For our final newsletter of the year, I’ve asked my colleagues what kinds of media they’re into right now. The choices are endless these days, and I just need to know that there’s more to life than “Cobra Kai.” (I hope you all remember that this was the #1 streaming show during COVID lockdowns. And that’s all I’ll say about that.)
As for me, I’m reading a captivating mystery by one of my favorite Philly-based authors, Liz Moore. “The God of the Woods,” which made NPR’s list of best books of 2024, follows the disappearance of a child from summer camp. As the search for her continues, a web of long-buried secrets and dark family histories unravels. If you like mystery and you have ties to Philly (or even if you don’t), you’ll love Moore’s “Long Bright River,” about two estranged sisters living in Kensington, a neighborhood ravaged by the opioid crisis. Even if you hate Philly, just remember: No one likes us; we don’t care.
I’m also not even remotely embarrassed to admit that I’m watching a “Drunk History”-esque HBO series called “It’s Florida, Man,” which is the most delightful comedic dramatization of actual stories, involving, well, Florida man. If news is the broccoli of my media diet, then “It’s Florida, Man” is my peanut butter fudge sundae with cookie dough ice cream and extra whipped cream.
From Marie Porter, our Director of Operations: I actually like broccoli believe it or not! Roasted with lemon and garlic. If news is the broccoli of my media diet, then reruns of ’80s and ’90s shows are my decadent dessert: butterscotch vanilla and banana ice cream on a waffle cone. On any given night, I can be caught watching “Little House on the Prairie,” “In The Heat of The Night,” “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman,” “Murder She Wrote,” or “Magnum P.I.” Every now and then I feed my obsession with King Henry VIII by watching the Tudor’s series yet again. I am currently reading “P.G. County” by Connie Briscoe. In Prince George’s County Maryland, where power, beauty and wealth reside, the lives of five women intersect and reveals how little we know about our acquaintances. Scandals and secrets! When I’m not watching reruns, getting my Henry VIII fix or reading, I’ve listening to Jennifer Lewis’s second autobiography on audible. Her first autobiography was so deeply personal and speaks to how she overcame adversity and poverty to end up on Broadway as a backup singer for Bette Midler to now being the mother of Black Hollywood. If you listen, I promise you will laugh a lot, cry and clutch your pearls quite often.
From Vince Stehle, our Executive Director: If news is the broccoli of my media diet, I have to admit that I have lost the taste for broccoli, of late. I do force myself to eat the occasional floret from time to time. But it’s hard to swallow.
Recently, I have been enjoying the diversion of a rather long stretch of nostalgic trips through recent music history, listening to WXPN, first in their Thanksgiving XPN Through The Ages, with a different year from the last 60 years each hour over the long weekend. More recently, they have been playing the 885 greatest songs of the 21st Century. Some great tunes. Lots of Radiohead. Vampire Weekend too, for better or worse. Eminem on now. In the early morning hours, it’s usually Gregorian chant or solo piano of Erik Satie.
On television, Slow Horses has been a great escape, with dry and droll British humor running through a skewering of the artifice and hypocrisy of privilege and power. It makes a pretty powerful case for getting shit done without pomp and poshity. Any resemblance to Gary Oldman is entirely coincidental.
I have also found myself drawn to the short video demonstrations of Jacques Pepin, the French chef who was a longtime collaborator with Julia Childs, among other things. I see his short videos on Facebook and I always enjoy following his guidance in the kitchen. Here for your dining pleasure, how to enjoy broccoli, don’t throw out the stems!
From Courtney Eshleman, our Director of Development: Right now, an easy mystery that doubles as a bit of travelogue is what my brain finds most relaxing. I’ve just finished reading “The Kamogawa Food Detectives” that blends mystery with delectable food descriptions with a sense of place. It’s about a retired police detective and his daughter who run an unusual restaurant in an unassuming Kyoto backstreet where they conduct unbelievably thorough investigations to be able to meticulously recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memory. As for screen time, my family just finished watching all the Star Wars films yet again, including the prequels (don’t get me started) and random adjacent TV series.
