claire.she.goes

Author: Claire

  • Love yourself.

    There’s something that came to me a few years ago, when I thought I wanted to make YouTube videos:
    beautyburden

    Someone, somewhere needs to know.

    Photo credit: Lechon Kirb on Unsplash

  • Prepared.

    Lately I’ve felt a push to get myself ready for something.

    It’s come on naturally. It’s as though my soul knows I need to fill a space that’s always existed…Yet it’s somewhere that I’ve never been.

    These days, in spite of all the times I’ve tried and failed, my talk about self-care has begun to take hold. I’ve been making a greater effort to treat myself well. (Who knew that it was work?)

    I need to be ready.

    But for what?

    My first instinct is to say that I haven’t got a clue what I’m getting ready for, but under my skin, I know.

    I’m still a dreamer. Deep down I’m thinking about the days when my heart’s desires turn into reality.

    As you think about your future, ask yourself:

    Do you know what’s coming your way?

    Are you prepared?

  • Who are these Peeple?!?

    Last week, Peeple hit the media like a ton of bricks. Most of what I wanted to say has already been said.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dd9Zfi3pT4

    Still, I had a concern.

    How do tech companies choose the projects that they support?

    Seriously. I’d like to know.  What is their vetting process?

    Peeple’s creators posted a (now-removed) web series on YouTube. In their videos, Julia Cordray mentioned at least two companies–an incubator that (from what I recall) provided them with funding, and another organization responsible for developing their app.

    I checked their developer’s web site. It features a list of their “work”, aka their portfolio. Among their projects were apps for two web sites that I recognize. One is a niche healthy lifestyle site. The other is very well known. Liberal, conservative, old, young–it doesn’t matter. Even if you don’t use it, any internet-savvy person would recognize its name.

    I won’t describe these projects in any more detail. Ultimately, I think the companies that Ms. Cordray mentioned deserve to salvage their reputations.

    Which brought me to my original question: What process does someone with an idea have to go through in order to bring it from her head into fruition as an app that potentially millions of people will use?

    Well…

    While working on this post, I did a bit of digging. Believe me when I say that my eyes have been opened. DIY app development is actually a thing. (I’m old, I know.) And if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you don’t have to. There are companies that can do the work for you. In fact, this is where things got interesting. While certain companies gave me the impression that you had to Be Somebody in order to work with them, others appear to be more than willing to offer average folks like you and me the means to bring an idea to the public.

    Quite frankly, the latter type of firms startled me.

    When I say that, I hope I’m not misunderstood. I don’t want creative people who lack technical skills to be unable to make their dreams come true. (For all I know, one day I might think of something brilliant that will make everyone’s lives just a little bit easier.) However, when the idea for an app is brought to a company’s attention, at the very least I hope their staff interviews its creators thoroughly. It’s vital to know the impact that their work will have on potential users.

    Regarding Peeple, the people behind it demonstrated a lack of awareness of what can happen when technology and human nature intersect. Not every interaction or impact is positive.

    As I think about their now-deleted web site and social media pages, everything about Peeple troubled me. Contrary to Julia Cordray’s recently-released statement about their company’s purpose, enough members of the general public exist who are aware of their original claims.

    It will be interesting to see how the individuals involved in this debacle manage to recover.

  • Are You Oppressed?: A Checklist for Contemporary Martyrs

    THINK, Dear Reader. Are you really, truly oppressed?

    persecutionmeme

    Source

    It’s a serious question. I know it’s hard to tell these days, what with all these folks getting their way. Let’s face it, though. We don’t exist in a vacuum.

    Surviving in the same country as ne’er do wells, it can be hard to tell if their Evil Agenda has taken control of your environment. Here are a few signs to watch out for:

    Are your movements restricted? Are you prohibited from sections of public places such as restaurants and theatres? Are you banned from certain establishments altogether?

    Do officials deny you certain services while placing no restrictions on those of another, dominant culture?

    What about education?: When it comes to school, can you only send your offspring to institutions reserved for people of your background? If you attempt to do otherwise, is your family met by folks spewing verbal and physical threats?

    ElizabethEckford
    Source

    If you’ve answered “no” to the questions above, then congratulations! You’re NOT oppressed!

    KimDavis

    Source

    Sorry, Kim.

    Be a dear, please.

    Stop believing the lie that when people who have nothing to do with you are allowed to live their lives as they choose it’s a sure sign that they’re about to destroy yours.

    Inspired by this Gawker piece, along with this weekend’s Twitter mayhem.

  • Raising Dion

    Some of you might remember my old post about Man of Steel. One of the things that really touched me in that film was a scene that featured Clark as a young boy. It put my curiosity into overdrive. In fact, at the time I said

    Could you imagine being a kid and having to wrestle with superhuman abilities? Could you imagine being a parent and having to raise a son who could burn you by looking at you? Kudos to the writers…Not only did I feel Clark’s vulnerability. I caught a glimpse of what Martha Kent must have felt as the mother of such a precious and powerful child.

