The Importance of the Commitment to the Bit

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I recently read an article from The New York Times describing the elements of a lasting friendship.  The author writes that “Many of the strongest bonds come less from existing similarity and more from riffing playfully. In these moments, people create a little world that belongs just to them, a process we call ‘building a shared reality.’ Collaborative riffs are surprisingly central to our mental well-being: They’re the glue that binds us together, adds color to our lives and gives us a sense of purpose.” 

Quite frankly, I couldn’t have said it better myself. The unwavering importance of maintaining “the bit” and working with someone to keep it alive is as essential to a friendship as water is to a plant. “What is the bit?” you may be asking. You know what the bit is even if you don’t realize it. It’s that inside joke you keep adding to. It’s the moment when you realize that hanging out with that one guy “for the plot” has now become an actual relationship. It’s made up scenarios that you and your friend play into like actors. However, sometimes you have to find the right person who will understand your humorous intentions. 

For those of you who know Veronica and Kyle from either TikTok or Instagram Reels, they may be my perfect example of this phenomenon. The king & queen of crafting a good bit. If you watch their videos or listen to their podcasts, you’ll understand what I mean. If Veronika is mid-conversation and slips into character, Kyle immediately matches her energy. It’s the sort of relationship where you’re like, yeah, they’re definitely on the same page. Not to mention, they created an entire internet series built upon one running bit, hence “the lore.”

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Another fabulous piece of media committed to the bit would be  Ride the podcast with Mary Beth Barone and Benito Skinner. There are probably a million different bits they have going on within their fandom and between one another that I could not count on two hands.  What's beautiful about this is they’ve curated an incredible comedic space on the internet where listeners are tuned in and also in on the jokes. We can actually listen to their bits being crafted in real time, a piece of that “riffing” they described in the New York Times piece. There is never any joke explanation needed- they just understand one another in their own universe. Truly two brilliant minds of our time, further proving the bit’s importance and impact.

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However, in my personal life, I certainly have friendships in which creating bits is more of a constant activity. Not to say these friendships are necessarily more meaningful, but it does feel good to share the same idea or add to something that only you two can understand. One of my most essential bits I practice day-to-day is another that I share with my friend Colin. Essentially, it is rooted in our shared love for the musical duo Nancy & Lee, specifically their song "Some Velvet Morning."  We are not allowed to listen to this song until there is the perfect amount of crispness in the fall air. Almost every morning, we’ll text one another to either deny or confirm if it is time to listen. We still have not had a velvet morning just yet this fall, but when we do, Colin and I will be discussing this transition into a new season, where we both agree good things are upon us. Now this example of a bit is really quite tame, yet it gives us a reason to reach out to one another, an excuse just to say hello. This is the simple truth behind the importance of maintaining a good bit— it fosters relationships. 

Image Courtesy: Cira Thigpen

Sure, this whole “commitment to the bit” thing may be a bit silly, but imagine a world where your best friend can’t play into another one of your sarcastic comments. A world where you can’t pretend to have new identities on a night out simply for the love of the game.  A world where every bit of banter around the world would be dull and boring. The biggest takeaway of this concept should be the overwhelming importance of appreciating that one friendship that clicks. So if you made it this far, why not go ahead and reach out to that special person? Text them something you know will make them laugh; start a bit - life just shouldn’t be so serious. 

Strike Out,

Cira Thigpen

Editor: Stella Turner

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