That's an angry subject isn't it?
I must admit, before you get too far into reading this and feel bitterly let down, that I don't have some witty or anecdotal rendering of society and its inherently stupid people. I do have some random thoughts on how I love Sundance Film Festival though. Or how I think our society destroys people.
My brief thoughts on that are this: why is it we are so consumed with idolizing or obsessing over notable figures? Is it because they are notable? Is the celeb really America's royalty? And do we push a little too far to find the next thing that will capitalize upon the masses and roll another dollar into some suited-fuck's wallet? I don't really know the answer to these questions; or maybe I do.
Why do we grab at celebrity news like it is... well, news? I look at things like Britney Spears, for example. Everyone loves to discuss Britney - good or bad, defensively or derivatively. But honestly, how can you look at a mess like Britney and not wonder how she arrived there?
"She couldn't take the fame." Or perhaps the fame takes no prisoners. I suspect that we overlook the underlying issue here, as we from our comfortable anonymous beds pass judgement on individuals because they make far more money than we ever will. Now I don't pretend to know Britney's motives for her actions or career path. But I do believe that the media, and the american public - all of us - destroy things put before us. Guilty too are the parents and moguls who pushed and shaped people into these marketable little icons of popular culture.
Part of this idea emerged in my head after watching "Gonzo," a documentary at Sundance about Hunter S. Thompson. Say what you will about his sanity; his journalistic and literary work was tremendously revered. In the end though, his success and fame made it impossible for him to create anything of value anymore and eventually he shot himself.
It makes you wonder if anyone is really built to deal with our invasive desperation.
Maybe it makes us feel better about our own sad, pathetic, lives. After all, celebrities have sad and pathetic lives, often though they also have any material possession within their reach as well.
I suppose in the end, the buck is really pushing everything. We live a limited viewpoint in the United States thanks to capitalism. Sure, it creates free markets and free trade that ultimate benefits the consumer. It also has allowed us to put a price on everything , even our own humanity.
We've lost scope of those things that are beneficial to expanding our minds to those that will makes us richer. Art, business, relationships, politics, and entertainment have been casualties to this cultural mindset.
Money may not be everything, but it certainly has it's fingers in every aspect of our puppet lives.
P.S. I'm starting to consider a move to an actual blogging site and a dismantling of my myspace (seeing after all how myspace is fairly retarded). More information to come.
28 January 2008
14 November 2007
Irritations and Authors
Wow its been a while since I blogged. I am sorry all you loyal supporters (are there any really?) of this blog.
So... as usual, I write when I'm:
a) tired. It must be that I want to write huge discourses but my exhaustion is naturally present during these moments and I wonder if it is impossible to get the same point across in ten words or less.
and
b) infuriated. There are so few things in the world to be angry at, right? Or perhaps so many its difficult not to be infuriated, if (that is to say) you're taking a look at the world around us.
And I am infuriated. There's a litany of things that I could go off on tonight:
Members of my family for their blind support of a President who, now more than ever, is one of the greatest forces for disaster and the downfall of america. They refuse to even discuss it, naturally, because I'm sure George W. Bush was ordained by the Lord himself, or some such. Even the Republicans are looking uncomfortable and staring at their shoes in the face of his behavior.
I could be angry about the organization that is religion, and how sometimes it can't helped but be seen as a controlling force used for the weak minded and easily lost. The recent "alteration" of the Book of Mormon's preface, seems to be one of those moments, a subtle softening of the Church's Lamanite heritage assertion in the face of DNA evidence.
Read it here: Book of Mormon Change
(Oh and, yes it is in the Salt Lake Tribune, but the Daily Herald covered it too, and being a liberal ex-mormon writing MY blog, you don't get to complain about me using this source.)
I could be infuriated with micro-managed and poorly run restaurants who are respond to worsening internal issues in all the wrong ways. Not that I have any experience in those (see picture below).
