Man, if I hear the phrase, “This year has been a whirlwind” one more time ... but it’s true. Despite the absolute insanity of it all, there’s been one thing bringing me peace: the many hours spent on my phone watching comedians, creators and influencers.

Here are a few that really brought me joy this year.

Megan Stalter, comedian

With each character she creates, the more expectations she shatters. Stalter finds the perfect balance of keeping her audience just uncomfortable enough.  Most of the time, it’s because we’ve met her character before: that musician from any music documentary, your realtor that didn’t quite work out, or your friend who’s a writer. The last example was my first discovery of Stalter; I can personally relate, and I haven't been the same since.

Eva Victor, comedian

Not only are her tweets and articles on Reductress hilarious, her short Twitter videos are little snippets of anxiety-ridden perfection. In many of her characters, she plays devil’s advocate, creating personas with political views opposite her own. Consider the girlfriend who wants to own a gun or who’s trying to justify straight pride parades, or that girl from any movie who’s “different” – one of my personal favorites.

Benito Skinner “Benny Drama,” actor, writer, comedian

I originally discovered Skinner through his astrology videos that popularized him on Instagram, but he’s so much more than a viral video. Skinner impersonates characters rooted in pop culture, creating parodies of the Kardashians, Noah Centineo and Shawn Mendes. But he also formulates his own original characters like Jenni the hairstylist and the Gen Z intern. He even has a virtual Halloween variety show; yes, I already bought tickets. 

Jordan Firstman, writer, actor

On Instagram, Firstman creates “seasons” of impressions and just finished off season 18. With each “episode” he takes on the role of a new inanimate object or oddly specific character: COVID’s first day of school, summer 2020 or an impression of the woman who wrote the copy for the Dr. Bronner’s soap bottle. The specificity in everything he says is what makes his characters so entertaining and relatable. He even created an impression of the fly’s publicist after the vice presidential debate.

Bretman Rock, social media personality

An oldie, but a goodie. I say oldie, but he is very much my age and has been more of a rediscovery. I remember occasionally watching his videos in high school, but found my way back to them this year thanks to the Instagram “Explore” page. I’m putting him in this list because he just exudes happiness and confidence. With every story post of him talking about a plant of the day or trying a new skateboard, it sort of just … makes you forget that bad things are happening.

Taylor Tomlinson, comedian

Tomlinson tells it like it is and doesn't hold back. Her Netflix special, “Quarter-Life Crisis,” released in March and highlighted the struggles of being in your mid-20s. I’m not quite there yet, but based on her description, I’m not sure I want to be. Her quarantine content has also brought a voice to how we’re all feeling: like a stuck car seat buckle. If you ever find yourself slipping slowly into madness this year, pop a melatonin gummy and just play her stand-up softly in the background; you’ll feel better, I promise. Once we can resume in-person activities, expect to see me in the front row at her next show.