Lord, what a week! Food service, prom committee, student senate, homework, thesis meetings, script revision...do you see 'free time' anywhere on that list? Didn't think so. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be busy, but I am very, VERY glad that it is the weekend. A three-day weekend, no less!
Two words: Michael Jackson. That's about it. I just saw This is It, directed by the effing AMAZING Kenny Ortega, and I swear I cried more watching that movie than I did watching Titanic. Honestly, I have no idea how anyone who has seen that documentary can still scoff at MJ, because he was one of the sweetest, most soft-spoken, most down-to-earth people I have ever seen in my life. (And keep in mind, I met Ronnie Winter.)
Being the idiot that I am, I paid absolutely no attention to MJ whatsoever...well, maybe a bit, when Mom showed me the "Thriller" video and when we occasionally listened to Jackson 5 on the radio...until he died. And I was watching this movie and thinking, oh my God, I completely idolize this person on the screen, he is incredible and poised and dear God that freak can dance like crazy!...and then I realized, wait a second, he's dead. Oh crap.
See, unlike my LIVE idol, the aforementioned Ronnie Winter, I will never have the chance to look Michael Jackson in the eye and say, "You inspire me." Granted, I probably would not have gotten to do that anyway; it would be kind of like a one-year-old baby trying to get a private audience with President Obama, but still, there was a CHANCE. And now, because I am STUPID and didn't pay attention to his music and talent when he was ALIVE, I don't have even that tiny, insignificant chance anymore.
Don't judge me, please. Yes, I know I am being melodramatic. Yes, I know he died last June for heaven's sake, and yes, I know about the shady deeds, the plastic surgery, the sexual misconduct allegations, and the various and sundry other things he was supposedly involved in. But screw that. This guy had talent. He was freaking incredible. He left a legacy that no comedian can joke away, no internet hater can spam away, and no tabloid can slander away. Make all the Michael Jackson jokes you want, but it does not change what he did for the music world.
And you know something? I used to be one of those dorks hwo mindlessly laughed at whatever jokes people made about him. One of the popular ones at camp was "When Farrah Fawcett died, God told her she had to make a wish to get into heaven. She wished for all the children of the world to be safe. A few hours later, Michael Jackson died." I remember hearing that joke and saying, "That's mean!"...while giggling. At the time my knowledge of MJ was limited to "Thriller" and "ABC." I didn't know much about him beyond what he looked like and the sexual abuse allegations. So to me it was just another celebrity death. Just another person who was getting, in my opinion, waaaay too much tabloid attention.
It goes to show that you never appreciate something until it's gone. You see someone on TV or in a magazine and think, "Ugh, they're so overrated." And then suddenly they die, or in a less drastic situation they announce that they aren't touring anymore or they're retiring or their band is breaking up. And then you panic and htink, "But I never saw them live/met them/wrote a fan letter/whatever!" This happened to me when the comedian Richard Jeni died a couple of months after I passed pu the chance to see him live. I freaked out and cried, "I missed the chacne to see him live! I'm so stupid!" Hmm...sound familiar?
Anyway, back to Michael Jackson. All I have to say is...wow. Half the time for This is It, the filmmakers had to add subtitles because he was so quiet you could barely hear what he was saying. He was sweet to the backing band, sweet to his dancers, sweet to Kenny Ortega, and sweet to his tech crew. If they did something wrong, he would apologize. How many performers do you know who will do that? While rehearsing one song where there was a major guitar solo he said to the guitarist, "This is your time to shine," and stood there and listened while she played the same solo about a dozen times, and he just kept saying it--"This is your time to shine." Now, I was already teary eyed for about a million different reasons, but when I saw that I started to cry for real and thought, "Okay, that's it, he is now officially a hero to me..." (I TOLD you I was an overreactor, didn't I?) And then when he was giving a final pep talk to his band and crew he said, "This isn't something you should be nervous about," meaning the show, and it started all over again. From what that movie showed, he was a total sweetheart.
And yeah, it's a cliche and I've said it about ten times now...but holy crap, he can DANCE. Wathcing him dance gave me chills. Like I said, I haven't seen much footage of him performing live, or seen many of his music videos, so I didn't really get just how incredibly talented he was as a dancer until I saw the movie last night. I saw him dance to fast songs, slow songs; I saw him dancing acappella or backed by a huge band. I've never seen anyone with that much versatility. He could dance alone or with backing dancers, he could do it on flat ground, on a ramp, or on a cherry picker. It was freaking mesmerizing to watch him--trust me, I wasn't the only one with eyes glued to the screen. And then hearing him sing live on top of all that? Amazing. The CD doesn't even begin to compare.
Am I gushing too much? Yes? Good. Too many people of my generation (I DEFINITELY can't speak for the people who grew up while he was in his prime) will either listen to his music and then deny it later, or they'll trash him to their friends and snort, "Oh, that idiot who had too much plastic surgery?" and not bother looking beyond the appearance and the rumors. Where are all the people who jump up and say, "Hey, he was strange, yeah, but he was talented, and besides that, the way he grew up, how do you expect him to NOT be screwed up in some way?" (For anyone who doesn't know, MJ had the Childhood from Hell, with the added pressure of fame at an early age.) Those are the people pretending not to like him because if they say they love his music they will get looks that suggest that they might possibly need medication and shock treatments (in the form of a few Green Day concerts). But you know what, I say, screw that. And so I blog about michael Jackson and say...
RIP MJ!!! YOU ARE LOVED AND REMEMBERED! EVEN BY IDIOTS WHO DIDN'T KNOW HOW EPIC YOU WERE UNTIL YOU DIED! <3
And I command anyone who reads this blog, go and look him up on YouTube if you have not yet done so. Pretty please?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
500 Days of Lock-In (Okay, not really, it just FELT like it)
TEN THINGS THAT SUCKED ABOUT LOCK-IN:
1. THE FLOOR. Yes, the floor in the Shed is carpeted, but that, as I found out the hard way--literally--does not make it any more comfortable.
2. The fact that the counselors are sitting up all night watching us. It makes it even harder to sleep because you feel like you're in a freaking prison! Seriously, guys, we're not gonna sneak out and have an orgy if you go and sleep for an hour or two!
3. We watched Zoolander. For those of you who don't know, Zoolander is a stunning example of why you should not direct yourself in a feature film, particularly if you can't act in the first place...hint hint, Ben Stiller.
4. Not sleeping. You'd think that, having slept until 3:oo P.M. the day before, this would not have been such a problem. But nooo, I didn't sleep until 6:00 A.M., and then I woke up half an hour later with a sore throat. Fun stuff...not.
5. The fact that every time a person tried to go to the bathroom, the light in the Shed hallway would turn on automatically...thus waking up half the people in the gym.
6. Allegedly, we had to remain in La Shed until 9:00 this morning. Well, guess what? They woke us up BEFORE NINE. Not kidding! And they're all chipper and, "Okay guys, pick up your trash!" while a few of us are seriously debating giving them the bird out of sheer frustration.
7. The smell. Cram 35 kids into a gymnasium, let them play dodgeball, sack-races, and Twister until they are sweaty and do not smell good, and then put them in sleeping bags in the same clothes that they've been wearing all day. Um...yeah. You see where I'm going with this.
8. One of the counselors had a megaphone that he seemed to greatly enjoy using. Needless to say, this got annoying after about three times, because we couldn't hear what the hell he was saying thanks to the distortion. However, we all liked this counselor too much and didn't have the heart to tell him that we probably could've heard him better WITHOUT the megaphone.
9. The music played during dodgeball, sack racing, twister, and board games was way too loud. Even those of us sitting as far away from the speakers as possible still got sonic booms in our chests from the bass.
10. We had pizza. Now, this would not have been a bad thing if not for the fact that it smelled--and I can't say for sure, but probably TASTED--like the Shed carpeting.
TEN THINGS THAT I WILL NOT FORGET TO BRING IF I GO TO LOCK-IN NEXT YEAR:
1. Mattress pad!!!!!
2. iPod--this would've saved me listening to the stupid air conditioner all night. Also would have brought me some comfort on the concrete floor.
3. Extra pillows and another comforter. Self-explanatory.
4. Sandwich, so I don't have to eat the cruddy pizza.
5. Earplugs, to remove threat of listening to brain-cell-killing Stiller film, and to avoid hearing loss from too-loud music.
6. Skittles. Because they just make everything better. Don't ask why.
7. Stuffed white tiger, or possibly stuffed dolphin. Because snuggling with a stuffed animal can counteract the stiffening effect of concrete floors. Again, don't ask how or why. Just accept it as the truth and move on.
8. Laptop, so I can have something to do when everyone else is playing Twister and I am too confused from trying to follow Megaphone Counselor's directions and exhausted from the snowball fight to play.
9. Movies. Possibly Thumbsucker, which I know they'd never play, or Finding Nemo, which would possibly make the other kids hate me, because if I ever have to watch Zoolander again I might commit homicide, suicide, or psuedocide.
10. Ronnie Winter picture. Because, like Skittles and stuffed animals, Ronnie makes things better. (For all you readers who don't like RJA or don't know who the hell Ronnie Winter is, substitute this with a picture or other paraphernalia of your own idol. It would help. Trust me.)
TEN THINGS I WOULD RATHER DO THAN WATCH ANY BEN STILLER MOVIE (with the exception of Madagascar) EVER AGAIN:
1. Sleep in a full-size bed in a hotel room with all three of the Jonas Brothers, with all of us wearing street clothes and each one of them wearing a different cologne.
2. Sing "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne in the middle of a crowded grocery store on the day before Thanksgiving. (Tired, exasperated shoppers + impromptu karaoke = disaster. Trust me on that.)
3. Sleep on a concrete floor sans carpet, blankets, and pillow.
4. Drive a Toyota in the Woodward Dream Cruise.
5. Direct Jack Palance in a big-budget film. (Sorry...only Tim Burton geeks will understand that one.)
6. Sing an Evanescence song while suffering Strep Throat.
7. Jump into the Shamu tank at SeaWorld wearing a Nordstrom bikini.
8. Develop a crush on a Hell's Kitchen contestant. (Oh wait, I've already done that. Never mind.)
9. Hear Miley Cyrus do a cover of "Thriller." (Don't tell me she already has. I don't want to know.)
10. Do something stupid enough to end up on America's Funniest Home Videos.
And finally, to end on a positive note...
FIFTEEN THINGS ABOUT THE LOCK-IN THAT WERE TOTALLY SUPER EPIC:
1. THE SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!!! Seriously, for someone who had never been involved in a snowball fight with more than one person at a time, this was incredible. I got pelted with snow--my hair was DRIPPING WET by the time we were done--and let's just say it's a good thing I brought extra pajamas. I am 5'1" and the snow was roughly 3'6" deep...can you see where I'm going with this? But it was amazing. I was covered in snow and I got to throw snowballs at people without getting scolded by a counselor. Yes!!
