Metatalktail Hour: Soothing Media March 21, 2020 9:17 PM Subscribe
Good Saturday ... some time, MetaFilter! This week, share some of your favorite movies, shows, books, and music for when you need something soothing to enjoy! So we can all have many more options for sinking into a cloud of escapist comfort!
As always, conversation starter, not limiter, but keep politics out of it, and there are check-in threads for talking about the 🦠so it can stay out of this thread too!
As always, conversation starter, not limiter, but keep politics out of it, and there are check-in threads for talking about the 🦠so it can stay out of this thread too!
Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix was very soothing to me a few months ago. I wound up watching it 3 times in a row for some reason. Back then it seemed like an uncanny parable of our situation written 20 years ago but now with the whole wildly communicable disease towards the end it's getting even closer.
I find High Maintenance (HBO) to be pretty soothing too. It's just gentle, humane little stories about people being people.
posted by bleep at 9:57 PM on March 21, 2020
I find High Maintenance (HBO) to be pretty soothing too. It's just gentle, humane little stories about people being people.
posted by bleep at 9:57 PM on March 21, 2020
Terrace House. It's like a very chill Big Brother, set in Japan filled with young charming good-looking men and women. There is some drama but it never feels aggressive or forced like some reality tv shows. It also takes its time letting you learn who everyone is. Mrs. Fizz and I have been watching the last week or two and it's what we've both needed to calm the fuck down.
Watch Terrace House and play Animal Crossing if you can. Stay safe everyone.
posted by Fizz at 10:05 PM on March 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
Watch Terrace House and play Animal Crossing if you can. Stay safe everyone.
posted by Fizz at 10:05 PM on March 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
My old soother when I was a kid was Star Trek: First Contact, a movie I must have seen about 20 times or more. A few days ago I was making food for the fam when I hear from my dad's laptop the sultry sounds of the borg queen seducing data. Put a real smile on my face. Dad's making the most of the CBS all access we got for Picard to be sure. Hearing random trek from his laptop is always nice. I can't really focus for T.V. I'm too volcanic with anxiety- so it's into the garden with me.
I finally started planting the stuff I had to plant! Some Celery and Strawberries and a Bay Laurel here, Some Parsley and Cumbers there, (I built my own trellis out of old stakes for those Cukes and I am VERY PROUD). And I finally got down to business with them beans. Scarlet Runner Beans! I also potted up my last early tomato- a Julia Child. I'm looking forward to planting some miner's lettuce, a childhood favorite! I actually managed to get a log together of pretty things and good harvests around the garden- And I finally got my shit together re: The Rosemary. I also got a shit ton done today that's not on the blog yet- I weed whacked the fuck out of the back. Now I have a new bed to put together, and some more seeds to start. I am very tired. But that's pretty nice right now honestly.
I'll throw together another open thread tomorrow on my blog for plant questions and discussions if anyone wants to chat plants- Please distract me from the fact that I've been cooped up with my parents for a week and the fact that if my father wants me to not murder him he's gonna have to start wearing his hearing aids during the day so he can actually hear what we're saying to him instead of yelling at us about what he *thinks* we're saying to him.
... But at least he's bored enough that when he's done watching a third episode of random Star Trek he's been fixing up the tools.
... Never thought I'd miss MUNI...
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:06 PM on March 21, 2020 [12 favorites]
I finally started planting the stuff I had to plant! Some Celery and Strawberries and a Bay Laurel here, Some Parsley and Cumbers there, (I built my own trellis out of old stakes for those Cukes and I am VERY PROUD). And I finally got down to business with them beans. Scarlet Runner Beans! I also potted up my last early tomato- a Julia Child. I'm looking forward to planting some miner's lettuce, a childhood favorite! I actually managed to get a log together of pretty things and good harvests around the garden- And I finally got my shit together re: The Rosemary. I also got a shit ton done today that's not on the blog yet- I weed whacked the fuck out of the back. Now I have a new bed to put together, and some more seeds to start. I am very tired. But that's pretty nice right now honestly.
I'll throw together another open thread tomorrow on my blog for plant questions and discussions if anyone wants to chat plants- Please distract me from the fact that I've been cooped up with my parents for a week and the fact that if my father wants me to not murder him he's gonna have to start wearing his hearing aids during the day so he can actually hear what we're saying to him instead of yelling at us about what he *thinks* we're saying to him.
... But at least he's bored enough that when he's done watching a third episode of random Star Trek he's been fixing up the tools.
... Never thought I'd miss MUNI...
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:06 PM on March 21, 2020 [12 favorites]
How do you feel about watching paint pour? Watching paint drying? I find videos of watercolor artists setting up their palettes or swatching samples of the colors incredibly soothing. A couple of favorites from Youtube: In Liquid Color, and Dr. Oto Kano. Also softly wonderful: watching pigments and a binder being mulled into paint. (TW: Oto’s very open, in a gentle way, about her issues with depression, etc. in some videos. I find that helpful, but I know not everyone does.) I find Oto’s voice extremely calming and the traditional handwork of mulling hypnotic. Bonus that I need right now: something is being made rather than destroyed.
