When the pop idols of your youth are dead have you crossed over into old age? Granted, both Michael and Farrah were killed by disease and not old age, but I still felt a twinge of ancient history as I explained to my much younger associates yesterday about the years of Farrah being the hottest pin-up of the 70s and Michael once being black, good looking, and talented (not that his talent ever really wained, but he was more infamous than famous of late).
I do wish their families condolences. There are children and loved ones left behind and that is always sad, regardless of what you felt about the individual. I'm sure that there will stories and too much rehashing of these two idols' lives over the next few weeks and months. That seems to be what grieving people do -- either venerate or destroy the memories of the dead.
For me, I'm just feeling old and tired. Maybe I should put on my Thriller album (yes, I said "album", not CD), have my wife put on a blond wig, and dance like it is 1983.
Or maybe not.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Happy 1984 Day
Today is the 60th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell's "1984". It is also the 200th anniversary of the death of Thomas Paine, the 18th century philosopher whose writings greatly influenced George Orwell and his dark vision of the possible future.
NPR's "Talk of the Nation" did a piece about both events today, which I enjoyed. But it reminded me of when I read "1984" and Orwell's other masterpiece "Animal Farm". I made sure that I read "1984" before the year passed -- a strange goal, but one I set and met. I read "Animal Farm" much earlier -- it is an easier book to read and understand, but lacks nothing in its commentary on social systems and governments. I saw an animated version of it as a young teenager before I had ready the book (it was while my family was vacationing in Hawaii and I saw it with my siblings on the hotel TV). The ending was changed so that the animals rise up against the pigs after seeing them through the farm house window "change" into humans. Whether this was an attempt to make the movie more palatable or was intended as a further commentary on the future of communism, I do not know, but that is not how Orwell ends his book (the book stops with the animals looking through the window and seeing the pigs change -- no reaction, just revelation left to the reader -- powerful, but haunting, ending).
The comments on today's NPR program focused on how we did not become the world of "1984", with the exception of North Korea (some interesting points were made about that). That in fact, our world was drifting more to the vision of Orwell's friend and teacher, Aldous Huxley, and his novel "Brave New World". Oddly enough, I read this one either just before or just after "1984".
I do not agree that the world is headed towards either eventuality. It has become more evil, or at least we are more aware of the evil. But the destiny of this earth is not so bleak as an overarching or all powerful government predestining our lives and attitudes. Free agency continues to exist and we still have the ability to use our will to choose. The actions of others, individuals, governments and corporations, cannot take that will away from us. We can give it up but it cannot be taken.
Yesterday in our High Priest's Group meeting, we discussed obedience and agency. One point that was very interesting was the idea that agency can be expanded by our actions and obedience. For example, if the Bishop asks me to play the organ in Sacrament Meeting, I do not have the agency to say yes -- I can't play the organ and thus my only response can be no. But if the Bishop asks my mother, because of the choices she has made and her obedience to certain rules and laws (i.e. learning to play the organ and practicing it), she has more agency -- she can either say yes or no, depending on whether she wishes to do so or not.
The bleak visions of these satirists could only come to pass if all individuals voluntarily give up their ability to choose.
So choose wisely and make a better future.
NPR's "Talk of the Nation" did a piece about both events today, which I enjoyed. But it reminded me of when I read "1984" and Orwell's other masterpiece "Animal Farm". I made sure that I read "1984" before the year passed -- a strange goal, but one I set and met. I read "Animal Farm" much earlier -- it is an easier book to read and understand, but lacks nothing in its commentary on social systems and governments. I saw an animated version of it as a young teenager before I had ready the book (it was while my family was vacationing in Hawaii and I saw it with my siblings on the hotel TV). The ending was changed so that the animals rise up against the pigs after seeing them through the farm house window "change" into humans. Whether this was an attempt to make the movie more palatable or was intended as a further commentary on the future of communism, I do not know, but that is not how Orwell ends his book (the book stops with the animals looking through the window and seeing the pigs change -- no reaction, just revelation left to the reader -- powerful, but haunting, ending).
The comments on today's NPR program focused on how we did not become the world of "1984", with the exception of North Korea (some interesting points were made about that). That in fact, our world was drifting more to the vision of Orwell's friend and teacher, Aldous Huxley, and his novel "Brave New World". Oddly enough, I read this one either just before or just after "1984".
