Strange Like That

My Actor Reel

Macabri — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:25:02 +0000

With a few projects coming up this year, I thought it wise to finally compile an reel containing some of my acting from various projects. Enjoy…I hope.

Check All The References

Macabri — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:16:49 +0000

Honestly, I hate when I have to restate the obvious, but here I go. I’m sure everyone remembers being told at some point in their life (likely as a child) to “not talk to strangers”. While I hope your judgment has improved with the years you’ve packed on, the core of that statement is still valid. Be safe. Be cautious of people you don’t know. Protect yourself.

No one is exempt from this, and yet some people will try to steer you away from it. Nowhere is sticking to your guns more important than to those in the modeling community. Amateur, aspiring or professional, you have the right to feel safe at your photoshoots, and part of that safety comes from checking references.

I was personally contacted by a photographer the other day who wanted to work with me. His portfolio was decent, and I was interested. However, before proceeding any further, I told him that I check references and asked if there were any models he recommend I reach out to. His response? He was his own reference.

This is a red flag. This is a red flag that is on fire. Stranger danger. Do not pass GO.

Anyone who is legit should have nothing to hide and should also be able to provide references or point you in the right direction. You don’t know them, and they don’t know you. The last thing you want to do is get yourself into a situation where you are made to feel uncomfortable or in risk of harm to your person.

I know it’s hard when you want to work with someone or you are building your portfolio. I get it, I really do. However, is it really worth the risk? Maybe you think I’m overreacting; seeing serial killers and rapists at every turn. Wouldn’t you rather be certain though? Maybe they won’t kill or rape you, but what about trying to push you to take photos you don’t want to do? What about accosting you? How about the simple worry that you’ll spend your time shooting only to never get copies of your photos back? A lesser worry to be sure, but this is why you always investigate someone you potentially want to work with.

“But what about you?” Some photographers may ask. “I’ve had bad experiences with models, too! Why am I under investigation?” Well, photographers, good news! My advice to models applies to you as well! Check the model’s references. Ask them questions, talk to those they’ve shot with. Know who you’re meeting. Be safe.

There is no guarantee against skeezy photographic experiences, but you can cut down on the potential by doing some simple leg work. A lot of photographers don’t like having models bring escorts along to ensure their safety. I understand the possible distraction. But if you choose to tell models “no escorts”, you had better be prepared to provide some damn good references.

Bottom line to everyone in this equation: don’t be a victim. Be aware. Know who you’re meeting. Period.

Cosplay Critique: Mind Your Manners

Macabri — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:56:29 +0000

Me and my Catwoman. (Photo courtesy of Mad Calamity Photos.)

Like many of my costuming compatriots, it was never my intention to become a cosplayer. Everyone has their own story on how they got involved. For me, it was happenstance and a Poison Ivy costume I’d constructed for Halloween. What started as determination, undergarments, fake leaves and hot glue has now become something people recognize me for/as. That’s neither here nor there though, and the real point to this is that there are a lot of us that are involved in cosplay and consider it a part of our lives. We’re from all walks of life and have different tastes and levels of technical costuming skill. It’s a passion where all who are interested should be welcomed, but that’s not always the case.

Let me lay this out first before going on: yes, you are entitled to your opinion. Also, yes, some costumes are “better” than others from a technical standpoint. There is no doubt in my mind that some people have more advanced costuming skills than others. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean any less effort and love was put into the costumes that aren’t perfection incarnate. We all had to start somewhere. For this reason, it makes me sad to read negative comments about anyones costume. From Tumblr to Twitter to Facebook, there is so much rude commentary on cosplay photos. Beyond just adhering to Wil Wheaton’s rule of “don’t be a dick”, there are some things I feel should be kept in mind when looking at and judging anyone’s work:

1.) Not everyone who attends a convention/party/event in costume is a professional cosplayer, or ever intends to be.

2.) We don’t all have the same pool of resources to draw on, whether they be time, money or technical ability.

3.) No one looks exactly, precisely like any comic character, and they shouldn’t be expected to. If they want to rock out as a character of a different ethnicity, gender, physical size, etc. let them do it. (By the way, some of my favourite cosplays are the Rule 63 ones.)

