Soft gentle rebel

[katernater]

Occasionally, the armchair deity who runs the universe takes it into the shop to get the oil changed and, somehow, a great weekend falls out of the engine block and into my sweet little lap. Tropic Thunder, familial karaoke, Phelps, a cover band doing a not too terrible cover of "Baba O'Riley", ten pints, windows down with Gomez blasting, to boldly go with bare feet where no bare feet have gone before, slipping into regional accents -- I could go on, but I already sound too much like plot summary on the back of a Dave Eggers book, and that crap ain't good for anyone. Suffice it to say that I was the universe's little darling for forty-eight whole hours and, if in my lifetime that's the only forty-eight I get, I'll be okay with it.

I spent most of today watching the first season of Californication and alternately wondering why I hadn't moved to Los Angeles yet (because everybody looks like they're having a really, really good time), and thinking that the media's portrayal of every writer ever has them all drug-and-sexed out and with one big toe on the trigger of the world's biggest shotgun, ready to go out Hemingway style. As a writer myself (hey, I see you snickering in the back there, Eggers -- lock that up, man), I'm a little disappointed that there aren't more portrayals of writers as, you know, functional human beings. The males are always substance abusing dickweeds (Hank Moody, "Californication"; Grady Tripp, "Wonder Boys") and the women are always batshit insane obsessive compulsives who get all up in a twist when their pantyliners aren't stacked according to level of absorbency (Karen Eiffel, "Stranger Than Fiction"; Alexandra Rover, "Nim's Island"). For once, I would actually like to see a movie or television show about a writer who doesn't need to do a line of blow before they go to the post office.

And before you ask, yes, I saw "Nim's Island". It played on a loop on the plane. Don't judge me.

Comments

[another-myself.livejournal.com]

I had the most fun exchanging those texts with you last night. Every ten seconds, I broke into a new wave of giggles.

[katernater.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you were entertained. When I get drunk and start texting, I really swing for the fences.

[another-myself.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was fantastic. I think there was something about gangbusters in there, too.

[katernater.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm really glad I didn't misspell that one.

[another-myself.livejournal.com]

It's probably fortunate you didn't, but I would have giggled myself to death.

[awesomesquared.livejournal.com]

I love text messages in all caps. It's awesome that someone thinks of me in capitalized sentences for sustained periods of time. ;)

dude, that Michael Phelps boy is pretty good, isn't he?

[katernater.livejournal.com]

Oh, Ally. With me? You're all caps, all the time.

[awesomesquared.livejournal.com]

As are you, dearest ;)

And Hawksley for the win.

[msconduct.livejournal.com]

I saw "Nim's Island". It played on a loop on the plane. Don't judge me.

Aha! The David Caruso effect!

[katernater.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard that one. Is it something like,

Given 'X' amount of space over a period of 'Y' amount of time, human beings will watch anything -- even David Caruso -- in order to be entertained.

[msconduct.livejournal.com]

So close! What you have, plus the oxygen deprivation of an aircraft cabin.

[affablestranger.livejournal.com]

F'ed up writers make for good drama on telly. They can be good tragic figures or good comedy material, entertaining leads or even more entertaining supporting characters. The notion of a sane writer won't fly in Hollyweird. lol

[katernater.livejournal.com]

You're probably right, Matt. But you know what I'd like to see? Celebrity Writer Deathmatch. Put Elizabeth Wurtzel in a ring with David Sedaris and let them settle things with a couple of styluses.

[affablestranger.livejournal.com]

Way.