What embarrassing shows have you binged on? Tell the truth.

I was on a golf trip recently. This was a man’s type of golf trip, and an annual occurrence. Four days, seven rounds, four courses, twenty-four golf balls, fourteen clubs, four dinners, two flights, one hundred drinks, and a partridge in a pear tree.

This trip is meant for friends to get together, each to disconnect from their worlds, put phones down, partake in competitive matches, and foster great conversation to catch up. One of these conversations was about what shows we are all currently watching. Of course, one says The Last Dance. Another says he’s binging whatever his wife is binging, and this month that’s Euphoria. Someone always mentions a standup comic or Joe Rogan, but I decided to be real. Be me and be confident in my binge.

As of late, I am fully invested in Sex and the City. My wife started watching it for the tenth time and I got déjà vu remembering my Mom’s bedroom TV growing up bookended with these very DVDs. So…I decided to turn it on.

Now, being from the New York City myself, I could relate to most of the plotlines: the relationships, the dates, the sex (I was Samantha), the bars, the restaurants, the close-knit friends, the lifestyle, the culture, etc. To my surprise, the show is really good. I’ve already made it to the reboot, And Just Like That, and I’m almost done with that too. Again, fully invested and committed to seeing this through. The show is riddled with “woke” examples of our current and very controversial climate, so this won’t be my last And Just Like That inspired newsletter.

The part of the story I’m here to discuss with you is the reaction I got from the group I was with. Just like a scene out of a movie, three guys stared blankly at one guy (me) for a quiet and seemingly long five seconds, during which each broke their gaze with me only to look at each other debating how to react. I’m sure you’re thinking, I got torn apart by some of my best friends for engaging in a largely female-targeted show…

Right after this awkward, long pause, one guy (I did not expect this from him in particular), jumped right in to ask me how it was. Would I recommend it? Who is my favorite character? And so on and so on. Once the silence was broken, the others instantly piggybacked on his questions. What is it about? Is it all about women? How much sex is actually in it? Do you see anything? You would think it’s been burning in their souls to watch this show, number one on their TV to-dos, but seemed embarrassed of what others might think. Why isn’t it assumed to be totally fine to watch what you want, listen to what you want to listen to, be who want to be, or like what you like. Why is that embarrassing?

It’s embarrassing because people don’t have the balls to be confident enough to be share what they genuinely like. They’re not confident enough because they’re worried about what other people’s reactions might be. Why can I be confident enough to say I’ve watched Sex and the City and others rely on something they only think sounds good because of a stereotype, like a guy telling his boss he’s also seen Full Swing three times.

At the end of the day, fuck what everyone says, thinks, does. Just because you watch, listen, like, or do something, does not mean you are labeled a certain way. Previously, I had gotten myself into much more intimate situations with the ladies by being true to me. I got the same reaction every time, “Wow, you’re not like everyone else” or “Wow, most people would just try to copy everyone else” or the most cliché of clichés, “I thought all guys were all the same.”

Don’t be the same as everyone else. Be you. Be real. Be confident. And be all those things before you know it’ll be well received or well liked. 

Next week, you’re either going to hear a story about my past or my point of view on the And Just Like That season 2 season finale.

Until then, shoot me a comment. Let’s dig deeper on a story I’ve already told, a story you want me to tell, or anything under the sun you might need advice on. My door’s always open.

-TCM