From Pathetic Life #1
Monday - Thursday,
June 6, 7, 8, & 9, 1994
Hatchet is notable mostly for its overt racism, and for making a serial killer the hero, without even a hint that the police might be interested. Edward G Robinson and Loretta Young both play Asian-Americans — white actors in yellow-face.
All in all, it was distasteful. Even trying to put myself in the mindset from when the movie was made, trying not to notice the racism... the movie still sucked.
The Public Enemy, though, is dynamite — another 'important issue' drama, which I guess was a genre back then but sure isn't today.
It's about a bunch of violent outlaws making big money running a liquor cartel during Prohibition. It seemed more dated than you'd expect an old movie to be, so I began mentally translating the plot into the present, imagining that the violent outlaws were running a drug cartel instead, during our present Prohibition. And man, once I looked at it that way, Public Enemy is remarkable.
It's unmistakably an indictment of Prohibition, showing Cagney's character as a small-time hood who probably wouldn't have done much damage, maybe might have gone straight, but with so much easy money from running booze (drugs), he became an extremely violent big-time crime lord instead.
And to think, it was made by a giant studio, Warner Bros, while liquor was illegal. Whether you think the War on Drugs is right or wrong (pssst — it's horribly, morally wrong), can you imagine a big Hollywood studio today, making a movie that seriously, pointedly calls for the legalization of marijuana and sacred shrooms?
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TUESDAY — Speaking of prohibition, cooking is expressly forbidden by the rules of this fine hotel, yet most mornings the halls seem to smell of bacon, and in the evening the scent of luscious lasagna or casserole is unavoidable. Clearly, someone has a hot plate.
Yeah, I have a hot plate, too, but I rarely use it. Usually I eat peanut butter sandwiches.
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WEDNESDAY — It's been approved by my boss: I've got next Tuesday off work (without pay, of course). Maggie arrives Monday night, and I certainly hope I'm in no condition to work on Tuesday.
Also official, my mom is coming for a visit early next month. She is a bit motherly, maybe more than most mothers, but I love her, and look forward to seeing her. Lunch together would be ideal, or we could even spend a day together. But she'll be here for 3½ days, so trepidation abounds.
My mom talks a lot about dead people, and people I don't know, and dead people I didn't know when they were alive. She thinks I'm a Christian and a virgin, when I haven't been either for twenty years. She remembers every lie I've ever told, and she's the only guilt trip I'm not immune to. Put it all together, it spells Mother. Her plane arrives on July 1...
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THURSDAY — Tonight was the last of the pre-Code festival at the Roxie. Two with James Cagney — Taxi (1932), and Blonde Crazy (1931). Both were fun, with no real messages.
The crazy blonde was Joan Blondell, who's always one of my favorites of her era. In this one she slaps a dozen men's faces, before becoming Cagney's platonic partner in a clever con game.
I would've enjoyed the movies more if my hemorrhoids weren't zinging my butt so bad. I had to stand for the last twenty minutes of the last show, leaning against the theater's back wall.
This is an entry retyped from an on-paper zine I wrote many years ago, called Pathetic Life. The
opinions stated were my opinions then, but might not be my opinions
now. Also, I said and did some disgusting things, so parental guidance
is advised.
Speaking of hot plates: I've lived in a single room since 1985, and I use a very SAFE, FIREPROOF hot plate: a magnetic induction stove top. Cooks fantastic, and in about a third of the time quicker. A delight to use. Find 'em on Amazon of course, or if you live in a city with a Chinatown, go to one of their kitchenware or appliances outlets.
ReplyDeleteFree-standing, a countertop device? I looked at the full-size kitchen models years and years ago, and they're cool but way bugger and way way more expensive than I need. A little tabletop version, though...
DeleteCountertop, just like a hot plate only much safer to use...no fire hazard whatsoever. Cooking equipment needs to be magnetic stainless steel, which is common enough. Go to a thrift store looking for frying pans, sauce pans, and see if a small magnet that you brought with you sticks to them. Like a refrigerator magnet. If it does, buy it. Instead of purchasing more expensive versions made for magnetic cooking. Stainless steel cookery is not always magnetized, but it often is. Go to Amazon and search for "magnetic induction cooktop" and you'll see a wide range of 'em. They're very popular in Asia and Europe. And among Chinese immigrants here in the US.
Delete- Zeke Krahlin
Gracias. When I get my room cleaned up, I'd like a countertop cooker. All I need is one pot to cook with; I boil, but never fry. Sadly, my one pot is not magnetic, but if I'm spending $50 for a countertop magnetic induction, I can spend another $15 for a new pot.
