Comments on: Grotesque Or Precious?

By: Mari Tyers

Mari Tyers — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:31:31 +0000

While Stern cannot be counted upon for serious commentary, he does have a point. Sidibe’s roles are limited. Americans love maudlin sentimentality, but they are narcissistic above all. In such a culture the porn element trumps sentiment. The only reason the movie was popular at all is that Oprah promoted it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:47:12 +0000

Good point, George Pal. Does anyone else, apart from me, remember the early-1970s song (Donny Osmond, I think, championed it) called “And They Call It Puppy Love”? Today that hit would probably be taken up as an anthem for the nearest federally-funded bestiality brigade.

By: George Pal

George Pal — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:03:49 +0000

Grotesque is the ‘new’ precious. The old story lines and visual appeal meant to inspire are no longer the standard, they’re passé. So passé is ‘out’ and outré is ‘in.’ The New York Times, not too long ago, saw fit to print ‘opposite sex marriage’ thereby elevating ‘marriage’ to be understood to mean any deviant form of the institution. The edge becomes the center and the center is banished to beyond the pale. The aberrant and bizarre are now the center, the standard. Just finished listening to Willie Nelson’s My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys. I’m thinking the new standard would have it My Heroes Have Always Been Cows.

By: james huggins

james huggins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:56:11 +0000

“Sappy sentimentality is the opposite of compassion.” Once again you have condensed pages and pages of rhetoric into concise thought. Sadly the masses don’t even have enough original thoughts to debate you on this because this sappy attitude is built into our chickified nature.

Just sign me “GOB”. (Grouchy Old B——)

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:48:21 +0000

Ilana, Amen! No, you are not wrong about your description of the movie.
I’ve had very interesting and brutal arguments about the pornographic filth this movie is. I was accused of being everything from a sell out to a moron because I can’t see the “artistic” value in celebrating and promoting barbarism.

[“Pornographic filth”: what a great observation. Please elaborate.]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:13:24 +0000

“Mountain of human flesh”! I love that phrase. Another movie that I shall have to avoid as soon as (or, preferably, before) it reaches my local multiplex.

The local kids, many of them fairly mountainous themselves, seem to be doing just fine without even the faintest suggestion of getting an education. Certainly the cost of their ostentatiously casual, gangsta-rap attire would be about equivalent to the Gross National Product of Bangladesh.

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:44:43 +0000

I wonder what the white man would have done wrong this time.