2. The second movie we watched, (500) Days of Summer. That was just made of epic win...First of all, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is epic. Period. Second, Zooey Deschanel kicks ass. She IS a good actress, and I'm telling you she does NOT play the same role over and over again. The soundtrack for that movie was incredible. They had a The Graduate reference in there for Pete's sake! How can you NOT love it? Also. Matthew Gray Gubler as the best friend? Genius. Sheer genius. (If you don't know who that is, look up "RV sewage scene" on YouTube. He is "Joe Joe." You will laugh your ass off.)
3. This will only make sense if you are a sucker for friendship, like me. But this guy who I didn't think actually cared about me that much came over to me while we were watching Zoolander and he was like, "What are you doing back here?" and then sat down with me, like RIGHT NEXT TO ME, about .00002 inches away, and we talked about movies and indie films and we agreed that Ben Stiller can't act to save his life. Bonding experience! :)
4. The female counselor who was supervising us sat down and talked to me and one of my friends about filmmaking, editing, weird teachers, and stolen dialogue. I can't even tell you how epic that was...
5. Three of my MPA friends DJing the pre-lock-in Bollywood dance...seriously, that was just perfect...usually we have the same DJ for every event, so it's nice to mix it up a bit sometimes. I've always thought it'd be fun to DJ...but nobody would like the music I'd play. :( Faaaail...
6. Reading Jack Kerouac while snuggled up in a bundle of comforters and fleece blankets. Yes, I KNOW I could've done that at home, in bed. But doing it in the shed was more fun.
7. Watching the Super Action Fun Ball (a.k.a. DODGEBALL) game. That was intense, dude! I love how perfectly sane people go bonkers when they play sports. Then again I go bonkers on movie sets, so I can't talk.
8. I haven't had a sleepover in forever...so just the base idea of a LOCK-IN was great.
9. Eating M&Ms and playing Tanji or Tanga or whatever the heck that game is called where you try to not knock over the tower of little wooden block-like sticks (help me out here guys...) with Shae.
10. During the rare moment when I WAS asleep, I had an epic dream. Can't spill the details because a) it'd take waaay too long and b) it's too hard to follow, but trust me, it was great.
11. Hearing everybody sing along to "Don't Stop Believin'" and singing along too even though I didn't know the words.
12. Three words: PAPER TOWEL FIGHT!!!
13. The aftermath of the paper towel fight: A cloud of brown paper stuck to the ceiling. Wow...that just made my night.
14. Debating whether Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler was a bigger idiot with a one of my guy friends. I guess you had to be there to understand that one. Let's just say, if a person didn't know me, and they didn't know the guy I was debating with, they would think we were a pair of total freaks.
15. Okay, maybe this wouldn't go on the "good things" list for most people...but someone gave me the finger when I said, "I liked the Twilight movie." That just cracked me up because seriously, guys, why the heck do you bother? Yes, I know, I know..."But YOU were the one bitching and complaining about Ben Stiller!" See, there's a difference between DEBATING with someone and DISSING someone. I'm proud to report that I did not flip off anyone who liked Ben Stiller.
And now...as always...
STOLEN DIALOGUE TIME!
Me: "Ben Stiller is the spawn of evil!"
My friend: "For the spawn of evil, he sure makes good movies..."
"Can I throw up now? Because it would be very relieving."
"And on that note, I'm going to pee."
"Excuse me, I misheard you. That's gotta be it. I think you just said, 'Twilight was a good movie.' I'm so sorry. Here, let me get you some shock treatments."
(That was the prelude to flipping me off.)
"You know who we need right now? Gene Wilder."
"Take two Dorkazoids and call me in the morning."
"See, calling me psycho doesn't work, because a) my name isn't Norman Bates, and 2) I'm not dressed up like an old lady."
More blogs tomorrow. Loveya! :D
1. THE FLOOR. Yes, the floor in the Shed is carpeted, but that, as I found out the hard way--literally--does not make it any more comfortable.
2. The fact that the counselors are sitting up all night watching us. It makes it even harder to sleep because you feel like you're in a freaking prison! Seriously, guys, we're not gonna sneak out and have an orgy if you go and sleep for an hour or two!
3. We watched Zoolander. For those of you who don't know, Zoolander is a stunning example of why you should not direct yourself in a feature film, particularly if you can't act in the first place...hint hint, Ben Stiller.
4. Not sleeping. You'd think that, having slept until 3:oo P.M. the day before, this would not have been such a problem. But nooo, I didn't sleep until 6:00 A.M., and then I woke up half an hour later with a sore throat. Fun stuff...not.
5. The fact that every time a person tried to go to the bathroom, the light in the Shed hallway would turn on automatically...thus waking up half the people in the gym.
6. Allegedly, we had to remain in La Shed until 9:00 this morning. Well, guess what? They woke us up BEFORE NINE. Not kidding! And they're all chipper and, "Okay guys, pick up your trash!" while a few of us are seriously debating giving them the bird out of sheer frustration.
7. The smell. Cram 35 kids into a gymnasium, let them play dodgeball, sack-races, and Twister until they are sweaty and do not smell good, and then put them in sleeping bags in the same clothes that they've been wearing all day. Um...yeah. You see where I'm going with this.
8. One of the counselors had a megaphone that he seemed to greatly enjoy using. Needless to say, this got annoying after about three times, because we couldn't hear what the hell he was saying thanks to the distortion. However, we all liked this counselor too much and didn't have the heart to tell him that we probably could've heard him better WITHOUT the megaphone.
9. The music played during dodgeball, sack racing, twister, and board games was way too loud. Even those of us sitting as far away from the speakers as possible still got sonic booms in our chests from the bass.
10. We had pizza. Now, this would not have been a bad thing if not for the fact that it smelled--and I can't say for sure, but probably TASTED--like the Shed carpeting.
TEN THINGS THAT I WILL NOT FORGET TO BRING IF I GO TO LOCK-IN NEXT YEAR:
1. Mattress pad!!!!!
2. iPod--this would've saved me listening to the stupid air conditioner all night. Also would have brought me some comfort on the concrete floor.
3. Extra pillows and another comforter. Self-explanatory.
4. Sandwich, so I don't have to eat the cruddy pizza.
5. Earplugs, to remove threat of listening to brain-cell-killing Stiller film, and to avoid hearing loss from too-loud music.
6. Skittles. Because they just make everything better. Don't ask why.
7. Stuffed white tiger, or possibly stuffed dolphin. Because snuggling with a stuffed animal can counteract the stiffening effect of concrete floors. Again, don't ask how or why. Just accept it as the truth and move on.
8. Laptop, so I can have something to do when everyone else is playing Twister and I am too confused from trying to follow Megaphone Counselor's directions and exhausted from the snowball fight to play.
9. Movies. Possibly Thumbsucker, which I know they'd never play, or Finding Nemo, which would possibly make the other kids hate me, because if I ever have to watch Zoolander again I might commit homicide, suicide, or psuedocide.
10. Ronnie Winter picture. Because, like Skittles and stuffed animals, Ronnie makes things better. (For all you readers who don't like RJA or don't know who the hell Ronnie Winter is, substitute this with a picture or other paraphernalia of your own idol. It would help. Trust me.)
TEN THINGS I WOULD RATHER DO THAN WATCH ANY BEN STILLER MOVIE (with the exception of Madagascar) EVER AGAIN:
1. Sleep in a full-size bed in a hotel room with all three of the Jonas Brothers, with all of us wearing street clothes and each one of them wearing a different cologne.
2. Sing "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne in the middle of a crowded grocery store on the day before Thanksgiving. (Tired, exasperated shoppers + impromptu karaoke = disaster. Trust me on that.)
3. Sleep on a concrete floor sans carpet, blankets, and pillow.
4. Drive a Toyota in the Woodward Dream Cruise.
5. Direct Jack Palance in a big-budget film. (Sorry...only Tim Burton geeks will understand that one.)
6. Sing an Evanescence song while suffering Strep Throat.
7. Jump into the Shamu tank at SeaWorld wearing a Nordstrom bikini.
8. Develop a crush on a Hell's Kitchen contestant. (Oh wait, I've already done that. Never mind.)
9. Hear Miley Cyrus do a cover of "Thriller." (Don't tell me she already has. I don't want to know.)
10. Do something stupid enough to end up on America's Funniest Home Videos.
And finally, to end on a positive note...
FIFTEEN THINGS ABOUT THE LOCK-IN THAT WERE TOTALLY SUPER EPIC:
1. THE SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!!! Seriously, for someone who had never been involved in a snowball fight with more than one person at a time, this was incredible. I got pelted with snow--my hair was DRIPPING WET by the time we were done--and let's just say it's a good thing I brought extra pajamas. I am 5'1" and the snow was roughly 3'6" deep...can you see where I'm going with this? But it was amazing. I was covered in snow and I got to throw snowballs at people without getting scolded by a counselor. Yes!!
2. The second movie we watched, (500) Days of Summer. That was just made of epic win...First of all, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is epic. Period. Second, Zooey Deschanel kicks ass. She IS a good actress, and I'm telling you she does NOT play the same role over and over again. The soundtrack for that movie was incredible. They had a The Graduate reference in there for Pete's sake! How can you NOT love it? Also. Matthew Gray Gubler as the best friend? Genius. Sheer genius. (If you don't know who that is, look up "RV sewage scene" on YouTube. He is "Joe Joe." You will laugh your ass off.)
3. This will only make sense if you are a sucker for friendship, like me. But this guy who I didn't think actually cared about me that much came over to me while we were watching Zoolander and he was like, "What are you doing back here?" and then sat down with me, like RIGHT NEXT TO ME, about .00002 inches away, and we talked about movies and indie films and we agreed that Ben Stiller can't act to save his life. Bonding experience! :)
4. The female counselor who was supervising us sat down and talked to me and one of my friends about filmmaking, editing, weird teachers, and stolen dialogue. I can't even tell you how epic that was...
5. Three of my MPA friends DJing the pre-lock-in Bollywood dance...seriously, that was just perfect...usually we have the same DJ for every event, so it's nice to mix it up a bit sometimes. I've always thought it'd be fun to DJ...but nobody would like the music I'd play. :( Faaaail...
6. Reading Jack Kerouac while snuggled up in a bundle of comforters and fleece blankets. Yes, I KNOW I could've done that at home, in bed. But doing it in the shed was more fun.
7. Watching the Super Action Fun Ball (a.k.a. DODGEBALL) game. That was intense, dude! I love how perfectly sane people go bonkers when they play sports. Then again I go bonkers on movie sets, so I can't talk.
8. I haven't had a sleepover in forever...so just the base idea of a LOCK-IN was great.
9. Eating M&Ms and playing Tanji or Tanga or whatever the heck that game is called where you try to not knock over the tower of little wooden block-like sticks (help me out here guys...) with Shae.
10. During the rare moment when I WAS asleep, I had an epic dream. Can't spill the details because a) it'd take waaay too long and b) it's too hard to follow, but trust me, it was great.
