How Television Let Me Down, Part 2

Tonight, at this very moment, I'm watching America's Got Talent and my favorite talent, Kari Callin, was not put through to the next round. Kari has a bi-lateral cleft palette which should give her a terrible speech impediment but instead she can sing like Barbra Streisand. She was the Susan Boyle of AGT for all intensive purposes and humble to a whit and yet... the yodling dominatrix made it to the next round. The 80 year old Elvis impersonator made it to the next round. The woman who used to be on American Idol who sang off-key her entire audition made it to the next round, but not Kari. I am BEYOND pissed.

In her audition, Kari told about a Cruise ship audition she had earlier in her life in which a judge told her that she wasn't what they were looking for before she even began singing. By not letting her through, the AGT judges were just proving that judge right. Kari's not good enough because of what she looks like.

Thank you, AGT, for choosing the gimmicks and the beautiful people over the truly talented. I'm glad that we can count on you to choose the people who are really deserving of the million dollars.

How Television Let Me Down, Part 1

One of my favorite shows on television is the NBC show KINGS; a modern-day interpretation of the story of David and Goliath. KINGS unfortunately was cancelled and the remaining episodes have been airing this summer. The fact that it was cancelled in the first place was heartbreaking to me. I say heartbreaking because just watching the season premier back in March got me so attached to the show that I bawled my eyes out in the first hour. The writing is a cross between Shakespearean and Biblical with a modern twist and I find it enthralling to the last. Although its hard for me to watch it regularly, I have been keeping up by watching it on Hulu and today I caught up to the latest episode, which I figured would be followed by another, until the season was entirely finished. I looked up KINGS on Wikipedia to see if I could cheat and find out what was to come in the season and I found out that the season I watched today was in fact the final episode.

....... excuse me.......

what?

I got emotionally invested in this show and watched it month after month for... nothing.

SPOILER ALERT: I will now proceed in telling you why in fact I am so upset about this.

In the final episode, David is on trial for treason (a trumped up charge from the mind of the King after finding out about David's feelings for Silas' daughter) and found guilty, despite the existence of evidence that can prove him innocent. While David is sitting in an underground cell on death row, Silas the King of Gilboa (the fictional Kingdom where the series takes place) is shot twice in an assassination attempt during a peace treaty ceremony. Despite the fact that David's death was scheduled for that very day, he is saved at the last minute from the firing squad by a few rogue members of the military and is brought back to the palace.

The majority of Gilboa assumes that the King was now dead and his son Jack steps up to take his place, despite the fact that there are no heavenly signs that he should be next to take the throne.

(KINGS is interlaced with highly biblical referrences, including two instances in which a crown of Monarch butterflies were sent to both Silas and to David Shepard as a sign from God)

Though David (the underdog hero and a low-ranking soldier who single-handedly takes out a Goliath brand tank on the battlefield) has been sent signs that he should be next to ascend, Jack and his bastard uncle William push forward with the coup and we find out that William was behind the assassination attempt all along and that every member of the Royal detail and Gilboan military is loyal to him, not to Silas.

Meanwhile, the King's body is 'stolen' from the ambulance that was transporting him to the morgue. David thinks that Silas might still be alive and the King's daughter (with whom David is in love with) helps him get out of the palace, which has been put on lockdown. David finds King Silas alive but struggling at the home of his Mistress, with whom he has a child, a young son.

Meanwhile, Michelle (the before-mentioned daughter) finds out that she is pregnant with David's child and her mother makes her swear not to tell anyone, including David.

Silas is able to broadcast a radio message to the people of Gilboa that he will return, guns ablazing, to take back his throne. David vows that upton Silas' return to the throne, the young hero will disappear from Gilboa forever.

William prevents Jack from exacting any orders as the heir apparent, instead making it clear that the only orders will come from him from them on. During the coronation ceremony for Jack, Silas appears in Gilboa again, healed, and walking down the middle of the street, alone. As he approaches the capital building and the palace, he meets the troupe that is guarding the palace and it appears that they will fire on him. Just then, a troupe of tanks appears, with David at the helm of one of them. Silas asks the soldiers if they would like peace under him or continuous war with Jack and they let him through. David and Silas storm into the palace and Jack and William flee, knowing that their death is certain if they stay. David leaves and heads for Gath, the rival country where he might find refuge.

Michelle is exiled until the birth of her and David's child and she can have no contact with him.

Silas takes the throne and preaches that he and God are now enemies.

AND THAT'S IT. AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF WATCHING THE SHOW ABOUT A TYRANT KING AND A HEROIC YOUNG MAN... that's it.

I'm so incredibly disappointed, I can't even handle it. I can only hope that the 3 disc set that comes out in September will have the remaining episodes on it.

