Randall Allen Dunn's Blog: Packing Action, page 15

TELEVISION/TV SERIES: psych – The Harm a Cupcake Can Do

by Randall Allen Dunn

 

One of the most hilarious episodes of “psych” contains a disturbing subplot that makesa sad commentary on the society we live in. In “Lights, Camera, Homicidio”, while Shawn Spencer (James Roday), tries to solve a murder on the set of a Spanish soap opera, Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson) is dealing with a tamer problem back at the Santa Barbara Police Department.

Or so it would seem.

When she notices a new woman joining the police force, she decides to welcome her. She walks up with a smile and introduces herself to Penny (Dena Ashbaugh), and tells the newbie that if she needs anything at all, to just ask.

“Do I look like I need help writing my name and badge number?” Penny replies.

Wow. That was cold and completely uncalled for.

Juliet is discouraged, but makes another attempt to befriend Penny soon afterward. She presents her with a cupcake on her desk.

Penny seems instantly offended. “What is that?”

Juliet explains it’s a cupcake she bought for her, because she noticed Penny didn’t get a chance to eat lunch so figured she might need something to eat. She also noticed that this was her favorite cupcake so she picked one up for her.

Penny asked what else Juliet noticed about her. Juliet said she noticed Penny usually eats alone and can come off a bit abrasive, but figured that’s probably just because she’s new to the routines and people there.

The next day, Juliet was called into the office of Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson), who asked Juliet to give her side of the story regarding Penny, who was pressing charges for harassment. Juliet is stunned. “I gave her a cupcake. Sue me.”

“She is!” Chief Vick tells her. She goes on to tell her that with “this new evidence”, Penny’s suit against the department holds a lot of weight.

She explains to Juliet that women on the police force must be very cautious about how they form friendships, and advises her not to buy any more pastries while she tries to get the charges dropped.

This part of the episode always annoys me. It seems we live in a society that rewards people for being abrasive, hateful and self-absorbed while punishing friendliness and kindness.

Did Juliet go overboard? Yes.

Should she have read Penny’s rude signals that she didn’t want to be bothered? Yes.

Should she be sued, along with her department, for her actions? Well, obviously! She should be sued for every last penny, and so should her workforce and everyone she knows or has ever met! After all, she gave poor Penny a cupcake!

How much more invasive could she be? Imagine the millions Penny could have gotten in court if Juliet had baked her a birthday cake when Penny didn’t feel like celebrating.

Years ago, as I was entering the front corridor of my apartment house, a middle-aged woman was hurrying up the stairs and asked me if I could hold the door for her. I didn’t know her but there were only eight total apartments in the building and she didn’t look like a dangerous intruder, so I let her in. To be cautious, I watched to make sure she entered an apartment, which was right there on the first floor.

Before she reached her door, I introduced myself. She gave me a tolerant smile, as if I had asked for her bank account password. “And what did you say your name was?” I prodded.

“I didn’t,” she stated flatly as she entered her apartment.

I said goodbye, making my irritation clear. (I’m a little more mature these days.) This woman had no problem expecting me to let her into a secure building, but she wasn’t about to trust a stranger like me with something so private as her first name.

We live in a suspicious culture, made more dangerous by these people who use their protective instincts as an excuse for their rudeness. These abrasive, hateful, self-absorbed people are ready and willing to take whatever you give them, but if you look at them sideways or say the wrong thing or bump into them by mistake, they’ll sue you into the poorhouse. Because they believe that’s fair. And because, in today’s society, they can.

In days gone by, the word “neighbor” always referred to someone who could be expected to support you in times of need. Even if you didn’t spend much time together, those people who lived close to you would be ready to loan you their lawn equipment or a cup of sugar if you needed it, because they wanted to help people. That was considered normal for a community.

I believe it still is. But today, the word “neighbor” might just as often mean the person who hosts loud parties long into the night or shoots off firecrackers in the middle of your street. Or the person who judges you with a snooty look without ever bothering to say “hello”. Or the person who’s just itching for you to slip up in some way so they can get rich off of you in a frivolous lawsuit. These days, our neighbors can also be our worst enemies. The word “neighbor” no longer refers to an acquaintance that can be counted on in a crisis. Now it just refers to someone who lives near you.

But take heart, those of you who believe in reaching out to strangers, in giving help by picking up a hitchhiker or giving away money to a homeless person. Those of you who shrug off other people’s minor offenses against you, showing the wisdom and maturity of forgiveness. Those of you who, like Juliet, just want to welcome someone who might otherwise feel lonely and left out. Though the warped views of others and the current laws work against you, we can take some comfort in this: showing kindness and friendliness is its own reward.