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 10:06 PM on March 21, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 10:06 PM on March 21, 2020 [4 favorites]
I had been watching Traveling Bird Feeder 1 a lot and they just recently came out with an even better: Traveling Bird feeder 2
I've also becoming fascinated with this YouTuber and her Frozen Lake sound videos.
posted by ilovewinter at 10:08 PM on March 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
I've also becoming fascinated with this YouTuber and her Frozen Lake sound videos.
posted by ilovewinter at 10:08 PM on March 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
I like watching romcoms. One of my favorites is Bend it Like Beckham. For awhile I watched it so consistently when I wasn't feeling well, that one time when I pulled it out to watch, my spouse felt my forehead for a fever.
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:23 PM on March 21, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:23 PM on March 21, 2020 [11 favorites]
I tend to binge-watch Kim's Convenience and The Good Place repeatedly in very dark times. And I listen to School Of Seven Bells' Alpinisms album over and over again when things are hard - there's enough going on in that music that my brain is too occupied to freak out. Tonight I played a mix CD of Appalachian mountain music and coal miner protest songs a friend gave me several years ago while I was cooking, and that seriously hit the spot. Also videos of alpacas chilling in hot tubs and bears fishing in Alaska. Also, last week the brilliant Rebecca Solnit did a long reading of a fairytale live on Facebook every day, and those made me calm right down. They're all available on her Facebook page.
**
Today I went to my neighborhood park and picked a shopping bag full of delicious stinging nettles!! Then I made the soup that's the first recipe here, which is a) delicious b) inexpensive to make c) vegan d) total comfort food and e) surprisingly good for you for something this delicious. I think you could make it with any greens. I'm eating a bowl of it with garlic naan and, while it's a problem that I'm having dinner at 11 PM, I feel soothed.
posted by centrifugal at 11:14 PM on March 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
**
Today I went to my neighborhood park and picked a shopping bag full of delicious stinging nettles!! Then I made the soup that's the first recipe here, which is a) delicious b) inexpensive to make c) vegan d) total comfort food and e) surprisingly good for you for something this delicious. I think you could make it with any greens. I'm eating a bowl of it with garlic naan and, while it's a problem that I'm having dinner at 11 PM, I feel soothed.
posted by centrifugal at 11:14 PM on March 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
M*A*S*H
How It’s Made
WWII documentaries, or any remote historical topic really.
Monument Valley, the iOS game
Crossword puzzles
Perfect Prescription, or even better, Dreamweapon by Spacemen 3.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 11:25 PM on March 21, 2020
How It’s Made
WWII documentaries, or any remote historical topic really.
Monument Valley, the iOS game
Crossword puzzles
Perfect Prescription, or even better, Dreamweapon by Spacemen 3.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 11:25 PM on March 21, 2020
Podcasts galore! For soothing, my go to podcasts are:
Tara Brach
We Hate Movies
Unf*ck Your Brain
Guided Sleep Meditations
The Anthropocene Reviewed
Imaginary Worlds
posted by iamkimiam at 11:53 PM on March 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Tara Brach
We Hate Movies
Unf*ck Your Brain
Guided Sleep Meditations
The Anthropocene Reviewed
Imaginary Worlds
posted by iamkimiam at 11:53 PM on March 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
I also follow a lot of Reddits and my rule is that I scroll for as long as I want to but if I see an undeniably cute animal pic I have to close the app there.
(When I reopen it of course, that pic is the first thing I see and I have to refresh to begin again.)
posted by iamkimiam at 11:57 PM on March 21, 2020
(When I reopen it of course, that pic is the first thing I see and I have to refresh to begin again.)
posted by iamkimiam at 11:57 PM on March 21, 2020
I just watched Feel Good on Netflix in one sitting. It has some crummy stressful moments related to family and relationships but I never felt really uncomfortable about it (and I am overly sensitive to that stuff, so normally can't watch it). I thought it was nice.
In less positive news, I just saw my wife cut a carrot vertically, so I am planning on joining the French Foreign Legion.
posted by Literaryhero at 12:38 AM on March 22, 2020 [5 favorites]
In less positive news, I just saw my wife cut a carrot vertically, so I am planning on joining the French Foreign Legion.
posted by Literaryhero at 12:38 AM on March 22, 2020 [5 favorites]
The Dogfather (aka dog_rates and Thoughts of Dog) has posted a couple of livestreams of him petting his dog for extended periods. (For those of you who follow Thoughts of Dog in particular, there appears to be an actual Sebastian sighting.)
posted by praemunire at 12:47 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by praemunire at 12:47 AM on March 22, 2020
centrifugal, I love Alpinisms!
