Monthly Archives: September 2010

Hey All, it’s Nicole from A View From The Edge and I have a confession: I’m a bit notorious for my loathing of otherwise very popular actors.

For example, Brad Pitt: Please, I’ve seen this actor before – his name is Robert Redford.  George Clooney: Can someone wipe that darn smug smile off his face already?  Dude won an Oscar but acts like he cured cancer.  Julia Roberts: The cackle – dear Lord, that obnoxious cackle – and arrogant attitude since she won best actress for Erin Brockovich.  Seriously, who the heck does she think she is?!

Yes, I’m a big hater.  So, it should come as no surprise that (besides the Ocean’s trilogy) I think Eat, Pray, Love is a big pile of bullshiitake.

But wait!  Eat, Pray, Love is all about experiencing foreign culture and I’m all about culture, right?  I mean, I should be – I run a website that sells photos of exotic places and I was globetrotting earlier than most people make the obligatory senior trip to Cancun.  I should be all over this movie.  Instead, it just makes me feel kind of icky and here’s why:

1.) It makes India seem like it’s our playground. India is not Disneyland.  The people aren’t employees there to cater to someone on a journey to find herself in a theme park for spoiled writers – that’s their home where their life happens.  As Americans, we can’t continue to the see the rest of the world as our own private vacation.  Sometimes, other countries need our attention to their social issues and not our tourism dollars.

2.) It does not address serious issues which need our attention.  Don’t get me wrong: India is one of the most exhilarating and exotic places on the planet but, as a developing nation, it also has a dark side.  Despite laws forbidding them, India continues to struggle with forced marriages and honor killings.  Also, because of the still-very-alive-and-deeply-oppressive caste system, many young women are often trapped in prostitution with no way to break free from the brothels.

3.) Julia Roberts. Tall and pretty, leggy and feisty – what’s not to love here?  I don’t really have a good answer for that … maybe someone got a little too comfortable after winning an Oscar.  I’m just sayin’ …

My point is, the author of Eat, Pray, Love missed a big chance here to bring attention to some issues which affect the people populating the backgrounds of her adventures.  Any amount of money can buy a profound experience, but it can’t buy karma.

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Nicole Longstreath wants you to know that, for the record, she actually thinks Brad Pitt is a pretty good actor when he tries.  She also hawks pretty photos for charity on her website, A View From The Edge.

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