    In the end I was left asking the very questions that open the trailer for a brand new comic book, Raising Dion.

    There’s so much to appreciate about this video.

    Firstly, the casting made me smile. When I was younger I longed to see myself in some of the worlds that captured my imagination. In the past I’ve found it hard not to take the exclusion of non-white actors as an insult. I felt as though the folks behind the scenes were saying, “People who look like you aren’t good enough to experience this magic…”

    I realize that we live in the era of Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder. Still, it’s truly heartwarming to me to see a Black woman depicted as a normal human being rather than a gaggle of stereotypes.

    Secondly, again, I’m really intrigued by Raising Dion‘s premise. My knowledge of comic books and superhero lore isn’t extensive. However, I doubt that a parent’s take on raising a superchild is something that’s been explored in great detail. That isn’t to say that most stories in the genre don’t include poignant moments shared between a parent and her wunderkind. They do. Yet I’m used to relatives being relegated to the role of virtual bookends in a supercharacter’s life.

    Overall, when I think of Raising Dion, there’s a lot of hope in my heart. The first issue of the comic book is available for download on its writer’s web site. I can’t decide which I’d want more–for it to be a TV series, or a film. At the very least I see Raising Dion as a story that is bound to inspire kids of all ages.

  • What’s that, Claire?

    Up in the sky, it’s a bird–it’s a plane….It’s a movie trailer featuring black actors actually playing legitimate people. You know, with emotions and lives, instead of stereotypes.

    Or not.

    I shouldn’t boast prematurely. After all, I haven’t actually seen this movie…But it looks ok. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the video below while I’m figuring out if I still know how to write.

  • Dear Conservatives: Do Better.

    I’m disgusted…

    I’ve been thinking that I ought to get back into my blogging groove for a while. Over the weekend, I started organizing a list of topics. My days were set. (Sorry I’m late. 😉 ) The first thing I wanted to share with you was my take on an article I’d found via a link on Christianity Today’s website. The topic? Child abuse.

    I’ll get to it later, though. Earlier today, I began to watch this interview featuring Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNEPOmH8dH8

    In case you’ve decided not to watch, Mr. and Mrs. Duggar were being questioned by Megyn Kelly about their son Josh’s abuse of their daughters. I’ll admit it: My viewing experience didn’t last very long. Almost immediately after I pressed “play” on that video, my shoulders tensed up. As I listened to Ms. Kelly’s questions and the Duggars’ replies, something didn’t seem right to me.

    For now, I’ll spare you my thoughts on that “something”. Instead, I’ll talk about the point when I decided I’d had enough.

    Around almost 7 minutes into the interview, Megyn asked Mr. and Mrs Duggar if they’d considered turning their son in to the authorities.

    Cut to Jim Bob’s answer.

    “As parents, you are not mandatory reporters.”

    I couldn’t go on much further after that.

    Mr. Duggar believes that parents are “not mandatory reporters” of abuse. He does not think that they should feel obligated to tell the police if their children have been abused. Needless to say, Mr. Duggar’s words left me feeling a mix of disgust and worry. There are already countless abusers in the general population. Along with them are parents who either know about instances of abuse, or suspect it. How many of them will watch Jim Bob, hear what he says, and fail to protect their children because they don’t believe that they’re obligated to do so? How many are already doing nothing, and now feel justified by his claims about the law?

    More importantly, what do conservative Christians–and even as I say that, some conservative Christians, because I can’t believe that all of them are that ignorant–have against doing the right thing?

    The article I mentioned earlier disturbed me for one simple reason. (Feel free to read it here. Note that it was published before the Duggars’ interview, yet its content supports their line of thinking.) In spite of its seemingly neutral wording the only thing I understood was that it perpetuated a very harmful message.

    If you don’t want to report abuse, remember that there are states where you can get away with keeping quiet.

    I want to know: Where does this need to protect abusers come from?

    Abuse victims deserve more than what some folks are willing to give in terms of integrity and justice. I can’t tell you how sad it is to me that in instances of abuse, certain Christians forget that

    …your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God…

    (From 1 Corinthians 6: 19)

    Every human body is sacred. It’s hard for me not to notice how quickly some remember that when complaining about a host of supposed worldly evils. Yet when it comes to protecting abuse victims, suddenly, they can’t be bothered.

  • Defaults and Diversity

    I don’t read many scripts.

    Just after I typed that, I looked to the skies, hoping that the Scriptwriting Gods don’t zap me. Apparently, I’m breaking a cardinal rule of aspiring screenwriters everywhere. (Rule #1: Watch ALL the movies. Rule #2: Read ALL the scripts…)

    Quite frankly, I think it’s a waste of time. The public complains about folks in LA constantly churning out the same old thing. Is it any wonder, though, when insiders preach that writers should get into the industry by following a uniform set of practices?