I do not agree that the world is headed towards either eventuality. It has become more evil, or at least we are more aware of the evil. But the destiny of this earth is not so bleak as an overarching or all powerful government predestining our lives and attitudes. Free agency continues to exist and we still have the ability to use our will to choose. The actions of others, individuals, governments and corporations, cannot take that will away from us. We can give it up but it cannot be taken.
Yesterday in our High Priest's Group meeting, we discussed obedience and agency. One point that was very interesting was the idea that agency can be expanded by our actions and obedience. For example, if the Bishop asks me to play the organ in Sacrament Meeting, I do not have the agency to say yes -- I can't play the organ and thus my only response can be no. But if the Bishop asks my mother, because of the choices she has made and her obedience to certain rules and laws (i.e. learning to play the organ and practicing it), she has more agency -- she can either say yes or no, depending on whether she wishes to do so or not.
The bleak visions of these satirists could only come to pass if all individuals voluntarily give up their ability to choose.
So choose wisely and make a better future.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Time To Vote Again
The media is saying that tomorrow's CA Special Election voter turnout will be at historic lows. This may be true for the physical go-down-to-the-polls-and-punch-the-screen group, but many of us have already turned in our "absentee" ballots.
Whatever category you find yourself, please vote by tomorrow.
As to how to vote, that is another issue all together. It may be that voter sentiment is off because they are tired (I know that I am) of all of this foolishness. We spent millions of dollars electing officials who cannot get along and come to any kind of compromise or meaningful idea for improvements and thus we have a HUGE mess that they are asking the voters to fix by voting on propositions that are so convoluted and confusing that most voters are throwing up their hands in disgust and yelling, "I'd move to Nevada if I could sell my house!"
In my most humble opinion and based on my understanding of law and finances, this is how I suggest that you vote -- NO. That's right, the whole mess is trying to be fixed by robbing Peter to pay Paul. The mess that Sacramento is in today has a lot to do with debt and being able to finance that debt. So instead of raising taxes and fees (which they are doing as well), they are asking to be able to borrow from future gambling revenues (and just who are they borrowing this from?) and to redirect monies fixed by the voters for certain purposes to go to the General Fund to just be thrown at more waste. Yes, they will kill school programs in the end. But the propositions will do that too, so there is no difference. These propositions fix nothing, but only shove more money down the hole.
My question, and the one everyone should be asking, is this: if CA has one of the largest GDPs in the world, where is the money going? I know that a great deal of it is going towards the debts that were incurred in the past (the piper WILL be paid), but that doesn't count for everything. Is it just a bunch of little things adding up or are there places where savings can be made? I know of a few crazy tax credits that CA has on the books that maybe could produce some income, but then I'm not in the rice straw business, so I naturally think that credit is crazy (a rice straw farmer would probably disagree with me). And don't tell me that this is the fault of people not paying their taxes. Yes, there are some who owe the government and some of them could owe significant amounts, but the fault is not the revenue side (again, one of the largest GDPs). The fault must lie in the spending.
They call it a budget and yet they constantly overspend. If I overspend on my budget I have to make up the difference by either cutting back somewhere or getting another job. The same thing applies here. But instead of cutting back on wasteful spending, I see essential services being cut and taxes being raised.
Maybe we need a real cut-throat accountant in Sacramento to sort this mess out. No one would like him. No one would invite him to parties. He would have to be independent of everyone -- corporations, politicians, voters alike. And then have him cut to ribbons the CA budget, killing programs that do not produce results and raising taxes when all else fails.
But too much power in one man's hands is too dangerous. So we have committees and sub-committees and politicians and statesmen and lobbyists and unions, etc., etc., etc.
I guess the only true answer is an omnipotent, omniscient King. And He isn't saying when He will return to claim His throne.
Thus, in the meantime, study the issues, think carefully, pray, and then vote. It is the best we can do for today.
Whatever category you find yourself, please vote by tomorrow.
