We've found that an aggresive plan of action is the best course. While we usually recommend against talking to your ID about issues relating to interior design or its poorer cousin, architecture, there will be no avoiding it when you and your ID see this movie. Therefore we have prepared a few relevant facts that you can memorize now and safely use when discussing the film.
The Illegitmate Children
It is well known that
Louis Kahn had several extramarital relationships, some of which
resulted in children. What is perhaps less well-known, and is therefore more likely
to impress your ID, is the fact that one of his love-children is the renowned soul
singer Chaka Kahn, who credits her musical
abilities to her father. Dropping this little gem during conversation about the movie
will no doubt impress your ID.
The Little-known Buildings
The film features several of Kahn's most famous works, including the Salk Institute and
the National Assembly Building in Bangladesh. You will impress your ID by explaining that
it is less well known that Kahn also did the original designs for the
White Castle restaurant buildings.
The Movie Title
Another interesting piece of trivia: "My Architect" was not the original title of
the movie. Nathaniel Kahn originally wanted to call the film "The Wrath of Kahn", and
was extremely disappointed to learn that the title had
already been taken.
False rumours about Kahn
Of course, there are several common misconceptions about the man as well, and showing
an awareness of these falsehoods can be just as impressive as a knowledge of the facts. For
example, it is not true that Kahn invented that amazing piece of furniture known
as the recliner. It was in fact,
Frank Lloyd Wright, although he didn't
refer to it as a recliner, but instead called it the "internal ottoman".
Response 1:
Fellow pathetic SOID,
I'm thinking the real question here is not where to put the cold beer
(it always goes in the 'crisper' drawer of the refrigerator,
preferably the left-hand side so one can open with the left and lift
with the right for proper ergonomics, plus, when in the drawer, the
bottles don't clash with the food esthetics) but rather, how does one
cope with the mother-in-law.
I concur that mass quantities of beer, a new chameleon blue metallic
Volvo S40 turbo AWD, and excessive Olympic Games viewing on the
flatscreen will lessen the stress, but nothing can really ease the
incredible pain and suffering you are experiencing living with a
designer and her mom under the same roof.
It just goes to show how important a support group such as ours truly
can be. Remember the 3 'C's": we didn't Cause it, we can't
Control it, and we sure as hell can't Cure it. Hang in
there and take one day at a time.
Your fellow SOID,
Mikey
Response 2:
Dear Oppressed in Oslo,
We here at SOIDs HQ have been working on your problem.
While having a mother-in-law in the house is a problem that is not unique to SOIDs, it can be even more challenging for a SOID. Many of the rules we thought we'd understood about living with an Interior Designer seem to be suspended when the MIL comes into the picture. For example, most SOIDs learn through years of experience that we are not authorized to change the arrangement (not to mention selection!) of furniture in our own homes. And this doesn't just apply to furniture. In general, we are not allowed to put things "where they don't belong". When we try to challenge these basic rules, our spouses cite some mystical "Feng Shui" precepts that they know we can't possibly confirm. (Alas, our researchers have not yet been able to define what Interior Designers mean by "Feng Shui"). But for the sake of our marriages, we've all learned to coexist with these apparently random rules. It is then no wonder that a SOID can become confused when a MIL comes to visit, and these rules --which we thought were immutable-- are bent or even suspended completely!
This problem is an area of ongoing research here at SOIDs HQ, and although we don't have a definitive answer to the general MIL problem, our researchers have been able to come up with what we think is a good solution to your particular problem.
We recommend the following solution:
SOIDs Survival Kit item number 17
Good luck!