Glee Controversy

As many who have gmail and have seen my status recently, I cannot seem to get "Glee" out of my mind. I sing the songs, think about the storylines, obsessively watch old episodes, etc. So when I saw this article about "The Business of Glee" I read it right away. Here is a link to this article in the Hollywood Reporter: Inside the Hot Business of Glee. It's a pretty good article about what making the show is like and gives insight into who does what and how it gets on-air each week. Basic summary: Ryan Murphy does everything! But, all kidding aside, there was a statement that I read which caught me off guard. In the Hollywood Reporter article, Murphy mentions Kings of Leon and how they wouldn't allow for Glee to use their songs to cover. Ryan said, 

" F--- you, Kings of Leon,” he says, raising the volume of his monotonal interview voice ever so lightly. “They’re self-centered assholes, and they missed the big picture. They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It’s like, OK, hate on arts education. You can make fun of Glee all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music.”

What got my attention was how harsh he was towards the band and on such a public level too. Little did I know that it would spark a controversy as it has. I read the article and then it was all over the news! I guess the article was right in it's title "Big Business" of Glee. Here's my thinking: I understand that some people don't like the show. It's perfectly normal considering people's taste in things can vary. Sometimes those people are normal folks like you and me, and sometimes those people are major recording artists who don't want to associate their music with the show. It should have ended there.

But now we have twitter responses and reactions to comments that I would bet money each party would want to take back.

Here is the article I read with the comments made by both parties: Kings of Leon vs. Glee

This shouldn't have been a big deal, but once the "wear a bra" comment was made, it was all over. Especially if we think about how much Glee has showcased bullying and gay students struggling against comments and attacks. How could Ryan Murphy not comment?  Nathan from Kings of Leon, came across as the exact type of person Glee fights against and stands up to, a bully. It made me gasp when I read what he said to Mr. Murphy. It's just a sad situation that shouldn't have ever happened.

Blue Valentine

[Side Note: This was written a couple weeks ago, prior to any awards or nominations, but just recently posted due to editing issues]

I do not claim to be a "movie critic" but occasionally, I have thoughts on a particular movie that I want to share with you. I recently saw the movie "Blue Valentine" starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. The basic plot of the movie is about a couple and their relationship. Sounds like any other film, right?  The tag line for the film reads "A Love Story" which is perfect because that is exactly what it is. This is a movie about how people meet and how their lives progress through challenges and triumphs. Blue Valentine, however, offers a very different view of a relationship because we are told (in previews and plot summaries) that this is about the disintegration of the couple just as much as it is about how they met and all the years in between.


I personally love a good breakup movie, almost as much as I love a well-told love story. This movie offers us both. Ryan Gosling continues to be my favorite actor in his stunning portrayal of Dean, a man with lots of artistic talent but not much motivation to do anything with it. Michelle Williams is also wonderful in the role of Cindy, a woman whose home life eventually became dysfunctional enough for her to realize she was unhappy. She desires more in life than what she already has. The movie skillfully portrays her viewpoint and illustrates the fact that the decisions she makes aren't always her best. Even when she is aware of the risk, she makes a decision anyway and only the audience is lucky enough to see how it plays out in her relationship with Dean immediately afterward. We all know life changes, but rarely do we get to see just how much we will love/hate the outcome instantly like in "Blue Valentine".




The acting is extraordinary. The "look" of the film is beautifully crafted. The editing was also particularly well done (and this isn't usually something I notice when watching a movie). The editing wasn't just a tool to put the pieces together in telling the story, it was a means of telling the story in a way that helped elevate the emotions of a scene or push the plot to a deeper emotional place than it might have been otherwise. Showing both the beginning and end of a relationship (occasionally it's shown simultaneously in the same shot) offers a heartbreaking look at how our emotions can change depending on the context we find ourselves. Love is a fickle friend that can make us believe we are making the right decisions, but if we were to get a glimpse of the future and how those decisions played out...would we choose that same path?

Overall, this movie was compelling and seductive. It grabbed my attention and didn't let go until the credits rolled. I highly recommend this film to all who enjoy a good story told through a fresh perspective. I have included both posters for the film, each showing the different "emotions or feelings" of the film.One dark and gritty, the other sunny and hopeful.

Prayer

It is January and for the Church of the Redeemer, that means it's time for Prayer and Fasting together as a church body. This is to help us focus and be attentive to the things God is doing both in our church community and in the larger LA community that we serve. Since I've moved to LA and joined Redeemer, this time has been both a challenge and a gift. This year, I'm hoping to experience something entirely new in my prayer and fasting times. I'm hoping to experience Jesus in a way that I can't say I ever have before. I want intimacy and deep healing from Jesus. I have recently been reminded just how broken and lost I feel. I feel a hole within my heart that continues to grow. I've been searching for something and not finding it. I wish I could say I have always known that I was searching for Jesus, but I can't. Sometimes I replace Jesus with ________ (food, friends, etc.). Instead of looking for more Jesus in my life, I look for more food. I look for more time with friends. Well, now I want to look for more time with Jesus...

