Yes, it’s true. Yours truly was once a STAR!
It was an exciting time in my life. How exciting, you ask? Well, exciting enough that I barely remember it. And while I’m being honest, I wasn’t really a star. Nope, not even close. You guys, I didn’t even have lines. Sadder yet, my part wasn’t even live action!
But the level of non-glam gets even better. The commercial was a local anti-domestic violence public service announcement sponsored by the Anchorage Women’s Commission. Please, take a moment to let that sink in.
Before we go any further, I hereby confirm that domestic violence never took place in my home. That’s assuming we’re not counting all the times my older siblings hit me in the face with snowballs, whacked me in the legs with dowel rods at the hardware store or inflicted emotional abuse by threatening to look at me funny.
Back to the commercial. Apparently my dad knew someone working on the production of the commercial and he agreed to let them photograph us. The photographer asked us to look sad. Easy. I had a knack for looking sad on cue. I was the youngest child, after all. Seriously though, I think someone had just cut my nap short because I look more angry than sad. I’m not sure any of us really looked sad. I knew we should’ve taken acting lessons in case we were randomly asked to be in a local PSA.
Please take note of my killer Christmas sweater, Toughskins jeans and…hair curler? What’s up with that, Mom and Dad? My hair was already curly. Why make a bad situation worse? Or maybe that was part of the act? Neglected child’s parents can’t even remove her curlers when going out in public? Brilliant.
Here’s the commercial. Be sure to turn up the volume. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the poor quality audio that was salvaged from the VHS.
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Some of you keen observers probably noticed that my brother was missing from the commercial. That’s because he had to go to school on the day of the photo shoot. But, don’t you worry. He got his very own commercial. Not only was his live action, but it also included a real actor. Lucky.
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Hope you enjoyed the videos. If anyone is currently producing a PSA and needs a highly qualified actress who can frown on command and not say any actual words, I’m your gal. I’ll be expecting your call.
Wait, didn’t your dad also do Magnum PI?
Hi Malinda! Yes, he was able to play many character types
Hi Malinda! Yes, he was able to play many character types
We can say we knew you “when.”
“Pout and/or frown on command.” What a great resumé-padder!
I wish that was a useful skill in the accounting world. If nothing else, putting that on your resume would make you stand out (probably not in a good way).
You’re still a star as far as I’m concerned…
Haha, thanks!
You’re famous!!!
Haha, “famous” is a very loose term
Your claim to fame. Just think of all the domestic violence you prevented in Anchorage.
I hope the commercial was effective. I hadn’t really thought about that before.
I need an actress who can, on command, appear to be experiencing an existential pause while observing the rainbows of oil on the surface of a puddle. Post pics to apply.
Oh I could definitely do that.
I love those commercials! I’m actually sad now.
I interviewed to be in a toilet paper commercial where the girl can’t play the piano anymore because her fingers hurt too much but then she wraps them in ultrasoft toilet paper and plays a freakin’ symphony. But I got chicken pox on the day of the audition
and spent the rest of my life wondering what could have been….
Not to get off the topic, but I couldn’t help notice your screen name. “Ms. PC”…I love it! lol
Thanks! I’ve always been rather PC but about a month before I got married, I got really excited because I realized my initials were actually going to be PC.
I can see why you would be sad! If only the chicken pox vaccine had come out earlier!
I have so many questions about that commercial’s storyline. So, her fingers hurt from playing too much piano? Did she play the piano while her hands were wrapped in the fancy toilet paper? Is that possible? Props to the writer for somehow working a symphony into a toilet paper commercial.
I think I was hesitant in the interview because I was so confused how I was going to be able to play the piano with toilet paper wrapped around my fingers. My parents told me specifically that they were looking for a kid that played the piano but neglected to mention that the actual music would be played by someone else. Never assume a 4-year-old knows anything.
Haha!! You just gave me a great idea for a blog post…things my parents told me that had a serious impact on my life because I misunderstood them or took them seriously even though they were kidding.
Lol I love that idea. I could do a whole post on ways I was traumatized by being misinformed or under-informed about puberty.
Me too! I never got “the talk” and I’m still a little bitter about it.
Ha! That’s great. We should do that thing bloggers do where we write about the same topic at the same time. (My blog is only 3 months old. But that’s a thing, right?)
That’s a great idea! Let me know if you write about it and then I’ll put something together, too!
I will do just that!
LOL, that is so cool and so cute. And thanks for sharing information about your natural curly hair, because I was actually wondering about that when I arrived on your blog
Haha yeah, there’s not really much to say about that…I just have very naturally curly hair. And I hate it. Maybe I’ll write a post about the saga of my hair through the years…
you hate it? no way. I think it makes you very special and stand out
So confused. I want to laugh mockingly but it’s all so serious and well-intentioned and, man, domestic violence? Why couldn’t it be an ad for Karl’s Karvalcade of Kars? Thanks for sharing.