30 Days: 30 Days in a Wheelchair
Being confined to a wheelchair is one of my own personal worst fears. Whenever I see someone in a wheelchair, I can’t help but selfishly imagine how much it would suck for me. My mind immediately starts listing all the things I wouldn’t be able to do or at least do without any difficulty. For this reason, I was very interested in this week’s episode.
As with most episodes, Spurlock makes this one about more than just a pro football player in a wheelchair. He manages to point out that the issues of stem cell research, the war in Iraq and equal rights for the differently-abled are all connected.
I’m not a football fan so Ray Crockett was unknown to me. That isn’t to say I wasn’t impressed by his accomplishments as an athlete and a father. Not to mention the fact that he witnessed fellow athlete, Mike Utley, sustain an injury that did, in fact, paralyze him from the chest down.
One of the first things we “learn,” along with Ray, is that spinal injuries can happen to anyone at any time. I’m sure there are jobs or activities that make a person more prone to damaging their spines but the truth is anyone who gets in a car is at risk.
One of the most striking parts of the episode was seeing Crockett struggle to get along in his beautiful estate. The giant shower and raised bed seemed to be more inconvenient now that he is confined to a wheelchair. Also, witnessing Ray watch his sons play basketball outside was very powerful.
Another effect of Ray’s confinement is how his wife, April, has to adjust to the situation. Being well-off, April is used to setting her own schedule and being able to count on Ray for many things. Now, however, she is a full-time, chauffeur/valet/caregiver and much more. It was brilliant how Spurlock so deftly showed us the simple fact that these kinds of injuries have far-reaching repercussions.
Just when you think you have a good understanding of how tough things are, Spurlock brings out the big guns. In Ray’s support group, we meet a man who who became a quadriplegic one month before the birth of his daughter. Seeing his baby standing in front of him, eager to be picked up by him is truly heart breaking.
My favorite part of the experience had to be seeing Ray take part in a wheelchair rugby game. I’ve seen wheelchair basketball before and was amazed at how rough it was but it pales in comparison to what these rugby players do to each other.
When Ray actually takes part in a match, he learns that not all athletes are built the same. While he is certainly in great shape, his upper body strength is far below what it needs to be to keep up. Once again, when I think about how often I avoid getting exercise, it’s all put into perspective.
In my many years of watching TV, I’ve seen a plethora of stories designed to teach me how lucky I am that I can see, walk, hear, talk, breed, vote, etc. However, it takes a guy like Morgan Spurlock to go the extra step and point out the little things that I didn’t even know I was taking for granted.
DKNY Draws Ali Larter, Rashida Jones
DKNY Draws Ali Larter, Rashida Jones
Wednesday night, Donna Karan New York hosted a Midtown Manhattan bash to celebrate the release of their new fragrance “DKNY Delicious Night.” And Ali Larter and Rashida Jones were among the Hollywood A-listers glamming it up.
With a glass of champagne in hand, the Heroes hottie gushed about her love of the Big Apple. “I’m so excited to be here in the city. I’m here with my girlfriends, and we’re going to have an amazing night. We’re going to have a great dinner at the Waverly (Inn) and drink champagne until dawn.”
When asked about her ideal NYC adventure, she replied, “The exact one I’m describing. That’s what we do. It’s not about dancing in nightclubs. It’s about having a great bottle of wine and great conversation. It’s a sexy city, and I’m excited to be here.”
Of her favorite activity in which to partake, Rashida Jones (currently working on both the Office and Unhitched) said, “Just walk around and make decisions as I’m walking of what to do. You can’t do that in L.A. People stare at you like you’re crazy. People don’t really walk. You sit on your (bottom) in the car all day long. It’s insane.”
Both Larter and Jones may be sitting on their collective bottom for awhile, along with the rest of those affected by the writer’s strike in the entertainment industry.
Ali told press, “It’s a very precarious time in Los Angeles. We can only shoot for a couple more days. It’s affected everyone, from our writers to our production assistants to craft service. You have to stand up for what you believe in, but the repercussions are — it’s just a difficult time for everyone.”
And Jones, whose new show doesn’t start filming until 2008, said that it’s tragic, even though it hasn’t put her out yet. “It’s affected so many of my friends. It’s only a couple of days in, and it’s a bummer. These people work so hard, and they’re the glue of the industry. They’re the reason the industry ticks, and to not give them the modicum of respect they deserve — it bums me out. I hope everyone comes to their senses.”
Renewal Time for The Simpsons and Not All’s Well
A silent Homer is really no Homer at all, don’t you think?
While Fox has renewed The Simpsons for a record-tying 20th season, Variety reports there is currently no new contract in place with the oh-so-essential people who voice the characters on the Emmy-winning sitcom.
Fox had no comment on the report, but one can imagine the repercussions if negotiations remain at an impasse.
Sources close to the show say production has already been delayed for months, and we’re already looking at a 20-episode season rather than the standard 22. If a deal isn’t arrived at soon, that number could get smaller.
The series’ lead talentDan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Hank Azaria, Yeardley Smith, Nancy Cartwright and Harry Shearerreportedly make about $360,000 per episode and are angling for a figure closer to $500,000.
Though that sum would be in league with the earnings of some sitcom regulars whose faces actually make it into the picture, the Simpsons crew has argued in the past that they’re not asking for much when you take into consideration the profitable workhorse that is The Simpsons brand.
And not at all too much to ask if, like Shearer, you provide the voices for Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and Mr. Burns (to name just a few).
Anyway, one insider optimistically told Variety the issue could end up being resolved later this week. And here’s hoping that when the cast and Fox eventually wind up breaking bread, they’re doing it at a table read.
Katie Holmes Gives Her Regards to Broadway
Katie Holmes and Nicole Kidman have something else in common.
Tom Cruise's current better half will be taking Broadway by storm this fall in a revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons, costarring Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow and Little Children hunk Patrick Wilson.
Holmes' rep told News in March that the 29-year-old actress was in talks to make her professional stage debut.
A place and a premiere date haven't been determined, but Simon McBurney will direct the tale of a family torn apart by the repercussions of its patriarch's black-market business dealings during World War II, based on a true story. All My Sons scored Miller a Tony Award for writing in 1947.
Kidman made her debut on the Great White Way 10 years ago, when she was still Mrs. Cruise, in The Blue Room.