DeleteReruns, the last refuge of a blogging scoundrel? Okay, that's just me wanting new stuff and refusing to read the old...I do it also, most of the stuff I put in my column in our local paper is from previously ava-published stuff, though the last couple weeks I've actually put out new stuff, which feels good when I do...My next piece is about five years old but feels new, as it wasn't in the ava, well you have reasons for doing it your way, like maybe nothing's happening, but I was a little confused: you started a new job without telling the play-by-play process? okay, onward...(Eel)
ReplyDeleteYou missed the new job's play-by-play? Enjoy.
DeleteReruns are easy, especially now that I've re-typed the entire zine so's I can just hit 'publish'. Be glad I don't do a clip show!
You sent me an audio "letter" once, long ago - I'd LOVE to hear you read these entries.
DeleteI guarantee you make the recordings - casual, errors of speech, spontaneous digressions included - and post them to youtube or whatever, you'd get a HUGE audience.
You're still close enough to the first entry that you could circle around and do it.
No huge audiences, please. I wanted to offer voice recordings though, so I looked into it a few years ago. Problem is, I'm anonymous but my voice is very distinct and recognizable. I'd need a voice-changer, and the only ones I could find are party favors — they make you sound like Bugs Bunny or Gomez Addams. I want to sound like not me, but not Bugs or Gomez either, which wasn't an option circa 2020. Is it an option now?
DeleteLesser Seattle has a population of a million and a half or so. And you aren't exactly known for your blabbing. So you think if you put your voice on the Web for the dozens of people who visit your site, or even for the thousands who should, that somebody will pick you out of a crowd in Pioneer Square? Just how distinctive IS your voice?
DeleteI had a side-job for a few years and I spoke off and on to a thousand or so people. I had a mic and they had chairs and I have a slightly odd voice. I don't think a single person recognized my voice at the cocktail hour that frequently follows speeches. Nobody in the men's turned and pissed on my shoes and said, "Hey, you were tonight's speaker. I recognize you from the Beatles' song you're humming while you're relieving yourself.
Fair enough. I just suspect you might be overthinking this.
John
To write about my life, I need to the people in my life not to know I'm writing. With my voice, they'd know it's me.
DeletePS. Do you remember Emmett Watson? He's the guy who invented the phrase and concept of Lesser Seattle...
DeleteEmmett Watson was Seattle's answer to Herb Caen. In about 1973, when Emmett was supposed to be on the wagon and I definitely wasn't, I had a liquid dinner with him about a block from the PI building. He was a fine writer, a bit of a drunk, and a gentleman. I was 86ed from the restaurant and banned for life for enabling behavior. But dinner with Emmett, liquid or solid, was an experience not to be missed.
DeleteJohn
Oh, my. I would love to hear as much of the story as you can remember. Lunch with the man.
DeleteMr Caen's old columns are everywhere, easily found, and I've printed a few of them myself. Mr Watson's are much harder to find, though in my memory they're just as good.
Your dudeness, I was at least half intoxicated and it was over 50 years ago. I remember telling Emmett that Queen Anne Hill where I lived saw itself as so exclusive that it had a Chinese-owned coin-op laundry. I thought there might be a story there. I sort of remember Emmett telling me that if I thought there was a story to write it -- that stories were poetry and they weren't really stories until they were told in words and sentences and, at that point, it didn't matter what the story was about. I'm sure he was more articulate than that. I knew a couple of writers at the PI and a few stringers, and I found out I was unwelcome in the building and surrounding bars. Then I moved to Tacoma because I needed a job and someone there had one.
DeleteI will always remember Emmett as a rumpled gentleman.
jtb
Inquiring minds want to know what you did to become unwelcome in the Post-Intelligencer building and surrounding bars.
DeleteI was only inside the P-I building a couple of times, buying back issues. The way Christians feel walking into a church, is the way I felt walking into the P-I. They had a quote from Thomas Jefferson engraved on the lobby wall.
I subscribed to the P-I, right up until I left town in 1991. Never the Times.
Sorry man, I wasn't trying to be mysterious. The PI folks were concerned that I'd become a drinking buddy of Emmett's. He'd been on the wagon for months and they perceived that I'd pulled him off. He was a giant and a bit of a genius. I was a young drunk. I doubt I held any sway over whether Emmett took a drink, but my PI buddies let me know that I was persona non drinka. In reality it was probably just his editor, but the security desk had my name and were told not to admit me. I suspect the list that I was on was long and that I was toward the bottom. I'm just glad I got a few hours with the best writer in Seattle.
DeleteJohn
I'm jealous, John. I remember Watson as such a good writer that when I landed in San Francisco Herb Cain didn't impress me too much at first. I just assumed every city had someone like Emmett Watson.
DeleteMost cities didn't. None do now.
They really should've had Pat Boone on stage with Mr Berry and Mr Springsteen and the band. ... And I really must hear more from Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven. Mr Armstrong is always good even alone, but this is where he goes out onto the atmosphere and beyond. As for Mr Cooke, I am startled that particular song wasn't already on my playlist but it is now. Perfect mix of music, voice, and message. Thank you sir.
ReplyDelete