THE BEAUTY OF STANDING PERFECTLY STILL

An ode to the simple things that reliably take my breath away—and a smiling rejection of the gilded prizes that leave me unmoved.

- WORDS INDRAN PARAMASIVAM

I RECENTLY REDISCOVERED the supreme talent that Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson possess as actors. I rewatched The Internship, a fantastic presentation of the two at the peak of their powers, and reacquainted me with a twinned current of sentiment that opened the doors to some profound personal truths:

1. Their existence enriches the proverbial 'silver screen', and;

2. Given the current socio-cultural climate, where any pop culture production cannot be enjoyed unless some political charge is attached to it, it is unlikely that Hollywood or the entertainment industry will produce stars like them again.

I cannot tell you the immense number of times people have laughed at me when I share my esteem of Vaugh as one of the greatest actors of his generation in conversation. Many think it is a desperate attempt at a hot take. But after an eternity of online calls, and the goalposts of entertainment being mangled by social media, watching him and Wilson not know how to use a webcam, subsequently clinch an internship at Google, and stick it to some snot-nosed kids who are their workplace adversaries feels like a soul-nourishing moment.

It also confirms that the things I like come in weird and odd shapes.

The Middle