Cultural Blind Spots

Scott Hardie | July 13, 2007
Time to 'fess up. What great or popular works of culture – movie, book, album, TV show, any others you want to name – have you never experienced? I don't mean seeing a few minutes of it on the television once; I mean no contact at all. We're all ignorant of something.

For me:

The Seven Samurai. I've seen all kinds of parodies, including that "Magnificent Ferengi" episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where having the bobble-headed Ferengi bump into each other while running down a corridor was the comedic high point. But I've never seen The Magnificent Seven or its Japanese inspiration, and there's no excuse for missing that milestone in masculinity.

War & Peace. With most of the greats, I've at least read a few chapters or could tell you a synopsis; I can thank my college major for that. But this epic remains unfamiliar to me, except that it's supposedly as long as the Moscow phone book. I think I can die peacefully someday knowing I never tried to read it.

The White Album. I never managed to get into the Beatles (sorry Lori), but like any other non-fan, I've been exposed to their hits everywhere. Somehow, I don't recognize a single song on this renowned album, and I wouldn't dare claim to understand rock history while this is still a glaring omission. I know it's important, I assume it's good, and until someday, that's enough.

Lost. While the downside of watching defunct TV shows on DVD is that you're perpetually several years behind the rest of the country in pop culture literacy (hence my discussions of My So-Called Life and The X Files within the last three years), there are huge upsides: I don't have to worry about catching the broadcast, I don't have to put up with commercials or station bugs, I get all the bonus features on DVD, and my personal favorite, I'm immune to spoilers. If I were watching the show right now, I'd be apprehensive about every news story that so-and-so is being killed off or some major story element is being revealed, fearful of spoiling it for myself. But the show will remain foreign to me until I rent the complete series, and that's the only way to see it. I only regret not getting to participate in all the forum discussions out there.

Steve West | July 13, 2007
Speaking of Russian literature.
The Brothers Karamazov. Book or film. Although I did see the Flying Karamazov Brothers doing their juggling parody stage show The Flying Karamazov Brothers Do The Brothers Karamazov. They're funny - Dostoevsky, not so funny.

Survivor. Haven't seen an episode. Don't know what I'm missing - don't want to know.

Harry Potter and the Quest for Puberty. Don't get it - don't want to get it.

American Idol. Is this show any different than Star Search (I mean minus the patently untalented Ed McMahon and equally untalented performers - I mean earthbound meteor speed talentlessness)? Once bitten, twice shy. Don't get me started on Gong Show comparisons.

Steve Dunn | July 13, 2007
Seven Samurai is boring. Even more boring than Citizen Kane. I can appreciate it as an "achievement in film" from long ago, but I'm alive now, and it's boring.

The White Album could have been one of the greatest albums of all time if the Beatles as exercised a little discipline and cut it down to one album instead of a double. Revolution 9 is interesting as an experiment in sound, but it has no place on the record. Some of the other songs are throwaways, but the great ones are truly great.

Me?

Moby Dick, I guess. War and Peace. Da Vinci Code. (Isn't it great to mention those three in the same breath?) Can't think of many more - I'm rarely an early adopter of culture, but I almost always come behind to see what all the fuss is about.

Aaron Shurtleff | July 13, 2007
This is a tough question! I mean, absolutely no contact? I don't know that I can achieve that kind of ignorance of anything. You always manage to pick up a little bit of almost everything from the media...but let's see...

Any movie based in part or whole on an actual tragedy. I get an ookie feeling from these kinds of things, like someone is making a buck of the misery of others, so I can't enjoy myself. This means I've never enjoyed one of Scott's personal favorites, Titanic, but it also means I haven't seen Pearl Harbor. And I know it's not the best reason to avoid these movies, and I am sure that they are not intended to be exploitative of others tragedy, but I can't shake that feeling. Why force myself to watch a movie that I know I'll feel weird watching??

Television shows are almost impossible to have no contact with for me. I've seen a half episode of Lost, part of a 24 episode, and maybe 8 minutes of the end of a Sopranos episode. I would say I've had about no contact with any of these, but none of them meet the no contact rule. I would like to see some of all of these series, but at this point, it hasn't happened.

Michael Paul Cote | July 13, 2007
Never been to a Stones or Who concert. Never seen "The Nutcracker" performed live. Never read War & Peace.

