Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Beautiful (2005)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) In this song, Moby sings about a self-involved couple who believes others are fascinated by their glamorous lives. Tell us about the most interesting couple you know. Nancy and Paul. They are not glamorous. She's a strategic planner and he's a database analyst. But I love their love story. They were both just out of very disappointing marriages. (Trust me on this; I knew her when she was married to Husband #1.) They'd both faced challenges with their kids. But they were brave enough to try again, give love another shot, and blend their families. I admire their optimism.

 

2) This song was inspired by the proliferation of reality shows, where celebrities share their lives on camera. Does the idea of becoming rich and famous in exchange for letting a film crew into your home appeal to you? Not in the least. I'd feel vulnerable and exposed. Whenever I watch Rear Window, I worry that someone in the really tall apartment building two doors down might be recuperating from an injury or illness and amusing himself by aiming binoculars or a telephoto lens my way. (For some reason, I don't imagine women as having such voyeuristic tendencies.)

3) "Beautiful" appears in the soundtrack of the movie The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance, which is no surprise because she has more Oscar nominations than any other actor or actress. Do you have a favorite Meryl Streep movie? I really enjoyed Kramer vs. Kramer, Julie and Julia, Marvin's Room and Heartburn. But she's most quotable in The Devil Wears Prada (and I do love movie quotes). "By all means, move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me." and ...

4) Moby has openly discussed how Christ has influenced his life and art. Do you consider yourself religious or spiritual? If yes, how do your beliefs impact your daily life? It's simple (as opposed to easy). I try to live my Christian faith by doing better, doing more and doing it with kindness. Like today. I was really stressed out about having to compose a response in some legal matter and send it via certified letter. The easiest part of the whole episode was actually mailing the damn thing. I know it's rather fashionable to diss the USPS, so I took a moment to thank the woman behind the plexiglass, telling her I appreciate how smooth she made the process. I could tell by her response that she doesn't get positive feedback very often. So that was me living my faith. Looking for ways to show empathy and kindness. Doing unto others. If at the end of the day I can point to a time or two when I've somehow helped, I hope He's pleased.

5) His real name is Richard Melville Hall. His parents began calling him "Moby" almost immediately because they felt "Richard Melville Hall" sounded too big for a baby. When did you most recently hold a baby? Wow. I can't even remember.

6) He began shaving his head when he was in his 30s. It was at the request of a girlfriend, who said she liked bald men. Would you change your appearance to please your lover? It depends on what he asked. I wouldn't shave my head, certainly! But I once loved a man who told me how nice I looked in my one lavender pullover and when he called me at work, he'd tease, "Which blue blouse are wearing today?" And so when I shopped, I'd veer away from my beloved blues in favor of shades of purple.

7) Moby's house was once owned by Marlon Brando and was later rented to The Beatles. What do you know about the previous residents of your home? She was a single mom who moved here with her two kids right after her divorce. It's a two bedroom condo, and her son and daughter shared the bigger bedroom. After a few years, as they approached adolescence, she wanted them to have their own rooms, so she moved her family to the south suburbs, where she could get more home for less money. I've now lived here longer than she did.

 

8) In 2005, when "Beautiful" was released, actress Ruth Warrick died. She began her career in radio, made her film debut in Citizen Kane, and she was best known as matriarch Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, a role she played for 35 years. What's the longest you stayed at the same job? I was at my last job for (gulp!) 18 years.

9) Random question: Without looking, do you know how much money is in your checking account right now? Kinda/sorta, but not really. I know how much I have that's discretionary for the next week, but I'd have to look to see how much is earmarked for bills that haven't come in yet.