I got an A+ in Defensive Driving

In general, I find the human race to be completely hilarious as a species, and I am no exception. People do things every day that just make me laugh. We go through drive-thrus so we can get our meals in our car, never having to get out or even turn the car off. Heck, we don't even have to put the car in park.

Also, we are about to pass a law in Colorado that prohibits the use of text messaging while driving. We have to be so in touch technologically that we have to send text messages while we are driving big metal death-traps.

Drivers in general are humorous, bypassing any sort of common courtesy or logic and pulling out in front of one another, similar to a passing butterfly flitting under your nose. This can produce comically dangerous situations.

For example, while driving with my mom to look at furniture for my new (albeit small) apartment, I turned right at an intersection in Castle Rock (a BLIND intersection in front of McDonalds where there's a giant cement wall so you can't see around it) and nearly collided with the Fire Marshall in his big, red SUV (who I swear only turned on his siren after we nearly hit him.). In order to avoid the oncoming tanker, I quickly drove up onto the curb, ramming my wheel and hubcap into the sidewalk and narrowly avoiding the huge car (I drive a Toyota Echo; anything besides a Mini Cooper is HUGE by comparison to the little tin can I roll in).

Now I know you're supposed to pull over to the right for emergency vehicles, but this was extreme and potentially quite harmful to my mother, who I would like very much to remain alive.

Maybe I haven't mentioned this: The Fire Marshall was driving in the lane of oncoming traffic, instead of driving around the cars in the turn lane to the right, which was conveniently empty.

I ask myself this: Who does this guy think he is?

Then I remember that he's the Fire Marshall and I bite my tongue.

You can't sue a municipality but I would like to know why he has the right to endanger himself and his fellow man by taking liberties and driving in the oncoming traffic's lane. I can't imagine what sort of trouble I would've been in had we collided. I may have ended up with an engine in my lap and kissed any dreams of joining Riverdance goodbye. Who knows?

I just know this: Whether you're the President of the United States, Elton John, Joe Regular Guy, or the Fire Marshall, you are still held accountable for the safety of drivers around you. And for Ronald McDonald's sake, don't get into a wreck at a busy intersection in front of Mickey D's. There are not enough McFlurries in the world to save my baby putzer from the giant, red, fiery kiss of death.

***

Sidenote. I went to KFC with my Dad today (we stayed clear of the drive through and walked off all those calories by parking in the third string of parking spaces) and was stared at the entire meal by a young man. If you find someone attractive while they're eating fried chicken, it must be love, because if you've ever eaten corn on the cob and string beans and then smiled at someone you like, you know the dangers of mixing soul food and soul mates. Food for thought.

We Shall Overcome

I've had a really hard time lately dealing with the allegations surrounding the Performing Arts department at the University of Northern Colorado. I am an acting major in the program at UNC and I find myself becoming frustrated with the possible outcomes of the scandal that recently arose.

Today I heard reports of other professors being called out for partying and sexual acts with students and it begs many questions: Who is to blame for such offenses? Why have I never seen any evidence of this in the year I've been attending UNC? Why did it come to a head now? Will it affect enrollment in our prestigious program? Will we be able to look past the scandal once the school year comes and continue to deliver good theatre to Greeley?

I have mixed feelings about this whole situation. This past year, I got the first of four life-changing years of acting training and I am convinced that I couldn't have received better training at any other school. UNC is undoubtably the place for me to be and I would be the first to stand up and defend it as a reputable and quality department.

I won't leave UNC; I believe that those professors and students who are left when the dust settles are wonderful people who have our best interests as a theatre family in mind. I only hope that UNC students will continue to rally around the department and show the rest of the university, Greeley, and the media that this doesn't have to do with our talent or the quality of our performances. This has to do with the poor choices of one individual and by no means reflects the integrity of the entire department.

UNC is known for turning out Broadway-ready actors and actresses and has been doing so for decades. I am afraid that parents will refuse to send their children to UNC because they believe that their training will be compromised by the poor choices of the faculty. But if the actions of one professor have been occurring for as long as allegations state and yet UNC has still maintained high standing nationally, it must be because UNC recruits talented students who believe their time at the school to be a time to learn and grow in their field.

Though professors may have a lot to teach, it is the students' responsibility to accept the information and learn from it. Therefore, the UNC Performing Arts students are responsible for their ultimate success in this program. A great professor may have no students go on to be hired after graduation; likeways a bad professor may have taught a plethora of successful actors post-college. Education is made of teachers willing to teach and students ready to learn. It is dependant on the student alone to be proactive if he or she is to succeed, and I believe that these outgoing students are the kind who attend UNC.

I am deeply saddened to know that so many students have been hurt in the past. To know that people I am friends with may in fact be dealing with the alleged actions of this professor is heartbreaking. I cannot imagine what it would be like to know that you have been victimized. It is my greatest wish in this case that the affected people may find peace in the results of the impending trial. No one should feel like their voice went unheard and I hope that the voice of the students will be held in higher esteem in the future.