I am sick in bed and spent yesterday binge watching Season 1 of Call the Midwife. It is basically competence-and-compassion porn.
posted by eirias at 3:09 AM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
I am sick in bed and spent yesterday binge watching Season 1 of Call the Midwife. It is basically competence-and-compassion porn.
posted by eirias at 3:09 AM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
I don't know if soothing is the right word, but I was mesmerised earlier in the week by this performance by a Brazilian ensemble called 'Orquestra de Berimbaus Morro do Querosene'. The sound of the berimbau won't be to everyone's taste, but I reckon the part where the band's leader Dinho Nascimento plays a solo 'Berimbau Blues' has to be worth a look at least. (For many more performances of Brazilian music, see this FPP from a few years ago.)
posted by misteraitch at 4:05 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by misteraitch at 4:05 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
General Youtube
Tina's Life -a youtuber in Japan shows her daily life at home. She doesn't show her face, or talk so it's just calming.
Life Where I'm From is by a Canadian man who lives in Japan with his wife and children. He does a series of mini-documentaries and informative videos about life in Japan. It strongly skews positive overall.
If you like no commentary video game playthroughs, consider Wishing Tikal and try Cold Steel 1 or Trails in the Sky 1 which are available on multiple platforms.
Travel
The Luxury Travel Expert posts hotels and business/first class videos (including lounges!). No face, no talking, no IN YOUR FACE opinions. Comments can be hit or miss, so avoid.
Hiokinskywalker lives in Japan and filmed short videos about random things there - no talking, no faces or opinions.
Not Youtube
Escape to the Country is a popular programme on the BBC where people move from busy areas to the countryside. The people can be picky but rarely scathing, and there's no loud music. It's just calm voices and rolling hillsides.
Animal Crossing is a series of Nintendo games available on Switch, DS, Gamecube and mobile (pocket camp). It's always a soother and is very popular these days. Reddit has a pocket camp community which is generally positive overall.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 4:14 AM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
Tina's Life -a youtuber in Japan shows her daily life at home. She doesn't show her face, or talk so it's just calming.
Life Where I'm From is by a Canadian man who lives in Japan with his wife and children. He does a series of mini-documentaries and informative videos about life in Japan. It strongly skews positive overall.
If you like no commentary video game playthroughs, consider Wishing Tikal and try Cold Steel 1 or Trails in the Sky 1 which are available on multiple platforms.
Travel
The Luxury Travel Expert posts hotels and business/first class videos (including lounges!). No face, no talking, no IN YOUR FACE opinions. Comments can be hit or miss, so avoid.
Hiokinskywalker lives in Japan and filmed short videos about random things there - no talking, no faces or opinions.
Not Youtube
Escape to the Country is a popular programme on the BBC where people move from busy areas to the countryside. The people can be picky but rarely scathing, and there's no loud music. It's just calm voices and rolling hillsides.
Animal Crossing is a series of Nintendo games available on Switch, DS, Gamecube and mobile (pocket camp). It's always a soother and is very popular these days. Reddit has a pocket camp community which is generally positive overall.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 4:14 AM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
I'm enjoying Come Dine with Me, lately. There's lots of free full episodes on YouTube. Watching other people have dinner parties is just about as good as having them myself, and when it all goes horribly wrong it makes me glad I'm not having my own dinner parties. It's all soothingly domestic, and while the voiceover guy might not be to everyone's taste, I find him amusing.
posted by lollusc at 4:46 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by lollusc at 4:46 AM on March 22, 2020
Thanks for the reminder to pick nettles, centrifugal. The nettle aloo recipe looks good.
Some things I have watched recently:
* Fruity Knitting podcast. This episode has a tour of dyer Countess Ablaze's studio at the end, which is interesting. Content warning for discussion of mental illness and childhood trauma in the interview with her.
* Britain's Real Monarch, a very silly but entertaining thing with Tony Robinson.
* The Story of Scottish Art, presented by Lachlan Goudie. Episodes 2 and 3 only available.
Listening:
* In Our Time, episode on Alcuin. I always like the "extra time" bit at the end, though I wonder what they talk about whilst they have their tea and coffee (the episodes end with them saying which they want).
Reading:
* Re-reading Lindsey Davis's Falco books - good escapism
* Read Barbara Hambly's Bride of the Rat God, recommended by gudrun (thank you!)
posted by paduasoy at 4:47 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
Some things I have watched recently:
* Fruity Knitting podcast. This episode has a tour of dyer Countess Ablaze's studio at the end, which is interesting. Content warning for discussion of mental illness and childhood trauma in the interview with her.
* Britain's Real Monarch, a very silly but entertaining thing with Tony Robinson.
* The Story of Scottish Art, presented by Lachlan Goudie. Episodes 2 and 3 only available.
Listening:
* In Our Time, episode on Alcuin. I always like the "extra time" bit at the end, though I wonder what they talk about whilst they have their tea and coffee (the episodes end with them saying which they want).
