From tomorrow through next Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, TeenDramaWhore.com will be on hiatus.

I’ll be taking a solo trip to Cancun–a last-minute decision but a long-held desire.

Here’s the best way I can explain it:

Remember in season 1 of Dawson’s Creek when Joey had the opportunity to go to Paris but passed it up?

A few years later, she was at the airport and again had the option of going but decided not to.

Then, finally, in the last season and the second-to-last episode, Joey finally makes it there.

This is my Paris.

Not Cancun, specifically. But to take a trip by myself where I not only get some R & R but–more importantly–have the time to do some serious self-reflection.

I’ve made some big life changes in the last few months but have had little time to process as I’ve just been going going going. I worry that if I don’t stop and breathe or achieve this dream while I have the opportunity to do so, I’ll live to regret it.

Unfortunately, that means I won’t be here to live-blog this week’s One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and 90210 or even provide each day’s news.

I feel very guilty, as if I’m abandoning you, but I hope you understand.

And I also hope that you’ll be here waiting for me when I get back!

See you in a week!

]]> http://deago.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/deago-hey-joey-dont-break-my-heart-again/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:46:52 +0000 deagoexperience http://deago.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/deago-hey-joey-dont-break-my-heart-again/

Verse1
Hey Joey, how’s it going with your life?
Hey Joey, I know you wanting me more then before?
Have you heard I like you like I did before
I know it just think it through like I done

Hey Joey, do you remember when I liked you a lot
I wanted you to be my boyfriend until the end of time
Hey Joey, I remember when I text you everyday
Its was the best to know you reply back to me

Chorus
Don’t break my heart again I’m really feeling you
Yeah you hurt me when you decide to end it
But now we back together as it was heaven on earth
And tryna make it work better then before

Hey Joey don’t break my heart again
I want you to be apart of my life
Want you to be everything I need
And lets try to make it work better this time

Verse2
I remember when I used to make you smile
I know I did something right
But when you told me you liked someone else
And it wasn’t gonna between me n you

I felt so hurt that I didn’t want nothing to do with you
You gave me this poison and the cure was finally found
Why you done this to me now, why you done this now
Hey joey

Chorus
Don’t break my heart again I’m really feeling you
Yeah you hurt me when you decide to end it
But now we back together as it was heaven on earth
And tryna make it work better then before

Hey Joey don’t break my heart again
I want you to be apart of my life
Want you to be everything I need
And lets try to make it work better this time

Verse3
Hey Joey, I think its time to sit down (sit down)
No, no, no we not calling it off
Yeah, yeah, yeah I want you forever
Hey Joey, you can visit me any day

Just remember I’m not like everyone else
I’m better then your ex’s and your next’s
Knock on this door and I’m a lifetime lover
(Yeah, yeah yeah) hey Joey

Chorus
Don’t break my heart again I’m really feeling you
Yeah you hurt me when you decide to end it
But now we back together as it was heaven on earth
And tryna make it work better then before

Hey Joey don’t break my heart again
I want you to be apart of my life
Want you to be everything I need
And lets try to make it work better this time

Bridge
Hey Joey remember I care about you
Don’t break my heart again
Hey Joey remember I care about you
I said hey Joey, hey Joey

Chorus
Don’t break my heart again I’m really feeling you
Yeah you hurt me when you decide to end it
But now we back together as it was heaven on earth
And tryna make it work better then before

Hey Joey don’t break my heart again
I want you to be apart of my life
Want you to be everything I need
And lets try to make it work better this time

Bridge
Hey Joey remember I care about you
Don’t break my heart again
Hey Joey remember I care about you
I said hey Joey, hey Joey

Chorus
Don’t break my heart again I’m really feeling you
Yeah you hurt me when you decide to end it
But now we back together as it was heaven on earth
And tryna make it work better then before

Hey Joey don’t break my heart again
I want you to be apart of my life
Want you to be everything I need
And lets try to make it work better this time

I was telling my sister recently to just keep going.  She was sharing with me how she’s having a hard time landing a job and was ready to quit.

I had my share of those moments when things seem to not favors me no matter how hard I try.  Many times I kind of given up too.  Other times,  I just had kept on.. something  made me go on and I did.  And looking back, those were the times when I kept going that I was able to reap rewards.

I started reading Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich free ebook and I got pass the Three Feet From Gold story that reminded me of an experience about a wild trip to Baguio.

It was  ”…three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling that the gold is found.” by the ‘Junk’ man to whom Mr. Darby sold his machinery for mining ore for a few hundred dollars .

Indeed, one of life’s irony is just when we feel so defeated and about to give up on something that the answer shows up all of a sudden.  And we later realize the lesson.

The Baguio Wild Trip

It was a chapter in my life when I decided to start over.  I talked my  friend Leo into accompanying me and since he’s never been to Baguio he was delighted. Not to mention that it’ll be an all-expense paid  for him which I shouldered. He was kind of broke at that time.  I didn’t have much either.  But it was the way to go for me.

Another buddy named Joey went along.  So it was three of us.  I told them my plan which is to look for a job and stay for good.  I kind of gave myself a one-week target to get settled.  It was a do-or-die situation.

We got very limited money and no definite place to go in an unfamiliar place. It was crazy.. and perfect.  Amidst the uncertainty is the incomparable freedom of a dare-devil adventure.

We got there late in the afternoon and set out to our first task of finding a place to stay for the night.  The boarding house hunting started the next day.

Our first stop at Joey’s church friend in Crystal Cave did not go well.  I remember how some of the house structures there with base posts on slopes kind of given me a scare and wonderment at the same time.  I was used to seeing and inhabiting level ground houses.

Come dark we were exhausted and so beat, we settled with the second immediate option we got.  They slept over at one of the church centers, I in one of the several market stalls owned by another of Joey’s church friends, walking distance from them, which I remember to be nearby the airport.

It was frightening for me to be separated from them on that first night in a cold place and to be sleeping at someone’s stall that has wood strips for a door.  I scolded them in the morning for making me sleep there alone.

We grab some quick food along the way as we search for a boarding house.  It started out exciting as we explore the roads and sites of Baguio until after several failed inquiries for a prospect pad.  The thought of sleeping again in that stall made me cringe, we have to find a house to crash in tonight, I told myself.

So, after several more road blocks covered and seen houses, still no success. It’s either beyond our budget, not so cool for our tastes (but we’re not that choosy alright.. ), no vacancy, or the owner or landlord simply doesn’t want to take us in.. maybe for some ethical reasons.

Imagine a girl with two bisexual-looking guys with baggages and a sleeping bag, who looks like stowaways without much, looking for a place to stay.  Hmmp.. maybe I would think twice too if I were in their shoes.

By late afternoon we were tired and desperate.  The guys were deciding to call it a day.  I feel them but wasn’t gonna give up yet and so beg for one more house.

We trudged wearily up the hill as the sun was setting down and knocked on one more door.  Finally, a sense of hope.. the owners seemed accommodating and empathic of our situation.  We know we’re not that appealing group of boarders.. we told them our story, of me staying for good…  They probably took pity and admitted us that night.  What a relief. Whew!

And thank goodness we decided to check one more house.

The days that followed were mixed feelings of ecstasy being in ‘paradise’ and the stress of job-hunt and getting by each day with mainly instant noodles or canned sardines, rice and bread.  It was a humbling and empowering experience all at the same time.  We had to call long-distance for some money support from close sources to survive that week. We weren’t let down.