My own parents are alumni of the university and neither one has made a statement about wanting me to leave; rather, their anthem is much the same as mine. Who will keep the program strong if every student runs away? What makes a program strong is the willingness of its students and faculty to stick together, in scandal and in great success.

The accused professor has helped bring acting agencies and talent scouts to see the magnitude of our program and to hire our students in the past. Despite the fact that I think that the choices of this individual cannot be overlooked, we cannot forget that a person's misdeeds does not determine the validity of the professional endeavors of such an individual in the past. I do not think that these allegations should be overlooked at all, and I'm certainly not saying that I would like this professor to return to UNC with a slap on the wrist, but we are obligated to remember that a man is not made up of his bad decisions alone, and out of respect for a resume of successes, we should refrain from calling out such actions as we see them. There is clearly a wrongful act that has been committed, and though this act may condemn, it does not entirely define.

God tells us to 'judge not, lest ye be judged.' I want the full extent of the law to be exercised, but I want people to remember that they are human. And no human is perfect.

This will be an unpopular belief but I refuse to pass judgement on a person with whom I had no personal interaction. What I want is for UNC to remember that this professor was not the only member of the Performing Arts program and that we can stand up for our own actions and continue to stand firm. I want to feel like our theatre family stands taller when faced with adversity, rather than shying away and letting the media storm was over.

I guess what boggles my mind the most is that accusations have been made about misconduct in the past and it was, it appears to me, generally overlooked by members of the university committees who are responsible for looking into reports like this. I feel like this entire situation may have been prevented and it is disheartening to know that the university holds its students to such a high standard and yet a professor's conduct can fly virtually under the radar for almost twenty years. A student has the right to attend any school without the risk of endangerment of any kind and that if such an act occurs, it will be dealt with with the utmost urgency and discretion. I do not feel as if my right is compromised now, but the rights of others may have been in the past and I am thankful that these things are being dealt with seriously at this time.

Ultimately, I hope that we can approach a new school year with positivity and continue to produce professional-level shows and incredible performers. UNC theatre is a sacred and wonderful thing and will move forward as a brotherhood, no matter what happens in this case.

Blognation

This is certainly the age of blog and I am slow to join it... though I refuse to join Twitter (on the principle that Facebook notifies people about my whereabouts often enough), I figure that it can do little harm to share my thoughts on the world with the few who will read them, or even care about them.

Blogs can be anything from stream of conciousness to extreme expressions of opinion, but they are usually an unadulterated encyclopedia of personal truths. In the rare case that the blogger is a Stepford wife or C-3PO, these thoughts and ideas are original. I myself am known to be unafraid of sharing my own thoughts with others, though I find that the written word provides a more eloquent means of portraying such thoughts. I may seem uppity in sentiment, but truly I wish to appear organized and well-versed, rather than a reflection of the tornadic nature of my bedroom floor, which is currently loaded with boxes and papers in preparation for the great move back to Greeley to further my higher education.

In explanation of my blog's title: I have, and always will have, a fervent and ardent love for the works of William Shakespeare, and am therefore, eternally devoted to keeping his memory alive and kicking, like an in-law that just won't vacate the guest room.

One of my dream roles is Rosaline in his comedy 'As You Like It', a role that would prove me capable of holding a romantic lead, as well as calling upon my character roots and comedic timing. I have played roles in two of his other comedies; Adriana in 'A Comedy of Errors', his first play, and Hermia in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', both of which were extremely enlightening, though both whiny and needy characters (one can only hope that this is not a demonstration of my own character).

Shakespeare knew how to write a woman better than a woman could live it, which is ironic considering that woman were portrayed by young boys during his time.

A goal I would like to say I could set would be to play every one of his heroines in my lifetime, but unless I run a Shakespeare company or somehow come into good fortune in my career, so much so that a director sees fit to cast me as such, this is unlikely to happen. Besides, I'm a little afraid of playing Lady M in the Scottish Play (if you have to ask... why are we friends?) because of the cursed nature of the show. I would rather my hands stay clean of blood, whether fake blood or human.

You don't have to like Shakespeare to relate to one of his characters, which is a common misconception among those who I like to call 'the non-believers': those who are unconvinced of his merit as a literary genius (I won't even begin to talk about the people who believe he didn't exist at all, just a figment of the imaginations of Johnson, Marlowe, and others. If I were to approach this topic, I would also have to talk about his similarities to a more... spiritual being.). Everyone above the age of 16 knows the feeling of heartache, betrayal, the need for revenge, and amorous love, among other emotions, and therefore how could they NOT relate to Shakespeare? Anyone who claims to feel no attachment at all to the Bard's timeless works is proving that it is in fact possible that they are a Shakespearean personality; Ophelia herself was a practitioner of disbelief.

If you believe in anything, believe in the power of prose... or in this case, a blog.