I'm about to take that tiny step from being a positive, uplifting blogger on a mission to highlight the awesome people doing exciting work to yet another asshole on the Internet who thinks his opinion matters just because he owns a domain name.
Actually, probably not. Most of what you will read below is written in the spirit of good fun and respect. I like most things and even when I'm critical of them, I have a great deal of appreciation for them as well. The incredibly informative publication Backstage is no exception; they provide a wealth of insanely useful advice on how young actors can make a steady and rewarding professional career that reflects each individual's values, dreams, and goals. I've made major life decisions based on the information I have read from Backstage and it's turned out great.
But they once posted an article in July 2013 entitled "21 Signs You Were Born To Be An Actor", and it popped up again on my New Feed tonight, so naturally, I had to do something. Any article on the Internet that begins its title with the number-of-reasons format immediately elicits a face-palm from me and makes me want to curse BuzzFeed for making this trend of Internet journalism so damn popular.
*At this point, Corbin looks up at his own title and sees the irony in his own words*
Yeah... it's like that time Arrested Development paid homage to Friends by following their "The One Where/When..." title format. (Scroll to #7)
Actually, probably not. Most of what you will read below is written in the spirit of good fun and respect. I like most things and even when I'm critical of them, I have a great deal of appreciation for them as well. The incredibly informative publication Backstage is no exception; they provide a wealth of insanely useful advice on how young actors can make a steady and rewarding professional career that reflects each individual's values, dreams, and goals. I've made major life decisions based on the information I have read from Backstage and it's turned out great.
But they once posted an article in July 2013 entitled "21 Signs You Were Born To Be An Actor", and it popped up again on my New Feed tonight, so naturally, I had to do something. Any article on the Internet that begins its title with the number-of-reasons format immediately elicits a face-palm from me and makes me want to curse BuzzFeed for making this trend of Internet journalism so damn popular.
*At this point, Corbin looks up at his own title and sees the irony in his own words*
Yeah... it's like that time Arrested Development paid homage to Friends by following their "The One Where/When..." title format. (Scroll to #7)
But Corbs, it's all in good fun!
Of course it is. So is my blog post today.
But also, their article is a bunch of stereotypes, and I hate stereotypes and love debunking them. So that's what I'm gonna do, because according to "21 Signs", I have no business being an actor. Ridiculous, I know. You can read the Backstage article here, but most of their content will be re-posted below. The only difference is instead of funny, adorable GIFs of Homer Simpson, Spongebob, and Anne Hathaway, you get me poking holes in their argument.
1. You could dance before you could walk.
Sure couldn't. I couldn't dance until maybe college. Even now, you'll probably enjoy how much fun I seem to be having, but my shimmy is an embarrassment to humanity.
2. You were a very expressive baby.
I have no earthly clue, but my parents have never said anything about it, so I probably wasn't anything too special in the expression department.
3. You wrote, directed, and starred in all your neighborhood plays. (And the neighbor kids hated you.)
I wrote maybe a puppet show or two that got performed in my church. And I liked doing skits at Scout Camp. Thank you, the arts, for permeating your way into so many forms of my childhood that I didn't have to make the neighbor kids hate me.
4. You took drama class every semester to keep your GPA up.
I didn't need to keep my GPA up. I was the token smart kid growing up. I took drama class to rebrand myself.
5. Even the most mundane tasks are performed with great intensity.
That's exhausting. No.
6. You are the one who always has to make the speech at important family functions, even though you hate it.
I'm the one who always volunteers to make a speech at important family functions, and I love it. Writing, speaking, and performing are some of my most favorite ways to express myself.
7. You taught yourself how to raise one eyebrow, just so that you could be more dramatic.
I can't do this. I've never tried to do this. I never ever even thought about this until I read the article, and only now have I started noticing when NPH and Stephen Colbert do it. If I had never read the article, this would have never crossed my mind.
8. You’ve tried “regular” jobs, but they are sooooo boring.
You might have me here, but does Starbucks really count as a "regular" job? Even then, the conversational aspect of interacting with customers was really enjoyable to me.
9. You never were really good at sports.
At my current job, a group of theatre people get together every Sunday to play a game of pick-up football. One of our regulars played basketball at Penn State. In high school, I was far from the best, but I still made the team, and the older I get, the more athletic I get. Honestly, we do ourselves a great disservice by separating the arts from the sports. So many similar values and principles are instilled here, and honestly, most venues of performance require some form of athleticism. Bad, stereotype! Bad, bad, bad!
