Movies are one of the greatest things in the world. I honestly believe that. And I think a lot of people will agree.
However, when talking about movies, a lot of people aren't thinking about documentaries.
Documentaries are movies about the real world, where the cameras capture candid moments, experts are consulted on the subject matter, and the end result is the viewers always learn something new.
My favorite is the documentary series Wild Wild Country, which never ceases to entertain me, no matter how many times I rewatch it. I’m not the only one who loves them, of course.
My best friend found her whole worldview had changed after she saw Blackfish for the first time. My brother pulled up his entire GPA after doing a report on Jon Cartwright’s Lighting Up the World, and of course, no health class was complete without a viewing of Supersize Me.
Redditors love documentaries too and were ready to share their favorites.
It all started when Redditor joeduncanhull asked:
“What’s the best documentary you’ve ever seen?”
Every Family Has Its Quirks
"I didn't mention Capturing the Friedmans, but I should have. That was a really good documentary."
"What a freaking twisted family."
– SweetCosmicPope
Camera Work Matters
"The Planet Earth documentaries. Praise to the people behind the camera."
– teethalarm
"Also Blue Planet 2 is f*cking amazing"
– IzaacLUXMRKT
"It was a colossal undertaking. To get a couple moments of the snow leopard took 3 months."
– External_Recipe_3562
"Absolutely unparalleled"
– joeduncanhull
The Athletes Will Celebrate
"Baseball by Ken Burns, not really a fan of baseball the sport, but the history was interesting."
– biggertheboobs
"Icarus was absolutely wild. Started with a pretty interesting premise, and then took a sharp turn and kept getting crazier. If you're even remotely interested in sport, it's worth your time."
– Spartannia
Disney Always Wins
"Kevin Perjurer's deep dive on the Fastpass System at Disney Themeparks. For such a seemlingly dull topic, it's shocking how interesting and surprising the whole thing winds up being."
– Notmiefault
"Totally agree here. That was amazing."
– mynewme
The Artsy Folk Will Celebrate
"Exit Through the Gift Shop"
"Documentary on Street Art. I literally thought Bansky was gas lighting us with this movie. No way could the story of ‘Mr Brainwash’ could be true."
– AwareParking
Higher and Higher
"Free Solo"
– Crocodile-toes-ten
"Anyone who enjoys this film should also check out The Dawn Wall. It's another climbing documentary on El Capitan in Yosemite. But it tells a very different story about two guys who try to become the first people to climb a route that many of the world's best climbers thought impossible."
– MasteringTheFlames
The Musicians Will Celebrates
"Not the best, but a favorite of mine...Dig ! A doc about the Dandy Warhols and BJM...one band's somewhat rise to fame, with the implosion/self-sabotage of the other. Half of it was embellished, and both bands had issues with the final product, but it was highly entertaining. Check it out if you're into music docs."
– Ok_Fact5541
"I would also recommend "We Jam Econo", about the 1980s punk rock band The Minutemen, who were on the cusp of the big time when their singer died in a freak accident."
"The "Jacka*s" theme is from their song "Corona."
– notthesedays
The Arts Save Lives
"Crumb"
"About the cartoonist Robert Crumb and his 2 brothers, and how abuse and mental illness plagued them. Crumb's cartooning got him out of it, but the other 2 brothers had a hard time."
– TooDeeGuy
Epic Animals
"Africa. It’s from the BBC like Planet Earth, Blue Planet."
"Why Africa? Well Africa has really varied environments and the best and most abundant wildlife by a mile. The first episode in particular has 2 awesome things: an epic Giraffe Fight and a Rhino Orgy. The Rhino Orgy is so unexpected. No one knew that Rhinos get together and party late at night. The Rhinos snuggle! And it’s especially poignant because there’s so few of them left."
– watchingsongsDL
The Truth About Vietnam
"Ken Burns’s Vietnam War docuseries was fairly eye-opening for someone like me, who only had the typical US high school history take on that conflict with a handful of fictional films to supplement it."
– Jaebird0388
"I really enjoyed that one, very eye opening indeed"
– Miggel1973
Next Level
"I remember watching the first Paradise Lost documentary so long ago and was just blown away. I know it’s not the first ever true crime doc, but sure felt like it took it to the next level. If I had to choose a favorite, that would probably be it."
