tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753948402075174201.post3915879661887547867..comments2023-11-26T06:02:47.413-05:00Comments on The Jade Sphinx: The New American PhilistineJames Abbotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542728058203964856noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753948402075174201.post-70730269175655085402014-10-21T00:25:46.201-04:002014-10-21T00:25:46.201-04:00A cogent and well-reasoned rebuttal. Congratulati...A cogent and well-reasoned rebuttal. Congratulations.James Abbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16542728058203964856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753948402075174201.post-24230185231082436372014-10-03T18:57:16.987-04:002014-10-03T18:57:16.987-04:00Viz. "...the rapidity of change..."; Unl...Viz. "...the rapidity of change..."; Unless you are typing about a vending machine in some sort of post modern non sequitur you mean "the rapid rate of change". As for the (ahem) "article" - what a pseuds thrashabout.RJThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07845793027221301714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753948402075174201.post-15436076746708856232011-08-21T16:52:35.134-04:002011-08-21T16:52:35.134-04:00A true philistine has read many books, a sizable p...A true philistine has read many books, a sizable portion of them graphic novels. Graphic novels are a medium so extraordinary- combining the art of illustration and fine writing - that the non-philistine is too unsophiticated to understand it, and has probably never even opened a copy of "The Sandman" by Neil Gaiman, "Maus" by Art Spiegelman, or "The Watchmen" by Alan Moore. The non-philistine merely pigeonholes those magnificent works with traditional superhero comics. That is perfectly fine for us, for the last thing we need is for the unitiated to try to "critique" a masterpiece when they clearly lack the education and vocabulary to properly do so. <br /><br /> True philistines' headphones emit no sound, as they have spent an exorbitant amount of money to keep the music in and ambient noise out. Now if you see one wearing BOSE phones and can hear them from more than six inches away, that is truly cause for regret. Perhaps they are not brain-dead, but their requests for you to repeat yourself many times over might certainly make it seem so. Most music concerts are played much too loud and a good philistine carries heavy-duty earplugs to enjoy an amazing effect: The louder the music is, the more it is felt, literally, in one's bones - a delightful experience if the eardrums are well-protected. Personally I prefer quiter shows, but sometimes the only way to see one's favorite band is to carry proper ear protection.<br /><br /> Philistines have a word for posters of napping puppies and emroidered pillowcases. It's "kitsch". Many debates are held among us as to what is kitsch and what isn't. On occasion Norman Rockwell has made the ranks of kitsch, on others mailboxes carved into a bear or a dolphin. We do not understand what compels humans to buy kitsch, only the shame that in our secret heart, something that we love dearly would be considered kitsch by a peer. No matter how many times I explain to my friends that the airbrushed painting of an outerspace scene evokes themes of Ernst Fuchs, uses techniques invented by Max Ernst, to them it was still created by a homeless person in a matter of minutes using a method resembling an assembly line. <br /><br /> Finally, a true philistine's ideals revolve around the respect for others to modify their bodies as they so desire, and to withhold judgement of others based on a factor so insignificant as one's choice of style or taste in art. Whether they wear an Armani suit or dreadlocks with giant beads, their choices for donning either remain hidden to us until we speak to them. Among us, judging an entire group (unless they're clearly violent or militant) is considered, at best, impolite. A true philistine understands that there is much to be learned from the very things we understand least, and therefore fear or despise most. <br /><br />I hope that this contributes to your concept of The New American Philistine. Kudos on your insightful blog!<br /><br />Philistinically yours,<br />Masha Falkov<br /><br />www.dreamsandtravels.comMasha Falkovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00967705853906811723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753948402075174201.post-18117793012635890752011-08-21T16:47:42.132-04:002011-08-21T16:47:42.132-04:00Greetings James Abbott,
I stumbled upon your arti...Greetings James Abbott,<br /><br />I stumbled upon your article, "The New American Philistine", and could not help but feel a tad of indignation for philistines like myself. Your definition is vague, many years out of date and is rather Victorian in essence, in that dwellers of Victorian England would label an entire culture without knowing a thing about it.<br /><br />We philistines are a proud people. Our title either refers to ancient Palestinians, or people who care nothing for art nor culture (whose art? whose culture, really?). However, the definition does not match the use of the word. It appears that the mark of a true philistine is the love of art and culture so alien, that it is repugnant to those who cannot see beyond its superficial difference and feel the need to state its inferiority.<br /><br /> It's true, philistines like myself often wear multiple piercings. There are many reasons to get pierced, from enjoying the pain of metal passing through one's body and sporting a souvenir thereof, to merely an aesthetic preference. For some, it is to replicate the rite of passage most non-industrialized cultures of the world have used for thousands of years. To paraphrase Joseph Campbell, the modern industrialized world has no tangible rite of passage for young men (and women) to recognize that they have become so. Adulthood for many is vastly dictated by advertising and institutions - untrusted by any good philistine- so, in Campbellian tradition, we must invent our rites. Piercing is sometimes one of them.<br /><br />Many of us wear tattoos, though even the most accepting philistine would frown upon the recklessness with which some individuals walk into a parlor, without researching art or artist, point at a flash <br />design, and ask to have it permanently etched on their body. Many philistines work with an artist to get a design that is truly meaningful and representative of one's life philosophy. I am not tattooed myself. For me personally, it is not the permanence of the medium that is worrisome, but rather its impermanence. Tattoo ink fades and blurs with time, and will not look as beautiful ten years past its creation. Until an archival quality tattoo is invented I personally will abstain - though will look with admiration upon the works of beauty some of my peers' bodies have become.<br /><br /> I can recognize a fellow philistine and he or she most certainly no longer listens to rock music, for it has made far too much an impact on musical culture to even bat an eyebrow these days. Mick Jagger, whose image once lay beside the dictionary definition of 'philistine', is beknighted, and the Beatles' revolutionary chord changes have finally been recognized by even the most jaded music critic. True philistines these days relish the sound of electronic music. Be it the tentatively experimental shades of Stockhausen from its inception, to the progressive, repetetive psytrance melodies, electronic music is the medium of choice. The grinding rumble of the dubstep genre inspires so much cognitive dissonance that the uninitiated wonder how it can garner any enjoyment at all. It is true, the visceral rhythms of hip-hop, gangsta-rap, and trip-hop still remain favorites on the philistine's musical playlists. Unfortunately, certain artists' notions of paradise -violence, the subjugation of women, and the use of low-quality drugs- offend the taste of the most all-embracing philistine and therefore remain ignored by us as a group. <br /><br /> There is a length limit for the comments, so I will post my response in two parts.<br /><br />-Masha FalkovMasha Falkovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00967705853906811723noreply@blogger.com