I might be vexed by the fact that militant and unbalanced right-wingers who desperately believe that their jesus is better than your jesus, and justify bigotry, oppression, governmental meddling, hatred, and the degrading of human rights in the quest for assuaging their souls about some unknown afterlife with a being who may or may not be there and may or may not reward you for your devoted animosity to your fellow man.
A quest which extends to denying people who love each other the ability to have equal status in this country. That is understandable however, since it is ludicrous to consider valuing love above irrational fear and hostility; almost as ridiculous as allowing freedom of speech to those who don't agree with my point of view, or NOT running secret prison camps and bugging people's phones illegally. Silly, really. The Canadians and Europeans show us up in their social progress.
That last bit makes a decent segue into what I am irritated about though tonight: author Orson Scott Card.
Random, isn't it? But you see, I've been a fan of some of his work - Ender's Game and his book of short stories Maps in a Mirror, to name a couple. But in looking at different fantasy and SF author's websites this evening, I came upon a little discovery. It is difficult for me to seperate my views of his art with his personal views, because often in art, they are driven by each other. Any art of real importance says something (though I believe I know a few individuals who completely miss this aspect).
That statement made, I can't always agree with some of the political grandstanding celebrities do (Halle Berry's Oscar acceptance, anyone?). I don't want to get into hypocritical waters here, so I should clarify. It is certainly their right, and if they've made it thus far in the world of fame, kudos to them - really, say whatever the hell you want from your platform. It is a temptation for me (and everyone, no doubt) to give flack to the ones whose opinions don't match my own, but I do my best to combat that, to understand where they're coming from. That is completely different though, than disagreeing with a famous individual's stance and letting that color my opinion of their work.
Its your freedom to voice your opinions, it is therefore utterly mine to reject them, if I feel so inclined. Which brings me back to the notion that personal beliefs tint the artist's creation - its inevitable. I recognize I'm just mad right now, but it is hard for me to accept that someone who writes with as much scope as Mr. Card can and does, is plagued by such a small-minded mentality, falling prey to a homophobic attitude that is hardly becoming.
He has been quite vocal, it seems on his opinions of homosexuality (which is quite odd, considering it is a rather alienating move, particularly for an author of his calibre, but then, perhaps not that odd for a hardcore mormon), going so far as to say that there ought to be laws against the homosexual acts (sodomy laws?).
Oh and it gets richer. He doesn't want to round up the homos and put them in jail with these laws, oh no. In a valiant stab at being the morally upstanding and superior individual he obviously considers himself, he hopes the laws would instead drive homosexual expression underground and into secret, "so as not to shake the confidence of the community in the polity's ability to provide safe, stable, dependable marriage and family relationships."
Right. I'm sure your bigoted suppression tactics are well meaning Mr. Card. No doubt others have professed a similar mantra towards those who are different in belief, color or creed. No doubt its nice to have strong supporters like Hitler, the KKK, Anna Coulter, and Fred Phelps who've got your back.
And worse, he's defaulting to that lamest of excuses, that it threatens the sanctity of marriage. I don't understand what that term even means, and I'm pretty sure nobody else does either. At least no one's been able to explain it to me, despite their willingness to throw it around like confetti. How does me marrying a man threaten your relationship? And if it does, well you've got bigger problems with your marriage than me walking the aisle. Arguments against homosexual marriage always boil down to either hating gays (which is YOUR problem, really), or "god says so." I think that's Genesis 1:4.
Moreover, Card goes on to say that he has many dear Homosexuals as friends. Hopefully they've long since left him behind, because anyone who favors legislation making the person and relationship most important in my life illegal wouldn't have and doesn't deserve my friendship.
He continues on, making a number of comments about the term homophobe being used to silence people, although as someone else pointed out, anytime an attitude moves from tolerance to suppression of the rights of a group - for whatever reason - it is a phobia. The author also claims that gays already have civil rights, and therefore the gay rights movement is, it is implied, some sort of agenda bent on the destruction of the family and america.
