A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games

Happiest of 2020

December 30, 2020 Steve Bennet-Martin, Stephen Martin-Bennet Episode 48
A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games
Happiest of 2020
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

The Steves discuss their happiest moments in pop culture from 2020, from TV and Movies to Video Games and Podcasting.

In Happy News we had a splendid Christmas that resulted in us the Steves officially becoming Lords due to their land in Scottland. Also, Lego made bricks for the blind.

Happiest of 2020

Movies
·       Stephen - The Prom (Netflix) The Witches (HBO Max)

·       Steve - Social Dilemma / Mulan

- Happies New TV Show of the Year and Why

·       Stephen - The Undoing (HBO), Lovecraft Country (HBO) hoping for The Masked Dancer

·       Steve - Filthy Rich (FOX), The Great (Hulu)

- Happiest Video Game of the Year and Why

·       Stephen - Animal Crossing, honorable mention to Hyrule Warriors: AOC

·       Steve - Hades

- Happiest New Song/Artist of the Year

·       Stephen - Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus, and Tank & the Bangas/Thievery Corporation

·       Steve - W.A.P. Cardi B; artist Ava Max

- Happiest New Podcast of the Year

·       Stephen- You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

·       Steve- Buzzcast (for podcasting) and Buffering the Vampire Slayer

Support the show
Steve:

Hello returning happies and new listeners. This is Steve bennet-Martin,

Stephen:

and this is Stephen Martin-Bennet. And welcome to a lifetime of happiness.

Steve:

The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, television shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping keep us happy. We'll hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way.

Stephen:

And today we are celebrating all the different parts of pop culture that helps make 20, 20 less. Well, 2020. Yes. But before we get into that, darling, what has been making you happy recently? Well, it was just the holidays and I guess it's still the holiday season, but we just had Christmas and we did a socially distant Christmas where we were able to exchange gifts without touching any of the family members and seeing them. So everyone got to be six feet apart and see each other. And. that was nice. And it's about as normal as 2020 can get safely, but I was also very happy with my Christmas presents from you and mom and dad. We are now a fully functional, super technical, safe house with. Cameras and security everywhere. And like, I've been looking at stuff for several years and I've been like, Oh, I'm just not going to do that. But you guys like read my mind and now we have the safest house on the block.

Steve:

Exactly. Well, now that we have precious cargo with Remy, when we're out, I know that like normally before Remy, when we were out, you were worried about the DVDs out in the man cave. If a fire I started like th th th there was one night when we left one of the doors unlocked, like when we first moved in and like, you woke up and you ran to the, to make sure all your DVDs were still there. So

Stephen:

that is a true statement.

Steve:

Yes. And so we've evolved since then. And so with Remy, we need a little home or care than without him. So I'm glad you liked that. And then my parents got us some more smart lights to make our house a smart home with them. Multicolored lights, which will be fun for the living room so we could change it to purple and blue.

Stephen:

Yeah. I'm very excited about that because then all we have to do is say, you know, whose name, it starts with an a and ends with Alexa, I love to be able to. Go back to the bedroom at night, not worrying about turning lights off behind us. We get into bed and then say, you know, who turn off everything.

Steve:

And she does. And then we say good night and she says, good night. And remember, I'm

Stephen:

always watching you.

Steve:

We programmed her to say that that's not a default.

Stephen:

Well, we try to make ours a little bit creepier, but also we also say thank you when she does things. Because when robots take over the world,

Steve:

we don't want to be their slaves. We want to be the nice ones.

Stephen:

We want to be the ones that they're like, Oh, they were good.

Steve:

Yes. And similarly, my love, you made me happy with all of my Christmas gifts that were very pop culture is nerdy, and I love it. We have keys to the big brother house.

Stephen:

We do.

Steve:

We, I got a great Buffy picture with a quote from the gift of the the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. And I got a five by five thing for my key chain and we are officially a Lords.

