What She Said - an interview with Dr. Julia

Behind the Scenes with Dr. Julia, June 09 - "What She Said"

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In This Issue...

1) This Month's Funny Advice

2) Current Studies (claims) In Psychology: Should we watch the news?

3) Entertainment Peck Of the Month

4) Interview of the Month: An intimate interview with Dr. Julia Chicken

5) They Said - She Said: Dr. Julia takes on Freud

6) What's New On Advice with Dr. Julia.com

7) Peeks and Tweaks! Peek at the upcoming children's story

June's Funny Advice

Current Studies (claims) In Psychology

C. John Sommerville in his book How the News Makes Us Dumb: The Death of Wisdom in an Information Society says, no.

Sommerville basically says that news reports are focused on what's wrong in the world, like fires, wars, famine and such. Watching these types of reports first thing in the morning can make you slightly miserable for the rest of the day and watching "bad news" before going to bed interferes with one's wish for pleasant dreams.

These observations are hardly news (yeah, pun). More and more people say that the news is just too depressing. Of course, reporters know that "no news is good news" just as well as the next guy. But let's face it, good news is no news.

As much as we don't want to hear about ALL the tragedies in the world, we sure don't want to hear about the more common things in life either.

News at 11...

John Smith had his yearly physical and was pronounced "healthy as a horse".

Or,

Baby born in local hospital with ten fingers and ten toes!

These stories would interest no one but the family members of the said individuals (but I think the baby story would be cute, personally).

Sommerville goes on to say how you could use your time and conversations more productively by avoiding the news altogether.

I have to agree with a lot of what Somersville says about what is portrayed as news. I do think it propagates a lot of needless fear.

But, blissfully ignorant is not much better than fearfully aware. So I suppose that we would serve ourselves better if we avoided the sensationalism of most network news and found a source that provided information that we actually have an interest in instead.

And if I were you I'd skip the weather guy too. Has he ever been right?

Entertainment Peck of the Month

A classic Marx Brothers film! I love movies that the whole family can watch and this (as all Marx Brothers films are) is one.

Duck Soup takes a hilarious jab in the gut of any dictatorship and fascist government. Which explains its unpopularity upon its release. It was basically a flop. Even Italian dictator Mussolini banned the film from his country.

The film was made during a time much like our own - a time of economic and political turmoil in the U.S., only at that time, under President Roosevelt. In Germany, there was the ever rising Hitler regime to add to the unrest.

People found the film to be politically disrespectful given the current crisis. Groucho's line, "And remember while you're out there risking life and limb through shot and shell, we'll be in here thinking what a sucker you are" really rubbed them the wrong way.

The film was forgotten about until a group of college students sometime in the 1960's started showing the film at festivals and museums. And how glad we are that they did!

What's great about the Marx Brothers is that their comedy is timeless. We will laugh at their films as long as time continues.

Kids will love Groucho (aka. Bugs Bunny), Chico, and Harpo as much as adults - even though 79% of the jokes will go clear over their little heads (thankfully!).

Unfortunately, Duck Soup does not give us Chico at the piano nor Harpo on the harp (the inspiration behind my son's desire to play the harp) but I guess we'll just have to watch their other films for that.

In the opening credits of Duck Soup there's a kettle with with four ducks swimming around (like the four Marx Brothers) apparently, the ingredients for duck soup. It is said that Groucho had his own recipe for it...

"Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup for the rest of your life."

Here's a little taste of Duck Soup - sorry, no crackers, but I may talk about Animal Crackers in a later issue.

Click the poster to watch...

***Video will only work for the month of June!***

Interview of the Month: Dr. Julia Chicken

Since we were privy to the transcript, and folks are always asking about Dr. Julia on a more personal level, we decided to publish it here. Although I do believe in my heart that Dr. Julia has edited the transcript extensively.

Thyme Mag: Dr. Julia, thank you for granting me the privilege of interviewing you here in your office. I just know that our readers are dying to find out more about you!

Dr.J: How many readers do you have?

Thyme Mag: Oh - Uh?

Dr. J: You know, you may sit on the couch.

Thyme Mag: Thank you, but I really don't stand enough - always sitting.

Dr.J: Well, you're here to conduct an interview. What do you want to know? The pearls... I assume you want to know about the pearls.