11. Hearing everybody sing along to "Don't Stop Believin'" and singing along too even though I didn't know the words.
12. Three words: PAPER TOWEL FIGHT!!!
13. The aftermath of the paper towel fight: A cloud of brown paper stuck to the ceiling. Wow...that just made my night.
14. Debating whether Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler was a bigger idiot with a one of my guy friends. I guess you had to be there to understand that one. Let's just say, if a person didn't know me, and they didn't know the guy I was debating with, they would think we were a pair of total freaks.
15. Okay, maybe this wouldn't go on the "good things" list for most people...but someone gave me the finger when I said, "I liked the Twilight movie." That just cracked me up because seriously, guys, why the heck do you bother? Yes, I know, I know..."But YOU were the one bitching and complaining about Ben Stiller!" See, there's a difference between DEBATING with someone and DISSING someone. I'm proud to report that I did not flip off anyone who liked Ben Stiller.
And now...as always...
STOLEN DIALOGUE TIME!
Me: "Ben Stiller is the spawn of evil!"
My friend: "For the spawn of evil, he sure makes good movies..."
"Can I throw up now? Because it would be very relieving."
"And on that note, I'm going to pee."
"Excuse me, I misheard you. That's gotta be it. I think you just said, 'Twilight was a good movie.' I'm so sorry. Here, let me get you some shock treatments."
(That was the prelude to flipping me off.)
"You know who we need right now? Gene Wilder."
"Take two Dorkazoids and call me in the morning."
"See, calling me psycho doesn't work, because a) my name isn't Norman Bates, and 2) I'm not dressed up like an old lady."
More blogs tomorrow. Loveya! :D
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Meijer, Disney, and Omlette the Cheese Danish
What a weekend! It started off with my parents, who were lovely enough to come up and see me in Middle of Nowhere, Michigan (also known as Interlochen). We stayed in hotel room that, while cleaner than the previous room we occupied, housed the most uncomfortable beds known to mankind. I never thought I'd say this, but I was GRATEFUL to get back to my dorm room today, where at least I KNOW there is a mattress pad on the bed and I KNOW I will get some sleep tonight.
But the hotel room was only one component of the weekend. On Friday night we went to Culver's, ate some chicken, fries, and ice cream (oh, excuse me, FROZEN CUSTARD), then we went back to the hotel, where we watched some TV and updated my computer. And while my computer was updating, I used my mother's computer to show my parents a video that one of my friends posted on Moodle for a Film Genres assignment. I'd explain it, but...well, it'll be easier to just show you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0gqi9trHMQ
That's what I showed my parents. Basically, Disney gets lazy and uses templates for all their films. Now, I knew that before, but what I didn't know was how insane it really was. If you watch any two animated Disney movies back-to-back, I guaran-damn-tee that you will see similarities up the wazoo. Even Beauty and the Beast, my favorite Disney movie, was afflicted with Template Syndrome. Boo! :(
So that was Friday. Saturday, we slept in (yay!) and then went to the Omlette Shoppe and Bakery, a.k.a. one of the best (if overpriced) places that I have ever eaten breakfast. Their eggs were BRILLIANT, not much of a surprise as it was called the OMLETTE shoppe, which should indicate good eggs, but still, just because some place SAYS they have good food doesn't mean they actually do have good food. But the Omlette Shoppe really did have good food. Mostly because it was REAL food, not Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and Egg Beaters, but actual cinnamon rolls and actual scrambled eggs. And trust me, after Stone Cafeteria, I reeeeally needed that. ;)
After breakfast we went back to the hotel, where Mom took a nap and Dad showed me some parts from Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, a movie he thought I'd like seeing as I take every opportunity to fangirl over Gran Torino (which I will probably blog about in the not-so-distant future). In return, I showed him a few clips of my favorite actor, Jackson Rathbone, in Criminal Minds and Senior Skip Day.
And I have to stop here to talk about Jackson for a minute, because he really is one of the most incredible actors I have ever seen. You might know him as Jasper Hale from the Twilight films, and while I will never, ever diss any film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, I will admit that Twilight, though brilliantly cast, does not showcase the full talents of ANY of the actors who star in it. I personally think that this holds particularly true for Jackson Rathbone, because anyone who has seen this guy in anything other than Twilight or New Moon knows that he goes waaaay beyond a melodramatic southern vegan vampire.
Jackson was born in Singapore (how cool is that???) and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy (in 2002, unless my arithmetic is jacked-up, which is a strong possibility come to think of it). He's been in just about every kind of movie you can think of--thriller (Hurt), chick-flick (Twilight), comedy (Big Stan), teen movie (Senior Skip Day), drama (S. Darko). Okay, so S. Darko sucked, but don't blame Jackson; HE didn't write the script. He's been on about a million different TV shows, but my personal favorite was Criminal Minds, which COMPLETELY ripped off Hitchcock's Psycho, but I can forgive them for that because Jackson was SO DAMN GOOD in that episode.
Also. Did you know that he was the adorkable reporter from Disney 411? I didn't...until I looked him up on imdb...and guess what? He is a SUCCESSFUL PERSON who worked as a child actor for DISNEY...can you say wow? Because I sure can...and I did when I realized that my pretty little talented badass Interlochenite was in fact the same dork from Disney Channel. You know you have a good actor on your hands when he can switch from Disney to The OC without missing a beat.
Okay, okay. Enough gushing about Jackson Rathbone. Back to the weekend with my parents, all righty? Okay then. :)
So on Saturday Dad showed me Dirty Harry, and in return I showed him Senior Skip Day and Jackson's episode of Criminal Minds, along with a clip of Jackson playing in his band 100 Monkeys. And then we got pizza, breadsticks, and soda and brought it all back to the hotel. On the way to and from the pizza place, and while waiting for the pizza, we talked about (big surprise) Jackson Rathbone. Oh, and Clint Eastwood. And Tokio Hotel. And Amanda Bynes. And what a jerk the kid working the pizza counter was. And how stupid we were for going the wrong way and driving for ten minutes looking for a party store. Oops.
This kind of reminds me of the time that dear ol' dad and I went to Fenton to watch a soccer game and had to ask about six people for directions on the way, because neither of us had ever been to Fenton and we didn't know where the heck it was. And so we did the logical thing: We rolled down the windows, played bad eighties music at top volume, and sang and danced along, putting on what I'm sure was a very good show for the drivers we passed. And then I told the friend I went to see at the soccer game and he was like "..." because he didn't want to insult me TOO much and couldn't think of anything nice to say.
Right! Back on topic! So we got pizza and stuff and brought it back to the hotel, where we ate, drank, and were NOT merry because were watching the freaking Notebook on ABC Family, a.k.a. The Land of Commercials. I swear to God I saw the Step Up/Miley Cyrus video premiere commercial so many times I practically had it memorized. And then we had a nice time trying to figure out what was causing the burning-tires-meets-skunk-pee odor that was steadily filtering into our hotel room. We never did figure out which one it was--burning tires or skunk pee--but we did eventually manage to sleep. According to Mom, I sleepwalked and sleeptalked, and I swear I know why: After watching Creepy!Jackson play a girl, I had nightmares about double personalities and being chased by a crossdressing Interlochen alum. Fun stuff!
So then this morning we got up, scrambled to shower/pack/get the heck out of our hotel room before 11:00 A.M., and went to get breakfast. After some brief debate, we finally settled on Bob Evans, but only because the Flapjack Shack smelled like our hotel room. After that, we went to Meijer, where I was almost run over about seven different times by avid Sunday shoppers. My phone seemed to dislike the Meijer reception, because I tried to call my dad when we got separated, and it just would not go through. At first we were annoyed with each other. We argued briefly about the incident and finally concluded that our phones were to blame. Oooops again. :P
But the hotel room was only one component of the weekend. On Friday night we went to Culver's, ate some chicken, fries, and ice cream (oh, excuse me, FROZEN CUSTARD), then we went back to the hotel, where we watched some TV and updated my computer. And while my computer was updating, I used my mother's computer to show my parents a video that one of my friends posted on Moodle for a Film Genres assignment. I'd explain it, but...well, it'll be easier to just show you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0gqi9trHMQ
That's what I showed my parents. Basically, Disney gets lazy and uses templates for all their films. Now, I knew that before, but what I didn't know was how insane it really was. If you watch any two animated Disney movies back-to-back, I guaran-damn-tee that you will see similarities up the wazoo. Even Beauty and the Beast, my favorite Disney movie, was afflicted with Template Syndrome. Boo! :(
So that was Friday. Saturday, we slept in (yay!) and then went to the Omlette Shoppe and Bakery, a.k.a. one of the best (if overpriced) places that I have ever eaten breakfast. Their eggs were BRILLIANT, not much of a surprise as it was called the OMLETTE shoppe, which should indicate good eggs, but still, just because some place SAYS they have good food doesn't mean they actually do have good food. But the Omlette Shoppe really did have good food. Mostly because it was REAL food, not Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and Egg Beaters, but actual cinnamon rolls and actual scrambled eggs. And trust me, after Stone Cafeteria, I reeeeally needed that. ;)
After breakfast we went back to the hotel, where Mom took a nap and Dad showed me some parts from Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, a movie he thought I'd like seeing as I take every opportunity to fangirl over Gran Torino (which I will probably blog about in the not-so-distant future). In return, I showed him a few clips of my favorite actor, Jackson Rathbone, in Criminal Minds and Senior Skip Day.
And I have to stop here to talk about Jackson for a minute, because he really is one of the most incredible actors I have ever seen. You might know him as Jasper Hale from the Twilight films, and while I will never, ever diss any film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, I will admit that Twilight, though brilliantly cast, does not showcase the full talents of ANY of the actors who star in it. I personally think that this holds particularly true for Jackson Rathbone, because anyone who has seen this guy in anything other than Twilight or New Moon knows that he goes waaaay beyond a melodramatic southern vegan vampire.
Jackson was born in Singapore (how cool is that???) and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy (in 2002, unless my arithmetic is jacked-up, which is a strong possibility come to think of it). He's been in just about every kind of movie you can think of--thriller (Hurt), chick-flick (Twilight), comedy (Big Stan), teen movie (Senior Skip Day), drama (S. Darko). Okay, so S. Darko sucked, but don't blame Jackson; HE didn't write the script. He's been on about a million different TV shows, but my personal favorite was Criminal Minds, which COMPLETELY ripped off Hitchcock's Psycho, but I can forgive them for that because Jackson was SO DAMN GOOD in that episode.
Also. Did you know that he was the adorkable reporter from Disney 411? I didn't...until I looked him up on imdb...and guess what? He is a SUCCESSFUL PERSON who worked as a child actor for DISNEY...can you say wow? Because I sure can...and I did when I realized that my pretty little talented badass Interlochenite was in fact the same dork from Disney Channel. You know you have a good actor on your hands when he can switch from Disney to The OC without missing a beat.
