This up there is the cast of Taskmaster New Zealand from Season
1.
I got to this show through TikTok, seeing David Correos' funny moments from that show. I thought to myself 'hmm, well why not' and discovered Taskmaster.
Of course, David didn't appear until later season. But I didn't mind because I was convinced I will love it either way.
I knew nothing about New Zealand, nor did I know either of those people. But after watching, New Zealand became somewhat important to me.
It became a dream country of sorts.
I could, of course, talk about the show as a whole and post imagines and videos like I do always. But this is not the purpose of this article.
Maybe one day, I will get around to it. But I don't consider it important. If you are interested though - it was my favorite franchise. (Next would be Australia. Funny people there.)
Like the headline says - I am from Slovakia. Slovakia is a smaller country in the central Europe that was on the east side of the iron curtain. That explains all. It is a conservative, homophobic, xenophobic country who screwed itself up during 2023 and 2024 elections (electing practically the same party for president and parliament).
But of course, we have our bright moments. We are opening up to pride, inclusivity, lots of people are helping Ukrainian families during the war (it's insane to write this and think it's really happening out there), we even elected a female president!
It's easy to feel small and unwanted here. It's easy to feel inferior to those that fall into the "good" stereotypes. To be pretty, you have to be skinny. To be popular, you have to be rich. To be successful you have to have connections. To have rights, you have to be heterosexual and cisgender.
(Of course this has nothing to do with it, but Slovak language is not exactly inclusive to non-binary folks.)
Watching this show and seeing how... nice everyone was felt freeing. When Madeleine Sami started making jokes about her being lesbian, everyone laughed. When Angella Dravid ate things on set, no one commented on her weight or made an eating joke. Same goes for Urzila Carlson who moved in saving mode her whole season, even during time tasks. NOBODY said ANYTHING.
Yes, sure. It was TV and you have to play nice. And what would you even say to any of those? Well in Slovakia, you couldn't get away with that.
One little joke about being gay could get you death threats. Being fat and eating would earn you death stares. Showing you are "lazy" as an overweight person would bury you alive.
That is what I am trying to say. It's not about who they are or what they are doing. It's the acceptance. Even if it's just a façade. You do not have to agree with their life style, you might think they are disgusting for being overweigh, you might want to tell them they're annoying when they are being loud - but you don't have to say it.
With a mother that keeps bringing you down with "I am your mother. I have to say something" and then spitting out the most gut-wrenching hateful comment about you or your appearance... it's easy to feel at peace when you see someone who is "worse" than you being loved or at least accepted.
In country that says gay people are a nuisance, a plague of the country... It feels good to know that people outside are inclusive, are humane.
The cast of Taskmaster NZ is full of actors, comedians and TV personas. They are quirky, sometimes uncomfortable to watch and some jokes make my inner saboteur come out and want to spit fire at them.
But thankfully, I am exposed to media all over the world and can work on myself and my mentality. Thankfully, I am growing as a person and learning to accept everyone and everything, even if I don't agree or understand it.
And maybe one day, this can help me accept and love myself too.
