Overheard… at a Taco Bell

Professor Matthew's description of a KFC outing made me recall an overheard conversation in a Taco Bell a number of years ago:

Three rather provincial, rusticated fellows sitting in a booth behind me.
Guy 1: Liqueur? What the hell's "liqueur" mean?
Guy 2: That's probably French for "liquor."
Guy 3: I dunno. I just drink beer.

Slices of the Timeline:Product Placement

As a television editor who relies on the boob tube to pay the bills, I'm not one of those "blow up your TV" people. However, I do feel responsible to educated my friends to reminded them that television is not reality. (I'll reserve my MythBusters rant for some other time. MythBusters ≠ science; MythBusters = entertainment, people!)

Today's lesson from the Timeline: there's nothing real about reality television.

Reality television lacking reality probably doesn't surprise you but try this one on:

I heard recently from another editor a tidbit about product placement in a reality television show. The show in question is not one of those reality game shows (like Survivor or Big Brother, etc.). It's a day-in-the-life show much like American Chopper or Miami Ink. One episode was partially financed by a major fast food chain. Apparently, the individuals on the show were eating lunch and, in exchange for the paycheck, the fast food logos were predominately displayed.

Even in my skepticism was astonished! They product placed on a reality television program? On reality TV! They setup where these workaday folks ate for payola?!?

Slices of the Timeline:Important Editorial Decision

The things I overhear in my job! A co-worker conversation:

        "What about 'schlong'? Do you think 'schlong' needs to be bleeped?"
        "Um, I don't think so…"

Eye of the Beholder

We have a print disagreement in our office. No, this situation doesn't involve lasers and toner; it is a disagreement over a framed decoration.

In one of the edit bays is an innocuous, framed print. It has been hanging for a number of months now, but one of my co-workers, insists that it is hanging in the wrong direction. It is clearly, Mr. Difficult^* says, a landscape. Another co-worker, Buck Buck^**, cites the position of the hanger on the frame and the signature of the artist to prove it is hanging correctly. (Aside: unlike the infantile atmosphere of my previous job, this is the closest thing to "office politics" we have…thankfully!)

This week, I entered the fray. I had never paid much attention to the print, but it was moved after a redecoration. I also suddenly saw a landscape turned on its side. "Who is to say the artist signed horizontally? I think Mr. Difficult is correct. It was hanging wrong. Maybe we should turn it when we re-hang it?"

The cold war was over.

I had taken a side, which left Buck Buck to find allies. The only other person in our small company, The Veggie Pirate^***, was not involving herself in this conflict. (I guess a wise pirate knows rough waters when she sees them.) So, who was to help? Would the print soon find itself hanging on its side in defeat?

Damn you Google.

Using his abilities to read nearly indecipherable signatures and keen search engine skills, Buck Buck presented us with facts. The artist is Noah Li-Leger. The print in question is "Solar Emssion II." Now remember, Mr. Difficult and I didn't have the benefit of knowing the title of the piece. Leaning the head far left, see the landscape?

So, the print was correct in the first place. I withdraw my opinion and status returns to quo, right? Eh, no. Mr. Difficult has decided we need to hang the print in landscape anyway. He likes it better that way. Take that artists! You sold it; you gave up a voice in the display! Um, right? Right?

Maybe this is a discussion better left to those more equipped to handle it, but "what if?" What if The Louvre displayed Mona Lisa upside down? Or David was suspended on his head? I mean parody is one thing, but purposefully hanging a work incorrectly!

For now the cold war has returned. The print remains in limbo and off the wall…


*Since I am disinclined to use real names or full names here, I'm replacing his name with a nickname. For the record, I did not invent this moniker. "Mr. Difficult" is a handle he often employs on the Internets…
**Again, I didn't invent this one…
***Her forum nickname…