Okay, okay. Enough gushing about Jackson Rathbone. Back to the weekend with my parents, all righty? Okay then. :)
So on Saturday Dad showed me Dirty Harry, and in return I showed him Senior Skip Day and Jackson's episode of Criminal Minds, along with a clip of Jackson playing in his band 100 Monkeys. And then we got pizza, breadsticks, and soda and brought it all back to the hotel. On the way to and from the pizza place, and while waiting for the pizza, we talked about (big surprise) Jackson Rathbone. Oh, and Clint Eastwood. And Tokio Hotel. And Amanda Bynes. And what a jerk the kid working the pizza counter was. And how stupid we were for going the wrong way and driving for ten minutes looking for a party store. Oops.
This kind of reminds me of the time that dear ol' dad and I went to Fenton to watch a soccer game and had to ask about six people for directions on the way, because neither of us had ever been to Fenton and we didn't know where the heck it was. And so we did the logical thing: We rolled down the windows, played bad eighties music at top volume, and sang and danced along, putting on what I'm sure was a very good show for the drivers we passed. And then I told the friend I went to see at the soccer game and he was like "..." because he didn't want to insult me TOO much and couldn't think of anything nice to say.
Right! Back on topic! So we got pizza and stuff and brought it back to the hotel, where we ate, drank, and were NOT merry because were watching the freaking Notebook on ABC Family, a.k.a. The Land of Commercials. I swear to God I saw the Step Up/Miley Cyrus video premiere commercial so many times I practically had it memorized. And then we had a nice time trying to figure out what was causing the burning-tires-meets-skunk-pee odor that was steadily filtering into our hotel room. We never did figure out which one it was--burning tires or skunk pee--but we did eventually manage to sleep. According to Mom, I sleepwalked and sleeptalked, and I swear I know why: After watching Creepy!Jackson play a girl, I had nightmares about double personalities and being chased by a crossdressing Interlochen alum. Fun stuff!
So then this morning we got up, scrambled to shower/pack/get the heck out of our hotel room before 11:00 A.M., and went to get breakfast. After some brief debate, we finally settled on Bob Evans, but only because the Flapjack Shack smelled like our hotel room. After that, we went to Meijer, where I was almost run over about seven different times by avid Sunday shoppers. My phone seemed to dislike the Meijer reception, because I tried to call my dad when we got separated, and it just would not go through. At first we were annoyed with each other. We argued briefly about the incident and finally concluded that our phones were to blame. Oooops again. :P
So then it was an all-too-short drive back to Interlochen. Mom and Dad helped me unpack the ten million dollars' worth of groceries that we'd gotten at Meijer, got me organized, and then left. Plenty of hugging, but no tears, thank God, or I would still be sniffling right now. And THEN I went to dinner, and THEN I went to Student Senate, and now I'm going to finish my world history homework and go to sleep, because I am exhausted enough to fall asleep at the computer.
STOLEN DIALOGUE:
"Hugs are a sentimentalist's version of crack."
Person one: “So, did you run you roommate out again?”
Person two: “No, she left voluntarily.”
"If we make those two perform together, they'll spontaneously combust."
"If you walk into the Cheesecake Factory and order a sandwich, they are gonna bring you something that albeit fairly tasty is the size of a '86 Buick le Sabre."
(Aaron Gillespie)
"Did I just make 'smartassity' a word?"
Person one: "So what did they serve you for dinner?"
Person two: "Death."
Person three: "Warmed over?"
Person two: "No, they didn't even extend us that courtesy."
"Let's recap here, okay? You actually don't mind listening to Ashley Tisdale music. You are in love with a transgendered college student. You sleep onTinker Bell bedsheets. Your favorite movie is My Cousin Vinny. You voluntarily call your parents every night. And yet I am the insane one?"
"I swear, you are the only person I know who can make worshipping Jesus sound hardcore!"
"You know how you can tell I'm not lying, sweetheart? I just swore on Jackson Rathbone's soul. Would I really jeopardize that just so you wouldn't know what time I got back to my dorm?"
"We should totally go throw wrapped condoms in the lake sometime...wouldn't that be epic?"
"Billboard Dad is crap on toast."
"The scent of Axe deodorant is permanently etched into my memory."
"You know what? I just figured out what this tastes like...arsenic. You know, like in the Grinch song? 'Three decker saurkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce'? That is so what I'm eating right now."
"So I found out last night that it's a bad idea to play Candyland in the dark."
“Surely I do imbibe copious herbage. But I don’t drink alcohol, I make straight A’s, and I show the utmost respect for ladies…yeah!”
(From Senior Skip Day)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Secret to Surviving "Winterlochen"
Ah, Northern Michigan winters--nothing like them! First, you freeze to death in weather that is so cold that it doesn't even snow, and you literally cannot breathe when you're outside becuase it is so damn cold. And then you get BURIED in snow and start to wish that the breathtaking cold would come back. And then you get two or three nice, warm--"warm" meaning somewhere between thirty and forty degrees--days, and you start to think, "Okay, this isn't so bad, I can deal, if it just stays like this." But it doesn't! Three nice days, and then, BAM! Winter socks you in the gut like Jack Dempsey.
And then, to put a few sprinkles on this lovely sundae (get it? Sundae? Ice cream? Cold? Meh, forget it), it rains. And everything freezes on the ground, and you skid on ice every time you try to walk to class. And did I mention that it is FREEZING?! There's piles of dirty, renegade snow EVERYWHERE, there's a few solid inches of ice on the ground, there's CLEAN snow which falls every other week or so and makes you long for the rain and ice again, and there's this nice little chill that cannot be blocked even by a down coat.
But it gets even better! At Interlochen there's this thing called the "concourse," which houses all the classrooms. It is one long hallway, with small buildings attached called "rotundas." (Sooner or later I'll do an Interlochen Dictionary post, don't worry. You WILL know what all these words mean eventually, I promise.) And when you walk down this hallway, you get sweaty because you have to walk FAST, due to there being ten minutes between classes and one of your classes (if your luck is anything like mine) is at the opposite end of campus from your NEXT class and you have to rival Jesse Owens to get there on time. So you get sweaty and you leave your coat unbuttoned when you go outside and...well, you know what happens next.
Frostbite, anyone?
And let's not forget the food issue! You know how in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl states that something about cold weather makes people hungrier? (And no, mom, I do NOT want to know the scientific reason for that. (; ) So yes, after a hard day of classes and practices and screenwriting and playwriting and history tests and stress tests and composing music and composing functions, we're all hungry enough to eat a cow. So we go to the cafeteria...where Death awaits us in the form of overcooked salmon. Yum. And the alternative? Go spend ten bucks at the cafe for bad fries and crappy ice cream. Or order a hamburger from Bud's, which I am not as of yet brave enough to do. No wonder the motto for stone is, "Stone Cafeteria: Where the starving artists of tomorrow begin starving today."
And of course there's the fun of the clothes! Honestly, tights or no tights, I will never understand how some of you brave girls can wear skirts in this weather. I freeze my ass off with long pants and kneesocks, and some days I actually wear long johns beneath my pants, so how in the heck you can stand to walk around in a skirt and pantyhose is something beyond my level of comprehension. Then again I've been gawked at for going hatless, so maybe I can't talk. All I know is, without a coat, long pants, boots, kneesocks, and a pair of gloves, I'm useless in the cold.
So what does all this add up to? One very freaking long winter. (Daddy, do you remember reading The Long Winter when I was in sixth grade? Say yes, dang it!) But don't worry. I've found the secret to surviving the Interlochen Winter (or Winterlochen, as I've heard it called). Here it is, in three parts:
First of all. BE HAPPY. I can't stress this enough. If you mope through winter, you will be bushwhacked the second November 1st rolls around. Don't believe me? Well, think about this: I went out on a shoot with my fellow MPAs shortly after Halloween. It was a nice, clear, sunny day...and the temperature was enough to make one believe that Hell had literally frozen over. I swear to God there was FROST on the grass. There were actually people whose job was to run blankets out to the freezing actors (it was a baseball movie).
Anyway, I'm digressing. The point is, BE HAPPY. Don't let Winterlochen kick your ass with its icy gloominess. The sadder you get, the harder it is to pull through the looooong winter months. So do yourself a favor. Go to the dances. Go to Coffeehouse. Watch the Olympics and laugh when the media makes a big deal about a snowboarder's coach letting out a few f-bombs. Read silly blogs on the internet. (Mine notwithstanding (; ) Watch silly crap on YouTube (but keep it G-rated, please; we don't want any Porn Infractions).
Some things to bust the Winterlochen Blahs:
http://community.sparknotes.com/index.php/2009/07/16/blogging-twilight-index-page/
If you love Twilight and take it seriously, or if you are Team Edward, stay away. However, if you are like me and take the whole thing as light entertainment, you will love this. You will laugh. Hard.
http://aaronrgillespie.tumblr.com/
This is Aaron Gillespie's (The Almost; UnderOath) blog about food. It's more interesting than it sounds. Trust me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9va1wVNizE
TRY to watch this without laughing, or at least smirking and rolling your eyes. It can't be done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxLT98chljg
Maybe I'm just biased because they're my favorite band...but the beginning of this interview cracks me up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUnRAqEEVWQ&feature=PlayList&p=C45ACB753D9BC89B&index=2
This is self-explanatory. Just watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNSdBLYXJD4
If this doesn't crack you up, you are officially NOT HUMAN. And no, you do NOT have to be into zombies to like this short film. (On that note, what is it with us Interlochen people and zombies? Seriously! I think we've all watched the "Thriller" video one too many times...)
Second. Remember that artistic reason you came here? MPAs, make some indie shorts!(And then post them on YouTube or facebook so we can all share the laughs!) Creative writers, crank out some fiction! (Or poetry, if you'd rather do that.) Musicians, hold random jam sessions in the rotundas! Visual artists, show off with your snow sculptures! (So far this year, I've seen the Loch Ness Monster, some Igloos, a lion, and my personal favorite, a large toadstool.) There's a reason that young artists come here, and it sure as heck isn't for the brilliant weather. We are CREATIVE! If we can't figure out a way to beat this winter cruddiness...well...who can?
Third--possibly most important--RELY ON YOUR FRIENDS. There is a reason that Mr. Film Teacher tells us after we come back from breaks to look after each other. (Motion Picture Artists, you know what I'm talking about, right?) The people in your dorm, your major, your classes, and even people whom you would never see if you didn't make the effor to seek them out will help you more than anything you're told to do by the Health Services people. Seriously, without my friends I would've gone bug-nuts crazy by now. Friends provide entertainment, stress relief, hugs, companionship, love, and most importantly, support. If you don't trust them...excuse the cliche...who can you trust to get you through the horror that is a North Michigan winter?
So there you have it. The secret to surviving "Winterlochen." (Am I even using that in the correct context?) You're welcome. :)
STOLEN DIALOGUE TIME!!!!!
"I sound like a Wookie on helium!"
