Week 29: Blood, Brains, and Barbie!
- elenalilamartin
- Jul 23, 2023
- 7 min read
Week 29: July 16-22, 2023
There was a LOT to cover this week, because I did a TON of new things, so I apologize if this post is long-winded or scattered. For my own sake, and for yours, the entire week has been organized into three categories: Blood, Brains, and Barbie!
First up on the agenda: Blood.
Don't worry, the blood here is nothing worrisome. I just donated blood for the first time! The San Diego Blood Bank partnered with San Diego Comic-Con and held a blood drive. Wanting to try all aspects of the convention, I decided, on a whim, to donate my blood after picking up my SDCC badge. The blood drive was at the Manchester Grand hotel, and after some exploring, I found myself in a perfectly air-conditioned hall. It has been incredibly hot and humid so the AC felt great.
All the staff were very friendly and helped me move through the assembly line of signing waivers, providing health information, and prepping for extraction. (I said "extraction" here because this makes the whole ordeal sound much more fun and spy-like than it was. It was just a blood draw, not a helicopter ladder shooting down from the sky, but a girl can dream.) The staff assigned to my station were all so kind and patient. Admittedly, they did struggle with my veins, having to re-poke me a couple of times, but I didn't mind. For a while, the lead nurse had to hold the needle at a specific angle because it kept turning on its own. They wanted to make sure that I was going to be able to fill the blood bag within the 20-minute time frame. I've been told I have crappy veins by nurses and phlebotomists, but at least I am not scared of needles. I've had enough stints in the hospital to be used to them.
Everyone apologized for the inconvenience, but I assured them it was no big deal. They seemed relieved that I wasn't freaking out or complaining about getting poked a bunch. I think I was just more focused on how exciting it was to be there, actually donating blood for the first time, rather than being freaked out.
After a fun chat with the blood techs and a mandatory observation and resting period, I was sent on my way, armed with a juice box, a growing bruise on my inner elbow, my San Diego Blood Bank Donor ID, and some freebies. I am most excited about the Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 t-shirt, and my donor ID, which I can use to find out my blood type and donate more in the future.
Second on the agenda: Brains!
I got super lucky this year, because my friend won two free San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) badges and offered one to me. This was a 4-day + Preview Night ticket, so festivities began on Wednesday and concluded on Sunday.
Whenever Comic-Con comes to San Diego, the downtown area is transformed. The streets become a whole different ecosystem, teeming with lifeforms from other planets and characters straight from comic books.
It is estimated that Comic-Con brings about $160 million to the city of San Diego, and I believe it. It seemed like it could even be more than that. The sheer volume of people, all fueled by a collective interest for all things nerdy and fun, must generate millions in revenue. I found myself worrying about some of the smaller businesses, hoping they are able keep up with the exponential growth of SDCC in the future. I can't imagine how expensive it is to have enough food, products, and staff to handle the huge crowds of people that flock to downtown.
This year's SDCC was different than normal because of the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Many highly anticipated panels were cancelled because the writers and actors working for these projects are all (rightfully) on strike. It was a bummer not to see a ton of celebrities, but I would rather support them in their fight for fair compensation than wait in line for hours for the chance at a glimpse of their faces. I don't share the (misplaced) anger some convention-goers had against the strikes. I believe they're fighting for what is right and they absolutely should be properly compensated for the hard work they do. Plus, the cancellation of some panels meant more attention was given to other types of events and creators.
There were so many activities and panels to choose from, and SDCC even partners with Sched to help attendees plan their days. I used Sched to find some points of interest. I chose the Women Rocking Hollywood panel. This one was centered around female filmmakers.
Each panelist was amazing, but what Sam Bailey and Andria Wilson Mirza specifically had to say really stuck with me. They are both incredible advocates for diversity in filmmaking, for all types of people involved, both on- and off-screen. Sam Bailey emphasized the need for Black and brown people in filmmaking, and said she makes a conscious effort to create education- and inclusion-based sets.
