ATDDTA(10) A Screaming Comes Across The Creek [294-295]

[Ya Sam]

>
>However a bigger factor I feel is that literary authors don't and  
>shouldn't get judged based on their display of good taste

Paul, I didn't judge Pynchon on his 'bad taste', I just beleive that it has 
a function. He has some 'bad jokes' and 'bad songs' in his writing, doesn't 
he? I don't think it is because he couldn't have done any better.

>Pynchon no doubt thinks that Finns who leave their skiis on at the  dance 
>are very funny.
>
>Also upper class English homosexuals camp-following Oscar Wilde to  
>America.
>
>Comedy can be cruel and life unfair.
>
>Pynchon is not for the squeamish.

Well, yes, we're all so politically correct these days but ethnic jokes 
don't disappear, so someone must be churning them out. I notice certain 
ambivalence with this, at least in AtD, where he uses words 'Negroes' and 
'Coons', but in some place uses the anachronistic politically correct 'he or 
she' so atypical for the writing style of the period.

>Also, Pynchon (or his character creations) can be a bit snobbish.

Yes, as well as terribly down-to-earth and steeped in popular culture.

>But, yes, the Finn thing is overdone.

The whole of inner Asia is overdone, and isn't the USA is overdone as well?

Paul, I get your point and I do agree with you that all these jokes may be 
extremely funny and Pynchon perfectly realised their comic potential when 
writing them. When I was reading the Japanese photographing spree episode I 
was mightily amused. I also agree that it is not merely 'schoolchdren's 
socialising' thing. However, I do beleive that Pynchon's purpose was to 
laugh at us a bit as well, while we are laughing at all these stereotypes. 
He DID realise that those are stereotypes, didn't he? And his point on the 
wrongness of displaying 'wild people' at the Columbian Exposition was pretty 
clear.

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! 
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/