I’m Not Buying the “Ridiculous Six” Satire Argument for One Minute

or,
Maybe Get the Ethnic Group Right Before You Claim You Are Satirizing Ethnic Stereotypes

Bliss
April 27, 2015

First of all, the jokes were just gross and racist as hell. Kudos to the Native American actors who walked off the Ridiculous 6 set. I’m totally with them on that one.

And, okay, I’m a little “how dare you?” that The Ridiculous 6 is supposed to be a satire of the classic Western The Magnificent Seven. One of my favorite Westerns ever. One that I watched because my mother watched it because my dad watched it when he and my mother were together. The movie that has in its lineup, among others, Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, and—to reference Sex and the City—the old movie star I’d have liked to fuck when he was young, Steve McQueen. The movie containing lines that I still quote at my mom and then crack up, such as “Please don’t understand me so fast” and “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Steve McQueen as Vin in “The Magnificent Seven”

No spoofing of this film allowed!

Seriously, though, the other thing that is not working for me is the claim that The Ridiculous 6 is supposedly “satirizing” The Magnificent Seven and the “stereotypes” Western films popularized. If you’re claiming to be doing a satire on ethnic stereotypes, though, maybe you should actually pay attention to what ethnic group is portrayed in the movie you are supposedly spoofing. Enough attention to know that The Magnificent Seven isn’t about Native Americans. It’s about hired guns protecting a farming village in Mexico.

Mexicans, not Native Americans.

Wrong ethnic group, dudes.

Movie Night: “Rear Window”

Bliss
March 26, 2015

My love of Rear Window began with my mom telling me about it as one of the movies she loved in her day. By the time I finally got to see it on television, it felt like I was watching it for the second time instead of the first. I never tired of re-watching it every time it aired, even on a small TV screen with numerous commercial interruptions. Thanks to the March 25 TCM Presents Rear Window event, I got to see it on the big screen, and it was magic.

No “Rear Window’ movie poster, so had to make do with the “TCM Presents” marquee.

Foreshadowing is one of my favorite storytelling devices. In Rear Window this moment is couched in humor. When the insurance company nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), walks into Jeff’s (Jimmy Stewart) apartment, she says “I smell trouble.” She then proceeds to tell him how she also predicted the stock market crash because the director of General Motors had a kidney ailment. It just makes the omen of things to come that much more fun.

The Unlikely Alliance of a wheelchair bound photographer, a high society fashion model, and a down-to-earth, middle aged nurse is one of the things that makes this movie so freaking cool. That and the fact that the older nurse is happily married, and dispenses refreshing and amusing wisdom to Jeff on romance and relationships.

Which leads nicely into the Humor and Wit. Some of my favorite bits:

“I’d say she’s doing a woman’s hardest job: juggling wolves.”

“Did they have signs on their luggage saying ‘Grand Central or Bust’?”

“I can hear you now. ‘Get away from me, you perfectly wonderful woman. You’re too good for me.'”

“You know if someone came in here, they wouldn’t believe what they’d see? You and me with long faces plunged into despair because we find out a man didn’t kill his wife.”

Grace Kelly’s Ensembles – Okay, I have to mention these visually stunning outfits that the even more stunning Grace Kelly wears throughout this movie. I personally want the light green suit ensemble pictured below and the snazzy casual loafers she wears while she’s lounging and reading a Harper’s Bazaar. I love the fact that one of her dresses was so classy and feminine while giving her the freedom of movement to do the legwork that the injured Jeff wasn’t able to.

Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly in “Rear Window”

The slow, real-world like Buildup of Suspense keeps you captivated and then it catches you by surprise. It progresses from Jeff being bored and watching the neighbors for fun to hearing something in the night and not knowing what it is to convincing his skeptical girlfriend and nurse that something is wrong at the apartment across the way. Then suddenly my friend Martha on my one side is saying “Hurry. Run! Run!” to the screen and Dia on my other side is clutching my leg and even though I’ve seen this all a dozen times I am squirming in my seat.

I have a top five list of favorite movies, but after seeing Rear Window AGAIN, and on the big screen at that, I’m going to have to add it to the list and make it my top six.

New Range

Bliss
March 23, 2015

This week, I got my new stove!

And with this, I am slowly but surely eliminating the items in my home being held together by duct tape.

Snow in the Desert

Bliss
March 2, 2015

It snowed in New Mexico Friday night.

For us desert rats, it’s a big deal.

Here is my patio table with a seven and a half inch layer of snow.

I had almost gotten rid of my snow boots during my last garage purge.

I’m glad I didn’t. They made tromping around the back yard so much fun!

Poor Bird is wondering

“Where’s Pig?”

By late morning, the New Mexico sky had returned.

By the following afternoon, Pig had returned, too.

This is how the cat feels a snow day should be spent. Or any day, for that matter.

File Under It’s More Than the Shoes

Bliss
February 22, 2015

The vote was unanimous. The black strappy heels win!

The weird thing is, this picture of me reminds me of the one of my mother below.

File this under “freaky Friday (except it was Saturday) like mother like daughter flashback”.

What to Wear: Which Shoes with the Fringe Dress?

Bliss
February 20, 2015

I’m going to a birthday celebration at a jazz club on Saturday night, and I’m wearing my fun fringe dress I got on sale at White House Black Market. The question is, what shoes to wear with?

Option 1: Black Patent Leather Pumps

Option 2: Pewter Pumps

Option 3: Black Strappy Heels

What say you?

File This Under Go

Bliss
February 15, 2015

Thanks to everyone’s positive feedback, I wore this gold top purple skirt outfit and am totally in love with it.

Filing this one under “go.”