As to how to vote, that is another issue all together. It may be that voter sentiment is off because they are tired (I know that I am) of all of this foolishness. We spent millions of dollars electing officials who cannot get along and come to any kind of compromise or meaningful idea for improvements and thus we have a HUGE mess that they are asking the voters to fix by voting on propositions that are so convoluted and confusing that most voters are throwing up their hands in disgust and yelling, "I'd move to Nevada if I could sell my house!"
In my most humble opinion and based on my understanding of law and finances, this is how I suggest that you vote -- NO. That's right, the whole mess is trying to be fixed by robbing Peter to pay Paul. The mess that Sacramento is in today has a lot to do with debt and being able to finance that debt. So instead of raising taxes and fees (which they are doing as well), they are asking to be able to borrow from future gambling revenues (and just who are they borrowing this from?) and to redirect monies fixed by the voters for certain purposes to go to the General Fund to just be thrown at more waste. Yes, they will kill school programs in the end. But the propositions will do that too, so there is no difference. These propositions fix nothing, but only shove more money down the hole.
My question, and the one everyone should be asking, is this: if CA has one of the largest GDPs in the world, where is the money going? I know that a great deal of it is going towards the debts that were incurred in the past (the piper WILL be paid), but that doesn't count for everything. Is it just a bunch of little things adding up or are there places where savings can be made? I know of a few crazy tax credits that CA has on the books that maybe could produce some income, but then I'm not in the rice straw business, so I naturally think that credit is crazy (a rice straw farmer would probably disagree with me). And don't tell me that this is the fault of people not paying their taxes. Yes, there are some who owe the government and some of them could owe significant amounts, but the fault is not the revenue side (again, one of the largest GDPs). The fault must lie in the spending.
They call it a budget and yet they constantly overspend. If I overspend on my budget I have to make up the difference by either cutting back somewhere or getting another job. The same thing applies here. But instead of cutting back on wasteful spending, I see essential services being cut and taxes being raised.
Maybe we need a real cut-throat accountant in Sacramento to sort this mess out. No one would like him. No one would invite him to parties. He would have to be independent of everyone -- corporations, politicians, voters alike. And then have him cut to ribbons the CA budget, killing programs that do not produce results and raising taxes when all else fails.
But too much power in one man's hands is too dangerous. So we have committees and sub-committees and politicians and statesmen and lobbyists and unions, etc., etc., etc.
I guess the only true answer is an omnipotent, omniscient King. And He isn't saying when He will return to claim His throne.
Thus, in the meantime, study the issues, think carefully, pray, and then vote. It is the best we can do for today.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Quick Joke
A pastor pulled two glasses from behind the pulpit during his Sunday Sermon. One was full of water, the other gin. He then pulled a worm from out of a match box and dropped it into the glass of water. It wriggled around for a moment and then the pastor pulled it out and dropped it into the glass of gin. Instantly the worm went stiff as a board, dead.
The pastor then asked, "So what does this teach us?"
From the back of the room a small boy piped up, "If you drink gin, you won't get worms."
The pastor then asked, "So what does this teach us?"
From the back of the room a small boy piped up, "If you drink gin, you won't get worms."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter -- The Time For Renewal
Easter seems to have been forgotten this year. I have found very little in the media or the general public sentiment that even acknowledges the season. Personally, I'm spending a great amount of time at work due to the looming tax deadline. But I am tired of making excuses about why I didn't plan to attend church (I repented and went to church this morning -- I need His help at this time of year -- I figured I owed Him some time this day).
But Easter should be remembered. In fact, it must be remembered. The spring season is a time of rebirth for the Earth and its plants. The animals come out and newborns are introduced to the world.
And an empty tomb makes our rebirth possible.
I do not have enough time to write everything I feel for my Savior. I do not have enough words to express my love and gratitude. English (and every other language I either know or am familiar with) is inadequate as a medium for my feelings, thoughts, desires, love and pain.
And yet we try, for that is the best we can do. Maybe the image of falling at His feet, feeling the prints of the nails, and soaking his robes with our tears is close. For today, it is close enough.
I have been saved from Death and Hell because of the events of Easter. An unparallelled gift was given and we are wrapped in His love.
And yet the world ignores.
Poor foolish world.
Don't be a fool.
But Easter should be remembered. In fact, it must be remembered. The spring season is a time of rebirth for the Earth and its plants. The animals come out and newborns are introduced to the world.
