A Digest of responses: History, Language/Art, Dead Wrinkly Men

[Alan Joyce]

> From: Craig Clark <CLARK at SHEPFS2.UND.AC.ZA>
> Interesting question: we never hear about this stuff in the history
> we learn at school and in our universities (at least, I didn't - I
> had to research it myself during my post-grad studies on _GR_). Why
> not? What purpose is served by keeping this stuff out of wide general
> knowledge? Or am I too just being paranoid?

Something else to check out in this vein would be Eugenics right here in
the good old U.S. of A.  You always hear about those evil Nazis, but the
U.S. Eugenics movement is conveniently passed over.  Quite a popular
movement, actually.  I suppose it might make it harder to demonize the
Nazis for certain things if we passed down information of our own idiocy
along side theirs...?  Be fair, I say: demonize everyone!  

No, really, if anyone wants to pursue this an interesting starting point
might be Martin Pernick's "The Black Stork: Eugenics and the Death of
'Defective' Babies in American Medicine and Motion Pictures Since 1915." 


Re: Piss Christ, I, uh, saw a picture of it in _Time_, I think.  As we
have this discussion about it, I find myself wondering what the relative
uproar over the thing would be if its title was different -- "Christ
Study #4, 1 qt. Urine" or "Chumbawumba", let's say.  Or if it was still
called "Piss Christ", but was just some Rabo Karabekian-esque minimalist
tape-and-canvas construction? 

I agree with Diana's interpretation to some extent, but the name "Piss
Christ" seems to be chosen with intent to shock, maybe those unfairly
stereotyped "Good Christians" in particular.  I dunno.  Is this maybe the
other side of recent "cunt" conversation?  Some people found that word
offensive, but in a specific context in GR there was some consensus that
it was the only suitable word.  I don't find the phrase "Piss Christ"
particularly offensive, but I can't quite figure out the specific
intention in "Piss" there.  Help?

Oh, and my deepest thanks to davemarc for repeated use of the phrase "Poor
'ol Piss Christ".  Now THAT title I could have gotten into... such a nice
homey appeal, probably would have circumvented all the controversy right
there.


> Actor Jack Palance is 77.  (dead?)

Look, is there a mailing list I can join to be notified of this guy's
death, if in fact it hasn't happened already?  I was convinced for a long
time that he was dead, and then they went and made another damn "City
Slickers" movie.  For a minute I thought they had Animatronic-ed his
corpse...  I can see it now: "City Slickers III: Curly the Terminator".


Thanks for your time.

Alan