[lit-ideas] Re: surrealism
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 19:53:20 -0400
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From:
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 8/19/2006 4:45:21 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: surrealism
-----Original Message-----
From: aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 3:21 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: surrealism
<<Oppositionalist? Because I don't like television? >>
Sorry -- I guess I wasn't very clear. You (seemed to me) to imply that when
someone wanted you, urged you to see or read something it put you off. I'm a
bit like that. So is my husband. We say it's a trait of being oppositional.
A.A. Oppositional to me is a judgmental word like stubborn or lazy. It's not
a word I would ever use. There is such a thing as oppositional defiant
disorder in children, but as far as I'm concerned that's a label on a child who
is expressing something that he/she has no words for. Given that the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (whatever it's called) is literally written
by pharma (literally), it's a bunch of reasons to sell drugs, expand their
market. The kid needs a dad, so tell the mom he has oppositional defiant
disorder and put him on Ritalin or Adderal. I was accommodating as best I
could people who I otherwise have nothing to communicate to, so I read their
books and watch their shows when I have to. I am grudgingly accommodating, not
oppositional. Yes, I know the Bible says give freely or not at all, but it
hasn't killed me yet to be civilized.
I find television downright annoying, it's so *slow*, never funny, loaded with
commercials and generally a total waste of time. I watched Seinfeld a few
times to see what the commotion was about, and he's okay. Take no prisoners
comedy doesn't do it for me. Bathroom humor got old a long time ago. The
Simpsons basically make statements on society. Tonight's episode about the
comet could have been a political allegory on the Palestinian/Israeli issue,
where Homer tells Flanders to get out of his bomb shelter, they're moving in.
I wonder if the writers saw what they were writing.
J.K. Yes, learning about new stuff, like the ME, like science (subscribe to
NewScientist, Discovery, sometime) is fun but not escapist.
Sometimes people need a little ...... down time. Just laugh for the hell of it
time. My kids loved Bugs Life. I didn't see it.
A.A. I'll probably watch it over and over and over, right after the Little
Mermaid.
J.K. Tomorrow Jim is taking me to the World Trade Center movie. Escapist
enough for you? I admit to watching Shrek or Chicago every time I'm so
depressed by the real condition of the real world that I don't want to wake up
anymore.
A.A. I'm not sure if I want to see that. I had a severe reaction after 9/11.
Maybe because I worked in one of the Towers once. I cried for a year over it.
I finally worked it through on the anniversary of when they did all the
readings of the names and the ceremonies. That's what annoys me when Lawrence
says I'm anti-American. I liked Shrek a lot. I liked Chicago but it's hardly
uplifting. I'm sorry you feel so depressed. Escape from depression is a band
aid, but it's better than nothing.
J.K. Laughter is a good and healing thing. You don't get alot of that from
reading about the real condition of the world.
A.A. That's why I don't like comedy, because much of the time it depresses me.
Mean, dysfunctional, nasty, and people laugh and laugh. I don't get it.
Really funny comedy is like art, rare.
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