Trickster revisited

I got a copy of Bamboozled from NetFlix and watched it over the weekend.  I now have a better understanding of the statement made of the film and am at a loss as to who the greater Trickster is.  Dunwitty for working Delacroix with his jive talk and black wisdom, essentially forcing Delacroix to create a powerful piece of work, or Delacroix for creating the work as a huge slam against Dunwitty and his desires for the perfect show.  Either way, they both lost in a major way, more so Delacroix.  Even the Mau-Maus lost out in the end, as their statement was lost in their own death, except for 1/16, as he was the only white member of the gang and not killed by the police.  This brought up another Trickster idea as he was handcuffed and screaming "I'm black too, why didn't you kill me?"

The Trickster

I missed the first part of the movie due to work and have been unable to find a copy of it in order to watch it in it's entirety.  The last half of the movie I watched in class on Tuesday and it left me quite disturbed.  First off, I've never really examined race relations in America and wasn't aware of the manner in which generations of American's have treated African-American's.  This movie, if viewed with the correct perspective, highlights the discrimination visited upon a cultural group, along with the utter disregard for humanity in another cultures perspectives.  Secondly, this movie is a form of entertainment, made to send a message, yes, but also a means in which to make a profit.  I have never seen a Spike Lee movie, but now having experienced one, I recognize the importance of his statement, yet disagree with the manner in which it was made.  He seems to be making money while making a mockery of himself, short-changing his culture and highlighting the racial divides among our country.  I walked away from this with a feeling that he wants that divide there, needds it there in order to continue making his cultural comments.

As for the Trickster, I believe I missed the boat on the definition of this character.  I see the Trickster as someone using knowledge for personal gain, not enlightenment.  I guess I have a mind that is twisted towards the deviant, but in my experience, those that are playing with definitions and withholding information, are generally so self absorbed, they forget that they are a small role in a large production and fail to see the damage they create through their actions.

Annotated Bibliography

Tim Riley

Professor Weaver

Engl 201

14 March 2011

The Shape “Hip” Takes: An Annotated Bibliography

King, Stephen. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. New York. Plume. 1982. Print.

The Gunslinger is the first of a series by Stephen King titled The Dark Tower.  It introduces us to the main character, Roland Deschain, or Roland of Gilead.  He is a loner, travelling through several dimensions of time, chasing the “man in black” in an effort to save the worlds from destruction.  Roland is a quiet and efficient killer, deadly accurate and a consummate lover.  He has a vast knowledge of all subjects and rarely shares this information, forcing other characters to learn through watching his actions.  And learn they must as the trail of death and destruction is closing in fast, in all worlds.

Chandler, Raymond. Red Wind. New York. Vintage. 1988. Print

Red Wind is one of many short stories involving Philip Marlowe, a private investigator in 1930’s Los Angeles.  He is another quiet man, gaining knowledge through his investigations and withholding that knowledge until it is most beneficial for him to share it.  He has a magnetism that draws both sexes to him, but has a certain ability to break down a woman’s inner defenses, opening up to him even though this will result in costly misadventures.  Chandler used Marlowe many times during his career, always providing him with a dark, unknown, charismatic charm.

Woods, Stuart. New York Dead. New York. HarperCollins. 1991. Print.

New York Dead is the first of many stories of Stone Barrington, a medically retired New York policeman turned attorney.  He is a self made millionaire, spending his days investigating his clients and their companions, relying on his wit and intelligence to get him out of several deadly instances.  He is another character that uses knowledge for his own personal gain instead of sharing it for the betterment of those involved.  He is also well loved by many women that rotate throughout the novels, using this same wit to woo many of these women into his bed.

Leland, John. Hip: The History. New York. HarperCollins. 2004. Print.

Hip: The History is a focus on the evolution of Hip and the impossibility to tie it down to one specific definition.  Leland takes us through the history of our country and how Hip has influenced our culture, both for the good and bad.  Music and subversive cultures are highlighted throughout, providing the reader a glimpse of our nation at its creative best and societal worst.

