And Speaking Of Meat Sticks

Key West.
Nighttime.
Drums are drumming.
We follow the drums.
It’s a campfire party on the beach.
Beautiful girls.
I’m in my twenties.
So many beautiful girls.
I’m with my wife but,
so many beautiful girls.
I’m standing over this knock-out gorgeous blonde,
looking down at her boobs,
like two Jell-O molds
that escaped the fridge
and went rogue and, oh sweet Jesus,
my meat stick is starting to
peek out my trunks.
My wife looks at me with a sideways smirk.
“You do know you’re looking at a man with boobs, don’t you?”
I am stunned.
How can this be?
How can she know?
I was young and naive.

Do you know Sean Baker?
(That’s a rhetorical question.)
He’s an independent film maker and
director of this year’s Academy award winning best picture, Anora.
His three earlier films are small in scope
but large in life.
I’d watched his 2017 film,
The Florida Project, last year,
without knowing anything about the director.
This week I watched his 2015 film, Tangerine.
The synopsis was not exactly my cup of tea but
I wanted to learn about his earlier work.
Here’s the film’s outline…

Sin-Dee is back. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend was unfaithful during the days she was jailed, the sex worker and her friend, Alexandra, set out to get to the bottom of this. Their Christmas Eve odyssey leads them through subcultures of Los Angeles.

The leads are both transgender actresses.
The film is raw and, at times, violent,
but it climaxes in an hysterically funny third act in a donut shop,
and then unexpectedly hits you with a final scene in a laundramat
that touched my heart.

According to Wikipedia,
Baker has “devoted [his] career to tell stories that remove stigma and normalize lifestyles” of sex workers through his films.

I asked an AI why Baker makes films like Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket and Anora.

Quote… Sean Baker’s films explore the lives of marginalized communities and individuals who are often ignored or overlooked by mainstream society. Baker’s work is characterized by a realistic, slice-of-life style that aims to portray these communities with dignity and complexity.

Overall, his films aim to challenge societal norms and shed light on the experiences of those who are often marginalized or ignored by mainstream society, while also exploring universal themes of love, family, and the search for meaning and purpose in life.

You’re never too old to try something new.
I’m glad I watched it.
And I’m looking forward to watching his 2021 film, Red Rocket.
And, of course, Anora.