Lori Lancaster | July 13, 2007
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Jackie Mason | July 13, 2007
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Jerry Mathis | July 13, 2007
Pretty much any musical. Don't get 'em, never will. Well, maybe the day I carry on a conversation with someone by singing to them, then I'll understand.

Lori Lancaster | July 13, 2007
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Steve Dunn | July 13, 2007
Jackie, I'm with you on the Office, except I'm a little ahead of you. I watched and enjoyed the British version on DVD, so I only watched the first episode of the American version before bailing on it - because they were using the exact same scripts and it seemed "wrong" to me. Once it became a sensation, I caught back up on DVD and now love it.

As for Lost, I totally would have missed it except by sheer coincidence my wife and I happened to have the TV tuned to the right channel when the pilot episode aired. We looked at each other and said, "Hey, it's that weird show from the commercials. Let's check it out." Ten minutes later we were hooked and that was that.

Interesting Lost/Office tidbit - a bunch of people on my web site are huge Lost fans and are actually quite militant about it. They're the types that will get into an actual argument with you, and actually feel strongly about it, if you suggest that Lost is anything less that utter television perfection. Fans like that are, to me, the most annoying people on the planet, so I can't resist yanking their chain from time to time about what I consider to be Lost's obvious weaknesses. I made the point - and I really think this is true - that the romantic tension between Jim and Pam on the Office is far stronger than anything involving Kate and Jack or Sawyer, and to me this illustrates the difference between a character-based show and a plot-based show.

The Office is the only show on TV that regularly makes me cover my eyes because I literally can't bear to watch what Michael is about to do. Most recently, when he proposed marriage to a girl he'd just started dating.

Jackie Mason | July 14, 2007
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Tony Peters | July 14, 2007
LOST never seen it and in truth it just doesn't interest me. SURVIVOR and all the other "reality drama" TV shows....I just can't to it.
There are very few of the "Classics" that I haven't read, I tend to devour books regardless of the content and usually have 2-3 books going at one time (not including Manga)...

I liked Samurai 7, saw it in Japanese and then tracked it down in English same with Howl's moving castle...

COUNTRY MUSIC....I've tried but I'd rather listen to anything including fingernails on a chalkboard

Amy Austin | July 14, 2007
Pretty much any musical. Don't get 'em, never will. Well, maybe the day I carry on a conversation with someone by singing to them, then I'll understand.

Heeheehee... Not that I myself don't enjoy musicals -- I do -- and although I have felt quite the same way about their realism (or lack thereof!), I also realize that it's just something that you have to put aside in order to enjoy the show! Jerry, my suggestion for breaking into an appreciation of the musical format is to watch "Flight of the Conchords" on HBO, a musical-comedy duo from New Zealand. I had seen their stand-up on HBO long ago and found them to be hilarious, and I am just thrilled that HBO has given them a regular half-hour show with which to make me smile, chuckle and laugh out loud (a tall order these days!) -- the added dimension of a timeline/plot is exactly what their comedic songwriting needed to bring them to the next level and to a larger "fan base"... give it a watch and see if you don't enjoy at least this musical!!! Yeah.

Lori Lancaster | July 14, 2007
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Tony Peters | July 14, 2007
Lori, nope not yet but its on my list I fell for Miyazaki while in japan and saw many of hit movies either in total japanese or at best subtitled...my collection is growing but at a slow rate.

Kris Weberg | July 16, 2007
Opera. I can appreciate arias and classical music from operas, sure, but not operas as a whole. Actually, there's a question: anyone here ever seen an opera all the way through? (I don't mean musicals, nor do I count rock, soap, horse, space, or pistol operas :) )

Now, personally, I love Seven Samurai, particularly the wonderfully laconic character who's meant to be the greatest swordsman in all Japan. There's a delightful bit in which all of the characters are planning at length how to deal with the bandits' three fuse-lit rifles. The swordsman simply walks off into the night in the midst of the discussion. The next morning, he returns to camp and drops two of the rifles at the leader's feet without a word. It's rather slowly paced, yes, and there are some segments that meander, but I find that lots of wonderful little bits are going on in nearly ever scene. High art, it may not be, but it's the grandaddy of every action film in the "team of specialists" subgenre.

Now, if you want an action classic that hasn't aged well at all...Bullit surely counts. Aside from the landmark car chase sequence, it's a submediocre cop movie which manages to combine a contrived plot with a lugubrious pace to ill effect.

