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New York, 8:50 PM
Wed Dec 2
51 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of procrastination_state procrastination_state
    10/29/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    Does Vidal mention in the interview that he himself "took advantage of" Jack Kerouac while Kerouac was passed out drunk?
     Reply
    Edited by procrastination_state at 10/29/09 12:54 PM procrastination_state was starred procrastination_state was unstarred
    Image of topsy topsy
    10/29/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    Gore Vidal is a brilliant man. Unfortunately being brilliant doesn't prevent him from MISSING THE POINT. Yes, there was a different story at the time of the rape. The girl (and her mother) was called a lot worse than 'hooker'. The thing that Mr. Vidal and other Polanski supporters always seem to forget is that the victim said NO. It doesn't matter if she was a hooker or the Blessed Virgin. She said no and he ignored it and stuck his dick in her anyway and kept it there while she repeated her refusal. Over and over and over again. That's rape. Plain and simple. And then there's that whole 13 years old thing.

    Being brilliant doesn't prevent you from being dumb #gorevidal
     Reply
    topsy was starred topsy was unstarred
    Image of TheBusinessGuy TheBusinessGuy
    10/29/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    Vidal's literary essays are still eminently worthwhile. The Best Man and Lincoln are shrewd and entertaining. His political stuff is smart but, as someone below said, too topical and thus tiresome; it was yellowing before it was bound between hardcovers. (You read his collected essays and you scream at the 592nd clever occurrence of "the National Security State.") Buckley's politics and prejudices were misguided and too often reprehensible. But Buckley, unlike Vidal, could change his mind, and didn't throw bombs for the joy of startling the horses. And Buckley disagreed with his opposites without loathing them (except for Vidal): Buckley was friends with Galbraith, Schlesinger, and even Allard Lowenstein. Vidal, for all his virtues, seems incapable of that sort of spiritual generosity. Sadly, nowadays, Vidal is the cultural critic equivalent of an old man yelling "Get off my lawn!" and should be treated as such.
     Reply
    Edited by TheBusinessGuy at 10/29/09 3:59 AM TheBusinessGuy was starred TheBusinessGuy was unstarred
    Image of Seeräuber Jenny Seeräuber Jenny
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    It was a fascinating interview. In order to reconcile the comment about Polanski with my own affection for Vidal, I'm going to have to believe he's playing the provocateur.
     Reply
    Edited by Seeräuber Jenny at 10/28/09 11:34 PM Seeräuber Jenny was starred Seeräuber Jenny was unstarred
    Image of meursault69 meursault69
    10/29/09

    @Seeräuber Jenny: He was always playing the provocateur, much as he was playing the writer. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Seeräuber Jenny promoted this comment meursault69 was starred meursault69 was unstarred
    Image of Benny Benny
    10/29/09

    @Seeräuber Jenny: He's absolutely playing the provocateur, which is exactly why he's so lame. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Benny was starred Benny was unstarred
    Image of Seeräuber Jenny Seeräuber Jenny
    10/29/09

    @meursault69:

    I've never actually read anything by him.

    @Benny:

    It hurts less if he doesn't really mean it. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Seeräuber Jenny was starred Seeräuber Jenny was unstarred
    Image of Baroness Baroness
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    The Thing About Gore: Yes, he's quite the cold-hearted one. An unrepentant snob. He's always been such.

    Yes, his comments about the Polanski case sound dreadful if you completley erase his first sentence in that paragraph: "I really don't give a fuck." Yes, it sounds cruel that he wickedly alluded to the victim as a whore. It's ghastly, actually. And very wrong.

    I'm not excusing Vidal for that sentence he uttered. This is the person who described the depravities of Tiberius in Suetonius's "Twelve Caesars" with an icy remove- about what we would consider beyond the pale, involving children. Yes, it shocks. Yes, I myself blanch and am appalled. Disgusted. My point is that someone who could describe this horror so icily in the 1960's in an essay on Suetonius is clearly someone who has no problem calling Polanski's victim a teen prostitute.

    Which is awful. Wrong, harsh. But that's Gore Vidal. It's his opinion, his words- wrong as the are, they are merely words. He really doesn't "give a fuck", and never has.

    But seeing all these wishes for him to just die already, he surely shall soon. But I can't sit by and let his very real contribution to keen analysis of the American scene in the last half of the 2oth century just be trashed. He was unbelievably prescient about the worst excesses of the W Bush administration, he absolutely predicted it years before- how power, and the seizure of power works. How war is our perpetual state in the US. How creating war is how Presidents seize power and get noted by History as "great". And a thousand other things. His essays of the last 40 years have been incredibly clear snapshots of how power works in America, and a stray recent unfortunate comment about Polanski's victim cannot take that away from him.