Reading:
* Re-reading Lindsey Davis's Falco books - good escapism
* Read Barbara Hambly's Bride of the Rat God, recommended by gudrun (thank you!)
posted by paduasoy at 4:47 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
I watched Alexander Ekman's "Play" last night, and found it soothing.
and I think The Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" is wonderful, distracting fun.
posted by chavenet at 5:09 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
and I think The Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" is wonderful, distracting fun.
posted by chavenet at 5:09 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
David Rees is putting episodes of his brilliant-but-cancelled show "Going Deep" up on video.
posted by Ipsifendus at 5:29 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by Ipsifendus at 5:29 AM on March 22, 2020
Great British Bake Off/Baking Show, on Netflix
Great XYZ Bake Off/Baking Show, various places, we watched Australian Bake Off on DailyMotion
Sometimes the judges/hosts can be snarky, but in general it's just lovely people being nice to each other while making tasty looking food. It's bright and colorful.
posted by Gorgik at 5:30 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
Great XYZ Bake Off/Baking Show, various places, we watched Australian Bake Off on DailyMotion
Sometimes the judges/hosts can be snarky, but in general it's just lovely people being nice to each other while making tasty looking food. It's bright and colorful.
posted by Gorgik at 5:30 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
We have been watching SO MUCH Good Mythical Morning
posted by obfuscation at 5:45 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by obfuscation at 5:45 AM on March 22, 2020
I've got nothing relevant but a friend on Facebook asked about our senior year in high school. I came up with this.
I am imagining everything you describe as a miniseries directed by the Sex Education team.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:04 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am imagining everything you describe as a miniseries directed by the Sex Education team.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:04 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am imagining everything you describe as a miniseries directed by the Sex Education team.
It was! You didn't see it?
posted by bendy at 6:08 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
It was! You didn't see it?
posted by bendy at 6:08 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
Georgette Heyer and Nevil Shute books are my go to for soothing.
posted by dhruva at 6:26 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by dhruva at 6:26 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I didn't even mention the ski trip to Chiemsee, MUN in the Hague, the French exchange where all I wanted to do was go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. There was a ferry strike and our train was way behind schedule. I have a great photo of a bunch of American kids sitting on the floor at the back of the train. The dad of my host family was a butcher - there was so much good meat. I'd never had fondue where you dip the meat into really hot oil.
posted by bendy at 6:32 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by bendy at 6:32 AM on March 22, 2020
I hooked up my DVD player for the first time in probably a decade yesterday. Seriously, the batteries in the remote expired in 2011. My library of cheesy 80s movies is now in play.
posted by COD at 6:32 AM on March 22, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by COD at 6:32 AM on March 22, 2020 [5 favorites]
I have so much crap I have to watch or catch up on, but I finished Good Omens for the first time a few days ago! I want to say I love it... On some level I do but it feels like everything that isn't the leads is so uneven, ugh. Hated every scene with the kids because it was an absolute slog, didn't like most of the recurring supporting characters, etc. The narration was jarring but I kind of ignored it after a while. I don't know. Az and Crowley were so well done and I don't know what to do because there were only six episodes, but considering all the issues I had with it... I'm glad there were only six.
But I love them! My brain was like "where is my Crowley?" during a poignant scene and now I'm like thanks, I hate it.
posted by Freeze Peach at 6:47 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
But I love them! My brain was like "where is my Crowley?" during a poignant scene and now I'm like thanks, I hate it.
posted by Freeze Peach at 6:47 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
If I need something gentle and fun and not too taxing, I always turn to Wallace and Gromit. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit has gotten me through some dark times.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:50 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:50 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
Youtuber mugumogu is still posting minimalist videos of their box-obsessed cat Maru, as they have for over 11 years. Most are under five minutes but it still amounts to many hours of cat videos with neither dialog nor background music.
posted by ardgedee at 6:53 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ardgedee at 6:53 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm really pissed that Detectorists has become mostly not available for no-additional-cost streaming in the US because that's the calming comfort TV everyone needs right now.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:12 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:12 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
Townsends youtube channel about 18th and early 19th century life in America is mostly a cooking show and the enthusiasm for experiencing history through food is very enjoyable. In a recent brief episode he compares our current situation to life in that period and suggests we may even learn some new/old ways to cope. There are years of uploads and I find them an excellent way to escape.
posted by Botanizer at 7:12 AM on March 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Botanizer at 7:12 AM on March 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
I think the most lovely and soothing thing I've watched in a long while is Joe Pera Talks with You. Its humor, grace, and humanity are perfect for these trying times. His girlfriend, who you meet in season 2, is even a preper. That used to be a kind of funny and sweet thing about her.
Most episodes are free right now, but they rotate, so you should eventually be able to see them all.
posted by Stanczyk at 7:15 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
Most episodes are free right now, but they rotate, so you should eventually be able to see them all.
posted by Stanczyk at 7:15 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
I've been listening to Kepa Junkera & Sorginak a lot lately. Enough that I might start annoying my housemate. It's more fun and catchy than "soothing", but still a good stress-antidote. Here's Irtetzen ("Emerging"). Kepa Junkera has a ton of videos on YouTube. In most of them, but not all of them, he's performing with the all-female percussion ensemble Sorginak ("The Witches"). I'm trying to put together an FPP, but there's a lot of stuff to wade through to put together a sampler or playlist, so it will probably take me a while.
