2018 Was the Year of Wholesome Viewing
Credit to Author: Nicole Clark| Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2018 18:50:32 +0000
This year served us a smorgasbord of reality television escapism in the form of wholesome programming: shows that deal primarily in compassion, support, and empathy, and make you weep out of joy and closure, rather than sadness. They’re an uplifting antidote to reality TV, past and present, shows that focus on interpersonal drama or aggressive competition—think The Bachelor, Survivor, America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway, or American Idol. Rather, these new programs seem to understand the value of, say, Project Runway‘s Tim Gunn being a fan favorite for his kindness and dotage over contestants—and they make that ethos their whole premise.
It’s hard to know why, exactly, there was such an embrace of this genre in 2018. Perhaps it’s thanks to the more and more precarious economic health of the millennial generation, or the sheer exhaustion over a toxic presidency. Whatever the reason, we’re all clearly grasping for a smidgen of something like TLC but with a little more wit. Here are a few of our favorite wholesome shows of 2018, and why we love them:
Queer Eye
Though this docuseries is not necessarily the same breed as the others on this list, it’s revolutionary for a number of the same reasons: charm, accessibility, and compassion. Cooking and travel shows can often feel like a laundry list of inaccessible luxury—think Chef’s Table—a form of escapism that is so out of reach it can ultimately leave you with the feel of despair. But Salt Fat Acid Heat is just the opposite. Samin Nosrat’s show, designed after her best-selling cookbook of the same name, feels like a celebration, a community, an embrace. It’s revitalizing to be taught the intention and history of flavor, and to consequently form an intimate relationship with the foods that are being shown. You don’t just gaze at the sweeping vistas of the Italian olive vineyards while Nosrat goes olive hunting—you learn how the freshness and insane quantities of olive oil make focaccia delicious. You learn how olive oil is a kind of fat, and how fat makes things taste exquisite. She teaches you how to incorporate these skills. And you get to watch her devour the food she’s made.
Nosrat is a gift—somehow, years of grueling kitchen work have left her only more curious, hungrier. This childlike desire to know more, and to share everything that excites her with you, the viewer, is contagious. Women in television so rarely get to eat, much less eat with absolute joy. Salt Fat Acid Heat made me ravenous and sated me all at once. I bought her cookbook immediately and learned about 50 new cooking principals that enhanced the taste and quality of my own meals immeasurably. In a media landscape where drama and despair are regarded with more respect, it’s vindicating to feel the impact of a work borne of intense optimism and passion. Nostrat reminds us that when we support people in chasing their passions, we all benefit immeasurably.
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This article originally appeared on VICE US.