– illmattic12345
Look Into Their Minds
"The Architecture of Doom was the first documentary that let me see how people could actually have bought into Nazi propaganda. Not that I agree with it, but it seemed so preposterous that anyone could believe what they were doing was somehow good."
– johnnylongpants1
A Fan Favorite
"Wild Wild Country"
– PalmerEldritch2319
All The Yesses!
"Avengers: age of ultron"
– ReapersEatApples05
"It's amazing how the camera crew caught these robots in their natural environment"
– joeduncanhull
Emotional Ending
"The six part DefunctTV about Jim Henson."
"It's a really engaging and endearing watch about Henson's life. I really appreciate all the behind the scenes footage the team was able to gather."
"The last episode leaves me sobbing every time."
– nocleverusername190
I want to watch all of these!
People Who Have Watched Their Partner Give Birth Describe What It Was Really Like
For couples who want to have children, the actual child-birthing process might be one of the most trying experiences the couple will ever go through together.
But while many of us think of the process of pushing and the physical messes of birthing the baby, there's actually a lot more to it, and the partners who witness their other half giving birth tend to remember far more about the experience than just the blood.
Redditor Asleep-Awareness5249 asked:
"Men who have watched their wives/partners give birth, what was that like?"
Hilarious Moments
"My wife cussed out the doctor. I was glad we were forced to wear face masks because I was cackling when she would let him have it in-between pushes."
- OkVolume1
Inopportune Phone Calls
"My wife's phone went off during a really painful procedure, and she yelled, 'Who the f**k is calling me!!!!???'"
"But to be fair, one does not need to go thru painful procedures in order to justify saying this every time the phone rings."
- Veritas3333
Sort of Fascinating
"I was holding my wife's hand through two c-sections, the first an emergency."
"There was a low green cloth screen to stop her (and me) from seeing the actual procedure, but I'm tall, so I could see over the top anyway. Fortunately, I'm not squeamish. It was like a butcher's shop window (except very interesting)."
"They had a radio on and the first kid came out to the sound of 'First Of The Gang To Die,' which was funny."
"It all worked out well, both kids are great, a fascinating and completely exhausting experience."
- catbrane
Absolutely Not Useless
"As someone who had a 36-hour labor that ended in a c-section, I can say that having a partner there for you is a godsend. I spent so much time with my eyes closed, drifting in and out, not able to acknowledge my partner but I knew he was there the whole time."
"He was the person that knew me best out of all the strangers that popped in and out of the room. He was my advocate and anticipated what I needed before I knew I needed it."
"After, he said he felt totally useless and helpless but that couldn't be further from the truth."
- Timetogoout
The Importance of Aftercare
"You're the cheerleader in this game. F**king play your part and feel useless."
"A father's REAL test is aftercare. While your wife is recovering from childbirth, you are to do everything, and I mean f**king everything, for her that you possibly can."
"Men who don't change dirty nappies are just f**king p**s-weak men, and even more so if they brag about it."
- BlazeVenturaV2
Terribly Scary
"Am I a bad person if I say horrific? It was a c-section and seeing her knocked out like that was one of the most disturbing images I can recall. I nearly cried on the spot."
- Dyn085
Childbirth on Fast-Forward
"Our first was 13 hours, giving us a false sense of security for the second. It was only three hours."
"My wife didn't do an epidural for #1 and said, 'I didn't need to do that. I'm getting it for the next one.' So we get to the hospital and said, 'Give me the epidural.'"
"They say we need to get settled in the room. By the time we got to the room, he was coming out. There was no time for anything; the docs had to scramble."
"All things considered, both deliveries were 'fine.' It's mind-boggling that that is the best-case scenario; they were the most intense days of my life."
- thugarth
Don't Skimp on Breakfast
"My wife was going into contractions but they were pretty far apart, so we drive down to the hospital, stopping for Egg McMuffins along the way. I dropped my wife off at the receiving area for delivery with some nurses and the midwife and then I went back out to move the car because I was in a 15-minute parking area."
"While I was moving the car, I looked at that Egg McMuffin I hadn't been able to eat yet and was like, 'I totally have hours before this baby comes out. I should eat this sandwich now and not like, in the delivery room as my wife was trying to push a baby out.'"
