“It has nothing to do with the far-right ideology in the state,” [another] person wrote on LIHKG, an anonymous forum that has been the center of discussion for protesters. “It just looks funny and captures the hearts of so many youngsters. It is a symbol of youth participation in this movement.”...
Emily Yueng, 20, said... "different countries have very different cultures.... Symbols and colors that mean something in one culture can mean something completely different in another culture, so I think if Americans are really offended by this, we should explain to them what it means to us.”...
Pepe was not always seen as a racist symbol. He was created more than a decade ago by Matt Furie, who killed off the character in 2017 after it was adopted by the alt-right.... “It’s completely insane that Pepe has been labeled a symbol of hate, and that racists and anti-Semites are using a once peaceful frog-dude from my comic book as an icon of hate,” he said in 2016, when the Anti-Defamation League added Pepe to its list of hate symbols.
August 19, 2019
"To me, Pepe is just a Hello Kitty-like character."
Said one of the Hong Kong protesters, quoted in "Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They’re Not Alt-Right/To much of the world, the cartoon frog is a hate symbol. To Hong Kong protesters, he’s something entirely different: one of them" (NYT).
Am I the only one who is noticing that the TV talking-heads news shows are shifting their approach to...
... makeup? A month or so ago, I couldn't listen to what they were saying because I was exclaiming that they looked like they were wearing rubber masks. It was freaky. The skin did not look like skin. How did I know these were human beings at all rather than simulacra? But something seems to have changed in this past week. Maybe it's the summer heat and air conditioning doesn't work right anymore, but I've seen at least 2 shows with panelists gleaming as if they were sweating. Is this a deliberate reenvisioning of the best way to do makeup for high-definition television? The panelists convey reality more convincingly, and now I can't hear what they're saying because I'm talking over them about how they're all sweating, they're glowing, as if they are live, breathing, feeling human beings.
From the Wikipedia article "Simulacrum":
I don't think this is drawn on with eyeliner, Twiggy-style. I think it is added on within the computer. Look for these eyelashes, please, and let me know when you see them. They're freaky! I suspect the rubberized look I was seeing was also a computer manipulation.
From the Wikipedia article "Simulacrum":
Simulacra have long been of interest to philosophers. In his Sophist, Plato speaks of two kinds of image making. The first is a faithful reproduction, attempted to copy precisely the original. The second is intentionally distorted in order to make the copy appear correct to viewers. He gives the example of Greek statuary, which was crafted larger on the top than on the bottom so that viewers on the ground would see it correctly. If they could view it in scale, they would realize it was malformed....If we could see Jake Tapper eye-to-eye, we would realize... what?!
Postmodernist French social theorist Jean Baudrillard argues that a simulacrum is not a copy of the real, but becomes truth in its own right: the hyperreal. According to Baudrillard, what the simulacrum copies either had no original or no longer has an original (think a copy of a copy without an original). Where Plato saw two types of representation—faithful and intentionally distorted (simulacrum)—Baudrillard sees four: (1) basic reflection of reality; (2) perversion of reality; (3) pretence of reality (where there is no model); and (4) simulacrum, which "bears no relation to any reality whatsoever."...A great topic! To be continued! New tag: "simulacra."
ADDED: Another makeup anomaly I've been seeing is what looks like painted-on lower eyelashes on men — something like what Twiggy did in the 1960s:
I don't think this is drawn on with eyeliner, Twiggy-style. I think it is added on within the computer. Look for these eyelashes, please, and let me know when you see them. They're freaky! I suspect the rubberized look I was seeing was also a computer manipulation.
"But, now that the children have graduated [from college] and moved back into my house as they search for jobs and eventually first apartments..."
"... I will say the thing that we as parents are not supposed to say: What happened to my empty nest? The very definition of home has changed. Mine will always be their family home, their spiritual home, but it cannot be their primary home. This is now my primary home, alone. I know that this arrangement is temporary, and I want to help my children out in every way possible, but it would be dishonest to say that their reappearance in 'their rooms,' which I now call guest rooms, has not been jarring. No matter how much I try to resist the urge, I’m reverting to my last-phase parenting mode — worrying about whether they’re eating enough and eating healthfully, washing their clothes and taking them to their rooms...."
