It’s a few weeks in an the novelty of a New Year has evaporated like your social life after attempting to go dry for the month. What started off as promise and excitement has turned into piling on the layers just so you don’t catch hypothermia on your morning commute. Waking up in darkness, looking out onto a grey sky and spending your days tied to a desk. In a word: bleak. You need something to keep you going until February, and you’re not quite sure if *cough* substances count as sticking to your Dry pledge.
We have your back here. You can DO this! Here are what you should be getting stuck into to keep yourself from booking that one-way ticket to Switzerland.
Back with the Ex (2019)
There seems to have been an invasion of bad Australian reality TV on Netflix and we are so here for it. Somewhere between the faux sophistication of Yummy Mummies, a show about mothers-to-be being absolute rich bitches, and the competitiveness of Instant Hotels where AirBnb’s go head-to-head, sits Back with the Ex. It’s an amazing Sunday afternoon binge where four individuals reach out to their exes in the hopes of getting back together. Over three week they re-unite, stay at each other’s places and go on a wild adventure to a foreign destination, all before deciding if they want to give things another try. The genius of this show is how damned relatable it is if you’ve ever been in a long-term relationships. There are some damned special moments in this first season, from dramatic cuts to the “bitchy side” of participant Meg which consists of dramatic music and a picture of her looking pissed off, to a birthday card with $10,000 inside and a leaflet for “new titties”. Wrap yourself in a duvet and big out to this one.
The Tate Modern Bankside, London SE1 9TG
For those Saturdays where you just don’t know what to do with yourself there’s The Tate. Bundle yourself up in all the puffer jackets you can and mince on over where you can check in all of your crap and run around care-free in vast open spaces. Be you an art fan or not, there’s so much to see, from neon displays, thought evoking instillations to breath-taking views of St Pauls where you can grab a coffee, or just take yourself up in the lift to see the panoramic views of London from the top floor. If it’s alone you’re heading or with a pal it’s a chilled day of walking around that’s not going to have you freezing your nips off looking at pretty things. Just be warned, if faced with a big splash of red paint on a canvas, do NOT utter those un-dying words “I could do that” because eyes WILL roll.
Kids Meet… Youtube Series
Just when you’ve lost all faith in human decency, you happen across something so pure and hopeful that you can’t help but crack your withered face into a smile. The ‘Kids Meet…’ videos by kid-orientated platform HiHo is one of those things. They’ve met everyone from suicide survivors to drag queens, opera singers to a man living with a terminal illness. These 5 minute slices of sunshine are just what you need to brighten up your day, bringing you the sweetest content the internet can provide. Why get lost in yet another hole of Real Housewives clips when you could be enjoying kids meet a mortician. We suggest starting with this darling one where the kids meet a 101 year old woman:
La Vie en Rose (2007)
This performances by Marion Cotillard is one for the history books. Back in 2007 it was on everyone’s lips but since then it seems to have faded into obscurity, bound to be played only in French lessons at run down secondary schools. Cotillard really disappears into this role and you often forget that it isn’t the real Edith Piaf you’re watching. Telling Piaf’s life story, this french language film is one that will most definitely stay with you, giving depth to those songs you play at dinner parties to seem fancy. It really isn’t as much of a drag as most foreign language films which can become a bit of a drain, trying to keep up with reading the subs. La Vie en Rose strikes the delicate balance in retaining its French-ness, while also having the allure of a hollywood tragedy. This is not one to watch on a comedown, but is sure one to dive into on a quite weeknight over some Merlot and a cheeseboard.
Food 4 Thot Podcast
One for the morning commute. Let your ears be caressed by the soothing shrieks of a diverse crowd of queer millennials. If you haven’t hopped on the podcast bandwagon yet then you’re really missing out. Music is nice when you’re feeling your movie travel montage fantasy in the morning, but why not have some food for though on your way in. You may have done some squats to wake up that body, but you need something to crunch that mind awake. Tommy’s an indigenous American poet, Fran is a writer/editor, Dennis is an author and Joe is a scientist. Together they put this queer strange world to right in discussion about all the issues pressing our over-worked and over-woke minds.
https://soundcloud.com/food4thotpodcast/body-ody-ody-issues