Today's Trickster

At ease, folks.  This is my political statement for the semester.  Not only is the president dishonest and untrustworthy, about ninety percent of all politicians are in the same category.  I'm not bashing any certain political party but all political parties.

That being said, think about what politicians do to get elected.  They leave lucrative private employment for public positions?  They spend how much money in a campaign that pays what?  When is the last time you heard a politician answer a question without deflecting?  Most questions posed to a politician require a yes/no answer.  Five minutes into an explanation, you forget the question.  They play with words the way a barn cat plays with a captive mouse.  Always batting it around on the fringes, never actually providing that final killing blow.  The mouse tires, loses all energy, becomes stationary and is either then eaten or left to die.  The public is treated in much the same manner.  Always greeted with a warm smile and a handshake, but often overheard describing the dim-wits in this town or that.  Rarely do you see the true face of a politician and during those instances this does occur, the response of "I was misquoted" is hanging over our heads, expectantly, like a bucket of water propped upon a closed door.  Enough analogies.  Politicians are today's Trickster.  After all, it depends on what "is is."

Being a registered Republican and a former Nevadan, it is only fair to comment specifically on John Ensign.  Again, what is the definition of the words he uses?  Fluid and ever-changing.  That is the true language of the politician/trickster.  By the way, John Ensign is much the same as Bill Clinton.  A womanizer that cannot be honest while preaching honesty and integrity to the American public.  If this is not duplicative speech, a trait inherent in the Trickster, than we must still be chasing the white rabbit down his hole.

Essay

The Hippest Man I Know

            James is quiet, distant, going about his daily duties with a certain air of confidence radiating from him.  Sometimes he appears to be looking through you, instead of at you, as if he is above this realm of personal interaction, better than those of us that just don’t realize we are stuck in a state of perpetual boredom.  Aloof is a good way to describe him, aware of your presence, but not personally concerned with you being near.  One could say beginning a conversation with James would appear difficult, especially when he touches you with his gaze.  Eyes of iron blue stare out at you, almost as if they could cut through you, but quickly soften to the color of the sky on a clear spring day, when he shows interest in a topic.  His features relax as he begins to converse with you, however that sense of detachment is ever present, just under the skin of the interaction, ready to burst forth and place you back with the non-relevant.  At times, James can be the center of attention, not in a comical demand to draw your attention to him way (like Jim Carrey) but as if he is a force that cannot, or will not, be ignored.  Like gravity.  Have you ever tried to defy gravity?  It’s impossible.  Gravity forces you to acknowledge it, recognize it for what it is and respect it.  James is like gravity in that aspect.  He is always there, present, and to ignore him is impossible.  His weight is felt even if he never speaks to you, glances at you

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or comes near.  But respect him you must, for there is no other option.  James’ perspectives and attitudes seep out in all instances that involve him, disallowing participants to ignore the force that is James.  Oh, and James is gay.

I first met James in 2008, 3 days after returning from Iraq.  I still had sand fleas burrowed in my legs and the smell of burnt bodies in my nostrils.  I was glad to be home, back with my family, working a real job that would keep me here, knowing the difficulties that lay ahead of me and the sleepless nights I would have to endure, again.  I was led throughout the office and introduced to my new co-workers, meeting smiles with an ever increasing sense of doom and dread.  I kept thinking, “No one is armed and there are bad guys here,” but kept it all to myself.  Frankly, I didn’t have the energy to speak out, much the less the inclination as I was the new guy.  (Two years later and a world of experience I bring to the table, and I’m still the new guy.)  I met James at his desk.  I saw a powerful man sitting over a tiny desk, grossly mis proportionate.  He was lumbering over this desk, almost as if he was stooping down to pick up a toothpick.  On a shelf behind him sat a picture of him in uniform, sergeant stripes gleaming on the sleeves.  He introduced himself and I can’t remember what exactly was said, but I remember being impressed with his bearing and presence.  Pure professionalism.  He appeared, to me, as the type of man that could lead and inspire without words, using his actions to influence men to follow.  He had an aura, almost, surrounding him, as if he seemed to hover above us, not really a part of us but still participating in actions with us.  His words were few, as I have learned to expect from him, but what little he did say has held with me since that day.  His words were not profound, nothing more than the obligatory hello and glad to meet you.  It was more the way he said them, sincere and full of honesty, yet I got the feeling as I walked away that if I looked back, he wouldn’t be

