My Top 5 Favorite Forms of Entertainment
Entertainment can come in many forms, and in today’s age the options are only expanding. TV shows, movies, documentaries, music. Long form content such as podcasts and Twitch streams. Short form content such as TikToks and Instagram Reels. The list goes on and on. In fact, in today’s world, more and more people are preferring to watch YouTube over traditional TV, and more and more movies are being released straight to streaming platforms rather than theaters. It just shows how the entertainment industry is evolving over time. With all that said, I would like to share my personal top 5 forms of entertainment. Lets go ahead and jump into it.
#5 Skateboarding
It’s very surprising that skateboarding is not more of a mainstream, popular sport, but that’s also why it’s so lovable. Professional skateboarding is one of those underground gems that only the really cool people watch and follow. It’s an organic artform that takes a ton of technical skill, courage, and vulnerability.
When you look at professional skateboarders, pretty much none of them are in it for the money. In fact, a lot of them struggle just to get by off of their artform alone. And yet, they continue to stick with it and put their all into it because it’s what they love.
On top of all that, professional skateboarders tend to be pretty cool and interesting people. Guys like Nyjah, Ishod Wair, Dashawn Jordan. They are people that know how to have a good time while still remaining committed to what they do. Most of them tend to be health conscious, disciplined people despite all of the hazards and risks involved with the sport. It’s all these reasons that make professional skateboarding a ton of fun to watch.
#4 Stand Up Comedy
It is said that performing stand up is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and I can see that. To go up there and make a room full of people go from sitting quietly to laughing hysterically seems like no easy task. And yet, it’s something that the great comedians do time and time again.
Like professional skateboarders, stand up comedians tend to be pretty interesting people. A lot of them came up doing things like living out of their car, traveling around the country, sleeping on couches, working odd jobs, and partying everywhere and anywhere. They tend to have the funniest stories and have lived the most unique lifestyles.
#3 Gaming
Although I don’t consume gaming content as much as I used to, for a lot of my younger years gaming was one of my go-tos. Even back in 2009 before YouTube was anywhere close to what it is today, gaming was one of the biggest types of content you would find on there. And then around 2018 Twitch started getting popular, and for a while that was a thing for me as well.
Gamers tend to be an interesting group. Some of them are super chill, some are hilarious, others get extremely angry while playing, and most are a bit of a combination of all of that. However, one thing gamers don’t get enough credit for is just how hard they work at what they do. A lot of those folks put in countless hours not only learning the mechanics of the games themselves, but also interacting and giving back to their viewers. Most of them tend to be pretty generous people. They invite viewers to come on and play with them on stream. They provide giveaways and prizes to loyal subscribers. And they give continuous thanks to the people who have stuck with them. It’s all these reasons that make gamers generally likeable people.
#2 NBA Basketball
Anyone who knows me knows just how much I love the NBA. I’ve been a long time fan since a teenager and still continue to watch on an almost nightly basis.
NBA players are truly exceptional human beings. Not only are they extremely talented at what they do, but those guys work harder than none other. Coaches, trainers, counselors, nutritionists. They work extremely hard not only to be at the top of their game, but to be the best human beings they can possibly be. For these reasons it can be very inspirational to watch NBA basketball. There have been so many times where I’ve turned on a game only to walk away inspired by just how much those guys put down on the floor.
Basketball is a beautiful sport. It requires teamwork, strategy, athleticism, and technical skill. Although the NBA has been criticized in the past for players not playing hard enough on defense, relying on iso-ball, and a lack of structured play-making, that’s certainly not the case for all teams. Watch any Miami Heat game and you will see just how hard a team can go. It’s the teams that actually put their all into the game that make the NBA so fun to watch.
#1 Hip Hop Music
I have always loved hip hop music, and if you’ve read through this site, chances are that’s something you’re familiar with. However, for the sake of this article, I want to say that it’s not just the music, but all the other content surrounding the music as well. Video logs, album documentaries, interviews, freestyle performances, even just social media posts. Rappers live very great lifestyles, and it can be very entertaining and inspirational to watch.
Rappers know how to have a good time, but the best ones are the ones that stay locked in at the studio. In fact, even some of the biggest rappers in the game have stated that they have the most fun not at the club or out partying, but in the studio.
Just like professional athletes, most rappers tend to be pretty health conscious, disciplined people. Although the genre has typically had a reputation of heavy substance abuse, a lot of that is starting to shift. Rappers these days tend to be a lot healthier, with guys like Larry June having a large part of their brand centered around health and wellness.
Rappers tend to be strong, self-aware, and emotionally in-tune people. They find ways to creatively express themselves and inspire others. It’s all these reasons that make hip hop such an amazing artform, and make rappers such interesting people.
Final Thoughts
As you can see by my top 5 list, the entertainment world really is changing. 30 years ago if you would have told someone that kids today could make millions live-streaming themselves playing video games to other people, they would have said “no way”. The fact that there is so much great content that can be accessed online, and for free, really is amazing. It’s a great thing that so many people are able to put themselves out there and make a living doing what they love. As you can see from this article, it is not only entertaining, but motivational to others looking to do the same.
