A large Cambridge dinner party a few years ago comes to mind. I won't say at whose house. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't seated next to Al Sharpton, an interloper. (Sharpton had arrived with someone else but uninvited. The hostess was furious.) I was seated next to Anita Hill, an attractive woman and an interesting woman. We spoke about how the loss of the King James version in our culture had degraded the writing and speaking of the English language. Then, as if our conversation lacked something, she raised the name of Clarence Thomas. Sad, no?
October 4, 2007
"That was how I felt, and that she had draped herself in unflattering prudery, unflattering and almost pre-modern."
Marty Peretz reminisces about how he felt on watching Anita Hill testify, back in 1991. It's his strategy for writing about the Clarence Thomas memoir without reading it. And he's got a backup anecdote to flesh out his musings about the aura around the unread book:
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38 comments:
Well I side with the hostess. I would have been furious if Rev. Al had interloped. How did she manage?
My brain virtually tingles with the "mind's eye" scene of an upset hostess, seething, tight jawed having the maid set yet another place (or did Rev. Al just stop for drinks?) and Marty getting the real deal scoup from Anita and the hostess to busy with the boorish Al to get to listen.
Oh Boston. Lord. Lord.
Somehow it doesn't surprise me that Marty Peretz didn't read the Clarence Thomas book. After all, The New Republic publishes fictional accounts written by phony soldiers. I doubt if Peretz even reads his own publication.
Sheridan Whiteside: I simply will not sit down to dinner with Midwestern barbarians, I think too highly of my digestive system.
Maggie Cutler: Harry Clarke is one of your oldest friends.
Sheridan Whiteside: My stomach is an older one.
Maggie Cutler: And Mrs Stanley is President of the women's club.
Sheridan Whiteside: I wouldn't care if she was the whole cabinet.
(The Man Who Came to Dinner 1942)
His Majesty's Constancy, Notwithstanding Calumniation, for the Survey of the English Translations
This, and more to this purpose, His Majesty that now reigneth (and long, and long may he reign, and his offspring forever, Himself and children, and children's children always) knew full well, according to the singular wisdom given unto him by God, and the rare learning and experience that he hath attained unto; namely that whosoever attempteth anything for the public (especially if it pertain to Religion, and to the opening and clearing of the word of God) the same setteth himself upon a stage to be gloated upon by every evil eye, yea, he casteth himself headlong upon pikes, to be gored by every sharp tongue.
So much better than the script for Long Dong Silver.
"Sad, no?" That depends on what she had to say about Thomas after raising his name. In all events, Hill is in a dilemma she can't get out of. For better or worse, she will always be linked to Thomas just as Monica will always to linked to that other him. And in that link-up, Hill (like Monica) is always destined to take second place. What is she supposed to do with the elephant that will always be with her? If she hadn't raised the topic, Peretz could have made the same comment.
brylun said...
Somehow it doesn't surprise me that Marty Peretz didn't read the Clarence Thomas book. After all, The New Republic publishes fictional accounts written by phony soldiers.
I'm sure you were equally offended when they published excerpts from the blatantly racist "Bell Curve."
Oh wait, maybe not....
It never ceases to amaze me how people, like brylun, give themselves license to lie when condemning lying.
The New Republic published articles by a single soldier whose veracity is in question. Yet brylun uses the plural "phony soldiers." Are there other soldiers besides Beauchamp that I am unaware of?
"whose veracity is in question"
Actually, it isn't in question, but he is a real soldier, just a phony reporter.
I'm sure you were equally offended when they published excerpts from the blatantly racist "Bell Curve."
What, precisely, is "blatantly racist" in The Bell Curve?
A few references to racist passages would suffice.
Debbie: I'm not gonna go to the end of the f*cking line, who the f*ck are you? I have just as much of a right to be here as any of these little skanky girls. What, am I not skanky enough for you, you want me to hike up my f*cking skirt? What the f*ck is your problem? I'm not going anywhere, you're just some roided out freak with a f*cking clipboard. And your stupid little f*cking rope! You know what, you may have power now but you are not god. You're a doorman, okay. You're a doorman, doorman, doorman, doorman, doorman, so... F*ck You! You f*cking fag with your f*cking little faggy gloves.
Doorman: I know... you're right. I'm so sorry, I f*ckin' hate this job. I don't want to be the one to pass judgement, decide who gets in. Shit makes me sick to my stomach, I get the runs from the stress. It's not cause you're not hot, I would love to tap that ass. I would tear that ass up. I can't let you in cause you're old as f*ck. For this club, you know, not for the earth.
Debbie: What?
Doorman: You old, she pregnant. Can't have a bunch of old pregnant bitches running around. That's crazy, I'm only allowed to let in five percent black people. He said that, that means if there's 25 people here I get to let in one and a quarter black people. So I gotta hope there's a midget in the crowd.
(Knocked Up 2007)
(Example of the concepts of the Bell Curve)
I've forgotten what Hill said Thomas did. I assume eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
I'd love to sit next to Al Sharpton. I'd ask him if he knew any good jewish delis and if he actually owned the suit he had on.