"So I ate the sandwich, moved the car, and went up to the delivery room."
"At the reception desk there, one of the nurses said, 'I think your wife just had a baby.'"
"And was like, 'Nah, you must be mistaken. I just arrived. WE HAVE HOURS.'"
"So I went to the delivery room and there was my son, fresh as could be, and my exhausted wife who had just given birth."
- doublerapscallion
A Traumatic Experience
"My wife was in labor for about 35 hours. When we got to the point where she was ready to push, my son’s heart rate started to plummet."
"We went from a single midwife in the hospital room with us, encouraging and owning the whole process, to a team of doctors (about 10 people) who came to help within two minutes. They performed an episiotomy and had to pull my kid out with forceps and the vacuum."
"My wife lost about 1.5 liters of blood, and I remember sitting there watching all of this and thinking they would both die and my whole world was crashing around me. She looked like a ghost and he looked like a bloody, bleeding little alien when he came out. They rushed him to the NICU and gave him oxygen."
"My son is now almost 3 years old, my wife made a full recovery, and they are both the best people I know. It can be a traumatic experience for everyone involved, but f**k me if I don’t look back on it and remember what a warrior she was and what a fighter he is."
- upark88
New Admiration
"I saw a strength in my wife I don't think either of us knew she had. It was an incredible experience, and I was so proud of my wife and child. I'm glad they still keep me around."
- Druzl
Feeling Irrelevant
"This is really my experience in the maternity ward. You are 'dad' and you will carry bag and get water. Not because you are actually needed to carry these bags that could fit on this cart, or get the water from the sink over there that literally takes more time to explain where the cups are."
"But you need a job to keep you occupied, so get moving."
"I've never been so 'handled' before in my life, and I knew it was happening, but f**k if I was going to mess up the process and make them focus on anything besides my wife and kids."
"Nurses are the most amazing, and most evil things ever."
- mwbbrown
New Appreciation for Life
"With our firstborn, I had three primary thoughts:"
"1. Thank god for modern medicine, or both my wife and son would be dead."
"2. My wife is a godd**n warrior."
"3. I have a whole new appreciation for my own mother."
"Every birth is a medical emergency, and every successful birth is a miracle. Simple as that to me."
"A planned c-section for our second was much smoother."
- leftcoastbias24
Lonely and Helpless
"The loneliest and most helpless feeling in the world. She had to undergo an emergency C-section and went under shortly after they started. The head doctor made the call to not let me in the room, so I was stuck watching through a small window."
"The little man came out purple and not breathing and my wife was limp. For about five minutes, nobody came out to speak to me and I was quite certain both of them were dead."
"Then I heard him scream and cry and one of the nurses rushed him over to my wife and held him against her cheek. Shortly after that, the nurse handed him to me and said that both my wife and him were perfectly healthy. To say it was the largest range of emotions my mind and body had ever experienced is an understatement."
"We felt like we were prepared for anything during labor, but the emergency c-section really threw us off. Happened so fast. Luckily everything worked out, but it was pretty scary for a while there."
- AdvancedGentleman
Something Out of an '80s Movie
"It's kind of like the movie 'Aliens' but entirely based around a vagina."
- Digreth
A Message to Fathers
"So, I'm the wife. And we didn't get to take our babies home, but I delivered stillborn twins a few months ago."
"My husband said exactly the same as many fathers here, that he felt so helpless watching me give birth."
"But to me, that man standing there and holding my hand was exactly what I needed. It was both medically and emotionally traumatic, but I remember feeling calm and purposeful because I knew what needed to be done, and I knew that I was the only one who could do it."
"What I needed from him was his presence. He didn't leave me alone. He didn't run from any of it, and I think he saw more of the blood and such than I did (I was a little doped up and had my eye closed for the actual delivery)."
"I could do that, keep my eyes closed and focus on what my body was telling me, BECAUSE he was there holding my hand. I didn't need to be on high alert, because he was there. His presence and my trust in him helped me do the hardest thing I have ever done in my life."
- what_ho_puck
Whether the birthing process was really long or really short, whether it was complicated or straight-forward, many partners had shared experiences of being overwhelmed, of being proud of their wives, and of feeling like there was hardly anything they could do.
At least for the women who chimed in, though, them being there might have been the most helpful part.
The death of certain TV characters in dramatic television can be jarring.
