the awesome/terrifying freedom

we all have that friend who tries to make us feel ashamed of arbitrary things.

friend: have you had the brunch at escapade?

me: no.

friend: you haven't?? i can't fucking believe that! why haven't you been? i would think that you'd have been by now. i mean, you do live in this city, right? i mean, you are a new yorker, right? wow. (to other friend) joe hasn't been to escapade! i know, right? what's wrong with you?

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friend: you've seen sideways, right?

me: not yet.

friend: what? it's only the greatest american film of the last twenty years. i'm really suprised you haven't seen it. because you're so savvy about that stuff. because you really like those artistic films with developed characters. it was so fucking good. so fucking good. you need to see that film.

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there are certain films i haven't seen that i will tell 'that friend' i have seen just to avoid sitting through 'that beratement.' or i'll say 'i've seen parts of it.' or i'll even say that i tried to watch it but hated it just to get them to shut up about it. there are some friends that even fixate on the same movie. one friend - if 'hero' comes up in conversation, i already have to start hiding. of if someone starts talking about 'tombstone,' i know i have to prepare my excuse: 'i saw the last half on cable,' which is mostly a lie. i've seen interview clips, that's all. but my god with these friends it is so much easier to say 'in essence, yes, i have seen the film' than to admit ignorance and face an extraordinarily irritating rant.

which also makes me more cautious of my own urges to scream 'how can you not have seen indiana jones?? are you retarded? you've never heard of the roxy? you're a gay man living in new york city for two years now and you think i'm talking about a bakery in times square?? you've never been to the east village after living in midtown for fifteen years? how can, how is that possible?

update: every time in the past that i've called my agent, she has asked me to come into her office the next day. so using that excuse, i decided not to call her yesterday, but will call today because if she wants me to come in, i can do it on monday and have the weekend to get my stuff together. so: calling today. calling today at lunch.



here's a pic of me and sunny at our makeshift reunion at my friend steve's house the day after xmas. sunny and steve are definitely -not- 'that friend.'