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Diary: The Hierarchy of Mask-Wearing (Patreon)

Published:
2023-09-23 15:21:33
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Hey Patrons,

It's me, David Chen! In this bonus audio/diary episode, I discuss the following:

COVID hits our household

The state of Decoding TV

My creative process right now

Starting at 26:30: Dumb Money and the hierarchy of mask-wearing

Starting at 39:30: Initial thoughts on The Creator and my social reaction to it

Thanks for your support!

PATRONS: You can get this audio in your podcast app by going to patreon.com/davechen, going to the "My Membership" section, and copying and pasting the RSS link to your podcast app.

Files

Comments

Stephen David Miller

I'm so sorry to hear that Joy came down with COVID! I know you worked hard on safety, and like you mention in this recording, it takes up a lot of mental space. I'm a goal-oriented, metrics-driven person to a fault...the sort who ran 5 miles on a cruise ship in a heavy storm just to close my Apple Watch rings, or who bought WiFi on an international flight to keep my Wordle streak unbroken. And for me, getting COVID last December brought some complicated emotions with it. First the fear of it (my asthma was *rough* those first few days), but then the totally illogical sense of defeat that followed. Even though I knew intellectually that every day counted -- that those 2.5 years of health had value in their own right -- I still felt like I'd A) violated some cosmic Wordle streak, and B) retroactively wasted my time trying to be so safe. A lot of toxic, all-or-nothing thinking followed. Weeks of isolation gave me a lot of time to beat myself up psychologically, and it took a while after recovery to climb out of it. Eventually, I hit the more healthy place it sounds like you've leapfrogged to already: the closing of a chapter in the story. I still follow the same safety protocols I used to, more or less, but when a calculated risk does come up (say, a film festival!), I have an easier time staying present. Anyway, just wanted to say that if similar negative thoughts do crop up, you shouldn't let them fester like I did. You held out longer than just about anyone I know, and you're healthier because of it. That's always going to be worth celebrating.

Joy o Napping

Thanks, Stephen! Firstly, I agree with David’s comment that your writing is lovely and insightful. Secondly, I really don’t feel defeated at all. I feel like a baller for going 3.5 years and just hope it’s another 3.5 years until round 2. By which time maybe we will have nasal vaccines and broader availability of Novavax and better ventilated/filtered buildings. I feel like I am in the final 1% to get it, so I give myself a solid A or like… silver Olympic medal. Plenty to appreciate including the research on how to avoid long COVID (which I could dive into in a whole podcast episode)

David

Thank you so much for making this diary, Dave. I watched Dumb Money last night. There were maybe 10 people in the theater including me and per my practice I wore a mask. Watching the antimasking sentiments throughout the film was odd and a bit disconcerting. The film in and of itself was okay but did not come close to reaching the heights of BlackBerry. Great performances and I enjoyed the cast more than Air but Air is a more cohesive film overall despite its ode to consumerism. Anyways, wishing you and Joy the best.

CDMatthew

Wow, Dave, THANK YOU for this Diary Edition. I'm so sorry that @joyonapping (and you) are having to deal with COVID...y'all are CHAMPS for making it this far along in the pandemic without getting sick until recently. Wishing Joy good rest and healing in the days and weeks ahead, and that you both deal with this thing as best you can. (Forgive me for a standard piece of advice, but: be gentle with yourselves and each other.) As much as I enjoy the Dave on Dave conversations and hope they'll continue, having you share your thoughts directly (in a relatively unfiltered way, by the sounds of it) with your Patreon supporters about your process and what's going on in life generally, feels extra special; it's as if you're bouncing your thoughts off of us Patreon folks in a direct way, or feeling your way along--as honestly as you can--with your listeners. I'm grateful that you provide this kind of access when you're able, and it's this kind of sharing that, to my mind, is a big benefit to being a subscriber. I have a few thoughts on the fragmented nature of media and TV right now, and I share a lot of your anxieties and confusions about where this era of transition is heading, or *could* be heading...because who knows where it's all going to end up!? And I hear clearly your concerns about how to latch onto the next trend, predicting what may be the next show that folks are talking about, or which platform is going to be the one that will be not only financially stable but that you'll derive enjoyment and inspiration from? (Your Decoding Everything newsletter is one of my most valued subs, and it's smart to feature a guest writer now and then, especially if it's on a particular area of expertise or interest that may be somewhat different from your own.) Here's my personal witness to some of what you shared in this Diary episode on this topic: -- I can only afford so many subscriptions to cable channels, news & media outlets (and their paywalls), Substack newsletters, etc. I have yet to subscribe to AppleTV and Paramount Plus, though I'm aware of how "Max the One to Watch" has become increasingly unsatisfying, and I've always hated Amazon Prime's ugly interface. Maybe I'll cancel one and join another, or maybe do a trial run of a channel just to watch a certain show. But like you, I feel like there's always a moving target, or multiple moving targets, and it's a real gamble as to whether or not a show that's getting "buzz" is actually any good or is just manufactured by PR and Marketing departments. This is one reason why I look to critics and creators such as yourself, as well as actual friends I know well, whose tastes and knowledge I trust and respect. --I truly don't know how you manage to juggle all these SM platforms, and clearly you're more technically savvy (and more creative in various ways) than I am. I NEVER go on Twitter/X anymore, although I haven't yet deleted my account entirely; I was a Twitter-hound for a long time before it crashed and burned, so I miss it. I haven't tried Threads yet, and I've resisted going down the Tik Tok rabbit hole, but I do vicariously enjoy Tik Tok vids that get shared on Instagram. Ever since my self-imposed exit from Twitter/X, I've started having more fun with Insta, and have shared your posts and vids on there fairly often....my guess is that the reach and engagement that you're getting on Insta is, to an extent, translating to picking up more followers (or are they called "watchers") on Tik Tok. (I also read longer-form pieces on Substack and Post.news.) As for YouTube, about the only time I use it for live events (setting aside looking up odd documentaries or movie clips or old dumb commercials or Sarah Vaughan videos, etc.) is when it's someone like yourself who I KNOW will produce a live conversation that's compelling or thought-provoking. This is only one old guy's perspective here, but: it sounds to me like you're asking all the right questions, and sharing a struggle that we're ALL having right now, both creators and readers/watchers/consumers. Thanks again for taking the time and trouble to share this Diary episode, and here's wishing Joy a quick and complete recovery. Much appreciated... CDMatthew in Boston P. S. So glad you got to see BOTTOMS....I saw it a while back on the festival circuit, and have seen it twice more since its regular release. SO MANY MOVIE REFERENCES and hialrious stuff going on in that film!

Stranger2Reality

Dave, I think that if you find yourself hurting for content to create, I believe you would be awesome at branching out into sharing your thoughts and opinions on things beyond just reacting to films and shows. You seem to be extremely well read and informed, and I think you would really excel at diverting away from just reacting to entertainment. Or maybe using something from a film or show as a jumping off point to make a larger observation. I think you are great at digesting content and entertainment, and are a great interviewer, but I think you're selling yourself short by not going further with expressing your thoughts and opinions on what you see going on in the world. You've done this here and there in the past, and when you have, I think it's been some of your strongest work. I hope you and Joy stay safe and hopefully Joy gets healthy soon.

Suren DeSilva

So sorry to hear @joyonapping got COVID. I know y’all have been so careful for so long 💔💔💔 Hope it’s as mild as can be and that she gets well soon.

Andy Sherwood

First, I want to wish Joy a full and speedy recovery. It was absolutely a helluva run. I’m looking forward to hearing from you both when she’s feeling up to it. Next I want to let you know that I’m 100% here for you while the studios continue to devalue the efforts of their writers and actors. I’m sure they’ll have to capitulate soon, and when they do, you’ll have a solid platform ready to crank out top-notch reviews and commentary. The future is bright! In the mean-time, would it be possible to reach out to some writers and actors and bring them on the podcast? I would love to hear their stories and I feel like you would do an incredible job bringing those voices to us.

