Still high off La La Land, I requested this from the library, just to get more of the Stone/Gosling vibe, which was still delightful. This second viewing highlighted the excellent acting by Jonah Bobo, who manages to channel love-struck teen without overdoing it. I still love how the pieces of this movie come together into something hilariously magical; the ending fumbles into predictability, but I just pretend it doesn’t exist.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
http://www.impawards.com/2011/crazy_stupid_love_ver2.html
I really dislike the original poster, so we’re going with Stone/Gosling
There was a moment of fear that the church in the next block was being deconstructed. It turned out they were just replacing the siding. Phew.But look what was under the siding! I love it so much! I also love the diagonal boards which would now all be plywood. Ah, when lumber was king, and there were so many trees we would never cut them all down.
They left the sign there when they put on the new siding. Someone else down the line will get to discover this relic from the past.
My friend: Hey! We should sing the rape-y song!
Me: Oh yeah! That would be fun.
I didn’t have to clarify which rape-y Christmas song she meant. She was talking about “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which remains one of my favorite Christmas songs–though it’s not really a Christmas song, it’s about temperature*–despite some lines that are beyond questionable.
I’ve only noticed the discomfort with this song in the past few years, and I take the discomfort as a sign of progress in the slow trudge towards the dis-objectification of women. Though rape has been talked about openly at least since the early 90s, it’s only in the past few years the conversation has shifted from “steps women can take to avoid being raped” to the more proactive “dudes should probably stop raping, and also doing all the stuff that supports other dudes raping.”
One of the reasons I think the questionable lines flew under the radar for so long is that this song is fun to listen to. The woman has the main stage, while the guy burbles along under her sustained phrases. It’s playful, peppy and builds to that great “Baby it’s cooooooolllllllddddd ooooouuuuuttttt sssssiiiiiddddeeeee!” crescendo of an ending. If we, as individuals, are going to be transported into musical picture land and burst into song with someone we find cute and fun, this would be a great duet to burst into.
The other reason it flew under the radar is that unless you take time to listen to the burbling the man is doing, it’s hard to hear what he’s saying. There’s a clear indication that he wants her to stay, but it wasn’t until I was working out signing this as a duet with my friend that I noticed the increasing sketchiness of the gentleman’s entreaties which culminate in “get over that hold out”** which is a phrase that most women hear some form of as they move through life. It’s a phrase never well received, designed to frame a woman’s refusal to do anything as something silly, and so inconveniencing to the clearer-headed, far more intelligent man.
But the dude’s lyrics are quite sketchy. He goes from what could be construed as a concerned stance, “baby it’s cold outside” to all sorts of lines “your eyes are starlight now,” “mind if I move in closer,” “gosh your lips look delicious,” and including one of my favorite male-pressure phrases: “what’s the sense in hurting my pride?”
It doesn’t help that the emergence of GHB, which is used to roofie and rape women, means that women have added “always keep an eye on your drink, and always pour your own drinks” to their ever growing arsenal of tools to avoid rape. Which makes the woman’s question of “what’s in this drink” more worrisome.
In my opinion, to fit into our current culture of consent, the song would be much shorter:
“I really can’t stay”
“But baby, it’s cold outside”
“I’ve got to go ‘way”
“Okay. Can I drive you home?”
~fin~
I’m fine with charting how society has changed through acceptance of song lyrics. I’m even fine with continuing to sing those songs, while also including a footnote as to why the lyrics don’t work today. I’m also fine with people rewriting songs to make them work better for current audiences. Irving Berlin lived long enough to revise some of his more racist lyrics.
Here is an original version with both the man and then the woman saying it’s cold outside:
And here’s an updated version which I enjoy because it keeps the woman’s endless calculations as to whether to stay or go–which are so familiar, even today–while also updating the guy’s role to be more supportive. I do miss the big ending though.
*Though played exclusively during the “holiday season” both this song and “Let it Snow” could be played though February in my town, or longer in some regions of the country.
**Google Play Music transcribes this line as “get over that old out” and I can’t figure out if it’s a bad transcription, or someone’s attempt to redeem the line.
Nerdfighteria is a strange place, where random things pop up. One of them is Pizza John, the origins of which you can learn for yourself by watching this video.
Anyway, Pizza John eventually lead to Pizzamas, which is best described as a 2-week special promotion at dftba records, which is where you can buy all sorts of Nerdfighteria merch.
This year, I was swayed by the Pizzamas package, which came in its own Pizzamas pizza box. I had birthday money and so I spent it.
Aside from the awesome box, I received an apron, t-shirt, pizza cutter and sticky note pad, all with the Pizza John image.
I was very tired and unfortunately drifted in and out through the first half of this movie.* However, by mid-movie I was fully awake and all in. Action was well balanced with drama, and though I figured out what was going to happen before it happened, I enjoyed the journey there.
Cost: $5.10
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12, with Matt.
*Was the movie not good enough to keep me awake? Or was I just that tired?
Quietly heartbreaking in the best Kelly Reichardt way. I liked how the cold of winter in Montana seeped into the theater and how it was the small moments that killed. I’d love to see more of Lily Gladstone too.
Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Laurelhusrt theater. (This is movie number three! A triple feature, all seen in the theater.)
I tried to see this in the first-run theaters, but had to settle for second-run. Which means a lot of you didn’t see this movie, which is too bad, because this nails adolescent girl angst.* Prickly, sad, funny, tragic, this movie has it all and I loved it.
Cost: $3.00
Where watched: Laurelhurst Theater
*It also is quite good with awkward conversations between people who might like each other.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/edge_of_seventeen.html
One of the poster commenters wondered how he could get the Lego Big Labowski hoodie Steinfeld is wearing.
There a few not-perfect things* but overall, this movie wormed its way into me and hasn’t left. As the flashbacks and present day alternate, understanding unfolds. The story is tragic, everyone agrees, but can a person come back after tragedy?**
Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theater with S. North
*At one or two points the music swells too much and pushes things into melodrama; there are things that don’t make sense plot-wise; there is a weird driving scene that begins with snow-on-the-ground-like-February then suddenly we’re in rain-falling-like-April then snow-in-the-countryside-like-February.
**Also, huge props to Lucas Hedges. At this point we all know Affleck, Williams and Chandler will knock things out of the park. Hedges is the linchpin in this ensemble and this movie would have failed without his nuanced performance.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/manchester_by_the_sea.html
Jeez-o-Pete do I hate this poster. Looking at it, it seems like it’s about Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck, but don’t go to this film looking for them to be sharing a lot of screen time.
Our Holiday Party coincided with the first big (actual) snow. We started the party at 4pm (the early start time seems to be a regular thing with my company) and played poker and blackjack until 7pm as the snow came down.
One of our contests was to write a word that describes 2016. Then, we voted on our favorite.
“Surreal” was the winner. (It doesn’t look like it, because I took these photos two days after the party. The star stickers weren’t very sticky and had fallen off.) “Emotional” and “Teamwork” were runners up.
