Michele tells us why she wanted to start a podcast in the first place and how she’s been doing with her New Year’s resolutions, breaking big goals into more bite-size pieces.
Today’s guest is Shadia Sepehrnia, a writer and director based in LA. Michele and Shadia discuss how the lack of socializing is driving them insane, even though they’re both introverts. Shadia talks about being a TV and film nerd growing up. They discuss the Pixar movie Soul, the questionable reality of 90 Day Fiancé, and the rom-com Love Life. They discuss stereotypical characters of romantic comedies who're obsessed with dating to find a soulmate. Michele talks about how she has trouble relaxing and watching TV. They discuss the documentary the Social Dilemma and problems surrounding social media. Shadia tells us about how art history influences her filmmaking and the ladies discuss where they’re finding books to read lately.
Follow Therapy Roulette!
Twitter: @TherapyRoulette
YouTube channel: Therapy Roulette
Email us! therapyroulette@gmail.com
Watch the web series Non-Crimes of Orange County
Follow Shadia Sepehrnia!
Twitter: @evenstar263
Follow Michele Baci!
Twitter: @michelebaci
Theme music by @hannahvsthemany
Listen to Hannah Vs. The Many:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rlyuj1AOlLdLCV5MRFc9P?si=muDK4Rr3RXWMGhBCP0fQaw
Michele tells us why she wanted to start a podcast in the first place and how she’s been doing with her New Year’s resolutions, breaking big goals into more bite-size pieces.
Today’s guest is Shadia Sepehrnia, a writer and director based in LA. Michele and Shadia discuss how the lack of socializing is driving them insane, even though they’re both introverts. Shadia talks about being a TV and film nerd growing up. They discuss the Pixar movie Soul, the questionable reality of 90 Day Fiancé, and the rom-com Love Life. They discuss stereotypical characters of romantic comedies who're obsessed with dating to find a soulmate. Michele talks about how she has trouble relaxing and watching TV. They discuss the documentary the Social Dilemma and problems surrounding social media. Shadia tells us about how art history influences her filmmaking and the ladies discuss where they’re finding books to read lately.
Follow Therapy Roulette!
Twitter: @TherapyRoulette
YouTube channel: Therapy Roulette
Email us! therapyroulette@gmail.com
Watch the web series Non-Crimes of Orange County
Follow Shadia Sepehrnia!
Twitter: @evenstar263
Follow Michele Baci!
Twitter: @michelebaci
Theme music by @hannahvsthemany
Listen to Hannah Vs. The Many:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rlyuj1AOlLdLCV5MRFc9P?si=muDK4Rr3RXWMGhBCP0fQaw
Therapy Roulette: Consent to Vent / Trauma disguised as comedy / Therapy Roulette: Consent to Vent / If you don’t have problems, then you’re likely repressing sh*t and you should find a therapist / (Who’s not me)
Hey, lovely
people. Welcome to another episode of Therapy Roulette: consent to vent. My name is Michele Baci, I am a comedian, I am a writer. And I've been thinking really hard about how I want to spend my life because I am the ripe age of 30. And I don't know how to best spend my time or my life on Earth. So I've been thinking a lot about it. And I wanted to share with you my why the reason I'm doing this podcast, I've been listening to a lot of like, self help oriented things and writing oriented things to try to get myself into the headspace of writing. And a big lesson that I come across time and again, is define your why, you know, why are you doing this? Why do you want to write? Why do you want to write a script? Why do you want to write a book? Why do you want to do anything, if you come up with your reason, your why it really helps you stay on track and stay focused with what you're doing. So to not lose motivation with Therapy Roulette, I had to find the why I want Therapy Roulette to be successful, because I want to shed light on mental health awareness and encourage people to take the steps they need to heal, but also be able to laugh at all the bad shit that's happened to them. That's what I hope Therapy Roulette is and what I hope it continues to be because I've experienced, you know, mental health issues in my life, mostly in the realm of depression, anxiety, some, you know, eating disordered habits, the things that happen in life. And as I've opened up the conversation more as an adult and met more people throughout my life, trying to talk more openly with the people I meet, I come across like more mental illnesses that exists that people live with, or they experience directly or indirectly. And I just want to open the conversation, I want us to be able to talk about these things without having this negative stigma on them. And also, it's so funny to live with mental illness, or to know people with mental illness or going through some deep therapy shit. I mean, it sucks, and it is rough a lot of the time, but it provides great comedy, when he can look back on it with a little bit of space between you and the thing that happened. So I'm just hoping to bring those two things together and marry the comedy and the mental health problems. I am not in any way a therapist or a mental health professional, I am just a girl with a microphone, and I need a platform. So here we are.
