Perfectly Imperfect Podcast with John Strong
14 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingMy name is John Strong and I'm that guy. That guy whose existence reflects the harsh reality of what is, and the ever-present idealism of what could be. I'm a true Pisces, the yin and yang sign. The comedy/tragedy mask depicted with both a smile and frown. Yeah, that's me John. The funniest, friendliest, most charismatic guy to ever grace a room. While simultaneously being a fearlessly disciplined, rebellious, taskmaster poised to combat injustice, right a wrong at a moment’s notice. I am a creative. A Renaissance man, who chose the pen as his predominant passion. A philosopher/intellectual who leaned on his own understanding and formulated a unique outlook on this thing called life. I am the flawed hero, the tormented soul, the tortured protagonist. I have lived a life that could have only been scripted by the great screenwriter in the sky. Yes, my life has indeed been a movie. And I love movies. So, it only makes sense that I talk about it here on the Perfectly Imperfect Podcast.
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Episodes
Get Out (I Voted For Obama Twice)
May 12, 2019 06:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBI refer to my Hollywood experience as moving up to the Majors from the Minors and not being allowed to bat. Yes, we know you’re capable. We know you’re able. We know you’re damn good and will humbly admit you deserve a fair shot. BUT we aren’t going to facilitate that opportunity unless you play by our rules. I had a professor/acting department chair tell me I would not make it in Hollywood because, “I wasn’t willing to play the game.” This accompanied a conversation about how it would...
Good Will Hunting (How You Like ‘Dem Apples)
May 05, 2019 05:05 - 1 hour - 124 MBIn a perfect world you work hard and you get rewarded for that work. The cream rises to the top. People want nothing more than to see you shine. The universe, GOD wants to grant the desires of your heart. In a perfect world...but this world ain’t perfect. Executed hard work, grit and determination only mean something if afforded an opportunity, hopefully you won’t squander it. It doesn’t mean that opportunity is destined. Geniuses like the character Will sadly have a better chance of ...
The Blind Side (Look A Balloon)
April 28, 2019 07:02 - 1 hour - 121 MBI sat in class for two semesters and listened to the man who wrote Colors talk about writing Colors. To date I have never watched the film in its entirety. But one hood tale that did spark my interest was Dangerous Minds. Dangerous Minds had a lot of commonalities with Colors. They were both filmed in Los Angeles California. Both had black/brown hoodlums, violence and Hip-Hop soundtracks. But there was one thing that didn’t quite sit right about the film. One missing element it needed...
Soul Man (Don’t Matter If You Black Or White)
April 21, 2019 06:07 - 1 hour - 120 MBI verbally outlined beats for the first act of a screenplay to my graduate class. My professor ingested this information; he mulled it over and responded with a nod, “Yeah, I can dig it.” He could dig it? This wasn’t the late 1960’s nor mid ‘70s. I wasn’t sporting bell bottoms, or a manicured fro with a black power fist hair pick. There were no psychedelic guitar licks in the background driving this narrative forward. It was freaking 2009 and the first black president was in office. A...
Cool Hand Luke (You’re An Original That’s What You Are)
April 14, 2019 06:24 - 1 hour - 103 MBConform: to be obedient or compliant – usually used with to conform to another’s wishes. Luke Jackson was exalted for his ability to endure, fight; persevere against all odds. He embodied what/who others aspired to be. But the moment he needed inspiration, the support of those who looked to him, they turned on him. This story, this sentiment I know oh too well. I have known many a cheerleader in life willing to root from the sideline with no intent of ever contributing. Just along for ...
The Matrix (The Blue Pill)
April 07, 2019 07:26 - 1 hour - 124 MBThe red pill in the film The Matrix represents the unknown, the uncertainty of not knowing ones future. In order to make this piece of pop culture relevant today let’s draw similarities to social media. The invention of the ringtone marked a new way of monetizing the cellphone. It established a template for tracking consumer trends. The introduction of YouTube ushered in a new platform of both viewing and distributing content further extending the reach of advertisers. The world was lub...