Writes Charles Blow in the NYT. He also says: "Since my oldest son was 6 and my twins were 3, I have been a single dad." I had to look him up in Wikipedia to try to fill in the facts. It says he's divorced, he's openly bisexual, and his kids went to college at Yale, Middlebury, and Columbia. I'm not sure why young people with such advantages in life don't have jobs immediately upon graduating from college or why they'd want their father musing about their situation in the New York Times. I see that Blow's home is in New York City. Who's lucky enough to have multiple guest rooms in New York City? Is this really a story of real estate?
Writes Charles Blow in the NYT. He also says: "Since my oldest son was 6 and my twins were 3, I have been a single dad." I had to look him up in Wikipedia to try to fill in the facts. It says he's divorced, he's openly bisexual, and his kids went to college at Yale, Middlebury, and Columbia. I'm not sure why young people with such advantages in life don't have jobs immediately upon graduating from college or why they'd want their father musing about their situation in the New York Times. I see that Blow's home is in New York City. Who's lucky enough to have multiple guest rooms in New York City? Is this really a story of real estate?
If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.
"He’s 26 years old but still sees a pediatrician: Why some young adults don’t move on" (WaPo).
What the hell is wrong with sticking with your regular family doctor? You have a relationship with this person. He or she is a real doctor. It's not like you're going to a veterinarian. You like what you have. Why is The Washington Post age-shaming the young?
Well, age-shaming the young is an old game. Grow up, they say and have been saying for eons. If it's not that you're acting too babyish and unserious, it's that you're old before your time. I say a young person can be young in the way that feels right to them. I say you are the master of your own time. You are how you feel, and you don't have to match up your chronological age with a stereotype of how people that age are supposed to be. I mean, take care of yourself, don't hurt others, and work on making your life what you want it to be. And use your actual chronological age when interfacing with a system that uses chronological age — getting a driver's license, running for President, etc. But other than that, you're your own person. Don't let people push you around with act-your-age shaming.
Anyway... from the article (which I'm finally skimming):
The idea is, clearly, that the millennial is a snowflake. Now, what I think is interesting is that of course the generic snowflake millennial is a white male. Secondly, his snowflakitude is signaled by the playthings (presumably the stuff one encounters in a pediatrician's waiting room) but also by the colors he wears, notably pink pants. I've got a problem with the use of pink to say weak and childish. Pink is associated with females. It's a purplish pink and the jacket is purple. I think the message is: effeminacy. I reject the use of femininity to mean weakness and childishness.
What the hell is wrong with sticking with your regular family doctor? You have a relationship with this person. He or she is a real doctor. It's not like you're going to a veterinarian. You like what you have. Why is The Washington Post age-shaming the young?
Well, age-shaming the young is an old game. Grow up, they say and have been saying for eons. If it's not that you're acting too babyish and unserious, it's that you're old before your time. I say a young person can be young in the way that feels right to them. I say you are the master of your own time. You are how you feel, and you don't have to match up your chronological age with a stereotype of how people that age are supposed to be. I mean, take care of yourself, don't hurt others, and work on making your life what you want it to be. And use your actual chronological age when interfacing with a system that uses chronological age — getting a driver's license, running for President, etc. But other than that, you're your own person. Don't let people push you around with act-your-age shaming.