Before the week ended, I scored a job as a graphic designer for a mall with a very minimal pay compared to my last in Manila.  I was culture-shocked.  Anyway, that will do for now I thought.  One day at a time.

On the seventh day, I move in to a new room-for-rent just a stone’s throw away from work.  We were evicted from the first boarding house by this time.

It was the last day of our adventure together, as planned.  So that same day Leo and Joey bid me goodbye and good luck as I escorted them to the bus terminal.

I welcomed my new life in ‘paradise’ and the new work the next day with a smile.  The end.

This year, I am thankful for:

God and Christ

 Joey

 Mom and Dad (and Vic and Carol)

 Great friends, both near and far

 My precious baby

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Please go to this site:  Let’s Say Thanks.  It allows you to send a card to a soldier serving overseas for free.  Please remember how blessed we are to be sitting at our tables, enjoying our meal today with family and friends, and share some of that love with those who are far from home and who are in harm’s way.

Also, please hug your Kins today; there are so many without homes.  If you’ve been thinking of adopting, please skip “Black Friday” and hit the shelter instead.

The crest of modern technology’s ever-crashing wave is always rife with opportunity.  Online social networking, technology and art continually clash into a fireball of pretension. After all, what is art, but pretension?

Art, in all its forms, is self-indulgence.  Economically, it is supply without demand.  It is creating what WE want to create rather than what others want or need. The hope is that demand will follow.  This is why for every AC/DC there are 1000 bands spamming your haven’t-been-checked-in-3-yrs MySpace page. For every Damien Hirst there are 1000 guys selling oil paintings on eBay. On the technology side, the pretension mirrors. Geocities allowed us to create a webpage about ourselves, followed by Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Lots of supply, limited demand.

In my vainglorious egomania, I decided to bravely march forward with the bright torch of narcissism proudly held high. An iPhone app. About ME. Why not? I feel that this evolution is inevitable. At this time I don’t know of any friends, colleagues or acquaintances that have one. Why not be first or among the first? Here it is an iPhone app that’s all about me, a non-celebrity. Let’s do this thang.

When I moved to the US back in 2007 I had no idea what Sugar gliders were. I have never even heard of them… Until one day i saw an ad online and i started wondering what they were. So I looked them up and wow they just stole my heart from the 1st pic I saw So I decided to get sugar gliders into my life. I didn’t really spend so much time reading about them “Big Mistake”, i just knew they were nocturnal and have to kept in pairs or they get depressed and die So my adventure began by purchasing 2 female sugar gliders! I picked a Sugar glider Mama and a lil Joey who was still nursing cause i didn’t want to separate them… So we finally got home and i was so excited and want to play with my cute little ones… Mmm yea not gonna happen!!! The poor little things are scent bonding and to them I was this HUGE scary human that they are not used to, so they were really scared of me and every time i try to open their little pouch they would just make this SCARY LOUD NOISE to keep me away yea i was so sad and really felt hated… So I decided I’m not gonna let them win by scaring me away and started reading more and found out i needed to spend a LOT of time trying 2 bond to them, by carrying them all day on me in their little pouch while they are sleeping so they get used to my scent. The whole process wasn’t easy as I thought.It took about 2 months to eventually get them 2 trust me! It was frustrating… I would talk to them and give them treats in the day and it was so heart lifting when they actually took the little grape from my hand for the very first time You feel so rewarded to hear them chirping happily!!

Sugar Gliders are very social and so you will have to really spend a lot of time playing with them. They are not the right pet for everyone even though they are really super cute! so if you are thinking about getting a couple please do your homework!!! They are difficult to deal with. they bark at night… yes you read that right! They bark just like a little puppy in the middle of the night and you will have to getup and walk out of your cozy bed and go talk or play with them lol So are you ready for this challenge??? If you are up 2 it maybe we can chat a little more about them and i can give you some tips on bonding and how to care for them and build rewarding friendship that will always make you smile!

One thing that has always made me happy is ice cream.  I LOVE ice cream.  And Joey has inherited my love for ice cream.  I’m not sure if it was the 1 pint a day I would eat ice cream while pregnant, hmmmmmm, as a reward I know he will be ecstatic for ice cream.  

Ice cream is a major treat in our house.  One because Joey is does not eat dairy or eggs because of his asthma, and two, ice cream just has too much sugar.  And it is never eaten on work night, (it’s like giving him a drug, he starts running and dancing and jumping off the walls.)

So here, since grandpa loves to spend time with Joey and reward him, we took him for some amazing Gelato a couple weeks back.  And boy oh boy were they loving it.

  Thankful the amazing relationship Joey has with each of his grandparents.  Here’s to you dad.

Yep, day # 2 of rest and relaxation; I’m so super-thrilled.  Unfortunately, my body clock kicked in at its normal time, 5:45, but I managed to stay in bed until 6:15 before I finally got up so that I wouldn’t be fidgety and Joey could sleep some more.

I’ve noticed over the past two days that daytime television totally sucks.  I know, primetime tv isn’t really that much better, but seriously.  Maury doesn’t come on until 1 pm anymore, and that’s a long time to wait and see “who’s the father?”

We put in some NCIS to enjoy while relaxing:

Shelli is in Joey’s lap.  That’s a new blog that I’ve been reading, Vegan Hope.  It’s pretty interesting; the author writes about her own personal experience of recovery from severe diabetes through a vegan diet.  There’s a lot to chew on in this blog, folks, and I really recommend that you check it out.

I’m almost done with the cowl that’s pictured…I’ll probably go another round or two and then bind off.  I intended to finish it last night, but I fell asleep while Joey was waiting for some crops to harvest on Farmville.  I’ve got four hats to work on next, so I need to get on the stick!

On the docket for today?  A trip to Aldi to get some stuff for the week and for dinner tonight.  I’m making a vegetarian mini-Thanksgiving for Cory, who’ll be spending the afternoon/evening hanging with us.  I’m probably also going to make some more stuff to bring with me for tomorrow since I’m thinking that I might need to have some more veg options.

Enjoy your morning, folks:)

National Theatre – Drury Lane

War Horse is the enchanting stage adaption of Michael Morpurgo’s much loved children’s novel. It tells the story of a horse who in the beginnings of his life is sold at auction to the hapless drunk Magellan, who not wanting to lose face pays a premium price for the part thoroughbred.  His long suffering wife is dismayed as the money spent on the horse was ment for the mortgage, and decides the only way for them to make their money back is to raise the horse and sell it when it’s fully grown.  This job goes to her young son Albert  who soon develops a close bond to the horse and names him Joey.  When Joey is fully grown war is declared and Albert’s father discovers that a high price is being offered for strong horses to join the Calvary and he promptly sells Joey.  Albert is devastated about Joey going to war and although only 16 he lies about his age, joins the army and searches for his long lost friend.  The play then follows the two stories of Joey & Albert fighting through the horror that is World War 1.   The story,  as any story about WW1 is heartbreaking, emphasising the waste of so many young lives, on both sides of the fight; men and animal being worked to exhaustion in nothing but hellish conditions, undernourished and under protected.  All the animals in War Horse are portrayed by puppets; Joey and Topthorn (another horse who Joey fights alongside in the war) are the most impressive and are moved by three puppeteers.  Although the puppeteers are clearly visible when moving the horses, you soon forget they are there and only see a living and breathing animal in front of you.  When an animal dies the puppeteers crawl out from the carcass and walk off stage like a spirit leaving a body.  The heart and soul they put into these animals is incredible, and surely something for everyone to witness.   Have a look at YouTube trailers to see for yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-bni4QqSv4.  Over all the production is out of this world, the story truly heart-warming and the response from the crowd (standing ovation all round) is proof that War Horse wins the hearts of its audience.

