Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Rural - Urban: Chris Crocker

Still From Me At The Zoo

When Michael Stipe and Mike Mills recently sat down to talk with Pitchfork about the R.E.M.'s retirement, I read that Mr. Stipe is working to help produce Me At The Zoo, a documentary about the internet phenomenon Chris Crocker (of "leave Britney alone" fame). 

What surprised me about the film's narrative is the backstory of Mr. Crocker: he's from eastern Tennessee, where he was raised by his Penecostal grandparents. Though he has engaged with various celebrity-media outlets (and is reportedly becoming an adult film star), he lives there -- and not in LA. He doesn't disclose his exact location, as he has received numerous threats for being openly gay, but he reportedly lives in a small town in this region.

It remains to be seen how the filmmakers choose to address the rural - urban dynamic (or the regional, Appalachian dynamic) but this might be a documentary for folks to keep on their radar. Here's the trailer: