Driss-A-Blog

Some of you may not be following what's happening in the entertainment industry as well as I do, so you may not know that Lisa Loeb is re-entering the dating world and is making a show about it. So when she signed up for the class, the class was moved to SOL. And I was invited.

After work, I started finding my way to the place. It's on 29th at about 11th Ave, or basically in an industrial area, a twenty minute walk from the nearest subway station. In the rain. Absolutely middle-of-nowheresville.

I arrive, and they're setting up lights and sound. I'm asked to sign a contract. So I read it, and it's one of the most horrible, lop-sided documents I can envision. I ask a few questions:

"So, right up here, in the first few words, it says, 'In exchange for [...] consideration...'. What consideration?"

"Oh, that just means that you've read it and understand it."

I frown.

"Uh, that's not what 'consideration' means at all, legally. In a contract between two parties, consideration is what I get for accepting these terms that you specify."

"Well, we're not paying you. This is only for if the camera gets a shot of the audience."

"I'm not looking to be paid, but I'm not getting anything else out of this."

"No."

I shrugged, and pointed to two other phrases in the contract.

"OK, so here it says that you own me and the details of my life, and do whatever you want with me on TV including making up any details about me. Here it says that I have to be completely honest with you in everything I say."

"Look, you're going to have to sign this if you want to take part in the class."

So I signed. I doubt they're going to do anything, but if they do, the lack of consideration probably would make the contract unenforceable. After all, I paid to take the class, and no one gave me anything in return.

The class was a disappointment. It was based on a book that Eve wrote that was aimed at women. All she had to offer was general advice to the girls, and just "look for this" advice to the guys. She had some people up, trying to get them to interact and have us see their body language, but without direction as to how to behave (are we trying to act politely towards the other person? act flirty? get them in the sack?) it was a jumbled mess.

As for Lisa, she came with two friends (her sister Debbie, and a blonde whose name I cannot recall) and sat between them, so I didn't get to talk to her much. However, I did have a few words with her, and from that and her comments in class, she seems like a very nice, normal girl from Texas. It was nice to meet her. And if you ever run into Debbie, make sure to have her show you how she gets out of interactions with guys when they start getting too attracted to her.