Stephen:

We are officially Lords. I found out that. In Scotland, if you own the land that you technically qualify as a Lord, and there is a company over there that is doing forest and land preservation, so you can spend X dollars, get plots of land. And while you are officially Lord. So I am now Lord Stephen J. Martin,

Steve:

and I am now Lord Steven C. Bennett Martin

Stephen:

there. That is your name. I almost forgot

Steve:

the part of my name that I'm supposed to send you. I got the new part. Right. But it was the normal part that kind of threw me for a loop.

Stephen:

Thank goodness. Yes.

Steve:

And so going on from there, we actually have some happy news about accessibility for all.

Stephen:

Well, do tell

Steve:

well, Lego. They make these brick things that are the pains and everyone's feet,

Stephen:

but they're also fun

Steve:

and make awesome, beautiful works of bricky art. And last year they started developing, but now they are ready to be distributed braille Lego blocks, because I can imagine if I was blind playing with Legos could be difficult. And so I love now that they have a system in place where they molded the bricks with studs that correspond to numbers and letters in that braille alphabets. So they are sending these blocks free of charge to school districts across the U S according to a press release from American printing house, a nonprofit that promotes independent living for people who are blind and visually impaired.

Stephen:

That's fantastic. I think that more mainstream things that are accessible to all. Is always a good thing.

Steve:

Exactly. Yes. So that made me happy and getting into things that necessarily didn't always make us happy. We have our bedroom perch.

Stephen:

We do. And we do have one thing that made us both very happy. Yes. It was the. Jinx and Dayla holiday special on who?

Steve:

Yes. And even if you're listening to this after the holidays, it is not too late to go back and watch it because while it is a lot of holiday humor, it is also hysterically laugh out loud.

Stephen:

And just so you know, it is not safe for families with small children. No, not at all. It is. They have inappropriate humor and cursing. But for the adult listeners that just want a good laugh for themselves. We highly recommend it.

Steve:

Yeah. Yes. And in things we don't recommend, we also, because this is after Christmas day, we did have the opportunity

Stephen:

to why

Steve:

wonder woman 1984.

Stephen:

Yeah. So. That was a thing that happened.

Steve:

It took different changes from the first movie,

Stephen:

which we both really enjoyed the first movie. And we did like Aquaman. Yes, but this was just a hard pass.

Steve:

It was all over the place.

Stephen:

So, and which is weird because Patty Jenkins is a skilled director. Love her, but this. It was not her best work.

Steve:

What I think thank was someone said, Hey, we really need to get Chris pine back into the movie. And they built an entire plot that didn't really make much sense to really stick to the universe all in order to get him back for a bit. And that everything was kind of built from there. And that's at least how it seemed in the plot because it just was. That wouldn't make sense for it. Wasn't about her and her character growth and her development half as much as, you know, a self-titled movie.

Stephen:

Yeah. It was, I don't know you know, congrats to anybody that's listening that did like it,

Steve:

and we will never yuck you're young, but if you're on the fence, definitely you can remove it from your list and save yourself the four or five hours. So

Stephen:

it was only like, I think it was only like 16 hours. No, it was like barely over two, I believe. I know, but it just felt long,

Steve:

which is never a good thing in a movie.

Stephen:

No, it almost felt like mid-summer.

Steve:

Yes. Well, I'm finally getting to the point where I can forgive you for that and you keep on bringing that up and it's just salt in the wound, babe. That is not on our happiest list. So I don't make it to the things that made us happy. In 2020.

Stephen:

Yes. And so we have it divided into pop culture categories. And the first things we're going to look at are our happiest new movies of 2020. And why? So for me, The first one. I couldn't pick one. I

Steve:

don't think we picked one for like any of these really, but at least we narrowed it down to top two most times.

Stephen:

So the first on my list is the Netflix film based on the Broadway musical, the prom. And it was awesome. It just made us laugh and smile, Meryl Streep. Nicole Kidman, Kerry, Washington, James Gordon, Keaton, Michael keel, Andrew Ronell's.