Aaron Shurtleff | July 16, 2007
I have seen two operas all the way through, "Twelfth Night" and "Madame Butterfly". They were OK, but not really my thing. I did enjoy my evenings, though!

One of my ex-es was in a college production of a musical once, and I think the experience might have spoiled musicals for me forever. :( It was not that the production was horrible, but there was... a lot of backstory, and this is not the time nor place. I'm not big on musicals either.

I actually enjoyed Seven Samurai, too, to be honest. My roommate in grad school was a HUGE fan of Toshiro Mifune, so I think he made me watch about every film he was in!

Steve Dunn | July 16, 2007
I took an opera class in Vienna, one of the requirements of which was to attend 12 operas. I've been to three or four in the USA. I played in the pit orchestra for a few when I was in college.

I cannot get into opera.

They all have moments, but those moments are interspersed among long stretches of boredom. I think part of the problem is that the greatest operas are in Italian or German, so language is a barrier to an English speaker.

But I've seen (and played in) operas in English, and they bored me, too.

Now, musicals, I gotta admit I'm a sucker for a good musical.

Amy Austin | July 16, 2007
Believe it or not, my one and only operatic experience came in the form of a middle-school (6th grade?) field trip -- it was so long ago that at first I struggled to remember what it was, but with the assistance of Google and the faint recollection of clowns and something that sounded vaguely like "Paganini", I quickly dusted off the memory when I came across the details of Pagliacci ("clowns"... Italian, obviously).

I remember enjoying the grown-up feeling of "going to the opera" and actually having interest in what was going on, but -- as Steve noted -- I do remember feeling that it was long, and my head (like many around me) probably did nod with boredom at times. I also concur that my interest would probably have remained piqued had it not been for my inability to understand Italian, and I wonder now if I would find it as boring in English (then *or* now). I guess it does prove, however, the staying power of the experience well enough that I was able to remember it from a few small details and to confirm it from the names of the characters.

Based on your sense of humor and your admission of a fondness for musicals, Steve, I highly recommend tuning in to "Flight of the Conchords" -- if you have HBO (and if I remember correctly, your love of Sopranos tells me that I think you do... or, at least, did).

Derek Kendzor | July 16, 2007
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Jerry Mathis | July 16, 2007
Amy,

I have HBO, so if I ever come across "Flight of the Conchords" I'll give it a shot. The odds of me liking
it are very small, but I will at least try.

Tony Peters | July 16, 2007
SUV's: I have a diesel Jeep Liberty, it gets mid 20's and has for it's lifetime, for us after living in Japan it feels HUGE but it still fits in a compact parking place, living in newengland 4WD is almost a requirement. the other two vehicles we have get better than 60mpg (motorcycles)

Myspace: there is a military version that just started that is helping me find peope i worked with over the last 18 years...but thats about a the limit for me

Cell phones: if my house phone wasn't part of my cable/internet package I wouldn't have one at all. My cell has all but replaced my need for a home phone...only my inlaws call my house phone.

Opera: Evita was good but that's the sum total of the my adult attended opera...I've seen a bunch of musicals but in truth I prefer music on it's own, I miss seeing/feeling Taiko now that I'm back in the west...listening to it on my IPOD just isn't the same.

Metrosexual...one could say that David Beckham was before tattoos...or you could just say he's a beautiful man. Metro men are really just gay men who prefer women.

reality TV: OK I drawn into Ice Road Truckers and I have to admit it's kinda interesting but then its on the history channel not one of the big 3

Amy Austin | July 17, 2007
Jerry,

You can "come across" it anytime... on HBO OnDemand. ;-)

Anna Gregoline | July 17, 2007
Movie: Citizen Kane

TV Show: Most old television shows that everyone knows. I've only seen one episode maybe each of I Love Lucy, Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island, Lassie, etc. Some popular culture references are lost on me, but I'm grateful that somehow I avoided year upon year of sitcom crap (of course, I have my share of modern ones).

Books: Probably too numerous to count. I resent that I had to read works OVER again instead of being forced to read something historic. Heart of Darkness I've read like 4 times but War and Peace? Don't know the first thing. Same for a lot.

Tony Peters | July 17, 2007
Heart of Darkness at least is still interesting to read 4-5 times, War and Peace was barely interesting the first time.

