July is the first month I took a serious pause from social media. In the past, my breaks consisted of a week of peace, then caving into my cravings to scroll my life away. This month is different. I enter July feeling directionless, and with Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok pulling me every which way, I decide to pull the plug.
I delete everything I can scroll through — even Pinterest finds its way on the chopping block. One more pin and you’d find me in the nearest braiding salon getting a 24-inch knotless boho braid buss down. Instead of impulse buying braiding hair on Amazon and living my summer hair dreams, I put my phone down.
Engaging with the media around me more thoughtfully makes me realize that I don’t need to strive to be anyone but myself. This month, I lock in on my ambitions and the TV shows and podcasts collecting dust on my list. July is also the month I decide to face my biggest fear — the green Amazon Fresh bags holding the remnants of my college life. I finally dig up and reorganize my cookbook collection, choosing a book every week to dive into.
I do hop on and off Instagram throughout the month, with the sole purpose of posting on Snack with Sash or responding to the flood of memes in my DMs. I scroll for a bit, just to see what folks are eating, laughing at, or debating, then log off. Contrastingly, this month taught me there's nothing wrong with a good mindless scroll. Dissociation is how many of us cope with the woes of the world (and chile, they are endless).
If one hilarious TikTok makes the difference between a good day and a bad one, I don’t think that’s an entirely awful thing. But if you do catch yourself wanting a break from it all, here are the TV shows that keep this media maven afloat all month.
The Great Food Truck Race Season 17: Games on the Gulf
If The Great Food Truck Race has no fans, I no longer exist. I’ve watched every season since the show came out in 2010. Last semester, I made the show my floor theme because I loved season 16 so much.
Season 17 has been interesting, to say the least. I love the diversity of chefs and cuisines featured, and the fact that there are multiple Black teams to root for. I’m not obsessed with dividing the trucks into “squads,” because the nature of the show had trucks forming alliances anyway — and that was more entertaining to watch. As a whole, this season feels less food-focused than previous ones, and the plot often shifts to petty drama between trucks. Nonetheless, I am a Great Food Truck Race Truther, and I’m excited to see how the final episodes of this season play out.
The American BBQ Showdown Season Three
This gem is one of my favorite cooking shows on Netflix. Kevin Bludso and Melissa Cookston make such a phenomenal judging duo. American BBQ Showdown has the fairest judging out of any cooking competition show I’ve watched by far. Add host Michelle Buteau to the mix and you have a recipe for success.
My girlfriend and I binge-watched the season together. While they were focused on how to become America’s hottest pitmaster (watch out y’all — they’re already the most talented chef I know), I reflected on the role of cooking competition shows in our collective food imagination. Lofty stuff, I know. But when I’m watching a show that is essentially flawless in my book, it allows me to think big picture. Food competition shows are all about dreaming. American BBQ Showdown leans into this, allowing the two finalists to conjure up their own BBQ joints and compete head to head — within their wildest dreams.
Too Hot To Handle Season Six
After all of my complaining about drama, I’m sure you’re wondering why Netflix’s most chaotic dating show is getting top remarks. Well, I have a confession to make. I love reality TV more than life itself. That’s a tad hyperbolic, but a group of conventionally attractive twenty-somethings finding their way in relationships (and often failing), will never get old to me. I did go to NYU after all.
I’m a Too Hot To Handle Analyst. I’ve studied every season, and this one is particularly interesting because the contestants know exactly what they are signing up for. New plot devices like evil Lana and banishment keep the show interesting, without straying too far from the plot. I’m rooting for Bri and Demari, and I’ve been enjoying this wave of Black Love that is hitting our Reality TV screens lately (see the winners of Love Island USA and UK for example). Netflix is a tease and only drops three episodes a week. Every Friday, I make a spectacle out of the new episodes, forcing my family to join me on the couch so we can watch the mess unfold.
Honorable Mentions because I watch so much Television
Supacell
Black people with superpowers will always get me. This is another show my girlfriend and I binged together, and we were both HOOKED. The plot has plenty of twists and turns, and I love how focused the show is on telling Black stories. I also enjoyed that this show is set across the pond — listening to UK accents and slang will never get old.
24 in 24: Last Chef Standing
This creative cooking competition show was on auto-play after I finished watching The Great Food Truck Race (shocker). I didn’t grab the remote on time to skip, but maybe that was a blessing in disguise. 24 in 24 is exactly what it sounds like. 24 chefs. 24 challenges. 24 hours — nonstop. I’ll let you discover the rest.
That’s the rundown! Stay tuned to hear about my favorite books, podcasts, and YouTube videos. :)
Cheers,
Sasha
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