We've had an exciting week. Eli and Sid and Ollie all went to Paris (and had Ollie's iPad and camera stolen on the Metro), and the rest of us stayed here but work was busy and Tommy was sick one night everyone was gone and, well, it was one of those weeks that make you wonder if it's possible to have kids and a demanding job. Really, I'm just tired. Because I had a fun week at work and I have to work on Sunday and I don't feel sad about it. (I know.)
It has, as always, been great fun having Sid and Ollie here. My only complaint is that we don't watch any television because we sit around the table and talk after dinner. I miss Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock and, my new favorite, Modern Family. (I used to hate Phil but now I totally totally love him. Don't you?) It's sad to me that all of you are watching Downton Abbey now and I am stuck waiting for Season 3. I will say that I plan to watch the Christmas Special annually because more than anything else in the whole show (those who have watched it know that is saying quite a lot), I adore the scene with the old truck driving the Christmas tree up to Downton. And I think that's enough on television for today. Onward.
You guys. Did you listen to the Mike Daisey RETRACTION episode of This American Life? It physically pained me to listen to it. I was running on Tuesday during work as I listened, and all the tourists along the Thames must've thought I was insane the way I kept talking to fill that awkward silence that happened pretty much every time Ira asked Mike Daisey a question. And I kept thinking to myself: yes, Laura, this guy is an actor (and really freaking evasive) but this is still awful and embarrassing and something that he made and is proud of is pretty much being taken from him. But God. Ira read those emails wherein he and his fact checker apologise for being so nit-picky but want to make sure that the story meets the standards for journalism and Mike replies that he totally gets it. Why, why, why. Friends, I find it painful. I'm not sure there's more to be said. Except that someone should write a play about this whole thing because that would be one to see. (I think only one playwright reads this blog - perhaps not consistently so this might die right here -- so Dup that idea right there is for you.)
Ollie said that Ira Glass came to University of Wyoming and that what Ollie noticed is that people constantly give him story ideas. And here I thought I was unique in my plan to give Ira Glass a story idea when I meet him.
I actually e-mailed Ira after I listened on Tuesday, mostly because he sounded just so exhausted and, well, sort of defeated to me. So I told him that I don't blame him and his team (though that part where the Marketplace correspondent finds the translator with a google search is somewhat appalling, it's clear he blames himself plenty) and that I love his show and that I do not plan to die without having been on it and that he should look for my name in his inbox in the future.
Just as soon as I come up with an idea.
If you have story ideas, why don't you send them to me instead of Ira?
Have lovely weekends and a very happy Spring to you all.
It was PAINFUL to listen to. Almost physically - lots of wincing and doubling over on my part.
ReplyDeleteMike Daisey never should have misrepresented himself the way he did. As a performance piece it's fine - powerful even - but he made no attempt to draw those lines between fact and fiction (or dramatic license) and he should have. He made his own bed on this one.