Things in Life I Don’t Get: Birthday Edition
2010 May 25
In honor of my 32nd birthday, here’s a showcase of my curmudgeonly self and the things I just don’t get.
- (Special Repeat Mention) Lost: No, seriously—I tried to watch the first season and was bored senseless. Yet there was a 2.5-hour season finale on Sunday. And the idea that people were up in arms over the fact that the State of the Union address might be aired on the same day as the season premiere? OMG! Yeah, didn’t get the outrage. I care more about the state of the country than some stupid show. Many didn’t and that nearly made me weep for this country.
- Arizona’s New Immigration Law: Yeah, a lot of people don’t get this one, but here’s what I don’t get—why should I, as a brown person here legally, be more than happy to show proof of my credentials, as it were, to some AZ cop on a power trip? If you’re white and you’re telling me that I should be proud to do this, you are speaking from a position of privilege. You’ve never been followed in a department store by a sales associate because they think you might steal something, have you? Your social studies teacher has never asked you if you’re “legal,” has he? And no one’s ever shouted to you in Spanish at DFW airport to inspect your luggage instead of politely asking you step to the side in English, right? Do you have any idea the level of humiliation, intimidation and fear that accompanies these interactions? No? Then shut the fuck up about what I should be “proud” to do to prove I belong in this country. You’ll always suspect me, legal or not, so I’ll be damned if I kowtow to you to make you feel a little bit better about my browness.
Sorry. That one really gets to me.
- Sex and the City: For some reason, this show strikes me as horribly anti-feminist because it seems that end narratives (before the movies) preached stability in romantic relationships as the epitome of happiness that any woman could (and should) experience. So forgive me if I call horseshit. Yes, women talking frankly about sex is great, but when I think of SATC, I think of outrageous outfits, uncomfortable shoes, subpar columns, and chasing the guy. It reeks of a rabid consumerism that probably most of the show’s audience can’t hope to achieve without finding themselves in serious debt. When I saw snippets, it all seemed to lack depth. Snooze. And Gordon Biersch, doing a SATC night on my birthday? For shame!
- Lady Gaga: I don’t have any strong objection to Lady Gaga, I just don’t get her. Is it the music? The funky style? Is she doing things her own way? If she’s doing it her own way, why is there so much marketing and consumerism in her videos? Is she just another pop sell by record companies who have duped the public into thinking they’re tapping into an original, or does she have staying power? Please elucidate me (and I’m not being snarky, I want to know!).
To be continued . . .
3 Responses
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First, happy birthday!! :) I hit 32 next February, but I think I was crotchety at the age of 12. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember.
You hit the nail on the head with SATC, actually. A co-worker of mine described it as a “comic book for women,” but I mean, I’m a woman, and I want to punch them all in the face. It’s all ridiculous — thousand-dollar shoes, closets full of labels, and selling yourself out for love or affection. Bah. I get pissed thinking about it!
Thank you! And I’ve been pretty crotchety for a long time now, too. Like Grandpa Simpson — I’m old, gimme, gimme.
I’m surprised to many of my friends are squeeing over the new SATC movie. WTH?
I would like to address Lady Gaga. I adore her both because I like her music, and the fact that she’s “doing her own thing”. From her music, she’s (at least in my opinion) legitimately talented. Her videos may have a few flaws in them, but I think they are done very interestingly, expressing emotions and thoughts better than most music videos in my opinion.