The guy next to me at work today is muttering again, at me, at himself, we trade insults for fun, and basically bicker like two year olds..he's like the little brother you always wanted and was glad you didn't have because he's so time consuming..but your life at work is so aimless that you welcome anything to make the day go faster. Everyone once in awhile I turn to him and say 'What, you still talking?'
So, I've spent some time telling you about LA and why I was turned off on the Entertainment Biz. Maybe I should explain what life was like after I left LA and went back to College that year...
Hellish, for years- okay since I was 16 I had dreamed of getting into film and changing people, society, the world through my work... I went out to Hollywood and discovered there was no place for a person with those kind of dreams, goals, or ambitions. Maybe my idea was too big, maybe I was too ambitious, but I found that not only were people in Hollywood-ignorant of the world. They saw themselves as the world, they really thought that what they wore, who they talked to, and what they did with their lives meant something.
And you know what? Sometimes they do something meaningful that gives people hope or relieves them from a stressful week at work. We watch the movies and shows to forget about our lives but when the camera shuts off, our lives keep going...we still have our Cancer, our wars, our break-ups, our pain, and if they did something good in the process, it almost seems to be because the system failed somehow-
I asked my supervisor about this at E! She said the whole industry was tainted with debauchery, egotism, and stratified. People always said it had to break, things would change, but they never did...she was basically saying 'accept the biz, or go home, kid.' I didn't go home, I never returned to a more childlike self that believed in the infinite possibilities of life.
I went to college that year feeling lost, scared, and confused. I embarked on a journey to find myself, I cried, I worked out like crazy, 9/11 hit and I found a new sense of fear and confusion. My parent's were supposed to go through New York that day and they would have been in New York at the time of the attacks if they're schedule had not been changed. The third plane went down 10 minutes from where they live in Somerset, PA.
I got ahold of them about an hour after the attacks, unfortunately some idiot called a bomb threat into our school so we were evacuated from the campus. I left with my best friend Blanka Kryszak. We went to McDonald's then Wal-Mart to stock up on essentials.
It sounds ridiculous but less than two hours after the attacks-you believe anything is possible, maybe this is it, everyone could die, or your other loved ones could be next, we didn't know how far the plan stretched- how complex the terrorist's moves were....
In the following days a girl at my school was assaulted based on race? She said two guys came out of nowhere on the street outside the school and attacked her. Later people said she was crazy and just wanted attention, who knows...I really don't have any idea.
Other students stocked up on gas because they were worried about gas prices going up or worse all the gas supplies drying up...we watched the Telethon on the TV at a friend's house while a girl-who I am no longer friend's with-screamed that she didn't know anyone in New York or DC and could give a shit about the stupid Telethon. Sometimes people really fail to impress you with their ability to care for others-or grasp of a situation's meaning.
Two days later a girl in one of my classes told us that she had studied wars in the U.S. and the propaganda behind them. She said we deserved what had happened to us for our actions in other countries.. I told her that if the people(Islamic Fundamentalists) we believed committed these attacks had indeed committed them:this war was social, political, and religious. I told her that-very calmly- that she had oversimplified a very complex situation. She was numb. The whole room was silent.
I only knew that much from a previous class I took on U.S. intervention in other countries over the last 100 years. The best example I knew was from Cairo, Egypt with it's wealthy westernized upper classes and starving over educated angry masses where Islamic Fundamentalism had become a savior to the people's resentment. The terrorists don't just fight us, they fight the wealthy upperclass in their own country who ignore their struggle.
9/11 served to solidify my need and thirst for something that meant more to people. I wanted to spend my life in way that seemed less frivolous than before and more worthwhile...
(to be continued.)
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Friday, June 11, 2004
Alias:Walt Disney
In my last post I played out the most embarassing and funny experience at E! But, I didn't have time to tell you my most interesting story. As part of my internship, I was given a Public Relations Media contact database to update. This required me to call scores of people across the entire Entertainment Industry from Rob Reiner's former wife to Miz Ford of Ford Models herself..and a million assistants, busybodies, and other industry courtiers......all in film, TV, music, and fashion.
I can't say people were nice because they weren't...but some places were exceptionally nice and others were incredibly rude. I have to tell you if did reflect how the workers at those companies were treated. Warner Brothers had the happiest and most helpful staff of any place..Calvin Klein was very snobby.