As for those abrasive, hateful, self-absorbed people, they might win a few frivolous lawsuits and force their employers to jump through hoop after hoop every time they stub their toe or get their feelings hurt. But they will likely remain abrasive, hateful and self-absorbed.

They might have a hardtime making friends.

 

Find more reviews of “psych Season 2” at amazon.com!

MOVIE: Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Practically Perfect Papas

by Randall Allen Dunn

 

Mr. Thom Popper (Jim Carrey) has a particular problem: a package of penguins has been deposited on his doorstep. Perplexed, he ultimately perceives that this is the prize his estranged father promised to send him. Popper’s perambulatory pop traveled the world, leaving his son in the lurch as he neglected to return home, or return calls on their ham radio.

As an adult, Mr. Popper purchases properties, but fails to perceive how his habits of perpetual neglect have prevented him from connecting with his own estranged wife, Amanda (Carla Gugino), and his two children, Janie (Madeline Carroll) and Billy (Maxwell Perry Cotton). While Popper peruses recipes for parboiling the six pesky penguins, his ex-wife and kids pop in to party for Billy’s birthday, and Popper pretends that the penguins are Billy’s perfect surprise present.

Meanwhile, Popper plans to become partner of his real estate firm by promising to prevail upon Mrs. Van Gundy (Angela Lansbury) to finally permit him to purchase Tavern on the Green, a posh restaurant that Popper used to visit with his dad while Popper was still just a peanut. Despite its sentimental appeal for him personally, Popper agrees to provide the place to his firm so they can plant their own properties on it.

But the penguins have preoccupied all of Popper’s time, rendering his purchasing plans powerless, even with the aid of his perfect personal assistant, Pippi (Ophelia Lovibond), who likes to pronounce words with lots of ‘P’s.

As Popper’s children warm up to him once more, actually preferring to spend the night at his apartment, Popper becomes profoundly passionate toward the six penguins – and toward his ex-wife, Amanda, all over again. He produces a new floorplan for his apartment, providing snow and ice for the penguin pack, and becomes even more preoccupied with them upon learning that a few of them are pregnant.

His employers pop in, prepared to stop the proceedings at Popper’s apartment. Upon seeing how possessive and obsessive Popper has become with his penguins, they pluck him from his position. But Popper purports that all of their efforts at the office are pointless if they ignore the most precious things in life. “Some things are just too important to miss,” he pronounces, as he waits patiently for the last egg to hatch.

When it doesn’t, Popper is perplexed and deeply disappointed. He provides the local zoo with his personal pets, hoping they will prove to be better parents to the pack.

But Popper’s children are puzzled by the penguins’ disappearance, especially when Popper poo-poo’s their complaints and proclaims a return to reality, preparing to pursue his purchase of properties once more. He purposes to never again pin his hopes on eggs that refuse to hatch and only prove disappointing.

Plucking a letter from the place it had fallen off of the package crate, Popper peruses it to find a penned apology from his papa, with the hopes that this present of lovable pet penguins can make up for all the lost years. Popper pre-empts his plans, making the rescue of his penguins top priority. Transporting his family to the zoo, Popper learns the pack is being prepared for shipment to various locations, parceled out in exchange for premium tropical animals to populate the zoo in the penguins’ place. Popper springs the purloined penguins from their prison and peels away in his limousine. He interrupts Mrs. Van Gundy’s press conference with a plea for her to keep possession of her restaurant. But spotting how Popper has put his family back together and protected the penguins, Van Gundy sells the restaurant to Popper instead, recognizing him as the young boy who often appeared at the restaurant, and now perceives that he still holds to the principles he prized as a child. Surprising his real estate partners, Popper proclaims that they can’t purchase the property, as he purposes to renovate the restaurant and re-open it.

He then reports to his former family that he plans to depart for a long, long trip … and promptly insists they accompany him. Arriving in Antarctica, they point the penguins in the path of their penguin families, planning to return for visits, having put their own family back together.

Papas aren’t perfect. When they prove themselves incompetent in prioritizing their families, then their families lose their faith and stability in life. After all, if their pop couldn’t put his pathetic life together, why should anyone else purpose to do it?

But some papas, after slipping and plopping in a pile of mud, prove they can stand upright and make another attempt. They prompt themselves to remember the point of being a father, to protect and provide for their children the way a penguin gives top priority to a hatching egg. To push away the things that distract and prevent them from fulfilling their purposes, to do all they can to lead their offspring safely into the primitive-minded planet, as productive members of society.

