Just when you thought you've seen everything, someone comes along and turns things upside down. This is my impression of Leslie Hall's unique, funny and in your face website. She takes everything considered repulsive and in bad taste and flips it on it's head. The result is a cult following of people who are in on it and not afraid to laugh at themselves and society. I love this so much because the media gives us all kinds of reasons every day to not like who we are or how we look. Sometimes I find I'm so taken in by it that it occupies my brain more than actual important stuff. Life is full of joys and sorrows, if you can't take a step back and laugh at certain situations it can make you hard. So here we have a group of true out casts! These people make Goths, Rockers, Rappers, and Beaters look like clones! Oh, think you're unique cause you're sporting a Bob Marley shirt and some moccasins? Think again! This troupe makes the hipsters in Santa Cruz look, GASP, NORMAL! I would be willing to bet there aren't more than a handful of people in the entire state of California who would even attempt to wear spandex again (bikers not included) much less the portion of us considered overweight!
Another thing I noticed about her website is it's a spell check and grammar nazi's nightmare! One might see this as just a way to further elude to the farce of it all. So people may more easily see and want to be “in on” the joke. But it may also suggest non conformity if you read between the lines. I saw she has “wedding packages” on her website which immediately reminded me of “The wedding singer” particularly the scene where Adam Sandler's character recruits the social rejects at the reception to sing along with “Love Stinks”. Also I have recently studied a comedian from the 70's and early 80's named Andy Kaufman who I've concluded was more about doing whatever he wanted on stage and embracing whatever reaction this caused. He just wanted a reaction, whatever that may have been over indifference. I also concluded that in this way, even if it wasn't intentional he may have woken some people up. By that I mean made them think twice about conformity.
I think this message is important to spread because of sheer numbers. There are so many people in the world that we've become either indifferent or abusive to each other. You see the evidence of abuse every day. Whether you go out and witness someone taking out their bad day on some undeserving store clerk or if you stay home and hear on the news about a teen being bullied to death for their sexual orientation. The indifference is the reason these things are still happening. It's artists and humanists like this who remind us not to be silent. We have to stand up for those who are beaten down to much to stand on their own anymore. We have to call people on their insensitivity, yes in public! Yes to a total stranger! How else will they learn? Maybe they didn't get their dose of humility in high school like most of us. But we all need this temperance to improve ourselves, to find happiness, and to improve the world.
These are things I think I can do to help. Because I've been that undeserving cashier and I've also been that person on the road that honks and flips people off. I can only control my own reactions and behavior I can't control others but at least I can stand up for someone who needs it or point out something someone may have done that was wrong and hope for the best. I'm not sure I'll ever be brave enough myself to get up one morning and decide to sport spandex pants, and a bedazzled sweater all day but I can at least remember Leslie whenever I start to feel self conscious about my appearance. Her message to all being WHO CARES? BE YOURSELF! Because the people matter don't mind, and the people who mind don't matter!
What an excellent post! Great work.
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