For 5 years now, 3 years longer than Glitter and Lazers has existed, I have done a sad photoshoot for Valentines Day. The first one started as a joke. My friend Mary and I were bored on V-day, did some terrible make up, went to brunch with said sad girl make up and found ourselves doing an impromptu photoshoot. This ultimately devolved into, who could look the saddest on camera. It was legitimately a good time.
The next time Valentine’s day rolled around, Mary wasn’t single, but I was. So, I did the shoot again, this time by myself.
Now it was a tradition, and I couldn’t be stopped. I took this photo in 2016.
In 2017, I added Data into the mix, because for some reason his presence just made it even better. He understands me, as he too is single.
For this years shoot, I wanted to do something different. Gone were the past ways of just getting really tanked in a funny t-shirt in front of a camera, 2018 needed a new vibe. The world needed an editorial version of the Sad Valentin’s tradition.
Once I saw this heart shaped piñata online I knew what direction this needed to take. A lover scorned. A baseball bat. Excessive make up. Heels. I was the ex-girlfriend your momma warned you about. I am sad and I am dangerous.
Trashing a piñata in public is more fun then I thought it would be. I especially enjoyed the sassy man who stopped and cheered me on. It seems the city of smog has more than one scorned lover on it’s streets.
It was also super cathartic. Hitting something with a giant stick is actually really fun. Making loud destructive noises in public, also fun.
I’m not bitter about Valentine’s Day. I just feel like we get so much relationship bliss thrown in our faces this time of year, I wanted to do something to represent the others- those of who are sick of being told we’ll find someone or that we’ll get ’em next year. The crowd thats sick of texts from exes and 2 for 1 specials. Those of us who are single and don’t need to be reminded of it like it some type of curse.
