Pynchon's names

[Matthew P Wiener]

I would argue that almost all of Pynchon's names jar, not just his
band names.  Benny Profane and Tyrone Slothrop and Weed Atman are
_not_ cut from the Dickens perfect naming technique like Gradgrind
or Uriah Heep.  Quite the opposite.

I notice his humor has the same misfired quality.  I, for one, almost
never laugh when I read Pynchon.  It's a very uncanny feeling, coming
across obviously riotous humor and yet somehow the author blocks my
physical reaction.  The best description is probably something like
Esther and her nosejob.  (The first time I laughed out loud was over
the video addict treatment center in VINELAND.)

It's not a question of tin ear: his writing has a rather deliberate
in-your-face frenzy that just won't stop, and these names are only
part of it.

I'll also point out that while I do not follow any music, and I did
suspect "Billy Barf and the Vomitones" was exaggerated, I would also
suspect the same of "Dead Kennedys" or "Sex Pistols" or "Niggers With
Attitude" had they not existed.  If anything--and music people will
have to correct me--it seems to be nothing more than a 50s naming
convention applied to an 80s punk band.
--
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba at sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)