The "Lauren or My Jesus Loves Gays" episode of Eric Schaeffer's "I Can't Believe I'm Still Single"
Okay, it's almost done, these recaps of this show that I, so foolishly, committed myself to doing.
But, here it is...My second to last recap of this Showtime series:
Okay, so Eric and his crew are in Denver, this time, in order for Eric to have his "first date" with a yoga instructor there who he had high hopes about.
Here's the thing. Why didn't they know this would be a bust?
It was obviously not gonna work from the start. That's a lot of driving to waste on something inevitably that isn't going to end up butterflies and roses, you know?
To begin with in the first 30 seconds of the show we hear the date "Lauren" (from Colorado) tell us proudly,
"I love Jesus.
I believe in the Bible and so I live my life based on the principles that I find there."
So, then good old 'Em quickly pounds Lauren with a gunshot of a query:
"Given that you're a Jesus lover and believe in God how does Eric's sort-of homosexual tendencies affect you?"
(And this wasn't scripted, before hand?)
Even Mark seemed caught off guard by Em's swift left hook.
To which, to make a long story short, Lauren admitted that she knew this may be an issue and that for the record she didn't want a man who slept with other men.
(So, nobody knew this before hand?)
Well, before I go further with this "recap" I want to say that this one particular episode has one of the richest unscripted moments in the entire series. What's interesting is that it comes from a seemingly random stranger to his storyline revealing that in spite of his narrow focus on himself and his future Mrs. Schaeffers that it was a stranger who graces the show with a rare moment of down-to-earth honesty and wisdom.
In his last series (towards the end of Part One of this same show, Eric Schaeffer's "I Can't Believe I'm Still Single") towards the end of his series he shows an interview with a New Jersey fire fighter which was also lovely and unexpectedly candid and I remember thinking, "Eric, this guy has something important to teach you, if you are listening."
But, in both of these instances Eric simply bounces past both people, with a Tigger-like joie de vivre. With not so much as a "Namaste" for having been offered a rare, unscripted, moment of ego-free sharing.
I digress.
So, yes, in this episode the friend of the date, the lovely young woman, "Erin," is pressed for more information about Eric, presumably because Eric wants to hear what's been said about him by Lauren.
However, what Erin says to Eric was, for me, precisely the words I would use to sum up how I feel about Eric Schaeffer based on his show so far.
Here's what Erin said:
"I might have certain opinions (of you) already, yet they're not necessarily very informed by personal experience with you."
Well put, Erin, I thought. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Then, Eric, as could be predicted, pressed her for more details of what had been said about him by his date du jour, Colorado, Lauren.
Again, I loved her answer:
"Well, let me think about how to say this in a kind way (she softly laughs)...I think that you are searching for something and I don't necessarily know if you are looking in the right place to find that."
(This is where I would put the music in the soundtrack. This is the 'violins' moment, for me.)
Let me just state what she said, again, because I think it sums up how I've felt about this show all along --
"...I think that you are searching for something and I don't necessarily know if you are looking in the right place to find that."
"Ding, ding, ding...Hello? Paging Eric Schaeffer?
This is your Higher Self speaking: We were wondering if you actually listened to the playback of this scene in this show you are filming about your very own life? You know, the one you've compulsively focused on instead of sharing your sensitive "puppy" side, or saving the baby elephants?
Right. Well, we, here in Higher-Selfville, are concerned that your one, clear epiphany-moment in the entire show just slid by without any of the appropriate fanfare. And that bothers us.
We would like to just like to let you know that, sadly, we consider you just way too self involved to have noticed what A. A. Milne would term " A Very Important Moment." and, well, we've phoned to say that we mourn your loss of opportunity for growth.
And so we're going to have to kill you.
Just kidding, but next time, judge not the messenger, but the message. -- Namaste."
Okay. I digress, again.
But, you get my drift.
---------------------------------------
Actually, I wrote a lot more about this one episode, but I chose to cut it because although I thought a lot of interesting topics were brought up about religion and morality and sex and God...all very juicy topics, to be sure, that in the end, it was Erin's interview on Eric's way into his date which I found to be profound enough to stand on it's own.
It deserved to be the focal point of this posting.
(And also much of what Erin said that didn't make it into this posting, as well. She had a very rich inner life and refreshing ability to articulate some complexity with regard to her thoughts and struggles. I didn't identify with Erin or Lauren's path, but I did very much respect their candor and commitment to something outside of themselves.)