A cool video about Canon and Nikon. From Joey Lawrence.

Thank you to Shaolin Tiger from ShutterAsia for sharing it.

Interesting factoid:  the traditional gifts for seven years of marriage are copper and wool.  Joey joked that he’d give me a skein of yarn and a penny…hehe:)

Wedding day, 11/23/2002

Seven years ago yesterday, I married my best friend.  I was over the moon, but also absolutely terrified.  I was only 21, and we weren’t even out of college yet.  I had never lived away from home, away from my parents, and I was terrified about leaving them.  But, I took the biggest, scariest (at that point) step of my life, and I’m so grateful I did.

Hiking Morrow Mountain, 2/2008

Waiting to board the ship, Cruise, 5/2008

Formal night, Cruise, 5/2008

Pulling back into port, Cruise, 5/2008

Camping trip with James and Shannon, 7/2009

We’ve been through a lifetime already in seven years.  We’ve moved to TX and back, we’ve survived two M.A. programs and a PhD program.  We’ve been unemployed, homeless (mostly), felt stifled and restless yet hopeful and full of dreams.

He’s the only person I can be absolutely myself with.  Love you, Joey:)

Our Family

10 serii… S-au terminat! Timp de vreo 2 luni am urmarit aproape zilnic povestea celor 6 prieteni (Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, Joey). In unele ipostaze ma recunoasteam (bine, asta mi se intampla la multe filme), altele ma amuzau teribil. Aseara, cand se apropia de sfarsit, parca imi venea sa plang. Ma gandeam: la ce ma mai uit eu?! ce o sa ma mai faca asa sa rad?!

Frumos serial, te “rupe” de problemele cotidiene, iti aduce zambetul pe buze inevitabil, ba chiar te face sa razi in hohote uneori. Sunt povesti de dragoste, povesti care iti umezesc ochii, povesti care te tin cu sufletul la gura.

O sa imi lipseasca serialul, noroc ca il am pe dvd-uri si pot sa il revad oricad caci: “You can never have enough Friends!”.

For some reason, Joey has become pizza-challenged. Maybe a YouTube tutorial would be helpful!

]]> http://teendramawhore.com/2009/11/22/lets-compare-scenes-8/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:00:35 +0000 teendramawhore http://teendramawhore.com/2009/11/22/lets-compare-scenes-8/

1. Dawson’s Creek: Episode 3.19, Stolen Kisses

While denying feelings for each other, Pacey and Joey share a moment in bed. (Skip to 5.15)

2. The O.C.: Episode 1.07, The Escape

While denying feelings for each other, Ryan and Marissa share a moment in bed.

Freitag Vormittag gings wieder ins Burgenland! Peda wurde in Pinggau abgeliefert und schon beim Runterfahren haben wir eine Wanderung für den nächsten Tag geplant. Da es aber auch am Nachmittag noch super sonnig war, haben wir kurzentschlossen die Wandertour auf Freitag vorverlegt und haben den Aufstieg auf den Hochwechsel, diesmal von der anderen Seite gestartet.

Abstieg vom Hochwechsel-Abendstimmung


Zumal wir ziemlich spät losgegangen sind, mussten wir Tempo machen, damit wir den Abstieg nicht im Finsteren antreten mussten.

Die rasende Wildsau Joey hat sich auf den wenigen weiten Wiesen ordentlich auspowern können

Peda konnte es natürlich nicht sein lassen und hat sein Muschelhorn wieder ausgepackt, was Joey immer antreibt jede Menge Sprungeinlagen zu liefern

gerade rechtzeitig vor Sonnenuntergang haben wir den Abstieg geschafft und die Aussicht auf die malerische Landschaft genossen

Abendstimmung  in Oberwart

Mehr Fotos vom Ausflug wie immer H I E R

Congrats to Joey Lawrence and his wife on announcement that they are expecting for a second time – its a girl!

รวบรวมเรียบเรียงแปล โดย สว อิเฎล
ห้ามนำไปใช้ใน Website อื่นโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต
หากต้องการสอบถามเพิ่มเติมเกี่ยวกับผลงานวง ให้ถามที่ http://board.thaimisc.com/manson

อ่านหน้าอื่น ๆ : ประวัติ วง Marilyn Manson, ประวัติ นาย Marilyn Manson, ประวัติ Twiggy Ramirez, ประวัติ Madonna Wayne Gacy (Pogo), ประวัติ John 5, ประวัติ Zim Zum, ประวัติ Ginger Fish

Zim Zum มีชื่อเดิมว่า Timothy Michael Linton เขาเกิดที่ Chicago เมืองหลวงที่มีที่ตั้งอยู่ทางตอนใต้ของรัฐ Illinois เขาถูกเลี้ยงดูมาโดยแม่และยายของเขา โตขึ้นเลยกลายเป็น Bi-Sexual เจาะหัวนม และยังเป็นลูกคนสุดท้องโดยมีพี่ชายอีกคน Zimmy เริ่มเล่นกีตาร์ตอนอายุได้ 13 ปี เพราะเขาไม่มีอะไรจะทำ และไปดูคอนเสริตครั้งแรกกับแม่ – รู้ไหมว่าเหมือนใคร?!! Joey จาก SlipKnoT และ Yoshiki จาก X Japan ที่ไปดูคอนเสริตครั้งแรกกับแม่ – มีคนบอกว่า แม่ของ Zimmy เป็นสาว Punk

Zim Zum Panic! at the Disco nono Court

ต่อมา Zimmy ได้ทำงานที่ร้านซ่อมกีต้าร์ และเล่นให้วงดนตรีท้องถิ่นบางวง และที่โด่งดังที่สุดคือ Life, Sex and Death (LSD) เขาเล่นให้วงนี้แต่ไม่ได้ร่วมอัดเสียงด้วยเพราะไม่ต้องการที่จะเดินทางร่วมทางกับวงนี้เมื่อทราบว่าวงนี้จะจาก Chicago ไป Los Angeles นอกจากนี้ เขายังมีข่าวลือที่ว่าเขาให้สายกีตาร์รัดคอตัวเองแล้วเขาจะสามารถสำเร็จควาใคร่ได้ (Autoerotic)

พฤษภาคมปี 1996 Zimmy ได้เห็นประกาศหนึ่งใน Chicago Reader เกี่ยวกับ Marilyn Manson ต้องการมือกีตาร์ ใครอยากเป็นให้ส่ง ไป Zimmy ก็เลยส่งไป และส่งรูปไปให้ด้วย ไม่นานหลังจากนั้นเขาก็ได้รับการติดต่อกลับ เขาจึงบินไปที่ New Orleans เพื่อทดลองแสดงจริง และเขาก็ได้งาน หลังจากที่มีข่าวว่าก่อนหน้านี้เขาตกงาน เราไม่แน่ใจนะว่าจริงหรือเปล่า

