List #71: Best of 2018

The Big Family Cooking Showdown: Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Most Positive TV Twist, Rec. #707

Burn, Burn, Burn: Best Road Trip, Rec. #723

Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

Captain Awkward: Best Advice on the Internet, Rec. #705

Check, Please: Best Webcomic Now in Print, Rec. #735

Chess: Best Live Musical Performance, Rec. #721

Colossal: Best I-Guess-It's-Technically-SciFi, Rec. #713

"DecaDance/Chicago": Best Live Dance Performance, Rec. #703

Dogs on Twitter: Best Reason Not to Rage-Quit the Internet, Rec. #747

Dr. Gameshow: Best Way to Keep Up with NYC Comedy When You're Not in NYC, Rec. #719

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Best Place to Discover New Sketch Comedy Duos, Rec. #749

An Emmy for Megan: Best Short Form Comedy Concept, Rec. #751

Flo & Joan: Best Musical Comedy Duo, Rec. #709

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: Best Righteous Fury on the Screen, Rec. #739

Janeane Garofalo: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

Giant Days: Best Continuing Comic Book Series, Rec. #711

Good and Mad: Best Righteous Fury on the Page, Rec. #737

The Good Place: Best Recent Evidence of the Genius of Allison Jones, Casting Director, Rec. #745

The Good Place: Most Deserving of Implicit Trust, Rec. #757

The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4): Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

The Guardian: Best Photography Curation, Rec. #729

Making It: Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

Only Connect and Victoria Coren Mitchell: Best Match of Host with Show, Rec. #755

Paddington 2: Best Movie Featuring Sally Hawkins Underwater, Rec. #701

Helen Rosner: Best Insight Into the Food World for Non-Foodies, Rec. #715

Schitt's Creek: Best Serenades, Rec. #733

The Spy Who Dumped Me: Best Buddy Comedy, Rec. #725

Taskmaster: Best Embrace of Meaninglessness, Rec. #731

Louis Virtel: Most Welcome Podcast Guest, Rec. #753

Visages Villages: Best Road Trip That Is Also a Buddy Comedy, Rec. #727

W1A: Best Faux Documentary, Rec. #741

You're on an Airplane: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

List #70: All of the Organizations I've Highlighted This Month

Amnesty International: Rec. #712

The Bail Project: Rec. #724

Center for Reproductive Rights: Rec. #728

Donors Choose: Rec. #734

EMILY's List: Rec. #732

Feeding America: Rec. #742

Guardian US: Rec. #714

International Rescue Committee (IRC): Rec. #744

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): Rec. #722

Midwest Access Coalition (MAC): Rec. #704

Muslim Justice League (MJL): Rec. #752

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF): Rec. #746

National Domestic Workers Alliance: Rec. #716

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Rec. #750

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Rec. #754

Navajo Water Project: Rec. #740

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF): Rec. #708

The Public Theater: Rec. #710

Rape, Abuse & Invest National Network (RAINN): Rec. #730

Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES): Rec. #702

Reproaction: Rec. #748

Save the Internet: Rec. #726

Survived & Punished (S&P): Rec. #758

Trans Lifeline: Rec. #718

The Trevor Project: Rec. #738

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB): Rec. #706

Women & Children First: Rec. #756

Women for Women International: Rec. #720

Women's Refugee Commission: Rec. #736

Rec. #758: Survived & Punished (S&P)

What the organization does: S&P is a national project to end the criminalization of survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Where to learn more: 

https://survivedandpunished.org/about/ 

https://survivedandpunished.org/projects/

How to help: 

https://survivedandpunished.org/donate/

https://survivedandpunished.org/resources/

 

Rec. #757: Most Deserving of Implicit Trust

***BEST OF 2018***

The creators and writers of The Good Place have earned my trust. I don't know where this show will go next, but I will be along for the ride.

(See List #68)

Rec. #756: Women & Children First

Or another independent bookstore of your choosing!!

