My Own Private Idaho

I tend to go into a sort of hibernation period at times, mentally if not physically. Actually, I'm like that a lot in that, once I'm home, I don't want to deal with too many other people. I just want to vegetate and decompress and, usually, I just want to shut out the world.

So I rarely read non-fiction or, if I do, it tends to be relatively innocuous stuff. I least I consider it innocuous since a lot of it is true crime or conspiracy stuff. Most of my entertainment is not based in reality. Or, rather, I usually don't read about things that I experience every day.

Which is why I'm not inclined to see Precious. It's just too intense. I read the book that it's based on, Push, a few years ago and that was intense enough. The movie...I know I can't do it. But I will buy it when it comes out on DVD since I want to contribute in some way to its success. And I love the fact that Mo'Nique and Gaborney Sibide are getting so much positive attention. Even though it's pretty clear that there are a lot of movie critics that are not comfortable with seeing a large, dark-skinned Black woman on screen. It's very Other to them, something alien and frightening and I think that some critics are even struggling with how to describe what they're seeing. Especially since the roles are 'Sassy Black Friend #1' or "Big Mama'. But it's a good thing that this is so challenging, especially if it makes people question their views/reactions to large women and Black women.

But, to be fairly egocentric, let's bring it back to me, a large Black woman who spends a lot of time online or reading or doing crossword puzzles. Sometimes I feel like I should write something more profound. Something about the devastation in Haiti and about the disgust at watching people politicize the suffering. Let's not even talk about Pat Robertson and his ultimate blaming of the victims.

Or maybe I should write more about my disappointment in President Obama even though I knew that he was not the second coming. I just expected more. Not total revolution but more than just the usual political gladhanding and spinelessness. Then again, he is a politician and politicians don't get re-elected by upsetting the apple cart too much. I just wanted more.

But I don't want to dwell on the negative right now. I want to sit and read celebrity gossip, watch some BBC America, and generally be a couch potato. I just don't want to think so hard. That is so very Barbie sounding but it's true. Maybe I'll ruminate on the deeper meaning of things later.