My comfort show is MythBusters. Not Friends. Not The Office. Certainly not Gilmore Girls. I want to watch people in safety glasses blow up a cement truck and then explain, calmly, what they learned. I have watched every episode more times than I can count and yes, I will continue to rewatch them over and over again.
My other comfort show is Chopped, where four chefs are handed a basket containing, say, astronaut ice cream and chicken livers, and make dishes that look and taste good out of them. It’s chaotic, but it’s also formulaic. Ted Allen (from the original Queer Eye cast) always speaks in his soothing voice as if using pig uterus is a perfectly normal dessert ingredient. Someone always gets chopped. Someone always wins $10K. Sometimes they use liquid nitrogen and use goggles too!
Turns out there is actual science behind why we watch the same things over and over again. Your nervous system doesn’t have to brace for anything. No tension, no stakes, no dread. You’re along for the ride without any of the risk. Psychologists call it narrative transportation — you get all the pleasure of being absorbed in a story with none of the stress of not knowing how it ends.
My comfort shows aren’t what most people choose. Nobody’s gathering around a table and making each other laugh. There’s no lame 3 season long “will they or won’t they” arc (they always eventually do- yawn).
The comfort in MythBusters is watching a team of people I’d love to hang out with take a problem apart methodically and come out the other side with an answer. Every single time. Problem, process, conclusion. The scientific method with a good amount of humor along the way.
Chopped is the pretty much same thing but with food instead of explosives. The baskets are always insane. The judges always yell at the chefs for not plating soon enough. But when the timer hits zero there is food on the plates and it’s usually pretty tasty according to the judges (who aren’t yelling anymore now).
Apparently what soothes me isn’t canned laughter and sight gags. It’s watching people solve problems in real time and doing what seems impossible with a side of humor. If Friends works for you, great. It’s just not my jam.
So whatever your comfort show is, don’t let anyone shame you for watching it! You can tell them it’s genuinely good for you. Your nervous system is relaxing. You’re spending time with people you know. You’re letting your brain take a night off.
And if those people happen to be blowing up a porta-potty for science, even better.