# What's your artistic comfort food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2007, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308 "2007-06-25T11:36:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/1 "2007-06-25T11:36:17Z")
Are there any works of art–literary, musical, cinematic, whatever–that you find yourself turning to in times of stress for comfort? What are they, and why? I’ll start with one song and two books. The song is from “Who Am I?” from Les Miserables. Jean Valjean sings it as he’s wondering whether he should abandon his comfortable life as mayor and businessman to save a total stranger who has been mistakenly accused of his (Valjean’s) crimes. It’s something I turn to when I’m trying to garner the courage to do something I know I should do but am afraid to. The books are “The Magician’s Nephew” by C. S. Lewis and Beach Music by Pat Conroy . During my mother’s long illness, and since her death last October, both these tales of sons facing the deaths of their mothers have been an enormous solace to me, albeit in different ways. Nephew gives a (magically provided) happy ending while still acknowledging the hugeness of grief: I quoted it as I gave my mother’s eulogy, and my baby sister and I have reminded one another of Aslan’s line (“Grief is great. Let us be good to one another”) several times since then. Contrariwise, while while Music provides no magical healing, it does take the protagonist on a journey of helplessness, grief, and eventual healing that I find very familiar, and very hopeful. Anybody else? ---
**Author:** ![stucco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@stucco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stucco)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/2 "2007-06-25T19:29:25Z")
The movie _Clueless_. I know it isn’t cinema at it’s best, but I love it. I’ve seen it so many times, I could probably recite much of it from memory. Also, I’m from Los Angeles, so it’s fun to see my hometown in the background (Cher goes shopping at my mall, fails her driving test around the corner from my best friend’s house, etc). One of my big regrets is switching my computer to region 2 dvds, so I can’t watch my Clueless anymore. ---
**Author:** ![stucco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@stucco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stucco)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/3 "2007-06-25T19:32:33Z")
The movie _Clueless_. I know it isn’t cinema at it’s best, but I love it. I’ve seen it so many times, I could probably recite much of it from memory. Also, I’m from Los Angeles, so it’s fun to see my hometown in the background (Cher goes shopping at my mall, fails her driving test around the corner from my best friend’s house, etc). One of my big regrets is switching my computer to region 2 dvds, because now I can’t watch my _Clueless_ DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Heloise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@Heloise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heloise)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/4 "2007-06-25T19:35:55Z")
_The Princess Bride_ in book or dvd form. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/5 "2007-06-25T19:46:17Z")
Star Trek episodes (mostly TNG, DS9 and Voyager… TOS kinda bores me) or reruns of Stargate: SG-1 or Stargate: Atlantis. It’s eye candy that I don’t have to put too much thought into, and I’m so familiar with the stories that there is a comforting familiarity there. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/6 "2007-06-25T19:55:15Z")
I really love Pat Conroy’s writing. _Beach Music_ is definitely a comfort book for me as well. The _Anne of Green Gables_ series is like my equivalent of a teddy bear. I re-read those books at least twice a year. It’s oddly comforting to know that Anne and her story never changes, admist all the chaos that is my life. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/7 "2007-06-25T21:06:26Z")
[QUOTE=stucco] The movie _Clueless_. I know it isn’t cinema at it’s best, but I love it. I’ve seen it so many times, I could probably recite much of it from memory. Also, I’m from Los Angeles, so it’s fun to see my hometown in the background (Cher goes shopping at my mall, fails her driving test around the corner from my best friend’s house, etc). One of my big regrets is switching my computer to region 2 dvds, because now I can’t watch my _Clueless_ DVD. [/QUOTE] My equivalent is **Reality Bites**. I haven’t overwatched it, so as to not burn out, but every once in a while I realize, “It’s Reality Bites time”. Musically, \*\*The River \*\* by Springsteen. It’s like nourishment, and an old friend. ETA: Books: **Pride and Prejudice** sets the world back to right. Or the romp through **The Scarlet Pimpernel**. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/8 "2007-06-25T21:13:51Z")
Movie: Clue. Music - Well, all of my comfort music is Indian. I like Western music a lot, and own a ton of it, but when I need comfort, it’s always Indian. Something in the blood I guess…but I honestly think Indian music is just better. More poetical. Books: There’s probably 20 different ones. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/9 "2007-06-26T06:28:59Z")