MV ตัวแรกที่เราได้เห็น Zimmy คือ The Beautiful People และก็คงอีกหลายตัว ข้าพเจ้าเคยเป็นใน Long Hard Rock Out of Hell ที่เริ่มต้นด้วยเขา Live ครั้งแรกของ Zimmy กับ Manson คือ Nothing Night วันที่ 5 กันยายน 1996 ที่ New York City (NYC) Manson เล่นแบบเดิมที่เรารู้จักกันดี จบเวทีเมื่อไรก็จะทำลายข้าวของ เขาเหวี่ยงขาตั้งไมค์ ไปโดนปลาขิง ผู้เป็นมือกลอง และปลาขิงก็ถูกส่งเข้าโรงพยาบาลทันที

ระหว่างการ tour กับ Manson Zimmy ใช้กีตาร์ที่เขาประกอบขึ้นเอง 3 ตัว แต่ก็มีบางตัวที่ซื้อเขามา เราสามารถเห็น Zimmy ใน live ที่ชื่อ Irresponsible Hate Anthem และเขายังเป็นคนที่ช่วยแต่งเพลงในอลบัมที่ชื่อ Mechanical Animals ที่ออกมนปี 1998 แต่หลังจากนั้นเขาก็ลาออกจากวง คนที่มาเล่นเพลงที่เขาแต่งในการออก tour สำหรับอลบัมนี้คือ John Lowery หรือ John 5 น่าเสียดายจริง ๆ เพราะเขาควรจะได้เล่นเพลงที่เขาแต่งเอง Zimmy ไม่ได้มีเรื่องกับ Manson แต่เขาบอกว่า มันพอแล้วที่เขาจะอยู่ที่นี่ เขาออกไปวงที่มีแนวดนตรีแตกต่างจาก Manson คือ the Pop Culture Suicides

Zim Zum with Marilyn Manson

ต่อมาเราจะมารู้เรื่องเรื่องชื่อของเขาจากปากของเขาเอง :

Zim Zum มาจากจุดเริ่มต้นของเวลาช่วงที่พระเจ้ายังไม่สร้างสรรพสิ่งในโลกมนุษย์ พระเจ้าได้สร้างบางสิ่งบางอย่างที่นอกเหนือจากตัวพระองค์ท่าน อาธิ รูโบ๋ ซึ่งไม่ใช่ตัวของพระเจ้า เพราะพระเจ้าอยู่ทุกหนทุกแห่ง ( รูโบ๋ คือที่ที่ไม่มีอะไรเลย ดังนั้นมันก็เลยไม่ใช่พระเจ้า ) และ รูโบ๋ นี้เรียกว่า Zim Zum.

หลังจากนี้เขาก็เข้าสู่ห้วงของการอธิบายเกี่ยวกับการค้นพบวินาทีสุดท้าย เกี่ยวกับชื่อของเขาที่สัมพันธ์กับสมาชิกในวงคนอื่นอื่น ด้วย ดารา hollywood ที่เป็น ฆาตรกรต่อเนื่อง

Zim Zum ดูเหมือนจะมีความหมายใน Bible แต่มันก็เหมือนกับชื่อคนอื่น ๆ เช่นกัน เขาเล่าเมื่อเขากำลังเล่นอยู่กับ internet… ก็มีเด็กมาชี้ให้เห็นว่ามันมี Model หนึ่งจากยุค 1940’s ซึ่งมีชื่อเริ่มต้นว่า Zim และ มีฆาตรกรต่อเนื่อง 2 ตัวจากยุค 1970’s ตัวหนึ่งมาจากญี่ปุ่น อีกตัวมาจาก U.S.A. และชื่อสุดท้ายของทั้งสองคือ Zum เขาจึงดีใจมาก!

Another solo stint away from NKOTB.

Joey Williams, Up close & personal

It’s 12:30 on a Wednesday morning.  Five Time Grammy Award Winner and Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, Joey Williams has the keen insight from The Blind Boys of Alabama and he is riding co-pilot tonight.  After a bigger then life rehearsal for his upcoming show this Friday Joey opened up to me about his life on the road and a revealing portrait of his life through his own words and his own take on who he is from where has has come from.  The journey Joey explained to me on our two hour drive back to the Bronx explains clearly why he is essential to the music fans he plays for and the music artists who continue to acquire his talents on collaborative projects from Robert Randolph to future soundtrack work for films.  This is a unique night for me to witness the roots of Joey as a music artist, a humanitarian and a friend.  Tonight my recording and the interview that took place was as close to a storyteller experience as I have ever had.  Joey is the artist and I was the audience.

Williams is sitting in with with Marc Sincavage & Special Guest “The Breakfast” at Skappo (Playright, 144 Temple Street New Haven, CT) in New Haven, Connecticut.  The rehearsal was held garage band style in the basement of an Optometrist office in the middle of Hamden, Connecticut.  The feeling was relaxed and vibrant.  It’s just what happens when a local band and a music legend combine in the last place on Earth to play good music.  The harmonies were tight, the music was balanced, and the room was hopping to the chicken plucking guitar strings to the heart thumping beat of the bass drum.  A Hammond Organ became the cherry on top of this musical sundae sprinkled with the colorful culmination of throw back vibes to current day hit songs.  It’s not how you play the instrument, it’s how the instrument plays you.  Remember that folks because this night belonged to the love of music and not for the free meals of candy stashed in the upstairs containers of the eye doctor’s office of where we hid from the outside world.

The feel on the drive home had a different feel, but over all Joey and myself sat back to the sounds of Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash who collaborated together for a VH-1 story teller concert some years back.  It’s the kind of CD that never gets old and the where stories become fairy tales of days gone by.  “On the Road Again” started to play and Joey grew excited in the seat as a husky Pete passed out in the back from too much something-a-rather.  Just the sounds of mumbles and how Willie Nelson was talking to him through the music caught my ear in between my own personal momentary lapse of reality.  The movie in my mind played over and over again.  A looping picture of my soul’s mate walking towards me in the hallway of the JFK airport terminal.  The smile of smiles, the embrace of embraces, and the start of my new life some seventy, yes seventy, pounds lighter.  “..and I just can’t wait to get on the road again.”  The song ended and I pressed record on my digital recorder and what happened next was my first deep interview for backstage blogger.  An up close and truly personal insight to one of today’s most talented guitarists, Joey Williams.

“That used to be one of my mottos.  I used to be serious about that tune.  I lived that song right there.  I remember when the song first came out.  When I was growing up and I was on the road.  I hadn’t been home in a long time from being on the road and I would start singing that.”  Joey explained to me just before breaking into song, “…and I can’t wait to get on the road again.”  I asked him what is his road was and where his road was bringing him to.  He sat back in his seat, pressed his head back on the head rest and with a deep sigh said, “The road was a place to travel on to get to my friends and my family.  Back then we weren’t traveling around the world.  Traveling around the world came later.  Back then we were just traveling around the country.  We traveled on 95, 85 (Joey laughed lightly), all over the place.”  Joey’s traveling started at the early age of eleven when he was living in Florida.  He would travel with his father’s quartet, he would perform on stage with the band, and that is initially how he started his life on the road.  It’s been a grandiose road with collaborations and fill in cameos with such incredible musicians such as Robert Randolph, Dave Hollister, and Keith Sweat.  His family life on the road exposed him at an early age to the various cultures, the mindsets of the people, and the ability to grow up with no boundaries through his music.  “My mother and father would take us down to the Wilson, North Carolina area where my family and I would spend our summers being a family.  That was my road back then.  Today it’s about playing in the church and always listening to music.”

