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(( See the previous Part 1. )) Happy National Positive Media Day! (Yes, this is a thing, we checked.) In light of recent events, we want to showcase the things that have made us happy during both the quarantine, pandemic, and political events. The media we consume has a way of making our day, minute, hour, or second brighter, and today, we bring you the team of The Daily Fandom talking about their favorite piece of media from the past few months. What has made them happy amidst it all?
What Does Positive Media Day Mean To The Daily Fandom?
We want to appreciate media in all forms, that being said, we will be talking about what has made a positive impression on all of us during the quarantine, whether it be a television series, a movie, a hobby — anything and everything!
Elizabeth Barnhart-Rodick — NOVA
Quarantine gave me so much free time. I discovered a nearly complete Spinosaurus fossil in Morocco. I rappelled down into a live volcano in Africa. I explored the causes and effects of global climate change from the frozen tundra in the Antarctic to the muggy heat of the Amazonian rainforests. I had time to build (and test!) authentic replicas of both Egyptian and Chinese chariots.
I managed to do all of this right from my living room. PBS’ NOVA series is a vast exploration of the world. From hot air balloons in the sky to earth mantel samples taken from below the ocean floor – NOVA explores it all. PBS has always been as educational as Sesame Street songs and as family-friendly as Mr. Rogers’s hand-knitted sweaters. NOVA, however, takes it to the next level.
The program is diverse and varied. The episodes feature interviews from experts, historical footage, scientific data, testing of hypothesis, and footage of some awesome stuff (they were inside Chernobyl)! Nova has kept me entertained, enlightened, and excited during quarantine. This is somewhat unsurprising since I’m a bookish nerd who enjoys my own company and finds comfort in science and facts. It was surprising, however, how much my child enjoyed NOVA. Instead of begging to play video games during screen time – he was requesting specific NOVA episodes! We learned about natural sinkholes in Florida and watched giant drills help reach some trapped miners in Chile.
Throughout the MANY seasons of NOVA we watched, one message was clear. The earth is amazing. It’s survived meteors and earthquakes and ice ages. The one thing that is really putting the future of the earth in jeopardy – is us. The coral reefs are dying, the glacial ice is receding and melting, the natural resources are being overused and the planet is warming at an alarming rate. Many of these things are caused by the action or inaction of humans. NOVA made me want to go out and explore my own backyard and it also made me want to save and preserve it.
Joanis Baino — Red, White, & Royal Blue (( Casey McQuiston ))
For me, a good majority of my quarantine was spent doing online school. So, it was difficult for me to find spare moments in which I could find some positive media to consume. However, once I finished my semester of school I decided I needed something to do. Since I couldn’t find any new fanfics of my favorite ships to read, I decided to jump back on reading actual novels.
So, I messaged one of my friends for some book recommendations, and she sent me a small list. From the list, only one really caught my eye: Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The novel is about the president’s son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, and a royal prince, Prince Henry, who first hate each other, reluctantly become friends after a scandal and end up falling in love. It’s a good ole classic telling of the trope ‘enemies to friends to lovers.’
The only real twist is that the two main characters are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and are also a bit chaotic. If you’re like me and have not read a novel in a while, then I highly recommend this book. It’s an easy read and something you could finish reading within a day. Red, White, & Royal Blue honestly didn’t even feel like it was a novel. It felt like I was reading fanfic. It felt as if I already knew and loved the characters even though it was my first time reading it.
I absolutely adored reading this book, and I’m honestly glad I read this because it made me fall in love with reading novels again. Also, it helped me escape the craziness that is the COVID-19 pandemic for a bit. Overall, Red, White, & Royal Blue is such a wonderful novel with wonderful characters and great writing. It’s one of those books that I know I can re-read and I won’t get tired of.
Lydia Mae Orendain — Haikyuu
Before quarantine, I never would have given sports anime a second thought. But tired out by rewatching the same shows, exhausting my youtube recommendations, and jumping new series to new series, I thought I’d give the sports anime Haikyuu a try. My friend recommended Haikyuu to me saying that it was “pure character development” with “no swords, magic, or ninja nonsense.”
All the anime I’ve known and loved thus far was magic, swords, and ninja nonsense, so I didn’t know how much I’d enjoy Haikyuu. Turns out I would fall head over heels in love with the story, the sport, and most importantly the characters. I looked forward to following every character’s development and watching their personal victories surface in their teamwork as my boyfriend and I put together our Haikyuu watch parties.
Every character on Haikyuu, no matter how seemingly insignificant, was given a thorough backstory. Even though the main team to root for is Karasuno (the protagonist high school volleyball team), I couldn’t help but cry over the losses of the opposing teams. The audience gets to see every character’s motivation, making it impossible to hate even the antagonists.
My favorite character, Kei Tsukishima, has the best arc and the most satisfying redemption moment of any TV series I’ve seen. I admit to rewatching his “moment” at least five times after the first but it never fails to leave me in awe. Thanks to Haikyuu, my Youtube recommendations are now filled with volleyball highlights and Haikyuu Tik Tok compilations. And thanks to Haikyuu, I watch all of them.
Haikyuu is much more than the sports anime I assumed it would be; I expected to scoff at overly muscular dudes playing a sport I never cared about, but instead, I became emotionally invested in a loveable underdog team, rooting for them as well as their opponents, desperately wishing for every character to achieve their dreams. I found so much joy watching these characters become their own and reach heights they never expected to reach. In this time of quarantine where I feel isolated and stuck, I’m so inspired by Haikyuu and its characters’ growth in togetherness and resilience.
Brianna Avila — My Hero Academia
Everyone has their quirk, something that sets them apart from everyone else. What if, however, our quirks were superpowers? In the Japanese manga, My Hero Academia, that is precisely what reality is for these characters. Throughout quarantine, it has been difficult for me to stay busy and find methods of entertainment. I never watched anime before, but it was always recommended to me. I figured now is the perfect time to explore this unfamiliar genre. Jumping into this genre, I wanted something positive to distract me from the outside world, and after finishing MHA, I knew I made a perfect choice.
My Hero Academia takes place in Japan, following quirk-less Izuku Midoriya, as he the quirk “One For All” from his favorite hero, All Might. When Midoriya, or Deku (( his hero name )), attends U.A. High School, he befriends fellow students in Class 1A with characters that I have grown fond of. Each character has a quirk that reflects themselves and their personalities very well. The hot-headed Bakugo, whose quirk is creating explosions at will, is a prime example of this because of his bad temper and very competitive. For Shoto Todoroki (my favorite character), his quirk reflects more than just himself, but his parents.
Born with the quirk of half fire and half ice, Todoroki’s quirk is half his father (heat), and his mother (ice). He faces struggles within himself to not use his hot side in rebellion against his father (who is the number two hero in the world) but soon learns that he is capable of making his quirk his own.
Todoroki’s incredible power and knowledge set him apart from the other characters, which is the main reason he is my favorite character in the show. In a world where times seem dark and almost hopeless, this show is one of the best ways to deliver joy and a sense of hope to anyone. I encourage anyone to watch this show if they need a laugh, smile, or just a show to watch. We could all use a few heroes to bring joy and even find our own inner hero as well!
Maggie Salko — Criminal Minds
At the start of quarantine, I thought that there was no way that I would be able to get through all fifteen seasons of Criminal Minds, even if I started right then. And yet, I’m halfway through season seven and cannot wait for the next eight. Although the show is known for being about serial killers, arsonists, kidnappers, and more, it has brought me a surprising amount of comfort during this hard time. Almost every episode is its own story.
Someone commits a crime, our favorite team of behavioral analysts arrives at the scene, and the bad guy is caught or will be caught in the next episode. The show has enough suspense that I’m always on the edge of my seat, but if I also want to watch passively and play it in the background as I work I can get away with it, like zoning out during the one episode won’t affect my overall understanding of the show. Plus, I can watch content knowing that in the end the day will be saved, even if it takes a few episodes to get there.
What also makes this show such comfort is the characters. While at the beginning of the show viewers feel distant from the characters, as very little background is given to each one, over time you grow connected to each BAU agent as you learn more about the family they have formed in the FBI. You start to cry as they experience losses and express happiness when they overcome a large challenge.
Characters such as Spencer Reid experience long and complex character arcs that viewers get invested in. Watching Reid start in season one as the youngest member of the team, and following him as he grows more confident in his role, is a highlight of the show. Plus, getting to watch Matthew Gray Gubler solve mysteries isn’t so bad as well.
Chloe Landisman — Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (( Portrait de la jeune fille en feu )) is the tragic, queer, romantic, drama that I had needed to see while I was growing up. It centers on Marianne and Heloise — the former being assigned to paint a portrait of her for her potential fiance to use as a means to evaluate whether or not he wants to marry her. This French film was a charming experience to watch over quarantine, though it mainly centers on a queer love story.
It also features an element of isolation because the story takes place on a nearly empty mansion on an island in France. The period of isolation in the film functions similarly to the concept of the closet; in the closet, the two women can share their affection for each other. However, when Marianne must return to the mainland and Heloise must marry a man she’s never met.
