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who are you

Question:

I confess I find the puffing of one’s own book a tad distasteful, but still Hooks does it a lot less obtrusively than some of seen, so I won’t begrudge him that, especailly since he’s got the goods and he doesn’t span.

The truth is that the number of books I might sell as a result of something I post in alt.acting is very, very small.  A book here and a book there don’t add up to much.  It is true that I recommend my book in alt.acting to people who are asking entry-level questions about show business.  But I intend the suggestion to be helpful, not mercernary. I wrote the book for just such people. The other way I mention my books is when I am trying to lend credence to an opinion I might have posted in a thread.  I will write under my signature that I am the other of this or that book. I view that more as a resume credit than a sales pitch. Anyway, I agree with you that hawking ones book is, well, unbecoming. In my case, it is even a bit embarrassing.  I have trouble selling my books in my own acting classes, in fact.<g Ed Hooks

Response:

Pan, You are indeed welcome! DoveCrye http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/6453 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We are indeed complex characters.  I believe that good actors have about<BR them a certain arrogance while, at the same time carrying with them an<BR intense need to communicate — which makes for vulnerability Notice my inane comments on this post?  Do I fit the mold?  Anyway, I have been reading through this newsgroup, and I have to admit that I find it refreshing to see a place where my fellow artist’s can throw down, and be real.  It’s nice to find the honest, and sometimes somewhat blatant, critisms, but with that hint of Southern Charm.  Sorry, I get on tangents at time.  I’m having this weird attraction to using apostophes on every word with an "S".  Anyway I appreciate the effort guys, and I will be trying to add my comments and questions.  I’m the newbie.  SFX  Kettle Drums. I hope I am welcomed. Pan

Response:

I hope I am welcomed. Pan

Very welcome.<g Ed Hooks

Response:

Anyway I appreciate the effort guys, and I will be trying to add my comments and questions.  I’m the newbie.  SFX  Kettle Drums. I hope I am welcomed.

BONG bong BONG bong BONG bong Hey guys!  Fresh Meat!! Only kidding.  I was over in callahans and forgot to go ‘civilized’ again. Chris }:-)      Christopher Jahn, AEA

{:-(           Production Staff, Actor’s Playhouse, Miami, FL "I guess I picked a bad day to to quit sniffin’ glue!"         Lloyd Bridges, in the movie "Airplane!"

Response:

We are indeed complex characters.  I believe that good actors have about<BR them a certain arrogance while, at the same time carrying with them an<BR intense need to communicate — which makes for vulnerability

Notice my inane comments on this post?  Do I fit the mold?  Anyway, I have been reading through this newsgroup, and I have to admit that I find it refreshing to see a place where my fellow artist’s can throw down, and be real.  It’s nice to find the honest, and sometimes somewhat blatant, critisms, but with that hint of Southern Charm.  Sorry, I get on tangents at time.  I’m having this weird attraction to using apostophes on every word with an "S".  Anyway I appreciate the effort guys, and I will be trying to add my comments and questions.  I’m the newbie.  SFX  Kettle Drums. I hope I am welcomed. Pan

Response:

I’m lucky I have both my ears (who<BR was that artist who cut one off and sent it to his girlfriend).

If it hasn’t already been answered…it was Vincent Van Gogh.  Sorry just putting in my two cents.  But why should we as artists fight?  Debate, sure, but not fight.  Art is infinite, and disregarding structure which is finite is the key to the expanding universe of creative expressions.  The only sad part I see is when the predator/prey scenario comes into play, and desperately we, as artists, fight amongst ourselves for the meager scraps from the table.  I’m into the lion’s share as well, but wish it were otherwise, and am working to fix this problem.  Okay, now I’ve made a fool of myself.  Thank you for your time. Pan

Response:

You sure are a complex character, and I say it in a good way. I do respect your knowledge and contribution to this newsgroup. Just cause I disagree with you about some things does not mean we are enemies as some newsgroups tend to become polarized and get out of hand. I firmly believe that debate brings knowledge. We as artists are complex creatures, I’ve been a musician since 63 and express myself artistically many ways in my life. It’s kind of cute to see you express yourself with humility one day and the next get (sanctimonious) but that is who we are. I’m lucky I have both my ears (who was that artist who cut one off and sent it to his girlfriend). Anyway let me know when your in L.A. working and I’ll get a background booking on it. I’d love to meet you.