So, as I pray and fast not only for my family and my neighborhood, I will also be praying and expecting Jesus to show-up for me.

Please join me in prayer as I wait expectantly for Jesus to come into my life in a way that is completely new and refreshing to my soul.

Peace.

Not twisted & hollow...

Last night I was called an extreme "J".

I had never been told that before and yet it's so true. I freak out when plans change, especially super last minute and I have no way of planning something else. Over the years, I've grown and not always show these feelings of frustration on the outside, but internally...I'm freaking out.

My mother has known this about me ever since I was little. My grandma used to babysit me when we still lived in Fontana and my mom worked full-time. So each morning we had a routine. We drove the same roads day in and day out. Eventually I learned the roads and turns we would take going to grandma's house. Plus it was a daily trip, so I knew each morning meant getting ready to go to grandma's and taking those same roads. But there would be the occasional visit to a Tia's house, or stop by some store before going to grandma's house...and from what I've been told my mom dreaded the point that I realized things were different. The moment I saw that we turned left instead of right, or continued straight instead of stopping to park, it was all over. I would immediately ask where we were going and why we weren't going to grandma's house as I had mentally planned. Tears and little kid panic attacks ensued.

It throws me off (then and now) and I have a hard time getting back on track and being ok with what is ultimately out of my control.

Honestly, I still struggle with this issue. Needing order and plans shows a deep lack of trust in God and His plans (this I know from my time in Servant Partners). Life isn't always "plan-able" because things happen. People forget or overbook themselves, I lose track of time, I snooze one to many times on my alarm and now need to rush to make it on time, etc. Life is unexpected and that's hard for me.

What's funny to me is how different my mom and brother are in this regard. They live in the moment and are some of the most flexible people I know. My brother is more of a "planner" than my mom but he still goes with the flow of life pretty easily (I guess in comparison to me). I'm so thankful that they are willing to be flexible for me as well as accommodate my needs for a plan when they can. This concept of a plan comes up a lot for my mom and myself because we are so drastically different. She would be fine without a plan at all and just see where the day takes her. When I tell people that I'm going home to see her, they usually ask "What are you going to do?" and I have learned to say (and be ok with saying) I'm not sure. Sometimes this works out and the weekend goes perfectly, and other times there is some argument or frustration from one/both of us about how we spend our time. Thankfully, we are very aware of this aspect of our relationship and have learned how to deal with it when it comes up.

I tell you this because over the past 24 hours I have seen the high and low of my  "J" personality.

Yesterday, I planned to use my car for a Target trip and then use some extra time to journal, pray, or something introverted like that.

At 4:30 I get a text that my car is needed as plans had changed.

OK, I can handle that. Maybe this will give me opportunity to use my Wii Fit at home since everyone would be gone (according to this new "plan").

I get home and basically nothing was as I had thought it would be. What that meant was I could not go about the plans I had just made... and I was stuck at home with no (3rd) plan.

Low point reached. 

I couldn't even control the tears at this point.

Looking back, it's silly. I can totally see that I took things too far and should've just been patient and wait to see what was going to happen, but that just wouldn't be me. Instead, I freaked out and couldn't function for about 45 minutes. I closed my door, cried, and then tried to calm myself down enough to make another plan for how I would spend my Friday night.
 Eventually, things calmed down at my house and I did get to use my Wii Fit for an entire hour! I even walked to a local Sushi place and got dinner for myself. At the end of the day, it was a great Friday and if I were a more flexible person it would have been uneventful.

Today has been my chance to "ultra plan" my day and be more productive than I have been in a long time! It did start out kinda rough because I snoozed my alarm for taking Sarah to the airport and had only 10 minutes once I did wake-up to be ready to take her to LAX. But it's been uphill from there.

 I drove back home and took a shower, got breakfast, drove to Thousand Oaks, saw the movie "Blue Valentine", washed my car (vacuumed the inside even), and now I'm sitting at a cafe writing this all out while my computer charges my phone. I feel so accomplished and happy because of the day that I have had.

High point reached! (Smiley face)


I promise that I am trying to be better about planning and being ok with spontaneous changes. I'm still on a journey to learn how to be more like a red-vine (Flexible and bendable, not twisted and hollow). Let's hope this weekend goes well :)

Blessings to each of you!