Have You Ever Vomited Upon Hearing Bad News?

October 30th, 2007, 15 Comments »

“Your sister is dead.” Blarrrggghhh!

“That’s not really your dog.” Eggarrrhhh!

“I know you’re a drug dealer.” Glarrrppp!

It’s a common convention in television and movies. Someone learns some awful news, and promptly pukes. I most recently saw an example of this technique while watching season two of Weeds (an excellent show, incidentally, and justification enough to include a picture of the lovely and talented Mary-Louise Parker).

I’ve never done it myself, or seen anybody do it, so I’ve always thought of it as lazy writing. It’s a quick and dirty way to dramatize the impact of exposition.

Have you ever vomited upon hearing bad news, or known somebody who has?

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Send Love Derek’s Way

June 27th, 2007, 3 Comments »

If you’re the praying sort, send prayers. If you’re the non-praying sort, send, I don’t know, good vibes. Derek got some really crappy news, and he and his family could use your support:

To boil it down: my cancer has grown and spread. My goals now are to see the Winter Olympics come to Vancouver in 2010, and beyond that to renew my driver’s license when it expires again in five years. But while my medical team and I will do everything to try to make that happen, there is a significant chance I might not live that long, that I might be dead before five years are up.

Be strong, dude.

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