Well said, Michael.  And I would like to meet you, too.   We are indeed complex characters.  I believe that good actors have about them a certain arrogance while, at the same time carrying with them an intense need to communicate — which makes for vulnerability. I realize that I’m all over the map at times.  It’s something I continue to work on.  What is consistent about me 100% of the time is a true love and appreciation for actors and the art/craft of acting.  I think acting is an honorable thing to do with ones life and that, in today’s insane world, it takes a lot of courage to pursue a career as an artist. Ed

Response:

I confess I find the puffing of one’s own book a tad distasteful, but still Hooks does it a lot less obtrusively than some of seen, so I won’t begrudge him that, especailly since he’s got the goods and he doesn’t span.

(snipped) Anyway, I agree with you that hawking ones book is, well, unbecoming. In my case, it is even a bit embarrassing.  I have trouble selling my books in my own acting classes, in fact.<g Ed Hooks

You sure are a complex character, and I say it in a good way. I do respect your knowledge and contribution to this newsgroup. Just cause I disagree with you about some things does not mean we are enemies as some newsgroups tend to become polarized and get out of hand. I firmly believe that debate brings knowledge. We as artists are complex creatures, I’ve been a musician since 63 and express myself artistically many ways in my life. It’s kind of cute to see you express yourself with humility one day and the next get (sanctimonious) but that is who we are. I’m lucky I have both my ears (who was that artist who cut one off and sent it to his girlfriend). Anyway let me know when your in L.A. working and I’ll get a background booking on it. I’d love to meet you. Michael

Response:

Ed–Personally I thought you’d relish this guy labeling you a youngster.  At this rate–you’ll be at it for another 50 years…   Caryn  : ) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –     I like Dave’s, and smirk at Ed’s input, they’re up front, center stage.     No, I’m not a professional critic. I’m just a regular person with heart and soul. And wishes to give and take, without the derogatory remarks from immature youngsters. Sounds to me like you like to argue just to hear your own voice, psaros.  If you have anything specific to say, go ahead and say it.  But these generalizations about how you have "heart and soul", which I presume you are implying I and others in the NG do NOT have for some reason — is silly stuff. Ed Hooks

Response:

This is Usenet, and the groups are ‘newsgroups’ (one word), not bulletin boards or somesuch…..

Thanks for taking to time to explain all that, David. In my next life, I intend to be VERY smart about computers.<g Ed Hooks

Response:

 No, I’m not a professional critic. I’m just a regular person with heart<BR and soul. And wishes to give and take, without the derogatory remarks from immature youngsters.<BR

Silly stuff indeed.  I read the post as well, and have one question.  What exactly is your point.  Aside from the bits and pieces of semi-precious metaphors, you lack any real point to your argument.  To argue without direction, is to go nowhere at a brisk pace.  Compassion, yes, there was your bit about compassion, but as to where it leads I’m unsure.   Sounds to me like you like to argue just to hear your own voice,<BR psaros.  If you have anything specific to say, go ahead and say it.

Then again, why did I bother at all.  Ed said it all.  Without trying to insult you anymore, could you at least explain what it is your really trying to say, and please skip the euphemisms.   Pan

Response:

No Ed, quite the contrary. Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is NG? In the racing circuit it meant ‘No Good’, preceded with a "F" :)

You’re not getting off to a very good start if you can’t even figure out that NG = newsgroup. And I sure hope you aren’t going to ask what a ‘newsgroup’ is. —     *                Daly City California:                *     *       where San Francisco meets The Peninsula       *     ******* and the San Andreas Fault meets the Sea *******

Response:

No Ed, quite the contrary. Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is NG? In the racing circuit it meant ‘No Good’, preceded with a "F" :)

News Group. }:-)      Christopher Jahn, AEA

{:-(           Production Staff, Actor’s Playhouse, Miami, FL "I guess I picked a bad day to to quit sniffin’ glue!"         Lloyd Bridges, in the movie "Airplane!"

Response:

No Ed, quite the contrary. Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is NG?

News Group.  Sometimes known as a User Group. It’s where you are talking to me. Ed

Response:

No Ed, quite the contrary. Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is NG? News Group.  Sometimes known as a User Group. It’s where you are talking to me.

