Summer In The City



I have a new addiction. It involves a pretentious private school girl on a student exchange, a sulky Tongan schoolboy and the campest drama teacher this side of San Francisco – all played by the same comic genius, Chris Lilley, in the Aussie mockumentary, Summer Heights High, now showing on BBC3 and HBO in the US. It’s hard to know which character to love or loathe more.

Ja’mie (pronounced Jah-may) is hideously bitchy and without an ounce of self-awareness, as she gaily patronises all the state school students around her. Jonah is the classic under-achieving, sulky teenage boy and Mr G is deeply frustrated at being a ‘theatre professional’ in a high school teacher’s job. Which is of course particularly difficult for him, given his track record in writing and producing stage productions, including such gems as Ikea The Musical and Tsunamarama, based on the Boxing Day Tsunami tragedy, set to the music of Bananarama.

Although it’s hilarious, Summer Heights High can be as uncomfortable to watch as The Office, with performances that will make you cringe with recognition as the characters play out their personal dramas and power struggles. If you want to know exactly how not to behave, these are life lessons writ large. Possibly that’s why Perez Hilton called it ‘one of our favourite shows on the planet’.

For something a little more palatable on the life lesson front, there’s always Sex & The City, now lighting up the silver screen, and the subject of commentary around the world. At Beliefnet.com, there’s even an article on 15 Love Lessons from the TV show, by Valerie Reiss. As a firm believer in finding wisdom anywhere, here are a few of the highlights for you to enjoy. To read the whole piece go to http://www.beliefnet.com/gallery/15lovelessonsfromsexandthecity.html.

“Fate Is Not Always Fate – It’s so tempting to interpret the tea-leaves of love, to decide that fate is (finally) working in our favour. When Trey saved Charlotte from being mowed down by a speeding taxi, she decided it was fate. Not just that he was a nice guy who saved her life, but that he must be the guy to live out her ‘marry tale’ with. Turns out, not so much, and I think after that divorce, Char developed a very different notion of fate, ie we don’t know how the universe works and just because it seems like synchronicity, it doesn’t mean you have to marry the dude. A lesson better remembered than re-experienced.

“Be Vulnerable – More than anyone else on the show, Samantha and her mien of steel taught us that true strength is in opening and trust. She started to get this from her girl-flame Maria (‘I’ve got monogamy, I think I caught it from you people.’) but mostly from her hot-hot boyfriend, Smith Jerrod. First he forced on her his ‘perverse’ desire to hold hands and then, most touchingly, shaved off his golden locks when she lost hers to chemo. We all have an inner Samantha – the part that feigns bravado in the face of pain and trusts no-one. Watching her set down her insecurity-as-sword reminded all us tough girls to do the same.

“Don’t Mistake Scraps For Jewels – ‘It was the singlemost encouraging moment in our relationship.’ Was Carrie talking about Big sharing his heart with her? Giving her a thoughtful present? Nope. She said this when he gave her the ‘only’ extra pink toothbrush head one night. Sure, it was the only baby step toward accepting her into his life that he was capable of. But all of us need to love ourselves enough not to mistake glitter for diamonds, scraps for a meal – exactly what that toothbrush head was.

“Love Beyond Yourself – Though ever-cynical Miranda adored her baby, she was not instantly maternal, referring to him as ‘meatloaf’ at one point. But she eventually warms to motherhood. And later on, she grows her heart an extra size when she cares for her mother-in-law with dementia, gently bathing her in one especially heart-breaking scene. The girls – and all of us – are at their best when they give and extend themselves to others.

“Always Come Home To Yourself – When Carrie is off with the Russian in Paris, (wearing that amazing tulle dress that goes on forever), she loses her signature nameplate necklace. A heavy-handed metaphor? Maybe. A key lesson in all relationships? Yes. It’s so easy for women especially to lose their identity in romantic relationships – we tend to merge with our lovers, sometimes dropping our own ‘names’ in the process. Ms Bradshaw does find her necklace, and any good shrink (or scriptwriter) would say it’s important to note that it was with her all along, fallen into the lining of a Dior purse. The series ends with these words from Carrie, after she has gone back home to New York, to herself, her friends and her Big love: ‘the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well that’s just fabulous.”

This week, take a look at what you might have learned from your favourite shows or movies. What kind of values do they embody? What do they tell you about how you’d like your life to be? Which ones inspire you to follow your own vision? Which ones show you exactly what not to do? If you had to pick a single line to encompass your philosophy, what would it be? Draw some inspiration from the screen – big or small – and let life imitate art in the most fabulous way.

For the Coach Fabulous archives, go to www.coachfabulous.blogspot.com and for the I Am Fabulous archives, go to www.fabcentral.blogspot.com. You can email me at coachfabulous@iamfabulous.co.uk. All material ©2008 Alison Porter. No article may be reproduced in full or in part without the express permission of the author. (Originally posted 9 Jun 08)