And an empty tomb makes our rebirth possible.
I do not have enough time to write everything I feel for my Savior. I do not have enough words to express my love and gratitude. English (and every other language I either know or am familiar with) is inadequate as a medium for my feelings, thoughts, desires, love and pain.
And yet we try, for that is the best we can do. Maybe the image of falling at His feet, feeling the prints of the nails, and soaking his robes with our tears is close. For today, it is close enough.
I have been saved from Death and Hell because of the events of Easter. An unparallelled gift was given and we are wrapped in His love.
And yet the world ignores.
Poor foolish world.
Don't be a fool.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Beware The Ides of March
And thus it was that Julius Caesar met his maker (probably a shock given his Roman religion and that he thought himself to be a god) on Idus Martias, otherwise known as the deadline to file calendar year-end corporate tax returns or extensions. He was stabbed to death by a group of Senators, the final blow coming from his friend, Brutus.
And on this day of celebration for the Roman god of war, Mars, I sit in my office, listening to Grieg's Piano Concerto, doing tax returns.
The 1099 forms are even later this year (thank you, Congress) and the K-1 forms are nowhere to be found (again, thank you, Congress). Brutus and his Liberatores may be long dead, but I feel like the back-stabbing bums in today's Senate are only lacking the white robes splattered with blood. Yes, I know that trying to engender feelings of sympathy for the tax accountants is a losing proposition at best, and that my futile cries for pity are only met with silent apathy, but really, Government Leaders need to spend a few moments trying to do their own tax returns under intense pressure before they start laying out more complicated provisions with shortened deadlines attached.
The reason the 1099s are late is because the IRS and Congress found out that many financial institutions were struggling to provide accurate 1099s by the January 31 deadline. The banks and brokerage houses would send out some misleading filth by the deadline and then issue "corrected" forms later -- sometimes months later. Sometimes they would issue multiple corrected forms as new information would become available. It really was getting out of hand. And the whole mess was only complicated by new reporting legislation to "make the investment industry more transparent". Given recent events, we haven't seen the last of that bit of "Government Help".
So the geniuses decided to extend the 1099 deadline to February 15 in order to "avoid the multiple corrected forms and thus allow the American people to file accurately the first time". I guess there were those who thought they could trust the first set of 1099 forms and would file quickly only to find that a new form required them to amend their return, possibly multiple times.
But did those same geniuses extend the filing deadline to say May 1? No, they just squeezed the time available to file from maybe two and a half months to just two months.
But it gets better. The same problem was happening with partnership and trust K-1 forms. The partnerships were so complicated that they wouldn't finish the K-1s until almost the end of the EXTENDED deadline, let alone April. So the geniuses said, "the American people are having to rush to file their personal returns, thus we will require that all partnerships and trusts can only extend 5 months as opposed to 6." Now most people would think, "Ah, that means we will have a full month to file our personal returns and not be crunched as we were." And they would be correct if they were also totally ignorant of how businesses work. I guarantee that when we get those rushed K-1s, they will be wrong. The amended K-1s will come later, maybe even months later. Which means that more people will have to file amended personal returns.
Of course, some of you out there are saying, "But Accounting Man, doesn't that mean more work, and thus more revenue, for you?" And the answer is "Yes, it does." It also means that I will never run out of work. Never. I will never finish the 2008 filing season, because it will continue into the 2009 filing season next year. I will be perpetually filing returns in order to correct someone else's problem. I could be filing multiple return years simultaneously (you think I'm messed up now, just wait). Oh, and just think of what your reaction will be when your accountant tells you, "yes, we did file timely, but now we have to file again and I will have to charge you again." Those are conversations that can be SO much fun.
The alternative is to just not file the amended return. And then we can respond to the IRS matching notice. In fact, once a client has filed his return, he usually doesn't think that he will be receiving any more data for that year and thus we may not get the amended data until long after the IRS has had time to process it and send out a notice. Yep, it is what my father used to call "a communist plot" to take your money and give it to Government Pigs who are trying to pull the nation out of a recession (or depression, depending on your point of view -- i.e. whether or not you have lost your job too and not just your neighbor). And dealing with IRS auditors is on my list of least favorite activities. They have the audacity to send audit notices NOW. In the middle of filing season. Just another item in a long line of gripes about government workers and their inability to think. And if the intention is to try to catch me off-guard since I am extra busy now (and I suspect that is exactly what they are thinking since I rarely get audit notices during the summer when I have more time available), they are sorely mistaken. It just makes me agitated and more willing to fight them to the death (or at least turn the audit into a refund for my client, which is always good).