But extinguishing the life of some of your favorite protagonists–or even villains–is a necessity in order to advance the over-arching plot.
Other times, a character's sudden exit may have more to do with issues behind the scenes–like problematic actors being written off the show or a star of a show dying in real life.
Those deaths are sometimes handled poorly as writers suddenly attempt to scramble together a cohesive narrative that winds up failing and drawing criticism from loyal fans of the show.
Curious to hear about the surprising departures of characters on TV, Redditor BuckNa3ty asked:
"What was the most unexpected death in the show you watched?"
Dramas wouldn't be popular without controversial deaths.
Death On Wisteria Lane
"Mike from Desperate Housewives."
– Miss__Snrub
Literally Mind-Blowing
"Gus Fring Breaking Bad"
"That image of him walking out of the room is seared into my mind."
– send_tits_n_tats
Vigilante Serial Killer's Damaged Girlfriend
"Rita in Dexter."
– quivx
"I actually screamed what the f'k at the TV."
"Coincidentally that's when the show really stopped being good. Season 5 was garbage."
– BanIslandWasFull
How Dan Stevens Pursued A Movie Career
"Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey."
– Long-Tall-Sally61
Even medical procedurals had unexpected character exits.
Sacred Heart's Gossipy Nurse
"Laverne in Scrubs :("
"Edit: how did I forget Ben???"
– Whenyouattewhen
"Even the 'regular;' patient deaths in scrubs - like the nice old lady that died from a hospital acquired infection because she and Cabbage had a farewell moment when Cabbage had dirty hands."
– ReferenceTight1851
Duty Called
"Kutner, portrayed by Kal Penn in House M.D. The guy went to work with Obama so he needed to leave the show asap."
– Expensive-Tax5328
Killed By A Schizophrenic Patient
"Lucy on 'ER.'”
– LowerSeaworthiness
People still talk about the demise of these characters.
Illogical Death
"Death from Supernatural."
"Best character in the show... Killed by one of the DUMBEST written scenes ever to grace cinema."
"Dude is on the same power level as God himself, in fact he himself stated that in the end he'll take God too... But he was killed by a human. Show is so stupid sometimes."
– IBreedBagels
Season-Ender With A Bang
"The Byrdes' lawyer, Helen Pierce, in Ozark."
– melanchollist
Better Call An Ambulance
"howard hamlin."
– HungrymanH
"The whole season I knew something bad would happen to Howard, but I was honestly so thrown off when it happened. It was so sudden and it was sad that a character so pivotal to the show was just thrown out like that and disposed of with no hesitation. Probably one of the hardest deaths in BCS, alongside Werner Ziegler."
– SlavetoBeefShawarma
Most Graphic Exit
"Glenn from walking dead."
– Jeffthechef03
HBO's Six Feet Under was brilliant for challenging expectations.
Every episode started with the death of an ancillary character who winds up being a cadaver on the coroner's table at the Fisher & Sons Funeral Home.
Viewers knew these unfortunate characters would eventually perish at some point during the three-minute-long intro, but they never knew how because of the way each scene was directed to throw off audiences.
To me, these expected unexpected deaths were always something to look forward to in succeeding episodes.
Not everyone has the luxury of working in a safe environment.
Rather poignantly, most of the essential workers, who continued to report to work as the world shut down during the pandemic, often had to report to very dangerous conditions.
And while we'd like to think that the people who are responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of these employees will make sure nothing happens to them, that simply isn't always the case.
As many people have witnessed, truly horrific accidents take place at work more frequently than we think.
"What's the worst accident that happened at your workplace?"
As If One Time Wasn't Bad Enough
"Not my story, but my dad told me it."
"A man got his arm stuck in a machine, which degloved his arm."
"After he recovered, he was showing the safety people how it happened, and he accidentally degloved his other arm."- nugget_the_third3
Before You Eat Those Fries...
"Working at McDonalds, a girl slipped walking past a deep fryer and her hand went deep into the fryer."
"The manager wrapped her hand in a cloth, when she pulled it off to put in water all of her skin came off."
"We were still made to work so we walked off, they were even happy to keep using the fryer after it!"- Reasonable_Slice5324
Sometimes It's Their Own Fault
"Working for a specialized trucking company, a fellow driver lost control fully loaded going down a winding mountain road."