10. Even though you were really bad at first, you stuck with it.
Okay, I'll give you that one.
11. Sometimes, everyday people just can’t handle you.
I'm actually really friendly and amiable, and I'm starting to get the impression that my cheerful disposition in public places often makes people feel better. I'm great with "everyday people", whatever that means.
12. You are a complex person with many sides to your personality.
You just described every single living person on the planet.
13. You have always been very sensitive to the latest fashions.
Nope.
14. You sometimes forget that your outgoing personality does not always fit the situation.
Shutting up and letting other people do the talking is wonderful. I learn so much! My outgoing personality usually comes up when the situation welcomes it organically.
15. Like many actors, you are open to holistic medicine.
I guess so. Sometimes it's worth a try, so you may have me there.
16. You have always had a knack for picking up choreography.
It's a skill I had to develop by attending Zumba classes and turning off my inner critic. This "knack" had to be learned and practiced.
17. You always competed with your siblings for attention.
Nah, Braxton and I shared it pretty well. And thank goodness for that, because I hate competing for attention. Part of what I love about being an actor is you learn when the focus is on you and when it goes to someone else. Attention competition has no place in the biz.
18. You really know how to party.
It's debatable, but I hear I'm a really funny drunk.
19. You are always conscious of how you look.
While I do try to look clean and put together, sometimes it just doesn't matter to me. Also, revisit #13.
20. You have full command of your range of emotions.
HAHAHAHA, oh sorry, I didn't mean to laugh so loud. Sometimes I just can't control it.
21. Basically, you were born to be fabulous.
No, I wasn't. I have never used the word "fabulous" to describe myself and I never will. I am not fabulous, and before you go assuming I have a self-esteem problem, know this: I am Awesome. One might even say that I am Absolutely Awesome. It might even be what the A. A. really stands for, contrary to what my pesky birth certificate says.
Corbs, was this really necessary? No one probably took that article seriously.
And if you're thinking that, you might be right, but as I said before, I don't like stereotypes. I've met a lot of different types of actors out there in my 3-4 short years in the profession. Yes, some actors fall into this category, and I love them for it. Others are very shy and soft-spoken, and they only truly come to life once they get on stage. I love them for that too. But most of the ones I know fall all over the spectrum between these two extremes. We need all kinds of people to represent humanity on the stage and screen, shy and outgoing, shabby and fabulous.
I know some folks who have been turned off by the idea of doing theatre or pursuing their dreams of being an actor because they believe in generalizations like the ones above. It's a terrible shame, and I'd like to tell them what a great mentor of mine once told me:
During my senior year of high school, I was having a chat with my former soccer coach and Scout leader Bryan Wilson. He asked me what I wanted to do for a career and when he suggested a couple that made sense for my skills at the time, I responded "I don't know, I know some people who are doing that right now, and I really don't want to end up like them."
"But you don't have to," Mr. Wilson replied. "You get to do it your way, and you will always have that choice."
Sure, that may seem a little obvious to some, but it didn't always feel that way to me. I needed that reminder, and I'm glad he gave it to me, because I've been able to pursue my career as an actor on my own terms and now I enjoy finding the other people who do the same. Backstage is the publication that prints the advice that makes this bold individuality in the professional world possible. Most of the time.
You do you, Backstage. Leave the stereotypes and superficiality to BuzzFeed.
Of course it is. So is my blog post today.
But also, their article is a bunch of stereotypes, and I hate stereotypes and love debunking them. So that's what I'm gonna do, because according to "21 Signs", I have no business being an actor. Ridiculous, I know. You can read the Backstage article here, but most of their content will be re-posted below. The only difference is instead of funny, adorable GIFs of Homer Simpson, Spongebob, and Anne Hathaway, you get me poking holes in their argument.
1. You could dance before you could walk.
Sure couldn't. I couldn't dance until maybe college. Even now, you'll probably enjoy how much fun I seem to be having, but my shimmy is an embarrassment to humanity.
2. You were a very expressive baby.
I have no earthly clue, but my parents have never said anything about it, so I probably wasn't anything too special in the expression department.
3. You wrote, directed, and starred in all your neighborhood plays. (And the neighbor kids hated you.)
I wrote maybe a puppet show or two that got performed in my church. And I liked doing skits at Scout Camp. Thank you, the arts, for permeating your way into so many forms of my childhood that I didn't have to make the neighbor kids hate me.
4. You took drama class every semester to keep your GPA up.
I didn't need to keep my GPA up. I was the token smart kid growing up. I took drama class to rebrand myself.