Although I most definitely have not found a lover in quarantine (nor have I retreated to a tiny island in France) the couple’s love in the face of an impending tragedy had a strong impact on me as a queer viewer. Quarantine for many can be an incredible way to recuperate but for some folks (( many of whom are quarantining with their families )) isolation can become a second closet where they are forced to hide their identities and beliefs. Regardless, Portrait of a Lady on Fire was a charming film to watch during quarantine and will be a lovely choice for Pride Month viewing as well!
Colleen Etman — She-Ra
This semester was, to put it bluntly, a semester from hell. Classes I was looking forward to taking turned out to kind of suck. I was wildly unprepared for the classes I had to teach. And that was before COVID struck, and I coincidentally got very sick with a non-COVID illness right around the time quarantine started. So by the end of March, I felt like I was drowning. April was just a mess.
I never quite got my feet under me after having to take time off to recover, and the transition to online teaching was far from smooth (I didn’t even have internet!) So by the time May rolled around, I was pretty badly beaten. But I managed to turn in all my papers and finish all my grading on time. And then I could breathe again. And relax. And take the time to do something purely enjoyable.
For me, it was rewatching She-Ra and the Princesses of Power before the final season premiered on May 15. She-Ra has been a standout ever since the first season aired on Netflix in 2018. A reboot of the action-figure based 80s TV series, this time the show focused on equality, diversity, and uplifting messages about the power of teamwork, the importance of fighting inequality, and the necessity of hope in the face of adversity. In other words, a perfect reset after a semester of feeling isolated and powerless.
The Power Of Love Knows No Bounds
By the time the final season dropped on May 15, I was ready to see how it all paid off. Would She-Ra be able to save the day against an all-powerful, incredibly disconcerting foe? Can we see any redemption for compelling antagonist Catra? What will be the pay-off after four seasons of watching our heroes grow and learn and do their best to save the day? Would the theme song’s promise – that we’re gonna win in the end – hold true? Well, season five didn’t hold back. Fans got everything we could dream of and more.
Through the power of love – literally queer love – the day is saved and the future is bright. We have a great queer canon romance (something I almost never get to experience!). We got hints of an exciting future. And for a few bright hours, I was able to forget the world outside and all its turmoils. She-Ra gave me something priceless in this awful year – hope and joy.
Fans are calling for a standalone movie or another season on Twitter, desperate for more of this uplifting content. But even if we never get any more She-Ra, it definitely was exactly what I needed in this awful time. And, you know, I’ll probably rewatch it a dozen or so times anytime I’m feeling low!
Avery Linder — Arrow
There are many challenges facing our world today, and sometimes the problems can seem so massive that we feel hopeless. I know that I have fallen into that trap of hopelessness quite a few times this quarantine. But, with the help of Arrow, I’ve been able to lift my spirits and face each day with a better attitude. For one, there never seems to be an end to the evils facing Team Arrow. And the evils seem to get greater with every passing season. Despite these challenges, though, Team Arrow always finds a way, and in the end, good always overcomes evil.
Witnessing that lesson, episode after episode, I was reminded that no matter how extensive our problems seem, we must maintain hope and belief in the fact that goodwill wins over evil. That alone was enough to cheer me up whenever I was angry or sad. Arrow’s impact on me did not stop there, though. In fact, the motif of the importance of family and brotherhood reminded me of what is important in life. The members of Team Arrow always have each others’ backs, and they always do whatever it takes to protect their loved ones because they recognize the privilege and the blessing of having family and friends.
Their never-ending love for each other reminded me that having a family was a reason in of itself to be happy during this quarantine. Moreover, the time and energy Arrow’s characters put into their relationships made me realize how much more I could/should be putting into mine. In the chaos of the pre-quarantine world, I often pushed my relationships to the side while I focused on my own responsibilities. Watching Arrow made me realize that there are many more important things in life than school and work. So, for bringing me hope for this quarantine and a better perspective on the things for which I should be thankful, I owe Arrow a big thanks.
Natalie Delpino — Dune
When quarantine began, I really wanted to take the opportunity to tackle a new book instead of rereading an old favorite for the sixth time. My older brother kept telling me about Frank Herbert’s sci-fi book novel Dune and it’s upcoming film adaptation. I was craving a sci-fi novel, so I asked if I could borrow his copy and he quickly handed over the 800 paged Dune before I could change my mind. Thus I began reading about Paul Atreides, the son of the Duke who was in charge of the desert planet Dune. There is barely any water, but there is plenty of an addictive spice that every Duke household wants control over.