Essentially, I was just very surprised, and frustrated to find that even though he is LDS, Orson Scott Card is so wildly narrow-minded. I'm not advocating that religion or churches should recognize homosexual marriage - if you don't wish to, great. In this nation you're welcome to be racist, sexist, homophobic, or douche baggy as you please. But that attitude shouldn't extend or affect the government's mission to ensure equal rights to all.
I guess what it comes down to is a huge letdown with an author I found quite talented. Which he is. But I may not be reading much more of his, since there are a lot of authors out there to read and I don't wish to waste time on those who consider me a second class citizen.
Fuck you, Orson Scott Card.
This was all disclosed in an older article, written, admittedly for the church, although he has written other discourses on it and is quite adamant about his position on homosexuality. Don't believe me? Well as Reading Rainbow would say, "Don't take my word for it!"
"The Hypocrites of Homosexuality"
Love,
Peter
So... as usual, I write when I'm:
a) tired. It must be that I want to write huge discourses but my exhaustion is naturally present during these moments and I wonder if it is impossible to get the same point across in ten words or less.
and
b) infuriated. There are so few things in the world to be angry at, right? Or perhaps so many its difficult not to be infuriated, if (that is to say) you're taking a look at the world around us.
And I am infuriated. There's a litany of things that I could go off on tonight:
Members of my family for their blind support of a President who, now more than ever, is one of the greatest forces for disaster and the downfall of america. They refuse to even discuss it, naturally, because I'm sure George W. Bush was ordained by the Lord himself, or some such. Even the Republicans are looking uncomfortable and staring at their shoes in the face of his behavior.
I could be angry about the organization that is religion, and how sometimes it can't helped but be seen as a controlling force used for the weak minded and easily lost. The recent "alteration" of the Book of Mormon's preface, seems to be one of those moments, a subtle softening of the Church's Lamanite heritage assertion in the face of DNA evidence.
Read it here: Book of Mormon Change
(Oh and, yes it is in the Salt Lake Tribune, but the Daily Herald covered it too, and being a liberal ex-mormon writing MY blog, you don't get to complain about me using this source.)
I could be infuriated with micro-managed and poorly run restaurants who are respond to worsening internal issues in all the wrong ways. Not that I have any experience in those (see picture below).
I might be vexed by the fact that militant and unbalanced right-wingers who desperately believe that their jesus is better than your jesus, and justify bigotry, oppression, governmental meddling, hatred, and the degrading of human rights in the quest for assuaging their souls about some unknown afterlife with a being who may or may not be there and may or may not reward you for your devoted animosity to your fellow man.
A quest which extends to denying people who love each other the ability to have equal status in this country. That is understandable however, since it is ludicrous to consider valuing love above irrational fear and hostility; almost as ridiculous as allowing freedom of speech to those who don't agree with my point of view, or NOT running secret prison camps and bugging people's phones illegally. Silly, really. The Canadians and Europeans show us up in their social progress.
That last bit makes a decent segue into what I am irritated about though tonight: author Orson Scott Card.
Random, isn't it? But you see, I've been a fan of some of his work - Ender's Game and his book of short stories Maps in a Mirror, to name a couple. But in looking at different fantasy and SF author's websites this evening, I came upon a little discovery. It is difficult for me to seperate my views of his art with his personal views, because often in art, they are driven by each other. Any art of real importance says something (though I believe I know a few individuals who completely miss this aspect).
That statement made, I can't always agree with some of the political grandstanding celebrities do (Halle Berry's Oscar acceptance, anyone?). I don't want to get into hypocritical waters here, so I should clarify. It is certainly their right, and if they've made it thus far in the world of fame, kudos to them - really, say whatever the hell you want from your platform. It is a temptation for me (and everyone, no doubt) to give flack to the ones whose opinions don't match my own, but I do my best to combat that, to understand where they're coming from. That is completely different though, than disagreeing with a famous individual's stance and letting that color my opinion of their work.
