|
|
Poet’s Corner
What's Left
Rainbows come
and go
No pot of gold
No treasures
Except
for what's left behind
Art News
Our first show of 2010 will be
May 22nd and 23rd on the
campus of Michigan State
University!
|
|
|
|
Rage Against...
...people who rage against movies
like Bruno. I'm not saying you
should like the movie. Not at all. It
can be a hard one to swallow (pun
interjected for comedic effect.)
What I am saying is that people
judge it without thinking about it.
Here is an example from the
movie. Bruno, played by Sacha
Baron Cohen, is gay and trying to
become famous. At one point he
decides the best way to become
famous is to become straight. He
goes to a swingers party, starts
hitting on one of the guys who tells
him that is not why you come to a
swingers party. As he tries of leave
he gets forced into a bedroom and
beaten by a woman because she
wants to have sex with him. He
runs away saying that he is going to
become straight.
Now, some of you are thinking
that swinging is also deviant, but
not as deviant as being gay. That's
not the point. Well, it might be one
of the points, but here is what you
should be thinking about. There
are a lot of people who probably
thought it was good for Bruno to get
beaten by a woman who wants to
have sex with him. After all, what
better way to become straight than
having sex with a woman that
actually wants to have sex? My
question to you is this: what do you
think an audience's reaction would
be if the tables had been turned.
That the gay person had been a
homely lesbian and her tormentor a
big, hunky guy?
Here's the point. We tend to
think that it is OK for a woman to
beat a man for not wanting to have
sex with her, but turn it around and
we all start pulling our hair out.
This is not a call to go back to
smacking everyone over the head
with a club. Instead, it is a wakeup
call that we need to treat everyone
with respect.
If you still don't get it, then take
a look at the cage fighting scene.
At this point Bruno has become
straight, and gets into the cage with
two women and tears their clothes
off (they are wearing bikinis so no
gratuitous nudity). Everyone in the
place is cheering. Bruno
challenges anyone in the arena to
call him gay, which one man does.
Bruno calls him out, and it turns out
to be his ex-partner. They start
fighting in the ring, and everyone is
still going nuts. Suddenly, Bruno
and his ex-partner begin making
out aggressively, and the crowd
wants their heads. Again, it was
fine for a man to be aggressive with
a woman (two women, in fact) that
he could care less about, yet two
men who truly love each other are
considered freaks.
If you cannot get beyond the
idea that some people are gay, do
not watch this movie. If you want to
learn something about yourself, our
celebrities, and our society, watch
it, think about it, and realize this guy
is taking huge risks to get his ideas
across to you. What are you doing?
And You?
Do you have a rage? Let me know,
I would be happy to include it here...
|
Natural Tendencies
A couple times a week, my dog
and I go for walks on the trails
across from our house.
Recently I've started to take my
camera with me. I'm a nature
photographer and most of my
subjects are wildlife, flowers, or
interesting natural patterns.
What I have found as I'm
walking with camera in hand, is
that I am paying much closer
attention to my surroundings. I
notice the newest wildflowers
blooming, the robin that is so
engrossed in it's hunting that it
doesn't fly away quickly as I
approach (probably just left it's
parents), the Fox Squirrel being
chased across the soybean
field by a Killdeer defending it's
nest, and the way the bark of a
tree curls gracefully away from
the trunk.
My walks always take longer
with my camera (even if I don't
take any pictures). But I feel like
I'm seeing a part of the world I
may not have noticed
otherwise, and sometimes I do
get some really nice photos.
If photography is of interest to
you, try taking your camera on
strolls. Even if you are walking
down city sidewalks or
neighborhood streets. You may
be surprised by all of the new
images that catch your eye.
Remember to give yourself
extra time. Above all have fun
and be creative!
|
