The Good Times Are Killing Me
Shot by TVTV veterans Hudson Marquez and Allen Rucker on location in southwestern Louisiana, The Good Times Are Killing Me is a portrait of Cajun culture. Focusing on the Cajuns' strong cultural identity, they document the integral role that music plays in passing traditions from generation to generation. Looking at the events leading up to Mardi Gras, the tape visits women at Priscilla Fontenot's beauty parlor, the drag preparations of the "barber's son," and, finally, the pageantry of the celebration itself. At the heart of the tape is accordionist Nathan Abshire, whose jaunty stage manner belies a difficult life. Abshire is seen as representative of the Cajun culture, which has survived for two hundred years with humor and idiosyncracies intact.
Production: Wendy Appel, Paul Goldsmith, Petur Hliddel, Robby Kenner, Hudson Marquez, David Myers, Allen Rucker, Suzanne Tedesco. Editors: Wendy Appel, Frank Cavestany, Paul Goldsmith, Petur Hliddel, Andy Mann, Hudson Marquez, Allen Rucker, Michael Shamberg. Produced by TVTV and the TV Lab at WNET/Thirteen. Supervising Producer: David Loxton. Engineer/Editor: John J. Godfrey.