Please also bear in mind that negativity and critique are not the same thing. “This sucks” is not the same as “this might have been better if” or “I would have suggested doing”. I’ve seen plenty of posts that are nothing but someone trying to tear down another persons work for no discernable reason besides the fact that douchbaggery is an internet epidemic. It’s hard enough to put yourself out there and display your craft without the anonymous (and sometimes not so anonymous) nastiness in response. It’s unwarranted and unnecessary.

There’s also some definite cosplayer on cosplayer hate out there, which I believe largely stems from jealousy. Personally, I feel there’s room for everyone in the sandbox. As someone whose most known cosplay is Poison Ivy, I can tell you there are a lot of us attempting to fill her leafy accoutrements. (Yeah, I know that last sentence sounded sort of filthy.) Having other people at the same convention dressing as the same character doesn’t dilute my work. If anything, it can serve as inspiration to up my game and to keep working on new and creative portrayals. Besides, shouldn’t you be glad that so many people love the same character you do?

Another point of contention seems to be the assumption that this person or that person is only dressed up for the attention and not for the love of the character or craft. If that’s the case, who cares? Let them be whatever they want. If someone comes up to them and wants to talk shop, it will become pretty apparent what their intentions were, and they’ll have to deal with it. It should make no never mind to you. (Note, I am not advocating going up and quizzing cosplayers on their costumes, just stating a possible situation.)

On the whole, cosplayers are a pretty cool lot. They display their passion for a variety of the nerd genres in a unique and inspirational way. There’s no reason to put them down about it. If you don’t like what they’re doing, just leave them be. I doubt you’d appreciate anyone being rude and negative about your hobbies/lifestyle, so don’t do it to other people. So, as two wise men once said, “Be excellent to each other.”

“Party on, Dudes!”

What Does Poison Ivy Eat?

Macabri — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:38:32 +0000

As a Poison Ivy enthusiast and cosplayer, I’ve been getting asked more and more about what Poison Ivy actually eats. (Yes, we nerds still question and debate these sorts of topics.) I have to admit, the question has been rolling around in the back of my mind for a while now and I felt it was time to present my position.

To my knowledge, we haven’t really seen Poison Ivy eat in the comics. I know in an episode of “Batman: The Animated Series”, Ivy (as Pamela) goes on a dinner date with Harvey Dent (pre-Two Face), but I don’t recall her actually eating anything. Not to mention that in this particular season of the series she’s seen as being human rather than a plant hybrid.

I also know that in some of her portrayals, where she’s become more plant than human, that sun deprivation weakens her and has occasionally brought her to the brink of death. I would assume being cut off from water would have a similar effect. However, while sun and water are a part of what would be considered eating for plants (in addition to taking nutrients from the ground), neither of these things is really considered “eating” by human standards. And, as noted before, Poison Ivy is not always portrayed as being entirely plant or human and could possibly have the needs of both.

My gut answer to the above question of what she eats is that Poison Ivy would be a vegan for a number of reasons. For one, while plants are her priority, I can’t imagine her willingness to eat slaughtered animals, or even any byproducts such as eggs or milk. Second, as an eco-terrorist, I would think she’d be aware of how much land is taken up for animal farming and grazing and that swaths of rainforest have been chopped down for that very same purpose.

A point often brought up when I’ve leaned towards this reasoning, is whether or not her veganism would be considered cannibalism. It’s a valid argument, and I can see the logic in that, but I don’t think it works with the realities of the plant world. Plants can often steal what they need from other plants. Anyone who has watched the “Planet Earth” documentary should remember how the plants in the rainforest are in a constant battle for resources and work to reach skyward in search of vital sunlight. Plants can also benefit from the death of their fellows by absorbing them as they decay. It’s really a basic matter of the circle of life. (Cue singing animals.) I should think Ivy, who was a botanist/botanical biochemist prior to her transformation, would understand these realities better than anyone. There is a balance and a cycle to nature that she respects, and her anger and criminal activities are largely due to her perception that this balance is being tipped unfairly by human interference.

