It’s getting harder to avoid all the negativity flying about these days. It hasn’t always been a basket of delights while watching the news, scrolling through social media or answering the phone but in these days of isolation and social distancing it’s getting harder for people to see that light at the end of the tunnel or take comfort in those silver linings.
I was noticing even I was quick to anger or irritation much easier than before. I started unplugging over the weekends — taking time not to open my Facebook or Twitter apps and banning CNN and MSNBC from the TV — to just find new things to do or watch that give me enjoyment.
So I thought instead of ranting about the idiocy of certain politicians or whether or not you should go sit in a restaurant masked up and order an adult beverage and some potstickers, I would list off a few things that have given me joy and happiness over the last few months in these horrid times.
I enjoy watching ASMR videos on YouTube. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and it basically is this pleasant, tingly sensation some people get when listening to someone speak in a low or whispered voice or make sounds such as tapping, clicking and popping. If it sounds weird that’s because it is, but if you get “the tingles” like I do then you deal with the weird.
Since social isolating got my anxiety tingling again, I have been watching more ASMR videos to try and relax and came across one of my new obsessions — tiny cooking! It’s as weird, and wonderful, as ASMR and involves people making miniature versions of food in tiny kitchens with tiny pots, pans and bowls. Some videos feature tiny cakes being baked in tiny ovens, while others feature tiny ravioli and lasagna all made from scratch on tiny cast iron stoves.
I love everything about these videos, from the elaborate kitchen set ups to the details in the cakes to the tingles that I get from the step-by-step directions. Two of my favorite YouTube channels are Cookin’ Little and Miniature Cusina. If the lack of sound doesn’t float your ASMR boat, there are some tiny cooking videos that put a jaunty tune over them.
Another one of my quarantine obsessions is TikTok, which I have been told by several people on the app and in my real life that I am too old to be on. All I have to say to that is haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate; so I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it off, shake it off. That’s what the kids say, right?
TikTok is a “video-sharing, social media network” that allows people to create short-form content a la Vine. I personally do not make any videos — yet! — but I do spend many hours vegging out on my couch, scrolling through my For You Page and marveling at how creative people can be in a matter of 30 seconds.
Some videos are dance challenges or lip syncs, some are comedy sketches or daily diary entries about how people around the world are handling isolation. For those of you who are Gen X or older Millennial like me, TikTok feels like what YouTube felt like when it first launched. It is sometimes hilarious, sometimes cringeworthy, and sometimes emotional; but it is always entertaining and a great way to kill some time when you have nothing to do and nowhere to go. Some of my favorites that I check in with daily are @adamrayokay, @iamtabithabrown, @yungjackinnanen and @ben_brainard.
Like most people, the main thing that I have done during quarantine — besides using DoorDash and UberEats to order all of my food — is binge watching.
Prior to lockdown, I had never seen an episode of “Schitt’s Creek” but I managed to watch all six seasons within four days and I have to say: What the hell was I waiting for? It is the best thing I have seen on television in a long time. If you haven’t checked it out, do so immediately.
Other shows you should check out if you haven’t already: “Upload” on Amazon Prime, “Hilary” on Hulu, “Defending Jacob” on Apple TV+, “Hollywood” on Netflix and “Watchmen” on HBO. If you don’t have any of these streaming services, then make friends with someone who does and borrow their account.
Regardless of what you do to get through, just make sure you aren’t doom and glooming it 24/7. Show a little self love and take care of you.
In this issue, we look at how you can celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month from the comfort of your own home with our guide to Virtual June.
In other news, we bring back our A&E section with a look at some local entertainers, The Center Orlando gets vandalized and St Pete Pride announces it won’t hold any events until 2021.