Jackie Mason | July 18, 2007
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Steve West | July 18, 2007
At the risk of completely missing the joke... You do know that Streetcar is not a musical?

Derek Kendzor | July 18, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 18, 2007
Not sure if that counts as "cultural", Derek, but I hear you loud & clear -- we are a consumer nation, to be sure. But what I am more interested in is this... how do you reconcile these feelings with doing your job at Walgreen's? I mean, don't get me wrong here... if I sit and think about it for too long, I get really upset over the waste created by my own job -- tons of plastic laminate and foamcore and paper and ink from jobs that are messed up and redone (okay, not "tons", but sometimes it seems like it) -- and over that of a couple of jobs I used to have... forget about it!!! (I'm pretty sure I may have mentioned it here before, but doubt that anyone remembers that I worked for a couple of companies specializing in the construction of all manner of things that you see at theme parks, museums, & zoos -- the "fake rock & tree business", we called it -- well... talk about waste! The amount of steel, wood, fiberglass, plastic & chemical trash generated by replicating what nature already had in the location for which we supplied it (the irony!) was not lost on me... and I found that particular aspect of my livelihood (for which I earned a whopping $7-8+(overtime)/hour extremely depressing. I guess everyone deals with something like this (which reminds me of John Cusack's character, Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything (this nevers fails to make me chuckle):

I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.

Derek Kendzor | July 18, 2007
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Lori Lancaster | July 18, 2007
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Jackie Mason | July 18, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 18, 2007
Heheheh... cool -- I'm glad I'm not alone on this -- rant on, Derek! ;-) Are you going to school to become a kickboxer??? ;-D

Lori, I believe you mean hypoactive thyroid -- this is where you find sluggishness and obesity... a hyperactive thyroid induces the opposite: high energy/metabolism and oftentimes bulging eyes. But you're right -- either way, there are many maladjusted thyroids out there, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of that is due in large part to poor nutrition (and sedentary lifestyles).

Jackie, if it makes you feel any better, Streetcar was a play on Broadway (Tennessee Williams, I believe) before it was a movie. And I haven't seen it either way, either. But I do know... "STELLA!!!"

Lori Lancaster | July 18, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 18, 2007
;-)

Tony Peters | July 18, 2007
Hey folks "Streetcar named Desire" was also an opera in 1995 soJackie is partially right it's a musical too (well Opera is musical)

Jackie Mason | July 19, 2007
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Steve Dunn | July 20, 2007
I've always thought What Not To Wear was real. The thing that amazes me are the people who refuse to go along with the hosts' suggestions (usually in regard to their hair). In my view, if you're going to be on a show about how horrible your style is, you might as well go along with their suggestions, even if it's not something you stick with in the long term. Their advice is ALWAYS better than whatever awful crap those people are wearing.

The other thing that amazes me is people who are legitimately hot, but think they're ugly and hide their bodies beneath flowing burlap sacks and drapery. We gotta inculcate a culture of curves up in this nation.

Amy Austin | July 20, 2007
Hear here! ;-) Now somebody tell me where I need to sign up to get my fat ass on the runway with Mo'Nique!!! ;-DDDDD

So true, Steve -- especially about the hair... women, in particular, get so freakin' precious about the hair (even if it's totally unflattering) -- it's JUST HAIR... IT WILL GROW BACK!!! (And even though I agree with Steve, I think that is a Fabulous idea to get a new $5000 wardrobe, Jackie -- I've had my moments of doubt, too!)

Lori Lancaster | July 20, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 20, 2007
Sure, I can understand that (about having curly hair -- even my mostly straight hair bounces up with more body & wave the shorter I go), but most of the women I see with serious scissor-phobia have massive amounts of thick, long & straight hair... or super-straight & extra-long hair (forgive this very un-PC description, but... "Mormon hair") -- nothing that would get goofy if you cut a few inches off (to their shoulders, for example!). And like I said, that can be grown back if it really feels like losing a limb. I agree with Steve -- for $5000, they should at least be willing to give it a try... they might even find that they like it!

They do push people's personalities back in the box somewhat, but in the end I think they usually manage to find a good compromise that reflects the victim's character in good taste -- the recipient usually fights for it from what I see. (Although, I get really irritated with Stacy's love of pushing the pointy-toed "kitten heel" to the women... I wouldn't be caught dead, and there are So Many alternatives to that out there!)

