Peep World

---

Henry Meyerwitz

had never wanted any children.

But when he had his first,

he remembered an old proverb:

"Commit a sin twice,

and it Will not seem a crime."

So he had more.

And once a year, his sins,

all grown up,

gathered to celebrate

his birthday.

He didn't want to be there.

They didn't want to be there.

This year, however,

a book came out

that made it even Worse.

And I want to make a toast

to my fabulous son Nate

and the great success

he's having with his book,

Peep World.

Thanks, Dad.

Oh, pardon me If I don't toast

a man who's ruined my life.

And I don't know how

any of you could.

I ruined your life?

And what did I do?

Did I make you more unemployed,

more dysfunctional?

You stabbed us all

in the back, you motherf***er!

You're a f***ing b*tch.

Okay?

You honestly have wasted

your entire life

being an a**hole.

Look at yourself in the mirror.

You're a fraud.

- You're the f***ed-up version

of Amy Winehouse..

There were

four Meyerwitz children.

Jack was the responsible son.

Like the main character

in Peep World,

he was a struggling architect

Whose father made him

feel inadequate.

Bastard.

There were

other things in his life

that made him

fee! inadequate foo.

Piece of sh*t.

Liar.

Pervert.

The first time

Jack heard Laura

curse in her sleep, he assumed

she was having a nightmare.

F***er.

F*** you.

By the second night,

he knew the nightmare was him.

Cheri Meyerwitz

was a would-be artist,

poet, actress, dancer,

and singer-songwriter.

But the only thing

that had brought her

any measure of recognition

was the Way her brother Nathan

had portrayed her

in his book, Peep World..

AH right, folks,

here we go.

This is Peep World..

Scene 24, take four.

To make matters Worse,

they just happened to be

shooting the movie version

right in front

of her apartment.

We gotta go.

We gotta get a shot off.

31 apple, take one.

Action.

How do I look?

You look good.

Good? Just good?

I can't go to my audition now.

My confidence is shot.

God damn it,

what the f*** was that?

Cut!

Are you f***ing kidding me?

Come on, feel the noise

Every family

has a black sheep,

a colossal underachiever,

a recovering addict,

a f***-up.

In the Meyerwitz family,

that role fell to Joel..

Oh, God. Sh*t.

What was that?

Oh, man.

And I don't know Why

I don't know why

It makes me money

And I don't know Why

Oh, come on.

God!

That's just great.

Oh, no!

JOh, nor

That is so not cool, man.

Girls, rock your boys

Aah!

Fudge!

Back in two minutes.

Back on the air

in two minutes.

Nathan,

the youngest Meyerwitz,

had relished every moment

of his book tour

except for today.

That's because

he was facing his family

for the first time

since Peep World came out.

They'll be ready for you

in a minute.

I told them not to mention

your sister's lawsuit.

Good. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

You have a little something.

Do you want me to get you

another green tea?

No, I'm fine.

You can do whatever you do.

Okay.

Nathan's favorite

part of his book tour

was getting to work

with attractive assistants.

He treated them

condescendingly...

Uh.

Because he read

Norman Mailer did that.

I'm sure you get this

all the time.

Do you have any

sort of advice at all

fora young struggling writer?

I mean, I love doing PR work

and everything,

but in my heart,

I'm a writer.

Of course you are.

So, like, any sort

of experience at all

that you could

kind of pass...

Listen. Listen.

There's nothing that

I can tell you

that's gonna

magically make you a writer.

You either have talent,

or you do not.

Writing is something

that you were born with.

It's not something

that you can just pick up.

Okay?

It is not like Spanish.

Okay.

Okay, do you understand?

I'm gonna go see

if they're ready for you.

Well, you know what?

Can you wait one second?

Can you wait one second

actually?

I need your opinion

on something very important.

Really?

Yeah.

This is huge.

- Okay.

- Okay?

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay, gather yourself.

Which one do you prefer?

Really look at them, right?

They're works of art.

Uh, they're both good.

Everybody knows

they're both good.

Everybody can look at them

and say they're both good,

but I need you to pick one.

Okay, well that one makes you

look a little more literary.

Yeah, because

of the turtleneck?

Yeah, and it's... the tilt.

Yeah, a crafty head tilt.

It's a veteran move, right?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

And by the way, I know I looked

just okay in Peep World.

It's fine.

It was a bit of a clich.

A clich, right, this?

I know.

I told them that.

I didn't want to do that.

Okay, and for my next novel,

the photo is going to match

the power of the writing.

You take Philip Roth on the

back of Portnoy's Complaint...

Did you read it?

Yes.

- Do you want to know why?

- Great book.

It's a... it's a good book.

It's a good book.

No, you read it because he looks

unbelievable on that back cover,

like a Jewish Casanova, right?

Like he could pick up a shofar

and make it sound

like a jazz saxophone.

That photo had

a hypnotic effect on women.

So that's why men write,

to get women?

That's why men do everything.

They're ready for you,

Mr. Meyerwitz.

Please, you can just

call me Nathan, right?

She can just call me Nathan.

Where you from?

Cuba.

Oh, get out of here.

I love Cuba.

Honey! Wake up!

Oh, my god.

Ah, don't do that!

How can you read this

before you go to bed?

No wonder you have

trouble sleeping.

There you go.

Thank you.

Your brother's on TV again.

How does he look?

Smug

Our next guest

is causing quite a stir

with his first novel,

Peep World,

the number one

best-selling novel.

Welcome, Nathan Meyerwitz.

It's a pleasure to be here.

That is one disturbing novel.

And that family... Whoo.

So will he be gracing us

with his presence tonight?

Yeah.

I wonder if it's too late

to sit him at another table.

My own life experience.

So I'm taking a mirror,

and I'm putting it up

to all families, and I'm saying,

"Take a look at yourself.

Take a good, hard look."

Ooh, he kicked.

So it's safe to say

that Peep World is at least...

somewhat autobiographical?

- Yes.

- Oh, yes, of course.

What time is it?

I've got an appointment.

I better get in the shower.

Save some hot water for me.

Okay.

Dysfunctional family.

And your own family?

How do they feel about

the incredible

attention that

Peep World is getting?

They love it.

They're excited.

- No.

- Yeah.

- Wow.

- Yeah.

Your brother's supposed

to protect you.

Your brother isn't supposed

to betray you.

Christ was betrayed too.

Yeah, that's true.

Cheri sought solace

in her friend Ephraim,

who would patiently listen

to her in hopes that one day,

Cheri would sleep with him.

They've been seeing each other

for eight years.

You know it is

a sad commentary

on our society indeed

that we allow someone

to use a trusting relationship

for their own material gain.

And he made a fortune

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