Unlike some music artists, Joey’s family is still alive for the most part.  His mother and father have shared each step of his success as did his siblings.  He recounted one of his aunts who passed some time ago and how her passing was short of the success.  She was one person who he hoped would be alive to witness his contribution to the music world.  Joey also brought up another person who he says would have truly appreciated his talents.  “I also wish my father-in-law could have seen the success I have made at this point and what I have been able to build for my wife.”  His wife attends a majority of his shows and she is very fond of Joey and his talents from the times I have shared with her backstage.  Being on the road with out your spouse can be tough and does come with its own challenges, but Joey’s love and dedication to his wife keeps their relationship moving in a forward direction where so many music artist relationships have fallen apart.  His passion for his music is essential and the inspiration he has for his wife is apparent through his music and a few glances from stage to her when the connect in their own personal moments.  His smile brightens as their eyes meet and its a beautiful moment which I have caught from time to time when I’m not fixed on getting that next shot on camera.

Joey exercises his guitar skills like a man running a triathlon.  Each day he wakes up and empowers his soul for music by practicing and looking deep with himself to learn new techniques of playing better then he currently is able to.  This is a daily ritual developed from the mind of a five time Grammy award winner who flows through life feeling good and keeping positive.  “I have like six statues (5 Grammy Awards and 1 lifetime Achievement Award) in my home from my music.  You don’t realize it until you start talking about it.  It’s special and I love saying it.  I’m a Grammy Award Winner.  I worked really hard in the studio with everything I have and for that dedication, and the band’s ability to remain on top of their game, we won the awards we have with great respect from our musical peers.  This band has achieved so much after so long of putting in its time, its energy, and its blood.  I remember the first time we earned our first Grammy.  It was me and Jimmy (Carter).  When our name was called we all just stood up on the middle of the floor and we could not believe it.  It was the most incredible feeling that I couldn’t even begin to describe.  The following year we were all sitting together again and we were so nervous as we were the year prior.  The feelings I had inside were just like the feelings I had racing through me on our first nomination.  We even went to the awards with Robert Randolph that year.  Robert was nominated for two Grammies and we were nominated for one.  We won another award for our category that night and it was like a double treat.  We played and we won our third Grammy Award.  The following year was number four with Ben Harper.  Even after five wins the feeling doesn’t get any less intense and I am always nervous as I felt the first time we were nominated.  It’s like each time the Yankees win another world series.  It never gets old.  Just I do.”

Joey is a simple man with a very focused goal.  To be the best at what he does.  His ability to pick up the guitar each day is a blessing that has been bestowed upon him with a higher purpose then to pluck strings or to entertain music fans for a dollar.  He brings out the best emotions from out of his fans who depend on his energy and stage presence for warmth of comfort of feeling good in their lives.  Joey’s musicianship talent expands over a decade and has touched millions of people over the years.  He still dreams of a time to collaborate with such music icons as Sting, Mary J Blige, and his mentor, Stevie Wonder.  What Joey would bring to their music is a flavorful root that is untapped and unheard by anyone they have partnered with.  His ability to capture the moment is done effortlessly with the highest regards from the music industry.  There is no project too big or too small for him and he is on the brink of becoming a legend in his own ranks.

“We recently went to San Francisco to do a few songs for a documentary with Anthony Hamilton and some other artists.  We are heading back to the states after our world tour with the Preservation Hall Jazz.  It’s an incredible experience coming from being a kid from the Bronx with a guitar and a dream to be able to see the world on tour doing what I love each day, and if I could do one thing before I leave this Earth I would like to do a duet with Stevie Wonder.  It’s a dream I have had that ever since I was a kid.  I look to Stevie as a mentor because if you are able to do what he has done and to accomplish the level of success he has achieved, then you have to give credit where credit is due.  Stevie is the man and a music artist I look up to with the highest respect.  He’s proven himself and you just can’t go wrong following in his footsteps.”

Joey Williams.  A name that shouldn’t be new to anyone living above a rock.  Joey will continue to play music until the good Lord brings him home.  He will continue to march forward and develop his legendary status.  There are so few music artists who can paint a room in music as Joey has done time and time again.  His free spirit will keep him fresh and keep his music fresh, anticipated, and exciting when it is created.  The life and future that will pour out of him in the years ahead are going to massive and it will be the loss of a music fan to not drown there heads in the cleanly baptism of Joey’s music.  Where there is bright light, warm reception, and love there will be Joey Williams on center stage with his fender in hand plugged into an amplifier ready to blanket you with music in its purest form.  It doesn’t matter if it is in a seedy bar or in a major venue, Joey keeps himself in check and the music he creates and performs doesn’t portrait a man who knows he’s accomplished the near impossible.  He is a true music artist who plays for the love of playing and nothing less.  I’m proud to call Joey my friend and I’m blessed to have had this time in our car ride to learn more about how two people can share the same passion for music on and off the stage.  Joey Williams.  Wow!

Here are some pictures I took of my goofy brother Joey, I thought he would be embarrassed to wear the santa hat but he wasn’t!

Call or email if your interested in having your Christmas Picture taken!

252-292-0390

jen@jenniferporcarophotography.com

Eigentlich sollte es am Samstag sonnig werden, aber viel war von der Sonne nicht zu erahnen. So wurde es ein schöner Nebelspaziergang in der herrlichen Wienerwaldgegend bei Sittendorf.

Joey konnte sich mal wieder ordentlich auspowern

Känguruh oder doch Whippet?

Anscheinend verbindet “Strömlinge” einiges miteinander, wie zb. der ihnen ganz eigene Wahnsinn!
Dumm und Dümmer

on the run

Überflieger

Manche Fotos würde man gelegentlich aber eher nicht so gerne sehen, so wie dieses hier

Lala überließ wiedermal ihrer Tochter die Joey-Bespassung und ist mittlerweile eine richtige Lady geworden

Savannah mit ihren fast 12 Jahren immer noch frisch und munter

Marijana war diesmal auch mit und konnte Barbara und ihre Greys kennen lernen

Auch ich musste diesmal VOR das Objektiv

und was ich noch nicht vorenthalten darf ist Joeys Begegnung mit einem Wildschein der Bogenschützen *gg*
wer bist denn du?

ok, dann halt so!! *gggg*

Wir hatten einen “runden” Tag, mit anschließendem gemütlichen Essen und einem Besuch bei Timber & Oki im Reitstall

Alle Fotos vom Ausflug sind               H I E R         zu finden

With the Paley Center’s “Dawson’s Creek: A Look Back” panel and the release of “Dawson’s Creek: The Complete Series,” I’ve been on a DC high the past week and a half.  Imagine my delight in finding someone who was not only just as enthusiastic but also chock full of insider stories only true fans like TDW readers could appreciate. And when you combine that with the fact that this guy is also partly responsible for introducing Beverly Hills 90210 to the world, well, that pretty much makes him a teen drama god.

After reading all the DC and 90210 goodness executive producer Paul Stupin shared with me, you’ll never want TDW’s stroll down memory creek to end!

TeenDramaWhore: How was the Paley Center panel?  How did it come about?

Paul Stupin: It came about for two sets of reasons. The first was that there are a  lot of die-hard Dawson’s supporters and fans out there that could support such a event. And the second key element is Sony is planning to issue this monumental all-seasons of Dawson’s DVD collection.

TDW: Yeah! It came out yesterday and I went to three different stores and finally found it!

