The (Appropriate) Way to Be Obsessed

            I’m about to tell you something I’m sure you already know, if you know me at all or if you just happened to peruse my blog once or twice: I like French bulldogs. I know, shocker right? Most people would even say I was obsessed. And they would probably be right. But I feel I need to say something to justify myself: there’s a right way to be obsessed, and an obnoxious way to be obsessed. Now, some haters may call me the obnoxious type, and that’s ok, you are entitled to your opinion, but there is an unofficial etiquette guide for such things that you’ll get here, exclusively.  People become obsessed with all sorts of things; animals, TV shows, celebrities, you name it. But there is a fine line between obsessed and insane, and for those of you who toe that line on a daily basis (yup, that’s me), here’s a guide to proper obsession:

Artwork is always classy

      Keep it classy

You may think it’s a totally great idea to get a tattoo of your favorite movie star on your back, but in ten years, even if you are still obsessed with him, that tat is going to be saggy just like that celeb. Tattoos are a little far. So is plastering your wall with pictures of him or owning five shirts in different colors with his face. Overkill. Incorporate your obsession in subtle ways, making it an artsy addition to your life. You can still be surrounded by what you love without being crazy.

A great Frenchie gift from a friend

      (Sneakily) Get your friends involved

Do you love looking at pictures of your obsession online in your downtime? Me too. I love those squishy little faces so much. Now, if you truly are obsessed, I’m sure your friends know. So if you can key them into your obsession, without seeming crazy, they’ll pitch in with some team searching. Every time my friends find a hidden gem of a picture or a story (recently Brooklyn Frenchie proposal story. Look it up) about French bulldogs, they immediately send it to me. It’s like having my own search time on constant alert for cuteness. Saves me a lot of time and effort…

Frenchie stationary

           Make your daily incorporation subtle

If people can discover your obsession with something within five minutes of meeting you, you’re not being subtle. If you’re obsessed with a TV show, put a picture of the cast as your background, or if you can’t get enough of sloths, get some cute stationary with them to send out as thank you cards. You don’t have to shove your obsession in people’s faces. Make them search for it.

Studying up to get a dog      

      Don’t just be obsessed, go get it

Are you obsessed with Sex and the City? Go on the New York Sex and the City Tour. Can’t get enough of Kate Spade shoes? Save up your money to buy a pair. Obviously this tip doesn’t work as well if your obsession is a person, because that’s creepy, but it works for most other things, including a French bulldog. That’s why after years of obsession, I’m finally getting one. That’s the next logical step, right?

          So go on, love what you love, and don’t be ashamed. Don’t be a crazy person and don’t make people hate you for constantly talking about what you love, but if it makes you happy, then by all means, bring it into your life.

The New Way to Watch Television

            I’m not really a big fan of watching shows on TV. Waiting a week in between each episode? I’ll forget why I was excited about the show in the first place. I, like so many young adults today, am a bigger fan of what has come to be called “binge viewing.” According to an article by Emma Montgomery on broadcastingcable.com, binge viewing is “perfectly suited to the on-demand, in the moment, entertainment-seeking lifestyle that millennials lead.” And it’s true. When I finish an episode of a show like Breaking Bad, I didn’t want to have to wait a week to see what happens. In fact, next week at that time, I might not have even had time. That’s why I waited until the show ended and watched it all at once.

            It seems that us millennials prefer this method of show viewing. According to a survey done by The Trending Machine, when asked how they would prefer to watch a 13-episode season of a show, 43% of responders ages 18-24 said they would want to watch it all in one day. 30% said they’d prefer to watch it over a few days. Only 10% of responders that age said they’d prefer to watch it over 13-weeks, the regular time frame for a 13-episode season. But responders who were 45-54 years old were the opposite. Only 24% would prefer to watch all in one day, and the majority, 33%, wanted to watch it over the 13-weeks.

            So why is it that millennials just can’t wait? Though I can’t speak for the rest of the world, I can say why I can’t: because I don’t have to. Cable companies and television producers are so interested in millennial habits and so quick to cater to the millennial consumer that they make nearly every show on television readily available online. In 2012, television was rated the top content preferred by millennials, over music and movies. So I don’t want to watch movie after movie on my Saturday off, nor do I want to watch just one episode of a show that I missed. I want to watch the whole show. Call me a greedy millennial, but I’ll never give up my day-long Netflix dates. Never.