'The truck tipped over, slid across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic and landed in a field."
"Truck and trailer were absolutely demolished, cab was flattened, and the driver (a huge MFer) crawled out the back window without a scratch."
"$400k unit wasn’t even recognizable."
"Guy was fired when insurance pulled the ECM out of the rig and found he was going over 100kmh around a 50kmh corner and didn’t even touch the brakes."- Barquebe
"Man fell 75 feet due to standing on the wrong side of the pipe he was cutting."
"You ever see those cartoons where they cut the branch while standing on the branch?"
"He was cutting from inside and everyone thinks he just got disoriented."- R3DLOTU5·
Bizarre After Effects
"Guy fell 15’ and landed on his head."
"He lived."
"It fixed his lazy eye and he’s still with the company."
"He became very irritable, has violent outbursts and is a lil psychotic but otherwise perfectly ok."- Oneinsevenbillion75
Choose Your Smoking Breaks Wisely
"Had a corn starch dust explosion at a previous job."
"And no it's not previous because I caused it lol."
"A truly stupid guy decided he'd sneak a cigarette break in basically the worst place he could."
"He came very close to death for his stupidity and could have taken others with him, but thankfully he was the only one seriously injured when the dust went boom."
"That night I was pretty far from the boom area doing vacuum decay testing on completed bags of sugar substitute."
"I was uninjured, but it definitely scared the sh*t out of me."- LaReinaTormenta
They Call It Protective Gear For A Reason
"Teenage girl cut off her finger after refusing to wear the cut proof glove because 'it was ugly'."
"Follow safety protocols folks."- the-cosmic-kraken
So Many People's Worst Nightmares
"When I worked at a grocery store a guy lost his thumb in the meat slicer."
"Worst part is, because of the blade it went flying and they couldn’t find it soon enough to reattach."
'Deli was closed for 24 hours."- Mryan7600
Not Always Causing Physical Harm
"Worked in a grocery store as a teenager."
'My coworker (and still friend) was lowering a huge pallet of 1L apple juice tetra packs and the whole thing tipped from like 20ft up."
"Thousands of liters of apple juice flooded the whole back of the store."
"It was super hot that day and it just smelled like intense hot apple juice."
'We had the worst ant problem forever."
"Thankfully nobody was hurt but what a godawful mess."- permacloud
Wearing Your Hair Up Is As Stylish As It Is Safe
"A girl with long hair leaned down to check something near a fast rotating piece of machinery and got it caught."
"It ripped a good chunk of her scalp out."- EntertainerOk9552
Don't Rely On Workman's Comp
"At Walmart, an assistant manager had a heart attack in the break room."
"When she was taken away and treated she disappeared from work for months, and when she finally came back."
"Walmart management decided to put her outside in the hot California summer heat to be a greeter."
"When she refused they didn’t care and she quit."
"Every single person on my team was saying they probably did it on purpose and wanted her to quit."
"Really f*cked up and it’s probably true."- Filthy_pilgrim
At Least He Was A Good Sport...
"I watched a guy, who pinned his safety guard back on his Skill saw with a nail, lay the still spinning blade right into the meat of his thigh."
"It went right in."
"I almost passed out when he yanked it out. "
"He was in shock and laughing about how the blade was so hot it cauterized the cut, so not much blood."
"He then got into his yellow Bronco with a bad clutch and drove himself to the hospital."- Spodson
Why Updates And Refurbishments Are Necessary
"Hydraulic ferry doors were forced open to let cars out, pins snapped and doors slammed shut on an employee."
"They survived but it wasn’t pretty."- PlantBagWood
Texting While Moving Is Dangerous
"A crew was walking a plane out to the flight line and a guy got his bottom half squished underneath the wheels."
"Texting and not paying attention was suspected to be the cause but that’s not confirmed."- niciswan
"Safety First" should not simply be a warning or guideline for employees to follow.
But rather a basic standard for any workplace putting their employees in dangerous situations to uphold.
Many cultures and countries are associated with a specific food or dish.
Most people won't visit England without having fish and chips at least once, while others dream of having authentic Spanish paella.
This leaves one to question, does the United States have a food synonymous with their culture?
Hot dogs, hamburgers, and french fries tend to come to mind.
