Why We Should Invite More Lassos and Luffys Into Our Lives

Can positivity on the TV screen help us be more joyful, better people?

We have gotten pretty used to seeing bad behavior on our screens. There is the scripted “Breaking Bad” and the less scripted “reality TV.” While there has been “reality TV” since the late 1940s (“Candid Camera”) the volume of these shows ballooned in the 2000s, now with competition, nastiness, and backbiting. Spoiler alert – they do not represent reality. There are multiple books written by producers of these shows including one called “Creating Reality: An Insider’s Guide to Working in Reality TV (Tartaglia, 2020).” That title speaks volumes.

Watching bad behavior regularly, and considering it entertainment, allows us to get used to it, become inured to it, even be amused by it. There is plenty of challenging and upsetting behavior apparent in our world right now. As a clinical psychologist I (JS) work with people struggling with depression, general anxiety, and social anxiety, among other concerns. I submit that for many people, not only folks who are grappling with mental health issues, watching bad behavior as our down-time pastime is not helpful. We know that we tend to reflect the mood and behavior of those around us (Neumann & Strack, 2000; Cartrand & Bargh, 1999; Rissolatti & Craighero, 2004). Would it not then, help us feel happier, behave in more prosocial ways, and be the best people we can be if, instead of reality TV, we watch more “Ted Lasso” and “One Piece?”

I have really enjoyed both “Ted Lasso” (Lawrence et al., 2020-2023) and the live action “One Piece” (Oda, Owens, & Tracz, 2023-present), which my son encouraged me to watch. Lots of other people enjoy them as well. According to Cathy Boeckmann (2024), Ted Lasso “is the most watched streaming original show ever…” Nicolo Manaloto (2024) wrote that, in the latter half of 2023, the live action One PIece was the most successful series on Netflix. What makes them so popular? Sure, the writing is good. The sets are well done. But what really grabbed me was how the main character generally remained positive and saw the best in people, without being saccharin-sweet or Pollyanna-ish. Further, people around these characters rose to their expectations! It took time but it happened.

Have you seen these shows? You can’t help but smile. Ted and Coach Beard can be so goofy! They also work, in both spontaneous and planful ways, to help those around them be the best they can be, as people and as soccer players. In One Piece, Luffy never lets his friends down. He recognizes that, even though later he might be on the opposing side from someone, they are friends in the moment. And generally, neither Ted Lasso or Monkey D. Luffy bite when someone is trying to bait them.

Iñaki Godoy, who plays Luffy, talks in episode one of Netflix’s “One Piece: Official Podcast” about how he does not identify with Luffy. He does not see Luffy as a relatable character. He notes that he thinks Luffy is “someone we all would like to be but it’s so hard because he’s so optimistic. He holds no grudges. He is forgiving. And he is a happy person.” Luffy is not a relatable character, but rather an aspirational one. He encourages people to be their best.

It takes very little effort to find inspirational Ted Lasso quotes, such as “Success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.” Early on in “Ted Lasso” there is a lot of making fun of him. He does, in fact, engage in some mild buffoonery. He unwittingly takes a swig of seltzer water during a press conference thinking it is still water. He then proceeds to spit it all over the reporters in the first row. He also makes it clear that he knows extraordinarily little about the activity he is about to coach a professional team on, soccer, which makes neither the team nor the fans happy. Yet a reporter, Trent Crimm, after spending more time with Lasso, recognizes his lack of experience but also how he interacts with people, how he values people and how others feel appreciated in his presence. Over time, Crimm determines that he “…can’t help but root for him.”

I unabashedly enjoy these shows and these characters. I invite more Luffys and Lassos into my life. That can only make me a more joyful and better person. If I am very lucky and mindful, I can also bring some of that to others. I encourage you to do the same.

References

Boeckmann, C. (2024, March 21). Three reasons to revisit Ted Lasso in 2024 for career inspiration. Kenning. https://www.kenningassociates.com/ted-lasso-inspiration/

Chartrand, T. L & Bargh, J. A. (1999). The chameleon effect: The perception–behavior link and social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Attitudes and Social Cognition, 76(6), 893-910. DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.76.6.893

Lawrence, B., Sudeikis, J., Ingold, J., & Wrubel, B. (Executive Producers). (2020-2023). Ted Lasso [TV Series]. Doozer Productions; Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television; Apple TV.

Manaloto, N. (2024). Netflix Reveals One Piece Live Action as Most Successful Series of Late 2023. EpicStream. https://epicstream.com/article/netflix-one-piece-live-action-most-successful-series

Neumann, R. & Strack, F. (2000). “Mood contagion”: The automatic transfer of mood between persons. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes, 79(2), 211-223. DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.79.2.211

Oda, E., Owens, M., & Tracz, J (Executive Producers). (2023-present). One Piece [TV Series]. Shueisha; Tomorrow Studios; Netflix.

Rizzolatte, G. & Craighero, L. (2004). The mirror-neuron system. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27, 169-192. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230

Tartaglia, P. (2020). Creating reality: An insider’s guide to working in reality TV. [Self-Published].