#glad to see this meme has met its resurgence

[silentfcknhill]

FAVORITE SHOWS IN POSTERS

Well, we’re back for another installment of this tagged meme, this time for TV shows! I also stole this from/was indirectly tagged by @jcmorrigan. My taste in shows also differs a bit from my taste in movies, as I tend to like a lot of comedy shows with not as many horror ones. I’m not into shows as much as movies overall, but there are some that I am very passionate about so I picked twenty again. So, here we go for part 2, in order:

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra (2005-2014)

I'm including these as one show since they take place in the same universe and tell a continuation of the same overall plot. Altogether this is probably the best piece of media to ever exist, including movies. It has so many great characters and villains especially and some of the most epic sequences, charming humor and heartwarming moments ever. I've never met a person who didn't like these shows, even people who normally don't like cartoons. My dad, who is biased against animation? He loved it. My mother? She loved it, watched it with her multiple times. My grandmother? Loved it. My ex-boyfriend? Loved it. My best friend? Loved it. I dare anyone not to, and I'm so glad it's making a resurgence since it's on Netflix for a new generation to enjoy.

2. Black Butler (2008-2014)

I never was big into anime growing up and only really started watching anime when I was like 16 and above, but this is one of the exceptions because holy shit is it ever dark and epic. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it for kids, it's more of a teens and young adults kind of anime and that's probably why it's so good, because it isn't afraid to explore dark and mature topics and do it with all of the intensity and gravitas required to do said topics justice. It has lots of great characters, and the story of demons who make deals with children who have a dark side is fun to watch play out.

3. Seinfeld (1989-1998)

My dad was a huge fan of this show so I watched it growing up since I was a toddler and it became a classic for me. I've watched thw hole show through at least 8 times, and I'll never stop because it never gets old or boring. It's also my only comfort show when I'm having a panic attack because of one time a few years ago when I was having a drug-induced psychosis episode and watching it calmed me down, so now it's like the opposite of a trigger and whenever I'm having an episode or something I watch it to bring me back to reality. For that reason it's more than a show to me, it's a medical treatment and I'm forever grateful to it.

4. The Good Place (2016-2020)

The big four shows made my Michael Schur all made it on this post (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office and Parks And Recreation), either in the main list of the honorable mentions, but this is my personal favorite of the four. It's so funny, quirky, relatable and basically tailor-made to suit my interests. Not only is it an entertaining and wholesome show, but I think watching it helped me come to terms with a lot of things like mortality, ethics, philosophy, religion and my relationships with other people. It gets  alot of different viewpoints across and if you're a very analytical and philosophical person like me you'll probably enjoy seeing it all play out. Not to mention, every single character is 'favorite character' material. It's rare you find a show with no filler characters in the main cast, but I genuinely can't choose who is best.

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-?)

Another of Michael Schur's shows, this one is just barely under The Good Place and to be honest it was tough to pick my favorite between the two because they're both equally funny. I know it's kind of controversial right now because of the whole law enforcement thing, but I actually think they do a good job of handling social issues in the show and remaining respectful of real-life systemic problems. As for the characters, this is another one of those shows where every single character is gold and I think that tends to be a trend among Schur's shows in general. He produces damn good comedy, and damn good characters. I can't wait to see what they bring next.

6. Rick And Morty (2013-?)

This is unfortunately one of those cases of 'great show, horrible fandom' and for that reason I don't get involved in the fandom even though I love the show. It's a shame because it really is a great show, so funny and, again, such good characters. I think it's a lot more accessible than the fandom likes to claim, so I'm hoping more people will give it a chance and not get put off by the intellectual elitism of the fandom because it does have some of the most entertaining and batshit crazy episodes ever, poking fun of some of the staples of science fiction in media while also poking fun of itself the whole time. Unlike the fandom, the show doesn't take itself seriously and that's enjoyable nowadays.

7. Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

While this show is a comedy, it is also a lot of other things and it's probably made me ugly-cry just as many times as it's made me laugh. Well, maybe not as often, but those few scenes (if you've watched the show then you know the ones I'm talking about) made me hysterically sob hard enough to be worth like fifty minor sads. But I didn't even mind because the show is just that good, and it makes you /feel/ something in a real way. Probably because of just how real it gets in terms of telling stories that happen all the time in the real world, sometimes with inevitably tragic endings. But these things do happen every day, and it's important to shine a light on that. It's not just representation for LGBTQ+ but also for POC, the neurodiverse, the poor, and many more. Give it a watch to broaden your perspective!

8. Big Mouth (2017-?)

This is probably the grossest show I've ever seen but by god is it ever funny. Maybe it's because I have an immature sense of humor or something, but I love this show. It definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea and I don't recommend you watch this show with anyone else around because it will get awkward. I think part of its appeal to me is that everyone I talk to who likes it considers it so relatable to their lives growing up but for someone like me who grew up on the autism and asexual spectrum and who was physically an early-bloomer by years, nothing about this show is relatable to me in any way so it makes it all the more crazy and bizarre watching how the people around me must have experienced things. Did y'all really have these experiences with puberty in middle school???

9. Dexter (2006-2013)

I recently heard that this show is coming back for a reboot soon and I'm so excited because this is my absolute favorite drama/thriller show, as evidenced by the fact that it's the highest one on the list so far that isn't a comedy. I love the idea of having a protagonist who is sort of a villain (or at least morally dubious), and the idea of a serial killer who only kills bad people is particularly satisfying for some reason. Maybe because he's the vigilante we all deserve and want in this unjust and evil world of modern times? Idk but the very premise of this show set it up for big things and aside from the ending I think it delivered consistently.

10. Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)

This show took us on some journeys, and you can't deny that. Sure, maybe it didn't always finish what it started and didn't always end in the most satisfying way, but part of its charm is that you didn't care because the experience was just so much fun. They took characters and stories that have been told to death and somehow managed to put a unique and unexpected twist on them, and that alone is admirable. Good twists, good villains, and pretty much every cliffhanger known to man will keep you hooked on binge-watching every episode.

11. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009-?)

A bit different than the other entries on my list in that it's not fiction but a reality competition show, but I couldn't leave Drag Race out because it's just so fucking iconic and perfect. Even when you disagree with the judges or can't stand a certain contestant you'll still be having a good time. It's got the personalities you love to love, the ones you love to hate, and the comedy that's completely meme-able. I mean just how much has this show contributed to pop culture and the internet? More than most of us, henny. I've watched every single season, even the international ones and all of the spinoffs. This show will probably be on for another thirty years when Ru is throwing shade from a hospital bed and I'll still be watching.

12. House (2004-2012)

Some people hate on this show, and I don't get it. I love House. Yes, he's an ass. That's the point. He's supposed to be unlikeable, and that's why I like him. Maybe because I always love the rude, sarcastic, misanthropic jerkass-genius characters for some reason. And I also love procedural shows, so it's a win-win. I also work in the healthcare field so it appeals to me for that reason too, because obviously the whole premise is outlandish which is what makes it funny. Of course it's not realistic for a hospital, so just enjoy the absurdity and don't get too hung up on the details of medical accuracy and professional ethics and you'll be fine.

13. The Office (2005-2013)

The third of Michael Schur's show and the last one that made the main list (sorry Parks And Rec, I love you too but there was just so many good shows to choose from and I saw you last so the nostalgia isn't as strong!) I don't think I need to hype this show up any, it's already a classic and you can't even turn around online without getting hit in the face by a dozen Office memes. You'll have to pry this show and it's relatable characters (especially Michael Scott) from my cold, dead hands.

14. All Hail King Julien/The Penguins Of Madagascar (2008-2017)

Like Avatar/Korra, I also consider this as one show for the sake of this list because it also takes place in the same universe (Madagascar, specifically) and I just couldn't choose one over the other because they're both so perfect. They're funny and I love all the characters (it cut out the weaker links of the Madagascar film series and just focuses on expanding the standout side-characters like King Julien and the penguins). It also delved into some lore, particularly the first show, and even though I didn't also agree with the directions it took (you may have seen me get salty about the ending because I cared too much), I can't deny how much I love it.

