Laura's Favorite Things - 2015 Edition

Hello Lettuce Heads! It's Laura here, closing out this series of blog posts about the things we at TLP loved most in 2015. Personally, I think 2015 was an exciting year for the entertainment industry. Some of the world's most beloved franchises expanded and/or got revitalized (I'm looking at you, Star Wars!), some of our favorite TV shows ended, music lovers rejoiced at the release of Adele's 25, and the podcast medium is more popular than ever. Here are some of my favorite entertainment topics from the past year:

Books:

I read a lot of books this year! Many of them were for the podcast, but I also got some extra-curricular reading done. My favorite non-podcast book that I read in 2015 was Neil Patrick Harris' Choose Your Own Autobiography. As you may have guessed from the title, this autobiography is written in the same format as the Choose Your Own Adventure books, which were popular children's books many moons ago. This unique style made NPH's life story a fun and fascinating read. It was interesting to see the many facets of his life divided into their own equal time, yet somehow intertwined. A great read, especially for those who like to learn about people. My favorite podcast reading assignment was A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I really enjoyed my introduction to this series. If you've read or watched any of the GoT content, you know how complex the story is and how captivating the characters are. For my full opinion on this book, I'll suggest listening to our A Game of Lettuce episode if you haven't already. 

Comedy:

It was a banner year for women in comedy! Jen Kirkman has been a favorite of mine for many years. She has a reputation for being raw and honest about her womanhood. She stands out as a woman who embraces that her life may not fit into the traditional trappings of her gender (i.e. must be married, must have children, etc) and doesn't want you to pity her for it. Her comedy embodies her strength, while still pointing out the ways in which it can be hard to be a woman. Or even just a person. Her Netflix comedy special is top notch! Of course, Amy Schumer is quickly becoming a household name. I have not yet seen Trainwreck (gasp!), but I've watched Inside Amy Schumer and some of her comedy specials. Her comedic timing is truly something special and her comedy is not just about shock and being potty-mouthed. She presents well-crafted, smart jokes. Not only is she challenging us to consider what topics are "male" and "female", she's also created a standard for sex and beauty. Someone else who climbed up the comedy ladder this year was Aziz Ansari. He's a seasoned stand-up comedian, but the closing of Parks and Recreation allowed him to focus the spotlight on his comedy career. Ansari is one of nine comedians to sell out Madison Square Garden. Similar to Jen Kirkman, Aziz Ansari highlights the struggles of an adulthood that doesn't follow tradition. His comedy is smart, snappy, witty, and fast. His MSG performance, which was released as a Netflix special, is like watching a master craftsman do his work. It's effortless, charming, and undeniably funny.

Movies:

My favorite movie of the year, hands down, was Spectre. I'm a huge James Bond fan and was extremely excited for this release. Although the film has flaws and is not the best in the series, it was still a highlight of the year for me. I'm very much looking forward to adding this to my collection when the Blu-Ray comes out. Honorable mentions for 2015 in movies go to: Inside Out and Creed. Inside Out was a beautifully made film, both visually and story-wise. I'm loving this shift in children's movies to more complex stories. The movie industry is starting to treat children like the living, breathing, thinking beings that they are, as opposed to hitting them with loud sounds, bright colors, and no content. Creed was also released in 2015, right at the end of the year. On the surface, this may seem like a shameless attempt to keep the Rocky franchise alive. It is so much more- this is a feel good story about hard work, challenges, fighting, and accomplishment. It's expertly made and features a truly masterful performance from Sylvester Stallone. That man deserves EVERY award he's going to win for his portrayal of the running-on-fumes Rocky Balboa. 

Music:

My favorite release of 2015 was Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly. Full disclosure: this is a very recent choice. My college bestie, Phil, has been proselytizing the talent of Kendrick Lamar for years and I finally dove in about a week ago. This album is every bit as masterful as my friend indicated. Lamar is extraordinarily prolific, unique, and just a damn good rapper. His style is unlike any other and is such a breath of fresh air in the hip hop community. You can't lose with this guy. Moving on, the Foo Fighters' Sonic Highways was released in late 2014, but its singles quickly became the soundtrack to early 2015 for me. The Foo Fighters just never disappoint me. They have a way of maintaining both their sound and style without becoming played out or boring. Sonic Highways rich and thick with good sounds. It also contains a lot of history, which can be thoroughly studied via the compensatory HBO docu-series of the same name. My last pick for favorite music of 2015 is First Aid Kid. I discovered this duo a little over a year ago and have been obsessed ever since. They are a Swedish duo who fuse folk and old school country and western music. They have sweet vocal harmonies and toe-tapping rhythms. The first track I heard of theirs is called "Emmylou" off the album The Lion's Roar. It's an ode to the late country great Emmy Lou Harris and just beautiful. This led me down a rabbit hole and I've consumed of much of their fantastic music as possible. Some honorable mentions for 2015 include: Sleater-Kinney, Belle & Sebastian, and Florence + The Machine. Each had a new release in 2015 and already stand as some of my favorite musicians.

Podcasts:

It should come as no surprise that I love podcasts! I have many favorites, but we'll stick to 2015. Hands down, my favorite podcast discovery this year was Stuff You Missed in History Class. This show is a part of the Stuff You Should Know network, which produces several high quality shows on a range of topics. Each week, Tracy and Holly present two 30 minute episodes about a topic in history. Topics can be people, places, events, or even food. Not only is the subject matter typically very fascinating, but the two hosts have an infectious rapport. They truly have a fun time research and creating content for their listeners. This is not your run-of-the-mill history lesson! Another podcast that I

enjoyed this year was Undisclosed. This is a follow-up show to the story that we all heard on Serial. Rabia Chauddry and a team of legal experts examine the case against Adnan Syed from a purely legal standpoint. They present each beat of the case in a sequential order to help the listener understand what exactly happened in 1999, as far as they know. They also make some interesting discoveries about the case that were not discussed on Serial. It's a great way to continue the story from Serial, but even more so a great introduction to how the justice system in the United States works. Last, I have to promote my favorite podcast of all time, Never Not Funny. It's a comedy podcast hosted by

comedian Jimmy Pardo and his producer Matt Belknap. Each week, they welcome a guest to the show and just goof around for 90 or so minutes. It's a simple formula with the most wonderful rewards. Also, if you're a comedy nerd like me, you'll learn so much about the comedic process. 

Television:

I gotta give it up for the final season of Mad Men. Mad Men is my favorite TV show of all time. It's beautiful and well crafted, and I'm enamored by the characters. I won't get too far into my love of this show, because I wrote a series of blog posts highlighting my favorite episodes from every season. Dig back into our archives for more of my thoughts! If you're not willing to do that, just know that I love Mad Men! Another favorite show of mine ended in 2015: Parks and Recreation. I was a HUGE fan of The Office when it was airing, so this spin off seemed right up my alley. It was a slow start at first, but it quickly grew to a favorite. I live in a town where local government is extremely prominent, so I was able to relate to many of the show's foibles. Plus, this show was perfectly cast from the comedic goddess that is Amy Poehler to the hyperactive Rob Lowe. I was sad to see the show go, but was thoroughly entertained by its exit. Lastly, I had the pleasure of acquiring an HBO go account in the latter part of 2015 and dove head first into Veep. This is similar to Parks and Recreation, but on a much larger scale. The political aspects are all there in spades, but the real joy of this show is that it is jam packed, bursting at the seems with incredibly smart jokes. It is just so so so funny! The $15/month is well worth it. And hats off for a political show that manages to not push the agenda of any political party. I'm seriously in awe! 

That's all for 2015. See you next year!
Arugalator!