*You might want to listen to this song to get in tune with this article*
Unhappiness is trending these days. To go through life wondering what the heck is all about, only to ultimately let yourself get swept away by the current seems like the most stylish thing we can do. When did the sensation of utter worthlessness take over our lives and emotions? Why are we so apathetic about everything that’s taking place around us?
Well, I’m sure of one thing: we shouldn’t blame internet nor social media, but ourselves. It is the fault of our own inability to recognize how unhappy we are and admit that we stay that way because it’s easier. We’d rather follow paths that have been already set by others instead creating our own. Some of these paths can be reading self-help books, following the advice from a famous YouTuber, or escaping from reality through TV.
One of the main reasons why we like to watch TV series is because we like to wallow in other people’s misery, whether it is real or not. To think that what’s happening to a certain person couldn’t possibly happen to us makes us feel better; this makes our problems look like they aren’t such a big deal. Comedy drama series Please Like Me has a similar effect, except that it makes you reflect upon your decisions in life and your relationships. The plot showcases a situation many of us have lived: you are in a familiar and comfort zone, and suddenly your life is turned upside down. Things will never be the same again; you have no choice but to accept that you’ve grown into an adult, and that means things don’t revolve around you, but also affect those around you.
This series follows the life of its main character, Josh, as well as that of his best-friends and their girlfriends, his parents and his parents’ partners, his family and his family’s ghosts, and his lovers and his lovers’ emotional immaturity. All these intertwined stories make up the series chief charm.
The four seasons of this story take place in Australia, a place that could seem remote to those who live in the Northern hemispheres. But it only takes a few episodes to keep us hooked and make us realize that, although Australian society may seem to be characterized by warmth and humor, sometimes a simple close-up or smile can hide the most hopeless or bittersweet feelings in the world.
Very Woody Allen-like, Josh Thomas embodies —as creator, screenwriter, and protagonist at the same time— a 21-year old man who is facing the consequences of suicide, experiencing first-hand the fickleness of love and sex, and trying to handle a truth that leaves him no choice but to embrace maturity and grow up. If you come to experience some of his feelings of disgust, his disdain for commitment, his obsession for social media and digital life, or his suffocating family life, this should not come as a surprise.
By the time you reach the second or third season, you’ll probably be angry at life, but a strange, nostalgic smile will begin to appear on your face. There is no doubt, Please Like Me reveals the true colors of adulthood, the gloom and bitter reality that is not shown in our Instagram photos, the frustration of not getting what we wanted, and even worse, getting it and finding it wasn’t what you really thought it would be. In the face of these situations, you are only left with two options: use your talents to overcome the situation, or develop talents that will help you face life and its obstacles. It’s that moment when you realize nothing is free, someone has to pay for that organic coffee and Netflix account.
How would you feel if your mother had been on the verge of suicide twice? What would you need in order to accept yourself if you had just realized you are gay? Why would you cling to a relationship with someone who doesn’t love you, even if you know there’s someone else who would do anything for you? When you least expect it, a 25-minute episode from a Netflix series can end up teaching you some valuable life lessons.
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Translated by Andrea Valle Gracia