From Adriana Imhof, our Communications Associate: If news is the broccoli of my media diet, then Italian comedy-dramas are my warm, gooey brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I’ve been studying Italian for the past eight months and one of the best ways to learn a new language is to listen to it, A LOT! So when I’ve had my fill of broccoli, I snuggle up for a Rai Fiction series like “La mafia uccide solo d’estate,” in english: “The Mafia Only Kills in Summer.” This series follows a Sicilian family in 1979-80 as they navigate life with the mafia’s constant influence looming over them. To my surprise, its anything but dark. I often find myself laughing out loud, and my Italian has improved greatly since I started watching.
From Shannon Thomas, our Manager of Member Engagement: If the news is my broccoli, then watching my hockey team beat Vince’s hockey team is my dessert. (Here’s hoping I haven’t jinxed the rest of this season’s match-ups.) OR, if the news is my broccoli, then making my own extravagant desserts is my dessert. What is winter break for if not spending an indulgent amount of time and butter making over the top layer cakes?
From Roshni Melia, our Program Consultant: If the news is the broccoli of my media diet (necessary, but meh), then reading The Gita for Children with my 12-year-old—who still loves bedtime snuggles (I’m clinging to this for dear life)—is my arugula salad with all the fancy toppings: dried cranberries, red onions, pecans, and feta. It’s wholesome, good for me, and I absolutely love it.
The podcast I’m binging? That’s my snacky hummus-and-carrots vibe. If you haven’t listened to Diabolical Lies yet, drop everything. It feels like grabbing coffee with whip-smart, hilarious friends who see the world just like you do—if your friends were also on a mission to dismantle patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism while making you laugh so hard you snort. Highly recommend.
Now, for my dessert—a coffee-flavored sundae drowning in caramel and whipped cream—I’m fully indulging in the most absurd show: Rivals on Hulu. At first glance, it’s a steamy (yes, very steamy) drama about two preposterously privileged British men feuding in the 1980s Cotswolds. Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) is laser-focused on renewing his TV network’s contract, but his true passion seems to be loathing Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), an ex-Olympic showjumper and professional womanizer. But here’s the kicker: Beneath the posh exterior, Rivals is really about women navigating a world dominated by pompous men. It’s hilarious, dramatic, and oddly empowering. The women in this ridiculous, privileged universe refuse to stay boxed into roles like “loyal wife” or “dutiful employee,” carving out their own space and stealing the show in the process. It’s a hot mess in the best way—class, gender, and race all woven into a binge-worthy guilty pleasure. Dive in; you won’t regret it.
Roshni, thank you for that 3-course meal, girl. Roshni is too modest to point this out, but she has her first-ever byline, which is certainly cause for celebration for this editor. A couple weeks ago, we hosted online meeting about how funders can advance accessibility in media and film. Throughout the planning process, Roshni learned a lot about what it takes to produce a virtual event that is inclusive and accessible to all participants, and she was kind enough to share a blueprint for how to plan virtual events that foster meaningful engagement. Check it out.
Speaking of “Drunk History,” my first real awareness of accessibility advocacy came from the “Drunk History” episode featuring the history of the disability rights movement and the activism of individuals like Judith Heumann, a leader in the fight for accessibility and equal opportunities for people with disabilities. Thanks, “Drunk History,” for teaching me something!
This was just a fun exercise to help me illustrate an important point, one that we try to assert every day here at Media Impact Funders: Stories, fiction or non-fiction, journalism or film, podcast or novel, illuminate our challenges, highlight our aspirations, and celebrate our collective humanity. As we brace ourselves for a new year and what a new political environment might mean for our work and our sector, it’s a good time to remind ourselves that we can NEVER have enough of these stories. Even if they are about Florida man.
