Baskets

Earlier this week, a coworker of mine sat at my table in the break room during my lunch break. I found it unusual because, for the most part, people where I work tend to keep to keep to themselves on their break. Unless I misread what was going on and people just steer clear of me when they see me sitting by myself, but that's probably not healthy to think about. It's just that you get used to that kind of stuff when you've been me as long as I have.

But yeah, this guy sat near me. He noticed I was watching "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia". Maybe not my favorite show, but definitely the only show I'd refer to as a "comfort show". I'm always watching it if nothing else is really going on. It's a good 30 minute slot so I don't have to eat in silence on my break, and it's a good thing to put on if I get home and don't really have the gusto to put on an entire movie. I haven't really had gusto like that in a while. I've been leading a pretty gusto-free life lately.

I suppose I should stay on topic. This guy had taken notice of Sunny. Said he watched the whole series over the pandemic. He had asked me if I'd ever watched Baskets, another FX show. I knew of it, but had never really checked it out. I'm not much of an adventurous TV show watcher. But this guy recommended it highly, so I knew I had to check it out.

As I'm writing this, I'm already on season 2. How has this not been recommended to me sooner?? The MC, Chip, is exactly like me in so many ways. Like he is such a loser. He's basically failed in every aspect of his life, and still knows his limits. Like he desperate in all these pathetic ways and lives this terribly sad life, but still hasn't fully lost himself in the ways that are really important to him. I don't really want to spoil anything on this post. This show is genius, hilarious, and profound. I'm sticking around for the profound part especially.

I really like media that either reminds me of and/or intentionally alludes to Dostoevsky's The Idiot. Stuff like "The Idiot" by Iggy Pop or "The Jerk" by Steve Martin. I always see so much of myself in characters who follow that sort of archetype. People who don't quite fit into any part of society but still can't bring themselves to change for the sake of fitting in. The march to the beat of their own drum types. People like us don't really lead very significant or even very happy lives, but I can't handle the thought of being ingenuine.

As depressing as it gets to be sometimes, I still accept my life for what it is. I acknowledge that being who I am will never get me any friends, girlfriends, or even a modicum of success, but at least I'm me. When you see your life play out in such predictable patterns, you learn not to be so pissed off when something doesn't go your way. My life has become a lot less frustrating ever since I've learned what to expect.