Anyway... from the article (which I'm finally skimming):
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) attempted to address the issue of transition from pediatric care into adult care in a policy statement in 2017 and concluded “the age of transition” should be based not on a number but on the patient’s individual needs. The decision “should be made solely by the patient (and family, when appropriate) and the physician and must take into account the physical and psychosocial needs of the patient and the abilities of the pediatric provider to meet those needs,” the policy statement said. In addition, it said that ‘the establishment of arbitrary age limits on pediatric care by health care providers should be discouraged. Health care insurers and other payers should not place limits that affect the patient’s choice of care provider based solely on age.”...And I want to criticize the Washington Post's illustration for its "26 years old but still sees a pediatrician" article (skillfully, charmingly rendered by Ery Burns):
Living at home and remaining on parents’ insurance policies aren’t the only reasons 20-somethings stay with pediatricians. Medical advancements over the past decade are extending the life expectancy of those with chronic childhood illnesses, such as congenital heart issues, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and diabetes, and the pediatricians who cared for children with these conditions sometimes remain with them as they get old....
The idea is, clearly, that the millennial is a snowflake. Now, what I think is interesting is that of course the generic snowflake millennial is a white male. Secondly, his snowflakitude is signaled by the playthings (presumably the stuff one encounters in a pediatrician's waiting room) but also by the colors he wears, notably pink pants. I've got a problem with the use of pink to say weak and childish. Pink is associated with females. It's a purplish pink and the jacket is purple. I think the message is: effeminacy. I reject the use of femininity to mean weakness and childishness.
What is the NYT's "massive unfunded liability" that Trump is tweeting about?
The New York Times will be out of business soon after I leave office, hopefully in 6 years. They have Zero credibility and are losing a fortune, even now, especially after their massive unfunded liability. I’m fairly certain they’ll endorse me just to keep it all going!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2019
I see "Trump Hit With Fact-Check After Claiming New York Times Is ‘Losing A Fortune’/The president said the paper — which recently reported a spike in revenue and strong readership — would be 'out of business soon after I leave office'" (HuffPo), but that only addresses the question of whether the Times is losing money. ( A NYT tweeter says "Revenues up, subscriptions at a record high, profits at $37.9 million in the second quarter.") It says nothing about the "unfunded liability."
Generally:
In finance and economics, a liability is a legal obligation of a person, organization or government entity to pay a debt arising from a past or current transaction or action. In brief, a liability is a claim on the debtor's current or future assets. An unfunded liability is a liability that does not have current or projected assets to cover the liability; therefore it is said to be unfunded.I'm seeing the term most often used in reference to pension plans.
So... Trump is either bullshitting or saying something sophisticated about accounting. Or... what do you think?
I saw that #Trumpacronyms is trending on Twitter.
I clicked through and this one caught my eye:
1. Who's Social✽Fly? I don't know, but Cory Booker follows her (click to enlarge and clarify):
3. The Goebbels propaganda list is always a useful read, and it's ironic when you use it in your own propaganda. I feel sad to think that it is deployed by so many people who don't even imagine that they are engaging in propaganda and the things on the list sound like what their side is doing too.
4. From the Wikipedia article "Big Lie":
— Social✽Fly (@socflyny) August 19, 2019
1. Who's Social✽Fly? I don't know, but Cory Booker follows her (click to enlarge and clarify):
2. You don't need more than one example of the acronym-making to see what dull non-fun it is.
3. The Goebbels propaganda list is always a useful read, and it's ironic when you use it in your own propaganda. I feel sad to think that it is deployed by so many people who don't even imagine that they are engaging in propaganda and the things on the list sound like what their side is doing too.
4. From the Wikipedia article "Big Lie":
The phrase was also used in a report prepared during the war by the United States Office of Strategic Services in describing Hitler's psychological profile:5. Never allow the public to cool off... who's following that program now?
His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.
"I do not in any way, shape, or form condone any harm done by one human being to another. I have also lived long enough to believe in the power of forgiveness..."
"... second chances, and offering a human being a path to redemption. HOW TO BEAT TRUMP is an important, thoughtful book, and I hope everyone has a chance to read it."
Said Judith Regan, head of the publishing company Regan Arts, quoted in "Accused Serial Sexual Harasser Mark Halperin Signs ‘Trump’ Book Deal" (New York Magazine).
