Happy New Year and thanks for tuning into the third issue of Five Moments. No one needs another rehashing of the bad in 2020, so I hope you find something below that entertains you for a few hours.
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Enjoy!
Ted Lasso Moment
Ted Lasso was the feel good show of the year for me and well worth the $5 Apple TV+ subscription to binge the show in a month. The show is based upon a comedic character NBC created to promote their coverage of the English Premier League. Ted Lasso is an American College Football Coach who gets hired to coach a middling English Football team.
Ted Lasso the sitcom … seriously rules. The series has no right to be as good, funny, and moving as it is. And yet I devoured all 10 episodes in a single day.
Once you finish the show in two days, get your money’s worth by also cruising through Apple TV+’s excellent Morning Show and On The Rocks (movie) with Bill Murray and Rashida Jones.
Don’t take my word for it: Rotten Tomatoes Audience (98%) & The Atlantic
Podcasting Moment
2020 was a BIG year for Podcasts. Spotify appears intent on cornering the market of podcast talent (Joe Rogan, The Ringer, Gimlet, Michelle Obama, etc.) and technology (Megaphone). However, Amazon recently announced that they will not be letting Spotify own the market without some healthy competition.
My Pick (New Podcast in 2020): Nice White Parents is a five-episode story about the trials and tribulations of trying to build a better school system. This was created by the Serial team.
Extra Credit: Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play & Year in Review: Coronavirus, Consolidation, and Collective Bargaining
Comedy Moment
Despite the general horror of 2020 - there was lots of great comedy created this past year. Paste Magazine had a nice round-up of the 15 best comedy specials released in 2020.
My Picks: Sam Morrill’s I Got This & Taylor Tomlinson’s Quarter-Life Crisis
Honorable Mention: The New Yorker’s humorous reimagination of a few classic American art pieces in the context of 2020 (see above)
Morning Routine Moment
It is that fateful time of year when many of us set hard to reach goals for the new year and conjure up what our lives will be like in six months when we have six-pack abs, never drink coffee again, and meditate for 30 minutes each day when we wake-up. I will not be doing any of those things, but godspeed!
In the last few years, the idolization of the “perfect” morning routine has become quite trendy. There are websites dedicated to detailing business leaders’ morning routines, articles documenting how your routine can be just like Ashton Kutcher's, and best-selling books — all focused on what you are not doing, but could be doing to make your life better before 9AM!
Why You Should Wake Up at 4:30 AM Every Day, According To A Navy SEAL:
Why would you not wake up at 4:30 in the morning?
The New Yorker had a great, satirical piece on these trends.
Music Moment
Many great musicians passed away in 2020 and Music RE/DEF put together a nice list in memoriam. I am going to highlight just one of the many, Justin Townes Earle, an American Folk musician. Broken Record Interview:
Justin identified with people on the margins and wrote fantastic songs detailing fringe lives with tremendous heart. They were full of desperation, humor, specificity, and the best of the southern-songwriting tradition.
What was your favorite Moment this week?
📺 Ted Lasso
🎙Podcasting
😂 Humor
🌅 Morning Routine
🎵Music
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Next Distribution 01/10/2021