I want to let you guys know how my goals are doing for the new year, I've actually taken a couple steps toward my new year's resolutions. I wanted to read and write more. And I've been doing both. Although it always feels like a small, like baby step. But I've read and I write, it feels good to do it at all. So reading a page, writing a few pages in a journal. Like that's mostly what I've been doing really small doses of these habits. And it's not much, but it's a lot more than I have been doing consistently. So I'm on the way to doing it more in my daily life. And that's the goal. Read more, write more, do the things you love. Define your why and make time for the things you love. I always complain that I don't have time for things. And it's it's a real problem. But it's also like something I am partially guilty of myself. I'm creating my own schedule. For the most part, you know, I have to work during the day. But all those other hours, I'm creating my schedule. So I'm my own worst enemy. And I'm trying to be a better advocate for myself. I also took my first Spanish lesson through this the Spanish lesson app. I'm using this app called pimsleur. It's a paid program. My dad paid for it. He's a language guy. And he I think he listened to all the Spanish lessons years ago, I have to try to converse with him now en espanol. But I listened to lesson one. It was 30 minutes really proud. I did it. lesson two haven't made it there yet. But I plan to get there. And maybe someday I could talk to a Spanish five year olds like in Spanish, because it's probably the level I'll be at someday. But it feels good to be like activating the language part of my brain and doing something elegent academic useful that I've been wanting to do for a long time, how are your goals going? Let me know. I want to know. It's hard right now, like in the pandemic, in the modern day, it's okay to not be productive and not be achieving your goals. So that's totally fine. I definitely have moments where I just sit in stillness, and that feels nice too. But, you know, I would love to hear how your goals are going, or your lack thereof. drop me a line Therapy roulette@gmail.com or you can DM me on the social medias. All of my handles are in the podcast show notes down below. And this episode is a little bit different. I do a catch up with my friend Shadi. So she was previously on the podcast. And we're just like talking about our lives, checking in with each other seeing how we're doing. I hope you enjoy our conversation
guest interview / a friend for you / strangers whose issues are relatable / guest interview / They're the voice that's new / this person has problems and they don't mind discussing it, but they still need a therapist / (Who’s not me)
there's a voice to do. This person has problems and they don't mind discussing it, but they still need a therapist. Who is not me. Welcome to another episode of Therapy Roulette: consent to vent. Today I'm joined by my friend Shadia Sepehrnia, she is a writer, director and creator of the web series Non-Crimes of Orange County. And she was on a previous episode of Therapy Roulette, so I thought we could catch up because I'm lonely and we all need to talk to her friends more in quarantine. So Shadia How are you? How is your mental health doing? You know, how's your current state of being?
Michele? It's been so long since I've seen you.
So long,
you FaceTime occasionally?
How've you been? Okay. It's
been months in person. Yeah.
It's been months. I feel like you have no time.
In the virtual it's been crazy, though. Yeah, virtual hangs are cool. I like the virtual hangs. I'm still getting used to it cuz you have a weird thing. Michelle, what? We didn't realize like how much social stuff was important to me until I didn't have a
it's kind of the end of our lives. Like it's all we have to hold on to.
Yeah, well, it's funny cuz like, I consider myself an introvert. So like, I feel bad saying no to things. I don't really want to do a whole lot. Like social, like interactions. Group stuff makes me nervous. So I'm always like, oh, how many people who's gonna be there? Um, but it's weird once I don't have it. I didn't realize how much of a loss it was you feel zapped when you're hanging out with too many people like your energy goes away. Yeah, for sure. I feel like I get in my head a lot. And I'm just like, What do I say? What's funny, that person what they said was really funny. How do I talk that like I just get lost in my head? Like, in the moment where you're not really in the moment? I'm just not in the moment totally dissociated. And it's like it's usually with like, yeah, it's like with a group of people it's that's why the funny thing to me like when people are like, come to my birthday party Let's hang at this party like Halloween party and people think that stuff is fun, but for me I'm like oh my god. It's like worst case scenario of how do people think hanging out with big groups of people is fun like that just makes me more nervous.
Yeah, I used to in the before times I feel like I would really try to plan out my social hang like I was a bit I am a big planner. And I feel like you and I will be like let's hang out Saturday let's do this Friday like we booked it in the calendar. But then we would export it to Oh yeah, we would always follow through but in quarantine Michelle your purpose so I've like I've kind of been not planning and not following through in the
planner
I got one for 21
oh my god my mind is kind of dinky compared to the other ones but like just writing in my schedule of like, what am I gonna do? helps me so much the act
of writing it down seeing it on the page.
Yeah. From like, there's things to look forward to like you're moving forward. It's not one massive hope.
Yes. And then also gives you a sense of control like no, I'm planning the day I can decide later.
Would you say like I have to get a planner. I need a planner like
it's your first week of January. I
got a planner. I knew I needed it.
What's the style of your planner? Is it beautiful? Is it a girly serious shell.
Compared to like all the other planners I have which are ginormous. This one is pretty tight. This is the smallest one I've ever had and it's very compact. Compact. But, you know, I figured I don't know what's gonna happen in 21 it's the pandemic.
We were going to school as a kid. Oh, yes,
I would write my TV shows and the plan, like what to watch? Like what I was. Cuz I remember like I would write out movies too.
Did you write down your homework and your assignments?