Steve Dunn | July 20, 2007
Sometimes the clothing the suggest is just extremely out of character with what the person would wear or what colors they like.

I think they focus a lot on the body type and skin/hair tone in choosing cuts and colors appropriate for each person. I don't get the "clone" vibe at all, except I admit they do base some of their advice on current fashion trends rather than shooting for timeless looks.

A lot of what they do is less about clothes than self-image. There's a makeover aspect to it, of course, but it's not just about looking good for one day. They seem to be on a mission to shake up people's destructive (and often false) notions that they're ugly or have one particularly problematic body part.

They seem to get a lot of women who have very long hair and/or take pride in never wearing makeup. The hair can often be a real sticking point, but virtually everyone seems pleasantly surprised at how good they look in makeup. People think they're opposed to makeup on principle (or they don't like it for whatever reason, so they adopt the principle) when often the problem is just that they don't know HOW to make it look natural and good.

I can't believe I am thinking and writing about What Not To Wear. Apparently I've seen the show more times than I thought...

Amy Austin | July 20, 2007
True that.

Jackie Mason | July 21, 2007
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Derek Kendzor | July 21, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 21, 2007
That's what happens when you shop for clothes in New York.

"Alli"??? I'm afraid to ask. But I am curious about the rest of your diet, and did you put it together yourself or with the help of a doctor/nutritionist? I know that cutting sodas and switching to water would be a huge leap, but it feels nigh impossible! And it isn't the caffeine I crave -- it's the sugar/carbonation. (That means diet sodas don't cut it for me, either.)

Lori Lancaster | July 21, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 21, 2007
Hm... interesting. Aside from being peddled by the big, evil Wal-Mart, though (heheh), did you know that carbonation is terrible for you, too? Especially women, because it contributes negatively to bone density/bone loss. So... one more reason you should cut out sodas and stick to water -- I just can't really reconcile it thoroughly. After all, if I'm going to say that the carbonation is okay, then I might as well just concede the sugar, too. And if I'm already consuming the sugar and the carbonation, well then caffeine (though most -- or at least half -- of the soda I drink doesn't have it) should be okay, too! It's that slippery slope and "all or none" thinking that makes it so tough. ;-)

On the other hand, if I just got off of my lazy ass (and this computer) once in a while...

Oh, No -- you had to take in your skirt, Lori?!?! (SOB!!!) If only I had such troubles to worry about! ;-) (I sew, too, and I do know that it sucks more often than not, but still... a good trade, I'd say!)

Scott Hardie | July 21, 2007
Wow, I am way behind on this discussion...Titanic: Aaron, I'm amused that you say you have had absolutely no exposure to this film, while in your photo on the site, you're standing in front of a poster from the movie, with Kate Winslet peeking around your head. :-) But I understand, and maybe I made the original rule too strict.Beatles: No White Album contact, plenty of other contact. The only frame of reference I have for "Revolution 9" is that barbershop quartet episode of The Simpsons where Barney began dating Yoko Ono and recorded "number eight - burp - number eight - burp - number eight - burp."LOTR: Jackie, I'm probably committing nerd heresy here (may a panel burn me in effigy in San Diego), but my advice if you finally decide to watch the three movies is to watch the original theatrical releases. I've seen each of them several times and I've tried to watch the mega-extended editions in the fancy slipcases and been bored silly. They are so long that they lose the narrative momentum that turned the original theatrical films into exciting adventure tales. (I gather that the same would be true if the Harry Potter films included every single scene from the books.)Flight of the Conchords: They were quite funny when I saw them perform on a late-night talk show, but don't know if their particular humor could sustain them in the mainstream. Like Jerry, I'll give the show a shot if I come across it, but not having cable, that won't be soon. :PMetrosexual: Don't get me started. Men can dress up and smell nice without emasculating themselves. I used to think that the natural evolution of that trend would lead to some men wearing makeup, so I'm glad to see it dying out. Good riddance.What Not to Wear: Can you guess my attitude towards this show based on the last paragraph? Denise put me through one episode and I felt so sorry for its victim. Look, I know I have a very stunted fashion sense, but I identify with it. When people belittle my choice of appearance and suggest other looks, I know they're trying to help, but I can't help but feel like they're insulting me personally. Watching the TV hosts pick apart the woman's wardrobe and transform her into a freakish alien version of herself was painful. How can someone have pride in themselves by trying to change into something they're not? I had this same argument with Anna and Kris and Melissa Erin years ago on Anna's site: Getting a makeover can be fun and give you a confidence boost, but it doesn't change who you are as a person. I wish more people showed more pride in who they are instead of giving in to superficial cultural pressures. (And yeah, I know I'm alone in this attitude.)A Streetcar Named Desire: Not to bring up The Simpsons twice in the same comment, but Jackie, you might think it's a musical because of their classic episode about it. The joke in that episode was that it was being presented as a boisterous musical even though it's a smoldering drama. The cartoon was originally going to do a straight-up version of the play in that episode, but the owner wouldn't grant them the rights, so the Fox lawyers told them to make it a musical instead – as long as they only quoted one or two famous lines ("Stella!" and "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers"), they could get away with it.Alli: This is a lower-dosage, over-the-counter version of Xenical, which makes your body unable to digest fat so that you excrete it instead of absorbing it, as if all food is those Olestra potato chips. My advice to you is to stay away from this drug in any dose. I didn't take it for long, but it so damaged my digestive system that it took me years to get back to normal. It's not remotely worth the damage it causes.

