There is this fad here in San Francisco of wearing these rubber bracelets… so here’s my story:
I was in a cafe eating breakfast with Samir. We were working on a script or something, and waiting to get into The Black Rider, when I notice he has a yellow rubber bracelet on. Inscribed in the bracelet are the words “LIVE STRONG,” in big block letters.
“Okay, okay,” I interrupt Samir, “what is the deal with the bracelet?”
AARON: this is going to be some form of self-denial isn’t it
AARON: is it a reminder to avoid premarital sex?
Samir rolls his eyes- “oh this… it’s Lance Armstong’s charity. They were giving them out at the club last night.”
I’m not sure about the rest of the country, but Lance Armstrong is sort of a celebrity in the Bay Area, and has been for a while now, even before winning all these bicycle races… I think the reason is because cycling is getting more popular here, and the cancer aspect appeals to the more health-minded west coast attitude. But that is just a theory.
Samir was telling me, “these bracelets are really popular… in fact I bet other people in this room are wearing them.”
I look around… sure enough, the woman at the next table has one on too. The guy she’s eating with… also has one on.
I look behind me-AARON: i keep expecting this to turn into a scene from Invasion of The Body Snatchers
the people at the next table also are wearing them. I look around faster and faster- everyone in the room is wearing these damn things except for me.
It was exactly the opportunity for the Hitchcock shot- where the camera dollies in and zooms out at the same rate- the subject in the center of the frame stays the same size, but the background recedes from the person, giving an impression of alienation and being isolated.
Meanwhile violins do the pizzacatto noise you hear when something creepy and frequently spider-related happens in horror or action movies- plink plink plink plink!So anyway… it’s a SF fad. There are other colors now too, for different causes.
Today I ordered a spoof one from LIVE WRONG – it’s black of course. I was thinking of having a bunch of these made with a brief nihilistic slogan on them, but it was too obvious an idea and it looks like these guys have done a great job anyway.
Oh, just to reassure you that nothing has a happy ending, you know who makes a killing off of the LIVE STRONG bracelets? Nike, since I hear they make the bands. So when you buy the yellow band… you are supporting child labor! Yaaay!
it’s just another way of rehashing that 1980’s rubber bracelet fad. Remember wearing them on your wrist? Even guys wore the rubber ones.
I hear teenagers are wearing them in different colors — each color signifying a different sex act.
adidas is now making the exact same kind of bracelets for sale, except i don’t think they’re associated with a cool charity or anything…