Most every day I spend a good chunk of time online. I try to take "technology free" days. I like to purposely travel to places where technology is a bit harder to access (or make commitments while traveling to limit the technology.) But I have a job that requires me to be online a fair amount. E-mail communication, grant research and submissions, quickbooks online, etc.
My homepage is BBC news. Even if I simply glance through the front page on my way to gmail, I can get a sense of what is happening in the world. Sometimes I dig harder, I check in at my hot spots for news of the world, articles on theatre and arts, travel, stuff that interests me, etc. Some days though, I receive my news of the day from Facebook. I often wonder what other people "learn" on their Facebook page. I am reeeeeeeally liberal and most of my Facebook friends are too. I have the occasional family member or long ago relationship "friended" again that maybe don't hang entirely in my circle. It's very rare but sometimes I hide a post or delete a comment that I feel goes too far. I have unfriended, but it has to be really bad. Family (and family-in-law) stays and I also want people to think what they want. Hate is not tolerated on my page. Different views of religion or guns or Planned Parenthood...ummmmm...okay. I will tolerate you.
I wonder what people who swing right scroll through? Anti gun control memes, Fox news articles, their version of Bad Lip Reading with Obama? Their version of what is happening in the world is so vastly different from mine. And from my friends. I scroll through equal rights for all, universal health care, love each other posts. I follow links to news articles from my friends. I also sometimes follow links to "happy news." Thank Jesus because I would never have found the "banker who saves baby ducks" video which made my week. I also have a lot of strong, vocal, smart, awesome, female friends on Facebook (and in real life.) I know it is just Facebook but...something is happening. Something is shifting.
My lady friends are mad. MAD.
It isn't just about Steubenville. It's been bubbling up. The election, "legimate rape", Hillary, The Violence Against Women Act (who votes AGAINST the Violence Against Women Act???? Seriously?), even Lena Dunham! I wrote a whole blog (in my head) about the Lena Dunham/Patrick Wilson hubabaloo. This happened in January and if you know me (all 5 people who read my blog) this is a busy time for me so I never actually wrote it. I would catch articles and tweets here and there and was just...shocked. Why were people being so mean to this girl? She's a little chubby and people were just crushing her. There was no way this gorgeous (subjective) doctor would have sex with her. Are you joking? I know the world is an unbalanced place. I also know as a woman I have it so, so, so good here in comparison. First world problems are some assholes in the media slamming the writer/actress of my new favorite show not being shot in the head trying to go school. BUT STILL!!! I was mad. Leave her alone. You think her show is trite, unrealistic, full of unlikable characters? Fine. Criticize her work. Fine. You think she's fat? Fuck you!
As a "little" chubby, young actress I was fortunate to be surrounded by people who just didn't know. My theatre company thought I was perfect and beautiful and cast me in roles I never would have had in NYC or LA. I struggled with it. My insides. I wasn't good enough because I was fat. I went to the gym and swam and hiked and did yoga and ate veggies and I also drank too much beer and ate too many chips and salsa (I still do all those things.) Fine. My burden to accept or change. I can NOT imagine getting on stage and performing something I wrote and directed and a critic saying well, she's just too fat and ugly. As a 25 year old. This would have destroyed me. And here is my soapbox y'all, this just would not happen to Jonah Hill. It just wouldn't. It happened to Lena Dunham because she is a woman.
Okay maybe I should have written that blog.
Are women second class citizens? You are not thin enough to be desirable (gross!), you hit a certain age and you aren't married (sad!), you hit another age and you don't have kids (shocking!), you get drunk at a party and it's free reign... You're not good enough to really matter. What is this? As a woman how do I change this? Do I stop buying the magazines? Do I stop wearing short skirts? Do I stop watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (yes, I watch this show and like it. Guilty pleasure.) I shouldn't have to do this. I'm not entirely sure what to do. Except to keep on. Writing shows from my perspective. Supporting my female artists. Staying aware. Voting for equality. Perhaps staying just a little bit angry that Steubenville happened. That some people's opinion of those events are so unbelievably fucked up.
