Here is this week’s entry into the weekly challenge brought to us by the lovely Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Here are the rules: Use the photo as inspiration, write a hundred(ish) words – and share! Here goes my offering for this week – and I welcome your comments again!
Copyright – Renee Heath
– Perspective –
“Mr Riordan – may I call you Aaron?”
“No, you are a mere journalist. You may not.”
“Mister Riordan, your latest installation seems to be yet another spectacular failure!”
She readied herself for the right hook. He was unpredictable at the best of times.
Nothing happened.
“I’ve lost my edge,” he whispered. “I’m done in. I can’t do this any more…”
“No, no, no!”
“All I wanted was for one person to look at my Bloke In A Dress – instead, everyone turned away!”
“Mr Riordan – please. People here don’t like what’s different, they can’t cope with it. So they look away. It’s them, not you.”
____
Click the blue froggy to read other writers’ offerings – and enjoy!
Freya Writes... 
ha ha, that was a good angle 🙂
Thank you! I was feeling a bit cheeky – and the person in the dress reminded me of Eddie Izzard… 🙂
The cheek comes out pretty well! I had no idea who Eddie Izzard was, now I do. 🙂
I also enjoyed the bit about people not liking ‘what’s different’. Sometimes it is true, sometimes it seems the artist likes ‘what’s different’ a bit too much.
Nice one in any case!
Thank you – and I am pleased you have learned about somebody new. He has done stand up comedy in Montreal, in French,
Cheeky, but entertaining.
Happy to have entertained! 🙂
Excellent Freya. I took this as a statement on art in that people have difficulty accepting something new and often confronting. The artists reaction as being a failure in this situation is sad but sometimes real, even when he is trying to get away with a ‘bloke in a dress’.
I think, as a species, we don’t always deal well with change or difference, or actions that challenge what we think of as the norm. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
It is true – people turn away from what they don’t understand. See no difference. Ignorant to it.
Thank you for reading and sharing your own thoughts!
Change is difficult for many people, and find it difficult to step outside the box with their thinking.
Not only in Mr. Riordan’s creative edge, but also in his needing to escalate himself by being called by his surname, and not his given name.
Your story reflects this quite well!
Well now, Mister Riordan will probably go on to sell millions of copies of that spectacular failure. Loved the way he turned the tables on the reporter.
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Like all artists, he is driven by his demons, so emotional highs and lows are part of the package….
Very original! A bit of morality, a bit of cheek. A peek into human nature. Nice.
Thank you!
Interesting human interactions. The games people play.
Indeed they (we) do…
Nice! And what’s so wrong about a “bloke in a dress???” =)
Absolutely nothing at all! Although I do envy the great legs that you guys have… but that’s an entirely different conversation… 🙂
Dear, my legs are made of 100% chicken – no need to be jealous of these gams…! =)
🙂 Now *that* made me laugh…
You’ve written a complex character in Riordan – does his rudeness come from insecurity, or is the insecurity a play, I wonder…
If I could offer a concrit, the “no no no!” line seems to me the weakest – the journalist is being offered a new insight into this volatile man and goes from fearing him to comforting him – this line could be used to show her dilemma and change of heart. But that’s just a suggestion.
Of course you can offer your thoughts! I kind of wrote the journalist a bit as me – I love to ask the probing question, but then sometimes shy away from going in for the kill, because I hate it when people get upset… A work in progress 🙂
haha, sounds like a weak spot as a journalist; I think that’s how I’d be too though.
… and so, that’s why I don’t use that career path as the way to pay my bills! 🙂
Very interesting. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Freya,
No, I think it’s him. Bloke in a dress, old guy in drag, whatever. Very out there, quirky, funny, inventive take on the photo. Ron
Thank you, I’m pleased you enjoyed it!
A bloke in a dress. well people pay to go and see Eddie don’t they…? And this was for free 🙂 Nothing wrong with that
They (I) also buy his DVDs… 🙂 I agree – nothing wrong with a bloke in a dress. Thank you for reading and writing.
very entertaining piece. i feel a bit sorry for the artist. 🙂 the conversation/ interaction between him and the journalist was the most amusing part ^^
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, he’s a bit fragile…
Dear Freya,
For someone who’s wanting to remain formal and distant, he certainly is vulnerable and candid, isn’t he?
Shalom,
Rochelle
That’s the thing about those outer shells we create – they hide the vulnerability we all feel underneath…
Wonder what Mister Riordan thinks of the ballerina dancing circles around his “bloke in a dress”–a flash performance piece? Your journalist might find her hook there.
Ah, the good old flash mob approach 🙂
Where I live, lots of that goes on 🙂
I have a similar real life story from this week. But I won’t bore you. After all you didn’t bore me.
Now why would a real life story of this ilk be boring? In any case, I’m glad my fiction confection didn’t bore you – thank you for commenting!
It was refreshing to see a journalist drop her pushy facade and react to the angst of the artist. Don’t know how many would really do that, but it was a nice change.
janet
Thank you, Janet! Sometimes, allowing the persona underneath the profession to peek through is actually more productive, in the end. I agree though, it might not realistic…!
That was very entertaining, especially when his vulnerability peeked through.
Dee
Thank you, Dee. I think the more brusque and guarded we appear to be, the more vulnerable we actually are underneath…