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there.  Almost as if I had imagined the introduction.  I have lived and worked in many different climes, but had yet to meet someone so honest, yet appearing imaginary, if you will.  I can’t believe that there is an actual person that can have such strength and bearing, yet be so unaware of the influence he holds over others.

            James grew up in Meridian, Idaho in the 1970’s and 80’s.  There is but a passing resemblance left of those days, beyond the conservative mindset that is Idaho.  This was still largely a farming community.  Land was still worth working and the money earned farming and ranching was greater than what the builder offered to take the land and erect matchstick houses  James knew he was different from the community in which he lived, and boldly set out to become his own man.  As an adult, in 1997, James ran against local convention as a city council member in Boise.  1997 Boise was similar in mindset to the Boise of 1957.  Then, as now, there are topics that are unmentionable beyond the private confines of one’s residence.  The population of Boise was not acceptable of James’ lifestyle and he lost the election to Jerome Mapp.  “James was the first openly gay political candidate in Idaho” (Virta) and has been credited with opening the doors of acceptance to gays and lesbians.  Nicole LeFavour (D), Idaho Senate, has publicly stated that James is responsible for her political success, saying his personal strength has led the way for greater acceptance in Idaho communities. 

John Leland describes Hip as an “undercurrent of enlightenment, organized around contradictions and anxieties” (15).  This explanation goes far in the description of James.  Being gay, he has, in essence turned his back on the norms of society, finding his pleasures in a lifestyle off the beaten path, yet still with us in that he has found a partner to share and build a

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life with, much the same as a heterosexual couple, yet different.  Here lies the paradox, also the basic definition of James.  He chose to break free of the yoke that holds us to societal rules, doing his own thing, being his own man and sticking his nose at the uptight religious state of mind that is Idaho, yet he still belongs to this same society, living and working among us and most importantly, searching for the same happiness we all seek.  This fits in well with Leland’s statement, as I see James’ approach to daily life as almost knowing the answer to a riddle, one that holds the key to happiness and is available to all, but is beyond the reach of those that refuse to open their minds.  He flaunts conventional Idaho wisdom in a way that is not demeaning by refusing to accept this society’s definition of what a grown man should be, yet not openly criticizing those that judge him by his choices.

            I no longer work with James and will not be able to see him on a regular basis in the office.  Due to circumstances beyond our control, but which mirror the communal Idaho mindset, James has returned to the position he held prior to working in our office.  I credit his attitudes with opening my eyes to a different perspective, one which I was blinded to by my profession and lifestyle.  I consider myself fortunate to have a friend in the caliber of James Dutoit, but find it difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes him special.  Hip can be described as resisting definition, ever-changing and beyond reach.  I believe this is James.  A phenomenon some have been fortunate to experience.

Beat aesthetic

The license to live in the present tense, meaning I can do whatever the hell I want beacause there are no consequences, no tomorrow.  No job to tie me down, no family to bore me, nothing to suck the lifeblood out of me, just living in the moment.  And I don't care how I appear, or look or even smell, because I am what I am and you can fuck off! 

This is the Beatnik of the 60's, created from the previous generation through a trial by fire of attempts at civil disobediance in a time when that act was itself considered Treason.  When any source of discontent towards our form of government was attacked with a viciousness that same government could only dream of using against our communist enemies. 

This perception is best described, in my opinion, as laziness.  The Beats have stolen what was an art form and trampled it with their replication of something misunderstood.  They believe they are in the same bed as the true performers, when they have nothing to bring to the party but used condoms, recycled, worn.  There are really no more true innovators as everything we see, hear and read is just a redo of what the great ones accomplished before us.