Growing a Beard

Okay, so this is the last of my 5 days off and so far it's the nicest weather wise.  I actually got some yard work completed, mowed the grass (with a rotary push mower), used the weed wacker to wack some weeds.  Earlier I took the dogs to the park - we did the 'nature' hike today and they loved it.
Did I go to the gym?  Nope.  Did I get on the scale?  Nope.  Because the weather has been so bad, today is my 'catch up' day.
Yesterday I went down to York and took my friend Betsy out to eat and to a movie for her birthday.  I'd been pushing for Kong Island, but the times did work, so we ended up seeing.... "Beauty and the Beast."  She has a unique perspective in that she's never seen the animated film... ever.  As she says "back then I didn't go to movies, I had too much other shit going on in my life."  To say she loved it would be an understatement.. except for Emma Watson.  As Betsy put it "she was much better in the Harry Potter films."  Seeing it a 2nd time, I spent much less time comparing the live action to the animated version.  The relationship between Gaston and Le Fou seemed much less... platonic this time through.  And even though the audience laughed in the end when Belle tells the Prince he "may have to grow a beard," I thought to myself, my, there's so many implications is that one little sentence.

And for those of you who don't know, the Idiot in the White House is coming to Harrisburg this coming Saturday.  That's the same night as the correspondents dinner, which he doesn't want to attend.  It will, I suspect, be one of those hate filled pep rallies just like the ones he had leading up to the election.  Because it's looking as though this is going to be a bad week for him, it wouldn't surprised me if he amped up the hatred.  He's going to need make sure his Trumplodite hoards ignore his mounting failures, and his historically low poll numbers.  Of course, if things go horrendously bad for him this week, people are going to wonder why he focused on a rally rather try and do his job.

Dan Stevens, Belle of the Ball

So, I went to see "Beauty and the Beast" last evening.  Over all I thought it was good, some of it being very, very good, while some of it being, well, simply okay.  Most of the 'okay' dealt mostly with the casting.  One of those whom I was expecting to find terribly miscast was Luke Evans as Gaston... and I'll admit he did a good job, except for his interactions with Belle, who seemed to find it easier to shrug off his advances rather than find affront with them.  Kevin Kline was fine, except, again, in his scenes with Belle: she too often seemed more the dutiful daughter rather than the loving daughter.  Dan Stevens was very good as the beast who softens and discovers that he has a heart. the transformation scene at the end, however, ripped the curtains off of this fantasy and reality set in.   Dan Stevens is prettier than Emma Watson.  In fact, her reaction to seeing him as a handsome human is... shall we say muted.  Where the audience should have gotten a "holy shit, this guy is beautiful" moment, Emma gave us a smile.

That's right, casting Emma Watson as Belle was a mistake.  Not that she doesn't have moments, but mostly it's those around her, with whom she's interacting, that have the moments.  When the beast takes Belle into his massive library, you're expecting an "Oh, My God" reaction... nope, not here, in fact she acts dumbstruck rather than awestruck.  Her singing is fine, but whereas the Beast discovers he has a heart, hers is, I suspect Emma was thinking more about the buckos going into her bank account rather than earn them by giving us a believable performance.

There were a couple of other minor issues I had, one with costuming.  I have no idea who made the decision to put Dan Stevens in baby blue at the end, but it was a mistake.  He comes across as too foppish.  And the gay scene all those Crazy Christian Moms were complaining about... which one?  There are a number of them, and they're not quietly hidden away.

So, there you are.  In the end the Beast wins his way into our hearts while the start of the movie seems to prefer playing her part as though she's a stand-in.  That's right, Dan is the Belle of this Ball.

Crazy Christian Mom boycott fails

This is what happens when a minority mind set is only popular among a minority; when a majority mind set rolls their eyes and says "Get over it."  What am I talking about?  "Beauty and the Beast" broke Box Office records this past weekend.  The terribly funny thing about this is that these people don't understand their failure.  I learned this when a bunch of Crazy Conservatives decided to boycott the Oscars.  An old Navy friend of mine said he was going to boycott this past February's ceremony.  When I asked if he ever watched them, he said "no."  So I explained that unless the boycott has an effect, it's useless, a failure, a waste of time.  And he said, "no it isn't, I'm part of a boycott."  Those Crazy Christian Moms are part of the same mentality.  Succeeding isn't important, just as long as your are a part of the protest.
Now, I firmly believe in standing up for you principles, making sure your voice is loud and clear in regards to your beliefs.  However, these protests by these varied Crazy Christian groups consistently fail to change anything.  No one is jumping on their band wagon, in fact, no one is really paying too much attention to their parade... except for they, themselves.  And they pat themselves on the back, congratulating themselves for standing up for their narrow definition of virtue.  They do not understand America, and the world is passing them by, not that they care.  They prefer to stumble around in their maze of illusion rather than glimpse a glimmer of truth.

Hard hearted people they are.  A group who will end up dying off because their hammer their beliefs into a solid, steel door used to lock out real compassion.  They will never understand, but will still congratulate themselves for their faulty attempt.  Change is beyond their comprehension.  Does the majority really care?  Nope.

Disney's not so shocking shocker...

In case you've been living under a rock, word screamed across social media about the shocking truth in Beauty and the Beast.  (Take a deep breath... now).  Le Fou is gay.  (Have you started breathing yet?)  (Do you need me to call the EMT's?)
Now, I don't know about you, but I heard that and I... well, I had to scratch my head.  Didn't anybody see the original animated film?  Or, God forbid, even listen to the lyrics?  Evidently not.  Twenty-Five years ago, when I sat in the audience watching his scenes, I thought his sexuality was inherently apparent.  I must have been wrong... no, of course I wasn't.  You can't tell there isn't one Evangelical parent out there who wouldn't have shit a brick if they'd heard their little boy saying "gee, I want to grow up to be like Le Fou."  So, be prepared, because a lot of them are going to start stamping their tiny feet in anger.  A Million Crazy Christian Moms, will probably mount some sort of Crazy Christian boycott, which, like most of their boycotts will fail.

In the end, this movie is going to make a killing at the box office.  Josh Gad will probably be nominated of an Oscar for Supporting Actor.  And as for all of those faux complainers and whiners out there?  Their narrow world will get a little narrower, their base shrink just a little more, and they will fail.  This is how life is.