when i was a little kid, i didn’t care for movies. my parents always admonished me for sitting too close to the screen or fidgeting too much, so i turned to books instead. when i was four, i tried to watch the first harry potter movie. i absolutely loved it, but it wasn’t enough for me. i had to get my hands on that book. the teachers at pre-school said it was a horrible idea, but i read the first two books anyway.
then came kindergarten. the teachers scolded my parents for letting me bring novels to school. “she can’t possibly understand them,” they said. so they gave me tests on the books. i made perfect scores on all of them. i preferred books to movies and television; movies didn’t do justice to the stories i loved.
so, they marked me down as a “gifted child.” they tested my IQ and everything. i was the perfect student, in their eyes. i sat in the front and listened to the teachers as intently as i could.
one day after school, i ran up to my mother and hugged her. then, i turned my head and saw my mother walking towards me. i looked up at the woman i had hugged. “you’re not my mother,” i said, astutely.
my mother, a clever woman, thought to have my eyesight tested. turns out, i had horrible vision. somewhere around 20/450. functionally blind without glasses. not ideal for anyone, especially a six year old.
all my life until that point, people thought i must be some sort of brilliant prodigy, eschewing television and movies for more intellectual pursuits, but actually i just couldn’t fucking see lol
This took a different direction than I was expecting.
I can recall the optometrist, when I was six or seven, saying “well no wonder she reads all the time, it’s about the only thing she can see.”
Trump indicating that Europe is a white continent being ruined by Black and brown immigrants isn’t a “dog whistle,” it’s just a fucking whistle. “Losing your culture,” is pretty fucking explicit in it’s meaning.
Day 1: Dr Einstein (Peter Lorre) – Arsenic and Old Lace [1944]
Here’s the thing: I could probably do this whole advent calendar just with Peter Lorre. But I’m going to restrain myself, for once, and of all Peter’s supporting roles this is my absolute fave (Joel Cairo, to me, will always be an equal-lead role).
So, an alcoholic, fraudulent doctor, a psychopath’s sidekick, a pathetic spineless fellow who is alternatively squeamish and amused: how could he be adorable? This is just part of the genius of Peter Lorre. The streak of pathos that runs through all his best performances makes Einstein likeable – he may be a weasel but he’s somehow an honorable weasel. He does, after all, try to warn Mortimer, and he draws the line at harming Teddy. (Who wouldn’t? Teddy is my other fave not-lead).
Peter Lorre is a fabulous physical actor – not in a falling-over-the-furniture way, but in an aware-of-his-own-body way: we all know the mobility of his face, the roll of his eyes, but he uses every inch of himself to portray his character, something Capra loved about his work in this film. His puckish quality comes through strongly here, in comedic counterpoint to the glowering, looming Jonathan. And because this is a black comedy, well it’s alright to find him adorable, just as the aunts and Teddy are adorable. And it’s alright to cheer when he slips out of the door. But here’s the other thing: if it wasn’t Peter Lorre doing it, Einstein wouldn’t be half as marvellous.
If you’re ever in an Irish speaking part of Ireland (Gaeltacht), and you see a mother with her child, tell her, “Ith an páiste.” It’s a beautiful way of saying, “Your motherhood glows with radiance and grace.” There is no English equivalent for this so give it a go!
last time i trusted an irish guy i walked home at 4am with my bra in my handbag so lets see
south park set american culture back by like ten years by teaching a generation of white boys that offending oppressive white christians and offending oppressed minorities is the same exact thing & being asked to examine your behavior is the most outrageous imposition possible
Mooncustafer 