15. Bones (2005-2017)

One of the other scarce non-comedy shows on this list, it still has it's funny moments. It's also, like House, another procedural show that involves some medical stuff, but this time on a more scientific and forensic level which is even more interesting. It's nice to see a lead female with Asperger's, too. There's a lot of cop/law enforcement shows where they try to solve crimes, but this one is the best, and I'm saying that as a fan of CSI as well. Don't fight me on this, I'm right. Oh yes, it's corny, it's campy, it's cheesy, but I love every minute of it. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach though.

16. The Simpsons (1989-?)

We all grew up with this show, don't lie. It's been around longer than most people on tumblr have even been alive. Should it have ended seasons ago? Hell yes. But that doesn't take away what the first like 20 or so seasons gave us (there's a lot of argument about when the show jumped the shark, for me it wasn't until much later than the popular consensus). The characters are amazing, but the secret to the show's longevity is that they always return to status quo and there's comfort and nostalgia in that. Bart will still be in 4th grade when you're out there pushing 90. This show is persistent. This show is eternal. This show will outlive us all.

17. Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

Sorely underrated. This show is hilarious, gruesome and campy as hell and I love it. I don't think you necessarily have to watch the Evil Dead movies beforehand in order to get the plot of the show, although it would probably help. In my opinion this show ended way too soon and I'm hoping someday we'll get a comeback because Ash is the reluctant, self-absorbed hero we all need and it's 2020 so at this point there really might actually be a demon-zombie apocalypse and who's gonna save us then if not for the impulsive womanizer with a chainsaw for a hand?

18. Malcolm In The Middle (2000-2006)

Another show I grew up with, I don't think it gets as much credit as it deserves. It has some damn funny episodes and great characters, and it did a lot of the popular sitcom tropes before they were 'cool'. Some other great sitcoms, The Middle in particular, took a lot of influence from this show and it helped pave the way for the future of sitcoms at a time when they were about to make a comeback. If you want a good show about the real experiences of growing up, this is a much more accurate representation of the highs and lows of being an awkward tween from a dysfunctional home.

19. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Unlike most people I actually liked the movie version from the early 2000's, and I read the books growing up so I was excited when I saw there was a live action television adaptation of it on Netflix because I felt like they cancelled the movie franchise too soon. I was interested to see how new actors would handle the roles, and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't say I liked either portrayal of the characters better or worse, they both added their own twist to it and this show is a great and loyal adaptation to the books, probably because the author was so heavily involved. He knew just when to stick to the books and when to improve upon what he had done with the benefit of hindsight. This show is basically the books, but remastered.

20. Winx Club (2004-?)

Sort of an odd one out on this list, but I really love this show even as an adult and it may surprise you to learn it is still going on and the most recent season came out last year. They take big breaks sometimes in between seasons, but it's still going strong and in multiple countries. The only thing I don't like about watching this show is all the different and inconsistent dubs since the original show is Italian and each dub only goes for a couple seasons so by the time you get used to one set of voices/names for the characters oyu have to abruptly switch to another, but it's still worth it for the beautiful animation and cool characters (especially the villains!)

Honorable Mentions: 

13 Reasons Why, America's Next Top Model, American Horror Story, Arrested Development, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Black Mirror, Care Bears, Chernobyl, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Criminal, CSI, Duck Dodgers, Goosebumps, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Kim Possible, Kingdom Hospital, Lazytown, Lost, Making A Murderer, Mayday, Mindhunter, Modern Family, Monster High, Obsession: Dark Desires, Parks And Recreation, Prison Break, Project Runway, Queer As Folk, Queer Eye, Salem, Schitt's Creek, SCTV, Spongebob Squarepants, The Emperor's New School, The Good Doctor, The Haunting Of Hill House/Bly Manor, The Middle, The Pretender, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Through The Wormhole, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unsolved Mysteries, Yugioh

Tagging: @bullet-farmer​ and anyone else who wants to!

[backseatstorytime]

10/31/2016, 6:05pm - riding waves.