Some pedantry… The Internet and Usenet wise should no hit the ‘n’ key. This is Usenet, and the groups are ‘newsgroups’ (one word), not bulletin boards or somesuch. Although Usenet uses the Internet for much of it’s transmission, it is not a part of the Internet. In the past there have been several nets outside of the Internet that also propagated Usenet, although as the Internet becomes more universal, more and more of Usenet is being carried via Internet. Usenet articles are propagated by means of an extensive ‘bucket brigade’ sort of thing. When you create an article and post it, it goes first to your own server or service, which then makes it available for other servers. Each server in turn makes it available to still more servers. Eventually, the article appears on servers all over the world, provided they carry the newsgroup. This means there are thousands and thousands of copies of you words of wisdoms on computers all over the world. And it means you are now consumign disk space on computers all over the world. There is no ‘Usenet Central’ where the articles are kept; it is pure anarchy which depends on the good will of server operators all over the world. Because each system keeps a copy of every post, and there are some 30,000 newsgroups now, each operator has rules about what it will carry. Some dont’ carry any alt.* groups for instance. Others will not carry binary groups, not necessarily because the photos posted are, um, unseemly, but because they take up enormous amounts of disk space. Similarly, different operators only keep articels for a certain length of time, erasing any more than, say, two weeks old. While some users like myself do our Usenet reaading through an ISP shell account, others use newsreaders that require that the articles first be downloaded – in their entirety – to their own computers before they can be looked at, a process that can comsume a lot of time and disk space, especially through a slower modem. If, in addition, the user has to pay by the hour, this can really add up. This is the reason for the Netiquette guideline that you don’t post binaries to newsgroups except for those groups that are specifically for binaries. It is also the reason for the Netiquette gudieline that you should trim the other guy’s quote in yoru article to the extent possible while retaining enough to make it clear what you are responding to. You can find some good stuff on this subject by doing a Yahoo search for ‘Netiquette’. I like the one at http://www.vonl.com/vtab24/news102.htm —     *                Daly City California:                *     *       where San Francisco meets The Peninsula       *     ******* and the San Andreas Fault meets the Sea *******

Response:

I confess I find the puffing of one’s own book a tad distasteful, I will let stand your snippy comment about lurking before posting, but, distasteful to promote your own wares when the opportunity presents itself?  Do you keep your headshot and resume in a vault and only submit them when asked?  Or do you leave the "business’ of "selling" your "wares" to some nasty ole agent?  Or are you a critic.  You write and think like one.

There is a long history and tradition on the internet and on usenet about commercial uses. One of the dangers on Usenet is that newsgroups such as this can quickly be uilled with nothing but real and scam adverts, and the real messages start to get lost in the noise. It has happened to some groups, and I think all of the readers would be irritated should it happen here. Usenet is not the ‘real world’. Puff yourself all you want out there. I’m a critic, yes, but of internet use, having been on it for quite a long time (in internet years — kind of like dog years), and think the guidelines to be found in Netiquette still ahve some validity. Nevertheless, not that I only sad a "tad" distasteful inHooks’ case, and proceeded to a defense of Hooks in this case. Now, back to your earlier comment about first lurking before posting.  I said I would not comment.  In the words of John Wayne, "the hell I wont!" Who the hell appointed you the goddamn arbiter of the net?  Rules?  Stick them!  Acting is very much about breaking the boundaries of the rules by which people live their ordinary, lives.  That is why they pay to see us live life with intensity and oputside the boudaries of rules.

They’re not ‘rules’, in that they’re not really enforcable on an unmoderated newsgroup. But even if the law didn’t require it, we would still need a generally accepted ‘rule’ that we all drive on the same side of the road. The long-accepted guidelines to be found in the Netiquette are still a way for all of us to be able to get along. And, by the way, one of the accepted ‘rules’ of real life is that you can break the rules, sometimes, but you better be very, very good to get away with it. Are you very, very good? —     *                Daly City California:                *     *       where San Francisco meets The Peninsula       *     ******* and the San Andreas Fault meets the Sea *******

Response:

No Ed, quite the contrary. Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is NG? In the racing circuit it meant ‘No Good’, preceded with a "F" :) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –     I like Dave’s, and smirk at Ed’s input, they’re up front, center stage.     No, I’m not a professional critic. I’m just a regular person with heart and soul. And wishes to give and take, without the derogatory remarks from immature youngsters. Sounds to me like you like to argue just to hear your own voice, psaros.  If you have anything specific to say, go ahead and say it.  But these generalizations about how you have "heart and soul", which I presume you are implying I and others in the NG do NOT have for some reason — is silly stuff. Ed Hooks

Response:

Well put my man!!!!!