Stupin: I just think it’s the coolest thing ever. So it was a good opportunity to call some attention to the DVD collection while at the same time having an event for the fans. It was really fun for me because when I did Dawson’s, I look back on it as a very special and rewarding time in my life and to be able to talk about it and see some cast members and see Kevin [Williamson, creator] again was just a blast.

TDW: I’m sure. I wish I could’ve been there!

Stupin: Yeah, you would’ve liked it!

TDW: Oh, I’m sure. Well let’s go back even further, to 1997-1998, and Kevin Williamson comes to you with this idea to make this semi-autobiographical show. What made you come on board?

Stupin: Well, that’s not exactly how it happened but I can tell you. I had read an early draft of this film that he wrote. At the time, it was called Scary Movie but that was going to turn into Scream and they used the original title for something else. I had read a draft of that and I had really responded to the writing. One of the things I loved about it is not only did it have some smart thrills and chills but it also had this great sort of teenage/20-something dialogue. I just loved his voice and I loved the different perspectives that he had brought to the horror genre so I pushed really hard to his agent for Kevin and I to sit down. Originally, I wanted to run two areas by him. The first area was sort of a younger X-Files-esque kind of show and the second one was just a really smart, young ensemble sort of show that could tap into younger characters’ voices. I had ran programming at Fox, so the idea of doing a family show was kind of not on the board because Fox had Party of Five. So we started to talk about potentially doing a show about a number of younger characters who live on the same street. Then Kevin sort of went away and came back and sort of pitched to me a bunch of characters living on the same creek, which, of course, was semi-autobiographical. What made that so interesting is that it specified the idea and made it something unique and took us to a place I had never seen before. And the other thing that made that original pitch so exciting was the characters. He pitched to me the characters of Dawson [James Van Der Beek] and Joey [Katie Holmes] and Jen [Michelle Williams] and how that triangle would work. And then as we were talking about that, we came up with the idea of incorporating another character into the mix who could be a confidante for Dawson and that’s how the character of Pacey [Joshua Jackson] originated.

TDW: I think you really hit it when you said the show was unique. There are a couple of specific things that people are still talking about today and they really want the inside details of how it happened. I know you guys went over a bit of this at the panel but I’d love to hear it from you yourself.  So if we can just go over a couple of different storylines, I’d love to hear what you guys were thinking and the genesis of those. So the first one is in season 2 when we have Jack [Kerr Smith] announce that he’s gay [Episodes 2.14 & 2.15, To Be Or Not To Be... & ...That Is The Question].

Stupin: I think there were two reasons for that. The first reason is it was a great way to integrate in a gay character on our series and to do it from the perspective of the kids we’d come to know and love on the show from the get-go. So the thought of involving Joey in a relationship with Jack and seeing that relationship take a completely unexpected turn and then understanding the emotional impact it would have on Joey’s character, and what it would do to Dawson and Pacey–all that seemed really interesting. And at the time, the thought of integrating a gay character and following that journey seemed really powerful and a way to tap into a whole set of emotions that would make our show even more memorable. One of the things that I love about Dawson’s is that it sort of wore its heart on its sleeve. Not only did it capture the voices and that sense of teenage yearning and teenage love and first-time love, and the power and the strength of all that, with love comes heartache as well in many stories. I think it enabled us to tell a really emotional and powerful story for a character that we’d really come to enjoy in the form of Jack. So that was one element to it and I think for Kevin it was a very personal story as well, and it was a way to again put a whole different perspective on the teen ensemble drama in a way that it hadn’t been done before. The second element to it was the fact that when Joey started that relationship with Jack, it was not going to go on forever. The key relationship in our series was what was going on between Joey and Dawson and Pacey, so the Jack character, that romance, was ultimately going to come to an end. And I think there was the thought of what a powerful way to see the relationship head south when the character starts to realize an insight into his own sexuality.

TDW: Going back to the Dawson-Joey-Pacey relationship, I read in Jeff Stepakoff’s book “Billion-Dollar Kiss” that Greg Berlanti–whom I adore–was the one to suggest putting Joey and Pacey together. I was wondering how accurate that story was in the book.

Stupin: Well, at the top of every season, we’ll sit and we’ll talk about [our plans]. We take a couple of weeks and we talk about each character and where we were going and what the sort of macro-issues were that we want to cover over the course of that particular group of 22 episodes. And Greg was definitely a part of that and the thought  of telling sort of a whole Joey-Pacey romance did in fact come out of that, absolutely. But I think you can go back, you can look at the pilot and you can look at the chemistry–and I did, in looking at the pilot last week–you can look at the chemistry between Joey and Pacey and you just know they’re sort of two peas in a pod and sooner or later that element of the triangle is going to get explored. So it’s definitely true what Jeff had in the book but I think that Greg was building from the seeds that were established in the original conception of the show, to tell you the truth.

TDW: Right.  Going to a more somber note: this probably came early on for you guys given how you plan the season but a lot of people were really surprised and devastated when in the 5th season Mitch [John Wesley Shipp] died [Episodes 5.03 & 5.04, Capeside Revisited & The Long Goodbye].

Stupin: Yes.

TDW: I’m wondering what the idea for that was. We never knew if it was casting reasons or storyline-dictated.

Stupin: It wasn’t really casting issues. The thing with Mitch was every year we would figure out a way to have 1 or 2 sort of emotional stories between Dawson and his mom and dad. In the first season we had all that great stuff with her affair with a newscaster. That was just sort of natural. The second season we have the story with mom and dad trying the open marriage, and it’s arguable as to how memorable that actually was. It seemed like such a fresh idea. I’m not sure that it translated quite as well as the idea initially seemed. And then after that, when the inter-relationships between the teenagers grew ever-more prominent and people became much more invested, it felt like the parents–though still important–were not quite as much a part of the storylines. So that’s when we would always try to include them, to have them in different things, to have great sort of Dawson-mom, Dawson-dad scenes but I think we were straining a little bit. And I think that when we got to the point of deciding the fate with Mitch, it seemed like we weren’t using him altogether that much in the series, in the seasons. We were using him but we weren’t using him in a huge way. There weren’t any financial or casting considerations. It really did come from the creative angle, in terms of how would it affect Dawson’s character if in fact this happened to his dad, and exploring that, and exploring the unexpected tragedy of it seemed like another way to really heighten the exploration as to who Dawson was, so that’s basically where that came from. And I remember talking to John Wesley and mentioning that the one thing that this would provide is that it was going to take the Dawson-father storyline to a really heartbreaking sense of conclusion and, at that point, we weren’t using him as much as we had in the past.

TDW: How does that contrast, then, to the decision in the series finale [Episodes 6.23 & 624, All Good Things... & ...Must Come To An End] to have another death and this time it be Jen?

Stupin: It was so interesting last week; it came up that in a way it was a great book-end for the series. It frankly never occurred when we were talking about the beginning or the end of the show but one could argue that the series began with a catalyst and that was the arrival of Jen. And the series ended with a catalyst as well, and that was the departure of Jen. And the one thing that I think that it did is it really brought a sense of emotional resonance and power to that final episode, because one of the things with a final episode you want to be able to do, you want to be able to end a series in a satisfying and emotional and interesting way. And if we essentially had the last episode in history for Dawson’s Creek, we could talk about and we could explore issues of mortality involving some of our characters. Then when we talked about it, if we were going to be dealing with the characters’ mortality, she seemed like the most natural character in which to explore that.

TDW: Going back to the catalyst idea, it could be extended that that was really what it took for Joey to finally make up her mind between the two boys.

