8 TV shows you aren't watching but should be.

I watch a whole lot of TV, a lot more than a human should. So it pains me when I can't talk to people about my interests, my acquaintances are just not on my level (perhaps they have a social life). So, as I am a giver, I thought I would talk about 8 TV shows that people should be watching so I won't feel like such a loser.

Bates Motel 
'Psycho' is one of my favourite films of all time. It is genius and has more than stood the test of time. So when it was announced a TV show would be made that was inspired by it  I jumped on it. At first I was sceptical because I am a firm believer that some things should be left alone - boy was I wrong. This show tells the story of Norman Bates before 'Psycho' but it has been set in modern times. The star of the show for me is Norma Bates played amazingly and perfectly by Vera Farmiga. Freddie Highmore plays Norman extremely well and I applaud the show for showing us the early signs of his crazy in such a great way. Watch it!

Impractical Jokers
In a nut shell this is a prank show. I don't normally watch these shows since 'Jackass' as I didn't think they could be topped, and they all seemed like copycat shows trying to best the best. Boy am I glad I gave this one a chance. It features 4 life long friends from New York, they are middle aged with an amazing sense of humour and lack of shame. The difference about this show is that they don't try and humiliate people, they strictly humiliate themselves. The tasks will make you cringe and crease with laughter. Watch it!

RuPaul's Drag Race
I have done a whole post before dedicated to this show, but I feel I should mention it again. Basically it is a drag version of a talent show. It is perfect. We have drama, touching moments and what I feel every show should have - lip synch battles!!! It has introduced the world to an art form often mocked and misunderstood, along with laughs-a-plenty plus fabulous men with a talent we should all see and admire. Watch it!

The Following
Nowadays there is a cop show for everyone. Any angle of the justice system you want to watch you can. This show concentrates more on the crime then the technique to catch the bad guy. The story is about a mass-murderer who has a cult following, so whilst the killer is behind bars his wishes are still being granted by the masses. SPOILER ALERT the bad guy escapes prison with a vendetta against the guy who captured him. Plus the show stars Kevin Bacon who we all love (except from those dreadful phone adverts) so this show is great. Watch it!

The Bad Girls Club
This is another show I cannot shut up about and have also dedicated an entire post to. This show has everything. It has drama, it has comedy, it has tragedy, it has fighting, it has making up, it has ratchetness and it also has some classy girls. Basically 7 self confessed 'bad girls' are put into a house. Nothing else to it - they just have to live together. Watch it!

Parks And Recreation
It baffles me that this show isn't bigger than what it is. It stars the amazing Amy Poehler as Lesley Knope, she is the assistant manager of the parks department in her local council. I laugh out loud at every episode. A quick hint - don't watch the first season first, I love this show but it definitely hit its stride in season 2 (watch season 1 after, you will just understand it more then). It is shot in a documentary style so there are lots of awkward moments caught which I love. Its one of those comedies with a heart and those are my favourite kind. Watch it!

Orange Is The New Black
Anyone with out a Netflix account is seriously missing out. This show is genius. It centres around a pretty middle class woman being sent to jail for drug charges she received 10 years prior. The show has its funny moments as well as its sad moments. It comes with drama and an extreme sense of sisterhood. I wasn't sure how great a TV show could be that was made for the internet, but I was extremely pleasantly surprised. I fell in love and binge watched it in a day. Watch it!

Girls
I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of this show now, its just no one seems to be talking about it with me - and I have a lot to talk about. The show centres around 4 young women finding their way through Brooklyn, New York. It is a realistic approach at how women of this age think and act. Lena Dunham created and stars in this show, she is genius. I laugh with them in their awkward moments and cry with them in their sad moments. Plus I live for Shoshanna, she is everything. Watch it!

Watch them all, thank me later with money and food.

Man Up!

I hear 'Man Up!' way too many times in my life. I am one of those people that kind of blur the lines of gender. I don't mean in any way that I consider myself part woman. What I mean is that I have interests and qualities that once upon a time were considered a woman's. I enjoy things that maybe I shouldn't. And isn't that a damn shame that certain things can't be for one person but can be for another. Who made these rules?

When we were children it was pushed on to us what we should be in to. Boy's clothes are blue and girl's are pink, in Toys R Us there was an aisle for boys with dinosaurs, cars and Power Rangers, and in the girl's aisle they had Barbies, toy prams and My Little Pony. I never quite understood why they were so segregated. A child should be allowed to play what with what they want with out our judgement.

In later life we stepped out of Toys R Us and we were still assumed to be playing with our gender ruled choices. As a teen boy I was expected to kick a football around. This isn't me and never was. Sports are completely lost on me. I am happy for someone who succeeds but don't expect me to watch it. Selfish I know but I prefer to spend my time on something I enjoy.

