(Dru)ster

Colombia (w/ an “O”)

It’ll be 25 years since I’ve been back to the country I was born. It’s a mystery even to me why it has taken me so long to finally get back to my roots and explore a country that (I’ve been told) is rich in culture, life and pride. A pride I never quite understood or felt having been raised in the U.S. I suppose, as any transplant would, I never really felt I deserved to be patriotic when I barely spent the first year of my life there — and could never recite the national anthem, pledge of allegiance or name more than the capital cities my family members are from. On the other hand, I never really felt all American either…

Now a days, saying I’m Colombian (of which I am 100 percent if you take into account both of my biological parents, grandparents and myself were born in Colombia) — has been a point of pride. Mainly, I enjoy the kind of exotic undertone that is associated with not being from America and knowing another language. It is a point of differentiation. Perhaps the other influencer is a resurrected identity where media, society and people in general are beginning to view Colombia as more than “a country that exports cocaine” and really a destination for history, architecture, culture and adventure. 

I had one good friend opt for an impromptu trip to Colombia. I’ve read numerous reviews and personal accounts from Americans’ perspectives on their visit within the last year and they all undoubtedly start the same… “it’s not unsafe anymore” and with the disclaimer “just as it can happen in any major city.” 

In Barnes & Nobles today, while browsing the travel section, I was disappointed to see only two options of guides. Neither of which struck me as particularly appealing or insightful, but presumably helpful in providing context for a country I should very well know. I suppose Rick Stevens has yet to jump on the band wagon and provide a guide to Colombia — or he’s currently in the throws of his first draft.

Perhaps more interesting was the dismay of a 20-something and his girlfriend who shared my disappointment in the limited resources on Colombia. It gave me joy to see another fellow young professional opting to travel to Colombia vs. the default Costa Rica, Mexico or Argentina. I wanted to pick his brain and inquire why Colombia? Why now? Needless to say, I observed contently from afar as his girlfriend assured him that it was “kind of cool that there were only two books on Colombia” as if to say — it’s unchartered territory and the “hipster” thing to do. 

In less than two months, I’ll be on my way from JFK to Bogota, Colombia. It was an impulse trip at first, but the more I think about it and the more I research and plan, the more I’m looking forward to it. It’s only fitting that it be my country of birth and my first go at solo travel (insert reference to trip for personal self discovery here). Granted, I have family there who will smooth the transition for my two week stint — the rest of my country’s exploration will be done with a backpack, camera and possibility. 

You need not worry about me — as the guide books assure me — it can happen in any major city, so why tread lightly? 

iDon’t Care About Your iPhone

The iPhone — a seemingly miraculous piece of technology that has shaped the way we look at mobile phones. There isn’t anything this little hand-held device can’t do — yet. Except maybe cause a giant tear in all of human interaction. You can hardly walk down the street without seeing someone with their iPhone, BlackBerry, Drooid, Sidekick glued to their finger tips.

This is no revelation on my part. There have been countless and perhaps will be endless amounts of research in the coming years that will unveil our generation’s social interaction and lack of human communication has “somehow” managed to dwindle. No surprise there. I can save the research institutes years of focus groups and research funds by telling you that, that “lack of human contact” is already here.

Maybe it’s because I live in highly populated, dense city where you can’t help but always be surrounded by 100s of people. The concept of “personal space” and the value behind it— hardly exists here. Yet, everywhere I look, no matter what I’m doing, there is someone fervently texting, checking their iPhone, listening to their ubiquitous white headphones and lost in their own little realm. Admittedly, with the lack of “personal space” in the city — it could quite possibly be the only means to our salvation and our only slice of sanity when constantly faced with the rat race of Manhattan.

And in lieu of sounding like being a hypocrite, there is one thing that I have become more conscious of in the past few months— that is not letting my iPhone stand in the way of human interaction.

How many times have I met up with friends and their smart phone sits resting complacently on top of the dinner table? I’ve actually ended up losing count one night on the number of times he/she checked the phone in the course of our 15 minute conversation. Not only is it rude, but it’s frustrating to know that there is no restraint to check a text, re-load our latest E-mails and update our Facebook status. Is it really that important to your 32498342 “friends” that you just picked spinach out of your teeth?

