Cultural oddities I enjoy
If you, like me, seem to have a lot of alone time on your hands, or you are spending excessive amounts of time feeling like you aren't using your brain, I am here to offer a few of my favorite things to entertain and enlighten you. Enjoy!
Revisionist History (podcast)
This podcast is just a insightful look at history that was forgotten, ranging from what really happened behind Brown v Board to Los Angeles private golf courses (which I now hate) to the history behind Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Malcolm Gladwell has written some books, and he has such a wonderful mind that makes connections and digs deeper than most people. Every episode he's produced has been entertaining and enlightening.
Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox (music group)
This band is ingenious. It takes modern songs and "vintagizes" them, instead of modernizing old songs. Most any song you've heard on the radio in the last 20 or so years, they've transformed into jazzy 1920s-1960s music with talented voices they find (and they dress for the part too!) Some of my favorites include Radioactive, Don't You Worry Child, and All of Me.
Wolf 359 (podcast)
Oh. My. Lanta. This sci-fi story podcast has me riveted. The beginning is a little rough, like most podcasts, but the audio storytelling is on point, and the characters make me think about what it means to be human, and the limits to which we can be pushed. It starts out as a small team on a spaceship researching a star, but then it becomes so much more. It's suspenseful and dangerous and I'm very invested.
Black Mirror (TV show)
This is a Netflix show, so I can't give you a link (steal your roommates account thank you Zephyr). Black Mirror is a show set slightly in the future and each episode focuses on a type of technology, like memory capturing contact lenses, or electronic bees, and does a social commentary. It is a little terrifying because all of these technologies seem to be something that we would create, but they make you question the ethics and moral behind their creation and usage. More than that, how we became a society that relied on and used that technology.
*I recommend skipping the very first episode because it does not reflect the mood or focus of the rest of the show.
Kings Kaleidoscope (music group)
I can only say that the texture of KK's music is what drew me back to it again and again. The sonic overlapping and instrument choice differs so greatly from anything I've heard. Beyond Control was one of the albums I listened to on repeat working on my fall finals, along with Marianas Trench's Astoria.
Myths & Legends (podcast)
I have always had a fascination with fairytales and legends, but this guy puts these stories into a hilarious modern language that mocks yet humanizes "fairytale logic" and some of the ridiculous things that happen in fairytales. He has a wonderful variety of stories that are familiar and unfamiliar- Arthurian legends, Grimm fairytales, Norse mythology, Japanese folklore and more. I have quite often laughed out loud at some of his storytellings.
Goblin (TV show)
Okay. This is a kdrama. A Korean drama. It's not for everyone, totally get that. But if you are a huge nerd like me and watch BBC shows like Merlin and Doctor Who, you might like this. It's like a Korean version of those two shows, sort of. The acting isn't great, but I fell in love with all the characters anyway. It's super cheesy and there's a lot of weird Korean culture things I don't get still, but I wept through most of the last two episodes. Please consider it for the quirky, cheesy, romantic Korean show that it is. There's goblins and grim reapers and bromances and romance, so what more could you need?
We all hate going through airport security, but at least the staff have a sense of humor. They capture pictures of some of the most ridiculous things that people try to get through security, like Satan's fidget spinner, a giant crab, or knife-nanas. If you need some giggles while scrolling through Instagram, this is a wonderful place to find some.
I am not usually a fan of abstract art, but this guy's work blows me away. He uses layers of mineral pigments on giant canvases to create these beautiful works of art. I can see God working through him, showing His love of beauty and creating meaningful things. (Fun fact, he had an exhibit at Baylor at one point. I just wish I could have been there to see his art in person.)
Solitude
Having spent most of the past week home alone (which never happens because I live with my two younger sisters and my parents), I've found a great appreciation for being alone. Not that I didn't already have that, being an introvert, but there's something different being alone in a place where there's always people around. It was freeing. I could do anything I wanted without following someone else's schedule. I could eat breakfast outside and enjoy the wonderful weather in peace. I could wander into a second hand book store and picking something at random. I could not wear pants! I could listen to whatever music or podcast I wanted. I could invite friends over if I wanted, or I could spend the night in watching Netflix. It was a time to learn to enjoy things simply because I like them. I didn't need someone else to have fun too so that I could enjoy myself. I could do what I wanted, by myself, because I like it. I recommend everyone do this at some point. Even in little bits each week. It's like a small quest to self discovery.