One day, when my son was probably 12 or 13, I was driving him and one of his friends somewhere -- they were both riding in the back seat. We were on a fairly busy street when I happened to glance in the rear-view mirror and saw that they were mashing their faces up against the back windows with looks of what I can only describe as horror/desperation. Exasperated, I said, “what are you DOing!!?” They said, “we’re trying to look desolate.” They were succeeding.
This came back to me as I was thinking about how having the right prop can dramatically effect our ability to communicate a feeling or emotion. If I was a smoker, I could portray angst, despair, boredom, or an air of insouciance when relevant.
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| It's all about the props, baby |
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| Ava rules |
It is the only reason I ever wish I had a cigarette. You just can't get that effect with say, a carrot or a piece of licorice.
This is truth! You're making me crave a ciggy right now ---purely as a means of communication, you understand.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I love that story about the kids in the back seat trying to look desolate!
i know - what a word. maybe i should drive around with my face mashed up against my window!
ReplyDeleteCelery, a stick of celery can just make all the difference in the world. It takes much more assertiveness to eat celery than a carrot. Licorice would look cool, but I really, really do not like it. And, well, red licorice would just not make the same statement as black licorice. Too bad.
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