Monthly Archives: January 2012

Entertainment

Abstract Romance

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On the heels of Lion King 3D‘s dazzling box office success (over $90 million), our dear and beloved friends at Walt Disney Studios have announced limited theatrical 3D releases for four more Disney Classics starting with Beauty and the Beast 3D which opens today (Friday). While $90 million wouldn’t usually be a box office success, it makes for a very reasonable profit margin considering the studio’s minimal investment. The extra cash in-hand has helped greenlight at least three other films including Finding Nemo (Sept. 14, 2012), Monsters, Inc. (Jan. 18, 2013) and The Little Mermaid (Sept. 13, 2013). Given such wonderfully delightful news let’s take a look at this timeless story about the Idealists’ quest for true love.

Belle is a young, beautiful, and sweet-hearted girl with a vivid imagination and a fondness for romance novels that is ‘not like the rest of us’. Indeed the opening song of Beauty and the Beast emphasizes the uniqueness of our heroine Belle, “a girl that’s strange but special” who’s “head is in the clouds”.  Belle spends most of her time reading fairy tales, and especially loves those with a Prince Charming.  Belle yearns for romance and adventure, pleading that “there must be more than this provincial life”.  Imaginative, idealistic, insightful and sympathetic Belle is a classic Idealist.  Indeed Belle‘s initial frustrations with the harsh reality of “real-life” romance are something all too familiar to many Idealists.

Gaston is a rude, conceited, small-minded, and narcissistic young lad who spends his time fighting, drinking, and hunting.  He is considered the “hero of the town” as “no man in town is as admired as him”, and all the local townswomen adore him.  Gaston relentlessly pursues Belle solely because of her beauty, Belle however is not as shallow as Gaston and refuses his every advance.  Gaston tells Belle “it’s about time you get your head out of those books and start paying attention to more important things: like ME”.  This strapping and arrogant young frenchman of course represents the Idealists‘ commonly experienced frustrations with dating down-to-earth literal-minded Artisans and Guardians.  Ultimately these Artisans and Guardians simply don’t understand the Idealists‘ tendency to dream and fantasize, and see such “day-dreaming” as a waste of time.

The Beast is a “mean and course and unrefined” creature who lives in an enchanted castle who has been cursed because “there was no love in his heart”.  Indeed The Beast must learn to love another, and earn her love in return in order to break the curse.  The Beast then concealed himself inside his castle and despaired, “for who could learn to love a Beast”.  Complex, impersonal, skeptical, and pragmatic The Beast makes for a great example of a Rational, especially in the realm of romance.  Indeed many Rationals draw parallels to The Beast in their romantic lives, but as Belle finds out, The Beast (and Rationals) can in fact be turned into a Prince Charming given the right circumstances.  Indeed once Belle cracks The Beast‘s icy shell, he shows her the castle library, a metaphor for a Rationals vast store of knowledge.  Ultimately of course the couple falls deeply in love, and The Beast‘s curse is lifted to reveal a charming and beautiful prince.  What Beauty and the Beast tells us of course is that the Idealists’ never-ending quest for true love may be a long and arduous one but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

“No matter what kind of persons Idealists marry, however, it is not too much to say that they are the best of all temperaments at creating successful and fulfilling marriages.  Developing harmonious personal relations is their joy and their area of expertise, and they bring all their finest qualities to the enterprise.  Their sensitivity, their spirit of cooperation, their ability to communicate their feelings , their passion for their mates, their desire for deep bonding, their personal warmth and enthusiasm—all these traits work their magic in the NF’s relationships, and more than compensate for their tendency to start up Pygmalion Projects.  Indeed, if we can assume that Pygmalion Projects are an inevitable part of any marriage, that at best such intimate coercion can be kept loving and sympathetic, then Idealists offer their mates the possibility to exceptional happiness.” Please Understand Me II, p. 240

Beauty and the Beast can be seen for the first time ever in three dimensions starting today (Friday) at a theater near you.

Quote1.png [singing] I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. / I want it more than I can tell. / And for once it might be grand / To have someone understand / I want so much more than they’ve got planned…Quote2.png

—Belle
Entertainment, Famous personality

Dimwitted Homecoming

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The classless morons from MTV‘s pop-culture phenomenon Jersey Shore returned this past Thursday for their last season as a cast together.  Returning home from Florence Italy, the cast shot back-to-back seasons ending in their ‘home turf’ city of Seaside Heights. Though the cast is calling it quits as a collective, MTV recently signed lucrative spin-off deals with cast members ‘J-Woww’, ‘Snooki’, and ‘Pauly D’.  Jennifer Farley (J-Woww) and Nicole Polizzi (Snooki)’s show will follow their moronic exploits moving in a house together, while Paul Delvecchio (Pauly D)’s show will follow his burgeoning career as an international DJ.  Originally it was thought that Mike “the Situation” Sorrentino would also get his own full spin-off series but it seems that his specific brand of idiocy only warranted a “series-development deal”.  Regardless of who’s idiocy is superior let’s take a look at the two remaining Jersey Shore stars who will continue to bless America with quality television programming.