Steve:

Talking about ensemble, all star cast, just like last week's love actually. I mean, it had so many great people in it,

Stephen:

right. And one of the things like Kerry Washington could be a star of any film. Nicole has been the star of many films and they all were good with being an ensemble that didn't really. Make anybody a lead. Yeah. And the music was all original and funny and the sense for so colorful and it's over the top. And I love whenever something is ever at the top and the actors go for it and you can see that they're not holding anything back. They're celebrating the absurd and yeah. I just love that.

Steve:

Yes. And the, especially like Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep and James Courtney, we're all very embracing the absurdity of being actors,

Stephen:

Hollywood Broadway,

Steve:

Broadway, but same thing. Yes. Yes. Meanwhile, I would say that the, the, my happiest one, and it just was because of the eyeopening ness of it all was the social dilemma on Netflix and the way that, you know, it's all about the way that social media. Works and not just Facebook, but also even just Googling things and how you scroll through your phone. And it was all so eye opening and that it was one of those things where you watch it and you keep thinking about it. I rewatched it twice just to reprocess the information. So if you haven't watched it and you use any sort of social media, which is pretty much you're guaranteed to be, because podcasting is one of those and you're listening to us.

Stephen:

Well, and the thing that really got me was when they were talking about YouTube and their suggested videos, whenever you're watching something and the younger generation is big into watching all kinds of stuff on YouTube, whether they're watching someone else play a game or they're watching makeup tutorials on the right side of the page, if you're on a computer or the bottom, if you're on a phone are suggesting what you should watch next. And the social dilemma women really good on. How they do that and how they're trying to steer you down certain rabbit holes. So parents that their kids spend a good bit of time on YouTube. Watch the social dilemma on Netflix, especially with your kids,

Steve:

even

Stephen:

if that's a very good idea.

Steve:

Yeah. Meanwhile,

Stephen:

I had a second one and it is a remake of an eighties classic. And it was on HBO max and it's the witches by Roald Dahl. And it started Anne Hathaway, Octavia, Spencer Stanley Tucci, and Chris rock. And I loved it. I felt that the CGI was amazing and Hathaway another actress that isn't afraid to go all in on a performance. And she totally did with this of just. Going for it. Stanley Tucci is you is always comedy gold whenever he's doing something. And he was great here. And Octavia Spencer, even the movie mall that had some flaws, her performance in it was stellar. So with those three, leading your cast, you really can't go wrong. And I actually no offense to Angelica Houston and her. Phenomenal performance in the original. I do think that overall, the cast, the pacing and all were better in this remake than the original.

Steve:

Yes. So check that out. If you're you have that interested. It's a very nice light-hearted family-friendly movie.

Stephen:

Okay. Not exactly lighthearted. I mean, turning children into mice and then killing them. Well,

Steve:

yeah, but again, a lighthearted

Stephen:

in a lighthearted way. Yes.

Steve:

Similarly. I mean, I wanted to give it just an honorable mention because it got critiques for not being as happy or as light hearted, but I thought it was still a beautifully, well done movie.

Stephen:

Oh my gosh. I loved the live action movement on so very much. Yes.

Steve:

It certainly took some changes from the cartoon, but it was more traditional to the traditional. Move on story. I don't have a very firm understanding of their culture, but it seems like this is one of the least offensive Disney movies ever, in terms of the way that they tackled a race. It just seemed very traditional and respectful. And the movie told a great story.

Stephen:

And if you haven't seen it, I'm not going to ruin one of my favorite Cameos in the movie.

Steve:

Yes. At the very end. So just keep an eye out in the palace at the end,

Stephen:

but it made me so happy and yeah. I after hearing so many people make comments about Milan online. Yeah.

Steve:

Yeah. We didn't even pay for the money when it was a special, like$30 rental.

