Monday, April 10, 2006

Why Waste Your Time With Me?

So you think architects are supposed to be cool and culturally literate? Ha! Some of the worst know-nothing disconnected, oblivious, out-of-the-loop nitwits are architects. Fear not. Howard's not one of those. But still...

Cultural literacy is so relative.

Case in point: Today's James Wolcott blog. I've never seen a Fassbinder film. Although I've heard of him and I do recognize certain names being dropped about like so many pretty little bread crumbs of Greenwich Village legitimacy such as Joyce Carol Oates and Halle Barry and Tina Weymouth. Can't say I ever watched a movie with the Talking Heads bassist though. And who knew Ms. Barry's middle name is Maria?

The rest of the essay is purest mystery -- like walking the streets of suburban Paris (do Paris suburbs bear any resemblance to American suburbs? -- that's how out of it I am) hearing verbal floralities mascarading as philosophical profundities, but not knowing for sure one way or the other.

I'm so uncool. In my favor, I did see the Sam Peckinpah film, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. The rest of Wolcott's literary minuet? Either pretty words entertainingly composed or Deep Deep Thots. I can't decide. And I don't know why I love reading him so.

Yes, I am so uncool. But then I have to wonder: Why are you reading me? Could it be that cultural relativity thing?

2 Comments:

Blogger Cara Lietuva (Care-uh Lee-ETT-too-va) said...

Methinks this be some false modesty....
You must have some shred of cool, if at the least from the coolness-by-job-title factor. Look at architects in movies--they're always handsome and rich. Are you going to burst the bubble of every architecture student and tell them the truth? Eh?

10:09 AM, April 12, 2006  
Blogger Howard said...

[illegal] architect,

Compared to James Wolcott, we're all trailer park rednecks. That, and his obvious writing talent, is why he's paid the big bucks by Vanity Fair. I do not consider myself uncultured and neither should you... even if you -- oh wait, I meant to say your "friend" -- ends up in the video game industry designing fabulous environs for offing Orcs and Trolls. I too am a book guy, but I also love my moovies... along with the occasional skosh of teevee dramas to keep me "regular". I'm a Blue State guy trying to meld within a mildly Red State filled with Red State clients, and all that.

10:26 PM, April 12, 2006  

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