That'd be *fun*.
I was seated next to Anita Hill, an attractive woman and an interesting woman.
If Sippican were here he might be able to explain the design of this table. An ordinary table only lets you sit next to two women at most.
The attractive one was on his lap.
Richard Dolan said..."Sad, no?"
"That depends on what she had to say about Thomas after raising his name."
Really.
Liam said..."I'd love to sit next to Al Sharpton. I'd ask him if he knew any good jewish delis and if he actually owned the suit he had on.
That'd be *fun*."
Say what?
Al Sharpton, renowned anti-semite and when presented with the judgement in the Steve Pagonis case, refused to pay saying he owned nothing. When asked where his Armani suit came from, he said he "had the use of several suits".
A lying shyte if there ever was one...
liam,
Got a tad more info that that?
liam,
Is this where you get your information??
Non-whites need to know their places
themorningcall.com - Topix
Shabaz is the leader of the Black Panthers. And despite the fact that Pagonis won his lawsuit, he hasn't seen a penny from Sharpton. ...
Maybe a bit more information regarding the entire situation?
Luckyoldson: Maybe a bit more information regarding the entire situation?.
Read the records of the court testimony, you tedious, slow-witted mutt.
A rather light treatment of Sharpton's role in this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawana_Brawley
Slate, showing a slightly harder view of Rev. Al.:
http://www.slate.com/id/2087557
The statement regarding "the use of a few suits" came from a Vanity Fair article that I cannot seem to find online.
Suffice it to say, offering up the Rev as anything other than a race baiting freak is pretty farcical.
Hey, Trooper. Come on. I haven't seen that movie yet, don't ruin it for me.
The intent behind this article was not about Clarence Thomas or Anita Hill but more about Peretz's trying to point out how important and relevant he is.
It is sad when these old liberals like him, and Micky Kaus still think they are relevant. Their day in the sun has come and gone. TNR is now a piece of garbage that has 1/2 as many readers as it did before the Iraq War.
The younger, livier, and may I say better looking liberals have walked on by these uninteresting, angry trolls.
That means they only lost 3 readers since most of the liberals look like death warmed over.
Often you get an invitation that says "and guest." So, you bring Al Sharpton. Is he somehow crashing the party because he's Al Sharpton and famous people can't be the "and guest"?
Peretz won't tell us whose party it was or what furious hostess we're talking about. Probably a black Harvard professor. Any guesses?
I assume you are suggesting Cornel West - formerly of Harvard, now slumming his fake intellectualism at Princeton while trying to make it big in hip hop - or Henry Louis Gates.
Maybe someone who hated Al Sharpton, and was well known to have such feelings.
In which case, the invited guest was the one being rude.
Matt Drayton: What the hell is it today? Less than 12% of the people in this city are colored people. I can't even have a dish of Oregon Boosenberry without runnin' into one of them.
(Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 1967)
Militant: Dig it, dope peddler. We're out here building a new nation for black people. It's time for you to start payin some dues, nigga!
Youngblood Priest: I ain't givin' you shit! I'll tell you what you do, you go get you a gun and all those black folks you keep doin' so much talkin' about get guns, and come back ready to go down, then I'll be right down front killin' whitey. But until you can do that, you go sing your marching songs some place else. Now we're through talkin'.
(Super Fly 1972)
Hmmmmmmmm! The more things change the more they stay the same. Or not.
(Red Foxx in the Hacienda Poll 1982)
Is this where you get your information??
In other words:
1 - Liam says something that is true, factual, well-supported, and well-known.
2 - PluckyOldSon finds a hate web site repeating the same fact.
What an idiot. Hey, POS, didja know that half the things you say are said by people on Neo-Nazi and Communist web sites? Obviously you are a Nazi and a Communist. We can't trust you any more, POS.
Why do you hate America so much?
"Probably a black Harvard professor. Any guesses?"
It must have been Lani Guinier. With this guest list imagine how stressed she would have been, even without the surprise arrival of Sharpton.
Steve: Repeating Gedaliya's question: in the "blatently racist" Bell Curve, got any specifics for us? It is clear that Peretz hasnt read Thomas's book and you havent read Herrnstein and Murray's.
Ann:
So you get an invitation to a party that says you and a guest. So you bring David Duke. Or perhaps someone you as the host has a personal hatred of or conflict with.
Same outcome? There is no way you can call that "crashing" a party?
Pretty openminded of you. *cough*
Sammy Davis Jr.: If you were prejudiced, Archie, when I came into your home, you would have called me a coon or a nigger. But you didn't say that, I heard you clear as a bell, you came right out and called me colored. And if you were prejudiced, you'd go around thinking that you were better than everybody. But after spending these wonderful moments with you, Archie, I can tell ya - you ain't better than nobody.
Archie Bunker: Can I have your hand on that, Mr. Davis?
(All in the Family)
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