Stephen:

No, I waited until it was free on Disney. Yeah, exactly.

Steve:

But I mean, I can S I, I can see if we had spent the$30 on it. I wouldn't have been

Stephen:

angry. It was no, I really, really enjoyed it. Yes. So that takes us through movies. And now we're going into TV shows and darling, why don't you start with your favorite?

Steve:

I would say my favorite new one of the year, unfortunately has a show that was not renewed for season two, but if you want a good dozen episode, romp, definitely check out filthy rich. It was on Fox.

Stephen:

Started Kim control from sex in the city.

Steve:

Yes. And it was just, it was, it was a ridiculous soap, opera II mystery.

Stephen:

It was kind of like a, the talus. But instead of being set in an oil company, it was set in a televangelist cold network. Yes.

Steve:

And I had the televangelist versus like the sex workers and the sex worker stuff was all very like portrayed very positively.

Stephen:

I had the backdrop of new Orleans, which is always a good idea. Yeah. And so it was very funny, very well acted. I loved it. And,

Steve:

and it did tell a full story pretty much. I mean, of course they had their cliffhangers at the end, just in case it got renewed, but it's not one of those shows where you're left, wondering what the heck happened. Like it's not like pretty little liars and you finished season one and not knowing who he is, you know, it's very much, it does tell the full story

Stephen:

and the ending. With the people that decided to band together, that was exactly how I hoped it would go.

Steve:

Yes. Well, anytime that anyone all works together,

Stephen:

I love it.

Steve:

Yes. And getting into your favorite it's one we touched on briefly and what was making us or in the one of our first binge and purchase.

Stephen:

So it's one of the same actresses from my favorite movie, Nicole Kidman.

Steve:

She had a good year for you

Stephen:

and a great year. And I love that she got to a certain age, wasn't getting the project she wanted from Hollywood itself and decided, you know what, I'm going to find my own. Thank you very much. And it started with big little lies on HBO and HBO was like, Ooh, we love you, Nikki. Kitman thank you very much. Here's another show. And that was the undoing with Shi and Hugh grant. And it's a murder mystery. Where you, there are so many twists and turns and fall asleep and just brilliant acting and amazing coats worn by Nicole Kidman and set in New York city, which is also another great location to set anything. And I loved it. We were hooked completely, and it's just a solid, solid show. Whether you'd like Nicole Kidman or not. I think you'll like the show. Watch it

Steve:

yes. And a TV show that was laugh out loud. Funny for me was the great

Stephen:

on Hulu. I loved the great which deals with Catherine, Catherine, the great and the not so great

Steve:

asterisks, like mostly untrue story or something.

Stephen:

Yeah. It was like Fictional story with some things that actually happened type of thing,

Steve:

but it was so over the top, ridiculous. That's my favorite type of humor.

Stephen:

Again, one of the things that they knew, it was ridiculous. They get leaned into it and you were willing to go on for the ride. One of my favorite scenes is still whenever Catherine and Alexander are talking and he says, you know, I was going to kill you. And she goes, you know what? I kind of suspected that it was just very nonchalant, kind of like a pass me the butter that they both just took it in stride saying that.

Steve:

Yeah. Yes. I mean, they definitely retreated. They are coming because especially being an arranged marriage type of thing like that back then, it was very much a, you know, You do your thing, I'll do mine and we'll just try not to kill each other. And they had the killing. Each other is a big part of that

Stephen:

because anybody that annoyed him or didn't genuflect and bow down the way he appreciated

Steve:

was executed,

Stephen:

executed,

Steve:

publicly humiliated. Like his best friend was regularly publicly humiliated.

Stephen:

Well, and they're like same thing with his wife. Right. And the woman that was. Chambermaid used to be one of the ladies of the court, but because her family did something shameful, she was stripped of all of her money and made to be a

Steve:

peasant. Well, that's a little more sad, but I still can't say to say the right way anymore on purpose. I always just love calling it to see, because they also had the, that was a great joke from it when he kept saying to, and she corrected him

Stephen:

and he's like, are you sure? Yes.