Listening to this stuff has also got me mulling over the Basque word sorgin. It feels obviously connected to the stem of the word sortu, "create". But professions that end in -gin usually involve working with a particular type of material. Do witches do stuff by manipulating the process of creation, the way carpenters (zurginak) make stuff with wood (zur), or the way bakers (okinak) make stuff with bread (ogi)? Something like that? What were the Sorginak thinking of when they picked that name for themselves? I mean, it's 'percussion witchery' obviously, but maybe something deeper about what that means or entails, or maybe I'm over thinking it.
There's a line from one of their songs, I think, about accordion playing creating (sortu) the inhabited space of the Basque language. Did I misremember, or misunderstand? Then, there's the improvised nature of a lot of traditional Basque percussion. A disassembled cider-press can become something you can dance to when people start tapping out patterns on the parts. The same when you've got groups of people thumping out patterns on empty olive oil tins. The thing becomes something else, something that transports you to a different realm, but using parts of the everyday world to do that. That's magic, sorcery, sorgintza.
Stuff to chew and think about. I'll make the FPP eventually, probably in a day two. This is a pre-editorial I'm not going to include in the post.
posted by nangar at 7:19 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
Listening to this stuff has also got me mulling over the Basque word sorgin. It feels obviously connected to the stem of the word sortu, "create". But professions that end in -gin usually involve working with a particular type of material. Do witches do stuff by manipulating the process of creation, the way carpenters (zurginak) make stuff with wood (zur), or the way bakers (okinak) make stuff with bread (ogi)? Something like that? What were the Sorginak thinking of when they picked that name for themselves? I mean, it's 'percussion witchery' obviously, but maybe something deeper about what that means or entails, or maybe I'm over thinking it.
There's a line from one of their songs, I think, about accordion playing creating (sortu) the inhabited space of the Basque language. Did I misremember, or misunderstand? Then, there's the improvised nature of a lot of traditional Basque percussion. A disassembled cider-press can become something you can dance to when people start tapping out patterns on the parts. The same when you've got groups of people thumping out patterns on empty olive oil tins. The thing becomes something else, something that transports you to a different realm, but using parts of the everyday world to do that. That's magic, sorcery, sorgintza.
Stuff to chew and think about. I'll make the FPP eventually, probably in a day two. This is a pre-editorial I'm not going to include in the post.
posted by nangar at 7:19 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am reading books more than watching TV at the moment, although I am working my way slowly through She-ra on Netflix. And Designing Women is on Hulu, which is childhood comfort food for me.
Oh, and I did my periodic search engine inquiry as to whether the 90s children's PBS series Wishbone is available for streaming - looks like officially no, but there may be a low quality YouTube version available that I should look into. Really, capitalism, what sort of stupid meld of contracts and poor market research is preventing me from easily streaming a Jack Russell terrier reenacting classic literature? Free market efficiency, my ass.
I'm reading The Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which so far is a young women's road trip with a god through Jazz Age Mexico, and the descriptions of everything are really interesting. Next up is a reread of John M. Barry's The Great Influenza, about the 1918 influenza - which will not be as escapist, but I found it fascinating the first time I read it, and I think it'll be comforting in a "this is not the worst it's ever been, things will get better" sort of way.
posted by the primroses were over at 7:33 AM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
Oh, and I did my periodic search engine inquiry as to whether the 90s children's PBS series Wishbone is available for streaming - looks like officially no, but there may be a low quality YouTube version available that I should look into. Really, capitalism, what sort of stupid meld of contracts and poor market research is preventing me from easily streaming a Jack Russell terrier reenacting classic literature? Free market efficiency, my ass.
I'm reading The Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which so far is a young women's road trip with a god through Jazz Age Mexico, and the descriptions of everything are really interesting. Next up is a reread of John M. Barry's The Great Influenza, about the 1918 influenza - which will not be as escapist, but I found it fascinating the first time I read it, and I think it'll be comforting in a "this is not the worst it's ever been, things will get better" sort of way.
posted by the primroses were over at 7:33 AM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
I've been enjoying the Kansas City Zoo Penguin Cam. They also have an Underwater Penguin Cam, which can be quite relaxing to watch.
I've also been enjoying this Chinese cooking channel on YouTube, there's something soothing about her cooking, nothing seems too fussy to make. Maybe I'll try her green beans with eggs recipe soon.
(I've also been watching older anime series, but since they lean towards loud and fighty - e.g. Soul Eater, Black Lagoon - or over the top melodrama - e.g. Blast of Tempest - might not be very soothing for other people.)
posted by needled at 7:42 AM on March 22, 2020
I've also been enjoying this Chinese cooking channel on YouTube, there's something soothing about her cooking, nothing seems too fussy to make. Maybe I'll try her green beans with eggs recipe soon.