So I finish tonight, knowing full well that most of you think I am bitching all the way to the bank. And you are probably right. But if a man is perpetually filing tax returns and fighting incompetent government agents (and yes, they are that stupid -- tenacious, but stupid), when can he enjoy the mounds of cash he is supposedly bringing in?
I hear your groans. But this is my blog and I can cry if I want to. Take your knife out and get back to solving your own problems. Mine will go away soon enough.
And then they'll come back.
And on this day of celebration for the Roman god of war, Mars, I sit in my office, listening to Grieg's Piano Concerto, doing tax returns.
The 1099 forms are even later this year (thank you, Congress) and the K-1 forms are nowhere to be found (again, thank you, Congress). Brutus and his Liberatores may be long dead, but I feel like the back-stabbing bums in today's Senate are only lacking the white robes splattered with blood. Yes, I know that trying to engender feelings of sympathy for the tax accountants is a losing proposition at best, and that my futile cries for pity are only met with silent apathy, but really, Government Leaders need to spend a few moments trying to do their own tax returns under intense pressure before they start laying out more complicated provisions with shortened deadlines attached.
The reason the 1099s are late is because the IRS and Congress found out that many financial institutions were struggling to provide accurate 1099s by the January 31 deadline. The banks and brokerage houses would send out some misleading filth by the deadline and then issue "corrected" forms later -- sometimes months later. Sometimes they would issue multiple corrected forms as new information would become available. It really was getting out of hand. And the whole mess was only complicated by new reporting legislation to "make the investment industry more transparent". Given recent events, we haven't seen the last of that bit of "Government Help".
So the geniuses decided to extend the 1099 deadline to February 15 in order to "avoid the multiple corrected forms and thus allow the American people to file accurately the first time". I guess there were those who thought they could trust the first set of 1099 forms and would file quickly only to find that a new form required them to amend their return, possibly multiple times.
But did those same geniuses extend the filing deadline to say May 1? No, they just squeezed the time available to file from maybe two and a half months to just two months.
But it gets better. The same problem was happening with partnership and trust K-1 forms. The partnerships were so complicated that they wouldn't finish the K-1s until almost the end of the EXTENDED deadline, let alone April. So the geniuses said, "the American people are having to rush to file their personal returns, thus we will require that all partnerships and trusts can only extend 5 months as opposed to 6." Now most people would think, "Ah, that means we will have a full month to file our personal returns and not be crunched as we were." And they would be correct if they were also totally ignorant of how businesses work. I guarantee that when we get those rushed K-1s, they will be wrong. The amended K-1s will come later, maybe even months later. Which means that more people will have to file amended personal returns.
Of course, some of you out there are saying, "But Accounting Man, doesn't that mean more work, and thus more revenue, for you?" And the answer is "Yes, it does." It also means that I will never run out of work. Never. I will never finish the 2008 filing season, because it will continue into the 2009 filing season next year. I will be perpetually filing returns in order to correct someone else's problem. I could be filing multiple return years simultaneously (you think I'm messed up now, just wait). Oh, and just think of what your reaction will be when your accountant tells you, "yes, we did file timely, but now we have to file again and I will have to charge you again." Those are conversations that can be SO much fun.
The alternative is to just not file the amended return. And then we can respond to the IRS matching notice. In fact, once a client has filed his return, he usually doesn't think that he will be receiving any more data for that year and thus we may not get the amended data until long after the IRS has had time to process it and send out a notice. Yep, it is what my father used to call "a communist plot" to take your money and give it to Government Pigs who are trying to pull the nation out of a recession (or depression, depending on your point of view -- i.e. whether or not you have lost your job too and not just your neighbor). And dealing with IRS auditors is on my list of least favorite activities. They have the audacity to send audit notices NOW. In the middle of filing season. Just another item in a long line of gripes about government workers and their inability to think. And if the intention is to try to catch me off-guard since I am extra busy now (and I suspect that is exactly what they are thinking since I rarely get audit notices during the summer when I have more time available), they are sorely mistaken. It just makes me agitated and more willing to fight them to the death (or at least turn the audit into a refund for my client, which is always good).
