Wednesday, April 12, 2006

I am free

Although I had some fun at the expense of beautifulagony.com, in this post, I was actually quite moved by the site and wrote a serious essay about it for the Cleveland Free Times. The piece is completely safe for work. Read the essay "Going it Alone" here or pick up a copy of the Free Times on any corner in Cleveland.


In the same issue, I also have a blurb in the City Chatter section.

"F-Bombs Away" is a bit about filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's visit to Cleveland earlier this month. He was the keynote speaker at a symposium on obesity in America at Case Western Reserve University.

I had a brief correspondence with Spurlock in 2004 after viewing Supersize Me, in which Spulock's doctor advises him that his 30-day McDonald's diet has made his liver as bad off as that of the guy in that "Death in Las Vegas movie," which elicited a chortle from my brother's dry papery grave. I was moved to write Spurlock a long letter about John's musings on "cultural assimilation" and how much I enjoyed Supersize Me. Spurlock not only graciously wrote back, but remembered me when I approached him at CWRU last week.

Spurlock was funny and passionate and entertaining. He is also tall--or I am short. Hey, there's the picture, you decide.

21 comments:

jamwall said...

i loved the part in the Supersize Me DVD with the french fries that last forever.

2 things likely to survive nuclear holocaust...cockroaches and mcdonalds french fries!

jamwall said...

the difference is, erin, that you have a much nicer rack than he does.

Hal said...

Erin, you are an amazing talent as demonstrated by the articles and this post. I will not be a sexist pig and mention anything about your opulent breasts.

Toby said...

Great article. Nice perspective. You are a writer for the masses. And, wonderful long dark hair.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed both articles , good to see Spurlock is still alive and spreading his views.
Have you done any articles on media image and teen girls assimulation of it. I am at an intresting cross roads with a teen daughter.
~~nice rack. haha oh my god we don't have a hope in hell of being non-sexual beings:). So when I go shopping with my daughter and the store clerk says her pants are too low. I say , fuck you it is just sex. Explotation is ...(right too much coffee for me)...thankfully there are people in the world that can explain and write about topics to help clearify.

PDD said...

Spurlock seems like a cool dude and I really enjoyed supersize me. Saw it in the theatre.

This is a perfect example of how my boss can sometimes be... well, never mind, you can figure the label:

When discussing supersize me with my boss he said that if you are going to research and document the bad effects that certain foods bring upon the body and mind from a certain fast food chain then you should research and document all of the fast food chains that bring upon the same effects. I told him that it was nearly impossible since there are so many, and since there are so many it would end up being an A.D.D fest lasting 49 days and 16 hours. But if you had to choose one fast food chain that sold the least healthy and most damaging food it would have to be McDonalds.

I will never forget discussing "Supersize Me" with my in-laws before I actually saw the doc. My husbands mother said, "I am not going to pay to see a guy eating a bunch of burgers." That line still makes me laugh to this day. When I finally saw it I tried to convince her to see it, told her that it wasn't only about a guy eating a bunch of burgers. I don't think she took my word for it. I believe she hasn't yet seen it. But I do believe my husbands parents would enjoy it. At the very least find it interesting.

Do you know if spurlock has a blog?

PDD said...

I am now going to read all the links in this post.

PDD said...

Very much enjoyed your essay. I too am very fascinated with human sexuality. Always have been. And although I very much enjoy viewing cheap pornography or the predictable graphics that go along with it, I do also enjoy the more subtle and subdued. Or something such as the subject in the essay you have written.

I remember when I was younger learning about how long make-up has been around and how fascinated I was upon learning it's initial purpose. The Secondary sexual characteristics, and why men are instinctively driven more towards fuller figured women. My fascination with sex equals my fascination with astronomy.

Now all I want to do is go to planet Serpo and have sex with all the Ebens.

jamwall said...

the ebenese have been known to also possess nice racks.

Paul said...

Spurlock was probably going it alone as soon as possible afer that photograph was taken.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to say that he's just tall. ;)

STILL haven't seen "Supersize Me." Ugh, I'm so behind...

Unknown said...

I did not know about the hidden bunny--It's true!!! (I had some old copies from a free subscription.) I may have to re-subscribe. It was a freak accident that when a friend brought over the "Supersize Me" DVD, I happend to be in the middle of a large bag of Big Mac's, Fries, Nuggets, Pie, Shake, Coke, and Mcdonaldland cookies...It's the BEST way to watch that movie I think. I've been obese for 10 years. Spurlock looks great!

Erin O'Brien said...

Jamwall: Hey baby, what about our love? What about my rack? Will these things not last forever?

Denny: Hate to tell you this, but the clips are mostly self-produced, that is to say, methinks the "filmmaker" is actually a tripod in just about every instance.

Hal: Nice to see you noticed my opulence, also.

Toby: Nice to see you noticed my hair, also. But hey! What about the rack?

Nadina: I will try to take that topic on someday. It is a heavy one.

Stephanie: Excellent work by your daughter. Very well done. Now for the necklaces. The black one is an arrowhead that came from my great grandfather's farm in Independence, Ohio. My father would search for them after they would turn the fields in spring. He found this one in the 1940's. It is the real deal. The metal cone is a tri-metal amulet (copper, silver and brass). It was crafted by Temel Bahadir. I also have a bracelet, ring and toe ring that he made. He is in Sweden and sends me stuff in a hollowed out book.

Both the arrowhead and amulet are tied around my neck. I never remove them except to replace the cording.

kc: I've said it before, babygirl, no one is going backwards.

PDD: Sex? Fascination? Yes. Astronomy? Probably. Serpo? Ebens? Depends. Are they fascinated with sex?

Paul: Hm. Thanks (I think).

Morgan Spurlock's Blog

Steph and PDD: I think the scene wherein he uneats the supersized lunch is worth the price of admission alone.

Nicole: I am 5' 1" and I was wearing 2" heels, so there you go--he is really tall.

Vince: I like the way you think, baby.

And here's a note on all those boob comments.

jamwall said...

sweet sassy fruit of seduction erin! those boob comments are off-the-chart!

i'm so stoked right now..

Toby said...

My temptation to comment on your rack was culled by the loveliness of your long dark locks. Simple pleasures.

Satan said...

something is supersized in that picture

i couldnt resist

Toby said...

Satan has little hold over me.

Erin O'Brien said...

jamwall: word.

toby: word.

satan: telling a girl she is supersized is not a good way to urge her out of her pants. no word for you.

Satan said...

i dont want to urge her out of her pants just yet

i just want to urge her out of her brassiere

and sweater

word

come to papa

Erin O'Brien said...

satan: oh all right already, word.

PDD said...

Bouyaka!