…by way of Amazon, Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole.
Somehow, the story of an amoral newpaper reporter who manipulates the news for his own selfish benefit seems so…fitting, in these days of the JournoList…
Perhaps I’ll watch it nude, as a kind of metaphor. And because, well, I’d get to be nude.
OUTLAW!
Well. Alright then.
Too much info?
Wait — you don’t think I was threatening to rape you, now, do you?
I was just thinking I’d think twice about sitting anywhere in your living room or wherever it is you watch movies.
Hard to say what you meant…I’ll ask Paterico.
Or not. That could be the AppleJack talking.
Although I would bet real money that Wilder was a liberal in many ways (the undesirable sort of liberal), remember that he fled Germany in the early 20th century. I imagine he knew a thing or two about propaganda and government. Hell, “Sunset Boulevard” is nothing if not mockery, however genteel, directed at the way a media machine like Hollywood erects idols.
That’s a point of contention with me GO: the use of “liberal” to describe progressives/leftists. Liberal had a meaning that has little to do with it’s present form. The progressives stole it, we should steal it back…and that starts by calling leftists leftists.
Just a quibble.
Flasher.
Seth, I quite agree. It’s just so commonplace that I use it since it is readily understood. I for one do not want to accept the “progressive” label. The only reason leftards want to discard “liberal” and substitute “progressive” is that “liberal” has truly become a word of disapprobation. Nevertheless it’s clear to an honest interlocutor what is meant, in the early 21st century, by “liberal.” I assume this is why Jeff frequently uses the term “classical liberal” to discriminate between the two. I’m ready to call a libtard a leftist any day of the week.
I use progressive and leftist interchangably. That is perhaps inaccurate, I’m not sure to be honest. I’m hoping to get to some percision that allows me to express my intended meaning while pushing back on the left’s claims on the language. I simply don’t want to cede the classical meaning of the word “liberal” to them.
I’m pretty sure you’re right about why Jeff uses the term “classical liberal”, if that’s not overly persumptuous (sp?) of me to say.
Surely, my insistance on starting every sentence with “I” is a sign of a fatigued mind. Yet sleep remains elusive. Crap.
Before 1968 the “New Left” hated Liberals, LBJ and H. Humphrey in particular. Between 1968 and 1972 they managed to take power in the Democratic Party. They then assumed the title of “Liberal” since it was a convenient mask to hide behind and garnered the votes of the FDR Dems for them.
The term started to fall into disrepute during the Clinton years. Since it was no longer a sure fire vote getter they went back, like the good reactionaries they are, and reclaimed the title Progressive. It is wearing out it’s welcome much faster. Jonah Goldberg’s book has helped push that along.
Perhaps I’ll watch it nude, as a kind of metaphor.
Something about full disclosure?
I tend to use Leftist myself. They have a harder time dropping that.
Well, I’m gonna go watch this now.
Try not to think about a prominent “conservative” blogger hewing to the ridiculous notion that I issued a death threat, or the unsettling idea that Glenn Beck has to defend himself against charges of potentially inciting violence by way of code words only we mouthbreathing types can hear.
geoffb: Yes, especially since they insist on calling us (or anyone in opposition to them) right wing. Hard for them to back away from their own labels. “Leftist” also has the benefit of being simple to use (progressive being somewhat cumbersome).
Enjoy, Jeff. Maybe watch “Broadcast News” after and make it a marathon. Besides, Holly Hunter is cute as a button.
Only at Pat’s Place.
I wouldn’t. His movies are too good (only the clock-punchers are everyday lefties), and he kinda shit-talked the “Hollywood 10” back in the day.
I’d put him on the apathetic-avoidant side, which I hope to be a good enough man to join someday.
But I’m so full of hate.
It’s good to have goals, psycho. Course the having of goals can get in the way of a good run of nihlism.
Death threat?
Hey, I’d be thrilled if I discovered Wilder was less than a rubber stamp Hollywood liberal of the FDR liberal variety. I’m just assuming a lot of crap, given that it’s Hollywood. He sure as hell made some damn fine movies. I absolutely adore “Double Indemnity.” I don’t think anyone else could have made Fred McMurray come across as sinister, yet strangely feckless at the same time.
