Did you know that Marisa Tomei has an Oscar? And that she’s been nominated for two more? I just learned this a few weeks ago, when I fell into a short-lived Marisa Tomei obsession.
“What are you talking about?” you ask, lifting an eyebrow over your half-drunk coffee, very reasonably wondering why on earth I would open a conversation with a piece of trivia about Marisa Tomei?
We have to back up a bit to answer that. I have always loved trivia, information, and research, but hadn’t ever considered myself “obsessed” with anyone or anything until 2018. Pre-COVID and relatively flush with cash, I went (very hesitantly) to the movie theatre to see Mary Poppins Returns (how can you improve on Julie Andrews?) My hesitancy was not warranted; the movie was fantastic. In my opinion, Emily Blunt’s performance did not attempt to improve anything about Julie Andrews, but simply provided a new perspective on the character, like meeting a very professional coworker at a bar for drinks and discovering they cosplay as a stormtrooper on weekends. I loved it.
And then, with barely a moment’s thought, I became obsessed with Emily Blunt. In the six days after I saw Mary Poppins Returns, I watched three other Emily Blunt movies and at least a dozen interviews with her on YouTube. Over the following weeks, I watched all her movies (with the exception of the super creepy ones) and learned most of what there is to know about her from the internet.
Absurd? Certainly. Normal for humans in our day and age? Yep.
When Al Gore invented the internet, short-lived obsessions exploded. The availability of nearly infinite information at our fingertips, without leaving the comfort of our beds or couches, means that an average, barely motivated individual can pursue a sudden curiosity about orangutans, lemon farming, or the evolution of The Muppets, with little to no commitment and only a small risk of outward judgment. Because if I hadn’t just told you, how would you know I was once obsessed with EB? You wouldn’t. I could have kept my Marisa Tomei trivia to myself (and not told you that she is one of only 25 actresses who have won an Oscar for a role in a comedy!) and no one would be the wiser.
But I won’t obsess in silence, because the thing about humans is that when we care about something, we want others to care, too. We crave that moment when someone says, “Oh my gosh, I love her too!” We live for an accidental viewing of someone else’s search history to reveal they have also watched every single “Momsplaining” video because we want to talk about Kristen Bell’s absurdly high pain tolerance. And even if someone doesn’t share your obsession, you know you’ve found a good friend if they just smile and nod, and don’t judge you for having read every article ever written on goat yoga. (It’s the best of friends, though, who hear your Marisa Tomei trivia and immediately suggest you start watching her movies together, not because they love her, but because they see your short-lived obsession coming and they embrace it.)
Basically, not only were humans made to connect to each other and build their knowledge but we were also made to keep reaching for more connection and knowledge. And the internet has made that incredibly easy – for better or worse.
So tell me, what is your short-term obsession right now? Have you read articles about Marisa Tomei turning down the role of Trinity in the Matrix? Or brewing your own kombucha? Or how scurvy opens up all your old wounds and scars and they start bleeding again? Or something much less weird? Tell me; let’s obsess together.
Also, it’s time for a regular reminder – if you want to start writing more yourself, check out my e-book!
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