Before I begin, you might be wondering why there was a sudden jump from mid-September to Halloween. I've been thinking on it, and I decided not to write everything out in chronological order. There isn't really anything that necessitates everything to be in order, at least not here, so I figured I'd allow myself the luxury to write about whatever story felt right for the time.

If you'd want to follow the stories chronologically, I'm leaving the date and time in the title and you can sort the posts out alphanumerically. Otherwise, please do enjoy these time travel adventures, and as always, thank you endlessly for reading and for your support.

Oh, and also as always—Names, dates, times, and specific details have been modified to protect my riders' privacy. If you have reason to believe that your story is being told and you'd prefer it not to be shared, please message me and I'll be more than happy to take it down.

Jokes have an incredibly short life expectancy. While some can live for way past their lifespan, most jokes are beaten to death right out of the gates. The rise and popularity of memes, these widespread jokes that everyone manages to catch one way or the other on the internet, combined with the speed of communication and transfer via the internet allows for people to spread jokes within hours. The consequence of this, however, is that jokes get played out as quickly as they surface. Harambe, for example, was an incident so strange that it was hard not to find the overwhelming if not completely sardonic support funny. The whole #DicksOutForHarambe was so absurd that I couldn't help but find it hilarious. It was funny when the jokes started to surface, and it was funny for maybe a few weeks after the meme made its journey around the world. Past that, it started to stagnate and stale. Within a month and a half or so, Harambe became a lazy word that people would throw into a mad lib hoping it would get a cheap laugh. It's a month into 2017, and no one talks about Harambe anymore.

Jokes don't live long. They're waves in the ocean—they rise, they crash, they resurge, and they return to the gentle ebb and flow of water. Good jokes rise to unbelievable heights with an awesome impact. They die down and may have an aftershock leading into another hysterical uproar, but after a certain point, they go from being the greatest thing ever to being "so last week," so to say. Such is life; we hear, we laugh, we move on.

There's a reason why a good chunk of famous comedians are how they are—comedians are storytellers. They know the right words to use, when to pause, which phrases to inflect. Most importantly, they know exactly at what point the joke is no longer funny. They know when it's slowing down, what can  keep the joke going, and when to end the joke. If jokes are waves in the oceans, comedians are the surfers. They ride, they weave through the flumes and channels, and they take control of the wave.

Obviously you don't need to be a famous comedian to know how to do this. I know a handful of people who can stretch a joke far without hitting the breaking point, but I don't think I have ever met anyone who could do that like Laurence.

I was a little wary of driving on a holiday, especially Halloween. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I figured that it was going to be a hectic evening, at least traffic-wise. I pulled over to a residential area, put on a Halloween playlist, turned my app on, and waited.

Halloween was pretty quiet. Usually I don't have to wait longer than twenty minutes to get a ping, but I was there for about half an hour before I got a call from a guy named Laurence. I drove by St. Joseph's into the TV studio district of Burbank and picked up a gentleman with a cane. He hobbled over, I got out of the car to help him, and off we went.

Laurence was an actor. He said he primarily did commercials and voiceovers, and he finished with a fairly nice gig. He lived in the heart of LA with three other housemates, and while he said he was on the border of living as a starving artist, it seemed like he was happy where he was.

Traffic was piling up, partly because of parents taking their kids to go trick or treating but mostly because of adults wanted to get out of dodge and home as soon as possible. As we drove down Alameda and we passed by a ton of kids in costumes, he told me,

"I'll let you know ahead of time, I give you full permission to run over any of these little shits if they get in our way."

There's the wave.

I laughed. I thought that things were going to end there, but he rode that wave and made the most of it.

"I mean, come on, everyone is dressed like a monster today, how am I supposed to know the difference?!" "Oh I'm sorry officer, I thought that if I drove right through that ghost, I would just phase right past it!" "I thought that kid dressed like a werewolf was roadkill!"

