Lisa Franek
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Some Fightin' Words

1/23/2014

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PictureWhat my niece does all day.
For those that know me, it is well known that I am deeply concerned about the way women are portrayed and represented in media, and how that effects women in society. I know, this is something most people think is lame and us 'chicks' need to take it down a notch and learn to relax. I don't consider myself a feminist, but I do notice when I'm treated differently (for better or worse) than my male counterparts, and how so many things (i.e. scantily clad cheerleaders, slut shaming, beauty standards, body shaming, etc) are things many people accept as just part of our world and something no one will ever change. But I think we can, and all it takes is a little bit of awareness and vigilance. It's not difficult. So I'm going to begin with a story.

I have three awesome nieces. The middle niece is in second grade, and recently her father posted a photo of her on Facebook holding a trophy, with a comment that she had gotten 2nd place in the school spelling bee. My first thought was "Right on! Brains always ran in the family. Good for her." And then the comments started coming. Every single one of them remarked on how cute or beautiful she was. Now, don't get me wrong. My nieces are all adorable. But the whole point of the post was to commend her on her intelligence, and no one was willing to congratulate her for that. And these are people who care about her and want the best for her. What kind of message is that? Oh, good job on knowing how to spell onomatopoeia, but gosh your hair just looks great! Who cares about those silly words? Who cares about brains? What's next? She's valedictorian but people only care about her dress, much like every awards show ever? And what if she were not pretty? What would they talk about then?

As you can see, it upsets me greatly. We do a great disservice to our young girls and women when we can only concentrate on the outside. Then, that's what they value and what they focus on, since that's the only measure of their worth, apparently. And then the other day I came across this article, and it only reinforced what we already know: girls are only objects that are pretty. I have to say, it gets my dander up every time. Those are fightin' words.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to see the movie Her. Now I know, everyone loved it and thought Joaquin Phoenix was so dreamy in it, but I sat there the whole time, shifting uncomfortably in my seat,wondering if this is what movies are supposed to be now. They are a place where stories are told that present women as things, as objects that can be owned. Whose sole purpose for being is to serve a man, and that man is their master. To make matters worse, she isn't even flesh and blood. She is literally a THING. Women of flesh and blood are too messy, too emotional, too hell-bent on doing what makes them happy instead of what makes their man happy. And the worse part is, this is a love story. I would put it closer to horror, because that is what I felt. Horror at watching it (and don't even get me started on those ill-fitting, hipsterish old-man clothes), and horror at peoples' reactions to it. How am I the only one seeing this? What the hell is going on here???

So I have a proposal. Let's start thinking of women as people. Actual people with actual brains, emotions, wants, needs and desires. And not only do they have them, but they are just as valid as every dangler's. Women can come in all shapes and sizes, and want all sorts of things, to a husband or a child, to a career, to adventure, to sex, and everything in between and beyond. We have to start demanding this. Not only of ourselves, but of each other and our media, before it destroys half the population. It's not difficult. It doesn't cost anything. But for the sake of my incredibly intelligent and intellectual nieces, please stop limiting your praise to what you see on them, and start seeing what's within them. I would really appreciate it.

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Summer of Lisa Activities

1/12/2014

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Picture
Last summer, I challenged myself to do something difficult. I challenged myself to go out and do something every day during the summer season. It sounds simple. It's not. You get tired and don't feel like it. But I did some stuff that I normally wouldn't have done, and maybe learned some things on the way. I may do it again this year. We'll see.

