Charlie Chaplin

When Desiree and I first moved to Binghamton, we had little to do.  There were a few days before I had any rehearsals and Desiree had no job (as you all know from her previous post).  We had no TV reception, we didn't have internet and we didn't know anybody in town.  It was pretty dull.  But across the street from us is the Broome County Public Library.  Ah ha!  Entertainment!  All those books just waiting to be read!  So we checked out some movies to watch.  (Insert ironic facial expression here.)

But I don't feel badly about this decision in the least because the movies we checked out were of Olympian significance in the world of film and in our American (and world) culture.  We watched 4 movies written by, directed by, and starring Charles Chaplin.  Let me just say; this guy was an absolute genius.

The first film we watched was "The Gold Rush."  Chaplin made this movie as a silent film originally, but re-released it decades later with his own original score and narration replacing the text panels common to silent films.  Next was "The Great Dictator," in which Chaplin first spoke.   We next "Modern Times," which was released before "The Great Dictator" but in which Chaplin first sang.  Most recently we saw "Limelight," which was his last film made in the U.S.

Each of these movies is a masterpiece.  I think the word "masterpiece" can be over-used since in theory, an artist should only produce one work to define him or her as a true artist, but I can't help it.  Each of them is a masterpiece.  I had the erroneous conception that Chaplin only made short films with little to no significant plot.  I also thought they were all written by someone else.  I further thought that he only played the "Little Tramp" character with whom he is so permanently identified.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The plots of these four films are not only his own creations, they each have a distinct voice and powerful message.  Each is evocative of a tone and theme that speak as resonantly today as they did at the time.  I can't recommend enough a viewing of each of these jewels.

The cool thing about watching these movies (besides the movies themselves) was the special features disc available with each film.  From them I learned a good deal about Chaplin's life.  There is one thing that I cannot pass up mentioning:  Charlie Chaplin, the undisputedly best loved and most famous film maker of his day was banned from the United States during the McCarthy trials of the late 40's and early 50's.  He returned to his native England and returned only to receive an Oscar for which he was only allowed to stay for a few short days.  He had lived and worked in the U.S. for 40 years.  I was absolutely crushed to hear our beautiful country had done something so coldhearted to a man whose only work was to make the whole world smile.  

Luckily those days of ideological intolerance are past.   Today careers of good-hearted men and women aren't smeared by insensitive stereotypes and accusations.  It would be a tragedy if a vocal minority of purportedly morally high-minded people convinced the rest of us that those who are well-intentioned are evil just because they are looking forward to a brighter future.

Livin' on Love

We have been in Binghamton one month and I still don't have a job.  It has been so much fun!  Ever since we got married we have been trying to figure out how to "live on love."  We used to say that we needed a wife... someone to cook and clean for us while we were busy being students and working.  Now, we have begun saying we need a husband to get a job that pays a little more than it pays to be establishing a career as an opera singer.

It has been so much fun just kicking around and spending lots of time together.  We have been playing board games, going for long walks along the river, taking drives to explore some of the surrounding area, having good conversations and spending time with friends from the opera company and church.

When Anthony is gone to rehearsal, I take great pleasure in cleaning our apartment and making fabulous meals... just this morning, Anthony told me that people in the opera company had begun asking when they were going to be invited over to eat the great meals I have been creating.  I guess word has spread that I have been going crazy in the kitchen.  It has been so much fun!  In the last couple of weeks I have made enough food to feed an army... and think we almost have.  I have been experimenting with new recipe I have wanted to try for a while and have just not had the time.  The result is usually that after getting the ingredients, when I am ready to start the preparations I realize "this recipe is not for two people... it is for six... or eight."  This would not normally be a problem, but one of the things I have been looking forward to each day has been making dinner, so leftovers kind of put a damper on things.  The result has been that we are having people over for dinner almost all the time.  It has been nice to get to know people in this way.