    No, he won't go on Oprah and apologize, and weep, like our confessional culture demands. He has an aristo's contempt for pieties and having to play to the crowd. He says what he says, and though it's increasingly wicked invective that I very often disagree with, I'm damned glad for Gore Vidal. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Baroness was starred Baroness was unstarred
    Image of raincoaster raincoaster
    10/28/09

    @Baroness: The thing about Gore Vidal is, all his enemies are dead. He needed some new ones. One by one they've been picked off. I wouldn't cross Gore Vidal, but I don't think he gives a flying fuck what we think of him any more than he gives a flying fuck about anything anymore except the death of his dreams for the American republic. #gorevidal
     Reply
    raincoaster was starred raincoaster was unstarred
    Image of cocobanal cocobanal
    10/28/09

    @raincoaster: Except if he really didn't give a fuck, he would have stopped there: "I don't really give a fuck." The end. Instead, he went on, and demonstrated that at least in some way, he does give a fuck.

    Fuck him. #gorevidal
     Reply
    cocobanal was starred cocobanal was unstarred
    Image of triplethreat triplethreat
    10/29/09

    @Baroness: So when he says violently awful things about the rape of a child it's "merely words" but when he says stuff you agree with it is "keen analysis." Got it. #gorevidal
     Reply
    triplethreat was starred triplethreat was unstarred
    Image of tribalpottery tribalpottery
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    So much for the southern genteel. Being gay, it's disappointing that such a public figure has become (or has always been) a vicious queen.

    The following is from author Edmund White's interview with Salon discussing Vidal:

    "He's been nice to me over the years, but he's always like this seething volcano and you're always wondering when he's going to go off.

    I don't know what he's famous for anywhere, really, because I think those historical novels are complete works of taxidermy. Nobody can read those. 'Myra Breckinridge' was funny but light. The essays are what everybody defends -- but a friend of mine who did a volume of the best essays of the 20th century said they're all so topical that they've all aged terribly. I don't know where his work is. You have to have one or two books that are actually good if you're going to have a lasting career, and I don't think he does." #gorevidal
     Reply
    tribalpottery was starred tribalpottery was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    10/28/09

    @tribalpottery: Pretty sure Gore Vidal was a vicious queen before they came up with the term "vicious queen." You have to begrudgingly admire that he hasn't ossified into some kind of respectable relic.

    And kudos for bringing Edmund White to the table! I just finished his autobiography, My Lives, and I'm currently very much in love with him. He's such a wonderful writer.. #gorevidal
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of tribalpottery tribalpottery
    10/28/09

    @snugbug: LOVE Edmund White. My faves from here the obvious ones "A Boy's Own Story" and "A Beautiful Room is Empty". Also, I liked "A Farewell Symphony" and "The Married Man". It's the autobiographical fiction of White's that I love. I believe I read "My Lives" years ago and even gave a copy to my mother. My favorite passage in that revolved around hoping his words were a legacy to a generation yet unborn in as faraway as I believe east Asia. Looking forward to his latest "City Boy".

    Back to Vidal, I was hoping he'd grow old with dignity and a reflect an elder statesman's sense of gravitas. Or he could've gone like the fabulously eccentric old gay like Quentin Crisp. It's just disappointing to see Truman Capote's once arch-nemesis end as equally miserable. #gorevidal
     Reply
    tribalpottery was starred tribalpottery was unstarred
    Image of forwardmotion forwardmotion
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    So he's bitter about homophobia yet embraces sexism and classism to his wrinkly, pock marked bosom? Olds like this need to die out ASAP. #gorevidal
     Reply
    forwardmotion was starred forwardmotion was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    10/28/09

    @forwardmotion: He will outlive us all. And so will Caligula, his masterfully penned contribution to the art of film. That pure venom coursing through his veins has kept his body young and his mind sharp.

    Yet one has to admit that the cranky coot has never* been a bad writer. Plus he's had this a-hole agitator sideline gig for over half a century. Why do we expect him to drop character now, just before the final curtain?