Books: Francesca Lia Block’s _Weetzie Bat_ series aka _Dangerous Angels_, _Pride and Prejudice_, anything in the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader series, any of the Harry Potter books, but especially the first 3 because nobody dies yet, and of course, the works of Unca Cece. Music: I made myself a mix CD of songs to lift my spirits when something bad has happened or I’m feeling bad about myself. These include: _I Don’t Wanna Be_ by Gavin DeGraw _You Gotta Be_ by Des’ree (the titles contradict each other, but the songs don’t) _Fighter_ and _Beautiful_ by Christina Aguilera and one I thought of after I made the CD: _Refugee_ by Tom Petty When I don’t even have the energy to listen to that CD, I listen to Enya. Her music always makes me feel better. Movies: _Napoleon Dynamite_, _Office Space_, _The Princess Bride_ TV: SpongeBob Squarepants, Simpsons reruns, Food network (anything but Bobby Flay) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/10 "2007-06-26T11:49:45Z")
Books - Pratchett, any Pratchett. But Esp. _Small Gods_ Music - 4AD, any 4AD, but especially Cocteau Twins’ _Victorialand_, the whole album as an aural experience. Films - _Time of the Gypsies_ and _Wings of Desire_. Also, lately, _Underworld_. Art - the _Fairies_ book by Brian Froud and Alan Lee is full of art that makes me feel better (in an almost _saudade_ kinda way) ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/11 "2007-06-26T15:33:22Z")
Music - most often, 2112. Sometimes, The Guess Who or Collective Soul. Books - I really don’t have one in particular. There are several and it depends on what I’m needing comforting from. Movies - Again, it depends on why I need comforting. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/12 "2007-06-26T16:02:03Z")
My favorite entertainment comfort food? That’s an easy one. You’re home sick from work and feel like crap. Nobody to call cause they’re all working. You’re bored and depressed. It’s raining out. Mid-morning and you haven’t showered. Turn on the TV. Local news shows last nights shootings, robberies, accidents, etc. The other channel has Jerry Springer or Maury Povich with some losers of society cussing and swinging at eachother. You start to lose faith in your fellow man and wonder how everything turned to crap. And then suddenly “Hey! It’s Bob Barker! Of course the Rice-A-Roni is cheaper than the Turtle Wax. All right she got the car! C’mon you just need 25 cents on the wheel! What? $37K for that showcase, she overbid.” and suddenly your feeling good again and all is right with the world. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/13 "2007-06-26T18:11:26Z")
Music- Tom Waits. TV- Deadwood Movie-a zombie movie. Food- cheap chinese food. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/14 "2007-06-26T19:20:25Z")
Music: My unofficially dubbed “cheer-up” mix; it’s got Barenaked Ladies, The Champs, The Foundations, The 5.6.7.8.s, and a bunch of other tracks on it. TV: Spongebob Squarepants, Disney’s Fillmore!, Gilmore Girls, and old reruns of Mutant X. Books: The Narnia chronicles or The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Movies: Anything Monty Python. Food: Chocolate and more chocolate. Also cookies, but mostly chocolate. And, a bonus: any one of the magazines from the store–People, Us Weekly, Cosmo, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/15 "2007-06-26T19:36:26Z")
Books: I don’t like re-reading books so any book I’m currently reading is good. Music: I’m 28 and I just discovered the awesomeness that is Neil Diamond. I was surprised to know how many of his songs that I didn’t know I knew. So it’s been fun listening to him as of late bringing back memories of previous years. Movie: Any Kevin Smith movie, even Jersey Girl which I really do like, I seen those movies so many times that I feel like I know the characters and it feels like they are old friends who I just haven’t hung out with in a while. Dogma is a bit above the rest though. Especially when Bethany asks The Metatron what God is like and he says, “Lonely, but funny.” That line is very comforting to me and even more so when I actually am feeling lonely. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/16 "2007-06-26T19:51:13Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] The _Anne of Green Gables_ series is like my equivalent of a teddy bear. I re-read those books at least twice a year. It’s oddly comforting to know that Anne and her story never changes, admist all the chaos that is my life. [/QUOTE] Amen. That’s mine for books and movies. TV: “The Price is Right” and, I hate to admit it, “Little House on the Prairie” Music: Depends on mood. Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” pretty frequently. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Millamant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Mrs.Millamant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Millamant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-artistic-comfort-food/409308/17 "2007-06-26T19:55:19Z")
Books: Robin McKinley, but particularly the Damar books, _Beauty_, _Rose Daughter_, and _Spindle’s End_. Also Jane Austen, particularly _Persuasion_. If I really need the big guns, I haul out H.D.'s _Trilogy_, and read it aloud to myself. Music: The Pixies, The Clash, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, maybe some Trip Shakespeare. Music that’s so well ingrained in me that it’s like a fuzzy sweater for the eardrums. Movie: _A Knight’s Tale_. Or the BBC _Pride and Prejudice_. If food is available, _Tampopo_. Other art: If anything, it’s Brian Froud’s Faerie Oracle deck. Joy.