Foods that interestingly have their origins, or at least their inspirations, from elsewhere.
Thus begging the question: what is the food which defines America in one bite?
"What do you consider to be a cultural food of the United States?"
A Foreigner's Perspective
"As someone not from the states I would kill to try a peach cobbler or a pumpkin pie."- DukeOfPoose
pumpkin pie family GIF by SimpleGiphyBased On Their Origin, At Least
"Buffalo wings, perhaps."- Upstairs-Try6583
"Peanut, Penut Butter, and Jelly!"
"I was grocery shopping recently when a very nice German guy approached me for advice."
"He had friends coming to visit from his home country and he wanted to introduce them to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and could I advise him on the best ingredients?"
"He already had some kind of bullsh*t artisan bread from the bakery department in his cart."
"I told him to put that back, go to the bread aisle and get the crappy white Wonder Bread."
"Then there was discussion about the merits of Welch’s grape jelly vs. strawberry jam, and how most big brand peanut butter is optimal as opposed to the oily natural kind."
"Lastly he learned to use the term 'PB & J'.”
"He went away delighted, and it felt great to be a cultural ambassador!"- RedBattery
"PB&J."
"Idk if it was originated in the US but it's not that popular in other countries, although it's shown a lot in American cartoons."
"I literally tried PB&J last year for the first time and it's freaking delicious, 10/10."- burber_king
Peanut Butter Food GIF by DineoutGiphy"You're Killing Me Smalls!"
"S'mores."
"I've traveled the world and no one knows what smores are besides Americans, whereas even if burgers or whatever are American, everyone everywhere knows what they are, so..."- decehod235
With Or Without Chili!
"Cornbread."- Deadp*ssyf*ck
Stevie J Cooking GIF by VH1French Fries Are So Passé
"Tater tots."- tdly3000·
Maybe Depending On Where You're From?
"Shrimp and Grits."
"Nashville style Fried Chicken."
"Texas BBQ."
"Carolina BBQ."
"Kansas City BBQ."
"Memphis BBQ."
"NY Style Pizza."
"Po Boys."
"Jambalaya/Gumbo."
"Hotdish."
"Ambrosia Salad."
"Clam Chowder.:"
"Manhattan Clam Stew (it is not a chowder)."
"Conch Fritters."
"Chicago style Brownies."
"Chicago style Italian beef."
"Philly style chopped steak and cheese (NJ and DE have pretty good ones too)."
"Beef on Kimmelweck with creamy horseradish sauce."
"Lobstah Rolls (Maine only, every other one sucks)."
"Maryland crab cakes."
"Tex-mex style everything."
"Chicago Deep Dish Pizza."
"Chicago style hot dogs."
"Texas style corn dogs."
"Bagels with Lox (smear optional but I never get one without it)."- RandomUser0666
All You Can Eat Eating GIF by The Righteous GemstonesGiphyDon't Let The Name Fool You
"The Cuban sandwich - originated in Tampa Bay."- OhSeesOhMees
Simple And Delicious
"Biscuits and gravy."
"The reason it came to my mind is I have been making them now in the winter months."
"Here is the recipe I use for biscuits."
"It takes practice but they come out great."
"Very cold butter and not overworking or touching the dough with your warm hands is key."
"I get a little better at each time I make them."- wanted_to_upvote
The Sweet Treat Everyone Craves
"Chocolate chip cookies."- whoathererockstar
Baking Chocolate Chip GIF by Nestle Toll HouseGiphyBreakfast Combos
"The USA are fierce contenders against mainland Western Europe for the greatest breakfasts in the world."
"You people are visionaries when it comes to breakfast."
"Like, chicken and waffles?"
"Who the f*ck thought of that?"
"You did, that's who, you beautiful bastards."
'It shouldn't work, but by god, it does."
"And steak and eggs?"
"Who the f*ck eats steak in the morning? "
"THIS GUY, THAT'S WHO."
"I LIKE YOUR STYLE, AMERICA."- ZdCole
Needless to say, what constitutes being "American" has proven to be a highly, some might say unnecessarily, divisive issue.
Even so, it's hard to believe there are any people out there who can't put aside their differences to enjoy a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, followed by a slice of Apple Pie.
A stepping stone for improved diplomatic relations maybe?
Stranger things have happened...