It's funny how stupid shit you laugh and joke about comes around to actually serve a useful purpose. What t-shirt size do you wear? Small, medium, large, XXL? How about extra medium? You know, for when you can't really get too normal, and the average medium just won't cut it?
A young, Italian office Sherpa once used this term in context once during a hallway meeting. His wisdom still graces the walkways of the misspelled Jamison street establishment. It occurred to me then, as it does now, that this term is more than mildly amusing, but extremely versatile. Applicable to t-shirts, it can also be used for specifying a steak order, sizing up a pizza, or jazzing up a description of dull medium-bodied wine.
But today in the shower, where honestly if I believe in anything it's that all great epiphanies arise there, I discovered a truly logical application of the term. One that applies to my initial approach to this blog. I was recalling how Andy Rooney commented, routinely, that he was a writer. Most biographies released near the time of his retirement and passing late last year also captured this aspect as his passion, more-so than his profession. Sure, you can argue that his fame arose not from his writings but from his on-screen ramblings, but it was his written word that led to his career advancement, and to his eventual on-air success.
Woody Allen also began his career as a writer. But upon some arguably overwhelming encouragement, he began testing his wit as a stand-up comedian. Much like Andy Rooney, both thrived on their written word but found more popular success only after testing an alternative entertainment medium. Neither truly abandoned their true passion, and in fact I just approvingly watched Midnight in Paris (film written by Allen) last week. But script or no script, graceful, sweeping shots of Paris at night can elevate any film to "must-see".
Regarding this blog, my original intent was free-form, wait, "What Would Andy Do?" format. But I also like to tinker with both my legal and pirated photo editing software and to create whatever needs to be created. That was largely the basis for creating Senior Obama's portrait (prior to posting a couple days ago- just for fun). Regardless of my goals, semi-ambitions, or any other things that get me off, I realize that a blog is more than freedom of written speech, but also freedom of visual speech. Perhaps Andy, if he lived in this age, would have likewise capitalized on the ease with which one can convincingly depict a goat piloting a hang-glider. Point is, writing is just one tool for expressionism, and one that would have been the most accessible to old Andy or Woody years ago. New tools are available and simple to use today, and these make great complements to the written word. Plus pictures more readily hook interior decorators' attention. (Again, Pinterest blog rules that world.)
So, wrapping up my shower experience, written expression complemented by photos and other media leads to an effective communication, possibly entertaining, technique aptly equating to extra medium. It perhaps isn't even a new term, and I will exercise restraint in not Googling it since that is the most devastating form of crushing originality. In 2 seconds you can find that not only were you not the first to think of something, but 185,000 other people have, as well. But this one isn't about originality. It's about versatility. And being normal. And all the things that people who comfortably wear small or XXL t-shirts wish they could claim.
That's what Andy embodies. And that's what made him so fucking extra normal and awesome.