Oh, yeah, for sure. But like, I would write down movies. I was excited about like, Lord of the Rings, or like the next Harry Potter movie, and I would write it like three months in advance. And like, I was like, must see this movie this movies important. Like
the day they came out? Or were you just like, in general, I have to watch it around this time. Like, did you know a day was coming out?
You for I knew, of course, one day was coming. I was gonna have to watch it on the weekend. And I would plan out my outfit to like, I was like, I have to wear this shirt. With this. This means jeans. People are gonna care. Legolas who's gonna care? That I wore a pink dress. I
wasn't even there anymore. It was probably like, a week later, or something. Yeah. premiering
that with your friends. Right? Like high school or whatever.
No, I didn't really have anyone to go with to the movies. So it was just me my sister. I would drag her to a lot of movies.
She counts to
people really liked the movies. I was. Yes, she does. Yeah,
I've watched
a lot of movies as a kid.
Yeah. Maybe you were too avant garde for the other kids. Like looking into better
No, I really liked Quinn Tarantino movies. Like, this was before all the modern Marvel crap. Sorry. That came out. And there was so much great films coming out. Like so indie film. Yeah, I know, indie films were just like, booming and
like Little Miss Sunshine.
Yeah. And there were like female directors and like people of color directing. And it was like, Oh my god, I have to watch this movie. Like it's gonna change my life. And I feel like that's changed so drastically now because they just come out diamond does that for me. So can they don't feel like an epic moment anymore?
They're not as carefully crafted. No, for sure. They're more mass produced now but they can still have that power like sold the DC soul yet?
It did see soul life. I was completely confused. Michelle, I didn't get the movie. I feel dumb. like little children. Probably understood it. But that movie like, passed my head.
The whole thing like I was to my thing and then didn't get it.
No, I mean, I understood like little bits and pieces of it. Like the message was pretty obvious. But just the whole like, blob saying why like Tina Fey was voicing Jamie Foxx that didn't leave out a whole lot. I you know the thing. I love the beginning of the movie a lot. Like I was like, Oh my god, this is so cool. Like a teacher. He's helping kids. That's great. And he's like, I hate my life. I don't know, this message was pretty sad. And then I really I knew something bad was gonna happen to him. It was really obvious because he's like, this one moment is gonna change my life. Like I have to do this. I have to be there and you're like, Oh shit, like something really bad's gonna happen because that's what Disney does. They always do that they set you up for that misfortune. Sorry,
does that they Well, I guess it sorry, takes off for like the princess movies left off where it's like tragedy must occur in order for us to cheer for this protagonists. Like there's always a deep tragedy somewhere and whether it's in like the it was a priest or Yeah, it was
the whole like him.
I loved it. I like I loved I you know, try not to spoil the movie if you haven't seen soul go see it. But I turned it off. And then Joseph turned to me and he's like, do you want to go right? I was like, Yeah, I want to go right wrong. Like I want to go do what's important to me. And I agree with you the voice changing between characters was
blob. It was like her name was like, 11. Yeah, yeah. Like, what kind of character is that? so bizarre to me. But I was,
like, based in science, I'm sure they had a research team. So I'm not questioning and I think it was great. It was a little more abstract, I
guess for me like it was very inferred. Mm hmm. Yeah. And it was I think it was a nice message at the end of it, but overall, I just was like, what's happening? What's going on? What world and dimension are there? Yeah, was a little jarring.
Um, so I want to hear how you've been doing. How are you staying? sane? How are you staying positive. What's keeping you What's getting you out of bed every day? shadia
God, um, well, it's getting me out of bed every day is reality television. I love watching my reality television remote
and God's work on the podcast.
You know, I think people really need to like quit watching Pixar movies, and start watching reality TV because there's some damn good stuff on there. It can be really good stuff kind of grounds you a little bit puts you in the reality with them. I almost feel like sometimes reality it's on par with like, scripted to me, like the people on those shows are just so interesting and incredible. And their stories are just like you, you know, you just lose yourself in it, you know, and it's very well done, like TLC does a really good job of, you know, with their people like their characters in a way.
Yeah. And the personal story, like I've been catching up on 90 day fiance. Yeah, you get lost. And I find myself like wanting more. Yeah, more out of the characters. I want to know everything about them. They're not characters. They're real people. But I want to know, like, do they have children? Like who is their family? Like, where did they come from? And then we don't really get into that unless it's one of those more trashy, exploitive families, but some of the people really keep it private. And I'm like, I want to know everything.
Oh my god, I even go on. Sometimes I go on their Instagram and I check the answer. I don't even have Instagram and I check their Instagram. Do you check them? Yeah, cuz I need to know in real property. Check them deep on the web. Like,
do you go on Reddit? Or do you listen to like other 90 day fiance?
signed up for Reddit. That's why I'm on Reddit. Yes, it's just it's such a good hobby. It's just wonderful addictive,
because it's all about love and like soulmates and then it's also about cheating and lies and you're like, Oh my god, how? How could it turn so bad when it started so good, and I can't look away.