    *Except for Caligula, as previously noted. #gorevidal
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of valet_of_the_dolls valet_of_the_dolls
    10/28/09

    @snugbug: Never? You obviously haven't read much of his fiction. (Caveat: I enjoyed Creation and Myra Breckenridge, but most of it is tin-eared & godawful.) #gorevidal
     Reply
    valet_of_the_dolls was starred valet_of_the_dolls was unstarred
    Image of autoclavicle autoclavicle
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    When will that old fucker die already? #gorevidal
     Reply
    Smitros promoted this comment autoclavicle was starred autoclavicle was unstarred
    Image of Smitros Smitros
    10/28/09

    @autoclavicle:
    I don't want him to die while I live in DC. He has a space reserved in the Rock Creek Park cemetery. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Smitros was starred Smitros was unstarred
    Image of iplaudius iplaudius
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    Gore Vidal: Gawker commenter avant la lettre.

    Seriously, I’ve been doing this for some time now (2,758 comments since June 8, 2007, or 3.4 electronic excretions on average daily for almost two and a half years, but who’s counting?), waiting for someone to call me the poor man’s Gore Vidal. #gorevidal
     Reply
    iplaudius was starred iplaudius was unstarred
    Image of i'm a bottle i'm a bottle
    10/28/09

    @iplaudius: You're the poor man's Gore Vidal. Satisfied? #gorevidal
     Reply
    i'm a bottle was starred i'm a bottle was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    10/28/09

    @iplaudius: I see you more as a poor man's Oscar Wilde. Stars/gutter, etc. #gorevidal
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of MissNormaDesmond MissNormaDesmond
    10/28/09

    @iplaudius: I like you better than that. #gorevidal
     Reply
    MissNormaDesmond was starred MissNormaDesmond was unstarred
    Image of Lazy Susan Lazy Susan
    10/28/09

    @iplaudius: gorevidalorgans? #gorevidal
     Reply
    Lazy Susan was starred Lazy Susan was unstarred
    Image of iplaudius iplaudius
    10/28/09

    @i'm a bottle: Yes, but I feel as though I have just received a gift after having recently and inadvertently mentioned the fact of my own birthday (minus the part about it being inadvertent).
    @snugbug: That’s what I get for commenting in a purple smoking jacket.
    @MissNormaDesmond: More than it suits a man to say?
    @Lazy Susan: Alex, I’ll take hashtags for 400 dollars. ... What is “Saw VI reviews”? #gorevidal
     Reply
    iplaudius was starred iplaudius was unstarred
    Image of meursault69 meursault69
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    I was struck by this: "And I’ve always been very pro-African-American – or whatever phrase we now use."
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment Edited by meursault69 at 10/28/09 6:22 PM meursault69 was starred meursault69 was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    10/28/09

    @meursault69: It makes me wish for a televised debate between him and Cornel West. #gorevidal
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of meursault69 meursault69
    10/28/09

    @snugbug: Careful what you wish for. #gorevidal
     Reply
    meursault69 was starred meursault69 was unstarred
    Image of Matt Cherette Matt Cherette
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    It got even worse after Meroney commented that he hadn't heard "that take on the [Polanski] story before." Vidal asserted that today's version of the story is much different than the one from back then (the one he believes) and -- when asked to explain -- offered this:

    The media can’t get anything straight. Plus, there’s usually an anti-Semitic and anti-fag thing going on with the press – lots of crazy things. The idea that this girl was in her communion dress, a little angel all in white, being raped by this awful Jew, Polacko – that’s what people were calling him – well, the story is totally different now from what it was then. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Matt Cherette was starred Matt Cherette was unstarred
    Image of autoclavicle autoclavicle
    10/28/09

    @mattchew03: It's like those people saying that we should give him a break because he's a Holocaust survivor. Because you know of all those survivors who went around drugging/raping 13-year-old girls...
     Reply
    MissNormaDesmond promoted this comment Edited by autoclavicle at 10/28/09 6:36 PM autoclavicle was starred autoclavicle was unstarred
    Image of ngonzogo ngonzogo
    10/28/09

    @mattchew03: Gore Vidal is right. Women were also told to lie back and enjoy the rape.
    He sounds like a total fuck, or whatever phrase we now use. #gorevidal
     Reply
    MissNormaDesmond promoted this comment ngonzogo was starred ngonzogo was unstarred
    Image of MissNormaDesmond MissNormaDesmond
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    I went to an event at which Gore Vidal spoke a couple of years ago. While I completely shared his point of view on the issue (the Iraq War), I still walked away disgusted with him. He's a nasty old bag of bile. #gorevidal
     Reply
    MissNormaDesmond was starred MissNormaDesmond was unstarred
    Image of raincoaster raincoaster
    10/28/09