Thyme Mag: Yes, do tell about the pearls!

Dr.J: They are real.

Thyme Mag: Ehem...

Dr.J: You bet. Genuine Mother of Pearl.

Thyme Mag: Yes... is there a reason why you wear them?

Dr.J: Why, because they are real pearls. I wouldn't wear them otherwise. You really should sit down on the couch.

Thyme Mag: Still a little cramped from the long drive here. Just stretching the old limbs...

Dr.J: Yes, old, under exercised limbs tighten and tire quickly, I'm sure.

Thyme Mag: Uh... So, Dr. Julia, it has been said that you received your doctorate from Purdue - is that true?

Dr.J: Did you do that intentionally?

Thyme Mag: Pardon?

Dr.J: The rhyme? "Purdue, is it true?"

Thyme Mag: I didn't even realize...

Dr.J: Well, if you can recite rhymes so effortlessly, you should think about pursuing a career in poetry.

Thyme Mag: Poetry?

Dr.J: Oh, yes! You seem to have a real knack for it. Speaking of knack, looking up all this time is putting a kink in my knack - Just sit down on the couch, Dear.

Thyme Mag: Okay, if it will...

Dr.J: Oh, it will, all right. Now tell me, have you always been such a curious young lady?

And so the transcript goes on. But the remainder thereof is held in strict Doctor/client confidentiality and therefore can not be shared.

They Said - She Said

"You do these things because of the phenomenon of the unconscious mind - and because you hate your mother."

Dr. Julia said...

"Being unconscious is no phenomenon. Check your head for lumps as you have most likely received a thump. And if you indeed hate your mother you deserve quite a few more - thumps, that is."

What's New On Advice with Dr. Julia

Your Take - Funny Cartoons and Articles. Check out what we have so far, and if you can relate to any of the featured comics, do give us your take on it by telling your story.

New Article: Did you ever want to try something but everybody told you that it would never work? Maybe even you told you that it might not work, so you were too afraid to try.

Take a look at how this penguin handles doubters in this humorous article Will It Work?

To be sure to see the new stuff as it's added, sign up for the Humorous Advice Blog Then you won't have to wait for Behind the Scenes to find out. Besides, I am not going to list every single addition here - and you're sure to miss out. And according to Dr. Julia, that is just unacceptable.

Peeks and Tweaks

Bad, Bad, Baby Bobby

"Now Bobby was born, as all babies are,
Not brought by a stork nor dropped from a star.

Here's a story that needs a lot of tweaking!

Originally planned as an interactive illustrated book, I am rethinking and reworking it to appear in Dr. Julia's Story Hour hopefully by next month. Hopefully, I say because I am animating many of the illustrations. So, it's slow going on this end, as Dr. Julia doesn't lift a feather to help!

Here, I am showing you some of the early sketches, when I was only toying with the idea.

"'Why, he's cute as a button!' Of him it was said,
But he'd stick out his tongue as they patted his head

The massive red thing coming out of Baby Bobby's mouth is a piece of felt. I was experimenting with the ability of having Bobby stick out his tongue by pulling a tab. It worked - even with a tongue that size!

This is an example of what will be animated. Thankfully, I can draw much smaller tongues than I can cut out with scissors.

"'You may play tomorrow,' his father said mildly,
Bobby fell to the floor and kicked his feet wildly!

In the above sketch you may notice that Bobby has some rather floppy legs. In the book version, a child can place their fingers in Bobby's legs and make them "kick wildly".

Keep your fingers crossed for me that I may finish this story (and have a new one in the works to show you in the next issue of Behind the Scenes with Dr. Julia.

Here's a short rhyme for children that gives an idea of how I'd like Story Hour to develop. It's called The Moon Is Cheese!

Well, that's it for this issue of Behind the Scenes with Dr. Julia. Tune in next month for more of the same - only better, of course. And make sure you recommend Dr. Julia to all those individuals that desperately need help.

Until next time,

Lora and Dr. Julia

PS.

Dr. Julia and I would love to know your thoughts on this issue of Behind the Scenes with Dr. Julia, tell us about them here. We may post your comment on Advice with Dr. Julia... and Dr. Julia herself just might answer you back!