I think it could also be argued that in many instances eating plant-based items doesn’t actually result in the death of the plant. As an example, let’s look at apples. They grow from the trees, picking them doesn’t kill the actual tree, and they were destined to fall off at some point anyway. Even if they do fall off from natural causes and their seeds are properly fertilized, you are left with another tree vying for resources that will possibly steal them from its own parent.

With all this in mind, I’d like to know what others think. It’s possible that I’ve overlooked something in the many comics I’ve read over the years, but I don’t think they’ve ever given a firm answer. Then, once we have this settled, I suppose we can move on to whether or not she breathes oxygen solely or also takes in carbon dioxide.

Just kidding.

(Not really.)

For those interested, you can read more of my ramblings on Poison Ivy here and here at ComicAttack.net.

Review of Universal’s Horror Nights

Macabri — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:44:30 +0000

Last Friday, after hearing many positive reviews of the event, I attended Halloween Horror Nights which takes place at Universal Studios in Hollywood. I was left wondering how so many guests walked away with positive things to say.

To be clear, I am no stranger to the world of haunts. I’ve worked at several myself as a scare actor, and have attended many more. I’ve found that most haunts have their own strengths and weaknesses, but it seems that Universal has very few strengths to trumpet. I found this pretty shocking considering that Universal is not only a real live working film studio, but also because it has a history of horror films to draw on. (Hell, it’s very name is practically synonymous with the horror of the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s.) As a Halloween horror destination, it’s not very scary nor very interesting.

Horror Nights has a little over a handful of mazes. (Seven of them as compared to Knotts Scary Farm’s thirteen.) Because of this, once the night gets rolling, the wait times skyrocket. As you walk around the park, there are boards listing wait times and only a few had anything listed under sixty minutes. There are only a few rides, which also experience higher wait times. Then, lastly, there was one live show.

On the night that I attended, my basic ticket cost $57, and I was only able to experience a little over half of the attraction offerings. For almost double the price, I could have gotten a pass that allowed me to skip to the front of the lines, but since there’s so little content, I imagine you could do everything in a few hours, leaving you with a lot of extra time where you’re either bored or have to start repeating attraction visits. As a comparison, a basic Knott’s ticket on the same night of the week will cost around $47, for more than double the attractions (maybe triple when you could in all of the rides and shows available to haunt guests). From a basic monetary standpoint, Universal simply doesn’t live up to the price.

To get into a more specific review, I will start by saying I believe that with all haunts, terror should start at the door. Upon entering the park, you are thrust into a fog-filled clown nightmare that should have set the tone for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately, nearly all of the scare actors were in full rubber masks (something that occurred in nearly all of the evening’s events). Rubber masks have their time and place, and I know they’re cheaper and easier than makeup, but these are the first scare actors to greet your audience. They are in your customer’s faces. Rubber masks when close up tend to be less shocking that a really good makeup job.

Secondly, the entry area of Universal suffered from a proliferation of chainsaws. Chainsaws are scary. They’re loud and should make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. However, when there’s a dozen of them running around and whirring like mad, they lose some of that essence. You start to acclimate to them, and it ruins the terror they should instill.

Aside from the entry area, the park was pretty free of scare actors. I hate to make comparisons again, but you can’t take two steps at Knotts without running into another monster. It keeps the tension up in between attractions. Universal also missed a golden opportunity to place monsters along the attraction lines. There was a perfect captive audience, ripe for scaring, who instead spent most of their wait looking bored and checking Facebook.

Of the few mazes available, the ones I was able to get into were The Wolfman, The Thing: Assimilation, Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare and Scream for Your Life. None of them were particularly good.

- The Wolfman: This maze had to utilize a preexisting space, and in places it showed. The walkthrough area they used normally showcases imagery and sets from various Universal horror films. They really should have worked harder at retheming the parts that were out of place, rather than trying to shoehorn Wolfman elements in. The best part about this maze were the actual werewolf costumes as they really resembled the look from the film. They also worked in the feral boy look from the movie. This maze was consistently the shortest wait all night, likely because the 2010 film remake was not terribly successful. I still felt it was one of the more pleasant ones to experience at the haunt.

To go on a quick tangent, why not just amp up the attraction that is already there? From what I’m reading online, there are normally scare actors in there anyway that fit the variously themed rooms. It would likely have been more effective than their attempted overlay.

- Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare: This was the first maze I went through and I can’t really say that there was anything about it I liked. It has the same issue as all the others in that it focuses almost solely on what I call “jump out” scares. To me, a jump out scare is one where the actor jumps from their hiding place at you, sometimes while making a banging noise or rattling a noise can. They are cheap scares and are almost always going to get the guest to twitch. However, their twitch is a natural reaction to something coming at them at high speed, not necessarily a real indication of true terror. It’s almost always more impressive when the scare actor can freak a patron out by their very presence, or the idea the guest can’t avoid walking by them and is terrified at the prospect. Also, having a monster ahead of you that catches your focus can be a distraction from the jump out scare actor. This misdirection leads to an even bigger fright as guests are less likely to start intentionally gazing around for hiding places.

The other huge annoyance of this maze (and several others) was the use of heavy hanging plastic and fake bodies along the maze route. It was tiring to consistently have to push everything away to just get through the maze. It wasn’t scary, it was frustrating. There is also nothing like getting hit by a heavy body prop swinging backwards from the guests ahead of you. This element could have been used far more sparingly and been more effective because of it.

- The Thing: Assimilation: While this was the best of the mazes I went through, that really isn’t saying much. It was far better themed than any of the others and had a nice mix of actors in makeup and ones in giant “Thing” costumes. It was obvious they were trying to do something to help bump up interest in the recent release of the film prequel. (Sadly, the maze was better than the abysmal movie.) The maze had a very creepy vibe, it was accurately themed, it had a nice mix of scare techniques, and it also had an average wait time of ninety minutes. I don’t believe that any five minute maze is worth that much wait time.

- Scream for Your Life: This should have easily been the best part of the night, but it wasn’t. Scream for Your Life is a sort of open air maze that takes place on the actual studio backlot and uses real movie sets. But before you even get to that part, you have to hop on the studio tram to get out to the location. Again, here was a wasted opportunity. The spiel on the ride over was cheesy, and there were no frights along the way. Universal, you had a captive audience that paid for scares, so scare them already!

The tram dropped us off near the Whoville set and then wound us around the Bate’s Motel, the Psycho House, some of the War of the Worlds set and a few other small areas. I feel like a broken record, but yet again, there was an over-abundance of rubber masks and chainsaws. I did run into a “Norman” outside of the Psycho house, and that was pretty cool, but short-lived. There were a few less jump out scares, which was a nice break, but it was pretty lackluster regardless.

The only other Halloween specific attraction we were able to experience was Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, and it was a whole lot less excellent that its name would have you believe, unless they meant it to be in excellently poor taste.

The show is an attempt at making fun of all things pop culture, but it only manages to be pretty boring and tacky. Rife with booty shorts and lame jokes, it was an hour of my life I can never have back. It’s also another shining example of why Knotts has the better haunt as they too have a pop culture extravaganza and it’s actually funny and makes more sense.

The other discomforting thing about this show is that it was either written before Osama Bin Laden was pronounced dead, or someone has a really poor sense of when they’ve crossed a line. I don’t want to get political here, but having Bin Laden as the main villain of the production just seemed wrong. And even if he wasn’t dead, it seems far from topical. (When was the last time you honestly heard a Bin Laden joke aside from immediately after his death?) Furthermore, when you set him alongside characters spoofing TRON and The Avengers, it gets even creepier, and not in a good way.

All in all, Universal’s haunt is not something I would attend again. I know the economy is bad and that this event must have been expensive, but for the price and quality it’s just not a fair bargain. Besides that, I’ve been to smaller local haunts that have packed a far bigger punch on what is certainly less of a budget. There was so much wasted potential, and that’s what makes me saddest.

Behind-The-Scenes From Geek Down: Cosplay

Macabri — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:07:40 +0000

While I visited last week’s Geek Down show on cosplaying, I was treated to a mini-interview session with the guys. Check it out!

Be sure to visit their site to catch up on past episodes, as well as everything upcoming!

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The New 52: The Good, The Bad And The Mediocre

Macabri — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:47:38 +0000

Barbara back in action as Batgirl.