    Mind you, I’m not a complete rebel. Over the past while, I’ve glanced at a few screenplays. And there’s something that I’ve noticed.

    It seems that there’s a pattern relating to Hollywood’s diversity–or lack thereof. From what I’ve seen, unless a writer specifies that a character is a person of color, chances are, he or she won’t be depicted as such. Hence, the racial default for a character in a North American movie is white. Casting directors and producers also have a hand in what a character ultimately looks like. What concerns me, though, is the fact that they have blinders on when it comes to people of colour.

    Time and again I’ve wondered if any of them actually know any of us. As actual human beings, and not merely cheap tropes.

    I think that it’s more than accurate for me to assume that those in charge of casting have ludicrous notions regarding what non-white actors are capable of. All of this adds up to a situation that is unfair—not only to actors, but the movie-going public.

    Now, for many of you, I’m yammering on about something obvious. However, the fact that casting a Black/Latino/Native/Asian person as the girl or boy next door doesn’t occur to much of Hollywood infuriates me. And it made me think. The trends involving how minority characters are written are disturbing.

    Consider this past round of Oscars. The following meme struck me when I first saw it

    OscarsLackDiversity

    Don’t get me wrong. I will be eternally thankful to Steve McQueen and The Powers That Be for sharing The Goddess Otherwise Known As Lupita with the world. But I want something more. The silver screen rarely reflects reality, especially when it comes to people of color. We are more than sidekicks or members of the subjugated class. We own bars, we drive cars, we struggle, we thrive, we live lives.

    Someone on Twitter shared the following statement. I don’t know who originally wrote it, but I could shout it from the mountaintops.

    thepowerofdiversity

    While TV shows are catching up, in terms of reflecting humanity, I think that movies are light years behind.

    And I know how things work. I realize that the films that are coming out over the next couple of years have already been cast. Hell, most have already been made. (In saying that, I’m not trying to make excuses for those who make films. I think that anyone with a basic knowledge of the industry will understand that I’m being realistic.)

    Yet going forward surely something can be done. God knows, we’re worth it.

  • TGIT? #HTGAWM!!

    Are you ready?

    Tonight’s the night!

    I’ve seen Scandal. The pilot, via iTunes, and…Snippets here and there. I know it’s good. EVERYONE knows it’s good.

    But the show I’m waiting for is How to Get Away With Murder.

    Viola Davis is back, looking better than ever. Not “classically beautiful” my ass!

    “Be careful who you show your crazy to.”

    “You call it crazy. I call it winning.”

    Hells, YES!!

    Seriously.

    The last time I watched, I had a mini marathon. God knows, I miss staring at my TV, going

    wtfcat

    I might even stay up* and see it live!!

    *Last year I recorded most of my Murder and watched it later on in the week.

  • The Bachelor

    Let me give a moment to something I love to hate. Reality TV. That branch of media that reminds me of a regrettable friendship. So many of us have them. You know…The person we thought we could hang out with, but wound up running from…Sort of like a misogynist who finds himself trapped in a Women’s Studies class?

    http://youtu.be/u3cUSEN0RPM

    Take The Bachelor. Please. Deep down I despise the show, yet remain fascinated by it. If you’re looking for a fresh take on an old guilty pleasure, you might want to check out these resources.

    1. This post by Stephanie Simons made spending time on The Bachelor sound every bit as exciting as I thought it would be. The show’s producers love to depict Bachelor alums as happy people who miss their sisters-in-charms. However Ms. Simons’ account blows that belief out of the water.

    2. If you’ve watched The Bachelor for a while, you might already know about Reality Steve. I don’t know who leaks information to him–whether they’re cast or crew members. Still, he’s a spoiler source with a fairly decent record–right down to who the Bachelor picks in each season’s final episodes.

    3. You may or may not know that Jason and Molly Mesnick have a podcast. I’ve only listened to an episode or two of This Is Reality and it’s actually been interesting. It’s one thing to think you’re manipulated from start to finish when you watch The Bachelor. It’s quite another to have that thought confirmed by people who have actually been on it.

    (Here’s a fun fact I learned from the Mesnicks: Imagine the amount of time that the Bachelor(ette) spends with their potential mate(s) on the show, then divide that by…Any number you like. I was shocked by the (guesstimated) figure that Jason mentioned. Indeed, it’s probably worse than viewers have thought. The rare, genuine relationships that are formed in spite of the producers’ machinations are a fluke. As a kid I spent more time with my teachers in a week of school than these people do during 7 weeks of filming.)

    A system that’s doomed to fail isn’t a system. It’s sloppy. Luckily for you and me Sadly, the Bachelor’s producers seem to know that they’ve created one of the most delectable piles of muck in the universe. It’s hard to believe that they would ever think of cleaning it up.