It's the story of a lovely lady... Gossip Girl

Okay, I'm gonna put it out there. I have been watching Gossip Girl. I'm pretending that it's for research, but am finding it strangely addictive. I've been trying to think of an equivalent show from the 70s (my prime teen watching time) but the only thing I can come up with is the Brady Bunch (Marcia, Marcia, Marcia). Which is hardly comparable. The closest Marcia got to the escapades of the Gossip Girl gang (or was it Jan?) was locking braces with some geek. I think Alice the housekeeper got more action than the teens on that show, and that was with Sam the butcher. (Hey Alice, I've got some nice pork chops there for you.) By all accounts, what the Brady Bunch got up to behind the scenes might more closely mirror the goings of the East-siders.
Does Gossip Girl just mirror where teens are at today? The teen labels of the 70s that I aspired to were Levis, Staggers and Lee — all jeans brands. Today there are designer labels for infant clothes. Teenage girls are drooling over accessory must haves and stick thin celebs show them the only way to wear that outfit properly is to be a size 2.
I've been pondering the success of GG and wonder if it's the voyeuristic glimpse into the young and rich world that most of us will never enjoy that makes it such a naughty treat. It makes the OC look like the Brady Bunch. There's a kind of reverse snobbery where viewers can take pleasure in the downfalls of the rich and young players in this teen drama.
Which reminds me of another show that was around a couple of hundred years ago — Romeo & Juliet. Maybe things haven't changed that much at all. (And no, I wasn't around then...)

High School Musical 3

Is it the stars?
Is it the music?
Is it the hype?
Will someone please explain...

Ummm, excuse me, I changed my mind...

What is the protocol re going into a multi complex cinema, finding you are in a dud movie that you have just paid $16 for, then maybe just popping into another cinema to catch a different movie? I found myself leaving a movie today and would have maybe skipped into a different cinema except I was so traumatised by the dud movie that I just had to leave completely. I did want to approach a representative of the cinema to say, look that movie was awful, I didn't stay, could I have at least half my money back? I guess it's buyer beware and the onus is on the cinema goer to research what is around — which is the downside of just turning up and taking your chances. Still, I have seen some pretty good movies just turning up and even enjoyed some that have had some out and out bad press...

In the end...

Chookas to all the VCE and HSC students out there who are busting their books to pull out a miracle. Just remember, in the end, it's not the end, but another step in that fantastic dance we call life. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Grab the spotlight and shine!

Life Narratives

I'm not sure when it happens, but at some point we decide on our life narrative — a little story that we present to the world. It's helpful for social occasions. Hi, this is Tony. Tony is an accountant, he lives in Forest Hills, he has a family with two kids and he plays tennis every Sunday. Tony, this is Sarah. Sarah is an advertising account executive, has a convertible sports car, wears designer clothes and is pulling in over $140 grand a year. So what happens when Tony decides not to live in Forest Hill or leaves his family or wants to play golf? What happens when Sarah loses her job? Sometimes its easier to hold on to an old narrative. It's comfortable. It's familiar. He's the sporty one. She's the reader. But it's not necessarily who we are. We can also use it to excuse our shortcomings. 'I was never good with numbers' or 'My parents never taught me how to save money' or 'I blame...insert name here'. Sometimes we need to reassess our life narrative. Sometimes we outgrow it. It's easy just to keep the same narrative. It's easy to hide behind. But maybe much more fun to create a new one...

Age Banding - Let's Take It Further

One has to wonder what all the fuss is about re the suggested mandatory age banding on children's books. I mean, I know it's a free country, but really wouldn't it be great to give the purchaser an indication of what reading and maturity level the book is pitched at? The thing is, we know all six year olds are the same. They have the same reading level and interest and understanding of life. That's why Prep classes are so homogenous. There are no stars, no reluctant readers, no sporty kids or jokers. I think age banding should be stretched further to adult titles. It should be mandatory. No adults reading YA or kid's fiction or 50-year-olds reading the latest pink fiction aimed at 20 year olds. Forget just age banding books, let's move it on to the food types, moisturisers, cars and TV shows. This could be a revolution...

Marathon Editing

I have just finished a marathon edit of a story. By editing from beginning to end without a break, I find plot inconsistencies are clearer than if editing over several sessions. Does anyone else find this to be true? While I am itching to edit during my first read, I try to lose myself in the story and just enjoy it. By the second read, I am ready for a full-on editing session, working up a style dictionary as I go. At this point I am not looking for a copy edit, but will take these cxns in as I see them. Rather, I am looking for the plot to make sense, for the characters to ring true and for a sense of satisfaction by the end of the story. Does anyone else have any editing quirks they would like to share?