There’s a glossary in the back because, for the first 200 pages of set up, Herbert throws out a lot of terms, but doesn’t explain any of them. He just keeps moving forward. It sounds like more work than it’s worth, but that’s not how I felt. As I learned about culture and society built on the scarcity of water, about the Bene Gesserit and their strict and secretive training, about Paul’s connection to the planet’s natives, the Freemen, I became more and more invested in the world Herbert had created.
I found myself talking about the colonization of the fictional planet Dune and the politics of ecology to friends who hadn’t even read the book. I eagerly read the appendix essays at the end of the book that further explained the history of the world. During quarantine, I fell into the world of Dune and still haven’t left it. Dune is the first book in a six-part series. I thought after finishing it, I would need a break, it was 800 pages in all.
But I immediately missed my Dune reading sessions and borrowed the second book from my brother, and then the third. I love the world, but more than that I think reading the Dune series was when I was the calmest in this stressful situation. I’ve spent hours reading outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and then the cool summer breezes while I read about Paul Atrerides, the Freemen, and sandworms. And it made quarantine feel more normal, it reminded me of summer vacation in high school where I would spend whole days reading outside.
And during an unprecedented pandemic, it was comforting to re-experience those summer days where I could just dedicate myself to a book.
Ang Cruz — “Dream Daddy”
When it was announced the Game Grumps would be releasing a new dating simulator about a group of hot, single dads – no one really knew what to expect. Prior to the release of “Dream Daddy” there was excitement, but also worry about its portrayal of the queer community and whether the game would border on fetishization or mockery. However, after the game’s release on July 20, it was obvious that those fears were not the reality. “Dream Daddy” works as an interactive visual novel where the player plays the role of a single father who just moved into a new town with his daughter, Amanda.
As you move into your new home, the game introduces you to the rest of your neighbors on the cul-de-sac, aka the dream daddies: Mat, Craig, Hugo, Brian, Damien, Robert, and Joseph. But it’s not just the dads you get to know better, it’s the entire world of Maple Bay that can be explored. The best thing about “Dream Daddy” is the dreamy factor of it all. It’s too good to be true, but that’s what makes it easy to escape into their world where the worst things you have to worry about are what choice will get you the flying eggplant emojis and which ones will get the black gas.
Realistic “Dad” Dating
The dating aspect is also extremely realistic. While getting to know each daddy, it’s difficult not to get invested fast. The cast of this game is so likable, diverse, and attractive that after you get to know one dad you want to get to know all of them. While “Dream Daddy” thrives on its creation of an idealistic universe, it isn’t afraid of reminding you the characters are only human and puppy love you initially feel fades into genuine affection as you really get to know the human side of these characters.
Joseph Christiansen, whose arc in the game is arguably the most controversial, was initially presented as the hot but married youth minister at the church down the street. During the second date with him, you get to know his hidden pain and frustration with his marriage and his life. Similarly, with Craig Cahn, in the player’s third date with him, he confides in Dadsona about his burn out from constantly striving to be perfect. These characters aren’t just one-dimensional eye candy, but their arcs tackle difficult issues such as loss, toxic masculinity, and addiction.
Inclusive For LGBTQIA+
The inclusivity of the queer community is another refreshing part of the story. Rather than having queerness seem like a side thought, addition, or have it be the entire focus of the game – the game interweaves queerness in a way that feels natural, but also the player has more freedom than they may have in reality.
From the moment the player starts the game, they are given the opportunity to choose the gender of their spouse, and the dialogue of the game coordinates with that decision. As well, the “Build That Dad” generator allows the player to choose their gender identity, with some of the dad bodies even wearing binders. It’s refreshing to see a game with trans representation that subtle, but still says a lot. Lastly, “Dream Daddy” one of the cutest and most clever games out there.
The bright pink and purple color scheme coats the entire design, and the mini-games that appear at random are a delightful surprise that makes callbacks to other video games such as “Pokemon” and “Minecraft.” The dad tips that play in a loop during each loading screen and the dad jokes that are on the edge of corny but also humorous make your mouth ache from smiling. “Dream Daddy” takes all the best parts of fatherhood and dating and puts it into one game. During these unsettling times, video games can be a sweet relief to venture into.
As mentioned in Joseph’s arc, we are all just dads trying to find our way back to Margaritaville — but we know there is no such thing as the perfect world. Still, we can always find the little hints of this joy in our lives, whether it’s cozying up with a good book, watching that show you’ve always wanted to catch up on, or going on a bunch of dates with hot, single virtual dads.