I think I could really get used to this... too bad the savings will be running out in not too long.  Besides that, I don't think that "living on our savings account" is the same as "living on love," oh well.  It has been fun... not to mention that while I have been able to get creative with our menu Anthony doesn't suggest going out to eat nearly as often.  I am loving this.

From Anthony: Two for the price of one!

Here's another oldie but goody back-log.  But this time it's a double-header!  Have fun with two topics in one.  There are comments left by people from the first time I posted this at the bottom.

Friday, June 06, 2008

hot

Must... write... blog... in... June!

For real. I really feel like I have to write a blog this month. I usually wait until something presents itself in a way that demands a written response. But today I just wanna write a blog, dang it!

So the topic du jour- Heat wave in Ohio. It's hot. And it's wicked humid here. We're talking over 90% humidity. And for a guy from Utah, that's more humid than a box of humid humidity with a side-order of humid. My skin is sticking to everything and I'm a pile of disgusting sweat. I stink all the time which really grosses me out.

Whenever I go to a really extreme climate (which isn't that often unless you consider living in Utah for approximately 27 years) I always think about what crazy kind of people settled those areas way back in the day. Like, think of living in Siberia in the 1700's or something like that. How did those people survive that crazy climate without all the exciting conveniences we have our modern world? Comparatively, living in humid Ohio in the early 21st century seems pretty easy.

I guess that brings me to another point I have visited several times on this blog; things really are relative. If I think my life sucks, it probably does for me, even if it may seem great to other people from the outside. Luckily, I don't think my life sucks. I'm probably right.

Well folks, that's it. Tune in next time for a discussion of how I always forget how strange I can come across to people.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

As promised...

I really don't love it when people brag about how weird they are. "I'm totally wild and crazy!" "You've never met anyone like me!" "I can't stand people who don't want to be the center of attention all the time! I mean... what?" You know the kind- the folks who really, really, really need attention and can't get it by simply being good at something or by being nice. They have to resort to wearing funny hats all the time or coining really loud and obnoxious catch phrases instead.

I know that may seem like a strange thing for me to say because I often seem to come across that exact way. But here's what I'm getting at- I really don't try for it. I try to behave myself. It turns out I'm just a... well... weird-o.

Right now I work with singers and assorted other artsy sorts all day everyday. This is part of the problem. Hanging out on a regular basis with people like this only gives me permission to continue to act like a freak because I rarely go too far beyond the bounds of what any of the rest of them have seen or have actually done themselves. The rest of the problem comes when I get back into the land of reality and suddenly have to switch gears to "don't-embarrass-Desiree-Anthony."

When artsy people would be laughing along with me or just not even noticing anything strange at all, normal people laugh their heads off or just leave the room and won't speak to me.

So that leads me back to my original point- I really don't love it when people talk about how strange they are, and that includes myself. I hate feeling like I'm a big freak whose life looks like a big act to get laughs or reactions.

Discuss.

Micky Jo: In highschool I was totally afride to talk to most people, so instead I died my hair every color and cut my hair in crazy ways. I liked being the freak because I knew people were talking about me and I didn't have to really talk to them. Now days I am the loudest person I know. I guess I am trying to make up for all the time I wasn't talking. 

I would love to be noticed for what I can do but the problem is I am not musicaly inclined (unless you count gutair hero), I am not a great actress, I can't really write and I insist on hanging out with the artsy types (like you) who with out trying at all make me feel very small. So to make up for it I am loud and crazy.

I know it drives people crazy and I kinda like that too. 

Maybe the problem isn't the loud and crazy people it is people like you who are to talented for there own good. Stop being so amazing Anthony and I will stop being crazy. (I would love to see either one of us try it....who do you think it would kill first)

ATB: Your comment is better than my blog! I love it. 

Desiree seems to have the same sort of feeling when hanging around with the artsy-types. When she went to study in France last summer, she found ways to branch out and feel less like a "small" person. So I don't need to be less talented and you don't need to stop being crazy, we just need to go to France a lot.

Sissy: I have no idea what either o' you are talking about.