What Would Stephen Rea Do?

Friday, December 5, 2008

Technically this isn't related to Grammar, but we thought it worth sharing since we like Stephen Rea and we like movies--and we like some of Stephen Rea's movies.

But we notice that he always plays a kind of reluctant subversive--often the guy on the inside--the guy who gradually realizes that he's working for the enemy and, once he does, starts undermining them. Or it. Or whatever.

So we and some friends started a group called "What Would Stephen Rea Do?" where we list the menial ways in which we stick it to the man--because Stephen Rea never challenges authority outright--he just slows it down a bit. Sort of.

Are you a reticent revolutionary, who may, or may not be interested in sticking it to the man? Well, not really sticking it to the man, just mildly interrupting the man's day. Maybe getting him off-task so he forgets what he's doing. If this sounds like it could possibly be you, simply ask yourself one question when you're considering a small action that could slightly derail the man for a few minutes: "What would Stephen Rea do?"

Stephen Rea’s made a career playing the beleaguered subversive: Ned Broy, the disillusioned double agent; Detective Viktor Burakov, the agitated profiler who’s had it almost-up-to-here with the system; Chief Inspector Eric Finch, the dogged trailer who flirts with anarchy; Leopold Bloom, who tips his hat only to quietly chuckle because he didn’t really mean it. Stephen Rea’ll sit there and take it, but The Man better not expect a very nice Christmas card this year.

What would Stephen Rea do? Well, we're not quite sure, but here's what we've done:

• Today, I just stood by while a dog micturated on public property!
  

• Today, while listening to Rush Limbaugh, I heard Stephen Rea call and quickly hang up once he was on the line. About fifteen minutes later, he called back and apoligized for hanging up. Afterward noting that he sometimes disagrees with Rush, yet he still respects his right to speak his mind....maybe.
  

• In a dream last night, I was taken to a summer concentration camp (or concentration summer camp) where all the counselors had assault rifles and brutal dispositions. When they shot each camper’s photo, I totally Stephen Rea’d it to the Man by correcting the photographer’s grammar and syntax, much to his irritation. I swear I am not making this up.
  

• Today, at work, I totally disrupted my routine by having a different kind of popcorn for lunch. I normally have the subversive kind of popcorn, but today my popcorn conformistly had butter -- even when I'm part of the system, I undermine it!
  

• Today, I thought about a bird defecating on a congressman...
  

• Today, I drank from the coffee pot up in circulation instead of the coffee pot in publications.

What are your Stephen Rea moments?