Clifford Robinson

Best wishes to @joy and you for a mild case with no complications, and a speedy recovery. At minimum, she’ll now have the added benefit of antibody protection for a few months… On the Decoding front: since there seem to be fewer tent-pole shows, and it’s hard to predict what’s gonna be a big hit, is there value in selecting a show *you* love from the outset, and covering it weekly, once you’ve seen a couple episodes? I thought “Beef” was tremendous, would not have discovered it without your coverage, and would eagerly have listened to an episode-by-episode breakdown from you & your co-host. Maybe it won’t bring in new listeners/subscribers, but would help retain current ones. I.e. instead of predicting what shows are gonna pop, or following the masses, lead us to the great stuff About your content on various platforms: Is there value in trying to correlate success of your videos with how inspired you are to make them? I.e. what if the ones you’re excited to make get more views or bring in more subscribers or collaborators than the ones you produce just because you feel it’s time to get something out there…? Which would be an interesting & helpful result

Alec Rodriguez

I hope Joy makes a swift recovery! Thanks for sharing an update on the state of DTV 💪🏼 and thanks for you and Joy being solid role models for staying safe and smart thru the panny.

Roy Rubin

Tell Joy we miss her and hope she recovers quickly 💜 Now, there's something usually other Dave says, and without him I was left screaming it into my phone - you shouldn't care about views or money on other platforms, ONLY about how they convert into your own platform and how you monetize directly. There are two things that came to mind you can do: a. I don't think you have any data about where your listeners, paying listeners, come from. Have you ever sent an actual 'where did you hear about me' survey? I think it's crucial. b. Why not open a merch store? Even if Decoding isn't ready yet and doesn't have enough catchphrases that are t-shirt worthy, I would personally spend $100 on Filmcast merch. Lastly, this is your personal channel, and while I love your updates and Dave on Daves, I don't support you here for the regularly scheduled content. This is a place for updates you are actually compelled to share, however irregular they are. Please don't worry about it...

David Chen

Thanks Roy! And you're right! I have no idea where the paying listeners come from and I gotta work on that!

David Chen

Clifford: I think a rewatch podcast has definitely been something I'm thinking about -- maybe if I get another collaborator in the future (I already feel bad for taking so much of Patrick's time!)

David Chen

Thanks Andy! I've thought about inviting guests onto Decoding but I think I need to build the podcast to a point where it has more credibility with the TV crowd before those publicists will start returning my calls :)

David Chen

Thanks! This is really encouraging and I appreciate it.

David Chen

Always appreciate your perspective, CDMathew!

David Chen

Thanks Stephen. And yeah, I think we are at peace with our decisions and this whole thing has been a valuable learning experience.

CDMatthew

Great insight/suggestion by you, Roy! Seconded!

Manny Muñoz

Wishing Joy a safe and speedy recovery! I’m glad that y’all don’t feel defeated by this… and that you hope to continue living with safety and consideration for yourselves and others, that don’t have the luxury of feeling so worry-free about COVID. Both of you have inspired and motivated me through the past 3+ years. Not just with heatlh risk assessments through the pandemic, but also with career changes and shared insights/feelings on current events. Thank you. Keep up the great everything!

Roberto Alonzo Villarreal

Wishing the best for your family's health and speedy recovery. Really great post. It was insightful and entertaining to listen to. Keep up the great work.

Nizar B

Get better soon @Joy. I hope it's continued to be just a severe cold and not too much worse. Really enjoyed this episode though, Dave, for the prospective in general updates. PS. I may or may not have encouraged a bunch of people in my office to go watch The Creator this weekend because my friend, Dave Chen, has been raving about it. "A once in a generation movie going experience," he said.