Thursday, April 26, 2012

Quotable

This:
The people who must never have power are the humorless. To impossible certainties of rectitude they ally tedium and uniformity. Since an essential element of the American idea is its variety, I have tried to celebrate things that are amusing for their own sake, or ridiculous but revealing, or simply of intrinsic interest. All of the above might apply to the subject of my little essay on the art and science of the blowjob, for example, while not quite saving me from the most instantly misinterpreted of all my articles, concerning the humor deficit as registered by gender. Still, I like to believe that these small-scale ventures, too, make some contribution to a conversation without limits or proscriptions: the sin qua non of the sort of society that knows to keep the solemn and the pious at bay.
That's from the preface to Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens, which is Hitch's last published work and my current read. Apropos of the reference above, here's Hitchens' blowjob piece, which is both irreverent and truthful, not to mention literary and quite interesting.  The outraged reaction to Hitchens' piece on the feminist blogs was just as entertaining (if not more so) than the essay.  I tried to find one of the funnier examples of "outrage" but was unsuccessful in my googling (I know I read it on some blog like "Feministing" or the like).  You'll just have to take my word for it.

And we've digressed.  As usual.  The point is: keep the humorless at bay.  And NEVER fail to mock them when you have the opportunity.

11 comments:

  1. Buck/

    My system is down and I'm at an alien computer. I can't get Lex's site. Has it been taken down--or just moved? Help! I use it for other links as well. Tell me it's not down for good!

    PS: About the toothpaste choice? Go to the blog "The Hot Libarian" (she mainly teewts & uses "tumbler" now--her original blog proper is inactive) and one of her last--iirc--10 posts on original blog included an ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS post (she is a very talented writer) about the EXACT same subj. Will be WELL worth your while!

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    1. I can't get to Lex's site either, Virg. I think it's gone.

      Thanks for the link... I'll check her out.

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  2. Buck/

    My system is down and I'm at an alien computer. I can't connect to Lex's blog. Has it been taken down--or just moved? Tell me it isn't so! (I use it as a link site as well) Advise.

    The toothpaste deal below? Go to the website "The Hot Librarian." (It's inactive--she mainly tweets & useds tumbler now) IIRC one of her very last 10 posts circa 2009/10? on her original blog was an ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS (she's a very talented writer)post on this very same topic! Will be WELL worth your while! (In fact if you like great writing by a true crazy but highly intelligent twenty-something iconoclast from Aus living in Cali it will be well worth your while to shift thru her archives)

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  3. To all: Lex's site is down, but not gone. Not sure what happened but whatever it was it was NOT intentional and is only temporary. The family knows and is in the process of getting it back up and running. They need some assistance with the technical aspects and that has been well-covered by a few people already. I don't know the ETA of the site's return but - it will return.

    The family wants it to remain up and running. Which is - amazing.

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    1. Lex's site is the best memorial a man could have. I should have pointed Virg to The Lexicans.

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  4. No matter what politics a person espouses, or personal opinions he or she holds, so long as I can find something to laugh about with that person, we're OK. I'll respect your opinion, even if I totally disagree with you. However, if you're a humorless f***, then you should die (and hopefully in some sort of slapstick way, so the rest of us can have a chuckle.)

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  5. I agree with Suldog. Give me humor or give me death.

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  6. How many feminists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

    THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!!!!

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Just be polite... that's all I ask.