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The Boyfriend of the Week by Meg "Coffee, Kafka, Conversation" Wood |
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Books Boyfriend Archives
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November 6, 2002
Well, it's been awhile since this happened -- since I had a write-up planned for the week, all ready to go, prepared, researched, written, hilarious, perfect, and then BAM! Just days before it's scheduled to run, some other guy comes along and, in a coup I can't aptly describe as "bloodless," given its effect on my heart (har!), usurps the title of Boyfriend and takes over the entire site. Kinda like Idi Amin, except with a lot less killing and greed. Funny it should be this guy, too, because I've actually been madly in crush with John Corbett since high school -- since the days of Roslyn, Alaska. The days of Chris Stevens, K-BEAR radio, and "Northern Exposure." I can't be alone in this -- I know tons of you remember that show and were also totally nuts over "Chris in the Morning" and his quite deadly mixture of philosophy and charm. He was perfect -- deep AND shallow, all rolled into one totally hunky package. But then I went to college, the show died, I got other interests, and John Corbett kind of disappeared. I kept my 8x10 glossy of him pinned to my bulletin board, where it still sits today, but I really haven't thought much about him since those chilly Alaskan nights we spent together, a gazillion years ago. Until now. So, what happened to brin ghim back to front and center? Why, I took a train trip, of course! Okay, so, nothing out of the ordinary there. I take train trips regularly -- at least every two months. But this time someone was lookin' out for me. Because usually, you see, they show a movie on the train. And usually, you see, those movies are GOD-AWFUL. For example, since I started my frequent train travel, I've been subjected to the following films, some on more than one occasion: 1. "You've
Got Mail" Okay, so, yes, the movies have been better lately. In fact, these days, Amtrak has been showing movies that aren't even out on video yet, which is kind of nice. But it's pretty rare that the movie is really something I want to see -- it's hard for me to concentrate on the train because there's a lot to look at and I usually have a great book with me, so it's not often that the movie is so exciting I actually tune in to the whole thing. But this time, THIS TIME, the movie was. . . My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Okay, so, anybody who pays attention to entertainment news knows that this is the surprise hit of the fall. I remember reading about it when it first came out and thinking, "Hmm, sounds good. But, 'Greek wedding'? Nobody is going to see that!" Wonder of wonders, though, the American public has loved it and all I've seen since is article after article about how terrific it is. How funny. How sweet. How authentic and entertaining. How totally, totally great. So, of course, I fully intended to rent it as soon as it hit video (I rarely go to movies in theaters because I have literally NO tolerance for rude people and there seem to be a lot of rude people at movies these days. All crammed into one tight, small place. It's just too much for me). But hey, renting movies works just fine, though I know it frustrates some of you guys when I tell you I can't feature such-and-such for at least six more months until his movie comes out on VHS. Anyway, the fact MBFGW happened to be the movie on the train, after weeks of getting "PLEASE feature John Corbett!" emails, just seems like some kind of cosmic sign. Don't you agree? Kismet? Fate? Boyfriend Diety Divine Intervention? Okay, so, for those of you living under rocks, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is an incredibly sweet romantic comedy
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When guys get engaged, they traditionally spend their bachelor parties with strippers, supposedly so they can live it up with anonymous naked ladies for the last time. When Lily Burana, an ex-stripper-turned-professional-journalist got engaged, she decided she needed to hang out with a few strippers herself. But not just for a single night -- for an entire year. Her plan? To travel across the country, hitting some of the most famous strip clubs around, spending a few nights in each place taking her own clothes off on-stage again. Why? Well, she's not really sure of that herself, but it seems to have something to do with needing to say goodbye to that old part of he life, and maybe finally being able to gain a little insight into why she'd even gotten into the biz in the first place. Sounds
a bit, uh, naughty, doesn't it? But, as the reader quickly discovers,
stripping really isn't about sex. At least, not for the strippers. It's
about making money, feeling powerful, and not following anybody else's
rules. The book is full of anecdotes and stories from Burana's past
as well as descriptions of the clubs she dances in on this trip. There
are plenty of fascinating or funny tales about the history of the striptease,
the colorful women she's met in various places, and her ground-breaking
legal battle for strippers' rights, waged against one of the most notorious
strip club owners in the country. Coming away from this book, I have
to confess I wish I had the body (or maybe I just need the self-esteem)
for stripping myself. It seems like something every gal ought to try
at least once. Plus, damn, do they EVER make good money! But alas, I
know I don't have the kind of courage you'd need for a job like that.
Anyway, this was a highly entertaining, informative, and eye-opening
book. Recommended to anybody who's ever been curious! [NON-FICTION]
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web content written by Meg Wood, sooooper genius. | |||||