Likely not, but somehow our compulsive need to pick up that device has become our safety blanket in times when the real “social” medium becomes too “awkward” for us to confront. We’re all guilty of it. Think back to a time when you’ve been waiting for a friend outside of a destination. It’s habitual to take out your phone and start randomly flicking through it with no real intention of using it. Maybe it’s responding to a text message from a friend 2 days ago or texting that one friend you know you should call more regularly, but found that now is the most opportune time to shoot them a text to catch up. Maybe you’re checking your work E-mail for the 5th time since you left work or updating your Facebook status for the 15th time today.

We’ve become a society dependent on our handhelds to solve our social apprehensions, discomfort and feelings of inadequacy. So what are we so afraid of and why are we so willing to let the tangible relationships we have cave in the face of incessantly picking up our iPhone to see if we have missed a text or E-mail? The truth is, I have become increasingly frustrated with friends’ and even those random folk at the gym, bars and restaurants being so disconnected from reality and hinging on the prospect that someone will invent an app to solve their next conundrum. I’m talking to the guy checking his email while on the elliptical, the girl who checks her phone between every 10 crunches as if she’s missed out and the friend who keeps the phone on the dinner table in hands reach should the familiar blue light shine to indicate a text message, voicemail or E-mail.

If we spent half the time we obsess over our phones and invested it into human interaction and the real “social” medium that is conversations—we’d likely be a better fit society. Fit to communicate effectively, open the door for a stranger, increase our odds of meeting a significant other and possibly listen to what it is our friends are saying. I mean really listen, not just hear. I feel for my 12-year-old brother’s generation who will undoubtedly rely on a text message to fulfill any means of effectively communicating. Think about the missed opportunities.

All I’m saying is that perhaps we should evaluate what is really important and rid ourselves of this habitual need to keep our eyes and fingers glued to touch screens. Invest a little more into actually being satisfied with our current situation and resist the urge to check our phones. At some point, it is my theory, we will have this unbelievable backlash on all of the pieces of our “world” we deem necessary.

People will return to reading the newspaper, crave a hardcover book vs a kindle, write a letter vs sending an email, arrange to meet for coffee vs just sending a text and have a conversation vs simply passing the time in between text messages. IDon’t care you have an iPhone, but then again they haven’t developed an app for curing our social discomfort that comes with parting from our phones. Or have they?

-Druster

My Blog is Not a Book

Yes, I’m guilty. I have two blogs that I attempt to keep updated as consistently as possible. My closest friends have all begun paving their own careers by starting blogs on topics they actually enjoy writing about and find entertaining. I’ve even begun blogging for my company’s blog about public relations and a huge chunk of my job is monitoring blogs that could potentially blog about my clients. Blog. Blog. Blog. Blog. Blog.

When the barriers to entry are as easy as entering your E-mail address and downloading an iPhone app to begin your blog, it’s no wonder the world over has begun feverishly getting in on this “social media” world before it’s too late. Blogging can be a full time job, but for many of the successful bloggers out there it lands just above another extra curricular activity post the insufferable corporate desk job that pays the bills.

Perhaps most fascinating is these “extra curricular” bloggers’ ability to turn their after-school activity into a full-fledged job. I mean we all know print is dead so obviously we have to turn to the world wide web. Can I copyright that little rhyme?

A few examples come to mind, but the best is of a blogger friend of mine Ben Clymer’s - Hodinkee blog, which started because of his fascination with vintage watches first introduced to him by his grandfather. Ben was once gainfully employed by a major financial fratpowerhouse of the Park Avenue sort and today gets gifted with high-end, luxury watches to test drive at events. How very James Bondish. His watch hobby blogging was so niche and fresh from a young 26-year-old perspective, he’s now one of the most highly regarded watch writers in the industry today. From zero to hero in 60 seconds flat. Count that on your Perrelet Turbine watch.

Of course, there’s always the gratuitous bloggers whose motive for blogging becomes evident: a memoir of their once troubled childhood. Certainly your life is more interesting than mine so allow me to revel in your pity party. My personal blog was started some 3 years ago whilst studying abroad mainly as a one-stop source for my friends and family to see what I was up too versus typing the same story over instant messenger every night to the same 10 people. It was easy, but it fast became a live journal when I moved to New York. But my blog is not a book. Nor do I have plans to write a book about what my less-than-ordinary life has been like because lets face it—you’re just not interested.

There are approximately 8 types of bloggers out there:

1. The Emo: It’s his blog that details the teenage angst that festers within each one of us and the woe-is-me of pimply adolescence. Not to be excluded is the quarter-life crisis crowd.

2. The Career-ist: It’s her blog that hopes to mold her appreciation, admiration and obsession into something of a career. Knowledgeable yes, committed, of course, but it can sometimes seem disproportionately forced. I hate that just linked to her site.

