NYC Lady Panhandling for Dates Is Another 2016 Whiny, Artsy Adult
"Public school teacher and comedian Jana Schmieding told Cosmopolitan.com that she came up with the idea" for the video "last year while working on a comedy sketch."
"'I'm not homeless or out of work. I'm not asking for money tonight. I am on this train searching for the man of my dreams.'"
"'I am single, and unfortunately it's gotten to the point where I need to rely on the help of strangers." NBC
Oh boy. Here we go. Once I saw the bologna title at the beginning for "The Panhandle" I knew I wasn't going to make it. Just through the video I mean, not through life without being happy or in a relationship like this lady. Which she's setting out to do by making stuff like this. Yes those are harsh claims but I could only force myself through 58 seconds of this cringer before I had to quit. Nope. Just couldn't do it. The video's shameless, manipulative self-publicity.
I'm a jerk but when I read the text before watching the video, I knew it was coming. She's a "comedian" and had this idea when "working on a comedy sketch." By the way you know you're making comedy when you give the friendly labeling reminder that "sketches" are "comedy sketches." I'm sure that's on Cosmo or NBC or whatever, but still, it's super suspicious to see this woe-is-me-life-is-so-cruel piece come out of what was originally a sketch idea. Then to make this video about how no one will love you and try to pull at people's heartstrings while still promoting yourself and your own films... It's just as bad as actual subway panhandlers. This is another person who's "a comedian" that decides all art is art so therefore when shit's not funny why not make a "feel good" video? Drives me nuts, it's people wanting to do Louis CK's alternative works without the foundation of being one of the funniest comics ever first. I don't know anything about her other comedy stuff but I'm for sure not interested in learning about it after seeing part of this video.
Yeah, that's what set me off at first, using the sad-sucker platform to plug yourself, but from there it's worse. Look, everybody whining about how hard it is to be an adult: just grow up and be an adult. Life is hard and stuff doesn't always go well. Sometimes you make a lot of money, sometimes you don't make any money. Sometimes you're in great shape, sometimes your back is destroyed by 30. Sometimes you're 2013 Nick Foles, sometimes you're normal Nick Foles. Sometimes your parents are proud of you, sometimes you for sure didn't earn it. Sometimes you get a bunch of dates, sometimes you get no dates. I'm not saying all the crap goes together, but crap just happens. When it does, you deal with it. You can't crowdsource or viral video your way into success and happiness. You just have to work at it. No one's gonna give it to you and they can't anyway. It's the same as relationships. You gotta put in actual work on them. Not panhandling on the train to see if randos will end up being "the man of your dreams." The man or woman of your dreams isn't just going to come up to you on the train and then boom, you're in love. Unless they're a bucket drummer. Or a pigeon. Or a pigeon bucket drummer.
Life and love are both hard but so is being an adult. You have to accept it all and just do it. Feel good stories don't come from making feel-good tearjerker films like everyone's trying to do nowadays. They come from working your ass off to overcome adversity. That or having to bury your dog who is also your best friend. That is a sure fire path to an actual feel-good tearjerker film.
Also, if no one else is gonna say it, I will--about 80% of the people laughing or applauding her are doing so because they're just relieved she's not attacking them, getting sick, asking for petition signatures, or actually asking for money. We all want to be left alone on the train.