Yes, I stood in the shower with new leather boots on. Not jump boots.
And now I'm reliving the punchline to the old Army trick: I get to wear them, my feet soggy, sopping, until the shrink and fit is molded perfectly to my feet. Apparently the method involves keeping them on throughout a full day. Thus, forgive what I write here.
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Exhibit 1. Having now finished the Krasznahorkai, and being completely lost as to what my next literary expedition should be, I turned to the place where all discerning readers go: Youtube.Book trailer people, you have to do better. The voiceover sounds like The Dude, were he sucking on a pair of John Goodman's gym socks.
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Don't believe me? Exhibit 2a:
If you need a sudden dose of bitter burnt espresso and maybe a trip back through Stanley Elkin to cleanse, I'll understand. I'll even wait.
Now, this type of plot can work, and it's completely plausible and enjoyable when it does. But at the same time, it's naive, and best left for the realm of children. I'm looking at you, Glee and Modern Family. And USA Network. Not to be cynical, but the "Care Bear Stare" is a time-honored tradition that should be ideally rebuked and laughed at by any adult who has lived with even the smallest smattering of success. Not that it isn't effective in small doses, but...
But reread the Elkin.
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Exhibit 3. And since I'm on the topic of television, let me ask: what is up with all the Armageddon pieces? Forget The Walking Dead, as it's an obvious example of the world-gone-dead-to-brain-eating-freaks piece. How about Mad Men? And Downton Abbey?
I'll encapsulate: main characters live at the turning point of an epoch, vainly attempting to hold onto last vestiges of previous culture while world (and previously mentioned culture) unfurls and changes around them.
To me it's not that interesting - even Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog, whose work I generally like but which works on the same general arc, I found unaffecting.
I have a list of things to blame: the internet, the rapidly changing dynamics of the workforce, the resolute vanity of the Baby Boom generation, China anxiety, the bends. But none of these are completely salient for me. Any thoughts?
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Exhibit 4. Not a book trailer, but at least something to end with. This was a discovery from the most enjoyable Franklin Park Reading Series yet.
Electric Literature. Single-sentence animations. You be the judge, but I love it.
1. gross--your feet are gonna get moldy(er). just kidding, your feet aren't moldy.
ReplyDelete2. i thought the woman in white was on deck?
3. clinging to traditions in times of transition is part of the human condition (rhyming!), so it makes sense that it would crop up a lot in literature and film and tv. i can't think of any good examples of old shows that did the same thing because i'm completely exhausted and starving right now, but i will. however, you may have a point and i think a good reason would be that that's something going on right....now....as you said.
so.
Oh, I think Sophie B had a very good point. That is way gross. You'd need to scrub your feet with sand paper. Like, industrial grade. And drink milk.
ReplyDelete- ghost
Sophie, Ghost, if it means anything, the process didn't work as well as expected. Frankly I think the worse the leather is the better the results.
ReplyDeleteAnd sophie: on comment 2, the Wilkie Collins will happen. Because of the Krasznahorkai, I'm having an incredibly hard time with victorian shit.
As for 3: you're absolutely right, and the examples can be extended to Cervantes and the loss of the chivalric code. From the era of point 2, at least Dickens had the sense to include biting satire, so the castification of the old at least needed a second glance. Now, it's like we want to be condescending fucks.
Cue the random comment for Kim Kardashian.