Steve:

He's like, that doesn't sound right.

Stephen:

And so that is on Hulu. That is like, I don't think it's going to get a second season, but it's one that I would go back and watch again, because that was just a good cheer you up. Yeah. Like I know all the murder and everything, but honestly really funny less

Steve:

funny and more,

Stephen:

less funny and more out there with some scifi elements and things was Lovecraft country on HBO. And it deals with an African-American family that are traveling across the U S in the 1950s. You know, there's plots of searching for a missing father and magic and time travel and intern,

Steve:

it's all based off

Stephen:

of love. It's based off PLF crap. He loved crafts, but the Lovecraft country is a novel in itself. So this is based off that, which was based off the HP Lovecraft stories and like Courtney B Vance. Is probably the name everybody knows or journey smell left, who was in the second, the movie with the birds of prey. Oh, okay. She was one of the birds of prey in that, but one of the standout actresses was when MI Masako who played her sister and played Ruby Baptist and. Ruby was wanting to be a successful singer and there's a whole storyline around that and somebody that she meets, but it was a very strong cast. It addressed a lot of the racial issues from the 1950s, and it sounds very serious and potentially depressing, but I found it entirely entertaining and enthralling. And so you can watch all of season one on HBO. And I have one honorable mention that I'm hoping turns out to be good. And it, because it starts tonight, we're recording this on a Sunday and that is the masked dancer.

Steve:

And that's because you'll love Paula Abdul.

Stephen:

I do love Paula Abdul and she is the head judge. On the mass dancer. And I know a lot of people watch the mask singer, which is just joy in and of itself. And so now we have the mass dancer and I am hoping for the best with this one, that it's just another thing of. People having fun and celebrating joy because we need more of that. Well, I'm

Steve:

sure it'll wind up on our binge and purge eventually.

Stephen:

Probably.

Steve:

Yes. And so moving on from TV shows to video games, what was your favorite video game of the year?

Stephen:

So it was the video game that helped us get through. The beginning brunt of the pandemic. And that is animal crossing for the Nintendo, which

Steve:

yes, the video game that had non-gamers buying Nintendo switches because they were told by all of their friends and family and loved ones that they had to have an Island to hang out.

Stephen:

And, and it was great because there were people that you and I haven't seen in a while that were visiting our islands Lindsay and Robin that we know from the burlesque world, we're coming to the islands and it was great. You spent time like getting the villagers you wanted, you. Crafted where the houses were going to be and you design different things. Like I built an outdoor movie theater and an amusement park in mine. Yeah. Yes. E

Steve:

w you had a blast to youth, definitely sunk in at least a hundred hours.

Stephen:

And it was a hundred hours where I wasn't thinking about masks and hand-washing and

Steve:

toilet paper earlier in the year.

Stephen:

Oh, yeah. I had actually blocked that out. Yes. So What is one that you loved? And I know I can see it on the paper and I loved it too, but

Steve:

it was Hades because that was one of the surprise games of the year. That even when it came out, I didn't get it, but we kept hearing about it on NBC and I gave it a try. And it was one of the first games in forever that like, I'd be thinking about like my different builds for the next run, like as I was going to sleep and, you know, thinking about it when I was daydreaming during the day at work,

Stephen:

I, you said run. So tell us what type of game it is.

Steve:

It is a roguelike game. And for those of gamers who don't know what a roguelike is, it is one where you are almost guaranteed to die multiple times throughout the game. Oftentimes I am not as big of a roguelike fan because it's almost too much of a hard reset. Like you feel like you're not. Getting back, anything for the time, you know, when it's just a new gallery image or like a little costume piece, I've seen other games, but they, they did a great job in Haiti of the gameplay was excellent, but there was enough times where like every route. That you went through, even though you knew you would die, that you'd get at least a handful of things to help make you stronger for the next time around.