Regan's name is vaguely familiar. From her Wikipedia page:
A sampling of Twitter responses to the Halperin book announcement:
Can't a man publish a book? Shouldn't we judge it by its substance? Booted out of his job, he found a way to use his skill and be productive. Now, we will have the rectangular object, and why not say it's worth what it's worth? One answer is: A no-name writer wouldn't have gotten this level of publication and publicity if he wrote an equivalent volume of "How to Beat Trump." Halperin is still able to trade on his reputation and that shouldn't be accepted. But the other answer is, let's see the book. Maybe it's a good read. "If I Did It" was a smash hit. And that makes me think... how would you like Halperin's if-I-did-it book about those terrible things he did? Well, he can't do that. O.J. had his acquittal of the crime. The tort suit was over and done — res judicata. Halperin must look outward and find somebody other than himself to execrate. It's just so uncreative to pick Trump to beat on. So tiresome. "How to Beat Trump." It's like they're hoping people will see the book in the bookstore, pick it up, chuckle, say the title, and comically bop their companion on the head with it.
Said Judith Regan, head of the publishing company Regan Arts, quoted in "Accused Serial Sexual Harasser Mark Halperin Signs ‘Trump’ Book Deal" (New York Magazine).
Regan's name is vaguely familiar. From her Wikipedia page:
In 2006, Fox announced that Regan had interviewed O.J. Simpson, during which Simpson "confessed" to the 1994 murders of which he had been acquitted. The so-called confession was to air on the Fox network and Regan was to publish Simpson's written confession as a book entitled If I Did It. After harsh criticism, News Corporation cancelled both the book and the interview with Simpson that was to air on the Fox Network. The book went on to be published and became a #1 bestseller. News Corp. fired Regan and Regan sued and won a reported $10 million.I... believe in the power of forgiveness, second chances, and... a path to redemption...
A sampling of Twitter responses to the Halperin book announcement:
“The new accusations from the four women include that Halperin masturbated in front of an ABC News employee in his office and that he violently threw another woman against a restaurant window“ https://t.co/Kaie9uZzmJ https://t.co/eNY2AgDCaw— Alex Burns (@alexburnsNYT) August 18, 2019
1. Having a high-profile position in the media, getting a book deal etc, is a privilege, not a right. Mark Halperin not only sexually harassed women (something he has acknowledged), he has been credibly accused of assaulting multiple women. https://t.co/rJfWSLoGoz— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 18, 2019
Can't a man publish a book? Shouldn't we judge it by its substance? Booted out of his job, he found a way to use his skill and be productive. Now, we will have the rectangular object, and why not say it's worth what it's worth? One answer is: A no-name writer wouldn't have gotten this level of publication and publicity if he wrote an equivalent volume of "How to Beat Trump." Halperin is still able to trade on his reputation and that shouldn't be accepted. But the other answer is, let's see the book. Maybe it's a good read. "If I Did It" was a smash hit. And that makes me think... how would you like Halperin's if-I-did-it book about those terrible things he did? Well, he can't do that. O.J. had his acquittal of the crime. The tort suit was over and done — res judicata. Halperin must look outward and find somebody other than himself to execrate. It's just so uncreative to pick Trump to beat on. So tiresome. "How to Beat Trump." It's like they're hoping people will see the book in the bookstore, pick it up, chuckle, say the title, and comically bop their companion on the head with it.
August 18, 2019
At the Polar Bear Café...
... you can swim all night.
(And remember the Althouse Portal to Amazon, where you can buy all the swimsuits you want.)
"The Failing New York Times, in one of the most devastating portrayals of bad journalism in history, got caught by a leaker that they are shifting..."
"... from their Phony Russian Collusion Narrative (the Mueller Report & his testimony were a total disaster), to a Racism Witch Hunt. ...'Journalism'has reached a new low in the history of our Country. It is nothing more than an evil propaganda machine for the Democrat Party. The reporting is so false, biased and evil that it has now become a very sick joke...But the public is aware! #CROOKEDJOURNALISM"
Trump tweets this morning.