So I finish tonight, knowing full well that most of you think I am bitching all the way to the bank. And you are probably right. But if a man is perpetually filing tax returns and fighting incompetent government agents (and yes, they are that stupid -- tenacious, but stupid), when can he enjoy the mounds of cash he is supposedly bringing in?
I hear your groans. But this is my blog and I can cry if I want to. Take your knife out and get back to solving your own problems. Mine will go away soon enough.
And then they'll come back.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
They Are Past Feeling
Recently I heard a film critic talk about how in his opinion the best movie of 2008 is "The Wrestler". Several other film critics agree with this particular assessment and on their recommendation, my firm decided to go see it. (For those of you who have a problem with my seeing films rated anything other than G or PG, please know that I was unaware of the film's rating at the time, as I usually don't even check such things. Maybe this is an area in which I could do better, but that is a topic for another day.)
In short, the film was AWFUL! We sat through nearly two hours of mundane, mono-emotional, unimaginative, depressing drivel, hoping that this film had an ending where someone somewhere finds some kind of redemption or at least that the moral is not just "don't let your kids grow up to be professional wrestlers". Nope. The main character and everyone around him are losers. They have problems that they do not solve or even have ideas of how to solve. And in the end, nobody is helped or saved or redeemed or even learns any kind of lesson, regardless of the value. No, this was two hours of "slice of life" about a loser who can't figure out why he's a loser and knows nothing better than to be a loser. Those whose lives he crosses are no better or worse for his being there. There were moments where connections with a lover or his estranged daughter could have gone somewhere, but the film makers decided to not pursue the idea (let alone the build up) of a plot line.
Now, my point is this: WHY THE HECK IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE SUCH A GREAT MOVIE???
I think that we as a society have gone beyond being able to feel emotions. We are afraid to feel sad or mad or happy or energized. We cannot bear to be seen with tears in our eyes or be heard to laugh. We can't acknowledge that we want to cheer for anyone or anything. We are constantly afraid of having emotions. And that is too bad.
The Ancient Greeks created the drama as a catharsis for emotions. They depicted scenes of outrageous arrogance or hubris in order to have the audience feel the emotions of fear and/or sorrow. By so letting these emotions out, they believed that in "real life" they would not be subjected to the consequences that these emotions can produce. By letting these more "negative" emotions out, they had room to be thoughtful, happy and attain joy and unity in their democracy. To say that they were always successful would be overstating the ability of the drama, but the benefit of vicariously living a moment in someone else's shoes cannot be denied.
Plays, movies, and, to a lesser degree, TV shows should give us this same opportunity. We need to be driven to tears and laughter by our entertainment, otherwise it is a waste of our precious time. This film did nothing for me. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't care whether they won or lost. I only wanted the experience to be done. And when it was done, I was not changed in any way. That I had experienced nothing made me upset for having lost my time. And it made me question every film critic that thought this was such a great thing to see. The lead actor is supposed to be up for awards for his portrayal of a loser. Great, he knows how to play a loser that no one could care about, including the audience. Supposedly, the actor's portrayal is based on his own journey into the abyss of mediocrity. So this is what make an actor great -- mediocrity? His great portrayal is one that lacks feeling and doesn't move the audience??
To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. But I am more concerned about why we are so caught up with elevating the mundane, lionizing the mediocre, and praising those who achieve nothing. No, not all movies have to have cool special effects, actors (male or female) in tights, an obvious villain and an obvious hero. There are some great movies about the struggles of real people. But they have plots and they show how one has overcome, or could have overcome, the odds placed against him. The hero doesn't always have to win. But we need to care about the struggle, be invested in the journey.
I ask only that my entertainment entertains! That I can FEEL something. That I can experience something. I don't want to be subjected to films where there are no winners and no one to care about and be told that this is entertainment. It isn't. It is just a waste of resources. Yes, we can have cinema verity, but let it have some meaning. I recently saw "Frost/Nixon". I knew the story -- I remember the history (I lived through it). It was presented as a pseudo-documentary. And it was entertaining. There was some conflict. There was some hubris. There were moments of laughter and moments of frustration. I felt better for having seen the film.