What the organization does: Women & Children First, in Chicago, is one of the largest feminist bookstores in the country. The store's mission is to promote the writing of women and other marginalized voices and to offer a place where everyone can find books reflecting their lives and interests in an atmosphere in which they are respected, valued, and well-served.

Where to learn more: https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/wcf-history-and-purpose

How to help: https://crossroadsfund.org/content/womens-voices-fund


Find more independent local bookstores at IndieBound.org.

Rec. #755: Best Match of Host with Show

***BEST OF 2018***

Only Connect is a cozy embrace of nerdery and Victoria Coren Mitchell comes in blazing with clever snark. It's a perfect fit.

(See Rec. #580, Rec. #643)

Rec. #754: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

What the organization does: NRDC is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group.

Where to learn more:

https://www.nrdc.org/work

https://www.nrdc.org/about

How to help:

https://www.nrdc.org/get-involved

https://act.nrdc.org/donate/one-time-gift

 

Rec. #753: Most Welcome Podcast Guest

***BEST OF 2018***

Louis Virtel is one of the hosts of the new-in-2018 podcast Keep It. He also subbed in for Guy Branum as host of Pop Rocket (presumably while Branum finished his book).

I can't even begin to list all of the other podcasts Virtel has guested on -- I just know that I dutifully download any episode he's on.

(See also Rec. #406)

Rec. #752: Muslim Justice League (MJL)

What the organization does: MJL educates, organizes, and advocates to protect human and civil rights that are violated or threatened under national security pretexts.

Where to learn more:

https://www.muslimjusticeleague.org/our-work/

https://www.muslimjusticeleague.org/our-people/

How to help: https://www.muslimjusticeleague.org/support/ 

Rec. #751: Best Short Form Comedy Concept

***BEST OF 2018***

An Emmy for Megan is, once again, proof that Megan Amram is a mad genius.

(See also Rec. #427, Rec. #445, Rec. #594)

Rec. #750: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

What the organization does: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Where to learn more: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/about/

How to help: 
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/participate/
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/donate/

Rec. #749: Best Place to Discover New Sketch Comedy Duos

***BEST OF 2018***

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world's largest arts festival. With more than 3,500 independent shows, of course it's *the* place to spot the next big thing, and this year I found the sketch comedy to be particularly strong. 

(I still think Chicago on any given night is better for improv.) 

Specific kudos to EGG Comedy (Anna Leong Brophy and Emily Lloyd-Saini) and Croft & Pearce (Hannah Croft & Fiona Pearce).

(See also Rec. #709)

Rec. #748: Reproaction

What the organization does: Reproaction works to increase access to abortion and advance reproductive rights.

Where to learn more: https://reproaction.org/about/

How to help:
https://reproaction.org/take-action/
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/reproaction
https://reproaction.org/resources/

Rec. #747: Best Reason Not to Rage-Quit the Internet

***BEST OF 2018***

Dogs on Twitter

  

Dido, via @hels

Brian, via @lindaholmes

Glory, via @BlairBraverman

Helen Rosner (@hels), Linda Holmes (@lindaholmes), and Blair Braverman (@BlairBraverman) are all A+ purveyors of cute dog content, but really --- you have a lot of options.

(See also Rec. #544, Rec. #545, Rec. #547, Rec. #607, Rec. #609, Rec. #684)

Rec. #746: NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF)

What the organization does: LDF is a nonprofit legal organization fighting for racial justice through litigation, advocacy, and public education.

Where to learn more: 

https://www.naacpldf.org/about-us/

https://www.naacpldf.org/our-impact/

How to help: https://www.naacpldf.org/support/

Rec. #745: Best Recent Evidence of the Genuis of Allison Jones, Casting Director

***BEST OF 2018***

Allison Jones is the casting director for The Good Place, which means she was responsible for pulling from the worlds of theater, improv, hip-hop dance, and British presenter-dom to find the perfect relative-unknowns to embody Chidi, Janet, Jason, and Tahani.

William Jackson Harper (Rec. #627), D'Arcy Carden (Rec. #629), Manny Jacinto (Rec. #628), and Jameela Jamil (Rec. #626) --- aka "the babies" --- hold their own, even against established television sweethearts Ted Danson and Kristen Bell.