I think your real problem is you ran afoul the Carpenters Union.
Here they were ready to build a, right to code specs, gallows and you blew the contract by offering to bring a tree to your own hanging. How are they supposed to feed their families if you’re stealing their bread? And in this Obama economy too.
Comment by Seth on 3/24 @ 12:00 am #
That’s a point of contention with me GO: the use of “liberal†to describe progressives/leftists. Liberal had a meaning that has little to do with it’s present form. The progressives stole it, we should steal it back…and that starts by calling leftists leftists.
Just a quibble.”
Same with “progressive.” If anything, leftists are regressive. Just sayin’. It’s difficult to get outta the habit, so I understand, but the more we describe them as they really are rather than how they wanna be described, the less they’ll get away with.
Now for those leftist trolls that protest, perhaps they can explain anything progressive or liberal about their failed ideology. Who am I kiddin’? Of course they can’t. They’re too busy highjacking language and intent and spending way too much time indoctrinating children and idiots. Kinda like Paterrico and his regressive friends.
Hope ya got the furniture,’Dura-Fabbed’
George. Wasn’t Billy Wilder a friend of Berthold Brecht? I seem to remember that they hung out together in the old country.
Having been part of PajamasMedia, making fun of the old stereotype of bloggers working in their PJs, we are interested in knowing whether you are fitting the other stereotype of not having bathed. We can handle you sitting on the couch nude to watch this, but we’d at least like to think that you showered first.
Dana: We’ll also need to know if he’ll be sitting pre or post Jasmine oil.
Late to the party, but nude is the best way to watch most programs. Just sayin’.
“MOVIEMeter: Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.”
Now look what you’ve done.
Our stupid dirty socialist media needs to refresh everything I think but they won’t cause it’s a meaningless gay slogan is why.
And as they talked and discussed and complained and triumphed and despaired long into the night and into the next day it passed unnoticed to them that buttons had gone missing.
Happyfeet, it is spring break across much of the country. Many school kids – and parents of such – are currently away from their normal routines. Perhaps Buttons is among them.
buttons is the pleasing draft of orange-blossom on the spring air
I can’t believe you are so intellectually sloppy as to confuse Wilder’s wild fiction with the real world.
Now if you’ll excuse me, Bossy’s overdue for her milkin’…
Dammit, Jeff, you’re an embarrassment to your craft and to naugahyde! At least have the decency to wear a thong like real professional bloggers!
I bathe in my own genius, Dana. For instance, right now I am rinsing off with a clever line I imagined about llamas and humps.
By the way, something struck me last night as I was pulling the beads out of my ass: is Karl the guy who has time to sit on his ass all day, only the Patterico model?
I wonder how Karl feels sitting on his ass all day while Patterico is out doing Important Work?
Not very fulfilled, I’d bet. I think Patterico should have been more careful and solicitous with his phrasing.
Karl blogs good. He lives in Chicago or thereabouts I think. Somewhere where it snows anyway. He’s started tackling economic things just a bit more and it’s really good work. His car got hit in a parking lot once. Not everyone in Chicago even has a car, and it’s not very expensive to own one there I don’t think, or it wasn’t. Cause they know people can do without them pretty well. But now they are getting more tax and fee tax and fee about cars and I wonder what will happen. If this will be another raise taxes, lose revenue thinger.
oh. Some parts of Chicago you need a car. And the parts where you don’t need a car tend to be the more expensiver parts is what my Chicago friend says. Especially if you own, you can find deals if you rent. So my theory is crap is what that means.
I hope Karls car is out of it ‘s neckbrace by now.
i was fascinated by the row of empty parking meters and what caused them. That has to have the local merchants happy.
There’s that stray apostrophe again. I hope Slarti didn’t see.
I didn’t sleep last night. Is otitis media contagious? We all have it.
Patterico’s favorite conservative blogger wrote:
Having once lived on an old llama farm, I find this comment at least somewhat disconcerting. There are places I’m not certain I want my imagination to go.
Try “A Face In The Crowd”.
You’ll never look at Andy Griffith the same way again.
“with a clever line I imagined about llamas and humps.”
Good Lord! has someone accused Jeff of being Ogden Nash?