An Ode to Bob Ross and Life’s Happy Accidents
Bob Ross’s TV show, Beauty Is Everywhere, is now on Netflix. America is great again.
By: Nick Schwarzmann
It was the afro that caught my eye. If not for that luscious mound of curly happiness, I probably would have scrolled right past Beauty Is Everywhere, and my life would be emptier than it is right now. I knew from the moment the first follicle hit my peripheral vision that it was American treasure Bob Ross, and his show was calling my name.
It was approximately 11:30 p.m., I had just finished watching Bo Burnham’s newest special, Make Happy, and I was wondering what to do next. I weighed my limited options and after spending a minute debating going to sleep or continuing to watch Netflix, I picked the obvious choice: Netflix.
Once I decided to stick with Netflix, a whole new battle began: choosing what show to watch. I didn’t feel like watching Parks and Recreation or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for the millionth time, so I decided to scroll around in hopes of finding a show or movie that would pique my interest. I scrolled to the “Recently Added” section, and sure enough I was piqued.
Bob Ross was before my time, as he sadly passed of lymphoma less than four years before I was born, but nonetheless, his legacy has lived on strong enough that I was aware of him and his “happy trees” without having watched a second of him painting. I asked myself if I really wanted to watch a man paint at midnight on a Monday in June, and after a second of contemplation, I pressed play.
As I said before, I had never watched Bob Ross before, so I wasn’t entirely sure of what I was getting into. Within the first five minutes of the first episode I was captivated. I don’t know if it was his soothing voice or the speed with which he works or his stories about squirrels or a combination of those and other factors that did it for me, but I was drawn to the TV like a moth to a flame. I watched every flick of his wrist. I studied every speck of paint. I soaked in every word he spoke. I was amazed by how he could turn seemingly random dots of paint into gorgeous and realistic trees, or how he could make thin, little lines turn into a beautifully rustic log cabin. Above all else, I was flabbergasted by how he could make such complete and fantastic pieces of art in about thirty minutes.
One thing that people always mention when speaking of Bob Ross is his soothing voice. I can now attest that there is not a more soothing voice to be heard in this world. Bob Ross’s voice is as soft as velvet, and when he speaks, it’s as if you’re listening to your favorite grandfather, because he’s so friendly and encouraging. His signature send off of “Happy painting, and God bless,” is a verbal hug that will make you want to grab the TV set. From the way he speaks of “footy hills”, to the way he describes his paint strokes as “little rascals”, to his giggle every time he says, “beat the devil out of it,” when he shakes off the excess paint from his brushes, your friend Bob Ross always finds a way to say something to make you smile from ear to ear.
Watching Beauty Is Everywhere is not just watching a man paint. Watching Beauty Is Everywhere is blocking out all of the pain and hardships that life throws at you for thirty minutes whilst immersing yourself in a new world filled with heartwarming colors and beautiful landscapes. As you watch Bob Ross create his artworks, you get swept away to a place where there is only happiness, and there is only beauty, and there is only love. You can never get down on yourself when you’re with Bob Ross, because he’ll remind you that there are no mistakes, only “happy accidents”.
Sometimes life is hard to handle. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by the pressures and responsibilities that we are faced with on a daily basis. Sometimes unfortunate things can happen to us or those around us, and they can truly put a damper on our lives. But if there’s anything I’ve learned while watching Bob Ross paint, it’s that life is so much more than all of those things that put us down.
Life is about the happy things. Life is about seascapes with pink-red-purple-orange skies. Life is about log cabins nestled into the woods. Life is about stumbling upon a decades-old public broadcast show on Netflix. Life is about all of those little things that pop up out of nowhere and unexpectedly give you joy.
I would recommend this show to anyone who is feeling down or even just anyone with thirty minutes to spare, because as you get lost in the bright reds and yellows and the soft blues and greens, as you watch brush strokes come together to create powerful images of nature, as you listen to the soothing voice of a new old friend, you will find yourself in one of the best places you’ve ever been. Over the course of thirty minutes, you will come to realize that beauty truly is everywhere.