Its your freedom to voice your opinions, it is therefore utterly mine to reject them, if I feel so inclined. Which brings me back to the notion that personal beliefs tint the artist's creation - its inevitable. I recognize I'm just mad right now, but it is hard for me to accept that someone who writes with as much scope as Mr. Card can and does, is plagued by such a small-minded mentality, falling prey to a homophobic attitude that is hardly becoming.
He has been quite vocal, it seems on his opinions of homosexuality (which is quite odd, considering it is a rather alienating move, particularly for an author of his calibre, but then, perhaps not that odd for a hardcore mormon), going so far as to say that there ought to be laws against the homosexual acts (sodomy laws?).
Oh and it gets richer. He doesn't want to round up the homos and put them in jail with these laws, oh no. In a valiant stab at being the morally upstanding and superior individual he obviously considers himself, he hopes the laws would instead drive homosexual expression underground and into secret, "so as not to shake the confidence of the community in the polity's ability to provide safe, stable, dependable marriage and family relationships."
Right. I'm sure your bigoted suppression tactics are well meaning Mr. Card. No doubt others have professed a similar mantra towards those who are different in belief, color or creed. No doubt its nice to have strong supporters like Hitler, the KKK, Anna Coulter, and Fred Phelps who've got your back.
And worse, he's defaulting to that lamest of excuses, that it threatens the sanctity of marriage. I don't understand what that term even means, and I'm pretty sure nobody else does either. At least no one's been able to explain it to me, despite their willingness to throw it around like confetti. How does me marrying a man threaten your relationship? And if it does, well you've got bigger problems with your marriage than me walking the aisle. Arguments against homosexual marriage always boil down to either hating gays (which is YOUR problem, really), or "god says so." I think that's Genesis 1:4.
Moreover, Card goes on to say that he has many dear Homosexuals as friends. Hopefully they've long since left him behind, because anyone who favors legislation making the person and relationship most important in my life illegal wouldn't have and doesn't deserve my friendship.
He continues on, making a number of comments about the term homophobe being used to silence people, although as someone else pointed out, anytime an attitude moves from tolerance to suppression of the rights of a group - for whatever reason - it is a phobia. The author also claims that gays already have civil rights, and therefore the gay rights movement is, it is implied, some sort of agenda bent on the destruction of the family and america.
Essentially, I was just very surprised, and frustrated to find that even though he is LDS, Orson Scott Card is so wildly narrow-minded. I'm not advocating that religion or churches should recognize homosexual marriage - if you don't wish to, great. In this nation you're welcome to be racist, sexist, homophobic, or douche baggy as you please. But that attitude shouldn't extend or affect the government's mission to ensure equal rights to all.
I guess what it comes down to is a huge letdown with an author I found quite talented. Which he is. But I may not be reading much more of his, since there are a lot of authors out there to read and I don't wish to waste time on those who consider me a second class citizen.
Fuck you, Orson Scott Card.
This was all disclosed in an older article, written, admittedly for the church, although he has written other discourses on it and is quite adamant about his position on homosexuality. Don't believe me? Well as Reading Rainbow would say, "Don't take my word for it!"
"The Hypocrites of Homosexuality"
Love,
Peter
21 October 2007
Watch Our Film Festival Entry!!!
OUR FILM FESTIVAL MOVIE IS NOW ONLINE!!!
Yes, it's true. I'm finally making my directorial debut, at least online. Many of you know I'm studying film, that I'm planning to make films. But few of you actually have seen anything by me. Well, here's your chance to see a film, made by myself and a select group of very talented team members.
To see it, you need to go and vote on our entry to Apple's Insomnia Film Festival.
We had 24 hours to put together a 3 minute movie, using all certain key props/locations/characters. We worked hard and to the end and now its online, waiting to be judged. The only way we win is by you, our friends, families and loved ones, voting for us.
Go and vote for us right now!! I could post it here, but instead I'm going to send it you to it so you can get an Apple ID (it takes 30 seconds, and you DON'T have to be a student, just enter your favorite school) and give us a 4-star rating.
