“People are out protesting a lot in Portland, so I feel bad telling ’em to stop protesting and come to my show so just, you know, follow your heart.” This was Doug Benson’s invocation to Portland comedy fans on the most recent episode of his podcast Doug Loves Movies, as he made his “Doug plugs,” announcing his upcoming touring schedule to a giggling crowd in Sacramento.
It was a gracious little verbal high-five to Portland, and the laughter that followed felt like a tiny miracle beaming through my earbuds.
Like any good millennial, I subscribe to more podcasts than I can keep up with, and listen to them all the time. But after Tuesday’s heartbreaking shitshow of an election night, I found I wasn’t ready to distract myself from what had happened, and I didn’t really want to, anyway. Grief is important. We should give it the space it requires.