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Post by Dee Dee on Sept 1, 2009 16:03:42 GMT -5
A friend of mine posted this one on my facebook:
I like the guy, but the whole set-up may be a little pathetic? Or?
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Phil
Junior Member
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Post by Phil on Sept 1, 2009 16:27:05 GMT -5
This was posted here long ago. As I remember, the film critics (myself included, I believe) didn't exactly give it two thumbs (or flippers, lol) up.
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Post by Dee Dee on Sept 1, 2009 16:51:07 GMT -5
This was posted here long ago. As I remember, the film critics (myself included, I believe) didn't exactly give it two thumbs (or flippers, lol) up. Dang! Posting something that´s been posted before (back in 2005?) is one of the dangers of being a new member (well, relatively new). I must confess, that I haven´t read all of the old posts - yet  . |
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Phil
Junior Member
Posts: 82
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Post by Phil on Sept 1, 2009 17:18:26 GMT -5
Eh, no big deal. I've never read past posts, lol.
My opinion, which is pretty worthless, lol, is that this video makes me want to go brush my teeth, lol. The soft sweet music, him flopping around like a beached dolphin for his adoring fans, lol. Gimme a break, lol. If it was any cornier, you could butter it and eat it.
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Post by Ciao Bella on Sept 1, 2009 19:46:57 GMT -5
OMG! I totally saw this on 60mins or 20/20 or something like that!? This guys an auzzie I think? and a Christian? He has the most amazing view on life and is uber positive... loving it Devodiva!! Inspirational people and their stories always makes me inspired!! Thanksy!  Hey bananas...I actually researched him at some time (no surprise there) and he does live in Sydney...let me know when you "bump" into him  |
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Post by Chan on Sept 1, 2009 21:45:18 GMT -5
Ooo, I remember the thread about this guy. And to sum up my feelings from the last go around - I hate him.
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Post by Triassic on Sept 1, 2009 23:15:02 GMT -5
he hasn't 'made something of it'; he's shamelessly shopped himself around as some kind of...i don't know. there isn't even a word for it. 'emotion whore', maybe? 'professional happy feel-good freak'? where they're all-good lord-hugging him one by one at the end, oh how i wish one would shove him over again and say; 'oi, do that trick one more time, luv'.  |
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Post by mike on Sept 2, 2009 0:52:55 GMT -5
Tri,
I love your expression "emotion whore", I hope you won't mind if I add it to my list of good quotes.
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Post by Triassic on Sept 2, 2009 9:27:56 GMT -5
heh. and he's not the only one. there's almost a whole little cottage industry of gimp motivational speakers. google 'quadriplegic, motivational' and you'll see what i mean. now, in and of itself, a quad going around telling his story, etc is fine...but some of these guys are just selling pure schmaltzy emotional catharsis.
one dude has on his site for booking him as a speaker, this disclaimer:' warning-kleenex required.' no lie; 'kleenex required'...in other words his speeches/appearances are so goddam moving that you're GONNA CRY. he's telling you that himself.
i'm sorry, that is just very weird.
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Post by Inigo Montoya on Sept 2, 2009 10:12:12 GMT -5
I don't know, Tri... maybe not as weird as you think. One of my friends is very talented at it. She knows that she can manipulate a crowd and knows how. The words, "I had them in the palm of my hand" have left her mouth and she's not really bragging just kind of aware of her own skill and power as a speaker. She knows she can make a crowd cry... it has nothing to do with disability at all.
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Post by Dee Dee on Sept 2, 2009 16:14:34 GMT -5
I wouldn´t say that I hate the guy, as I don´t know him really; initially I thought; well there´s nothing wrong with a little combination of humour and disability.
I do agree about him being a bit of an "emotion whore" (we call it emotional porn here in DK), on the other hand maybe we need to take his young audience into consideration?
I did find the whole set-up rather pathetic, the choice of music, the mandatory hugging and the comments by the usual suspects on facebook; something typically along the lines of: "OMG, this is so inspirational" - "Look at this disabled guy; he can be happy AND disabled at the SAME time" - "This has given me a whole new perspective blah blah blah..."
Baahhh. LOL. ;D
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Post by Ouch on Sept 2, 2009 22:46:41 GMT -5
Ah yes, this guy...I don't think I could listen to him for more than a minute...there's nothing wrong with speakers with disability, there are good ones out there - but no, not this guy...
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Post by Triassic on Sept 3, 2009 0:58:17 GMT -5
yes, fubb...i'm sure your talks are fine. if a disabled person feels they have a message of positivity that they want to get out to the public-that's great. i don't mean to sound cynical.
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Post by doe on Sept 3, 2009 3:56:14 GMT -5
One of the best motivational speakers I have seen was Li Cunxin, the Chinese ballet dancer and author of Mao's Last Dancer.
He was talking about his life as a ballet dancer trainee and the poverty he had come from, the family he left behind to go through the training, how he defected to the US through his dancing and finally settled in Australia as a stock broker. He had the most amazing delivery - totally engaging. The topic was pretty fascinating as well.
I would imagine that speaking to a bunch of hard nosed business professionals would be a difficult gig, but he won over the whole room.
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