Had dinner with my friend Jen last night, who is one of those people that never fails to make me think about ways to improve myself; I’ve always written down at least five things to research after talking with her. As it inevitably does these days, our conversation turned to the upcoming primary elections, in which Jen staunchly said she is not participating. I asked why, getting all moralistic and “people died so I could have this right” on her ass, (which was not a position I took until about ten years AFTER I reached voting age, btw, so I should really just fuck off) and she replied that she has unfortunately become one of the uninformed voters she used to malign and isn’t comfortable voting for whatever referendums or proposals may be on the Illinois ballot.
New Yorkers don’t have to worry about this until November, but it occurred to me that I have never bothered to look this information up before I go into the voting booth. This prompted a truly brilliant idea between the two of us for a short film addressing the consequences of being uninformed. In the first shot you have an empty voting booth. A series of ten or so people enter, none of them having the least idea what they’re voting for or why. You hear thought voiceovers while people are standing in front of their choices; “remember to get milk,” “I wonder what that funny knocking sound in the car engine is?” Someone gets a phone call while they’re voting, someone just turns the lever to yes for everything and shrugs, someone brings their dog and/or screaming baby into the voting booth, you get the idea.
The last shots are of a gay couple with all their friends and family standing outside of a closed courthouse, a teenage girl with a protruding stomach sadly going into her bedroom with a coathanger, etc. Scary, right? I will make sure all the NYC referendums for November are posted here well in advance. I don’t want to be responsible for the coronation of another Governator!
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