    @MissNormaDesmond: I know someone who's met him several times and he shares your opinion. Much as I adore his political essays and novels, he's a shit to the core. #gorevidal
     Reply
    raincoaster was starred raincoaster was unstarred
    Image of MissNormaDesmond MissNormaDesmond
    10/28/09

    @raincoaster: He gives being bitchy a bad name. #gorevidal
     Reply
    MissNormaDesmond was starred MissNormaDesmond was unstarred
    Image of BookishLookish BookishLookish
    10/28/09

    @MissNormaDesmond: "You Give 'Yotch a Bad Name" #gorevidal
     Reply
    BookishLookish was starred BookishLookish was unstarred
    Image of City_Dater City_Dater
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    That tedious old bore is still alive and speaking in public?

    Imagine that. #gorevidal
     Reply
    City_Dater was starred City_Dater was unstarred
    Image of skahammer skahammer
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    You have to admit, Vidal plays hardball until the end.
     Reply
    Edited by skahammer at 10/28/09 5:49 PM skahammer was starred skahammer was unstarred
    Image of MrHaroHaro MrHaroHaro
    10/28/09

    @skahammer: Yup.

    This isn't the proper time or place to say this, but I actually like Gore Vidal. Even people you like say stupid stuff often. #gorevidal
     Reply
    MissNormaDesmond promoted this comment MrHaroHaro was starred MrHaroHaro was unstarred
    Image of Baroness Baroness
    10/28/09

    @skahammer: This is it. He's going out with the lordly contempt he's always had, and lord knows I don't blame him, in a way. He's always been icy with a dash of malevolence on his tongue. That he's not about to hold back on his way out. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Baroness was starred Baroness was unstarred
    Image of MissNormaDesmond MissNormaDesmond
    10/28/09

    @MrHaroHaro: Have you seen him in person? I liked him until I did. #gorevidal
     Reply
    MissNormaDesmond was starred MissNormaDesmond was unstarred
    Image of MrHaroHaro MrHaroHaro
    10/28/09

    @MissNormaDesmond: I must say I haven't had the (dis)pleasure of meeting him in the flesh. #gorevidal
     Reply
    MrHaroHaro was starred MrHaroHaro was unstarred
    Image of Queef_Of_All_Media Queef_Of_All_Media
    10/28/09

    In reply to Gore Vidal — 
    Why yes, Gore. Especially if she isn't somebody else's daughter, but yours instead. #gorevidal
     Reply
    son of spam promoted this comment Queef_Of_All_Media was starred Queef_Of_All_Media was unstarred
    Image of resipsaloquacious resipsaloquacious
    10/28/09

    @Queef_Of_All_Media: I don't remember you weeping for me when that young hooker luded me in my own home and I woke up with the day's mail rammed up in me. #gorevidal
     Reply
    son of spam promoted this comment resipsaloquacious was starred resipsaloquacious was unstarred
    Image of son of spam son of spam
    10/28/09

    @resipsaloquacious: Maybe now you'll pay your bills on time. #gorevidal
     Reply
    son of spam was starred son of spam was unstarred
    Image of resipsaloquacious resipsaloquacious
    10/28/09

    @son of spam:

    Nah, I just went paperless from then on. #gorevidal
     Reply
    resipsaloquacious was starred resipsaloquacious was unstarred
    Image of Tart of Darkness Tart of Darkness
    10/28/09

    @resipsaloquacious: At least you learned a lesson. That's the important thing. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Tart of Darkness was starred Tart of Darkness was unstarred
    Image of resipsaloquacious resipsaloquacious
    10/28/09

    @Tart of Darkness: Yes, in this day and age, the home delivery of phone books is not only unnecessary, but moreover, dangerous. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Edited by resipsaloquacious at 10/28/09 6:29 PM resipsaloquacious was starred resipsaloquacious was unstarred
    Image of Baroness Baroness
    10/28/09

    @resipsaloquacious: The day's mail or the Daily Mail? Because sometimes they include CDs and that could cause awful contusions. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Baroness was starred Baroness was unstarred
    Image of Queef_Of_All_Media Queef_Of_All_Media
    10/28/09

    @resipsaloquacious: The femail rapist! Well just don't go postal over this. #gorevidal
     Reply
    Queef_Of_All_Media was starred Queef_Of_All_Media was unstarred
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