Here's the Links:
It's called "Memories" and can be found here:
Memories
http://edcommunity.apple.com/insomnia_fall07/item.php?itemID=1393
if that doesn't work try this:
Apple Insomnia Film Festival homepage
http://edcommunity.apple.com/insomnia_fall07/contest.php?
Search for us under "Lead Pipe" or just the title, "Memories."
If you ever want me to talk to you again, or at all, vote for our film NOW!!!
31 August 2007
Who Watches?
I just finished Watchmen last night. For those of you who don't know, I'm relatively new at this whole graphic novel thing, but there is a lot of hype to the Watchmen. My interest was struck at Comic Con this year, when Zack Snyder (director of 300 - huh.) gave a presentation we happened to catch on the film version (as always, completely unassociated with or approved by Alan Moore) being worked upon.
Though not a great public speaker, his passion and excitement for the subject, and his intention to remain utterly true to the material were very telling and my interest was aroused.
So a week or so ago I went out and bought it.
This comic is hailed as a turning point in graphic novel history - it is revered as the moment when darkness really started to come to comics, but more especially as a complex piece of art.
I'm happy to say it lived up to the hype, more in fact. And I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a grim, political story mired in psychology and human flaw. Its a fascinating take, but keep in mind it is extremely dense, symbolic and heavy. Not light fare in the least. I'd like to write more about it, and more particularly discuss it with anyone who has read it. Other perspectives always yield greater insight.
Alas, now I must find something else to read because I'm hungry for something as filling.
Read it.
Though not a great public speaker, his passion and excitement for the subject, and his intention to remain utterly true to the material were very telling and my interest was aroused.
So a week or so ago I went out and bought it.
This comic is hailed as a turning point in graphic novel history - it is revered as the moment when darkness really started to come to comics, but more especially as a complex piece of art.
I'm happy to say it lived up to the hype, more in fact. And I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a grim, political story mired in psychology and human flaw. Its a fascinating take, but keep in mind it is extremely dense, symbolic and heavy. Not light fare in the least. I'd like to write more about it, and more particularly discuss it with anyone who has read it. Other perspectives always yield greater insight.
Alas, now I must find something else to read because I'm hungry for something as filling.
Read it.
15 August 2007
Oh dear god...
Its moment's like this that I spend a lifetime waiting for. Unfortunately I missed out on the very clever and cool marketing campaign warner brothers is doing for this film - including a website during Comic Con (because the WB panel we attended was incredibly silent on the subject) put up by the joker. They skywrote a number over the con, which gave you riddles to the website and eventually revealed this picture from the upcoming Dark Knight film:
Now the site is nothing more (as far as I can tell) than this - a much devolved version.
Joker's Website
Still, one of the things the site originally linked to was this teaser trailer, which is frankly the most exciting part of my life. I'm curious to see what you all think. Its gonna be good. I can taste it. Watch and enjoy...
09 August 2007
The SHit!
Alright kids, you asked for it (well, no you didn't, actually) and you got it (you just get it anyway, because even though you didn't know you wanted it, you're finding out now):
Our production diary blog is live (or at least online and updated as frequently as we feel so inclined). Here is where you'll find all the anecdotal and intriguing behind-the-scenes information about our fan film currently in production.
You'll get to hear/see all random adventures we've had making this, from filling abandoned bathrooms with blood, to raiding Albertson parking lots, to visits to Mordor and horrifying encounters with sprinklers. Its all there. Or will be anyway.
See it all here: The SHit
The movie started out as a small project and has blown into a much-larger-than-anticipated film. We've been working on it since about April of 07' and we're slowly nearing the end of shooting, so it will probably, with post, be available come early October.
Until then, check the link above for what's currently going on with the movie. Its sparse at the moment, but will be updated soon. This week we're shooting one of the biggest scenes in the movie, which will be fantastic, but is all consuming, so we'll play catch up on this blog next week.
Our production diary blog is live (or at least online and updated as frequently as we feel so inclined). Here is where you'll find all the anecdotal and intriguing behind-the-scenes information about our fan film currently in production.