Something is shifting. This is the year. Change is coming.
Here I am performing a show I wrote called ROT. A little chubby. Who fucking cares?
It was a good show.
My homepage is BBC news. Even if I simply glance through the front page on my way to gmail, I can get a sense of what is happening in the world. Sometimes I dig harder, I check in at my hot spots for news of the world, articles on theatre and arts, travel, stuff that interests me, etc. Some days though, I receive my news of the day from Facebook. I often wonder what other people "learn" on their Facebook page. I am reeeeeeeally liberal and most of my Facebook friends are too. I have the occasional family member or long ago relationship "friended" again that maybe don't hang entirely in my circle. It's very rare but sometimes I hide a post or delete a comment that I feel goes too far. I have unfriended, but it has to be really bad. Family (and family-in-law) stays and I also want people to think what they want. Hate is not tolerated on my page. Different views of religion or guns or Planned Parenthood...ummmmm...okay. I will tolerate you.
I wonder what people who swing right scroll through? Anti gun control memes, Fox news articles, their version of Bad Lip Reading with Obama? Their version of what is happening in the world is so vastly different from mine. And from my friends. I scroll through equal rights for all, universal health care, love each other posts. I follow links to news articles from my friends. I also sometimes follow links to "happy news." Thank Jesus because I would never have found the "banker who saves baby ducks" video which made my week. I also have a lot of strong, vocal, smart, awesome, female friends on Facebook (and in real life.) I know it is just Facebook but...something is happening. Something is shifting.
My lady friends are mad. MAD.
It isn't just about Steubenville. It's been bubbling up. The election, "legimate rape", Hillary, The Violence Against Women Act (who votes AGAINST the Violence Against Women Act???? Seriously?), even Lena Dunham! I wrote a whole blog (in my head) about the Lena Dunham/Patrick Wilson hubabaloo. This happened in January and if you know me (all 5 people who read my blog) this is a busy time for me so I never actually wrote it. I would catch articles and tweets here and there and was just...shocked. Why were people being so mean to this girl? She's a little chubby and people were just crushing her. There was no way this gorgeous (subjective) doctor would have sex with her. Are you joking? I know the world is an unbalanced place. I also know as a woman I have it so, so, so good here in comparison. First world problems are some assholes in the media slamming the writer/actress of my new favorite show not being shot in the head trying to go school. BUT STILL!!! I was mad. Leave her alone. You think her show is trite, unrealistic, full of unlikable characters? Fine. Criticize her work. Fine. You think she's fat? Fuck you!
As a "little" chubby, young actress I was fortunate to be surrounded by people who just didn't know. My theatre company thought I was perfect and beautiful and cast me in roles I never would have had in NYC or LA. I struggled with it. My insides. I wasn't good enough because I was fat. I went to the gym and swam and hiked and did yoga and ate veggies and I also drank too much beer and ate too many chips and salsa (I still do all those things.) Fine. My burden to accept or change. I can NOT imagine getting on stage and performing something I wrote and directed and a critic saying well, she's just too fat and ugly. As a 25 year old. This would have destroyed me. And here is my soapbox y'all, this just would not happen to Jonah Hill. It just wouldn't. It happened to Lena Dunham because she is a woman.
Okay maybe I should have written that blog.
Are women second class citizens? You are not thin enough to be desirable (gross!), you hit a certain age and you aren't married (sad!), you hit another age and you don't have kids (shocking!), you get drunk at a party and it's free reign... You're not good enough to really matter. What is this? As a woman how do I change this? Do I stop buying the magazines? Do I stop wearing short skirts? Do I stop watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (yes, I watch this show and like it. Guilty pleasure.) I shouldn't have to do this. I'm not entirely sure what to do. Except to keep on. Writing shows from my perspective. Supporting my female artists. Staying aware. Voting for equality. Perhaps staying just a little bit angry that Steubenville happened. That some people's opinion of those events are so unbelievably fucked up.
Something is shifting. This is the year. Change is coming.
Here I am performing a show I wrote called ROT. A little chubby. Who fucking cares?
It was a good show.