(See also List #68)

Rec. #744: International Rescue Committee (IRC)

What the organization does: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and offers emergency aid and long-term assistance to refugees and those displaced by war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Where to learn more: 

https://www.rescue.org/who-we-are

https://www.rescue.org/where-we-work

https://www.rescue.org/what-we-do

How to help: https://www.rescue.org/how-to-help

Rec. #743: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes

***BEST OF 2018***

Parker Posey's memoir, You're on an Airplane, mentions Party Girl (Rec. #141) in the first few pages, which delighted me.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? itself takes place in the early '90s, but my personal '90s were also filled with Dorothy Parker.

It was so, so great to see Janeane Garofalo do winding, confessional standup at Edinburgh this year. I believe she severely underestimates the vast reserves of goodwill an entire generation has for her.

Rec. #742: Feeding America

What the organization does: Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.

Where to learn more:
https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work
https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us

How to help:
https://www.feedingamerica.org/take-action
https://www.feedingamerica.org/ways-to-give
https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

Rec. #741: Best Faux Documentary

***BEST OF 2018***

W1A is a workplace comedy in the vein of the original (UK) The Office, but in this case the workplace happens to be the BBC.

(See Rec. #601, QfFC #102)

Rec. #740: Navajo Water Project

What the organization does: The Navajo Water Project is a program of the DigDeep Right to Water Project, a nonprofit that plans locally-led water projects that bring clean, running water to American communities in need.

Where to learn more: 

https://www.navajowaterproject.org/project-specifics/

https://digdeep.org/

http://uswateralliance.org/organization/navajo-water-project

How to help: https://www.navajowaterproject.org/give/

Rec. #739: Best Righteous Fury on the Screen

***BEST OF 2018***

I am a devotee of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Bee and her team generally express what I can only describe as appropriate levels of outrage.

(See also List #63, Rec. #417, Rec. #494, Rec. #510, Rec. #664)

Rec. #738: The Trevor Project

What the organization does: The Trevor Project is a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.

Where to learn more: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/about/

How to help: 

https://give.thetrevorproject.org/give/63307/#!/donation/checkout

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/

Rec. #737: Best Righteous Fury on the Page

***BEST OF 2018***

Rebecca Traister's Good and Mad puts it all in context.

(See also Rec. #655 and Rec. #663)

Rec. #736: Women's Refugee Commission

What the organization does: The Women's Refugee Commission improves the lives and protects the rights of women, children and youth displaced by conflict and crisis.

Where to learn more:
https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/
https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/about
https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/issues

How to help: https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/donate-now

Rec. #735: Best Webcomic Now in Print

***BEST OF 2018***

You might think that you don't care about fictional undergraduate hockey bros, but Check, Please and its pie-baking protagonist will prove you wrong.

The Kickstarter-record-breaking webcomic is now available in print as a graphic novel from First Second publishers.

(See also List #63)

Rec. #734: Donors Choose

What the organization does: Donors Choose connects teachers in high-need communities with donors who want to help.

Where to learn more: https://www.donorschoose.org/about

How to help: 

https://help.donorschoose.org/hc/en-us/sections/200334308-Ways-to-donate

https://www.donorschoose.org/donors/search.html

Rec. #733: Best Serenades

***BEST OF 2018***

Schitt's Creek has quietly been developing one of the sweetest, most genuine relationships on tv. In the episodes "Open Mic" (S4, E6) and "The Olive Branch" (S4, E9), David and Patrick take it to the next level via the great Tina Turner.

Watch clips here and here, and hear the behind the scenes perspective here and here.

(See also List #59, List #65, Rec. #490, Rec. #595, Rec. #680)

Rec. #732: EMILY's List

What the organization does: EMILY's List is an American political action committee that aims to help elect pro-choice Democratic female candidates to office.

Where to learn more: https://www.emilyslist.org/pages/about-us

How to help:
https://www.emilyslist.org/pages/get-involved
https://www.emilyslist.org/pages/entry/support-emilys-list