Whats your weird hobby?

polarchill · 02-11-06 13:59:11

Burlesque wrote:

I think that sounds like a lovely thing to do, Antiface. A lot of hobbies are a bit silly, and yours is no sillier than most.
(I of course see rabbit heads in my sleep these days, but that has nothing to do with clouds.)
Burlesque.

As long as it isn't Frank the Bunny.

--
Polarchill

Burlesque · 02-11-06 20:05:44

I have only seen that film once, so I think I'm safe for the moment ... But what is a moment? And when? Good film.

Burlesque.

Last edited by Burlesque (02-11-06 20:06:06)

aven frey · 03-11-06 07:35:31

Weird hobbies of mine include long walks on the beach, reading, collecting insects, cutting them up, making new insects with the pieces, taking the new insects to the swamps at sunset during king tide, photographing them. I'm glad its a weird hobby though and that not many people hang out in the swamps, they would loose their charm if they were as crowded as beaches.

Burlesque · 03-11-06 10:33:02

The Swamp Thing is weird, and I'm glad you're able to combine it with the yet weirder habit of frankensteinian insect de-/re-construction, because then it all becomes mega-weird ... in a very charming and creative way, of course. I agree that nature is best experienced without crowds milling about.

One thing, though: aren't Australian swamps choked with venomous, toothy, stinging, generally utterly lethal lifeforms who would like nothing better than a video editor for dinner?

Burlesque.

Last edited by Burlesque (03-11-06 10:33:48)

polarchill · 03-11-06 12:12:41

max wrote:

Weird hobbies of mine include long walks on the beach, reading, collecting insects, cutting them up, making new insects with the pieces, taking the new insects to the swamps at sunset during king tide, photographing them.

Are you familiar with director David Lynch' hobby? (at least it used to be; I don't know if he's still into it) The refrigerator in his house is filled with "animal kits". Similar to taxidermy, he has dissected and preserved some small animals (mice, squirrels, etc.), labelling the parts so they can be reassembled, that is to say, "how to make a squirrel". Compared to that, I guess insect mix-and-match doesn't sound that bizarre (and someday your photography will fetch a handsome price in a gallery, or at the very least become a nice limited edition art book).

By the way, David Lynch doesn't keep any actual food in his refrigerator (or the rest of the house). He says he finds the smell of uncooked food ingredients (as opposed to squirrel intestines) overpowering.

--
Polarchill

Cate · 03-11-06 13:03:37

Max a bit off topic but do you know Tim Noble and Sue Webster's work if not I think you might like it. Here's a picture of their work British Wildlife. They assemble mainly trash so that it creates shilloette self-portraits.

More works here http://www.modernartinc.com/timnoble/

They have a great weird hobby.

Last edited by Cate (03-11-06 13:04:25)

polarchill · 03-11-06 22:53:20

Cate wrote:

Max a bit off topic but do you know Tim Noble and Sue Webster's work if not I think you might like it. Here's a picture of their work British Wildlife. They assemble mainly trash so that it creates shilloette self-portraits.

More works here http://www.modernartinc.com/timnoble/
They have a great weird hobby.

That is awesome, in the literal, as opposed to the overused, sense. I love it when an artist does something so fantastic that I can't even begin to wrap my mind around the process behind its production.

--
Polarchill

blissed · 04-11-06 02:27:06

Cate wrote:

Max a bit off topic but do you know Tim Noble and Sue Webster's work if not I think you might like it. Here's a picture of their work British Wildlife. They assemble mainly trash so that it creates shilloette self-portraits.
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2884/t … itisz1.jpg
More works here http://www.modernartinc.com/timnoble/
They have a great weird hobby.

Their stuff is really good!! I like the visual appeal of this one. and not really because it's appropriate for this site but I just think it's really good and I like the forever stuff, it's like those glitter graphics but made real, or at least closer to the real emotions people innocently try to express with them. Yeah I like that, thanks for sharing

.

Last edited by blissed (04-11-06 02:29:27)

Burlesque · 04-11-06 03:37:05

Weird hobbies getting increasingly weird ... which naturally is a good thing. I'm so drunk I can't even spell, but that is a nice thing too; everything is nice right now. Let's call it a weird, all too rarely indulged-in hobby of mine, getting drunk as an egg (old Swedish proverb which doesn't make sense in English). I think I would look really good as a down-and-out hobo, but there's no time to be lying around in a gutter, is there?

Burlesque.

dyslexius · 04-11-06 03:58:35

Burlesque wrote:

Weird hobbies getting increasingly weird ... which naturally is a good thing. I'm so drunk I can't even spell, but that is a nice ting too; everything is nice right now. Let's call it a weird, all too rarely indulged-in hobby of mine, getting drunk as an egg (old Swedish proverb which doesn't make sense in English). I think I would look really good as a down-and-out hobo, but there's no time to be lying around in a gutter, is there?
Burlesque.

Your speeling is fine.
I think you are fuking it.