It's really neat. I love like the family dynamics to like, when they opened the parent and, and the long lost sibling of the unit out the door that they ignored. You know, it's just like, it's very interesting. And it just kind of like you obviously you don't you relate. And at the same time they go thank god that's not me. Yeah, it
does make me feel better about myself, which Joseph says is unhealthy, but I get a lot out of it. Oh,
healthy that's I think that's why we watch reality is because we're like, Oh, thank god it's not me.
Yeah, I'm gonna do it myself concerned for the people on 90 day fiance but also like, you know, they're, they're having their moment in the spotlight. And they can watch this put it back on. They're watching like footage of people lying, cheating. fights, like they could learn a lot about their future spouse by watching the footage. So they are getting something out of it. Some kind of psychology results. Unfortunately,
a lot of it is fabricated, which is what I've learned from Reddit.
It's all edit.
Well, I think they act some stuff out a little bit cuz you see, like, their relationships are really riding on the show. No, they do they do because then on Instagram. Fine. What have you so they definitely,
I feel like they might feed lines to people to get a conversation started, but I can't see much of this fabricated. It's so cool. Okay.
Okay, do you know the story line? No. Do you know the storyline of a suelo? And Kalani? Yes,
I'm in that season. Don't tell me the end.
Okay, well, I'll just give you a broad overview. I'm not gonna tell you the ending. But like on the show, okay. On the show, like, you know, they don't get along, right. Like, she is really pissed at him. And he's not a very good father on television. So they're very, like,
he's very broken English. Like, I don't think he understands much about America. So I feel like he gets fed. Like,
they seem. They seem like total opposites. Like, you're just like, why are they together? Doesn't make sense. And then if you go on Instagram,
she looks like a Kardashian woman like she is trying to be a beauty queen. And then all suelo is like, I'm so grateful. Like he he's not coming from much.
But that's what I'm
saying. Well, it's very, it's fabricated, like how mad they are each other and why? because then it can't be fabricated. Look a lot. Everything's fine.
Kalani is crying all the time.
Oh, it's fabricated. And
I'm like, I don't think they have deep conversations on the regular
army.
He thinks he's funny.
is the only guy she's been with and then he's the baby daddy. Like she's roped in to whatever that is. His last little thing there was he was charming, and he's probably not the only guy. They just say that oh my gosh, yes. It's as much as her Kardashian profile. No, I'm pure. until marriage or until baby. She's the Mary in the family. But I think Reddit, the Reddit, the Instagram news, there's some truth to it. But it's too realistic for me to buy that it's all fake.
No, no, let's not believe that. That would just ruin it completely.
Are you watching any other good TV reality or non non reality?
I started watching the show we finished it because I binge watched it. It's called love life on HBO max. with Anna Kendrick, have you heard of it? No, I haven't heard. So each episode she is she dates a new guy. So the premise of the show is it's kind of like a, I would say it's like an anthology because a host of life that you have like to great love in your life takes a certain amount of time you have a number of flings. So this is basically like her love life. If until she finds the one her journey to finding the one. So each episode is her dating a new guy. So each episode, she's dating a new guy, and our job is to kind of figure out is this guy like her person that keeps saying that her person who's her person? And so each episode you watch, I think it's like 40 minutes. So it's very quick. It happens in New York. Michelle. Okay, so I think you'll
that I do want to watch content, because my heart is just like,
broken, right? love anything in New York. I'm just like, God, I wish I could work on that. Because that's like the dream.
But to me looks like New York street at CBS. And it probably is. But I want real New York.
I know, it's so pretty in our minds. You have like pre COVID where like people hung out in bars. And you know, they had a good time. But yeah, so each episode. Sad. But yeah, each episode, she's dating a new guy, and you're trying to figure out who is it? Who's her person? And it's a very interesting show. Um, but like,
one of those guys are deleted. Wait till the end.
So yeah, so that's the thing. It's pretty much solved by the end of the show the end of the season, find out her person and, and something there come back with next season, but I'm not going to focus on her it's been focused on a guy. Um, so I think it's gonna anthology. But the thing is, is like, like, it's a very primitive way of looking at female characters. The fact that the Creator is the guy didn't really like that a whole lot. Um, yeah, I was like, What the hell like it should be a woman if this is called love life, and it's about a woman's love life. Shouldn't the creator be a woman?
Yes, she should. I mean, you can write in the opposite gender. But then it's like, how well do you really know the inner workings of their minds? I questioned that.
And this showrunner didn't really have credits under his name, too. So I was like, What? Why did he get this? But she Ghana Kendricks the EP, and it's just kind of like nothing. I've been to her every story is hold through lens like her dating a guy. So you don't really know that she wants to do in life. What are her aspirations? Who she wants to be? It's all reflected the prism of her being in a relationship. And it's like, what the hell this is 2021 like, it feels very trying to be sex in the me. You don't get her whole story that way. You just got like her dating persona? Well, you do get her neurotic mother, which of course you have to put in there. Right? Like women don't like their mothers.
Yeah, you're gonna get married that comes with it.