The Washington Times gives the context:
Trump tweets this morning.
The Washington Times gives the context:
Conservatives were stunned by the transcript of the staff “town hall” led by executive editor Dean Baquet, a recording of which was reportedly leaked to Slate, which posted what was described as a transcript on Thursday.... The most troubling part of NYT editor Dean Baquet’s speech to his newsroom was his admission: “our readers...cheer us when we take on Donald Trump.” He added that Trump voters don’t read the Times....I'll read the transcript for myself. Here are my notes as I read it:
This may be a little to "inside baseball"... (inside Wisconsin baseball... Wisconsin and Korea)...
— Bill Deno (@bill_deno) August 18, 2019
That was a long and harrowing game last night. Eric Thames had the winning home run in the 14th inning.
Here's the Wikipedia article "Inside baseball (metaphor)":
In American slang, the term inside baseball refers to the minutiae and detailed inner workings of a system that are only interesting to, or appreciated by, wonks, insiders, and aficionados. The phrase was originally used as a sports metaphor in political contexts, but has expanded to discussions of other topics as well. Language commentator William Safire wrote that the term refers to details about a subject that require such a specific knowledge about what is being discussed that the nuances are not understood or appreciated by outsiders.I'm reading Safire's article (from 1988), and he ends by noting that the term "horse race" is replacing "inside baseball" in political commentary to refer to "the who's ahead aspect of the campaign to the exclusion of the substance presumably discussed."
According to Merriam-Webster, the term originated in the 1890s referring to a particular style of playing the game which relied on singles, walks, bunts, and stolen bases rather than power hitting. Within a few decades the term was being used to mean highly specialized knowledge about baseball, and by the 1950s it was being applied to politics.
Are we taking a break from Trump-hating?
Here are the "Editor's Picks" on the front page of the NYT website this morning. Click to enlarge (not that you need to enlarge Pamela Anderson's breasts, but you can make the small print clearly readable by clicking):
1. "How the ‘Baywatch’ Swimsuit Became a Summer Classic/Athletic. Flattering. Red. Who needs a string bikini?" Yes, ladies, it is okay and maybe even cool to wear a one-piece bathing suit. But don't expect support from Pamela Anderson: "Ms. Anderson said modesty was not an issue for her but confirmed that the suits were pretty fitted. 'Some people bring me bathing suits to sign autographs on and they are these big bathing suits and I say, "Listen, my bathing suit was tiny. It just stretched and pulled onto your body,"' she said." If you want support, get a structured brassiere.
2. "They Met on the Court. They Both Won in Love. Eric Wankerl and Paige Marquardt first connected in 2013 during a Special Olympics event in Minnesota." This article could be #1 on the all-time list of feel-good stories in the New York Times. If you're hoarding your free reads for the NYT and you have any heart at all or you just want to try to have one, click through to this wedding story. Tears are running down my face as I give you this advice. Excerpt from the article: "We were told he’s never going to be the doctor or lawyer or engineer that you might have hoped for, so prepare yourself.... His dad and I had to go through counseling, this sort of grieving stuff where they tell you, 'This is the child you were given.'... I thought, the more people who are seeing him in town, the more people who are going to know him and look out for him. And that turned out to be true." Beautiful wedding photos.
3. "The Week in Books/Téa Obreht’s new novel, Barack Obama’s summer reading list and more." Oh, my lord! It's time for Barack Obama's summer reading list again! Topping the list is the collected works of Toni Morrison, so that's some serious homework for you. Or is that what he's reading? The book on the list I think he's most likely to actually be reading is the one that I've read, "Men Without Women" — the Haruki Murakami one. There's also an Ernest Hemingway collection with the same title, and that's actually the audiobook I've been walking to this week. Excellent performance by Stacy Keach. Recommended!