DJ Pauly Delvecchio is a very young, loud, energetic and entertaining disc jockey from Rhode Island.  Pauly D is responsible for a slew of wildly popular catch phrases and has a current twitter following of almost 3 million. Indeed Delvecchio is constantly making his roommates laugh and is by far the most entertaining of the group.  Pauly’s endless line of witty quips and jokes have caught-on nationally among young adults, and his popularity has spawned a set of business-ventures for the young reality star.  Dirty Couture is a clothing line “inspiring a lifestyle for an underground generation who seeks individuality through a musically infused self expressive style.”  The young DJ also recently signed a record deal with rapper 50-Cent‘s G-unit Records, saying “I’m focusing on music.  That’s my passion.”  Outspoken, playful, fun-loving, and highly entertaining DJ Pauly D is undoubtedly a Performer Artisan.  Indeed Pauly D has a strict “no drama” policy, as most Performers do, and will always try to lighten the mood when his roommates get into conflicts.

Playful and fun-loving, these expressive Artisans’ primary social interest lies in stimulating those around them, arousing their senses and their pleasurable emotions–charming them, in a sense, to cast off their concerns and lighten up.  Such performers radiate warmth and festivity, and whether on the job, with friends, or with their families, they are able to lift others’ spirits with their contagious good humor and irrepressible joy of living.  Please Understand Me II, p. 69

Nicole Elizabeth Polizzi was born in Santiago, Chile and was adopted when she was six months old by an Italian American couple. Growing up in New York among so many Italian Americans Nicole embraced the “Guido” culture despite not actually being of Italian heritage.  Nicole was said to be the “breakout” star of Jersey Shore and her actions on the show have made her both wildly popular and the subject of public disdain.  Polizzi burst into the Jersey Shore house with the phrase “Party’s Here!” and proceeded to act accordingly.  After being shunned for a short period of time Polizzi wanted to make it clear that she was a genuine and warm-hearted person, and eventually won over her cast mates.  Confident, outspoken, vivacious, but highly diplomatic Nicole Polizzi is undoubtedly a Champion Idealist.  Indeed Snooki brings a warm enthusiasm to her occupation of being a “meatball”, and is a hopeless (albeit new-age) romantic.  Certainly Snooki has “championed” the Guido culture and the ‘Jersey Shore’ lifestyle.

Champions have a wide range and variety of emotions, and a great passion for novelty, and so can become bored rather quickly with both situations and people, and resist repeating experiences.  Also, they can never quite shake the feeling that a part of themselves is split off, uninvolved in their experience.  Thus, while they strive for emotional intensity, Champions often see themselves in some danger of losing touch with their real feelings.  Please Understand Me II, p. 155

Quote1.png I’m over here trying to clean my sneaks, I can’t concentrate with all this fighting .. like they’re talkin’ about f*ckin’ relationships and my sneakers are dirty!Quote2.png

—Pauly D

Quote1.png I love food.  I love drinking, boys, dancing until my feet swell.  I love my family, my friends, my job, my boss.  And I love my body, especially the badonk.Quote2.png

—Snooki

Jersey Shore airs Thursdays 10/9c on MTV.

Famous personality, Guardian, Leadership

Believe, Believe, Believe

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He is controversial.

People can’t stop talking about him.

No, he isn’t a Bad Boy. He isn’t flashy or charming. No, he isn’t even a Naughty Boy. He isn’t argumentative.

He just wins, most of the time.  And works hard.

No, not really, actually  — he works very very very very hard. Incredibly hard.

Yet, he “don’t get no respect” from some quarters — and he certainly doesn’t care whether he does. For he believes he is doing good work.

He remarked after losing badly, “We kept fighting for the entire day: That’s something I’m extremely proud of.”

But, then, they beat the Steelers on his first pass in overtime.

Even Lady Gaga tweets: Thats what the **** a champion looks like.

So why controversial?

Continue reading Believe, Believe, Believe →

Entertainment, Famous personality

Tactical Disunity

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Effervescent songstress Katy Perry and washed-up British imbecile Russell Brand officially ended their marriage recently and one wonders what in the world took so long.  The break-up reportedly stemmed from the couple heading in opposite directions as Perry‘s career is beginning to skyrocket, and Brand‘s is well, not.  Brand has had mild success recently in the American film industry with movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and the more recent Arthur.  In all three films he essentially plays the same washed-up, arrogant, promiscuous, out-of-control, no-talent moron and it’s like he doesn’t even have to act.  It just comes naturally for him.  Katy on the other hand catapulted into super-stardom this past year with five #1 billboard singles from the same album (Teenage Dream), being the first female artist to attain such an accolade (the only other being Michael Jackson).  The couple neglected to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, meaning that Brand stands to gain upwards of $20 million from the divorce.  I think the overall lesson we should learn from this is that dating the “bad boy” can go a little far in the form of an eccentric foreign ex heroin/sex addict who just took $20 million from you.  Lesson learned.  Let’s however hope for the best and take a closer look at this former Hollywood power couple.