Right? You're going to get the narcissistic mother. Um, so it's like people, sometimes it's like, do you live in a vacuum? Like, how can we keep telling the same stories over and over again? And with something like this, you hope that like, okay,
neurotic grandfather or like a depressed uncle who's like, really into her love life? I
don't know. Let's change it up a little bit to like, exactly. Especially for something like this. When you see like an actress that sounds like teaching taking charge. She's leading the show. So it's like, I would hope that you would make the choices as
to Anna Kendrick has to believe in it if she's the EP.
That's true. That's true. It makes I don't know like she's good on the show. But it definitely felt like it was trying to be Sex in the City and it takes place through like, the 2000s Till now I think so. It's like it's definitely a jump to be like, what happened in the year when we I was snapped
out.
Does that add? Yeah, it's like a like, do you feel like you're in 2010 or whatever they're trying to do because I feel like they're not that different. from year to year.
Exactly. They're not very different. You can mostly tell by like her haircuts. But like, as usual, you're like, how can you afford an apartment in New York when you're? She's a caterer or something like, yeah. And it's just like, isn't it really expensive?
Like, yeah, Paris like bizarre, but I mean, I think Paris. Oh, my God, but are the awful people better than Emily was better? It sounds it has to be better. From what I've heard about Emily and Paris I have not watched are the people that Anna Kendrick meets? Are they like all losers? Or do they have redemption qualities?
That's a great question, Michelle.
Um,
well, they're pretty much all losers. And here's the thing, she dates her boss. So it's like, check, you know, check mark there. Um, she did chef, it was my favorite story. But of course, they blew him up because they can't have him.
Like, the one guy like,
can't keep them because you need to pick it up.
Yeah. No,
it's one of those things where like, they're
all loser guys are there's some problems with Anna Kendrick, like, she can't be perfect.
It's so true. But they don't really talk about that you don't really know who she is, as a person. That's the thing. Like it's all reflected through these guys. And because each episode is a different guy, it kind of stinks watching it because no, like, you know, it's gonna be Oh, yeah, you know, it's gonna be over. Yeah, so you're like, Okay, can't get attached to this guy, because she's gonna find a way to like, sabotage this and it's not gonna work out. Um, so it's kind of like it, the formula becomes a little too predictable.
The beauty of dating though, is like, you know, most of the dates won't work out like you go into it being like, well, this is just another day. So like, not having so much seriousness applied to it. That feels real. Yeah. And it's
a comedy to which it really isn't funny at all, which is unfortunate.
It's no comedy at all.
I've been I always listen to comedy podcasts. And it's so funny to hear their reviews of comedy that's coming out on platforms. They're always saying, well, I wouldn't call it funny. But like, it was the tried. There was one joke. I think it's just so funny in the present day, like, all the comedians are like, did you show up and film your thing? Good job. It doesn't have to be funny. And especially
when Yeah, especially when it's like half hour to it just like you could tell it was trying to be funny, but wow, it was not funny. So it's like, what kind of genre is this? It's too serious. And it's not good at in the hit. That's the thing with drama. It has to be really good. And you don't have the comedy. You don't have the drama Then what is it just people living? I guess?
Do you recommend it?
Obviously, yes.
As they say, it's a good foreign key and show you like, what did they do wrong?
I would here's the thing. If I wasn't in quarantine, what I watch it? No,
yeah, I feel the same about 90 day fiance. It's only because I'm like,
yo, Michelle, don't ever say that. That's not true.
I hope it's true. I can't show shoddy there's too many. Too many spin offs.
You can do it. It is worth it. But yeah, there are quarantine shows where you're like, Okay, I'm just getting lost in this. And because I have nothing else do you find love?
Do you find like, Do you ever feel bad if you're watching too much TV because I criticize myself for watching too much TV. I'm like, you should be doing stuff and you should be answering your emails. Like I'm always criticizing myself for not being productive. So are you able to actually relax and like enjoy when you're trying to relax and watch TV?
That's a great question. It's really hard with reality watching because you can find like half the day is gone. Or like what hell How did it go? By
the way I've tried to queue up you productive
at least.
Yes, the people are smart, all these apps and shit. They just like keep going to the next one to the next day like Well, I guess I do want to know their story. The story's
11 hours long do you try to get something productive done before after you watch TV?
So it's funny. Um, I'm like, half sometimes I'll do like TV in the beginning of the day, and then I'll try to be productive at night. Or I'll flip it around where I'll be productive in the morning and then at night, I'll be like, Okay, I get a treat. I get to watch TV. I do need to stay away from reality though. It's really bad.
Well, it just gets you sucked in because you're like, wait, I think these people are real. I want to see everything that happens to them and then you're like, really, your claws are in
Yeah, like, it's funny with movies. I've been watching a lot of movies, and I can get lost in movies. But with reality, it's almost like you're right. Because it's real life. You're just even more absorbed that you can't like, you have to physically like, I had to turn off the television and tell myself No. Before I can, like get in the mindset of like, Okay, I'm a person again. No, my
brain wouldn't show like 90 day fiance The show was an hour and a half long. I know and so much of your life if you're not doing anything else, it just drives me crazy. Where I'm like, I've been on the couch for three hours.
