Imaginary Circumstances

My friend, Anthony Weeks, is a documentary filmmaker and someday he will be nominated for an Oscar. This will happen - trust me - and when it does I want him to take me to the Oscars so that I can ogle the famous people and drink champagne. I'll probably have to start with the champagne and then ogle because I'm too shy to ogle outright when sober. I have plans, big plans! Anthony's most recent documentary is titled Imaginary Circumstances. Here's a summary from the film's Facebook page:

Imaginary Circumstances is a short documentary video that explores the representation of disability in entertainment media, both past and present. Within the 'imaginary circumstances' of fictional Hollywood TV and film, the performance of disability on screen refers to social realities. Frequently, though, the lived experiences and unique perspectives of actors with disabilities are excluded in the representation of disability on screen. Through performance, interviews, observational footage, and commentary on archival clips, three actors with disabilities currently working in the Hollywood entertainment industry address the authentic representation of disability in the media as well as the ongoing struggle for access and inclusion.

You can watch the trailer here. So, run right over there and watch it and become a fan of the film or like it or whatever the Facebook page asks you to do. Meanwhile, I'll be picking out my formal gown and building my champagne tolerance.

Irritating/Irresistible

I once wrote a song and used the phrase "artist at hesitation". I still love that phrase and that song will always have a special place in my heart. If I wrote a song about my life now, I might have to go with "artist at procrastination". It doesn't flow as nicely but I am definitely that kind of artist. Iintended to write you a beautiful post last night but I was tired and sluggish from a couple glasses of wine. One and a half glasses but who's counting? Okay, I'm counting because I'm trying to figure out when I became such a light weight. My point is that I am a master of distraction. I start out wanting to do something and then I lose momentum and then, before I know it, I am inexplicably watching the trailer for Country Strong and googling  to find other videos of Gwyneth Paltrow singing. I would like to say that this did not happen and that I just made this up to make a point. I would like to say this but cannot. The journey began with Country Strong which led to her performance at the CMA's during which I'm pretty sure Vince Gill is laughing at her (not with her) and wound it's way to a Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis duet. I don't even like Gwyneth Paltrow because I'm still bitter that she won the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love rather than Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth. Why yes, I do hold ridiculous grudges over trivial matters. Thank you so much for noticing. Also, I'm fairly certain that Gwyneth Paltrow isn't from the south so the fact that she perists in singing in a southern accent makes me crazy. Deep breath. Anyway, the fact is that I spent a significant amount of time last night watching videos of a woman who irritates me sing poorly. I'm amazing. The internet is an amazing place but a black hole for a procrastinator like me. Tonight, I'm going to do some writing though. Really, I am. I'm working on a couple of quality posts that will make their way here some time this month. I'm trying. Yep. I just have to keep Gwyneth Paltrow at bay.

To Africa and Back

Last Friday, I received the following e-mail from my friend, Amy: 

I think you need to blog about Grey's Anatomy last night.  I'm still upset. 

I couldn’t blog about it on Friday because another friend was holding me hostage and forcing me to write a book while she served me coffee and kept a beautiful fire blazing in the wood stove. I was suffering for my art so I had to save it for today.   

When we last discussed Grey’s Anatomy, Arizona told Callie she couldn’t go to Africa with her because she was being whiny and negative and Luisa took Arizona’s side and I took Callie’s side and Luisa told me she wouldn’t want me to go to Africa with her and I told her that I would do anything for love and then I got mad and stormed upstairs and, even though I’d go to frickin’ Africa for Luisa, she couldn’t manage to come up the stairs for me. So, we broke up and I am now living in a Scamp parked in our driveway. Okay, she did come upstairs and we didn’t break up and that Scamp thing didn’t happen either but it is rather amazing that we ever agreed to watch Grey’s Anatomy together again. 

So, time has been passing on Grey’s and Callie has been weepy and sad and broken-hearted. Arizona has e-mailed their friends but has never bothered to e-mail Callie ever. Typical. Callie and I were both getting a little bitter and then this happened:

That’s right! Arizona shows up with her crackly little voice and rambles adorably and then says that Callie is pretty in the cutest possible way and then? And then?! Callie shuts the door in her face? And then?! And then?! This happened: 

Vikki: I cannot believe Callie shut the door in her face! She should have grabbed her and kissed her! Luisa: silence Vikki: Right? There should have been kissing? Luisa: Well…  Vikki: No. Do not tell me that you are now taking Callie's side! After the whole Africa thing, you are taking Callie’s side?!  Luisa: I think Callie has a right to be angry.  Vikki: NO! Arizona came back! She gave up everything for love and she came back and said all the right things!  Luisa: I’m with Callie this time. 

This time Luisa is sleeping in the Scamp.  Callie was wrong, wrong, wrong. Am I right? Comment away and don’t be a Callie or a Luisa.