Archive for July 25th, 2008

what is yr secret cultural shame? OWN UP.

ok, so usually on friday, i post “a day in the pants” interviews. unfortunately, there was a bit of a mix-up with my interviewee (it’s ok, dad, senior moment) so that entry will be postponed until next week. believe me when i tell you that it will be WELL WORTH the wait (i.e. papa pitre tells all!!!).

and actually, this works out, cos i wanted to continue the conversation started yesterday in reaction to the “cultural secret shame” link.

here’s an excerpt from the vulture post to bring you up to speed:

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Inspired by David Lodge’s classic campus comedy Changing Places, the Times of London asked a number of authors to play the game Humiliation — in which you admit the most embarrassing book you’ve never read, and the winner is the one whose novel of secret shame has been read by the most other players. (In Lodge’s novel, one character trumps everyone else by admitting he’s never read Hamlet, and is summarily fired.)

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the vulture staff plays a round of this game with books and then with popular movies.

since i’m all about public shame, i thought we could play a round on today’s blog. it’s a little tricky, cos we’re not all sitting together around a table at a bar, where ideas, conversation and beer can flow freely. and honestly, i’m truly sorry about that. since i can’t beam everyone up and over to austin (curse you, elusive star trek science!), here’s how i propose we do it:

i’ll make a (shortish) list of “classic” books and movies and mark the ones i’ve seen. then, in the comments, you should reply by listing the books/movies you haven’t read/seen from that list. on monday, i’ll compile the responses to determine the winner, who will be, as defined by vulture, “the one whose novel of secret shame has been read by the most other players.”

feel free to add other books or movies, just to further shame yrself.

make sense? LET’S PLAY!

BOOKS

(special thanks to ann for providing me with an excellent list to choose from)

pride and prejudice - jane austen: YES. DUH. BIG BIG DUH. A MILLION TIMES DUH.

to kill a mockingbird - harper lee: YES. in high school. loved it.

jane eyre - charlotte bronte: YES. so dark and dreamy!

wuthering heights - emily bronte: NO. it just seemed so… depressing.

grapes of wrath - john steinbeck: YES. GAH i criiiiiiied.

great expectations - charles dickens: YES. ms. havisham’s nasty germ-filled house still freaks me out. the wedding cake? COME ON!!!!!

a tale of two cities - charles dickens: YES. i just read a part from my freshman year journal about how i had just finished reading it for the second time and loved it so much. ha ha neerrrrd.

catch 22 - joseph heller: NO. i always MEANT to but…

hamlet - william shakespeare: YES. then mrs. fritchey, my english teacher, made us go with her to see the kenneth branaugh version and she sighed with ecstasy when he came out in leather pants.

moby dick - herman melville: NO. and i don’t feel bad about it.

ulysses - james joyce: NO. no no no and no.

heart of darkness - joseph conrad: YES. unfortunately. esp. since i can’t seem to detach it from our lively inner/outer circle discussion in high school involving the harlequin’s homosexuality.

les miserables - victor hugo: YES. i love this book.

MOVIES

(i picked some of these from AFI and then added in my own, cos it’s my blog! boo-ya-kah!)

citizen kane: YES. wait, why is this a great movie? anyone? anyone?

the godfather: YES.

the wizard of oz: YES. ok, if someone hasn’t seen this movie, i… i just… you must be, like, four years-old. and if you are four and reading this blog, well done.

casablanca: YES.

schindler’s list: NO. I’M SORRY, OK? i just couldn’t bring myself to see it. i think i just watched “big” for the five hundredth time. speaking of…

big: YES YES AND YESSSSSS.

gone with the wind: YES.

a clockwork orange: NO. HEEBIE JEEBIES!

rocky: NO. why would i want to see this movie? honestly?

star wars (sorry, olivia): YES. hello, i’m an american. and a geek. it’s part of, like, manifest destiny.

lord of the rings (any of them counts, ok): YES. for the love of all things legolas.

E.T.: YES.

titanic: YES. new year’s eve, baby. cos i had an AWESOME social life back then.

harry potter: YES OBVIOUSLY (haters, don’t even start with any “high culture” arguments).

taxi driver: NO. but you know, i will. eventually. maybe.

jurassic park: YES (again, this isn’t, like, casablanca but come on. burger king gave away WATCHES for this movie. that’s a big deal).

the matrix: YES.

indiana jones: YES (let’s just pretend like the fourth movie didn’t happen).

breakfast at tiffany’s: YES. a thousand, diamondy times yes.

ok, so now that i think about it, maybe it’s not fair that i got to make up the movie list. i didn’t purposely avoid movies i haven’t seen BUT i may have overlooked some. so feel free to add yr own. i’ll check back in over the weekend.

LET THE SHAMING BEGIN!

LINKS

when i was in high school, i had the biggest girl crush on dana scully (ok, who i am kidding, i still LOVE her), which is why i loved this jezebel homage to the smart, serious, totally awesome redhead.

have you guys seen the new “spirit” trailer? it looks… awesome? i think?

check out vulture’s coverage of the first day of comic-con. GAH i wish i was THERE (”twilight” panel?!! HELLO?!!).

FINALLY! a blog about lifetime movies!!!! i can’t wait til the review of “invisible child.”

olivia brought this NY times article to my attention about brides asking their bridesmaids to get botox (or even boob jobs?!!). uh WHAAAAA. if a friend asks you to get botox, it’s time to FIND A NEW FRIEND.

this is a way better investment for yr 25 cents than a homie figure.

dude, miley cyrus is a MEAN GIRL. “i totally love yr bracelet… where’d you get it?!”