"That there's what we call an inside joke."
"Did you eat a bowl of unoriginal for breakfast?"
"No. No, no, no. This is an ALICE IN WONDERLAND prom, not a LET'S SHOW OFF NINETY PERCENT OF OUR SKIN prom. You can't wear that dress. People will think you're confused about the theme."
"Let's not tell Mr. Wescott that none of us did our homework, okay? We'll just say something we got off Sparknotes; he won't know the difference."
"I Facebooked the crap out of him! No--I did not STALK him. I FACEBOOKED him. There's a difference."
"You know what would be really interesting? If he fell into a sand pit full of rabid Miley Cyrus fans. That would be fun."
"Hey, guys, I've got an idea. Let's have a revolution!"
"Some people are born to be wild...some people are born to be artists...he was born to be unprofessional."
"This just bypasses all normal levels of awkward. This is so much awkward it's practically coming out your ears. You are unnaturally full of awkward. Instead of the date-rape drug, someone poisoned your drink with a whole lot of awkward."
Person one: "Can you just shoot me please?"
Person two: "No, but I can dismember you and flush the pieces down the toilet."
Person one: "Okay, that works."
"That door has issues. That door is being a...Doork. Sorry, SOMEONE had to say that."
"Oh great. This table is chairless, and THAT table has more chairs than it knows what to do with. That table is Napoleon's army marching in to invade Russia, and this table is Napoleon's army marchinng OUT of Russia, minus ninety percent of his army."
And then, to put a few sprinkles on this lovely sundae (get it? Sundae? Ice cream? Cold? Meh, forget it), it rains. And everything freezes on the ground, and you skid on ice every time you try to walk to class. And did I mention that it is FREEZING?! There's piles of dirty, renegade snow EVERYWHERE, there's a few solid inches of ice on the ground, there's CLEAN snow which falls every other week or so and makes you long for the rain and ice again, and there's this nice little chill that cannot be blocked even by a down coat.
But it gets even better! At Interlochen there's this thing called the "concourse," which houses all the classrooms. It is one long hallway, with small buildings attached called "rotundas." (Sooner or later I'll do an Interlochen Dictionary post, don't worry. You WILL know what all these words mean eventually, I promise.) And when you walk down this hallway, you get sweaty because you have to walk FAST, due to there being ten minutes between classes and one of your classes (if your luck is anything like mine) is at the opposite end of campus from your NEXT class and you have to rival Jesse Owens to get there on time. So you get sweaty and you leave your coat unbuttoned when you go outside and...well, you know what happens next.
Frostbite, anyone?
And let's not forget the food issue! You know how in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl states that something about cold weather makes people hungrier? (And no, mom, I do NOT want to know the scientific reason for that. (; ) So yes, after a hard day of classes and practices and screenwriting and playwriting and history tests and stress tests and composing music and composing functions, we're all hungry enough to eat a cow. So we go to the cafeteria...where Death awaits us in the form of overcooked salmon. Yum. And the alternative? Go spend ten bucks at the cafe for bad fries and crappy ice cream. Or order a hamburger from Bud's, which I am not as of yet brave enough to do. No wonder the motto for stone is, "Stone Cafeteria: Where the starving artists of tomorrow begin starving today."
And of course there's the fun of the clothes! Honestly, tights or no tights, I will never understand how some of you brave girls can wear skirts in this weather. I freeze my ass off with long pants and kneesocks, and some days I actually wear long johns beneath my pants, so how in the heck you can stand to walk around in a skirt and pantyhose is something beyond my level of comprehension. Then again I've been gawked at for going hatless, so maybe I can't talk. All I know is, without a coat, long pants, boots, kneesocks, and a pair of gloves, I'm useless in the cold.
So what does all this add up to? One very freaking long winter. (Daddy, do you remember reading The Long Winter when I was in sixth grade? Say yes, dang it!) But don't worry. I've found the secret to surviving the Interlochen Winter (or Winterlochen, as I've heard it called). Here it is, in three parts:
First of all. BE HAPPY. I can't stress this enough. If you mope through winter, you will be bushwhacked the second November 1st rolls around. Don't believe me? Well, think about this: I went out on a shoot with my fellow MPAs shortly after Halloween. It was a nice, clear, sunny day...and the temperature was enough to make one believe that Hell had literally frozen over. I swear to God there was FROST on the grass. There were actually people whose job was to run blankets out to the freezing actors (it was a baseball movie).
Anyway, I'm digressing. The point is, BE HAPPY. Don't let Winterlochen kick your ass with its icy gloominess. The sadder you get, the harder it is to pull through the looooong winter months. So do yourself a favor. Go to the dances. Go to Coffeehouse. Watch the Olympics and laugh when the media makes a big deal about a snowboarder's coach letting out a few f-bombs. Read silly blogs on the internet. (Mine notwithstanding (; ) Watch silly crap on YouTube (but keep it G-rated, please; we don't want any Porn Infractions).
Some things to bust the Winterlochen Blahs:
http://community.sparknotes.com/index.php/2009/07/16/blogging-twilight-index-page/
If you love Twilight and take it seriously, or if you are Team Edward, stay away. However, if you are like me and take the whole thing as light entertainment, you will love this. You will laugh. Hard.
http://aaronrgillespie.tumblr.com/
This is Aaron Gillespie's (The Almost; UnderOath) blog about food. It's more interesting than it sounds. Trust me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9va1wVNizE
TRY to watch this without laughing, or at least smirking and rolling your eyes. It can't be done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxLT98chljg
Maybe I'm just biased because they're my favorite band...but the beginning of this interview cracks me up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUnRAqEEVWQ&feature=PlayList&p=C45ACB753D9BC89B&index=2
This is self-explanatory. Just watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNSdBLYXJD4
If this doesn't crack you up, you are officially NOT HUMAN. And no, you do NOT have to be into zombies to like this short film. (On that note, what is it with us Interlochen people and zombies? Seriously! I think we've all watched the "Thriller" video one too many times...)
Second. Remember that artistic reason you came here? MPAs, make some indie shorts!(And then post them on YouTube or facebook so we can all share the laughs!) Creative writers, crank out some fiction! (Or poetry, if you'd rather do that.) Musicians, hold random jam sessions in the rotundas! Visual artists, show off with your snow sculptures! (So far this year, I've seen the Loch Ness Monster, some Igloos, a lion, and my personal favorite, a large toadstool.) There's a reason that young artists come here, and it sure as heck isn't for the brilliant weather. We are CREATIVE! If we can't figure out a way to beat this winter cruddiness...well...who can?
Third--possibly most important--RELY ON YOUR FRIENDS. There is a reason that Mr. Film Teacher tells us after we come back from breaks to look after each other. (Motion Picture Artists, you know what I'm talking about, right?) The people in your dorm, your major, your classes, and even people whom you would never see if you didn't make the effor to seek them out will help you more than anything you're told to do by the Health Services people. Seriously, without my friends I would've gone bug-nuts crazy by now. Friends provide entertainment, stress relief, hugs, companionship, love, and most importantly, support. If you don't trust them...excuse the cliche...who can you trust to get you through the horror that is a North Michigan winter?
So there you have it. The secret to surviving "Winterlochen." (Am I even using that in the correct context?) You're welcome. :)
STOLEN DIALOGUE TIME!!!!!
"I sound like a Wookie on helium!"
"That there's what we call an inside joke."
"Did you eat a bowl of unoriginal for breakfast?"
"No. No, no, no. This is an ALICE IN WONDERLAND prom, not a LET'S SHOW OFF NINETY PERCENT OF OUR SKIN prom. You can't wear that dress. People will think you're confused about the theme."
"Let's not tell Mr. Wescott that none of us did our homework, okay? We'll just say something we got off Sparknotes; he won't know the difference."
"I Facebooked the crap out of him! No--I did not STALK him. I FACEBOOKED him. There's a difference."
"You know what would be really interesting? If he fell into a sand pit full of rabid Miley Cyrus fans. That would be fun."
"Hey, guys, I've got an idea. Let's have a revolution!"
"Some people are born to be wild...some people are born to be artists...he was born to be unprofessional."
"This just bypasses all normal levels of awkward. This is so much awkward it's practically coming out your ears. You are unnaturally full of awkward. Instead of the date-rape drug, someone poisoned your drink with a whole lot of awkward."
Person one: "Can you just shoot me please?"
Person two: "No, but I can dismember you and flush the pieces down the toilet."
Person one: "Okay, that works."
"That door has issues. That door is being a...Doork. Sorry, SOMEONE had to say that."
"Oh great. This table is chairless, and THAT table has more chairs than it knows what to do with. That table is Napoleon's army marching in to invade Russia, and this table is Napoleon's army marchinng OUT of Russia, minus ninety percent of his army."
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
For you see, my roommate is...doing laundry in Stone Cafeteria
After listening to a morningful of complaints about icky roommates, laundry procrastination, and cafeteria-induced sickness, I have resolved to complain a LOT less from now on.
Submitted for your consideration (yes, this DOES count as stolen dialogue):
"I have reason to believe that my roommate is the daughter of Satan."
"What the hell were they thinking, putting a devout Baptist in the same room as a bisexual Atheist? Were they TRYING to cause an explosion?"
"If laundry service sends back ONE more piece of my clothing with a hole in it, I'm going to kill someone."
"Stone Cafeteria is enough to make the most hardcore carnivore convert to vegetarianism."
"I have been living on Oreos for six months."
"I have to do f***ing laundry tonight! I have to go down to the God d***ed laundry room, put the f***ing detergent in the machine, put a whole damn DOLLAR into the machine, and sit there while the f***ing thing does nothing but GURGLE for a whole f***ing hour!" (Thank God there weren't any hall counselors around to hear this one...)
"I swear, if this asshole stays up past two A.M. ONE MORE NIGHT, I'm locking him out of the room."
"You know that sign in the Scholarshop about how proceeds from their sales go towards scholarship money? Well, since September, I've bought enough food at that place to give somebody a full ride."
"I don't care how funny she thinks that episode of Family Guy is--if I have to listen to it again, I'll strangle her! Hasn't she ever heard of HEADPHONES?"
"First the stupid washing machine ate my quarters. Then the dryer stopped working. Then the vending machine ate my dollar. And then when I went to my counselor, she said I was being irresponsible. And then I went downstairs to finish my laundry, but when the washer decided to pee on me, I spontaneously combusted."
"The Stone food makes me throw up. The only edible thing in that cafeteria is the Frosted Flakes."
Wow. Wow, wow, wow. This is...crazy. There's no other word for it.
Don't get me wrong, guys--I'm not pretending that I love the food in the cafeteria, or that my roommate and I are about to skip out and buy matching "Best Friend" necklaces, or that laundry isn't a pain in the neck whether you get the laundry service or just do it on your own. But really, people? We're at one of the best arts schools in the country--and definitely the most UNIQUE school in the country. It's a boarding arts high school, for Pete's sake! How often do you see THOSE? And I think if we're wasting so much time complaining about food, laundry, and roommates (as well as other annoying things like the weather, the library hours, and sign-in), we're sort of missing the point of being here.