My job was to check our old information then find the person who we should talk to and try to re-establish our relationship with them. This was no easy task but, I guess I should have felt honored that they would let me do that......the database was three years old though...so I mostly felt retarded and ill-used....
I developed great phone skills and learned how to negotiate with people over the phone quickily-professionally and efficiently....
One day I called Disney Corporation for the West Coast in Los Angeles- I think in Burbank. But, please don't quote that part..anyways... I called thinking that I would just update the connection and move on....I asked for the best contact person for E!Entertainment Online. I got the producer for Alias, she immeddiately started screaming at me, asking me what I wanted and boasting that she was the producer for Alias and Felicity(which was still on the air at the time. I was completely flabbergasted and tried to placate her by telling her that I just wanted to update my contact information. She wouldn't listen, screamed even louder and insisted I tell her what I wanted...finally I lost my cool and yelled back "I've never even heard of Alias and I don't care about Felicity. I just need to find the best contact for our department on Media issues." It was really weird. She got really calm and was like "oh, I 'll get you so and so." This woman put me through to a Vice-President- a much calmer and rational person who gave me all the information I needed and wished me luck on the project. It was amazing.
What I learned: Sadly, I learned that yelling and being a jerk get you more of what you want among these people. So, if you hear a story about a star, producer, manager, or anyone in Hollywood that is successful being a jerk. Stop and think about it...the industry us pretty much made up of people who had to be tough and sometimes mean to make it....I also learned that knowing what you want and having confidence in yourself will go farther than being 'right' in what you are doing or even part of the in crowd...as E! was not nor ever had respect.
I can't say people were nice because they weren't...but some places were exceptionally nice and others were incredibly rude. I have to tell you if did reflect how the workers at those companies were treated. Warner Brothers had the happiest and most helpful staff of any place..Calvin Klein was very snobby.
My job was to check our old information then find the person who we should talk to and try to re-establish our relationship with them. This was no easy task but, I guess I should have felt honored that they would let me do that......the database was three years old though...so I mostly felt retarded and ill-used....
I developed great phone skills and learned how to negotiate with people over the phone quickily-professionally and efficiently....
One day I called Disney Corporation for the West Coast in Los Angeles- I think in Burbank. But, please don't quote that part..anyways... I called thinking that I would just update the connection and move on....I asked for the best contact person for E!Entertainment Online. I got the producer for Alias, she immeddiately started screaming at me, asking me what I wanted and boasting that she was the producer for Alias and Felicity(which was still on the air at the time. I was completely flabbergasted and tried to placate her by telling her that I just wanted to update my contact information. She wouldn't listen, screamed even louder and insisted I tell her what I wanted...finally I lost my cool and yelled back "I've never even heard of Alias and I don't care about Felicity. I just need to find the best contact for our department on Media issues." It was really weird. She got really calm and was like "oh, I 'll get you so and so." This woman put me through to a Vice-President- a much calmer and rational person who gave me all the information I needed and wished me luck on the project. It was amazing.
What I learned: Sadly, I learned that yelling and being a jerk get you more of what you want among these people. So, if you hear a story about a star, producer, manager, or anyone in Hollywood that is successful being a jerk. Stop and think about it...the industry us pretty much made up of people who had to be tough and sometimes mean to make it....I also learned that knowing what you want and having confidence in yourself will go farther than being 'right' in what you are doing or even part of the in crowd...as E! was not nor ever had respect.
Monday, June 07, 2004
Brett Ratner, Alias, and other reasons to leave Hollywood
In my last blog-which I apologize was written almost two weeks ago. I started to explain some of my crazier experiences at E! The next two situations pretty much explain why I have no desire to return to Hollywood-but these stories are also great Happy Hour fodder in DC.
So-One Happy, hot, and hellish Wednesday afternoon in L.A. 2001 that's about 6 weeks before 9/11-E!Online hosted Brett Ratner for an edition of FILM SCHOOL! For those who do not know anything about him.. I will explain. He is a director-a Hollywood ingenue of the moment-although he's a man-He directed the infamous Mariah Carey Heartbreaker video, Family Man, and the Rush Hour movies to name a few of his credits. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0711840/ Check that link for more.
