On the train, I got the nice seat in back by myself and set upon reading the “paper” to pass my commute. The headlines seemed drab. As much as I love to talk racism, I haven’t been inspired by the “nappy-headed ho’s” comment. I guess I prefer more hilarious racism. That comment was just stupid and mean. I can’t even laugh about it. I like my racism creative, like Michael Richards talking about people hanging from trees with forks in their asses, or completely off base and wrong, like Barack Obama not being “really black”. Mean racism like this just makes me mad. At least the guy is halfway fired at this point.
So, as I am absentmindedly flipping through the pages skimming over most articles, I turned the page and saw something that truly threw me for a loop. We have lost one of our literary giants. Kurt Vonnegut died last night. There isn’t much I can say about Vonnegut that hasn’t either already been said or could be said better by someone else. All I really can say is that I have genuinely enjoyed everything I read by him, even Timequake which was not one of his best works. Given that, it was still better than a lot of the crap out there. His writing touched all different emotions in his readers, from comedy to tragedy and everything in-between. He was truly one of the greats. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Thanks for everything, Kurt.
When You Sleep, My Bloody Valentine- I find myself strangely drawn to this band’s music. It isn’t typically something that I would find myself liking because a lot of it borders on noise. However, it is really soothing and nice noise.
Something’s Coming, West Side Story- I love all things musical. West Side Story is one where I can listen to most of the songs out of context. Even some of my favorites typically need to be in context. This is just great fun to listen to.
Big Eyed Beans From Venus, Captain Beefheart- All I can say to this is Venus on the Half-Shell and some people will understand. Others won’t.
14 comments:
Natalie,
The girl and I were just singing "Somethings Coming" on the way to Minnesota last Thursday. She was just loving that song. I used to use it as an audition song back in my old musical theater days. Wow, I'm old.
I talked about Kurt V today too. I titally agree in the fact that "His writing touched all different emotions in his readers". Slaughterhouse Five told the terror of war like no other thing I've ever read or seen. Truly amazing.
Don Imus is an idiot of the worst ilk. Just fire him already and let's move on. Stupids like him don't deserve this much attention. Bye bye, moron.
Of course, living here in backwater-hillbilly-Racistville, I get to hear why this is being blown way out of proportion, and he's not a racist, and blah blah blah.
I can't get back to chi-town soon enough.
I was saddened by Mr. Vonnegut's death as well, but mostly because I consider myself a fairly literate human being and I've never read anything he wrote. Boo me.
I have never read Kurt Vonnegut but am adding him to the to read list for sure. My husband's first American movie was the west side story, he saw it right before meeting me, he said he felt like Tony. Thanks for bringing up that memory.
Be well sweets
Yo, I have venus on the half-shell. It belongs to Querida though. I am sad. So it goes.
Maybe I am rare folk but I don't think someone should get fired for being mean. I don't think Imus was being racist, I think he was being mean to kids, which is bogus but come on. If you can get fired for being mean then what the hell is the point of getting paid to talk shit, which is what his job appears to be to me anyway?
Yes about Kurt. He really resonated with a lot of people. An amazing writer.
And about the racism. I only heard the comment, but it seems like he was just being an asshole. I mean, I've heard women referred to in a much worse way than that in rap songs, by the frassholes in Borat, by jerks on the street. I mean, he's an asshole! And he's getting fired for it? I don't know, it seems like they're overreacting.
"Harrison Bergeron" is the only thing I can claim to have read that was written by Vonnegut, but it really did impress me. I'll have to read some more of his work.
Kim- It's a really good song with a great beat that you can dance to.
CSG- Kurt is a string running through the blogworld today. It's nice.
Jaclyn- Although he is gone his books remain. You have plenty of time.
Danielle- That is a really sweet memory. I hope you had a happier ending than the musical though.
Monica- I agree that it was just mean but he couldn't have used the same term on a bunch of white women, hence the racism. However, calling the NY Knicks chest thumping pimps was just funny.
Eve- There is a difference between a big booty ho in a rap video and a group of collegiate athletes.
The Thinker- I haven't read that book maybe I should.
Harrison Bergeron is a short story. you can find it online probably. there was also a bad movie of it on showtime.
You can easily call a white woman a nappy headed ho, but no, it doesn't necessarily emote the same. I found his comment to be more sexist than racist.
CHEST THUMPING PIMPS? REALLY? Now once you bring in simian allusions it's a different story.
Kurt was assigned a couple times in AP english in high school and i went out of my way to pass the tests WITHOUT reading any of it.
Fast forward to post college and i've read a little bit of that same assigned stuff.
Don't think i would have appreciated it back then like i do now.
If you like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then read Vonnegut's "The Sirens of Titan". It's like Douglas Adams used Kurt's book as the source for what he did.
Any of his books you'd recommend over the others? I've read hundreds of books, but never actually read Kurt Vonnegut... terrible, I know!
I didn't know he'd died...wow...
Monica- I would agree that it is more sexist than racist. Yeah the chest thumping pimps comment was pretty freakin great.
Kiyotoe- I'm glad you found his work when it was meaningful to you
Dmarks- Who doesn't like Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy? Unless, of course, you are talking about the latest film adaptation. Then everyone hates it.
WLFG- I am really partial to Cat's Cradle
Little Things- Yeah, it really was a wow moment.
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