Lori Lancaster | July 21, 2007
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Scott Hardie | July 21, 2007
I look forward to seeing the photos in Galactic Domination when the next outfit is done. :-)

Lori Lancaster | July 21, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 21, 2007
Sure, Lori -- here's a pretty informative page on my drug of choice -- and I'll spare you from any disparaging details about "fitness water" or, worse, the plastic bottles it's contained in. ;-)

Heeheehee... I didn't know you were a Wiki-authority on Otaku, Lori -- I should have known... thanks for that chuckle! ;-D Always up for seeing photos of your creations if you're up for the sending. :-)

Lori Lancaster | July 22, 2007
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Jackie Mason | July 22, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 22, 2007
It is so much easier for men to lose weight...

I don't know how many men here would agree with you, Jackie, but it seems sooo true to me, too. Of course, maybe that's less true the older we get, or maybe men and women just have different tastes that are easier or harder to change. I don't know -- it just seems like every man I ever knew who wanted to drop a few pounds would say so, and it was done.

Aaron Shurtleff | July 23, 2007
Alli is sold at Target! Here's a snippet from the brochure (yes, I just happen to have one here...is that odd?) This deals with side effects:

"The main side effect occurs when you eat a meal with too much fat while taking alli. If so much fat is blocked that your stool can't absorb it, you might have side effects. Because they're related to how the product works, we call them 'treatment effects'."

You know the good part is coming!

"These include loose or more frequent stools that may be hard to control, or gas with an oily discharge. The excess fat that passes out of your body is not harmful. In fact, you may recognize it as something that looks like the oil on top of a pizza."

I've lost 5 pounds just from not being able to eat pizza since I read that. :( But seriously (for once), I don't think I could avoid fatty food enough to not end up needing to be on What Not To Wear to get the new wardrobe! (I did manage to link this back to the main theme...sort of!) ;)

Steve Dunn | July 23, 2007
How can someone have pride in themselves by trying to change into something they're not?

It's the very definition of self improvement.

Most of the poeple on What Not To Wear initially claim to be happy with their wardrobe, but it soon becomes obvious that they have body image hang-ups or are stuck in a rut. Their shopping spree is contrived and dramatic (come on, it's a TV show) but even so, most people view it as a positive experience in the end.

Jackie Mason | July 23, 2007
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Amy Austin | July 24, 2007
Doing the type of work that permits you to wear scrubs would suck, but yeah, I agree that getting to wear them would kick ass. ;-)

Scott Hardie | August 9, 2007
Lori: Occasional wiki-editing and convention-going here. I enjoy them but don't have time in my schedule to do them more often. If I were able to give myself over to some other web site, I'd spend a huge chunk of my free time editing Wikipedia.

Steve: Good answer. I realize that my opinion about makeovers in general is unique to me, possibly stemming from being forced to wear things I hated as a child (who wasn't?). I identify very strongly with my minimalist, simple appearance, and it hurts when people suggest that I fancy myself up, which led to way too many arguments with my last girlfriend. I want to be accepted as I am, not accepted only if I'm pretty enough. I believe that my attitude is healthy, but not very practical for the real world, which is where everybody else's answers come in.