My Favorite Media in 2019
Keep in mind: media. I'll exercise discipline and stick with the up to the 5 best in each category—unranked.
I'm ashamed to say there is no list for books.😞
Maybe I'll do a favorite list of weird things some day, like favorite kitchen utensils. That'd be fun.
...Maybe I'll read more books...
Favorite Albums
(YouTube links for your listening/viewing pleasure)
Solange – When I Get Home Aldous Harding – Designer Men I Trust – Oncle Jazz Crumb – Jinx Bon Iver – i,i
An addendum:
My music consumption comes and goes in waves, as podcasts likely beat music in total listening time. Surprise of the year? My K-pop consumption's increased dramatically for two reasons: Amy's continuing obsession with BTS and my continuing obsession with IU. And in the last week, we've probably listened to TWICE's Fancy about, oh, 100 times. It's been amusing to think about how my college self would be so devastatingly ashamed of my current self. I just care so much less about musical purity tests now, and can now appreciate different aspects of talent that are evident in musical acts like K-pop groups. Still, the majority of my music consumption consists of what the average person would call “weird hipster music.” 🤷🏻♂️
Somewhere in my social media past, I remarked that my hip-hop/rap consumption has been steadily decreasing. That trend continues, although if I were to recommend just one hip-hop album in 2019, it'd be Benny The Butcher's The Plugs I Met.
Favorite Podcasts
(Links go to the podcasts' main page, but better to search on your podcast app of choice)
The Daily by The New York Times Embedded by NPR Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History by Pushkin Industries Throughline by NPR Reply All by Gimlet Media
An addendum:
One of the benefits of my commute being doubled (don't worry, it's just from 15 to 30 minutes) is that I can consume a single 30-minute episode each way. I have a dizzying number of podcasts I subscribe to, but I don't listen to every single episode from each one. The ones I find increasingly disappointing, however, are Radiolab and Freakonomics, which is a shame given their stature in the podcasting universe. I just might end up deleting the entire podcasts themselves, given I rarely listen to the episodes anyway.
Favorite TV Shows
(Links go to season trailers—beware of spoilers)
Succession: Season 2 (HBO) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 3 (Amazon) The Crown: Season 3 (Netflix) Fleabag: Season 2 (Amazon)
An addendum:
Yes yes, we're in a golden age of television. The larger problem, it's too much. Way too much. And now that Apple TV+ has entered the fray with a few shows getting acclaim (i.e. The Morning Show), the choices are now oppressive. You'll only see 4 on the list. Russian Doll made many of critics' best-of lists, but the most wonderful thing about that show to me was Natasha Lyonne. Some episodes were a slog to go through, and I had to be reminded I even saw it by reviewing critics' lists.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is everywhere! Deservedly so. Fleabag is a delight. We also watched Crashing, also her creation, which has a similar edgy comedic vibe.
Succession continues to be the show I rave about ad nauseum, although Season 2 is not as good as Season 1. But Season 2 is 100000x better than a lot of TV out there so there's that. Need I say any more about the last season of Game of Thrones that everyone else has already said? What an utter betrayal.
Currently watching: Terrace House and Rick and Morty, both with great pleasure.
Favorite Films
(Links go to trailers)
An addendum:
My film consumption plummeted. Those two and Star Wars: The Last Jedi were the only three films released in 2019 that I might've seen all year? Maybe I'm forgetting some. Star Wars is a travesty. Parasite was stellar all around, and Marriage Story was emotionally exhausting, but brilliantly acted.
I hope to see Knives Out and Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood soon.
Favorite YouTube Channels
Bon Appetit: food and cooking video content from the reputed magazine Nerdwriter1: video essays on culture, film, television, and art Section4: Prof. Scott Galloway's hot takes on tech and business 이지금 [IU Official]: IU's channel, of course Daily Dose of Internet: 3 minutes of delightful videos from the internet
An addendum:
Bon Appetit is better than any food and cooking-related show, whether on TV, streaming service, or YouTube, and it's all due to the wonderful and hilarious personalities of the staff writers who host each episode. In fact, it's just one of the most entertaining and enjoyable shows, period. This is why people love K-pop groups, right? It's like an ensemble cast of a TV show, where each character has their own narrative, skills, personality, and you have fun ranking them, seeing how they interact with each other, and how each of them shines in their own way.
Bon Appetit has the same thing in Claire, Brad, Molly, Andy, Chris, Amiel, Alex, Sohla, Carla, Christina, Priya, Gaby, and Rick. Nary a celebrity host in sight. And so much better for it.
This post was not sponsored by YouTube. ٩( ᐛ )و