He was riffing off various scenarios, and something about his delivery made it never not funny. As I laughed around ten quips later, I turned on Cahuenga and Laurence rode off the wave. He told me that a left was coming up in about a mile, and he started telling me about how every single driver he's gone with would get in a left lane to prep for the left when all the lanes had a legal left turn. "It's the weirdest thing! I always tell them, 'Oh, you can use any of the lanes to turn left,' but every single one of them gets to the left!" He talked this through and I listened through it until I realized I went straight on the street I was supposed to make a left on.

"W-wait, what... wha... did you just..."

And at this point I was apologizing profusely, but Laurence started laughing.

"I literally spent the last five minutes talking about turning left! Then we get to the turn and you go everywhere but left!"

I was still apologizing between laughs, and he spent the entire time of me U-turning ragging on me.

"I mean... did I give the right direction? I was saying left, right? Left!" "Look, if you just wanted to take me off the trail and make out with me in a back alley, you could've just asked! I'm not a difficult man to please!"

He was having a good time at my expense, and honestly I was having a pretty good time, too. Laurence said not to even worry about it, that everyone makes mistakes, but he didn't fail to let me know that that was the funniest mistake he'd ever seen. As I made the U-turn and turned right, he began:

"Okay, now on the LEFT, you're going to see the freeway entrance. When you see it on your LEFT, you're going to turn LEFT. Not right, not straight, LEFT. Now, which way are you turning?" "L-left!" "YA GODDAMN RIGHT, BOY."

I was still laughing at this as he started talking about various things. We talked about Fleetwood Mac, about George Clooney as Batman, about expensive homes and how the toilets better be flushing sparkling water at the prices they're selling houses. Each time he brought up a new topic, he rode a new wave. He knew which moments to tell jokes, how to deliver and ride out jokes, and when to move on. He was so good at this that I hadn't realized an hour had passed on the trip and that we were about ten minutes away from his place. He told me,

"Alright. So we're going to be turning on Chico. Once we pass it, you're gonna see shit change. You won't see these million dollar homes and kids in costumes anymore, you're gonna be seeing chain link fences and kids who're dressing up on Halloween as lower class kids who can't afford a costume. So if you're ever looking for a place to move to, don't look past Chico. If you don't wanna get shot or mugged, don't go past Chico. If you have any shred of love for yourself, don't go past Chico. Now, what lessons have we learned today?"

"Turn left and don't go past Chico?"

"YA GODDAMN RIGHT, BOY."

We got to Chico and he started to point out where the line between Chico and the rest of LA. "Don't be fooled by that Chipotle on the street corner! Once you pass this plaza and turn, things start to look a little less clean around here."

"Oh, so is it like Haunted Mansion in Disneyland where it makes like a change from elegant to haunted?"

For the first time on the hour long car ride, Laurence went quiet.

Did I say something wrong? Was Disneyland a bad example? The silence was unnerving since we'd been nonstop talking the whole trip.

"Disneyland."

Finally, a word. But he didn't sound pleased.

"DISNEYLAND???"

Nope. Not pleased at all.

"Boy, do I look like I can afford Disneyland? You know what a guy like me gotta do to afford Disneyland?!"

And there went the last wave, rising higher and higher.

"You know how many organs I gotta sell to go to Disneyland?!" "That's why I ain't having no kids, I'm gonna have to sacrifice one of them just to get in the park!" "I'll be asking Satan, 'Ey boy, you got Venmo? What you take, cash? Check? Firstborn child?'" "You know how many virgins I gotta throw down in a volcano to afford a ticket to Disneyland?" "I ran outta virgins and I started throwing dogs down there! One of these bitches gotta be a virgin, dammit!"

He went off. His jokes were dark, unruly, and, frankly, hilarious. He rode that wave all the way home, and by the time he got out of the car, I was still laughing on the way home. Apparently he had a great time as well, because he gave me a $5 tip.

That Halloween trip has been one of my favorite trips to date. It was nonstop conversation and jokes, and I think I spent the whole trip laughing. I finished driving after that one trip simply because I wanted to end the night on a high note.

It's always rare to meet people with that innate sense of delivery and humor. I'm sure he's practiced and mastered the craft after a while, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. This has always been my go-to story when people ask about funny moments driving, and I'm glad I got to share it here.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for riding this crazy wave with me.