--lysdexius

Gavinrad · 04-11-06 09:02:13

this thread rules, btw

Desertgirl44 · 25-11-06 13:57:51

Snus sounds a bit like kava which the Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia chew.

I'm a bit of a rail buff. Something to do with taking long journeys and enjoyment of the social history of Australia. It's also an excuse to get out into the countryside. Where I live I get to see The Ghan every few days. (That's one of Australia's great trains, it journeys from Adelaide in the south, to Darwin in the north, a trip of 2979kms). It's mainly blokes who get involved with trains so I guess it is a little weird that a woman would be interested.

Other than that I like bushwalking and photography. Very keen on travelling, very much a gypsy. Not very weird at all.

For the person looking for genuine didgeridoos, it is possible to buy online direct from the Arrentere aboriginal people in Alice Springs. http://www.aboriginalaustralia.com
Whilst it's true there is a lot of "fake" indigenous art on the Australian market, there are also a number of our indigenous communities who are now online and running their own art businesses. They are worth seeking out, if only to minimise the amount of profit going to the "middle man".

The_Elfman · 09-12-06 15:21:05

Tonight is the final performance of a production of Cinderella I am performing in. I appreciate that to many of you British Pantomime may be an unfamiliar concept so please bare with me. I was playing one of Cinderella's two evil step-sisters (known as "The Ugly sisters"). In pantomime certain female characters are traditionally played by a men (known as "Dames") and the hero is played by a woman (known as "The principal boy") There is never any attempt made to conceal the true genders of the performers in these roles. This would be contrary to the spirit and traditions of pantomime. The ugly sisters are unique amongst pantomime Dame characters in that they are the only Dame villains. Below is the only photo I have of me in costume at the moment. I apologise that it isn't a very good one.

My thoughts now that the run is coming to an end are that doing this panto has certainly broadened my acting technique considerably. I have played in pantomimes before but only with small groups and not very good performers. I have learnt a lot this week. I suppose the biggest thing has been getting used to "crossing the curtainline". There is a lot of audience participation in pantomime. Most of my experience has been as a straight, dramatic actor in conventional plays. As a rather introverted, shy person this has allowed me to "hide" behind whatever character I was playing at the time. The nature of British pantomime of course is that you have to converse directly with the audience. This was a scary prospect for me at the beginning of the week. As a Dame and a villain you also have to be "big" and melodramatic. Again not any easy ask for an introvert. In the first scene I have with the other ugly sister we have to come out of character (completely opposite to all of my experience as an actor) and sing "Sisters are doing it for themselves". Even the song was not good for me. I'm not a soul singer and the prospect of having to dance outrageously in front of an audience frankly terrified me. On Tuesday (the opening night) I felt very self-conscious doing this and it probably showed. By last night however I had reached a level of unselfconsciousness which allowed me to go out into the audience during the song and drape myself provocatively over various men. I have gotten over my discomfort of playing with rather than to the audience and last night thoroughly enjoyed whipping a full house with a lot of young children into a frenzy with my "Oh no it isn't"s. I can ham it up with the best of them now with no self-consciousness.

On playing pantomime dame (a role unique in British theatre. There are some professional actors who do nothing else. Working from Christmas to Easter and "resting" the rest of the year) my feelings have also changed. Our director, himself a very experienced and good Dame, told me right from the beginning "Don't make her camp. You're a man in a dress. Not a female impersonator". What I originally aimed at was a cross between Wilfred Brambell's Albert Steptoe (from the classic BBC sitcom "Steptoe and Son") and perhaps the greatest of all dames, Arthur Lucan's Old Mother Riley In performance of course "Donna" evolved into something else entirely although I hoped I managed to retain something of my original concept.

Here are some thoughts from Sir Ian McKellen on British pantomime and his attitude to playing Dame two years ago.
http://www.mckellen.com/stage/aladdin/words.htm

So will this experience change me as a person. Make me more self confident and less introverted? This has yet be seen. It has certainly been an interesting week.

Elfman

Journeyfan · 09-12-06 18:17:42

As we live in the same city in the UK and at The_Elfman's kind invitation, I took my wife, daughter and two year old granddaughter to see the the performance of "Cinderella" on Thursday evening and I must say that we all hugely enjoyed the pantomime.

I have now witnessed two quite different acting roles from the Elf ( the other being the role of the father in Alan Ayckbourn's comedy "Family Circles") and I must say, for someone who professes to be a shy and introverted Elf, you certainly do not come across that way when on stage.

I can see that you are more comfortable with dramatic acting than the overtly "over the top" performance that is required in "panto-land", however, we all thought you were excellent and the perfect foil for the far more extrovert character of "Bella", the other ugly sister who, by the way, was hysterically funny - one of the very best "dames" I have witnessed .... "Oh yes she was! .... Oh no she wasn't! .... Oh yes she was!"

In fact it was hard to fault any of the performers. All made for a hugely entertaining and enjoyable evening, borne out by the fact that the performance held my two year old granddaughter's attention for more than two hours! .... and, as anyone who has tried to entertain a two year old for that length of time will vouch, that is no mean feat!

