【Short film Archives】

Once upon a better time,Short film Archives watching the State of the Union address each year was considered a civic duty. Now that Trump is president, it's rightly considered a spectacular waste of time.

Last year, Trump successfully read off a teleprompter for an hour straight and was deemed "presidential" by a bunch of CNN talking heads who somehow make more money than you. Few in the punditocracy cared about whether Trump would actually follow up on his promises. They were just thrilled to learn that our nation's commander-in-chief was borderline literate.

Don't make the same mistake these people did, or maybe you even did last year. Don't watch the SOTU. Change the channel and learn something.

Below are a list of far superior programs, most with slightly civic bents, that are either broadcasting at the same time as the State of the Union or are available on popular streaming sites. All of these programs contain far more valuable information than anything you'll find in Stephen Miller's State of the Union. Bonus! They won't crush your fumbling little soul.

1. The Florida Project

This movie wasn't a contender for Best Picture because -- surprise! -- Academy voters can be shitty. The Florida Project hits both iTunes and Amazon today. A percentage of sales will go to Community Hope Center, a nonprofit that serves low-income people in Kissimmee, Florida, until February 5th.

2. The Black Panther trailer on repeat

Trump's SOTU will probably last about 58 minutes longer than the Black Panthertrailer, but that doesn't mean you can't watch this on repeat until you fall asleep, safe and sound and free of GIFs of Trump's mouth spit.

3. High Maintenance

I highly encourage you to backwatch Season 2 of this highly underrated Brooklyn-based stoner comedy on HBO tonight. I'd send you my password if 20,000 people could agree not to use it at the same time. Cool?

4. A blank wall and/or a meaningless patch of kitchen tiles

Staring at a blank wall is a consistently more uplifting experience than watching Trump do anything at all.

5. Fixer Upper

HGTV's Fixer Upperwill air at the same time as the SOTU on the East Coast. What it lacks in civic education it more than makes up for in meaningful insights about toilet installation.

6. All the President's Men

With the Russia investigation fully underway, it's important to look back to a quaint old time when lawmakers weren't beholden to evil brothers and held members of their own party accountable. Available on iTunes, YouTube, Amazon, Vudu, and Google Play.

7. The Chi

The next episode of this Lena Waithe series doesn't air until February 11th. That gives you plenty of time to watch earlier episodes on Showtime about this Chicago community where Trump once promised to "send in the Feds," Oh my god.

8. Law and Order

Wherever you are in the United States, no matter what kind of cable package you have, you have access to Law and Order. I can guarantee you that anything that comes out of Mariska Hargitay's mouth > than anything that comes out of Paul Ryan's sycophantic little face.

9. Lovesick

Lovesick, available now on Netflix, is a clever British sitcom about a man who contracts an STD and is forced to tell all of his previous partners. Yes, even chlamydia humor is superior to the details about Trump's immigration plan.

10. Drunk History

A new episode of Drunk Historypremieres tonight at 10 pm EST. If you can't wait that long and feel compelled to watch the SOTU, suppress that impulse and watch a earlier Season 5 episode at 9:30 pm. Stay safe and Trump-free, people!

11. This old YouTube clip I found of Supermarket Sweep

It is far more valuable to learn the price of Tide in 1992 than the details of Trump's opioid crisis plan that he will never, ever implement.

12. FDR's State of the Union Address from 1941

Widely considered one of the best SOTU addresses, FDR famously outlined four freedoms "everyone in the world" should be entitled to: freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. I'd like to revise FDR's fears to include "freedom from Trump," but since that's not entirely possible, "freedom to change the channel" will have to do.