Being a papa – or a parent – is no picnic, and plenty of parents will disappoint their impressionable offspring. But papas must push their own pride and pursuit of pleasure aside and purpose to press on. It’s a parenting skill that all fathers must develop, if they ever hope to teach their children to spread their wings and fly.

Happy Father’s Day!

 

Find more reviews of “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” at amazon.com!

MOVIE: Mary Poppins – Making Time for Playtime

by Randall Allen Dunn

 

The other night at dinner, Nicki wondered if I’m spending more time on writing than I need to, because I’m not spending much time with her and the kids.

Abby immediately piped in. “You’re always working, and you never have time to play with me,” she said. She put up a hand, trying to look understanding, though it felt more like she was patting me on the head. “Now I knooow that you have to do lots of work, and I knooow writing is veeery important … To you.”

It was funny and sad at the same time. Sad because I know it’s true. Over the last two months, Abby has asked me to play with her several times, and I usually tell her I have work to do.

Which is also true. With creating lessons for teaching 6 writing classes a month, my life is busier than it’s ever been. Once I complete all of my reading and researching, I still need to learn how to format e-books for publishing, update the Character Entertainment website, and finally get back to writing new stories again.

But I don’t want to lose the short time I have with my kids. I don’t want to discover one day that twenty years of their lives have flown by, and the only thing I built during my time with them was my own career.

In the film, “Mary Poppins”, Mr. Banks (David Tomlinson) seeks a nanny to look after his children, whose antics have chased away every previous nanny his wife hired. Taking matters into his own hands, he determines to find a nanny that can keep Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber) in line. The children apologize for their misbehavior, and offer their own suggestions for an advertisement. They want a nanny who is kind and pretty, and ready to sing songs and play games with them. In other words, someone happy and fun!

But the last thing Mr. Banks wants is a “fun” nanny. He tears up their ludicrous “advertisement” and tosses it in his fireplace. But after he turns away, the torn pieces float up the chimney.

A nanny soon shows up on his doorstep, descending gracefully from the clouds as she holds onto an umbrella. A strong wind has just blown away every other applicant, leaving the umbrella-wielding Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) as the only possible choice. She presents Mr. Banks with the children’s ad, its pieces now fully restored, and reads from it to provide her qualifications. She takes the job and entertains the children with songs, games and outings to the park, including a magical trip into a chalkboard drawing to visit a beautiful countryside populated with animated carousel horses and dinner-serving penguins. The children have more fun with Mary Poppins and her friend, Bert (Dick Van Dyke), than they’ve ever had with anyone!

But they still miss their father.

When Mr. Banks tries to teach the children responsibility by urging Michael to deposit his money into a savings account, the father’s greedy boss (also Dick Van Dyke) frightens the children so much that they run off. Their antics create a panic at the bank that leads to the shaming and firing of Mr. Banks.

At which point, he realizes that his career wasn’t all that important after all. What good was it to chase after his career and to maintain a proper image if it cost him his own children?

For the first time since his childhood, Mr. Banks learns to laugh and play again, and takes his children out to fly kites together. And as Mrs. Banks (Glynis Johns) decides to limit her time spent on political activities, they all decide that they don’t really need a nanny anymore.

Because they have each other.

When our lives get busy, it’s easy to let our busy-ness crowd out time with our kids. A mountain of tasks piles on top of another mountain, until it’s all we can see.

But if I focus only on the mountain, I’ll miss the times I have with my kids for the few short years they’re living at home – times I can never get back once they’re gone.

When I called Nicki from work yesterday, I asked to talk to Abby, who was playing a computer game. On the phone, she gave short answers to all my questions about her day. She finally explained, “I’m having trouble because I’m talking on the phone and I’m playing a game. It’s kind of hard.”

I understood, and we cut our call short. I was disappointed, having really wanted to just talk for a couple of minutes.

And I realized she was doing the same thing I had been doing. As that endless “Cat’s in the Cradle” song started droning in my mind, I considered what a small thing this was. I didn’t expect her to stop her game so we could talk. But as she grows older, video games will be replaced with sports and parties and other activities, and she won’t have any time to spend with me, the same way I didn’t have time to spend with her. Not because she didn’t want to talk to me.

She would simply be busy.

This morning, I hugged Abby and we laughed and played together. Then I tried to apologize for not spending more time with her lately, to tell her it was wrong and I was sorry. But she was too busy goofing around, hanging sideways from my arms and making silly faces. She didn’t need any apology or explanation. She just needed me to be there.

And I’ve decided I will be.

 

Find more reviews of “Mary Poppins” at amazon.com!