Fwd: ST Squeezita Thickly

[Joseph Tracy]

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Re: ST Squeezita Thickly
Date: 	Sun, 3 May 2026 21:44:27 -0400
From: 	Joseph Tracy <coypoet at mailfence.com>
Organization: 	www.brooksideglassworks.com
To: 	Robin Landseadel <robinlandseadel at comcast.net>



Good stuff. The novel revolves intensely around the mythologies of 
Hollywood, mostly film noir, all at a time when the darker side of movie 
world , including the Pedophilia implied with Bruno "dating" his 
daughter, is being regularly exposed .

Shirley Temple was always fixing things between people with one song and 
dance after another, filling some kind of psychological need in the 
depression.  One is not sure such a reconciliation is the best thing for 
the Airmonts.

On 5/3/26 10:03 AM, Robin Landseadel via Pynchon-l wrote:
> Starting on 218, continuing through 222, Daphne catches up with her 
> dad, Bruno Airmont. "Have you been to the movies lately? We used to do 
> that a lot. How about a date?"
> "Sure, April 23, 1928, that good?"
>
> Shirley Temple was born on April 23, 1928. This scene is set in the 
> winter of 1932, by then Shirley started her "Baby Burlesks" shorts, 
> her first movies.
>
> What follows is a trip to the "Mozik" (cinema) to watch Squeezita 
> Thickly (an obvious parody of Shirley Temple) in "Bigger Than Yer 
> Stummick (1931)". Squeezita sings a song about eating that, lyrically 
> speaking, shares a strong resemblance to "On the Good Ship Lollipop". 
> This sequence rhymes with the sequence on pg. 473 of Gravity's Rainbow 
> (I've got the 2000 edition) where young Bianca Erdmann grunts "The 
> Good Ship Lollypop". This is reinforced later on page 241 when a 
> Mangalica pig is described as "One of the more loveable pig faces, 
> surrounded by ringlets and curls. Squeezita Thickly should only look 
> half this adorable."
>
> Shirley Temple "saved" Fox Films after William Fox was kicked out.
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l