As we’re all settling into our newly sheltered lives, it’s becoming increasingly obvious what an invaluable tool YouTube will be for helping us all maintain our sanity. The good news is there’s a nearly unending list of movies, music videos, and other media to pick from on the streaming service. The bad news? There’s too much to choose from!
Netflix Distractions
Fear not — we’re here to help! In order to keep your creative juices flowing, or perhaps just to help escape the mundane nature of social distancing, we’ve curated a list of the best interviews currently available on YouTube. From absurdly stupid to awe-inspiring, here’s our list of the top 10 conversations we could find.
Oprah Interviews Dolly Parton
In these divisive political times, the only thing America can seem to agree on is how much we all love Dolly Parton! This was as much true in 1992 as it is today, and this amazingly wholesome and lovely exchange between two legends is shockingly heartwarming without being saccharine. The two don’t stay on one topic for too long — they somehow manage to cover God, hairstyles, faith, dress sizes, and the tenacity of the human spirit throughout this hour-long dialogue — and remain committed to kindness throughout.
Rico Nasty Interviews Bbymutha
Equally as wholesome, although far more foul-mouthed, is a discussion between two emerging rap talents: Rico Nasty and Bbymutha. The two up-and-coming superstars share an obvious mutual love for each other that can’t be contained — and it’s hard not to smile as they gush about each others’ rising careers and idiosyncratic sense of style amidst marijuana-tinged girly giggles. Rico and Brittnee had been carrying on Twitter about meeting up for months before The Fader finally organized this little chat, and you can tell how excited they are to finally kiki when they begin planning collaborations just seconds after the camera turns on. Of course, the interview ends with them breaking into song.
Stephen King and George R.R. Martin in Discussion
Two literary giants converge on Albuquerque, New Mexico for this unique conversation about life, literature — and self-mutilation. The two obviously have a shared affinity for extreme violence, but their dark senses of humor keep their exchange from becoming too grotesque. There’s no organizing theme or topic to this, but their shared love of the written word turns this gory colloquy into something actually kind of sweet. That being said: Stay away if you’re squeamish!
Joan Rivers Interviews Pee Wee Herman
We often remember Joan Rivers as a sharp-tongued and delightfully grouchy fashionista — but she had a real kindness to her, too. In this totally unhinged interview with children’s media icon Pee Wee Herman, Rivers is on her best behavior despite accidentally dialing up a phone sex line — a gesture which is deftly ignored by the savvy Paul Reubens. No surprise Pee Wee can’t really stay focused on one thing for too long, but Rivers has no problem keeping up as Pee Wee pulls prop after prop from out of nowhere.
“The Left,” a fictional dialogue by Contrapoints
From the resplendently silly to the divinely intellectual: YouTube’s favorite philosopher, Natalie Wynn aka Contrapoints, explores the contemporary aesthetic and political world through a rancorous debate between two fictional characters named Tabby and Justine. Far from your typical tea time, Wynn uses these alter egos as stand-ins for strains she observes in leftist culture — allowing them to discuss the merits and downfalls of both revolutionary militancy and post-internet apathy. Wynn’s stunning wit and clarity make this Socratic dialogue one of the smartest videos on the entire internet.
Cardi B Interviews Bernie Sanders
We’ve had low brow, we’ve had high brow — now here’s something in the middle. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, it’s clear America’s got a few problems. Cardi B has some ideas on how to fix them, and in this honest, frank, and deeply charming video she discusses her schemes with presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — in her favorite nail salon, no less. It’s almost shocking how the two take to each other as fast friends, but it turns out they actually have a lot of ideas in common!
Miriam Margolyes on The Graham Norton Show
From this side of the pond, getting rare glimpses of British celebrity culture feels like looking into another dimension. They’re so prim and proper — but also, somehow, totally profane? Perhaps no one better encapsulates this bizarre juxtaposition as well as Miriam Margolyes, an older, openly gay actress who prides herself as much on her diction as on her raunchy misadventures. Interviewer Graham Norton’s invited her on his show for years, and each conversation is more wacky than the next. Any entry in this ongoing series will do, but in this example Margolyes chastises Lily Allen for interrupting her while recounting a particularly lascivious nude photoshoot.
Trixie Mattel Interviews Brittany “Kombucha Girl” Broski
Brittany Broski, best known for her viral kombucha tasting reaction video, made a solid attempt at painting her face to look like RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars champion Trixie Mattel, but she didn’t quite nail it on her own. Luckily, Trixie herself is here to take this burgeoning meme queen under her wing. In this delightful conversation, the two become fast friends as they chat about the joys of unlikely fame and the pure pleasures of Olive Garden. You might learn a thing or two about makeup while you’re watching, too.
Jay Leno Interviews David Lynch
Director, multimedia artist, and musician David Lynch is often considered one of the hardest people to interview in all of show business. Lynch infamously refuses to answer questions about his films, instead embarking on long, rambling rants about — well, who even knows? Jay Leno, an ever-intelligent interlocutor, eschews Lynch’s least favorite topics and instead engages with the eccentric cinematic icon in an extended conversation … about mouse traps? Sure, why not! The dialogue makes about as much sense as any of Lynch’s movies, but it’s a priceless exchange nonetheless.
Snoop Dogg Interviews Lil Yachty
It’s always fun to watch the old guard benevolently passing the torch to the new generation — although in this case Snoop and Lil Boat are passing something else around, too. One would expect this tête-à-tête to involve braggadocio — as rap game dialogues so often do — but they actually wind up spending the bulk of this video talking about how much they love their moms. Truly adorable.
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