It's okay, it's okay. It's quarantine. I know. But
how long can I tell myself that when we're hitting the year mark of quarantine?
Oh, my God, we are killing you sound
like you're able to actually relax. I have trouble relaxing. I'm working on it. But I feel like small doses of TV are where I'm happier. I don't like to binge for too long.
That's very healthy. That's good. I've been like bending.
I just don't like to relax for too long. Do you?
Have you seen that? No. But I don't know. It feels like this whole.
Huh. Have you seen that say that he has seen that documentary? The Social Network? Is that what it's called? The social dilemma?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, my God, I
was creepy. I
scare you. I'm sure now I find myself on any social media, but especially something like Facebook, where I'm like, I don't even know why I logged on to Facebook. Like, I don't know what the benefit of Facebook is anymore. But I'm on it. I scroll, I keep scrolling. And I don't know why I'm doing it. I'm like, Oh, this is just a social dilemma. Mark Zuckerberg planned it this way. And he wants to take all my brain cells and feed off them forever.
I try to limit my social media. Like when I go on Facebook, I'll be like, Okay, I'm only going to be on here for five minutes. And I'll like look at the clock and make sure that I don't stay on there too long. This looks like a really good resource for like jobs and like spy on people.
It's really, for our like, creative pursuits. Because there's comedy groups, there's writing groups, there's people we've worked with have created groups. And I'm like, Oh, I could talk to people and make work connections, but that I have to scroll past everyone's innermost thoughts and pictures of their dogs. And I don't want to do that. At the same time.
Yeah, I do it for like a little bit, or I'm like, oh, I'll comment and be like, that's cute. Congratulations, I'm excited. You're getting married, like, all the life stuff. But like, I won't get into like the every single day of like, what everybody's doing, because that's just too much information.
And then the algorithm is, is trying to tell me like, who they think I'm closest to and tell me everything they've done on Facebook in the past 24 hours. And like, I don't want to know that. You know, shadia posted an update at 3am. Let me find it on my own.
I would never do that. Because I'm not on there. Thank you.
Well, I just, I'm saying I don't like how they notify you of like, your friends console.
Yes. Yeah, all that story stuff. Like they're like this person like this? And I'm like,
but I don't care. How does that affect? Why
does?
It's almost like you're tracking people's lives, you know? And it's like,
I don't want to do that. That's what Facebook is doing. So I guess they're kind of letting you know, they're like, Hey, we stocked shadia all night. And like, maybe you'd like to know, he posted a picture and I'm like, let me just figure it out. Let me talk to shouting at myself. Why must you be in my head Mark Zuckerberg?
Yeah, and also, I
don't know, I don't really need to. I was on a lot more before the pandemic, you know, just because like boring life stuff. When you're like meeting mine or like, you know it like a checkout, I would be on social media just on it. 24 seven, and now I wiped it off my computer. I don't have it on my iPad. I mean, I wiped it off my phone. So anytime I go on it, it's on my computer and I'm only on it for like a little bit.
I can't take your phone. I
take it off your phone. If you take it off your phone. You will be using it a lot less. That's where they get your phone. Maybe
I'll try it on days when I'm not promoting the podcast. It can be nice.
Yeah, it's it's a big relief not to be checking it all the time because I was almost checking it to the point of like, it was like a nervous habit. You know, I just always had to know and like, what do I need to know like, what
did you What did you do before the phone like what would you do when you were bored?
I don't know. I recently deleted Reddit off my phone. Because like my eyes were hurting and I was getting headaches reading posts. I would read for hours like before bed and I did delete it and like Um, you
know, I go on Twitter before bed. I'm like up for an hour. I can't if I'm that vulnerable. I'm like, Oh, just about to go to sleep. Let me just check Twitter because the lights are still on and then I'm on it. So
Twitter is
one. I remember my favorite.
Terrible because I would be on my phone all the time at night, right before I go to bed. I'm like, What am I looking up? It was just like you said, it was the algorithm of just constantly checking, checking.
It never stops, like you get to the ad, it just refreshes. And then if it does stop the whole, like, I ran out of Twitter. What is wrong with me? Forever, I'm editor, but also like, I think it was like Donald Trump, the Trump presidency to like you always had to be on alert all the time. And Twitter was where you would read we have, we still have to stay alive by reading the news because we're in the pandemic, but with Trump gone, at least you don't have to be like, Oh, are we in a nuclear war yet? At least we can like tone it down a little I don't have.
I don't have to watch the news every single day and know what's happening every single moment, which is such a release.
I'm sorry, I'm not clearing the CNN notifications. I'm like, let me just check it when I can. I don't need notifications a second I wake up. Exactly. It's a lot. Too much. So do you want to?
It's a lot but like with buttons?
