tuckergurl

The Inside Scoop

Whenever I travel with Deadline by myself, it is always an interesting anthropological study of sorts. For those who don't know, I am the Outreach Director for the film and we are doing screenings all over the U.S. I tend to go to the screenings in our target states (states working towards repeals and moratoriums) of which New York, for obvious reasons, is one.

Currently I am in Syracuse doing two screenings, one at a community center downtown and one at Syracuse Unversity's School of Communications. Syracuse is pretty conservative and very segregated so it makes sense to have two screenings, one that white folks will go to and one that black folks will go to. (I hate to be crass but I didn't create the world. I just live in it.)

I am staying at a super, super swanky hotel, the likes of which I might never see again. (Syracuse is paying for it.) You can always tell when not a lot of black people stay at a hotel when the predominately black staff is really, really excited to see you and really, really want you to enjoy your stay. (I should let any new readers know that I am black. You know, in case you couldn't tell.)

The white staff at the hotel is really friendly to me and call me honey and what not. The socio-economics of Syracuse lead me to believe that they live around black folks and one I am 100% positive has a black boyfriend. Why you ask? She just looks at me like she knows black folks, yes she does.

When I get in the elevator with the predominately white clientele, I strangely am not looked at. People chit chat with each other but never with me. It's fine since they don't look like people I want to get a beer with in our rooftop bar anyway but I should feel that way about them, they shouldn't feel that way about me!

But the strangest thing that happens almost everywhere I go is, someone, somewhere, always wants to talk about racism and NOT within the context of the film. Yes, the criminal justice system is racist and one of things I am proudest about is the fact the film comes right out and says it and I can talk all day about race in that context because that is what I am there for.

But sometimes, some liberal white person gets a little too chummy and wants to get into a long conversation about racism that they witnessed, right in front of them, and how they stood up and did the right thing, not like the other people they were with and boy, this world has really far to go in terms of race ... They usually stop there but you know they want to say that the world is a less racist place because they are in it. Yeah, whatever.

Well, I am going to just let you know that black folks like me in situations like that really don't want to hear it. You should just not be racist. Period. Am I supposed to congratulate you for acting decent, for acting the way people should act. This moment does not bring you closer to me. Not at all.

One good thing that happened at the community center screening is the head of it, a black man who I've been talking to for weeks and when he met me, was totally shocked that I was black, decided to have monthly forum meetings about some of the issues surrounding the film at the center. He said that he knew that the criminal justice system was broken in Syracuse but really didn't think the rest of the country was as bad. That made me feel good.

JetBlue

I’ve never flown JetBlue before and learned the big secret: Direct TV. I watched VH1 Classic for my 45 minute flight to Syracuse. I saw The Cars, “Drive" video with Paulina Porsikova trying to pretend she’s crazy with fake tears and strange hand movements. With music videos, you can always tell when folks are dating.

Anderson Cooper is Funny

I have a friend who has a huge crush on Anderson Cooper. I'm not sure I would go that far but he is a funny guy. A magazine asked him a pet peeve of his and he replied, "When people tried to spread their bad mood." For example, when you are on line at the supermarket and it's taking a long time but it doesn't particularly bother you but the pereson in front of you is really annoyed and keep sucking their teeth and taps you and says, "Doesn't this piss you off." And you reply, "No, I'm fine acutally."

This was my experience on Amtrak yesterday. My train lost it's power because kids threw debris on the track and it messed up the power. I'm not an engineer so I don't understand such things. Anyway, we were in the middle of Delaware and we sat around for an hour before a "rescue" train came to get us. The "rescue" train was filled with people so there weren't enough seats for everyone but I sat in the Dining Car. Plus, we all had to be hoisted onto the next train because we weren't at a station so there was no platform.

It was annoying but since I have been sick for the past 4 days, I was excited because it was the first day in a while that i didn't wake up feeling ill. Everyone around me kept complaining and complaining. This one guy said he broke his ankle and got the crew to make a big fuss but you could tell that he was fine. He just wanted the attention.

All hell broke loose when they opened the dining car. People bought Sam Adams in bulk and things got really exciting. Debates on why The Yankess suck (which they don't by the way), why everyone wants Kerry to win but why he won't and finally, why does college cost so much fucking money and how can an average family afford it and one woman had a crying fit because her husband wouldn't pick her up from the train station and can't he understand that she was just in a traumatic situation and why does he always do this, blah, blah, blah.

Me, I was just glad that my stomach didn't hurt anymore. I didn't mind being an hour and a half off schedule but I did mind the woman with bad breath next to me constantly trying to talk to me.

