As long as I have been part of the TV industry, I've had many a conversation with my family and friends not in the business about my "party lifestyle." I know I've had the conversation with many of you, and maybe you have possibly had the same conversation with people you know who just don't understand our "work hard, play hard" attitude. I mean, other than a Xmas party and an occasional company BBQ, most professions don't have too many rages. Most of my friends don't understand wrap parties, going bar hopping every weekend, or Wii tournaments with middle aged camera men. I always assumed it was b/c of show business that we did these things.
However, I have a new hypothesis. The other day, I came across an article in Psychology News entitled "Adults Don't Grow Up Anymore." In the article, it states:
"If you believe the adults around you are acting like children, you're probably right. In technical terms, it is called 'psychological neoteny,' the persistence of childhood behavior into adulthood. And it's on the rise.
"According to Dr. Bruce Charlton, evolutionary psychiatrist at Newcastle upon Tyne, human beings now take longer to reach mental maturity - and many never do so at all.
"Charlton believes that is an accidental by-product of formal education that lasts well into the twenties. 'Formal education requires a child-like stance of receptivity,' which 'counteracts the attainment of psychological maturity' that would normal occur in the late teens or early twenties."
To summarize, since people are staying in school longer, getting "better" educations, they are actually diminishing their ability to mature, or in some cases completely halting it.
Anyway, back to my previous point. Like most people, my college buddies all got jobs in the real world. One is an investment banker, one works for a mortgage company, and one is an accountant. (I'll leave the teacher out of this. He's kind of the variable that screws my whole argument. He's still learning, and but he's engaged and owns dogs. All that grown-up stuff.) Now, other than the usual good times they have when I come to town or at the occasional dinner party, neither of these three guys gets out all that much. The accountant doesn't drink at all which was a decision he made back in college due to health reasons. The other two guys, as far as I know, don't go to the bar every weekend, they own their own homes, are married, and lead pretty normal lives. You could say they've matured.
Now, as for me (and I use "me" under the assumption all of my peers in show biz act the same way at least part of the time) although I am an adult, I tend to get drunk at least once a weekend (and maybe one night a week), I go to parties ranging from movie premieres to wrap parties, to parties my roommates and I throw, I play pranks involving wrapping a bedroom in aluminum foil, basically what I am trying to say is even though I am technically grown up, I may not be totally mature yet.
Could it be the line of work I have chose be the cause of my lack of maturity? Is the constant learning process of my profession causing me to be the party animal I continue to be to this day? I would answer yes.
For those who don't know, in the TV and film industry, you are always beginning and ending jobs. Jobs last an average 3-6 months. Each show you work on is different and always calls for different ways of handling a production, even in the same position (i.e. Production Assistant, Associate Producer, Director). While there are some similarities to each job, the way I coordinated Punk'd differs from how I coordinated Parental Control. And if you are promoted, you obviously have to learn a new job and whole new set of rules and techniques on how to perform your position on the crew. Even if hold a position for a while, such as a camera operator, each new show includes challenges on how to cover the action, or the best way to get the most beautiful shot. You are always learning new techniques and strategies to do your job and turn out the best program you can.
People today are getting married later in life. And they are having children later in life. We all know this could be because people want to live their lives a little before settling down. But what do you call a man who's in his late 40's who gets drunk at a Venice apartment and sleeps in the back of his SUV so he doesn't have to drive home?
All I am trying to say is maybe we (including myself) live this way b/c of our jobs. We a victims of a less-than-normal education process.
Now, I don't want anyone to think I am shining a negative light on how I or any of my friends act (both in and out of the industry). I am proud of who I am, and proud of my cohorts and minions "living the dream" with me.
And if I have to give up the profession I love to finally reach the American dream with the white fence and 2 kids, well, then I hope I never grow up.
However, I have a new hypothesis. The other day, I came across an article in Psychology News entitled "Adults Don't Grow Up Anymore." In the article, it states:
"If you believe the adults around you are acting like children, you're probably right. In technical terms, it is called 'psychological neoteny,' the persistence of childhood behavior into adulthood. And it's on the rise.
"According to Dr. Bruce Charlton, evolutionary psychiatrist at Newcastle upon Tyne, human beings now take longer to reach mental maturity - and many never do so at all.
"Charlton believes that is an accidental by-product of formal education that lasts well into the twenties. 'Formal education requires a child-like stance of receptivity,' which 'counteracts the attainment of psychological maturity' that would normal occur in the late teens or early twenties."
To summarize, since people are staying in school longer, getting "better" educations, they are actually diminishing their ability to mature, or in some cases completely halting it.
Anyway, back to my previous point. Like most people, my college buddies all got jobs in the real world. One is an investment banker, one works for a mortgage company, and one is an accountant. (I'll leave the teacher out of this. He's kind of the variable that screws my whole argument. He's still learning, and but he's engaged and owns dogs. All that grown-up stuff.) Now, other than the usual good times they have when I come to town or at the occasional dinner party, neither of these three guys gets out all that much. The accountant doesn't drink at all which was a decision he made back in college due to health reasons. The other two guys, as far as I know, don't go to the bar every weekend, they own their own homes, are married, and lead pretty normal lives. You could say they've matured.
Now, as for me (and I use "me" under the assumption all of my peers in show biz act the same way at least part of the time) although I am an adult, I tend to get drunk at least once a weekend (and maybe one night a week), I go to parties ranging from movie premieres to wrap parties, to parties my roommates and I throw, I play pranks involving wrapping a bedroom in aluminum foil, basically what I am trying to say is even though I am technically grown up, I may not be totally mature yet.
Could it be the line of work I have chose be the cause of my lack of maturity? Is the constant learning process of my profession causing me to be the party animal I continue to be to this day? I would answer yes.
For those who don't know, in the TV and film industry, you are always beginning and ending jobs. Jobs last an average 3-6 months. Each show you work on is different and always calls for different ways of handling a production, even in the same position (i.e. Production Assistant, Associate Producer, Director). While there are some similarities to each job, the way I coordinated Punk'd differs from how I coordinated Parental Control. And if you are promoted, you obviously have to learn a new job and whole new set of rules and techniques on how to perform your position on the crew. Even if hold a position for a while, such as a camera operator, each new show includes challenges on how to cover the action, or the best way to get the most beautiful shot. You are always learning new techniques and strategies to do your job and turn out the best program you can.
People today are getting married later in life. And they are having children later in life. We all know this could be because people want to live their lives a little before settling down. But what do you call a man who's in his late 40's who gets drunk at a Venice apartment and sleeps in the back of his SUV so he doesn't have to drive home?
All I am trying to say is maybe we (including myself) live this way b/c of our jobs. We a victims of a less-than-normal education process.
Now, I don't want anyone to think I am shining a negative light on how I or any of my friends act (both in and out of the industry). I am proud of who I am, and proud of my cohorts and minions "living the dream" with me.
And if I have to give up the profession I love to finally reach the American dream with the white fence and 2 kids, well, then I hope I never grow up.
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