Stephen:

And I've always been a big fan of Greek mythology. And so

Steve:

they did a great job with

Stephen:

it this year. You're in the underworld and you are the eighties and you're trying to. Escape escape hell and get to earth and you know, the real world. So you can meet your real mother. And it's the voice acting was amazing. The graphics were beautiful. It was so diverse. Like. All the Greek gods are there. And so if you love Greek mythology and you enjoy a good hack and slash with some fun Haiti's is highly recommended.

Steve:

Yes, for sure.

Stephen:

Now we do have an honorable mention that we both loved in the last part of the year. And that is high road warriors. Age of calamity.

Steve:

Yes. And you heard us talk about it before, so, you know, I think at this point we're getting commissioned from Nintendo. Oh, not really, but yes, it was a great game. You're almost near a hundred percent in it. I think you're around the point where I gave up or you're past the point where I gave up. Cause your link is level a hundred.

Stephen:

Yeah. I've I am roughly at like, 99% completion right now. So at this point you have

Steve:

to do that final person.

Stephen:

I know I'm like I'm there and it's going

Steve:

to feel so good when you

Stephen:

do it though. I know. And I

Steve:

bounce DLC, so you'll have more to do.

Stephen:

I doubt that I don't know if there will be DLC for this.

Steve:

I don't know. They haven't announced anything.

Stephen:

It seems very complete, but it's also a hack and slash set in the world of Zelda breath of the wild a hundred years before the breath of the wild game. It also is beautiful. Voice acting is great. The controls are fantastic and you just, it's so much fun. That's the game like this game is fun. Fun, fun, fun, fun. And. After video games, we need to go on to music. Well, we

Steve:

don't, I need to, I just thought it would be nice for our listeners.

Stephen:

So let's go on to music.

Steve:

Yes. Well, well, we'll start with our your second favorite then I would say, because in terms of easy listening and listening

Stephen:

chillness, right? So my artists of the year were not new artists for it. Being out there they're new to me. Yes. And so the first one is tank and the Bangas and they are an R and B soul group with spoken word mixed in. And I had originally seen them on the tiny desk competition through NPR. And I was immediately struck by. How beautiful and deep the music was while being enjoyable and just started listening to more of their stuff. And I was like, this is just really good. And it's not like anything that you really see anymore. And then the other one is thievery corporation, who, our friend Dr. Brian Horvath, she pleased this at her acupuncture open door community acupuncture. And I was sitting there during a treatment and I just kept thinking, this is perfect background music. Cause it used to be things like, you know, you'd hear the gongs, the gongs on the bells and yeah. And which was lovely and what you would kind of expect from a place you're getting a massage or acupuncture. But then there was this day, I was like, it was very chill, relaxed with a beat. And something that can easily just flow into the background, but not overwhelm what you're trying to do. And I had to ask her and she was like, Oh, that's thievery corporation. So I introduced it to you. And there's times where we'll just have it on the background here at the house. Like if you ever need bachelor

Steve:

background noise,

Stephen:

whenever we can have cocktail parties again. Thievery corporation would be perfect background for a cocktail party where people would say, what is that? That's really good. Yes. And what about you, Darlene? You had a favorite our new artist.

Steve:

Yes. And again, similarly, she would like, she was making songs beforehand, but Ava, max was one that throughout the year, you might not know her by name, but you hear her on the radio a lot. She did sweep at psycho. She did Kings and Queens, which was one that you loved as well.

Stephen:

And I loved both

Steve:

of them. I love, you know, and so she was one that throughout the year, as a newer artist, That, you know, there are artists that I love that I'll listen to on repeat forever and ever, and ever, but she was a good new one that, you know, throughout the year I had one of her songs on my

Stephen:

playlist and you have really great playlist that happy hits.

