VL-IV: Chap7- Floozy with an Uzi

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Hey, no one should feel too intimidated to express opinions about feminism.  We all live in a sexist, racist, capitalist society, which makes us all sexist, racist and capitalist.  My own mother was a staunch feminist, Bella Abzug's speechwriter and adviser, but always had dinner waiting for my father, who sat at the head of the table, and constantly nagged me to wear makeup.  I LIKE Seven of Nine, probably have the hots for her in some repressed lesbian way.  I don't think Floozy with an Uzi is Pynchon being sexist, I think it's him commenting on sexism.  I'm certainly not going to attack anyone who disagrees with me.  For all I know, FwaU is a cigar just being a cigar.  Pynchon enjoys writing songs for their own sake, but I think he's making cultural points when he inserts them in his novels.

Re GR: it's my all-time favorite novel.  I think maybe it was Bekah (correct me if I'm wrong) who said she was put off by some of the sexism in it.  The Slothrop-Bianca scenes are disturbing.  

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
>
>point taken...
>
>I hope you know that I think that I share many of your sensibilities.
>Not in a self-backpatting way - it may be impossible for a male to
>attain authentic feminist viewpoints - but I have a strong desire to
>ally with all moderate and much extreme feminism.
>
>I don't think Pynchon is depicting anything objectionable, or
>objectionably...actually he's somewhat of a cultural arbiter for me,
>so it's fairly urgent for me to air my reasoning because I place very
>high importance on choosing the best exemplars in cultural matters.
>I'm more than willing to change my stance on Pynchon, feminism or
>other matters when confronted with convincing arguments to the
>contrary, and to take up the best viewpoints with enthusiasm.
>
>I remember you posted that GR was rather a turnoff for you due to
>sexist preconceptions that seemed implicit in the text, and the
>reasons you cited seemed to hold some validity, though I wasn't moved
>at the time to dispute them or examine them more thoroughly.
>
>I also remember you stating that you thought the welter of characters
>created confusion in Vineland.  Since I'm a lot more emotionally
>invested in Vineland, I am very interested in both feminist
>considerations and character development as seen in Vineland and hope
>that you will elaborate as much as possible so as to help me, and
>quite possibly others on the list, to think these matters through.
>
>(of the pix, 3 of 4 including 7 of 9, didn't speak to me, but I must
>admit that Sarah Connor pic was rather fetching.  She'd be prettier
>without the gun, tho...)
>
>On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 2:05 PM,  <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:
>> Hi there, Jael ... uh, what are you wearing?
>>
>> http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/original/Lynda-Carter---Wonder-Woman-Photograph-C10101726.jpg
>>
>> http://innergeekdom.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/sarah-connor.jpg
>>
>> http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/lara_croft_tomb_raider.jpg
>>
>> http://www.1956packardpanther.com/SevenOfNineJeriRyan.jpg
>>
>> Laura
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>>From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
>>
>>>the violent femme has a long provenance: what about Jael in the Bible,
>>>who nailed somebody's head to the floor? There is a certain
>>>fascination there, but I'm not going to claim it's feminist, nor is it
>>>very sexy.
>>>
>>>But anyway...
>>>Pynchon's one of the good guys.  For a little context, let's wonder
>>>what DL is doing at the wedding in the first place.  It's not too much
>>>of a stretch to interpolate there's a business friendship between
>>>Ralph Sr and DL, with the casual ass-grab punished easily (and with
>>>impunity) - he admires her for her skills.  as we shall see.  So
>>>more'n likely she's an invited guest, and from RW's asking about his
>>>whereabouts, so was Takeshi - he's elsewhere engaged in their
>>>business, whatever that is, but obviously it isn't congruent with
>>>Wayvone Family business or he'd be there.
>>>She is like Strider at the inn in the Lord of the Rings.  She may have
>>>a bodacious car, but like Aragorn's sword, she's earned it and needs
>>>it for her work.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>-- 
>--
>http://www.powells.com/biblio/9781593762131?&PID=27627
>Get Your War On!