Just ask yourself: Did you come here to be best friends with your suitemates, or did you come here to perfect your art form?
In the brochures, did the nice block letters spell out, "WE HAVE THE BEST LAUNDRY SERVICE IN THE COUNTRY!!!" or did they say, "We want to help you become an artist?"
When you walk into Stone Cafeteria, do you expect that there will be a three-course gourmet meal waiting at a linen-covered table for you, or do you KNOW that there is probably nothing there that you really want to eat?
I rest my case.
I'm guilty of this too. I don't always get along with my suitemates. I occassionally will skip dinner and go for an ice-cream sandwich at the Melody Freeze because the thought of eating whatever they're serving grosses me out. I've found myself scrambling on Tuesday morning and cursing because I forgot to get my laundry ready the night before. And if this ever happens to you--and I know it does--I sympathize.
But what you have to do is think to yourself, "Okay, this is inconvenient. But what about this afternoon, when I'll get to____?" (practice for the play, record audio for the film, make a new sculpture, write a poem, hear an amazing guest speaker?) THAT is why we're all here--to work on our art. And if we have to stomach some icky food, or put up with an annoying roommate, or fight the nightly laundry battle while we're at it...well, think of it this way: It'll make us stronger artists to do stuff we don't like doing.
Hey, nobody ever said this was going to be easy. ;)
Submitted for your consideration (yes, this DOES count as stolen dialogue):
"I have reason to believe that my roommate is the daughter of Satan."
"What the hell were they thinking, putting a devout Baptist in the same room as a bisexual Atheist? Were they TRYING to cause an explosion?"
"If laundry service sends back ONE more piece of my clothing with a hole in it, I'm going to kill someone."
"Stone Cafeteria is enough to make the most hardcore carnivore convert to vegetarianism."
"I have been living on Oreos for six months."
"I have to do f***ing laundry tonight! I have to go down to the God d***ed laundry room, put the f***ing detergent in the machine, put a whole damn DOLLAR into the machine, and sit there while the f***ing thing does nothing but GURGLE for a whole f***ing hour!" (Thank God there weren't any hall counselors around to hear this one...)
"I swear, if this asshole stays up past two A.M. ONE MORE NIGHT, I'm locking him out of the room."
"You know that sign in the Scholarshop about how proceeds from their sales go towards scholarship money? Well, since September, I've bought enough food at that place to give somebody a full ride."
"I don't care how funny she thinks that episode of Family Guy is--if I have to listen to it again, I'll strangle her! Hasn't she ever heard of HEADPHONES?"
"First the stupid washing machine ate my quarters. Then the dryer stopped working. Then the vending machine ate my dollar. And then when I went to my counselor, she said I was being irresponsible. And then I went downstairs to finish my laundry, but when the washer decided to pee on me, I spontaneously combusted."
"The Stone food makes me throw up. The only edible thing in that cafeteria is the Frosted Flakes."
Wow. Wow, wow, wow. This is...crazy. There's no other word for it.
Don't get me wrong, guys--I'm not pretending that I love the food in the cafeteria, or that my roommate and I are about to skip out and buy matching "Best Friend" necklaces, or that laundry isn't a pain in the neck whether you get the laundry service or just do it on your own. But really, people? We're at one of the best arts schools in the country--and definitely the most UNIQUE school in the country. It's a boarding arts high school, for Pete's sake! How often do you see THOSE? And I think if we're wasting so much time complaining about food, laundry, and roommates (as well as other annoying things like the weather, the library hours, and sign-in), we're sort of missing the point of being here.
Just ask yourself: Did you come here to be best friends with your suitemates, or did you come here to perfect your art form?
In the brochures, did the nice block letters spell out, "WE HAVE THE BEST LAUNDRY SERVICE IN THE COUNTRY!!!" or did they say, "We want to help you become an artist?"
When you walk into Stone Cafeteria, do you expect that there will be a three-course gourmet meal waiting at a linen-covered table for you, or do you KNOW that there is probably nothing there that you really want to eat?
I rest my case.
I'm guilty of this too. I don't always get along with my suitemates. I occassionally will skip dinner and go for an ice-cream sandwich at the Melody Freeze because the thought of eating whatever they're serving grosses me out. I've found myself scrambling on Tuesday morning and cursing because I forgot to get my laundry ready the night before. And if this ever happens to you--and I know it does--I sympathize.
But what you have to do is think to yourself, "Okay, this is inconvenient. But what about this afternoon, when I'll get to____?" (practice for the play, record audio for the film, make a new sculpture, write a poem, hear an amazing guest speaker?) THAT is why we're all here--to work on our art. And if we have to stomach some icky food, or put up with an annoying roommate, or fight the nightly laundry battle while we're at it...well, think of it this way: It'll make us stronger artists to do stuff we don't like doing.
Hey, nobody ever said this was going to be easy. ;)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Workshop Raised a Cain
Okay. So today, I had to endure one of the hardest, grittiest, most beautiful, most PAINFUL things about MPA.
WORKSHOP!!!!
For anyone who doesn't know, workshop is when you bring in a piece of work (in this case, it was a screenplay) and people read it out loud, then they comment on it, write comments on your script, and give you feedback. Now don't get me wrong, it's always good to get feedback, but today it was...jolting, to say the least.
I'd completely rewritten the script that I've been working on, and it was extremely personal. So when people started pointing out everything that was wrong with it, I took it waaaay more personally than I should have. I freaked out and, for a good hour and a half, beat myself up over it and worried that my teacher wouldn't let me make a thesis film if he didn't like my script.
So I worried for awhile. And then I decided, screw it, I can either mope around my dorm all night or I can pull myself together and actually WORK on this script, which is what WORKshop is for, and make something of it! So I went to the writing house to work on my script, and who should be there but three incredible creative writers? Yay! :) With three friends there, I perked up pretty quickly, especially when we were walking around outside and a few of us jumped into this massive snowbank, street clothes and all, no snowpants, just JUMPING :D After that I came back and rewrote my script, and now I'm much happier with it.
I learned three things today:
1. Don't make yourself vulnerable in workshop. Yes, I know, it's hard NOT to. But you've got to remember that nobody is attacking you. They actually want to HELP. That's the point of workshop--to get feedback and know what is and isn't working in your piece. It's not a torture device...even though it might seem like that sometimes.
2. In direct contradiction to point #1, if something REALLY upsets you during workshop--not just annoys or slightly offends you, but really UPSETS you--it is perfectly okay to vent about it later. Just don't wallow in it. Wallowing and venting are two completely different things.
3. You don't always have to redraft RIGHT AWAY. It's perfectly fine to do something else (i.e., go jump in the snow with two of your best friends) before you rewrite. In fact, jumping in the snow gave me a great idea for my rewrite.
Since brevity is the soul of wit, I will be brief: Workshop kicks ass! (Literally and figuratively.)
STOLEN DIALOGUE:
"We have bypassed ten pounds of awkward in a five pound bag! This is TWENTY pounds of awkward in a TWO pound bag!"
"What if I were a zombie? That would be so awesome..."
"In case you haven't noticed, you are a girl. And I'm gay. Do you see a problem here, or is that just me?"
"Damn it! I inhaled cornflakes!"
<3 gotta go before net shuts off!!
WORKSHOP!!!!
For anyone who doesn't know, workshop is when you bring in a piece of work (in this case, it was a screenplay) and people read it out loud, then they comment on it, write comments on your script, and give you feedback. Now don't get me wrong, it's always good to get feedback, but today it was...jolting, to say the least.
I'd completely rewritten the script that I've been working on, and it was extremely personal. So when people started pointing out everything that was wrong with it, I took it waaaay more personally than I should have. I freaked out and, for a good hour and a half, beat myself up over it and worried that my teacher wouldn't let me make a thesis film if he didn't like my script.
So I worried for awhile. And then I decided, screw it, I can either mope around my dorm all night or I can pull myself together and actually WORK on this script, which is what WORKshop is for, and make something of it! So I went to the writing house to work on my script, and who should be there but three incredible creative writers? Yay! :) With three friends there, I perked up pretty quickly, especially when we were walking around outside and a few of us jumped into this massive snowbank, street clothes and all, no snowpants, just JUMPING :D After that I came back and rewrote my script, and now I'm much happier with it.
I learned three things today:
1. Don't make yourself vulnerable in workshop. Yes, I know, it's hard NOT to. But you've got to remember that nobody is attacking you. They actually want to HELP. That's the point of workshop--to get feedback and know what is and isn't working in your piece. It's not a torture device...even though it might seem like that sometimes.
2. In direct contradiction to point #1, if something REALLY upsets you during workshop--not just annoys or slightly offends you, but really UPSETS you--it is perfectly okay to vent about it later. Just don't wallow in it. Wallowing and venting are two completely different things.
3. You don't always have to redraft RIGHT AWAY. It's perfectly fine to do something else (i.e., go jump in the snow with two of your best friends) before you rewrite. In fact, jumping in the snow gave me a great idea for my rewrite.
Since brevity is the soul of wit, I will be brief: Workshop kicks ass! (Literally and figuratively.)
STOLEN DIALOGUE:
"We have bypassed ten pounds of awkward in a five pound bag! This is TWENTY pounds of awkward in a TWO pound bag!"
"What if I were a zombie? That would be so awesome..."
"In case you haven't noticed, you are a girl. And I'm gay. Do you see a problem here, or is that just me?"
"Damn it! I inhaled cornflakes!"
<3 gotta go before net shuts off!!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday Night's All Right for Tokio Hotel
Hello. If you are reading this blog, chances are you already know who I am. If not...well, have fun figuring it out.
In the event that you don't know me, this is who I am, in three easy steps:
1. I make movies at Interlochen Center for the Arts. It's amazing. Case closed. End of story.
2. I'm a girl, as evidenced by my screenname. (Beatnik BELLE, people, come on!)
3. I love Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
There. That's me, in a nutshell. Moving on now!
Okay. So for those of you who DO know me, you may be wondering, "Why in the hell is she starting a blog NOW? Since when does she even have TIME to blog?" To answer your questions, I have three reasons to start a blog now that I did not have before:
1. I'm sick this weekend. And bored. In my book, bored + sick = innovative ways of entertaining myself, which means doing stuff I've never done before...which, this time, means starting a blog.
2. Thesis Film Season has officially started, which means I'll have PLENTY of anecdotes that will be far too epic to keep them to myself.
3.
Okay, so I really don't have three reasons...I just have two...but they're good reasons, right? RIGHT? Okay. Moving on again.
So, this weekend I didn't get out of my dorm more than twice. Which is for me more than a little unusual; it's normal for me to get less rest on the weekends than I do during the week (thanks to Student Senate, church, the mall, GSA, ect...) but, as I said, this weekend I'm sick, which really sucks. So, instead of reporting the insane Interlochen goings-on of the weekend (which I'll do NEXT weekend), I'll blog about the strange things that one thinks about when one is trapped in a dorm all weekend.
