Comment Corner

Mae commented on last week’s post about the Bitch Pack. She’s in a difficult situation, and I thought it would be worth posting on the main page:

 As a female assistant to a female CEO, your interview with LA Women touched on so many issues that arise in the workplace every day. It is virtually impossible to be taken seriously at my company–especially when my boss doesn’t take her job seriously and chooses to shop and go to mommy-and-me classes rather than show up to work. It disgusts me that women in power abuse their authority and create such a negative image for other industry females who are serious about getting work done like a professional, business-minded individual.

In regards to female peers, I think competition is healthy as long as it doesn’t involve some kind of gender manipulation. Using one’s sexuality to get ahead is self-destructive, and it reinforces the misguided perspective that women can’t hang with the proverbial big boys.

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While we’re in a copy/paste kind of mood, Adam gave some useful advice that makes me look like a dumbass for not suggesting it first–

Own a flash drive? Use it… Scan your identifcation documents on to the flash drive and you will have them with you at all times. Or you can email them to yourself. Also, scan those w-4s and I-9s so you don’t have to keep filling them out on every gig.

Thanks a lot, Adumb.

…no, wait, I’m the dumb one. The Anonymous Produmbtion Assistant? Yup, definitely the dumb one here.

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Lastly, Matt has some questions regarding my discussion of Meisner techniques–

Dear Anonymous Production Assistant,

I’m unsure as to the exact point you are making in this blog entry. Could you perhaps enlighten me on the following questions?

Yes.

1) You say “…[You’re] pretty sure [Method acting] is what we all thought acting was…” Are you saying you’ve never heard of other techniques? That the Method (which originated in the 1930s) is the only technique actor’s had used up until Meisner?

What I meant was, regardless of what you call it, remembering past emotions and replaying them in the context of a scene seems to be the definition of acting.

That being said, I have heard of other acting techniques. There’s the Stella Adler school and… ummmm… “actioning”? I guess? I suppose you could throw mime in there, or something.

2) You seem to conclude that “…Meisner is just overcompensating…” by using “…a series of rehearsal practices…crazier than the last.” The focus of your blog seems to be on Independent Activities. If so, your examples are quite extreme and I wonder, do you understand the ideology behind them, i.e. Independent Activities?

I did focus on Independent Activities, because those are the most visible signs of a Meisner-trained actor. The examples I gave were, yes, extreme. Exaggerated, even, with the intent to induce amusement and jocularity in the reader. I apologize if my dry delivery made it appear that I was reporting actual events.

I can’t say I fully understand the ideology behind Meisner, as I have not studied it. Mostly because I don’t care. In fact, I couldn’t care less. Well, maybe I could care less, if I really tried, but I’m not sure how. I’m the Baskin Robbins of not caring. Here’s my 31 flavors of not giving a shit:

1. I don’t care.
2. No one cares.
3. What liar told you this is interesting?
4. Here’s a quarter, go call someone who cares.
5. This falls somewhere between tree moss and the sport of cricket on my List of Things I Don’t Care About.
6. I don’t give a crap.
7. A mí no me importa.
8. Why are you telling me this?
9. I would sit here and listen to you explain it to me, if my legs didn’t work.
10. The bards of future generations will be inspired to tell tales of She Who Could Not Care.
11. I don’t give a damn.
12. Did you seriously think this would be interesting? At all? To anyone? Ever? Seriously?
13. I’m going to quit my job, move to Boston, and apply to the Chief Drying-Paint Watcher position on This Old House, because that would be more interesting.
14. Quite frankly, I’m surprised you care.
15. Not interested.
16. I took all the fucks I give, and stacked them up in this warehouse:

    

17. I think you and I might be using a different definition of the word “interesting.”
18. I’m going to walk away now. If, when I come back, you’re still talking about this, I’m going to punch you in the face.
19. Not even your mom cares about this.
20. Hang on, do you know the number for DARPA? We could weaponize this disinterest.
21. ajs;fgdjnaseasoij Huh? Wha-? Oh, sorry, I fell asleep on my keyboard.
22. I don’t give a darn.
23. He’s our short stop.
24. The most interesting thing about this is how utterly uninteresting it is.
25. I think I’m going to have a heart attack and die from not caring.
26. Hold that thought for just one, uh… ever.
27. Holy shit, really?! Oh, wait, no, sorry, I thought you were about to say something interesting.
28. I’ve been working on a scientific scale to measure interest. On one end is life itself. Thank you for supplying the opposite end.
29. 我无所谓
30. I am so bored, I could kill myself, except that I’m afraid that would be such a dramatic display of disinterest, it might garner media attention, which could tangentially bring up this subject, and I wouldn’t want to inflict the pain I experienced on others in even that small way.
31. I’m so disinterested, I just wrote a 31 point list to illustrate just how bored I am.

Looking forward to your reply.

Regards,

Matt

Happy to be of service.