Maybe that is the gauge we should use -- are you better for having spent this time in the theater? There are those that would argue that films are just a waste of time and you are never better for having wasted your life in such things. And maybe they have a point in that there is probably always something better that we could or should be doing with our time. But if you do see a film, do you feel better? Have you been enriched in some way?
Or are you like these film critics who are so past feeling that they don't even recognize what quality really is?
In short, the film was AWFUL! We sat through nearly two hours of mundane, mono-emotional, unimaginative, depressing drivel, hoping that this film had an ending where someone somewhere finds some kind of redemption or at least that the moral is not just "don't let your kids grow up to be professional wrestlers". Nope. The main character and everyone around him are losers. They have problems that they do not solve or even have ideas of how to solve. And in the end, nobody is helped or saved or redeemed or even learns any kind of lesson, regardless of the value. No, this was two hours of "slice of life" about a loser who can't figure out why he's a loser and knows nothing better than to be a loser. Those whose lives he crosses are no better or worse for his being there. There were moments where connections with a lover or his estranged daughter could have gone somewhere, but the film makers decided to not pursue the idea (let alone the build up) of a plot line.
Now, my point is this: WHY THE HECK IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE SUCH A GREAT MOVIE???
I think that we as a society have gone beyond being able to feel emotions. We are afraid to feel sad or mad or happy or energized. We cannot bear to be seen with tears in our eyes or be heard to laugh. We can't acknowledge that we want to cheer for anyone or anything. We are constantly afraid of having emotions. And that is too bad.
The Ancient Greeks created the drama as a catharsis for emotions. They depicted scenes of outrageous arrogance or hubris in order to have the audience feel the emotions of fear and/or sorrow. By so letting these emotions out, they believed that in "real life" they would not be subjected to the consequences that these emotions can produce. By letting these more "negative" emotions out, they had room to be thoughtful, happy and attain joy and unity in their democracy. To say that they were always successful would be overstating the ability of the drama, but the benefit of vicariously living a moment in someone else's shoes cannot be denied.
Plays, movies, and, to a lesser degree, TV shows should give us this same opportunity. We need to be driven to tears and laughter by our entertainment, otherwise it is a waste of our precious time. This film did nothing for me. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't care whether they won or lost. I only wanted the experience to be done. And when it was done, I was not changed in any way. That I had experienced nothing made me upset for having lost my time. And it made me question every film critic that thought this was such a great thing to see. The lead actor is supposed to be up for awards for his portrayal of a loser. Great, he knows how to play a loser that no one could care about, including the audience. Supposedly, the actor's portrayal is based on his own journey into the abyss of mediocrity. So this is what make an actor great -- mediocrity? His great portrayal is one that lacks feeling and doesn't move the audience??
To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. But I am more concerned about why we are so caught up with elevating the mundane, lionizing the mediocre, and praising those who achieve nothing. No, not all movies have to have cool special effects, actors (male or female) in tights, an obvious villain and an obvious hero. There are some great movies about the struggles of real people. But they have plots and they show how one has overcome, or could have overcome, the odds placed against him. The hero doesn't always have to win. But we need to care about the struggle, be invested in the journey.
I ask only that my entertainment entertains! That I can FEEL something. That I can experience something. I don't want to be subjected to films where there are no winners and no one to care about and be told that this is entertainment. It isn't. It is just a waste of resources. Yes, we can have cinema verity, but let it have some meaning. I recently saw "Frost/Nixon". I knew the story -- I remember the history (I lived through it). It was presented as a pseudo-documentary. And it was entertaining. There was some conflict. There was some hubris. There were moments of laughter and moments of frustration. I felt better for having seen the film.
Maybe that is the gauge we should use -- are you better for having spent this time in the theater? There are those that would argue that films are just a waste of time and you are never better for having wasted your life in such things. And maybe they have a point in that there is probably always something better that we could or should be doing with our time. But if you do see a film, do you feel better? Have you been enriched in some way?
Or are you like these film critics who are so past feeling that they don't even recognize what quality really is?
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