First of all, have you ever noticed that when you're not sick enough to feel like you're dying, but just sick enough to have to stay home, you do the weirdest things just to keep yourself from getting bored to death? Well, okay, maybe it's just me who does that, but I really don't think so. So, last night I was sad about missing GSA coffeehouse and I was bored out of my mind. And even after calling my parents and catching up with a few long-distance friends via FaceBook, I was still bored and lonely (my lucky suitemates were at the coffeehouse!).
And so I did what I'm sure ANYONE ELSE in my situation would have done: I watched a Tokio Hotel documentary, then part of their concert, and made two lists. One of them was things I loved about Tokio Hotel, the other was things I hate about Tokio Hotel. Now please understand, Tokio Hotel is NOT my favorite band of all time. They don't even make the top three. That would be Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (#1), the Almost (#2), and the E Street Band (#3). And, if we're going top five, #4 is the Who (whom I will probably blog about at a later date) and #5 is Augustana. So as you can see, poor Tokio Hotel has to settle for top ten, which we won't get into right now because it will take forever.
With all that being said, I do enjoy Tokio Hotel quite a bit. I wouldn't call them a guilty pleasure - any band that my dad approves of just cannot be called a guilty pleasure, in my book - but they're certainly don't have the rough, artsy, rock-and-roll badassnessosity of my top five. I have even jokingly referred to them as "the German answer to the Jonas Brothers," because of their massive teenage-girl following and the ridiculousness of their lead singer. But as I said, my dad likes them, or at the very least can put up with them for a decent lenth of time and admits that they have a few good songs, so as far as I'm concerned, they DO have talent.
So, keeping all that in mind, here is my "love" list for Tokio Hotel:
2. Their music IS for all intents and purposes good. Hint: Listen to their German albums, they sound best when Bill sings in his native language. Why these guys decided to "Americanize" is something I will probably never fully comprehend (but I will rant about that later).
3. Their live shows are BRILLIANT. I would love to see these guys live...but as they rarely tour in the U.S. I doubt I'll get the chance. For now, I'm stuck with DVDs and the ever-helpful youtube.
4. I can identify with their lyrics. Yes, I KNOW that sounds cheesy. But it's true! I challenge you to find one teenager on the planet who cannot identify with at least ONE Tokio Hotel song. The one that struck the most important chord with me was the opening verse of "Scream":
You get up and somebody tells you where to go to
When you get there, everybody's telling you what to do
Thank you, it's been another bloody Monday
And no one is asking what you wanted anyway
I LOVE that song, becuase I UNDERSTAND that song. I don't get their love songs (mainly because these guys seem to enjoy putting inside jokes into their love song lyrics. Oops, did I say inside jokes? I meant metaphors, my bad). But this one? And "Ready Set Go"? And "Don't Jump"? And of course, "Live Every Second." No, it's NOT just because those are their "happy" songs, I swear. It's because those particular songs have what I consider their strongest message, which is a fairly typical one--live life to the fullest, do what you need to do to be happy, and don't hold back or chicken out--but no matter how typical, it's still a powerful message.
5. They have a cute bass player. Yes, this goes onto the "things I love" list, because I'm sorry, but he IS cute. And he IS talented, so yes, I DO have a teensy crush on him, sue me. I would just like to say in my defense that this was NOT the first thing I wrote down, therefore it is NOT the main reason that I like this band. I'm just saying...
6. Their album artwork is infreakingcredible. Google "Humanoid album pictures" and you will see what I mean. (Or, Mom and Dad, you could just wait until you come and visit, and I'll show you. And Dad can laugh at Bill's hair. Oh wait, he already did that. (; Never mind...)
7. Much as I detest Tom Kaulitz, I must admit that he has serious guitar skills. The downside is that you don't get to hear them as much on Humanoid...yet another reason that I prefer their German albums and their first American release, Scream.
8. They have a somewhat interesting webisode series called "Tokio Hotel TV" (which I now have on DVD). This show is pretty much a waste of time--I recommend it to all who enjoy procrastinating--but it is amusing as all living hell. This is when you get to see how ridiculous the twins really are, how amusing Georg the Cute Bassist really is, and how quiet their drummer really is. Okay, so that last one isn't really all that fun, but you get the point.
9. They are FUNNY...they really are...Bill Kaulitz can take something as simple as going to Meijer and turn it into an explosion of comedic ridiculousness...I swear, my life was not complete until I watched a guyliner-wearing German teenager exclaim over a package of Twizzlers.
10. This is more of a guilt-by-association thing...but I LOVE hearing my dad rant about these guys. Which I encourage by showing him episodes of Tokio Hotel TV, pictures of Bill Kaulitz, and moments from the "Zimmer 483" documentary and then asking, "So, what do you think?"
So, as you can see, there is plenty to love about these guys. But, to use a common cliche, every coin has two sides (or something along those lines). Which leads to my "hate" list:
1. As my dad so rightly said, Bill Kaulitz is a freak. I'm sorry, but it's TRUE. What self-respecting guy would voluntarily sculpt their hair into a fauxhawk (fake mohawk) that ends up being taller than they are? Okay, so that was an exaggeration, but you get the point. Bill Kaulitz is the strangest person I've ever seen, no joke. The combination of his appearance, his hyperactivity, and the fact that, like his brother, he can't seem to stop beating up on his bassist and drummer slightly creeps me out. This isn't necessarily a reason to hate them, it just annoys me.
2. Tom Kaulitz is a jerk. Yes, the guy is a great guitar player, but that does not give him the right to talk about girls as if they're something that he can pick up at a McDonald's and then drop in a garbage can at the next rest stop. (This actually is a "hate" reason.) Added to that, he beats up on Georg (bass player) more than any sensible, semi-caring human would. Honestly, there is no reason for him to make fun of that guy the way he does. And of course Bill eggs him on, which drives me NUTS.
3. They have a screaming teenage girl fanbase. I don't know why this bothers me so much, because if I was at a Tokio Hotel concert I would DEFINITELY scream. Then again, I scream at ANY concert I attend (with the exception of Interlochen Orchestra concerts because that would just be weird), but I certainly would not scream/squeal/pass out if I met any member of Tokio Hotel. I managed to not scream when I met Ronnie Winter, and I like him ten times more than I like ANY member of Tokio Hotel (and will probably blog about him at a later date).
4. On their latest record, Humanoid, they totally and completely sold out. Don't believe me? Listen to any of the songs that I posted above, and then listen to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONNIfNyPFaE ("Pain of Love" from Humanoid)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oER1O2tTIFw&feature=related ("Human Connect to Human," also from Humanoid)
On Humanoid, Bill auto-tuned (I THINK that's what it's called) the crap out of his voice. You can tell the difference. They used waaaay too much synthesizer on Humanoid. Most of the songs on Humanoid sound like Britney Spears had a love child with 3 Doors Down: Whiny, synthesizer-saturated love songs that rarely make any sense. Want proof? Take any two lines from "Pain of Love" and compare them. I guarantee that each line on its own will make perfect sense, but put together they will leave you scratching your head. Their first albums were pretty damn good - not the most mindblowingly original things on the planet, but at least there was meaning behind them. Humanoid sounds like anything else you might hear in a club on Saturday night. And, as anyone who knows me can tell you, I do NOT like dance club music.
5. All of them, not just Tom, beat up on Georg to some extent or another...that is not okay with me. -cue possessive female instinct kicking in-
6. Personally, I find the fact that Bill swears hands-down that he is a virgin and that he NEVER bothers with any of the fangirls almost as creepy as Tom's insistence that he has a one-night stand five times a week.
7. They "Americanized" their music...now, I know WHY they did it, in the strictest sense, anyway. The record company they're with wanted to make more money. What I don't get is this: Why didn't they just sell German albums in America? It would've been easier and more convenient, they would've sold just as many records, and they wouldn't have needed to go through the bother of choosing which songs to re-record, then re-recording the songs, then going through all the crap of ANOTHER album release when they already had two perfectly good albums out. Besides, they sound much better in German anyway. It drives me insane!
So, there you have it. Ten reasons to like them; seven reasons to NOT like them. The good outweighs the bad in this case, but as I said before...they're not my favorite, or even in the top 5. They're good, but not INCREDIBLY SUPER EPIC, like certain other bands I could mention.
Moving on to my favorite part of the day: STOLEN DIALOGUE! (Yes, Mr. Film Teacher, be proud of me - I actually use it!) This probably WILL be a regular feature of my blog, just a heads-up. So here goes: The top stolen dialogue of the past week is...
"If Bud's is what people eat to escape the cafeteria, I don't even want to know what the cafeteria's like."
"Batman: the Midlife Crisis!"
"So wait...if you like him, and he used to be a she, does that mean you're...bi-transgender?"
"Oh crap, she's got her Joker Pants on!"
"It's like Helena Bonham Carter fornicated with Dean Moriarty and they produced YOU!"
"Three hours alone in the Writing House? What the heck were you trying to do, start a family?"
"Michael is above a Facebook group. Michael needs a full-out Appreciation Day. Michael needs a freaking national holiday. Michael deserves seeing a banner flown over the campus with 'MICHAEL IS AWESOME written in huge letters. In Freestyle Script font, eighteen-point, double-spaced."
"That's nutty. Dipped in Crazy. With a side of Insane. Oh, and can I get some fries with that?"
"You do realize that Valentine's Day is a satan-sanctioned holiday, right? Okay, just checking. Oh wait, it's for Prom? Double satan points!"
Person one: "He put his SHOES in the HALLWAY?! What was he trying to do, commit fratricide?"
Person two: "Wait, I thought you could only do that in college!"
Person three: "What, kill someone with stench?"
Person two: "No, join a fraternity..."
(I think they might've said something else after that, but I was laughing too hard to listen properly.)
Yes...I will have better stolen dialogue next time. I promise.
Okay. Now I'm done for the day. This was fun. Hopefully I'll have time to update the thing from time to time. ;)
In the event that you don't know me, this is who I am, in three easy steps:
1. I make movies at Interlochen Center for the Arts. It's amazing. Case closed. End of story.
2. I'm a girl, as evidenced by my screenname. (Beatnik BELLE, people, come on!)
3. I love Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
There. That's me, in a nutshell. Moving on now!
Okay. So for those of you who DO know me, you may be wondering, "Why in the hell is she starting a blog NOW? Since when does she even have TIME to blog?" To answer your questions, I have three reasons to start a blog now that I did not have before:
1. I'm sick this weekend. And bored. In my book, bored + sick = innovative ways of entertaining myself, which means doing stuff I've never done before...which, this time, means starting a blog.
2. Thesis Film Season has officially started, which means I'll have PLENTY of anecdotes that will be far too epic to keep them to myself.
3.