You'll get to hear/see all random adventures we've had making this, from filling abandoned bathrooms with blood, to raiding Albertson parking lots, to visits to Mordor and horrifying encounters with sprinklers. Its all there. Or will be anyway.
See it all here: The SHit
The movie started out as a small project and has blown into a much-larger-than-anticipated film. We've been working on it since about April of 07' and we're slowly nearing the end of shooting, so it will probably, with post, be available come early October.
Until then, check the link above for what's currently going on with the movie. Its sparse at the moment, but will be updated soon. This week we're shooting one of the biggest scenes in the movie, which will be fantastic, but is all consuming, so we'll play catch up on this blog next week.
23 July 2007
Pimpin it...
The trend these days is to really display a sense of wealth, even if you haven't acquired such. At least the trend in some cultures, and I'm certainly not going to point fingers or infer that industries like the rap music business is contributing to the "own a pimped out escalade with 23" rims at the expense of paying your heating bill" mentality, but if I had to pick...
Anyway, the point is that clothes make the man. Or something like that. Your percieved wealth is JUST as important as your actual wealth, and no one knows that better than hip hop celebrities of our day, who invest several houses' net worth into their teeth. But that aside, I realized why I don't get the respect from the bitches and ho's these days. They've been desensitized by MTV, and in order for me to step up and have the street cred I so rightly deserve, I needed to show them, yea even the world that I too have serious bling, that I can wear large fur coats in the dead heat of summer, that i can shoot other gangsters cuz I'm hardcore, or even father bastards to my hearts galore.
So how does a white middle class gangster make it to the top? Besides singing death threats to his wife Kim, I mean.
Pimp cups.
Yeah, you heard me, pimp cups. I was mulling it over with some homies in my gang, and we decided that if Lil' John has one, we best too. Its the only way. And so we had some designed and commissioned (read: made ourselves). Some are not quite finished, but you can already see how "konvict" we're becoming thanks to these little numbers.
Now I proudly present to you: Our Pimp Cups.
From Right to Left:
Ryan's - It will have a skull and crossbones (surprise) amongst other things, but he had to go to bed early.
Amanda's - It is so Amanda. And the A-Jiz touch is very nice. Or a dirty touch. Which makes it nice.
Will's - note the commerative status of his cup, it also sports crosses, a jesus fish and WWJD around the base.
Mine - P-yo. I wanted wings, but Senore DaVinci wasn't around to make me some.
Jackie's - Mirrors and jewels, as if any drag queen could resist such.
Anyway, the point is that clothes make the man. Or something like that. Your percieved wealth is JUST as important as your actual wealth, and no one knows that better than hip hop celebrities of our day, who invest several houses' net worth into their teeth. But that aside, I realized why I don't get the respect from the bitches and ho's these days. They've been desensitized by MTV, and in order for me to step up and have the street cred I so rightly deserve, I needed to show them, yea even the world that I too have serious bling, that I can wear large fur coats in the dead heat of summer, that i can shoot other gangsters cuz I'm hardcore, or even father bastards to my hearts galore.
So how does a white middle class gangster make it to the top? Besides singing death threats to his wife Kim, I mean.
Pimp cups.
Yeah, you heard me, pimp cups. I was mulling it over with some homies in my gang, and we decided that if Lil' John has one, we best too. Its the only way. And so we had some designed and commissioned (read: made ourselves). Some are not quite finished, but you can already see how "konvict" we're becoming thanks to these little numbers.
Now I proudly present to you: Our Pimp Cups.
From Right to Left:
Ryan's - It will have a skull and crossbones (surprise) amongst other things, but he had to go to bed early.
Amanda's - It is so Amanda. And the A-Jiz touch is very nice. Or a dirty touch. Which makes it nice.
Will's - note the commerative status of his cup, it also sports crosses, a jesus fish and WWJD around the base.
Mine - P-yo. I wanted wings, but Senore DaVinci wasn't around to make me some.
Jackie's - Mirrors and jewels, as if any drag queen could resist such.
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