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Post-Satire
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Rants
- Hits: 965
This age, era, it lakes an appropriate title.
By which I mean "Holocene" or "Anthropocene" are fine, but they don't define the culture. There was the Renaissance, there's been Modernism, and Post-Modernism, there have been any number of movements that specifically try and describe the culture that we live in.
For the moment, there is nothing. And so I propose we call it the "Post-Satire". By which I mean that any Satire - no matter how outlandish, preposterous, or ridiculous - is outstripped by the reality of the time we live in and the principle players.
Think of "Space Force" - perhaps funny - a satire on the ambitions of the former President Trump - but - somehow - not so funny. Because no matter how hard it tried, if you were following the news you knew that the reality was far more absurd and preposterous. Or the latest movie "hit" - "Don't Look Up" - which (I haven't seen to be fair) - fails because it comes too close to home. This isn't a dumbed down version of the world we live in - it's a world in which we somehow portray everyone in power as having the faintest glimmer of intelligence that's somehow overruled by self-interest.
You can't make fun of this, and you shouldn't be trying. It's long overdue we started to take things seriously, because - indeed - things are about to take a very serious turn.
Tipping
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Rants
- Hits: 1221
And, fuck, I'm a waiter and I'm ranting about this:
I mean - Subway. Tipping - 18 - 20 -25%
Really? Who's falling for it?
And - yeah, I know, shitty job - but - it's not a 100$ an hour shitty job..
So today - at a generic Pho chain on Robson. Not far from the library. Mediocre, expensive Pho, but I have yet to find better.
And the tipping option comes up "18-20-25-30%"
Like !!! FUCKING HELL!! WHEN WAS 20% not a GOOD FUCKING TIP!!
and - service - sorry - 10% is generous. Really, I mean, I don't tip 10%, but I fucking know what 10% service is and this was it.
The Power of the Dog
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 998
Apparently one of the top movies of 2021.
Good, but -
Well, not precisely my thing. More like a "Movies made for Oscars" than "Movies made for People", if you get my drift.
There are more challenging films out there.
Kuku-Racha
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: People
- Hits: 881
Since being back at the hostel I've had it pretty sweet. 7 days, my shared dorm room only once shared with a Ukrainian traveler, and he only here from 12:00 Noon until midnight when he left.
So I'm being spoiled.
But the common area's come under siege. An older Mexican man, perhaps 45 (?? I'm no judge of age) has taken to partying there every night. He travels with his Bluetooth speaker around his neck, playing "Vogue" by Madonna and "Like a Virgin", and a ton of other camp favorites from the late 90's and turn of the century. He's drunk on Mojitos and Daiquiris, It's loud and I'm unable to pay attention to anything but this, the worst of all possible 90's club "muzak".
We take turns picking songs, and I pick "Gay Bar" by Electric Six. It's a great song. He listens a moment - then looks at me, his face all lit up: "Are you Gay?"
I nip this in the bud. "NO". It's a hard no, I used to feel that I was offending people by being straight and so I'd be all coy, wishy-washy, but I know better now - fuck that - I'm fine with you being gay - you be fine with me being straight. I'm only gay if it's an older woman asking.
He doesn't like this, finds other company, a poor young Greek man with his girlfriend, and - I have to say - in this shared dorm-style housing - well - things could get awfully uncomfortable. And I'm grateful for the long spell of no shared roomies...
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