First off, let me just say how sad I am to have neglected the site for so long. Life can be a crazy bitch sometimes.

In any case, I’m back, and I thought I’d give a little bit of feedback on the New 52 issues from DC that I’ve had a chance to read. For those who have somehow missed it: DC decided to pseudo-reboot their comic universe. All of the titles released over the past month have been #1s. While the supposed intention was to help bring new people to reading comics and make it more accessible for those just jumping in, that’s not how all of them ended up.

Overall, I’ve found the reboot to be a mix of the good, the bad and the mediocre.

Birds of Prey: I’ve decided to list this one first as it is my clear favourite of the new comics. It has a good set up, compelling characters, action and excellent art. I’m looking forward to the next issues of what seems to be a wonderful girls kicking ass comic.

Swamp Thing: This one came out of left field for me. Swamp Thing is a character I know very little about, but I found the initial story intriguing. I’ve heard a few people say that they’re a bit confused by what is going on and that they needed more back story, but it’s my hope that all is explained in the subsequent issues.

Batgirl: Another one of my top picks. Overall, I found this to be a strong title, and I have faith in Gail Simone to really take this story in the right direction. My only quibble is that we don’t know how Barbara has regained the ability to use her legs beyond the vague description of it being a miracle. It’s my hope that it’s further explored in upcoming issues.

Batwoman: I would have read this to look at the art alone. It is absolutely stunning! The good news is that the story also seems to be moving along nicely. I think there’s some serious potential here as a unique and compelling series.

The Flash: Another surprise hit for me. I wasn’t planning on reading it until my husband insisted. I’m glad he did. Great set up and I am in love with the art.

Wonder Woman: Another really strong first issue, and it appears to be quite the fan favourite for a reason. There’s definitely a big arc coming our way with this story, and I love seeing our amazon in action!

Supergirl: I enjoyed this story enough that I want to see where it goes. It’s really a fresh start and it’s another comic with strong art backing it.

Grifter: Yet another character I am entirely unfamiliar with, but I’m hoping to change that. I think this could be another surprise win in the New 52 lineup.

Nightwing: This was a fun read. It’s nice to see Dick back in his Nightwing costume (though I prefer the old colours better). Definitely worth reading.

Superboy: I know some people who are really in love with this title, but I thought it was just alright. The first issue is really all about setting the stage for what’s to come next, so I’ll see what issue two brings.

Red Lanterns: Well…it had lanterns in it…and they were red. So, at least they have that going for them. I really wanted to like this book, but I just found myself yawning.

OMAC: Talk about old school! This comic feels like a complete throwback to comics past. Definitely some potential.

Demon Knights: I kept hearing how wonderful this book was, so I gave it a chance. It wasn’t really bad per se, but I keep forgetting I read it. The pacing seemed weird and it simply didn’t grab me.

Okay, now for the ugly. I won’t rehash the things that have been said, better than I could say them, about these titles, but I’ll give you a taste of my reactions.

Catwoman: I so wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t. Yes, there are some good things about it, but I felt like they were drowned out by splashy images of Selina in her bra and doing the nasty with Batman. I don’t care that she’s doing it with Bruce, but the way in which it was presented was a real turn-off for me. I expected this to be one of the titles female fans could really feel was theirs, and I hope they can turn the book around in following issues, but I’ll be hard-pressed to grab the next issue right away.

Suicide Squad: I refused to purchase this title from the outset, and only read it because someone else offered to loan me their copy and curiousity won out. I felt like there were two big fails. One, in the redesign of Harley Quinn (costume and personality), and the second with the redesign of Amanda Waller. But, you say, appearances aren’t everything. Okay, let’s go with that for a second. I’ll imagine the Harley and Amanda problems are gone. Nope, still wasn’t a compelling book. I know some people really loved this title, but it’s just not for me.

Red Hood and the Outlaws: I could go on and on about this one title, but I won’t. It was quite obviously not a book for women, and for the men, it was something to read with one hand. I’ve heard all of the arguments on both sides, but I’m not changing my stance on this: what was done to the character of Starfire is just plain wrong and insulting. I also highly recommend reading this article about it. The writer could have been channeling precisely what I felt when reading it.