3. The After-Schooler: It’s his blog that starts as some what of a “lets build model cars and planes” activity. He’s got some extra time in the evening, why not lend it to something he actually enjoys. The difference between the After-Schooler and the Career-ist is the tone in the blog posts makes it evident that there is no motive behind his blogging.

4. The Hybrid: It’s her blog that blends her passion with her career. She blurrs the lines between The Career-ist and the After-Schooler successfully. It’s her blog that is often sought after by flacks (including yours truly) and offered book deals. Their unhinged motivation for blogging fast turns into a full-time job.

5. Dr. Blogger: It’s his blog who attempts to tout his “know how” and “industry insight” of the blogosphere. I suppose this very post could fall into this category, but Dr. Blogger has morphed his once captivating POV into something of a Web site that’s lost that personal touch and voice that once made it….entertaining.

6. The Fun(employed): It’s her blog that becomes an avenue for witty, fun dialogue, pop culture references, photos, music uploads and more! It can also morph into a more “creative” twitter feed where she keeps every one of her twitter followers and facebook friends up-to-date. It is escapism at its media-savvy finest.

7. The Blogger: It’s his blog that is every bloggers aspiration. It’s insightful, funny, rich content and relevant, but it’s also his full-time job to blog. It makes sense that he’d be the first to break the news, spread gossip and even insight some commentary from loyal readers.

8. The User: It’s her blog that adds nothing more than a place for readers/users to post their own content. It is the lazy bloggers attempt to blog. None of the content on the Web site is hers, but submission by readers/users automatically becomes her material should she get offered a book deal. How cruel and intelligent of her.

Let’s face reality and allow me to add my POV (point of view). I just made up all 8 of those descriptions perhaps alienating and aggrevating a whole batch of bloggers, but the blogosphere is beginning to lose its luster.

What once offered brililant, talented, thought-provoking writers an avenue to share their experience, knowledge and humor is now just another route for hitting it big in the maintstream.

Sadly, this has not detoured people (including myself) from adding to the saturated blogosphere, but perhaps more unfortunate is it has detoured the truly artistic from ever pushing that “publish” button and sharing their work with the blogosphere.

I’m just not looking for a book deal.

Rottin’ Apple (Inc.): Not Biting It

I am a company’s wet dream. I am your early adopter. I am your brand loyalest. I am your biggest brand ambassador. I am a consumer, techie. I like being ahead of the curve, a trend-spotter and trendsetter. Forgive my modesty, but as I continue to think about the evolution of the Apple brand and all of my devotion to it (not to mention $$$) I am becoming increasingly bitter.

It was February 2003 when I anxiously unwrapped my first Apple computer in the back seat of my parents car too excited to wait to get home. I had saved up enough money working at Banana Republic to pay for half of my first Apple product, the iBook. At that time, the conversion to Apple was in its infancy when only the creative types were the ones sitting at Starbucks working on their latest graphic design and Final Cut Pro movie. Admittedly, I was a poser and wanted/needed a new computer as I ventured off to college. Like every new Mac user, it took a little adjusting, but once I fell in love…I really fell hard.

Six months ago, my iBook finally croaked on me. R.I.P. iBook G4 2003-2008. But, it never really died. The monitor simply gave way. I can hear it working, but the monitor doesn’t turn on. So, with the announcement of the new MacBook, I placed my dying iBook in its InCase sleeve and stored it away in my closet. I then went out and bought the new, beautifully designed MacBook to accompany my iPhone 3G. But, because I had been a previous Mac owner and I owned the 3rd Generation iPod (the one with the four buttons before the click wheel) I was never jumping on any bandwagon. I was simply continuing my brand loyalty.

I once loved my Mac products so much because of their longevity and quality. To this day, I am able to listen to my first iPod without a problem and I bought it as a refurbished product (when Apple did refurbished products). But now, with the release of the new iPhone 3G S and Apple’s endless quest to come out with a new product every couple of months, I am beginning to lose respect for its ingenuious designs, advancements and quite frankly— quality.

I’m beginning to question Apple’s real motivation. Is it still to provide superior and advanced products or have they become so keen on pleasing their investors, board of directors and shareholders that becoming a market leader and trumping their competition is priority number one?

The Apple name is becoming diluted and so are their once well manufactured products. As a former Corporate Communications account exec, I represented publicly trade companies, so I understand the importance of touting the bottom line and driving revenue streams. But at what expense is Apple willing to fore-go some of its greatest brand ambassadors?

