Waiting For Superman

Waiting For Superman

Every now and then I’ll get an opportunity to see a documentary film. I have a few in my collection. I mostly rely on PBS for my viewing. Last year I added Waiting For Superman to my collection, and I finally made time to view it.

Education is very important to me especially the child development years, which was the films focus. I often think about my education and which teachers made an impact. There are three teachers that stand out during my elementary school years. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ruth, my reading teacher, Mrs. Dumas and my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Falls. Other than that I don’t recall any of my other teachers. There was a substitute teacher, Mrs. Rondino. She didn’t look like the other teachers. She was very attractive and I remember the short dresses she used to wear.

Waiting For Superman is about the education system in the U.S. It’s focus is on the public school system and the changes that have been made over time.
As a kid I enjoyed going to school. Sometimes I would talk in class. Sometimes I was the clown. I guess I was bored and didn’t always pay attention. I used to wonder why I needed to know some of the stuff that they were teaching. I was fighting the system at an early age. Every test I took should that I would grown up to be involved in the arts. I wasn’t clear as to what that meant, but its not what I wanted to do. I was however, drawing at an early age.

Every parent wants a better life for their kid. A dedicated parent will do whatever is necessary.
Waiting For Superman takes us through the lives of several elementary aged kids and their families. The kids all seem to be focused with big dreams and are intelligent despite where they live.
Today parents participate in lotteries to get their kids into the schools that are having the best impact on educating young people.
Waiting For Superman made me think about how we are not all created equal. Some of us are born with silver spoons and some with no spoon at all.
The film also looks at the system of teachers and how hard it is to find a good teacher. There are people in positions that aren’t equipped to teach the children of today. As time changes so do teaching methods. In other fields, those that can’t, teach. What do teachers do? If they are not good at their jobs? Once a teacher meets tenure they can just sit back and glide along. They are taking up space. What type of example is that?

When I went to Junior High School, I attended parochial school. I remember the principal only because his daughter was in my class. I don’t recall any of the nuns, but I do remember Father Spears and Brother Kenneth. Perhaps I remember him because if you did anything wrong he used to beat you in front of everyone in class.

If you are interested in education or enjoy documentaries, I highly recommend this film. If you are a parent you should see this film. You’ll want to get involved if you aren’t already involved. There are so many people that don’t read at the level that they should. We are living in a time where kids are texting in a new version of short hand. They don’t write enough or read enough to stay current. We have to remember how we used to do things because the technological age isn’t fool proof.
Learning needs to be fun and teachers sometimes need to think outside of the box.

Note: I remember all of my high school teachers. They were very influential in the person I am today.
I only remember one teacher from college and I think that’s because he gave me such a hard time.
As I mentioned every test I took said I would be involved in the arts. In 2001, I declared myself an artist, but before that I was writing, performing, directing, drawing, designing, taking pictures and producing fashion shows. I guess the tests were right.




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Happy Birthday Austin Chronicle

Master Pancake Obsessed

The Austin Chronicle, a publication similar to that of the Gambit, celebrated it’s 31st birthday yesterday. The party if you could call it that was held at the historic Austin Paramount Theatre. You can tell the place is old. I heard people talking about the seats and walking up the stairs. As people live longer we keep getting taller and taller.

I didn’t know what to expect. See, I was only going because there was a free showing of the film Obsessed, which starred Ali Larter and Beyonce’ Knowles. I never saw the film in the theater because it was Beyonce’ and it looked like a bad version of Fatal Attraction. This was my chance to check it out. What I found out was that Master Pancake, a parody troupe, would be performing. I had no idea what this meant. At first I was thinking (Rocky Horror Picture Show) where performers act out what is going on at the same time on the stage. In any event I wanted to check it out. I had never been to the Paramount and it was a chance to experience something new and the possibility of networking.

I was concerned about parking because Austin recently changed free parking at the meters. There isn’t a lot of free parking as it is in Austin. You would think they would give people a break. I was in luck as it turns out, Monday through Wednesday parking is still free after 6 P.M. That worked out in my favor and this means I could go out on Tuesdays like I used to do in NOLA and have a drink when I have the funds.

When I got to the theater there was a nice crowd. The lobby was small and I figure since I didn’t have to pay for a ticket, I’d buy some popcorn. The theater could probably seat about a thousand people. There was the first floor and balcony and upper level, box seats and the nose bleed section. I sat in the second balcony. There was no rails to hold on to so I’m glad I didn’t have an alcoholic beverage. The seats were very small and very close together. Every time the couple in front of me moved they were touching me. There was no obstruction of my view.

The show began a little after 7 P.M. with the Publisher, Nick Barbaro and the Editor, Louis Black. The talked a little about the Chronicle and introduced Master Pancake. Three guys came on stage, a tall thin guy with a shaved head, a shorter guy with a full head of dark hair and a blonde guy that was slim in stature. I was glad that I was not the only person seeing them perform for the first time or that I wasn’t the only person that hadn’t seen the movie. They continually informed everyone of how bad they thought the movie was.

I like movies, and I’ve seen my share of movies that weren’t the best, but there’s something that makes it entertaining. Sometimes it’s the star in the film or the location. The fact that someone creates this art and gets it out is an accomplishment. I know many times and film looks good on paper, but an editor can chop it up really bad. Sometimes the director doesn’t direct the actors very well. There are a lot of components that have to come together.

Master Pancakes opening was about 10 minutes. There were some jokes about Beyonce’ sharing her birthday with the Chronicle and whether or not she could actually act. (The Jury is still out on that.) She’s finally becoming a singer. Some of Master Pancake language was vulgar. There were some hits and misses, but that’s the world of comedy. Some people get the joke, some are embarrassed by it and sometimes the joke just flies overhead into the rafters.

So it was time for the movie to begin and I realized it was going to be like Mystery 2000, I believe that was the name of the show in which an astronaut and his alien would watch movies and talk during certain scenes to make it funny. That is what Master Pancake did with Obsessed. Now I will have to try to see this film just to see what was changed and how it flows without the comedy.
There was one catch phrase that was voted on by the audience to be used whenever the male lead rubbed his head, which he does a lot in this film. (I won’t repeat the phrase.)
Master Pancake was very entertaining and I’m glad I got to experience it. I’d be interested in seeing what else they do, but it might be hard to top what they did with this film. It was almost non stop laughter. Every joke during the film was on point. There were one or two jokes that a few people didn’t really like, but I thought they were all funny. Some were dated, but a lot of things were current so the younger set could share in the fun.

I could tell some of the film had been edited. There was an intermission and Master Pancake took the stage to do a recap of the film thus far and they even included a dance number to Beyonce’s song. (I’m not sure of the title, but it’s one for the single ladies, if you like it then you should have put a ring on it.) Anyway, it was hilarious. Then the last 20 or 30 minutes of the film played and the fight scene was sped up to the music of Benny Hill and then we saw the final fight and the film ended.

That was my first Keeping Austin Weird experience. Next time I’ll have to hang around to mingle, but I always have to get my feet wet. It’s rare that I go anywhere alone for the first time, but I have to do what I have to do. Next time maybe I’ll invite someone along or get a group together.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.


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