Good Mood Media
Sometimes, you just want to smile. Whether it’s due to work stress, current event anxiety, Mercury retrograde or just an old fashioned bad mood, on those days, I seek escape — wrapping myself up in a figurative blanket of happy vibes, and hoping it can alter my state of mind through osmosis.
Everyone’s got their collection of things they like to watch, read or listen to when they need a pick-me-up! Here are a few of my go-to’s:
LISTEN: The Hamilton Soundtrack
No matter how many times I listen through this show, I cannot help but smile when I hear those intro notes. This show is worth ALL the hype it receives, and if *somehow* you’ve managed not to listen to it yet, do not wait to see it before you hear it. If any song pops up on my playlist on shuffle, I will absolutely want to listen to the rest of the show all the way through.
WATCH: Brooklyn 99
THIS. SHOW. IS. SO. GOOD. It’s funny, it’s smart, and if you pay attention it’s subversive in so many great ways. Have you ever seen a show — let alone a sitcom — build the romantic tension between two people and then LET THEM STAY TOGETHER AND MAKE EACH OTHER BETTER? And not just fizzle after the first kiss? And that’s only one subtle way this show breaks ground. I literally cannot pick a favorite character.
READ: Paper Girls
In this action-packed comic book series, a group of middle-school girls in the 80’s are working their newspaper route on the late night/early morning hours of Halloween, when all hell breaks loose. Time travel, time wars, and jokes about modern technology. It’s a fun, nostalgic ride (and the illustrations are fantastic!).
LISTEN: Armchair Expert
Armchair Expert has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of my most favorite podcasts. Dax Shepard brings a refreshing level of honesty, sincerity and vulnerability to the table and his conversations with his guests — whether they are Hollywood superstars or childhood psychologists — dig into the meat of why we do the things we do. It’s fun and earnest and makes me want to curl up on the couch with him and his cohost Monica and talk for hours.
WATCH: Hilda
Yes, technically, this is a children’s show. But the animation is so pretty and the story is so sweet and wholesome, I will 100% pop it on Netflix when I’m feeling down. Actually, the first time I watched this show, it was to distract me from a two-day anxiety attack leading up to me having to face my crippling needle phobia. I binged the entire show (currently, only one season long). Hilda is a young girl raised in the forest with her mom, amongst mythical creatures like trolls, giants and elves. Soon, they relocate to the city and she adjusts to life there, seeking out adventure wherever she can find it. And as an added bonus, Hilda is voiced by Bella Ramsey, AKA Lady Mormont on Game of Thrones.
BROWSE: Tracee Ellis Ross’ Instagram account
Listen. I know this isn’t a traditional watch/read/listen item, but I dare you to scroll through this account and not smile. This woman is sunshine incarnate!
WATCH: John Mulaney, Kid Gorgeous (Netflix special)
It recently dawned on me that not everyone grew up buying stand-up specials on DVD and later reveling in their availability on streaming services, and that therefore not everyone is familiar with the amazingness of John Mulaney. But you should be. He is a gift. And he has three specials on Netflix that are all great — but this one is the best. Jon and I have watched it in its entirety at least six times now and we still laugh through the entire performance. STREET SMARTS!
LISTEN: Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe
From the more upbeat but irreverent “Make Me Feel,” “Take a Byte,” and “Screwed” to the vulnerable “Don’t Judge Me,” to “Pynk” to “I Like That,” every track on this album is a celebration in its own way. Much has been written - more expertly than I could - about the themes and content of Dirty Computer, but overall the collection feels like a celebration of the many facets of Monáe’s identity. And they are bops! If the amazing music on this album isn’t enough to pull you in (which, come on, it is), just watch the 50-minute accompanying “Emotion Picture” on YouTube, which features one of my top crushes, Tessa Thompson. Janelle Monáe is an artistic genius and overall musical badass, and the entire Dirty Computer album is bound to lift your spirits.
READ: On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
I’ve already written at length about why I love this book so much — but it bears repeating.
WATCH: One Day at a Time
Y’all. I am not over the fact that this show was cancelled after three seasons. It’s such a good show! Following a traditional sitcom format I haven’t seen (in new shows) in a while, but tackling current issues in really heartfelt ways. The season one finale had me *weeping* and I just cannot recommend this show enough.