In The Robynn Show, I'm a critic
I'm a little disturbed by how much of my confidence is dependant on other people. Right now, because it's at a pretty good level, I'm really not too bothered by it, but there's always a slight nagging feeling that this kind of a high sets me up for a inversely proportionally awful fall. It's funny how the introduction of a single person can make such an immeadiate difference. I feel like I'm living a Hollywood script. "The Truman Show" but me. That's a disturbing thought, isn't it? I mean, imagine finding out that the people you know and love, well you actually don't know them and they actually don't love you. They are being paid to pretend that they do. Those perfect moments that exist in your life, all your memories, well they only exist because someone wrote them into a script. Well, I mean, that sounds pretty fantastical, doesn't it? That couldn't possibly be. It's suddenly occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't sound so incredulous. Maybe not on a human level, it's totally impossible, but at some time there were a vast number of people who believed in predestination. Isn't that somewhat the same thing? So the producer is god- thats the only difference. making all the christians -at least practicing christians- his little actors. And so what if we aren't in a big dome like Truman? There's only so far into outerspace we can go before we have to come back. We might as well be in a big dome surrounded by a moat. In some ways, we are. We live on a tiny planet surrounded by uninhabitable space. And elsewhere is heaven, production HQ as it were, but we can't get there. All the twists and turns of the world are just part of the script. Granted, it's a script that's far more complex than that of "The Truman Show" because it applies to SO many more people. So we all happily think that we have agency when in fact, you don't. For example, if your house burns down or there's some huge natural disaster, there are really only so many ways you can react, given that we have this drive to survive. See, the thing about our lives though that makes them infinitely sadder than "The Truman Show" is that even if we chuck the system and behave in a contradictory way by removing ourselves from the scripted and fixed rat race (the long-winded way of saying commit suicide) there are a few billion other stories kicking around, so really, no great loss in the grand plotted scheme of things. How bleak. Well, it's a good thing I don't believe in predestination.
Anyway, as far as midterms, I have only one more paper to write and that's due in tutorials and mine is on Friday. Sucks to be the people who have tutorials Thursday right after class. It's my satire class, so this is a fun paper as well. I enjoy essay writing. If I were to ever go into journalism, I would never want to write hard news. I'm more a features kind of girl. Ideally, I'd write for a magazine. More specifically, a literary magazine or one that dealt with arts and culture. Maybe reviews of things and places and movies and books. A critic. I think I'd make a pretty good critic. Or maybe I would make a pretty good satirical writer, with some practice. I like satire and I don't think that it would come as a surprise to anyone reading this that I like making fun of stuff that is status quo. I don't know... can YOU see me in professional writing?
I'm going to see the Marriage of Figaro tonight. Tickets are completely sold out and I think we're postulated in the nosebleed section. (That's a good word... postulated...) Don Carlos is almost sold out (as of last night, anyway) so I may not get to see that. The only night that isn't is Hallowe'en. Go figure. And even on that night, seating is "limited." If tickets are not sold out by after the show tonight, I'll take it as a sign that it was meant to be. Well, assuming of course that the inspiring performance tonight draws me back for more so soon. The last time I went to see an opera was in grade 12. Gotterdamerung (the fourth opera of five of the ring cycle) by Wagner. I was good, but there were a lot of directorial choices that I don't think I would have made. For example, I would certainly not have made it all modern the way they did, and that was the most unengaging burning of Valhalla I had ever seen... and it's the only one I'd ever seen. I was going to say saddest, but that would imply that it evoked some sort of emotional response. And if I remember correctly, by the end, the entire audience was feeling that people were taking far too long to just die. EVEN given that it was an opera. (All this critiquing suddenly reminded me of something; I described one of the actors in the review I handed in yesterday as coming across as the character having "a mild case of Turretts Syndrome." In retrospect, this probably could have been better worded.)
Anyway, I'm sure I'll let you know at some point if it was an awe-inspiring performance or not.
Later.
p.s. "The Phantom of the Opera" is NOT an opera. It's a musical. I can't believe the number of people who think that all it takes is a few high notes and a little melodrama to make an opera. It's one of those tiny things that just grates on my nerves.
Anyway, as far as midterms, I have only one more paper to write and that's due in tutorials and mine is on Friday. Sucks to be the people who have tutorials Thursday right after class. It's my satire class, so this is a fun paper as well. I enjoy essay writing. If I were to ever go into journalism, I would never want to write hard news. I'm more a features kind of girl. Ideally, I'd write for a magazine. More specifically, a literary magazine or one that dealt with arts and culture. Maybe reviews of things and places and movies and books. A critic. I think I'd make a pretty good critic. Or maybe I would make a pretty good satirical writer, with some practice. I like satire and I don't think that it would come as a surprise to anyone reading this that I like making fun of stuff that is status quo. I don't know... can YOU see me in professional writing?
I'm going to see the Marriage of Figaro tonight. Tickets are completely sold out and I think we're postulated in the nosebleed section. (That's a good word... postulated...) Don Carlos is almost sold out (as of last night, anyway) so I may not get to see that. The only night that isn't is Hallowe'en. Go figure. And even on that night, seating is "limited." If tickets are not sold out by after the show tonight, I'll take it as a sign that it was meant to be. Well, assuming of course that the inspiring performance tonight draws me back for more so soon. The last time I went to see an opera was in grade 12. Gotterdamerung (the fourth opera of five of the ring cycle) by Wagner. I was good, but there were a lot of directorial choices that I don't think I would have made. For example, I would certainly not have made it all modern the way they did, and that was the most unengaging burning of Valhalla I had ever seen... and it's the only one I'd ever seen. I was going to say saddest, but that would imply that it evoked some sort of emotional response. And if I remember correctly, by the end, the entire audience was feeling that people were taking far too long to just die. EVEN given that it was an opera. (All this critiquing suddenly reminded me of something; I described one of the actors in the review I handed in yesterday as coming across as the character having "a mild case of Turretts Syndrome." In retrospect, this probably could have been better worded.)
Anyway, I'm sure I'll let you know at some point if it was an awe-inspiring performance or not.
Later.
p.s. "The Phantom of the Opera" is NOT an opera. It's a musical. I can't believe the number of people who think that all it takes is a few high notes and a little melodrama to make an opera. It's one of those tiny things that just grates on my nerves.