Steve:

Yes, I do. And I take my favorites of those and I put them on my own, so I don't have to skip through the ones that I don't like, but they, Spotify does a great job. Knowing what songs make you happy.

Stephen:

And then you had that you would take the songs from happy hits and you would make us great playlist from whenever we were floating in the pool. And that was fantastic. And I fully support the Ava. Excellent. Yeah. Now

Steve:

when you didn't support as much was my love of whap by Cardi B.

Stephen:

I am fine with wet by Cardi B. I did not fall under. The spell that a lot of people in the U S did where it was, what they listened to all the time. I think it's a good song. I think she does a great job. I think it's very entertaining and I am fully supportive of the song existing.

Steve:

It was just such an ear worm and it wasn't even that it was dirty, although it didn't make it better. It was, it was, it was filthy, but it was also just fun. And I do know most of the words right now, but I can't really do it without. Looking like the lightest little white boy ever. But yes, if you, if you ever want to see like something to make you laugh out loud, ask me to, to sing or karaoke web for you. Yeah,

Stephen:

it's a good time because in the car he could do it. And I'm severely impressed that he knows the word. Yes.

Steve:

Well, yeah. Life goals, life goals.

Stephen:

So my favorite song of 2020 is by a super talented artist, Miley Cyrus. And it's her new song, midnight sky from plastic hearts. And I love it because, you know, I love the eighties. That's when I grew up. I know I'm old. But this sounds like a modern take on eighties rock, like from heart or rock set. And it's, it's just so good. And we were listening to the CD the other night on Spotify and there were five, like we got through five of the songs on the way back from delivering presents and all five of us, like. These are all good songs. And usually I say, you know, if an album has three good songs, I call it a win. Well, good job Miley. Cause plastic hearts has at least five good songs on it.

Steve:

Definitely. Very good.

Stephen:

And from music, we move over to podcasts and our favorite and happiest podcasts. And congratulations to us. We awarded a lifetime of happiness with the happiest podcast award. We actually didn't.

Steve:

Yes. I was going to say, obviously you already like our podcast if you're in this far and you're still listening, but it also probably means that you like other podcasts as well, or at least are open to the idea of some awesome other happy podcasts.

Stephen:

Yes. So why don't you tell us about your podcasting? Cause you're the podcasting guru.

Steve:

Yes. Well, I would say I have become the podcasting guru because of one of my favorite podcasts, new podcasts of the year. And that is buzz cast by Buzzsprout who hosts my podcasts. They're the ones who gave me the free tickets to pod Fest that helps up our game and change the way that we podcast into the beautiful sounding well done podcast. It is today. And so that is something that, you know, what they call it, pod fading because so many podcasts. Don't end up continuing on and don't even make it to their year. And we're officially going to be past that now. So

Stephen:

her a

Steve:

yay. And so next I was gonna be, you know, we're going to be near an episode 50 soon, so

Stephen:

I know that's right around the corner.

Steve:

Yes. And so with that, Been a great podcast to help keep me on track. Now, what about you? What's been your favorite podcast besides ourselves for the year?

Stephen:

So I, in terms of new podcasts, because my favorite podcast to listen to besides ours is the no sleep podcast, which I mentioned before, because I like scary stories and these are good, you know, 15, 20 minute short radio drama, scary stories. And they're very well done. But my favorite new podcast is you and me both with Hillary Clinton. I love Hillary. And she's known like, if somebody is like, Oh, we really got to get this done. Don't you? And she's like, Oh yeah, you and me both. And so that's where the title came up with. And it's not all political. It's not all serious. Like there's interviews with John legend, Stacy Abrams. Broadway legend, Audra McDonald Gloria Steinem, comedian, Sarah Cooper, who we loved her comedy special. That was on Netflix Patton Oswald, who we've seen in a lot of the Marvel agents of shield stuff. And it's just a good show. And she's a really good host and it's interesting that all these people. You know, former first lady, secretary of state world-renowned. And she seems very down to earth while she's talking to everybody. And I really appreciate that.

