Wifebeater
The Voicemails
The Project
These voicemails are the result of a friendly dinner gone bad.
As women, we try to give guys the benefit of the doubt (OK, he's insulting the way I dress and telling me I should wear high heels and makeup...uh, maybe this is his idea of being helpful?), while we also try to communicate our feelings. Apparently, letting a guy know how you honestly feel is not always the best policy.
So, the story: Back in the day I used to book casting rooms for an independent film company and would work with a lot of indie filmmakers. One of the directors emailed me asking me out to dinner. I email back "OK. As long as you know up front this is not a date, but purely professional." "Of course," he writes, "I am so there too."
During dinner he proceeds to get really drunk and a little belligerent. Afterwards, we go for a walk and he says "We should date! Why don't we date?!" "Sure," I say, "As long as you know I would date other guys, you know, nothing exclusive or anything."
He flips out. His eyes glaze over and he says over and over: "I can't believe you just said that." I finally heed the red flags (why does it always take so long?), run to my car completely freaked out, and drive home. Later that night, he leaves these voicemails.
Sometimes I forget that living in a big city as a single woman can be scary. It really shakes you up when it hits you. But though at first I was infuriated (and terrified and shocked), I eventually realized these voicemails were some kind of special. I recorded them on my camera and for the past few years, they hung out on my hard drive. Then an idea occurred to me that I should make dance songs out of them.
I gave the voicemails to different artist friends to see if they could help out. These busy busy folks are crazy talented. I'm just tickled by their immense creativity and diversity of art. Thank you.
And Ladies: Take back the night!
The Artists
Roman Kovalik "Dysfunctional Hatred"
Working with Roman is like working with a ninja. He's a professional. Whoa.
Born in Switzerland, Roman lives in LA working as a composer and music producer for film and TV.
Ransom Riggs "Wonderful Night"
A+ student. Clever, funny, ready to try anything new, and turns it in the next day.
Ransom makes movies and writes books and blogs for Mental Floss.
Shawn is one of those truly weird, brilliant people you love to tell other people about.
Shawn is an artist, designer, and musician currently based in Oakland, CA.
Song and cinematic video. Dope. Oh Burning Man Elders, I bow to thee.
DMT (Department of Mental Technology) are firm believers in better living through reckless experimentation.
The Conclusion
Men are just as crazy as Women.
