tvandfilmconfessions

[tvandfilmconfessions]

The Unsympathetic Rob Thomas (Trigger Warning: Suicide)

(plus how Ryan Hansen learned from Rob Thomas' unsympathetic ways)

And no, I'm not talking about how he made Veronica Mars. It was about Party Down, its history, and his apathy-ness when creating the show with his friends.

Based on his own interview about Party Down, Rob Thomas was asked the reason why he made Party Down: The show was a collaboration between him, John Enbom, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd; friends who wanted to make a comedy series based on the experience they had in Hollywood.

He went to this party in Hollywood and struck up a conversation with one of the waiters or a bartender. While his friends were sometimes listening to the bartender telling the story of how he ended up in Hollywood, Rob was listening intently. The guy told him that he was a small-time actor, who was basically a glorified extra. The more he told the story, the more unhinged he became. He admitted that he got depressed after a string of failures. And he had to take a catering job to support his life. In the middle of the story, he cried as he poured his heart out about his failed life and even one-time considers suicide.

As the bartender practically sobbed while telling the story, Rob awkwardly left him.

And this part made me cold in my heart when he returned to his friends - he LAUGHED telling this story about a failed actor who was so depressed that he almost committed suicide. He then told John that this might be a really good basis for a tv show. "How about we make a comedy series about a bunch of losers who work in a catering business, and no matter how hard they try, they will never succeed?"

John thought it was a good idea and was ready to recruit his friend, actor Paul Rudd to be a part of the creators of the show. When the interviewer asked Rob what happened to the waiter/bartender, Rob just shrugged and answered, "I hope he didn't kill himself." As I read that interview (I'm sorry I can't provide the interview link because I don't remember where I read it and it was a very long time ago, almost 12 years or so) I was so sick to find out that Rob nonchalantly telling this story. The amount of apathy from this man, telling a story about a suicidal man, laughing about it, and thinking it would make a good COMEDY series...

Look, you can get inspiration from anywhere. Sometimes you'd get it from the darkest place of humanity, and it's legit. But... the way Rob was telling the story like it was no big deal, and the lack of empathy radiating from Rob, made my skin crawl. And the fact this is a true story, not a rumor created by some blogger, but a legit interview from an official magazine, made me shake my head.

And the ironic thing is that when Brad Bufanda died of suicide, Rob actually tweeted his condolences. But it felt... how do I say it... empty? It was like he had to do it because his death was Trending on Twitter, and many casts tweeted their condolences, especially Francis Capra and Julie Gonzalo. Francis was a friend of Brad's family, so he reached out to his mother. Julie was his co-star in Cinderella Story. But Rob (and KBell) didn't say anything until everyone sorta tagged them about his death. Btw, KBell never tweeted anything.

Brad Bufanda's mother reached out to me on this blog, and I felt gutted that the show meant something to him and his family. I still remember when Brad and I DM'd a few times a few years before his suicide. He was DEPRESSED. Apparently, after Veronica Mars, he didn't have a steady job. He got rejected so many times whenever he went to casting calls. He even said "The fans don't care. They don't care about me." I was so confused about how to answer that, but I tried my best to encourage him that the fans did care about him. Anyway, he deleted his Twitter account and I didn't know how to reach him until I heard about his suicide.

So... to have Rob making fun of a depressed person who was suicidal and at the same time tweeting about someone he knew who committed suicide is making me nauseous.

Another story about Party Down was coming from Ryan Hansen who was also one of the cast of the show. It wasn't an interview per se, but more like a tidbit behind the scene regarding one of the episodes.

There was an episode (I forgot the title), but if you watched the show, you know which one I'm talking about. It was about the orgy episode where the Party Down caterers served them, and the interviewer asked the cast about how the episode was made; the technicality of it, the guest stars, how they filmed it, etc etc.

Ryan, jokingly, talked about how there were so many nude extras, and some of them were beautiful girls. And as they were hanging around, Ryan struck up a conversation with a bunch of naked girls. He was making small talk and trying to make everything fun because apparently, directing a bunch of naked people doing sex wasn't easy.

Ryan, then, ASKED WHETHER HE COULD TOUCH THE BOOBS. The girls at first were reluctant, but one of the girls let him touch and fondled the boobs. Some of them were laughing like it was nothing because most of them were okay doing that. It was a bizarre situation but nothing new in Hollywood. It wasn't until Ryan fondled another boob from a different girl, the girl burst into tears.

The nude girl said she had no choice doing this type of role. She was a small-time actress and had to accept this kind of role to support her life and school. Ryan, while telling the story, mocked her cry. He mimicked her sobbing and cry "Booohoooo hoooo!" and he had no choice but to stop fondling her boob. He laughed and made a comment that if she didn't want to be there, then she should just leave and find another career.

Now, I don't care whether you agree or disagree with someone's career choice, whether it's a sex worker, nude artist, an extra, or whatever. I do care whether you are dick or not (pun intended), and actually be a human being that shows empathy or something.

The interviews were after Party Down had already been canceled at the time, and I already watched the show and didn't think about the complication behind the scenes. But I lost all respect for both Rob Thomas and Ryan Hansen back then. And I have to admit, I had a myopic POV regarding them when they announced the Veronica Mars movie and their interviews were forgotten by me. It wasn't until recently that those memories came back to me, and I regret having ever supported them and even have a blind spot regarding them. That is why I changed the Rob Thomas Book Club to BLIND RATS.

My point is... jebus, it's not hard to be kind to strangers who poured their hearts out. Don't be an asshole and laugh when someone said that they have a problem.

“when someone shows you who they are, believe them”

Note: No, this is NOT the interview I was talking about. This is a new interview, in which Rob is adamant that Party Down is not based on a true story, very different from the old interview that now I can't find the link. Feel free to believe which version, but I do still remember his original story.

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Jason X (2001) dir. James Isaac

Halloween: Resurrection (2002) dir. Rick Rosenthal

New York Ninja (2021*) dir. John Liu, Kurtis M. Spieler

The Wicker Man (2006) dir. Neil LaBute

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References to Law & Order 1x01 || 1x04 || 2x01 || 2x04 || 2x10 || 3x03

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Bread (1918) dir. Ida May Park

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JUNKFOODCINEMAS PRESENTS SO BAD IT'S GOOD JUNK: PART 1

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Troll 2 (1990) dir. Claudio Fragasso

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Miami Connection (1987) dir. Y. K. Kim, Park Woo Sang

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Saltburn (2023)

We're all about to lose our minds.