There are a lot of articles and videos out there this week on the Blvd crackdown. I don’t even know what to say about this except it makes me livid. What’s wrong with simply requiring a permit? But no, the LAPD decided to just go and arrest people for standing on Hollywood Blvd in costume.
I know there are some characters who are pushy. I know that. But the regulars are very polite. It seems to me that the tourists are the ones that are not playing by the rules though. I’ve kept in touch with some characters, after Batgirl and I quit the Blvd, and it seemed to me like people were just not tipping anymore. We didn’t make much. Plenty of people decided to pose for photos and then not give us anything. Nothing we could do about it, but it sure doesn’t feel good giving a service and not being appreciated. You tip your waiter, don’t you? People need a little lesson in tipping. We’re not in France. Well, I am, but YOU aren’t! What is wrong with America…?
So, sorry tourists, you won’t be getting a warm welcome to Hollywood from any of your favourite superheroes anymore, unless you complain a lot to somebody high up. Oh, funny thing is… no one is taking responsibility for this decision, either. Nobody knows where the order came from….
As you know by now, neither Catwoman nor I have been to the boulevard in quite a while. The tips were sucking, it wasn’t worth the drama and harassment, and then other things came up. I’ve seen the boulevard and the characters come up a few time in the news since then, and it’s never good. Here’s the latest: one of the four guys playing Spiderman was arrested yesterday after hitting someone, and it turns out he was wanted on outstanding warrants. When you’re on the run from the law it’s usually a good idea to, you know, not do things that involve law enforcement coming to interview you. Just a suggestion.
Other than that, we’ll probably have some new pictures to share soon, but that’s about it. I’m busy with school and we’re both busy trying to escape the quagmire that is the failed state of California, so who knows where you’ll see us next?
From what, April? I realized that this footage kind of got neglected, so here it is! Just a few minutes of behind-the-scenes action at one of our last joint photoshoots. Now we’re supermodels, modeling independently, and you’ll have to pay us a lot if you want to shoot with us. 😀
So, as you have no doubt learned from Catwoman, we ran off to Europe for a bit. Mainly Paris — technically it’s research for a screenplay — with a quick jaunt to Berlin for Audrey Hepburn business. While it sounded like work it was all fun, I’ll be honest with you. My time in Paris was nothing but amazing memories — until I tried to leave, but that’s a different story. Anyway, I hobbled together a video diary of sorts, if you’re interested in that sort of thing. If you didn’t already know, I’ve started a vlog (hate that word) about fumbling through life when you lose your job in a recession and not being able to find another called Simple Twist of Fate. Actually, it’s just about my life after I lost my job, etc, because I feel a bit Holly Golightly as described by Paul Varjak right now: “She’s a girl who can’t help anyone, not even herself.” But maybe by sharing my experiences I can help other people in similar situations. If not, then it’s always good for a laugh, right? 🙂
So there’s that. You may start at the very beginning, which is just a dull sort of walkthrough on where my life was when I started this at the beginning of April, or just skip around my videos, or watch part One (of many) on the trip and see if you like it:
Still on the fence? I’ll give you some teasers: I climbed the Eiffel Tower, met JARVIS COCKER (and more), was a tourist attraction on the Seine, and was a total guy magnet. There’s more, but you’ll just have to see for yourself what else I could cram into two short weeks.
jeune fille
So . . . this trip changed my life. Of course! Isn’t that why we travel and wander foreign lands, to expand our minds and change our world view? Or, as Mark Twain put it: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” But after living there for two weeks, mastering the Metro on my own with très peu French and a pocket map of the city and having Jarvis, who’s lived in France for six years, ask me how to say things in French when I’d lived there a week, I think I know what I’m going to do next. Batgirl is going back to school! I’m going for a degree in French this time (at this point, struggling the rest of my life to school in psychology just seems a waste, as much as I loved it back in the day), so I can live in Paris with a job and a legal reason to stay, and so I can maybe teach Jarvis some decent French. Seriously, it’s bad. Watch Episode 4 Part 4 if you don’t believe me. Oh, and if you’re a fan of the man or Pulp please check out all my videos, I put up quite a lot of him. I had a good two days with him.
Jarvis & me
There’s some pictures up on my Flickr account as well, though they’re pretty much just the Jarvis ones since people were clamoring for them. I’m still going through all of my other pictures and fixing them up (it was almost constantly overcast, which means adjusting the light for nearly all the outdoor pictures), and there’s also probably 4 GB worth of pictures to sort through. I am a documenting machine! But I’ll drop a note when I am done posting all of the other pictures so you can see what I saw, and also when I post the last video of my trip. I’ve put off doing it because it’s just one more reminder that I’m not in Paris anymore. 🙁 I know it’s only temporary, but I still hate seeing good times end. It’s why I didn’t want to unpack for a week and why I was dragging my feet sorting through the pictures.
Okay, that’s all for now. Are we caught up now? 🙂
Oh, forgot something! When I got back we wrapped filming a bizarre short film (preview here), so I finally got a haircut. Yay! Nothing drastic, I just wanted a bit more style — and to look like Anna Karina.
OK, who here likes Lenka? I have some videos for you, from the show she did in Paris last night. I loved it so much. I wish I had written all those songs. Someday, I’ll have my own… 😀 OK, here are two, but check my YouTube occasionally, because I have more to upload.
A short description of the most popular (or most complained about) characters: Bat A - our Batman of choice, he also does Robin in a pinch. Bat M - has it in for Bat A, and loves to complain about A's tactics, especially when it comes to stealing away his women. Bat T - a man of mystery. We've just never worked with him. He seems to be a lone wolf. Davy - a Davy Jones to go with yet another Jack Sparrow, the one we know the least out of all of them. He's responsible for karaoke nights, along with MJ. Denim Jack - Our Jack Sparrow of choice. He's a nice guy and will gladly offer said denim to keep a lady warm. Dollhouse Guy - Pretty well known on the Walk, he's the guy who walks around with a giant pink dollhouse on his head. Nucking futs. Homeless Jack - the most unsavory of all the Jack Sparrows. Burn your clothes if you ever touch him. MJ - the resident Michael Jackson, can bust a groove and sing equally well. Storm Trooper - always works with Vader, equally funny. Superman - there's only room for one Superman at H&H. Yes, he's the same one from Confessions of A Superhero. The Captain - Captain America in platform shoes. His one joke is to meow at Catwoman, then giggle hysterically. Every single time. Vader - duh, Darth Vader. Rarely seen outside of the black suit, hilariously funny.
Wonder Wig - The newest addition to the Walk, and already trying to be Queen Bee. Joy.