He's a lively and passionate person who on set, came off as a nice although somewhat egotistical man. Oh well. Trust me, he could have been drunk, somewhat beligerent, and demanded a make-up artist as one of the other directors did...who shall remain nameless...
Unfortunately, Brett decided to bring his Assistant Director, his publicist from PMK, and his best friend. Whoopee! I guess they usually travel in packs as most jackals in training do....or chickens..don't ask. His publicist was a freak, I hope that this woman is no longer his publicist because she scared the hell out of me and everyone in the place-who actually remembers her.
I, was overly excited, eager to please, and young. A.K.A. STUPID, at the time. One of the writers asked if someone could take Brett's publicist, his Assistant Director, and his best friend to the Studio room B to watch the online feed. That would be the questions imputed, the online footage, blah, blah. So, I volunteered to take the Publicist, his Assistant Director, and his best friend to Studio B-or the other room within E's facility of filming rooms. These are arranged in non-descript corridors, dark, and quite frankly labrythine to find your way through..especially if you are a young intern.
We went out to the Lobby to meet Brett's best friend. That went smoothly, I took them to the refreshment room. That was not so good, the Publicist got angry, started screaming at me to find the Studio Room B and gave me a panic attack. I tried to take them to find the Studio Room B since giving them a chance to get water and refreshments was so disdainful...but, I blanked...I had only been there one other time and with the three of them following me while this crazed-I believe coked out woman-shrieked at me. I simply couldn't think.....
I ended up vainly running around while they stood in the hall opening broom closets, empty studio rooms, whatever I could find-and finally getting one of the other Writers- to show them where the Studio was...to make up for my mistake. I went to get them water. This took awhile since E! wanted me to use their specially labeled E! water bottles. When, I came back the Publicist was giving me dirty looks and the Assistant refused to acknowledge me. The only person who was friendly to me was his Best Friend. He seemed to be the only person who figured-that I was just a young, easily confused intern- the publicist seemed to think I was either brain damaged or the most evil, malignant, and useless person she had ever met......and that she wanted me nowhere near her.....and who could blame her? She had plans-business to do... and fat, tall, red heads who can't find their way around studio rat mazes are well-horrid.
I should probably stop to describe his publicist- a tall, asian, very attractive, thin woman, wearing crocidile leather pumps, a black dress, and carrying one of the most beautiful blonde leather purses I have ever seen.....she also seemed to have hankering to be in one of his movies. I can only guess what movie franchise she wanted to jump on.....ruoH hsuR PART III???? The return of Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, the duo will now be embellished by the beautiful coke snarfer in this action packed follow up to the wonderful Part Deux of the original film.
It was horrible. I got Hollywood royalty- or at least the Courtiers lost for all of a minute. And what an embarassment..but it has given me a good chance to laugh since then...and when I call myself fat- I mean not anorexically thin-because that's what you have to be in Hollywood to avoid criticism.
Brett Ratner himself was very entertaining-telling us that we should just give the camera to a fat girl in Nebraska with big bangs-in response to the question of Independent film development..he was really funny-in the bad sense-I mean the we are laughing at you- not with you sense. But, he's a millionaire and I am NOT. He was very proud to tell you that he had dated Rebecca Gayhart and would happily date her again.. I bet he ate those words....she rain over a 9 yr old boy two days later in a hit and run accident while she was driving her car and talking on a cell phone.(Tragic) Her status went down after that...and so did her weight. For those who don't know-she was the Noxzema girl in the 1990's and had a great part in Jawbreaker. (Love that movie.)
Anyways, what struck me about that day was how easily people got freaked out over nothing. Nothing, I mean I fixed the problem, found someone to get them to the other room, and stayed polite. All of these things matter to me...but Brett was definitely giving the stupid, fat, red head dirty looks on his way out as the Publicist told him what happened.....nothing like that has ever happened to me in D.C.
( I would also like to observe a moment of silence for the dearly departed President Ronald Reagan. Here's one for the Gipper.)