6/21/13 (First day of Summer!): took the dog to the beach, watched Ben Bratt's Blood In, Blood Out
6/22/13: Went to a script reading and potluck dinner with friends.
6/23/13: Brunch at West Coast Tavern. Taking the pup to dog beach. Fundraising beers atTiger! Tiger!
6/24/13: Organ Festival at Spreckels Organ Pavilion
6/25/13: Finished reading a novel: Two Rivers by T. Greenwood, Meditation class
6/26/13: $1 screening of The Neverending Story, Padres vs. Phillies (14 innings!)
6/27/13: Private studio tour at Sony, wonderful lunch at Wildcraft Pizza
6/28/13: Watched This Is The End
6/29/13: Went to a writing class taught by author John Vorhaus
6/30/13: Went to a meeting of San Diego film festivals
7/01/13: Went to the San Diego County Fair for the first time
7/02/13: Had lunch at the Soup Shoppe with a friend
7/03/13: Went to see The Heat
7/04/13: Gardening! Trimmed the lemon tree, took care of the vegetable garden, banana tree, and so on.
7/05/13: Went to see a one-woman show at San Diego Fringe Fest
7/06/13: Went to a workshop meetup  at the Psychic Gym
7/07/13: Sunday Writers at Writers Ink, visited Museum of Photographic Art exhibit
7/08/13: Went to Stone Brewery's new location at Liberty Station
7/09/13: Watched The Lone Ranger
7/10/13: Did a radio interview for KSDS and had a Cravory cookie. Yum!
7/11/13: Took a walk at Lake Murray with a friend
7/12/13: Walked around Balboa Park
7/13/13: Went to Tiger! Tiger! with friends, watched Sharknado
7/14/13: Went to a workshop on Permaculture, learned about Air-layering and T-bud grafting trees
7/15/13: Gong meditation class
7/16/13: Comedy show at Lestat's Coffee House
7/17/13: Steak dinner and Red Fox Steakhouse
7/18/13: Comic-Con!
7/19/13: Volunteering for Boys and Girls Club of East County
7/20/13: Comic-Con!
7/21/13: Comic-con!
7/22/13: Went to see RIPD
7/23/13: Went to Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at South Park Abbey
7/24/13: Went to a friend's 50th birthday party
7/25/13: Met with a friend at Splash! then went to Bazaar Noir, The Neighborhood, and Noble Experiment
7/26/13: I got sick over the weekend and had to cut down to essentials only. Sad.
7/27/13: Still sick.
7/28/13: Went to see The Wolverine
7/29/13: Went to a cultural branding workshop
7/30/13: Movie marathon: The Dark Crystal, The Last Unicorn, The Secret of Nimh
7/31/13: Literally worked all day...
8/01/13: Saw Pacific Rim
8/02/13: Tried Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
8/03/13: Killed a Fig tree. But then made cuttings to grow new Fig trees.
8/04/13: Saw The Rainmaker at The Old Globe
8/05/13: watched Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead
8/06/13: watched Despicable Me 2 and had drinks with a friend at Gordon Biersch
8/07/13: Met a friend for wine at Kensington Vine
8/08/13: went to see Blue Jasmine
8/09/13: Filmmaker meeting at Gordon Biersch, Dinner at Pizza Port
8/10/13: Went to play: Spaceman of Ocean Beach
8/11/13: I have no recollection of this day. Hmm.
8/12/13: walked on the beach with the dog and friends, then went and had drinks with both (although my dog is definitely a Teetotaler)
8/13/13: watched Blue Velvet
8/14/13: worked late. Sad face.
8/15/13: went to a faculty meeting at City College
8/16/13: read grant proposals
8/17/13: went to an awful workshop. I can't even talk about it. Traumatic.

That's all there is. I know I'm a little over 30 days short of the end of actual summer, but oh well. Things got a little crazy in August, and I just couldn't do it any longer. So there you go. Mark your

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2014

1/12/2014

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Picture
Well, it's been six months since I last wrote something, so I figured it's about time I update. It's now 2014, so here you go.

Just like every other person on the planet, I spend most of January reviewing the past year and setting some goals for the next. It's always kind of annoying, but it's also refreshing and inspiring to think that there's a whole clean slate, even though we all know that's not the case.

So anyway, here are some things I plan to work on this year.
1. Write every day. I discovered this great website called 750words.com that is a place where I can write and still keep it to myself and get some awesome analysis of the work that I don't know how to explain. You just have to check it out.
2. Write write write. I know this sounds exactly like the first point, but this is writing for the public. Writing that people can read. I want to blog more, and write screenplays and write publishable prose. Like a novel. What those things are going to be about I don't know yet, but I'll get there. And just work towards something to get out for people to read.
3. Get into financial shape. I went to lots of years of school, which ended up being lots of loans and credit cards. Add to that the fact that I work at a non-profit organization, and there's not a whole lot coming in. I hope to be a little more responsible and aware of what's going on. Keeping my credit score up to date, cutting down on the impulse buying, and working to save money for the future without hurting the present too much. I've discovered a site called mint.com, and it's super great.
4. Cultivate a relationship with nature. I know this sounds like a hippie dippy, but I promise I'm still shaving and taking showers. But I have a big yard, and right now it's all weeds. I'd like to get those weeds under control and plant something useful instead. I've been working towards that, and have some nice things planted here and there, but it gets overshadowed by ugly weeds. I'd like to make the yard into a place I'd like to hang out and have a drink and take in some sun. I also want the things in my yard to be useful, and I'd love it if those things were edible. I plan to compost better and be active about having a garden that works naturally.
5. Allow for serendipity. In this day and age, we have so many ways to close people off from us. Phones, tablets, social networks and so on make it easy for us to not actually be in the place we are. To form a bubble around ourselves that can be nearly impenetrable to others. So, I plan to put it away. Make eye contact. Strike up conversations and see what comes of it. Because you never know.

Hope your 2014 ends up as great as mine.

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