mud is just fine

i don't know anyone who doesn't have a favorite movie from their younger years; that movie which you saw so often, parts of it are permanently ingrained in your memory banks. there are plenty of movies which i can spend an enjoyable bit of time watching again, which i either own on dvd or will stop channel surfing when i come across. but, i'm pretty sure that there are one or two movies which stand out the most. in my case, it has to be a quirky musical, starring the rascal lee marvin and a really good looking, pre-chair incident, clint eastwood. the movie, paint your wagon.

well, as it happens, i picked it up on dvd last week and decided to watch it with some musical loving friends. it's been quite a few years since last viewing; as i had it only on vhs, and like the dinosaurs, technology changes and viewing devices die. it's strange what one gets out of something so familiar. i've become more eco-conscious over the years, and since moving to and away from california these last few months, i saw something new in an old favorite. for the most part, it had to be the song lee marvin sings early on in the film, "the first thing you know". it goes like this:

God made the mountains

God made the sky

God made the people

God knows why

He fixed up the planet

As best as He could

Then in come the people

And gum it up good

The first thing you know

They civilized the foothills

And everywhere He put hills

The mountains and valley below

They come along and take 'em

And civilize and make 'em

A place where no civilized

Person would go

The first thing you know

The first thing you know

They civilize what's pretty

By puttin' up a city

Where nothin' that's

Pretty can grow

They muddy up the winter

And civilize it into 

A place too uncivilized

Even for snow

The first thing you know

They civilize left

They civilize right

Till nothing is left

Till nothing is right

They civilize freedom

Till no one is free

No one except

By coincidence, me

The first thing you know

The boozer's in prison

And the criminally isn't

And only the rascals have dough

When I see a parson

I gotta put my arse in

A wagon that follows the tail of a crow

The first thing you know

I pick up a blow!

The first thing you know

it just speaks to the environmental warrior in me. and makes me wonder about how far we haven't progressed in the years since it was recorded. paint your wagon was made in 1969. 43 years have come and gone, and i could wish for a better understanding of our planet, and our society's acceptance that we need to preserve it. all the things nature does for us can't easily be reinvented by mankind, and the functions that we will be forced to recreate won't work as seamlessly and balanced as the original.

sheldonisms

as i watch the big bang theory, i can truthfully say that i find myself using the phrases "sticky wicket", "bazinga", and randomly humming "soft kitty, warm kitty...". i love this show; the last two episodes have been incredibly, deliciously, funny.

there has to be a movement, and soon

i grow weary of evening television. more and more "feel-good" shows are cancelled out, and what remains are so many shows of violence, spewing with new ideas which are not necessarily good ideas. they've become a type of scrapbook in how to hurt someone; these someones being women most of the time. as if the twisted psyche of the mentally disturbed needed a reference manual of all the different ways to cause pain to the human body and spirit. above all, these shows perpetuate the victimization of women.

what bothers me the most is that by repeatedly showing women as victims of violence we do become numb to it, we almost expect that some form of violence will happen to us; because of course, television has shown us that. it worries me, because when you surrender to that thought, you loose your freedom to be you. you allow the fear of it to warp your life and how you live it.

society should step up, speak out that it is not acceptable to portray extreme violence as "entertainment". shows should focus on reforming what causes men to lash out at women, to how we portray women as sexualized beings alone, they should focus on letting girls and women know that it is never "all right" for another human being to cause them harm, they should push the idea that we are all deserving of the basic human right to live our lives without fear.

and then i saw this and thought, "yeah, i'm not alone in my thoughts."

...

i've watched the final harry potter, and it was brilliant (i still think they could have squeezed it into one movie, or at least separated the two halves at a different point in the plot then where they did). but, all in all, quite good entertainment.

tearjerkers and other thoughts

i don't particularly care for war movies; most glorify something that is ugly, or take a comedic standpoint where there is little humor to be found. but, as with anything, there are exceptions; captain corelli's mandolin, and miracle at st. anna.

i'm not sure why, perhaps it's the story that's underneath the backdrop of war that draws me, or the humanity of the characters, flawed and all. or maybe it's that they make me cry, or that they tell about the good things that survive the devastation of war.

one of the things i liked about these two films is that these movies show a more realistic view of war, that it's not glorious, or something which is clean-cut (these are the good guys and these the bad), that it's ugly, and seething with nonsensical violence, that it destroys thoughtlessly, that not everyone is decent and capable of humanity, regardless of which side they're on.

this genre may not be on the top of my preferred viewing list, but it's good to creep outside of one's comfort zone every now and then, what you find may stick with you and inspire.

simply stunning

okay, so how amazing is prince poppycock from america's got talent?! the attitude, the sharp and witty comments, the amazingly put together costumes and creative makeup, the stage styling, the beautifully voiced songs, and the oh-so elegant towering wigs. all together he makes quite an exquisite. it's like some of the best characters from a georgette heyer novel come to life.

the entire show was becoming a bit eh and painful to watch, and i was waiting to hear the young female opera singer perform again, when prince poppycock came on stage and i just had a really beautiful moment. i had not been paying much attention to the show before that point, so i ventured online last night to hear and see more; mainly the other three tapings of him. it was wonderful to see them all and to truly appreciate his genius. i can't wait to see more. oh, and i ordered a pin from his boutique. to show support and all.

holiday entertainment

something i always like doing when i find myself with free time on the holidays is to watch movies; actually, it doesn't even have to be a holiday. my favorites for this particular holiday, christmas, are usually comedic, romantic, and/or classic. without further ado here's the list:

scrooged

a christmas story

national lampoon's christmas vacation

love actually

so what christmas movies are your favorites?