Response:

    I like Dave’s, and smirk at Ed’s input, they’re up front, center stage.     No, I’m not a professional critic. I’m just a regular person with heart and soul. And wishes to give and take, without the derogatory remarks from immature youngsters.

Sounds to me like you like to argue just to hear your own voice, psaros.  If you have anything specific to say, go ahead and say it.  But these generalizations about how you have "heart and soul", which I presume you are implying I and others in the NG do NOT have for some reason — is silly stuff. Ed Hooks

Response:

I thought critical THOUGHT was part of breaking the rules. For a bunch of wise guys, you talk allot about nothing (Paraphrase from Shakespeare). And I have trouble standing in his shoes too!     In the journey of building my craft, I’ve learned to put my ego aside and accept things for what they’re worth. I’ve gotten many a black eye,some of which I deserved. I thank those people for the privilege of  their patience and professionalism. To pull me up to their level instead of knocking me down. Those who profess to know it all, stop learning, and end up knowing the least. I have paid dearly, and have learned allot by it.   " Who are you" can be interpreted in other ways other than a challenge. It seemed to me to be a legitimate question since your the one who brought your commercial attributes into the limelight.    This tongue and cheek stuff, with the cloak and dagger is  amusing, but we can bring this page up a notch. Let’s get somewhere, perhaps we can leave out the commercials. There’s enough of that Madison Ave bullshit in the everyday toils of our lives in this(sic) society.  As actors, portraying lives, That’s why we do, and people watch.     Compassion gents, you’re forgetting the compassion. Even when portraying the villain, a little compassion makes him more interesting.     I like Dave’s, and smirk at Ed’s input, they’re up front, center stage.     No, I’m not a professional critic. I’m just a regular person with heart and soul. And wishes to give and take, without the derogatory remarks from immature youngsters.  .

Response:

I confess I find the puffing of one’s own book a tad distasteful,

I will let stand your snippy comment about lurking before posting, but, distasteful to promote your own wares when the opportunity presents itself?  Do you keep your headshot and resume in a vault and only submit them when asked? Or do you leave the "business’ of "selling" your "wares" to some nasty ole agent?  Or are you a critic.  You write and think like one. Now, back to your earlier comment about first lurking before posting.  I said I would not comment.  In the words of John Wayne, "the hell I wont!"  Who the hell appointed you the goddamn arbiter of the net?  Rules?  Stick them!   Acting is very much about breaking the boundaries of the rules by which people live their ordinary, lives.  That is why they pay to see us live life with intensity and oputside the boudaries of rules.

Response:

Ed,    I like your response to "free Acting book" But can’t help but notice you plugging your own stuff.    Forgive me for my ignorance, but , who are you?

See http://www.best.com/~edhooks If in the San Francisco Bay Area, pick up a copy of Callboard at a magazine stand and check out his ad. His books are available through www.amazon.com and www.borders.com, among, I am sure, others. As for forgiving your ignorance, you need to be reminded that one of the ‘rules’ of netiquette is to lurk for a while before posting to a newsgroup. Had you done so you would have easily found out quite a bit about Mr Hooks, and seen his posting of that web site URL when he was asked somewhat the same question before; it was only a short time ago. Still, few fields besides psychic readings are so filled with charlatans, mountebanks and frauds as theatre, so healthy skepticism is a good defense, right along with a functioning bullshit detector. I confess I find the puffing of one’s own book a tad distasteful, but still Hooks does it a lot less obtrusively than some of seen, so I won’t begrudge him that, especailly since he’s got the goods and he doesn’t span. —     *                Daly City California:                *     *       where San Francisco meets The Peninsula       *     ******* and the San Andreas Fault meets the Sea *******

Response:

Ed,     I like your response to "free Acting book" But can’t help but notice you plugging your own stuff.     Forgive me for my ignorance, but , who are you?

Response:

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