5. Even the most mundane tasks are performed with great intensity.
That's exhausting. No.
6. You are the one who always has to make the speech at important family functions, even though you hate it.
I'm the one who always volunteers to make a speech at important family functions, and I love it. Writing, speaking, and performing are some of my most favorite ways to express myself.
7. You taught yourself how to raise one eyebrow, just so that you could be more dramatic.
I can't do this. I've never tried to do this. I never ever even thought about this until I read the article, and only now have I started noticing when NPH and Stephen Colbert do it. If I had never read the article, this would have never crossed my mind.
8. You’ve tried “regular” jobs, but they are sooooo boring.
You might have me here, but does Starbucks really count as a "regular" job? Even then, the conversational aspect of interacting with customers was really enjoyable to me.
9. You never were really good at sports.
At my current job, a group of theatre people get together every Sunday to play a game of pick-up football. One of our regulars played basketball at Penn State. In high school, I was far from the best, but I still made the team, and the older I get, the more athletic I get. Honestly, we do ourselves a great disservice by separating the arts from the sports. So many similar values and principles are instilled here, and honestly, most venues of performance require some form of athleticism. Bad, stereotype! Bad, bad, bad!
10. Even though you were really bad at first, you stuck with it.
Okay, I'll give you that one.
11. Sometimes, everyday people just can’t handle you.
I'm actually really friendly and amiable, and I'm starting to get the impression that my cheerful disposition in public places often makes people feel better. I'm great with "everyday people", whatever that means.
12. You are a complex person with many sides to your personality.
You just described every single living person on the planet.
13. You have always been very sensitive to the latest fashions.
Nope.
14. You sometimes forget that your outgoing personality does not always fit the situation.
Shutting up and letting other people do the talking is wonderful. I learn so much! My outgoing personality usually comes up when the situation welcomes it organically.
15. Like many actors, you are open to holistic medicine.
I guess so. Sometimes it's worth a try, so you may have me there.
16. You have always had a knack for picking up choreography.
It's a skill I had to develop by attending Zumba classes and turning off my inner critic. This "knack" had to be learned and practiced.
17. You always competed with your siblings for attention.
Nah, Braxton and I shared it pretty well. And thank goodness for that, because I hate competing for attention. Part of what I love about being an actor is you learn when the focus is on you and when it goes to someone else. Attention competition has no place in the biz.
18. You really know how to party.
It's debatable, but I hear I'm a really funny drunk.
19. You are always conscious of how you look.
While I do try to look clean and put together, sometimes it just doesn't matter to me. Also, revisit #13.
20. You have full command of your range of emotions.
HAHAHAHA, oh sorry, I didn't mean to laugh so loud. Sometimes I just can't control it.
21. Basically, you were born to be fabulous.
No, I wasn't. I have never used the word "fabulous" to describe myself and I never will. I am not fabulous, and before you go assuming I have a self-esteem problem, know this: I am Awesome. One might even say that I am Absolutely Awesome. It might even be what the A. A. really stands for, contrary to what my pesky birth certificate says.
Corbs, was this really necessary? No one probably took that article seriously.
And if you're thinking that, you might be right, but as I said before, I don't like stereotypes. I've met a lot of different types of actors out there in my 3-4 short years in the profession. Yes, some actors fall into this category, and I love them for it. Others are very shy and soft-spoken, and they only truly come to life once they get on stage. I love them for that too. But most of the ones I know fall all over the spectrum between these two extremes. We need all kinds of people to represent humanity on the stage and screen, shy and outgoing, shabby and fabulous.
I know some folks who have been turned off by the idea of doing theatre or pursuing their dreams of being an actor because they believe in generalizations like the ones above. It's a terrible shame, and I'd like to tell them what a great mentor of mine once told me:
During my senior year of high school, I was having a chat with my former soccer coach and Scout leader Bryan Wilson. He asked me what I wanted to do for a career and when he suggested a couple that made sense for my skills at the time, I responded "I don't know, I know some people who are doing that right now, and I really don't want to end up like them."
"But you don't have to," Mr. Wilson replied. "You get to do it your way, and you will always have that choice."
Sure, that may seem a little obvious to some, but it didn't always feel that way to me. I needed that reminder, and I'm glad he gave it to me, because I've been able to pursue my career as an actor on my own terms and now I enjoy finding the other people who do the same. Backstage is the publication that prints the advice that makes this bold individuality in the professional world possible. Most of the time.
You do you, Backstage. Leave the stereotypes and superficiality to BuzzFeed.
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