(I've also been watching older anime series, but since they lean towards loud and fighty - e.g. Soul Eater, Black Lagoon - or over the top melodrama - e.g. Blast of Tempest - might not be very soothing for other people.)
posted by needled at 7:42 AM on March 22, 2020
We have been watching a lot of Star Trek: TNG (everyone), Kitchen Nightmares (mostly the spouse), and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (mostly me).
posted by sciatrix at 7:43 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by sciatrix at 7:43 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
Youtube has figured out that I enjoy good-natured British competition shows so I've been watching The Great Pottery Throw Down and The Great British Sewing Bee (both self-explanatory); and Taskmaster, in which the Taskmaster requires a group of comedians to perform silly tasks. The latter is legitimately available on youtube, and the other two are somewhat shadily available on youtube with some episodes missing here and there.
posted by moonmilk at 8:03 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by moonmilk at 8:03 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
I may start mining the fields of "zoo animals having random encounters with people/each other" soon. Lots of zoos still have skeleton staff on hand to tend to the animals themselves, and since people aren't there, they're sometimes taking some of the animals out to meet each other. The Mystic Aquarium just posted this clip of a completely baffled sea lion coming face-to-face with an iguana one of the keepers is holding up to the glass. And that just reminded me of the time when a mariachi band serenaded a beluga whale.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:17 AM on March 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:17 AM on March 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
Moonmilk, I ADORE the Great Pottery Throwdown. The episode where they make WORKING TOILETS boggled my mind and made me rethink what I’d do if my toilet needed replacing. Then I came to my senses. Good stuff.
posted by centrifugal at 8:34 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by centrifugal at 8:34 AM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'm working my way through Little Mosque on the Prairie (all available on YouTube) and familiarizing myself with Twitch because it's where a lot of the trivia is right now. This kitten channel there isn't always riveting but it's often nice.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:51 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:51 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I like watching street skateboarding videos on youtube. Chill, gently anarchic dudes smashing themselves to pieces in the pursuit of an incredibly ephemeral glory, pleasing audio, satisfying moments when they land the trick.
posted by Balthamos at 9:24 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by Balthamos at 9:24 AM on March 22, 2020
Luke Towan (previously) makes model railroad/diorama scenes. His YouTube channel has hours and hours of very pleasant and cool content.
posted by Gorgik at 9:29 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by Gorgik at 9:29 AM on March 22, 2020
crossposting from the COVID-19 check-in thread: slightly OT (since non-escapist), but...any recommendations for current-events-relevant-yet-still-hug-grade quarantine audio media? Beautiful Anonymous I know and love, and Blindboy is always a guarantee, who are other intelligent voices dispensing aural/narrative balm for these isolation-times? (I may yet start dipping back into Walking...)
posted by progosk at 9:45 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by progosk at 9:45 AM on March 22, 2020
Alright, if anyone wants to chat plants and plant things Sunday's open thread is live- same general metafilter commenting rules apply.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:48 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:48 AM on March 22, 2020
The zoo animals stuff has been giving me life. One of the things I love about that sea lion clip is that that lizard isn't an iguana, it's an Argentinian tegu--which is cool because they're really active, engaged lizards who are semi-social and very interested in new stimuli. The tegu is probably just as interested in that sea lion as the sea lion is in the tegu!
I follow someone on Tumblr who is always posting about her tegu, Kaiju, and it's really cool to see all the different types of enrichment and things she does. I love getting to watch animals from a bunch of different species experience new things in species-appropriate ways, and this (and the zoo animals trips) are very that.
posted by sciatrix at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I follow someone on Tumblr who is always posting about her tegu, Kaiju, and it's really cool to see all the different types of enrichment and things she does. I love getting to watch animals from a bunch of different species experience new things in species-appropriate ways, and this (and the zoo animals trips) are very that.
posted by sciatrix at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
We've been alternating between zoo channels, the Cornell Bird Feeder Cam, Batworld's Bat Cams, and Mister Rogers and Frasier reruns. We also started Anne with an E the other night - we've been meaning to start that for a while but now I'm glad we saved it; it seems like a soothing show for right now.
posted by DingoMutt at 10:17 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by DingoMutt at 10:17 AM on March 22, 2020
I've been watching little house on the prairie.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:55 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:55 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
"Bring it on" definitely fills this need for me. (In fact, inspired by this thread, I just re-watched it.) Also Great British Bake Off.
posted by litera scripta manet at 11:02 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by litera scripta manet at 11:02 AM on March 22, 2020
Bored to Death on HBO is awkwardness comedy, to a degree, but I have been finding it mostly gentle and low stakes and other good stuff. The three main characters like each other and don't mind each others' glaring faults, which is some kind of ASMR for me. I'm rationing it.
posted by less of course at 11:09 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by less of course at 11:09 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
sciatrix, where can I watch Brooklyn nine-nine?? It’s been on my list forever but I can’t seem to find it.
posted by eirias at 11:14 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by eirias at 11:14 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's on Hulu.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:24 AM on March 22, 2020
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:24 AM on March 22, 2020
“Best Multiplayer Games for the Quarantine!”—Electric Playground, 22 March 2020
posted by ob1quixote at 11:46 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ob1quixote at 11:46 AM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
While we're on the subject of animal cams, the University of Sheffield has a mated pair of peregrine falcons that roost on one of the campus buildings. It's around this time of year they breed, so you might eventually see a baby or two.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 12:34 PM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 12:34 PM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
Thanks, Mr. BE - there are peregrine falcons in a church in Exeter also.
