In Reply to: Certain things we say make lasting impression posted by Victor Khomenko on February 17, 2004 at 10:51:35:
America is about being the biggest, brightest, fastest, newest thing on skates. We don't ride on European literature's lumpy and pitted metal wheels, we glide on inline modern wonder-plastic wheels.It's about breaking the mold, not falling into European literature's same old casting. We will not be under the coddling wing of a Europe that feels it is the center of the cultural and human universe
America is about reinventing the old. I'd much rather watch Steve Martin's remake of Cyrano (Roxanne) than watch a moldy old Jose Ferrer version OR plod through the dated and arcane dialogue in the book as we were forced to in high school.
The sentiment and ideals in the original story are wonderful, but the presentation is ancient history and not applicable to modern American society. You call Martin's remake dumbed down? I call the forcing outmoded original on Americans unaccustomed to speaking that way eliteist at best.
It's not about hiding behind obscure references to 19th century French literature to make yourself appear smart or well read. It's about knowing the ideas and ideals in the story, and living by them, regardless of whether you can quote text from the thing or not.
Now do you understand?
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Follow Ups
- Let me impress this upon you, then - Troy 11:55:04 02/17/04 (22)
- Re: Let me impress this upon you, then - Dmitry 21:23:23 02/17/04 (9)
- By a sheer coincidence, Roxanne was on last night - Victor Khomenko 04:46:15 02/18/04 (8)
- Of COURSE the nose looked fake! - Troy 07:31:25 02/18/04 (7)
- Re: Of COURSE the nose looked fake! - Victor Khomenko 07:49:42 02/18/04 (6)
- Re: Of COURSE the nose looked fake! - patrickU 08:02:36 02/18/04 (5)
- Re: Of COURSE the nose looked fake! - Victor Khomenko 08:28:38 02/18/04 (4)
- Re: Of COURSE the nose looked fake! - patrickU 08:39:48 02/18/04 (3)
- Re: Of COURSE the nose looked fake! - Victor Khomenko 09:04:17 02/18/04 (2)
- Re: Of COURSE the nose looked fake! - patrickU 09:16:15 02/18/04 (1)
- Thank you! (nt) - Victor Khomenko 10:08:10 02/18/04 (0)
- Re: Steve Martin Cyrano? - patrickU 13:13:05 02/17/04 (11)
- Sure - Troy 14:41:08 02/17/04 (9)
- Re: Sure / Is that a monologue? - patrickU 00:56:47 02/18/04 (4)
- Ordered Cyrano... - Victor Khomenko 07:00:47 02/18/04 (3)
- Re: Scaramouche? - patrickU 07:15:43 02/18/04 (2)
- Yep, that's the one. - Victor Khomenko 07:25:30 02/18/04 (1)
- Re: Yep, that's the one. - patrickU 07:43:27 02/18/04 (0)
- Re: Sure - Victor Khomenko 14:44:40 02/17/04 (3)
- "You must be jocking." You wish. (nt) - Victor Khomenko 13:24:54 02/17/04 (0)