Invisible Gesticulations - Love on Your Own Terms

About Love on Your Own Terms

Previous Entry Love on Your Own Terms Jul. 2nd, 2009 @ 09:00 pm Next Entry
I just came back from lunch at my parents' house where my mother had the television on CNN's endless Michael Jackson coverage, in this case Larry King's tour of Neverland Ranch, and I couldn't help thinking of this;



As much as Citizen Kane was an illumination of the ultimate, distilled destiny of the American Dream, so, it seems to me, is the life of Michael Jackson. It's the hardwired sense that the rational objective in life is to obtain sovereignty through money. It doesn't mean Jackson was cruel or despotic--neither was Kane, or William Randolph Hearst. It's just a reflection of the shame felt by Americans for depending on anyone else financially--creating one's own financial fiefdom is the natural result of pulling away from that shame. As Leland said Kane wanted love "on your own terms";



Both Michael Jackson and Charles Foster Kane were people obsessed with reclaiming something from childhood--innocence, or more specifically, the ability to accept love. They were both, as children, betrayed by the world of adults so what they're left with is the American psychological programme and the freedom to exercise it to its conclusion. I find myself thinking again about the sort of freedom granted by internet socialising and how text and online society might reflect the fundamental nature of the American psyche.

Anyway, I'm running very late to-day. Look what I just screwed to my desk!



Last night's tweets;

I'm looking for a tree in a forest.
Another lovely World of Warcraft day.
A zombie makes an uninspired tourist.
But they're cool with going any which way.


I was also sorry to hear Karl Malden passed away to-day. Looks like it's another celebrity apocalypse. I guess this one started with Dom DeLuise? Why didn't Dom DeLuise get round the clock CNN coverage?
Current Location: The Inquirer
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "I Don't Live To-day" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
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From:[info]faithhopetricks
Date: July 7th, 2009 04:33 am (UTC)
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PENCIL SHARPENER YAY. Also, what are the dvds behind it....//squints I can see -- Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Never have I been happier that I managed to wean myself off TV a couple of years ago than now. I think MJ and his Tragic Tragedy 24/7 would drive me mad. Which is not to say what happened to him, from pretty much birth on, _wasn't_ tragic, I just don't even want to imagine the news media's reaction to it. As it is I'm just getting bits and scraps from LJ and a few websites and even that is wayyyy too much info (he kept general anaesthetic at his home! his own children are not genetically related to him! he only ate one meal a day!....wtf).
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From:[info]setsuled
Date: July 7th, 2009 05:11 am (UTC)
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PENCIL SHARPENER YAY.

The pleasure I feel at having sharp pencils again, after I finally admitted to myself my electric sharpener had stopped really doing anything to the pencils, is greater than I can express.

Also, what are the dvds behind it....//squints I can see -- Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Yes, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the CDs on top is Christopher Lee reading Children of Hurin.

I think MJ and his Tragic Tragedy 24/7 would drive me mad. Which is not to say what happened to him, from pretty much birth on, _wasn't_ tragic,

I was sad about what happened to him too, but, yeah, it's gone to beyond absurd levels. The guy went from being a joke one day to deserving 24 hour coverage the next, with talks of a new Graceland, and the likes of Nancy Grace shrilly demanding answers from unbalanced talking heads. We all live in Neverland now, Moira. All of us.
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