posted by paduasoy at 12:55 PM on March 22, 2020
posted by paduasoy at 12:55 PM on March 22, 2020
Creative newsletter starting tomorrow, may be good. One for children and families, one for adults.
posted by paduasoy at 12:58 PM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by paduasoy at 12:58 PM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I just discovered CatPusic videos. This one about the toilet paper wall challenge (it looks like 2-ply??) may be stressful if you are low on toilet paper at the moment.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:07 PM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:07 PM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I also like urban nature and urban exploration books as a reminder that life finds a way.
Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature in and Around Los Angeles from Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Mudlark: In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames by Lara Maiklem
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:15 PM on March 22, 2020
Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature in and Around Los Angeles from Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Mudlark: In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames by Lara Maiklem
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:15 PM on March 22, 2020
I have been watching the Great British Sewing Bee (5 seasons) and The Great Pottery Throwdown (3 seasons).
Both are available on Youtube (and in Australia some seasons are on Foxtel). Both roughly follow the format of the Great British Bake Off.
I also tend towards rereading books that give me comfort like:
The Goblin Emperor
A Long Way to A Small Angry Planet (Wayfarer Series)
Daughter of Mystery Series
and the Pride and Prejudice fan fic series A Constant Love.
I have also taken up sewing and unfortunately my lessons have been postponed indefinitely but that hasn't stopped me ordering fabric and making badly sewn baby blankets.
Are there any slow tv ish videos of people sculpting or working with clay? I found the Ceramic Review masterclasses and they're great, but not quite what I'm after.
posted by poxandplague at 2:34 PM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
Both are available on Youtube (and in Australia some seasons are on Foxtel). Both roughly follow the format of the Great British Bake Off.
I also tend towards rereading books that give me comfort like:
The Goblin Emperor
A Long Way to A Small Angry Planet (Wayfarer Series)
Daughter of Mystery Series
and the Pride and Prejudice fan fic series A Constant Love.
I have also taken up sewing and unfortunately my lessons have been postponed indefinitely but that hasn't stopped me ordering fabric and making badly sewn baby blankets.
Are there any slow tv ish videos of people sculpting or working with clay? I found the Ceramic Review masterclasses and they're great, but not quite what I'm after.
posted by poxandplague at 2:34 PM on March 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
Not so much soothing as distractainment; I've been watching old episodes of the original Get Smart TV series. It's so hokey and fun and there are so many laughs.
posted by mightshould at 4:13 PM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by mightshould at 4:13 PM on March 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'm currently bingeing the original Dallas on Amazon Prime. I have only dim memories of the original run because it was on after my bedtime. And the times Mom let me stay up, I usually fell asleep before the end. I do remember my baton-twirling class doing a routine to the theme song. But I watched and enjoyed the 2012 revival so much that when I saw it was available I was eager to delve into the full backstory.
I'm having a great time with it; it's perfect, sprawling, rich-people's-problems escapism, with themes as old as Shakespeare. But there was also some truly fine character work being done. I can totally see what all the fuss was about. It's sort of the spiritual heir to Giant, by way of The Big Valley.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:50 PM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm having a great time with it; it's perfect, sprawling, rich-people's-problems escapism, with themes as old as Shakespeare. But there was also some truly fine character work being done. I can totally see what all the fuss was about. It's sort of the spiritual heir to Giant, by way of The Big Valley.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:50 PM on March 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
pluto tv has an mst3k channel, and so much more!
also Svengoolie!
Really?!? I've missed Sven so much since I lost my cable!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:52 PM on March 22, 2020
also Svengoolie!
Really?!? I've missed Sven so much since I lost my cable!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:52 PM on March 22, 2020
OK. I made a long rambly comment upthread about Kepa Junkera and Sorginak. Later I found the words to the song I linked to, after I'd given up looking – and English translation, no less! Turns out the title of the video is an elaborate bit of word play about the fact that group named Sorginak is performing with an accordion player. The title of the song is totally different.
"...do you remember what we did next to the beech tree on Urkiola ridge?"
I learned some more Basque today, some Biscayan dialect weirdness and some combinations of suffixes I didn't know were possible. (Thank you tumbler people for translating that!) And some incredibly detailed stuff I'll never need to know about the geography of a little corner of Basque country, like there's spot called "the Dog Hole" on the slope of Urkiola where teenagers can slip when they're off do things next to beech trees after eating lunch in Durango – that kind of detail. The song's called "After eating lunch in Durango". There are a couple different versions of it.
Anyway, that's what I did to stay calm yesterday.
posted by nangar at 12:17 AM on March 23, 2020
"...do you remember what we did next to the beech tree on Urkiola ridge?"
