For a while when I worked in the misinformation studies field I had a saying that was only half-joking about the instant internet experts on vaccines, water policy, and 5g towers: “These people need better hobbies.”
I was only half joking because I feel like one of the joys in life is to work towards an expertise in something new and then show it off a bit. To throw yourself into a new area or hobby and see if you can find an interesting take or insight. And it seemed to me that with the rise of social media something had happened where everyone was competing for expertise in real issues of importance instead of smaller things. With their minds melted by their social media feeds, people had to be the person who had a unique take on mRNA technology or lab leaks. Somehow arguing about the best way to install a surround sound system was no longer enough.
I started to get back into films. And this, as they say, is where it gets interesting. I tried to talk to a number of people I used to talk with about films, like 10 years ago, all the time. They turned out to not be able to talk about films anymore. They would get two beats into talking about the plot of a movie then veer off and start talking about how this film either shows how their political position is right, or — if it shows them to be wrong –how this is evidence of a vast Hollywood conspiracy.
Much of the time, films which used to be a joy to these people as films had become something else. Films were now political evidence. Worse than that, every film was proof they had been right about some argument they were constantly running in their head.
More often though, they just got bored. Films? So little dopamine and adrenaline compared to what was on their feeds that day.
I want to be quite clear about this: I believe that we are currently living under an authoritarian kleptocracy. This has been shown so clearly and so repeatedly that I am no longer in the market for evidence on this point. So these are dark days, and I want to acknowledge that we’re all trying the best we can. As someone said to me the other day: “Maybe I’m screwing this up, but this is my first autocracy.”
So you must find the moral course of action in these times. But that does not mean you should form your entire being to become someone else’s hammer to hit someone else’s nail. And that seems to be what social media has done to some people.
And so I decided while I could not control the lives of others I could lead by example. And that’s how the Couch to 4k podcast with Jim Groom came about.
On the podcast co-host Jim and I talk through various subjects in an area that we want to get right but where it’s perfectly fine to get things wrong. We have strong opinions about ultimately trivial subjects. We get to propose big ideas that get scaled back when they hit the cold hard wall of reality. We get to encroach on the film bros who, should we ever receive acclaim, will roast us mercilessly. But as Jim once said “Getting roasted is getting posted, baby.” (Ed. note: Jim did not actually say that).
Anyway, here are a couple recent examples from the podcast:
The one above I did too early in the morning and look a bit wiped (I have to coordinate with Jim in Italy for times). But I really like it. I think the vibes are good. I’ve got to get more Jim time in it but he seems weirdly opposed to watching the six to seven films needed to prepare. Were working on that.
This one below we did many weeks earlier and I like for different reasons. We did get a bit bogged down on the walk-through of the plot. I think we’re getting better at this over time, but hey, who knows.
There’s going to be one of these coming out a week, so stay tuned. But if I can encourage you all to do one thing it’s to find something trivial and yet wonderful to dive into, and do it with people you like. Whatever is happening in this country right now, it’s not acute, it’s chronic. We are in it for the long brutal haul. You’re going to need something out there to keep you human.
Hapgood 