• I stood in line the first day to get my hands on the iPhone 3G merely one year ago.
• I paid the $300 and even switched service providers (paying the $250 termination fee) only to find out that the newest version is offered at a fraction of the price.
• I bought the new MacBook only to find out that a month later Apple was offering it at discount to any that were purchased online.
• My iPhone cannot be updated to the new 3.0 software because my  computer (which I hardly use) cannot support the back up.
• My iPhone has complications that Apple believes are easily solved by turning the device off and on.
• And I’m beginning to question whether my MacBook will hold out as long as my iBook did…. if some of my friend’s recent experiences with their latest Apple products are any indication, I’m giving it 3 years versus the 5.5 that my iBook lasted.

As a once huge Apple pusher (not unlike a drug pusher), I have started to resent the blatant disregard for us early adopters. The new iPhone 3G S a fraction of what I paid for my iPhone 3G—- Really?

Dear Apple,

Have you learned that by not including search features with every new device you come out with every 6 months that I will probably go out and buy the newest version? For example, no camera feature on the iPhone 3G, in retrospect, seems absolutely ridiculous for such an advanced phone. I suppose you are the smarter one and the joke is on me and my depleting bank account.

You, Apple, should be grateful for people like me. People who go out and stand in a ridiculous line for 3 hours for a phone. But the truth is, there are millions just like me or even NUTTIER than I. More devoted than I and you know this. So, my rant to you could mean squat because once you go Mac—You never go Back— right?

One of the main reasons so many people have come to appreciate you, Apple, was  the value behind each of your products. We were paying for quality. We were paying to be a part of the exclusive group of individuals who forge $1500 for a lap top when we could easily purchase a PC at a fraction of the price. Yes, Apple you are smart. Yes, Apple you are the hipster of technology brands. But, Apple your level of coolness has plateaued.

This rant is not to say that I am turning my back on you, which you probably already know thus why you could careless about my minor qualms. But more than anything it is the slow dissipation of my once deep admiration and love for a brand that gave me my first laptop.

In the words of Death Cab for Cutie: “it’s too important to stay the way its been. There’s no blame for how our love did slowly fade. And now that it’s gone, it’s like it wasn’t there at all. And here I rest…where disappoint and regret— collide.”

Sincerely,

Your once admiring fan and estranged lover….

-Druster

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

Remember when it was cool updating your AIM status for all your buddy list to witness every minute of the day? You would post “At the gym” or “Having dinner” or “Out with so and so.” Since Facebook statuses and now Twitter, it’s even easier to update our every move for all of our friends and followers, respectively. Yes, it is a completely daunting tasks that requires you to remain immersed in the twitter-verse all day to a point where you get nothing done except that you’ve found 100 more people to follow or discovered Mashable’s latest tweet to be insightful.

Well, I’m here to tell you that Twitter works for more reasons that one would think. Because everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and anxious to get a piece of the craze, it seems like nearly every brand has some intern fervently tweeting on its behalf. While some are successful, others fall short of Twitters intended purpose— to maintain conversations with its loyal fan base, customers and brand enthusiasts.

Admittedly, I joined the microblogging site so that, like in my early years of updating AIM status’, I could be “cool” and stay in the loop, while keeping everyone privy to my latest going-ons. Not that I live an exceptionally exciting life, but eventually Tweeting becomes an obsessive compulsion and racking up followers feels like you’re winning some kind of game no one realizes they’re playing.

But beyond the 140 character updates, there are brands out there that are actually utilizing the microblogging site correctly, and I am here to tell you that when executed properly— it really does work.

As an avid gourmet coffee consumer, I was craving one of my favorite iced lattes from one of my favorite New York City spots, Gimme! Coffee. Much to my dismay, working in Greenwich Village leaves me little to no suitable coffee options apart from the green-emblazzed corporate coffee house strategically cannibalizing one another every two blocks. Driven by nothing more than my desire to taste the delicately constructed, creamy and smooth iced deliciousness that is Gimme’s Iced Lattes, I tweeted:

@Druster: Dear @GimmeCoffee won’t you please deliver one of your delicious iced lattes to 25th st. and Park on this summer day??!

to which @Mike_White replied:

@Druster heard you were looking for a delivery?

