Current Obsessions: ‘Mississippi Masala,’ 'Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner,' NYC Co-Endorsement Magic + more!

Things move so fast these days. It’s nice to sit down and track what you’ve been focusing on.

It’s been a crazy week, but I managed to squeeze in a few droplets of time to obsess over things (oh no, why did I choose the word “droplets?” That’s weird, right?).

One thing I enjoyed through the lens of confused curiosity was A Minecraft Movie. Is it even a movie? Or just an experience? Like a themed birthday party for fans of the video game. Regardless, I started experimenting with my mindset during the watch, and truly —

This post is my faulty attempt at molding the sludge of content I consume into a presentable sculpture. Things move so fast these days. It’s nice to sit down and track what you’ve been focusing on.

And this week, I’ve obsessed over…

• FILM: Mississippi Masala (1991)

  

  I did some unexpected traveling this week (hence some of the weird formatting and delays you may have noticed from some of my posts, but it was nice to hear that something good has finally happened in this terrible, no good, very bad year with Zohran Mamdani securing the democratic nomination for Mayor of New York city. To celebrate, my “woman king” and I finally watched Mississippi Masala together (the film directed by Mamdani’s incredible mother, Mira Nair). For the record, I was the one who had never seen it before. And its yet another example of what an incredible decade the 1990s were for cinema. It’s refreshingly about something and manages to be incredible serious while maintaining a romantic and humorous pulse. Just a good time all around, and… just… wow… I mean… look at these two!

  

  I have roots in Mississippi and am married to an Indian woman, so, Zohran, if you’re reading this, I’m —

• TV: Brad Lander & Zohran Mamdani on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander not only co-endorsing one another but appearing together on national television to do so is a rare, recent example of Democrats doing something right.

• Podcast: Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner

  Brian Baumgartner, known by many as the guy who spilled beans in this The Office GIF —

  

  — hosts an interview series that doubles as an incredible behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the popular series. The two-parter with director Ken Kwapis is a particular standout for me. The Office lasted long enough to go from being revolutionary to the norm. And thanks to many of Baumgartner’s interviews, I’ve learned the specific science that turned the American version of The Office into a generation-defining sensation.

• TV: The Comeback

  I swear, I had no clue that a new installment of this series was in the works when I started my rewatch —

  — but it simply remains one of the funniest comedies ever made and weirdly fills me with nostalgia because I got to experience the magic of sitcom life as a writer. So, just seeing the sets, and the production crews, and the paranoia that fuels the whole industry has been really comforting. Can’t where Lisa Kudrow takes the character next.