I learned some more Basque today, some Biscayan dialect weirdness and some combinations of suffixes I didn't know were possible. (Thank you tumbler people for translating that!) And some incredibly detailed stuff I'll never need to know about the geography of a little corner of Basque country, like there's spot called "the Dog Hole" on the slope of Urkiola where teenagers can slip when they're off do things next to beech trees after eating lunch in Durango – that kind of detail. The song's called "After eating lunch in Durango". There are a couple different versions of it.
Anyway, that's what I did to stay calm yesterday.
posted by nangar at 12:17 AM on March 23, 2020
Saturday.
The world churns. The muse stayed in her den that day, left me to my own devices, so I looked up various Clarence White stuff: found a Tut Taylor / Clarence White album. Then found an early Doc Watson / Clarence White album [DW / CW at Home]. Two hours in suspension. Was forced to work out on Listen to the Mockingbird for twenty minutes. That cadence never gets old.
posted by mule98J at 8:21 AM on March 23, 2020
The world churns. The muse stayed in her den that day, left me to my own devices, so I looked up various Clarence White stuff: found a Tut Taylor / Clarence White album. Then found an early Doc Watson / Clarence White album [DW / CW at Home]. Two hours in suspension. Was forced to work out on Listen to the Mockingbird for twenty minutes. That cadence never gets old.
posted by mule98J at 8:21 AM on March 23, 2020
When I'm down, I love watching the fashion show at the end of Unzipped (it's not all online for free, but here's most of it 1 , 2). Bright colors, great music, fun clothes, and all the original supermodels, plus some great backstage moments... it's like a perfect dessert
posted by Mchelly at 9:11 AM on March 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Mchelly at 9:11 AM on March 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Last night I watched the 1983 Bill Forsyth film Local Hero for the first time and it was equal parts funny and humane and lyrical and quirky in the best of ways. It's currently streaming on the Criterion channel.
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:13 AM on March 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:13 AM on March 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
Rambalac on YouTube
Just first-person view hour walks in various places in Japan.
Winter Walk from Hirosaki Castle to station
posted by shorstenbach at 1:43 PM on March 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
Oh I love Local Hero! It also features a very young Peter Capaldi, which was his first screen role IIRC.
posted by Freeze Peach at 5:06 PM on March 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Freeze Peach at 5:06 PM on March 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes! A highlight of the movie for me was that every time Peter Capaldi runs he breaks into a manic, bird-like gait while waving his arms around wildly. It’s great physical comedy.
posted by Atom Eyes at 7:00 PM on March 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Atom Eyes at 7:00 PM on March 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Just found this Ask, posted by escape from the potato planet last year, which has what looks like some good links: watching, and learning about, obscure handcrafts and industries from days of yore.
posted by paduasoy at 1:28 AM on March 24, 2020
posted by paduasoy at 1:28 AM on March 24, 2020
And Entertaining/funny YouTube channels while sick, posted by telophase.
posted by paduasoy at 1:40 AM on March 24, 2020
posted by paduasoy at 1:40 AM on March 24, 2020
I must have been paying more attention than I thought before I fell asleep, because I realized that Dallas is where I learned the words "codicil," "cartel," "probate," and "escrow." Thanks, J.R.!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:22 AM on March 24, 2020
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:22 AM on March 24, 2020
How do you do business with a man who has no door?
Also I just realized I can watch Leverage and Psych! Like, all of it!
posted by Freeze Peach at 11:51 AM on March 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also I just realized I can watch Leverage and Psych! Like, all of it!
posted by Freeze Peach at 11:51 AM on March 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Oh, I've also been watching a lot of YouTube videos of rides and parades from Disney parks and other theme parks I've visited over the years. Kind of a mini virtual vacation.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:47 PM on March 24, 2020
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:47 PM on March 24, 2020
Just as a resource pointer: the Internet Archive has set up easier remote borrowing via their National Emergency Library landing page.
posted by progosk at 4:39 AM on March 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by progosk at 4:39 AM on March 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Just remembered another surprisingly calm channel -
Foo The Flowerhorn. This is a channel by a guy who's a big-time aquarium enthusiast; he periodically makes videos of the goings-on and maintenance of his different aquaria, set to gentle classical piano, and they're strangely compelling. Sometimes it'll be a video showing his shrimps in one tank going crazy eating a slice of watermelon, sometimes it'll just be maintenance on the tank for his betta that he also figured out how to make it a hydropnic planter for potatoes, strawberries, or lettuce.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:16 AM on March 26, 2020
Foo The Flowerhorn. This is a channel by a guy who's a big-time aquarium enthusiast; he periodically makes videos of the goings-on and maintenance of his different aquaria, set to gentle classical piano, and they're strangely compelling. Sometimes it'll be a video showing his shrimps in one tank going crazy eating a slice of watermelon, sometimes it'll just be maintenance on the tank for his betta that he also figured out how to make it a hydropnic planter for potatoes, strawberries, or lettuce.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:16 AM on March 26, 2020
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also Svengoolie!
posted by vrakatar at 9:42 PM on March 21, 2020 [5 favorites]