Before I knew it, Mike White of Gimme! Coffee on Mott Street was on 25th & Park pouring a freshly brewed iced latte from a thermos into the company’s signature plastic cups. It tasted as good as if I had visited their bar down in SoHo. What surprised me most and really made my day, was that Gimme! Coffee does not deliver, but Mike thought it would fun to ride a delivery up on his bike because it was a gorgeous sunny day. Even more interesting, was that Mike was going to give me the latte for free, but I felt too guilty knowing he’d come all that way to deliver me a coffee that I gave him $5 despite his resistance to accept it. Needless to say, I raved about Gimme! on Twitter the rest of the day and essentially became an even bigger fan (read: addict) of their coffee.

Case study number 2: My trip to Spain is rapidly approaching and I’ve decided to spend most of it seeking out adventure. I thought I’d poll my followers about whether they knew any interesting people who could provide travel advice about where to find some exciting and different adventure options while backpacking through Spain. I immediately received a tweet recommending a few options from a follower. So, I tweeted:

@Druster: @BrilliantTips I am traveling to Spain in July. Any tips for some sweet adventure seeking spots?

Over the weekend, Chris @BrilliantTips wrote an entire blog entry based solely on the tweet. Read her recommendations by clicking here. She basically did the foot work for me and set me down a path that would narrow down the country’s biggest adventure spots.

It was about listening to her audience, communicating their needs/wants and engaging with them. I have to tell you that the mere principal of Chris writing this entry was enough for me to trust her recommendations and further investigate what her site BrilliantTips is really about.

So if you find yourself asking: What’s the point of Twitter? Consider the two examples above. Both companies have taken the otherwise mindless and often thought of as “useless” practice of microblogging to mean an entirely new form of customer service and satisfaction. They have embraced the tiny feed as a mechanism for listening to what’s being said about them and acting on it in a way that is garnering a brand advocate (i.e. this entire blog post), but also demonstrating that they are more than just a company— they are an entity invested in the people who keep them running. Bravo.

Food (Inc.) for Thought

When I moved to New York two years ago I made it a point to avoid eating at fast food chain restaurants or any restaurant that had more than 3 locations within Manhattan. In 2008, I made it my New Year’s Resolution to give up drinking soda.

The reason behind each of these proclamations was that 1) I felt as though there is such an abundance of mom & pop food options there was no need to succumb to the convenience of the McDonald’s Dollar Menu or the temptations of a burnt Starbucks coffee every 10 feet and 2) the thought of avoiding the carbonated sugar drink not only made me feel better, but (I thought) helped my skin, teeth and kept me from filling me up before getting a chance to finish my otherwise deliciously prepared meal.

On Saturday, I attended a screening of the new documentary Food, Inc. and Director and Producer Robert Kenner (click here to see the first 3 minutes) was in attendance to make a brief introduction about the power the industrialized food industry has over our biggest necessity—Food. Not unlike Michael Moore’s documentaries, Kenner’s exposes the dirty, yes dirty, ways of the big four food conglomerates and paints them as a fraternal twin to the bigger, badder Tobacco brother.

At the forefront of his documentary is the idea that shopping locally, buying organically and “Voting” with what we choose to put on that conveyor belt in the store is the surest way to get the Government to put its foot down and demand healthier, more sanitary and stricter regulations on the way our food gets to our dinner tables. He graphically depicts the cruelty and yes, frightening reality behind what the biggest users of meat, poultry, potatoes, corn, tomatoes and lettuce are really doing to the food they are producing.

Kenner seeks out the advice of Michael Pollan, author of the Omnivores Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. Each offers, like their books, investigative perspectives on the corruption behind industrialized food and the power four major producers are wielding over the entire industry. Perhaps most baffling is the revelation that the Government officials responsible for regulating the industry have at some point in their careers worked for one of the big four, opening the jar to suspicion that perhaps they are in fact still working on the four’s behalf and are turning their cheek in the other direction.

Food, Inc. is an investigation into what is actually being done to the food we eat. It is chickens being over grown for juicy, more succulent breasts. It is the alteration of a cow’s natural grass diet. It is the training and gradual evolution of corn-fed Salmon for bigger filets. It is the regulation and monopolization of corn and soybeans. It is the gradual disappearance of the independent farmer who cares about his livestock, nourishes his land and provides fresh, unfertilized foods at a premium. It is humanity’s incessant need to find a techonological, chemical and artifical solution to all of life’s problems so that it can be done bigger, faster and cheaper. It is the inexplicable reality that the fatty foods contributing to the increase in Type 2 Diabetes are the more economical and yes, practical, dinner options versus the more expensive organic, natural foods and vegetables.

