Nude Work

Today I decided to drive up to Burbank to register to be a movie extra. I figure it would be fun, and I have the time now. The money is okay, and the food is also supposed to be really great. So why not?

While I was standing in the ridiculously long registration line I took a good look at all the people around me. I don't quite know how to describe these people other than to say that they seemed to really want to impress each other. There appeared to be an over abundance of extremely materialistic type people there. The sort of people you occasionally meet, whose biggest concern in life seems to be the latest and trendiest fashions. I was laboring under the impression that looking average wold be the way to go for this sort of thing, but I seemed to be kind of alone in that opinion. I'm sure I looked pretty frumpy in comparison to the rest of the crowd.

I was also privy to several conversations going on around me. I didn't have to listen long before I realized that that not only were these people very concerned about appearances, but they were also earnestly looking for their big break into "the industry." The first time I met someone who openly admitted to trying to break into "the industry," I had no idea what industry it was they were referring to, and when I found out it was the movie industry I sincerely thought it was a joke. It just strikes me as a bit ridiculous. I've never been able to take those aspiring actors seriously.

For a while I stood there watching other people, but then I got bored, and I got out my phone. I was in line for a long time. Long enough to read The Strange Case of Benjamin Button in it's entirety. (Sad, but very interesting little book.) I finished just as I got close to the front of the line. The guy in front of me stepped forward, had his photo snapped, and then the photographer looked at his registration sheet, and noted that he had agreed to do nude work and asked him to take his shirt off. I have no idea why someone who looked like that with their shirt off would be signing up to do nude work. To each their own, but it kind of creeped me out, and his muffin top wasn't doing much to alleviate the creepiness of the situation.