Thursday 6 August 2009

Say Anthing...

Under a full moon night, a girlfriend and I watched this timeless 80s classic starring John Cusack. The movie showed at Toronto's Harbourfront (on the Sirius stage) to an audience made up mostly of girlfriends and spaced out couples.

What can we say about Lloyd Dobler?
He's every guy next door: the perfect blend of klutz, wreck, lovable geek, secret ninja and swooning romantic in one simply wrapped package.

And as we watched him, we swooned too.


I wonder about the guy from NOW magazine who introduced the movie. He was talking on stage, and towards the end of his shpeel he spoke to the men and women in the audience. To the men he said, "Guys, face it, we will never match up to Lloyd Dobler." And to the women he said, "Ladies, don't expect us to match up to Lloyd Dobler... because he's NOT REAL."

So? Truly guys, I think aspiring to emulate this fictitious character is possibly one of the easiest tasks you can take on in your life. It may be a daunting thought, but think about it - you really only need to do three things:

1. Keep it simple and speak the truth
No fancy stuff. Diane Court called Lloyd Dobler basic... and meant it as a compliment. I think being basic is a compliment... it means you're able to present yourself in the rawst sense... a sort of... "this is me, take it or leave it" kind of deal.

2. Maintain a sense of optimism
Lay it out there without fear of ramifications. Believe in true romance. Take risks and keep your toes and fingers crossed that it will all work out. If it doesn't, you leave knowing you at least tried and went after what you wanted.

3. Communicate
Use your words. Don't think for 30 minutes about what you're going to say over the course of 30 seconds. Give it a bit of thought and just speak! Let what's in your head and heart out. You'll be amazed at how much clearer things become.

No wonder this character not only became a movie icon, but also the secret desire for women from almost every walk of life. There's even a band out there called the Lloyd Dobler Effect.

Sometimes when we think we want glamour, what we're really asking for is... basic.

xo
SC

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...