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson grew up in a strong Christian family in Santa Barbara California the daughter of two Pastors.  Originally a Christian artist, Perry rose to stardom by pushing the envelope in the pop/rock genre.  Perry’s breakout single “I Kissed a Girl” had a racy and mischievous tone, and pushed her 2008 album One of the Boys into the American Top Ten.  Perry is characterized by her borderline-controversial lyrics and outrageous fashion sense.  Bold, daring, audacious and extremely hard-working Katy Perry is undoubtedly a Promoter Artisan.  Indeed Katy is charming, confident, and popular and has made a career out of being artistically bold and edgy.  Katy however found out firsthand (as most Promoters do) that “[s]he who travels fast, travels alone“, as her booming success was likely the primary source of tension for the former couple.

Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author, and radio/television presenter.  Brand is known for being eccentric and controversial, and as a result has been dismissed from several large media corporations including BBC and MTV.  Brand‘s prior drug use, alcoholism, and promiscuity serve as a cornerstone for most of his comedic material and public image.  Playful, fun-loving, expressive, energetic and uninhibited Russell Brand is undoubtedly a Performer Artisan.  Indeed Brand (like many of his fellow Performers) is especially subject to temptations, and is inclined to be impulsive and self-indulgent, as evidenced by his past addictions and promiscuity.  Indeed Brand takes to heart the idea that “nothing is so serious or sacred that it can’t be made fun of“.  Though his “talent for enjoying life is healthy for the most part“, his “tolerance for anxiety is the lowest of all types“, resulting in his filing for divorce December 30th 2011 due to “irreconcilable differences”.

“Two SPs live primarily in the same world, the world of external, physical reality, speaking the same language of concrete objects, and they also share each other’s childlike love of fun and excitement.  Two SPs have so many interests and activities in common—travel, sports, parties, shows, clothes, and so on—that they can come together as playmates in a way not possible with persons of other temperament.  The only problem is that, with both partners living and playing so hard—going so fast in the same direction—they can quickly exhaust each other and lose interest.  This pattern of two Artisans lighting up the sky brightly and then burning out and falling apart is a familiar one.”  Please Understand Me II, p. 219

Quote1.png I think there’s a fine line between being a slut and being classy.  I walk in between that line.Quote2.png

—Katy Perry

Quote1.png I like threesomes with two women, not because I’m a cynical sexual predator.   Oh no!  But because I’m a romantic.  I’m looking for “The One”.  And I’ll find her more quickly if I audition two at a time.Quote2.png

—Russell Brand
Entertainment

Romantic Logistics

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The 16th Season Premier of ABC‘s The Bachelor aired this Monday and oh how sweet it is. The 2012 Bachelor season features Californian wine-maker Ben Flajnik sifting through 25 specially selected women with the ultimate goal of course of finding true love. Fans of the franchise watched poor Ben propose to Ashley Hebert on the last season of the Bachlorette and given that he’s the new “Bachelor” I think it’s pretty obvious how that one turned out.  Ben was one of two male finalists on Ashley‘s season of the Bachlorette and had the unfortunate luck of having his proposal rejected on national television. Ben however is now in good spirits and willing to give love another chance, so let’s go right on ahead and wish young Benjamin the best of luck and take a look at his personality type.

Ben Flajnik is a young (29) and humble winemaker born and raised in Sonoma, California. Ben is part of a very close-knit family including his mother and sister but was met with tragedy four years ago when his father passed away.  Ben grew up in the wine-making business, working sales for his family’s winery, and then eventually co-founding his own organic wine company named Evolve Winery.  Ben is extremely kind-hearted, an outstanding host and a natural caregiver. Extremely personable, very talkative, highly sensitive and yet charmingly traditional Ben Flajnik is undoubtedly a Provider Guardian.  Indeed Ben is quite the ladies man, having briefly dated Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ben decided that his humble and ‘normal’ wine-maker life in Northern California was more to his taste.  Though Ben’s rejected proposal was heart-wrenching to watch, something tells me he’s gonna be ok:

Providers make loyal and loving mates, willing to stand by by their husband or wife through good times and bad, going beyond the call of duty to maintain the marriage and appearance of happiness, even when the road is rocky. They enjoy socializing and entertaining, and observe all the rituals connected with serving wholesome food and beverages. They thrive on traditional festivities, and seem able to express the right feeling for a given social occasion. They are fond-hearted, sentimental, and usually observe with flourish birthdays and anniversaries, making them joyous occasions. — Please Understand Me II, p. 112

Quote1.png I had my heart broken, I did.  But going through that experience…  it REALLY did open me up.Quote2.png

—Ben Flajnik

The Bachelor airs Mondays 8/7c on ABC.