There you have it. My new review of the New 52, goo goo a-joob.

Medical Professional Douchebaggery

Macabri — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:36:24 +0000

Okay, I need to get this off of my chest. I have recently had one of the most upsetting and ridiculous dealings with a medical doctor. Long story short: he ran tests without my permission and charged me for them. Not only that, but he told me that everything was fine prior to running tests to “be sure”. I question the idea of telling a patient everything is fine and then running a test afterward without seeking consent or sharing the results. When confronted with this and some other miscellany that led to me leaving his offices for good, he lead me through a series of bullying tactics, irrelevant information and condescension. This extended to commenting on all negative reviews I put online about his business in an attempt to discredit me and negate the validity of my honest opinions. What’s worse is that, after some digging, I discovered he’d done this to EVERY NEGATIVE REVIEW I could find for him. A number of people commented on distressing situations that were very similar to mine where tests were run without consent and left them holding the bill. His responses ranged from claims of clearing up misinformation, to saying the patients were only upset at him because they can’t get mad at the faceless machine that is insurance, to accusing previous patients of engaging in conspiracy theory. (I wish I was making this up.)

Really? This is okay? This is somehow allowed?

Some of this is the fault of those, like my ex-doctor, who should have never been given the title of “Doctor”. However, I think some of it also comes down to the patients. Now before you think I’m victim-blaming or some such, let me explain.

How many people do you know who have told you they didn’t like their doctor for XYZ reason? Okay, probably a lot. How many do you know that actively got involved and tried to do something about it? Probably not that many. There is this prevailing feeling that if someone has been given a title as respectable as Doctor, that it is wrong to question them. A lot of doctors also feel this is the case. (Something along the lines of: I’m the doctor, you’re the patient, and I know what’s best.) We let these people continue to do business, to continue to dupe and disrespect us. The thing is, we live in a wonderful time where we often have alternate options, and better yet, we have access to medical data that used to be more difficult to procure. We can, if we’re smart about it, track down symptoms and find possible answers ourselves as well as confirm or refute a diagnosis.*

Not enough people ask questions because they’re scared. But what are they really scared of? That the doctor will get mad at them? Berate them? Who cares? If they do that, then you should be getting the hell out of there anyway. It’s your health, and you have a right to be informed. Don’t take everything at face value. Work to understand your health. Read your bills. Ask questions. And if occasion calls for it, question your doctor. There is too much at stake to not be informed or to waste your time on a professional that is going to withhold information or rack up charges in your name that you weren’t adequately informed about. The doctor referenced above even told me that sometimes patients are involved with the specifics and sometimes not, and that apparently he feels he can decide those parameters. That is NOT the kind of care anyone deserves, and you wouldn’t put up with it anywhere else.

This is not to say all doctors are bad. I’d never make such a blanket statement. But there is no denying that there are bad ones out there. Even other medical professionals will tell you so.

So, do your research. Ask questions. And for the love of all that is holy, if you’re not comfortable with your doctor, get the hell out! More than that, be sure to spread the word. You might just save someone from the hassle and mistreatment you put up with.

*Please use your brain when researching medical maladies online. Double and triple checks your facts and sources. It really is worth your time.

Bridesmaids Film Review

Macabri — Sat, 21 May 2011 17:24:42 +0000

Last night, after hearing many a good thing about it, I went to see “Bridesmaids”. It didn’t take me long to realize that I’d made a mistake. Before digging in too far, let me say that there have been a number of popular movies I couldn’t get into. “American Pie”, “Knocked Up”, “The Hangover”, etc. That’s just not the sort of humour that appeals to me.

“Bridesmaids” felt to me like any of the other films that rely almost exclusively on crass and puerile jokes to tickle the audience. It might have been funnier had I not gotten over the giggles that dick and fart jokes used to instill in me when I was a kid. (Granted, there is a good one now and again, but this wasn’t it.) It felt like yet another comedy movie that was trying to push the limits, but felt that this time it should be even funnier because it’s women engaging in the behaviour. Not to give anything away, but there was an entire sequence that involved a group of women throwing up and crapping themselves. I wish I was making that up.

