Oh Gentle Reader,
I have had a pet peeve about this slogan that I see popping up on commercials more and more for at least six months now. It’s interesting that I am not the only one as a Google search autocompleted when I was less than halfway through typing. Those other people were offended by something else. Here’s one of my faves.
Yes, I understand it is merely a marketing campaign and I don’t fault them for using a clever tactic that is similar to “reality tv.” The thing about them is that there have been some actual aspiring actors in these spots. No, they may not be SAG (Screen Actors Guild) members, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t actors. 🎭
But I am not here to debate the subject of whether or not a person has to have a membership to SAG or AEA (Actors’ Equity Association) to be an actor. Or even whether these commercials are trickery. 🙀
I just want to point out that this phrase seems to belittle the work that actors do. I can’t speak for movies, but in the realm of theatre, actors can move the audience into a different way of considering something that was once as simple as black and white. The actor can bring to light an emotion that the viewer didn’t know they felt about a subject or person. The actor can take you away from reality, even if it is for just a brief moment in the span of your evening.
Actors put in so much time, energy, passion, compassion, and open armed love to the characters that they build, that at least for me maybe others too, it also leads to being wholly vulnerable to deep subconscious emotions that were waiting to be released.
So by not being able to hide behind a wall of self preservation or a label we see ourselves through when we look in the mirror, we, as actors, can see who we REALLY are. This is why this slogan rubs me the wrong way.
Now, it turns out that life has thrown me some 🍋lemons, dear reader, and I am preparing to make a lemon chiffon cake out of it. It’s like having only the lemons and an egg with all the other ingredients still at the store. I know, I know. It’s supposed to be lemonade. BUT I am never one to go with “supposed to be’s.”
What I find kind of funny about this situation is that it all ties back to cars! 😄 Well, my little beat up Toyota Rav4 is nearing the need to replace the engine. It’s 20 years old and has tons of miles on it. This now begs the question, do I get a new(er) car or replace the engine? A part of me really wants the new car, but I adore the size of the car now and the later models all have larger bodies, so that is what’s keeping me from diving in.
BUT the real question is, when I begin to talk to the salespeople, should I be an actor or a real person?
Gentle reader, I think we all know the answer to that! 😜
The Actorvist 
Well said ❤
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