Bullshit Writing

How come any asshole that picks up a pen/paintbrush/camera and creates a work based on a horrific human tragedy such as the Holocaust, or the war in Iraq, or 9/11, receives critical acclaim for said work, regardless of the actual merits behind it?? Sure, give them a pat on the back for commemorating a shared tragedy, but for god's sake don't lie and tell them their work is profound, moving, and is a display of true passion and talent. There are those that do, in fact, use their natural, real talents to bring humanity's collective unconscious emotions to the surface for all to experience. Not everyone has this talent, nor do they all have the same intentions in creating such art.

For my part, I think such sub-par efforts are offensive to the victims, their families, their communities. It feels more like these artists are using the tragedy to further their own ends, rather than to truly pay homage to those that suffered. Who would give a bad review to a book about a massively tragic event? It actually makes me quite ill to think about.

I'm currently suffering through A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell (I was convinced to be in a reading group- we'll see how long that lasts). It's about Italian Jews during the Holocaust, the mere thought of which brings heavy tears to my eyes (I can't watch the news these days because I crumble in the face of man's inhumanity to man, or to beast, or to earth). The Washington Post Book World said it best in a quote on the back of the book: "...full of action, paced like a rapid fire thriller...". The book is written like any common fluffed up thriller. The many characters, which the author seems to take great pains to "develop", appear to me to be empty and unrealistic. Complete cliches. It's as if she took a basic outline for writing a sure-fire action thriller novel, and applied the story of the Holocaust to it. How can you go wrong there?? Anyone with that formula, no job, and SEVEN YEARS on their hands could pump out trash like that. She uses her background in anthropology as filler material between uninspired descriptions of the colors of the sky, the sea, the mountains, whatever the landscape is she describes the color changes for the length of at least a couple of sentences.

There's a time and a place and even a dedicated readership for novels of this caliber, but please, please, I beg you, critics, whoever you are, don't pretend that they are profound masterpieces that should go down in history as classics.

ANTI Anti-folk

What in mother fucking god almighty's name is this genre of so-called music referred to as "anti-folk" wherein young females (and sometimes males, though the broads are what concern me here) purporting to be musicians of the "singer songwriter" variety warble like pigeons while putting on a show of strumming on a guitar or pounding out a few notes on a piano?????? I can't watch a single goddamn TV show without being put through the agony of a commercial that Regina Spektor or one of her (unfortunately) many sound-alikes provided the "musical" distraction for.

Don't offend me or real musicians by citing the likes of Bjork, Siouxsie Sioux, Tori Amos, Holly Golightly, Liz Phair (the list goes on and yes there is a long list of actually talented female musicians) as influences for your empty, uninspired "music". You cunts don't even deserve to listen to them, never mind have their names pass through your wizened, sallow lips.

Regina Spektor and her shitty copycat followers can take a fucking hike back to whatever god forsaken hole they crawled out from under to torture my poor aural sense. Please note that I have nothing personal against Regina Spektor. She may even be nice, but that's unlikely as she's Russian, and most Russians are big, gaping assholes. Prove me wrong, just try.

Bat For Lashes. Now there's a girl band I can get in bed with. I mean get on board with.