While we are all feeling the effects of COVID-19 or the Coronavirus, we need to take precautions seriously. Since my university shut down classes and extended spring break for a period of time, this is a great time to begin practicing social distancing. This is a good time to catch up on sleep or different sources of mediums.
This post is essentially a list of the things I think you should check out –
MoviesÂ
- He’s Just Not That Into You
- Dear John
- Pride and Prejudice
- Mansfield Park
- North and South
He’s Just Not That Into You is a rom-com about various couples and single people who are navigating their long term relationships or trying to find their person. Dating or not, it can be hard to figure out relationships and what other people are thinking in your life. It’s funny, it’s real, and it’s something to get your mind off of the news.
Dear John is a love story between a college student and her Sergeant boyfriend. They meet, they fall in love, and their journey begins. Highly recommend if you love a good love story.
Pride and Prejudice! Considering I mentioned web series a few posts back, it’s no coincidence this movie is on the list. In my opinion, it’s one of the greatest love stories ever told. It’s a slow burn romance – 2 hours long, the costumes are incredible, and who doesn’t want to fall in love with William Darcy?
Mansfield Park is also another Jane Austen classic. It definitely takes a while to get into the movie, but you really get invested in Fanny’s relationships and it ends in a sweet way.
North and South is not strictly a movie. It’s rather a series. However, since it’s only 4 episodes long, I watched it in one sitting and it did not disappoint. It’s similar to Pride and Prejudice, but it’s gritter and deals with the lower class more personably. The romance is incredibly passionate and it’s fun to watch.
Shows
- Call the Midwife
- Fringe
- The Man in the High Castle
- Cheer
- The Good Place
If you’re like me, you like wholesome, old-fashioned tv shows. I enjoy When Calls The Heart and on some level, Call the Midwife is like that. It deals with the lower class and their needs in the community of East End and the lives of the midwives as they try their best to help their community.
Fringe is, without a doubt, my favorite tv show ever. It is sci-fi, romance, bromance and so much more. If you like sci-fi that goes into crazy, weird possibilities like alternate universes and fun banter as well as a strong female lead, Fringe is the show you should be watching.
The Man in the High Castle is the world is the Nazis had won WWII. The worldbuilding is incredible and it’s fun to envision the 1950s in a new format. This is my twin brother’s favorite show. With multiple storylines and mystery unfolding from each character, it’s one of those shows you can’t stop watching after just one episode.
If you haven’t heard of Cheer, you’ve been living under a rock. The cheerleaders skyrockted to fame from the show on Netflix. They are very inspirational and you find yourself rooting for them as time goes on. The world of cheerleading is a lot more intense than you’d initially think. If you need something to keep rooting for hope during this time, this show is it.
The Good Place is the show to be obsessed with if you love philosophical discussions, romance, and religion. I’m definitely a fan. Plus, you can relate with every character — except Jason. The mystery and adventure the show takes you on is so fun. These days, shows are so long that they are practically months and months of investments of time. Each episode is 30 minutes. You get a good laugh and some ideas on philosophy in no time at all. You’ll enjoy this one for sure.
Podcasts
- Beautiful Anonymous
- 1619
- Crossway Podcast
- Deep Talks
- Left, Right, & Center
- Slow Burn
If I didn’t have podcasts in this list, I wouldn’t be me.
I will always recommend Beautiful Anonymous. If you want to laugh, to cry, to intimately know a little bit more about someone else’s life, this is the podcast for you. Chris Gethard is a comedian but in this case, he’s just a man that’s good at getting other people to tell their stories to him. My favorite episode = The Squirrel and the Giraffe. As someone who finds it hard to be positive, this caller was an absolutely amazing optimist.
1619 is a very important topic. As a UVA student, I have gotten to hear about the ugly history of UVA and Charlottesville. The NYTimes created this podcast and I’ve got to give them props for doing so. The U.S. and frankly, the world wants to forget slavery ever happened and that racism no longer exists. But there are many systems – education inequality and the continuation of segregation of education, the school to prison pipeline, and so much more. This podcast goes into the America we’d love to forget.
Crossway Podcast is for the Christians out there with questions on how to live and how to think about Christianity. With episodes like How to Read the Bible everyday in 2020 and The Case for Complementarianism, you get the meaty theological perspective as well as the day to day perspective.
Deep Talks is another religious podcast. However, it focuses more on deeper theological questions that even nonreligious people may ask. For example, there is a whole series on The Problem of Evil and an episode talking about Ecclesiastes and how humans make meaning of the world. Highly recommend if you love asking questions about the Bible.
Politics is hard in today’s world. The news seems more polarized than ever. Social media is showing you the most engaged-with news, not necessarily what’s more important or what’s most true. Advice to keep in mind: Get news from multiple sources, perhaps from different sides of the political spectrum. One source can be Left, Right, & Center. You don’t have to agree with the everything said. But the panel on Left, Right, & Center is something I appreciate because tv news and news on social media doesn’t tend to include the viewpoint of the other side.
If you like history or if you like storytelling, you might really enjoy Slow Burn. Whether it’s Watergate, Bill Clinton, or Tupac and Biggie, these stories are extremely well told by Slate. The editing is very well done. The clips of interviews, the host’s narration, and the inclusion of music – as someone who is learning how to edit and format a podcast, this one is impression.
I hope this is helpful for those of you who are stuck working at home or if you have too much time on your hands considering your lack of time spent outside. Do you best to stay safe and healthy, friends!
Signing off,
Gigi