The Hurricane (Mindless Behavior)
March 31, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 86.3 MBSelf-appointed fitness gurus; life coaches, philosophers are the new “public figures.” Masses flock aimlessly to the microwaved insta-lives they display online. The answers to all life’s woes are now accessible via an app. Happiness is no longer an idea but a tangible thing that can be manifested and displayed via a post. We are living in the age of lost and found. Losing yourself and finding yourself in someone else is commonplace. Copy and pasting someone else’s image, ideals, downlo...
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Glass Ceilings and Elevators)
March 24, 2019 07:02 - 1 hour - 87 MBPerspective. When I was 20 or so I asked a younger cousin of mine if she considered herself/family to be poor. She ingested the question momentarily and responded with, “We don’t have everything but we got something. So no we’re not poor.” Perspective. The idea of poverty that existed in her mind no doubt was that of extreme destitution. You know tattered clothing, emaciated, malnourished like the 80’s infomercials featuring African kids. She was around the age (13) I was when I began ...
Shawshank Redemption (A Solitary Sentence)
March 17, 2019 16:40 - 1 hour - 89.1 MBLife is loud. Life is so loud in fact that most people can’t handle silence. The silence of what is. You can live your whole life looking neither forward nor backward, protected by the moment. But some of us don’t have that security blanket. Our blinders have been removed. And once removed you begin to see things as they are. Isolation has propelled many a great man/woman into their destiny. Conquering isolation “The Wilderness” defined Jesus, just as Andy Dufrain’s character in the ...
The Count of Monte Cristo (At Your Best You Are Loved)
March 10, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 106 MB“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”- Forest Gump This quote pretty much sums up the character that ushered it into pop culture, a forgettable, ordinary person who lived an extraordinary life. People love the notion of triumph against all odds on the big screen. But what of the guy/girl that lived next door, sat next to you in class, the former coworker that makes good. Gets the dream job, meets the right person…lives happily ever after. Are they a ...
The Color Purple (Ugliest Smile This Side of Creation)
March 03, 2019 07:09 - 48 minutes - 65.9 MBI was a child when I saw The Color Purple for the first time. I watched it until I knew the motivation behind the dialogue, and the subtle suggestions in things unsaid. This wasn’t a Walt Disney Production; it didn’t have a thing in common with my Nickelodeon or TGIF shows but I loved it. I watched it over and over again. It felt realer than real to me. Not a figment of someone else’s imagination but something I’d lived, something I’d experienced…because it was. The film The Color Purp...
The Goonies (Troy's Bucket)
February 24, 2019 19:21 - 52 minutes - 71.8 MBThe Goonies is the best 80’s kid’s movie, period. One kid’s grit, determination, unwillingness to give in transported a group of friends on the journey of a lifetime. This journey defines what it means to believe (to this day). This kid, this character Mikey was the ultimate leader. Growing up everyone in my community had dreams, everyone wanted to be a “somebody,” do something big. But not everyone had the willingness, the resilience to strike out in search of their own treasure. I cr...
Stand By Me (Dead Body)
February 24, 2019 19:07 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MBThe 80’s classic film Stand By Me provides the cinematic backdrop for an in-depth look at the concept of friendship. Question posed…how does the ideal friend differ over time as we age, mature, and our wants/needs become more prominent? Does who we surround ourselves with reflect how we view ourselves? I share two childhood experiences I credit with cementing my view on the topic of friendship, and offer unbridled commentary on the friend versus associate debate. “Me watching how the ou...
Introducing: Perfectly Imperfect Podcast with John Strong
February 19, 2019 07:30 - 2 minutes - 3.75 MBMy name is John Strong and I'm that guy. That guy whose existence reflects the harsh reality of what is, and the ever-present idealism of what could be. I'm a true Pisces, the yin and yang sign. The comedy/tragedy mask depicted with both a smile and frown. Yeah, that's me John. The funniest, friendliest, most charismatic guy to ever grace a room. While simultaneously being a fearlessly disciplined, rebellious, taskmaster poised to combat injustice, right a wrong at a moment’s notice. ...