Andria Wilson Mirza explained more about the work she does with ReFrame, a non-profit that helps fight systemic oppression and gives a stamp of approval to projects with proper gender-representation. When the panelists kept mentioning their support for the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes, people in the audience cheered. When the host mentioned her pigtails were an ode to Barbie, I knew I picked a good panel to attend.
Apart from the panel, I spent most of my time just people-watching and exploring. SDCC is such a big event that even a 4-day pass doesn't guarantee you'll get to see everything. There are off-site events that guarantee tons of fun things to do even if you don't have a ticket to the actual convention.
I spent a ton of time in Artists' Alley, talking to tons of talented artists and finding presents for my geek-inclined friends and family. I even got access to a time slot for Mattel Creations exclusives. There were also so many opportunities for freebies. At the end of every day, my bag was full of stickers, pins, business cards and more.
The novelty of it all, paired with my lack of experience or expectations, meant there weren't any disappointments. The ticket being free also allowed me to be a little more open-minded and grateful for whatever I did manage to experience.
Being around all of these different kinds of nerds was kind of invigorating. I had a realization that I was one of these nerds, and it was a great to feel that sense of community. Despite the long days, sore feet, and overwhelming nature of it all, it was truly a magical experience.
Saving potentially the best for last: Barbie!
Ok, back in Week 25, I know I said the Barbie movie might give Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse a run for its money. I was right. This was, hands-down, the movie of the year for me. Its just July, of course, but I can't imagine any other movie coming out in the next five months to top this. I have been a Barbie girl (and Bratz, MyScene, and Polly Pockets...) ever since I can remember, so this was a big deal for me. Even without the amazing marketing the Barbie team did throughout the months leading up to release day, I would have been one of the first people in the theatre. The soundtrack alone is incredible (see Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Nicki Minaj's tracks specifically).
The anticipation for this movie meant finding six tickets at a reasonable showtime, with seats that had a decent view of the screen. Most showtimes for Thursday and Friday were sold out already, but I managed to finally find a showtime for Saturday evening, with our seats being spread out in 2 rows of 3.
My friends and I dressed up in our Barbie-core best and filmed our own "Hi, Barbie!" video.
It was awesome seeing the groups of people dressed in pink at the theatre. Even at Comic-Con, there were people dressed as Barbie. It was so extra, and I loved it. Here is a closer look at the outfit I picked:
To avoid spoiling the Barbie movie for those of you who have yet to see it, I won't go into detail. Just be prepared to laugh, sob, gasp and giggle throughout the entire thing, because that is what I did. It was an incredibly well-done production. The storyline was witty and touching, the theme managed to be nostalgic while still being incredibly relevant, and the entire thing was just absolutely over-the-top camp. The costume design was to die for and my inner maximalist was loving the set design.
This type of must-see movie reaffirms my appreciation for the amazing work done by people in the film industry. The genius of Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and the entire Barbie team was so clearly evident throughout the entire hour and a half of laughter and tears. I walked out of that theatre feeling so many things, but admiration and appreciation were the at the top.
Plain and simple - The new things I did this week made me really appreciate the human mind, human connection, and human creativity. I love that talented people are so willing to share their work with others, and I love being able to support them. I love seeing people who are so passionate dedicating blood (haha), sweat, and tears to something. Whether it is volunteering at a blood drive, or creating content and cosplay for a massive convention, or unifying the girls, gays, and theys with a movie like Barbie, it blows me away how awesome people can be. I am so lucky to be able to experience this, to have a space where I can be surrounded by people who also feel so deeply about things. Whether it is our shared passion for helping others, shared love for video games, movies, and books, or the shared experience of being a woman in today's world, I was able to enjoy it all over the span of just a couple days. It was a whirlwind of activity, emotion, and appreciation, and I am way overdue for a nap.
See you next week.
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