Steve:

Yes. I mean, she oftentimes makes me wonder about alternate timelines.

Stephen:

Yeah. Oh, but it'd be right now. Anyway,

Steve:

we're on the right track, I think. Yeah. And speaking of the right track, my love of. That's a horrible segue, cause it's nothing about being right on track. But I also want to give a shout out for non podcasters who are looking for a happy podcast. Buffering the vampire Slayer is one of my happy podcasts and it is spoiler free. So if you start at the beginning, you can listen through it as you're watching for first time Watchers. And what as much as I love still pretty, which is Lani. Diane Rich has one that I'd been listening to forever and I love it. You know, an in-depth critical discussion watching buff listening to buffering is like watching Buffy with, you know, my two girlfriends, Jenny Owen, young and Kristin RESO. You know, th they're both. They have great chemistry, even though they're not together anymore because they fell into the podcast and curse. We won't hit ourselves knocking on wood. Oh,

Stephen:

sorry. That was us remit. Remy gets anxious when he hears knocking. Cause he thinks it's door. That was my fault for knocking on wood. It's okay,

Steve:

buddy. That's okay.

Stephen:

But you were right. Buffering as I've watched all through Buffy wants. And I've watched several episodes multiple times. Yes. And as a Buffy in the car. Yeah. And as a Buffy fan, but not to your extent, it's a great podcast. And it does feel like. It's your friends talking about something you enjoy and you really just get into it. And you're like, Oh yeah.

Steve:

yes. And so speaking of happy things, what would you say your happiest moment? For the year overall or in terms of 2020

Stephen:

is a happy moment for human rights and the future. It was the outcome of the 2020 election. Thank you. Lord.

Steve:

Yes. And so,

Stephen:

and we are 25 days away right now from the inauguration. And I've started my inauguration advocate calendar.

Steve:

Yes. My parents were lovely enough to, to gift us an advent calendar at the start of December.

Stephen:

And I decided to hold off and keep it for now

Steve:

because it actually works out with the timing. You said perfectly.

Stephen:

If you start it today on the 27th. And if you start the, if you started on catch up with a couple of times, you going to say, just to get a couple extra on Wednesday when you hear this, but if you start on the 27th, you go through twenty-five days at your last piece of chocolate is on January 20th and you just have to make it till noon and it's official.

Steve:

Okay. Well, wonderful.

Stephen:

And so do you have any final thoughts on 2020 in general on some things that. You know, made you happy overall

Steve:

we're missing a big one from the list. Cause I figured it would have come up naturally cause he even brought himself up. But I would say that also even more so than the election, because I'm not as politically inclined, as long as it doesn't affect me in my life,

Stephen:

except it does always

Steve:

accepted whatever smarty pants. That's. Why have you. I would say it's Rodney Labone being born and adopted by us and becoming just the best part of our days besides each other.

Stephen:

Our little baby has made 20, 20 so much better for us that while all this hell is going on and unfortunate illnesses and everything. Thanks to Remi our unconditional love. The unconditional love at home. Has really made this even more of a safe and happy place for us. So. Thank you to Remi you have been a godsend.

Steve:

Yes. And so looking ahead to 2021, we have a lot of great episodes coming up and the best way to get involved, whether it's to suggest a topic or be a fan of the week. One, giving your feedback on a topic is to email us@happylifepodatgmail.com.

Stephen:

Yes, you can also interact with us on Twitter. Also happy life, pod Instagram again, happy life pod. And if, if you are friends with us on Facebook, we'll always be putting those on our Facebook. Or you can interact with our Facebook page, which I can. You guess what it is?

Steve:

facebook.com backslash lifetime of happiness.

Stephen:

No, just kidding. It's happy life pod. Yes. We were consistent across everything.

Steve:

So find us at happy life pod, wherever you can. And until next time

Stephen:

everyone stay happy.

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