I'm So Tired

Hello "peeps". (I have always hated that term, heads up, never use it in my presence.) You're really quite lucky to get this blog. (Or unlucky if you hate reading the bile I type up each week without fail, and wish for once I typed something so filled with cheer and goodwill that Santa exploded and Christmas was put to one side, and my blog was celebrated instead.) I'll tell you why. Today, I had a full packed day, lessons, in-class support and then a two hour drama rehearsal after school. I'm so knackered, I just want to sleep. (The blog title says it all, a song by The Beatles). But no, I have to go to work in about an hour...that's right, I'm working tonight, 8:00pm until 4:30am. So next time you even think about complaining on facebook, "(Your stupid name here) has to go to work :/ No fun!" Try being me bitches. Right, now that's out the way. 


The main area this blog entry will be looking at is celebrity culture, and in particular, celebrity deaths. "Bu-bu-this is really unoriginal!" I hear you cry. Well guess what, I'm tired and in a stressed out mood, so fuck you. (I'm so so sorry...please don't go.) Firstly, I am a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to celebrity deaths. When Jade Goody died, I wasn't phased. Even when Michael Jackson died, I was just like "meh." I never understood why people got so upset? Yes, Jade Goody had cancer. It was a horrible thing for her to have to go through. But last time I checked, she hadn't really done a whole lot of good and secondly, people didn't know her? People didn't know Michael Jackson that well, yet it seemed a real tragedy to them... 


That's my first complaint. Why do we have so much focus on celebrity lives? Let's face it, almost anyone's a celebrity now. You basically just have to show your bum on the news and your practically a national fucking hero. Heat and Ok! printing out reams of interview questions. "What made you do it?" "Why is your bum so attractive to women?" "What is the man like, behind the bum?" (or in front of it.) We care so much about other people's lives...it leads to so many social problems, stupidity, being judgemental, unnecessary devotion. I don't really have time to go into all the issues it brings...but there's lots, trust me. 


To me, a celebrity is somebody who's contributed a real amount to society. This is when my hypocrisy kicks in. Paul Newman sadly died in 2008. Not only was he a real treasure to the acting world, he was an unbelievably good man. He gave so much money to charity. He created his own brand name and corporation 'Newman's Own', all profits of which went to charity. *Wikipedia check* It's made two hundred and eighty million since August 2009...that's bloody mental. He also was known for being truly fond and committed to his family. He had celebrated (or was coming close to) his 50th wedding anniversary to his wife Joanne Woodward. Not many people can say they will do this in their lifetime. (My Grandparents have, which gives me some hope.)  He was once asked about his wife and his devotion. He stated "Why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home?" I was truly moved when he died...but that last quote brings me nicely around to another issue.


This section is the most unoriginal as it has been raved about by everyone, to the man in the pub, to Adrian Chiles on The One Show.  I am talking about the John Terry affair, and shortly before, Tiger Wood's infedelity. Now, I ask you this. Why does it matter so much? They've both done what most people have at least thought about. Love is hard. Being committed all the time is damn hard. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm being realistic. I'm not condoning it, just saying that perhaps we should give them a break. Before you explode with frustration at my naivety, I am aware as to why it's important to punish Terry. His dickish move (get it?) greatly affected things for the status quo of the England team. But at the core, I personally don't think his or Tiger's personal life should have any affect on your or my opinion of them. 


In the fifties, Elia Kazan (director of On the Waterfront, which you should all watch) blacklisted a number of people during the McCarthy era as Communists. He then recieved, later on obviously, the Lifetime Achievement award for contribution. This was seen as controversial because of his own previous actions. I don't think it mattered that he blacklisted people. I don't think it was a good thing to do, but it didn't affect the quality of his films, just as Tiger is one of the best golfers, no matter who he screws and Terry is still a mediocre defender ;) Now, I defend Woods, because, like Newman, I truly respect him as a person. This  is why I'm such a bloody bastard. I will complain until I'm blue in the face if somebody mentions how sad it was that (generic name) was voted off Big Brother. Yet when somebody like Newman dies, or they get a bad rep in the press, I'll defend them whole heartedly. Maybe I'm a bad person, but then maybe I've just got my priorities sorted. I simply wish for a time when people didn't care so much. If we didn't care so much about other people's lives, we certainly wouldn't have people being dubbed 'celebrity' at the drop of a hat. 


At the end of this all...we haven't changed anything (as usual), and I'm far too tired to go into depth. So I'll leave you with this. A charming video of Lionel Jeffries singing in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He died very recently, (last Friday I believe), and once again, I was truly upset...despite not knowing the old codger. But at least he'd really done something great. 


Lionel Jeffries


I also leave you with the recommendation to read "My French Whore" by Gene Wilder. (It's that guy who played Willy Wonka ok?) Another man who I won't want to see leave us. I Hope you enjoy your weekend, and you'd better not hope I'm not dead tomorrow morning with fatigue (it'll be your fault, making me follow this blog schedule.)
Now go away.