1. "How the ‘Baywatch’ Swimsuit Became a Summer Classic/Athletic. Flattering. Red. Who needs a string bikini?" Yes, ladies, it is okay and maybe even cool to wear a one-piece bathing suit. But don't expect support from Pamela Anderson: "Ms. Anderson said modesty was not an issue for her but confirmed that the suits were pretty fitted. 'Some people bring me bathing suits to sign autographs on and they are these big bathing suits and I say, "Listen, my bathing suit was tiny. It just stretched and pulled onto your body,"' she said." If you want support, get a structured brassiere.
2. "They Met on the Court. They Both Won in Love. Eric Wankerl and Paige Marquardt first connected in 2013 during a Special Olympics event in Minnesota." This article could be #1 on the all-time list of feel-good stories in the New York Times. If you're hoarding your free reads for the NYT and you have any heart at all or you just want to try to have one, click through to this wedding story. Tears are running down my face as I give you this advice. Excerpt from the article: "We were told he’s never going to be the doctor or lawyer or engineer that you might have hoped for, so prepare yourself.... His dad and I had to go through counseling, this sort of grieving stuff where they tell you, 'This is the child you were given.'... I thought, the more people who are seeing him in town, the more people who are going to know him and look out for him. And that turned out to be true." Beautiful wedding photos.
3. "The Week in Books/Téa Obreht’s new novel, Barack Obama’s summer reading list and more." Oh, my lord! It's time for Barack Obama's summer reading list again! Topping the list is the collected works of Toni Morrison, so that's some serious homework for you. Or is that what he's reading? The book on the list I think he's most likely to actually be reading is the one that I've read, "Men Without Women" — the Haruki Murakami one. There's also an Ernest Hemingway collection with the same title, and that's actually the audiobook I've been walking to this week. Excellent performance by Stacy Keach. Recommended!
"Officials declined to discuss whether the people arrested — on charges including disorderly conduct and unlawful use of a weapon — were affiliated with right-wing groups or with Antifa."
13 were arrested, according to "Portland Protests: Far-Right Groups and Antifa Face Off as Trump Weighs In/Conservative groups are urging the United States to label Antifa a domestic terrorist group. President Trump said the city was “being watched very closely" (NYT). I'm pretty sure right-wingers will assume that those arrested were Antifa, that the Portland police wouldn't have declined to discuss it if they'd arrested Proud Boys. But maybe it's the city's policy to refrain from purporting to know the politics of individuals arrested for disorderly conduct.
On Saturday, a few confrontations broke out in the park as the rally began, but the far-right groups eventually moved behind a police line and were separated from the counterprotesters by a wide gap that officers worked aggressively to maintain.... At least two of those walking with the militia members appeared to have been hit with white substances resembling milkshakes.... Officers intervened in occasional skirmishes at or near the park and seized a stun gun, bear spray, a shield, and metal and wooden poles from the protesters, the police said..... The rally itself was largely uneventful. But more fights broke out after the groups had dispersed and roved the downtown streets in smaller packs, with tense and sometimes bloody exchanges flaring up between demonstrators....
"The Welsh seaside town of Porthcawl is planning to install anti-sex public toilets that would spray occupants with water and sound an alarm."
"Violent movement sensors would automatically open the doors and sound high-pitched alarms, with fine water jets soaking the interior. Weight-sensitive floors would ensure only one user could be in a cubicle at a time, to safeguard against 'inappropriate sexual activity and vandalism.'"
What could go wrong?
From "Seaside town's hi-tech anti-sex toilets will spray users with water/Loos in Porthcawl, south Wales, will feature weight sensors and sound alarms to stop anti-social use" (The Guardian).
Lots of people weigh as much as 2 people. At what point does the "weight-sensitive" floor react. 400 pounds? And what level of "violent movement" is the trigger point? Now, I'm reduced to picturing legitimate excretory maneuvers that could offend the temperamental toilet. And let's say some "anti-social" people are in there going at it. The doors fling open?! That inflicts injury on passersby.
