Why Are So Many Of You Watching Movies About Pandemics And Dystopias?

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I’m using this time to watch stuff I haven’t had a chance to catch up on. I finally binged The Mandalorian, for example. I’m also watching, for want of a better term, “happy stuff.” Recently I was watching some old Phineas and Ferb episodes. I’m watching a lot of food shows. Apparently a lot of people are being super weird about their viewing habits, though. Why are you all watching stuff about the end of the world?

Contagion has been one of the most-watched movies recently. Right now, I am looking at a website that is dedicated to informing people where they can stream certain movies and TV shows. You can search for the stuff that’s free, for example. The movies can be presented in different orders, and here is the order based on popularity right now: Outbreak, I Am Legend, 28 Days Later, and 12 Monkeys. So that’s two movies about outbreaks and two movies about lone survivors after most of humanity is wiped out. They are all dystopian and bleak. 12 Monkeys has an ending of pure futility. Also it has really good performances from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. The top 10 also includes another zombie movie Shaun of the Dead, but at least that one is a comedy. At least The Princess Bride is up there for some reason.

Frankly, I just don’t get it. I’m sure you have your arguments. You’re steering into the curve. Maybe you are finding solace in things not being as bad in reality. Maybe you are being reassured. I just find it strange. To me, watching that sort of stuff would just be stressful and unpleasant. It’s not what I am interested in at all. I want to watch a platypus thwart an inept mad scientist. I want to watch chefs compete to make the best meal out of weird ingredients. I did watch the movie 2012 recently, but to make fun of it over the phone with somebody.

Of course, these are strange times. We’re all dealing with something unprecedented in our lives. It has been over a century since the world has faced something like this. Hopefully it will be a century at least before it happens again. By then who knows where medical science will be. I’m just trying to stay sane for now. You probably are too. I don’t know how watching Outbreak helps on that front, but apparently a ton of you are turning to it in these puzzling, dispiriting times. More power to you. I think I might watch some classic episodes of The Simpsons tonight. Not the one with the Osaka Flu, though. It’s too soon for that.