So-One Happy, hot, and hellish Wednesday afternoon in L.A. 2001 that's about 6 weeks before 9/11-E!Online hosted Brett Ratner for an edition of FILM SCHOOL! For those who do not know anything about him.. I will explain. He is a director-a Hollywood ingenue of the moment-although he's a man-He directed the infamous Mariah Carey Heartbreaker video, Family Man, and the Rush Hour movies to name a few of his credits. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0711840/ Check that link for more.
He's a lively and passionate person who on set, came off as a nice although somewhat egotistical man. Oh well. Trust me, he could have been drunk, somewhat beligerent, and demanded a make-up artist as one of the other directors did...who shall remain nameless...
Unfortunately, Brett decided to bring his Assistant Director, his publicist from PMK, and his best friend. Whoopee! I guess they usually travel in packs as most jackals in training do....or chickens..don't ask. His publicist was a freak, I hope that this woman is no longer his publicist because she scared the hell out of me and everyone in the place-who actually remembers her.
I, was overly excited, eager to please, and young. A.K.A. STUPID, at the time. One of the writers asked if someone could take Brett's publicist, his Assistant Director, and his best friend to the Studio room B to watch the online feed. That would be the questions imputed, the online footage, blah, blah. So, I volunteered to take the Publicist, his Assistant Director, and his best friend to Studio B-or the other room within E's facility of filming rooms. These are arranged in non-descript corridors, dark, and quite frankly labrythine to find your way through..especially if you are a young intern.
We went out to the Lobby to meet Brett's best friend. That went smoothly, I took them to the refreshment room. That was not so good, the Publicist got angry, started screaming at me to find the Studio Room B and gave me a panic attack. I tried to take them to find the Studio Room B since giving them a chance to get water and refreshments was so disdainful...but, I blanked...I had only been there one other time and with the three of them following me while this crazed-I believe coked out woman-shrieked at me. I simply couldn't think.....
I ended up vainly running around while they stood in the hall opening broom closets, empty studio rooms, whatever I could find-and finally getting one of the other Writers- to show them where the Studio was...to make up for my mistake. I went to get them water. This took awhile since E! wanted me to use their specially labeled E! water bottles. When, I came back the Publicist was giving me dirty looks and the Assistant refused to acknowledge me. The only person who was friendly to me was his Best Friend. He seemed to be the only person who figured-that I was just a young, easily confused intern- the publicist seemed to think I was either brain damaged or the most evil, malignant, and useless person she had ever met......and that she wanted me nowhere near her.....and who could blame her? She had plans-business to do... and fat, tall, red heads who can't find their way around studio rat mazes are well-horrid.
I should probably stop to describe his publicist- a tall, asian, very attractive, thin woman, wearing crocidile leather pumps, a black dress, and carrying one of the most beautiful blonde leather purses I have ever seen.....she also seemed to have hankering to be in one of his movies. I can only guess what movie franchise she wanted to jump on.....ruoH hsuR PART III???? The return of Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, the duo will now be embellished by the beautiful coke snarfer in this action packed follow up to the wonderful Part Deux of the original film.
It was horrible. I got Hollywood royalty- or at least the Courtiers lost for all of a minute. And what an embarassment..but it has given me a good chance to laugh since then...and when I call myself fat- I mean not anorexically thin-because that's what you have to be in Hollywood to avoid criticism.
Brett Ratner himself was very entertaining-telling us that we should just give the camera to a fat girl in Nebraska with big bangs-in response to the question of Independent film development..he was really funny-in the bad sense-I mean the we are laughing at you- not with you sense. But, he's a millionaire and I am NOT. He was very proud to tell you that he had dated Rebecca Gayhart and would happily date her again.. I bet he ate those words....she rain over a 9 yr old boy two days later in a hit and run accident while she was driving her car and talking on a cell phone.(Tragic) Her status went down after that...and so did her weight. For those who don't know-she was the Noxzema girl in the 1990's and had a great part in Jawbreaker. (Love that movie.)
Anyways, what struck me about that day was how easily people got freaked out over nothing. Nothing, I mean I fixed the problem, found someone to get them to the other room, and stayed polite. All of these things matter to me...but Brett was definitely giving the stupid, fat, red head dirty looks on his way out as the Publicist told him what happened.....nothing like that has ever happened to me in D.C.
( I would also like to observe a moment of silence for the dearly departed President Ronald Reagan. Here's one for the Gipper.)
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