Growing up I gained a love for fashion, I particularly enjoyed women's fashion. I never wore it and probably never will but I would buy Vogue, Elle and Nylon so I could see it. Its like art for me and I appreciate it on a whole other level than whether I could wear it or not. My music taste isn't particularly masculine, I enjoy female singing voices so much more than a man's and 90% of the concerts I have ever been to have been fronted by a woman. When I am watching TV, the shows I am watching are more likely to have a female lead - I don't know why and to be honest why do I need an answer?

So tell me what makes a man? Someone with a thirst for war? Someone who loves nothing more than a pint and football game? Someone who fights? Someone who doesn't show emotion? I am sorry but that isn't me. These stereotypes are ruining people's lives. We all try to fit something in a box; in society we need to be able to label something before we can accept it as it is. I don't know if its just the way I think (or that fact I don't fit in any particular box) but I don't understand why. In this day and age it is a shame that we can't just let things go. You see a boy playing with a Barbie and it is still weird. You see a girl kicking a football around with a bunch of boys and we call her a tomboy.

I have been blessed in my family life, my parents let me be whoever I wanted to be. Nothing shocks them anymore with me. Just today I was watching a drag queen performing and told my Dad my thoughts on it - no he didn't care about it at all but he still listened. My sister is an avid supporter of football and she doesn't care at all that I would prefer to be reading Vogue. My Mum will come to me for fashion advise because she knows I have an opinion on it. We all just get on with things in our house and gender doesn't rule anything. I would be miserable any other way, and they love me just the way I am.

I think it is impossible to describe what a man should be. You call a man strong? Why isn't a woman? You call a woman beautiful? Why can't a man be? A man should provide for his family - why? Can we not get over this caveman mentality of men hunting and women looking after the home.

So right here right now I am taking a stand. I am a man. I have an adams apple and no ovaries. Who cares what my interests are? I am not choosing what I enjoy to piss any one else off. I don't have a definition for a man or a woman that goes any further than a medical dictionary would. At the end of the day that is the only thing we have in common, whatever we have going on inside of us or sticking out of us doesn't mean we should be any which way.

My name is Craig. I study fashion. I never watch sports. I have seen every episode of America's Next Top Model. I have aspirations to work in female fashion. I like to gossip. People like Sandra Bullock, Beyonce and Taylor Swift are some of my favourite people. I will go clothes shopping with my Mum. I cry at every episode of Grey's Anatomy. I am a man.

Frenemies

The Urban Dictionary defines a Frenemy as 'The type of "friend" whose words or actions bring you down.(whether you realise it as intentional or not) The type of friend you ought to cut off but don't because ... they're nice ... good ... you've had good times with them. You know they're good people that you can count on to bring you down again sometime in the near future.'

So why do we keep them around? Why do we do it to ourselves? We should only concern ourselves with people that benefit us. I do not mean this in a selfish way, but I guess maybe in someways I do. Let me explain, we only get one spin on this Earth so lets not waste it. Lets not give our energy or time to someone who is only there to make you feel shit about yourself. When I talk about someone who benefits us I simply mean someone who adds a positive to your life. Someone who gives you the odd compliment, someone who praises you successes , someone who will help you with your failures and even someone that has the rare quality of been excited for something good that is happening to you even if it doesn't affect them. I don't think this is selfish to expect at all, we are all human and able to do these things.

A sad fact is that you're best friend yesterday can be your frenemy tomorrow. Something can change and they can turn sour. Often they will even blame you for it and say that YOU changed or that they finally see 'the real you'. Don't be afraid to call bullshit on this. If you know deep down that you didn't change and even if you did it was for personal growth - then it is their problem, don't try and win someone back by actually changing or reverting. This person may even be delusional and think they are helping you out by giving you the 'truth', they can do one. This person is a poison and you need to be cured instantly.

Cutting someone off can be extremely hard, but believe me it is so worth it in the end. I probably did do it the cowardly way and I just stopped replying - they eventually got it. However, I don't care I am so much happier and freer because of it. I consider myself a lucky person, I have amazing friends who actually seem to want to hang out with me. We may not even speak for months at a time, but for me thats ok. I was never that person that needed a friend handcuffed to me. I have people that can help me if I ever need it and I hope they know I would drop anything to go and help them.

I guess what I am saying is that we should only ever surround ourselves with good people. People who you love and people that love you back. Forget everyone else, this is your turn on this planet and you get to decide how you experience it. Never accept this blurred line of a frenemy - it is better to have an enemy who honestly says they don't like you, than to have a friend who says it behind your back. Don't fear the enemy that attacks you, but the fake friend who hugs you.