[lit-ideas] Re: surrealism

  • From: jimkandjulieb@xxxxxxx
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 21:30:11 -0400

 The dialouge re. "oppositional" is beyond my cognative ability just now.  I 
don't think that we could agree on a definition that would result in anything 
constructive.
 
But re. 9/11, I had a similar, profound, severe reactionn for months after -- 
even though I was 2000 miles away.  I became obsessed, read a half a dozen 
books about it, by survivors, etc.  It's why I think I need to see this movie.  
It feels, in advance, like a little bit of closure.  The 2000 people (roughly) 
is a drop in the bucket of the suffering and death of world-wide humanity, but 
somehow it affected me profoundly.  I spent days listening non-stop to news 
hoping to hear survivors had been pulled out.   Hundreds of Ethiopians have 
drowned in floods and I'm not crying over them......well I'm kind of crying, 
but not like I did about the Towers.  
 
Comedy is not always demeaning.  Laughter is good.  To hear (read) you say that 
comedy depresses you is ......interesting.
 
I like Chicago because a) the music is great; b) the dancing is great; c) Gere 
was quite a surprise and d) "Cellophane" is my favourite part of it.  I run it 
over and over sometimes.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 6:53 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: surrealism


---- Original Message ----- 
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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