Stupin: Yeah, I think a little bit. I think the interesting thing was the series sort of ends twice. It ends in the episode before then [Episode 6.22, Joey Potter And The Capeside Redemption] where we get the sense that finally Dawson and Pacey are going to be friends and Joey did actually get to Europe. And I think that had a sense of closure. Then we took it another step and went to a sort of even more sort of larger-than-life ending of exploring who she was going to end up with. I think that was the big question: who was she going to end up with? And I think that that was handled pretty well, too. Like I personally love the thought that what this show was really about was not the romance of Dawson and Joey but about the strength and depth of that friendship and how that friendship was going to exist forever.

TDW: So if you had to answer the question, in your heart of hearts, do you think Dawson belongs with Joey in a platonic, friends soulmates sense and Pacey in the romantic soulmate way?

Stupin: In my heart of hearts, I think we ended it the right away. I think that what she did have in the romance with Pacey was as powerful as the friendship with Dawson. And I think that we were able to come up with a sense of satisfying closure for both of them. ‘Cause I will tell you, weirdly enough, when I was looking at The Sopranos–I’ll weirdly liken it to the conclusion of The Sopranos, at least from my weird perspective, because I was a fan of that. I like to think, in my mind, that Tony Soprano is still out there–maybe it wasn’t going to last forever, but maybe he’s still out there with his family, still dealing with the issues and still dealing with all the balls he was juggling. And in my mind, I like to think that Dawson and Joey are still out there in our alternate TV universe, still communicating with each other and still sharing the inner-most aspects of their hearts and still dealing with their friendship as adults, and that Joey and Pacey still have that romance. Because I feel like what we were able to come up with was, for me, an emotionally-satisfying conclusion for both stories which doesn’t let anyone down. And I know there are people who think Dawson and Joey should’ve been together romantically and I totally understand that point of view but I think we did the right thing.

TDW: Well, as a Joey and Pacey fan, I completely agree with you!

Stupin: Well, I can tell you this: that decision wasn’t made until the last hour was being shot and so if you look at the first hour of that final two-hour, I think at that point we were leaning toward her ending up with Dawson and so there are a few, I think, little cues–for the life of me I don’t remember exactly–that were set up to lead us in that direction and then, frankly, in the last hour, when the last hour was being shot–because it wasn’t shot as a two-hour; it was shot as two separate 1-hours–that when we came up with that conclusion, it caused us to shift things around a little bit. So I’ll tell ya, we were undecided up until the very last minute ourselves.

TDW: Wow. Well, switching gears slightly, you spoke about Dawson and the way he would communicate with Joey. Going off that, both Kevin Williamson and James Van Der Beek are on Twitter these days. I was wondering, had the service existed when the show was on the air, how do you think Dawson would’ve used it, if he would’ve used it? As I said, They’re both on it now, and Dawson was very much a storyteller.

Stupin: Well, I think Dawson might’ve used it to express his emotions. I think he might’ve used it as a shorthand way of communicating with both Joey and Pacey. It’s certainly easier to communicate things to someone by Twitter than it is necessarily in real life. He might’ve, at some point in our storytelling, he might’ve used it to express something that he might not have been so willing to express in person.

TDW: When you look back on the show and the television landscape then and now, what do you think the show’s legacy is?

Stupin: You know, I think for me it’s–well, first of all, I’m so proud of the show. I think the characters were amazing. I think their stories were amazing. I think the quality of the writing, the quality of the direction was–of course I’m biased but I think it was just top-flight. And I really do think it took the young adult teen genre and elevated it from just a niche kind of show to something universal and iconic. I think adults could look at it. When we were doing it we never looked at it as just a teen show.  We looked at it as just a smart, interesting, relationship show that happened to deal with teenagers and though our core audience was teenagers, it was written for everybody, for people in their 20s, their 30s, their 40s. And I really think it managed to transcend all of that and bring an element of quality and exploration to the genre that really took it to the next step.

TDW: Do you have a favorite episode or storyline?

Stupin: You know, I’m so biased. It’s like trying to pick if you have 120 kids which one’s your favorite. But I think for me there are certain sort of moments that I love. There’s certain episodes, like the pilot because it introduced us to that world, and I remember so much of it almost like it was yesterday. The first season-ender when Joey went to visit her dad in prison, I loved that. I loved the detention episode [Episode 1.07, Detention]. A lot of them are some of the original ones. But then I think I love the episode when they graduated high school [Episode 4.22, The Graduate]. I thought that was just sensational. I love the one-hour ender as well as the two-hour series finale ender. I think there’s so many. The episode where they studied and it was an all-nighter [Episode 2.07, The All-Nighter]. The episode where Joey had to enter the beauty pageant [Episode 1.12, Beauty Contest]. I just love all of those.

TDW: Well, conversely, do you have a big regret or something you wish you did differently?

Stupin: Yeah. My biggest regret would probably be, as I think about it–and it was a mistake we made–was the character of Eve. Remember that character?

TDW: Yeah. You guys even have a joke about that in the episode before the series finale.

Stupin: Yeah. I don’t think the first episodes of season 3 really were as memorable as the other episodes. And I think that whole notion of “Is she Jen’s sister? Is she not?”–I don’t think that was that effective. I don’t look back on that run of episodes as my favorites.

TDW: Yeah, I think the fans do agree with that.

Stupin: Yeah, but you know what, we turn it around.  In the middle of that season we turned it around with–

TDW: With Joey and Pacey.

Stupin: Yeah, with Joey and Pacey. And that certainly helped get us back, I think, to our roots.

TDW: Going more to your history, I know you played a bit of a role with the creation of Beverly Hills 90210.

Stupin: Yes, I did.

TDW: What influence, if any, did that show have on Dawson‘s Creek?  If you learned anything from how viewers took to what was really the first teenage show, as Dawson’s Creek is largely considered the next step in the genre.

Stupin: Well, two things. And it’s an interesting question. The first thing: when I hired Darren Star to write 90210, I felt as if his voice was just so unique in terms of his ability to write characters and come up with dialogue and wit that seemed like it would be a particularly good fit if he put into teenager characters’ mouths. So in a way I think that when I read Kevin’s voice, I felt some of it was the same in terms of being clever and sharp and smart and pop culturally-savvy. I felt like I had found another voice who was capable of taking the genre to the next step. So I felt like both Kevin and Darren brought originally a really unique sense of humor and sharpness to their creation of characters and dialogue. So I think there was a similarity there. The one issue that I took away from 90210, that was very effective in 90210, was the mix of issue-oriented episodes and personal inter-relationships. Though, when we jumped into Dawson’s, we veered away from doing the issue-oriented episodes and explored further just all of the great inter-relationships.

TDW: Going further ahead to the rest of the genre and the teen dramas that are on today, do you think Dawson’s Creek influenced them?

Stupin: I’m sure it did, though I can’t say–you know, again, I’m biased. I don’t know. In my mind, I’m undecided as to what the next real step in the genre is after Dawson’s. I’m not sure what it is. I haven’t watched enough of the shows. I hold, of course again I’m so biased, but I hold everything up to the prism of Dawson’s. I don’t know if any of them that have come since have quite represented that cultural milestone that Dawson’s did.

TDW: Do you think Dawson’s Creek would fly on The CW today? Because it’s so different than what The WB was.

