We all have a moment (or moments) in our lives in which we find ourselves asking: Am I normal?

       I’ve answered that question long ago (I’m guessing the answer isn’t much of a secret), and so I began to ask myself… How abnormal are other people? Do they button their shirts from the bottom to the top or from the top to the bottom? How many times do they chew? How do they like their eggs? These questions can tell you a lot about someone. Never trust someone who prefers eggs boiled rather than scrambled (NEVER!).

    Therefore, I took on a very complex and highly structured sociological study (I know this isn’t true, and you know this isn’t true, but it sounds really cool and smart, so just roll with it). I decided to name it “The Weirdo Experiment”, and it regards:

1.     The way people view humanity;

2.   The way people look at their future;

3.   People’s definition of stupid.

     My initial conclusion was: “Jesus Christ, Mary and Joseph, what kind of people am I dealing with?”

I’ll explain. I approached several people in a very sweet and annoying delightful manner and asked them to answer two questions and to perform a task.

1.  The Human Steak Question

     Imagine you’re halfway through the best steak of your life. It is the Holy Graal of stakes; the best thing you have ever tasted, that steak is Heaven’s gift to you.
Then, someone tells you’re eating HUMAN MEAT. Human meat, yes. But you don’t know whose. Do you keep eating?
*Note that you are NOT eating your mother – this seemed to be some people’s instant concern.

         This has been a motive of discussion between me and my friend Poison Ivy. Since I’m a decent human being, I wouldn’t eat another bite and would probably throw up what I had eaten. Since she’s a terrible meat eater with no conscience, she would continue with her meal of human steak.

Well, 72% WOULD NOT KEEP EATING, which obviously means that 28% would. I know who they are and fully intend to stay away from them, since I have no desire to be marinated, cooked and later on eaten by a fan of Dr. Hannibal-the-Cannibal.

2. The Book of your life Question

Imagine you’re on the street. Then, suddenly, a stranger hands you a book and leaves. As you read it, you understand that it is the history of your whole life: past, present and future; from cradle to grave. Do you read it to the end?

This was a more controversial question. 57% answered yes, and the remaining answered no. I truly believe that those who said they would read it are just courageous fools. I’d rather be in the chicken side and make no apologies for not wanting to find out whether I’ll die run over by a truck or with a fork jammed in my brain as a consequence of a heated struggle (although that would be sort of dramatic and cool).

3. The Dummy Challenge

This is where things get interesting.

I approached people from different ages, social classes, ethnicities and both genders and told them all the following:

“Please close your eyes, count to twenty out loud skipping all even numbers, while clapping your hands alternately – one “normal” clap followed by one clap behind your back and repeat.

I told everyone that I wanted to see if they could perform the task and how easily since during  it there are two areas in the brain that are struggling with one another – the part responsible for motor functions and the part related to math and sequences.

Out of 32 people, not a single one refused.  No one. Zero.

The real experiment wasn’t what I told them. I didn’t care if they could or couldn’t do it. I just wanted to see if they would try.

The dummy challenge consisted on finding out if most people would do something stupid if they were given a good reason to do it. And they did!!

I’d probably do it even if no one tried to sell me the brain parts conflict bogus, but it’s comforting to find out that I’m not the only believer in this world.

Now that people know I’ve deceived them, I’ll probably hide at home from the angry mob with torches and pitchforks.

I’ll see you another day. and by the way, I’m not even remotely sorry for the ridiculously large post.

The Joker,

Sophie Grey

Any fool can paint a picture, but it takes a wise man to be able to sell it. 
- Samuel Butler

Hi there sweeties, have you been good? I bet you haven’t, and that’s just how I like you.

Today I must dive into the waters of art. Luckily for me, it is Pop art, so the water won’t be very deep nor troubled (something resembling a children’s pool, minus the urine).

So, searching for a work to analyze, I came across the most brilliant piece of Pop art the world has ever seen. It will blow your mind away. It is The Joy of Good Eating, painted in 195 by Nat White - that crazy man.

Please click the link to envision the masterpiece of my inspiration: http://www.plan59.com/av/av139.htm.

So, is it beautiful or what? First of all, I’d like you all to take note of the vibrant, warm colors. That sort of orange look of it instantly catches your eye. And besides that it appeals to the masses because let’s face, how smart do you have to be to understand it? The kid is eating Van Camp’s Pork and Beans. He obviously likes Van Camp’s Pork and Beans. Message? Van Camp’s Pork and Beans is good, and everyone should buy it. I mean, yes, he looks like the lovechild of Chucky and that scary girl from The Ring that comes out of the well, and yes, if I had to guess I’d say he was eating human flesh and eyeballs instead of pork and beans, but so what? That just makes it more beautiful and freaky which obviously catches your eye.

Maybe the kids from the 50s were all sort of creepy looking. That would make sense: parents would look at this and say “Awww, this looks like my serial-killer-look-a-like son! Let’s buy whatever he’s eating”. It makes sense to me. If it doesn’t make sense to you I respect your opinion since I can’t force you to be right.

All of the above make Pop art a very relatable form of art. This picture might have been reproduced a million times and still be considered art. Art was cheap (which is sort of ironic since this was a decade of economic prosperity). Art was whatever you wanted it to be. Feel like stealing a road sign and putting it in your living room? That’s art. And it wasn’t only cheap, affordable, mass produced and relatable, it was also fun! The art world desperately needed more fun (Pop art was also sexy, but I’m not sure that characteristic applies to this work in particular…)

Anyway, I’m sure the creepy-as-hell kid has a blast eating human flesh. In fact, he even got a girlfriend: http://www.plan59.com/av/av115.htm.

So, never forget that everything is art, whether it’s a demonic looking kid or just a blob of paint on a canvas that’s worth thousands of dollars.

The Joker,

Sophie Grey

Note: I thought that you should all know that I write all my blog texts at night; and to write this post I was compelled to research pictures of the creepy girl from The Ring. At midnight. Alone in my room. Who needs sleep anyway?