Over the last few years there has been much talk about sustainability, and I am beginning to find myself wanting to be a bigger part of this movement. Albeit, my progression is slow, but when compared to most I am making some strides. In an ideal world, shopping at Whole Foods wouldn’t eat up my entire Pay Check. And, riding my bike to work wouldn’t feel like a game of chance. Accessing locally grown foods would be as easy as walking to the bodega on the corner, everything would be recycable and everything that was good for us would be easy, inexpensive and accessible.

Unfortunately, we’re still years away from that idealized world, but at a minimum films like Robert Kenner’s Food, Inc. is a step in the right direction. It really should be on your Summer must watch list, but save yourself the stomach ache and avoid the concession line. You’ll thank me later.

The Proposal

Last night I attended a “Guys Night Out” media screening of the new Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock movie The Proposal. It was hosted by the Golden Girl’s very own Betty White. She showed up just before the reel started to introduce the movie and thank the room, of mostly all-male assistants, for their hardwork and dedication.

First, the movie. Like every movie these days about highly successful, intimidating, powerful individuals, it is set in Nueva York. And like every movie about highly successful, intimidating, powerful individuals, The Proposal steals a page from the Devil Wears Prada, and makes Sandra Bullock, who plays Margaret Tate, a highly feared publishing editor.

Ryan Reynolds plays her hairless cat of an assistant Andrew “Drew” Paxton who has aspirations of getting his manuscript published and eventually move up the ranks to become an editor.

From the beginning, the movie sets out to establish Margaret as the shot-calling “witch” that everyone fears most in the office. She waltz is in with her high stillettos, tight pony tail and well tailored attire. Her first order of business is firing an editor and chewing him out in front of the office when he refuses to go out quietly. Meanwhile, our introduction to Andrew as a frantic assistant is one in which he fetches Margarets cinnamon spiced latte each morning (“it’s like christmas in a cup”).

The story is a nod to the absurd goings on in our world today whereby people marry people for a visa. Margaret is Canadian and her visa is expired. She cannot afford to leave the country for a year and cannot work for a U.S. company from Canada, so logically it follows that she would blackmail her assistant to marry her otherwise he’s out of a job and the last 3 years working for Margaret would count for nothing. And, as naturally as any of us would accept an illegal proposition and face jail time and a heft fine, Andrew agrees to go with the ploy to get her a visa.

Per the usual romantic comedy comes the witty banter, that moment of enlightenment where both people realize that the other isn’t really as bad as they made eachother out to be in their heads and then of course the “I love you” kiss in the end.

The disconnect for me was trying to convince myself that a romance between Sandra Bullock, 45, and Ryan Reynolds, 33, could actually be something sexy and exciting to watch. All I kept thinking was, “Wow Sandra, you really look great, but you are oooooolllllld.” The role would have been great for you 10 years ago, but at some point it stops being cute watching you fumble with your giant hand bags, toss back your heavily hair sprayed hair and pout your lips. It starts looking like those desperate Real Housewive Cougars.

Yes, it’s a movie. And, yes, it is a new way to get two otherwise unmatched individuals to realize that if you are forced into a situation, you’re going to fall in love! Of course you will! Of course you can base the rest of your life and relationship on the presumption that being locked away for a weekend will mean a life of blissful happiness! Because when you’re confined to a weekend in Sitka, Alaska and you’re forced to pretend you actually might care about eachother, you will start to actually care about eachother and the relationship will thrive off of your unknowing admiration for one another. If that’s the case, I must have fallen in and out of love a million times by now.

The Proposal offers nothing new to the movie industry’s idea that love can be had when you manipulate someone, mold them like play dough and make them out to be exactly what you want them to be. It’s a tired story told over and over again with a tired leading lady that has worn out her welcome as the cute fumbling protagonist saved by the strapping young actor. It’s embarrassing to watch a woman sing Lil John’s - Get Low and smack her ass like a college freshman who got drunk in her dorm room off shots of popov vodka from wax dixie cups and is living rebelliously by finally getting into an all ages night club. I know you know who I’m talking about.

The movie had its funny bits and pieces, most notably Ryan Reynolds impeccable ability to deliver a line so dryly and with the right amount of sarcasm so as to not come off as smug or sassy. But it will never live up to the brilliance that is Just Friends. At its best, it is a romantic comedy that can be shelved along side every Matthew McConaughey movie. Save yourself the $12.50 and add it to your netflix queue.

Just walked out of The Proposal. Saw Betty White live up close and personal. See it in theaters next week

At the media screening for the proposal. Cocktails with Betty White?sign me up!