Background Noise
I thought it would be fun to periodically post about things to listen to while making. This is completely a reflection of my personal taste, so take it or leave it. To each their own!
First, I binged through the second season of Mo Amer’s Show on Netflix. He’s a Palestinian American comedian. The show is based on his life- he was born in Kuwait, fled during the Gulf War to Texas, and after 20 years became a US citizen- as you can imagine, his comedy is built around the labyrinth of the experience of being a stateless person. Add to it Texan culture, a Catholic girlfriend, and his Arab culture it makes for an entertaining look at the American experience.
I wish I had some audiobooks to recommend, but I have not found one that’s captured my attention lately. Hopefully, I will find one soon. Instead, I have been catching up with podcasts and trying to find new ones. The newest (to me) one I’m enjoying is Straight White American Jesus. I’m probably late to the party, but glad I found it. Basically, these two former Evangelical pastors turned religion professors break down the thought process of the religious right in America and how it is influencing current American conversations around race, gender, politics, and sexuality. I’ve found it incredibly insightful to explain a religious thought process I do not understand and examine it with academic insight.
I also binged the show The Conners recently. It’s a revival of the show Rosanne- but without Rosanne. She was ousted from the original revival after essentially being canceled. The show is a sitcom- the storylines are lame. For me, this is actual background noise. But what I liked about it (and Rosanne) was how relatable it was. They are working class, trying to make ends meet, living in the Midwest, and re-wear clothing. Personally, I find it refreshing in a world of aspirational shows.
My (accidental) social media rabbit hole this week was the Super Bowl halftime show. Don’t know what’s going on? Please google it. My algorithm immediately switched to two types of white people- those who thought the show was boring (because it went over their heads). The second group was those who did not understand anything but were suddenly Kendrick Lamar’s biggest fans, and they wanted to tell you about it. It’s like they are trying to rack up points in the game of “who is the most woke.” Like, look, I’m glad you learned something. That’s great. But isn’t broadcasting what you learned just centering the conversation on yourself and your white guilt? At this point, I’m so over it that I deleted the app.