Recently, as those of you who read this blog regularly will be aware, I have been on something of a numbered list kick. So far we've had numbered lists of French films, LGBT+ webcomics, and gay songs. Today, I'm going to combine this trend with a little reflection, by listing the 5 best pieces of media I spent my time consuming during lockdown. This will most likely be shortly followed by a list of their five worst counterparts, but I'm trying to start on a positive note.
The ways in which most of us spent our COVID-19 lockdown (or confinement, as it was known here in France) varied from person to person. Some of us were supremely productive, some us took a well earned rest, and some of us spent that time consuming massive amounts of media. I was a member of the latter category. So, in this post I'm going to go over the five best pieces of media I spent time on during lockdown and tell you why they were worthy of that time. Ratings of time well-spent will be established through bread, for obvious reasons.
5. Jackbox 3
This is a pack of five one-screen video games designed to be played with friends, four of which it turns out can be played very well through Zoom or Skype. I spent several evenings having a great time playing these with friends during long-distance, video call game nights. Quiplash 2, which is basically a better and funnier version of Cards Against Humanity, is my stand-out favourite, but the other games were fun too.
Rating: three bread loaves
4. Contagion (2011)
Someone told me to watch this movie because it was meant to be eerily predictive of the COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out they were right, to the extent that I spent every five minutes of the film going "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" and praying that things didn't get as bad in real life as they did in the movie. Despite causing slight panic, overall it was an enjoyable film and actually made me feel oddly calm about our impending doom.
Rating: a delicious grilled cheese sandwich
3. Don't Starve Together
The multiplayer spin-off of survival game Don't Starve, this game entertained me and my friends for almost 70 hours during lockdown, which I am simultaneously proud and ashamed of. It kept me occupied and helped me stay in touch with my friends, so in that sense it was probably good for me. I will also never forget the high of finally managing to capture a beefalo.
Rating: two croissants with butter and jam
2. Severance by Ling Ma
I mentioned this book in a previous post, so I won't talk about it much here... okay, that's all I have to say. Go read the other post if you want to know more.
Rating: a veggie wrap, delivered by courier
1. Middleditch and Schwartz
This was, without a doubt, one of the highlights of lockdown for me. I wouldn't normally consider myself a fan of improv comedy, largely because I find a lot of it quite cringey, but these three improvised specials made me laugh more than I had in weeks. Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz are so naturally funny and their chemistry is so brilliant, it's a joy to watch them perform.
Rating: a fresh, crispy baguette
Reading articles online is how a lot of us spend our time. I usually find that a lot of mediocre articles tend to go on ad nausium and in the end you start skipping to the end or not finishing the article. On the other hand you get articles, like this post that are enjoyable to read and when you get to the end, you want to know more. I like the bread references although I'm curious to know what you did with the 3 loaves.
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