How?!?: Friday, July 10, 2009

This post called "How?!?" is going to be my weekly discussion of things that baffle my mind or that I don't understand.

This week's topics:
-PC vs. Mac
-Actors
-NYC Prep

PC vs. Mac
The fact that there is even a discussion of PC vs. Mac is ridiculous. How can two things that are nothing alike be compared or even put in direct competition with each other? That's like me asking you Peyton Manning vs. Sarah Palin. There is no way that you could even compare the two. Why? Because, Mac's are on completely different level than PC's. Mac's win Superbowl's and PC's lose everything (Governorship of Alaska, VP of United States, Russia-seeking contest, etc.). This is why those PC commercials, in which people are given $1000 to buy a laptop, are so weak. The only thing about a PC that is superior is the price. And when you think about it, isn't value more important than price? I've had 3 Macs in the past 10 years and all three are still alive and kicking. Two I currently still use and the third I passed on to my sister. Meanwhile, my mother has had 4 PC's, each of which breaks down after 2 years and are virus-laden constantly. So I ask: How is there even a competition when one is clearly better?

Actors
Today I got to sit in on some auditions for a part in a film. I was shocked by the ease at which the actors came in, did their lines that they had just gotten the script for, then improvised a part of the scene. For me this would be not only extremely intimidating, but also very difficult. I was involved in the Drama scene in high school and have always attended as many plays as possible but had never sat in on an audition quite like this one. The summer after I graduated high school I participated in a program in which we made a film in 1 week. We did pre-production, auditioned the cast, shot for two days and did post all in one week. It was a great experience but I don't remember being quite as intimidated by the audition process as I am now. Actors are constantly going from audition to audition, changing moods at a moments notice, memorizing lines, being vulnerable in front of thousands of people, facing rejection and constant criticism. It amazes me. So I ask: How can actors do all that they do?

NYC Prep
The other day I stumbled upon a show on MTV called "NYC Prep." It's a "reality" show that chronicles the life of young, spoiled, New York City high schoolers who are obsessed with money, labels and getting in to a good college. I normally shy away from rich, spoiled kids but something drew me to this show. Perhaps it reminded of my own high school experience in an affluent Atlanta suburb where money was no issue and high academic and athletic achievement were the ultimate goals. As i watched this girl fret about her SAT scores I realized that while I at one point was that girl, I am her no longer. I love my college even though it's not Ivy League. I love it because of the people that I would never have met had I gone to the college in Boston that I had dreamed of attending. I lived in a bubble during high school, but I refuse to live in it now. I don't want to constantly be surrounded by people like me. How boring is that? What a horrible legacy to leave when I die: "Here lies Heather. She was pretty wealthy, went to an Ivy League university and threw awesome parties. Too bad she did nothing of significance with her life." Blah. So I ask: How can the kids on this show live in a bubble? And how can we show kids that bubbles suck?

Hakuna matata.

-H