Forget astrology! Tell me your tv big three!
a little formula I invented last year when writing a bio for myself
Submitting a bio and a headshot is part of being a creative and I hate it. I hate trying to put myself into 50 words. It feels like a trick question, a writing exercise where the teacher who assigned it is going to praise whoever is most original.
Should I be serious and brag about my accomplishments? Or am I supposed to be quirky and cute and show my personality? NO ONE KNOWS!
What’s your big three?
While most people know what their sun sign, a big question I’ve heard as a queer Brooklyn resident is “what’s your big three?”
Every planet was in one of the twelve astrological signs when you were born. And while each of these placements plays into your life, the big three are super important and give a quick overview into a person. The big three is made up of:
Sun Sign
According to my favorite astrologer, Chani Nicolas: the sun signifies your life’s purpose and how you shine. I like to think of it as the placement that informs everything else.
Moon Sign
Again, according to Chani: the moon represents your physical and emotional needs and how we live out our purpose in the physical realm.
Rising Sign
My girl Chani says: your rising, also known as your ascendant, shows your motivation for living and direction your life is steered in.
There is a great podcast episode where Chani literally breaks down the big three much deeper if you want to listen.
My astrological big three is:
Virgo sun, Aries moon, Sagittarius rising
What does this have to do with tv?
Because I took this model and created my own big three but with television shows. So, my tv big three is:
The Good Place sun, Bojack Horseman moon, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show rising
Basically, I took what each of these placements stand for and picked a comedy series (duh, I am a comedian) that I think represents that aspect of me, myself, and I.
The Good Place sun
I love sitcoms. I once wrote in my childhood diary that my favorite television show was Hope & Faith and remember watching The Office as it aired. But The Good Place is just so special. The acting, the story, the constant jokes, the existentialism: it is everything I love in a single 22 minute episode. While I could do an entire write up on how the series final arc is SUPER messy, overall: it is a forking good show.
I chose this particular series as my sun sign because it is bright and cheery while also ridiculously dark. IT IS A SHOW ABOUT DEATH! ABOUT BEING A BAD PERSON! ABOUT SYSTEMATIC FAILURE! It is creative, witty, and unique and all the characters are all weird or quirky in their own way, yet ridiculously lovable. These are all qualities I like to think I embody. And while I already mentioned I didn’t love the final arc, I also am no genius when it comes to finales. All of the pilot scripts I write start out strong but HOW DO I END IT? It is my eternal struggle as a writer.
Bojack Horseman Moon
One time I told a fellow comedian I was rewatching Bojack for the third time. “Third time?” They replied. “You may be the most mentally ill person I’ve ever met.”
While they were probably making a joke, anyone that has watched Bojack Horseman is aware of just how deep and tragic this animated talking horse show can get despite being one of the best comedy shows ever written. I SAID WHAT I SAID!
While The Good Place and Bojack Horseman both deal with some similar topics (i.e. generational trauma, are we responsible for how we end up if life/our parents have been absolute shit), the latter is much more destructive. My theory is that because the entirety of Bojack happens on Earth, there is less hope. Each character has to reckon with their humanness in a way that really examines the stakes of being alive.
Each character goes on a journey I really resonate with. It hits so many ups and downs that are similar to the emotional hurdles I’ve somehow survived in my almost-30 years of life. I’ve had really high highs and really low lows. I’ve had to examine my own trauma and realize I am responsible for my healing. But of course I have done all of this hard ass work while making some of the most sarcastic jokes along the way.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show rising
Remember when I said I love sitcoms? The Mary Tyler Moore Show is the original sitcom, especially for the working woman. It doesn’t hurt that Mary Tyler Moore is an icon and CAN WE TALK ABOUT HER FASHION? Incredible looks that really just show off how bad office wear has gotten, especially for the ladies.
Rising placements inform your motivation for life but also, this is usually the placement that creates the version of yourself you show to people before they know you on a deeper level. As a very dedicated and passionate writer, there is something special about this revolutionary sitcom that humanized women in a way never done on television before. But the show never pushed an agenda on anyone: it just put the pure fact that women are capable and are more than just someone’s wife on display. That’s what I try to do with Howdy Cat, the name I produce live comedy shows under. And often when I host the shows I put together, I attempt to wear something late 1960s-early 1970s as an homage to my role model.
ALL THAT TO ASK: what is your tv big three?