Not that I don't have more opinions on this...'cause you know I do...
But, here it is...My second to last recap of this Showtime series:
Okay, so Eric and his crew are in Denver, this time, in order for Eric to have his "first date" with a yoga instructor there who he had high hopes about.
Here's the thing. Why didn't they know this would be a bust?
It was obviously not gonna work from the start. That's a lot of driving to waste on something inevitably that isn't going to end up butterflies and roses, you know?
To begin with in the first 30 seconds of the show we hear the date "Lauren" (from Colorado) tell us proudly,
"I love Jesus.
I believe in the Bible and so I live my life based on the principles that I find there."
So, then good old 'Em quickly pounds Lauren with a gunshot of a query:
"Given that you're a Jesus lover and believe in God how does Eric's sort-of homosexual tendencies affect you?"
(And this wasn't scripted, before hand?)
Even Mark seemed caught off guard by Em's swift left hook.
To which, to make a long story short, Lauren admitted that she knew this may be an issue and that for the record she didn't want a man who slept with other men.
(So, nobody knew this before hand?)
Well, before I go further with this "recap" I want to say that this one particular episode has one of the richest unscripted moments in the entire series. What's interesting is that it comes from a seemingly random stranger to his storyline revealing that in spite of his narrow focus on himself and his future Mrs. Schaeffers that it was a stranger who graces the show with a rare moment of down-to-earth honesty and wisdom.
In his last series (towards the end of Part One of this same show, Eric Schaeffer's "I Can't Believe I'm Still Single") towards the end of his series he shows an interview with a New Jersey fire fighter which was also lovely and unexpectedly candid and I remember thinking, "Eric, this guy has something important to teach you, if you are listening."
But, in both of these instances Eric simply bounces past both people, with a Tigger-like joie de vivre. With not so much as a "Namaste" for having been offered a rare, unscripted, moment of ego-free sharing.
I digress.
So, yes, in this episode the friend of the date, the lovely young woman, "Erin," is pressed for more information about Eric, presumably because Eric wants to hear what's been said about him by Lauren.
However, what Erin says to Eric was, for me, precisely the words I would use to sum up how I feel about Eric Schaeffer based on his show so far.
Here's what Erin said:
"I might have certain opinions (of you) already, yet they're not necessarily very informed by personal experience with you."
Well put, Erin, I thought. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Then, Eric, as could be predicted, pressed her for more details of what had been said about him by his date du jour, Colorado, Lauren.
Again, I loved her answer:
"Well, let me think about how to say this in a kind way (she softly laughs)...I think that you are searching for something and I don't necessarily know if you are looking in the right place to find that."
(This is where I would put the music in the soundtrack. This is the 'violins' moment, for me.)
Let me just state what she said, again, because I think it sums up how I've felt about this show all along --
"...I think that you are searching for something and I don't necessarily know if you are looking in the right place to find that."
"Ding, ding, ding...Hello? Paging Eric Schaeffer?
This is your Higher Self speaking: We were wondering if you actually listened to the playback of this scene in this show you are filming about your very own life? You know, the one you've compulsively focused on instead of sharing your sensitive "puppy" side, or saving the baby elephants?
Right. Well, we, here in Higher-Selfville, are concerned that your one, clear epiphany-moment in the entire show just slid by without any of the appropriate fanfare. And that bothers us.
We would like to just like to let you know that, sadly, we consider you just way too self involved to have noticed what A. A. Milne would term " A Very Important Moment." and, well, we've phoned to say that we mourn your loss of opportunity for growth.
And so we're going to have to kill you.
Just kidding, but next time, judge not the messenger, but the message. -- Namaste."
Okay. I digress, again.
But, you get my drift.
---------------------------------------
Actually, I wrote a lot more about this one episode, but I chose to cut it because although I thought a lot of interesting topics were brought up about religion and morality and sex and God...all very juicy topics, to be sure, that in the end, it was Erin's interview on Eric's way into his date which I found to be profound enough to stand on it's own.
It deserved to be the focal point of this posting.
(And also much of what Erin said that didn't make it into this posting, as well. She had a very rich inner life and refreshing ability to articulate some complexity with regard to her thoughts and struggles. I didn't identify with Erin or Lauren's path, but I did very much respect their candor and commitment to something outside of themselves.)
Not that I don't have more opinions on this...'cause you know I do...
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