BE group read: CH 2

[Mark Kohut]

It is OK David; helped me focus more, as you asked for.....led me to talk
about money and commercialism as America
without using the term---although that Pynchon does would seem to
matter......and as a review in the NYT just half-joked
"late capitalism ...still, basically"........it has been late capitalism
loudly in certain circles since the 60s THEREFORE Pynchon,
satirizing at every level, in almost every word---as you once wrote in
other words, David?---may be satirizing THAT too......

That is, if it is always late capitalism does THAT phrase carry any meaning
(as you hinted at)...

We know he has done this mocking of other BIG NAME labels like Marxism, for
some of which as ideology he would seem
to be sympathetic to..,,,exploited workers and the labor theory of value,
for example......

You have led me to like this reading because it also dovetails with this,
for me. He finds, shows, never argues, never tries to "prove'---
as Joseph said via "tell us what to believe"--theses about our history,
American and world yet he finds and presents patterns that hold
throughout I would argue in many ways.....most trivially obvious,(maybe),
paranoia, getting laughed at here in BE notice, but a real historic
fear/paranoia rivalling
and having learned from Hofstadter, for one. Yes? ...Leftie correct  and
righteous paranoia of the 60s is recently right wing paranoia horror show
shit......for one simple "insight".....

Thanks.


On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 10:51 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:

> I’ve been challenged to be more than an insulting stinkbomb thrower, and
> I’ll admit that some of my comments have been jabs at previous comments.
> Sorry for being so jabby.  And, so to try to answer some of my last
> question:  What is Pynchon winking at us about by calling this company the
> derogatory slang: Hashslingerz?
>
> First, I’d say it serves to cut them down to size.  They might be hiding
> stuff, but they aren’t super-villains.  Not a deep observation, I know.
> But  I don’t think it means to denigrate the tastes or appetites of those
> to whom they sling their slop.  We all are consumers, and the world is just
> one big trade-trough.
>
> That’s not to downplay the mechanisms of control that are deployed by those
> that can.  And that those hiding those mechanisms are a way to augment
> control further.  Those have always been Pynchon’s concerns, but they
> haven’t yet been nibbled at yet.
>
> Sorry for jabbing at the jumping on of late capitalism as a BE topic.  I
> just think using the term shortcuts real discussion.  And at this point
> taking about Postmodernism seems a meaningless  game.
>
> David Morris
>
> On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 8:09 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > In other words (in case you missed my drift), “Hashslingerz” would seem
> to
> > be an obviously derogatory moniker.  *Do the characters in BE see that
> > obvious put-down when referring to this company*?  If they don’t see what
> > is so obvious to the even slightly aware reader, then *why is that*? Is
> > this an inside joke between Pynchon and the reader?  If so, what is
> Pynchon
> > winking at us about?  I think THAT question will take you a lot further
> > than trying to find some hidden code in the name.
> >
> > But maybe I just can’t get beyond the obvious.
> >
> > David Morris
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 3:51 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> A hash slinger is a short order cook. Someone who “slings” crap food
> >> across a grill and onto a plate, to be served in a cheap diner.  “Crap
> >> thrower” might be its equivalent.  Or crap “server”:  somebody who
> serves
> >> crap.
> >>
> >
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>