Keeping Busy in the Q: Favorite Watches

Happy August, y’all!! It’s birthday month, and we’re still hanging in there. I’m reading a lot slower than usual, but it’s made way for my other vices: TV and movies!

We’re all binging copious amounts of media while locked down, let’s be honest. There’s not much else to do besides reading, social media-ing, and watching tv and movies. I mean, most of us are also drinking (please be responsible!) and some of us are working out (me reluctantly), too, but even while we’re doing all that, we’re consuming all sorts of media.

I’ve done some Marvel watching, some light Friends viewing, a bit—okay, a lot—of Criminal Minds background-noising, gotten to a few documentaries…there’s so much good content!

Here are my top titles I’ve watched in the Q (and where you can find them):

(Disclaimer: I told you I was making a lot of lists)

Best short-form videos: Brad Mondo, YouTube

Brad is a hairstylist in NYC and posts mostly videos categorized as “Hairdresser Reacts.” I stumbled upon his channel pre-Q, and I cannot get enough of the bleach fails. Brad often gives advice while he reacts, which is helpful if you’re sort of dying to bleach your hair right now (read: me). He’s a joy to watch.

Favorite true quarantine series (meaning I was actually self-sequestered in my room for two weeks and couldn’t leave it except to wash dishes and even then I wore gloves and a mask): psych, currently on Amazon Prime, but may be taken off soon to put them on Peacock—which is free at this point in time

This is probably my favorite show of all time. I absolutely adore Shawn and Gus and their wacky and outlandish shenanigans. I’ve watched the entires series multiple times, and it never fails to make me laugh, cry, and feel warm inside. The relationships, the mysteries, the wit…it’s all wonderful. And we sort of love this pair of weirdos making the police seem a bit useless (even though we also love Jules and Lassie more than most things in life).

Incredible docs: 13th, Netflix

This one is such a good watch. It really unpacks the prison system and systemic racism. It explains how deeply racism runs in this country, how society has basically set up the black community to fail. And it expresses how politicians have preyed on fear to expand the prison system into this corrupt monopoly. It’s connected to everything.

True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality, HBO subscription/HBOMax

Much like 13th, this documentary shows how the justice system has failed the black community since the very beginning. Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, has spent his career in law educating people on how the law has oppressed black people in America, from (the obvious) slavery to lynching to Jim Crow to death row. The EJI is dedicated to investigating death row inmates’ cases and other overly-harsh convictions. It’s awesome to watch, and I highly recommend looking into the EJI. Also, Just Mercy is the movie-version of one of Stevenson’s high profile cases, Walter McMillian, and stars Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan—you can find it on Amazon Prime.

Top film I’ve seen a lot of times but still love: Knives Out, Amazon Prime

I saw this movie, like, three times in theaters, and I would’ve gone a hundred more. Rian Johnson has an eye for greatness, and I love this movie. The casting was fabulous, the acting was perfectly overdone, and the writing was wonderful. Ana de Armas was fantastic as Marta, and I’m low key obsessed with her. Obviously, the Chris-Evans-wearing-a-sweater was truly a blessing for many of us. I love LaKeith Stanfield, too, so I wish he had a bit more of a presence, but I can only hope for more in the sequel (please, Rian, I beg). I notice new things every time I watch this movie, which is how you know it’s a good one!

Honorable mentions: Euphoria (hello, well-deserved Emmy noms!), Stranger Things, A Little Princess (my childhood favorite), Little Fires Everywhere

Top of the list to watch next: The Hate U Give, Perry Mason, I May Destroy You, Insecure

Like I said, so much awesome content!!

As another disclaimer, I know a lot of these are available to stream on Amazon Prime, and I know Jeff Bezos has more money than God. I’ve been cutting back majorly on my Amazon shopping in the last year or so, but I know it’s difficult. It’s how I get my kindle books, I use Goodreads on the regular, etc. I own Knives Out, the psych series, and Just Mercy, but I know that not everyone has that ability (I mean, who has DVDs nowadays? I do. Please say I’m not alone). I just want people to be aware of their consumption and where they’re putting their money.