I know. Oh my god. Thank you. Thank you for President Biden. And Kamala and Ron such a better path. That was like the best day of my life Inauguration Day. I was like, I feel like I've lost pounds. I feel so much lighter. So we have you don't
even know every day I listen to the news every night of like, what's happening? What's going on? Who's in trouble now? And now it's like, oh, I can back away. You know, just let them do their thing. It's gonna be
I still like listening to the news. I like to put it on Alexa, and do it. Like listen to the news while I'm cooking or do the dishes. But I feel like I'll be screaming a lot less and like getting in fewer fights with Alexa. So it'll be better. I'll be I'll be I'll be like, fuck you mitch mcconnell every five seconds because hopefully he has less influence now that he's minority. Oh,
my lord.
Hello, 2021.
He shrugged. Yay. Do you want to spin up a wheel question?
Okay.
Oh, give me a wheel. Okay, you make this wheel. I was
a weak spin. Now I bought it and put it together with my own hands. But I bought it from you wrote Amazon.
Okay. Oh, no, Michelle,
we can't Amazon. We can do this one. I've done it recently. So you can pass if you want. Tell me about what you're wearing and why you chose that outfit.
Okay. Wow, wearing a freedom. Like can't see.
Oh, Frieda Frieda.
Rita.
I wore her today. Um, I felt like it was a Freedom Day. You know,
he told me freedom. I know she has a movie with Salma. hyack but I don't really know who she is.
Wait, what do you know about freedom?
The one eyebrow? and culturally significant, but I'm not sure why is she an artist?
You don't know anything about Frida Kahlo? Oh my god. Okay. I thought you were joking. Yes. Frida Kahlo. She's a very important like artist
was Mary Mira, I would have been on our contemporary
she's really famous for doing like a lot of self portraits. And obviously she has the famous one eyebrow. But yeah, she died young should premature death. I think she had a lot of health problems. Um, but she was really important in the art world and now she kind of came back I think a lot. She's kind of more in the culture a little bit more of like her image and she you can see her on everything like aprons dolls. Um, but I just really like the shirt. Like, it's just to me like she's a really powerful strong woman. And, you know, later present more power to the strong woman who paved the way. Exactly, I feel a little bit more like, you know, yeah,
she could do it. Learn about it from the movie cuz that's the first time I heard about her. Oh,
well, I was in art history. Minor in college. Um, so. Yeah, so I found out about her through their first for my art classes. Nice idea.
Yeah. So my love of film comes from Michelle artists. Clearly
three class name shall take to get the minor. enrich your mind with film.
They sure did. They taught me actually they did. It's funny side numb, not do a short film or a movie or whatever. I actually go back to it. paintings that I really love. And I'll sometimes send my dp paintings from, like certain painters, certain time periods where I'm like, I really love the composition, or the color or the lighting. That's kind of where it starts from for me. So art was really, really important. And I mean, I love those classes. And they were more than three.
Joking, I didn't do this. I have no reference.
Oh, I tried to do a double major. But you see, I wanted to kick me out there, like you're a bio major, you
got to go. No time for a double major.
Bio majors were so impacted. They wanted people to graduate quicker. So they were like, you gotta go, you gotta go. So I'm
like, Okay, I'll take the minor.
Yeah, great classes, though. I love those
LSU got the minor out of it. And that's so cool. It's still stays with you, where you like, put it in your today films. I love that. But yeah, there's
so much great history. And I mean, the artists themselves are characters too. So you know, learning about their lives? And what made them you know, make art and in that way, why, you know, it's pretty cool. So
cool. I should look at more art. I feel like I have to go back to college and educate myself because my brain has been melting. For too long. I have to think, Oh,
well, I mean, I think the loop does like an online tour you can do, which is pretty cool. We're not going to Europe, any so pretty. So let's, yeah,
I think I was reading about that. Or whatever. Maybe in the New York Times where they were like, you don't have to spend the next day on your couch, you could you know, visit a museum virtually, you can. Vacation virtually, is what people are trying to say now. And you know what, I'm down the track.
You could take a class that I know, you do so much. Now. I
would love to believe I could do that. Maybe I'll give it a try. I have to have the confidence. Yes, you can do it. You can show up to that virtual class.
Oh my god, you totally could.
You're on my blue light blocking glasses, call it a day. I would love to like, learn something productive. That is a goal I have for this year. So I've been wanting to learn more about politics and history. I feel like I know about modern art, but I can learn a lot more about the art that came before us for sure. Oh,
my gosh, it's so funny. I actually am totally averse to modern art. Like, yeah, it's so terrible. I don't know why I'm like I'm the same way with books too. Like, I love reading books, but I don't like reading modern books. So everything I read is like usually classic. Until I realized,
like you were recommending john, john Steinbeck, which is a classics. You read that yet? No, it's too big. I have to like buy the physical book. Now. I tried to download it on my phone and I couldn't get it. Yeah. Yeah. Didn't work. I didn't give it a real shot. I it's on my list.
I'll I'll get to it. For sure. It's like 500 pages, but it's so much
I can do I just am reading nonfiction books like self help slash. No, I'm not reading fiction right now. So I need to like make room for it.
