Think about when you’ve been having a long day… or when you aren’t feeling the best… or even when you just feel like you need something to keep your mind off of everything going on in the world. What do you find yourself being drawn to? Some music that you associate with driving down the road, friends by your side? A fanfic that you found late one night and had you kicking your feet with how cute the plot was? Or maybe even a show that you know more dialogue to than you’d like to admit? Any piece of media that makes you feel at home, safe, relaxed… like you can turn your brain off for a while. That’s what I’d call comfort media.
Now, the idea of comfort media isn’t necessarily a new one. People have always had media that they choose to indulge in no matter how many times they’ve watched, listened, or read it. However, during the pandemic, when our world was literally turned upside down, this idea became more of a forefront. It took me until the pandemic to put a name to it, and since then I’ve realized that I have a few different pieces of comfort media.
My comfort media doesn’t have a theme… an anime, a music group, literary couple fanfiction, children’s cartoon, superhero animated show, and YouTube comedy. All of these are different, but all of them bring me a sense of relaxation at different times when needed.
One of my indicators that I am building up stress is the urge to put on ‘Ouran High School Host Club’. This was one of the first anime I ever watched, and it remains one of my all-time favorites. I could quote countless episodes, and even list their titles in order (This is no lie, my friend can attest to looking at the episode list while I recited the titles off on a video call). ‘Ouran’ is my comfort because I don’t need to think while watching it. I can put it on in the background and easily be doing work… all while keeping focused and gradually calming myself down.
The shows ‘Scooby-Doo’ and ‘Young Justice’ season 1 do the same thing. ‘Scooby-Doo’ could be listed as my favorite piece of media ever. It’s classic, the stories are fun, the characters are relatable, and most importantly… It’s my childhood. To this day, I still have two shelves worth of the ‘Scooby-Doo’ movies and show volumes. It doesn’t matter if I know who the ‘Miner 49er’ is already – I’m going to watch the episode and follow along as the gang finds clues, gets chased, sets a trap, and finally catches the criminal.
‘Young Justice’ is, overall, an underrated show in the DC Universe. It was what really roped me back into liking superheroes. Growing up I watched ‘Teen Titans’, but I fell away from superhero media for a few years. Then, a friend suggested I watch ‘Young Justice’, and I was right back in. All 4 seasons of this show are great, but if I’m going to do a simple rewatch, it’s going to be the first season. There’s something about the original team of Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, M’Gann and Artemis that always puts a smile on my face. The characters all have great chemistry, the storylines for the first season were clever, thought out, and reasonably challenging for the target audience. (Though not too complicated where you have no clue what’s going on) So, anytime I am beginning to feel my anxiety building I can throw ‘Ouran’, ‘Scooby-Doo’, or ‘Young Justice’ on the TV and instantly relax.
When I am just having a bad day, there are a few pieces of media I’ll turn to. First is something every nerd knows about: fanfiction. I read fanfiction for basically every media I enjoy, but there’s a specific kind I turn to when I need a smile:‘Percabeth’ fanfics. ‘Percabeth’ is the pairing of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase from Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ series. I absolutely adore this couple more than words could describe. They’ve been through hell within their stories (I mean they’ve literally walked through Tartarus together). The fanfics I read give them the happiness and love they deserve. Instead of focusing on battles and life-threatening situations, the fics I read for this couple focus on the mundane. We get to see between the battles, helping bandage each other up and even watch them go through relationship growing pains. My favorite is glancing into their future, watching them live out their lives attending New Rome University together. Whatever the situation, seeing the creative stories fans write for these two never fails to make me smile.
The next thing I turn to on almost a daily basis (even when I’m not having a bad day) are ‘Smosh Videos’. I used to watch Smosh back when they first started on YouTube: Just two friends making silly skits and videos. I had no idea they eventually grew into a company with a whole cast, crew, and studio… until my friend put on an episode of ‘Eat It or Yeet It’ because they knew how picky an eater I am. Since then, I am always watching their newest videos. I even have the notifications on! The variety of their videos are fun and can appeal to many people. For example, you can find a plethora of new party games to play with friends from Smosh’s ‘Board AF’ series. Even my dad gets a laugh out of the crazy food crimes Garrett commits for ‘Eat It or Yeet It’!
My final piece of comfort media, the one that I truly hold closest to my heart, are ‘BTS Music and Videos’. Basically everyone has heard the name BTS, and there’s not really a need to explain why. They’re global superstars, not only for their music and talent, but because of their meaningful messages and love they share. I have so much to thank BTS for… they helped me begin to see my own worth and learn to love myself, they introduced me to a culture that led me to an amazing year of living abroad… and most importantly because of them I have two of the most important people in my life. Anytime I listen to BTS’ music or watch one of their videos I can’t help but smile. Nothing but good memories come from them, and that’s the ultimate comfort.
Comfort media can be different for everyone, and it can shift throughout our lives. However, one thing remains the same: These pieces of entertainment are a simple place to turn to when you just need to sit back, relax, and let the world fall away for a bit.
Thank you for reading! This is all simply my own opinion and thoughts on the concept of comfort media. I’d love to know your thoughts and what makes comforting entertainment for you! Feel free to comment and even share your comfort media too!