By the way, since when are we calling sex "anti-social"? I remember when a sexually transmitted disease was called a "social disease."
"Anti-social" is defined in my dictionary (the OED) as "Opposed to the principles on which society is constituted." And "antisocial personality disorder" is "a personality disorder characterized by persistent antisocial (often criminal) and aggressive or violent behaviour, typically beginning in childhood and persisting into adult life, and accompanied by an inability to feel remorse or to sustain lasting personal relationships and often by misuse of alcohol or other drugs." That doesn't sound like sex.
What could go wrong?
From "Seaside town's hi-tech anti-sex toilets will spray users with water/Loos in Porthcawl, south Wales, will feature weight sensors and sound alarms to stop anti-social use" (The Guardian).
Lots of people weigh as much as 2 people. At what point does the "weight-sensitive" floor react. 400 pounds? And what level of "violent movement" is the trigger point? Now, I'm reduced to picturing legitimate excretory maneuvers that could offend the temperamental toilet. And let's say some "anti-social" people are in there going at it. The doors fling open?! That inflicts injury on passersby.
By the way, since when are we calling sex "anti-social"? I remember when a sexually transmitted disease was called a "social disease."
"Anti-social" is defined in my dictionary (the OED) as "Opposed to the principles on which society is constituted." And "antisocial personality disorder" is "a personality disorder characterized by persistent antisocial (often criminal) and aggressive or violent behaviour, typically beginning in childhood and persisting into adult life, and accompanied by an inability to feel remorse or to sustain lasting personal relationships and often by misuse of alcohol or other drugs." That doesn't sound like sex.
Think twice about that sex robot: "She’s 120 pounds of dead weight. Carrying her around is a living nightmare."
I got that quote from "Whitney Cummings Shares Photo of Her Nipple to Thwart Extortion Attempts" (Cummings is a comedian).
Context:
Context:
"I have bawdy house coins from whorehouses in the 1860s... One coin says, '10 cents for lookie, 25 cents for feelie, 50 cents for doie.'"
Said Ralph Whittington, quoted in "Ralph Whittington, erotica collector extraordinaire, dies at 74" (WaPo). What do you have to do to become noteworthy for your porn collection? Whittington — whose job was as a curator at the Library of Congress — amassed and carefully catalogued a huge collection of pornography.
King of Porn from Jeff Krulik on Vimeo.
For years, he stored his trove — which included thousands of items, from 19th-century 'bawdy house coins' to magazines, videotapes, photographs, dolls and devices — at his Clinton, Md., home, which he shared with his mother..... Mr. Whittington noted 86 separate categories.... "To be blunt, most people buy for their own gratification. But I would spend money on stuff I didn’t even like. I like high heels and big legs, but I collected everything — except gay porn and child porn."Maybe there's a Ralph Whittington of gay porn somewhere.
"I have one film from 1913 called ‘Free Ride,’ which is supposed to be [the] oldest film they’ve found in the U.S.” He had a copy of the first commercial sex videotape sold to the general public, a version of “Deep Throat” playable only on an obsolete Betamax machine. ...He didn't collect — I don't want to use the word "digital" — computer porn.
In 1999, Mr. Whittington sold most of his materials to the Museum of Sex, a professionally curated institution in New York. Before three 16-foot trucks hauled away almost 10,000 items in 848 boxes, his house was packed from floor to ceiling. Videotapes shared space in the pantry next to cereal boxes, and sex tapes were stacked in his mother’s closet....
Mr. Whittington, who was a consultant to the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas and the now-defunct Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, sometimes mocked academics as people who “will read nine books on brothels and write the 10th one and never go to a brothel.”...Here's a little documentary about him:
For a fee, an adult-film star named Chessie Moore offered members of her fan club the opportunity to make an explicit videotape with her. As Moore’s husband ran the camera, Mr. Whittington directed and took part in the action. Moore later autographed her spike-heel pumps, which Mr. Whittington added to his collection.
King of Porn from Jeff Krulik on Vimeo.
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