Stupin: Yeah. I’m not sure. I’ve often thought would I be able to sell Dawson’s today? Would I be able to pitch that as a series and get it going, and I’m not altogether sure. Because now, when you look at Dawson’s, we sold it off the strength of the characters and off of the strength of Kevin’s voice being so fresh. Now, I think that the networks are looking for slightly higher concepts. So I’m not altogether sure that a Dawson’s would be able to sell today.

TDW: I have to ask, then, why do you think the 90210 spin-off sold?

Stupin: Oh, I see, are you talking about bringing able to bring it back, for instance?

TDW: Well, no, not for it to be a spin-off. But the 90210 concept today is working.

Stupin: Well, I think the 90210 concept–everyone, myself included, has fondness for that original show. The thought of sort of putting two new outsiders into that world and bringing the  show back is a great way to hook people into a whole new group of characters, and I think it was a great idea. The thing with Dawson’s is I don’t know if bringing the world of Dawson’s Creek back with a bunch of new characters would generate quite the excitement. Because I think when you think about the show, you think about Dawson and you think about the very unique 3 characters, the 4 characters we had, and the actors that played them. And I’m not sure if it was brought back again–I certainly wouldn’t want to redo it with a new Dawson or a new Pacey. So the question would be could we go back to Capeside with a whole new group of characters, and I’m not sure we would be able to put together a new group of people as memorably as we did originally.

TDW: Right. You know, they say lightening strikes once.

Stupin: Right. And you know, I’m afraid you always run the risk of–when you make a sequel to a movie that’s not as good, it kind of reflects negatively on the original movie.

TDW: I completely agree.

Stupin: And I like to think of all our episodes as being so special, I’m not sure it’s something you could bring back.

TDW: Well, my biggest disappointment right now is that Dawson’s Creek is no longer on any channel in America.

Stupin: Really? You know, they gotta get on that! Wasn’t it running like forever in the early morning hours?

TDW: It used to be on TBS. When I was in high school, it used to be on at like 10am. And then they pushed it to 4:30am, 5:30am and then it just faded away there and now it’s not on at all.

Stupin: I’m not sure what the design is on that because I always like to know that Dawson’s is out there.

TDW: I know, I know. It saddens me that it’s just not in repeats anywhere anymore in this country.

Stupin: You know what, those things tend to be cyclical. Maybe in the future you’ll be channel surfing one night. Knowing you, you’ll know way before then but maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

TDW: Fingers crossed.

Stupin: Exactly.

TDW: Well, let’s bring it back and finish on today. You’re with Make It Or Break It on ABC Family. Just looking at your career over the years, what is it about Make It or Break It that you’re here now?

Stupin: Well, what I love about Make It Or Break It is I’m a big fan of the genre, having originally developed 90210 and then developed Dawson’s. When I left to become a producer, I never really thought that my first real success would be in the same genre as 90210 because I actually never thought that lightning would strike twice in that genre for me as quickly as it did. But after I ran Dawson’s, you know, for six years, I developed a real love for the genre. And the thing that I love about Make It or Break It is the idea. It’s a fresh idea, it’s a fresh world. And it provides a pretty unique prism in which to explore sort of teenage relationships in a really unusual way. I mean, these girls aren’t normal teenagers. They’re elite gymnasts and there are rules against relationships as they’re pursuing their passion. How do they deal with that? And how do we deal with the same elements of teenage love and relationships and heartbreak but from a whole different perspective? And I love that about it, and I also love the relationships between the main characters and their parents and their parental figures. I think they’re a really organic element to the show and give us an opportunity to deal with really unusual family situations as well. So that’s why I love it. And also the gymnastics is just really cool. It’s a lot of fun just to see the gymnastics.

TDW: Oh, the gymnastics is just phenomenal to watch.

Stupin: So I think that Make It Or Break It is just such a special show. We’ve done 10 episodes and I think it’s just starting to get its sea legs. I think it has a huge successful life in front of it, I hope.

TDW: Well, best of luck to you on that!

Stupin: Thank you!

Come back next Sunday for another exclusive interview!

TDW Interview Index

We decided to go up to the top of Stone Mountain Park today. I hiked to the top and Joey and the boy rode the sky car up. It was a beautiful day and relatively warm outside. I had gotten a bit warm in my jeans and t-shirt – knew I would but wasn’t feeling the shorts and decided to persevere. Once at the top I awaited their sky car to pull up, the doors opened and the two of them departed. We walked around the top of the mountain for awhile. The boy ran up to every pool of water and looked for shrimp. Joey took pictures and then we went back to the snack shop to refill the reusable cup of Coke Zero for a dollar. The lady at the cash register said she hadn’t seen that cup in awhile and what a good deal that was. I knew Joey was thinking “Uh ye-ah! That’s why we bought it so every time we come back here refills are only a dollar.” 

They got back on the sky car and I walked down. It didn’t take me nearly as long to get down as it did to get up. They drove around and picked me up in the car and we took off for the grocery store. They had crab legs on sale $4.99 per pound at Publix and Joey decided to surprise the boy with them for dinner. On the way to the store the boy got pouty. He said he had a headache and didn’t feel well. Joey said he could stay in the car while we ran in and got groceries leaving him with the cell phone and locking the car.

Once inside we shopped for the sales that were in the flyer. Joey asked that if the phone rang would I be able to hear it. I said yes but it didn’t get a good signal in the back of the store. By the time we got to the front to check out there was a missed call. I tried to call back but he wouldn’t answer. I finished checking out while Joey ran out to see if he was ok. By the time I got back to the car she had his back seat door open and was holding him while he cried. He had said he tried to call and we wouldn’t answer. He was quite distressed and anxious. Joey soothed him while I loaded the groceries and Joey got into the passenger seat and we went home. He said he was so weak he could barely move. This reminded me of a David Sedaris story I had recently read to Joey about him and his boyfriend both coming down with a stomach flu and vying for whose flu was the worse. From his book “When you are engulfed in flames” essay “Old Faithful” he said, “You can at least move your hands,” he said. “No,” I told him, “it was the wind that moved them. I have no muscle control whatsoever.” -Going through my mind at that moment. 

We pulled up at home and Joey and I unloaded the groceries while the boy used her cane to limp into the house. Head down, limping with the cane I had to turn around to keep him from seeing my amused expression. “What a little drama queen”, I thought. While I could understand his anxiety – I could not understand him acting like he could barely walk into the house limping along with Joey’s cane. [He did do a wonderful imitation of her on her worst days, though.] Inside the house he slumped over the bar as we put groceries away. Joey was trying to cheer him by talking about the crab and accidentally mentioned tofu before that. The boy loves tofu almost as much as crab. He brightened over the mention of it and Joey said we weren’t having that tonight but crab he said, “Oh-uh” and slumped back down on the counter, again, pouting. I piped in that his mom wanted to surprise him with crab tonight. I could tell we were getting to the end of our sympathy rope with the poutiness. There were children starving in Africa and he was to have crab, which, was one of his favorites. [Not that I said that but thought it.] I asked him if he wanted me to set up a movie for him to watch before dinner and that seemed to work. I took him into our bedroom and cued it up and gave him the remotes. He looked content with his banana and movie when I left him. I went back into the kitchen Joey said, “Thank you. I was about at the end of my rope.”

By the time crab was served we were all focusing on getting the scrumptious meat out of the legs, snarfing down sweet potato fries and later ice cream. Everything seemed to be fine after that. It was a good day despite the grocery store incident.