I'm reading like film books now, which I've never done before until quarantine. So like, I just bought a bunch of film books. on Amazon. I found a bookstore thrift bookstores, I refuse to give Amazon any more money or quarantine. Oil is
not a good example. But I've been curbing my Kirby my Amazon purchases, I promise people. Yes,
yeah, we should not be giving Amazon I know. I'm working on
it. Joseph could do better, I think but we're working on it together.
I understand. It's convenient. But still. So yeah, but there's just like so many books in the bookstore.
It's called thrift bookstore. School. bookstores. And
I know book gives you the book shop is good too. And indie bounds all like connect you with indie bookstores.
Now thrift does, like they're all used books, and they're all cheaper. And it's like a pretty good resource. Like, I'm like, why would I go to Amazon anymore? You know, it's like two bucks more.
Scrooge McDuck any more money.
I still go to the library. I still get books from the library. So a lot, you know, trying to
Well, I go to pick them up.
curbside, yes, it feels normal for like five minutes. I'm like, Yes, the library. I
used to do the library. I
grew up at the library. And I've been using the Libby app which is like the library card app. So it's been helpful and I actually finished the books on my phone cuz I'm always on like, my phone's always on my hip or something. So I will pick it up. Hopefully my Kindle open my Libby app and read on my phone. I think with something like john Steinbeck though. 500 pages. I don't know if I can get into it but something lighter. Like comedians via biography, it's a little bit easier to read.
Read on my phone, I need a physical copy of a book because you're like, I just
need to hold the book. You're like a purist. Yeah. Reality is so confusing. Without an all shot yet, okay? It's just like a dichotomy you wouldn't expect. And I just want to comment on the bookcase in your corner. It looks so nice.
The funny thing is like this bookcase is way too small. So I have like books stacked on books, and I'm laser narrow that I need like two.
Well, it's too small.
Any more books you're done. It's probably more upgrades more more space. Exactly. Oh, God, you're keeping the library alive. More people should use the library.
I know. It feels like there's only children and older people that go to the library. Like what the hell? Where does the age gap so much time?
They're not working.
That's true. That's a good point. As
you can see, you're watching YouTube videos. Like I'll just learn on YouTube. Like no patience to read an actual book. And now there's so much good stuff on YouTube. Also, like I learned everything from there perfect in a pinch when you're like, I don't know how to wash my dishes. How do I do that? YouTube? And then they teach you
new laundry? on YouTube. How to posit. Don't YouTube? How to make? Yep. Oh.
Well, there's good there. I haven't upgraded my dishwashing game. And like, General household things room like let me clean every crevice and find out the best way to do that from YouTube. Watch. I've
been like buying so much kitchen like gadgets and stuff because I'm like, Well, if I get the digital scale then I need to get the bench scraper. If I get the bench scraper then I need this thing. Like it doesn't stop. Bend screen have a problem? Yeah, it's her baking. Okay.
I love it so much. What's the bread you bake? It's so beautiful.
Yeah,
it's like the perfect artist and you've really mastered it. You're welcome. I want some I want to bake bread again. I'd like it was mostly Joseph doing it. But we've given up as as a team, we have to get back to baking bread.
Oh, give up
like time and I think I was getting very sad about the constant mess. So, but now it's clean. So we're ready to get it messy. Yeah,
yeah, that's true. It is a lot of
a lot of flour. So much our
flour gets on everything and everywhere else
like I don't want like I don't like touching it for too long.
Too much.
But if you can do it, the more power to you.
By like touching.
You like the Yeah, I need to do something.
I just like clean hands. Yeah, but that's my own problem.
That's probably like, No,
I think like it makes sense. Like, if you're a very clean, neat person, you probably don't want to do like baking and cooking because it's very, like disorganized. And there's like, you know, stuff everywhere all the time. Yes, I'm
semi clean. I think it's more like the kitchen has to be cleaned for me. So baking and cooking is a struggle, but I've been doing it so much in in quarante and it's not gonna stop altogether. Do you enjoy
washing dishes? No.
I like when they're clean.
Oh my god.
That's a crazy thing to say.
Like cleaning
the finish when they're hanging on the drying rack or they're put away then I'm like author done but actually watching them I feel I feel like I'm losing my soul in the process. I feel like it's way too much time. I love washing but I don't like putting away just work together.
I hate it.
I think we can
we can figure this
web series project dishwashing
to be in it Michelle wash dishes.
dish. I will do it.
Well shotty I don't want to keep you it's been so nice catching up. Do you have anything you want to say to the listeners or promote your socials or anything?
Ah, no,
just keep on keepin on.
And yeah, we'll
get through this to stay strong people. We'll get through it. Thank you, Shadia
Yeah
This has been Therapy Roulette: consent to vent. If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe. leave a review if you can and tell your friends. I'll be back with a new episode next Thursday.
Therapy Roulette: Consent to Vent / Trauma disguised as comedy / Therapy Roulette: Consent to Vent / If you don’t have problems, then you’re likely repressing sh*t and you should find a therapist / (Who’s not me)