Procrastination and The Real World Brooklyn

I have learned over the past few days that job searching is an excellent method of procrastination. I really really don't have to even worry about it that much right now, I could just begin my job search after graduation. It would even be easier for the teaching English jobs to get my work visa with diploma in hand. Plus, now that my resume is online, recruiters have even began calling me from Korea. It's crazy. I have organized most of my job search stuff by country, but the recruiters and offers from Korea are overwhelming. I guess if I do decide to seriously consider Korea I could use several recruiters and see who gives me the best offer, although that's sort of intense.

Well, what I am procrastinating mainly is thesis editing. I thought there was nothing worse than the writing but I'm struggling with putting in transitions and finding more analyses of Batman. Ughhhhh.

Also I'm just so over school in general. Classes. I like Plato fairly well but I find myself just putting little effort into that class right now, I wish I could put more in. Writing for Children is always quite good but I am going to have to spend some serious time editing my fairy tale in preparation for doing a picture book, which is going to be the hardest of all. I haven't done any art in so long, and I'm planning on trying so we'll see how that goes. Really it's probably for the best that I am not leaving this weekend, although I could have used a vacation and a change of scene. I have a lot to do and so little time.

One of my procrastinations, the Real World Brooklyn, is now over. Let me just do a quick review and say that it was amazing. Okay this might be more of a ramble. The Real World has sucked for a while, usually just the same drunken hook-ups and bar fights. But this time, it was about really getting to know the people and their goals in life. It was more like the Real World San Francisco, the entire season of which is on MTV.com right now, by the way. Like that season, The Real World Brooklyn showed how television can be a powerful tool for social issues. Katelynn was a transwoman on the show. Whether you liked her or not, people all over America got to know a transgendered person, many of whom probably did not, and many of whom were entirely freaked out by the idea. At the very least, I think people learned more about trans terms and issues, which is a start. I watched the Pedro movie about the Real World SFer with AIDS, and they read some of the letters that Pedro received from people inspired by his story. I think that when people "get to know" someone, even just on TV, it is harder for hate to start, at the least.

Katelynn was perhaps, a more obvious interesting person on the show. Ryan's story was also extremely compelling. Once again, we got to know a young Iraq war veteran, including many of us like me who don't actually know any soldiers. Ryan's story unfolded as you learned about his transition from a volunteer soldier to an opponent of the war. When Ryan got called back to Iraq, it was just so incredibly heart wrenching.

Perhaps the most surprising for me was Scott. At first, I thought Scott was hilarious- the typical dumb jock. He works out all the time, his claim to fame is "best abs on the East Coast," he's an underwear model. But as I got to know Scott he become maybe my favorite person on the show. It became clear that he was extremely generous and kind, and had an admirable character. He developed a close friendship with Katelynn, and when he offered her money so she could stay on the show (she had considered leaving due to financial problems), I cried. He said she needed to stay to "be a voice." I think it sends a powerful message that this all-American, republican guy says something like that and has this close friendship with a transgendered person. As I got to know Scott, I learned something about myself- that I was a total snob in dismissing him due to his dumb jock appearance.

I guess it's silly writing so much serious stuff about an MTV reality show, but I honestly wish there was more stuff like this on TV. I think this reaches such a wide audience and can have an amazing effect on people's perceptions.

That is my rant for today. Tomorrow I will run a workshop on Social Class, and then nose to the grindstone on thesis and creative writing.