The potential “actresses” whom I have sent my script ROMANCE to have all turned it down. Actually, most have done even less than that. They never responded. One did respond, and she said the script was “too explicit” for her. I can only imagine that the others were equally appalled by the dialog in the script. Good, that’s the effect I’m going for.

I clearly put a warning in the casting call that the script contains extremely vulgar language, and that they shouldn’t submit their headshots if they’re easily offended. Maybe I should pay more?

These people claim to want to act, and yet, even though they have little to no experience, they’re turning down a paid role in a short film. They don’t realize they’re being given an opportunity to show their talents on film, to increase their demo reel content, and to work with a “nobody” filmmaker who may very likely one day be a “somebody”.

Now that kind of short-sightedness is what I find vulgar.

Two days ago I received a call from SF Casting regarding the casting notice I had submitted to them for my next short film ROMANCE. They told me they couldn't approve it without knowing the actual location of the audition, because in my casting notice I had mentioned that the script contains extremely vulgar and explicit dialog. They said the casting notice would also have to be flagged with an indicator saying "contains sexual situations", apparently for the safety of the actors.

They said my notice would not be posted until I gave them the requested information. I told them I may or may not get back to them, since I have the notice running on three other casting websites. In other words, I didn't give a damn about their approval. I didn't appreciate being treated like a shady pornographer, though.

The funny thing is, if I hadn’t taken it upon myself to place that disclaimer in my casting notice, it would have been posted on their website right now. Lesson learned: Don’t give out more information than necessary.

Modern society is slowly castrating the men of the world. Media, school systems, the workplace, and goods manufacturers all socially condition men to restrain their manhood.

Men are conditioned not to be assertive when it comes to meeting and mating with women. Remember, women are proper and don't like sex. You don’t want to run the risk of sexually harassing them, because that’s illegal!

Men are conditioned not to stand up for themselves and defend their territory from other men. You don’t want to get arrested and thrown in jail, do you? If another man physically threatens you, turn your back on him and walk away, even if this makes you more vulnerable to getting your ass kicked or killed.

Men are conditioned to take shit from women even when the shit is uncalled for. Women are goddesses and therefore perfect. You must bow down to them, bend over backwards, and sometimes bend over forwards, because they have a pair of balls now and they're going to use it.

Men are conditioned to be in touch with their feminine side. Being rugged and tough is primitive and unsophisticated. You're supposed to have baby-smooth skin, be hairless, and smell like flowers. Don’t forget to wear pink.

Men are conditioned to be physically inactive. Exercise is a waste of time, because obesity is caused by genes, silly. Besides, when you're a couch potato you can watch more football and UFC on television. Now that's a manly activity!

Men are conditioned to feel guilty about their manhood and to apologize for any "inappropriate" behavior that results from it. You must ignore the way you were genetically designed and somehow fit in this modern world that is slowly making you obsolete.

How ironic. If men of previous generations had not committed the above manly “offenses”, most of us wouldn't be alive right now. The assertiveness and toughness of men, their relentless pursuit to copulate with women, and to willingly engage in physically strenuous and dangerous activities such as killing man and beast for survival, have all helped the human race endure for millennia. The very same men and women who passed the modern sexual harassment laws may not have been alive today had their male ancestors not "sexually harassed" their female ancestors.

There was a time when men had to be men. And there was a time when women liked them that way. Actually, they still do, even if some of them have forgotten it.

Okay, I’m back out of the creative cave. I’ve revamped the website and ready to plunge into my next short film after a few months of “filmmaker’s block”.

I’m casting my next short film ROMANCE, a satire about the love/hate relationship between men and women. I wish I could say that the film will be completed by Valentine’s Day. It would fit right in thematically, though the film is more of a “fuck you” to the standard conventions of romance rather than a celebration of it. Anyway, the casting process has just begun and the film won’t be done for weeks to come.