The story itself is rather vanilla and all of the supporting characters were very one-dimensional caricatures. Even the characters with any sense of depth weren’t that engaging. Normally I adore watching Kristin Wiig, but even she couldn’t save the film for me. (Despite also having co-written it.) Overall the jokes seemed forced and entirely over the top. There was no middle ground. The few meaningful moments in the film were quickly overshadowed by another juvenile joke.

This movie wasn’t female empowering or a representation of “girl power”. It was more like a statement that women can engage in potty jokes too. Then again, I have a feeling I’m going to be in the minority on this one as I was the only woman out of seven I saw it with that thought it was a terrible film. In this instance, I don’t mind being the odd-woman out. “Bridesmaids” was definitely not for me.

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Number 12 Looks Just Like You

Macabri — Fri, 13 May 2011 02:55:04 +0000

Our future?

Anyone who has watched the original Twilight Zone series has likely seen the episode “Number 12 Looks Just Like You”. It’s an unforgettable episode that satirizes people’s extreme need to fit in and be a part of the crowd. It’s also one of the first things that sprang to my mind when reading an article about a seven year old getting plastic surgery because her ears stick out.

The story features a girl named Samantha who is only seven years old. She has cup ears, which means they stick out rather than running parallel to her head in a “normal” way. The operating surgeon used words like “abnormal” in the description of Samantha’s ears and said that he was “fixing” them. The reason for this “fix”? To prevent bullying. The mother, not the girl, was worried that her daughter would get picked on. She cited fears that her kid would be called “Dumbo” or “big ears”.

Here’s the thing, and the sad fact of life I think we’ve all experienced: kids are going to pick on other kids. If it wasn’t her ears, then it was going to be something else. Children are cruel, no doubt about it. There will be something else down the road for her. If not her ears, then maybe freckles, or how she walks, or they don’t like her Star Wars water bottle. However, I should think the hope is that you learn to be a stronger person for all of the harassment you have to deal with in life. All that getting surgery will do is teach her that an adequate solution to any perceived problem is that she has to be the one to change. What if she grows up and thinks something is wrong with her nose, or that her jaw line is funny? The fact that the surgeon kept using the word “fix” implies that something was “broken” or “wrong”.

What kills me is the mother says herself that kids are cruel and mean. If she knows this, then she probably knows that kids will tease and bully each other over even the smallest infraction. Be supportive of your child. Teach them that they don’t have to change to please other people. Tell them they have nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of.

Samantha's before and after images.

Furthermore, the surgeon said he wouldn’t recommend plastic surgery for a child if it was simply cosmetic, but I don’t see what else this would count as. Samantha’s ears were not a health risk. They weren’t a mole covering half of her face, they weren’t a cleft palette, or even a hare lip. I used to volunteer with an organization that helped low-income children with health impacting abnormalities. Dealing with cupped ears would have seemed liked a blessing compared to the issues I saw.

I will also say that the story made me heartsick for very personal reasons. All of those monikers for kids with big ears? Yeah, I heard and was called all of them. I, too, have cupped ears. They stick out like sails trying to catch a breeze. I’ve covered them with my hair. I’ve been frustrated with them. But you know what? They are MY ears. I have come to understand that there is nothing wrong with them. They are not broken, and they are not something to be ashamed of. And what’s more, I think Samantha’s ears were beautiful too. I look at her before and after pictures, and I think the after is what looks awkward.

The plastic surgeon theorized that kids with ears like mine and Samantha’s might end up being less popular, shyer or that it will “harm their developing self-identity”. Anyone who knows me will tell you that is bunk. Sure, I was not popular in school, but it was for very different reasons. My self-identity is no less strong for having ears that aren’t like everyone else’s. EVERYONE has something about themselves that they don’t like. We are a culture that is so obsessed in the perceived ideal that we overlook the beauty of uniqueness.

Samantha would have grown into her ears. I know I did. It took me a long time, but I can finally wear my hair up and be okay with showing the world my ears because they are just fine.

And for those curious, these are my ears.

UPDATE: A few people have pointed out a similar story about an eight year old girl whose mother is giving her botox injections. I’d heard about this the other day, but for those interested, here is a link to that story.

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