Having performed in a pantomime many years ago myself (I was about thirteen or fourteen at the time) I know how nervewracking it can be and singing live on stage even more so, especially if you are not overly confident in your vocal ability. I take my hat off to you!

And in case you were wondering, my wife and I did comment afterwards that your characterisation did have overtones of Wilfred Bramble's "Harold Steptoe" character, only in drag! So well done on that score as well!

Thank you Elf for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

JF

blissed · 09-12-06 18:46:33

Elf I love that pic A lot of people would be too self conscious to post it let alone perform as a dame! I think there are a lot of actors who are in fact intoverted, I think the essence of being shy is that in day to day life you have no script and your confidence depends on your past success or the lack of it creating self doubt.
In a dramatic performance you have a script, therefore half of the anxiety of being shy is removed, you just need the confirmation from those around you that your performance is sound. But back to life tho, when communicating (everyone makes a bad joke or says something silly at some point) and people who make allowances for someones shyness because they like you are the people who are worth having as friends. Anyway, it's great the way you post these pics, I think your really rather fond of your frocks arn't you

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Siobhan · 09-12-06 20:41:13

elfman this is wonderful; thanks ever so much for allowing us to share this fascinating time of your creative life with you.

i also want to say that i adore that picture; au contraire to your words above, i think it captures so much. I think I want to print it out and put in on a corkboard over my desk.

Finally, your post above was so very interesting -- i'd never heard of any of this -- and a joy to read. I wish I could have seen the performance, but this post has given me a lot as well -- and thanks much to journeyfan for allowing us all to live vicariously through him!

dyslexius · 10-12-06 01:30:14

The_Elfman wrote:

...I appreciate that to many of you British Pantomime may be an unfamiliar concept so please bare with me.

Yes it sure is -- although, might almost all of the Monty Python skits I've seen over the years be thus, or, at least "in-the-tradition" of British Pantomime (Eric Idle and Company always seemed to half-way mimic female voices, which, if I understand you correctly, panto actors don't do)? I've never associated the word pantomime with anything other than that wordless form that is so famous in these parts.

An observation: There is absolutely a resemblance between your avatar (shot in much better light, with professional optics, and a more, shall we say, "heroic" pose) and the more obviously sinister pose you strike in the current pic!.

It's a real pleasure, Elf, to get a look into that pursuit which so radiantly gets your juices flowing.

--dyslexius

Last edited by dyslexius (10-12-06 01:55:39)

aven frey · 10-12-06 02:08:34

yay Elf!! Great post great photo!!!

The_Elfman · 10-12-06 02:28:59

The final show went brilliantly. We had a mostly adult audience and played the double entendres for all they were worth. I was a total tart in the "sisters are doing it for themselves" song and sat on every male lap available. I am ever so slightly inebriated as I write this. I should go to bed but I'm still too full of adrenalin to sleep. Thanks everyone for their kind words and to JF for his great review.

Elfman

The_Elfman · 10-12-06 18:58:13

blissed wrote:

it's great the way you post these pics, I think your really rather fond of your frocks aren't you .

Here's a better one taken at the dress rehearsal.

Siobhan · 10-12-06 19:54:06

great legs, if i may be so bold.

The_Elfman · 10-12-06 21:22:00

It's the shoes. That's how I retain my wonderful posture.

bolero · 11-12-06 04:13:15

Aahh what can you say. This page of this thread has bridged the gap across cyber space so eloquently, smoothly and dramatically that it's almost like having a party in the same room with everyone who has posted. Wicked!!!

Bolero

Siobhan · 11-12-06 04:32:54

Well, then, would you like to dance?

polarchill · 11-12-06 12:22:26

The_Elfman wrote:

On playing pantomime dame (a role unique in British theatre. There are some professional actors who do nothing else. Working from Christmas to Easter and "resting" the rest of the year) my feelings have also changed. Our director, himself a very experienced and good Dame, told me right from the beginning "Don't make her camp. You're a man in a dress. Not a female impersonator". What I originally aimed at was a cross between Wilfred Brambell's Albert Steptoe (from the classic BBC sitcom "Steptoe and Son") and perhaps the greatest of all dames, Arthur Lucan's Old Mother Riley In performance of course "Donna" evolved into something else entirely although I hoped I managed to retain something of my original concept.

Old Mother Riley! I haven't thought about her . . . er, him . . . whatever, in years! When I was a very young kid, the local TV station's horror host (the guy I linked to in the YouTube thread) would run Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire whenever he'd run short of real horror for his weekly double feature. The first time I saw the film I was so young I didn't even know it was a guy in a dress.

Good to know the old girl's spirit lives on.

#51 02-11-06 13:59:11

Re: Whats your weird hobby?

#52 02-11-06 20:05:44

Re: Whats your weird hobby?

#53 03-11-06 07:35:31

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#54 03-11-06 10:33:02

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#56 03-11-06 13:03:37

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#62 25-11-06 13:57:51

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