I've Discovered The Public Library

I live around the corner from the biggest library in Brooklyn and have only used it's internet but never taken out a book. Tonight I decided to change that.

They have a huge film section. I had to control myself but did manage to take out:

The Films of John Cassavetes by Ray Carney -- He is my second favorite filmmaker and by the way, I really, really want to new box set. Just figured I'd put it out there. I'm shameless!
Focus: How Your Energy Can Change The World by Nancy Burson -- It had nice packaging and it is 119 pages in a big font.
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer -- I've never read this book and since Liev Schrieber is making the flick, I became curious. I have bad experiences with movies from books so I'm not quite sure why I'm doing this but ...
Improvisation for the Theater by Viola Spolin -- I am beginning rehearsals for my short, Divine, and realized that I hadn't read a good technique book in years, literally. I need to bone up.

I wanted to get a bunch of other books that were out. Sigh.

My roomate has a thing about reading books that she has no idea where they have been. I can't say that I disagree but I'm running out of room for all of my books! I need to practice some self control.

Food Poisoning Sucks

Food Poisoning Sucks!! In case you didn't know. I'm here to tell you. I had a beef empenada and haven't been the same since. That was two days ago.

Friends have a theory that ever since I have started going to my nutritionist and begun my Six Month Wellness Plan, I have been so healthy that when I go back to eating some of the crap I used to eat, my system rejects it.

I hadn't thought I was eating that healthily but realized that I hadn't eaten meat in two weeks and was really just eating a lot of vegetables, beans and some complex carbohydrates. I think that my system has become somewhat delicate which is a bit hard for me to believe since I usually used to be able to eat anything.

I have been reading and constantly referring to two books that you should check out:

1. The Energy Balance Diet - The recipes are good, especially if you are a non cooker like me. What I like about this book is that it helps you figure out how various foods make you feel which is why I started this journey to begin with. Losing weight is something I would like to work a bit on in the future but my main goal now is just eating better, having more energy and just being more healthy overall. That was hard for me to come to because I have always in the past just gone on some crazy diet, lost a lot of weight, and then couldn't maintain it. This is a slower process because it really is a lifestyle change.

2. The Self Healing Cookbook - As any one who knows me well can attest to, I am not touchy feely. This book was a tough sell at first but it really functions as a cooking healthly for dummies type book. If you are into meditation exercises and what not, the book has that kind of stuff too.

I am not completely rigid about this. I really do see it as a journey and know myself well enough to know that when I place limits on myself like, no sugar or no dairy, I eventually rebel and just stop doing the whole thing!

Who's Your Daddy?

Adriana's post is so hysterical that I had to call attention to it.

Where did the term, "Who's Your Daddy?" come from? She poses this question. My favorite section is when she mentions David's definition:

"I don't know [the literal meaning], but it implies someone is 'the boss' or just 'owns you.' I think there may be a sexual dominance angle as well."

I think there may be a sexual dominance angle. That's funny.

Sideways at The New York Film Festival

I could write a review or I could just link to Neil's who said pretty much what I would. I'll just link to Neil's.

I'll add one thing though: My strange crush on Thomas Hayden Church remains. He gives a good performance but overall I think I need to take a break on films. I think I hit my limit.

Chris Rock is Hosting The Academy Awards

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't read it for myself. If Jamie Foxx doesn't get an Academy Award nomination this year for Ray, I'll eat my hat. (Where did that saying come from anyway?)

A Good Chuckle

The title of an article in The New York Times this morning was: Study Says White Families' Wealth Advantage Has Grown

Um ... yeah.

What they really want to get at is this:

The enormous wealth gap between white families and black and Hispanic families grew larger after the most recent recession, a private analysis of government data has found.

White households had a median net worth of greater than $88,000 in 2002, 11 times that of Hispanic households and more than 14 times that of black households, the Pew Hispanic Center said in the study, being released Monday.

Blacks were slowest to emerge from the economic downturn that started in 2000 and ended early in 2001, the report found.

Polemic

Maybe you all know what it means but I didn't. Thanks to The Free Dictionary.

Po`lem´ic

Noun
1.
polemic - a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
polemicist, polemist
author, writer - writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

2.
polemic - a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma)
contestation, controversy, disceptation, arguing, argument, contention, disputation, tilt - a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement; "they were involved in a violent argument"

Adj.
1.
polemic - of or involving dispute or controversy
polemical
controversial - marked by or capable of arousing controversy; "the issue of the death penalty is highly controversial"; "Rushdie's controversial book"; "a controversial decision on affirmative action"