Three Great Things is Talkhouse’s series in which artists tell us about three things they absolutely love. To mark the May 14 on-demand release of The Get Together, starring Jacob Artist, Shakey Graves, Courtney Parchman and Johanna Braddy, comedian and actor Parchman (who’s best known as averagefashionblogger on Insta) shared some of the things that give her the most pleasure. — N.D
Watching Foreign Films
The most recent thing I started doing is watching foreign films. I like it because I have a very hard time paying attention to anything longer than 15 seconds, thanks to TikTok. This way, I can watch something and read at the same time. It's like having another activity while you're watching the movie, so I'm doing double-stimulation without getting distracted or being on my phone. I can't tell you how bad my attention span got during the pandemic; for a while, everything had to be quick and funny, quick and funny. But now that I'm letting myself sit and watch longer things and enjoy them, I’m starting to appreciate things that aren’t rapid-fire, where there are moments of quiet conversation and life just happens.
I mostly watch films rather than TV shows, but I started watching this French show called Call My Agent!, which is hilarious because it so accurately portrays the entertainment industry. Normally, I watch films, though. I really want to watch Parasite, which I hear is intense. I definitely want to make movies in the future. I worked with Comedy Central over quarantine and it was really fun writing and learning how to direct on those projects. It gave me the opportunity to really figure out my voice and see what looked good. Nowadays, if you want to be a performer, you also have to come with your own creative ideas. I hope I’ll get to have projects soon where I'm acting, directing and writing. I'm also a control freak, so it's fun getting to have a say in every part of the process!
Interior Design
I’m a big hoe for interior designing and finding a good sale on Facebook Marketplace. Until recently, I never really cared about my room – it was always messy and ugly, and it was just where I slept. But then I started watching Architectural Digest videos, enjoyed seeing stuff in them that I liked, and got into interior design. I began thinking about how I could make my room look cuter and do it on a budget, which is how I ended up on Facebook Marketplace.
Now, if I get bored, I go on Facebook Marketplace looking for a good deal. I found a nice modular chair for $85, which is a steal. I drove four hours to get it, as it turned out to be literally one exit away from Mexico – and then it didn't even fit in my car. I ended up having to get someone to bring it for me. I’m always on the hunt for something on Facebook Marketplace, especially if I have a space that needs to be filled. Sometimes I get the latest object I’m in love with and then I have to find space for it. The modular chair is way bigger than I thought it was going to be, and honestly it looks terrible in my room. But now it's a challenge to find how to make it look good in my space. It's so much fun.
My friend and I will also play this game where we have to sell each other on a house on Zillow. We'll give each other a zip code and then we have to pick the house in that area which we think the other person would love. Zillow is just so much fun. I love homes and hope I can own one in the next 20 years!
Going on Long Walks
This was more of an early quarantine activity for a lot of people, but it's a new phenomenon for me. I need to be stimulated while I'm walking, so I'll pick somewhere busy like Santa Monica Boulevard. That way, I pay attention when I'm walking and won’t get hit by a biker. I usually walk about five miles, and just take my time and enjoy the stroll. It's fun seeing everyone outside now life is coming back. When I went on walks at the beginning of quarantine, it was just tumbleweed, but now I’m on the same streets and they’re so filled with life.
I feel very safe, so I can put headphones on and just enjoy my walk. I listen to podcasts, and I’ll do that until it makes me think about something and then I’ll visualize myself in that situation. I can go for an hour, just watching myself live this imagined life. It's like virtual reality, but in my head. Sometimes I'll picture myself on the podcast; if someone is asked a question, I’ll pause and answer it myself, and imagine what the interviewer would respond and then what I’d say back to them. I can have full conversations in my head. Sometimes I come up with funny bits, and I can just watch them play out in the same way too.
When I’m daydreaming on walks, I also imagine myself being interviewed on different TV shows. I have been on Ellen and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It's crazy, all the things I've done in my head. I'm very successful in my imagined life! And Jimmy and I get along so well. He's always a little bit nervous to make jokes at first, but when he says them, he realizes I can laugh at myself and then we really hit it off from there.
