July 14, 2024

A new chapter in The History of Ears.

I'm reading "From Van Gogh to Mike Tyson: a brief history of ears," a 2009 Guardian article, by Lucy Mangan.

Found after trying to think of a list of famous ears, a list to which Trump's ear will now take one of the top 2 spots. I think Van Gogh's ear still belongs in first place.

I'd thought of the ear Mike Tyson bit off but had forgotten whose ear it was. (It was Evander Holyfield's.)

I'd thought of a movie ear — the disembodied dirty ear in the grass that sets off the action in "Blue Velvet" — and my son Chris brought up the grisly ear-cutting scene in "Reservoir Dogs" and prompted me to remember the severed ear in the Bible:
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
The old "History of Ears" Guardian article tells of The War of Jenkins' Ear, 1739-41:
Robert Jenkins was the captain of a British merchant ship who, in 1731, had his ear cut off by Spanish coastguards. Jenkins displayed the amputated cartilage in parliament seven years later when Britain was eager to go to war with Spain. When they realised what a nifty name they could give their conflict, off they went.

26 comments:

Limited blogger said...

Don't forget about Pink Floyd's album 'Meddle'.

The cover art is an ear surrounded by sound waves.

EAB said...

My husband loves to tell the story of being at that fight (a few rows in front of Johnny Cochrane) and yelling, “He bit him! He bit him!” Cochrane responded, “No he didn’t.” Said it was chaos. He won a lot of money because he’d bet on Holyfield. He knew he’d won the minute Holyfield and Tyson came out. Holyfield was in perfect fighting shape; Tyson wasn’t.

Nancy said...

Don't forget " The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" (Sherlock Holmes story) which opens with a lady receiving 2 severed ears in the mail. They are not a matched pair.

Nancy said...
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Nancy said...
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Hassayamper said...

Bullfighters of noteworthy skill and grace are awarded one of the bull's ears by the presiding judge at the arena. An exceptional performance wins two ears, and a sensational, spectacular bullfight garners him both ears and the tail, along with a ride out of the arena on the shoulders of the aficionados.

Trump is awarded the Presidency for taking a bullet to the ear in spectacular style.

Lash LaRue said...

Van Gogh’s missing ear is even more famous.

Smilin' Jack said...

“Found after trying to think of a list of famous ears, a list to which Trump's ear will now take one of the top 2 spots. I think Van Gogh's ear still belongs in first place.”

I’d go with Dumbo.

Joe Smith said...

'Van Gogh’s missing ear is even more famous.'

Ear today, gone tomorrow...

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

The literature says, "Lend me your ears", not shot it off.

Oligonicella said...

Lash LaRue:
Van Gogh’s missing ear is even more famous.

Only because of repeated telling, not noteworthiness.

Althouse:
I think Van Gogh's ear still belongs in first place.

A crazy man cuts his own ear off. Trump, a presidential candidate, has his ear damaged by narrowly missing being assassinated. I disagree.

Auntie Ann said...

George Weasley

Iman said...

P0TATUS may’ve bitten off more than he can gum.

Iman said...

Because he got it in the ear before
Trump gotta lust for life…

tcrosse said...

Let us not forget the ears of friends, Romans, and countrymen.

RNB said...

The War of Jenkins' Ear.

Jon Ericson said...

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
...
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
...

Earnest Prole said...

Don’t forget the ear on the cover of Manfred Mann’s album The Roaring Silence, which looks a hell of a lot like Trump’s mouth.

gilbar said...

speaking of ears.. the Sweet Corn crop is coming in Pretty Good!

Narayanan said...

geomertic logic of ears

gilbar said...

my favorite Spanish band (well, Basque; but i THINK they sing in Spanish) is named:
La Oreja de Van Gogh.. I'll let you imagine what that means

Swede said...

You forgot Pinnocchio and his jackass ears.
Interesting that Pinnocchio, known mostly for his lying, was given jackass ears.
The Jackass Party is known for lying, too.
Coincidence?

Mom said...

The Colonel
by Carolyn Forche


WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD is true. I was in his house. His wife carried
a tray of coffee and sugar. His daughter filed her nails, his son went
out for the night. There were daily papers, pet dogs, a pistol on the
cushion beside him. The moon swung bare on its black cord over
the house. On the television was a cop show. It was in English.
Broken bottles were embedded in the walls around the house to
scoop the kneecaps from a man's legs or cut his hands to lace. On
the windows there were gratings like those in liquor stores. We had
dinner, rack of lamb, good wine, a gold bell was on the table for
calling the maid. The maid brought green mangoes, salt, a type of
bread. I was asked how I enjoyed the country. There was a brief
commercial in Spanish. His wife took everything away. There was
some talk then of how difficult it had become to govern. The parrot
said hello on the terrace. The colonel told it to shut up, and pushed
himself from the table. My friend said to me with his eyes: say
nothing. The colonel returned with a sack used to bring groceries
home. He spilled many human ears on the table. They were like
dried peach halves. There is no other way to say this. He took one
of them in his hands, shook it in our faces, dropped it into a water
glass. It came alive there. I am tired of fooling around he said. As
for the rights of anyone, tell your people they can go fuck them-
selves. He swept the ears to the floor with his arm and held the last
of his wine in the air. Something for your poetry, no? he said. Some
of the ears on the floor caught this scrap of his voice. Some of the
ears on the floor were pressed to the ground.

Rockport Conservative said...

Don't forget the ear of J, Paul Getty III who was kidnapped and lost an ear for ransom.

Ann Althouse said...

Thanks, Mom!

Cappy said...

Huh?