Okay, so I really don't have three reasons...I just have two...but they're good reasons, right? RIGHT? Okay. Moving on again.
So, this weekend I didn't get out of my dorm more than twice. Which is for me more than a little unusual; it's normal for me to get less rest on the weekends than I do during the week (thanks to Student Senate, church, the mall, GSA, ect...) but, as I said, this weekend I'm sick, which really sucks. So, instead of reporting the insane Interlochen goings-on of the weekend (which I'll do NEXT weekend), I'll blog about the strange things that one thinks about when one is trapped in a dorm all weekend.
First of all, have you ever noticed that when you're not sick enough to feel like you're dying, but just sick enough to have to stay home, you do the weirdest things just to keep yourself from getting bored to death? Well, okay, maybe it's just me who does that, but I really don't think so. So, last night I was sad about missing GSA coffeehouse and I was bored out of my mind. And even after calling my parents and catching up with a few long-distance friends via FaceBook, I was still bored and lonely (my lucky suitemates were at the coffeehouse!).
And so I did what I'm sure ANYONE ELSE in my situation would have done: I watched a Tokio Hotel documentary, then part of their concert, and made two lists. One of them was things I loved about Tokio Hotel, the other was things I hate about Tokio Hotel. Now please understand, Tokio Hotel is NOT my favorite band of all time. They don't even make the top three. That would be Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (#1), the Almost (#2), and the E Street Band (#3). And, if we're going top five, #4 is the Who (whom I will probably blog about at a later date) and #5 is Augustana. So as you can see, poor Tokio Hotel has to settle for top ten, which we won't get into right now because it will take forever.
With all that being said, I do enjoy Tokio Hotel quite a bit. I wouldn't call them a guilty pleasure - any band that my dad approves of just cannot be called a guilty pleasure, in my book - but they're certainly don't have the rough, artsy, rock-and-roll badassnessosity of my top five. I have even jokingly referred to them as "the German answer to the Jonas Brothers," because of their massive teenage-girl following and the ridiculousness of their lead singer. But as I said, my dad likes them, or at the very least can put up with them for a decent lenth of time and admits that they have a few good songs, so as far as I'm concerned, they DO have talent.
So, keeping all that in mind, here is my "love" list for Tokio Hotel:
1. They have REALLY FREAKING GOOD videos. And being a film geek, I am a sucker for a good video. And trust me, theirs are DEFINITELY up to film-freak standards. If you don't believe me, go on youtube and look up "Don't Jump/Spring Nicht," "Ready Set Go," and "Rette Mich." On second thought, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ODdhNH0n8U&feature=channel (Ready set go)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nevnXxRxfjU (Don't Jump/Spring Nicht)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UISQF9uHEv0&feature=channel (Rette Mich, which means "Rescue me" in English)
2. Their music IS for all intents and purposes good. Hint: Listen to their German albums, they sound best when Bill sings in his native language. Why these guys decided to "Americanize" is something I will probably never fully comprehend (but I will rant about that later).
3. Their live shows are BRILLIANT. I would love to see these guys live...but as they rarely tour in the U.S. I doubt I'll get the chance. For now, I'm stuck with DVDs and the ever-helpful youtube.
4. I can identify with their lyrics. Yes, I KNOW that sounds cheesy. But it's true! I challenge you to find one teenager on the planet who cannot identify with at least ONE Tokio Hotel song. The one that struck the most important chord with me was the opening verse of "Scream":
You get up and somebody tells you where to go to
When you get there, everybody's telling you what to do
Thank you, it's been another bloody Monday
And no one is asking what you wanted anyway
I LOVE that song, becuase I UNDERSTAND that song. I don't get their love songs (mainly because these guys seem to enjoy putting inside jokes into their love song lyrics. Oops, did I say inside jokes? I meant metaphors, my bad). But this one? And "Ready Set Go"? And "Don't Jump"? And of course, "Live Every Second." No, it's NOT just because those are their "happy" songs, I swear. It's because those particular songs have what I consider their strongest message, which is a fairly typical one--live life to the fullest, do what you need to do to be happy, and don't hold back or chicken out--but no matter how typical, it's still a powerful message.
5. They have a cute bass player. Yes, this goes onto the "things I love" list, because I'm sorry, but he IS cute. And he IS talented, so yes, I DO have a teensy crush on him, sue me. I would just like to say in my defense that this was NOT the first thing I wrote down, therefore it is NOT the main reason that I like this band. I'm just saying...
6. Their album artwork is infreakingcredible. Google "Humanoid album pictures" and you will see what I mean. (Or, Mom and Dad, you could just wait until you come and visit, and I'll show you. And Dad can laugh at Bill's hair. Oh wait, he already did that. (; Never mind...)
7. Much as I detest Tom Kaulitz, I must admit that he has serious guitar skills. The downside is that you don't get to hear them as much on Humanoid...yet another reason that I prefer their German albums and their first American release, Scream.
8. They have a somewhat interesting webisode series called "Tokio Hotel TV" (which I now have on DVD). This show is pretty much a waste of time--I recommend it to all who enjoy procrastinating--but it is amusing as all living hell. This is when you get to see how ridiculous the twins really are, how amusing Georg the Cute Bassist really is, and how quiet their drummer really is. Okay, so that last one isn't really all that fun, but you get the point.
9. They are FUNNY...they really are...Bill Kaulitz can take something as simple as going to Meijer and turn it into an explosion of comedic ridiculousness...I swear, my life was not complete until I watched a guyliner-wearing German teenager exclaim over a package of Twizzlers.
10. This is more of a guilt-by-association thing...but I LOVE hearing my dad rant about these guys. Which I encourage by showing him episodes of Tokio Hotel TV, pictures of Bill Kaulitz, and moments from the "Zimmer 483" documentary and then asking, "So, what do you think?"
So, as you can see, there is plenty to love about these guys. But, to use a common cliche, every coin has two sides (or something along those lines). Which leads to my "hate" list:
1. As my dad so rightly said, Bill Kaulitz is a freak. I'm sorry, but it's TRUE. What self-respecting guy would voluntarily sculpt their hair into a fauxhawk (fake mohawk) that ends up being taller than they are? Okay, so that was an exaggeration, but you get the point. Bill Kaulitz is the strangest person I've ever seen, no joke. The combination of his appearance, his hyperactivity, and the fact that, like his brother, he can't seem to stop beating up on his bassist and drummer slightly creeps me out. This isn't necessarily a reason to hate them, it just annoys me.
2. Tom Kaulitz is a jerk. Yes, the guy is a great guitar player, but that does not give him the right to talk about girls as if they're something that he can pick up at a McDonald's and then drop in a garbage can at the next rest stop. (This actually is a "hate" reason.) Added to that, he beats up on Georg (bass player) more than any sensible, semi-caring human would. Honestly, there is no reason for him to make fun of that guy the way he does. And of course Bill eggs him on, which drives me NUTS.
3. They have a screaming teenage girl fanbase. I don't know why this bothers me so much, because if I was at a Tokio Hotel concert I would DEFINITELY scream. Then again, I scream at ANY concert I attend (with the exception of Interlochen Orchestra concerts because that would just be weird), but I certainly would not scream/squeal/pass out if I met any member of Tokio Hotel. I managed to not scream when I met Ronnie Winter, and I like him ten times more than I like ANY member of Tokio Hotel (and will probably blog about him at a later date).
4. On their latest record, Humanoid, they totally and completely sold out. Don't believe me? Listen to any of the songs that I posted above, and then listen to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONNIfNyPFaE ("Pain of Love" from Humanoid)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oER1O2tTIFw&feature=related ("Human Connect to Human," also from Humanoid)
On Humanoid, Bill auto-tuned (I THINK that's what it's called) the crap out of his voice. You can tell the difference. They used waaaay too much synthesizer on Humanoid. Most of the songs on Humanoid sound like Britney Spears had a love child with 3 Doors Down: Whiny, synthesizer-saturated love songs that rarely make any sense. Want proof? Take any two lines from "Pain of Love" and compare them. I guarantee that each line on its own will make perfect sense, but put together they will leave you scratching your head. Their first albums were pretty damn good - not the most mindblowingly original things on the planet, but at least there was meaning behind them. Humanoid sounds like anything else you might hear in a club on Saturday night. And, as anyone who knows me can tell you, I do NOT like dance club music.
5. All of them, not just Tom, beat up on Georg to some extent or another...that is not okay with me. -cue possessive female instinct kicking in-
6. Personally, I find the fact that Bill swears hands-down that he is a virgin and that he NEVER bothers with any of the fangirls almost as creepy as Tom's insistence that he has a one-night stand five times a week.
7. They "Americanized" their music...now, I know WHY they did it, in the strictest sense, anyway. The record company they're with wanted to make more money. What I don't get is this: Why didn't they just sell German albums in America? It would've been easier and more convenient, they would've sold just as many records, and they wouldn't have needed to go through the bother of choosing which songs to re-record, then re-recording the songs, then going through all the crap of ANOTHER album release when they already had two perfectly good albums out. Besides, they sound much better in German anyway. It drives me insane!
So, there you have it. Ten reasons to like them; seven reasons to NOT like them. The good outweighs the bad in this case, but as I said before...they're not my favorite, or even in the top 5. They're good, but not INCREDIBLY SUPER EPIC, like certain other bands I could mention.
Moving on to my favorite part of the day: STOLEN DIALOGUE! (Yes, Mr. Film Teacher, be proud of me - I actually use it!) This probably WILL be a regular feature of my blog, just a heads-up. So here goes: The top stolen dialogue of the past week is...
"If Bud's is what people eat to escape the cafeteria, I don't even want to know what the cafeteria's like."
"Batman: the Midlife Crisis!"
"So wait...if you like him, and he used to be a she, does that mean you're...bi-transgender?"
"Oh crap, she's got her Joker Pants on!"
"It's like Helena Bonham Carter fornicated with Dean Moriarty and they produced YOU!"
"Three hours alone in the Writing House? What the heck were you trying to do, start a family?"
"Michael is above a Facebook group. Michael needs a full-out Appreciation Day. Michael needs a freaking national holiday. Michael deserves seeing a banner flown over the campus with 'MICHAEL IS AWESOME written in huge letters. In Freestyle Script font, eighteen-point, double-spaced."
"That's nutty. Dipped in Crazy. With a side of Insane. Oh, and can I get some fries with that?"
"You do realize that Valentine's Day is a satan-sanctioned holiday, right? Okay, just checking. Oh wait, it's for Prom? Double satan points!"
Person one: "He put his SHOES in the HALLWAY?! What was he trying to do, commit fratricide?"
Person two: "Wait, I thought you could only do that in college!"
Person three: "What, kill someone with stench?"
Person two: "No, join a fraternity..."
(I think they might've said something else after that, but I was laughing too hard to listen properly.)
Yes...I will have better stolen dialogue next time. I promise.
Okay. Now I'm done for the day. This was fun. Hopefully I'll have time to update the thing from time to time. ;)
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