny than Derry Girls, but the humor is still more refined than any American sitcom. My favorite characters are the older men who regularly visit the store; there’s Mr. Chin, who’s always having hilarious drama with his dog, Ginger; and Mr. Mehta, who educates Mr. Kim on what “Netflix and Chill” actually means. I had seen Kim’s Convenience pop up on my Netflix home page many times, but I never gave it a second look until Ben heard a good review of it on NPR and we decided to check it out. Now, it’s one of my favorite shows when my soul needs something mindless and funny.

• The I.T. Crowd (TV series, Netflix). Oh my word. This is the funniest show on Netflix, and nothing will ever change my mind about that. It’s a British sitcom about the three members of the I.T. department at a large company in London. You’re never really sure quite what the company does, but there’s always some ridiculous story line. This one stars Richard Ayoade, who is the funniest person on the planet (check out Travel Man on Hulu if you haven’t seen it), Chris O’Dowd (you probably know him as the cute Irish cop in Bridesmaids), Matt Berry, and Katherine Parkinson, and together they have had me in serious tears from laughing so hard. Ben and I started this series right before we moved to France, and we continued it after we arrived there knowing literally zero people in such a foreign land. Having a show to watch, in English, that we could just laugh at was such a comfort during that season of feeling unsure of ourselves and a little homesick. We still watch it all the time, and it’s perpetually amazing.

• Logan Lucky (Movie, Amazon Prime). I am ALWAYS trying to get people to watch this movie! I think very few of the people I’ve told to watch it actually have, but they are legitimately missing out because it’s incredible. It has a 92% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes! It’s about two brothers who, while trying to reverse a family curse, decide to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a huge NASCAR race. It’s directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed Ocean’s Eleven, and some say this film is like an altered take on that one; a robbery executed not by fast-talking, suit-wearing professionals but by unsophisticated rural southerners. Part of what I love about this movie is the complexity; there are intertwining storylines and rich character development set against the backdrop of what the movie calls a “hillbilly heist.” I think you have to watch it at least twice to really appreciate it. This is the only movie with Channing Tatum I’ve ever liked! It also stars Adam Driver as a war veteran bartender and Daniel Craig as an incarcerated American southerner named Joe Bang–a role VERY different from James Bond! I highly recommend this movie! At least watch the trailer. You just have to.

• Brittany Runs a Marathon (Movie, Amazon Prime). Okay, this isn’t actually the funniest movie ever, but there ARE some really funny parts in it. It made the list, though, because in addition to being humorous, it’s also SUPER inspiring and enjoyable to watch. It’s about a girl who’s overweight, unhappy, living with a toxic “friend,” and feeling very stuck in her life. She ends up deciding to train for a marathon, and she makes some great friends and huge, inspirational changes along the way. Based on a true story, and full of the actual ups and downs that we all experience in life, it’s a real reminder that we are all capable of so much more than we think. And there are a few really good laughs!

If you’ve seen any of these shows or movies, please let me know right away so we can be immediate besties! And tell me how you’re coping with these crazy days, friends! What shows or movies or books or activities do you turn to when your brain needs a good solid break?

xo!